Una Voce Des Moines

Promoting Traditional Catholicism in Central Iowa

Marian Antiphons: Ave Regina Caelorum

Throughout the year, the Church prays different Marian Antiphons based on the proper liturgical season.  We’ll post the current Antiphon throughout the year:

Advent/Christmas:  Alma Redemptoris Mater
Lent:  Ave Regina Caelorum
Easter: Regina Caeli
Pentecost:  Salve Regina

Here’s a great article about the different seasons, highlighting the Ave Regina Caelorum, which is sung from February 2nd (Purification/Candlemas) until the Easter Vigil.

The four Marian Antiphons have traditionally been sung at the end of Compline – each one during a particular season of the Church Year.   Ave, Regina Caelorum is the antiphon sung from Purification/Candlemas (February 2) until the Easter Vigil.

Here’s a video of the antiphon sung to the Simple Tone by the Benedictine Monks of the Abbey at Ganagobie. Chant score from the Liber Usualis (1961), p. 278.  (English translation below.)

Here’s the chant score of the Simple Tone version, from the Liber Usualis:


This translation was done for our monastery by Dr. Rudolph Masciantonio, president of the Philadelphia Latin Liturgy Association:

Hail, queen of heaven, hail lady of the angels. Hail, root, hail the door through which the Light of the world is risen. Rejoice, glorious Virgin, beautiful above all. Hail, O very fair one, and plead for us to Christ.

2025 Benedictus Subscriptions available at St. Augustin

We are pleased to announce a yearly bulk subscription for the St. Augustin TLM community to the new Benedictus monthly companion booklets. Using this group method, your 12 monthly booklets will be labeled and
made available to you each month before Mass in the hallway. In addition, the small bulk order discount given by Sophia Press will benefit the church needs for the TLM.

To learn about Benedictus, visit https://praybenedictus.com

Once ready, please place your order at the St Augustin giving portal
by November 15th to begin receiving booklets in January 2025.

Giving Site: https://giving.parishsoft.com/App/Giving/staugustin

Once at the giving site, simply select the One-time Gift tab, put
$60.00 in the Amount field, General Donation as the Fund, put TLM
Benedictus in the Note field, and click Submit (see the screenshot – full year orders required)

Contact Richard Chamberlin, rjdchaim@gmail.com, with any questions.


The 2023 Liturgical Calendar is ready!

Friends, we have a personalized 2023 liturgical calendar!

Thanks to TAN Press, the photography of Lisa Bourne, and the graphic design of Sam Fernholtz, we have a 2023 Liturgical Calendar just in time for Advent/Christmas shopping!

The unique 10.5″ x 10.5″, spiral-bound calendar contains high-quality images of our new home, St. Augustin. Photos of recent Masses were taken and included to showcase the beauty of St. Augustin Catholic Church, but more so the beauty of the Mass that resides inside it.

Here are some images:

Each day has indications for the liturgical calendar in both Usus Antiquior (old calendar feast days) and the Usus Recentior (new calendar feast days), as well as abstinence or fast symbols.  Note that under each day of the week there is a theme which is traditionally observed.

There’s an entire page on spiritual fasting and the symbols that each day indicate.

This year, we even added when local TLMs were going to be on special occasions:

Proceeds benefit Una Voce Des Moines and the continued promotion of the Traditional Mass throughout Central Iowa. 

Be sure to share with your friends and family, but order quickly as Christmas is in a few weeks and we have a limited supply!

Calendar costs:

1 calendar – $20

6 calendar – $100

(Additional cost for shipping TBD)

For more information, email Bryan @ info@unavocedsm.org or call/text 812.686.6102.

Rorate Mass in Des Moines

For the first time in years — we’re not sure how long! — a Rorate Caeli Mass will be celebrated on the 1st Saturday of Advent, December 3, 2022 at 8am.

St. Augustin Catholic Church
545 42nd St
Des Moines, IA 50312

This will truly be an extraordinary opportunity to witness a beautiful traditional liturgical devotion to Our Lady during a special preparatory period before we commemorate the birth of our Lord.

For more on what a Rorate Mass is, be sure to read here.

And share with your friends and family this unique Advent devotion!

What is a Rorate Mass?

The Rorate Mass or (Rorate Caeli Mass) is a traditional Advent devotion in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Rorate Mass is lit only by candlelight. Because it is a votive Mass in Mary’s honor, white vestments are worn instead of Advent violet.

On a Saturday during the Advent season, the faithful gather — typically before sunrise (hence the necessity for candles) — for a special Mass.

Taken from Isaiah 45:8, which is the introit for the mass:

“Rorate, caeli, desuper, et nubes pluant justum, aperiatur terra, et germinet Salvatorem.”

“Drop down dew, ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain the just: let the earth be opened and bud forth a Saviour.”

