MAINTAINING THE FAITH CHURCH KEEPS PRE-VATICAN II TRADITIONS.

Byline: Susan Abram Staff Writer

NEWHALL - The little white church that stands on Newhall Avenue is packed with the devoted - women and girls come dressed in long skirts and blouses, their heads covered in white lace veils, while men and boys wear their best suits.

They have come on a Sunday, as many do worldwide, to profess their Catholic faith. But the difference here is that at Queen of Angels Catholic Church, the Mass is still in Latin, the liturgy is solemn, intact and ancient, the chants are Gregorian - and the parishioners like it that way.

``Our faith has endured,'' said the Rev. Dominic Rodecki, who has led weekly and daily Masses at the church for 10 years. ``Some people drive as much as two hours to come here. They are attached to the old ways because it goes back so far.''

Attention surrounding what Rodecki calls traditional Catholicism has surfaced recently because of Mel Gibson's film ``The Passion of the Christ,'' the story of Jesus told directly from the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, according to the actor. The actors in the film, to be released Ash Wednesday, speak Aramaic, the language of Jesus that is still spoken today in Assyrian, Chaldean and Aramean Eastern Catholic and Orthodox churches worldwide, and in Latin.

Gibson reportedly practices this traditionalist form of Catholicism that does not recognize the changes made after the Second Vatican Conference. The worldwide meeting of bishops and cardinals convened by Pope John XXIII in the 1960s became known as Vatican II, and instituted various changes in the church, such as allowing the Mass to be said in languages other than Latin and permitting communion to be given hand to hand by nonordained church members.

Rodecki also does not recognize the changes, which he called a ``perverted liturgy,'' in which worshippers are led to believe they are equal to God. The reverence, the mysticism of spirituality and the grace of the ancient ways have all but disappeared in the modern Roman Catholic churches, he said.

``The teachings of Vatican II are erroneous,'' he said. ``The priests were led blindly by their leaders and they followed.''

Similarly, the Roman Catholic Church does not recognize Queen of Angels parish.

``It's not affiliated with the Catholic Church,'' said Tod Tamberg, spokesman for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, the largest in the nation. ``If you belong to a church that accepts the doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church, then you are a Catholic.''

Tamberg also said Gibson's denomination has been misinterpreted.

``Whatever Gibson's faith denomination is, it deserves to be considered on its own merits,'' he said. ``It shouldn't be compared with Roman Catholicism.''

Changes were made in Roman Catholicism because leaders wanted to make the Mass more accessible to its worshippers, Tamberg said. ``We're not a museum, we're a living church,'' he said. ``While we cherish our traditions, the church is the people of God today. The reason why we celebrate the Mass in our own languages now is to allow people to participate more fully.''

Rodecki and some of his parishioners said they are interested to see how ``The Passion'' will fuel dialogue of traditional Catholic masses - maybe even those who attend Roman Catholic services will be drawn to the Latin one again.

``I'm excited because I think the movie is going to be successful. It's supposedly very accurate,'' said Richard Jamison, who travels from Newbury Park each Sunday to attend Mass in Newhall. ``Will it draw negative attention? We traditional Catholics already draw negative attention. But it also could make Catholics aware that they can still go to a Latin Mass. My wife and I came back to the traditional Catholic Church 10 years ago.''

Others believe the film will have no impact on the traditional Catholic faith.

``Most people aren't interested,'' said physician Larry Wilmore, a Rancho Cucamonga resident who teaches catechism classes for adults at the church. ``Most people are so removed by it they don't pay any heed anymore. In the modern world, people think it's old-fashioned.''

Queen of Angels moved to Newhall from Granada Hills 10 years ago. Since then, the congregation has grown, with members who drive in from as far as San Diego, Rodecki said.

Rodecki, 46, said he wanted to preserve the Mass the way he remembers it from his boyhood.

``We haven't changed anything, and we haven't been disobedient, but many of us have been told it's a sin to attend traditional Mass,'' he said. ``It's still the way Catholics have worshipped all along.''

Susan Abram, [phone]

susan.abram(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

3 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color in SAC edition only -- ran in SAC and Simi editions only) The Rev. Dominic Sed performs the Sunday service in Latin at Queen of the Angels Catholic Church in Newhall.

(2 -- color -- ran in SAC edition only) Nathan Miller, 9, prays during Mass at Queen of the Angels church, which follows pre-Vatican II Catholic traditions.

(3) In keeping with Catholic tradition, women attending Queen of the Angels services cover their heads with lace veils.

John Lazar/Staff Photographer