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 Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 11:11 pm Post subject: “What is going on with Fr. Echert?” |
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| My husband has asked me to send this letter to AQ:Our family has been attending the Traditional Latin Mass at St. Augustine Parish in South St. Paul, Minnesota for about six years, currently under the able pastorship of Fr. John Echert. The Traditional Mass, whether said by Fr. Echert, by Fr. Bryan Pedersen, or by Fr. Robert Altier, are very precise and holy masses.Last September, just after the Motu Proprio “Summorum Pontificem” took effect, Fr. Echert shocked the Traditional Latin Mass community by reading the epistle and gospel from the high altar in English, for a Sunday Low Mass, and he explained in his sermon during that mass, that the Motu Proprio permitted this, and that he would continue this practice. At a High Mass, the readings would continue to be chanted in Latin.The reaction from the TLM community was swift, and the following Sunday at Low Mass, Fr. Echert restored the Latin for the readings from the High Altar. He explained, though, that once Rome issued a clarification of the Motu Proprio, he would reexamine the situation concerning the readings, and whether the vernacular is permitted from the High Altar. He also said that at all weekday Low Masses, the readings would be in English, not Latin. If I remember correctly, his explanation for this development was something about not wanting to repeat himself.This past Sunday, July 6th, for the 8th Sunday after Pentecost, at a Low Mass, Fr. Echert shocked us again by reading the epistle and gospel in English from the High Altar. In his sermon, after some announcements, he explained. Rome had spoken, and the vernacular was definitely permitted from the High Altar in the Traditional Form of the Mass, so that is what we are going to have from now on, except at High Mass where the readings will still be chanted in Latin.I will try to summarize his explanation for why we are doing this at this time, as best I can recall.Fr. Echert first explained that at Papal Masses, the Pope had recently insisted on distributing communion only on the tongue, and that communicants must kneel to receive. Also, at other parishes where an communion rail was restored and used (for Novus Ordo masses), the postures for receiving communion went from about 80% standing and in the hand, to 75% to 80% kneeling and on the tongue almost overnight.Fr. Echert then explained that a long time ago, some Orthodox Jews insisted that the Scriptures could only be read or chanted in ancient Hebrew because this is the language of God. Later, when the New Testament was written, other scholars insisted that Greek was the language of God and only Greek could be used for the Scriptures. And when St. Jerome was translating the Scriptures to create the Latin Vulgate, he was translating them to the current vernacular language of Latin. Also, St. Jerome questioned whether the Deutero-Canonical books were truly part of Scripture and did not wish to translate them, but that the Church in Her wisdom overruled him, and these books are now part of Scripture.Fr. Echert also stated that during the Triduum, when the Passion is read, it is confusing to have the Passion read simultaneously in Latin from the sanctuary and in English from the lectern. But he did not say for whom it was confusing, and I was never confused by this.
Fr. Echert explained that the Such-and-Such Committee in Rome (I forget the name) and Cardinal Hoyos(?), after consulting the Holy Ghost, had determined that the permission of vernacular languages for the readings from the High Altar in the Traditional Latin Mass was truly the “will of God” and was a Good, Holy and Organic development of the Traditional Latin Mass.
Fr. Echert also stated that he would probably receive several letters about this, and perhaps be pulled aside after Mass by a few of us, but that would not change his mind because (I quote) “I’m stubborn. I’m German and I’m stubborn.”
Fr. Echert has received a lot of grief from some Novus Ordo parishioners for the changes he has made to the sanctuary and the Novus Ordo mass. He replaced the 1960’s era red shag carpeting in the sanctuary with beautiful cream and gold marble tile, he put the Cranmer table in storage and says the N.O. mass ad orientem, he removed the “sign of peace” from the N.O. mass, and he uses the communion railing at all masses.
The Traditional Mass community have been his best supporters. So why this change that will alienate so many of us? What is the reason? Was something broken that he had to fix?
Personally, I have no idea what to make of this. I confess I was furious, just like I used to be at N.O. masses for thirty-five years before I left them for Tradition. I had the urge to slam my missal on the pew and stomp out. I didn’t, of course.
