MADISON — On Monday, March 20, at the chapel of Holy Name Heights (Bishop O’Connor Center), His Excellency Robert C. Morlino, Bishop of Madison, celebrated a Pontifical Mass at the Throne for the transferred Feast of St. Joseph.
The Mass was in the Roman Rite’s older, traditional form, sometimes called the “Extraordinary Form.” The music was in Latin, in Gregorian chant and Renaissance polyphony, with two hymns in English for the entrance and the recessional.
Fr. Eric Sternberg was the assistant priest. The deacon and subdeacon were Fr. Chris Gernetzke and Fr. Tait Schroeder. Frs. Brian Dulli and James Leeser were the assistants at the Throne.
During his homily, Bishop Morlino greeted husbands and fathers on the feast of the paradigm of husbands and fathers, St. Joseph. He said that God trusted Joseph so much that He entrusted Mary and Jesus to him.
He continued saying how precious are mothers, wives, and children: even when they are difficult to deal with, they are precious. Wives and children should follow the example of Mary and Jesus and give deference and love to the Joseph figure in their homes. Imagine how imitating them would make a difference in the world.
The bishop concluded, “St. Joseph, pray for us! Make real men of our men!”
The Mass was sponsored by the Tridentine Mass Society of the Diocese of Madison (www.latinmassmadison.org).
The next Pontifical Mass with Bishop Morlino will be celebrated at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Monona on May 31, which in the Church’s traditional calendar is the Feast of the Queenship of Mary. All are welcome.
What is a Pontifical Mass at the Throne? See the Catholic Herald exclusive explanatory series: www.madisoncatholicherald.org/whatsthatallabout/list