Faith of our Fathers!

At the Mass at Heckmondwike on Sunday my son flicked open the incense boat to reveal the words of the prayer of blessing of incense stuck to the lid, whereupon I immediately thought about an earlier posting I made about this "liturgical tip" and the frivolous thought of archrubrician O'Connell inventing a prayer for the blessing of sticky tape. (Archrubrician was a term once used by Mgr. Basil Loftus of this diocese to describe O'Connell.)
Father Abberton has now also incorporated the sung collect and post-Communion prayer into the first Sunday Masses at Holy Spirit. Masses at Broughton and Heckmondwike both concluded with the singing of Faith of our Fathers.
Verse 4 of that hymn, "Faith of our Fathers! we will love/ Both friend and foe in all our strife:/ And preach thee too, as love knows how/ By kindly words and virtuous life.... " summed up perfectly the conclusions reached in the sermons at those two Masses. One lady even asked me if we were now allowed to sing this hymn again. As I gladly assured her tht we are as free as ever to sing this hymn I cringed inside upon realization that good faithful Catholics had been so terribly misled by those who should have known far better. My own grandmother was told many years ago, in the Confessional box, to forget all the "rubbish" she had been taught about the Faith at school.

She was truly scandalized. Her reverend confessor had long left the priesthood before she died in 1986. May she rest in peace.

E-pistles and St. Paul

The priest in charge of tuition in the 1962 Rite of Mass and Sacraments, Father Parfitt of Broughton, is I should think, going to be a very busy man in coming weeks and months with follow up one-to-one tuition sessions for some of the Merton men and others who have expressed the desire to learn. There was a very nice turnout at Broughton on Sunday. Fr. Parfitt's sermon unravelled the meaning of the Epistle, having referred to the Pauline Year and how St. Paul's thoughts often gushed as he wrote, he then (without any such gushing) compared and contrasted it with what the Holy Gospel was saying. I have often said that Fr. Parfitt does with the scriptures what Sr. Wendy does with wonderful paintings, insomuch as they see where they are in relation to what they clearly know, love and understand and are immediately able to make you (sometimes uncomfortably) aware of yourself in all of this expression or account too. You get the bigger picture and at the same time the soul seems to understand their analysis quicker than the mind, I wonder perhaps if St. Paul experienced this sort of thing as he analysed what he heard Almighty God saying to him as he composed his epistles?

I think St. Paul, in his special year would make a wonderful patron saint of the Roman Catholic blogosphere!

Summer School report and G.K. Chesterton

My daughter has returned refreshed and re-invogorated in the Faith following another excellent week at the St. Catherine's Summer School held at Ardingly College. As always her impressions were profoundly positive and we cannot enough thank Fr. Southwell, Dr. Joseph Shaw and all the other staff who gave freely of their holiday time to make this event possible.
As well as learning to sing some polyphony, and being thrilled at having the chance to learn some elementary Greek she was visibly moved when telling me that Fr. Southwell said she was welcome to attend next year, when she will be 19. For the first time, the Church's Social Teaching was on the Curriculum and when I immediately referred to Rerum Novarum she gave me a very sideward look, having thought that she might have been able to catch me out on something. Her team was, alas, in third place this year, but she does assure me that got all the Greek right.

As I said in my post last week it was really good to see so many children and teenagers learning about the Faith, moreover less than a hundred miles away in Oxford and at the same time, there were priests who at a far different level, were also learning about the Faith and Liturgy.

We in the North need to get ourselves sorted out to be able to host such events ourselves - for the simple reason that it would be more convenient for the priests and laypeople who live north of Nottingham to attend. Please e-mail me with any ideas you have about this and any offers of financial help. Please let us overcome this sense of northern isolation.

Living in Bradford as I do, where mosques are springing up all the time and Catholic churches and parishes are in decline, it was touching to hear of the young Muslim girl who was attending another event at Ardingly College and who attended recitation of the Rosary in the College chapel on two evenings. Afterwards she told my daughter how much she had enjoyed the prayers; needless to say we now have to pray for this girl to convert. At the same time I would ask you to pray for a young man in the Manchester area who is a described by a a very reliable source as a good Christian man who needs Rome, but doesn't yet see this. Please pray for all those people who are presently considering converting to Roman Catholicism and invoke Our Lady of Walsingham and St. Nicholas Owen when doing this.
A priest in Bradford told me of a young Muslim couple he had instructed, baptized and confirmed, yet before this the couple had already received death threats from their respective families. This couple has since left the UK.

I have just found my copy of the original facsimile of G.K.Chesterton's observations of Heckmondwike in the form of a poem, probably penned on the train on his way to visit his friend Mgr. John O'Connor, who was under Fr. Hinsley in the early days of Bradford's St. Bede's Grammar School. As mentioned before Heckmondwike will be the subject of a future posting. Mgr. O'Connor was responsible for the building of the "Round church" of the First Martyrs in Heights Lane, Bradford. Fr. O'Connor was Chesterton's inspiration for the Father Brown stories.

Bloggers, teachers and....footballers

At Merton I was able to meet with several bloggers. As well as Frs. Boyle, Finigan, Finnegan, Fra Laurence Lew OP and Mac McLernon, I spoke quite often with the very nice Lancaster Priest, Fr. Paul Harrison, of Thoughts from Walney Island fame. Those of you who read the blog will be relieved to know that I could detect no evidence of him eating Walker's excellent crisps or any other crisps for that matter. Father spoke passionately about football, history, music and the liturgy. With all but the football I felt as if we were operating on the same wavelength, he appears to have an encyclopaedic knowledge of Preston North End which is as incomprehensible to me as electrical engineering or biothermics!

Football is something that has never interested me, but this does not keep me looking at the career of one of my ex-pupils Andy O'Brien, who played for Bradford City, Newcastle and now plays for a southern team. According to the Leeds Diocese Website Andy was back in his native Knaresborough recently to open a nature pond at his old primary school, St. Mary's. When I taught Andy his GCSE German at St. John Fisher in Harrogate, and he passed it with flying colours, he was one of the first pupils to personally contact me to thank me for inspiring him in the classroom. His mum was like a dog with two tails at the year 11 parents' evening when I told her he would "walk" the exam.
My handwritten reports could be worth a fortune in years to come if he should ever play for his country!

The good Samaritan

I was able serve at three Masses yesterday, at every one of which I was able to offer up for the same personal intention. The Gospel of the Mass (The good Samaritan) allowed me to hear three different but equally edifying sermons which all came to exactly same conclusion that paramount to our Faith is the Love of God and of others as ourselves. I also spoke with several priests. One priest told me that since the Motu Proprio he has for the first time in his priestly life felt utterly and totally liberated, as if some sort of shackles have been removed. His Priesthood has reached a new level and for this he is truly grateful.

Thanks and apologies

Thanks to those of you who have requested to receive the newsletter by e-mail. Please do not hesitate to e-mail me for a copy of Facing Forward.

Apologies also for the errors which have appeared in the Mass listings. I shall sort this out a.s.a.p.
Sorry also that the Halifax Masses yesterday and next Saturday have had to be cancelled.

