On the True Understanding of Vatican II

I was much encouraged by this pastoral letter of Bishop R. Walker Nickless of Sioux City, USA, as reported today on the Catholic Culture site under the heading, Iowa bishop blasts ‘spirit of Vatican II,’ calls it ‘a ghost or demon that must be exorcised."

Here is the part that is quoted:

The question arises: Why has the implementation of the Council, in large parts of the Church, thus far been so difficult? Well, it all depends on the correct interpretation of the Council or - as we would say today - on its proper hermeneutics, the correct key to its interpretation and application. The problems in its implementation arose from the fact that two contrary hermeneutics came face to face and quarreled with each other. One caused confusion, the other, silently but more and more visibly, bore and is bearing fruit.

On the one hand, there is an interpretation that I would call “a hermeneutic of discontinuity and rupture,” it has frequently availed itself of the sympathies of the mass media, and also one trend of modern theology. On the other, there is the “hermeneutic of reform,” of renewal in the continuity of the one subject – Church – which the Lord has given to us. She is a subject which increases in time and develops, yet always remaining the same, the one subject of the journeying People of God.

The hermeneutic of discontinuity risks ending in a split between the pre-conciliar Church and the post-conciliar Church. It asserts that the texts of the Council as such do not yet express the true spirit of the Council …

It is crucial that we all grasp that the hermeneutic or interpretation of discontinuity or rupture, which many think is the settled and even official position, is not the true meaning of the Council. This interpretation sees the pre-conciliar and post-conciliar Church almost as two different churches. It sees the Second Vatican Council as a radical break with the past. There can be no split, however, between the Church and her faith before and after the Council. We must stop speaking of the “Pre-Vatican II” and “Post-Vatican II” Church, and stop seeing various characteristics of the Church as “pre” and “post” Vatican II. Instead, we must evaluate them according to their intrinsic value and pastoral effectiveness in this day and age …

The so-called “spirit” of the Council has no authoritative interpretation. It is a ghost or demon that must be exorcised if we are to proceed with the Lord’s work.

Stirring stuff!

I was right about Blue Peter.

A few weeks ago I decided to preach on the life of St Thérèse of Lisieux in preparation for visit of her relics. I began by saying that my first memory of St Thérèse was through watching a feature on the story of her life on Blue Peter. When I stopped to think about it, it now seems highly unlikely that such a programme as Blue Peter would do a feature like that and I began to wonder if I had imagined the whole thing or had got mixed up.

Yesterday I was talking to someone who had been to a preparation session for the arrival of the relics . As part of the session they were shown the Blue Peter feature. Peter Purves told the story. I was so pleased to hear that I had been right and that it had really happened. My informant had searched for the episode on YouTube but it isn`t there. Maybe one day it will appear. I don`t suppose Blue Peter gave the tour of the relics any publicity this time.

I see the relics blog has published the numbers of visitors at each location. Newcastle with 5,000 didn`t really do that well: York managed 10,000 and Leeds 14,000. Still it certainly caught the imagination of people round the country. There`s an article in today`s Telegraph on the visit which tries to say what it all meant.

Tutorial Videos on the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite

Here is a series of Youtube videos giving instruction on celebrating the Extraordinary Form of Mass. The commentary is in Italian but I`m sure it will be useful to those who don`t have Italian who may use it in conjunction with Fortescue or Zualdi. I particularly liked the demonstrations of how not to do things together with a large X across the screen. It is good to see it is catching on in Italy. When I was in Tuscany last year I was pleasantly surprised to see how many churches had the EF. Thanks to Giorgio Roversi for the link.

Here`s one part of the series:


UPDATE: Now available with English commentary here.

Viva Nuestra Señora La Virgen Del Pilar!

Today at the request of some of our Filipino parishioners we had a Mass and celebration for La Virgen Del Pilar. I had heard of this devotion in Spain, at Saragossa, but wasn`t aware of the Filipino equivalent. The actual feast is on October 12th but people`s commitments meant it bringing it forward to today. Our Lady of the Pillar is patroness of Zamboanga city in Mindanao. The history is very interesting and can be found here. The fortress was dedicated to Our Lady of the Pillar in 1718.

Wikipedia says:

On September 21st, 1897 the virgin made an apparition, according to the people who witnessed it they saw the virgin standing mid-air over the Basilan Strait, she had her right hand raised to signal the onrushing waves to stop, saving the city from a tsunami.

I learned at the party today that also in the 1970`s, Zamboanga City was saved from a tsunami. At the Mass we prayed for all the victims of the recent bad weather in the Philippines. After Mass there was a party in the parish hall. I was surprised to learn that everyone at the Mass and party was from Zamboanga. I had mentioned the Mass on the parish newsletter and hope that now I have the idea of what it is about we will have a celebration next year on the date and that the rest of the parish may want to join in. It is good to enrich our parish life with festivals like this. Here are a couple of pictures of the food and of course the lechón, without which no serious Filipino party is complete. (Vegetarians may wish not to look!)

At the end of Mass we had the hymn for the Virgin of the Pillar. Here it is:

Virgen Santa Madre mia

Luz Hermosa claro dia

Que la tierra Zamboanguena

Que dignaste visitar

Este pueblo que te adora

De to mor, favour implora

Y te aclama y te bendice

Abrazando a tu pilar...

Pilar sagrado, faro esplendente

Rico presente de caridad

Pilar bendito, trono de Gloria

Tu a la Victoria nos llebaras

Tu a la Victoria nos llebaras

Cantad, cantad himnos de amor y alabanza

Cantad, cantad a La Virgen del Pilar

Cantad, cantad himnos de amor y alabanza

Cantad, cantad a La Virgen del Pilar....2x

St Thérèse in Newcastle

On Wednesday night I went down to St Andrew`s in Worswick St to visit the relics of St Thérèse. I got there at about 9.30 and found there was quite a long queue. However it kept moving and in all it was only about a fifteen minute wait to get in. By the time I left at about 10.15 there was no queue.

What I enjoyed most about the visit was that feeling that we are part of the universal Church: that these relics have been all over the world drawing Catholics to them in unity of faith. Sometimes in England it feels that we are going our own way and that developments in other parts of the Church don`t reach these shores. It has been mentioned recently that Cardinal Hume would not give permission for these relics to tour England while he was alive. I`d forgotten about that and remember being angry about it at the time. Maybe the cardinal who had worked hard to bring Catholicism into the mainstream of English life thought that if we were presented as a `bone-worshipping religion` to the outside world it would diminish his efforts. However there is no denying that the cult of relics has always been part of the Catholic faith although much eclipsed in recent times. Peter Brown`s book `The Cult of the Saints` I found quite exciting on this subject as he revealed the importance of the cult of relics in the early Church.

In the event it has been a good thing. It was encouraging to see so many people in St Andrew`s church and to see not just older people but a lot of younger ones too. I recognised a good few parishioners and a couple of attendees at the local SSPX church who sometimes come to the EF Masses in Longbenton. I wonder if many of the local SSPX followers went or whether they thought it was all tainted by being in a church where the OF is celebrated?

Above all it has made me revisit`The Story of a Soul` again and renew my acquaintance with the life of St Thérèse for which I`m grateful. Madame Evangelista has posted on her earlier visit that day. I spoke to one of our teachers today who had gone at 4.30 am and said there was a good crowd. If the result is that people think about prayer and heaven then I`m sure it will have been a great source of grace.

Today`s the Day.

