71 Masses in 42 Places in 1 Month!

On November 9 and 16, 1975, Archbishop Lefebvre celebrated two High Masses in the parish of Sainte-Yvette, in Montreal, to encourage the parish-priest, Father Normandin, in his recent courageous return to the Traditional Latin Mass, prohibited in all Canadian parishes since the previous June 30. The consequences of these events were not long in coming: in the weeks that followed, there was a trial, Father Normandin was unfairly removed from his office and thrown out on the street (in the extreme January cold) by the Archbishop of Montreal.

But God is God, and He is all-powerful, He can draw good from evil. The diocesan priest humbly accepted this injustice and quickly became a missionary throughout Canada, literally from coast to coast - a mari usque ad mare (the motto of Canada) - for many years to meet the demands of faithful Catholics troubled and helpless with the crisis in the Church. His many small Mass centers in all provinces are the origin of almost all the present-day Traditional Latin Mass centers of the Society of St. Pius X in Canada.

...We always find Providential guidance to human history and especially to the history of the Church, the mystical bride of Christ. An example of this is found with Father Normandin, whose story strongly resembles the story of Archbishop Lefebvre himself, who resigned in 1968 as Superior General of the Holy Ghost Fathers. This resignation left him free to establish the Society of St Pius X and thus to come to the aid of souls worldwide. There is nothing new under the sun. “This is the stone which was rejected by you the builders, which is become the head of the corner.” (Acts 4:11)

It is not easy to accept humiliations, deserved or even unjust. But what graces ensue when one does! The story of the lives of saints is full of examples that illustrate this abundantly. And indeed, it is the humiliations of Our Lord himself throughout his life which got us all the graces of salvation. “For which cause God also hath exalted him, and hath given him a name which is above all names: That in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth”. (Phil. II:9-10)

No humility without humiliation! This is a great mystery of the Christian life, possible only with the help of God! “0” (Imitation II:12)

Father Normandin is one of those valiant priests who stood up after the Council to confess the faith in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass that was facing an unprecedented crisis in the Church. They were not ashamed of the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Additionally they led many young people after them who have taken over, who responded to the Master's call to go to work in the harvest that is so abundant.

Our “curé” is still alive, he celebrated his 90th birthday last February and 61 years of priesthood last May! He surely can repeat with the Apostle: “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. As to the rest, there is laid up for me a crown of justice, which the Lord the just judge will render to me in that day: and not only to me, but to them also that love his coming.” (Tim., IV, 7-8)

For those who do not know this story, I highly recommend reading the book which recounts it, A Pastor out in the Cold (which needs to be reprinted in English). It will also interest young people who are passionate about historical wars, because it will make them aware of this ‘World War III’ (Archbishop Lefebvre’s expression) taking place since the 1960s with Vatican II. Father Normandin is one of the first priests in the world, the first in Canada at least, to have publicly taken a stand in defense of the Mass of all time, and who has been persecuted for this noble cause.

Archbishop Lefebvre himself wrote the preface to this book.
Source

 

St. Athanasius:

"May God console you! ... What saddens you ... is the fact that others have occupied the churches by violence, while during this time you are on the outside. It is a fact that they have the premises – but you have the Apostolic Faith. They can occupy our churches, but they are outside the true Faith. You remain outside the places of worship, but the Faith dwells within you. Let us consider: what is more important, the place or the Faith? The true Faith, obviously. Who has lost and who has won in the struggle – the one who keeps the premises or the one who keeps the Faith? True, the premises are good when the Apostolic Faith is preached there; they are holy if everything takes place there in a holy way ...

"You are the ones who are happy; you who remain within the Church by your Faith, who hold firmly to the foundations of the Faith which has come down to you from Apostolic Tradition. And if an execrable jealousy has tried to shake it on a number of occasions, it has not succeeded. They are the ones who have broken away from it in the present crisis. No one, ever, will prevail against your Faith, beloved Brothers. And we believe that God will give us our churches back some day.

"Thus, the more violently they try to occupy the places of worship, the more they separate themselves from the Church. They claim that they represent the Church; but in reality, they are the ones who are expelling themselves from it and going astray. Even if Catholics faithful to Tradition are reduced to a handful, they are the ones who are the true Church of Jesus Christ."