“As you might imagine, it was a disaster.”

Here’s what a reader kindly sent in response to this article:

FOUND THIS ARTICLE to be most interesting. During the late 1960’s I attended a Fourth Degree dialogue Mass on a fairly regular basis. As you may remember, or know, in 1965 the 1962 missal began to be revised by deletions and, diocese by diocese, the vernacular became the norm. However, in New York City at Holy Family parish Latin we retained. The basis for this was that the church was near the UN Building and this Latin language Mass was intended for UN personnel.

The Mass not only incorporated all of the revisions, but it was a Fourth Degree dialogue Mass. As you would imagine, it was a disaster. While most worshipers were stumbling through the Introit or Collect, a few fluent in Latin would be loudly racing through the prayers. It was difficult to attend but was the only Mass in Latin available at the time.

William G_______
Cherry Hill, New Jersey