One of the old ethnic churches near my New Hampshire home has been re-opened after being shuttered for 15 years. Bishop Peter Libasci asked an order of priests dedicated to the Latin Mass to set up shop, and the order obliged. The first Sunday Mass under their auspices at St. Stanislaus Church in Nashua was held recently, and it was an eye-opener.
First of all, the number of young families was staggering. They’re looking to the future. Talking with them after Mass was like a tonic.
The church was packed, people standing in the back, even 40 or so standing on the steps outside when the church filled up. It’s possible some were there for the novelty, or to see what a Latin Mass was like. There were a few folks who had been parishioners back in the days when it was “the Polish parish.” There were certainly some pre-Vatican II Catholics who wanted the liturgy of their youth. Most of the attendees, though, looked like they’d been born well after the mid-1960s.
I’ll tell you what this looks like to me, as a Catholic activist: these people praying together are not cultural refugees. They’re not wringing their hands. They’re not obsessed with the next election. They’re steeped less in tradition per se than in faith in God. And they’re bringing that faith with them as they raise their kids, go about their daily business, and prepare to vote.
This post is derived from one to which I contributed on Da Tech Guy blog.
Ellen Kolb 