The relics of St Thérèse arrive in Newcastle today. I have failed to mention it so far but there is a blog following the visit round the country which makes interesting reading. You can find it here. Here is the programme for Newcastle:

Relics of St Thérèse of Lisieux

Wednesday 30th September 2009
3.00 pm Arrival Service
3.30 pm General Veneration
7.30 pm Bishop’s Mass
8.30 pm General Veneration
11.30pm Evening prayer of the church

Thursday 1st October 2009
Midnight All Night Vigil
8.00 am Mass for St Therese’s feast day
9.00 am General Veneration
10.00 am Departure Service
10.30 am Departure of Relics


NOTES
Priests will be available for Anointing of the Sick up to midnight on Wednesday and from 7.30 am to 10.30 am on Thursday.
Priests will available for confessions up to midnight on Wednesday.

The Mass with the bishop was originally billed as being ticket-only but now it isn`t.

Franciscan Friars of the Renewal at Forest Hall

This year, at the beginning of September, for the retreat day for our confirmation candidates, the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal came up from Bradford. We were happy to welcome Fr Thomas and brothers Seraphim and Felice. I took a group photo but it was too blurry so here is the only usable photo of the day which is not ideal but better than nothing.

The friars led our young people in prayer and discussion and I hope the day will bear fruit. It is not often that young people round here get the chance to meet anyone in religious life. I`m sure the authentic Franciscan spirit and joy of the friars cannot fail to be infectious and hope that now they have met the community we may be able to get some enthusiasm going for events such as the annual Walsingham renewal weekend.

Should the Pope come to Tyneside?

In 1982 Pope John Paul II came to York which of course has great historical significance for the English Church. It was a mid-way point where the Catholics of Yorkshire and the North East could go to share in the papal visit. It would be understandable, given his advanced age, if Pope Benedict makes a shorter visit to these isles. It is said he will visit London and Birmingham ( and maybe Oxford) but I`ve not been keeping up with the latest proposals. However the local Newcastle paper, the Evening Chronicle, had a poll on whether people would like to see the Pope come to Tyneside. When I last looked there was just over 50% in favour and 49% against. The poll seems to have gone but the article is here.

So is there still a virulent No Popery movement in the North East? I`ve never met much of it although I was directed recently to a blog by an Anglican cleric who works a few miles away which is somewhat less than keen on Pope Benedict.

Well it`s all very exciting and gives us something to look forward to. I`m sure many of us will be prepared to travel, even if it means crossing the border into Scotland if that is the nearest the papal visit comes. Roll on 2010!

Bishops must help priests follow their vocation faithfully

Our bishop, Seamus Cunningham, is at this study week for new bishops although I couldn`t see him on this extract. `Bishops` boot camp` was the term our late bishop, Kevin Dunn, used to describe this week.

Forty Hours at 5.15am

This was the scene not long before dawn. All is going well and people seemed to manage without the heating last night so the candles survived the night and I hope they last until tomorrow morning. All the watching slots are now accounted for thanks to some last minute volunteers for some of the early morning slots. I`m always uplifted by the generous response the Forty Hours produces in people who are ready to give up time to be with the Lord.

The Forty Hours underway

The Forty Hours is under way and almost every hour is now covered by volunteers to watch. I just hope the candles last. The heaters in church blow hot air around which makes candles gutter (they are also annoyingly noisy) but it is too cold for people to sit for an hour without any heat. Here`s a photo from a few minutes ago.

The Forty Hours

In my last parish, I came across the Forty Hours for the first time. That was in 1995. At St Wilfrid`s, Gateshead they had just kept it going while it had died out in other parishes. It was always a very special time in the parish year and even though the congregation was not large and mostly elderly there was great enthusiasm to keep it going. I offered to stop at midnight and start again at 8am but volunteers always came forward to ensure that there was watching through the night, both nights. I understand that my successor as parish priest, Fr Dixon, has kept it going.

I went to St Wilfrid`s in the week to borrow their candle stands as we are having the Forty hours here at St Mary`s this year. I didn`t think there would be enough interest to fill all the watching slots but most of them have been accounted for. Again I am very pleased that people have volunteered for the night-watching. So we start tonight at 6pm and will continue through to 10am Mass on Tuesday morning. I`m hoping it will help deepen our devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and that it will become an annual event ( even if we need to borrow the stands from St Wilfrid`s every year).

Here`s a picture of the altar as it was set up this morning after Mass.

Benedict XVI: The role of priests is irreplaceable

North East Catholic History Society

I am delighted to say that our diocesan website now has a section on the North East Catholic History Society of which I have the honour of being chairman. There you can find the programme of talks for the next academic year and details about the magazine. Thanks to the diocesan webmaster for her work on this.

Brinkburn 2009

A much larger congregation than I`d feared turned up at Brinkburn on Saturday for the annual High Mass. As mentioned there was an all FSSP team. Fr Emerson was celebrant and Rev Simon Harkin was deacon and Rev Peter Bauknecht was subdeacon. Many thanks to them and to the Rudgate singers, Schola Borealis, organist Peter Locke and the altar servers for making it possible as well as English Heritage. Here are some photos, courtesy of Frank Erskine.

Brinkburn

This Saturday there will be a Solemn High Mass at Brinkburn priory in Northumberland at 12 noon. Music will be provided by the Schola Borealis, the Rudgate Singers (who will be singing a Mass by Lotti and motet by Scarlatti) and organist Peter Locke. The celebrant will be Fr Emerson FSSP and the deacon and subdeacon will also be from the FSSP. This is normally a highlight of the year for the Extraordinary Form in the North East. I`m looking forward to not being the celebrant or a sacred minister for a change and just taking it all in.

London Colney

Anyone wondering how the recent LMS training conference at London Colney went can find a full report on Joseph Shaw`s blog here.

Are priests expendable?

Apparently there is no uniform reaction to the swine `flu threat around the country in Catholic dioceses. One of my parishioners came back from visiting family recently and told me that in her daughter`s parish everyone was still receiving from the chalice and shaking hands at the sign of peace. In Hexham and Newcastle we have been requested to stop exchanging the sign of peace with a handshake, to stop the distribution of Holy Communion from the chalice and to not receive Holy Communion on the tongue.

The last point caused a lot of anguish among the faithful at the EF Mass but so far as I hear there is a kind of exception for the them. Distributing Holy Communion on the tongue to people who are kneeling is a different affair to giving it to those who are standing where there is more chance of the celebrant`s fingers making contact with the communicant`s tongue. For the sign of peace, as I only heard from those who regretted the new regulations, on a Sunday I ask people to turn to their neighbour and wish them peace. This seems to work well enough.

Not included among the request we received was the emptying of holy water fonts but this appears to have happened anyway but I`m not sure it is necessary.

Those who are finding it all difficult point to the sharing of hymn books as a possible source of infection but we`ve not received any request about this. I also never give a thought to avoiding shaking hands with people outside of Mass.

One thing that does strike me as odd is that we still have concelebration. I went to Fr Daley`s Requiem Mass on Friday and all was as normal. As priests we shared the chalice. Should this be happening if the other requests are serious? Maybe it is time to drop concelebration for the time being unless we think priests are expendable or miraculously protected from swine `flu.

The new `New Mass`

Quite a number of sites have posted a link to the bishops of the USA`s site which gives the new texts we will be using before long at the Ordinary Form of Mass in English. They look like a huge improvement to me.

Also of interest is today`s news from Rorate Caeli regarding the propositions from the Congregation for Divine Worship for the OF Mass. It makes interesting reading. Here`s a quote.

