No Latin Mass in York on Sunday 30th December

This is just a reminder that there will be no Latin Mass in the extraordinary form in York this coming Sunday, December 30th.

The regular weekly Mass at 4pm  in English Martyrs' Church, Dalton Terrace, will resume on Sunday 6th January.

Christmas Day Mass in York

A reminder that Low Mass will be said at

English Martyrs' Church, Dalton Terrace, York. YO24 4DA

at

8.30am on Christmas Day Morning

by

Fr David Smith

Followed by

Coffee/Tea and Croissants/Mince pies

in the Church Hall

All Welcome

Please join us to celebrate the feast of the Nativity of Our Lord

LMS Pilgrimage to Rome

The Latin Mass Society is organising a pilgrimage to Rome in November 2013.  The departure date is Thursday 7th Nov and return will be on Tues 12th Nov.  The flight will probably be from either Stanstead or Luton to suit the majority of pilgrims, although other possibilities are being investigated, including a northern option.  Accommodation will be in a convent in central Rome.

The timing has been selected to coincide with biennial general meeting of the International Federation Una Voce.  Consequently, there should be Latin Mass supporters from many parts of the world in Rome at the time.  Although pilgrims will not be taking part in this meeting which takes place on the Saturday and Sunday, they will be able to attend a number of traditional Masses and liturgies associated with it.  Some time will be set aside for sightseeing.

The cost has not yet been established, because various travel options are still being explored.  Every effort is being made to keep the costs down, so that the pilgrimage will be as affordable as we can make it.

Further information and a booking form will shortly be available on the LMS website:

www.lms.org.uk

Anyone interested in this pilgrimage is asked to register by contacting the office of the LMS either by telephone e-mail;

020 7404 7284

info@lms.org.uk

Registering an interest does not require any commitment, but would be a great help in assessing the numbers likely to take part, and allow preliminary bookings to be made.

The Economist

Thers a good article in this week's Economist about traditional Catholicism.  You can find it on their website   www.economist.com   Go and add a comment.

The Guild of St Clare

I received an e-mail today from Lucy Shaw who runs the Guild of St Clare.  This is associated with the Latin Mass Society and is for people interested in using their needlework skills for the benefit of the traditional liturgies of the Catholic Church.  It is mostly concerned with the making and repair of vestments.  One of the first fruits of the guild was the banner that was carried at the pilgrimage in honour of St Margaret Clitherow at York earlier this year.

Lucy has recently been contacted by a lady living in the West Riding who is interested in joining a local branch of the Guild of St Clare.  At present, no such local branch exists, and Lucy was asking me if I could put her in touch with anyone who might be interested in starting a branch in the Yorkshire area.

I don't think that the Guild of St Clare limits its membership to ladies, so anyone interested in this type of work can contact me on paul@gooleboathouse.co.uk and I will pass the information on.

Masses in the Northern Part of the Diocese

IMPORTANT NOTICE

The Sunday Masses at the Church of St Alphonsus, North Ormesby in Middlesbrough have been discintinued for the time being.  They will be restarted at another church, sometime after Christmas.  Mgr Heslin will continue to be the celebrant, so it is likely that the new venue will be nearer to where he lives in Saltburn.

The exact venue and timing of the Mass are not yet known, but will posted on this blog as soon as the details are made available. 

Server Training

A server training day has been arranged for Saturday 16th February 2013.  It will take place at the Chaplaincy of the University of Leeds, commencing at 10.30am.  The tuition will be arranged according to the requirements of those who book in, and will be suitable for beginners as wekll as more experienced servers.

There is no fee for attending, although participants are asked to bring a packed lunch.  Anyone wishing to attend should contact Paul Waddington.    paul@gooleboathouse.co.uk

Sunday Masses in Middlesbrough

In case anyony is in doubt, there WILL be a 6pm Latin Mass next Sunday (25th Nov) at the Church of St Alphonsus, North Ormsby in Middlesbrough.  It will be celebrated as usual be Mgr Heslin, and I am expecting that he will be able to make an announcement as to where future Latin Masses will take place in the northern part of the diocese.

