O God come to my assistance

[Bill]

I left the SSPX, not just for the obvious reasons, I'm still of the mind that they haven't yet crossed the line of apostasy, emphasis on 'yet', but because of the deterioration of the sensus Catholicus and Fidei among the Parishioners.

These last almost 2 months I've been going to the SSPV because of the Pastor, a lion at the pulpit, almost a Padre Pio in the Confessional, and the gentlest of men one rarely has the good fortune to bump into along the twisting roads of life.

A couple of things bothered me. Rosary before Mass is prayed at such a break neck speed that the prayers are not even intelligible. The prayers after Low Mass are almost as badly prayed, but only because the Priest's pace slows them down. I t seems so disrespectful to Our Lady.

Today, though, a group of women, the wife and adult daughter of the coordinator of the Chapel, and their friends on line for Confession were talking loudly, very loudly, about things so trifling and banal, and laughing almost like hens.

I asked them to please lower their voices, that some would like to prepare themselves for the Sacrament, but to no avail. The volume shot right back up again.

I saw red. I asked them if this were a Traditional Chapel or a Novus Ordo one, because certainly in. Traditional Chapel mockery is not made of the Holy Sacraments. One started to say something snide back to me, but stopped. Probably by the look on my face. Needless to say, well I hope it's needless to say, I am a gentleman, and I felt horrible. But only for the bad feelings I caused, not for defending the Sacrament and the atmosphere surrounding it.

The irreverence displayed in the couple of examples above-- there are others--have caused me to wonder if I've landed in the right place. But where else to go? Where else to go?

Advice, please. I'm actually kind of near tears right now, and I feel sick to my stomach. O Lord make haste to help me.

[Dawn Marie]

You poor dear.  I wouldn't worry so much, you didn't cause any upsetness by speaking up and saying what you said.  It needed to be done.  That they reacted so uncharitably and with such pride doesn't make what you said wrong or even if you said it with some annoyance.

People do that, the irreverence, and it frankly drives me up the wall and I will say something no matter how snotty people react. 

At our chapel in PA the man who led the rosary did so so fast I could not even think at the speed he would pray and as I felt it was complete irreverence we would say our rosary on the way there or wait until they were done and then do ours at church, but for 15 years so long as he said it like that I would not participate.  I won't be party to speaking to Our Lady in that manner.  Whether the man meant to be irreverent or not (and I doubt he meant to be) I could not participate because praying like that is to me just total disrespect.

As for your new chapel, just remember you are there for Our Lord not the people.  If the priest is valid (and he is) if the Mass is valid (and it is) if they are not preaching heresy or anything contrary to the Church teachings then you should continue to go.

It might be best to just pray for those people.  Maybe they simply just know not what they do.

[Cathleen]

Bill, I don't have much to add to what Dawn Marie has already said.  I think you were correct in what you said to those ladies.  It sounds like they needed a good reminder.  People can get set in their ways - me, included. 

For what it's worth, I have been praying every night to your beloved St. Philomena for a special intention of my own.  Last night, after reading your post, I asked her to pray for you too. 

[David Kaftal]

Bill,

Something you may have overlooked is that you are very fortunate to be able to choose between multiple TLMs. Where I live there are no Society Masses for many hundreds of miles, no independent chapels, no Resistance, no nothing except some diocesan TLMs at a considerable distance. I used to drive 200 miles to attend a diocesan TLM, then the bishop shut it down. After that it was a 300 mile round trip in the opposite direction, stable community of at least 50 people at every Mass for years, then the bishop shut that one down too. Then he shut down another one 50 miles to the south of that one.

Today if I want to attend a TLM it requires driving 600 miles, and my choices at that distance are diocesan, FSSP, SSPX, or an ultra-rigorous Mass associated with Traditio.

600 miles.

So maybe you should try counting your blessings!

BTW, I agree with the other posters that you were right to point out to those women that they were in the wrong place for a hen party.

[Bill]

David-- thanks for putting it in a different perspective. Yeah, I'm lucky to have a choice, but look at it this way which car would you want to have to depend on- the one with No starter or the one with no brakes? And no repair shop within a half day's drive?

Thank you all for the encouragement. I still can't shake this sinking feeling.

[Dawn Marie]

[Bill]

I love her. My dearest big sister Philomena. Thank you so much for your prayers, I knew someone was helping, when I've found moments of peace amid the anger I'm still feeling and can't shake. Thank you Cathleen. No better Saint than Philomena to ask for intercession. I've asked her to see to your intention before mine.




Cathleen said:

Bill, I don't have much to add to what Dawn Marie has already said.  I think you were correct in what you said to those ladies.  It sounds like they needed a good reminder.  People can get set in their ways - me, included. 

For what it's worth, I have been praying every night to your beloved St. Philomena for a special intention of my own.  Last night, after reading your post, I asked her to pray for you too. 

[Cathleen]

Thank you very much, Bill, for your good prayers.  I pray that your dear sister St. Philomena helps you sort this out.  I think she will. 

Years ago I asked her for a favor which she didn't answer in the way that I wanted at the time.  I was upset and disappointed.  But then after a major "shake up" in my life, I realized much too late that I was wrong and that she did answer my prayers but in a much better way than I had hoped for.  I think it was +Bishop Fulton Sheen who said that sometimes God has to break hearts in order to get into them.  (or words to that effect). 

After that, she did answer another prayer petition of mine, but again not in the way I expected.  In hindsight, how she handled it was for the best.  I am not the patient sort and the most undeserving of sinners, but still she has pity on me.  I think she will help you figure out what is best to do since you are sincerely looking to do what's right. 

Bill said:

I love her. My dearest big sister Philomena. Thank you so much for your prayers, I knew someone was helping, when I've found moments of peace amid the anger I'm still feeling and can't shake. Thank you Cathleen. No better Saint than Philomena to ask for intercession. I've asked her to see to your intention before mine.

[Susan]

Were these the ladies?

Cackling Parishioners?

[Bill]

Lol. No. The ladies I was referring to were much louder.

[Bill]

Same hens, same cackling. Not addressed by the priest. I really don't know what to do. Pray for me.