Saint Kilian Catacomb Chapel

(Latin Rite)

What is the Orthodox Latin Rite (so-called "Western Rite")?


For nearly 1,400 years, the Traditional Latin Mass was the liturgy of the western world. It was the Mass at which saints and Christians of the West worshipped since ancient times. 


The traditional Latin Mass is also a safeguard against modern aberrations of so-called contemporary worship, often reminiscent of entertainment rather than worship. 


Needless to say, we as Old Calendar Orthodox use the Old Latin Rite Calendar in line with the Holy Missal, the Service book containing all elements, prayers, readings and rubrics of the Holy Mass for each day, feast and season of the year.


Why the traditional Mass?


With the crises in the world today, more and more people (especially young people) seek an alternative to the "modern world". They are returning in droves to the wisdom of the ages, to things tested and timeless. For many young Catholics as well as Western Orthodox, this has included a return to the traditional Latin Mass.


Do I need to know Latin to follow the traditional Latin Mass?


In short, participation in the Latin Mass is primarily interior; i.e., words to understand are not essential. For those interested in praying along at the Holy Mass,  we provide Latin-English Missals that contain easy-to-follow, step-by-step translations of all prayers, hymns and responsorials. The Epistle, Gospel and homily will always be in the vernacular, of course.  


How do I use the Latin Rite?


The Latin-English booklet Missal (Missalette) lays out in easy-to-follow format the structure and prayers of the Mass. There are two sets of prayers at Mass: the ordinary prayers and the proper prayers (of the current day). The ordinary prayers are those fixed prayers that repeat with every Service. They are contained in the Missal. The proper prayers, which change by the day, will be provided in the pew Missal or via a handout (bulletin).

>> More information about the Latin Rite

Why is it called Holy Mass?

The term Holy Mass gets its name from the liturgical dismissal at the conclusion of the Service. It comes from the Latin "(ite) missa (est)". In Latin, the Mass ends with Ite missa est, which translated into English means Go, it is sent, the “it” being the Church, i.e. all faithful.  Since the times of St. Gregory the Great (†604), that wording was applied to the Latin Rite liturgy. While there may be simple cultural reasons why this took place, it is ultimately the Great Commission (Matt. 28:19-20) telling us to go out to the world and preach the Gospel through our lives. 


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Who was St. Kilian?

Saint Kilian was an Irish missionary bishop and the Apostle of Franconia (now in the northern part of Bavaria), where he began his labors in the latter half of the 7th century. 

In summer of 686 A.D., Kilian, with eleven companions, travelled through Gaul to Rome to receive missionary faculties from the Roman Patriarch (Pope), arriving in late autumn and meeting with Pope Conon. From there they traveled to the castle of Würzburg, which was inhabited by the East Frankish ruler Herzog (Duke) Gozbert, who was, like his people, still pagan.


Kilian made this town the base of his activity which extended over an ever-increasing area in East Franconia and Thüringen (Thuringia). He converted Herzog Gozbert with a large part of his subjects to Christianity.


The Kiliani-Volksfest, which runs for two weeks every July, is the main civil and religious festival in the region around Würzburg, Bavaria.





Pew Missalette of the Latin Mass


This red booklet missal contains the complete text in English and Latin for all Ordinary Prayers used in both Low and High Mass with instructions for the faithful to kneel, stand or sit. Additionally, guidelines for confession; prayers before and after Holy Communion; Benediction prayers and devotions; prayers to the Blessed Virgin, et al.


Dimensions & Specifications:

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