Mass on Sunday is Passion Sunday - the start of Passion Week when the veiling of statues begins, to symbolise our Lord's hiding himself before His execution. 1.00 p.m. at St. Joseph's, Bradford.
The Mass at St. Joseph's, Bradford, continues to draw a strong and growing regular congregation. We owe a great deal of gratitude to the Parish Priest, Fr. Angel, and to his wonderful staff as well as our celebrants who give so much of their time to offer the Mass for us.
Masses this week:
St. Winefride's, Wibsey, Bradford on Wednesday 24th. March at 6.00 p.m. This is the Lenten Mass with a commemoration of St. Gabriel the Archangel.
Mass on Wednesday at 6.00 p.m. at St. Winefride's, Bradford and on Thursday morning at 9.30 a.m. at St. Anthony's, Clayton, Bradford.
Next week's change in the liturgical mood marks the start of the march to Passiontide when that mood darkens.
We have four Masses this week:
Wednesday - 6.00p.m. St Winefride's, Wibsey
Thursday - 9.30 a.m. St Anthony's, Clayton
Friday - 6.00p.m. St. John the Evangelist, Buttershaw AND 7.30 p.m. St. Austin's, Wentworth Terrace, Wakefield (please book).
Mass tomorrow for the first Sunday of Lent at St. Joseph's, Bradford at 1.00 p.m.
Later this week Mass at St. Winefride's, Bradford on Wednesday at 6.00 p.m. and on Thursday at 9.30 a.m. at St. Anthony's, Clayton, Bradford.
Of your charity please pray for the repose of the soul of Fr. Joseph Finan who died recently in Dublin aged 88. Fr. Finan offered the old Mass for us when he was PP in Halifax in the 1980s.
Wednesday is a day of fast and abstinence.
Low Mass with the sprinkling of ashes at St. Joseph's, Pakington Street, Bradford at 5.00p.m.
(No Mass at St. Winefride's)
Please remember to register to attend Sunday Masses at St. Joseph's. This Mass is constantly growing in popularity. http://www.stjosephschurchbradford.co.uk/covid-19/4594982224
Enforced isolation for a fortnight has had an unpleasant effect on my mental and physical general well-being. Missing Mass uproots my regular routines and generally impedes me.
To take my mind off things I have been reading even more than usual and I re-discovered a book I picked up in a charity shop some time ago. It is a copy of the writings of the Servant of God, Dorothy Day. I had read the CTS booklet about her years ago. Radical social activism and traditional piety are melded in a complex character whom I wish to learn more about in this pre-Lent season. I expect that I will be out of my comfort zone again.
Mass on Sunday for Septuagesima at 1.00 p.m. at St. Joseph's, Pakington Street, Bradford.
There will be Mass at St. Winefride's, Wibsey this evening (20 Jan) but no Mass at Clayton in the morning due to there being a requiem Mass. Apologies for the short notice.
Wednesday sees the requiem and burial of Fr. Parfitt at Skipton. I understand the body was received into the chapel at Broughton this evening in preparation for the Mass there in the morning. Numbers have been strictly limited to the by invitation event because of Covid restrictions. I hope to organise a High Mass of Requiem for Fr. Parfitt when the restrictions are lifted.
Mass in Bradford on Wednesday evening at 6.00 p.m. at Winefride's, Wibsey and on Thursday at 9.30 a.m. at St. Anthony's, Clayton.
Wednesday is the feast of the Epiphany and we have two Masses:
5.00 p.m. St. Joseph's, Pakington Street, Bradford
6.00 p.m. St. Winefride's, St. Paul's Avenue, Wibsey, Bradford
On Thursday Mass at 9.30 a.m. at St. Anthony's, Bradford Road, Clayton, Bradford.
Our Christmas Mass at St. Joseph's, Bradford, was well attended and it was very touching that Fr. Hall offered the Mass for Fr. Parfitt who died on December 19th. I sorely missed Midnight Mass at Broughton and not because of any lockdown measures.
