Sunday, November 16, 2008

Assumption Grotto Catholic Church in Detroit

In our search for a new parish, Pam and I have been enjoying the variety of masses around the Detroit Archdiocese. We've attended Our Lady of Good Counsel (where I go often to daily mass), Old St. Patricks (in Ann Arbor and actually in the Lansing diocese, where i teach logic to homeschoolers), St. Regis, Our Lady of Sorrows, and today we attended the Tridentine Mass as Assumption Grotto in Detroit on Gratiot at Six Mile Rd. (pictured). This was our first Tridentine Latin experience since becoming Catholic 10 years ago. We could follow very little of what was going on. Even with the bilingual missal in our hands it was next to impossible to know where they were because the choir is singing in Latin (and the text is NOT always in the missal), and when the priest prays he's doing it silently, and when he says something out loud it was without a microphone, and it sounds like a distant mumble. Training is necessary to get this. Surtitles would help. (Hint!)

But, I will tell you this. Pam and I were blown away by several things. (A) The astute reverence of the people (unlike every other parish we've attended). There was never any visiting, talking, or running around. When we first got there (about 20 minutes early) about 100 were already in the pews kneeling and praying, mostly in the dark, as the only lights were on the altar which is beautiful and white. (see pictures) And there were perhaps 20 people lined up along the sides to get into confession before mass at two confessionals. (B) The LARGE procession of altar servers, and one priest, my friend and former technical writing employee from years ago, and now associate pastor at A.G., Fr. John Bustamante. (C) The elaborate choreography of the priest and altar servers (no boredom here for me, but again I could not follow much of any of it), and finally (D) the amazing choir and organ. Music is the first thing at this parish next to worship, adoration, et al. The choir sang most of the mass in Latin, and the voices and chanting were thrilling. (E) And I guess I should say Pam and I had no trouble being at worship for 90 minutes...yes, as soon as mass was over the congregation knelt and said a full 5 decade Rosary, and at a later mass they tacked on benedictions for good measure.

Well, we saw a number of friends who invited us to the pancake breakfast in the gym afterwards which this particular Sunday goes on from about 8:30 AM to 2 PM (after all three of the masses and rosaries, and benedictions (no breaks). The food was great, and while there another friend dropped by our table and dropped off a CD titled "Palla Eius" -- which we didn't figure out until later was the sound track to the musical created last year by Fr. Perrone, Joe Maher, and nearly the entire congregation. I knew Fr. Perrone as a classical composer, arranger, and orchestra conductor, etc, but I had not idea that his blood line was immersed in Broadway and the big band. I guess his father, Phil Perrone, was well known, and saddened that his son was going to be a priest. Well, Fr. Perrone (the priest) is using the DNA his father (Phil) passed on.

The music on the CD was fabulous, although some of the voices were thin. Nonetheless for a Catholic parish to create such a production, with such high quality, is incredible. I've produced and directed a few musicals and stage plays with amateurs, and it is difficult, although rewarding. Luckily, Fr. Perrone is smart enough to hire Detroit Symphony principals for the section heads in the orchestra, which they also hire for the major orchestral masses throughout the year.

Later, one of my friends, sends an email with a press release for their next production, that is to be staged next month. See the post just after this one for THE HERITANCE. Pam and I will be sure to attend. Click on the poster or the title for the press release.

Grotto (as the locals know it, for the Lourdes replica grotto on the property in the midst of a cemetery -- outdoor mass is sometimes celebrated at the grotto's altar) is also graced by an automotive engineer as a blogger for the parish, although it is her personal blog. Here name is Diane M. Korzeniewski, and she blogs daily, and is a wonderful photographer. I subscribe to her blogs mostly for the photography, a little bit of it posted here, along with links to some of her more recent memorable blogs. Her blog's header has a photograph of Fr. Perrone and a crowd during a nighttime candlelight mass. See http://te-deum.blogspot.com

Grotto in the Flog

Tridentine Wedding


Grotto Mass


Aborted Babies Mass and Burial with Fr. Frank Pavone


Holy Week 2008 Photo "feasts".


All of this is in the heart of Detroit, which on the way to and from the church today, we passed hundreds of burned out houses, crack dens, prostitutes walking the street (on Sunday morning), and just the pathetic mess that the general populace of Detroit have allowed. Some years ago, Pam and I would occasionally go to New Years Vigil Mass at Grotto with my Catholic sponsor. But the last mass like that we attended at Grotto I was shell shocked afterwards. Near midnight incessant automatic gun fire erupted form the neighborhood. And the bullets seemed to be pelting the rooftop of the church. I was amazed that we weren't stormed by crazies with submachine guns. I was also sure the parking lot (which is secure, lighted, fenced in, and guarded... seemingly always) would be littered with slugs and casings. But afterward, although I looked carefully, I saw nor stepped on none. They must have a very good ground crew that works midnights.

This is one amazing parish.

6 comments:

  1. Stan,

    Just interested in why you are searching for a new home parish? I would think that OLGC with Father Ricarrdo would be great.

    Tom McGregor

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  2. Hi Tom,
    OLGC was not where we were attending, but we may end up there. Yes, it's a great parish with Fr. John.

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  3. I'm a bit late finding your post, but thanks for the kind words and the plug.

    With regards to the hand missal and silence, I can tell you that in time, it becomes very easy to know where the priest is at just by the action on the altar. Even something as subtle as an elbow moving is enough signal for me to know where he is at, especially for example, when it moves several times in sequence (there are places throughout the Eucharistic Prayer in which he makes the Sign of the Cross). It also helps when he bows, but some of these things require the right kind of hand missal that reveals the bows and crosses.

    The post-Mass Rosary began with the Marian month of October. All of the priests and servers would kneel following Mass to pray it. When it began I was surprised to see that all but a few people chose to remain.

    We held an all night election Adoration vigil and no less than 25people were in the Church at the dry hour of 3:00am, with higher numbers before and after that.

    When the election was won by the most pro-abort candidate ever, the priests decided to continue the post-Mass Rosary through the month of November. Many of us would like to see it continue indefinitely based on the fact that it pretty much is participated in by most who come for Mass.

    Silence is definitely profound. I have long wanted to video tape the final 20 minutes before Mass and upload it to YouTube. I may do it yet, but it gets noisy in the loft when the choir is heading up there on those wooden steps. So, I would need to find a quiet place downstairs.

    We don't socialize in Church. We do it after Mass, in the old school. When there is no pancake breakfast, we have BBQ following the 9:30 and Noon Masses most weeks out of the year.

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  4. Diane: Thanks for your comments. I like the idea of the 20 minutes of silence on YouTube. Talk to me. Let's meet after noon mass some Sunday. I want you to meet my wife. Give me a date, it's a drive over there, although not as far as Ray Long, Jr. drives.

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  5. Sorry I haven't gotten back here sooner. My time has been occupied with photgraphing The Heritance.

    I'll let you know when I plan it. I just have to figure out where to put my video camera. I'm also having disk space problems at the moment and not wanting to spend money in light of the fact that I work for a "Big Three" automotive company.

    I am there most Sundays at the 9:30, though now and then I must take in a 6:30 or a Noon. If you just want to meet, give me a head's up at TeDeumBlog@gmail.com a few days in advance and I'll let you know if I can hang around. Most Sundays I do, but it's good to check first.

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  6. on those occasions when i can't go to Mass at Grotto, I feel like I've missed Mass. Besides that, you realize how lame most Novo Ordo masses are "celebrated!

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