www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Parish Life & Evangelization Recent experience in some Buffalo parishes/shrines

I was in the Buffalo area last weekend and as my wife was doing some serious shopping, decided to visit some shrines and parishes.

Our Lady of Victory Basilica is really spectacular and there is an actual Eastern icon of Ven. Father Nelson Baker in the sacristy. Then there was the Carmelite monastery on 75 Carmel Road where the nuns greeted me with "Praise be to Jesus Christ!" (Normally, only EC's and Orthodox greet me that way, so I was pleasantly surprised).

The little Chapel of Our Lady, Help of Christians in Cheektowaga was celebrating a Latin Tridentine Mass where the priest actually chided people for praying too quickly! He said, "One hears Catholics praying the Hail Mary like they were in a competitive race -"Hail Mary, blah-blah-blah, Blessed ... etc." He then said, "If we spoke like that to our own mothers, she would surely give us a smack!" Silence enveloped the pews . . .

Then there was the chapel of the Shrine of the Infant Jesus run by the Pallottine Fathers wth its beautiful icon of Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn in the corner. St Vincent Pallotti loved the Eastern Churches and encouraged everyone he met to attend Divine Liturgies in the EC parishes in Rome. He also emphasized a grand celebration of Epiphany to show "liturgical solidarity" with those EC's on the Old Calendar . . .

How would one explain this (refreshing and beautiful) Catholic traditionalism, including a love for the Tridentine liturgy, Latin and practices such as the "Laudetur Iesus Christus?"

Alex

Where you dreaming? Just kidding.

This is the dominant influence of pious Polish immigrants and the still obvious faith of their descendants. My Mother was of this heritage; the only thing surprising is that the influence has not been diluted by Hollywood culture.
New York is similar to Pennsylvania; the east is generally very "modern" but the west is still of good moral fiber.

Christ is born!