There will probably be a change of venue, and if so the details will be given in a future post on this blog.

Christmas Day Mass in the Extraordinary Form

at

English Martyrs' Church, Dalton Terrace, York

8.30am

Fr David Smith will celebrate low Mass (Dawn Mass of Christmas Day)

This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the Feast of the Nativity with an EF Mass. Please publicise this widely. A good turnout would be fantastic.

Clerical Dress

According to Andrea Tornielli, an observer of all that goes on in the Vatican, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican Secretary of State, has issues a circular concerning clerical dress.  It stresses the need for all priests working in the Vatican to wear clerical dress.  This is taken to mean cassock and clerical collar at all times.  On more formal occasions, such as in the presence of the Holy Father, the fascia should be worn as well as trimmings to the cassock appropriate to their rank.

It seems that some priests working in the Vatican have adopted the practice of dressing informally, just as some have in England; and Cardinal Bertone has moved to put a stop to it.  A similar move by the English hierarchy would be welcome.

Traditional Latin Vespers of the Dead.

In remembrance of those who died in the two World Wars and other conflicts.

St. Mary's Church, Bishophill Junior, York. YO1 6EN

Gregorian Chant, sung by members of the Rudgate Singers.

All Welcome.

Weekly Sunday Masses in York Again

The Sunday Latin Masses in York, which in recent months have been twice a month, will for the forseeable future resume their former weekly pattern.  This has been made possible with the help of Fr David Smith, who is currently stationed as an army chaplain in Harrogate.

The Mass is at 4pm each Sunday at the Church of the English Martyrs in Dalton Terrace, just off the Tadcaster Road.  For those using satelite navigation, the postcode is YO24 4DA.

Fathers Stephen Maughan and James Callaghan will continue to be the celebrants on the second and fourth Sundays respectively; and Fr David Smith will be celebrating on the first, third and, when they occur, fifth Sundays.

What we need to do now is to rebuild the congregation.  This should be easier, now that there is a Mass every Sunday.  Please help to spread the word about these Masses.

Sunday 14th October

Fr James Callaghan OSB will be celebrating a Low Mass at 4pm on Sunday 14th October at the Church of the English Martyrs, Dalton Terrace in York.  Fr Stephen Maughan, who usually says the Mass on the second Sunday of the month, has been unwell and has reduced his engagements.  We wish him a speedy recovery.

Mgr Gordon Read becomes National Chaplain

The Latin Mass Society has appointed Mgr Gordon Read as its new national chaplain, following Fr Andrew Southwell's move to Rome.  Mgr Read is Chancellor and Judicial Vicar of the Brentwood Diocese, as well as a parish priest and local dean, so we must be grateful that he is willing to devote what little free time he has to the LMS.

Fr Southwell, who has been the national chaplain for a few years, has enrolled to study theology for two years in Rome.  His place at St Bede's in Clapham Park has been taken by Fr Leworthy, formerly with the FSSP in Reading.

It may be worth reminding readers that the LMS also has regional chaplains.  Our chaplain in the north of England is Fr Michael Brown of the Hexham and Newcastle Diocese, who also happens to be a Canon Lawyer.  He writes the blog Forest Murmers.

Where have all the Candles Gone

Although millions of candles are sold each year in Lourdes for burning at the grotto and being carried in the torchlight procession,  it seems that candles, and especially candlesticks, have practically disappeared from the churches.  At the chapel of St Gabriel in the main basillica, there was just one candle, or rather an oil burning imitation of a candle, with no candlesticks.  At Bartres, and at the chapel of the Sacred Heart, it was exactly the same, although the sacristans did manage to find a second, non-matching, candle.  Only at the Ukrainian Church did we find proper candlesticks.

At the Benediction at the end of the procession of the Blessed Sacrament there was not a single candle to be seen!

