On March 25, the Arlington Latin Mass Society will be holding the Second National Summorum Pontificum Pilgrimage. We will process from St. Thomas More Cathedral in Arlington, VA to St. Matthew the Apostle Cathedral in Washington, D.C.-- about a two hour walk-- to show our support for the Traditional Latin Mass and bear witness to the devotion it inspires. We will carry beautiful Catholic banners, flags, and processional crosses, pray the Rosary, sing Marian hymns, and spread the truth of Christ through the streets of Arlington, VA and Washington, D.C.
Before September 2022, the Diocese of Arlington and the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. were models of how Pope Benedict's Summorum Pontificum, liberating the Traditional Latin Mass, could revitalize the Church. The regular celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass revitalized dying parishes, encouraged evangelization and vibrant parish life, and led to the reverent celebration of the Novus Ordo with altar rails, kneeling for communion, and worship ad orientem.
When devastating restrictions on the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass were announced in both dioceses in July 2022, the Latin Mass community banded together. Shut out of parish bulletins, we created a website (latinmassarlington.org) where Latin Mass times could be shared. Evicted from parish churches, we helped renovate gymnasiums and parish halls to host reverent celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass. We hold weekly Rosary Rallies, put together a speaker series, and recently obtained 501(c)(3) status.
In September 2022, in response to the restrictions, we planned and executed the extraordinarily successful National Summorum Pontificum Pilgrimage, attracting a group of 300 Catholics. We are making this a semi-annual event to show our resilience and continued devotion to the Traditional Latin Mass and the Church even in the face of harsh restrictions. In addition, we wish to revive the great Catholic tradition of Marian processions on major Marian feast days. Throughout Catholic history, Marian processions have borne witness to the beauty and timelessness of the Catholic faith, helped pay homage to Our Lord and Our Lady, and served as powerful tools for evangelization. That witness is even more important in today's world, beset by secularization, alienation, and a host of societal evils.
We believe that our determination to carry on the Traditional Latin Mass even in difficult circumstances can be a model for Latin Mass communities throughout the country. Pope Francis' recent Rescript reserves to the Dicastery of Divine Worship the exclusive power to dispense from his edict in Traditionis Custodes that the Traditional Mass not be celebrated in parish churches. This means that our experience in Arlington and Washington, D.C., where the Traditional Mass was evicted from over 20 parishes and placed on time limits in the few parish churches where it remained, could soon be exported to all the country. That prospect is troubling, and it demands a response from the laity that demonstrates both reverence and determination.
In the face of the devastation being unleashed on faithful Catholics from Rome, it is urgent that we continue to pray, fast, and carry on Catholic tradition as best we can-- even in the face of great difficulty. Indeed, we have no other choice. That is why we invite everyone in Washington, D.C., Virginia and Maryland to join us on March 25. More details are available on our websites, latinmassarlington.org and tlmpilgrimage.com, including information about free shuttles to and from the march. And if you cannot make it, please consider donating at https://www.givesendgo.com/
