Monday, March 28, 2011

EF Mass in York Minster


I have been thinking today about writing up an account of the Mass at York Minster on Saturday but the LMS have beaten me to it! It was a truly wonderful and uplifting occasion. It must have been the first time the Roman Missal of 1570 (with its subsequent minor changes) has been used in York Minster and as said elsewhere, probably the first Latin Mass said at the High Altar of the Minster since the time of Mary Tudor. Fr Maughan`s sermon was memorable and I hope we will see it made available somewhere. The procession to English Martyrs` church was almost as remarkable as the Mass. It was good to see old friends again including quite a number of people from the North West who went on the 2007 LMS pilgrimage to Lourdes: they are looking forward to the arrival of thhe Institute at SS Peter and Paul`s, New Brighton.Most of all it was fabulous to see so many Catholics coming together for this event and for a form of Mass the desire for which is normally ignored in diocesan life. I`m delighted to say there was even a small party from St Mary`s Forest Hall. The only blight on the day was the collapse of the rail system on the East Coast. In fact I met one person who had spent four hours trying to get to York from Newcastle and so missed the Mass only to spend a few more hours trying to get a train back from York.

While there were ten of us priests in choir it was a pity that the only Middlesborough priest was the celebrant. In fact looking around the parish newsletters of the York parishes on the internet none of them mentioned the event.(UPDATE 01.04.11 Thanks to Yorkmum for telling us that two York parishes did in fact advertise the Mass: their newsletters are not on the internet.)

The Catholic Shinobi has an interesting report here. Here is the LMS report:

Huge Success for the Latin Mass Society at York Minster



Over 700 Catholics committed to the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite (Traditional Latin Mass) converged on York Minster on Saturday 26 March to attend the first celebration of a Catholic Mass in the Minster since the Reformation. Sung Mass in the ancient Latin Rite, complete with beautiful vestments, ceremonial and incense, was celebrated at the High Altar by Fr Stephen Maughan of the Catholic diocese of Middlesbrough. (The Mass was a Votive Mass of a Holy Woman Martyr Not a Virgin).


Afterwards, the huge congregation processed through the streets of York in public witness of the Catholic Faith to the Shrine of St Margaret Clitherow in York’s historic Shambles before completing a memorable day with Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament at the Catholic Church of the English Martyrs.


The occasion was the Latin Mass Society’s first annual York pilgrimage in honour of St Margaret Clitherow, one of the LMS’s patron saints. The day was organised by Paul Waddington, National Treasurer and local Representative for the LMS who said: “I am overwhelmed by the response of so many hundreds of faithful Catholics. The number of young families with children in buggies was particularly encouraging”.


Permission for the Mass was given by the Dean, the Very Reverend Keith Jones, and Chapter of York Minster; the Dean and the Precentor, Canon Peter Moger, sat in choir during the Mass.


The Latin Mass Society had originally hoped to celebrate the Mass in the nearby Catholic parish Church of St Wilfrid’s, but unfortunately it was not available; however, the parish’s loss was York Minster’s gain.


The massive choir of York Minster was completely packed and over 150 people had to be accommodated in the nave with extra seating brought in. The music was provided by the Rudgate Singers, a local choir who specialise in the Latin Mass and who sang William Byrd’s polyphonic Mass for Five Voices.


Saint Margaret Clitherow, (1556-1586) who lived in York was an ordinary wife and mother who refused to renounce her Catholic faith and who was martyred by being pressed to death in the reign of Elizabeth I. She was executed on Good Friday 1586 and was canonised by Pope Paul VI in 1970 as one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales.


Following the Mass, there was a procession from York Minster through the city streets to St Margaret Clitherow’s shrine in the Shambles, and then across Ouse Bridge, the place of her execution. The sight of so many Catholic pilgrims publicly processing and praying the Rosary drew the notice of Saturday afternoon shoppers, and a respectful silence fell as the procession passed.


The procession finished at the Catholic Church of the English Martyrs where a relic of St Margaret Clitherow, on loan for the occasion from York’s Bar Convent, was venerated and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament was conferred by Fr Michael Brown, the LMS’s Northern Chaplain.


The occasion was widely covered by TV, radio and local press.


Michael Lord, LMS General Manager, said: “Something special happened in York on Saturday. Hundreds of Catholics gathered in this historic centre of northern Christianity to honour one of England’s bravest women in a quite extraordinary way. Indeed, some people travelled from as far away as London, Oxford and Dublin.