Another ecclesiastical item in short supply in Lourdes is the thurible.  At Bartres an exceedingly diminutive and unimpressive one was found, and at the Ukranian Church, as one would expect, they had an Orthodox style thurible with bells.  Otherwise, they seem to have gone out of fashion in Lourdes.

On Return from Lourdes

There were 23 pilgrims on the Latin Mass Society pilgrimage to Lourdes -  somewhat fewer than I had expected, and it seems that many had decided that the cost at £500 to £600 was too great.  I have to agree that that is beyond the budget of many people.

Despite the small numbers, the pilgrimage was a great success.  Mass was celebrated each day by Fr Michael Brown, with three of the five being sung.  I had doubted whether such a small group could support sung Masses, especially since some of our number were not Catholics at all; but whith the help of David O'Neill was was able to sing the propers to a psalm tone, we made a reasonable job of it.  In fact the congregation sang the ordinary parts with great enthusiasm, and the sung Masses were perhaps the highlight of the pilgrimage.

One of the sung Masses was in the village of Bartres, and this excursion also included a visit to Lac du Lourdes for a picnic lunch.  Another was in the Ukrainian Catholic Church, which was a fair walk from our hotel, but a delight to visit.  We were made very welcome by the sister in charge.  Our third sung Mass was at the chapel of the Sacred Heart in the Hospital Saint Frai.  This chapel was a great discovery and ideal for the traditional Mass.

The group did most of the usual things including visiting the grotto (many visited it several times) and taking part in the processions.  We also took the Way of the Cross high up the mountain that overlooks Lourdes.  Some of our number were inspired to purchase an enormous candle (20 kg I think).  This was inscribed with the words Latin Mass Society 2012 and should be burning for many weeks to come, close to the grotto.

A Protestant funeral for Richard III?

The BBC reports here that it is highly likely that the remains of Richard III have been discovered. We will know for sure in about twelve weeks once the DNA tests have been completed. All very interesting and a very rare find indeed but the most worrying thing about it is what they propose to do with the remains if they are confirmed as being those of Richard III. The BBC story states that:

If their identity is confirmed, Leicester Cathedral said it would work with the Royal Household, and with the Richard III Society, to ensure the remains were treated with dignity and respect and reburied with the appropriate rites and ceremonies of the church.

So I think this means that Leicester Cathedral intend to bury the remains which will mean a Protestant ceremony. This would have been completely alien to Richard III who was of course a Roman Catholic as were all Englishmen at that time. In fact if Richard III had won the battle of Bosworth Field there would have been no Henry VIII and quite likely therefore no break with Rome.

We can only pray that if the remains are confirmed as being those of Richard III that he is re-buried with the appropriate rites and ceremonies of the Roman Catholic Church of which he was a member.

Extra Mass in York

On Sunday 16th September, there will be an extra Mass at the Church of the English Martyrs in York. as usual, it will be at 4pm.  (16th September is the third Sunday of the month.)

The Mass will be celebrated by Fr David Smith, who is a military chaplain.  Until recently, he has been serving in Afghanistahn, but is now stationed in Harrogate.  Since Fr Smith will have to travel a fair distance to York, we could do with a good sized congregation.

Fr Smith does not yet know the extent of his duties in his new posting, but may be available to help out with Masses in York on a more regular basis.  Developments will be posted on this blog.

On Return from Walsingham

Late on Sunday night, I arrived home, after three days of the Ely to Walsingham walking pilgrimage.  I hasten to add that I was not one of the walkers, who numbered nearly 70.  My role was to move the cooking gear and baggage around, as well as a certain amount of shopping on the way.

The weather was not all that kind to the walkers, who in the course of the 55 miles got soaked several times, especially on the second day.  However, the sun shone all the time that we were in Walsingham.  Fuller reports with pictures, mostly rather dreary ones taken in the rain, can be found on the blogs of LMS Chairman and Chaplain Abroad.