This week there will be Mass in the EF as follows:
Wednesday 30th. December ; 6.00 p.m. St. Winefride's, Wibsey, Bradford.
Thursday 31st. December; 9.30 a.m. St. Anthony's, Clayton, Bradford.
Friday 1st January; 7.30 p.m. St. Austin's, Wakefield.
Sunday 3rd. January 1.00p.m. St. Joseph's, Pakington Street, Bradford.
Advance notice - future feasts:
Masses for the feasts of The Epiphany and Candlemas will be offered at 5.00 p.m. at St. Joseph's, Bradford.
May I take this opportunity to wish those reading this every joy and peace during this Christmastide and more of the same when we land in 2021.
Oremus pro invicem.
I regret to announce that Fr. Geoffrey Parfitt of Broughton in Craven died peacefully just after midnight 19th. September at a nursing home in Grassington following a spell in hospital following a fall at home.
Fr. Parfitt was one of the few priests in the nineteen eighties and nineties who continued to offer the old Mass despite restrictions placed upon its celebration and there are many of us who owe him a great debt of gratitude. There was never any pomp or fussing. No ostentation. Father's sermons were usually of the same sort regardless of the feast. The message was prayer, the Mass and the value of going to confession.
In his younger days he ran the scout troop in Yeadon and recalled the camping trips and and other adventures with great fondness especially when he met some of the former scouts in later life. A man who enjoyed his own company with his sheep dog Bobby he was fond of hill walking and his sitting room had pictures of hills and mountains on the walls. He was also unsurprisingly very interested in the liturgy especially the Benedictine monastic tradition and always made his way to Ampleforth at Easter. He had been the MC during his time at the cathedral and had been told by Bishop Wheeler that he had to be a hard taskmaster. He didn't disappoint as things went like clockwork in the sanctuary.
He offered Mass in the Extraordinary Form daily when he retired and up until the first lockdown still sang the Mass on the first Sunday of the month. He also offered Mass at Markenfield Hall, the place where he received his vocation in the chapel there. We also had trips to Bewerley Grange near Pateley Bridge and he enjoyed recalling that place's link with the Cistercians of nearby Fountains Abbey when following Mass he would lead the Angelus and the singing of the Salve Regina.
Details of his requiem have not been finalised but it seems likely that it will now be in the new year.
Father Parfitt was a good and faithful servant. May he rest in peace.
Thanks to Fr. Winn for offering this evening's Mass for the feast of the Immaculate Conception.
Mass at St. Winefides's, Wibsey will be at 5.45 p.m tomorrow Wednesday 9th. instead of at the usual 6.00 p.m.
Mass at St. Anthony's, Clayton on Thursday at the usual time of 9.30 a.m.
Rorate Mass at St. Joseph's, Martin Street on Saturday 12th. December at 6.30 a.m. Last year's beautiful candlelit Mass was a truly memorable occasion.
Mass on Sunday at St. Joseph's, Pakington Street, Bradford for Gaudete Sunday.
Confessions at call.
In your prayers please remember Fr. Parfitt of Broughton Hall who is not well.
The weeks leading up to the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord are upon us now as we have gone from lockdown to Tier 3 and celebration of public Masses is resumed.
Masses this week:
Wednesday 2nd. December - 6.00 p.m. St. Winefride's, Wibsey, Bradford
Thursday 3rd. December - 9.30 a.m. St. Anthony's, Clayton, Bradford
Friday 4th. December - 6.00 p.m. St. John the Evangelist, Buttershaw, Bradford
7.30 p.m. St. Austin's, Wentworth Terrace, Wakefield
Sunday 6th. December - 1.00 p.m. St. Joseph's, Pakington Street, Bradford
and
Tuesday 8th. December - 5.00 p.m. St. Joseph's, Pakington Street, Bradford
Saturday 12th. December - 6.30 a.m. St. Joseph's, Martin Street, Brighouse, Rorate Mass.
Please remember to register for Mass at St. Joseph's on Sunday and to bring your mask.