Tridentine Mass - Isthmus Catholic

Official Website of the Cathedral Parish of the Catholic Diocese of Madison, WI

Tridentine Mass

The Tridentine Mass---Mass as it was celebrated prior to the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965)---is offered each Sunday at 7:00 am at Holy Redeemer.

The word “Tridentine” is derived from the Council of Trent, which published a standard text of the Roman Missal (prescribing the rituals and prayers for the Mass), used with few changes for four centuries.

The Tridentine Mass is celebrated entirely in Latin, with the priest facing the altar (rather than the congregation), and with most of the prayers being inaudible to the people. The sermon is in English. Many people follow the prayers of the Mass by using a personal, bilingual missal.

In his apostolic letter Summorum Pontificum (of 2007), Pope Benedict XVI called for a broader use of the Roman Missal of 1962---the last edition of the Missal prior to the Second Vatican Council. Under the provisions of Summorum Pontificum, every Catholic priest is free to use the Missal of 1962 privately. The Tridentine Mass may be celebrated publicly wherever there is a community of the faithful who request it.

In the Diocese of Madison, Bishop Morlino responded to the Holy Father’s initiative by designating Holy Redeemer as the site for the celebration of the Tridentine Mass for the Madison area.

Bishop Morlino inaugurated the use of the Tridentine Mass at Holy Redeemer by celebrating a Solemn Pontifical Mass at the Throne there on the Third Sunday of Advent (December 16, 2007).

Even before Summorum Pontificum was issued, a number of Catholics from various local parishes were meeting to promote the use of the Tridentine Mass in Madison under the provision of a previous papal document (Ecclesia Dei, 1988) that authorized the use of the 1962 Missal with special permission of the local bishop. In consultation with Bishop Morlino, they had formally established the Tridentine Mass Society of the Diocese of Madison on August 30, 2007.

The Tridentine Mass Society remains committed to helping provide all that is necessary for the celebration of this Mass at Holy Redeemer. A schola cantorum (choir), a corps of servers and volunteers to assist with other preparations have been organized.

Anyone interested in assisting the Tridentine Mass Society in any way is invited to contact Jacek Cianciara (233-7013) or Duane Zinkel (238-4420).