Six years after the promulgation of Sumorum Pontificum,
Traditional Masses continue to multiply far and wide. It is for that reason
that I always take the occasion of Summorum’s anniversary to ask our readers to
make a visit to WikkiMissa to check the information on the Masses that they
attend in order to insure that everything is up to date. For those not familiar
with it, WikkiMissa is a France-based, user-editable directory of Traditional
Masses offered around the globe - and a very influential commodity for bringing
people to those Masses. As Masses appear at an ever-increasing rate,
WikkiMissa’s role becomes more vital and it is up to all of us to help it do
its job. It is accessible in eight languages so feel free to inform friends in
far-away places of its existence if they are not already aware of it. For the
Masses in your own area, please verify the times and days of the week that they
are offered as these sometimes change from one year to the next. It is also
important that addresses and telephone numbers are provided accurately for the
benefit of those who travel. No one wants to spend upward of an hour in a
foreign country going to a place where a Mass is supposed to take place only to
learn that it has been cancelled that week because of an unforeseen
circumstance.
Also, this year I’d like to ask everyone to check the
WikkiMissa for Masses in your area that you don’t attend but that you could
“visit” on one or more Sundays. Many of us who have a Mass right in our own parish
or at a nearby chapel tend to become isolated. We feel that we are being served
and we become a little bit too satisfied with that situation. Many people spend
hours on the road each and every Sunday to get to Mass. If you have the luxury of
attending Mass within a half hour from your home, perhaps one day you could
make an effort to go to a neighboring Mass either across town or in a nearby
community. Be sure to introduce yourself, tell people where you traveled from,
and invite them to come to your own Mass when they have the opportunity. It may
do wonders for small Mass communities who are trying to establish themselves
and could use the moral, if not practical support of those who are
well-founded. One thing that seems to lack among those who practice the
Traditional Rite is a semblance of community above and beyond that within our own individual parishes and chapels. I think all would agree that waiting for our dioceses or bishop’s conferences to
provide it is not a great plan. It is up to us to start making meaningful
connections.
Finally, I’d like once again to thank Emmanuel who owns
and maintains WikkiMissa for providing this valuable resource.