Summer School

Before attending the Oxford Conference I dropped off my eldest daughter at the St. Catherine's Trust Summer School at Ardingly College in East Sussex. I was able to attend the first Mass of the Summer School and it was very inspiring to see all the students with their brothers and sisters. There were well over a hundred children at the Mass and the atmosphere was lovely. Father Andrew Southwell was the celebrant. Father is always keen to remind me that he has links with Bradford as his uncle was a doctor here.
Judging by my daughter's telephone calls things have been a great success down there and I am looking forward to catching up on all the news when she gets back later today. I must thank Paul Waddington, rep in neighbouring Middlesbrough and fellow Committee member for so readily agreeing to bring her back from the Summer School. Paul is spending time with his relatives near to Ardingly.

I shall be serving the Mass at English Martyrs, York at 6.00p.m. for Paul as well as at our regular Leeds Masses at Broughton (11.30a.m.) and Heckmondwike (2.30p.m.)

As ever please do what you can to attend our Masses.

Server - training

Partly as a result of the conference I have received several requests from men wishing to learn to serve Low Mass. This will now go ahead in the next few weeks. If you are reading this blog and would like to learn how to serve Mass please e-mail me (lmsleeds@googlemail.com). The location will be central and will include Mass. Hands on tuition will be given.

Back from Merton

I arrived back from Oxford last night just in time to serve the First Friday Mass at Batley, where two of the sisters from the neighbouring convent were again in attendance with several other parishioners who continue to attend in ever increasing numbers. It was good to catch up with Father Wiley again who returned from World Youth Day when I was in France last week. Since then a lot of water has flowed under the bridge. Merton was an enormous success - the atmosphere was positively electric and after the second day I had lost count how many Masses I had served. I had to rise at 5.30a.m. to take a coach to the Oxford Oratory where Masses were offered at each of the altars in the church, at the altar in the house chapel and at a makeshift altar in the parish hall. In the afternoons I served Masses at makeshift altars at Merton and the stories priests told of their joy at learning to say the traditional Mass were as humbling as they were inspiring. The picture above shows part of the procession before Friday's Solemn Pontifical High Mass offered by the Abbot of Lagrasse. The sermon at this Mass was preached by former Leeds Priest, Father John Osman who was chaplain to the University of Bradford. It was wonderful for me to catch up with him after so many years.


Other Leeds priests at the conference were Canon McCreadie, Father Billington, Father Hall and Father Lawler. Canon McCreadie and Father Billington had previously had only limited exposure to the traditional Mass but I have no doubt that they were impressed with the liturgy they encountered and the training they received. I doubt it will be long before these priests are regularly offering the traditional Mass in their parishes. Father Hall will be our celebrant at the Masses at St. Peter's, Bradford starting in September. Father Hall attended as a beginner last year and this year was on an advanced course.


As well as serving Mass and attending vespers each day and compline on Wednesday evening I had a great opportunity to meet lots of interesting new people and make lots of new contacts, as did everybody else there. The lectures given by Rev. Dr. Hemming and Rev. Dr. Reid were quite outstanding and will be published in due course by the LMS.


Bishop McMahon of Nottingham came and offered pontifical Vespers on Thursday and joined us for dinner afterwards. He gave an extremely uplifting and hilarious speech after dinner and received a rapturous standing ovation from his mainly clerical listeners.



From my time at the conference I see that after less than a year of its implementation the Motu Proprio is not going to go away. It is now the law of the Church and despite those who would rather wish to see it not being implemented by pretending it doesn't exist I cannot help but think - probably for the first time in my life - that the future is bright. The 60 priests who benefited from the conference would, I'm sure, testify to this.

Deo gratias! God bless the Pope!

Back from holiday and back to work (of a sort)

I returned from holidays early on Saturday morning and was then back on the road to take my eldest daughter to the St. Catherine's Trust Summer School in East Sussex. I then drove up to Oxford to help out at the Priests' Training Conference serving Mass and various other jobs. Yesterday I served 2 private Masses and then attended Solemn Mass and Vespers in the beautiful chapel of Merton College where the conference is being held. There are 60 priests here this year learning different aspects of the traditional Liturgy, including four priests from Leeds Diocese and one former Leeds Diocesan priest. There is also a priest from Middlesbrough and a priest from Lancaster and a couple from Hexham and Newcastle.
The atmosphere really is quite remarkable and it is extremely encouraging to see so many (young) priests learning to offer the Mass and celebrate their priesthood. There has been a lot of opportunities to network and renew old acquaintances.
I have only just found the computer room here and as yet have been unable to download any photographs from my camera to upload to this blog. I shall do this in the next couple of days.
Please pray for the priests here that they may take back to their dioceses and parishes what they have learned and that they encourage their clerical confreres to do likewise.
Saints John Vianney and Therese of Liseaux pray for them!

Advance notice

Please note that there will be no Mass at Halifax this coming Saturday (August 2nd.) and the following Saturday (August 9th.) due to unforeseen circumstances. Normal schedule after this.

Holiday break

If I get a chance to do do any posting from France it will be from an internet cafe.
Au revoir!

Phew!

The newsletter has been posted! After a two hour tour of the new school we are currently feverishly preparing to move into and an extra hour at a meeting this afternoon I got home at 5.00p.m. and printed off nearly 200 labels, 200 double-sided Mass lists and then having stuffed the envelopes, stamped and labeled them, I managed to catch the last post at the central sorting office.

Later I sent out copies by e-mail to those who had requested it after one or two little hitches this too seems to have been a success. If you want a copy of the newsletter please specify if you do not have Windows Office 2007.

Having confirmed the details of the Masses at St. Peter's, Bradford, I received a lovely e-mail from the P.P. Fr. Francis Smith who said that we were welcome to store our things in the sacristy there and that he had arranged for somebody to help us in addition to opening and closing up the church. Many thanks to Fr. Smith and his parishioners. Whilst checking out the Leeds Diocese website for Bishop Roche's blog from Australia, I saw that in June there was a very impressive Corpus Christi procession of the Blessed Sacrament along the mainly Muslim Leeds Road area of Bradford. Had I known about this we would have been there. St. Peter's was my (lapsed) father's parish as a child. My grandmother was a member of the UCM there for many years. My wife's parents were married there (in the sacristy), she, her two brothers and countless aunties, uncles, cousins and nieces and nephews have been baptised, shriven, confirmed, married and buried from this church. I remember appealing there on behalf of SPUC in about 1987-8 and for at least ten years thereafter I regularly continued to go to confession there. The now long gone convent of the Sisters of the Cross and Passion which is now an old people's home saw the likes of the saintly sisters Gemma CP and Attracta CP.

The Sisters of the Cross and Passion have played an enormous role in the education of Catholic children over the last hundred or more years. Many primary and secondary schools have benefited from their presence. St. Joseph's College is a CP foundation and the daughter school, Saint Margaret Clitherow Girls' Grammar School is now Yorkshire Martyrs College.

For the Catholic boys of Bradford, Fr. Arthur Hinsley (later Archbishop and Cardinal) founded St. Bede's Grammar School (originally) near St. Patrick's church. His assistant was Father John O'Connor. Fr. O'Connor was a great friend of G.K. Chesterton who based his famous character, Father Brown, on this real priest.
St. Bede's daughter school was Cardinal Hinsley Grammar School for boys. As far as I am aware, this was always a school with lay staff and under the control of its only Headmaster, the late Walter Earnshaw. In the early 1980s Hinsley/Clitherow amalgamated to form Yorkshire Martyrs Collegiate School.
The link between G.K.Chesterton and Mgr. O'Connor and the much maligned Heckmondwike will be a future feature on this blog.

Last day of term is here and still an enormous amount to do.

