I'm just reporting.  Before Vat II it was never the norm.

Remember, many people travel long distances to Mass on Sunday, and before and after Mass is the only time they have to spend before the Blessed Sacrament.  The rosary can be prayed as a family or privately elsewhere.

Also, some chapels are now adding a litany and other prayers following the whim of the leader

Quiet time before Mass should be used for preparation.  Check your missal.  There are many prayers of preparation for Mass.

As for confession, if you remain at least 3-4 feet from the confessional you shouldn't be hearing anything.

It seems much more reverent.

I agree with your whole post and far as I know, you're correct, praying the rosary before Mass was not the norm pre-V2, perhaps that was a terrible mistake? In my area, women and even very young children most often led the rosary before Mass.

I know that we *always* prayed the rosary before Mass right after the revolution began, that was when the only place to find the true Mass at all was when it was hidden in basements and halls etc,. I think the practice was started during those days among the trads, kind of out of desperation, kind of out of necessity. Back then, total chaos aimed at the new trads of the world was the rule, there was much confusion and many people firmly believed that the end of the world was coming at any moment, so the rosary was started to be prayed before Mass, sort of due to the shock of everything that was happening within and outside of the Church.

Aside from the Mass being much more available these days then back then, not much has changed far as the need to pray the rosary is concerned, and while I prefer quiet, the truth is that there probably really is no better way to prepare for the Mass than having the congregation pray the rosary and some extra prayers. 


 
 

Question:  Can someone take a look at the Ridgefield CT assignments on this link?  

I see Fr K Robinson is assigned to the North Caldwell, NJ chapel, but I read somewhere else on the SSPX site that this chapel is serviced by Ridgefield, CT.  So, does that mean that any of these men could be saying mass or doing confession there... or is it really just Fr Robinson?  I know for a fact that Monsignor Byrnes is a Novus Ordo "monsignor", ordained in the New Rite.

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So there is only a minimal chance that a priest other than Fr Robinson would be hearing confessions at North Caldwell?  I want to make sure if I ever have the need to go there that the priest in the confessional is actually a certain priest.

Correct - if it works like the chapel I go to, I would expect Fr. Robinson to be the priest always at North Caldwell. Looks like they have him going between North Caldwell and Pittston,PA.