From the FSSP website:

…priests and faithful prepare to honor the Light of the world, Who is soon to be born, and offer praise to God for the gift of Our Lady. As the Mass proceeds and sunrise approaches, the church becomes progressively brighter, illumined by the sun as our Faith is illumined by Christ.

The readings and prayers of the Mass foretell the prophecy of the Virgin who would bear a Son called Emmanuel, and call on all to raise the gates of their hearts and their societies to let Christ the King enter; asking for the grace to receive eternal life by the merits of the Incarnation and saving Resurrection of Our Lord.

For some stunning photos of previous Rorate Masses around the world, check this out.

Marian Antiphons: Alma Redemptoris Mater

Throughout the year, the Church prays different Marian Antiphons based on the proper liturgical season.  We’ll post the current Antiphon throughout the year:

Advent/Christmas:  Alma Redemptoris Mater
Lent:  Ave Regina Caelorum
Easter: Regina Caeli
Pentecost:  Salve Regina

Here’s a great article about the different seasons, highlighting the Ave Regina Caelorum, which is sung from Advent until Candelmas on February 2nd.

Here’s the Simple Tone version, sung by “the Benedictine Monks of the Abbey at Ganagobie.” Chant score is in the Liber Usualis (1961), p. 277.    (English translation below.)

Here’s the chant score of the Simple Tone version, from the Liber Usualis:

Here’s a bit about Alma Redemptoris Mater, including an English translation, from “Singing the Four Seasonal Marian Anthems,” by Lucy Carroll, published in Adoremus:

Alma Redemptoris Mater

Sung from the first Sunday of Advent until the Feast of the Purification on February 2 (the original ending date of the Christmas season), this prayer tells of Gabriel’s announcement, and of Mary’s divine motherhood. The text is credited to Herimann the Lame, a monk of Reichenau (1013-1054). Herimann’s Latinized name was Hermanus Contractus and he is sometimes also credited with the chant melody.

Alma Redemptoris Mater, quae pervia caeli porta manes et stella maris, succurre cadenti, surgere qui curat, populo: tu quae genuisti, natura mirante, tuum sanctum genitorem, Virgo prius, ac posterius, Gabrielis ab ore sumens illud ave, peccatorum miserere.

This translation is by the Reverend Adrian Fortescue, 1913:

Holy mother of our Redeemer, thou gate leading to heaven and star of the sea; help the falling people who seek to rise, thou who, all nature wondering, didst give birth to thy holy Creator. Virgin always, hearing the greeting from Gabriel’s lips, take pity on sinners.

The Four Marian Antiphons

Throughout the year, the Church prays different Marian Antiphons based on the proper liturgical season.  We’ll post the current Antiphon throughout the year:

Advent/Christmas:  Alma Redemptoris Mater
Lent:  Ave Regina Caelorum
Easter: Regina Caeli
Pentecost:  Salve Regina

A Benedictine monk once called these a lullaby to Mary. Typically chanted in a quiet chapel in candlelight just before the monastic community retired for their evening slumber, it makes sense why he called it a “lullaby”.

This is a great way to incorporate an important part of the traditional liturgical life into your family life.

So, visit these different webpages at the beginning of a new liturgical season, and brush up on your Marian antiphon/chant, and sing your lullaby to Mary each evening.

TLM in Des Moines Changes Time

Friends,

Starting Sunday, August 7th, the weekly TLM at St. Augustin moves to 4pm.

Here is Fr. Pisut’s note announcing the change:

Dear TLM Community,

Believe it or not it has been a month since the TLM has moved to St.
Augustin. By all accounts things seem to be going well. I have a pastor’s
column that goes out in a weekly email that you should get if you are
registered at the parish (one more reason to register). However, I thought it
would be helpful if I reached out to just the TLM community to update you
on a few things. I might do this from time to time to keep communication
open and to help build the TLM Community.

In order to help with the transition of the TLM from St. Anthony’s to St.
Augustin and aid in my pastoring of the community I assembled a TLM
Council. It’s basically like a parish/pastoral council. I chose membership
based upon people who held leadership roles in the TLM itself (MC’s and
Choir Director), St. Anthony’s Pastoral Council members and Una Voce
officers. Members of the TLM Council are Andy Milam, Jacob Heflin, Taylor
Fernholz, Tom Ogden, Jason Pendergraft, Wendy Ogden, Bryan Gonzalez,
Rachel Marr, Audra Hutton, Rosie Heflin and Samantha Fernholz. While
you are always free to reach out to me, you can also bring questions and concerns to these members as well.