After several days without internet access, it was very pleasing to catch up with some very good pieces of news from around the world.  Perhaps the most exciting is that the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest have secured ownership of the Sacred Heart Church in Limerick and its adjacent very large presbytery. 

This very fine Georgean church in the centre of Limerick was originally owned by the Jesuits.  Some years ago it was purchased by a property developer who intended to turn it into some sort of club and gymnesium.  One idea was that the nave of the church should become a swimming pool.  Fortunately, the collapse of the Irish economy and the subsequent recession intervened; and the building has remained unused, although deprived of some of its treasures.  Restoration will probably take several years and a great deal of money, but it will eventually be a stunning church.

The Institute of Christ the King is not unfamiliar with such projects.  They have undertaken similar, or more ambitious, enterprises in America, most notably in Chicargo, St Louis and Kansas City.  See their US website for details.

Advance Notice

On Sunday 9th September there will be no evening Mass in Middlesbrough, due to Mgr Heslin being on a cruise.  On other Sundays, this Mass takes place at 6pm in the Church of St Alphonsus in North Ormesby.

Sunday 5th August

Although it will be two weeks since the last Mass at the Church of the English Martyrs in York, there will NOT be a Mass on Sunday 5th August.  This is because there were five Sundays in July.  Masses in York are on th second and fourth Sundays of the month.  The next Mass will be at 4pm on Sunday 12th August.

Meanwhile, Masses continue as usual at the Church of St Alphonsus in Middlesbrough.

Feast of the Assumption in Leicester

Fr Cahill has sent me the following poster about a Mass for the Feast of the Assumption in his parish in Leicester.


Unfortunately I cannot get the poster to upload, but the Mass is at 7pm in the Church of St Peter in Leicester

Feast of the Assumption

The Mass for the feast of the Assumption at English Martyrs Church in York will now be a Missa Cantata.  Fr de Malleray of the Priestly Society of St Peter will be the celebrant, and the Mass will be at 7.30pm.

Fr Maughan will also be saying a traditional Mass for the feast of the Assumption.  His Mass will be at 7pm at his church in Loftus.

Lourdes Pilgrimage

The Latin Mass Society is organising a pilgrimage to Lourdes from Monday 17th to Friday 21st September 2012.  Departure is by air from Stanstead Airport on the Monday morning and the return flight arrives at Stanstead on the Friday afternoon.

Prices are in the range £500 to £600 according to choice of hotel etc.  A traditional Mass will be celebrated each day, and there will be opportunities to do all the usual things.

The easiest way to book is to go to the Latin Mass Society website,   www.lms.org.uk   and look under pilgrimages.  An application form can be downloaded from there.

Correction

Feast of the Assumption

The feast of the Assumption is Wednesday 15th August, and not Monday.  The Mass will be at 7.30pm on Wednesday 15th August.  Sorry for the confusion.

Sunday 22nd July

There will be Mass at 4pm on Sunday 22nd July at the Church of the English Martyrs in York.

Feast of the Assumption

There will be a Low Mass in the Church of the English Martyrs in York at 7.30pm on Monday 15th August, the Feast of the Assumption.  The celebrant will be Fr Armande de Malleray FSSP, who will be visiting York at the time.

It may be that the Mass will be a little late starting because it will follow a parish Mass at 7pm.

Another first?

We're getting quite excited in the Rudgate Singers about our next service, the Founder's Day requiem at Barnard Castle, just across the Tees in the Diocese of Hexham & Newcastle. 
Not only does it promise to be a good sing with some singers joining us for the first time, but we believe that it will be the first ever performance in its correct liturgical setting of the Requiem Mass by Robert Lucas Pearsall, probably better known in choral circles for his adaptation of In Dulci Jubilo and Lay A Garland.
So, if you want to hear a world first, come along to St. Mary's Catholic Church in Barney (literally next door to the  Bowes Museum) on 21st July at 12noon! 
Meanwhile, in York, Compline by Candlelight continues on each Saturday in July at St. Mary's Bishophill Jnr commencing at 9pm.

