Coming soon...
A full report with photos, videos, etc.
CathInfo's special correspondent (me!) was on location for this whole historic event. Just have a bit more traveling to do, before I can get to my real PC.
Three words: Bishop Williamson conference.
+Williamson gave several talks/sermons/conferences over the course of the day, June 28, 2015 in Connecticut. There was also confirmations.
And a Solemn High Mass! How many of us have been to one of those? Ever heard the solemn sung Confiteor sung by a deacon? (In this case, Fr. Zendejas was the deacon)
There were at least 150 people there, from 8 states and 3 countries. I prepared some notes on my main flight home.
It was an interesting, enlightening, and enjoyable conference. A lot of smiles and cameraderie.
Stay tuned!
Edit: Here is the report!
I arrived at 9:20 AM. The location for this conference was a fire station/hall that was rented for the occasion.
Meanwhile, not too far away in New York, the perverted sons and daughters of Sodom were reveling in their recent Supreme Court victory of evil over good. They were right about one thing, though, namely that they are filled with pride -- a satanic pride that seeks to subvert nature and destroy all that God created good.
But meanwhile, in the camp of Christ the King, there was a group of God's faithful trying to build up rather than destroy. A group where the Holy Sacrifice of Mass was offered, to enkindle God's mercy rather than his anger. A group that sang, "Viva Cristo Rey" rather than crying out, "Not this man, but Barrabas" or "We have no king but Caesar". This was to be a grand opening of sorts, a quinceanera, a public manifestation of a healthy Resistance to Modernism and the new Vatican 2-friendly SSPX. (Keep in mind that Modernism is the greatest heresy ever: the sewer of all heresies, according to St. Pius X) Those who attended this conference all shared the same Faith and the same dedication to Tradition, as expressed by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. This was the spirit of the SSPX in its early days. And that spirit was still alive and well at this event.
The Resistance (as it is called, for lack of a better term) spontaneously arose on every inhabited continent as soon as it became public knowledge that the SSPX had changed fundamentally, from the top down, from its early roots as a Traditional bulwark. These resistant-to-Modernism Catholics see and understand the Crisis in the Church, and the fact that it is not over. Modernist Rome is still Modernist. They also realize that an accord with Modernist Rome while it is still Modernist is not only disastrous, but was specifically warned against by Archbishop Lefebvre himself! So they seek out places where they can attend Mass and receive the Sacraments without being forced to hear about how not-so-bad Vatican 2 is. They nourish their Faith however and whenever possible.
But in America, the Resistance took a slightly different form than in most other places in the world. One priest, a pioneer of the Resistance, took a de-facto leadership position in America and became quite well-known throughout the SSPX, among both priests and laity. In fact, many Americans today still identify the Resistance with this one priest, albeit mistakenly.
That is the mistake that this conference hopes to begin to rectify. Not out of rancor or malice, but for the sake of truth and accuracy. The Resistance is larger than any man, any priest, or any bishop. It is nothing more or less than the non-Sedevacantist branch of the Traditional movement, which was formerly embodied in the SSPX. So there is more to the Resistance, even in America, than the priests headquartered in Boston, KY.
Catholics need to understand that resisting Modernism is nothing more or less than staying Catholic. Modernism is the death of the Faith. We have to keep the whole Faith, and not let Vatican 2 into our hearts, with all its imprecision, errors, and sentimentality. Vatican 2 has proven to be lethal to millions of Catholic souls over the past 45 years. We must not let ourselves focus on the "95% that could be interpreted in a Catholic way", but instead hold firmly to the position that Vatican 2 must be destroyed. It must be flushed down into the sewer where it belongs: every word of it. Even the so-called "good" contained in V2 docuмents is actually evil, in the sense that it convinces Catholics to swallow the surrounding errors! If the world lost Vatican 2, it would lose nothing. Anything "true" in Vatican 2 was already previously declared by other Councils and Popes.
So, long term, we don't have a choice: it's the Resistance -- the true continuation of Archbishop Lefebvre's mission -- or the Conciliar religion which has a proven, 45-year track record of destroying souls. In a number of years, barring a miracle, the SSPX will inevitably transform the rest of the way into something like the Fraternity of St. Peter: neutered for purposes of fighting Vatican 2 and Modernism, and completely controlled by the Freemasons who have infiltrated the Church.
Any wise man knows that willful ignorance of your enemy is always fatal. You can believe that your enemies are toothless kittens, or even that they don't exist. But if they are in fact Navy SEALs with weapons and martial arts skills and they intend to kill you, you will end up just as dead. If the Freemasons have in fact infiltrated the Catholic Church, it behooves us to know and acknowledge that fact so we can act accordingly.
So it's encouraging for the Faithful to see that the Resistance has a hopeful future. Bishop Williamson recently consecrated another bishop, Bishop Faure. And at the conference, he repeated that there will be more consecrations in the future!
