CHARLOTTE — Despite wintry weather, many Charlotte faithful traveled in the early morning hours Dec. 9 to attend St. Thomas Aquinas Church’s annual Rorate Mass in the Extraordinary Form. For this special liturgy held traditionally before sunrise, the church is lit with only candlelight.
The name for the Mass comes from the opening words of the Introit (Entrance Antiphon), from Isaiah 45:8: “Rorate, caeli, desuper, et nubes pluant iustum,” or “Drop down dew, O heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain down righteousness.”
As custom, the Mass was offered as a votive Mass of Our Lady right before dawn during Advent to welcome the coming of the Light of the World and to honor Mary’s role in bringing forth the Savior.
The Solemn High Mass was offered by Father Matthew Kauth, rector of St. Joseph College Seminary in Charlotte, and assisted by Father Jason Christian, parochial vicar at St. Michael the Archangel Church in Gastonia and Father Matthew Bean, parochial vicar at St. Thomas Aquinas Church.
St. Michael Church also offered its own Rorate Mass that morning with pastor Father Matthew Buettner.
Additional Rorate Masses are scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 16: St. Michael the Archangel in Gastonia at 6 a.m. and St. Ann Church in Charlotte at 6:30 a.m. For more information, go to www.charlottelatinmass.org.
— Photos by John Cosmas | Catholic News Herald
HUNTERSVILLE — Parishioners at St. Mark Church in Huntersville celebrated the feast of St. Lucy Dec. 13 with Mass, followed by a blessing and reverencing of a first-class relic of the saint.
The relic was on the altar beginning at 5 p.m. with the rosary prayed at 6 p.m. and Mass offered at 6:30 p.m.
In his homily, Father John Putnam, pastor, said, “We ask in a very special way for her intercession that she might help us to see eternal things. That she might help us to see with the light of Christ. That we look at this world and recognize that there are things far greater than any of the earthly offerings that we are surrounded with – knowing that in the end, we are not made for this life but the life to come.”
The Mass, procession, and reception was organized by the Knights of Columbus Ladies’ Auxiliary. The reception included a traditional dessert made from wheat (muffins) and chocolate milk. The young ladies in the procession were each dressed in the traditional white dress and red sash with a wreath upon their head. They processed with a candle and a bouquet of wheat.
— Amy G. Burger