New regular venue

I am delighted to announce that Mass will be offered every second Sunday of the month from September at St. Peter's, Leeds Road, Laisterdyke, Bradford at 3.00p.m.(Just down the road from St. Francis church at Eccleshill, where Mass was offered last Sunday.)
September 14th., also marks the first anniversary of the coming into force of the Motu Proprio, Summorum Pontificum, so the occasion will be one of thanksgiving in more ways than one. The celebrant will be Father Hall who readily agreed to offer the Mass - many thanks to him and to the P.P. Father Francis Smith for so readily agreeing to accommodate these Masses at St. Peter's.
I am hoping that this will be a sung Mass.

UPDATE; I have (at last) today heard from the authorities at Kirkstall Abbey about the procedure for having Mass there. I think I have a celebrant and a donor who wishes to remain anonymous has already told me that finance should pose no problem to organising this Mass.

REMINDER; Mass on Saturday at 6.00p.m. at St. Maries, Gibbett Street, Halifax. THIS IS THE FIRST OF THE HENCEFORTH WEEKLY VIGIL MASSES AT HALIFAX.

Mass at Markenfield

Mass for the Feast of St. Henry was sung tonight in the chapel of the historic Markenfield Hall by Fr. Parfitt. As well as being something of a very interesting history lesson, Father's sermon focused on the role of Catholicism and the Saints of the Age (St. Henry, for example) in forming the very heart and soul of European culture and life, which continue to be under attack by immorality and the forces of paganism and secularism. At the start of the sermon Father Parfitt made reference to the anniversary of the Motu Proprio and said that we should rejoice that Pope Benedict has given any priest who wishes, the right to celebrate the Sacraments according to the Rites of 1962.
Mass concluded with a hymn for the Pope and the Salve Regina.

God bless the Pope!

Newsletter printed

The Summer Newsletter, Facing Forward, is literally hot of the press. Having read it three times and then carrying out the perfunctory grammar and spell check, followed by running off 200 copies to post out by Wednesday I immediately spotted 4 mistakes. Mea culpa.
For LMS work I have invested in a printer (on special offer) which works like a photocopier, by using powder instead of ink to reduce photocopying costs and to enable me to buy value priced paper. Cost of printer and spare cartridge £120 with at least 8000 black and white copies; 1000 sheets of decent paper (on special offer) for £4 at the local supermarket, postage stamps £42.12 for 13 books of 12 second class stamps ( quite a few still left in the stamp box following gifts of stamp books by people often outside of the diocese), envelopes - bought last time round on buy on get one free, envelope labels - bought last time round on buy one get one free
.
If you are reading this blog and wish to receive a now corrected electronic version of the newsletter, please forward your e-mail address to me (lmsleeds@googlemail.com) - this request also appears in the newsletter. These will be sent out on Thursday onwards. It is far more cost effective and much less time consuming. This will also enable me to alert those interested to any extra Masses I receive information about.

Does anybody know who is the patron saint of printers?

A reminder that there is Mass for the Feast of St. Henry on Tuesday evening at Markenfield Hall, at 7.00p.m.

Forgive us our trespasses

The culture of death in which we live is a very frightening thing. Human life is dispensable, a foetus is not safe, less so an embryo. People who work in hospitals might tell of things which would horrify the public about the way people are killed there. Knife, gun and gang culture has recently reared its ugly head with devestating consequences in several murders. Once again we hear those in authority promising "tougher laws" in a country, where only recently the prisons were unable to take any more prisoners. So much of the legislation in this country is rank - it is ubridled putridity - its stench must revolt even the very God who created life itself. How can life be even remotely valued if children are brought up to believe that destroying it at any of its several stages is quite often perfectly acceptable for "social" reasons?

At 4.00p.m. today there will be Mass at St. Francis church, Norman Lane, Eccleshill, Bradford. I shall ask Canon Boyle to offer a Votive Mass for the Forgiveness of sins at his earliest convenience on behalf of the Society. This is probably the last Mass to be held in this church as the P.P. Fr. Stephen Brown, friend and celebrant of the Society is shortly due to take up his new post as chaplain at the University of Bradford. I shall ask Father Brown to offer Mass for the Propagation of the Faith in the traditional Rite at his convenience, again on behalf of the Society.

Novel tip?

I have served a lot of Masses where the priest has had to rely on reading from bits of paper or cards or booklets, when saying the prayer for the blessing of incense at the introit and before the Gospel. For years at Broughton the words of the prayer have been stuck to the inside of the flip top lid of the incense boat. What would archbrubrician Fr. O'Connell have thought? A liturgical blessing for sticky tape?

It never occurred until me recently that others might share this good idea until the priest is able to recite the prayer without reading it.

Just for the record this is the prayer:

Ab illo bene+dicaris in cuius honore cremaberis. Amen.

(From him in whose honour you will burn, receive a blessing)

New schedule

A hectic week at school is now over. The newsletter will be ready to print tomorrow after a couple of slight changes.

The Saturday morning Masses at Heckmondwike continue and it is nice to see numbers into the teens there each time - made up of regular parishioners. After last Sunday I was pleased to hear one of the parishioners say that it would be lovely to have "this Mass" there every Sunday. Father Parfitt will be delighted to learn that his former tutee, Father Abberton, is doing very well and now sings part of the monthly Sunday Mass.

I hope that the good people of St. Marie's, Halifax are rejoicing at the news that their P.P. Fr. David Smith has announced that from next Saturday there will be Mass in the Extraordinary Form every Saturday at 6.00p.m. This will be a Vigil Mass. Those people at the workshop in September will be singing at one of these Masses.

Every fourth Sunday of the month there will now be Mass (again in anticipation of Sunday) at 3.00p.m. at St. Mary of the Angels, Crossbank Road, Batley.

Every last Sunday of the month there will be Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes, Cardigan Road, Leeds.

There are other regular Masses in the pipeline, particularly in Bradford and Leeds, including the Cathedral. The recent clerical moves have caused a delay and some changes to the original proposed schedule.

Bit by bit, Mass by Mass, week by week we are growing in numbers and in confidence and one hopes in Faith and holiness.

Thanks be to God.

AND PLEASE REMEMBER MASS ON TUESDAY 15TH. JULY AT MARKENFIELD HALL, 7.00P.M. (JUST SOUTH OF RIPON ON THE MAIN RIPON / HARROGATE ROAD.) DO NOT CONFUSE WITH SIGNS TO MARKINGTON.

This and that

I notice tonight that the Anglican Community has elected to appoint women bishops from 2014.

I have no desire to comment on what this group chooses to do but I do often wonder what the "Church of England" is. It all seems very vague. Even those relatives and friends of mine who are Protestants don't really seem to know. What will be of interest is how many of its followers decide to cut and run and where they will head for.

No long postings for the next couple of days. I am currently preparing my next newsletter which should be ready by the end of this week and sent out before next week.

I have just sent in my report to the LMS Office in London for publication in Mass of Ages along with the next quarter's (incomplete) list of Masses. There is still a bit of behind the scenes work going on arranging other regular Masses. Please watch this blog and the Catholic Post for details of extra Masses.

I shall be in France during the first week of the six week holiday - absolutely by chance we are staying in a small town with not one but two monasteries, one for Doms and the other for Dames. The men have daily sung Mass and the liturgy of hours with Gregorian chant (OF). I shall be interested to visit these places.