Can someone figure this out for us? I’m lost… again.
St. Augustine Parish Office: 651-451-1212 - Angel Queen Forum
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July 11th, 2008 at 6:11 am
Doesn’t surprise me at all. If the Gospel’s in English, they might actually have to take time away from their liturgical
xxxxxxto listen to it.July 11th, 2008 at 7:36 am
Dear Terry,
I went to the Angel Queen site and it makes me made sad. Some people are too Catholic for the Church.
Have a blessed day. I am going strawberry picking!
Katie
July 11th, 2008 at 9:52 am
I personally like the readings in English at the TLM. Fr. Rutler a few months ago chanted the reading in English in the Roman tone, and nobody complained. Some of the Angelqueen folks are just hyper-sensitive about everything under the Sun.
Jeff: “liturgical masturbation”: What? That’s a sick-minded term. You mean praying?
July 11th, 2008 at 1:38 pm
It’s not enough that these people are blessed beyond belief with an excellent priest and a TLM, but then they have to go and whine about something like this. Actually, they are blessed with three of the best priests in the diocese. Count your blessings, folks, and remember the reason why you go to Mass…something to do with the Real Presence. Don’t let such petty nonsense distract you from that.
Try living in other parts of the country where you can’t even attend a Mass that isn’t full of abuses, not litte abuses, HUGE ones.
Such a snarky letter at AQ. How sad and unfortunate.
July 11th, 2008 at 3:06 pm
Everyone knows the authority of the Trads is above that of the Vicar of Christ…. don’t they?
July 11th, 2008 at 6:48 pm
Father Echert Rocks!
July 11th, 2008 at 9:09 pm
Why would anyone not want to be able to understand the Gospel and the Epistle that is being read at Mass? Does everyone who attends the EF have a Missal they can follow along with? I was a teenager when the 1962 Missal began to be used and I honestly do not remember the readings ever being read in Latin. Always in English. Perhaps there was an indult back then for the readings in the vernacular?
July 11th, 2008 at 9:12 pm
Frosty, I have the same memory.
July 13th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
It would serve them right if Fr. Echert decided to stop saying the mass altogether.
July 17th, 2008 at 3:39 pm
Jeff’s comment is the single most distasteful thing I have ever read on a Catholic blog. For shame.
As regards changing the readings from Latin to English, I take the point, from the quoted article, that nothing was broken. I would have thought that a major change such as this, while clearly legitimate according to Summorum Pontificum, ought not to have been imposed upon a congregation without sensitive preparation and good reason.
Let’s hope for an amicable resolution of this situation. Nothing would be worse than the weakening of a good, faithful Catholic community.
July 29th, 2008 at 9:22 am
I am 72 years old and have read much on Vatican II,am an old Traditionalist. Have not seen any fruits of the” pastorial” Vat II,but after reading what Fr. Echert said about reading the Gospel and Epistle at the high Alter in the venacular, (which are the movable parts)I believe in my heart that this would have been what Cardinal Ottiavani and the other good Fathers would have agreed would be good and seen as a fruit of Vat II.The fabricated liturgy of the N.O.M. was not what the Fathers of the council wanted.Remember all the Roman Missals were in Latin on one side and the venacular on the other side, so when traveling to another country (providing you had your Missal with you)the Mass was always in Latin and the movable parts were always in the venacular,which mine was english,no problem praying the Mass with Father,no matter what country.So I would believe we need a Vatican III.
August 12th, 2008 at 3:00 pm
I was at the Mass when Father gave his explanation and said the quote of being German and stubborn.
Perhaps it wasn’t his most pastoral moment, but his point is that the whole Mass is said to God, while the Epistle and Gospel are for the people to learn from. To say them twice, he insists, can be redundant.
Many trads are extremely worried because they’ve lived with Rome’s tinkerings and novelties for decades and fought every single one. We don’t always know what to do with the kind of fluid development that is legitimate.
This parish is currently bearing very good fruits; however, it is also a prime spot for the devil to wreak his havoc, so pray for our priests and parishoners alike!