I got this note from a student at the Jesuit operated Boston College (me emphases):
Fr. Z,
I’m a sophomore at the Jesuit-run Boston College and a Catholic who longs for liturgy and worship that is spiritually fulfilling, having been greatly pained by what His Holiness has called "arbitrary deformations of the [Novus Ordo] liturgy". It was suggested to me by another faithful reader of your blog that I email you with the tale of my attempt to bring the TLM to this Catholic institution.
I’ve attended the TLM whenever and wherever I could, ever since I discovered it a bit over a year ago. When Summorum Pontificum was released, I saw in it the possibility of wider acceptance and performance of the form of our liturgy that I have come to know and love. Having heard no word of the TLM being held on campus, I attempted to contact our Campus Ministry, to see whether there had been any thought to the matter. Over a period of months I received no response, so I made an appointment to meet with our university’s Vice President for Mission and Ministry.
The tone of the Jesuits here toward the TLM has, in the past, seemed less than congenial, but when I met the kindly old priest/Vice President, I sensed only a bit of reluctance. The man told me that his only real concerns in holding an even somewhat-regular TLM on campus would be the availability of resources (namely priests), as well as interest among a group of people who would attend. Due to the popularity of a regular TLM on the campus of the University of Notre Dame, for instance, these concerns didn’t seem to me too pressing, but I accepted them at the time. Certainly these concerns are nothing like the response that was given to one professor who, several years ago, had attempted to bring the TLM to the Boston College campus, as even the Byzantine Rite mass has been celebrated here, and was told that the TLM was "a camel whose nose will not find its way under this tent."
I have heard from any number of students who would be willing to attend such a mass regularly, among them two seniors with whom I travel to a parish that holds a weekly TLM. A few males have even expressed interest in altar serving for such a mass. I have the name of one priest who is a professor here, and who has expressed interest in performing the TLM. I am planning to speak with him, to see if we couldn’t get this thing going.
I will be sure to keep you posted on developments.
I am glad for the information.
From the onset this sounds like a bit of an uphill climb.
I am convinced that Summorum Pontificum is not about "nostalgia". The real aim of the Motu Proprio is to help revive Catholic identity by giving the priest more tools. After that, yes, it is about fostering unity and all that… and let it not be forgotten that this is the week for prayer for Christian Unity. However, after priests I cannot help but think that the Motu Proprio is really aimed at younger people. As a result, I am quite interested in what happens in schools and universities that claim a Catholic identity.