ROME The document was delivered to the hands of Benedict XVI in the morning of last April 4 by Spanish Cardinal Antonio Cañizares Llovera, Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship. It is the result of a reserved vote, which took place on March 12, in the course of a "plenary" session of the dicastery responsible for the liturgy, and it represents the first concrete step towards that "reform of the reform" often desired by Pope Ratzinger.

The Cardinals and Bishops members of the Congregation voted almost unanimously in favor of a greater sacrality of the rite, of the recovery of the sense of eucharistic worship, of the recovery of the Latin language in the celebration, and of the remaking of the introductory parts of the Missal in order to put a stop to abuses, wild experimentations, and inappropriate creativity. They have also declared themselves favorable to reaffirm that the usual way of receiving Communion according to the norms is not on the hand, but in the mouth. There is, it is true, and indult which, on request of the [local] episcopates, allows for the distribution of the host [sic] also on the palm of the hand, but this must remain an extraordinary fact.

The "Liturgy Minister" of Pope Ratzinger, Cañizares, is also having studies made on the possibility to recover the orientation towards the Orient of the celebrant, at least at the moment of the eucharistic consecration, as it happened in practice before the reform, when both the faithful and the priest faced towards the Cross and the priest therefore turned his back to the assembly.

It`s all looking good, if it comes to fruition. I can`t ever remember feeling as positive about things as I do these days.

UPDATE. This story has now been denied and then the denials have been denied. Time alone will tell what is going on. It is all very much like the chaos before the announcement of the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum.

Tablet and the `marginal` Extraordinary Form

I was glad to see a letter from bishop Alan Hopes in the Tablet today regarding their editorial of last week about the LMS training session at London Colney.

The second paragraph reads:

By providing this conference for priests wishing to learn the extraordinary rite, the Diocese of Westminster is not only affirming the importance of the worthy celebration of the liturgy and proper attention that priests should pay to good celebration but also reminding us that the diocesanbishop is the moderator, promoter and guardian of the whole diocese`s liturgical life. He is not "seeking to nip potential schism in the bud" or suggesting that the place of the Tridentine Rite is "necessarily marginal".

Later the letter draws attention to the need for liturgical participation to be both internal and external and that to reduce it to solely external signs is misguided.

Fr Felix Daley

I was saddened this week to hear of the death of Fr Felix Daley. Fr Daley was 92 years old and the oldest priest of our diocese. When I was 11 years old, in the first year at grammar school in Newcastle, he was on the staff. He had formed a group under the name of the `St Dominic Savio Guild` to promote vocations to the priesthood. I joined the group. It was Fr Daley who enrolled my form in the Brown Scapular and Miraculous Medal. He managed to whip up us into a high degree of religious enthusiasm. I remember a spiritual bouquet he had us contributing to and how we would come into the class in the morning keen to add the number of decades of the Rosary we had added to the cause.

Fr Daley left St Cuthbert`s Grammar School at the end of my first year. He had taught there for 26 years. Immediately after ordination to the priesthood, Father Daley went to St Edmund’s House, Cambridge for further studies from September 1942 – July 1946. I seem to remember he also served in that time as an RAF chaplain. In February 1973 he was appointed as Parish
Priest of St Joseph’s, Murton, Co Durham, where he remained for 23 years until his retirement in August 1998.

There was due to be a gathering last Tuesday of priests who taught with him, of old boys of the school who are now priests and 30 other old boys at the Little Sisters in Sunderland where he lived but he was taken into hospital on 15th August. He died on Wednesday 20th August.

Hs Requiem Mass will be on Friday 28th August at St Joseph’s, Murton at 1.00pm. May he rest in peace.

'Year For Priests' Clergy Conference Rome 2010

I have mentioned before about the conference in Rome for priests in January organised by the Conferences of Catholic Clergy of the USA and Australia. Quite a number of priests from the UK have written to me asking how can they register. Unfortunately the website, which has been up since April, still says this is not possible. I hope we won`t miss out. However yesterday the website was updated with a programme of events so it must still be happening. Here is the programme:



Arrive at Casa Bonus Pastor (Via Aurelia 208 - 00165 Roma; tel.0039-06-69871282 fax 0039-06-69871435, e-mail: info@casabonuspastor.it) on Monday 4th January. Conference registration from Noon-4.00pm, with formal commencement and welcome at 4.00pm.


The programme includes the daily celebration of Holy Mass in the great basilicas, and on some days Vespers and Benediction. Our celebrants will include: His Eminence, William Cardinal Levada, His Eminence, Antonio Cardinal Canizares, His Eminence, James Cardinal Stafford, His Excellency Archbishop Mauro Piacenza, and His Excellency Archbishop Raymond Burke. We hope to be at the Holy Father's Mass on the Solemnity of the Epiphany.


Our speakers will include the following:


'Perspectives of the Priesthood in recent times' (Rev.do Mons. Anthony McDaid)


'Three Patristic Texts on the Priesthood: Gregory Nazianzus' De Fuga, John Chrysostom's Six Books on the Priesthood and Gregory the Great's Pastoral Care' (Rev.do Padre Joseph Carola SJ)


'Liturgy and Language: The "Sacral Vernacular" (Liturgiam authenticam 47) of the new English Translation of the Roman Missal' (Uwe Michael Lang)


'Preaching to Priests: Wisdom from the Middle Ages' (Rev.do Paul Murray OP) and 'The Genius of the Roman Rite in the identity of the priest' (Rev. Fr. P. Gunter OSB)


The daily schedule will make provision both for free time, and also evening 'convivium' to promote fraternity among the Fathers.


We will conclude the Conference on Friday 8th January with an excursion to the delightful town of Bagnoregio, birthplace of St Bonaventure, north of Rome.


Rev.do Mons. Anthony McDaid is from the Congregation for Clergy of the Roman Curia.


Fr Uwe Michael Lang is a priest of the Congregation of the Oratory of St Philip Neri in London. He studied theology and classics in Munich, Oxford and Vienna and holds a doctorate in theology from the University of Oxford. He was ordained to the priesthood in 2004 and worked in parish and school ministry until 2007. He has published various articles on Patristics and liturgical studies, including his doctoral thesis, John Philoponus and the Controversie of Chalcedon in the Sixth Century (Leuven 2001). His book Conversi ad Dominum. Zu Geschichte und Theologie der christlichen Gebetsrichtung came out first in German in 2003 with a preface by then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger and has since been translated into English, Italian, French, Hungarian, Spanish, Croatian and Dutch. Recently, he has edited and contributed to the volumes Die Anaphora von Addai und Mari: Studien zu Eucharistie und Einsetzungsworten (Bonn 2007) and The Genius of the Roman Rite: Historical, Theological and Pastoral Perspectives on Catholic Liturgy. Proceedings of the 2006 Oxford CIEL Colloquium (Chicago 2009). Fr Lang is a staff member of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments in the Vatican and Coordinator of the Master programme in “Architecture, Sacred Art and Liturgy” at the Università Europea di Roma/ Ateneo Pontificio Regina Apostolorum. In September 2008, he has been appointed by Pope Benedict XVI as Consultor to the Office for the Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff.


