The Extraordinary Form, or Traditional Latin Mass, is one of two forms of the Mass in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church. For centuries prior to 1970, this was the way the Mass was celebrated all around the world, the same Mass that nourished the souls of saints and sinners for centuries. Most Catholics are now accustomed to the Novus Ordo form of the Mass which was additionally introduced by Pope Paul VI in 1969! The major difference of the Extraordinary Form compared to the Novus Ordo is the Mass is said, chanted, or sung almost entirely in latin - the universal language of the church! The wedding vows, homily, and readings will be in English. Additionally, the priest faces 'ad orieuntum' or towards the east, towards the altar and tabernacle with the people. The Mass is also accompanied by a choir that chants many of the Mass parts!

We are excited to share in this form of the Mass with all of the guests at our wedding! We know it will be many people's first time experiencing this form of the liturgy and invite you take in all the rich rituals, sites, sounds, and prayers and let them move you to prayer! Don't worry too much about following along as it can be confusing your first time.

Please see below for customs to expect and other resources to learn more!

As Catholics, we believe that the Eucharist is the true presence of Our Lord Jesus Christ as He promised in John Chapter 6. We hold the Mass and the Churches where the True Presence abides as sacred. Because of this, we approach the Mass and Churches with great reverence. Below are customs upheld at St. Stanislaus to promote this reverence:

1. Who can Receive Communion: Everyone is welcome to attend, participate, and pray in the Mass. Yet, the reception of Holy Communion is reserved for baptized practicing Catholics who are in full communion with the Catholic Church and in a state of grace. Please see more information: here and here.

2. How to Receive Communion: At St. Stanislaus, Holy Communion is to be received kneeling (unless you are physically unable) and on the tongue at the communion rail. If you cannot kneel, you may stand at the communion rail. The mouth should be open with the tongue slightly extended. You do not need to look at the priest and you do not say Amen.

3. Silence: Holding the Church as a place that is holy and sacred, silence is to be maintained within the Church. We know you may be seeing friends and family for the first time in a while, but please reframe from talking while in the Church and hold conversations for outside or at the reception.

4. Applause: Please no applauding during or after the ceremony or within the church. We are just as excited as you, but there will be plenty of time to show your excitement through clapping and cheering at the reception! We ask rather to send your excitement up as a prayer during the ceremony! This is to maintain an environment of reverence. The Mass is not a show to be applauded but rather a holy sacrament and sacrifice to be pondered.

5. Attire: We ask you to be mindful of your attire and consider modesty when choosing a semi-formal outfit for wedding mass! Modest dress is requested at St. Stanislaus as it is by many religious institutions throughout the world as it a customary and a cultural norm to show respect for the building that is held sacred.

6. Veiling: Within the Catholic Church, there is a tradition of veiling what is sacred. This is why chalices, tabernacles, and altars are often veiled. For hundreds of years and similar reasons, it was also custom that women would veil their heads when entering Catholic Churches. This is where the tradition of bridal veils can be traced back to! Within the Latin Mass, it is common for women to still practice this custom and you may notice multiple women veiling at the Mass! We are not asking women to veil but more wanted to offer an explanation for this tradition you will encounter at our ceremony! More information: here and here.

Whether you are a practicing Catholic who is not familiar with the Latin Mass, a non-catholic, or someone that just wants to learn more, we put some resources together! Below are a few resources with our favorite being the video narrated by Venerable Fulton Sheen and the Mass of the Ages Trilogy! Both of them are quite long, but if you can make the time we highly recommend! Also, always feel free to reach out to us, Xander and Lillie, as we love sharing with others our love for the liturgy!

- The Mass of the Ages documentary trilogy

- Article: Latin Mass: History & FAQs

- Video: "The Call of Beauty" with a short article (4 minutes)

- Video: An explanation of the Latin mass at different difficulty levels (30 minutes)

- Video: The ceremonies of the Solemn High Mass in full detail narrated by Venerable Fulton Sheen. (54 minutes)