A special day: new FSSP Parish in Rome...

Hodie in terra canunt angeli (this day do the angels sing on earth).

To the sound of mopeds, tourists, pilgrims, Romans and others, hundreds flocked this morning to Rome's Church of the Santissima Trinita' dei Pellegrini to witness a historical event.

Inside this red moiré folder embossed with the arms of the Cardinal Vicar of Rome is a copy of the official Decreto di Erezione which was read aloud today in the presence of all the faithful by the Bishop of Rome's historic center (an auxiliary to the Cardinal Vicar). The decree raises the Church of the Most Holy Trinity of Pilgrims to the status of an ordinary parish under the care of the Priestly Fraterity of Saint Peter (http://roma.fssp.it/) for the pastoral care of those persons who worship according to the so-called usus antiquior of the Roman rite.

An hour early the snowballing crowds began to arrive. Hundreds were present with standing-room-only in the rear of the church. Countless clergy were in attendance with young and old, families with babies, seminarians and others.

With the literary and artistic genius of the Classical rite the faithful prayed and with great emotion did I sneak one peak at the crowd of the smiling hundreds during the presentation of the decree and that was a special moment to behold in which one couldn't help but feel almost spellbound.