Father Paul Murray, O.P. is a member of the Irish Dominican Province. At present he is Professor of Spiritual Theology at the Pontifical University of St Thomas (“Angelicum”) in Rome. From 2001 to 2005 he was Vice-Rector of the University. At present he is President of the Spirituality Institute, and also serves as Spiritual Director at the Convitto Internazionale San Tommaso, a Pontifical College for young diocesan priests from all over the world. Before going to Rome, Father Murray worked for many years in Dublin, teaching in various institutes, including the Dublin Diocesan Seminary and University College Dublin. In 2000-2001, at the invitation of Cardinal George, Father Murray occupied the Paluch Chair of Theology at the University of St Mary of the Lake, Mundelein Seminary, Chicago. Works published by Father Murray include the following: T.S. Eliot and Mysticism: The Secret History of Four Quartets, (1991); A Journey with Jonah: The Spirituality of Bewilderment (2002); The New Wine of Dominican Spirituality: A Drink Called Happiness (2006); ‘I Loved Jesus in the Night’, Teresa of Calcutta: A Secret Revealed. He has also published four books of poetry, one of which was awarded Poetry Ireland Choice.


Paul Gunter OSB. Monk of Douai Abbey since 1985 Ordained 1991. Did Parish Work for 10 years. Did his Doctorate on Edmund, Bishop and the Genius of the Roman Rite in 2006, since which time he has been a Professor at the same Pontifical Institute S. Anselmo in Rome. And Consultor of the Office of the Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff since 1988. Genius of the Roman Rite in the identity of the Priest.

Absolutely amazing

I switched on the computer this morning to find two absolutely amazing things on the blogosphere. Firstly there is the Divinum Officium site. Thanks to the Hermeneutic and Jane Teresa for the link. (Pastor in Valle seems to have been the one who drew others` attention to it.) This gives complete texts and translations of the Roman breviary from 1570-1961. It is a fantastic resource and timely given the recent discussions about use of the 1961 breviary. It will be useful for those wanting to say the EF breviary and who are either not sure of the rubrics or the translation (maybe especially of the hymns). It is also fascinating for anyone wanting to compare the different versions and see what exactly happened to the traditional breviary in 1910 or how the various twentieth century editions compare.

Then there is an interview on Rorate Caeli, with Mgr Domenico Bartolucci, who has the title maestro perpetuo of the Sistine chapel, although in fact John Paul II retired him in 1997, somewhat controversially. He was the successor of Perosi and is now 92 years old. He has some interesting things to say about the liturgy and its music. He doesn`t seem to have much time for Perosi`s Cecilian movement and also has misgivings over the Solesmes style of chant. However it is interesting to read that he has always celebrated the extraordinary form Mass.

Here is a sample of the interview but the whole thing is worth a read:

But how could it have come to this twisting of the liturgy?

It became a kind of fashion. Everybody talked about it, everybody “was renewing”, everybody was trying to be like popes (tutti pontificavano) in the wake of sentimentalism, of eagerness to reform. And the voices that raised themselves to defend the two thousand year old Tradition of the Church, were cleverly hushed. There was the invention of a kind of “people’s liturgy” … when I heard these refrains, it came into my mind something which my professor at the Seminary used to say: “the liturgy is something given by the clerics to the people” (“la liturgia è del clero per il popolo”). It descends from God and does not come up from the bottom. I have to admit, however, that this foul-smelling appearances [sic] have made themselves a bit more rare. The young generations of priests are maybe better than those who came before them, they do not have the ideological fury of an iconoclastic ideology, they are full of good feelings, however they lack in education.

What do you mean, Maestro, when you say “they lack in education”?

It means that they need it! I am speaking of the structure that the wisdom of the Church had so delicately chiseled in course of centuries. You do not understand the importance of the seminary: a liturgy that is fully lived, the orderly articulation of the different periods of the year and all this experienced in social communion with the brothers... Advent, Lent, the big feasts that follow after Easter. All of this is educational and if you only knew how much!

LMS training conference at London Colney

Just a reminder that the next LMS training conference, held in conjunction with the archdiocese of Westminster, is next week. If it is half as good as the Ushaw one it will be unmissable. I post this to give details of the public liturgies which people may like to attend. I hope all goes very well.


Latin Mass Society Residential Training Conference for Priests Wishing to Learn the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite (Traditional Latin Mass)

In Association with the Archdiocese of Westminster

All Saints Pastoral Centre
London Colney, St Albans, Herts, UK

Monday 24 August to Friday 28 August 2009

All services in the beautiful Ninian Comper-designed chapel

Liturgies Open to the Public

Tuesday 25 August at 11.45 am
Feast of St Louis King and Confessor
High Mass

Wednesday 26 August at 11.45 am
Feria
Sung Mass

Thursday 27 August at 11.45 am
St Joseph Calasanctius Confessor
Sung Mass

Friday 28 August at 11.00 am
St Augustine Bishop, Confessor and Doctor
High Mass

Some final training places are available – tell your priests!

Full details of the conference and registration forms are available from the LMS website:

www.latin-mass-society.org

or telephone the LMS office: 020 7404 7284.

Cardinal Arinze

Many readers of this blog probably also read Rorate Caeli but for those who don`t, then these remarks of Cardinal Arinze, the recently retired head of the Congregation for Divine Worship, at the closing Solemn Mass of the Ninth FABC Plenary Assembly in Manila, the Philippines, on 16 Aug. 2009 may be of interest. The full report is here. While the conference was concerned with Asia I don`t see these remarks as being irrelevant elsewhere.

In the Latin Rite, only concelebrating priests take Holy Communion. Everyone else is given, be the person cleric or lay. It is not right that the priest discard any of the vestments just because the climate is hot or humid. If necessary, the Bishop can arrange the use of lighter cloth. It is altogether unacceptable that the celebrant will opt for local dress in the place of universally approved Mass vestments or use baskets, or wine glasses to distribute the Holy Eucharist. This is inculturation wrongly understood . . . .

Dance in particular needs to be critically examined because most dances draw attention to the performers and offer enjoyment. People come to Mass, not for recreation but, to adore God, to praise and thank him, to ask pardon for their sins, and to request other spiritual and temporal needs

Letters in the Tablet

I do look at the Tablet each week. I particularly make a point of turning to the letters page to see what is going on. This week the first letters are published under the heading `Rites new and old`. The first is from Fr Kevin Pelham who writes:

I am nonplussed, particularly, that the desire of this group to restore to regular use the 1962 edition of the Tridentine Missal has been totally unmatched by any similar desire to restore the 1961 edition of the Tridentine Breviary! Surely a format of the Mass, especially if and when it is imposed by the celebrant against the wishes of at least some of the attending congregation, should be parallelled by a similar format of their individual prayer.

This raises quite a lot of points. The main one is the use of the extraordinary form of the Roman breviary. I completely agree with Fr Pelham that a celebrant with a desire to celebrate the extraordinary form of the Roman missal should also want to celebrate the same version of the breviary. However most of those parish clergy who celebrate the extraordinary form do not do so every day and most of their Masses will be in the ordinary form, so sticking to the ordinary form breviary makes more sense in regard to the calendar and general spirit of the thing.

However regular readers of this blog will recall that I have indeed switched to saying the breviary in the EF. This has been a Very Good Thing. I find it far more prayerful and discover that the psalms become more a part of one`s life when they are said so much more often. Having a weekly cycle of psalms gives a deeper grounding and identification with them than the four week cycle I find. It is easier to remember what psalms occur say on a Monday morning than on the third Monday of a four week cycle.

