Friday, July 01, 2011

Ss Peter and Paul`s Day

I was very glad to see a better attendance at Mass on Wednesday than I had feared since the virtual abolition of Holydays. At both my parishes, the primary school children came as a body but there was a respectable number of parishioners. At St Mary`s one half of the church was filled with the children and the other with parishioners. I don`t know what it was like at the 7pm Mass at St Mary`s )said by our retired priest, Fr Milburn) as I had to leave for the 7.30 EF Mass at SS Peter and Paul`s. Attendance at this was better than I feared. I have in the past advertised the Mass at the cathedral and got a good response but this year I didn`t get round to it. As we were not inundated in the diocese with Masses specifically celebrating Pope Benedict`s 6oth anniversary of ordination I had thought to see if I could get a poster sent out to all parishes from bishop`s house but didn`t get round to that either. Nonetheless I was very pleased to see quite a lot of new faces from my parishes. The travelling Latini are not so much in evidence these days but there were still a good number. Also we had two members of the diocesan clergy taking part in the liturgical action who I`d not known be involved before. I won`t say who they are as I`ve not asked them if I can. Sadly there were no photos taken of the Mass but it went very well and the music from the schola, the organ and the choir of St George`s, Cullercoats, was very good indeed. I remarked in the homily about how apt it was to have a Mozart Mass setting given the Holy Father`s enthusiasm for his music.

After the morning Mass at St Mary`s an elderly lady walking with a stick asked if it was true that the bishops are considering restoring some of the Holydays. I said it was and she thought this was a move backwards and when are we going to get some young bishops with more modern ideas? I smiled. Other people said how glad they were to have a Holyday celebrated and they hoped the others return.

I had had an invitation to a Mass in the afternoon at the local Catholic comprehensive but I felt that after two school Masses in the morning and a High Mass to take place that night that I could be justified in skipping that one. I heard last night about the liturgical dance and can only say my guardian angel must have been looking after me that day.

1 comment:

Holiday lover said...

Virtual abolition of holy days? I'm assuming you are referring to the trend of moving them to the nearest Sunday. I sympathise with you.