For the liturgy, "through which the work of our redemption is accomplished," most of all in the divine sacrifice of the Eucharist, is the outstanding means whereby the faithful may express in their lives, and manifest to others, the mystery of Christ and the real nature of the true Church (Sacrosanctum Concilium, 2).

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This line from the beginning of the second Vatican Council’s document on the sacred liturgy expresses the importance of celebrating the liturgy, particularly the Mass, with great care and devotion.  At St. Catherine’s we have very beautiful and reverent liturgies, and we incorporate the Church’s great tradition including the use of Latin as well as the organ as the primary instrument used in the liturgy.  With regard to the use of Latin, although the second Vatican Council encourages the use of the vernacular language for certain parts, it states that “…the use of the Latin language is to be preserved in the Latin rites,” (SC, 36) and that “…steps should be taken so that the faithful may also be able to say or to sing together in Latin those parts of the Ordinary of the Mass which pertain to them” (SC, 54).  

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The Church has repeatedly encouraged the Latin language in the liturgy as a way of expressing the universality of the Church, the transcendent and mysterious nature of the Eucharist, as well as the antiquity and continuity of the Church’s tradition.  Consequently, at St. Catherine’s we have incorporated a number of Latin chant parts of the Mass and hymns in our liturgies.  To download a copy of the Latin Mass parts along with the English translations, click here.  Additionally, for information on the various Latin Marian antiphons that we sing throughout the year after Holy Communion, click here.