Eucharist Among the Brambles

Last weekend, we attended the ordination of the young man we have been supporting with our prayers as he moves toward the priesthood. He was ordained a transitional deacon, along with nine others. The liturgy was absolutely beautiful and it was very impressive to see the strong faith and dedication of these fine men.

Ed and I were “matched” with Lenny only a few months ago, but we have been praying for him much longer—ever since we signed up for an archdiocesan “adopt a seminarian” program. We didn’t know who we would be matched with, but we knew that the Lord did, so we began praying immediately. Finally, we had a chance to meet him, and we could tell right away that the Holy Spirit had a plan for this connection.

This program matches families with one of the 100 seminarians in our archdiocese; the families commit to following the seminarian through his discernment process with prayer and friendship—including him in our family events, and getting to know one another. We look forward to attending the milestones as he journeys toward the priesthood, and hope to continue beyond that, through prayer and friendship in his ministry. Priests need our prayers all through their lives.

On Sunday, we attended his first official Mass as a deacon. There were twenty children making their First Communion in that parish, and as such he geared his first homily to the kids, but he did a great job in reaching the adults as well—that’s not always easy to pull off.

Our seminarian has a Masters degree in education and taught math before entering the seminary, and it showed; he invited the kids to come up to sit on the top step so that he could talk with them as he explained the Gospel and how the Scripture related to making their First Communion.

The Gospel was John 15: 1-8, where Jesus says, “I am the true vine and you are the branches . . .” Lenny pointed out to the kids that Jesus says over and over, “Remain in me, and I remain in you.” He emphasized the word remain—stay with me . . . stay close to me.” Bringing out a vine he had dug up that morning to use as a concrete visual, he explained the Gospel in simple terms and involved the kids in a conversation that circled in to what they were doing in receiving communion that day, but the lesson had application for the adults as well. We were impressed; Lenny will make a fine priest one day, following the example of the Lord who taught in simple examples his listeners could relate to.

I prayed for the First Communicants that their day would be as powerful as mine was. If there is one day in my personal life I can point to as the first moment that it all came together for me in my relationship with God, it was that day. It was the day I knew that I knew, and I have never doubted. It is hard to explain how I felt, but at one moment I knew God was with me. Over the years, I have had been “pruned,” but each time it has only brought me closer to him; it has been necessary for growth and for the production of fruit in my life.

Last year at this time, we were in Rome, and it was very special for me to be able to receive communion and to attend Mass at the Vatican on the very anniversary of my First Holy Communion. I remember that day in a special way each year, but that was a real gift to me.

On our wedding day, besides the wonder of exchanging our vows, a most special moment came when Ed and I gave each other communion. The priest placed the host in each of our hands and we gave communion to each other. He then gave Ed the chalice, and he presented it to me; I did the same in exchange. It was a profound moment for us; it proclaimed that our marriage wasn’t just between Ed and me, but that the Lord was with us, and we always could count on Him to remain as a partner with us in our marriage. Whenever Ed and I walk up to receive communion together, it reminds us of the sacrament of our marriage and the gift of the unity with the Lord as we receive Eucharist together.

A liturgy that left me speechless

And I don’t mean that in a good way.  Thank you, Kathy Schiffer, for ruining my Sunday.

The clip below is some sort of liturgy from some sort of religion in some sort of country that evidently speaks German.  Fr. Dwight, commenting on this, wonders if it’s even Catholic.  Having watched most of it — I sped through the parts that were bringing bile to my lips — I can report that the celebrant offers a blessing at the end that looks very Catholic, that the church appears to have paintings of the Stations of the Cross that look to be very Catholic, and that in the last few seconds a woman saunters up to something that appears to be a tabernacle and, when she does is done, genuflects.  Maybe someone who knows German can translate?

Whatever it was, wherever it was: that sound you hear is my mind, boggling.

UPDATE: A deacon reader who speaks German confirmed that it was, indeed, a Catholic Mass.  He found more:

It is a Catholic Church in Austria, in Hartberg, a city in Styria, Austria.