New Appointment for Bishop Roche

The Vatican announced today that Bishop Roche of Leeds is to become the secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship.  This is the Vatican department that deals with liturgy.  He will also acquire the title Archbishop.  I imagine that he will take up his new appointment at the end of the holiday period.

No doubt, this promotion is, at least partly, in recognition of his work at ICEL, the body that is responsible for the translation of the missal into English.  Congratulations are due to Bishop Roche.

The move does, of course, open up another episcopal vacancy in England and Wales. When Bishop Roche takes up his new appointment, the Diocese of Leeds will join the Diocese of East Anglia in having no bishop.  In addition the Dioceses of Brentwood, Hallam, Portsmouth and Wrexham have bishops who have already passed the age of 75, the normal retirement age for bishops.  Assuming there is no move to amalgamate dioceses, there will be six sees where an appointment can be expected soon.  Six imaginative appointments could make a big difference to the complection of the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales.

The Padley Martyrs

Yesterday, I attended Mass at the Padley Martyrs' Chapel.  It was part of a pilgrimage organised by the Latin Mass Society in the Diocese of Hallam.  Although the congregation was much smaller than I remember from attending this pilgrimage several years ago, there was some very good singing, and the Mass was very beautifully celebrated by Fr Martin Clayton.

All that remains of Padley Hall is the gatehouse and a few tumbledown ruins.  However, the gatehouse has been restored and now serves as a chapel and place of pilgrimage.  The martyrs concerned are Nicholas Garlick and Robert Ludlow who were priests discovered there in July 1588 by a raiding party instigated by the Earl of Shrewsbury.  Both were subsequently executed for High Treason.

Padley is set amidst beautiful countryside in a corner of the Peak District that is only a few miles from Sheffield.  The chapel can be accessed by a rough track that leads form Grindleford Station up into the high ground of the northern Peak District National Park.  It is much visited by walkers.

Much can be learned about Padley by reading Hugh Benson's classic book, Come Rack, Come Rope.  It tells of the persecution of Catholics in that part of Derbyshire during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

Visit of Bishop Rifan

The visit of Bishop Rifan will soon be on us.  Bishop Rifan heads the Apostolic Administration of St John Vianney at Compos in Argentina, an organisation akin to a diocese which uses only the the ancient rites of the church. Unlike the Society of St Pius X, the Administration of St John Vianney is in full communion with the Church of Rome.

Bishop Rifan will be celebrating a Solemn Pontifical Mass at the Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Harrogate Road, Moortown, Leeds at 3pm on Saturday 30th June.  I believe that Bishop Roche of Leeds Diocese will be in attendance.

At 2.30pm on the following day, Sunday 1st July, Bishop Rifan will be celebrating a Solemn Pontifical Mass in honour of St Winifrid at Holywell in North Wales.  This will be followed by a procession, devotions at the holy well and Benediction.  Holywell is easy to get to by road, being only a few miles from the motorway system at Chester.

Bishop Rifan will then be departing for Scotland, where he has some engagements, but will be returning to England for the AGM of the Latin Mass Society in London on Sat 7th July.  There will be more about that in a later post.

Next Mass in York

Low Mass will be celebrated in the traditional rite at the Church of the English Martyrs, Dalton Terrace in York on Sunday 24th June.  The celebrant will be Fr Stephen Maughan.

Correction

I made a mistake in the last post, giving the incorrect time for the Mass on York.  I apologise to anyone who was inconvenienced by this error.  For the record, the Masses in York are at 4pm on the second and fourth Sundays of the month.

Sunday 10th June Mass in York

There will be a Low Mass at the Church of the English Martyrs in York this Sunday at 6pm.  The celebrant will be Fr James Callaghan OSB, as Fr Maughan will be busy with Corpus Christi devotions in his parish.

LMS One Day Conference

The LMS is holding a one day conference in London Saturday 9th June with the title "Traditional Liturgy and Catholic Life".  The location is Regent Hall, 275 Oxford Street, London W1C 2DJ.