“This Mass in the ancient Roman Rite demonstrates quite clearly the suppressed level of interest in the Latin Mass, particularly amongst the young. I’m afraid many English and Welsh bishops are still very grudging in helping to organise celebrations of the Latin Mass but our huge congregation today shows that hundreds of people want to stand alongside Pope Benedict in his efforts to restore beauty and dignity to Catholic worship and to restore Christianity in its ancient European heartland.


“The LMS is already making plans for an even bigger celebration in honour of St Margaret Clitherow next year”.


The LMS offers its grateful thanks to the Dean and Chapter of York Minster, the Bar Convent, the Church of the English Martyrs and all those volunteer members of the LMS who co-ordinated the day’s events, and without whom such a happy and successful occasion would not have been possible.



Photographs of the pilgrimage can be downloaded here:



http://www.flickr.com/photos/latinmasssociety/galleries/72157626246685473/




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For further information, please contact John Medlin, Publicist, or Mike Lord, LMS General Manager, on (T) 020 7404 7284; (F) 020 7831 5585;


(E mail) info@lms.org.uk




Friday, March 25, 2011

Confraternity of Catholic Clergy

In January 2010 the Confraternity of Catholic Clergy of the USA and the Australian CCC held a conference in Rome for the Year of the Priesthood. There were about six of us from the UK who went along too and we talked about setting up the CCC in the UK. Nothing much happened after that and at the end of last year some of us in the North started talking about setting it up. We had a meeting in Bradford in January but while we were planning the next step we had no idea that work was progessing in the South and I was delighted to hear that those in the South had bitten the bullet and have now got things up and running. There is a website launched today.

The website says the CCC exists for fidelity, formation and fraternity. Fidelity to Scripture, the Magisterium, the Councils and Catechism of the Catholic Church and loyalty to the initiatives of the Holy Father. A membership application form can be found here.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Press Releases from the diocese of Shrewsbury and the LMS


Further to yesterday`s story about New Brighton I see there is a press release from the diocese of Shrewsbury (H/t to Joseph Shaw). I wonder what the brother northern Catholic bishops had to say? However it looks like it is a serious proposal. For those who commented on the last post about the amount of work that needs done on the church, repairing ailing churches has become a speciality of the Institute and I`m sure they will be prepared to put in whatever work is needed for its restoration.


Press Release from the Diocese of Shrewsbury


13th March 2011

For immediate release:

Order Considers Taking Over Landmark Wirral Church

The Rt. Rev Mark Davies, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Shrewsbury , has entered into exploratory negotiations with the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest about the possibility of the religious order establishing a community of priests at the Church of Ss Peter and Paul, New Brighton .

The intention is to reopen the main body of the church, which was closed for worship in August 2008, by conferring on the Institute the specific mission of fostering Eucharistic adoration. It is hoped that the Institute will work with local Catholics for the restoration and reopening of the building.

Priests of the Institute of Christ the King celebrate Mass in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite (sometimes known as the Tridentine rite, the Traditional Latin Mass or Old Latin Mass) according to the liturgical books promulgated in 1962 by Blessed Pope John XXIII. Bishop Davies will also be considering pastoral provision for the ordinary form of the Mass in English.
After Easter, Monsignor Gilles Wach, the French founder and superior general of the Institute, will visit the church for the first time and will hold direct talks with the bishop. If negotiations are fruitful Ss Peter and Paul will be the first Catholic church in Britain to be run by the Institute.

Since Bishop Davies was first approached by the Institute last year, he has been consulting with the Holy See, his brother northern Catholic bishops, the Patrimony Committee of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales , and English Heritage about the future of the Church of Ss Peter and Paul.

Bishop Davies said: “I welcome the interest shown by the Institute of Christ the King in establishing a new foundation in the Diocese and working for the restoration of the Church of Ss Peter and Paul, New Brighton . I look forward to exploring the practicalities of such a foundation providing Mass for the faithful attached to the Extraordinary Form and the possibility of the church becoming a centre for the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in which all can share. ”

Canon William Hudson, a spokesman for the Institute of Christ the King, said: “We are in the process of discussing this with Bishop Davies. It is a very serious proposition and while there are a number of issues that need to be addressed - notably financial - we are sure that the faithful will be just as generous as when the church was built. Our order has considerable experience in re-opening churches in very similar circumstances to Ss Peter and Paul. I am confident that with the guidance of the bishop, a solution can be found to the benefit of the Catholic community at large.”