Notice the TV in the sanctuary of the beautiful baroque church…..The celebrant is Father Andreas Monschein

http://hartberg.graz-seckau.at/Kontakt

The Website says the Parish is known for its colorful, liturgical practice that is “close to the people” and a musical variety from Rock Music to the Baroque. Highlights include Palm Sunday, Corpus Christi and Thanksgiving services in the main square of the town, as well as evening services in the open – outside.

They have a youtube channel.

http://www.youtube.com/user/andreaspichlhoefer

Try the disco mass

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpmrM3iyWwc

— and the visitor from LA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v73Msc-dYWo

Belleville priest says Burke would reject his appeal to save job

BELLEVILLE • A priest in the Belleville diocese at odds with his bishop over the wording of the Catholic Mass said the former Archbishop of St. Louis – now head of the Vatican’s highest court – said he should have been removed from his parish long ago.

The Rev. William Rowe said Belleville Bishop Edward Braxton told him in a meeting Tuesday that if he refused to resign as pastor of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Mount Carmel, Ill., the bishop would use canon – or church – law to remove him. Rowe said he asked Braxton if he could appeal a removal, if it came to that.

Rowe said Braxton told him that he could appeal an eventual removal to the Vatican’s version of the supreme court, called the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura. But, Braxton said, he had already spoken to the head of that court – former St. Louis archbishop, Cardinal Raymond Burke – in February, and that Burke told Braxton that Rowe should have been removed “a long time ago,” according to the priest.

“The understanding there is that I’m done,” Rowe said.

Messages left with the offices of Braxton in Belleville and Burke in Rome were not returned Wednesday morning.

Rowe said Braxton told him that on two recent trips to Rome several bishops asked him about Rowe’s case, and encouraged him to remove the priest. The bishop told him the bishops had heard about two civil weddings outside the church Rowe had performed for couples whose previous marriages had not yet been annulled. Braxton “said Rome was aware of those weddings and upset about that before the liturgy thing,” Rowe said.

For decades, Rowe has deviated from the language of the Roman Catholic Mass, a highly prescribed liturgical rite, parts of which are as old as Christianity itself. In December, the Vatican introduced a new English-language translation of the Roman Missal – the book of prayers, chants and responses used during Mass. The new translation rendered some of the language in the Missal closer in spirit to the original Latin. Critics of the new translation have said the English is clunky and awkward for priests and laity.

Most of the prayers read by priests from the Missal during Mass cannot be changed. But there has never been an established penalty for improvising non-alterable prayers, and bishops have traditionally looked past an individual priest’s extemporizing. Last June, Braxton had sent a letter to all the priests in the Belleville Diocese warning that “it will not be acceptable for any priest or any parish to refrain from using the new prayers due to their personal preference.”

Rowe offered Braxton his resignation October 12, 2011, after a meeting during which the bishop barred the priest from improvising prayers during Mass. Braxton didn’t accept Rowe’s resignation until Jan. 30, 2012. Canon law says a bishop must accept a priest’s resignation within three months of the original offer. Rowe has since retracted his resignation offer.

Bishop Braxton issues ultimatum, priest says

A priest in the Belleville Diocese at odds with his bishop over the wording of the Catholic Mass said Belleville Bishop Edward Braxton told him in a meeting Tuesday that if he refused to resign as pastor of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Mount Carmel, Ill., the bishop would use canon — or church — law to remove him.

Braxton did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday.

The priest said he had been told he could appeal to the Vatican. But he said prospects for a reversal are grim.

“The understanding (in Rome) is that I’m done,” Rowe said.

In December, the Vatican introduced a new English-language translation of the Roman Missal — the book of prayers, chants and responses used during Mass. Last June, Braxton sent a letter to all the priests in the Belleville Diocese warning that “it will not be acceptable for any priest or any parish to refrain from using the new prayers due to their personal preference.”

For decades, Rowe has deviated from some of the language of the liturgy’s prayers to better convey the point of his sermons. He offered to resign last year after Braxton told him he could no longer improvise parts of the Mass. In a February letter, Braxton said he’d accepted the priest’s resignation because he ‘simply would not and could not pray the prayers of the Mass as they are translated in the new Roman Missal.” Rowe has since retracted his offer to resign.

