Pentecost XXIV

The final Sunday of the Church's year is upon us. Next week is the first Sunday of Advent. This weekend we have two Masses:

11.00 a.m. Sacred Heart, Broughton Hall, Skipton
12.30 p.m. St. Joseph's, Pakington Street, Bradford

Numbers at St. Joseph's continue to increase as we see friends new and old as well as the stalwart regulars.  I was very pleased to hear that despite his recent move to Wakefield, Fr. Crawley has remained on the rota and Fr. Whitwell is progressing well in his own preparations to offer the Mass in the new year.

This blog has had over 200 hits in the last 24 hours following the Confirmations last night.
The welcome with which the EF Mass has been met at St. Joseph's is "textbook" as the local Bradfordian vernacular used to say.
The Parish Priest, Fr. Angel was attending a School Governor's Committee Meeting but stayed as long as he could before the bishop arrived.

My personal prayer of thanks this week is that Bishop Stock, our father in Faith and bonus pastor, has fed his sheep with a truly paternal disposition.

For the first time ever I think it can be publicly and repeatedly said that the Extraordinary Form of Mass and Sacraments are mainstream in Leeds under Bishop Stock.

Of your charity please would you pray for a friend of mine who is very ill and asks for strength to receive the last Sacraments.

A triumph!

With no little solemnity this evening His Lordship, Marcus Stock, Bishop of Leeds conferred the Sacrament of Confirmation on Leo Williamson and Eva Barrow at St. Joseph's, Bradford. This was followed by Pontifical Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.
The Deacon was Fr. Michael Hall, Subdeacon Canon Timothy Wiley, the Revd Expositor was Father Timothy Whitwell and Father Kevin Driver attended in white choir. Messrs Hirst, Nicyperowicz and Walker served with Josef and Fabian Walker who acted as mitre and crozier bearers. Mr. George Watson played the Veni, Creator, Spiritus and O Purest of Creatures at the organ.
Please may I take this opportunity to thank the bishop and everybody else who made the occasion so splendid and memorable.
Congratulations to Leo (Ladislaus) and Eva (Lucia) on their Confirmation Day - may you always be strong in your Faith. God bless you both.

Photo credit Mrs. Illingworth.

Confirmation

For the first time in many years the diocesan bishop will publicly confer the Sacrament of Confirmation followed by Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament according to the books of 1962.

Please do all you can to support this momentous occasion which will take place at 7.00 p.m. on Thursday 23rd. November at St. Joseph's, Pakington Street, Bradford.

As ever we extend our sincere thanks to Bishop Stock for his solicitude to those attached to the Extraordinary Form of the Mass and Sacraments. 

Sunday - Epihany VI and Pentecost XXIII

This Sunday is the sixth remaining after the Epiphany with the Introit, Gradual, Alleluia Verse, Offertory & Communion of Pentecost XXIII: Collect, Epistle, Gospel, Secret & Postcommunion  are of Epiphany VI.

Masses this Sunday:

8.00 a.m. St Ann's Cathedral, Cookridge Street, Leeds
11.00 a.m. Sacred Heart, Broughton Hall, Skipton
12.30 p.m. St. Joseph's, Pakington Street, Bradford

This week:

Mass Monday-Saturday at Broughton Hall at the new time of 10.30 a.m.
Thursday at St. Joseph's, Bradford, Confirmation and Pontifical Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament and given by Bishop Stock at 7.00 p.m.

It is good to see that the Cathedral is in use again for the EF Mass this weekend and just as good to see the bishop giving the Sacrament of Confirmation according to the books of 1962 in Bradford. This again marks a first. There have been traditional rite confirmations in this Diocese since 1970. Two of my children were confirmed by Canon Wiley during the interregnum period by dispensation given by the Apostolic Administrator Mgr. Wilson. What is different is that for the first time the diocesan bishop is conferring this Sacrament publicly.
The bishop recently said that he wished to offer the Mass in the Extraordinary Form to show that he is a father to all in his diocese. The bishop clearly sees that deeds speak louder than words.

Reaction and more news

I was contacted yesterday and today by Ruth Gledhill the former Religious Affairs Correspondent for the Times who now works for the Tablet about Saturday's Mass at the Cathedral. She has written a very complementary piece about the Mass which can be viewed here:     https://www.facebook.com/TheCatholicTablet/#

There were also some good photos by Mr Sice and a good write up on the Leeds Diocesan website.

A reminder that the bishop is back in action next week on Thursday for Confirmations and Pontifical Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. This will be at St. Joseph's, Bradford at 7.00 p.m. As the diocesan website says ALL are welcome. This will be another great opportunity to show our devotion to the rites according to the books of 1962.

