A New Home for the TLM in Tampa, Florida

Three days ago, on the feast of the Holy Maccabees, Epiphany Catholic Church held its inaugural Mass as the new home of the Extraordinary Form in Tampa, Florida and Hillsborough County. The pastor, Fr Edwin Palka, writes on the parish website: “As of August, 2015, Epiphany of Our Lord Catholic Church will become the home for the Tridentine Latin Mass. Mass will be celebrated according to the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI at the request of -- and with the complete blessing of -- the Bishop of the Diocese of St. Petersburg, Bishop Robert N. Lynch. In fact, the idea of my coming to Epiphany to turn it into a center for the Latin Mass did not come from me nor did it come from the Diocesan Priest Personnel Board (whom the Bishop usually consults when making changes of assignments) but rather came directly from him, bypassing all normal protocols. Those who love the Traditional Latin Mass can take comfort in what can only be described here as a great love of this form of the Mass by the Shepherd of our souls. Please, right now, offer a prayer of thanksgiving for this and pray for his sanctification.”

In addition to a daily Mass in the EF, and two such Masses on the weekends, the parish will continue to have daily OF Mass in English, and two Masses in Vietnamese on Sundays. The full schedule is available on the parish website (which is being written by someone with rather a clever sense of humor...) The church is located at 2510 East Hanna Avenue in Tampa; there is also a page with a map on the website. Please be so good to offer a prayer for Fr Palka and for Bishop Lynch that this initiative will flourish.

The inaugural EF Mass at Epiphany Catholic Church; from the parish website.