Quinquagesima

This weekend is the feast of Quinquagesima and we have two Masses:

11.00 a.m. Sacred Heart, BroughtonHall, Skipton.

1.00 p.m. St. Joseph's, Pakington Street, Bradford (missa cantata)

On Tuesday we have three Masses:

10.00 a.m. Sacred Heart, BroughtonHall, Skipton

10.30 a.m. St. Joseph's, Martin Street, Brighouse

12.00 p.m. St. Winefride's, Wibsey, Bradford

ASH WEDNESDAY 

11.00 a.m. Sacred Heart, Broughton Hall, Skipton with blessing and distribution of ashes

5.00 p.m. St. Joseph's, Pakington Street, Bradford with blessing and distribution of ashes

Thursday:

9.30 a.m. St. Anthony's, Bradford Road, Clayton

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

Confession at call

Sexagesima

This Sunday is Sexagesima Sunday and we have three Masses: 

8.00 a.m. Leeds Cathedral, Cookridge Street, Leeds

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

1.00 p.m. St. Joseph's, Pakington Street, Bradford

Confessions at call. 

Masses in Bradford this week:

Tuesday: 12.00 p.m. St. Winefride's, St. Paul's Avenue, Wibsey

Thursday: 9.30 a.m. St. Anthony's, Bradford Road, Clayton

Daily Mass at Sacred Heart, Broughton Hall at 10.00 a.m.

For your diary:

Mass on Ash Wednesday will be at Sacred Heart, Broughton at 11.00 a.m. and at St. Joseph's, Bradford at 5.00 p.m.

In your prayers please remember a friend of ours who is very ill.  

Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us! Health of the sick, pray for us! Mirror of justice, pray for us!

Reminders

The weather in this part of God's own county has been abysmal in recent days. It seriously affected attendance at Mass on Sunday with numbers being down by nearly half due to the gales and torrential rain across the diocese. The rain was driven in through the top of the window in my study causing damage some new books. Thank God there has been no loss of life here though.

Please note that Tuesday's Mass at St. Winefride's is at the earlier time of 10.00 a.m. again due to the Bradford Deanery's conference.

On Wednesday we have the first regular second Wednesday Mass at St. Joseph's, Back Street, Pontefract. This church is a little gem and well worth a visit. It didn't take long for Canon Wiley to find original altar cards.

Fr. Winn continues to offer Mass at 9.30 a.m. on Thursdays - this provides those hearing Mass with a inestimable sacred peace for half an hour.

Septuagesima etc

Sunday marks the start of the pre-Lenten season of Septuagesima. The vestments of the Mass are purple. We have two Masses:

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

1.00 p.m. St. Joseph's, Pakington Street, Bradford  missa cantata

Confession at call.

I have just returned from a few days in Berlin. 

The first time I ever went to Germany was Easter 1983 before my O' Level German exam. Because of the nature of the trip (to East Germany then behind the Iron Curtain) I could only hear Mass in a small immaculately kept convent chapel in Dresden on Easter Thursday.  I can still smell the chapel over thirty-six years later.

This week I was able to hear the EF Mass daily at two churches dedicated solely to the celebration in this Rite within a few minutes of where I was staying in the the old East Zone of Berlin. 

The church of St. Afra in West Berlin which is home to the Oratory of St. Philip Neri in formation is only a few metres away from where the wall stood. The church was in the western zone. My hotel was only two streets away but in the East . It was also a stones-throw from the Gethsemane Lutheran church where people gathered in 1989 as a major part of the Silent Revolution which helped to bring an end to the  atrocious Communist regime of the which had existed since the end of WWII in Germany. 

Daily EF Mass attendance in Berlin churches match those in Paris, Krakow and Cologne where I've heard Mass in the last few months. Similar daily Mass attendance figures match those in most of our churches in this diocese. 

In Bradford in one deanery Mass in the EF is offered at least once a week in three churches by different priests.  Could this be a record?

