Sunday Mass in Paris

My husband and I attended Mass last Sunday in Paris at St. Eugene-Ste. Cecile, a double-named parish with daily Mass in the Extraordinary Form of the Latin Rite and a splendid choir in keeping with the second saint. The Saint Eugene in the church's name is an early Church martyr: and his feast day, which the church will certainly celebrate, is on November 15th. St. Eugene was a Bishop, martyr and a companion of St. Dionysius [note: St. Dionysius was converted by Saint Paul (Acts 17:34) and early writers say he became the first bishop of Athens and was martyred (c. 95).] St. Eugene was supposedly martyred near Paris, France. He was originally listed as a bishop of Toledo, Spain. His relics were reportedly translated to Toledo. Ste Cecile, or Saint Cecilia, of course, is one of the virgin martyrs of the early Church and patroness of music. The choir of the the church is named for her! Note that they will commemorate her feast with Gounod's St. Cecilia Mass!

We were there for the last Sunday in October, which is the Feast of Christ the King on the calendar of the Extraordinary Form. The homily is available on-line:

Vous connaissez peut-être la virulence avec laquelle le Pape Pie XI a institué la fête du Christ Roi en 1925 : « La peste de notre époque – écrivait-il - c'est le laïcisme, ainsi qu'on l'appelle, avec ses erreurs et ses entreprises criminelles. Ce fléau n'est pas apparu brusquement. Depuis longtemps, il couvait au sein des Etats. On commença par nier la souveraineté du Christ sur toutes les nations… peu à peu on assimila la religion du Christ aux fausses religions... On la soumit… à l'autorité civile… on la livra au bon plaisir des princes et des gouvernants… Il se trouva même des Etats qui… firent consister leur religion dans… l'oubli conscient et volontaire de Dieu. Fruits de cette apostasie, un égoïsme démesuré qui, ne poursuivant que les satisfactions et les avantages personnels, apprécie toute chose à la mesure de son propre intérêt. Fruits encore de cette apostasie, la paix domestique bouleversée par l'oubli des devoirs et l'insouciance de la conscience ; l'union et la stabilité des familles chancelantes ; toute la société, enfin, ébranlée et menacée de ruine. Une fête célébrée chaque année chez tous les peuples en l'honneur du Christ-Roi sera souverainement efficace pour incriminer et réparer en quelque manière cette apostasie publique, si désastreuse pour la société, qu'a engendrée le laïcisme. »

Read the rest here. The Abbe was referring to Pope Pius XI's Quas Primas, the encyclical establishing the feast of Christ the King, and citing this section:

We shall minister to the need of the present day, and at the same time provide an excellent remedy for the plague which now infects society. We refer to the plague of anti-clericalism, its errors and impious activities. This evil spirit, as you are well aware, Venerable Brethren, has not come into being in one day; it has long lurked beneath the surface. The empire of Christ over all nations was rejected. The right which the Church has from Christ himself, to teach mankind, to make laws, to govern peoples in all that pertains to their eternal salvation, that right was denied. Then gradually the religion of Christ came to be likened to false religions and to be placed ignominiously on the same level with them. It was then put under the power of the state and tolerated more or less at the whim of princes and rulers. Some men went even further, and wished to set up in the place of God's religion a natural religion consisting in some instinctive affection of the heart. There were even some nations who thought they could dispense with God, and that their religion should consist in impiety and the neglect of God. The rebellion of individuals and states against the authority of Christ has produced deplorable consequences.

The musical program was incredible! Some highlights:

~~Kyriale & Credo : de la Messe royale du 1er ton d’Henry du Mont, sous-maître de la chapelle du roi Louis XIV
~~After the Consecration : O salutaris hostia – François Giroust (1738 † 1799), maître de chapelle du roi Louis XVI (he was was the last person in that post!)
~~During Communion: Pendant la communion: Dixit Dominus (H. 197) de Marc-Antoine Charpentier (1643 † 1704), maître de chapelle de Mademoiselle de Guise (Marie de Lorraine), du Dauphin (Louis, Le Grand Dauphin, Louis XIV's son, who predeceased him), des Jésuites (at St. Paul-St. Louis in the Marais) et de la Sainte Chapelle (for which he wrote the Assumpta Est Maria Mass) 

Mass lasted almost two hours, but I was not aware of the time at all!

After Mass, we searched the 9th Arrondisement for a place to eat lunch and found Le Corail, 79, rue Lafayette! Bon dimanche!