Since Fr Pelham`s email address was printed under his letter I wrote to him to say that I hope his letter does give food for thought to those clergy who like the EF and that they will indeed adopt the EF breviary. As for it being `totally unmatched` etc this just isn`t true. I know quite a few who say the EF breviary and it was a priest of our diocese who gave me a great incentive to do so when I saw him using it and asked him a few questions about the practicality of doing so. Fr Tim Finigan has an item about it today too. I agree with him over the pared down nature of the 1962 form and wish there were more nocturnes so we could have more patristic input at matins but that may come in the future development of the rite.

The next letter by a James Anderson of London gives heart as he describes himself as `one of a growing number of Catholics in the UK who had until recently experienced only the ordinary form of the Mass, but who has lately come to know and love the extraordinary form.`

He adds:

`The extraordinary form does not yield its fruit easily, requiring preparation, concentration and a certain inner stillness in order for the layperson to participate fully`

Another letter under the heading `Music at Mass` by Kevin Mayhew, the music publisher, is written in defence of the awful `clapping Gloria` and Israeli Mass on the grounds that lots of people like them. This is in reply to John Ainslie, the chairman of the Society of St Gregory, who suggests that when the new translations of the Mass come out only those musical settings which stick to the proper texts will be allowed. I hope Mr Ainslie is right. The practice of substituting other texts for the official ones all adds to the frame of mind of `It doesn`t really matter` which is widespread and I think partly responsible for our decline. I intend to write about this in an another post.

Just the usual

A bishop for whom I had a lot of respect once told me that he got complaints about liturgical abuse but when he investigated them he found they were without substance. I said I was glad to hear that was the case but I had seen plenty. Unfortunately that bishop is no longer with us but here are a few abuses, which I found on gloria.tv, to be going on with. My question is are these people `inexorably distancing themselves from the Church` and can we look forward to something being done about it?

Archbishop Nichols and the Tablet again

I have just read the post `The Nichols Odeon` on the Sensible Bond blog on this theme. I would recommend this post for its analysis of the archbishop`s statements about the extraordinary form. Thanks Ches.

FSSP retreat for priests in Ars and Lyon 2010

I was very happy to get this news by email yesterday. Having enjoyed the retreat at Douai abbey this year I will be making every effort to support Fr de Malleray`s next venture for priests.



Dates:
Depart Monday morning 8 February 2010 from the UK, arriving in the afternoon in Lyon and reach Francheville (FSSP house on the outskirt of Lyons).
Return Friday morning 12 February 2010 from Lyons.
Our pilgrimage will be under the special protection of Our Blessed Lady, the Mother of God and the Mother of priests as the anniversary of Her Apparitions in Lourdes will occur while we are still in Lyons. (Feb. 11th).

Location:
We will be based in the beautiful St Padre Pio House run by the Priestly Fraternity of St Peter in Francheville (Lyons), less than an hour drive from Ars. Single room accommodation. Garden.

Scheduled:
A full day in Ars, the climax of our stay. Possibility of offering Holy Mass in Ars. Visit of the Curé’s presbytery. Veneration of his relics.
One day in Lyons, original Episcopal See of St Irenaeus: visit of the Basilica of Fourvières; prayer at the place of death of St Francis de Sales; visit of the Roman amphitheatre where the protomartyrs of Gaul SS. Polycarp, Blandina, Pothinus and others suffered in 117 a.D. On a lighter note, meal in a ‘bouchon’ (traditional Lyonnais restaurant cf http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bouchon).
We will also have conferences on priestly spirituality, including the theology of the Mass, the EF Roman liturgy and prayer life.

Price (estimate):
About £150 for return train ticket London St Pancras-Lyons-London St Pancras (reduction possible if we travel as a group).
Alternatively: Easyjet direct return flight Stansted-Lyons-Gatwick: minimum price £51 (for group ticket of 15 passengers).
Accommodation will be very affordable in the FSSP house - rough estimate: £30/day with breakfast + 1 main meal at least, i.e. £120 for 4 full days (4 nights).
To be added: transport in Lyons and to Ars. Meals outside of the house (at least twice).

Liturgy: Possibility of offering private Mass daily in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman rite (please bring only your alb, biretta, cingulum and linens). Compline (or one other Hour per day) in the EF of the Roman rite (please bring EF breviary if you possess one).

Booking: please send a £120 cheque made payable to ‘FSSP ENGLAND’, posted to : Fr de Malleray, FSSP, 179 Elgar Rd, RG2 0DH, Reading, Berkshire, UK. Please include your complete contact details in the booking.

Number of places available as of today: 13.

Fr Armand de Malleray, FSSP
Priestly Fraternity of St Peter in England
179 Elgar Rd, RG2 0DH, Reading, Berkshire, UK
Tel: +44 (0)118 987 5819 - E-mail: malleray@fssp.org -
Community: http://www.fssp.org.uk/ - Youth: http://www.juventutem.org/pages/intro.php - Culture: http://www.blogger.com/www.lartpourlame.com

Aid to the Church in Need Westminster Event

I`ve been asked to mention this event. I am always happy to help ACN and so here are the details.

Standing Together in Faith: Saturday, 17th October at Westminster Cathedral

The day commences at 10:30 with Sung Mass in Westminster Cathedral. Following registration His Grace, Archbishop Vincent Nichols will address the participants and lead us all in the Angelus. Speakers are : Bishop Joseph Coutts of Faisalabad, Pakistan, Father Martin Edwards, ACN’s Ecclesiastical Assistant, Regina Lynch – Project Director, Kõnigstein, John Pontifex, Aid to the Church in Need UK, Head of Press and Information and Neville Kyrke-Smith, National Director of Aid to the Church in Need UK. The Event concludes with Prayer and Blessing at 15:45

Westminster Cathedral is just 5 minutes walk from Victoria Station, which can be reached by both mainline and underground trains (District, Circle and Victoria Lines). The Hall is on Ambrosden Avenue, which runs to the left of the Cathedral, when you are facing it from the Piazza. If you were thinking of coming by car, please note that parking is very restricted in the centre of London.

Contact: Michael Cowie on 02086615154 to secure your tickets


Why not also join us on 8th September for a rare opportunity to hear Patriarch Twal from Jerusalem!!
God bless


Michael

Michael Cowie
Area Secretaries Coordinator
Aid to the Church in Need
12-14 Benhill Avenue
Sutton
Surrey
SM1 4DA
Tel. (direct) 020-8661-5154

The English bishops` Ad Limina and Summorum Pontificum

An article on Fr Ray Blake`s blog has stirred me from my blogging inertia. He tells of a conversation with a ` leading Catholic layman` about the forthcoming visit of the English bishops to Rome in January and the likely discussions about the implementation of Summorum Pontificum. You can read about it here.

Also the Tablet today reveals that archbishop Vincent Nichols has written a letter to all participants in the August LMS training conference at London Colney which gives food for thought. Participants are not to `denigrate the ordinary form of Mass`. Fair enough, but I suppose their presence at a training conference for the Extraordinary Form would indicate that the Ordinary Form maybe does not satisfy them entirely. The article reports the archbishop as saying that anyone who does denigrate the ordinary form of the Mass ` is inexorably distancing themselves from the Church`. By the same logic, (as pointed out in the combox of WDTPRS blog) anyone who denigrates the extraordinary form could also be said to be inexorably distancing themselves from the Church.

Well, Summorum Pontificum gave to parish priests the ability to make the decision to celebrate the EF, either themselves privately or publicly at the request of a group. I don`t see that changing. Wouldn`t it be better if our authorities gave a bit of encouragement to those who seek to take advantage of the provisions of SP, who give up their time to learn how to say it and congratulate them on doing so rather than be seen to be dragging their feet and appearing rather nervous about the whole thing? It`s not going to go away.