On Tuesday Mass at St Winefride's will again be at 10.00 a.m. because of the deanery conference on that day. 

On Wednesday there will be Mass at Pontefract, St. Joseph's, Back Street at 7.30 p.m.

Mass as usual at St Anthony's, Clayton on Thursday at 9.30 a.m. 

Candlemas etc

This Sunday is the feast of Candlemas and we have two Masses:

11.00 a.m. Sacred Heart, Broughton Hall, Skipton missa cantata

1.00 p.m. St. Joseph's, Pakington Street, Bradford

Tomorrow (1st February) there is Mass in the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham Rite at 3.00 p.m. at St. Joseph's and there will be Evensong also at St. Joseph's on Monday at 7.00 p.m.

On Tuesday there will be a funeral at St. Winefride's so the Extraordinary Form Mass will be at the earlier time of 10.00 a.m.

Mass at St. Anthony's as usual at Clayton on Thursday at 9.30 a.m.

Epiphany III

The human and divine Christ are again manifested to us in the Gospel at this weekend's Mass as we are still in the Christmas season. Yet we will not see green vestments again for many weeks until a Sunday until June. 

A few days in Krakow this week gave me the Christmas tingle of late Advent which I experienced as a child. 

We attended three EF Masses at three different churches at convenient times. At each Mass the altar was decorated with Christmas trees. My wife and I were the oldest people at any of the Masses we went to except on Thursday when we heard Mass at the former Jesuit church of Ss Peter and Paul where Pope Saint John Paul II's parents were married early last century. Here the Polish/American priest was older than we are by about 20 years.  

The joy of Christ's birth and subsequent flight (and survival) of the Holy Family into Egypt are still redolent of the gold, frankincense and myrrh brought by the Magi. 

The Magi followed the light of the star but beyond that light rests the liturgical darkening of the season of Septuagesima which in Rome and the northern hemisphere coincides with the noticeable start of the lengthening of the days. After Candlemas we can more easily visualise the blending of the joyful into the sorrowful mysteries of the Rosary and moreover the Passion narrative. Light from light as we look to the glorious mysteries.

We have two Masses on Sunday:

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

1.00 p.m. St. Joseph's, Pakington Street, Bradford  missa cantata

This week in Bradford there are Masses at St. Winefride's, Wibsey at noon on Tuesday and at St. Anthony's, Clayton at 9.30 a.m. on Thursday.  

Confession at call.

Epiphany II

This Sunday is the second Sunday after Pentecost with its beautiful epistle and Gospel. We have three Masses:

8.00 a.m. Leeds Cathedral, Cookridge Street, Leeds

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

1.00 p.m. St. Joseph's, Pakington Street, Bradford

Confessions at call.

Reminder that there are Masses in Bradford at St. Winefride's at noon on Tuesday and at 9.30 a.m. at St. Anthony's, Clayton on Thursday. 

The first Mass at St. Winefride's earlier this week saw a decent turnout and Mgr Grogan's first public Mass was a moving experience. As far as I am aware this was the first ever public EF Mass in the "new" St. Winefride's church which opened in the mid 1970s but which has altar rails and lends itself well to ad orientem worship before the tabernacle. 

Feast of the Holy Family and another regular Mass

This Sunday is the feast of the Holy family and we have two Masses:

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

1.00 p.m. St. Joseph's, Pakington Street, Bradford - SUNG MASS

If you are wondering whether to have a look at what goes on at the EF Mass what better opportunity than this wonderful feast? Specially because the traditional family unit is so severely under attack these days not to mention the value of human life from conception to natural death.

Confessions at call.

Reminder that on Tuesday 14th January at noon we will be having the first regular EF Mass at St. Winefride's, St. Paul's Avenue at Wibsey.

Today I finalised details of another regular Mass with Canon Wiley. He will be offering Mass on the second Wednesdays of the month starting in February at 7.30 p.m. at St. Joseph's, Back Street, Pontefract.

This is the third new regular venue of 2020.