The second week I shall be at the Oxford Conference at Merton College whilst my eldest daughter is at the St. Catherine's Summer School near Haywards Heath, down south!

I have now received details from the office in London of nearly 60 people who have joined the LMS over recent weeks - a big welcome to them. It will take me an age to type out mailing labels

to get their copies of the newsletter to them.

Finally a first reminder that we are to have Mass again next Tuesday, July 15th. at Markenfield Hall at 7.oop.m. Markenfield Hall is situated just outside Ripon on the main Harrogate to Ripon Road.

On Sunday there will be Mass at Our Lady and St. Francis, Norman Lane, Bradford, at 4.00p.m. The celebrant will be our old friend Canon Boyle of the Archdiocese of Glasgow who is once again spending his holidays in this area. Thanks to him, it was good to see him at Mass at Broughton yesterday.

Official

Before serving Mass tonight, where once again there were new faces - some people even came from near Haworth, I was shown a letter by Fr. Wiley from the Bishop announcing the new clerical moves, now available on the diocesan website. Our friend and celebrant Fr. Stephen Brown is to be chaplain at Bradford University, although I never studied there, this is where I met my wife, and where we attended SPUC meetings when Fr. Osman was chaplain to the University. I must confess to having somewhat pestered him to offer the "Old" Mass, a request which in my presence he never did. Imagine my joy when I learned that he is now a regular celebrant of the Gregorian Mass at his parish of St. Birinus in the Archdiocese of Birmingham. Our friend Father Kravos is going to the chaplaincy at Leeds University, where, he says, the French gothic style chapel lends itself beautifully to the EF.
Father Wiley himself was finally listed as Co-ordinator for the Extraordinary Rite of Mass.
After 40 years, we now have a priest of this diocese, who was not even ten years old when the final version of the new Mass of Pope Paul VI was promulgated. At the same time we are privileged to have Fr. Geoffrey Parfitt of Sacred Heart, Broughton, who celebrated his Ruby Jubilee earlier this year as our clergy trainer and mentor for the 1962 Rite, at the request of Bishop Roche.
At our meeting tonight Fr. Wiley and I were able to not only "chew the fat", but to thrash out a lot of ideas. I shall post about these in due course.

Please, any priests reading this post , if you are interested in learning how to celebrate the Sacraments and offer the Mass according to the Books of 1962 (beginners to advanced level available) consider attending the Oxford Conference and/or get in touch with Fr. Parfitt

Mass will be offered at Sacred Heart, Broughton on Sunday morning at 11.30 (Missa Cantata)and later in the day at 2.30p.m. at Holy Spirit, Bath Road Heckmondwike. Low Mass is also offered in York at 6.00p.m. at English Martyrs, Dalton Terrace each first Sunday of the month.

First Friday

A reminder that Friday is the first Friday of the month and as such there will be Mass at St. Mary of the Angels, Batley at 7.30p.m. I shall be meeting Fr. Wiley after Mass and there is a thick agenda! Fish and chips supper likely!
Confessions before Mass (EF) from 7.00p.m.

For those nearer to Skipton there is Mass at Broughton Hall at 9.30a.m. Confession available at call.

Busy busy

The last few weeks of term are always hectic. These weeks are no exception given that the children at my school will have an extra two weeks summer holiday this year, finishing at the end of next week and not returning till September 8th., on account of us moving to a brand new school building . Planning and preparation are naturally essential. This "Hektik", as the Germans say, is not reduced by the busy time afforded by recent events in the Church and my responsibilities as rep.

I was contacted at 7.00a.m. on Tuesday morning to request that I assist at a Solemn High Mass in a neighbouring diocese as a server that same evening. By noon I had received an e-mail from a reporter from the Tablet asking about developments in this diocese re. the TLM. When I got home there were 26 e-mails and 3 letters from people re. the TLM.

The upshot was that when I got home, after a very tedious departmental meeting, I was no longer needed as a server and it wasn't necessary to grab a sandwich and beetle off. So I had a long sleep, waking up to watch the Solemn High Mass on EWTN of the Solemnity of the Precious Blood, after which I had a cup of cocoa and went back to bed.

After school today I replied to the fellow from the Tablet and will do "the mailing" after school on Thursday.

The News about the Redemptorists in Papa Stronsay, the Orkneys, entering into full communion with Rome is very promising, especially in light of the recent reaction of the Society of St. Pius X. to the letter from Rome.

Let us pray that all non-heterodox believers unite behind Pope Benedict XVI so that when Pope Benedict is no longer here (and distant may that be) his legacy will remain and that it will be impossible to dismiss or disregard that revived orthodoxy or orthopraxis masterfully recreated in light of the true intention of Vatican II instead of its hideous "spirit".

God Bless the Pope!

Diary date

Gregorian Chant Workshop Day

Come for a day and conclude it

by singing a

1962 Extraordinary Rite Mass

at

St. Marie's, Gibbett Street,

Halifax

on Saturday, September 20th.

10.45a.m start - Missa cantata at 6.00p.m.

Please bring a packed lunch. Tea, coffee and bottled water will be freely available.

Watch press and this blog for details.

The Mass ordinary to be learned on the day will be Cum Jubilo, the proper will be for the following day. Before Mass the Asperges will be sung and at Communion we shall be singing Adoro te devote.

The past few days have been quite extraordinary.
In the space of a week I have been to London, Manchester, Leeds and Heckmondwike (much satirised by G.K. Chesterton.) for various LMS events . I've met lots of good people and been in contact with many others by 'phone and e-mail. Father Abberton even asked me, tongue in cheek, if a genuflection towards me be in order given my election to the Committee - not just yet I quickly replied!
On Monday there was the wonderful first - Solemn High Mass at Trinity & All Saints and book launching by Rev. Laurence Hemming. There was the delight of a prospective convert having had her prayer to find work answered and the news about a traditional Rite personal parish in Liverpool. There have also been things about which I have not been allowed to blog about, but can at least start to do so now. Over recent months you may be aware that I have been in dialogue with the Bishop's Office and at a meeting way back in late October I met with Bishop Roche. As a result of these deliberations I have now been invited to a formal meeting with Father Timothy Wiley, Parish Priest of Batley's St. Mary of the Angels and regular celebrant of the Gregorian Mass. Father Wiley is a member and very good friend of the LMS as well as being a personal friend, and so when he rang me in his new capacity as TLM co-ordinator, I did not push anything, but clearly the TLM in this diocese is now, like Liverpool, also being given official recognition. Fr. Wiley was contacted directly by one of the Vicars General before their meeting with His Lordship, the Bishop.

