Bishop Peter Elliott of Melbourne, Australia will be celebrating Holy Mass in the city that is probably the furthest city in the world from his home diocese. 
On Sunday, September 30, Bishop Elliott will be celebrating in Latin the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite – the “Latin Novus Ordo” – at the beautiful and historic St. Mary of Victories in downtown St. Louis, Missouri, USA. 

 

St. Mary of Victories is staffed by the priests of the Oblates of Wisdom, and Fr. Brian Harrison (also an Australian) is the regular celebrant.  The Masses are beautiful and reverent, with chant and a schola, ad orientem and solemn.  This is far and away my favorite church and my Mass of choice.
Some of you will know of St. Mary of Victories because of the recent story of a satanic desecration of one of the church’s statues of Mary.  Progress is being made on that case, I am told, and the police have a suspect and are now classifying the desecration as a hate crime.

But many of you may not know Bishop Elliott.  I don’t.  I only know that he’s a proponent of True Liturgical Reform – the reform envisioned by Vatican II.

St. Mary’s parishioner Stan Metheny is a big fan of Bishop Elliot’s and sent me several links to articles by and about him.  I will copy below just a tad from one – an article in which Bishop Elliott offers suggestions on how to pray the Rosary. 

One suggestion is to use the Rosary as prayers of petition.  The bishop suggests …

As a prayer of petition, the Mysteries could be offered according to this plan-

1.The Annunciation — for humility, obedience, trust
2. The Visitation — for love of my neighbour, generosity and hospitality.
3. The Nativity — for a spirit of poverty, detachment.
4. The Presentation — for obedience to the Church.
5. The Finding in the Temple – for true wisdom.
1. The Agony in the Garden – for a spirit of prayer, strength in suffering.
2. The Scourging — for purity.
3. The Crowning with Thorns — for meekness, acceptance of suffering
4. The Carrying of the Cross — for patience, ability to bear burdens
5. The Crucifixion — for true contrition for my sins.
1. The Resurrection — for perseverance in faith
2. The Ascension — for a desire for heaven.
3. Pentecost — for the gifts of the Holy Spirit, growth in holiness or prayer.
4. The Assumption — for a love of the saints, charity for holy souls.
5. The Coronation of Our Lady – for a good death.

… from which we can see that this is a prayerful and devoted man.

I encourage my Mid-Western readers to come and celebrate with us (though I may be out of town doing shows, myself).  And if you can’t take in St. Mary of Victories on Sunday, September 30, come any time!