The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass

"The great Mystery of Faith is here seen as the central reality of the Christian day, wherein we give all honor and glory to the Father. In writing simple yet profound, the truth of the Eucharist is presented in a way that cannot quickly be forgotten. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is not a textbook, yet teachers will use their textbooks with better clarity for having it at hand. Pastors will read these pages zealously and recommend them to seminarians. In the family the book will help to retain that unique bond with the Mass that is established on the wedding day, and cause it to grow ever stronger through increased devotion and richer insight. Monsignor Hellriegel's work in the apostolate of the Church's liturgy is well-known throughout the country. For over twenty-five years he has been a leader in the restoration of 'the primary and indispensable source of the true Christian spirit' (Pius X, Tra le Sollecitudini). In this book is found the essence of his preaching on the all-important concern of our lives as Christians: the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass." -from the publisher's description of the original edition, 1944

"Brief and simple, and yet scholarly and comprehensive. Every part of the Mass is touched upon, and its meaning in relation to the entire Mass is indicated.... The manner of presenting it is interesting, practical, and somewhat different. The use of diagrams here and there reflects the experienced teacher, and should be of value to other instructors." -David Baier, O.F.M., St. Bonaventure College, Franciscan Studies, December 1945

"When Virgil Michel founded Orate Fratres (now Worship) in 1926, Hellriegel was one of the original associate editors. In the course of the years, he contributed some 63 articles. Their distinctive style, plus that of the several books he authored, inevitably led to his being called the American counterpart of Pius Parsch, the famous pastoral liturgical popularizer of Austria." -Godfrey L. Diekmann, O.S.B., Worship, May 1981

"Considered an innovator before the Second Vatican Council, Monsignor Hellrigel was influential in promoting liturgical reforms that Pope Pius XII had urged in Mediator Dei, his 1947 encyclical on the liturgy-in particular the restoration of the Easter Vigil and the participation of the congregation in the chants of the Mass. Very soon after the Council, his views came to be considered passé in liturgical circles. Nevertheless, he achieved in his own parish church, Holy Cross, most of the objectives of the Council's Constitution on the Liturgy." -Adoremus Bulletin, January 1994