For further information:

Please contact Simon Caldwell, communications officer for the Diocese of Shrewsbury, on 07708 119554 or at gabrielnews@btinternet.com.
Photos of Bishop Davies are available at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/catholicism/sets/72157623368061861/

Please credit Mazur/www.catholicchurch.org.uk

There is also today a press release from the LMS

15 March 2011

PRESS RELEASE FROM THE LATIN MASS SOCIETY

For Immediate Release

Latin Mass Society's Response to the Announcement of Negotiations Between Bishop Mark Davies of Shrewsbury and the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest
Bishop Mark Davies of Shrewsbury has announced that he is negotiating with the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest, an international order of priests who solely celebrated the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, for them to take control of the landmark Church of SS Peter and Paul, New Brighton, on the Wirral. The church is commonly known as ‘the Dome of Home’ for its prominence and visibility, even from sea.

In response, the Latin Mass Society has announced that it warmly welcomes the news that Bishop Mark Davies is negotiating with the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest (ICKSP) to enable the ICKSP to assume responsibility for the much-loved Church of SS Peter and Paul on the Wirral and for it to become a centre for Eucharistic devotion. The local membership of the LMS has been campaigning for the church to be reopened and for the Traditional Latin Mass to be regularly celebrated there.

This initiative is sure to promote Church renewal in Shrewsbury diocese to the great benefit of all Catholics regardless of which Form of the Rite they are attached to. The LMS will offer every help and assistance to Bp Davies and the Institute to bring their plans to fruition and invites all those attached to the Extraordinary Form to pray for Bishop Davies’ intentions.
Doctor Joseph Shaw, LMS Chairman, said: ‘This initiative is a clear expression of the harmonious reintegration of the Extraordinary Form into the life of the Church which Pope Benedict XVI so patently desires. It is a wonderful idea to have a centre for Eucharistic devotion in Shrewsbury diocese and the ICKSP are second to none in their devotion to Our Blessed Lord in the Sacrament of the Altar’.
The LMS provides regular financial support both to the Institute of Christ the King (ICKSP) and the Fraternity of St Peter (FSSP) for their missions in England and Wales to reintroduce use of the Extraordinary Form; further financial support is given to English and Welsh seminarians at ICKSP and FSSP seminaries.”
--

This link goes to the LMS’s press release on its website:
http://www.lms.org.uk/news-and-events/news-blog#press-release-icksp-bp-davies


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For further information, please contact John Medlin, Publicist, or Michael Lord, General Manager, on (T) 020 7404 7284; (F) 020 7831 5585; (E mail) info@lms.org.uk





Monday, March 14, 2011

Institute of Christ the King to New Brighton?


Fr Z has pointed out that the BBC are reporting that the Institute of Christ the King could be given the church of SS Peter and Paul at New Brighton. This would be a fantastic breakthrough for the Church in England as it would be the first time an Ecclesia Dei institute would be given its own church in the UK. Bishop Mark Davies, the new bishop of Shrewsbury, is in talks with the Institute. Let`s hope there is some good news soon.

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Mass in York Minster: March 26th


I know this has been widely announced but I held back as I thought an announcement nearer the date might be useful. There will be a sung Mass in the Extraordinary Form in York Minster at 1.30pm on Saturday March 26th. This will be in honour of St Margaret Clitherow. I`m sure she`ll be rejoicing in heaven to see this. Fr Stephen Maughan will be the celebrant. Music sung by the Rudgate Singers will include Byrd's Mass for Five Voices, Iustorum Animæ, Ave Verum Corpus, and Ave Regina Cælorum. There will then be a procession taking in her shrine in the Shambles and ending at English Martyrs` church where there will be Benediction and veneration of the relic of St Margaret. I will be the celebrant for that. This should be a great day for Catholics to honour the witness of St Margaret. Here is the official LMS statement:

PILGRIMAGE IN HONOUR OF ST MARGARET CLITHEROW

SATURDAY 26th MARCH 2011

YORK

The Latin Mass Society is organising a pilgrimage in honour of St Margaret Clitherow, one of its patron saints. It will be held in York on Saturday 26th March 2011.

