About Us

Una Voce Maine, St Michael the Archangel Chapter Inc. is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization incorporated in the State of Maine, and an official chapter of Una Voce America. We are a group of faithful Catholics in Maine, in union with the Holy See and the Bishops united with the Supreme Pontiff of the Church, who share the goal of promoting and supporting the celebration of the Extraordinary Form of the Mass according to the 1962 Missale Romanum, also known as the Traditional Latin Mass or the Tridentine Mass, as promulgated by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI’s Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum dated July 7, 2007.

Una Voce (with one voice) from the last sentence of the Preface of the Most Holy Trinity “Quem laudant Angeli atque Archangeli, Cherubim quoque ac Seraphim, qui non cessant clamare quotidie, una voce dicentes” followed by “Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus…” English: “This the Angels and Archangels, the Cherubim and Seraphim praise, and unceasingly chant each day, saying with one voice:” Una Voce America is an International Federation of Associations, founded in 1966 in Rome, that now includes national associations in 17 nations on every continent.

What We Do

  • Participate in the mission of the Catholic Church to lead all souls to heaven by drawing upon the treasures of the Church as have been handed down throughout the ages

  • Promote the Traditional Latin Masses offered in the Diocese of Portland, Maine

  • Support related traditional practices such as Gregorian chant, sacred polyphony, and sacred art

  • Help laity better understand and more fruitfully participate in Catholic liturgy as a sacred action

  • Support and assist laity who wish to have the Extraordinary Form of the Mass offered in their parish

  • Provide and clarify information about the Extraordinary Form of the Mass

  • Provide resources and assistance to priests who wish to learn and use the rubrics of the Extraordinary Form of the Mass in their parish

CONTACT

Una Voce Maine, PO Box 2574, South Portland, ME 04116-2574 | info@unavocemaine.org | online form to contact us

Frequently Asked Questions about the Traditional Latin Mass

Why is the Mass prayed in Latin?

Latin is the official language of the Catholic Church and provides the standard to which all translations are referred. It’s important to recognize that there is a difference between classical Latin and ecclesiastical Latin, which was developed in the early centuries of Christianity specifically in order to highlight the sacred nature of Holy Scripture, Christian writings and, importantly, the Mass. The consistent use of Latin has therefore helped to maintain the unity of worship and prayer; we pray, as our forebears did, “with all the angels and saints.” While the Mass has certainly evolved over the centuries, maintaining the use of Latin helps preserve the orthodox and unchanging meaning of the Mass from the danger of re-interpretation, which is possible when changes are too dramatic or occur too frequently.

Why doesn't the priest face the people?

In the Traditional Latin Mass, the priest, like the rest of the congregation, faces East ("ad orientem"). East is the direction of the rising sun, which is symbolic of the Risen Christ. Celebrating the Mass “ad orientem” demonstrates the unity of the priest and the parishioners in worshipping God together. Mass is not intended to be focused on the priest’s interaction with the congregation, but rather on the interaction of all the faithful with God Himself.

Why don't we receive the Eucharist standing?

At the Traditional Latin Mass, the faithful kneel and receive Holy Communion on the tongue. This traditional form of receiving the Eucharist reflects the fact that at this point of the Mass the priest is presiding “in persona Christi,” in the person of Christ. Thus the posture of both priest and faithful reflects the awesome reality that Holy Communion is indeed the Body of Christ and should be received with the utmost of supplication and reverence.

What kind of music is sung at the Latin Mass?

The music that one will hear at the Traditional Latin Mass consists almost entirely of solemn Gregorian Chant – the official song of the Church that has been developed and handed down for centuries.

Overall, most Catholics who attend the Traditional Latin Mass characterize the differences noted above, along others, as contributing to a greater "sense of the sacred" at the Traditional Latin Mass.