All this within a fortnight of Cardinal Castrillon's visit to Westminster and the LMS's Office Manager John Medlin's recent sledgehammer hint that there's more to come. Having read that I then I then received a call from a fellow rep in another diocese with news that something similar was afoot in that neck of the woods.
I can't say anymore about what else has happened until I've met with Fr. Wiley in his official capacity - in the meantime he is celebrant at Mass for the Feast of Ss. Peter and Paul at Our Lady of Lourdes, Cardigan Road, Leeds on Sunday at 3.00p.m. Incidentally the Holy Father is due to adopt the more modern form of the pallium at his solemn Mass today.
In light of recent events I do think I am going to have to throw away my present plans for the next quarter of Masses, due to be at the LMS office by July 4th. on account of the fact that there are several positive changes afoot. It would also appear that several clergymen are going to be attending the LMS Training Conference at Oxford in just over a month's time from this and other northern dioceses. I have also almost finalized details of the training day for those interested in learning to sing a Mass (Cum Jubilo with the Asperges, proper and a couple of hymns) in the Autumn and one parish choir has already expressed interest in attending. Details to follow shortly. It is my intention to request this Mass be offered for the repose of the soul of Miss Dorothy Simpson whose bequest will finance this event.
Finally I returned from Mass at Heckmondwike to find that I had received a cheque for the work of the Society from a non-member but generous friend to the tune of £250, somebody who has provided valuable service to the traditional cause in recent years. Many thanks to them for that. Mass will again be offered for all our members, benefactors and friends.
I have also spoken with Professor Richards who asked me to thank everyone who prayed for his late wife, Rita, and for the Masses offered for the repose of her soul.
Thinking about (and praying for) Miss Diamond today, having blogged about her yesterday, my mind wandered on to the other people whom I have met at Broughton over the last twenty odd years, now deceased: Kevin and Rose Cave, Tom Hudson, Maeve Crowley, the Misses Mungovin, Miss Dorothy Simpson, Father Michael Cresswell, Father George Grime, Mgr. Alfred Gilbey and Sister Mary Kilday, who came to the Masses from Lancashire and who was an old friend of the then Cardinal Ratzinger. The Cardinal exchanged personally signed and notated cards in German with Sr. Mary who then delighted in testing my German at the back of the chapel by asking me to translate what His Eminence had written. One day she said to me, "He should be Pope one day, you know."
I do now.
God bless the Pope!

Great news from Liverpool

It was great to read in today's Catholic Herald that His Grace, Patrick Kelly, Archbishop of Liverpool has given a Pugin Church, St. Vincent de Paul's in Toxteth to be a personal parish exclusively for the 1962 Rite. It's parish priest is to be Father Simon Henry who was previously a parish priest in Wigan. According to the Herald, the Church was built by Bishop O'Reilly whilst he was still a parish priest. The parish could be up and running as soon as September. This is only the second such parish I have heard of - the first being in Rome! Let's hope and pray that other bishops around the world take the lead in their dioceses and do likewise. Having heard of so many bishops who have said and written there is no future in the traditional Mass, perhaps now is the time to put a little bit of their often extensive resources where their mouths are. In the meantime let's give thanks to God for Archbishop Kelly's momentous decision and not to forget Father Henry who now has the task of building up his congregation and thereby playing his part in the revival of that great city of culture and former bastion of Catholicism.

Years ago I remember when the delightfuly formidable Miss Joan Diamond was rep for Liverpool and managed to persuade Archbishop Worlock to get one of his priests, Fr. Michael Gaine, to say a regular Sunday Mass in light of Pope JPII's Ecclesia Dei adflicta. This was quite something - the church was St. Mary's, Highfield Street, now long gone, but the Mass survived and for the time being continues at St. Anthony's, Scotland Road. Before that I remember Miss Diamond being a regular attender for many years up until about 1988 at the first Sunday of the month Mass at Broughton Hall, which Bishop Wheeler permitted nearly thirty years ago.

We have come a long way.

Join us on Sunday for the Feast of Ss. Peter & Paul at Our Lady of Lourdes, Cardigan Road, Leeds at 3.00p.m.

Answer to a prayer

A young woman who is interested in becoming a Catholic attended the High Mass at TASC on Monday. At the Mass she prayed to St. Joseph to help her find a new job. On Wednesday she got that job. Totally moved by the liturgy she experienced she has requested further details of future traditional Masses. Little incidents like this make being a rep worthwhile in themselves.

Next training opportunity - initial idea

Following Saturday's Committee Meeting, Paul Waddington, rep for Middlesbrough and I put our heads together and decided to go ahead and organise another training day. Originally I had considered something for the clergy and servers, as I posted to that effect on Friday. We are still planning this for 2009 but in the meantime the idea is to have a day where people come together for a day to learn to sing a Mass from the liber usualis (i.e. no polyphony) to a setting other than the Missa de Angelis, with a latin hymn or two. We envisage a packed or shared lunch half way through the day, which will end with a Missa cantata in the 1962 Rite. We hope that this will encourage people interested in establishing similar things on a parish level to do something about this and establish the chance of networking which such events offer.

SOLEMN HIGH MASS

This evening saw our first Solemn Mass for about five years and was in the chapel at Trinity & All Saints College, Leeds. Rev. Dr. Laurence Hemming (Westminster Diocese) was Deacon and preached most eloquently about St. John the Baptist and priesthood. The celebrant was Fr. David Smith and the subdeacon was Fr. Tim Wiley. There was a number of clergy present in choir and in the congregation. It was very nice to see Fr. Parfitt there. A small schola, led by Mike Forbester, sang the Ordinary and Proper and the Mass concluded with the singing of the Salve Regina.

The reception afterwards was a most sociable event where Dr. Hemming spoke very humbly about those people and things which had inspired him to write his book, "Worship as a Revelation - The Past, Present and Future of Catholic Liturgy". Published by Burns and Oates. When I have read the book I shall give a brief review of it on this blog. The bit I have read so far has definitely whetted my theological appetite.

Catching up with people was, as ever, very interesting and two clergy asked me about learning the traditional Rite. Always glad to oblige on that one gentlemen. For any priests in the Leeds Diocese interested in learning (or brushing up on) the traditional liturgy, but feels unsure or inhibited, for whatever reason, please feel free to contact Father Parfitt in total confidence. I am currently seeking some training from him for myself. Given the recent challenge of organizing part of this evening's celebration, I realized that I can't actually act as M.C. at a Solemn Mass, because of lack of opportunity and experience. Well, as a result of tonight's Mass, two more Solemn Masses would also appear to be already in the pipeline. So I'm bound for Broughton.

Talking about training we are currently planning a Gregorian Chant Day for lay people. More details in the next posting.

Our new saint

One of the links from this blog is to Catholic statues. I recently ordered this plaster statue of St. Edmund Campion which was waiting for me when I got home from school on Friday. He is now standing proudly at the side of the fire. Visitors have been keen to know what the rope around his neck is all about.

Westminster Cathedral from above

Before going to the Committee meeting in London yesterday, where I took this photo of Westminster Cathedral I popped into the Cathedral for confession and spent a pleasant half hour in St. Paul's and the CTS bookshops.

This afternoon, Sunday, we went over to the Holy Name in Manchester, where Father Hilton gave a very thought provoking sermon. Given that today is the feast of Ss. John Fisher and Thomas More Father spoke about these saints and made reference to the changes at the time of the reformation when altars were cast outside of the west doors of churches so people walked over the place where the sacrifice had been offered. A communion table was placed in the centre of the church around which the community shared bread and wine, looking in at itself - the notion of sacrifice gone and the people - the community looking to itself. (Sounds familiar.) Only one Bishop, John Fisher refused to accept the King as head of the Church recognising the Reformation for what it was. Father went on to speak about the sacrifice the Martyrs made for the Faith and the Sacrifice of the Mass - not a remembrance of the last supper. Priest and people facing one way - facing Jesus.

