I try not to get my hopes up. The reform of the reform is going to be the work of a generation or more. This has been quite a summer on a global scale with the release of Summorum Pontificum and all the newly minted Traditional Latin Masses popping up. Exciting, but one has to be realistic about the effects. I have no doubt that the extraordinary form will eventually exert the ‘gravitational pull’ for which many of us hope. As I said, eventually.

I try to take the long view on these things. However, something happened yesterday that has me almost as excited as when the motu proprio was released. While at mass yesterday, the pastor got up to give the homily. After speaking for a few minutes on the readings and gospel, he began to speak about reverence in the church. During the summer, he published a series of articles in the bulletin that spoke of what our attitude in church should be along with some practical steps, like be quiet and turn off your phone. Our pastor spoke about this too. He then said, in order to foster the proper tone of reverence in the church proper, he would be relocating some events that currently occur in the church into the parish hall or the school auditorium. Great, I thought!

Then the pastor really threw me. He advised us all that at the request of Bishop Murphy (Diocese of Rockville Centre) that the church would be moving the tabernacle back to the center of the church. WOW!

While the blessed sacrament was by no means relegated to a broom closet, as is so common these days, as It is housed in a beautiful little side chapel I was still very excited to hear of this development. I assume that this request applies not just to my parish but I will have to verify this.

Over the past 15-20 years or so as I watched the tabernacle being placed in purposeful obscurity, I assumed that it would be the work of a generation to undo what had been done. I have never been so glad to find out that I was wrong.

Thank you so very much, Bishop Murphy!