Michael Rutherford - Requiem

Michael Rutherford's Requiem Mass details have now been finalised. It will take place at 12.30 p.m. on Friday 19th. May at the church of Saints Peter & Paul, Yeadon,  Leeds, LS19 7HW followed by interment at Guiseley cemetery.

Thank you and update

Many thanks to those who attended this year's Sacred Triduum at St Patrick's. Similarly many thanks to  Fr. Frantisek who offered the Liturgies so  beautifully and to Fr. Christopher for permitting the Triduum to take place at St. Patrick's this year.

Thank you to those who have asked about, prayed for and visited David Adolph who remains in hospital. He is still very sick but it was touching to be able to converse with him yesterday after seeing him so desperately ill during the week.

I doubt that few people who attend the old Mass these days will remember Michael Rutherford who died during the night between Good Friday and Holy Saturday. Michael had been the Deputy Head at St. Michael's College in Leeds and taught the likes of Canon Timothy Wiley. and other priests of the diocese. Michael's wife, Agnes, was  for many years the Representative for the Latin Mass Society in this diocese and set the tone of non-confrontation with the successors of Bishop Wheeler. 

Michael who was an enormous rugby union player and fan had a very dry sense of humour and I always appreciated his candour. 

As he now joins Agnes I hope and pray that he will rest in peace  and rise in the glory of Almighty God. Requiescat in pace. Please remember Michael and his daughters Margaret and Alison and their families in your prayers. 

Michael told me that he wished for the old Mass for his funeral and the hymn he wished to be sung at the end. I shall endeavour to carry out his wishes.

Resurrexi, et adhuc tecum sum, alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Happy Easter!

 

The Triduum

This year's Triduum will take place at St. Patrick's Church, Westgate, Bradford BD1 2RU

TIMES:

Maundy Thursday.  Mass of the Lord's Supper, 7.00 p.m.

Good Friday. The Passion, 3.00 p.m.

Holy Saturday. The Easter Vigil, 7.00 p.m.

Easter Sunday. 1.00 p.m.

Of your charity

On Wednesday morning I received a telephone call from the sister of one of our regular and more eccentric attendees at St. Patrick's, David Adolph. David had been found in a collapsed state in his flat on Friday after over 24 hours. He has a bronchial infection, a kidney infection, broken ribs, a bleed to the brain and various other nasty ailments. I visited him on Wednesday afternoon after work and barely recognised him. He was unconscious and I recited the Rosary in his side ward over him. I asked the nurse to call the Catholic chaplain to administer extreme unction and I heard her ring the chaplaincy team as I was with him. It was extremely distressing. His sister is herself currently incapacitated in Surrey and so I have been his only visitor. The hospital have told his sister that he is nearing the end of his life, as the doctor also told me. Please remember David in your prayers and that the Lord relieves him of his suffering. Thank you.

Update: I have been refreshed by the goodness and concern shown by people who read the original post and have either already visited or promised to visit David. His nephew has also emailed me to thank me for the concern people have shown. David's parish priest and one of the friars from St. Patrick's have promised to visit him.

When he was conscious this morning the nurse told me he was talking about the Church and said he was clearly a strong believer in God. Please continue to pray for him.

The Sacred Triduum 2023

This morning at Mass one of the friars came into the sacristy to speak with me. At first I thought he was going to take me to task for yesterday's April tom-foolery about votive lights thinking the friary had been berated by somebody for what I had written! Fortunately, this wasn't the case and instead I was told that the Servant (superior) had asssented to giving Fr. Frantisek, one of our regular celebrants, permission to celebrate the Sacred Triduum for us this week. I am, therefore, delighted to announce that this year, the first time since the pandemic, we shall again be having the Triduum in the Diocese of Leeds. At Mass today it was announced that the Holy Thursday Mass would be at 7.30 p.m. but this has had to be changed in order to accommodate the Friars' own schedule. Apologies for any confusion caused. The definitive schedule is as follows with all services and Masses taking place at St. Patrick's church, Westgate, Bradford BD1 2RU: Holy Thursday. Mass of the Lord's Supper. 7.00 p.m. Good Friday. The Liturgy of the Passion and death of the Lord. 3.00 p.m. Holy Saturday. The Paschal Vigil. 7.00 p.m. Easter Sunday. The Resurrection of the Lord. 1.00p.m. Please may I put on record my thanks to Fr. Christopher and Fr. Frantisek for their generosity of spirit and kindness in providing us with this grace filled opportunity. As always and in the spirit of what Pope John Paul II gave us and what Pope Benedict XVI allowed for in Summorum Pontificum the ceremonies will be in accordance with the books in use in 1962.

Laudato Si

This morning I received a telephone call from the Superior of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, who are custodians of St. Patrick's, where we are very fortunate to have our regular Sunday Mass. As part of their Lenten journey they have been thinking of ways to implement more fully the Holy Father's encyclical Laudato Si. The brothers have decided that in order to cut down on general use of motor fuel thay will no longer be able to countenance the picking up or delivery of votive candles for or to the church and have asked me to transmit the message that whilst the faithful are always welcome to burn votive lamps they must now bring their own from home and Father thanks us in advance for our understanding in the desire to preserve the environment as (like Tesco) every little helps. The regular attendees during the week have been given the same message.

Fr. Joseph Falloon

Of your charity please remember the repose of the soul of Fr. Joe Falloon, aged 94, who was formerly the parish Priest at Upppermill on the very edge of the diocese. He was, before retiring to Ireland, a regular celebrant of the old Mass at Uppermill and a great character of the old school to boot. May he rest in peace. I remember him telling me that when they lived on the Falls Road in Belfast, the local bishop would sometimes call for tea and was always happy to have boiled eggs and toast or jam sandwiches and a pot of tea with the family.