On the occasion of the feast of the Dedication of St. Michael the Archangel, Solemn Vespers in the traditional form were celebrated at the church of St. Margaret of Cortona in Riverdale, the Bronx, New York City. Cardinal Ernest Simoni assisted.

On 24 December 1963, (Ernest Simoni) was imprisoned by the Communist authorities after offering a Mass for the repose of assassinated US President John F. Kennedy. Simoni was tortured and even offered marriage to leave his faith.^[3] He was sentenced to death by firing squad, but ultimately spent 28 years at penal labour after his sentence was converted into a prison term: 18 years working in various mines, followed by a decade in Shkodër‘s sewage canals. ( “Ernest Simoni,” wikipedia.org (accessed 9/29/2026))

St. Margaret of Cortona church, circa 1965, is a time capsule of late “Cardinal Spellman-style.” (note the presence of a modernistic altar rail). Fr. Sean Connolly, the pastor of St. Margaret’s, assures us the parish is now engaged on a thorough restoration of this church.

(Above) Fr. Sean Connolly, pastor of St Margaret of Cortona, served as assistant priest.

(Above) Charles Weaver led the schola.

(Above and below) Fr. Joseph Falciano, FSSP, was the celebrant. Kai Breskin was the Master of Ceremonies.

Afterwards, Cardinal Simoni met a large and enthusiastic gathering of the faithful in the parish hall. Many were his fellow countrymen.

Congratulations are due to the parish of St. Margaret of Cortona and Fr. Sean Connolly for making possible such a splendid liturgy!

PS: From the printed program: “The Church of St. Margaret of Cortona is also exceptionally grateful to the Society of St. Hugh of Cluny for sponsoring this event and assisting with the planning and preparation required.”

Yesterday was the final day of the 31st annual Pilgrimage for the Restoration at the Shrine of the North American Martyrs in Auriesville, New York. It was a very wet weekend, yet the pilgrims persevered. Perhaps this was emblematic for the history of this pilgrimage as well. Who could have foreseen 31 years ago the many twists and turns this pilgrimage has had to live through? 

When I first encountered it, the pilgrimage was an exuberant, spontaneous gathering of enthusiasts for restoring the traditional mass and the culture of “Christendom” – however that could be achieved. Later, it became a more organized, multi-day event. At several points in the course of its existence, it seemed that the Pilgrimage for the Restoration might be on its last legs. By 2013 it had declined in numbers to some 250 participants. The relationship with ecclesiastical authorities  (up to 2015, the Jesuit order) had its ups and downs; by 2013 the concluding Mass of the pilgrimage had been excluded from the great shrine of the North American martyrs. In 2020 and 2021 COVID restrictions meant the pilgrimage could not take place in New York State at all and a replacement pilgrimage had to be organized in Pennsylvania. There were changes in the administration and ownership of the shrine itself, which at one point looked like it might close. Yet through it all, the pilgrimage survived and even seems to have regained momentum the last few years. Does it not resemble in this regard its role model, the Chartres Pilgrimage of Our Lady of Christendom?

I am pleased to report that the Pilgrimage for the Restoration appears to be in excellent health. The pilgrims themselves, of course. had braved the elements to testify to their beliefs by their presence. It was overwhelmingly a younger crowd. I would guess that there may have been 1000 or more pilgrims  – a number I have not seen since before 2003. Logistics seemed very well organized. The Mass itself was beautiful; in particular the schola of the pilgrimage has achieved a high level of proficiency. Its singing established a consistently reverent and serene ambiance throughout the Mass.  And a bishop was sitting in choir….

(Above) Preaching fom the “stockade” surrounding the high altar – and above the altar at which this Mass was celebrated.

(Above) The schola.

From the Parish Bulletin ( 9/20/2026) :

So that is the end of the matter for now – as usual, with no explanation. I anticipated that actions of this kind were likely in the wake of Pope Leo’s refusal to permit a Traditional Mass in St Peter’s in connection with the Summorum Pontificum pilgrimage. The Archdiocese of Toronto led the way (and it is now reported that the restrictions imposed on the Traditional Mass there directly involved the Vatican).

From a reader:

Fr. John Perricone, who has been serving this Mass the last few months, this Sunday will be serving the 11 AM Mass in West Orange at St. Anthony of Padua Church (Institute of Christ the King).

At St. Michael Church, 211 Harbor Road, Staten Island

An important update to our post of August 27: The Fate of the Churches around Penn Station (and the Port Authority Bus Terminal) III. St. John the Baptist church has now been closed.

St. John the Baptist will remain temporarily closed “until further notice” as your safety is considered by the Diocese. Further Details to come.