We would like to facilitate a smoother reception of Holy Communion at Mass. We ask that when receiving you begin the line at the far right (Epistle) side all the way to the far left (Gospel) side of the altar/communion rail.
When the railing is full, we ask that you stand in front of the pews in the same direction from left to right (Epistle to Gospel side) and fill in as people depart the altar/communion rail. To this end we will have ushers help to
direct people, but we hope that this will be a short-term necessity and that they will eventually not be required.

In addition, our altar/communion rail cloth has arrived. It will hang over the front of the railing. As you kneel simply fold your hands underneath the cloth. The altar/communion rail cloth is one of the many great traditions
of our Catholic Faith. It is a sign of the sacredness of Holy Communion. Historically, it was a means of catching the host should it fall, like the patens that we also use out of reverence for the Sacred Species. In addition, by
keeping our hands under the cloth it is a reminder that we are to receive our Lord reverently on the tongue.

Many of the TLM families also home school. One of the preferred educational methods is the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS), though it is not limited to home schooling. We are blessed at St. Augustin to have a well-established program under the leadership of Janis Falk, our Director of Religious Education. Some of you may already be familiar with her. If you are interested in enrolling your children in the CGS program please contact
Janis or Cindy Sullivan, our Office Manager.

Lastly, I am pleased to announce that beginning August 7, 2022, the TLM will move to 4:00 P.M. This decision was made after consultation with and the unanimous agreement of the TLM Council and the approval of +Bishop Joensen. This change represents a listening to the TLM community and an attempt to provide for your needs. I do recognize that many would prefer a morning Mass time. While I understand your desire, it simply is not possible with the Mass schedule at St. Augustin. Still, the new Mass time will help to facilitate earlier dinner times, mitigate nighttime winter driving and make your evening schedules easier overall. Do not fear, confession will still be available before Mass from 3:15-3:45 in the east/St. Joseph side confessional.

I hope that after a month that you are starting to feel at home at St. Augustin. Though I was not expecting this role it is my pleasure to be your pastor. I look forward to strengthening the TLM community as we give glory to God through the Holy Sacrifice of this ancient and perennial form of the Mass. As you should have grasped from the reception following the first Mass, you are welcome here. I will say it one last time, welcome home.

Fr. Pisut

The Presence of God and the Latin Mass

One of the local deacons, Deacon Mike Manno, who frequently attends/serves our TLM community wrote this last month, and we thought it was interesting and wanted to share with our followers.

Those of you who have followed this column know that about seven months ago I had a stroke. Fortunately, through the mercy of God, I quickly recovered with little or no problems. However, it has affected my sight; I can no longer read well, struggling to make out each word like a first grader following his fingers across the page, and my peripheral vision has been compromised to the point that I still cannot drive.

Thus when I am at the altar assisting at Mass, I can no longer proclaim the Gospel, nor can I read the Prayers of the Faithful. The priest will read the Gospel for me and the lector will read the prayers. I still cannot preach since I write out all my homilies and, not being a gifted speaker, would simply read them.

So one of my drawbacks from the stroke was that I was no longer able to assist at a cross-town Latin Mass that I would attend every Sunday evening. I had been doing so for several years at the invitation of that parish’s pastor, an old friend, and his associate with whom I had gotten to know very well.
Not being a Latin scholar, I could do little more than sit in choir, read the Epistle and Gospel in English, preach occasionally, and help with the distribution of Communion — the Latin Mass protocols only allow for an ordained minister, deacon or priest, to do so. Unfortunately, the partial loss of my vision was enough to keep me from driving to the Latin Mass and I was unable to participate.

With the pastor and assistant there were only about three other priests in our geographic area who could say the Latin Mass, so when the pastor retired due to health issues, and the associate was sent for additional schooling out of state, it sounded trouble for the Latin Mass.

However, our bishop, William Joensen, asked my pastor if he and our parish could continue the Latin Mass, and he agreed. Last night was our first Latin Mass and I was there, in choir, for the first time since October 24, and I couldn’t have been happier! It brought a newness and a fresh perspective and appreciation for the Latin Mass that was renewed yesterday.
My first observation is one I have really taken to heart, because it is now something I use. When we distribute Communion at the Novus Ordo Mass we say to them, “The Body of Christ,” as most receive standing and in the hand. That always seemed to me to show a lack of reverence, almost as if I was handing out cookies to children as an after lunch treat.

I was always more impressed by the Latin formula. As communicants are kneeling at an altar rail, they receive on the tongue as they say, “Corpus Domini nostri Iesu Christi custodiat animam tuam in vitam aeternam. Amen.” Translated, “May the body of our Lord Jesus Christ preserve your soul unto life everlasting. Amen.”

In my mind, that is more reverent and expresses an important theological truth. Thus I use the English translation when taking Communion to the homebound and hospitalized, then I say “the Body of Christ.”

But there is something that I apparently am not the only one to notice. It is the growing number of young people who attend.