Epiphany

This Sunday we have 2 Masses for the feast of the Epiphany: 

11.00 a.m. Sacred Heart, Broughton Hall, Skipton - missa cantata

1.00 p.m. St. Joseph's, Pakington Street, Bradford

Confessions at call.

No first Friday Mass at Wakefield tomorrow (3rd January.)

PLEASE NOTE - the Mass according to the Rite of Our Lady of Walsingham will resume on Saturday 4th. January at 3.00 p.m. at St. Joseph's, Bradford. I hope Fr. Stafford is now fully recovered.

New venue - updated

I am very pleased to announce third and fourth regular venues for the EF Mass in Bradford. Mgr Grogan, the Parish Priest of Mary Mother of God Parish in South Bradford has been training to offer the Mass and from Tuesday January 14th he will be offering Mass each Tuesday at noon  at St. Winefride's, St. Paul's Avenue, Wibsey, Bradford. On First Fridays he will offer Mass at 6.00 p.m. at St. John the Evangelist, Cooper Lane. Many thanks to Mgr Grogan for this.

St. Thomas of Canterbury

Tomorrow in England and Wales we observe the feast of St. Thomas of Canterbury. We have two Masses:

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

Confessions at call.

Gloria in excelsis Deo

Et incarnatus est de Spiritu sancto ex Maria Virgine: Et homo factus est.

Merry Christmas and a peaceful new year!

During the coming Christmas season

grant Lord that may we be blessed

with the spirit of the season,

which is peace,

with the gladness of the season,

which is hope

and with the heart of the season, 

which is love.

Christmas Masses :

Christmas Eve: 11.30 p.m. Sacred Heart, Broughton Hall, Skipton

Christmas Day: 11.00 a.m. Sacred Heart Broughton Hall, Skipton

                           1.00 p.m. St. Joseph's, Pakington Street, Bradford

Advent IV

This weekend is the last Sunday of Advent and we have two Masses:

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

1.00 p.m. St. Joseph's, Pakington Street, Bradford (Sung Mass)

Confessions at call. 

This week: 

Tuesday 24th. December 8.00 a.m. St. Joseph's, Martin Street,  Brighouse

                                         11.30 p.m. Sacred Heart, Broughton Hall, Skipton

Wednesday 25th. December 11.00 a.m. Sacred Heart, Broughton Hall, Skipton

                                              1.00 p.m. St. Joseph's, Pakington Street, Bradford

No Mass at Clayton on Boxing Day.

Christmas Masses

Remember that we have our first ever Rorate Mass tomorrow (Tuesday 17th. December) at 6.00 a.m. at St. Joseph's, Martin Street, Brighouse.

Christmas Masses:

Christmas Eve: 11.30 p.m. Sacred Heart, Broughton Hall, Skipton
Christmas Day: 11.00 a.m. Sacred Heart, Broughton Hall, Skipton                              1.00 p.m. St. Joseph's, Pakington Street, Bradford 

Gaudete

This weekend marks the third Sunday of Advent or Gaudete Sunday. The rose vestments signify a lightening of the penitential mood as they do on the fourth Sunday of Lent.

We have three Masses:

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

On Tuesday (17th December) we have our first ever Rorate Mass at 6.00 a.m. at St. Joseph's, Martin Street, Brighouse.
Masses Mon-Fri at 10.00 a.m. at Sacred Heart, Broughton Hall, Skipton.
Thursday at 9.30 a.m.  at St. Anthony's, Bradford Road, Clayton, Bradford

Confessions at call.
I shall publish details of Christmas Masses later next week.

This weekend - the Immaculate Conception

On Friday evening at 7.30 p.m. we have the regular first Friday Mass at St. Austin's, Wentworth Terrace, Wakefield.
On Saturday the regular Mass at Broughton Hall is at the usual 10.30 a.m.

Although Sunday is the second Sunday of Advent the Feast of the Immaculate Conception overrides this in the Extraordinary Form. We have two Masses:

11.00 a.m. Sacred Heart, Broughton Hall, Skipton
1.00 p.m. St. Joseph's, Pakington Street, Bradford - sung Mass

Confessions at call.

