Assuming the weather improves, there will be a Missa Cantata here at St Mary`s for the Immaculate Conception on Wednesday at 7.30pm. In Leicester at Holy Cross priory there will also be a Mass that day which will be something of a novelty in that it will be a Pontifical High Mass at the throne celebrated by the ordinary, bishop Malcolm MacMahon. As Br Lawrence Lew comments `this will be the first Pontifical High Mass of a bishop in his Diocese [ in this country] for a very long time indeed`. I look forward to reports about the Mass and what the bishop has to say.
Last Sunday our bishop was visiting the Dominican church in Newcastle and preached at all the Masses including the Extraordinary Form Mass at 11.30. However the snow was raging and there were only twelve people in the congregation. Normally I am told by the parish priest, there are about forty. Still not great but better than twelve.
23 comments:
There will also be a sung Mass for the feast of the Immaculate Conception at the church of St Alphonsus, North Ormesby, Middlesbrough TS3 6EW.
It will be at 8pm and the music is Schubert's Mass in C with motets by Elgar.
Bishop Malcolm is Spiritual Adviser of the Knights of St Columba & I count him as a friend. Before being elevated to the episcopate he celebrated the EF of Mass (Dominican Rite) in London &, in my opinion, is a true friend of the EF of Mass
Assuming the weather does not improve, which seems almost certain, can we be given an early update on whether the Mass will take place?
Here's a quick question to ask anyone under the age of 40. Ask them to explain the Immaculate Conception and I'll guarantee they will start to talk about the birth of Jesus. Such is the (non) quality of catechetics these days.
Richard, I`ll put an update on this post on Tuesday afternoon. I`m delighted you are even thinking of comng.
R,.E Teacher, I am 51 and have a terrible confession to make. I can still remember the evening when out with a fellow uper sixth-former from St Cuthbert`s for a drink when he told me that the Immaculate Conception referred to Mary and not Jesus. This was news to me even though `Mary Immaculate star of the morning` was one of my favourite hymns and even though the RE was, I`m sure, fairly sound compared to what was to come.
I'm under 40 and I won't be starting to talk about the birth of Jesus.
However I didn't attend a Catholic school and therefore did not have the "benefit" of such an education nor have I had any catechetics from any lay catechetics groups that seem to have sprung up in some parishes. Never mind First Holy Communion programmes that skip over transubstantiation.
I think I learnt most things from my parents or from paying attention in Mass in my younger days when sermons were actually informative and not like some of those I experienced in recent years (before leaving the country) which were more focussed on wishy washy personal and social education; political brainwashing; reworking/re-explaining the gospels in "modern" language etc etc.
Snow is a four letter word!
Having been stranded in Dublin since Thursday with awful snow (as I understand the North of England has suffered) I was delighted to return to a snow free London yesterday.
Rubicarius was fortunate to be stranded Dublin, the world's friendliest city (which also has the world's best beer. Its also served with a head instead of the flat 'beer' one can get in London)
Thanks, Fr Michael. Did I say I was thinking of attending? Gosh. But, if Ryan Air is kind to me I'm also thinking I may be in Dublin!
Richard I, perhaps wrongly, assumed that your concern to know whether the Mass would go ahead was connected to some idea that you might be thinking of coming. Now I see you were simply thinking of others and apparently never dreamt of actually coming yourself. Hope you enjoy Dublin.
Fr Michael, thank you for giving me credit for thinking of others. I get these odd urges occasionally! But to say that you see I was simply thinking of others and 'apparently never dreamt of actually coming myself' is to make an assumption which is quite wrong. Until a day or so ago I thought that I might actually act as M.C. but now personal matters might require my presence in Dublin (Ryan Air might, of course, decide otherwise). 'Never' is a dangerous word to use!
Forgive me butting in on a 'private' conversation between Fr Michael & Richard but did Richard say he might be MC? I trust he has remembered that the cassock goes on before the cotta!! Will Steve & Little Bob be there or do we need to dragoon Aidan & Martin?
Sceptical Believer,
I fear my crime as an Englishman is not to like beer. I certainly agree with you about the friendly people of Dublin. The bus drivers who took me on the putative trip to and from the airport on Thursday were brilliant, joking with frustrated and worried passengers that actually was very helpful.
Richard,
Hopefully things have improved but on Saturday the pavements in Dame Street were three inches thick with ice and compacted snow.