He said Wednesday he was meeting with a group called the Southern Illinois Association of Priests to get a sense of his legal options.

Bishop Braxton issues ultimatum, priest says

A priest in the Belleville Diocese at odds with his bishop over the wording of the Catholic Mass said Belleville Bishop Edward Braxton told him in a meeting Tuesday that if he refused to resign as pastor of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Mount Carmel, Ill., the bishop would use canon — or church — law to remove him.

Braxton did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday.

The priest said he had been told he could appeal to the Vatican. But he said prospects for a reversal are grim.

“The understanding (in Rome) is that I’m done,” Rowe said.

In December, the Vatican introduced a new English-language translation of the Roman Missal — the book of prayers, chants and responses used during Mass. Last June, Braxton sent a letter to all the priests in the Belleville Diocese warning that “it will not be acceptable for any priest or any parish to refrain from using the new prayers due to their personal preference.”

For decades, Rowe has deviated from some of the language of the liturgy’s prayers to better convey the point of his sermons. He offered to resign last year after Braxton told him he could no longer improvise parts of the Mass. In a February letter, Braxton said he’d accepted the priest’s resignation because he ‘simply would not and could not pray the prayers of the Mass as they are translated in the new Roman Missal.” Rowe has since retracted his offer to resign.

He said Wednesday he was meeting with a group called the Southern Illinois Association of Priests to get a sense of his legal options.

Belleville priest may be out for good, with Burke unlikely to help

BELLEVILLE • A priest in the Belleville diocese at odds with his bishop over the wording of the Catholic Mass said the former Archbishop of St. Louis – now head of the Vatican’s highest court – said he should have been removed from his parish long ago.

The Rev. William Rowe said Belleville Bishop Edward Braxton told him in a meeting Tuesday that if he refused to resign as pastor of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Mount Carmel, Ill., the bishop would use canon – or church – law to remove him. Rowe said he asked Braxton if he could appeal a removal, if it came to that.

Rowe said Braxton told him that he could appeal an eventual removal to the Vatican’s version of the supreme court, called the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura. But, Braxton said, he had already spoken to the head of that court – former St. Louis archbishop, Cardinal Raymond Burke – in February, and that Burke told Braxton that Rowe should have been removed “a long time ago,” according to the priest.

“The understanding there is that I’m done,” Rowe said.

Messages left with the offices of Braxton in Belleville and Burke in Rome were not returned Wednesday morning.

Rowe said Braxton told him that on two recent trips to Rome several bishops asked him about Rowe’s case, and encouraged him to remove the priest. The bishop told him the bishops had heard about two civil weddings outside the church Rowe had performed for couples whose previous marriages had not yet been annulled. Braxton “said Rome was aware of those weddings and upset about that before the liturgy thing,” Rowe said.

For decades, Rowe has deviated from the language of the Roman Catholic Mass, a highly prescribed liturgical rite, parts of which are as old as Christianity itself. In December, the Vatican introduced a new English-language translation of the Roman Missal – the book of prayers, chants and responses used during Mass. The new translation rendered some of the language in the Missal closer in spirit to the original Latin. Critics of the new translation have said the English is clunky and awkward for priests and laity.

Most of the prayers read by priests from the Missal during Mass cannot be changed. But there has never been an established penalty for improvising non-alterable prayers, and bishops have traditionally looked past an individual priest’s extemporizing. Last June, Braxton had sent a letter to all the priests in the Belleville Diocese warning that “it will not be acceptable for any priest or any parish to refrain from using the new prayers due to their personal preference.”

Rowe offered Braxton his resignation October 12, 2011, after a meeting during which the bishop barred the priest from improvising prayers during Mass. Braxton didn’t accept Rowe’s resignation until Jan. 30, 2012. Canon law says a bishop must accept a priest’s resignation within three months of the original offer. Rowe has since retracted his resignation offer.