On the move

This is another blogging first for me, as I am sitting on the train between London and Grantham, where I shall have to change to catch a bus to Newark where I will then pick up the train again, due to repairs to the line.
The Committee meeting in London was very successful and enjoyable. The office manager reported that there had been tremendous feedback from a great deal of people following the Mass at Westminster Cathedral last week. The Cardinal had been most pleased with what he had witnessed and had spoken warmly of the efforts of the Latin Mass Society especially in organizing the Oxford Conference last year and this.
The enormity of the task ahead in promoting the Gregorian Mass will take a lot of time and effort. Looking round the table at today's Committee meeting I saw a dedicated group of people who are certainly up for it.

Quick update

I have just finished preparing everything for tomorrow's trip to London for my first Committee meeting in about three years. I don't have to be in Westminster until noon, so at least I don't have to get up at 4.30 a.m. this week. I probably won't be home before 10.00p.m. Before going to bed tonight I have to do a final check on the things needed for the Mass on Monday. I know for a fact that the book of epistles and Gospels from which to chant at High Mass is in the attic boxed up or in the basement sitting room, so I'll have to root it out and air the vestments on Sunday. Three telephone calls to make and I still have to arrange to pick up the server and sort out an additional digital camera by soaping up to my Dad. One of the things I have in my bag to read on the train is a photocopy of the section about serving at a Solemn High Mass, by "archrubrician" Dr. O'Connell. I now find myself involved in organizing another training day, this time for servers and clergy in the autumn. Details still vague! I am hoping to raise this at the Committee meeting tomorrow. Whilst on the train I also have to complete the languages department timetable (for the third time) for Monday and cobble together an action plan for next year. (I'm tempted to simply write "survive" on mine - but that would never do.)

Reminder to those of you nearby that there is to be Mass on Saturday - tomorrow- at St. Marie's, Gibbett Street, Halifax at 6.00 p.m.

Given the front page of the Catholic Herald (and even the Catholic Times for once) I feel inspired again to quite simply say, "God Bless the Pope!" (pictured above before becoming Benedict XVI)

Reaction to the Cardinal's visit

Hardly surprising that this week has seen all sorts of reaction (and from some quarters no reaction) to the Cardinal's visit, during which he met with the Nuncio, the Archbishop, countless clergy and lay people, the Knights of Malta, our chairman - the larger than life Mr. Julian Chadwick (pictured above towering over Mgr. Conlon) and the press.
One member of the press was from the Tablet, Ms Curti. By what I have seen online of this week's Tablet's reaction, Ms Curti writes, in it, a fairly decent piece about her meeting with the Cardinal. I say decent, because given the swerve she is coming from, I sensed no actual sense of deep-seated malice which might be expected from the usual seasoned sourpusses usually associated with the Tablet. I haven't yet read hard copy.
The Catholic Herald promises to be a memorable read judging by what I have heard - but not yet seen.
It has also been interesting this week to receive google alerts to reactions in the secular press throughout the world including a very interesting analysis in an American publication by Georg Weigel, biographer of Pope John Paul II.
What will be of interest now is the reaction to the news by the Tablet's readers and regular correspondents. I will also be looking out for Bishop Lindsey, Emeritus of Hexham and Newcastle's views, given his impecable hostility.
Watch the Catholic Press and remember EWTN filmed the Cardinal's Mass last week.

REMINDER!

A reminder that MONDAY 23rd. JUNE sees the SOLEMN HIGH MASS for THE NATIVITY OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST at TRINITY & ALL SAINTS COLLEGE, HORSFORTH, LEEDS AT 7.30p.m. The preacher will be Rev. Dr. Laurence Hemming, who is launching his latest book following the Mass at a reception.

Also Fr. David Smith will be offering Mass this Saturday at St. Marie's, Gibbett Street, Halifax at 6.00p.m. Apologies for not having mentioned on this blog that Father Smith offered Mass last Saturday as well - the Cardinal's visit was clouding my mind and memory.

The Feast of SS Peter & Paul falls on a Sunday this year and Mass will be offered at Our Lady of Lourdes, Cardigan Road at 3.00p.m. I'm sure you would wish to join us to raise the roof singing Full in the panting heart of Rome....breathes in all tongues one only sound, "God bless our Pope, the great, the good".

It's ripper for Father Richard

Father Richard Aladics who recently offered Mass for us at his parish in Churwell contacted me this morning to say that he is taking up a new appointment....in Australia. He has been appointed as chaplain to the new Campion University in Sydney. Part of his remit is to offer the traditional Mass twice weekly in the college chapel as part of the regular life of the college. We wish Fr. Richard every good wish and prayer as he takes his ministry down under.

What the Cardinal said (2)

Go to Fr. Brown's excellent Forest murmurs http://forestmurmurs.blogspot.com/ to read in full the details of the press conference and the Cardinal's address to the LMS A.G.M.

What the Cardinal said

When returning back on the train on Saturday I made some notes about what I had learned, partly as a personal souvenir and partly for points for the blog. I found it quite difficult to believe what I was writing and because it was so incredible I thought I'd better not be one of the first to blog about it and then look like a right lemon! I even had the laptop with me! I had to distinguish what the Cardinal had said at the meal, at the AGM and from Cardinal Cormac's throne in the Cathedral.
Firstly I thought that the Feast of St. Basil in the Byzantine setting of the magnificent Westminster Cathedral and the epistle and Gospel for that feast were in themselves as if the Lord were speaking directly to us. As the Cardinal spoke of the Saint as being of the Eastern and Western Churches - and at the same time two parts of one Church I thought about the subtext of all of these remarks. My internal conclusion was that the Holy Father wants parity of Rites. Traditional Catholics will have to be prepared to accept things which they personally dislike (like the objections raised 20 years ago when the removal of the second confiteor caused such a rumpus, when the 1962 edition of the Roman Missal was made definitive for those times). The two Rites of Mass must be able to sit comfortably together because they are both part of the same tradition and are supposed to be a part of the profession of the same Faith in albeit different ways. The Cardinal had earlier referred to the "many, many, many abuses" associated with the post-Concilliar rite of Mass.
In the A.G.M. the Cardinal said that the efforts of the LMS to instruct priests at last year's Oxford Conference had been very well received in Rome. The issue which had caused a bit of a storm in this country recently was the arguement about the moving of the traditional Holydays of Obligation to the nearest Sunday. The Cardinal said it was perfectly permissable to celebrate the Feast on the traditional day but to accept the instructions of the English Bishops that the "obligation" be observed on the Sunday and that Feast be offered in the Old Rite too. This is because Rome had given permission for the Bishops to choose the observation of Holydays in their respective countries. This had already happened in this diocese when Fr. Wiley offered Mass on Corpus Christi Thursday in Batley and on Corpus Christi Sunday at Our Lady of Lourdes in Leeds.
It was however the press conference, which was the talk of the lunch , which had been most revealing. The Cardinal said that the Holy Father wanted the Mass to be available in not many, but all, parishes. He said that the seminaries were being written to with the instruction for the provision of the teaching of how to offer the Gregorian Mass and all that this will entail. The question of what consists a stable group was likened by the Cardinal to a Bishop's household of about three or four - and these need not be from the same parish. The Holy Father appears to wish to allow everybody the right to experience the devotion and beauty offered by the Gregorian Mass, even the young, because without knowing it they can't request it. As Pope, His Holiness sees the need to catechize the faithful and in some cases re-catechize them, and to my own way of the thinking he sees the traditional Latin Mass an ideal tool to do this. He sees it, as do many countless thousands, tens and hundreds of thousands of Catholics, as a powerful weapon against the powers of darkness afoot in the world today - think only of recent events in the House of Commons. Shameful.
Last year a priest I know had visited a friend of his who is also a priest who works in the Vatican. A Cardinal had casually told him that Summorum Pontificum was just a start to the Benedictine reforms. I am seriously starting to awaken to this revelation. We are living in extraordinary times! God bless the Pope!

