By STEVE EIGHINGER
Herald-Whig Staff Writer
The Rev. Arnaud Devillers believes there are probably still some Catholics in Quincy who are unfamiliar with what is going on at St. Rose of Lima Church since it reopened last November.
St. Rose, which was closed for two years as a part of local Catholic downsizing, is where the traditional Latin Mass has been celebrated since its reopening. Sunday will mark the one-year anniversary of the return of the Tridentine Mass to the city.
"This is not something outside of the church," Devillers said. "Everyone is welcome. No special permission is needed. We work closely with all of the other (local Catholic) pastors."
Devillers said a congregation of about 200 gathers at either 8 a.m. or 11 a.m. on Sundays and about 40 at 12:10 p.m. each weekday at 12:10 p.m. for the Latin Mass. He estimates about 80 percent are from Quincy-area parishes and the rest mostly from Northeast Missouri, with a handful of regulars from Jacksonville and sometimes St. Louis.
Right now, St. Rose is not considered a "parish," but rather a "chaplaincy," Devillers said.
"Most of those who come here also attend Mass in their own parish," Devillers said. "It's kind of a dual membership."
The return of the Latin Mass followed an 18-month process by a local group to re-establish the traditional Mass as an option for parishioners.
"It's like I remember when I was growing up," said Paul Wellman, 74, of Quincy. "It has brought back a lot of memories. It has been wonderful, and I have been surprised at how many young people have come."
Devillers came to Quincy from Rome to specifically serve the St. Rose chaplaincy. He also assists at Blessed Sacrament Parish in Springfield. Devillers, a native of France, has also served in Germany (twice) and Switzerland, plus U.S. stops in New York City, Dallas and Scranton, Pa.
Devillers comes from the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter in Elmhurst, Pa., established in 1988 by Pope John Paul II to form its members in service to the church through the preservation and administration of ancient Latin liturgical traditions.
Devillers has enjoyed his first year in Quincy, feeling it is a "perfect place" for him.
"I don't like big cities, but I'm not I'm not a country boy, either," Devillers said. "Quincy is just the right size."
Then-Bishop George J. Lucas of the Diocese of Springfield decreed the establishment of the Latin Mass community in Quincy in July 2008 on an experimental basis.
The Latin Mass is a formal worship service that is making a comeback after more than 40 years after a September 2007 decree by Pope Benedict XVI that relaxed restrictions on celebrating Latin Mass. The pope cited "a new and renewed" interest in the ancient Latin liturgy.
The Mass is spoken or sung entirely in Latin by priests who face the altar instead of the congregation -- a departure for most of today's Catholics. There are no guitars, handshaking or breaks in the Mass.
"Only the reading and preaching are not in Latin," Devillers said.
Portions of the Latin Mass date to the sixth century, but it was standardized at the Council of Trent in 1570, which is where the name Tridentine emerged. It was largely supplanted by the reforms of the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s, which modernized the Mass liturgy and translated it into modern languages.
"The Latin Mass provides a different type of worship," Devillers said. "It allows parishioners to experience the Latin heritage of the church. It is not meant to replace anything."
The modern Mass, or Novus Ordo, can be said in Latin, but it is a radically different service from the Tridentine Mass. Until September 2007, priests who wanted to celebrate it needed special permission from their bishop.
-- seighinger@whig.com/221-3377
