A reason why the old Mass is better
From Jeff Culbreath

Forward in Faith meets in London

Mgr Mangels answers questions about St Augustine’s, Denver
First a word about Monsignor from Benjamin Andersen:

He has always been, and continues to be, one of our most effective voices for authentic Western liturgical tradition and against byzantinization (and he, unlike the byzantinizers, has actually been pastor of a successful Byzantine Rite parish: he knows and loves both traditions, and insists, as does the Vicariate and the Archdiocese, that they be as distinct as possible).

Here are the answers:

This is all very interesting. I never thought our website would cause such a stir. If any of you would like to visit with us about our new website and more importantly, St. Augustine's, you are more than welcome!

It is very difficult to give the complete picture and ethos of any living thing within the confines and context of a website. Please, it is only a little more than a month old! (The old "website" was very much out of date and the schedule listed on it was wrong--had been for years!)

I have never been accused of “byzantinizing” before! That really is a new one for me. Rather, I have been accused of the exact opposite.

I have been a priest for almost 30 years, all but 11 I have served in the Western Rite. I have NEVER served any Novus Ordo Rite, by the way.

When I was in the Byzantine Rite, I did not allow Western customs (no matter how much I personally loved them) to enter into the Rite. It has its own ethos, which is wonderful. In the Western Rite, I follow the same practice. (Which is what Rome, this late hieromonk and I believe.)

As Orthodox Christians of the Western Rite of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese, we freely use icons (Russian, Greek, Antiochian, Romanian, Coptic, American, etc., etc.) and are not prohibited from using statuary. If you look carefully at the pictures on our website, you will see two rather large statues of angels on either side of the Altar. We also have a statue of Our Lady of Walsingham and Peter and Paul stand watch high above the Sanctuary!

The icons that were painted for our Altar, etc. are by a local Afro-American Orthodox iconographer trained in the Russian school...

We have First Vespers of Sunday every Saturday night for no other reason that because we can. We are not trying to be “like the Byzantines” it is just a convenient time for our people to come. On some Feasts we celebrate Second Vespers. We are a small, regional parish and our people tend to come from long distances so it is not possible to have Vespers on Sunday afternoon. One day, I hope to have Vespers everyday! I hope that offends no one’s delicate sensitivities. When I returned to the parish last year, they had not had Vespers AT ALL for a very long time!

I would suggest that all of you who are genuinely interested, read the material on the website. I think we rather clearly explain the Liturgical Use that we have received from the Church—not made up ourselves. We are not bound to an antiquarian “recovery of some mystical pre-schism Western Orthodox usage”. The Holy Synod of Moscow gave us the Roman Rite as it was practiced in the late 19th century with the correction of a few things and the addition of the explicit, descending Epiklesis.

Again, if you have questions, curiosity or a genuine desire to learn “come and see”! You are most welcome. Also, I will be more than happy to answer any questions or concerns that you might have. You can reach me through the website or call the Church. No need to speculate! Call and I will happily answer any question you might have!

God bless and keep all of you and thank you for you interest!

Rt. Rev. Msgr. John A. Mangels, pastor

AFAIK adding the epiklesis is a needless byzantinisation. The Roman Canon hasn’t got one because it’s older than the Byzantine Rite anaphoræ.

I wrote elswhere:

You may privately venerate anybody and I imagine some good Tridentine WROs do so with the popular Western Catholic saints. (As opposed to commemorating somebody liturgically in church.)

And Mr Andersen confirms that:

The YF is right: Individuals are free to have private devotions.

On being a minority rite in one’s country
And raising kids. From Out of Ergying. My tuppen’orth, or the good and bad one finds in the Orthodox scene.

On balancing endearing eccentricity with pastoral reality
By Archbishop Mark Haverland of the Anglican Catholic Church