Yesterday, the First Sunday of Advent, Mass was celebrated in the usus antiquior at the Church of St Wilfrid in York. The Mass, which was at 5pm and followed at 6pm by Rosary and Benediction, attracted a congregation of about 50.
The celebrant was Fr Daniel Seward, provest of the Oxford Oratory, who was visiting their new foundation in York. Fr Richard Duffield, also from the Oxford Oratory and who was appointed parish priest at St Wilfrid's a month earlier, was also in attendance. It is expected that he will be joined by a second member of the community before long, and that a new Oratorian community will be established in York.
From now on, this Sunday evening Latin Mass, followed by devotions, will be a regular feature at St Wilfrid's Church. Fr Duffield was particularly keen to reintroduce a Sunday evening service at St Wilfrid's Church, which is just across the road from York Minster, and visited by thousands of tourists every year.
The Mass replaces the Sunday Latin Mass that was previously celebrated at the Church of the English Martyrs in York.
I attended 5p.m. Mass yesterday, December 8th. Mass was a great experience. However I struggled to hear what Fr. Duffield was saying at the ambo/pulpit but could hear him perfectly when he was at the altar(facing away from the congregation)! I thought the organist seemed unfamiliar with the rite of Benediction. Perhaps it was a new experience. Why not the proper plainsong tune for
ReplyDelete'Creator of the stars of night'?
I was surprised that few, if any, St. Wilfrid's parishioners made the effort to attend Rosary and
Benediction. Maybe the old habits have disappeared totally.
Yes, I also struggled to hear Fr Duffield at the pulpit. I am not sure whether he was using amplification or not. I was told that he could be heard better at one of the morning Masses.
ReplyDeleteI think that you are correct that the organist was unfamiliar with Benediction. I was told that he is a convert and consequently Benediction may be new to him. Maybe he will be better next time.
The congregation last Sunday certainly included some people who were not there the previous week, and there must some that attended on the previous Sunday but were not there last Sunday.
Furthermore, a number of people who attended the Latin Mass when it was at English Martyrs' Church do not seem to have transferred. I expect that in time, it will settle down to a more regular congregation, but in the meantime it is good to see a variety of faces.