Fr. Parfitt has contacted me to say that Masses at Broughton Hall will now be offered at 10.30 a.m. from Monday to Saturday but the Sundays and high days and holy days will continue to be at 11.00 a.m. It is hoped that those accessing Broughton by public transport will benefit from this later time.

Last weekend

It was an incredibly edifying and moving occasion in the Cathedral on Saturday when for the first time in many years a Bishop of Leeds offered Mass according to books of 1962 in his own cathedral. Bishop Stock had requested that he celebrate this Mass for his late predecessors having presided at a Mass for Bishop Wheeler a couple of years ago from the cathedra.

This was the first public Mass offered by Bishop Stock and it flowed beautifully. Fr Michael Hall, who was the Assistant Priest, had tutored the bishop over recent months and the bishop's attention to detail and impeccable preparations were most touching. The diocese has no tunicle and dalmatic to go under the bishop's chasuble but the bishop provided his own along with a copy of the Pontifical Canon.

Fr. Abberton acted as deacon  and Canon Wiley was the subdeacon. Mgr Moger attended in white choir and other clergy were present in the congregation.

The schola gregoriana provided the music under the direction of Mike Murphy and they executed the Requiem Mass and absolution followed by Help Lord the Souls with great solemnity.

The servers were well aware of their duties and carried out their duties with care and aplomb.

Thanks to everyone who played some part in this Mass which ultimately gave great honour to Almighty God.

 Thanks to Mrs Illingworth for the photos.

Lest we forget

This weekend sees remembrance Sunday. On Saturday the Bishop is offering a Solemn Pontifical High Mass of Requiem for his deceased predecessors.
I have seen notice of this Mass on the Offerimus Tibi Domine, Middlesbrough Latin Mass Society, Gateshead Revisited and New Liturgical Movement blogsites as well as the Leeds Diocese Website. Please do consider attending this Mass to show gratitude to the Bishop and all the clergy involved who have given freely of their considerable talents and precious time.
It must be said, not only for those of us born before and at the time of Vatican II, that it would have been unthinkable even ten years ago that such an event would have taken place.

Saturday:    3.00 p.m. Leeds Cathedral, Cookridge Street, Leeds. Celebrant - the Bishop

Sunday:        11.00 a.m. Sacred Heart, Broughton Hall, Skipton
                       12.30 p.m. St. Joseph's, Pakington Street, Bradford - Sung Requiem Mass for the War Dead with prayers at the parish cenotaph. 

This week

This week we have two important events.

On Wednesday at Wheeler Hall, which is adjacent to the Cathedral the latest cycle of Cathedral Lectures start with a talk by journalist and author Dennis Sewell. The talk begins at 7.00 p.m.

The title of Dennis Sewell's talk is "How to be Counter-Cultural". He describes his topic as follows:

“I ask you to swim against the tide” said Pope Francis, calling on Catholics to be counter-cultural. But in an age of liberal intolerance where the teachings of the Church can be represented as bigotry or even ‘hate crime’, what are the practicalities and the potential risks of telling the truth? And what does being counter-cultural really entail? Is it merely about asserting tradition in the face of modernity and relativism in today’s increasingly secularized Western world? Or must the Church be counter-cultural in a more profound way at all times and in all places?

Later in the week on Saturday we have the Solemn Pontifical High Mass of Requiem.

SOLEMN PONTIFICAL MASS OF

REQUIEM

offered by His Lordship, Bishop Stock.

SATURDAY 11^TH. NOVEMBER 2017

at

3.00 P.M.

ST. ANN’S CATHEDRAL COOKRIDGE STREET, LEEDS

for

the repose of the souls of his  predecessors

Bishops   Cornthwaite, Gordon, Cowgill, Poskitt,  Heenan,  Dwyer,  Wheeler & Konstant

Music provided by the Leeds Schola Gregoriana.

Pentecost XXII and Pontifical Requiem

Many thanks to Fr. Driver for saying the Masses earlier this week at St. Joseph's, Bradford for All Saints and All Souls.

Father Parfitt is much better now and on Sunday we have two Masses:

11.00 a.m. missa cantata  Sacred Heart, Broughton Hall, Skipton
12.30 p.m. St. Joseph's, Pakington Street, Bradford

Also on Sunday at 8.10 a.m. BBC Radio 4's Morning Worship comes from St. Joseph's, Bradford. The celebrant of the OF Mass is the Assistant Parish Priest, Fr. Whitwell and the preacher Fr. Michael Hall.

On Saturday November 11th. at 3.00 p.m. Bishop Stock will offer a Solemn Pontifical High Mass of Requiem at Leeds Cathedral for his predecessors. I believe that this something of a first in this country and I am grateful to the Schola Greg led by Mike Murphy who readily accepted my request for them to sing.

Fr. Michael Hall. the Assistant Priest, has been working with Bishop Stock in preparation for next week's Mass.