Questions and answers about Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter

(Photo by Jose Luis Aguirre/Catholic San Francisco)

Fourteenth Station: Jesus is placed in the tomb.

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March 27th, 2012

What is the Easter triduum?
The Easter triduum is the high point of all liturgical celebrations of the Catholic year. It begins with the evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday, reaches its high point in the Easter Vigil on Saturday night and closes with evening prayer on Easter.

The liturgical services that take place during the triduum are the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion, and Mass of the Resurrection of Our Lord.

Is there Mass on Good Friday or Holy Saturday?
Because this is the period that commemorates the time from Jesus’ death until his resurrection, on Good Friday and Holy Saturday only the sacraments of the anointing of the sick and penance are celebrated.

What happens on Holy Thursday and why is it important?
The Mass of the Lord’s Supper on the evening of Holy Thursday should be the only Mass of the day unless there are reasons that people cannot get to Mass otherwise. The Mass, which can include but is not required to include the washing of the feet, commemorates specifically the Last Supper of the Lord with his apostles before his passion and death.

What is the main liturgical celebration of Good Friday? May a deacon officiate since it is not a Mass?
Although the celebration of the Lord’s Passion appears to be a service of the word with the distribution of holy Communion, the Roman Missal does not permit a deacon to officiate at the celebration. Historically, even though the Eucharist is not celebrated on this day, the liturgy of Good Friday resembles a Mass. At one time it was called the “Mass of the Presanctified” (referring to the pre-consecrated hosts from the Holy Thursday Mass used at Communion). This is also reflected in the prescribed vesture for the priest: stole and chasuble. The liturgy of Good Friday, as an integral part of the triduum, is linked to the Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper and the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday.

Passion plays and other popular expressions of piety should never substitute for the liturgical celebration of the Lord’s Passion, which brings the Lord’s presence in a special way.

Good Friday services normally occur in the afternoon, at about 3 p.m. but can also be held shortly after noon or later in the evening but never later than 9 p.m.

Veneration of the cross is a core part of the Good Friday liturgy. The Catholic Church specifies that “personal adoration of the cross is an important feature of this celebration and every effort should be made to achieve it.” The cross is elevated for adoration by the priest and then clergy, lay ministers and faithful may pray silently and can come forward to venerate and kiss the cross.

What happens on Holy Saturday?
The only sacraments celebrated on Holy Saturday are the sacraments of penance and the anointing of the sick. Holy Saturday ends at sunset.

What is the Easter Vigil and why is there not a regular vigil Mass on the Saturday before Easter?
The vigil, by its very nature, must take place at night. It is the first celebration of Easter and must begin after the sun goes down and should end before daybreak.

As a nocturnal vigil, it retains its ancient character of vigilance and expectation, as the Christian people await the resurrection of the Lord during the night. Fire is blessed and the paschal candle is lighted to illumine the night so that all may hear the Easter proclamation and listen to the word of God proclaimed in the Scriptures.

The Easter Vigil is a special Mass that has seven Old Testament readings and two New Testament readings which recount the outstanding moments in the history of salvation.

The vigil includes the baptism of any new Catholics, as well as first Communion and confirmation. All Catholics should be able to receive holy Communion under both forms during the vigil.

Why is Easter Sunday Mass always so full of pomp, music and other celebration?
The church’s liturgical rules call for Mass to be celebrated on Easter with great solemnity. A full complement of ministers and the use of liturgical music should be evident in all celebrations. In the dioceses of the United States, on Easter Sunday, the rite of the renewal of baptismal promises takes place after the homily, followed by the sprinkling with water blessed at the vigil, during which the antiphon “vidi aquam,” or some other song of baptismal character should be sung. The holy water fonts at the entrance to the church should also be filled with the same water. On the subsequent Sundays of Easter time, it is appropriate that the rite of blessing and sprinkling holy water take the place of the act of penitence.

