This is the first and only OFFICAL web site for news about the Traditional Latin Mass and Traditional Catholicism for the Archdiocese of Atlanta. It is operated by Una Voce. To contact Una Voce email us at: unavoceatlanta@gmail.com
NO LATIN MASS FOR AUGUST IN MACON
The monthly 2:00 pm Latin Mass for August is canceled in Macon due to the Wuhan Chinese virus. Therefore the mass for Sunday August 30th for the 13th Sunday after Pentecost at Saint Joseph's in downtown Macon is cancelled. When the pandemic ends, the mass will return at 2:00 pm on the last Sunday of each month.
Homeschoolers at FSSP parish in Mexico FSSP HOSTS TRADITIONAL CATHOLIC HOMESCHOOLERS ATLANTA ARCHDIOCESE
Homeschooling Meetup-Sun, Aug 2: Adults are invited to a homeschool meetup on Sunday, August 2 from 1:30 to 2:30 in the parish hall. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss curriculum and to support each other. We will review curriculum for elementary, middle, and high school. Several parishioners will discuss the curriculum that they use. All are encouraged to RSVP, but depending on the number who want to come, we might have to divide into more than one meeting, in different rooms (to respect the limits on numbers of people gathering). If necessary, each presenter will go from room to room and present the curriculum information. Please RSVP by July 31 to Denise via email: homeschool@gt9.org Location of Meeting:
St Francis de Sales Catholic Church
587 Landers Drive, Mableton, GA 30126
Website: www.fsspatl.com
Office: 770-948-6888
SAVANNAH DIOCESE ANNOUNCES NEW BISHOP Father Stephen Parkes
The Very Reverend Daniel F. Firmin, Diocesan Administrator stated, “today, Pope Francis has honored the Diocese of Savannah with the gift of our 15th bishop. In his 22 years of priestly ministry, he has served in parishes, directed souls, and was a campus minister. Bishop-Elect Parkes’ Episcopal Ordination will occur at the Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist, Savannah on Wednesday, September 23rd. Father Parkes is from the Orlando Diocese. His brother is also a Bishop, who has even performed confirmations in the Traditional Rite in St Petersburg Florida in February of this year for 3 parishes. Hopefully the new Bishop will also be so inclined.
French priest Father Laurent Dements with the FSSP has arrived in north Vietnam and is assigned to the former Indochina for two years to see if he can establish an FSSP apostolate in the communist country. Here is an interview on how things are going:
click on the Restoring the Faith Youtube channel to watch:
https://youtu.be/iMJuSbzsPiw
UPDATE: TODAY THE FSSP HAS PUBLISHED AN UPDATE ON THE LATEST NEWS ON THE VIETNAM ASPOSTOLATE:
Though Catholics are a minority in Vietnam, Fr. Demets explained that they are a strong minority. The churches are large and beautiful, the Masses are well-attended and seminaries and religious houses are not wanting for vocations. This in itself sometimes means that people, while not opposed to the Latin Mass, are not necessarily drawn to it, but Fr. Demets is optimistic that the numbers will grow, citing the attendance at a recent pilgrimage. This past Pentecost, Fr. Demets led 70 members of the community on pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Bãi Dâu, located on the beautiful coast southeast of Saigon. He celebrated the Mass of Pentecost at an outdoor altar adorned with tropical flowers, beneath a statue of Our Lady that looks towards the turquoise-blue sea. The Mass of the ages seemed right at home amidst the immense beauty of the place.
For a number of reasons, the Archbishop of Saigon has asked that Fr. Demets’ Masses remain private for now, but he is not opposed to Fr. Demets helping the young men in his diocese discern their vocations with the Fraternity.
And potential vocations there are. One of them is 18-year-old Thomas Nguyen, a lifelong Catholic and one of the first six members of the Confraternity of St. Peter in Vietnam. He discovered the Latin Mass as he was searching for a more reverent Mass to attend, much preferring the sacred atmosphere of the traditional liturgy. He proceeded to research orders that offered the Latin Mass, came upon the Fraternity, and began to follow various Facebook groups related to the FSSP. After a year, he rejoiced upon seeing a post that Fr. Laurent Demets was coming to Vietnam to found an apostolate.
After Mass on October 26th, 2019
On October 26th, 2019, Thomas attended his first Latin Mass, a sung Mass celebrated at a parish near Saigon whose pastor is an enthusiastic supporter of the Latin Mass and remembers serving it when he was young. For Thomas, it was not only his first time attending a Latin Mass, but also his first time serving it, having learned the ropes in one two-hour session from Fr. Demets.
