The Latin Mass Society, founded in 1965, is an association of Catholic faithful dedicated to the traditional Latin liturgy of the Catholic Church, the teachings and practices integral to it, the musical tradition which serves it, and the Latin language in which it is celebrated.
Pilgrimages
The Latin Mass Society’s local Representatives have the task of supporting Traditional Masses in their areas, and have initiated annual pilgrimages and other special events. Over the years Latin Mass Society events have taken the Traditional Mass to the great majority of the most important shrines and holy places in England and Wales. The most important of our current annual pilgrimages is our walking pilgrimage from Ely to Walsingham. We also sponsor place on the English Chapter of the the annual walking pilgrimage from Paris to Chartres in France .
Research, Education, and Training
The Latin Mass Society undertakes or supports many projects of research, publication, education, and training as part of our support of the Traditional Mass. See our research on Church statistics, the LMS publications in our shop, and on our ‘Associated Groups’ page, our support for the St Catherine’s Trust Summer School for children, the Juventutem group for young adult Catholics, our training of altar servers, and our Guild supporting traditional hand-embroidery to make and repair vestments.
International Links
The Latin Mass Society works closely involved with the international religious orders committed to the Traditional Mass. The Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest (ICKSP), based in Gricigiliano, near Florence in Italy, has a number of priests and seminarians of British origin, and carries out apostolates in the North West and the South West of England. The Priestly Fraternity of St Peter (FSSP), based in Wigratzbad in Germany (with another seminary in the USA), also has a number of British priests and seminarians, and has English apostolates based in Reading, Bedford, Chesham and Warrington. The Latin Mass Society works with the priests of these orders when they are in this country, and also sponsors all the English and Welsh students at the seminaries of these orders.
The Latin Mass Society was a founding member of Una Voce International (FIUV: Foederatio Internationalis Una Voce). This has around 40 members, from all over Europe and North America, and increasingly from South America, Asia and Africa. The Federation holds meetings in Rome every two years, to which the LMS sends delegates.
The LMS is one of the oldest and is the most financially well-established member of FIUV, and plays an important part in its activities. Four FIUV Presidents have been LMS members, Michael Davies (d. 2004), Leo Darroch, Jamie Bogle, and at the time of writing the LMS Chairman, Joseph Shaw.
FIUV has the immensely important role of interceding on behalf of Catholics ‘attached to the former liturgical traditions’ from all over the world. While the Latin Mass Society makes its own representations to Vatican departments on matters pertaining to England and Wales, FIUV is able to present a global picture thanks to its international network of members.
How you can get involved
The Latin Mass Society is the foremost organisation involved with the Traditional Mass in England and Wales. It can only carry out its work, however, thanks to the support of its members.
Joining the Latin Mass Society: this is itself an important way of helping our work, by contributing financially and adding yourself to our network. You must be 18 years of age or older to become a member. You will be kept informed of local events by your local Representative and of national events by the Society’s magazine, Mass of Ages. You will get advance warning of local, regional and national events of all kinds.
Attending our events: our Masses and other events are put on for the benefit of the public, and it is important that these opportunities are not wasted. It is also important to show local parishes, clergy and bishops that interest in the Traditional Mass is real and substantial, and that good numbers of people will take the trouble to attend it.
Become informed: regardless of the frequency with which you attend the Traditional Mass or other events, reading good books on the Mass and its history, and on the teaching and history of the Church more generally, is of enormous value both for one’s personal appreciation of the liturgy, and to enable one to answer questions posed by others. The Society’s magazine Mass of Ages with its news coverage, articles on subjects related to the liturgy, and book reviews, is an excellent starting point.
Gaining some familiarity with Latin is also helpful. Even a basic knowledge of the language helps one see how the liturgical texts have been translated in one's missal, and gives one an insight into the profound poetry of the Mass.
In an era in which Catholic education and catechesis have declined, people are often kept away from the Church and the Traditional Mass by misunderstandings and ignorance. If someone asks you to explain something about the Church or the Mass, you need to be able to give an accurate and helpful answer.
Singing and serving: these are very practical and necessary ways of supporting the Traditional Mass, and as mentioned elsewhere on our website, the LMS has established special groups to ensure that they are carried out to the highest possible standards.
Other roles: LMS Representatives as well as priests always need volunteers to help run events and organise mailings, mend vestments, and make contacts with new parishes and interested individuals. We are always looking for people to help locally or nationally with the innumerable tasks associated with promoting the Traditional Mass.
What the Latin Mass Society can do depends on its resources. Its most important resource is the commitment and energy of its members. So get involved!