Back to Blogging

Sorry for the absence of posts. I had quite a lot to say about the Northern Cross debates (local diocesan paper) and there was a lot going on I could have said something about but somehow I couldn`t get around to sitting at the keyboard. Still waiting for the SP instruction and any news about the future of Ushaw. I was told today that there was another Middlesborough priest present at the York Mass but in the congregation. That was a pity as his choir dress would have added something special to the occasion. Maybe next year!

Holy Week was OK. The transfer for the paschal candle wasn`t in the box for Forest Hall so the candle looked rather bare until today when it arrived. I did my best to carve the required symbols but they were not visible from any distance. I hope it is ok to put the transfer with the date etc on a week later! The vigil began at 8. Even at 8.30 it was still light. However the light was fading and by the time we had the Gloria the switching on of the lights certainly made a difference. Numbers were down for the Vigil but Sunday morning was standing-room only. A parishioner who had been elsewhere in the diocese asked me to guess what time her vigil had started. I dared to suggest 6pm but she told me it was 12 noon! I don`t suspect this was from any dislike of the Bugnini reform! I asked what happened with the Exsultet and `this is the night`. Simple: the words were changed to `this is the day`! Will the new translation make any difference to this kind of abuse? I suspect not. However recently our bishop has sent out Pastoral Guidelines` to priests about a number of sacramental matters. I never understand why they have to be called `guidelines` and can`t be called instructions or a decree but one of the points included is that a vigil Mass of any kind cannot substitute for a Sunday Mass if it is said before 4pm on a Saturday. Not far from here there has long been a Saturday noon Mass which was taken to fulfil the Sunday obligation and I hear that that has now stopped so things can be put right with a bit of effort.

This year I didn`t celebrate a EF Good Friday service. Last year the attendance was very poor. As it was the only EF Good Friday in the diocese I thought there might have beeen more interest. As it is quite a thing to finish the 3pm service and then start the EF one at 5pm (which coming from the same stable is not that different) I decided to give it a miss. No complaints so far from the EF faithful.

So that`s all that has been happening recently. For the beatification of Pope John Paul II suggest readers ( if I still have any!) may like to look at the Sensible Bond where I think Ches puts the whole matter very well.

Spartacus and the Extraordinary Form!

Visitors to the MiL site may have noticed this video. Everytime I watch it it makes me smile.

The Roman official reads the messsage from Marcus Crassus to Spartacus and his companions thus:

`Your life is saved: slaves you have been and slaves you will remain, but you will be spared the terrible pains of crucifixion only if you will never more say the Mass of Saint Pius V'

Instruction on Summorum Pontificum not yet sent to bishops?

MiL reports today that the long awaited instruction on the implementation of Summorum Pontificum has been sent to the worlds bishops. I`ve not said anything about the instruction so far. I signed the petition protesting against proposed restrictions but I had been told before Christmas by Someone Who Ought to Know that there was nothing to worry about. This proved not to be quite true. Rorate Caeli reported a few days ago that severe restrictions had been included during the document`s passage through the CDF but these had been removed by the Pope at the final stage.

According to MiL the earlier reported ban on ordinations in the EF outside of Ecclesia Dei institutes (unless permission is granted by Rome) unfortunately has been retained. The teaching of the EF in seminaries is recommended but there appears to be nothing on whether SP applies to other Western rites such as the Ambrosian rite. Oh well I`m sure we`ll see the full text soon.

UPDATE.04.04.11 The news today appears to be that it will not now be available until next month.
UPDATE 05.04.11 MiL today is saying that Tornelli has got it wrong but agrees it will bear the publication date of April 30th. Well it is coming soon whoever is right.

Aid to the Church in Need UK – Annual Walsingham Pilgrimage of Hope

I have recieved the following which I am happy to mention.

Aid to the Church in Need UK – Annual Walsingham Pilgrimage of Hope – Saturday, 30^th April 2010

Please join us as Aid to the Church in Need remembers suffering Christians around the world with our 2011 Pilgrimage to the Roman Catholic National Shrine in Walsingham.