Election 2019

A message from Bishop Marcus Stock: 
In the next parliament, it is likely that there will be efforts to introduce changes to the law that would allow abortion on demand, for any reason, up to birth and that there will be further attempts to introduce assisted suicide.  Whatever political party you may be considering voting for, please reflect on the importance of human life.  Find out where your local political candidates stand on life issues – abortion and assisted suicide – by visiting www.righttolife.org.uk/bothlives.  If you use social media, please also consider sharing this campaign on your Facebook page or whatever social media platform you use.  Draft flyers are also available from: https://righttolife.org.uk/wpcontent/uploads/2019/11/RTL-flyer-print.pdf.

From Sunday's bulletin at St. Joseph's, Bradford

Advent

Fifty years ago this weekend the missal of Pope Paul VI was introduced and very strict restrictions were imposed on the celebration of the Mass in the form which had preceded it. Many good pastoral priests believed it was their duty to stamp out anything which had gone before.

Fifty years later that form of Mass which was all but supressed still continues to flourish in many parts of the world. Yesterday I added a new resource courtesy of the FFSP in Sydney, Australia - this is an extremely interesting and absorbing  page. https://maternalheart.org/resources/

The season of Advent begins on Sunday and I am in the process of finalising details of the Advent and Christmas Masses. I can say that there will be a first this year with a Rorate Mass in Brighouse.

We have two Masses on Sunday:

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

Confessions at call.

Next week - the first week in Advent - we have Mass at 10.00 a.m. from Monday to Friday at Broughton: in addition there are Masses at 8.30 a.m. on Tuesday at Ossett; at 9.30 a.m. on Thursday at St. Anthony's, Bradford and at 7.30 p.m  on Friday at St. Austin's, Wakefield.

Please make an extra effort to attend at least one of our Masses in the beautiful season of Advent.

Quiz

On Monday night the Knights of St. Columba in Bradford organised an inter-parish quiz at Shipley Catholic Men's Society's club - the Avondale. For the first time we entered a team called St. Joseph's on Extraordinary Form. Fourteen teams entered and we came seventh. We were a team of three. The next quiz is on Monday 27th April - so if you would like to join us please let me know. There is a raffle and free supper.

Extra Mass

Tomorrow, Tuesday 26th, there will be Mass at St. Joseph's, Martin Street, Brighouse at 10.00 a.m.
Reminder also that there is Mass each Thursday at 9.30 a.m. at St. Anthony's, Bradford Rd, Clayton Bradford.

Confessions at call.

Pentecost XXIV

I have just returned from a few days in Cracow so I apologise for this later than usual update about Masses this weekend. This Sunday is the twenty-fourth and last Sunday after Pentecost. Next week Advent begins.

We have two Masses:

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

Confessions at call.

This weekend

On Saturday we have a solemn High Mass of Requiem at 3.00 p.m. at Leeds Cathedral for the repose of the soul of Bishop Wheeler. Mgr. Smith will be the celebrant assisted by Canon Wiley and Fr. Crawley.

On Sunday it is the twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost and we have three Masses:

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

Confessions at call.

Leeds Cathedral - Solemn High Mass of Requiem

Solemn High Mass of Requiem

for the repose of the soul of Bishop William Gordon Wheeler

Saturday 16th. November

3.00 p.m.

Leeds Cathedral

Cookridge Street, Leeds

With the Leeds Schola Gregoriana

led by Michael Murphy

Remembrance Sunday

This Sunday we remember the men and women who gave their lives in defence of our country against enemy forces which would have destroyed our way of life. 

We have two Masses:

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

1.00 p.m. St. Joseph's, Pakington Street, Bradford - This will be a sung Mass of Requiem for the war dead. Following Mass there will be remembrance at the parish cenotaph, which came from the nearby now defunct St. Ann's church.

This week there are the usual Masses each day at Broughton at 10.00 a.m. 

