A Pioneer – They Called Him King Consecration. PaixLiturgique.fr published for the first time an interview with Holy Ghost Father Reginald De Four, an apostle of the Roman Liturgy who died in November …More
A Pioneer – They Called Him King
Consecration. PaixLiturgique.fr published for the first time an interview with Holy Ghost Father Reginald De Four, an apostle of the Roman Liturgy who died in November 2021 in San Diego at the age of 87. A native of Trinidad and Tobago, his mother had seven other children, but his eldest brother died at the age of six months from dysentery. At eight months, Reginald showed the same symptoms – severe vomiting. His mother turned to Our Lady promising he that she would consecrate Reginald to her if the baby would survive. Only when he was 15, she told him this.
No Show. Ordained in 1964, De Four always remained faithful to the Roman Rite. Quote, “It was out of the question for me to throw it away.” He was shocked that the millennium old Roman Rite was forbidden and replaced by ceremonies that were often shocking. He explains that in the Roman Rite the priest turns to the altar because the Mass is not a show, and the priest is not an entertainer. He stresses the importance of silence. Quote, “It is enough to attend these noisy liturgies of logorrhoea to be convinced that we are no longer in the true prayerful liturgy in the Lord’s presence.” Latin allows to preserve the meaning of the spiritual and theological realities, he stresses, pointing out that other religions, Muslims, Jews, and Hindus also use liturgical languages.
The King. Among other places, Father De Four was a Roman Rite chaplain in San Diego, in the Oratorians' St. Anne's Chapel where he was called "Rex" – king - because he was born on Epiphany. After returning to Trinidad, he started another apostolate with a weekday low mass, a sung mass twice a month and a solemn high mass on feast days, holy hours, confessions, First Friday and First Saturday of the month devotion, visits to the sick, blessings of houses, places of business, baptisms, retreats, spiritual directions, days of recollection and rosaries.
Seven Suggestions. To a young man who wants to become a priest or religious, De Four gives seven pieces of advice:
1) Find a spiritual director.
2) Adore Our Lady.
3) Pray one hour a day before the Blessed Sacrament.
4) Attend Holy Mass, pray the Rosary, Divine Office, make a Holy Hour, go often to confession, go on retreats, fasting and abstinence, spiritual reading, meditation, devotion to saints and angels, sacramentals, spiritual and corporal works of mercy.
5) Maintain a healthy lifestyle, cultivate healthy relationships with friends, acquaintances, and family.
6) Study, read, and listen.
7) Have a daily, weekly, and monthly routine.
Consecration. PaixLiturgique.fr published for the first time an interview with Holy Ghost Father Reginald De Four, an apostle of the Roman Liturgy who died in November 2021 in San Diego at the age of 87. A native of Trinidad and Tobago, his mother had seven other children, but his eldest brother died at the age of six months from dysentery. At eight months, Reginald showed the same symptoms – severe vomiting. His mother turned to Our Lady promising he that she would consecrate Reginald to her if the baby would survive. Only when he was 15, she told him this.
No Show. Ordained in 1964, De Four always remained faithful to the Roman Rite. Quote, “It was out of the question for me to throw it away.” He was shocked that the millennium old Roman Rite was forbidden and replaced by ceremonies that were often shocking. He explains that in the Roman Rite the priest turns to the altar because the Mass is not a show, and the priest is not an entertainer. He stresses the importance of silence. Quote, “It is enough to attend these noisy liturgies of logorrhoea to be convinced that we are no longer in the true prayerful liturgy in the Lord’s presence.” Latin allows to preserve the meaning of the spiritual and theological realities, he stresses, pointing out that other religions, Muslims, Jews, and Hindus also use liturgical languages.
The King. Among other places, Father De Four was a Roman Rite chaplain in San Diego, in the Oratorians' St. Anne's Chapel where he was called "Rex" – king - because he was born on Epiphany. After returning to Trinidad, he started another apostolate with a weekday low mass, a sung mass twice a month and a solemn high mass on feast days, holy hours, confessions, First Friday and First Saturday of the month devotion, visits to the sick, blessings of houses, places of business, baptisms, retreats, spiritual directions, days of recollection and rosaries.
Seven Suggestions. To a young man who wants to become a priest or religious, De Four gives seven pieces of advice:
1) Find a spiritual director.
2) Adore Our Lady.
3) Pray one hour a day before the Blessed Sacrament.
4) Attend Holy Mass, pray the Rosary, Divine Office, make a Holy Hour, go often to confession, go on retreats, fasting and abstinence, spiritual reading, meditation, devotion to saints and angels, sacramentals, spiritual and corporal works of mercy.
5) Maintain a healthy lifestyle, cultivate healthy relationships with friends, acquaintances, and family.
6) Study, read, and listen.
7) Have a daily, weekly, and monthly routine.