My Lord, and My
God!
O Blessed Day! On 7/7/2007, our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI issued
his motu proprio Summorum Pontificum, which once again lifted the Mass
of the Ages, the Traditional Latin Mass, to its proper place, fittingly
titled the "Extraordinary Form of the Roman
Rite".
Those in Little Rock who labored for the
return of the "Mass of the Saints" were first blessed back in 1992 when
then Bishop McDonald directed Msgr. Gaston Hebert (now Diocesan
Administrator of Little Rock) to celebrate the first Traditional Latin
Mass at the former St. John the Baptist Seminary in Little
Rock.
Later, on August 1, 1993, the Priestly Fraternity of St.
Peter (FSSP) was invited to offer the Latin Mass in the chapel at Christ
The King Church in Little Rock.
Now, over 14 years later, the
Latin Mass Community of St. John the Baptist has grown to offer daily
Mass in two locations in Arkansas (three locations on Sunday's).
So impactful was the Holy Father's motu proprio, that in October
2007, Msgr. Hebert invited the FSSP to deliver a series of lectures on
the Mass to all the priests in the diocese of Little Rock. The
event was culminated by the return of the Latin Mass to the chapel of
the former Seminary of St. John the Baptist. Even the saints in
the stained-glass windows of the chapel were reported to have
smiled.
Our members are of all ages, with several large families, but we all share a
unique love of the beauty, tradition, and solemnity that God has given us in the
Tridentine Mass mandated by Pope St. Pius V in 1570.
Naturally, we are obedient and faithful to the Magisterial Teachings of the
Holy Roman Catholic Church.
We receive Holy Communion kneeling and on the tongue, out of reverence,
tradition and humility.
We follow the historic tradition of using chapel veils out of reverence,
modesty and obedience.
Our hymns are Gregorian Chant, instituted by Pope St. Gregory The Great over
1300 years ago and promoted strongly by Pope St. Pius X in the early 1900's.
We are not a parish, but an "apostolate community". As such, we
have no geographical boundaries.
We welcome all visitors to experience what many have called "The Mass of
the Saints" and "The Mass of All Ages".
"Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi"