He absolutely and unequivocably was telling them not to do the novena that day. It was not a situation of oh, the Mass has taken care of the requirement...which would be fine...it was I am forbidding you to do this. You can not do this today. You must break your novena..which even too me sounds like a horrible thing to tell someone to do. But the major part of my religious beliefs is superstition laced with paranoia frosted with pretty rituals and used to be nice songs plus respect for my father'sancestors who went through a lot to practice their faith..and complicated by the fact that my mother's family was Anti-Catholic Protestant and so in more or less practicing Catholicism I am forced to reject the other side of my heritage which is fire and brimstone Baptist. I would rather say screw it and become a Unitarian or Druid but then my paranoia kicks in. mg