The pilgrimage will begin at 1.30pm with a Missa Cantata at the High Altar of York Minster. This will be followed by a procession from the minster, via The Shambles and Ouse Bridge to the Church of the English Martyrs in Dalton Terrace, where Benediction and veneration of the relic of St Margaret Clitherow will take place at 4pm.

Use of York Minster is by kind permission of the Dean and Chapter.

It was originally intended that Benediction would be at the Bar Convent, but because of the nunbers that are expected to attend, this has been transferred to the English Martyrs’ Church.

Because of the parking restrictions in force in York, visitors travelling by car are advised to use the Park and Ride facilities. The Askham Bar car park, on the Tadcaster Road near to the A64 to the south-west of York, will be the most convenient as the buses from there pass near to both the Minster and English Martyrs’ Church. It would be wise to allow half an hour to get from the car park to the Minster by bus.

Saturday, March 05, 2011

Extraordinary Form Mass for primary school children


What an interesting idea! You can read about this Mass at West Heath, Birmingham on the Hermeneutic. I thought this was a useful thing to say:

It is important that all Catholics (and especially children) are aware of their heritage and the diversity which exists in the Church. All are welcome. Later in the year they will be visiting places associated with other Christian groups and other religions. These experiences help to promote understanding and prevent prejudice and bigotry, which can exist even among people who think of themselves as liberal or progressive in their thought

I have been celebrating school Masses for St Stephen`s school, Longbenton using the ad orientem position for the offertory, Eucharistic prayer and up to Communion time. It is a pity the school seems to have stopped using the plainchant they learnt. I was hoping to build on it not drop it. However this is an idea that has got me thinking but will need a lot of preparation.

UPDATE 7th March. I`ve loooked at Matthew Doyle`s site (picture above copied from his Flickr album) and see how the preparationwas done. It must help to have a teacher who attends the Extraordinary Form and a pupil who knows how to serve. The feedback from Melanie Bullivant, teacher at the Primary School and a regular at Fr George's Friday Evening Low Mass was interesting:
I was so pleased with the children's behaviour - they really seemed to enter into the spirit of the liturgy, so to speak! I have asked lots of the children what they thought of the Mass and there has been 90% positive feedback! A few said things like it was a bit loo long or they didn't like all the kneeling. But a hugh majority say they really liked it. I asked why and they said things like, they enjoyed listening to the Latin and they liked joining in with some of the reponses. Some said they liked the quiet because they felt close to Jesus and one girl said she really liked kneeling for Holy Communion because it was more special! One of the children said she wants to learn more Latin! Staff feedback has also been positive, they seemed to enjoy the Mass and were pleased with the children's behaviour.


Ushaw in the news again

Readers may recall the photos of the state of the junior house at Ushaw that were posted here last July. They were featured on a site called 28 Day Later Urban Exploration Forum. Now it seems a similar group may have jumped the gun somewhat according to a report in the Sunderland Echo. H/t to Giorgio Roversi.

Priests’ college intruder warning

A WARNING has been issued to trespassers to stay away from a priests’ training college after a spate of incidents.

Police have said those who enter Ushaw College in Durham face arrest as well as being at risk of injury.

The premises have been subjected to various thefts and incidents of criminal damage over the past 12 months.

On Thursday, February 24, officers were called to a report of suspicious activity at the college, after a member of the public reported three men had climbed through a ground-floor window.

When police arrived they discovered six men and women of various ages inside one of the unsecure buildings on the site.

When questioned, the group explained they were involved in a photography project after reading the college was closing in the near future.

Sergeant Keith Wardle, of Durham Constabulary, said: “Anyone entering the college is guilty of trespass and could be arrested. They are also placing themselves at risk because of the poor condition of some of the buildings. We would urge people to stay away from the college.”

It was announced in October that Ushaw College was to close after a large drop in priest numbers. The 200-year-old building is home to St Cuthbert’s Seminary, which has been training priests since its foundation in France more than 400 years ago.

Tuesday, March 01, 2011

Pictures from Thornley

Apologies once again for my lack of blogging. Here`s an easy post I could have done earlier. These are pictures from last week`s Mass at Thornley. Many thanks to Frank for the photos. This was Fr Dickson`s first time as celebrant at a Solemn Mass and although he was very nervous all went off well. The preacher was Fr Henry of the Offerimus tibi Domine blog. He has kindly posted his sermon there. We were also joined by Fr Aldo Tapparo from Oxford.