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.