Adoro te devote

Relax and offer up this wonderful hymn of praise to the Blessed Sacrament. It is 34 years ago today since I made my First Holy Communion at St. John the Evangelist, Bradford. The Parish Priest was Fr. Reginald Bessler. The class was prepared by Miss Russell who later retired to her native Belfast. I still have my rosary, medal and certificate which were presented at the Communion breakfast after the 11.15a.m. Mass.

What a weekend

Yesterday morning I had to get up at 4.30a.m. in order to get to London for 9.30a.m. When I reached Westminster Cathedral Hall at about 10.40a.m. there were already a lot of people waiting for the A.G.M.

The meeting started promptly and the Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer all dealt quickly and efficiently with Society business. The results of the election were announced and I was pleased to learn that I had been elected to serve on the Committee, along with Paul Waddington - rep for Middlesbrough, Dr. Joe Shaw - rep for Oxford and Gordon Dimon - MC to the Society and rep for Westminster. This done the Cardinal appeared having been at a press conference.

Following the Cardinal's address he received a rapturous standing ovation and having sung Credo III we received His Eminence's blessing. After the photo call there was lunch in the Archbishop's library, during which the Cardinal met briefly with Cardinal Cormac. The Cardinal then joined us for lunch. He struck me as being a most humble and prayerful man who is most keen to ensure that the Holy Father's will in these matters is carried out quickly and efficiently.

The Mass was quite extraordinary in every sense of the word. The Cardinal was received at the West Door of the Cathedral, accompanied by the Knights of Malta, in cappa magna by the Head of the chapter of Canons. The Cardinal processed to the Blessed Sacrament chapel for prayer before being led to the Arhbishop's throne to vest for Mass. The vestments, the Cathedral's finest, were white for the Feast of St. Basil the Great.

The Cathedral choir sang polyphony and chant beautifully throughout the Mass and the distribution of Holy Communion, which given that the Cathedral had standing room only took a long time but made particularly poignant by the singing of Adoro te devote.

The atmosphere had been electric in the Cathedral and was the same in the piazza afterwards. As I was standing with a collection bag at the end of Mass talking to one of our Leeds members who had travelled down with others on a private coach, I witnessed Jesuits, Dominicans, Benedictines, Franciscans, White Canons, Oratorians, a member of the Institute of Christ the King and sisters of may different orders along with literally countless dozens of regular diocesan clergy, some of whom I recognized from all the northern dioceses including this one, except Hallam. I was able to chat with a lot of old friends and people I met last year at the Oxford Conference. The atmosphere was positively enhanced by a street entertainer with an electric Violin playing Vivaldi's Spring from the Four Seasons. At this point I had to slog back home. I stepped in at 10.35 p.m.

A bottle of Moet & Chandon has been languishing in the fridge since Christmas awaiting some special occasion. On the way down I wondered to myself if this would be special enough. Totally exhausted and pre-occupied with what I had seen, heard and learned I didn't feel anything like celebrating. A red hot Indian takeaway and a bottle of very dry German Pinot Grigio eventually alllowed me to reflect on what I had witnessed. I am still not fully able to summarize what the Cardinal said and this is why I have deliberately not quoted anything of what he said, which will have far-reaching consequences.

This I am saving for another posting. But in the meantime let nobody deny the fact that the Holy Ghost is breathing life into His Church.

God bless the Pope!

Summorum Pontificum

Following the last posting I felt inspired to search out the wonderful video released by the great Father Finigan of Blackfen and author of the blogsite Hermeneutic of Continuity to celebrate the publishing of the Motu Proprio. Enjoy!

Incredibly busy

The last few days have been so busy I have hardly had time to think about blogging but I have received a few e-mails from people who have seen the blog and have commented (positively) about it.
I have now finished my GCSE marking which is a weight off my mind but Saturday's Mass is now looming large along with the Annual General meeting and election results. At the AGM the candidates standing for election to the LMS Committee will learn of the results (this includes me). In addition to this there is the luncheon at Archbishop's House to prepare for. Meeting Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos is not something one does every day!
Preparation for the solemn High Mass at Trinity & All Saints College, Leeds, on Monday 23rd. June at 7.30p.m. followed by a reception to launch Dr. Laurence Hemming's latest book (details below) is proving to be a very rewarding but time consuming exercise. Yesterday I went over to the College to get a feel for the place and to see what things I will need to take. This has meant a great deal of liaison with lecturer at the College, Ben Whitworth who is the principle organiser. I also had to go over to Killingbeck Cemetery chapel to pick up the altar cards and various other things we will need. The Mass is to be for the Nativity of St. John the Baptist as it will occur after Vespers of the Vigil, so I have had to sort out the white High Mass set of vestments last used a few years ago at St. Joseph's in Bradford, when Canon Boyle of Glasgow was celebrant, with Fr. David Smith as Deacon and Fr. Tim Wiley as Sub deacon. The forthcoming Mass will see Fr. Smith as celebrant, Rev. Hemming as Deacon and Fr. Wiley as Sub deacon. We have been able to put together a team of at least 6 servers and some clergy have agreed to attend in choir. We are most grateful to Fr. Paul Grogan, chaplain to the College for his help and support. There is still much work to be done, including sending out invitations and getting together everything necessary to make the occasion as splendid and memorable as possible. This has also meant the preparation of press releases and suchlike. The choir is busy preparing and the rehearsal has been scheduled. The event has prompted requests for a training day for priests and laymen to learn how to serve as MC at a High Mass, as it is also hoped to make solemn High Masses a more regular feature in Leeds and Middlesbrough Dioceses. This is something Bishop Roche referred to most positively at my meeting with him way back in October. The signs are good - few could doubt that the Traditional Mass is making a steady comeback following the Holy Father's Motu Proprio, Summorum Pontificum and that in many places the traditional liturgy of the Church is being accepted as mainstream once again. For this we should thank Almighty God.Who can forget our Blessed Lord's exhortation, "Feed my sheep"?

Summer School and Credo I

There are some superb videos on youtube and this is a fine example. Credo 1 is sung by the English Dominican Studentate and accompanied by pictures of stained glass windows which provide a rich commentary on the words of the prayer. I also think that this is a wonderful example of how the Faith of the Church can be imparted using modern technology. The Order of Preachers is probably doing exactly what St. Paul the Apostle would have done, had he been alive today. Would we then have had E-pistles I wonder?

This year's Summer School, organised by the St. Catherine's Trust and to be held at Ardingly College, Haywards Heath, Sussex (27th. July-3rd. August) will have, for the first time, a Dominican Sister from the Community at Cambridge on the staff along with Defender of the Faith, Mrs. Daphne McLeod. To visit the Trust's Website go to http://www.st.catherinestrust.org/ . This year will be the fourth year my eldest daughter has attended the Summer School. She is already lamenting the fact that this will be her last year as she will be too old next year. Fortunately my eldest son will be old enough to attend next year.

Tremendous value of Holy Mass

At the hour of death the Holy Masses you have heard devoutly will be your greatest consolation.

Every Mass will go with you to Judgement and will plead for pardon for you.

By every Mass you can diminish the temporal punishment due to your sins, more or less, according to your fervour.