On Tuesday there will be an extra Mass at St. Joseph's, Martin Street, Brighouse at 10.00 a.m.

Also  a reminder that the Thursday Mass at Clayton's St. Anthony's, Bradford continues with increasing popularity at 9.30 a.m.

On Saturday:

Annual Requiem Mass for Bishop Wheeler 

Saturday 16th. November  

Leeds Cathedral 

3.00 p.m.

with the Schola Greg lead by Michael Murphy

+

Bishop William Gordon Wheeler. A good and faithful servant.

 

Notitiae

November - the month of the suffering souls in purgatory

It was very pleasing to see good numbers of people at the All Saints Masses at St. Joseph's Bradford and St. Austin's, Wakefield, both of which were sung. Mass for All Souls at Pontefract was well attended to say it is many years since the EF Mass was celebrated in that church. Canon Wiley is planning to have a regular Mass there in the New Year, starting on January 1st.

Attendance at Bradford was up this Sunday but poorly attended at Broughton Hall. I hope that this is on account of the abysmal traffic at the moment as road improvements are being introduced in Keighley.
Forty years ago Broughton was one of the very few places in England where the Tridentine Rite was permitted thanks to Bishop Wheeler and is something which has gone from one Mass per month to a daily event. Those readers who live in Lancashire and the north of the diocese are encouraged to come along. Please support this Mass.

Talking of Bishop Wheeler, there will be a solemn high Mass of Requiem for him at Leeds Cathedral, Great George Street, Leeds on Saturday 16th. November at 3.00 p.m. The Leeds schola Gregoriana will be singing. Mgr Smith will be the celebrant with Fr. Crawley and Canon Wiley acting as deacon and sub-deacon.

My appeal for servers has brought another three young men who will be learning how to serve Mass in a couple of weeks time when we return from a few days in Paris.
If you would like to learn to serve the Mass please make yourself known to any of our celebrants and arrangements will be made. This will be announced from the pulpit at St. Joseph's next Sunday which will be a sung requiem for the war dead.

I understand that St. Mary's old church, now an Asian banqueting hall called Regency Hall,  will be open on remembrance Sunday next week for those who wish to pray for the war dead on the church's war memorial which is filled with many names of Catholics in that area who gave their lives in the wars.

Pentecost XXI

This Sunday is the twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost and we have two Masses:

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

Confessions at call.

There will be a solemn High Mass of Requiem at Leeds Cathedral on Saturday 16th. November. The Mass will be for the repose of the soul of Bishop Wheeler.

All Saints & All Souls

All Saints - Friday 1st November - the Church Triumphant

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

5.00 p.m. St. Joseph's, Pakington Street, Bradford

7.30 p.m. St. Austin's, Wentworth Terrace, Wakefield

All Souls - Saturday 2nd. November - the Church Suffering

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

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

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

3.00 p.m. St. Joseph's, Back Street, Pontefract WF8 1NL

5.00 p.m. St. Mary's, Bishophill, York, YO1 6EN (Middlesbrough Diocese)

Confessions at call.

Christ the King and His Church triumphant and suffering

This weekend marks the Feast of Christ the King being the last Sunday of October. The week ends with the Holy Day of Obligation of All Saints . Masses as follows:

Sunday CHRIST THE KING

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

1.00 p.m. St. Joseph's, Pakington Street, Broughton.

Monday.

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

Tuesday.

8.30 a.m. St. Ignatius, Storrs Hill Road, Ossett

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

Wednesday.

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

Thursday.

9.30 a.m. St. Anthony's, Bradford Road, Clayton.

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

Friday ALL SAINTS

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

5.00 p.m. St. Joseph's, Pakington Street, Bradford.

7.30 p.m. St. Austin's, Wentworth Terrace, Wakefield.

Saturday ALL SOULS

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

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

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

3.00 p.m St. Joseph's, Back Street, Pontefract.

Confessions at call.

