Epiphany III

This Sunday's 1.00 p.m. Mass at Saint Patrick's will be a Low Mass. I am hoping it will be followed by Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. 

Confessions available before Mass.

O blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God and our most gentle Queen and Mother, look down in mercy upon England thy "Dowry" and upon us all who greatly hope and trust in thee. By thee it was that Jesus our Saviour and our hope was given unto the world; and He has given thee to us that we might hope still more. Plead for us thy children, whom thou didst receive and accept at the foot of the Cross, O sorrowful Mother. Intercede for our separated brethren, that with us in the one true fold they may be united to the supreme Shepherd, the Vicar of thy Son. Pray for us all, dear Mother, that by faith fruitful in good works we may all deserve to see and praise God, together with thee, in our heavenly home.
Amen.

Epiphany II

For the next couple of Sundays the liturgical colour is green until the feast of Septuagesima which is the pre Lent season. Easter is April 5th this year. 

Mass this Sunday at 1.00 p.m. for the second Sunday after the Epiphany will be a Low Mass. The Gospel is that of the first illuminative Mystery of the Rosary, Our Lord's first public miracle: the changing of water into wine at the marriage feast in Cana.

Feast of the Holy Family and some sad news

In the 1962 Missal the Feast of the Holy Family is the Sunday after the Epiphany. It was encouraging to see a good turnout at Mass last night for the Feast of the Epiphany. Abysmal traffic in Baildon caused several people to be late to Mass including Father Driver who made it by the skin of his teeth. Father Frantisek was just about to vest when Father Driver arrived. Many thanks to both of them.

Mass on Sunday for the Feast of the Holy Family at Saint Patrick's at 1.00 p.m. will be a Low Mass. The heating was working again last night! Confessions available before Mass.

Of your charity please will you remember the soul of Frank Suadwa a regular attendee at our Masses at Saint Patrick's who died after a massive heart attack over Christmas. Frank was the man in the wheelchair who was always at the back of church. May the angels lead him into paradise and may he rest in peace. Frank requested that his requiem be in the old Rite and arrangements are now underway to fulfil his wish. I shall miss him.

Apologies

When I woke up this morning there was an email saying that it would be impossible to livestream the Mass because the person who operates the camera had a family emergency. I hope everything is well.

Upon arrival at Saint Patrick's the power was misbehaving again and the church was unheated and Mass was by candlelight.

Apologies to those who hoped to watch the livestreamed Mass and to those who were cold at the Mass. My grandma would have said, "Offer it up, as a small suffering!"

On a brighter note it was very pleasing to welcome two of the seminarians from this diocese who are training for the priesthood at traditional seminaries in Italy and America. 

Deacon Baxter should be ordained in the summer and Mr Chmiel received the minor order of Lector last November. Please remember these men in your prayers. We need labourers in the vineyard of the Lord, as we have been praying for at Masses in this diocese.

Reminder that we have Mass at Saint Patrick's on Tuesday at 7.00 p.m. for the feast of the Epiphany. Confessions available before Mass.

May I take this opportunity to wish everybody a happy new year and also to ask you to remember the upcoming consistory this week in Rome, when the liturgy is on the agenda.

The Holy Name of Jesus and the Epiphany

This Sunday's Mass  St. Patrick's at 1.00p.m. for the Holy Name of Jesus will be livestreamed. It will be a Low Mass

The Mass can be viewed here along with previous transmissions:  https://www.youtube.com/@LMSLeeds

Please be sure to visit the You tube channel to subscribe and add a like!

Tuesday marks the feast of the Epiphany. Low Mass at St. Patrick's at 7.00 p.m.

Extra Mass and some beautiful words

On Tuesday December 30th at 6.00 p.m. there will be a Missa Cantata followed by absolutions at the catafalque for Richard Duke of York. Richard, Duke of York died on December 30th 1460 following the Battle of Wakefield. Last year two of our seminarians served at it. Fittingly this now annual event is offered at Wakefield's chantry chapel. Details at this link: Wakefield’s Chantry Chapel - one of only 5 surviving bridge chantries in England

Today I went to Mike Murphy's funeral Mass In Bradford. The parish priest of Saint Joseph's and Bradford's vicar forane concelebrated the Mass. The hymn at Holy Communion, presumably chosen by Mike was one I have never heard before, but is one of the most sublime vernacular hymns I have ever heard.

It was translated from Swahili, by Edmund Palmer an Anglican clergyman, who had been been a curate at St. Saviour's in Leeds before heading a training college in Africa, hence the Swahili link. It was sung to the tune of Glory be to Jesus (Caswall) by Filitz. For my convenience I have copied and pasted the text from the internet to share:

1 Jesu, Son of Mary,
fount of life alone,
here we hail thee present
on thine altar- throne:

2 humbly we adore thee,
Lord of endless might,
in the mystic symbols
veiled from earthly sight.

3 Think, O Lord, in mercy
on the souls of those
who, in faith gone from us,
now in death repose.

4 Here 'mid stress and conflict
toils can never cease;
there, the warfare ended,
bid them rest in peace.

5 Often were they wounded
in the deadly strife;
heal them, Good Physician,
with the balm of life.

6 Every taint of evil,
frailty and decay,
good and gracious Saviour,
cleanse and purge away.

7 Rest eternal grant them,
after weary fight;
shed on them the radiance
of thy heavenly light.

8 Lead them onward, upward,
to the holy place,
where thy saints made perfect
gaze upon thy face.

This is a hymn to meditate upon. I am going to introduce it to Saint Patrick's. 

Happy and a Holy Christmas to everybody

 

Wishing everybody a peaceful Christmas and a new year free of all anxiety.

Christmas Day Mass is at 1.00 p.m. at Saint Patrick's, Bradford.

Confessions at call.

Sunday within the Octave of Christmas  - 28th. December at Saint Patrick's at 1.00 p.m. will be a Low Mass.

Confessions at call.

The Holy Father has called a consistory of Cardinals in early January. The liturgy is a discussion point on the agenda. Please pray that there will be no further restrictions on the celebration of Mass according to the liturgical books of 1962. His Holiness has received several big names in the traditional Catholic world over recent months and weeks. 

We must count ourselves lucky in this diocese over many years. In Bishops Wheeler, Konstant, Roche and Stock's times we have never been refused permission for Christmas Masses and the Sacred Triduum. Cardinal Roche was always generous in his provision and this has continued under Bishop Stock who made the Mass at Saint Patrick's possible following the harsh restrictions under Pope Francis. The hospitality of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal has similarly been a great blessing.

Of course our biggest debt of gratitude is to the clergy who turn out each Sunday and Holyday of Obligation and High Days to offer the Mass for us so dutifully. In the last thirty years we have unfailingly kept the show on the road. We have a steady and stable congregation each week at Saint Patrick's supported by faithful people from all walks of life.

Thank you to Bishop Stock, our rota priests and other priests who are willing to step in and moreover to our congregation. Mass will be offered for all those who make this possible over the Christmas period.

Thank you and God bless you. 

Saint Joseph, Patron of Holy Church and Our Lady, Mother of the Church, pray for us.

Advent IV

 

Sunday's Mass at St. Patrick's, Bradford at 1.00 p.m. for the Fourth Sunday of Advent will be a Low Mass.

Confessions before Mass.

Mass at St. Patrick's, Bradford on Christmas Day is at 1.00 p.m.

I see that Mike Murphy's funeral Mass is on Tuesday 23rd December at 12.45 p.m. at Saint Joseph's, Pakington Street, Bradford, where Mike had been organist and cantor at many of our old Masses there and elsewhere. May he rest in peace.