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THE BACKGROUND
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My parents filled our home with the good, the true, and the beautiful, instilling in me a deep love of Tradition. ​Though the Latin Mass was not available to us, my parents ensured that they taught us about the Extraordinary Form of the Liturgy and Sacraments. I came to long for it, and I finally experienced my first Low Mass while on a family vacation. The candles, the bells, the silence, and yes, the Latin, spoke to my eight year old heart in a way nothing I'd experienced in the mid-2000s liturgical scene ever had, and I knew that this was the worship for which I was created. In 2014, I visited the Oratory for the first time and when I was able to start attending regularly in 2020, I knew my soul had finally found a home.
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Since then, I have had the privilege of bringing several people to their first Latin Mass, and few things bring me greater joy than introducing people to this beautiful part of the Faith. I've found that newcomers are often nervous, and always have lots of questions afterwards about the symbolism, gestures, actions, and prayers.
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Answering those questions is no easy feat. My mother says, "Catholicism is not a sound-byte religion." The depths and riches of the Church's Tradition cannot be explained in a simple platitude or a single conversation. Even after reading book after book, one can only begin to grasp all that Catholicism has and is, and the prospect of diving into the greatest minds of the Church can be daunting.
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THE BEGINNING
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I became a photographer at the Oratory in June of 2023 and quickly wanted to do more with the photos than just put them on social media. ​After a discernment visit in January of 2024, I came away feeling strongly that if I am to enter the convent, it will not be until after I have finished more work in the world, specifically writing a book or books. Prior to this, I had never considered writing a book and was unsure what to do with that prompting.
A month before my visit, I had the incredible experience of photographing Midnight Mass from the sacristy, which gave me a view from the side of the altar. I used some of those photos to make a visual guide to the Roman Canon on Facebook. The post was received well and several people told me that they found it helpful to be able to connect the prayers with the priest's gestures.
I continued to make these guides on Facebook as the Liturgical Year went on and in mid-July of 2024, I published a website to allow me to share them more publicly. I soon began to envision something that could present a basic introduction to the Latin Mass in an approachable, non-intimidating way, offering clear, straightforward answers to the second, third, and fourth questions that so often follow the first. It should be visually engaging enough to catch the eye of a child and also informative enough to hold the attention of a grown reader. Maybe it could even accompany people to the pew and not just live on a screen. With all this in mind, I made the transition from website to book, and in late October I presented the first draft to the rector.
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THE SERIES
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God willing, the pew guide is just the beginning of this project. I hope to compile four volumes that showcase the beauty of the Traditional Rite and so much of what it has to offer, presenting it in a digestible, approachable way. The specifics are still developing, but I envision them divided as follows, with the order of books 2-4 subject to change.
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I. Ad Altare Dei: Everything in the pew guide, reformatted to feature additional commentary, stories of saints that correspond to certain liturgical details, notes about sacred music, and more. There will also be explanations about the vestments and altar furnishings.
II. In Templum Dei: The Sacraments in the Extraordinary Form. This will feature at least the Sacraments of Initiation, Matrimony, and Confession, and a photo-light or text-only explanation of Extreme Unction. I would also like to include Ordinations to both Minor and Major Orders.
III. Ero Mors Tua: Pre-1955 Holy Week, including Tenebrae.
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IV. Pax Huic Domui: A walk through of the blessings, ceremonies, and processions proper to days and seasons of the Liturgical Year. Solemn Vespers and Benediction. Photos of special liturgies throughout the year such as the Rorate Mass.
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THE MISSION
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The ultimate goal of this project is, in the words of my father and first catechist, to "Stand up, speak the truth, and sit down." It will be as free of my own opinions as possible; I have no new insight of my own to offer on this Mass of the Ages. Convincing people of anything or changing minds and hearts in any way is beyond my ability; I can only present truth in what I hope is an attractive way, inviting others to come to know it and, from that knowledge, to love it and take joyful ownership of it.
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At its heart, I hope that this can be a showcase to all Catholics, newcomers and long-time Latin Mass attendees alike, of what is and always has been ours. It isn't just for the priests, the nuns, the liturgists, the Latin scholars, or the people already in the pews of traditional parishes. This is your heritage and birthright by virtue of your baptism. Christ established His Church and her Tradition for you and for the salvation of your soul. It is a gift from Our Lord to you; come to the altar of God and see what is YOURS!