UPDATE: As `motuproprio` points out in the combox this is only the Tablet`s take on the the forward by the archbishop. It will be useful to see the whole text rather than relying on the Tablet.

Of your charity...

...please say a prayer for the soul of Thomas McCreadie a promising art and photography student at our local Catholic comprehensive, whose requiem Mass took place today here at St Mary`s. He was eighteen years old and drowned while swimming off Whitley Bay. The story was in the news at the time of his death.

Requiem aeternam dona ei Domine.

Changing Breviary

Eager as ever to take full advantage of the possibilities given by Summorum Pontificum, last week I took delivery of a set of 1962 breviaries from Southwell Books in the beautifully produced version by Nova et Vetera. I had been thinking about this for some time but the Ushaw conference and the FSSP retreat made my mind up.

I`m not sure I have got all the rubrics right at the minute. Where for example is the Gospel passage and commentary for the Eighth Sunday after Pentecost? I`ve searched the whole book and can`t find it. I looked at an older edition of the breviary from the 40`s and couldn`t find it there either. It`s also a pity that there is no second nocturn on a Sunday, so no patristic commentary on the readings from the first nocturn.

I switched over on the feast of Mary Magdalene. I say Matins and Lauds before Mass and Prime and Terce afterwards and that is working well at the minute. It`s hard to give any balanced opinion at the minute as there is still a novelty value in the whole thing. A disadvantage will be that the calendar for the breviary is very different from that for the Ordinary Form in which I say Mass most days but on the other hand it`s good to feel more connected to tradition. ( No doubt the Old Believer would tell me that the 1962 breviary is an abomination and no serious Catholic would contemplate anything other than the pre-Pius X breviary.)

I have always said the Latin version of the Paul VI breviary so I`m finding the odd differences in translation of the psalms quite interesting and mean to look them up and understand the differences. At this rate I may be blowing the dust off my Hebrew Bible although since it is twenty-two years since I read Hebrew seriously I don`t think I`ll remember much of it. Also I`m happy to work with the Urban VIII versions of the hymns and haven`t as yet found them hugely irritating as I don`t know them at all but might buy the supplement with the more ancient versions eventually.

Golden Jubilee

Tonight at 7.30pm Fr Elkin, parish priest of St Mary`s, Barnard Castle, Co. Durham, will celebrate a sung Mass in the Extraordinary Form to mark his Golden Jubilee of priestly ordination. Father returned to celebrating the Mass of his ordination in the 1990`s. He was part of the rota for the Sunday Masses at St Dominic`s, Newcastle for a while and introduced the EF into his parish at Ryhope, Sunderland. He has continued this in Barnard Castle with a Sunday Mass in the EF. Father was also a tutor at the recent, magnificent, LMS training conference at Ushaw where on the second day he celebrated a Missa Cantata.

Ad multos annos!

FSSP Retreat

Last night I got back from a priests` retreat at Douai abbey in Berkshire which was given by Fr de Malleray of the FSSP. It was a very good week. We were only a small group, smaller than I imagined. It was good to see that 60% of the retreatants were former Ushaw students! Fr Michael Clifton was there, although not very well, as he explains on his own blog.

The first few conferences were on the nature of God, Man and the redemption before we were given reflections on the Ordinary of the 1962 missal. I`m glad I made notes as there were useful points which I hope to profit from in my own preaching. I must confess that I had imagined there was going to be something on St John Vianney but his role was more as a patron of the week and Fr de Malleray is considering doing something to do with Ars next year.

The retreat was silent so it wasn`t until yesterday after the retreat that we were able to have a good chant with Fr De Malleray and exchange stories about how Summorum Pontificum is being implemented. I won`t mention the other retreatants as they may not wish their identities to be revealed.

Apart from attending (Latin) vespers in the abbey we didn`t have much communication with the community apart from Br Christopher, the guest-master, who looked after us very well. It was rather complicated at times to ensure that we had the guest refectory to ourselves so that we could have reading during meals but on one occasion the other guests were treated to our reading of the Council of Trent on the Eucharist. I had hoped to talk with the abbot, Fr Geoffrey Scott, who is from Birtley (where I was a curate in 1989-1990), and who I`ve met enough times over the years for him to recognise me. We did manage to have a quick chat on the way to vespers on our first night however.

So it`s back to the parish. I will be blowing the dust off my copy of Blessed Columba Marmion`s Christ, the Ideal of the Priest, at which I made an unsuccessful stab on my pre-priesthood retreat at Ampleforth in 1988. We had readings from it at meals on the first day which I enjoyed.

As we were preparing to leave in convoy for lunch at the Berkshire Arms, I was sorry to have missed the chance to meet Fr Ray Blake who was at Douai that day. (I`ve used his picture of the abbey church.)

So all in all I`m looking forward to next year.

July 7th

Today is the second anniversary of the publication of Summorum Pontificum. It also sees the publication of a new papal encyclical on social teaching, Caritas in Veritate. Today also marks the 67th birthday of our new bishop, Seamus Cunningham, with whom I concelebrated a Mass at my old parish of St Joseph`s, Gateshead held to mark the 150th anniversary of the opening of the church.

So quite a lot to celebrate for one day.

Norcia monks and the Extraordinary Form

You may have read elsewhere about the request of the Holy See to the young community of monks at Norcia in Italy, to celebrate the Roman rite in both forms. What caught my attention was this extract from the interview with Fr Cassian Folsom, the superior, regarding the nature of the two forms of the Roman rite:

The ordinary form stresses such elements as the participation of the faithful, the use of the vernacular, the ongoing development of the liturgy by the addition of new saints to the calendar, etc.: these are all very important. At the risk of oversimplifying, I would say that the ordinary form stresses rational understanding, speaking in prose, as it were. The extraordinary form provides rich food for the intellect also, but relies heavily on gesture, symbolism, intuition, silence, ritual action without words, speaking in poetry, you might say. Man knows both rationally and intuitively. He needs both prose and poetry. If the two usages, like two different cultures, can patiently live with each other over time, they can become friends.

More poetry please!

It will be interesting to see how the two forms will live side by side in the monastery. For more on the story of this foundation, here is the monastery`s website.

Dominus Est again

As I`ve probably mentioned, the next book for our parish reading group to digest is Dominus est by bishop Schneider of Kazakhstan, which concerms the method of receiving Holy Communion. Recently Leo Darroch, the president of Una Voce International, who lives in this diocese, told me he was going to Wigratzbad for the ordinations for the Fraternity of St Peter and as bishop Schneider was the celebrant he asked me if I would like to see if he could get the good bishop to sign my copy of his book. I was delighted and sent him the book. Here we see the bishop signing a copy of his book, as Leo and Joseph Shaw, LMS chairman, look on. Many thanks to Mark Miles for the photo. I`m looking forward to seeing what the parish reading group make of the book.

I see today Paix Liturgique reports that Cardinal Caffarra of Bologna is following the example of the Holy Father and has given instructions that communicants at his cathedral, in the basilica of St Petronius and the shrine of our Lady of St Luke, are to receive only on the tongue, to avoid grave abuses which have occurred. If you can follow Italian there is a video explaining this here. This video still shows people receiving on the hand and must pre-date the decree but it is interesting to see a Communion cloth being used.

