I have had one report on last night`s Mass. Apparently over 70 attended and most of those were students. The Mass was a dialogue Low Mass but the celebrant, Fr Adrian Tomlinson from Sheffield, was not that sure of what to do as it was his first time saying the Mass without someone at his side to guide him through it. Thus there were a few mistakes. However practice makes perfect. In the sermon Father spoke of the loss of reverence that can occur in the OF and the need for it to be restored.
Overall it seems to have been a success. It will be interesting to see where things go from here. Let`s hope it becomes a regular event although I wonder whether it will be so if Fr Tomlinson has to come from Sheffield every time for Mass.
Well done to those at Durham who have been asking for this Mass and to Fr Currer, the university chaplain, for making it possible.
I was at Morpeth for the monthly Mass which is not well attended despite having being going on for fourteen years by now.
7 comments:
There were 68 communicants at the Mass but I feel a golden opportunity was lost by neither the P.P. nor the celebrant appearing afterwards (so far as I am aware)nor was there any provision for tea or coffee afterwards which also might have been useful to make contacts with those attending.
I am really sad that I missed it, but it's encouraging to hear that there were 70 people. It would have been nicer if at least the celebrant appeared afterwards.
Is it not a common practice for the priests to come out after an EF mass?
The first thing I noticed when I came in for the Mass was that, other than some LMS stuff, there was absolutely no provision for anyone coming to such a Mass for the first time. Absolutely nothing. Luckily, there were about 10 of the small red missals that the LMS use, and about 8 laminated cards about the EF, 'what is it? what do I do? when do I sit,stand, kneel' etc. All of these went v.quickly. No propers were provided - it would have been so easy to do! Actually, perhaps having the propers would
not have made much difference, since Father missed quite a few of them out. . . and the Gloria. . . and the Domine non sum dignus (before the people's communion). The server reminded him to do the Last Gospel.
The prayers at the foot of the altar started off just about
silently. I don't think this is entirely a good idea when people new to the Mass are present. Quietly, certainly, but silently?
Oh, and Father kept bursting into song: sung Agnus, sung Pater
Noster, sung preface. (This was a Low Mass.) Well, the regulars
were not thrown, bemused perhaps - but I'm not sure what the many who are less familiar with it thought.
People did hang about afterwards. I would have liked to talk to some of the students, who looked amenable, but didn't quite get round to them, unfortunately.
I think the students were hard done by on this occasion and it was a missed opportunity.
Although I can't disagree with Oliver's comments, to be fair, Fr Tomlinson did put his head around the door at the end and was very apologetic about the slip-ups, such as they were. He may not yet be all that familiar with this Mass, so we are grateful to him for taking the trouble to learn it.
It seemed to me that most of the congregation were local - not at all the 'flying' congregation that we are so often led to believe attend the EF. It would be very nice to have a sung Mass. There are several, very competent local priests who could manage this if they were asked!
Offers of help were apparently made by the LMS but no reply was ever received. Hence the lack of material (although it is really rather much to expect Missals to be provided, as one student appeared to expect!) and there could have been a Missa Cantata which would have been good but if offers of help are not acknowledged what can be done? Sorry. Oliver, but Propers have to be prepared (not always easy to do) but perhaps for future Masses you might like to consider it? (!)
The Tridiums celebrated for a number of years, in the university debating chamber, by, the then itinerant, Fr. Thomas Glover were magnificent. Someone somewhere has a video of the total celebration.
As a matter of accuracy Fr Glover was not 'itinerant' when he first celebrated the Tridium in 1980, nor in 1981, 1982, 1983 and 1984 but a member of the SSPX. He became itinerant or independent (choose your word!) in August 1984. Yes, they were great events and whatever his faults he was a wonderful preacher.
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