Why is there a large candle on the altar from Easter until Pentecost Sunday?
The paschal candle is lit during the Easter Vigil and indicates Christ’s undying presence, his victory over sin and death and the promise of sharing in Christ’s victory by virtue of being part of the body of Christ. During Easter time the paschal candle is lit during all solemn liturgical celebrations, including Mass, morning and evening prayer.

After the 50 days following Easter, the paschal candle is kept with honor in the baptistery and used to light baptismal candles and is placed near the coffin during funerals to indicate Christ’s promise of eternal life. The paschal candle should not otherwise be lit nor placed in the sanctuary outside Easter time.

From March 30, 2012 issue of Catholic San Francisco.

More Church/Vatican   

Ad-libbing priest changes his mind

Rowe said Monday that he has withdrawn the resignation but will offer it again if the bishop insists that he must leave. But Rowe said he hopes his action will encourage more discussion about his straying from the exact words of the liturgy that might lead to him be allowed to stay, but added he won’t stop ad-libbing during Mass.

Braxton has a policy of not commenting to the local media. His spokesman. the Rev. John Myler, could not be reached for comment.

Rowe said he has been a priest for 47 years, serving as a chaplain in the U.S. Air Force and then at various parishes in Illinois.

Braxton is not the only bishop to warn Rowe about sticking to the official wording of the liturgy when celebrating Mass. Rowe said that during the time when Atlanta Archbishop Wilton Gregory was bishop of Belleville, he warned him that he was “pushing the envelope” by not following the exact wording of the liturgy. But Gregory did not take any action to remove the priest.

In his recent letter to Braxton, dated Feb. 23, Rowe responded the bishop’s Feb. 14 open letter to parishioners that laid out the history of the dispute and the bishop’s role in it. Braxton wrote that Rowe told him that some Mount Carmel parishioners had come to him and complained about Rowe diverging from the exact wording of the Roman Missal.

But in his letter and during an interview Monday, Rowe said the bishop is mistaken. He said he never said that and heard it from the bishop during their meeting in October. He said he simply made no comment when he heard that parishioners had complained.

Rowe, whose parish council and parochial school board have written letters to the diocese in support of him, has served in Mount Carmel without taking a salary, relying on a pension from the Air Force and Social Security to live.

He has said if he is forced to leave in June, when a successor is named, he may operate a soup kitchen, perhaps in Belleville.

HAVE A DONUT…

(Photo courtesy Holy Name Parish)

Holy Name of Jesus School students help serve treats after Mass at the San Francisco parish. The students are pictured with pastor Father Arnold E. Zamora and Sister Esther Ling, director of religious education.

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February 29th, 2012
By Valerie Schmalz

Post-liturgy snacks help many parishes sustain a sense of fellowship

When it’s done right, serving donuts after Mass builds a sense of welcome and belonging.

In the Archdiocese of San Francisco, most parishes offer some kind of hospitality after one or more Masses – some every Sunday, some on special occasions, some once a month.

At St. Denis Church, the weekly children’s Mass draws the biggest crowd and “absolutely” features donuts and coffee and juice, said Lynore Tillim, office manager for the Menlo Park parish.

“At the 9:30, the kids run around and it makes for a wonderful sense of community,” Tillim said. The 11:30 a.m. Mass includes wine and cheese, and even salami, after Mass once a month, too.

“Not a lot of wine is poured,” Tillim said. “What it does, it builds a sense of community. It has the advantage of having people linger and they’ll chat.”

At St. Veronica Parish in South San Francisco, “Oh, my gosh, hospitality is very big,” said Sandy Kearney, parish manager. Donuts, little pastries, sometimes fresh fruit and a selection of juices and coffee are offered after the 8 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. Masses, she said.

“It is an integral part of our community-building,” Kearney said. “It is especially nice when you see a lot of the families after the 9:30 Mass from the school and parish, networking together.”

Hospitality is about much more than grabbing a snack, it is about bringing all kinds of people together, said pastor Father Charles Puthota, adding, “It’s a joy for me to tell the children after the Masses to ‘run and get a donut.’”