The first speaker is scheduled to start at 11am, and the conference is due to end by 6pm at the latest.  The speakers are:-

  11am          Dr John Rao   (The Roman Forum)
  12 noon      Stuart McCullough  (Good Council Network)
  2pm            Fr John Zuhlsdord  (Blogger)
  3pm            Fr Tim Finigan    (Parish Priest, Blackfen)
  4pm            John Hunwicke   (Ordinariate of OLW)
  5pm            Panel Discussion

The hall will be open from 10am for tea and coffee.  There is an optional buffet lunch.

For prices, bookings and further details see the LMS website   www.lms.org.uk

Sunday 27th May Mass in York

There will be a Latin Mass at the church of the English Martyrs in York at 4pm on Sunday 27th May, which is Pentecost Sunday.  It will be celebrated by Fr James Callaghan OSB.

Ascension Day

Fr Cahill sent me a poster about the Solemn Mass in the Dominican Rite to be held in Leicester on Ascension Day.  Unfortunately, I am unable to reproduce the poster, but here are the details.

Solemn Mass in the Dominican Rite

Holy Cross Priory

Wellington Street

Leicester

LE1b 6HW

Thursday 17th May

6pm

Next Latin Mass in York

The Next Latin Mass in York will be on Sunday 13th May at 4pm in the Church of the English Martyrs.  Fr Stephen Maughan will be the celebrant.

Through the Streets of York

Roydosan put some photographs up of the Benediction which ended the York pilgrimage in honour of St Margaret Clitherow,  and Mike Forbester put up a selection which included both the Mass and the Benediction.  Here is a picture of the procession through the streets of York.

Visit of Bishop Rifan

Bishop Fernando Rifan, leader of the Apostolic Prelature of St John Vianny in Campos Brazil, will be visiting the British Isles during the Summer.  We are fortunate that he will be celebrating two Masses that may be convenient for people living in the north of England.

At 3pm on Saturday 30th June, there will be a Pontifical High Mass at the Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary on Harrogate Road, Moortown, Leeds, LS17 6LE.

The following day, Sunday 1st July, Bishop Rifan will celebrate a Pontifical High Mass as part of the Latin Mass Society's annual pilgrimage to Holywell.  The Mass will be at 2.30pm in the church of St Winifrid and will be followed by a procession to St Winifrid's Well, where there will be devitions.  The day will end with Benediction in the church.

Bishop Rifan will then be travelling to Scotland and Ireland, before returning to London to attend and address the AGM of the Latin Mass Society on Saturday 7th July.  He will be celebrating Mass in St George's Cathedral, Southwark at 11am and the AGM will follow after a buffet lunch in the Amego Hall.  More about this later.

Affirming Catholic Doctrine

In the last week or two, I have noticed a number of news items that indicate that the Catholic Church, and in particular Pope Benedict, are beginning to assert themselves in a much more confident way.  Credit for this new found confidence must, of course, go to our Holy Father, who has been showing some true leadership.  He has been a strong leader from the day that he was elected Pope, but, in many respects, the strength of his leadership is is only just beginning to be recognised.

Pope Benedict has acted decisively in the case of two of the leaders of the Association of Catholic Priests, a group of Irish priests holding heretical views.  He has also been very clear in his condemnation of a grouping of American nuns, also holding many heretical views, known as the the Leadership Conference of Women Religious.  Today, I have read of how Pope Benedict has written to the German bishops, leaving them in no doubt about the authentic way of translating the text of the Mass into the vernacular.  Apparently they have been arguing strongly for "pro multis" to be translated into the German equivalent of "for all".  It seems that they now recognise that sloppy translation will not do.

The interesting point is that, in these matters and in many others, the world is beginning to listen to Pope Benedict and hear what he is saying.  A few years ago, the world's media would have treated these actions with scorn, labelling the leader of the Cathol;ic Church out of touch and reactionary.  Some sections of the media still do, but it is noticeable that more and more commentators are showing respect towards the Holy Father.