Pentecost XIX

This weekend sees the nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost with the Gospel ending with the words that many are called but few are chosen. Multi enim sunt vocati, pauco vero electi.
We have three Masses:

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

Confessions at call.

I have been asked to provide some training for serving Mass. If any other men or boys would like to learn how to serve Mass please speak to one of the celebrants at any of our Masses and then something can be arranged which is mutually convenient.





 

Pentecost XVIII - Newman Sunday!

This weekend sees the eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost and we have two Masses:

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

Confessions at call.

Preparations are well underway for Masses for the feasts of All Saints, All Souls and the annual Mass of Requiem at the Cathedral - all in November. I am also hoping to arrange a Mass at Settle at the request of the Parish Priest and a group of parishioners. It is now many years since the late Fr. Leo Woodward was Parish Priest there when we had third Sunday of the month Masses at St. Mary and St. Michael's.
More details when I have them.

Please pray for an outcome from the Synod which doesn't eventually split the Church.
We should be consoled and strengthened in the knowledge that the Church has given us a new saint who was no intolerant liberal, modernist or heretic.
I was very privileged to have been invited, with our eldest daughter to a front row place in Birmingham's Cofton Park when the Pope emeritus beatified John Henry Newman just over nine years ago.
In the meantime:

St. John Henry Newman, pray for us!

 

Ordinariate Evensong

Evensong, according to the Ordinariate Customary, will take place monthly in Saint Joseph's Catholic Church. The next Evensong will take place on Monday, 7th October at 7pm, and will continue on the 4th November and the 2nd December.

Pentecost XVII

Reminder that on Saturday there will be Mass in the Ordinariate Rite at St. Joseph's, Bradford at
3.00 p.m.

This weekend marks the XVII Sunday after Pentecost and we have two Masses:

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

Confession at call.

Agnes Rutherford

It was with great sadness that I recently reported the death of Mrs Agnes Rutherford who was for many years the Leeds Diocese Representative of the Latin Mass Society and Secretary to the Diocesan Reps for the LMS.
I understand that her passing was serene and she had received the last Sacraments shortly before death. Please remember her soul in your prayers and please remember her husband and two daughters whom she leaves.

Agnes was the Rep for Leeds when things were very much more difficult with regard to universal provision of the old Mass - let alone locally. Only a few weeks ago she told me that at one time the only priest who publicly dared to offer the Mass was Fr. Harry Tattan at St. Urban's, on a Friday evening and for her to simply hear the words Introibo ad altare Dei was like a breath of fresh air.  Fr. Tattan was followed by Monsignor Diarmuid Scannell at Burley in Wharfedale whose Masses were an aid to many vocations. Agnes' own brother, Mgr. Hugh Boyle of Glasgow, regularly offered Mass at the Shambles, York and St. John the Baptist, Normanton when he was on holiday in Yorkshire in the summer months.

As a former LMS rep I shall personally always remember Agnes' kindness, diplomacy and wise and measured counsel when I took on the job following her eventual successor Gerry Lyons.

Only a few months ago she passed on some of her papers to me and the amount of work these represent to keep the Mass on the altars of our churches was breath-taking and in itself worthy of Almighty God's reward.

Perusal of these papers tells the story of how the Mass was kept alive here and the kindness of Bishop Wheeler is eminently clear from their first exchange.
Some letters are less encouraging yet she was always keen to point out how much progress had been made from the days of when many Catholics were traumatised at the recent changes and many who seemed to rely solely on damnatory private revelation and unpleasantness. She maintained that such behaviour was a thermometer of those distant times.

She had an encyclopaedic recollection of events local, national and international and as a Classics and Modern Languages graduate she was always able to help me with translations from and into Latin at the drop of a hat! On liturgical and legal matters her brother, Mgr Boyle, was always at hand to offer candid advice.

The sung Mass of Requiem will take place today at Ss. Peter and Paul, Yeadon, Leeds  at 12.30 p.m. followed by private interment locally.

May she rest in peace - a good and faithful servant.