This group of 150 faithful and priests came from over 7 states and 3 countries. The clerics came from England and France. The faithful came from Kansas, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Virginia, Texas, as well as Connecticut. Two Dominican priests came from Avrille, France -- a traditional Dominican friary which has stayed faithful to Tradition. The friary now supports the worldwide Resistance. Dr. David Allen White, PhD also attended, and gave a very good speech (which wasn't surprising given his wisdom, as well as his skill with English prose).
The event started with Confirmations. The processional was "Come Holy Ghost" and then the Bishop intoned the "Veni Creator Spiritus". His Excellency gave a very good 34 minute sermon, which was classic Bishop Williamson. It could have been given 15 or 20 years ago; apparently he has lost none of his vigor or mental acuity! And he certainly hasn't changed -- and that is meant as a compliment. After the sermon, several youths and adults were confirmed (or conditionally confirmed).
http://www.cathinfo.com/catholic.php/Bishop-Williamson-Confirmations-sermon-in-Connecticut-June-28-2015 After Confirmations, the Bishop and servers processed out to the polyphonic strains of "Ecce Sacerdos Magnus". As the Bishop processed down the aisle in full Bishop's regalia (Miter and Crosier), he gave his blessing to the faithful. This is the one time you are supposed to genuflect as he passes and blesses in your direction (You are NOT supposed to genuflect when the priest sprinkles you with water during the Asperges Me! You simply bless yourself and stay standing.) After they exited the main room, the song was continued until the end (about 3+ minutes).
A Solemn High Mass was then offered with Bishop Williamson as celebrant, Fr. Zendejas as Deacon, and Fr. Marie Dominique, OP as Subdeacon. Many Traditional Catholics have been to a Sung Mass (Missa Cantata), but how many have been to a Solemn High Mass? They are common at a Traditional seminary like the one in Winona, MN, but how many faithful can drive to the seminary for Sunday Mass? A Solemn High Mass requires 1 priest and 2 clerics in Major Orders (or 2 additional priests to stand in for the Deacon and Subdeacon). The Deacon assists the priest in various ways, even during the Canon. For example, he places the lid back on the ciborium after the Consecration. The Deacon also sings the Confiteor before Communion. But although there were 3 priests present, only 1 of them (Bishop Williamson) gave Communion to the faithful.
Both Confirmations and Mass were basically perfect as far as I could tell. The eight Mass servers didn't make any mistakes I could discern. There were no visible incidents, malfunctions, problems, or major mistakes. Apparently everyone involved practiced and did their homework.
There was music throughout the event: a ladies choir which sang polyphony and chant during Mass and Confirmations, and a young girls choir that sang several traditional and sacred songs during the conference. And last but not least they sang Fr. Zendejas' favorite: "Que viva mi Cristo, Que viva me Rey" which many joined in for. During Mass, the choir sang Mass IV (Cunctipotens Genitor Deus) as well as Credo IV. The choir also sang a polyphonic "Ave Maria", "O Lord I Am Not Worthy", "Ecce Sacerdos Magnus", "Come Holy Ghost", "Veni Creator Spiritus", and others.
The event lasted from 9:30 in the morning until sometime after 4 in the afternoon. When I left (my ride wanted to leave), Bishop Williamson, as well as Dr. White, the Dominicans, and several other notables were still there. And a lot of people were still there as well, even though the tables and food had been put away. Everyone was standing around in small groups, smiling and talking among themselves in a great display of Catholic joy, unity and camaraderie.
The food was excellent. They called it a potluck, but this wasn't like any potluck I had ever been to. A bunch of the food was in large metal trays with burning fuel under it -- like a caterer would use. So maybe some of the food was catered. The desserts were quite fancy, too -- two kinds of cake that had strawberry filling, plus other things I wasn't familiar with, including some Polish and other ethnic treats. At the start of the meal there was a rather fancy fruit table, with blueberries, grapes, strawberries, etc.
I want to give a special thanks to everyone who made this event possible. It would be difficult to list all the benefactors and volunteers who sacrificed time and/or money to make the above-described event into a reality. I would especially like to thank the couple who hosted me for 2 full days so I could attend this event. This couple also took me to and from the airport and anywhere else while I was there. Please say a prayer for their family and their intentions.
The next morning I attended the 8:00 Low Mass of one of the Dominican priests, Fr. Angelico, in "The Attic" which is the chapel used by the group in Connecticut. It gets its name from the fact it is upstairs in a room with a sloped roof like an attic. After Mass, I went downstairs to a mini "parish hall" of sorts, about the size of a large bedroom, where many of us said goodbye to each other. Meanwhile, the next Mass with Fr. Marie Dominique started at 9:00.
Around 9:15 we left to go to breakfast and then on to the airport so I could be on my way back to Texas. I was full of things to talk about and do as soon as I got back. I left in good spirits, very glad that I came. And I left with memories of a happy event, and a great anticipation about what the rest of 2015 will bring.