I first noticed the assertiveness of Pope Benedict when he was in England, and giving his address to the Bishops of England and Wales at Oscott College on the final day of his visit.  He made two things very clear.  Firstly, he wanted the new translation of the missal into English to be received without controversy; and secondly, he wanted the Ordinariate, and the former Anglicans who would be joining it, to be welcomed into the Catholic Church.  The reservations that some bishops had about both these developments have now diminished; and the change of heart can be traced back to the Holy father's address.

So, both in matters of doctrine and liturgy, Pope Benedict's voice is beginning to be listened to and acted on.  Of course, he spoke out quite eloquently earlier in his reign about the older form of the Mass.  In those days, much of the Church, including many of its bishops, were happy to ignore the message, or even react against it.  This type of attitude is now changing.  On 24th March, both Bishop Davies and Bishop Drainey presided at Solemn Masses in the traditional form, and other bishops have done the same, or even been the celebrant.  Maybe, we can expect less opposition to the usus antiquior in future.

St Margaret Clitherow Pilgrimage - Benediction Photographs

St Margaret Clitherow Pilgrimage

Here is a link to some photos taken during the day.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/24855617@N05/sets/72157629693914497/with/6880365672/

No doubt there will be others in due course.

Walking to Walsingham

The Latin Mass Society will be holding its third annual walking pilgrimage to Walsingham over the August Bank Holiday weekend.  Pilgrims will gather in Ely on the evening of Thursday 23rd August, and will walk the 55 miles, starting early on the Friday morning and arriving in Walsingham around mid-day on the Sunday.  There will be Mass each day, with the Saturday Mass celebrated at the private chapel of Oxborough Hall.

Overnight accommodation for men will probably be camping; women and families will have the benefit of being able to sleep in schools or halls.  Although the walking is arduous, it is within the capabilities of most people.  There will be support vehicles for anyone not able to walk the whole distance.

Last year, over thirty walked the distance.  This year, we are planning for sixty.  There is great commeraderie amongst the pilgrims, as well as plenty of hymn singing.  There are also opportunities for meditation, prayer and confession.  At least three priests are expected to take part.

Those who feel unable to walk the full distance can join the walk for the final day or go straight to Walsingham for the Mass which will be at 2pm at the shrine, after which we will process the Holy Mile to the grounds of the former abbey.

To book a place, go to the LMS website, where you can do it on line.                                                                                                                         

The Feminine Approach

When I got home from work yesterday, there was a message on hy answering machine.  It was from a lady who had heard about the pilgrimage on the local radio and gone along, probably not knowing quite what to expect.  Apparently, she was so bowled over by what she saw, that she immediately joined the Latin Mass Society.

She did, however, have one small criticism, and that was that there were no flowers arranged around the base of the statue of Margaret Clitherow that was paraded through the streets of York.  Next year we will try to correct this omission.  Clearly we are lacking in feminine input.

Margaret Clitherow Pilgrimage

I hope that we will be able to publish some photographs soon.  In the mean time, we will have to be content with a written report.

Over 200 people took part in the pilgrimage by attending the Solemn Mass in St Wilfrid's Church, walking in the procession and being present at the Church of the English Martyrs for veneration of the relic and Benediction.  The presence of Bishop Drainey, who presided at the Mass and gave the Benediction, was much appreciated by all.  A lot of people came up to me afterwards and said:  "I wish we had a bishop like him!"  Not only did he not make a single error, but he looked completely confident throughout the proceedings.  I think that this must be due to the amount of preparation that he put into it beforehand.

It seems that the procession made a significant impact in the city of York, there being good coverage both in the local newspaper and on the local radio.  Several people have remarked that the procession was treated with respect as it passed through the busy streets.  Shoppers and tourists alike stood back out of the way to allow the procession to pass, and there was virtually no antagonism shown.

