Saturday, November 21, 2009

More LMS: annual Requiem

A report this time from the LMS on the annual Requiem at Westminster cathedral with bishop Alan Hopes. I think it is good that it now seems to be a requirement to be an auxiliary bishop in Westminster that you can and are willing to celebrate the Extraordinary Form. Then I suppose they get farmed out as diocesan bishops and so a diocese gets a bishop ho can celebrate the whole Roman rite which is still not the case everywhere. However it would still be encouraging to see the archbishop of Westminster himself celebrate this Mass. I suppose it will take time to bed down and at the minute they still have the excuse that Pope Benedict has neither celebrated it as pope nor attended a celebration. Let`s hope at least one of the northern bishops will accept the invitation of the LMS to attend the next Ushaw training week in 2010. Surely a bishop is a bishop for all the Catholics in his care not just the ones that share his own tastes.
I see this week`s Tablet is tipping bishop Hopes to be the first Ordinary for the Anglican ordinariate in England.

Here are the pictures and report.



Bishop Hopes at the Altar




Bishop Hopes Giving Communion at the Rail


Bishop Hopes and His Ministers in the Sacristy (from left: Gordon Dimon, LMS MC; Fr Michael Cullinan, Deacon; Bp Hopes; Fr Michael Dunne, Sub-deacon; Fr Andrew Southwell, Assistant Priest
PRESS RELEASE FROM THE LATIN MASS SOCIETY


23 November 2009

* Westminster Bishop celebrates Traditional Mass for the First Time
* Latin Mass Society Celebrates Its Annual Requiem Mass in Westminster Cathedral

The Rt Rev. Alan Hopes, auxiliary bishop in Westminster, celebrated a High Mass of Requiem in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite in Westminster Cathedral on Saturday 14 November for the repose of the souls of all deceased members and supporters of the LMS. Father Andrew Southwell was Assistant Priest, Fr Michael Cullinan was Deacon and the Sub-deacon was Fr Michael Dunne of the cathedral staff. Gordon Dimon of the LMS was MC. Bishop Hopes also preached on the theme of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass as a bridge between the saving events of Our Lord’s Passion and the men and women of our own time with all their hopes and fears.

A congregation of some hundreds heard the men of the Cathedral Choir sing the plainsong Requiem Mass together with the plainsong Adore Te Devote at Communion.

The Mass was followed by the traditional ceremonies of Absolutions at the Catafalque and before Mass, a wreath was laid by Mr Kingsley Lewis, Deputy Chairman of the LMS, and other LMS members on the grave of Cardinal Heenan in the cathedral nave in thanksgiving for the Cardinal’s efforts to preserve the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite. Father Andrew Southwell read prayers for the occasion.

John Medlin, General Manager of the LMS, said afterwards: “This was the first time that Bishop Hopes had celebrated the Traditional Mass and the LMS is most grateful to him for the great care he took in learning the Rite. We also thank Canon Christopher Tuckwell, the Cathedral Administrator, and his staff for the friendly welcome we always receive in the cathedral”.

Note: The Extraordinary Form has now returned to many of our cathedrals throughout England and Wales and the LMS is actively seeking to introduce further Masses.




No comments: