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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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