ACN is organising coaches from London Victoria, Bressenden Place, departing at 08:00. Should parishioners wish to join us at Walsingham, travelling independently or, perhaps, organising coaches from their locality they are very welcome to do so.

For those who would like to join us on this Pilgrimage and would like more information a brochure and booking form is downloadable from the ACN website at the following link www.acnuk.org/walsingham. You could also contact us on 020 8642 8668

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/

. . . . ENDS . . . .

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

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.

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


. . . . ENDS . . . .

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

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.

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.

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

Published on Fri Mar 04 07:20:31 GMT 2011

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.

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.

Solemn High Mass at Thornley

I have a lot of blogging to catch up on. The most pressing thing is to mention that there will be a Solemn High Mass at Sacred Heart & English Martyrs Church, Dunelm Road, Thornley, Co Durham DH6 3HA at 7.30pm on Tuesday 22nd February 2011 - the Feast of St Peter's Chair. The intention of the Mass will be "In thanksgiving for Pope Benedict XVI & Summorum Pontificum." In the light of what people are saying about the new document on Summorum Pontificum this will be a timely intention.

The Ordinary of the Mass will be 'Missa de Angelis' & the Proper will be from the Liber Usualis. The music will be provided by the Schola Sancti Baedae.

There will be a buffet after Mass to which all are invited.

The celebrant will be the Parish Priest, Fr Gary Dickson, whom readers may know from his occasional letters to the Catholic press. I think I am correct in saying that this will be the first time Fr Dickson will hacve been the celebrant at a Solemn Mass. The preacher will be Fr Simon Henry, the author of the Offerimus Tibi Domine blog. I remember Fr Henry at Ushaw many years ago when we were students. His blog is always interesting and I look forward to hearing him preach. I`m subdeacon and Fr Phillips of Stella is deacon.

Latin is good for you

Forget Mandarin. Latin is the key to success. This is the title of an article in the Spectator this month by Toby Young. The whole article is here.

For a while we ran the Minimus course in St Mary`s primary. I`d like to see it start up again. Here is an extract from the article:


...there is actually a substantial body of evidence that children who study Latin outperform their peers when it comes to reading, reading comprehension and vocabulary, as well as higher order thinking such as computation, concepts and problem solving.

For chapter and verse on this, I recommend a 1979 paper by an educationalist called Nancy Mavrogenes that appeared in the academic journal Phi Delta Kappan. Summarising one influential American study carried out in the state of Iowa, she writes:

“In 1971, more than 4,000 fourth-, fifth- and sixth-grade pupils of all backgrounds and abilities received 15 to 20 minutes of daily Latin instruction. The performance of the fifth-grade Latin pupils on the vocabulary test of the Iowa Test of Basic Skills was one full year higher than the performance of control pupils who had not studied Latin. Both the Latin group and the control group had been matched for similar backgrounds and abilities.”

Interestingly, Mavrogenes found that children from poor backgrounds particularly benefit from studying Latin. For a child with limited cultural reference points, becoming acquainted with Roman life and mythology opens up “new symbolic worlds”, enabling him or her “to grow as a personality, to live a richer life”. In addition, spoken Latin emphasises clear pronunciation, particularly of the endings of words, a useful corrective for many children born in inner cities. Finally, for children who have reading problems, Latin provides “experience in careful silent reading of the words that follow a consistent phonetic pattern.

Nuns Aloud

This is the rather inappropriate title of a programme to be shown on BBC at 11.20pm on Tuesday about the making of the the CD Chant from Avignon. Last year I bought a copy of this CD. Not because I really needed another disc of plainchant but because on my last trip to the monastery of Le Barroux back in the 1990`s with Fr Briggs we went to visit the convent of Notre Dame de L`Annonciation which at that time hadn`t built its church but was operating in what was to be the crypt. So I bought the CD to help these good nuns who follow the Extraordinary Form for Mass and Office. I enjoyed the CD too.

