Our Lady of Sorrows Priory — Attraction in Phoenix

I read the reviews and people are very polarized. Mostly 1 star or 5. Many of the 1-star reviews stated that this group (SSPX) is schismatic. Completely false. I reviewed articles all the way back to the beginnings of the SSPX and have found that they have had and "irregular" relationship with Rome, but they have never been declared schismatic. Other people have attended the Mass not knowing that it was a traditional Mass and then, also, give it 1-star. Why would you give them 1-star based on your misunderstanding of the fact that there are many types of Catholic Churches? Not every Catholic Church practices the current Roman Rite. There are many other types of beautiful Catholic Churches that are also in communion with Rome and practice their own very different rites:

Rome Latin Rite Latin (or Roman) Catholic Church

Alexandria Alexandrian Rite Coptic Catholic Church Eritrean Catholic Church Ethiopian Catholic Church

Antioch West Syrian (or Antiochene) Rite Maronite Catholic Church Syriac Catholic Church Syro-Malankara Catholic Church

Armenian Rite Armenian Catholic Church

East Syrian (or Chaldean) Rite Chaldean Catholic Church Syro-Malabar Catholic Church

Constantinopolitan (or Byzantine) Rite Albanian Catholic Church Belarusian Catholic Church Bulgarian Greek Catholic Church Byzantine Church of Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro Greek Byzantine Catholic Church Hungarian Greek Catholic Church Italo-Albanian Catholic Church Macedonian Catholic Church Melkite Greek Catholic Church Romanian Catholic Church Russian Catholic Church Ruthenian Catholic Church (also known as the Byzantine Catholic Church in America) Slovak Catholic Church Ukrainian Greek...

All I can say is that I am extremely disappointed. My husband and I popped in to see the Church not realizing they are SSPX-which means they are schismatic (no longer in unity with the Roman Catholic Church because they do not follow the Papacy). I was told by a parishioner who let us in that they were NOT SSPX, I think as an attempt to reel us into being parishioners. I received my undergraduate in Theology, therefore I am not an uninformed Catholic, so all I had to do was log onto their website and behold, SSPX! I listened to their parishioner for an hour speak at us about very basic Catholic teachings, like if we knew how to pray the rosary and the need to pray to Mary so we do not skip Sunday Mass. I simply listened and took notes in my head. The first red flag came when she said that many believe in their Church that the Novus Ordo Missae (English Mass) does not have the Eucharist since it is "improperly consecrated." She said that Catholics that go to the English Mass are going to a "feast" not a "Eucharistic Celebration," for they do not receive the consecrated Body, Blood & Soul & Divinity of our Lord. Wow. My heart hurts knowing that lies and deceit are being used as tactics to reel in parishioners. If you want to go to a true Latin mass that is in line with the Roman Catholic Church check out "Mater Misericordiae Mission." I have never written a review on Google, but I thought sharing my experience was important. I pray for unity as our Lord...

If you need a place to become "quiet" for prayer & conversation (the Spiritual kind), a place to refocus, and periodically "vanish" from the rigors of the world, a place that reinforces parents attempting to teach their children regular disciplines (patience, prudence, virtue etc) a place that gives Jesus Christ His rightful due Respect/Worship in the Eucharist (kneeling for Communion) and throughout the entire Mass, then this is the place of Worship for you. Yes, it is expected, (but not tyrannically enforced)to dress appropriately for OUR KING-Ladies in dresses/skirts or dress slacks with head covering (hat,veil etc) Gentlemen in dress slacks, dress shirt or suit (would anyone not do the same for any special secular event?). This Church emphasizes Worship of our Savior, during Mass, so clapping, excessive talking/laughing etc doesn't happen in the Chapel. Socializing is encouraged and happens after Mass outside the Chapel. If you want the "hand shaking" in-the-vestibule, during Mass chatter, children running through the aisles, immediate chatter in the Chapel after the Mass, hand holding during prayer, guitar song "choirs" and a emphasize on socialization/community Mass...then don't go to...