“Too often, parishioners do not know each other. They might be attending the same Mass for decades, but they have not had a chance to meet and talk with each other,” said Father Puthota. “There is a lot of anonymity in the parishes. I suppose it’s part of Catholic culture. Hospitality helps break down anonymity and bring people together.”

“Unless we know each other, how can we serve one another and build up the ‘body of Christ’?” the priest asked.

Even donuts after Mass can fail if parishioners congregate in cliques, warns Rochester, N.Y.-based Richard McCorry, author of “Company’s Coming: A Spiritual Process for Creating More Welcoming Parishes” (iUniverse, Inc., 2008). He said he has visited hundreds of Catholic parishes as a stranger in his work advising parishes on ways to accentuate a sense of welcome.

“My most common experience is that I feel like I’m invisible, like my presence makes no difference to anyone,” McCorry said. With about a third of registered parishioners attending Mass on a weekly basis, McCorry said everyone in the parish needs to become involved in reaching out to those around them. One tool he suggests is for each parishioner to find a new person to talk with during the first three minutes after Mass.

At Mass, studies have shown the first three minutes may determine if a newcomer returns, he said.

“When the person in the pew next to me welcomes me, that is a wow experience,” said McCorry.

Hospitality has its own character at individual parishes – whether it means groups sharing the responsibility, the parish buying snacks, or different parish groups hosting breakfasts that become a tradition.

For instance, the Corpus Christi Bible-study group offers breakfast after Mass on Sundays at the San Francisco parish. At St. Mary’s Cathedral, there are a variety of Spanish delicacies for sale after the 1 p.m. Spanish Mass and coffee and donuts after the7:30 a.m., 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. Masses. At Holy Family Mission, the Chinese Catholic parish associated with Old St. Mary’s Cathedral, tea, coffee and light refreshments are offered after 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. Masses outside the auditorium where Mass is celebrated. St. Andrew’s in Daly City has had hospitality organized by the Knights of Columbus at every Mass –and it has been in place at least since the ‘90s, said Leo Redondo, administrative assistant.

In Novato, St. Anthony of Padua Parish buys its donuts from Golden Creme Donuts and the Knights of Columbus pick up the donuts and make the coffee for weekly hospitality after the 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Masses, said Marianne Kamber, parish secretary. “The people look forward to it,” Kamber said, noting quite a few older people catch up with friends during hospitality. At Church of the Good Shepherd in Pacifica, Mazetti Bakery donates the donuts. St. Anselm Parish in San Anselmo tends to chocolate chip cookies and animal crackers.

St. Bartholomew in San Mateo rotates the responsibility for hospitality but it goes beyond donuts after Mass, said Lois Pileri, hospitality chair. Holy cards are distributed by one group, Halloween candy and Christmas candy by others. “As a ministry, our goal is to build community in the parish. We do that by partnering with others,” Pileri said. “Community-building, that’s the whole aim.”

At St. Thomas More parish, pastor Msgr. Labib Kobti said refreshments after Mass are “a way to let people talk to each other and people love it.”

“These moments are really very holy moments. You convert people. They say, my son is coming for the first time, can you speak to him? You speak to him while he is eating a cake, while he is drinking a soda,” Msgr. Kobti said.

St. Raphael Parish in San Rafael hosts hospitality the first Sunday of the month after the 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Masses. At St. Rita, its coffee and donuts and juice after the 9 a.m. Mass every Sunday. Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Mill Valley hosts hospitality outside, with groups of parents chatting and children running around on the sidewalk outside. A parish couple, Steve and Ellie Reyder have organized the weekly 10:15 a.m. Mass treats for 15 years, said Gina Carneiro, parish office manager. “It gives the children a chance to relax and the parents all talk. It’s a nice social time,” Carneiro said.

