Intercontinental Mass celebrated via the internet.

Somerville, MA USA/Cachoeira Paulista, Brazil–In what may be a first for the internet and United States Catholics, parishioners of St. Benedict Parish in Somerville, MA USA attended a mass via internet celebrated for English speakers but originating in Brazil. Webcasting from the studios of the Canção Nova (New Song) religious community, the one hour mass featured English language readings, music and prayers although it originated from the Portuguese language community. New Song is located about one hundred fifty miles north of the Tropic of Capricorn between Sao Paulo and Rio de Janiero, Brazil

The mass, the first of many, was planned over two continents by Fernanda Soares of New Song TV, Fr. Sostenes Viera celebrant and homilist and other members of the New Song Community in Brazil and the US. Fr. Robert J. Carr, pastor of St. Benedict Parish in Somerville, MA also engaged in planning the event. New Song is a Catholic religious community formed in Brazil in 1978. In November, it received full Pontifical Recognition from Pope Benedict XVI. Presently, New Song maintains a US mission house in Marietta, Georgia and an English language media presence at http://www.newsongtv.com. There are also mission houses in Portugal, France, the Holy Land and all over Brazil.

The idea for the transcontinental mass originated when Fr. Sostenes Vieira began to study to preach and celebrate mass in English. This led to a thought to a time when he could celebrate mass from his native Brazil for those in the US. Fr. Carr began to work with Fr. Vieira over the internet by reviewing his weekly homilies making grammatical corrections when necessary. He posted those homilies on his English language blog for New Song at Catholicismanew.org

Fr. Vieira had his online international debut in English on a day Catholics celebrate the martyrdom of St. Charles Lwanga in 1869 in Uganda. This put the mass in the context of three continents and demonstrated further the universal nature of Catholicism.

Preaching on the first reading, from the book of Tobit, Fr. Vieira talked about never giving into discouragement. He called Catholics to give themselves only over to hope especially during the most burdensome trials.

“Jesus is our Heaven and He wants that when we’ve been as Tobit and Sarah, when the troubles and difficulties come, don’t pray for death, with grief, groans or weeping, but pray to the Life, to Heaven, with faith, hope and a deep desire to touch Heaven.” Fr. Vieira preached.

The mass lasted about an hour.

Frs. Carr and Vieira are members of Canção Nova, a religious community of Catholics ordained, lay and religious with a charism to evangelize through the media. Fr. Vieira is a perpetually vowed ordained member of the community. Fr. Carr is a priest for the Archdiocese of Boston who is an alliance member of New Song. Carr learned of the community through Adriano Moraes, the Three Time World Champion Bull Rider of the PBR. He and his wife Flavia are also alliance members of the community. Carr met Moraes in Worcester, MA in 2004 at the PBR event there.

The weekly masses will continue and Catholics of any language are welcome to attend. Presently, the masses are at 11:00 am on Wednesdays at St. Benedict Parish. That time will change as each hemisphere comes in and out of daylight savings time. Brazil’s seasons run opposite to those of the United States.

New Song’s Portuguese language broadcasts are also available via the community internet website http://www.cancaonova.com and by Globecast Satellite TV.