The French version of the decreee states:

Dans tous les cas, étant donné la fréquence avec laquelle sont signalés des cas de comportements irrévérencieux dans l'acte de recevoir l'Eucharistie, nous disposons qu'à compter d'aujourd'hui dans l'église métropolitaine de S. Pietro,dans la basilique de S. Petronio et dans le sanctuaire de la B.V. de San Luca à Bologne les fidèles recevront le Pain Consacré uniquement des mains d'un ministre directement sur les lèvres.

The decree is dated the 27th April.

Maybe there will be more of this to come.

Longbenton Mass

In the end I would say it all went very well. There was a much better turnout than I had feared. with quite a number of people I didn`t recognise: I was told we had sixty people in the congregation. The ceremonies of the Mass went more smoothly than has sometimes been the case. The music was glorious with splendid contributions from the Schola and Cappella as well as our organist. Many of the choir and congregation stayed on for tea or wine afterwards. Thanks to everyone who contributed in any way. Now I`m being asked when the next big event will be!

Here are a few, somewhat fuzzy, photos. The vestments look brighter than they really are.

Solemn High Mass at Longbenton

Tonight there will be a Solemn High Mass at 7.30pm at SS Peter and Paul`s Longbenton to mark the closing of the year of St Paul. I`ve been meaning to organise something to celebrate our patronal feast for a long time and the Year of St Paul provided the spur to urge me on. I am delighted that the schola will be joined by the Cappella Novocastriensis who will sing Byrd`s four part Mass and Ave Verum.

I`m very grateful to the cathedral for making available a red high Mass set and for advertising this event on their bulletin and website. Also to Madame Evangelista for drawing my attention to this. I hope we get a good turnout. I`m also grateful to Frs Dickson and Phillips for giving their time to act as deacon and subdeacon. I hope will have a few photos to put on this site.

Back to Ushaw

It was a great privilege to be the celebrant at the opening High Mass at the LMS training conference at Ushaw in April. I never thought it was something I would ever do. Tomorrow will see me returning to Ushaw for the EF Mass for the Schola Gregoriana of Cambridge`s conference. I was originally booked to be subdeacon at a High Requiem Mass but now it is a Missa Cantata and I`m to be celebrant. I`ll be taking my favourite black vestment with me and am looking forward to hearing the chant.

Mass is at 10.15. There is some uncertainty as to whether it is open to everyone to attend: they may need to sign in for `fire purposes` I`m told.

LMS AGM

I was wondering how the LMS AGM went given that it has been a controversial year for the Society with its chairman and chaplain resigning but all seems to have passed over without incident. Here are some pictures from the Mass and a LMS report on what went on.

25 June 2009

* Latin Mass Society AGM and High Mass at Westminster Cathedral

The Latin Mass Society held its AGM on Saturday morning, 20 June, at the Royal Horticultural Society Conference Centre, Victoria, London. The Secretary, Mr Paul Beardsmore, reported on another very busy year for the LMS and the Revd Martin Edwards, parish priest of St Mary Magdalen’s, Wandsworth, London gave a well received lecture on the introduction of the Extraordinary Form into parish life following Pope Benedict’s Motu Proprio.

This was followed by a lunch for the Committee and Regional Representatives of the LMS and their clerical guests.

In the afternoon, at 2.00 pm, the Rt Revd John Arnold, auxiliary bishop in Westminster, celebrated the LMS’s AGM High Mass in the Extraordinary Form for Our Lady’s Saturday at the High Altar in Westminster Cathedral. He was assisted by a congregation of several hundred. Bishop Arnold’s Assistant Priest was the Revd Andrew Wadsworth, the Deacon was Deacon Alan MacDole and the Sub-deacon was the Revd Martin Edwards. The Lay Clerks of the Cathedral sang Maurice Duruflé’s setting of ‘Messe Cum Jubilo’.

Bishop Arnold preached a thoughtful sermon linking the Sacred Heart of Jesus with the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Doctor Joseph Shaw, LMS Chairman, said: ‘We are grateful to Archbishop Vincent Nichols for the help which his Westminster auxiliaries generously give to our arrangements for the Extraordinary Form, and especially to Bishop Arnold for the scrupulous and recollected way in which he celebrated for us. It is wonderful that the Extraordinary Form is now regarded as an integral part of diocesan life.’

. . . . ENDS . . . .

For further information, please contact John Medlin, General Manager, or James Murphy, LMS Office Manager, on (T) 020 7404 7284; (F) 020 7831 5585;
(E mail) thelatinmasssociety@snmail.co.uk

Shopping for the Year of the Priest

For the year of St Paul I bought an icon from Pauline Books and Media to display in the Church. I would like to find one of St John Vianney for the Year of the Priest. I would also like a copy of one of the famous photos of St Therese of Lisieux to display too to prepare for the coming of her relics. A prayer card with St Therese`s prayer for priests would also be useful at this time.

However I`m having no luck. I did find a place in the USA but postage was $62.95 which seemed a lot.

If anyone knows where any of these things can be bought in the UK or Europe I`d be glad of the info.

UPDATE: 11.20 I have just discovered the website of the Carmelite book service which looks as if it may be useful.

Things you don`t expect to see: no. 3

This is the third in an occasional series which began with Fr Charles Briggs of Chislehurst on a camel in Tunisia. I had been meaning to post this for quite a while and now I see Frs Blake and Finigan have beaten me to it. However these pictures from the FSSR on the island of Papa Stronsay warmed my heart. I never thought to see the local bishop celebrating Mass in their church. Good to see a bishop who is a pastor to all his flock. Thank you bishop Moran.

Read more here.

Year of the Priesthood

As we all now know the Year for the Priesthood starts this Friday, the Feast of the Sacred Heart. This weekend our bishop has sent a pastoral letter to alert the diocese to this special year and there will be a Mass at the cathedral on July 7th at 7pm to mark its opening. Unfortunately I can`t make that Mass as I have a prior commitment.

That day, at 12.05pm, also sees the bishop at my old parish of St Joseph`s Gateshead to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the church. I`m glad to say I will be able to make it on that occasion.

Schola Gregoriana of Cambridge at Ushaw

I think I have already mentioned that the Schola Gregoriana of Cambridge are holding a weekend at Ushaw on 27th-28th June. You can read more about it here on their website. As you will see they are celebrating a High Requiem Mass in the extraordinary form on the Saturday at approximately 10.15am and an ordinary form Latin Mass on the Sunday at 11.15am. I`m looking forward to taking part as subdeacon on the Saturday. It`s getting harder to find singers of chant, in my experience, so if you think you would like to learn this is a great opportunity.

I was also very happy to see that this event is mentioned on the links page of the liturgy section of the diocesan website. Incidentally, the same page carried a mention of the Latin Mass Society`s recent Ushaw conference. I`m sorry I had failed to notice this as I generally only look at the main page.

A High Mass for the closing of the Pauline Year

I am pleased to say that the Cappella Novocastriensis have confirmed that they will be available to sing at SS Peter and Paul`s Longbenton on June 29th at the High Mass at 7.30pm. They will sing Byrd`s Mass in Four Parts and also a motet as yet to be decided on.

If you are in the area and are sympathetic or curious about the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite then this should be a splendid occasion.

It will also be good, for once, to have a solemn celebration for the patronal festival.

More on the Cafod pilgrimage to Holy Island

I`ve been away for a few days down at the Aldeburgh festival and am catching up on news. I see there is a video of the somewhat controversial CAFOD pilgrimage on the diocesan website. The video doesn`t show the invited shaman leading any prayers so far as I can see. I was amused to see that a baldachino of sorts had been erected around the altar for Mass. I wish there were a few more in the diocese!

