MATERNAL HEART LATIN MASS COMMUNITY COMES OF AGE

A LAY MOVEMENT

Two weeks ago the Latin Mass Community at Maternal Heart Chapel, Lewisham in Sydney Australia finally after 20 years was erected as a Personal Parish under the auspices of the Fraternity of Saint Peter.  This is a significant milestone.  A good time to reflect on how it all came about.

Indeed it is more significant when we consider the oft forgotten fact that Lewisham (as it is generally known) is the direct result of a lay response to Ecclesia Dei adflicta.  One of the most important and vigorous societies in Australia - the Ecclesia Dei Society (EDS) founded at Lewisham in 1989, saw a great flourishing of the Traditional liturgy through the organisation of it's annual liturgical conference and assistance and defence of those who looked to establish communities in different regions.  Three significant characters, Glen Tattersal (now priest), Garry Scarrabalotti and Stephen Smith came together at the suggestion of Fr Harry Jordan MSC giving impetus to this new society.

Mass before the Inaugural meeting of the EDS - Lewisham 1989

Glen Tattersal and Stephen Smith had already embarked on learning as much as they could about the naiscent movement for the restoration of the Traditional Mass and inspired by their recent visit to the Monasteries of Fontgombault and Le Barroux not to mention Wigratzbad.  A small schola was formed to learn the chant for a monthly Missa Cantata at St Michaels College, City Road, Darlington (this community ultimately moved to St Marys, Cathedral, Sydney).  It became apparent that the monthly Sung Mass was not welcomed by some members of the community and so the schola looked for another opportunity - this presented itself in the form of a weekly thursday Mass at the church of St Joachim at Lidcombe where the kindly Mons. Meeny made them welcome and the recently ordained Fr Terence Naughtin a conventual Franciscan began to celebrate the Traditional Mass regularly.  Here two things happened - free to learn and perform the liturgy, a small community began to develop and those involved in the liturgy developed a greater competence at performing it.  

Mass before the 1st annual meeting of the EDS - Lewisham 1990

With the the death of Mons. Meeny (RIP) and the arrival of a new priest whom one might have thought sympathetic to their cause instead asked them to move on.  It was then through a connection with the St Vincent de Paul Society and it's bookshop that an awareness of the abandoned chapel of the Lewisham Hospital began to arise.  The Chapel was however in a shocking state as a result of the buildings nearby having been pulled down the inside of the chapel was covered in a fine dust which in some places was an inch deep.  This was diligently cleaned by a band of enthusiasts from the Lidcombe group. And thus the Thursday Mass formerly at Lidcombe was officially transferred to Lewisham.

The community consisted of a about 15 people including Glen Tattersal the Chairman of the EDS, Fr Terence was the principal priest and a Schola Cantorum Sanctae Crucis of about 5 led by Stephen Smith.  Here was a new community which asked of it's priests only to sing the Mass, vestments, plate, altar where all provided and of course a generous stipend which Fr Terrence always refused to accept.  In time Fr Terrence became the principal celebrant to the liturgies - other priests had also played a part in sustaining the community at various times not to mention Fr Spora, Fr Spillane, Fr John Hogan, Fr John O'Neill, Fr Ephraim Chifley OP, Fr Dowd OP, Fr John Smith.  

After the 1st annual meeting Mass Lewisham 1990

Thus the community steadily grew as did its commitment to the Solemn celebration of the liturgy.  In time the community through a Novena to St Francis of Assisi was permitted to celebrate the liturgy every Sunday thus arose a tradition of Solemn Mass on Thursdays, Sundays and Major Feasts. 

Through the Monastic influences of the many Tyburn Benedictine oblates amongst the founders of Lewisham a particular liturgical style developed which reflected the European monasteries.  Amongst those most influential where Michael Sternbeck (now of St Bede Studios) who furnished the chapel with many fine vestments both gothic and conical, supplemented by William Lawrence from Brisbane who made many of the full classical surplices.  In the early photographs the presence of the hood worn over the surplice is frequently visible.  Some of these influences survive in that the offices of terce (before mass) and sext (after mass) on Sundays is still sung according to the Monastic Antiphonal.

After a golden period of 15 years many young men had left Lewisham to try their vocations in religious institutions. A disproportionately high number of priestly vocations have emanated from that time.  Unfortunately it was about this time that Fr Terrence began to experience significant problems whith-in his own order which culminated in his not being able to guarantee his continued ministry at the Chapel.   The Praesidium (or Governing Council as it was then) had the daunting task of trying to find someone else to replace him.  It seemed that prayers where answered when Fr Laurence Gresser FSSP recently ordained and returned from the U.S. approached the Cardinal (George Pell) who according to Fr Gresser was happy to appoint him as Chaplain to the Community.  On the one hand the Community where officially a chaplaincy but on the other the failure of FSSP to allow Fr Terrence (who was under their authority) to continue as the principal pastor was the cause of some ill will!  Perhaps more significantly this in reality marked the end of the lay organisation of the Chapel and within 12 months the structures which had sustained the place for so long where discarded.  

The arrival of the Fraternity of St Peter, sadly does not mark the high point of the chapel's liturgical life, rather a certain decline - while the FSSP moved swiftly to turn its interest to a house of formation which is stationed nearby, Fr Terence's distinctive pastoral ministry was sorely missed.

Perhaps with the establishment of this new parish might mark a new period for this community - one which embraces it's founding principals "the performance of the liturgy whenever possible in it's fullest expression" (from the original charter of the community) and one in which the pastors make a new commitment to the people to whom they minister.  One thing was astounding about Lewisham in its first 15 years apart from its achievement liturgically - It was marked by an understanding that without the co-operation of clergy and laity such a venture would not be possible.  Perhaps this principal will be rediscovered.