I am pleased to report that I was recently contacted by the group of individuals who had made themselves known to one another through the NLM -- which included laity and seminarians. Through their initiative, they have established a local society, the Society of St. Gregory II, but more to the point, they have succeeded in organizing their first liturgical event in that city, Sung Vespers in the usus antiquior:
From their website:
To mark the closure of the Year for Priests, Solemn Vespers for the Feast of the Sacred Heart will be sung according to the 1961 Breviarium Romanum at St. Andrew Bobola Church on Friday, June 11th, at 7:00 P.M.
Vespers will be sung in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament and followed by Solemn Benediction. The celebrant, Fr. David Brabant, p.s.s., will also be hearing confessions beforehand.
Please join us in praying the official prayer of the Church Universal!
Oftentimes when liturgical groups (in either form) are think about organizing liturgies locally, their thoughts naturally turn to the Mass of course -- which is perfectly understandable and sensible as a first and primary goal. But if that is not possible at first, for one or another reason, groups should not resign themselves, but should indeed not neglect to give consideration to the public, sung celebration of the Divine Office -- and Sung Vespers in particular.
Of course, in so saying, I would not wish to be misunderstood as suggesting that be done only in such circumstances. Far from it. Too often the sung, public celebration of the Divine Office is generally neglected as a consideration, even by more established reform of the reform and usus antiquior communities, and this is something which -- as I have said time and again -- I believe we should seek to remedy as part of a new liturgical movement.