However the most useful comments I have so far seen are those of Madame Evangelista. You can find them here.

John Smeaton in Newcastle

John Smeaton, the National Director of the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children will be the guest speaker at a pro-life meeting in the Tyneside Irish Centre on Wednesday July 1st at 7.30pm. He will describe SPUC`s new campaigns to resist euthanasia and against anti-life sex education in schools which seeks to give under-16s access to abortion and birth control drugs and devices without parental consent or knowledge.

All welcome.

Seminaries: the generation gap?

Thanks to Fr Ray Blake for noticing this address by Archbishop Jean-Louis Bruguès, the former bishop of Angers. He is now Secretary of the Congregation for Catholic Education, which oversees Seminary formation, as well as being Vice President of the Pontifical Work for Ecclesiastical Vocations and a member of The Commission for the Formation of Candidates for the Priesthood.

The address was given to rectors of pontifical seminaries and concerned priestly formation in a secular world.. It makes for stirring reading.

.... in fact, we have experienced or even fostered an extremely powerful self-secularization in most of the Western Churches.

The examples are many. Believers are ready to exert themselves in the service of peace, justice, and humanitarian causes, but do they believe in eternal life? Our Churches have carried out an immense effort to renew catechesis, but does not this catechesis itself tend to overlook the ultimate realities? For the most part, our Churches have embarked upon the ethical debates of the moment, at the urging of public opinion, but how much do they talk about sin, grace, and the divinized life? Our Churches have successfully deployed massive resources in order to improve the participation of the faithful in the liturgy, but has not the liturgy for the most part lost the sense of the sacred? Can anyone deny that our generation, possibly without realizing it, dreamed of a "Church of the pure," a faith purified of any religious manifestation, warning against any manifestation of popular devotion like processions, pilgrimages, etc.?

I enjoyed this bit:

Will the educators continue to cling to criteria of admission and selection that date back to their own time, but no longer correspond to the aspirations of the young? I was told the story of a French seminary in which adoration of the Most Holy Sacrament had been banned for a good twenty years or so, because it was seen as too devotional: the new seminarians had to struggle for a number of years to have it reinstated, while some of the professors preferred to resign in the face of something that they judged as a "return to the past"; by giving in to the requests of the younger men, they had the impression that they were renouncing what they had fought for their entire lives.

Bishop Athanasius Schneider

Well Kazakhstan may have been in the thoughts of those following the England football team today but for Catholics interested in liturgical renewal Kazakhstan means bishop Athanasius Schneider, famous for his little book, Dominus Est which looks at how Holy Communion has been distributed down the ages in the Catholic Church and gives good reasons as to why the reception of holy Communion kneeling and on the tongue best expresses the Church`s teaching.

I`m delighted to say that Dominus Est is the next book our parish reading group will be looking at once all the copies have arrived from Family Publications.

In the meantime here is the man himself talking about his book and the issues in a video released today by Gloria TV.

UPDATE 11.06.09 I have been told by one reader that she can`t see the video. Is this a general problem?

Diocesan News

From the website of the Hexham and Newcastle Education Service:

The latest meeting of the Diocesan Education Forum took place on June 4th 2009. Following an opening prayer Fr Sean Hall, Chairman of the Board of Education in the Diocese, welcomed everybody and invited Bishop Seamus to address the group.

The Bishop spoke about the need for formation and exploring what we mean by formation. He also spoke about the importance of, and need to be, “a praying people” and “a praying priesthood”. Commenting on the recent Priests’ Retreat he said the priest is to be both servant and leader, and pointed towards the ministry of Jesus of Nazareth, who washed people’s feet and reached out to the people on the margins. There is a need for us all to be working together and moving out of our “comfort zone” and into service. A prophet is not someone who tells the future but someone who challenges and energises. We are all called to be prophets – it must however begin with prayer.

UPDATE 17.06.09 I have been informed that copyright rules prohibit the use of more than a short section of this item. Please click on the link above to read the rest of this report. The rest of it concerns the appointment of Fr Michael McCoy to various responsibilities including developing lay leadership of parishes in the diocese. In the subsequent discussion the useful question was raised ”Do we want to be a lamp or a mirror?”

Solemn High Mass for the end of the Year of St Paul

I am pleased to be able to announce that we will be able to have a Solemn High Mass at SS Peter and Paul`s Longbenton on June 29th at 7.30pm to mark the end of the Year of St Paul. I am hoping that in addition to the schola, we will have a choir to sing Byrd`s four-part Mass. All I need to do now is to find a red High Mass set!

If it all comes together we may even manage to produce some pictures for this blog.

UPDATE 6.06.09 Have secured the loan of a red High Mass set (sans humeral veil). Waiting for the Capella Novocastriensis to confirm.

Another LMS Training Course

Today I received the following about the next LMS training course for priests:

2 June 2009

PRESS RELEASE FROM THE LATIN MASS SOCIETY

For Immediate Release

LMS Residential Training Conference for Priests Wishing to Learn the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite (Traditional Latin Mass) at All Saints Pastoral Centre, London Colney, St Albans, Herts

The Latin Mass Society of England and Wales (LMS), in association with the Archdiocese of Westminster, is organising a residential training conference for priests wishing to learn the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite (Traditional Latin Mass) at All Saints Pastoral Centre, London Colney, Herts, the premier conference centre of the Archdiocese of Westminster.

The conference will run from Monday 24 August to Friday 28 August 2009 and will feature Traditional liturgies in London Colney’s magnificent Ninian Comper-designed chapel together with a Gregorian Chant schola and polyphonic choir.

Expert tuition in the celebration of Mass in the Usus Antiquior will be provided on a small group basis. There will be guest lecturers and all participants will receive 1962 Missals.

As well as daily Sung Mass, devotions will include Lauds, Benediction and Rosary.

The subsidised fee to participants is only £115.00 which includes full board and accommodation. Places are limited and priests are urged to register as soon as possible.

Further details and registration forms can be obtained from the LMS office (Tel: 020 7404 7284) or downloaded from the LMS website, www.latin-mass-society.org

Mark Johnson, lead organiser, said, “We are extremely pleased to have the backing of the Archdiocese of Westminster and Archbishop Vincent Nichols. This conference – our first at London Colney – builds on the success of our two previous conferences at Merton College, Oxford. I hope the laity will tell their priests about this wonderful opportunity to learn the Usus Antiquior in a welcoming and recollected environment.”

Latin Mass Society, 11-13 Macklin Street, London WC2B 5NH
Tel: 020 7404 7284
E mail: thelatinmasssociety@snmail.co.uk
Website: latin-mass-society.org

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For further information, please contact John Medlin, General Manager, or James Murphy, LMS Office Manager, on (T) 020 7404 7284;
(F) 020 7831 5585; (E mail) thelatinmasssociety@snmail.co.uk


London Colney has a beautiful chapel but I don`t recall there being more than a couple of side altars but I could be wrong. [UPDATE I am wrong! See the comment by Discreet Observer.] I hope there is a good response and it is as great a success as Ushaw was.

Rumours are reaching the Forest of a bishop who is most concerned to know which of his priests went on the Ushaw conference so he can add them to his `blacklist`. Surely this can`t be true in these days of Summorum Pontificum? Sometimes it`s hard for those who are still stuck in the mindset of the 1970`s or 80`s. It`s like an ecclesiastical `Ashes to Ashes`!