The Christian Withdrawal Experiment

St. Marys is home to a chapter of the Society of St. Pius X, or SSPX. Named for the early-20th-century pope who railed against the forces of modernism, the international order of priests was formed in the aftermath of the Second Vatican Council, the Catholic Church s attempt, in the 1960s, to meet the challenges of contemporary life. Though not fully recognized by the Vatican, the priests of SSPX see themselves as defenders of the true practices of Roman Catholicism, including the traditional Latin Mass, celebrated each day in St. Marys. Perfumed with incense and filled with majestic Latin hymns, the service has an air of formality and grandeur. To most American Catholics under the age of 50, it would be unrecognizable.

via outline.com

I went to a traditional Latin Mass some months ago. It was approved, an “extraordinary right.” The smallish church was packed. If the TLM were more popular with our bishop, I’m sure they’d have a bigger church. I sat next to a guy who looked like a boxer recovering from either a beating or a hangover, or perhaps both. Neither one of us went to communion, which earned me a memorable smirk from him. I’m willing to bet he was a bigger sinner than I, however.