Bulletin of Holy Cross/St. John the Baptist, christinthecity.nyc (9/20/2026)

See also:

IMPORTANT! St. John the Baptist church will be temorarily closed this week for a comprehensive architectural inspection.

Bulletin of Holy Cross/St. John the Baptist, christinthecity.nyc(9/6/2026)

The church has remained closed since then.

My thanks to a perceptive reader!

New York Catholic church bulletins are an unending source of enlightenment. Our Saviour’s church, in the same issue of their bulletin that announced significant changes to the parish music program, had this to say:

One of the most striking religious buildings in our neighborhood is St. Vartan’s Cathedral of the ArmenianApostolic Orthodox Church on second Avenue. Its beautiful dome and inviting plaza are a wonderful presence and blessing.

As with all religious buildings (including our own at Our Saviour and Sacred Hearts) they need constant upkeep andsometime major repairs. This is now the case with St. Vartan’s. You can see what they need to do on their website. Asa result, their congregation will not be able to worship at St. Vartan’s Cathedral for the next 15-18 months.

Several months ago, I had the pleasure of meeting with His Grace Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan, Primate of The EasternDiocese of the Armenian Church in America and Fr. Davit Karamyan, Cathedral Vicar of St. Vartan’s Cathedral todiscuss how our parish of Our Saviour might be able to accommodate their needs for worship space.

While there are certain differences in polity and doctrine, there is alignment in mission: “The mission of theArmenian Apostolic Orthodox Church is to preach the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and to proclaim its message of salvation”

I am pleased that we will be offering the Church of Our Saviour on Sunday afternoons for their Badarak (Divine Liturgy / Holy Mass) during the time of their renovation. (Fortunately, or maybe providentially, our own Sunday Mass schedule at the Church – 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. – permits ample time in between for their worship.

Hopefully, this time will provide opportunities for our congregations to better know each other. Please join me in welcoming one of our neighboring Christian communities to our Church beginning this week.

Msgr. Kevin Sullivan

Pastoral Administrator

(my bolding – SC)

Now certainly the Armenian liturgy is beautiful. And it is certainly more Christian than anything you will see or hear at St. Francis Xavier or St. Paul the Apostle (to mention just two parishes in Manhattan). However:

Msgr. Kevin Sullivan, parish administrator, seems to have a very broad, “liberal” understanding of “differences in polity and doctrine.” By Msgr. Sullivan’s definition, there is “alignment” with everyone calling himself Christian in some sense. I don’t know what Cardinal Newman, whose New York shrine is in Our Saviour’s, would think of the parish administrator’s formulation. (I believe Our Saviour’s has been without a formal pastor or parish priest for years.)

Second, I don’t know the rules, if any, governing the long-term hosting of other denominations in a Catholic church today. Certainly, the late Pope Francis was very liberal in that regard in Rome at least for one-time events. And Our Saviour’s parish in its current condition seems to have a lot of spare time available to host the Armenians for 15-18 months.

Third, I would contrast the bolded language in the bulletin above with the treatment by the Church of the FSSPX and of Catholic traditionalists in general. As for the FSSPX, Pope Leo seems to make the alleged “schism” (“differences in polity”) of fundamental importance, even the only issue. FSSPX pilgrimages have been barred from Lourdes, among other places. As for other traditionalists, a traditional Mass that used to be celebrated at Our Saviour’s was summarily cancelled in 2013. They remain otherwise subject to severe restrictions throughout the world – Traditionis Custodes seeks to bar them from parish churches (like Our Saviour’s).

Fourth, I would recall to our readers the expulsion by the archdiocese of the Catholic Armenians from their cathedral of St. Ann (in order to demolish it in 2005 and sell the property to NYU.) (A regular Traditional Mass was de facto terminated too).

PS: Perhaps I am unduly or excessively suspicious – but I wonder if there could be another motivation involved here: that the Armenians are paying rent?

(Above) Our Saviour’s church after several years of simplifications to the art and furnishings. (photo 9/30/2019)

Earlier this year, the success of the Dominicans at St. Vincent Ferrer and St. Joseph’s in the Village – and, apparently, that of the Legion at St. Patrick’s old cathedral – in attracting Catholic “young adults” seems to have aroused the jealousy of the archdiocesan secular clergy. For in those media reports it was mentioned that nearby “archdiocesan” “mainstream” churches stood empty. That is certainly my perception too. Now the parish of Our Saviour’s – excuse me, Our Saviour & Sacred Hearts – seeks to address the situation by new musical offerings:

This initiative is part of the parish revitalization campaign, Building Parish Life: Enhancing Faith, Generosity, and Service, and seeks to offer a distinctive and welcoming prayerful experience, particularly for young adults in their 20s and 30s who have made Our Saviour their faith community.