By devoutly assisting at Holy Mass you render the greatest homage possible to the Sacred humanity of our Lord.

Through the Holy Sacrifice, our Lord supplies for many of your negligences and omissions. He forgives you all he venial sins which you are determined to avoid. The power of sin over you is diminished.

By piously hearing Holy Mass you afford the Souls in purgatory the greatest possible relief.

One Holy Mass, heard during your life, will be of more benefit to you than many heard for you after your death.

Through Holy Mass you are preserved from many dangers and misfortunes which would otherwise have befallen you. You shorten your prgatory by every Mass.

During Holy Mass you kneel amid a multitude of holy Angels, who are present at the Adorable Sacrifice with reverential awe. Through Holy Mass you are blessed in your temporal goods and affairs.

When you hear Holy Mass devoutly, offering it to Almighty God in honour of any particular Saint or Angel, thanking God for favours bestowed on him/her etc. etc., you afford that Saint or Angel a new degree of honour, joy and happiness and draw his special love and protection on yourself.

Every time you assist at Holy Mass, besides other intentions, you should offer it honour of the Saint of the day.

Nihil obstat: Francis J. Beckmann, Censor librarian

July 13, 1923.

Imprimatur: Henry Moeller. +Abp of Cincinnati

Rita Richards. R.I.P.

An old friend and teacher of mine rang me from Manchester tonight to relay the sad news that Rita Richards, wife of Professor Bernard Richards and dear mother and grandmother to their large family died in her sleep last night. Please pray for the sweet repose of her soul and for her family. Bernard was for many years MC at our regular first Sunday Masses at Broughton.

Headline - Communion plate (!...?)

A few posts ago I referred to a programme I had seen on EWTN, where our Holy Father Pope Benedict offered an open air Ordinary Rite Mass in Genoa, birthplace of Benedict XV, and where all those filmed receiving Holy Communion from the Pontiff did so on the tongue with the safety of the Communion plate.
A few days later blogger ET EXPECTO of the Middlesbrough Diocese LMS blog referred to the fact that those receiving Holy Communion on the Feast of Corpus Christi from the hand of the Holy Father did so not only on the tongue, with the safety of the Communion plate, but also kneeling.
There were plenty of pictures on the web to make this very apparent but what was even more interesting was the fact that Bishop Robert Morlino of Madison, USA, in his sermon last Sunday, referring to the Pope's recent sermons and moreover example, encouraged all those physically able to receive the Holy Eucharist on the tongue and kneeling down. To facilitate those wishing to positively respond to the Bishop's encouragement, His Lordship had ensured that kneelers were placed before the Sanctuary.

Whilst unwinding this evening, after having marked 15 more speaking tests before attending one of our First Friday Masses I did my usual surf of Catholic blogs and I came across a very pleasant post by Father Brown about this blogsite on his own very popular blogspot http://forestmurmurs.blogspot.com/ which I shall link to this blog.

I think it is now time to contact the authorities at Kirkstall Abbey.

Having had my favourite shoes resoled I have to think about making sure my favourite suit is ready for next week's trip to London to meet His Eminence Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos at a simple lunch in the library of the Archbishop of Westminster's House.

SOLEMN HIGH MASS

LEEDS HAS IT ALL....according to the website of Trinity & All Saints College, Leeds.

Given the following announcement, even as a proud Bradfordian, I tend to agree!

SOLEMN HIGH MASS

MONDAY 23. JUNE

TRINITY AND ALL SAINTS COLLEGE,

HORSFORTH, LEEDS.

7.30p.m.

to be followed by wine and light buffet in the Conference Suite in order to launch the latest book by Dr. Laurence Paul Hemming ;

"WORSHIP AS REVELATION

the past, present and future of Catholic Liturgy".

The book will be available at the reception.

All are welcome to attend the Mass.

If you wish to attend the reception, to help with numbers, please e-mail b.whitworth@leedstrinity.ac.uk

Of your charity...

Following a conversation with Mrs. Windsor, who works in the Office in London, I wonder if any readers of this blog would be able to forward any old/unused rosaries, miraculous medals or little pictures of Our Lady of Lourdes to Mrs Windsor at the London Office for her to send on to an African traditional priest working in the Missions in his native Africa. Such small gifts of love and Faith can reap tremendous harvests in the Missions.

It gets busier

Fortunately I managed to make myself rise early (this first day back at school) to mark 20 German GCSE speaking tests and to arrive in good time before school starts at 8.35p.m. A hectic day was made more hectic by having to welcome and induct another new supply teacher to the department on account of a maternity leave.
When I got home three letters had to be written to LMS members and posted and I had 9 LMS e-mails to respond to before putting yesterday's action plan referred to in yesterday's blog into action. As a result I have now organized clerics for the Solemn High Mass and for some to attend in choir. The Mass will be of the Vigil of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist. Next job - to gather together everything necessary for the celebration of the Mass and to sort out servers. This involved well over an hour on the telephone and included contact with the Office in London to discuss future initiatives and my recent invitation to lunch with Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos at Archbishop's House in Westminster. This reminds me that I need to have my favourite shoes resoled!
PS Still no reply from Kirkstall Abbey.
PPS Donation from a lady outside the diocese received with thanks.

Today, the third Sunday after Pentecost, has been (for the Sabbath) a very busy but rewarding day! Broughton Hall's Sacred Heart chapel was filled to near capacity for a Missa Cantata this morning. Before his sermon Father Parfitt said that he had heard from Rita Richards' husband, Bernard (please see previous posting, Prayers please) that having been "written off" Rita had requested nutrition the day after Mass had been offered for her at Bewerley Grange. Rita is still in desperate need of of our prayers, as is the rest of the family. Mass concluded with the singing of To Jesus All Hearts burning (to celebrate the start of the month of June) and the Salve Regina. It seemed to me that well over half of the congregation were young people, many whom I had not seen there before. Equally interesting was the fact that some of our regulars were away. If the Government hears about full chapels and churches it may start considering pew tax to discourage them. People have told me that the tax on petrol prevents them from literally being able to afford going to as many Masses as they would like, this includes those who travel by taxi, bus, train and private car. Only the gentleman from Mirfield who attends many of our Masses on his bicycle seems undeterred!

Mass at Heckmondwike, this afternoon, again saw a lot of new faces. ( A few weeks ago I sent out posters to all the local libraries in the deanery.) In his sermon Fr. Abberton stressed the vital importance of the Sacrament of Penance as a joyful occasion when all the angels in heaven rejoice at the repenting of one sinner and the fact that Christ came to call us sinners to repent. Had there been only one sinner in the world Christ would still have endured His passion and death for that person. It was nice to see a sense of community amongst people chatting after Mass (outside, of course!) At both our Masses it made for a refreshing sight to see the clergy wearing post pentecost green - reminding us of life.

Finally I spoke with a gentleman over the telephone who is in possession of a lot of liturgical vestments and things necessary for the Mass and dispensation of the Sacraments which he would like to give to me for the Society. I was also contacted, this evening, by a lecturer at Trinity & All Saints College in Leeds, who is organizing a Solemn High Mass there later this month. We were able to establish an action plan and I shall post details about this over the next couple of days. The occasion is the launching of Rev. Dr. Hemming' latest book, details of which will also be posted here.

AND I managed to mark 25 more speaking tests.

Still waiting for a reply from the authorities at Kirkstall.