As the pogrom against those who desire the traditional sacred worship of the Roman Rite continues – to build great unity, of course! – I invite the readership to take in some of the liturgical wisdom of Fr. John Thomas Lane, S.S.S., who is the provincial superior of the Province of Saint Ann of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament (U.S.A.) and pastor of his home parish in Highland Heights, Ohio, St. Paschal Baylon (D. Cleveland). He previously served as director for the Office of Worship for the Diocese of Salt Lake City.
Fr. Lane has a piece at Jesuit-run Amerika. HERE It’s a cringeworthy romp in the very worst that the 70’s and 80’s could offer.
He even quotes Card. Mahony from 1997: “Gather Faithfully Together” which set off Mother Angelica (she won).
Given what he wrote, and given that he is pastor of a parish, I figured that he might be showcasing via videos what happens liturgically in the parish Masses. They are every bit as painful as one might imagine. Brace yourselves. And remember that the TLM is restricted while this continues. (The TLM is available to the faithful in the D. of Cleveland in more than one location.)
Beginning
Homily
Consecration
A friend of mine, once one of moderators of the legendary Catholic Online Forum of Compuserve (which ages us), wrote a good summary of Fr. Lane’s piece at Amerika.
Please excuse my tone if I rant a bit but I genuinely wondered if this article was satire. Sadly, it was not. Instead, it is a near-perfect example of the post-Vatican II liturgical project at its worst: horizontal, human-centered, emotionally therapeutic, and spiritually hollow. In other words, Protestant.
If there is to be a Eucharistic revival, it must begin not with more chalices, offertory processions, and bouncier songs, but with a recovery of the truth: that the Eucharist is Jesus Christ – Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. According to the 2019 Pew Research study, nearly 70% of self-identified Catholics do not believe in the Real Presence. That is the problem. That should be the primary focus of any eucharistic renewal.
The article suggests that Communion under both species is essential for a “fuller” experience. This idea directly contradicts Church teaching. The Council of Trent defined long ago that Christ is fully present under either species. This isn’t about “getting more of Jesus.” It’s about understanding that one drop of the Precious Blood or one crumb of the Sacred Host contains the fullness of God. To suggest otherwise is to reveal a lack of catechesis, not of authenticity.
And then there’s the music. We’re told to sing “easy” songs during Communion to encourage participation. But Holy Communion is not a group singalong. It is the most intimate moment on earth, where we are physically united to our Savior. Sacred silence or music that elevates the soul without requiring group participation is appropriate. Anyone who has experienced Holy Communion while listening to a choir sing William Byrd’s Ave Verum Corpus knows what I am talking about.
Worst of all is the suggestion that hosts from the tabernacle should not be used during Mass. This implies that yesterday’s consecration is somehow “less real.” The tabernacle does not contain leftovers. It houses the King of Kings. Drawing from it reverently, especially when needed, is not a sign of liturgical laziness. It’s a sign of belief. There is an undertone of symbolism like this in the entire article. Symbolism is more aligned with Protestant belief than Catholic.
If the goal is to revive the faith, then revive reverence. Preach truth. Teach the Real Presence. Mass is not about us, it’s about God. The focus is not on us, it is on Jesus Christ. Until we remember this, we’re not experiencing revival—we’re just rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.
Just lately, I’ve had a number of emails telling me things like:
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