Requiem for a Warrior for the Mass of Ages

It is with sadness that we report the death of the Rt. Rev. Tullio Andreatta, K.C.H.S. Monsignor Andreatta died on December 1, 2009, at San Diego. He was 95 years old. Born in Crespano Del Grappa, Italy, near Venice, he was ordained a priest on June 29, 1938. Nine months later he arrived in the United States beginning ten years of service at various Italian parishes across the country. He arrived in the Diocese of San Diego on December 3, 1949 and was assigned to serve as the Assistant Pastor at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in San Bernardino. In 1951, at the direction of Bishop Buddy, he established a new parish in San Bernardino which he named Our Lady of Fatima. Other pastoral assignments included Blessed Sacrament Church (now Our Lady of Light) in Descanso, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, and Our Lady of the Lake Church in Lake Arrowhead. In 1978, he was invested as a Prelate of Honor of the Pope on the occasion of the 40th Anniversary of his ordination. On October 30, 1983, he was invested in the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem as a Knight Commander in recognition of his devoted service to Holy Mother Church

Following Pope John Paul II's 1984 authorization allowing the public celebration of the Tridentine Lain Mass, Monsignor Andreatta was the first priest in the United States to obtain permission from a diocesan bishop to do so. Following his appointment as chaplain, beginning on February 24, 1985, the Tridentine Latin Mass was offered by Monsignor Andreatta at St. Vincent de Paul Church in central San Diego. Due to the objections of several of the clergy the Tridentine Latin Mass was soon moved to Holy Cross Cemetery Mausoleum Chapel where it was offered every Sunday and Holyday without exception by Monsignor Andreatta until his retirement in 1991.

It was Monsignor Andreatta's hope and prayer that a parish church be provided where his beloved Mass could be offered and the other sacraments provided. Thanks be to God, he lived to see the day when, on October 7, 2008, the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, a personal parish was erected for the Traditional Latin Mass apostolate at St. Anne Catholic Church.

Monsignor Andreatta will be laid to rest on Saturday, December 12, 2009, following a Solemn Requiem High Mass which will be offered at The Immaculata where Monsignor Andreatta celebrated the Golden Jubilee of his priesthood. The Rosary will be prayed at 9:45 a.m. PST followed by Mass at 10:00 a.m. PST. The procession to Holy Cross Cemetery will depart at 1:00 p.m.

By Mr. Carl Horst (originally posted on CTNGreg and edited for reposting on RC.)