Holy Day of Obligation - Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary 

Sung High Mass
St. Mary Magdalen Chapel
Thursday at 7:00 PM
August 15th, 2024

On August 15th, the universal Church celebrates the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in which we commemorate her being taken up body and soul into heaven when her earthly life was finished. The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us: “The Most Blessed Virgin Mary, when the course of her earthly life was completed, was taken up body and soul into the glory of heaven, where she already shares in the glory of her Son's Resurrection, anticipating the resurrection of all members of His Body” (974). Thus, the Assumption looks to eternity and gives us hope that we, too, will follow Our Lady when our life is ended.

The Assumption first began to be celebrated as a feast day in the Eastern Church after the Ecumenical Council of Ephesus (431) proclaimed Mary the Mother of God. By the sixth century, the feast celebrated Mary’s Dormition, “her falling asleep.” The western church began to celebrate this feast around 650. St. John Damascene (675-749), an early Father and Doctor of the Church, expressed the belief of his time by writing that Mary’s “pure and sinless body was not left on earth but was transferred to a heavenly throne.”   The Church’s teaching on the Assumption was formally proclaimed a doctrine by Pope Pius XII in 1950.

On this Feast Day, we honor the Blessed Virgin Mary, who always directs us to her Son.  According to Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, “The main ministry of Mary is to incline men’s hearts to obedience to the Will of her Divine Son.” Her last recorded words at Cana are the words that she conveys to us on the solemnity of the Assumption: “Do whatever He tells you.” She asks us to be obedient to Him, to surrender our hearts to Him, and to say “Yes” to Him, just as she did, despite our uncertainties. She desires that we come to Him with open and contrite hearts, seeking His mercy and His holy will in our lives, so that we may one day be united with Him in heaven for all eternity. The Blessed Mother is our advocate and guide in this life who loves us as only a mother can. Her maternal heart overflows with compassion for us, and she is always there for us, eager to listen to our prayers, and to draw us closer to the heart of her Son. Our Blessed Mother has preceded us into Heaven so that on the day of final judgment she will be there to accompany us on our eternal journey.

Portiuncula Indulgence

From midnight August 1st to midnight August 2nd, you can gain the “Portinuncula” Indulgence.  To obtain the Portiuncula plenary indulgence, a person must visit the Chapel of Our Lady of the Angels at Assisi, or a Franciscan sanctuary, or one’s parish church, with the intention of honoring Our Lady of the Angels. Then perform the work of reciting the Creed and Our Father and pray for the Pope’s designated intentions. You should be free, at least intentionally, of attachment to venial and mortal sin, and truly repentant. Make your sacramental confession 8 days before or after. Participate at assist at Mass and receive Holy Communion 8 days before or after.  

The Portiuncula indulgence is the first plenary indulgence that was ever granted in the Church. There were indeed indulgences at all times, but they were only partial, and only a partial remission of the temporal punishments could be obtained by them. He who gains the Portiuncula indulgence is freed from all temporal punishments and becomes as pure as after holy baptism. This was also the reason why Pope Honorius was astonished when St. Francis petitioned for the confirmation of this indulgence, for such an indulgence, up to that time, had been entirely unknown. It was only after he had come to the conviction that Jesus Christ himself wished it, that he granted the petition of the saint and confirmed the indulgence.

Easter Sunday mass

On Easter Sunday, The Traditional Latin Mass at Mary Magdalen Chapel will be at 1 PM. All other Sunday masses remain at 10 AM. For the rest of the Easter Triduum, there are Traditional Latin Masses offered at St Vitus in San Fernando.

Requiem Mass for Vaclav Klement

Funeral services for Vaclav Klement, M.D., who attended our Camarillo Latin Mass, will be held at St Vitus Catholic Church, Tuesday February 20.

607 Fourth St, San Fernando, CA 91340

Rosary - 10 am    

Requiem Mass - 10:30 am

Fr. O'Rielly, FSSP

Holy Day Latin Masses

In addition to our Sunday 10 AM masses, the following Traditional Latin Masses are scheduled for holy days at Mary Magdalen Chapel.

Feast of the Immaculate Conception: Friday December 8 at 7 PM

Christmas Day: Monday December 25 at 10 AM. The Sunday 10 AM mass on Christmas Eve does not meet your Christmas holy day obligation. 

New Year's Day: Monday January 1 at 10 AM. 

All Saints Day

Wednesday, November 1, is the Feast of All Saints, and a holy day of obligation. There will be a Traditional Latin Mass at St Mary Magdalen Chapel in Camarillo on Wednesday November 1 at 7 PM. The Chapel will not have a Latin Mass for the feast of All Souls on November 2.

Assumption Mass

There will be a Traditional Latin Mass for the Feast of the Assumption on Tuesday August 15 at 7 PM at Mary Magdalen Chapel.    

Choir recruiting new members

The Mary Magdalen Chapel is recruiting new members! We are looking for singers of all parts who are interested in singing Gregorian chant, hymns and polyphony. All levels of musical experience are welcome, though you do need to be able to carry a tune! I (Skylar Covich) joined the choir in 2016. While most of the members today are different people than when I started, the choir  has always been a very strong and welcoming community that I am proud to be a part of, and I have learned a lot about the treasury of sacred music. Because of a visual impairment, I found a way to learn Chant by ear.

If interested, email latin.mass.smm@gmail.com or the Contact form on this blog, and we can set up a meeting with the choir director, Scott Blackwood.

Easter Sunday mass

The Traditional Latin Mass for Easter Sunday at Mary Magdalen Chapel will be at 1 PM. Masses on all other Sundays besides Easter Sunday continue to be at 10 AM. There are no other Traditional Latin Masses for the Triduum at Mary Magdalen Chapel; there will be a full set of Holy Week Traditional Latin Masses at St Vitus Parish in San Fernando. Our Palm Sunday mass at Mary Magdalen Chapel will include a procession before mass.

 

You are welcome to email latin.mass.smm@gmail.com for any questions about our community; you can also give that email address out to people who attend the mass and I will add them to the mailing list     if I get an email from them.

 

With prayers for a spiritually fruitful Lent and Holy Week,

Skylar Covich        

  

Christmastide masses

 The Traditional Latin Masses for Christmas Day and New Year's Day, which fall on Sundays, will be at 10:00 as usual