CHARLOTTE — Continuing what has become an annual tradition, the Charlotte Latin Mass Community marked the feast of St. Peter Martyr (also called St. Peter of Verona) by distributing St. Peter palms to parishioners at St. Ann Parish May 5.
St. Peter Martyr, a Dominican friar, was a contemporary of St. Dominic, who preached against the Manichean heresy in Italy during the 13th century. Pope Gregory XI appointed him as an inquisitor in 1251 and he was martyred the next year.
The palms, blessed by St. Ann’s pastor Father Timothy Reid on St. Peter’s feast day of April 29, are an ancient tradition found only in the Extraordinary Form and tradition holds that the palms can protect property against natural disaster when buried in four corners of a property.
For more information about the Latin Mass, contact Chris Lauer at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or www.charlottelatinmass.org.
— Mike FitzGerald, correspondent