In a noteworthy turn of events, Bishop Michael Martin of the Diocese of Charlotte announced June 3 that he has postponed the end of parish-based Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) celebrations to October 2, aligning with the Vatican’s official deadline and responding to requests from local pastors and the faithful.
The original date was moved up to July 8 when Bishop Martin released a pastoral letter May 23, announcing the end of the parish-based Latin Masses ahead of the original extension granted by the Vatican. The letter sparked a controversy that has drawn international attention and intensified after sources leaked a draft of a slate of additional liturgical changes in the diocese, as CatholicVote previously reported.
The delay allows additional time for the Latin Mass communities’ transition and chapel renovations, the bishop and pastors agreed.
This bishop’s earlier announcement that the TLM would be centralized at a designated chapel in Mooresville, North Carolina, stemmed from Pope Francis’ 2021 motu proprio Traditionis Custodes, which restricts the older liturgical form.
CatholicVote has tracked this story closely, documenting how dioceses like Charlotte have navigated these changes with varying levels of sensitivity to local TLM communities.
WFAE, Charlotte NPR news source, recently interviewed JD Flynn, the editor-in-chief of The Pillar, who reported on the liturgical controversy, including the leaked liturgical norms document and a Vatican meeting between then-Cardinal Robert Prevost and Bishop Martin. Flynn’s sources said Bishop Martin was told to slow down.
The Diocese of Charlotte told WFAE in a statement that The Pillar’s account was false but didn’t say how. It also stated that the bishop “has great empathy for — and is listening to — the concerns of those who prefer the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM).”
Regarding the June 3 announcement about the extension, Bishop Martin told the diocese’s Catholic News Herald, “I want to listen to the concerns of these parishioners and their priests, and I am willing to give them more time to absorb these changes.”
His recent comments reflect a more pastoral tone amid an emotionally charged international debate about liturgical tradition and unity in the Church, leaving some critics cautiously optimistic.
The Catholic News Herald reported that Bishop Martin said if the Vatican issues official changes to Traditionis Custodes in the interim, “the diocese would abide by those instructions.”
The outlet also reported that the meeting scheduled for June 24 at the designated Mooresville chapel has been postponed.
The chapel is set to serve as a spiritual home for approximately 1,100 regular TLM attendees from four parishes: St. Ann and St. Thomas Aquinas in Charlotte, St. John the Baptist in Tryon, and Our Lady of Grace in Greensboro. The move consolidates worship with plans for two Sunday Latin Masses and holy day celebrations. Father Brandon Jones has been assigned as the chaplain.
Renovations to the chapel — costing the diocese an estimated $700,000 — are already underway and include essential upgrades like sanctuary refitting and pews with kneelers. Diocesan officials hope the site will be fully ready by October.