Of course, Our Saviour’s had been a vital parish until the archdiocese deliberately destroyed it from 2013 onward.

What is the new initiative?

The Choir of Our Saviour & Sacred Hearts returns for the 2026–27 season, singing at the Sunday 5:00 p.m. Mass. Beginning Sunday, September 27, the 5:00 p.m. Mass will also introduce music drawing on the traditions of the Taizé Community in France, with simple, repeated songs and moments of contemplation intended to create an even more prayerful and contemplative experience.

…

The music of Taizé will complement rather than replace the beautiful musical traditions already part of the 5:00 p.m.Mass. Based in Burgundy, France, the Taizé Community is an ecumenical community known for prayer, song, and biblical reflection. Its simple meditative style of prayer has inspired communities around the world. At Our Saviour, we are drawing from this tradition while shaping a Sunday liturgy that belongs to our own parish and responds to the spiritual needs of our community.

Source: The bulletin of the parish of Our Saviour (9/20/2026)

The parish’s music director, Buck McDaniel, was more explicit in the previous parish bulletin of 9/13/2026. Or was it merely a slip of the tongue?:

I am delighted that our liturgical music program will be making an important contribution to the parish revitalizationcampaign: Building Parish Life: Enhancing Faith, Generosity, and Service.

At the Sunday 5:00 p.m. Mass, already well attended particularly by young adults, we will be introducing music that draws on the traditions of the Taizé Community in France to create an even more prayerful and contemplative experience. We are abandoning the beautiful music traditions currently used at this liturgy, but adding some new elements.

Through simple, repeated songs and moments of contemplation, we hope to create a distinctive welcoming prayerfulexperience, particularly for young adults in their 20s and 30s, who have come to New York to live and work, and are making the Church of Our Saviour their faith community. (NB: Those of all ages are most welcome!) (My bolding – SC)

Now Taizé and its music seem to be functioning today for the Church establishment as a hoped-for attraction to the younger generation. Which will succeed – the traditional music of the Church, that once was championed at Our Saviour’s and today is being at least partially rediscovered at St. Vincent Ferrer and elewhere? Or the “simple, repeated songs” (how Conciliar and how dull!) of Taizé? I have my opinion on the matter…..

On the developments at Our Saviour’s after 2013 see “Two Churches, Two Traditional Masses and ‘Making all Things New,’ “ The Society of St. Hugh of Cluny (6/18/2016). For a summary of recent developments in the religious order churches see “Young Catholics: Field Work in Manhattan,” The Society of St. Hugh of Cluny (4/8/2026)

The Society of St. Hugh of Cluny is honored to sponsor Solemn First Vespers for the Feast of the Dedication of St. Michael the Archangel at St. Margaret of Cortona Church in the Bronx, with His Eminence Ernst Cardinal Simoni.

A reception will follow in the gymnasium with an opportunity to greet the Cardinal.

On September 9th the final program for this year’s Summorum Pontificum pilgrimage in Rome was released. As you probably have heard, the Vatican has formally refused permission for a final Mass in St. Peter’s. Instead, there will be “prayers.” Two hours later, a concluding liturgy will be celebrated at the high altar of St. Maria Maggiore. This decision is obviously a blow both for the pilgrimage and the traditionalist cause. For here Pope Leo reverses his own decision of last year to permit once again the celebration of a concluding Mass in St. Peter’s.

Why was this done? Pope Leo obviously has not the slightest knowledge of, or sympathy for, the traditional liturgy as such. That is evident from his statements on 8/26/2026 and those he permitted his subordinates to issue earlier this year. But clerics otherwise opposed or indifferent to the Traditional Mass have been open to recognizing the aspirations of those who are devoted to it. One thinks of cardinals like Bernardin in the past, or Zuppi today. But that is not the case with Pope Leo.

I suspect the difference is that Leo has no insight into the people of traditionalism: those who adhere to it and why they do so.  As he himself admitted, for him personally the subject is remote. Undoubtedly far more important to Leo are the relationships with his immediate advisors and former colleagues: the pope’s so-called “inner circle,” the officials of the curia, the heads of the religious orders. To maintain their good will, Leo has taken pains to demonstrate his continuity with the policies of Francis (other than on limited administrative measures). This is evident from his continuous quoting of his predecessor,  his praise of the main documents of the Bergoglio years and his retention in office of almost all the main figures of that regime.

It is certain that any advice these sources might give on a Traditional Mass in St. Peter’s would be negative. But what reasons could they cite for refusing a Mass?  The decision regarding the Mass was conveyed in letter issued in August by the Substitute of the Secretary of State. I believe this letter still has not been published – although one news site has further details regarding its contents.  Until those contents are fully disclosed,  I would assume that similar to other decisions of Leo, the refusal was summary and uninformative. 

