Florida Catholic | The Latin Mass: Father De Leon’s traditional passion

The Latin Mass: Father De Leon’s traditional passion

LINDA REEVES | FLORIDA CATHOLIC PALM BEACH BUREAU EDITOR

Published: 08.15.08

Father Marco De Leon celebrates the Tridentine Mass at St. Martin de Porres Parish on a recent Sunday afternoon. “The Mass is rich in the traditions of the church. It is so beautiful,” explained Father De Leon.
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JENSEN BEACH | Father Marco De Leon often finds that new worshippers at St. Martin de Porres’ weekly Tridentine Mass are “lost,” he explained.

So the parochial vicar at the Jensen Beach parish, where a weekly Tridentine Mass is celebrated in Latin on Sunday afternoons, scheduled a summer seminar focused on the Tridentine Mass, and hopes to hold another if there is interest. He is open to any questions about the traditional celebration, about which he is passionate.

“The response is really great,” he said about his sessions. “We had about 50 people. … We have celebrated the Latin Mass for 13 years here. … I am teaching them (worshippers) to speak in Latin.”

The Tridentine Mass, celebrated only in Latin, dates back to the 16th century. It came out of the Council of Trent as a response to the Reformation and became the exclusive liturgy of the Catholic Church at that time.

JASON COLLINS | FC
Elma Panizales prays during the Latin Mass at St. Martin de Porres.

Reforms to the Tridentine rite came after the Second Vatican Council was held in 1962 to 1965. They brought a newer rite celebrated in the local language, with the priest facing the congregation. The Tridentine rite differs also in ceremony and certain liturgical practices from the current Mass.

Latin Masses remained available through locations across the country through permission of the local bishop, and the resurgence of the Tridentine celebration accelerated last year when Pope Benedict XVI encouraged the return of the “extraordinary form of the Roman rite.”

Attending the Mass celebrated in Latin “is a different world,” said parishioner Frances Alauskas. “I love it. I wanted to go back to the church I grew up with and I love it. There are special missals with the Latin and English. Women wear veils.”

According to a Catholic News Service story published in June, the Vatican is currently writing to seminaries asking that candidates to the priesthood be trained to celebrate Mass in the Tridentine rite.

“I studied Latin in the seminary,” said Father De Leon, a seminarian for the Diocese of Palm Beach, who was ordained in 2001 after completing studies at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach.

He also studied at Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary in Denton, Neb., a seminary sponsored by the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter that offers yearly workshops for clergy and seminarians who are interested in learning more about the Tridentine Mass and Latin.

“The Mass is rich in the traditions of the church. It is so beautiful,” explained Father De Leon.

Parishioner Lorie Shekailo spoke to the Florida Catholic after attending a Latin Mass which Father De Leon celebrated. “It was very nice,” she said. “It was very beautiful.”

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