Preface to Pererinus Goes Abroad

Part 1: See America First

My brethren of the Clergy have taken so kindly the “vagrant notes on the Liturgy” with which I have, from time to time, afflicted them, both in the little fortnightly of which I have the honor to be the Editor, and also in book form, that I venture to gather up another sheaf of them, and to add thereto some observations couched in that more serious form which, personally, I prefer.

The study of Liturgics, in the restricted sense of Ceremonial, seems to be arousing more general interest among us, and this is as it should be, since the sacred actions employed in worship, or rather in the midst of which and by the instrumentality of which, the Church offers her worship to Almighty God are not, certainly, negligible or fortuitous.

One sometimes wonders whether all this discussion on liturgical topics really does much good. Those who are interested in such matters will make the effort to perform the sacred ceremonies of the Church in a correct and dignified manner. And those who simply do not care will probably go on making just the same mistakes whether they read books on the subject or not, and, be it said, they will not! But on lies to feel that some little good is done by such writing, since it is, literally, of the service of God.

The response of the Clergy to these little sketches has been most gratifying, although wholesome and constructive criticism has not been lacking. This volume, however, like its predecessor, has been submitted to an eminent Liturgiologist, Professor of the subject in one of our Major Seminaries, and with his kindly aid made as “fool proof” as possible. I do not pose as an “Approved Author” but I do claim that the zelus domus has made of me a careful student of the rites and ceremonies of our Holy Mother the Church. If those who are please to read these pages care to check up in the text books no one will be more pleased than I, for then the texts will, at least, be dusted off!

Michael Andrew Chapman