Adoremus & the Way Forward

AST MONTH’S edition of The Adoremus Bulletin (February 2015, Vol. XX, No. 5) is noteworthy for several reasons. First and foremost, it is characteristically rich in content.

Included in this issue is an excellent ink drawing of the Last Judgment by Daniel Mitsui, whose drawings frequently appear in the Catholic literary journal Dappled Things. There is also a fine article by Susan Benofy offering an introduction to the many resources now available for singing the Propers of the Mass. Several CCW resources are included in her presentation.

February’s Bulletin further includes a thought-provoking piece entitled, Reflections on the Youth Mass and photos of Duncan Stroik’s latest project, St. Paul the Apostle Church in Spartenburg, South Carolina.

N ADDITION to all this quality content, the February edition contains a letter from Fr. Reverend Jerry J. Pokorsky, one of the members of the executive committee governing Adoremus. The letter details some of the struggles the board has encountered since the unexpected death of Helen Hull Hitchcock, the remarkable woman whose vision, humility, and tenacity accomplished so much good for Holy Mother Church. I would encourage you to read the short letter in full, but here are some of its highlights:

Dear Friends and Benefactors of Adoremus:

It is with sorrow that I report that we have decided it would be best for Adoremus to take a hiatus in the months ahead as we continue to work to sustain this important apostolate promoting the liturgical vision of Pope Benedict XVI. This means that this issue of the Adoremus Bulletin will be the last for the foreseeable future—with reasonable hopes for a comeback sometime down the road.

After the death of our editor, Helen Hull Hitchcock, we were hoping we would be able to continue our work with a few administrative tweaks. But after a thorough review of our finances it is clear that we simply cannot sustain continuing costs. It has become evident that we need to move sooner rather than later. We will need our small nest egg of savings to keep Adoremus on life support in the months ahead. . . .

In the meantime, we will do our best to maintain the Adoremus website until a new editor with the same vision and vigor (well, at least some of the same vigor that Helen had) takes the reins. Of course, we have always operated on a shoestring budget so we can promise the new editor — when he or she is found—a great job with low pay and few fringe benefits.

The good news is that we are hoping the months ahead represent merely a transitional period. . . . If you have made contributions in the recent past know that your donations did not—and will not—go to waste. We did our best and we think this is the best interim solution. We consider this a “controlled crash,” so that after repairs and with God’s grace this important apostolate may one day take flight again. Thank you for your generous support over your years as members of the Adoremus family. We continue to hope for a trickle of donations to help us work through this difficult period. . . .

May God reward your generosity and kindness.

DOREMUS has been a positive force in the Church since 1995, when it was founded for the purpose of promoting authentic reform in the Roman Rite. Now the organization needs our help to continue its important work.

Jeff Ostrowski paid tribute to Helen upon her death in October, noting that Adoremus was the single most important organization dedicated to the sacred liturgy for nearly two decades. May the Lord continue the good work He has begun in and through Adoremus!