An innovation this year was to carry a statue of St Margaret Cluitherow on the procession, and that added to the impact.  We also had a mobile loudspeaker system for the recitation of the roasry, which was a great help.  Next year, we will introduce further features which will make the pilgrimage even more conspicuous.

Two Days to Go

Two days to go to the pilgrimage in honour of St Margaret Clitherow in York.  I am going to York tomorrow to record something about it for Radio York which will be broadcast on Saturday morning.  I understand that the York Press have given the pilgrimage some coverage.

Now, all that we can do is hope and pray that it will be well attended.

Changing Attitudes in Seminaries

In his blog, What Does the Prayer Really Say, Fr Zuhlsdorf has a post about a seminarian who claims that a poll has indicated that a majority of seminarians would prefer to be ordained in the older form of the rite.  Furthermore they indicate a preference for Mass celebrated in the extraordinary form.

Unfortunately, no further details are given of the poll, so one must assume that it was conducted informally, and relates to one seminary, which is probably in the USA.  It would be unwise to extrapolate the findings, and apply them to all seminaries in America, or the world.  However, it would be very reasonable to identify a trend.  Such a result would have been unthinkable ten years ago.

It is often said that what happens in America today, happens in Europe tomorrow.  I would be surprised if the results of this poll were not replicated all over America in about three years and this side of the Atlantic in ten.

Masses to Resume in Middlesbrough

The 6pm Sunday Masses at the Church of St Alphonsus, North Ormsby, Middlesbrough, which have not taken place for several weeks, are to resume, starting on Sunday 26th January.  The celebrant, Monsignor Heslin, is making a good recovery following an operation, and is now fit enough to say these Masses.

Regrettably, on occasions when Mgr Heslin is not available, it will be necessary to cancel this Mass, since we have no alternative priest that we can ask to provide cover.

Poster

Here is a poster produced by Mike Forbester for the St Margaret Clitherow pilgrimage.  All we need to do now is to get plenty of people to come

Pilgrimage in Honour of St Margaret Clitherow.

A reminder that the York pilgrimage in honour of St Margaret Clitherow will take place on Saturday 24th March.  It will commence at 1.30pm with a Solemn Mass in the Church of St Wilfrid, which is close to York Minster.  Following Mass, the procession will set off from outside St Wilfrid's at around 3pm, and will pass through The Shambles and over Ouse Bridge to the Church of the English Martyrs where, at about 4pm, there will be veneration of the relic of St Margaret followed by Benediction.

Bishop Terence Drainey will be presiding at the Mass, which will be celebrated by Fr Michael Brown.  The Rudgate Singers will provide the musical setting, which will be a modern one: Missa Summi et Aeterni Sacerdotis by Jeffrey Ostrowski.  This may be unfamiliar to many people, but I don't think anyone will be disappointed. There will also be music by Victoria, Bruckner, Scarlatti, De Wael (another modern composer) and Gombert.

During the veneration of the relic, the congregation will be invited to sing Faith of Our Fathers, Firmly I Believe and Truely, and God of Mercy and Compassion.  For Benediction the Rudgate Singers will sing the Perosi version of the O Salutaris, Bruckner's Tantum Ergo and Allegri's Adoremus.  The Recessional will be the Worcester version of Laudes Regiae.

Masses in Middlesbrough

Regrettably, the Sunday evening Masses at the church of St Alphonsus in Middlesbrough are discontinued until further notice.  The nearest regular Sunday Mass in the traditional form is at 9am at Barnard Castle.

Pilgrimage in Honour of St Margaret Clitherow

There will be a pilgrimage in honour of St Margaret Clitherow in York on Saturday 24th March.  It will begin with a Solemn Mass in the Church of St Wilfrid at 1.30pm at which Bishop Terence Drainey will preside. A procession will follow, which will pass through The Shambles, where Margaret Clitherow lived and over Ouse Bridge, where she was executed ending at the Church of the English Martyrs for Benediction.

Last year, when the Mass was in York Minster, the event was attended by about 750 people.