I noticed that when I first started assisting at the Latin Mass. I saw the volume of young families with small children who were present, and many of them were the parents of the many youngsters who were taking part as servers and acolytes, and they showed up last night.

Just to give you an example, we had two deacons — one on the cusp of priestly Ordination, and a seminarian sitting in choir, two MCs, two altar servers and six acolytes, most under nine. And the reaction of our regular parishioners was amazement.

Several mentioned to me how they were surprised to see so many young girls dressed as if it were First Communion, and the number of men who wore ties, not to mention the veils on so many of the women and girls. They commented on the beauty of the Traditional Latin chants and hymns as well as the use of incense during certain parts of the Mass.

It all underscored what I saw from a friend of mine, an ex-con who started RCIA with me a few years ago. I had taken him to my parish church and later to the Latin Mass. Now here was a man of no faith background who was actively looking forward to his Baptism and reception into the Church.
When I asked him why he was making such a transition, he said it was very simple: In the church, especially at the Latin Mass, he could feel the presence of God and that is where he wanted to be. Unfortunately for my friend, one stupid mistake caused him to be arrested and sent back to prison on a probation violation. What is worse is the correctional system was largely closed by COVID and he was confined for several years.

I continued to keep in touch with him, answering his questions about Catholicism, and sending him copies of lessons from our RCIA syllabus. I found out later he began to share those lessons with fellow inmates. After several indicated that they were Catholic, they formed a group of Catholic inmates who would meet regularly to discuss religion.

I was a bit surprised to note that his prison counselor, when writing about him to the state parole board, noted that he was the leader of the Catholic inmates group. His parole was granted and by the time this is published he should be released and his first priority is to attend the Latin Mass at his “home” parish and to finally become a baptized Catholic, a ceremony I intend to perform myself.

So why was an agnostic so attracted to the Latin Mass that his deepest desire is to become Catholic? I think it is for the same reason men showed up with ties, little girls in dresses, and the little boys are clamoring to serve as acolytes, and young families making the Latin parish its parish of choice.
It is that for 2,000 years the Church has brought people to God by using all their senses. Everything that is done is clearly done for the glory of the Almighty, from the architecture to the music, stained glass, Gregorian chant, and incense. It is not that a lot of folks understand Latin, it is that the whole package combines to bring, as my friend noted, the presence of God to any with an open heart.

I know there are those who pooh-pooh the “old” Mass, and many consider it divisive. It is not. It is a unifying point that has been bringing the presence of God to the people for two centuries. I’m very proud of the part my parish is now playing in carrying out that mission, and proud of my very small part in it.

(Source: https://thewandererpress.com/catholic/news/frontpage/the-presence-of-god-and-the-latin-mass/)

Marian Antiphon: Salve Regina

Throughout the year, the Church prays different Marian Antiphons based on the proper liturgical season.  We’ll post the current Antiphon throughout the year:

Advent/Christmas:  Alma Redemptoris Mater
Lent:  Ave Regina Caelorum
Easter: Regina Caeli
Pentecost:  Salve Regina

Here’s great article about the different seasons, highlighting the Salve Regina, which is sung from Pentecost until the first Sunday of Advent.

Here’s a video of the antiphon sung to the Simple Tone by the Benedictine Monks of Santo Domingo de Silos; chant score is from the Liber Usualis (1961), p 279.    (English translation below.)

Here’s the chant score of the Simple Tone version, from the Liber Usualis:

This comes from “Singing the Four Seasonal Marian Anthems,” by Lucy Carroll, published in Adoremus; it includes an English translation of the antiphon:

The Salve Regina has also been credited to Herimann the Lame (Hermanus Contractus), monk of Reichenau, but it is also attributed to Adhemar de Monteil (+1098) and Saint Bernard (+1153). It has become a traditional Carmelite hymn, sung at Carmelite events throughout the world. It is sung as a seasonal anthem from the day after Pentecost Sunday until the first Sunday of Advent. As a spoken prayer, it has also been added to the conclusion of the rosary, so it is perhaps the most familiar of these four texts to Catholics.

Salve Regina, mater misericordiae, vita, dulcedo, et spes nostra salve. Ad te clamamus, exules filii Evae. Ad te suspiramus, gementes et flentes, in hac lacrimarum valle. Eia ergo, advocate nostra, illos tuos misericordes oculos, ad nos converte. Et Jesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui, nobis post hoc exsilium ostende. O Clemens, o pia, o dulcis virgo Maria.

This early translation is by the Reverend Adrian Fortescue, 1913:

Hail holy queen, mother of mercy, hail our life, our sweetness, and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears. Turn then most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us. And after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, o loving, o sweet Virgin Mary.

Page 2 of 9

Powered by WordPress & Theme by Anders Norén