Parishes with hospitality hours after Mass
San Francisco County
St. Mary’s Cathedral; Church of the Epiphany; Church of the Visitacion; Corpus Christi; Holy Family Mission; Holy Name of Jesus; Mission Dolores Basilica; Most Holy Redeemer; National Shrine of St. Francis of Assisi; Notre Dame des Victoires; Our Lady of Lourdes; St. Agnes; St. Anne of the Sunset; St. Anthony of Padua/Immaculate Conception; St. Benedict/St. Francis Xavier; St. Brendan; St. Cecilia; St. Dominic; St. Elizabeth; St. Ignatius; St. James; St. John of God; St. John the Evangelist; St. Kevin; St. Monica; St. Patrick; St. Paul; St. Paul of the Shipwreck; St. Philip the Apostle; St. Stephen; St. Thomas the Apostle; St. Teresa; St. Thomas More; St. Vincent de Paul; Star of the Sea; Sts. Peter and Paul.

San Mateo County
All Souls, South San Francisco; Church of the Good Shepherd, Pacifica; Immaculate Heart of Mary, Belmont; Mater Dolorosa, South San Francisco; Our Lady of Angels, Burlingame; Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Redwood City; Our Lady of Refuge Mission, La Honda; Our Lady of the Pillar, Half Moon Bay; Our Lady of the Wayside Mission, Portola Valley; St. Andrew, Daly City; St. Anthony, Menlo Park; St. Bartholomew, San Mateo; St. Charles, San Carlos; St. Denis, Menlo Park; St. Francis of Assisi, East Palo Alto; St. Luke, Foster City; St. Mark, Belmont; St. Matthew, San Mateo; St. Matthias, Redwood City; St. Peter, Pacifica; St. Pius, Redwood City; St. Raymond, Menlo Park; St. Robert, San Bruno; St. Timothy, San Mateo; St. Veronica, South San Francisco; St. Catherine of Siena, Burlingame.

Marin County
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Mill Valley; Sacred Heart Church/St. Mary Magdalene Mission, Olema; St. Anselm, San Anselmo/Ross; St. Anthony of Padua, Novato; St. Cecilia/St. Mary, Lagunitas; St. Hilary, Tiburon; St. Isabella, San Rafael; St. Mary Star of the Sea, Sausalito; St. Patrick, Larkspur; St. Raphael, San Rafael; St. Rita, Fairfax; St. Sebastian, Greenbrae.

Parishes offer hospitality Masses as often as weekly to bimonthly. For information on how to reach parishes, visit sfarchdiocese.org/parishes.

Editor’s note: This list is based on a thorough survey by Catholic San Francisco but is not necessarily inclusive.

From March 2, 2012 issue of Catholic San Francisco.

More Parishes   

Ad-libbing priest changes his mind, withdraws his resignation

Rowe said Monday that he has withdrawn the resignation but will offer it again if the bishop insists that he must leave. But Rowe said he hopes his action will encourage more discussion about his straying from the exact words of the liturgy that might lead to him be allowed to stay, but added he won’t stop ad libbing during Mass.

Braxton has a policy of not commenting to the local media. His spokesman. the Rev. John Myler, could not be reached for comment.

Rowe said he has been a priest for 47 years, serving as a chaplain in the U.S. Air Force and then at various parishes in Illinois.

Braxton is not the only bishop to warn Rowe about sticking to the official wording of the liturgy when celebrating Mass. Rowe said that during the time when now Archbishop of Atlanta Wilton Gregory was bishop of Belleville, he warned him that he was “pushing the envelope” by not following the exact wording of the liturgy. But Gregory did not take any action to remove the priest.

In his recent letter to Braxton, dated Feb. 23, Rowe corrected the bishop’s Feb. 14 open letter to parishioners that laid out the history of the dispute and the bishop’s role in it. Braxton wrote that Rowe told him that some Mt. Carmel parishioners had come to him and complained about Rowe diverging from the exact wording of the Roman Missal. But in his letter and during an interview Monday, Rowe said the bishop is mistaken. He said he never said that and heard it from the bishop during their meeting in October, He said he simply made no comment when he heard that parishioners had complained.

Rowe, whose parish council and parochial school board have written letters to the diocese in support of him, has served in Mt. Carmel without taking a salary, relying on a pension from the Air Force and Social Security to live.

He has said if he is forced to leave in June, when a successor is named, he may operate a soup kitchen, perhaps in Belleville.