These are pictures of the Traditional Latin Mass last July 6, 2008 at the St. Jerome Emiliani and St. Susanna Parish in the Alabang Town Center of Muntinlupa City (Metro Manila, Philippines). It is a parish of the Diocese of Paranaque, entrusted to the Somascan Fathers. The regular celebrant of the TLM is Fr. Grato Germanetto, an Italian Somascan priest. The choir is composed of veteran members of the old Manila Cathedral Choir. Many had sung in the cathedral in the 1960's. The TLM in St. Jerome has given them a new home where their repertory of Latin hymns and polyphonic Masses can be appreciated anew.
I would like to thank my friend and fellow-blogger, Gerald Cenir, for taking these photographs.
More photos can be found here.
The inauguration of the TLM in this parish last June 29 was covered by my friend, Fr. Abraham Arganiosa, in his blog here, here and here.
For video clips by Mr. Elbert Friend(a patron of the TLM in St. Jerome) showing segments of the weekly Sunday celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass at St. Jerome Emiliani and Sta. Susana Parish Church , click to the following links:
June 29, 2008 - Excerpts of the first Traditional Latin Mass celebrated on the Solemnity of Sts. Peter & Paul at St. Jerome Emiliani and Sta. Susana - in video
July 6, 2008 - Scenes from the second Traditional Mass celebrated on the 8th Sunday after Pentecost - in video
We have a long way to go before perfecting this Mass. Furthermore, we are still completing the vestments and the ornaments for the altar. In the Philippines, the priests and servers (and some of the chanters) of the Traditional Latin Mass celebrated in parish churches are basically self-taught, not having had the benefit of training from the FSSP or other traditional religious orders, (although a couple of ex-SSPX seminarians have been of tremendous assistance) and relying almost entirely on videos and books of rubrics. Old priests tend to have forgotten the rubrics and cannot rely on their memory alone, and in any case, liturgical practice in the Philippines prior to 1965 was far from perfect. At present there is a Filipino FSSP seminarian on vacation who assists at Sunday Mass, and we hope to greatly benefit from his advice and instruction.
June 29, 2008 - Excerpts of the first Traditional Latin Mass celebrated on the Solemnity of Sts. Peter & Paul at St. Jerome Emiliani and Sta. Susana - in video
July 6, 2008 - Scenes from the second Traditional Mass celebrated on the 8th Sunday after Pentecost - in video
We have a long way to go before perfecting this Mass. Furthermore, we are still completing the vestments and the ornaments for the altar. In the Philippines, the priests and servers (and some of the chanters) of the Traditional Latin Mass celebrated in parish churches are basically self-taught, not having had the benefit of training from the FSSP or other traditional religious orders, (although a couple of ex-SSPX seminarians have been of tremendous assistance) and relying almost entirely on videos and books of rubrics. Old priests tend to have forgotten the rubrics and cannot rely on their memory alone, and in any case, liturgical practice in the Philippines prior to 1965 was far from perfect. At present there is a Filipino FSSP seminarian on vacation who assists at Sunday Mass, and we hope to greatly benefit from his advice and instruction.
St. Jerome Emiliani and St. Susanna parish in Alabang Town Center, Muntinlupa City (Diocese of Paranaque, in the southern part of Metro Manila) is one of the three parish churches in Metropolitan Manila where Mass is offered every Sunday according to the Missal of 1962. The Sunday Traditional Latin Mass in each of these three parishes is nearly always a Sung Mass. Furthermore, these Masses are spread throughout the day. The TLM in SS. Jerome and Susanna is offered at 9:30 AM, the TLM in the Parish of the Lord of Divine Mercy (Quezon City, Diocese of Cubao, northern Metro Manila) at 1:30 PM, and the TLM in the National Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima (Valenzuela City, Diocese of Malolos, at the north-western edge of Metro Manila) is scheduled at 8:00 PM.
