By Thomas Herndon | Special to the Herald

The Hawaii Tridentine Mass Community was honored with a visit on Dec. 17 by Bishop Larry Silva during its regular 10 a.m. Mass at Blessed Sacrament Church in Pauoa Valley. Invited by the group, the bishop sat with the congregation, which numbered about 130, as Marianist Father Francis Nakagawa, chaplain for the community for about a year, celebrated the Latin language liturgy.

After Mass, Bishop Silva gave an inspirational address about his recent pilgrimage to Guadalupe, Mexico, and how he was struck by the simple faith of the people there.

He also stayed for fellowship in the Blessed Sacrament Church Hall and shared the community’s regular third Sunday of the month potluck.

Members of the community — and several visitors from Maui who would like to see the Tridentine Mass celebrated on their island — uniformly expressed their warm appreciation of the visit. Musical entertainment for this very special occasion was provided by the Tridentine Mass children’s choir, several accomplished soloists, and two children who danced an authentic Irish jig.

The community regarded this visit as significant and historic, a great sign of its unity with the church and hope for the future, since this represents the first visit by a Bishop of Honolulu to a Tridentine Mass since the Second Vatican Council.

While the Tridentine Mass emphasizes different elements from the post conciliar Mass, it is a fully approved ritual for today’s Catholics. Visitors are often drawn to the Mass of our forefathers in faith, with its quiet sense of reverence and its emphasis on the sacrificial aspects of the liturgy.

Weekly attendance for the Hawaii group is between 75 and 100 persons.