Some Definite Purpose

Every parish in England and Wales has received copies of a leaflet entitled `Some Definite Purpose` which outlines what we should be doing next after last year`s papal visit. I must sit down and read it and see what we can do. However I must admit that I was motivated to pick up a copy after receiving a text from the mother of one of our children telling me that the picture on the front and on page two from `The Big Assembly` featured her son and another pupil from our school as well as the head Mr Fallon! Good to see St Stephen`s school at the heart of the Church`s mission! They were fortunate to get front row seats.

As from Easter Mr Fallon takes over as head of our school at St Mary`s, Forest Hall too. He has done great things at St Stephen`s and so we look forward to the ideas he will bring to St Mary`s too.

UPDATE 15.02.11 More on St Stephen`s and Mr Fallon in the Newcastle Evening Chronicle tonight here.

Clergy Silent Summer Retreat

The Forest has been not been murmuring much of late. This was partly because of the death of my hard drive on my PC: I don`t find the lap top as easy to use. However there is a lot to catch up with. I have yet to comment on this month`s Northern Cross where there is plenty of material to talk about and there have been further deveoplments at Ushaw. Fr de Malleray has also sent me information about forthcoming events organised by the FSSP in England. So to start with I just wanted to mention this one. I have been on two of Fr de Malleray`s retreats and am happy to say each one has been very fruitful. here is the information about the next one.



Clergy Silent Summer retreat. Starts Monday 4th July 2011, 2pm – ends Friday 8th July 2011, 2pm (4 nights).

Theme: “Priestly meditations on the prayers of the Roman Missal”.

Schedule: Silent retreat; meals with table reading on the theme of the retreat; includes one conference in the morning and another one in the afternoon; possibility of private meeting with the Retreat Master and of confession; Possibility of attending Eucharistic Adoration with the local contemplative religious community. Common recitation of Compline (EF Breviary) and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament will also take place.

Location: Cold Ash pastoral Centre, run by the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary: The Ridge, Thatcham, RG18 9HU, England.

We will have the guests’ wing available for us, with access to the 19th century chapel (with three eastward facing altars); there are also nice grounds and woodlands.

Cost per person: £220 (includes: £200 for Cold Ash Centre for single room full board, and £20 for FSSP).


Booking: please send a £50 cheque made payable to FSSP ENGLAND as a non refundable deposit – the remainder can be paid during the retreat or as one global payment with the deposit (in which case please send us a £220 cheque made payable to FSSP ENGLAND).

Specifications: please mention with your booking any special diet or mobility requirement.

N.B. Priests choosing to offer their private Mass in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite should either bring with them all the items they need or contact Fr de Malleray well in advance

Ushaw College announces closure (again).

There is an article in the Catholic Herald today about the latest developments regarding Ushaw. I may be missing something but it doesn`t seem to add a great deal to what we already know: that the conference centre closed on December 31st and the seminary will close in June. There are new details about a steering group to be chaired by bishop Mark Davies who will consider what will happen to the buildings and their contents.

Here is the full statement from the college. I was interested to read the comments about the interest in the larger community.

FULL STATEMENT FROM USHAW COLLEGE

A spokesman for Ushaw College said: “We can confirm that the commercial activities of the Conference Centre have ceased, and the Centre closed, with effect from 31 December 2010. A number of teaching and non-teaching staff remain at Ushaw College, where the activities of St Cuthbert’s Seminary will continue until June 2011.

“The seminarians currently engaged in study at St Cuthbert’s Seminary will continue with their studies as planned. It is proposed that those with studies which are to continue after June 2011 will be transferred to another seminary although the future of their studies is a matter for their respective dioceses.