“That was really special for me,” Thomas said. “Actually, really special because after 50 years, on the 26th of October, that was the first sung Mass, first public sung Mass celebrated in Vietnam 50 years after the Vatican II Council.”
Thomas is currently finishing his high school education and plans to pursue environmental engineering at a university in Finland. But after that, he aims to study for the priesthood at Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary or possibly the FSSP’s European seminary in Wigratzbad, Germany.
“I really want to come back to Vietnam to serve here,” he said.
Thomas’ hopes are strong that his fledgling community will take root, expand and possibly find its own church or chapel where he can work.
At the Shrine of Our Lady of Bãi Dâu
Both Thomas and Fr. Demets acknowledge that projects such as these take time, potentially many years, to grow into full apostolates. But neither one seems fazed by the road ahead. They both emphasize that prayer is their greatest need, and hope that those who hear of their little apostolate will pray for its success.
“Because if Our Lord wants, we can do anything,” Thomas said.
If you feel called to support the work of FSSP Vietnam materially, your donations would be much appreciated as well. You can securely donate through the FSSP’s Mission Tradition website.
The task of establishing a Latin Mass community in Vietnam seems monumental, but certainly, the work has been in good hands from the very beginning. Before Fr. Demets, saints such as St. Théophane, St. Andrew Dũng-Lạc and thousands of others enlightened this land with their faith and consecrated it with their blood. No doubt they watch over it still, and over the budding community that, Deo volénte, will one day blossom into the Fraternity’s first apostolate in Asia. +
Nave of Saint Josephs in Macon MASS OF 4TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST CANCELED
Due to the Chinese Wuhan virus, the monthly Latin Mass at Saint Joseph's in Macon is canceled. It was scheduled for 2:00 pm on Sunday June 28th, however due to the pandemic there are now only 2 Sunday masses being celebrated. When the pandemic recedes, the monthly Latin High Mass start back on the last Sunday of each month.
ANNUAL FSSP PRIESTS ASSIGNEMNTS AFFECT GEORGIA-NEW PASTOR
The FSSP parish of Saint Francis de Sales says a sad farewell to its current pastor Father Joseph Deguzman, who has been assigned as pastor of Saint Rose Phillipine Duchesne in Westwood Kansas as of July 1st 2020. Father Robert Dow has been assigned as the new pastor of Saint Francis de Sales affective July 1st 2020. The assistant pastor Father James Smith, FSSP will remain at the parish. Make sure you welcome Father Dow to Dixie and give him a warm southern welcome !!!!! Father Dow is being transferred from his current (cold and freezing) assignment, as pastor of Saint Irenee de Lyon in Montreal Canada.
Fr. Dow was born in the San Francisco Bay Area in California. As a child, he wanted to become a Franciscan monk, but eventually gave up the idea as none of his schoolmates had the same interest. At the age of eight, the family moved to Orange County in Southern California, and there he was active in the parish as an altar boy. In high school he began attending the Latin Mass at Mission San Juan Capistrano. Later, he attended University of California at Davis, near Sacramento, earning a bachelor’s degree in international relations and minors in both German and Latin, with the intent to follow a diplomatic career with the Foreign Service.
It was there during his studies that he became acquainted with the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter, attending St. Stephen the First Martyr Church in Sacramento. During his first year of college, he began again to feel a vocation to the priesthood, and following a period of discernment, decided to enter the seminary after completing his studies. It was recommended to him that he enter the FSSP seminary in Wigratzbad, Germany, since he was already fluent in German and knew the region quite well, having spent considerable time with family in St. Gallen, Switzerland, just an hour away on the other side of the border.
After completing six years at the seminary in Wigratzbad, he returned to the United States to finish his remaining year at Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary in Denton, Nebraska. Father was ordained May 31, 2014 by Bishop Athanasius Schneider.
All members and supporters of Una Voce please be advised that the solemn high Latin mass on the old high altar of the Atlanta cathedral has been CANCELED, with no reschedule date. This rare event was to have taken place on the Feast of the Sacred Heart June 19th. (see post below) Please help spread the word so no one will make the unnecessary trip to downtown Atlanta.
Una Voce is the oldest and largest organization in the world promoting the Latin Mass & Traditional Catholicism and devotions. We are in 30 countries. Contact us at unavoceatlanta@gmail.com
Homeschoolers at FSSP parish in Mexico