 Thus, we are left to rumors and leaks from anonymous “informed sources” to discover the reasoning behind the decision. These tell us that, in stark contrast to the public perception of the 2025 pilgrimage,  Pope Leo had heard negative things concerning it. The “inner circle” and the others were disturbed that the pilgrimage had been used for “propaganda” and there had been a “perceived” “triumphant”  or “gloating” tone – that “perception” had not been well received. 1) 

I did not hear either during or after the 2025 pilgrimage “gloating” statements from those connected with the pilgrimage.  The “triumph” was not in the media, but in the fact of the pilgrimage itself. What these statements from “informed sources” really mean is that the 2025 pilgrimage had made too favorable an impression on Catholics and even the secular media. Those in and outside of the Vatican who are fanatically opposed to the Traditional Latin Mass had seen one key element of their narrative – that only a small minority cares for the Traditional Mass –  dramatically undermined.  So, the pilgrimage  had to be cut down to size. Of course, this is very similar to the attitude of the Vatican in regard to the Chartres Pilgrimage of Christendom.  As the attendance  at that pilgrimage has grown and grown in recent years the Vatican’s response (at least up to and including the 2024 pilgrimage)was hostile commentary and legal roadblocks. 

Thus, thousands of Catholic pilgrims are denied a Mass because of the media impression their successful pilgrimage has created. The spiritual desires of those Catholics  – the good of souls – plays no role at all;  media manipulation and “perceptions” relevant to internal Catholic ideological struggles are everything

As to the pilgrimage itself,  this determination is not the worst of results. I have no idea what the prayer service, if any, in St. Peter’s will be.  And it will take quite an effort for pilgrims to get from St. Peter’s to St. Maria Maggiore in 1-2 hours. But St. Maria Maggiore is certainly a uniquely splendid location, And if the 2026 pilgrimage is as large as last year’s,  St. Maria Maggiore is likely to be more appropriate, in terms of size, than a celebration before the throne of St. Peter within St. Peter’s basilica.

The greater problem created by this decision is the impact for the Church as a whole. It sends a signal that the traditionalist movement remains in official disfavor. Every bishop and priest of the world can restrict or abolish celebrations in the traditional rite, on the assumption  that the Pope will do nothing about it. Just now in Toronto restrictions are being imposed pursuant to Traditiones Custodes  (which after all remains on the books) primarily on two churches of the Toronto Oratory.  These are highly successful apostolates but, as in the case of the Rome and Chartres pilgrimages, that means nothing. 

Yet, the pilgrims who will come to Rome this October should not feel discouraged.  Paradoxically, traditionalists should take comfort from the restrictions and humiliations imposed upon them by an increasingly shaky ecclesiastical authority.  It has been through the efforts of the Summorum Pontificum pilgrims since 2012 that the Vatican  has been forced to acknowledge the existence of Traditionalism even in Rome itself. Yes, more recently this response has been not an offer of dialogue, inclusion or even welcome,  but suspicion, administrative harassment and prohibitions. But, as was already clear upon the issuance of  Traditiones Custodes in 2021,  this tactic is a loser’s game. The Council that was supposed to proclaim the Christian message more clearly to those both in and outside of the Church has manifestly failed to do so. To maintain the current regime,  the Church has had to resort to techniques of media manipulation and authoritarian measures. In the long term such actions can only result in a further loss of credibility. The clergy and religious orders can be intimidated, bishops and clerical scholars silenced. But from its very beginnings the bedrock of Traditionalism has been the devoted laity. They will continue seeking out the celebration of the Traditional Mass, and all the other sacraments,  produce online commentary,  write and read books and yes, go on pilgrimages. How long this situation in which traditionalists find themselves will last – a kind of stalemate in a war of attrition –  I cannot say.  But if we keep the focus on preserving Catholic Tradition in its totality – above all in the celebration of the Mass –  I am confident that happier days will come.

1. “Bishop Schneider to celebrate Summorum Pontificum TLM at St Mary Major after St Peter’s permission denied,” AdVaticanum (9/9/2026); Limbu, Niwa, Vatican letter leaves door open for Summorum Pontificum Mass to return to St Peter’s, AdVaticanum (9/10/2026). See also Pilgrimage Summorum Pontificum This Year, The Society of St Hugh of Cluny (8/4/2026) quoting Beltran, Edgar, “Is the Pope Maintaining a TLM ‘gray area’”? The Pillar (8/3/2026); Haynes, Michael, “Annual Latin Mass pilgrimage has Vatican Mass cancelled.” thecatholicherald.com (9/9/2026.