“The Trustees have established a Steering Group, chaired by Bishop Mark Davies, which includes Bishop Tom Williams along with members of teaching and non-teaching staff at Ushaw College. The Steering Group will also have a representative of the Patrimony Committee of the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales, who have indicated that Sophie Andreae, Deputy Chair of the Patrimony Committee, will be asked to support the work of the group. There have also been several offers of assistance from eminent individuals and charities, and further formal announcements may be made in due course should the individuals or charity wish to make their support a matter for public knowledge. The remit of the group is to look strategically at the entire estate, including its buildings, land, libraries, archives and collections, and provide a report to the Trustees about options for its future.

“We are aware that Ushaw College has considerable support within the Roman Catholic community and are grateful for all of the offers to assist at this uncertain and distressing time. It should, however, be said that whilst there are proposals to be discussed, no firm solutions are available at this time. We will not engage in speculative conversations with any organisation or individuals not directly involved in those discussions until the appropriate time. Private meetings and conversations will remain confidential so as not to raise false hopes should discussions fall through and also to allow for full and frank discussions to take place away from the public eye.”

Archbishop Patrick Kelly, Chair of Trustees said: “The proposal to close Ushaw College was one of the most difficult the Trustees have had to contemplate but was one which was based on the inability to sustain Ushaw College’s future. We are working with potential partners to identify a viable solution for the future of Ushaw and are hopeful that a solution can still be found.”

Monsignor John Marsland, President of Ushaw College, added: “We are aware there has been some debate among the wider community about the future of the historic collections of Ushaw College and of the buildings. We are acutely aware of the historical importance and heritage value placed upon the buildings, collection of books, manuscripts, letters and other items we have within our various collections and we are committed to ensuring that they remain intact.

Nuncio lambasts bishops

This appeared on the NLM blog today. Unfortunately the Nuncio in question is not our new man in Wimbledon but the Nuncio to the Antilles Islands, H.E. Most Rev Thomas Gullickson.

Why, even three years after the issuance of Summorum Pontificum (just to name one example), are well-meaning lay folk still treated with such great disdain by no less than bishops, bishops in communion (of heart, soul, mind and strength?) with the Successor of St. Peter when they ask for Mass in Latin? Is this anything other than blind hypocrisy (the plank!)? You tolerate no small amount of bad taste, bad music and caprice, while begrudging some few a port in the storm of liturgical abuse which seems not to want to subside? Can we be after His own Heart and not just claim to be members of Christ’s Body while still acting so at odds with the example set by the Holy One of God, meek and humble of heart? Such prelates are at counter or cross purposes to the sense in which the Church wants to go; they are ignoring what the Spirit is saying to the Churches and doing so with a backhand to some who are branded common and contemptible, but certainly not in the eyes of Christ... Let me say it more clearly! My issue is with the contempt shown for an outstretched hand, contempt such as would not be shown toward someone asking for some other benefit.

When the Holy Father speaks of his will to see these two forms of the Roman Rite (ordinary and extraordinary) enrich each other, when he and others express eagerness for a recovery of the sense of the sacred in our churches and in how we worship, I am convinced that he has indicated the true nature of the rupture which has indeed occurred and needs to be mended or healed. You would think that those in communion with the Pope would seek to understand him and embrace his point of view. There is too much room for caprice and hence the need to reform contemporary Catholic worship. This is evidenced time and again, by way of one example, in the sense of helplessness many priests experience when confronted by musical groups moving into church with inappropriate repertoires, not to mention the dance and puppet troupes which should have been banished long ago. If a bishop does not want to discipline at least he can respect and foster those seeking good order.

Well said Archbishop Gullickson!!

The full text of this homily can be found here.

North East Catholic History Society

Lectures for 2011 start this Wednesday. The advertised talk by Peter Hills (`The Widdringtons - a Northumberland Family and the 1715 Jacobite Rising`) has had to be cancelled and instead there will be a talk by Fr Michael Sharratt on `John Barrow and the Jews`. Lecture starts at 2.15pm at St Andrews, Worswick Street.