FEAST OF SAINT THOMAS AQUINAS

Sunday, January 28, 12:00 noon, at St. Thomas Aquinas Church, Waverley at Homer, Palo Alto: Gregorian Mass – Solemnity of our parish patron saint.

CANDLEMAS
Friday, February 2, 8:00 p.m, at St. Thomas Aquinas Church – Candlelight procession and Solemn High Latin Mass in the Extraordinary Form.

On Candlemas (Feb. 2), a Solemn High Mass (with deacon and sub-deacon) in the Extraordinary Form will be celebrated by Fr. William Morgan, with a sermon by Fr. Francisco Nahoe, O.F.M. Conv. The St. Ann Choir will sing the Mass for Three Voices by William Byrd, Gregorian chants for the feast day, and a motet by Victoria.
Candlemas, forty days after Christmas, commemorates the presentation of the child Jesus in the temple and the ritual purification of his mother. There the old man Simeon, recognizing the savior, uttered the canticle Nunc dimittis, “Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace,” calling the child “a light for the revelation of the gentiles.” And so a ceremony of lights is conducted, the blessing of candles and a procession with candlelight, together with the singing of Simeon’s canticle.

The Extraordinary Form is the form of the Mass celebrated until 1970, sometimes known as the Tridentine Mass. Permission for extensive use of this form of the Mass was given by Pope Benedict in his Motu Proprio Summorum pontificum (2007). Although the noon Mass at St. Thomas Aquinas is sung in Latin every Sunday in the Ordinary Form, this will be only the second time for the Extraordinary Form at St. Thomas since 1970.

ASH WEDNESDAY

February 15, 8:00 p.m. at St. Thomas Aquinas Church – Latin Ordinary Form Mass with imposition of ashes, sung in Gregorian chant with motets.