Holy Week

It seems like no time since I was writing that Lent was upon us, now it is Holy Week that is upon us and the most profound time of the Church's year is here again. Once again we are privileged to have the Sacred Triduum with its dramatic re-enactment of the sacred passion, death and eternal victory over sin of our Blessed Lord and God - the very author of life.
The symbols of water, fire, wine, bread, wax, and oil so often referred to in the Old Testament become things of the earth which bring Christ to us in the Sacraments.
Oil consecrated by the Bishop - breathed upon by him at the Chrism Mass is used in the blessing of baptismal waters on Holy Saturday and then sprinkled on us at the Vigil and on Easter Sunday as we sing Vidi Aquam and recall the Resurrection and our renewed baptismal promises. We are children of the God who comes to us in the form of bread and wine - consecrated at that first Mass on Holy Thursday, when the apostles were made priest bishops and empowered to absolve sins and extend that Priesthood into time and eternity by the power of the eternal High Priest.

So then, in the stream of eternity we are at Holy Week 2015 as the Paschal candle will remind us. Mass and Sacred Liturgy in the Extraordinary Form as appear in the 1962 Rite, and given to us by Pope Benedict in his Motu Proprio with his own form of the prayer "pro conversione Judæorum" on Good Friday are as follows:

Palm Sunday

Saturday (Vigil) 6.00 p.m. St Mary's, Gibbet Street, Halifax

Sunday            11.00 a.m. Sacred Heart, Broughton Hall, Skipton

                           3.00 p.m. St. Joseph's, Pontefract Road, Castleford

                           UPDATE Correction - no Mass at Heckmondwike

Holy Monday, Tuesday & Spy Wednesday,    

                           9.30 a.m. Sacred Heart, Broughton Hall, Skipton

Maundy Thursday    

                          7.30 p.m. Notre Dame chapel , St. Mark's Avenue, Leeds

Good Friday             

                           3.00 p.m. Notre Dame chapel , St. Mark's Avenue, Leeds

Holy Saturday Vigil        

                           3.00 p.m. Notre Dame chapel , St. Mark's Avenue, Leeds

Easter Sunday     

                          11.00 a.m. Sacred Heart, Broughton  

                            3.00 p.m. St. Joseph's, Pontefract Road, Castleford

                            (No Mass at Heckmondwike)

After Easter our new additional regular Masses at the Cathedral and at Our Lady of Lourdes, Leeds, will start gently. Fr Wiley sent me the details this afternoon and I was pleased to see that the Cathedral Dean, Mgr Moger joins the celebrants. I shall post details during the week of these and reminders of the various Masses and Liturgies of the Triduum. 

Laetare

The fourth Sunday of Lent is upon us already. I am having to prepare for the Triduum once again and I am sorting things out - apart from the Easter fire which has caused a pre-paschal laugh in the past at the Vigil - I'm confident that things are under control, but as for the Easter fire - watch this space.

The Gospel of today's Mass looks forward to Holy Thursday, a feast which is then given its own prominence at Corpus Christi. We are at the half way point. The penitential nature of the season lightens a little, there are rose vestments.

Masses this weekend:

Saturday Vigil St. Mary's, Gibbett Street, Halifax. 6.00 p.m.
Sunday            Sacred Heart, Broughton Hall, Skipton, 11.00 a.m.
                      St. Joseph's, Pontefract Road, Castleford. 3.00 p.m.
                      Holy Spirit, Bath Road Heckmondwike. 4.00 p.m.

Increased provision

Yesterday evening I had the pleasure of meeting our new Bishop along with Fr. Wiley the diocesan co-ordinator for the Extraordinary Form.
His Lordship was very supportive and is keen for us to continue and expand our activities in the everyday life of the diocese. He expressed a strong desire to see in house training in the diocese in such things as the spirituality of the Extraordinary Form and even suggested a possible speaker for us.
He has also requested that there be a monthly Sunday Mass at the Cathedral and increased provision generally in Leeds. He also offered to attend some of our Masses to preside and so I shall be contacting him again with a list of suggestions. This means we will have a Solemn High Mass. It has also been agreed that we have a Solemn High Mass of Requiem in November in the Cathedral. When details of these extra Masses have been agreed and the arrangements made I shall of course post the information. There is also to be a solemn high Mass on the Feast of the Holy Trinity at the end of May in Leeds.
We are lucky in this diocese to have daily Mass at Broughton Hall and several Sunday Masses but in order for this to continue and for us to expand it does mean that people will have to attend the Masses to show that there is a demand and to make our clergy feel that their considerable efforts and time commitments are appreciated.
We have also been given permission to advertise our activities on the diocesan website, something which sends out the signal that not only is the EF Mass provided but also promoted in this diocese as foreseen in Pope Benedict's motu proprio Summorum Pontificum, the contents of which the Bishop was well aware of.
I shall write to his Lordship again to thank him for his solicitude and personal kindness.

Masses for Lent III

Saturday Vigil  St. Mary's, Gibbet Street,  Halifax, 6.00 p.m.
Sunday             Sacred Heart, Broughton Hall, Skipton 11.00 a.m.
                       St. Peter's, Leeds Road, Laisterdyke, Bradford, 3.00 p.m. (sung)
                       St. Joseph's, Pontefract Road, Castleford, 3.00 p.m.