John XXIII parish has a daily Traditional Latin Mass, with an average of about 400 people attending on Sundays.īut the pastor, Fr. James Catholic Church.īut Pittsburgh already has a thriving and active Traditional Latin Mass community, which offers the same Mass the SSPX offers, but in a parish that's in communion with the Catholic Church and under the jurisdiction of the local ordinary. Even though the SSPX has no canonical status in the Church, the Society calls its parish St. None of this was done with the permission of the local bishop.

In the diocese of Pittsburgh, the SSPX bought a closed Catholic church, refurnished it and re-opened it in March. But in parishes where the Traditional Latin Mass is offered, they make their presence felt. They're a fringe group, and many people in your average parish haven't even heard of them. If you ask them, they'll say they are the ones who make up the true Catholic Church, while the post-conciliar Church (referring to the Second Vatican Council in 1965) gave up the Faith long ago. Pius X (SSPX), a breakaway group that's formed its own insular community. Who are these poachers? They are members or advocates of the Society of St. In some parishes, people are able to attend the Mass daily.īut some people, scarred by their experience in 'modern' parishes, are an easy target for poachers. Since then, it has spread from just one or two parishes in a given diocese - if at all - to several parishes in each diocese. Finally, in 2007 Pope Benedict XVI allowed priests to say the Traditional Latin Mass without permission from their bishops. In fact, many fought against it or outright ignored it. John Paul II established a commission to allow the Mass in the Old Rite, but few bishops took the opportunity. With Protestant songs, guitars, hand-holding, inane homilies and lay people all over the sanctuary, it's obvious why Catholics might prefer the Traditional Latin Mass.Īs pervasive as these liturgical abuses are, the number of parishes offering the usus antiquior is increasing. It's easy for faithful Catholics to be turned off by the antics of priests and laypeople in many parishes across the country.

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Sspx mass locations