I have been twice to Dublin and it rained both times. I did not find the place particularly friendly. In one shop I visited, two members of staff were having an argument and the air was blue with foul language - I left and told them why. I caught a bus and was not given any change. I was told I would have to visit some office in the city and take my ticket where I would be given a refund of my change. When I found it eventually, people were in the queue in front of me with a handful of tickets awaiting their change. It was ridiculous system and I am sure that many people did not bother to reclaim their change. A wonderful way to fleece the public.
I had a beer in a pub (very expensive) and found the locals engaged in silly arguments just to sound clever.
I have no wish to visit again.
Thanks Rubricarius. Three inches of snow in Dame Street will make a change from crowds of tourists. And O'Neill's is close at hand for the Guiness (not beer, its Stout; do try it next time)
In my turn I ask Davil O'Neill to remember that we wear BLACK cassocks at St Mary's and red ones are not welcome.
I was shocked (to put it mildly) on my return from the world’s friendliest city to read Fr Michael writing: ‘I`m surprised no-one seems to have picked up on a story in the current issue of the Tablet entitled “Bring Back Friday Fasting, says Bishop Conry".` Does the North East’s leading traditionalist (as someone once described him) really approve of his followers reading The Tablet? Never mind fasting and/or abstinence (which are we talking about?): why not campaign to bring back The Index? Much more likely to identify Catholics as being, er, different.
If the discussion is about the return to not eating meat on Fridays lets keep it to that because we were never told we had to eat fish; only to abstain from meat. (Remember, the Church seldom tells us what we must do but frequently what we must not do.)
I was rather pleased to be back in England before Friday this week as the Shelbourne Hotel (*****) in Dublin charges quite a lot more for their quite excellent fish dishes than it does for fillet steak.. Eating fish nowadays when dining out (as one likes to do, after all) is certainly a penance in financial terms but doesn’t do much to help the needy.
Here was I, thinking about my weekly Friday treat of fish and chips from Fryers Plaice (sic) in Burnopfield...one portion serves two, £4-60, plus free batter, when I alight on Mr Rainbow's plugging of the Shelbourne Hotel's fish suppers. He cetainly leads a high life, puts the rest of us to shame, or maybe the rest of us lead a more frugal lifestyle than the sage of Whitley Bay. Wasn't it Leo XIII who talked, in Rerum Novarum, about living in "frugal comfort"?
Em is, of course quite correct in reminding us that Friday Abstinence was never revoked. Can I ask what do Bavarians and Austrians eat on Fridays, I am not aware that anyone has invented a fish sausage?
Is 1569 not aware that Friday is supposed to be a day of abstinence, which, after all, is a form of penance? His remark about his 'weekly Friday treat' of fish and chips was, of course, probably due to his Austrian blood, making him unaware of the Churh's injunction to abstain. All the same, his remark did surprise me. But, and this is a major complaint, his blatant advertising for a local fish and chip establisment is surely out of place on such a holy blog as Forest Murmurs? I believe that a similar complaint about another such abuse of FM was made some time ago. Is 1569 in partnership in that plaice (sic)? I have already had reports that approaches have been made to Derwent Coaches (advert.)to run coach trips to Burnopfield on Fridays for pensioners and retired postmasters. If these come about I hope that Forest Murmurs will be given a share of the increased profits.
I have not dined at the Shelbourne Hotel.
I would be surprised if it is better than Les Frères Jacques on Dame Street (half price wine on Mondays and Tuesdays!) which has never failed to please. Of course on a Friday one would add a drop of water to one's bottle as a penance.
Thank you, Rubricarius, for promoting Les Frères Jacques in Dublin but surely if the wine is reduced only on Mondays and Tuesdays paying full price on Fridays is in itself a penance and so adding a drop of water is unnecessary?
Oh Dear!!
Mr Rainbow, the Sage of Whitley Bay never ceases to amaze me. I did not think I would ever have to remind a genealogist that my having a relative in Austria does not necessarily mean that I have Austrian blood.
He then goes on to accuse me of advertising the fare of a humble fish & chip shop, and implies that I am organising bus trips to the said establishment for pensioners and retired sub-postmasters. Incidentally, the bus company he alleges I am involved with ceased trading many years ago. So, there will be no profit sharing for Murmuring Foresters, sorry.
His intimate knowledge of the up-market and highly expensive dining establishments of Dublin puts my very frugal and barren cuisine in perspective. In any case, I would rather have a bacon sandwich any day (except Fridays, of course) than any of Mr Rainbow's fancy tastes.
"Frugal comfort" - Rerum Novarum, Leo X111.
When 1569 Rising (to the bait!) says 'I would rather have a bacon sandwich any day (except Fridays, of course)' we do well to remember that he recently said fish and chips was a treat for him on Fridays. He does seem to enjoy his food! Every day?
Post a Comment