Institute of Christ the King to take over Church in Detroit

It has recently been announced that the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest will be taking over the Church of St Joseph in Detroit.  Originally built by the German community, it has more recently been merged with two other churches into the parish of the Mother of Divine Mercy. Despite being close to the downtown area of Detroit, the church is attractively situated amid green lawns and trees.

Whilst clearly a fine church when viewed from the outside, one has to go inside to fully appreciate its splendour.  Somehow it has escaped re-ordering.  Original altar, communion rail, pulpit, sedilia and confessionals are all intact.  The stained glass is also very good.  Many pictures of this church can be found on the internet.

The Institute will be taking charge of the church in the middle of October, and it will be their 13th church in the USA.  I also understand that it will become a personal parish, which means that it will be detached from the existing clustered parish, and will become the sole responsibility of the Institute.  This is a rather different status from the two churches that the Institute have in England.

St Margaret Clitherow and the Martyrs of York

The date has been fixed for the 2017 pilgrimage in honour of St Margaret Clitherow and the Martyrs of York.  It is Saturday 25th March.  The pilgrimage will start at St wilfrid's Church in York with a Solemn Mass at 1.30pm, which will be followed by a procession through the city passing through the Shambles,where the shrine to St Margaret Clitherow is located.  The pilgrimage will end with Benediction back at St Wilfrid's Church.

Vespers and Benediction

After a break during August, Sunday Vespers have been resumed at St Wilfrid's Church in York. Since the Oratorian Fathers introduced Vespers on Sunday evenings a couple of years ago, the congregation has gradually grown.  Last Sunday,the congregation was the largest that I have seen so far.

Vespers consists of the chanting of five psalms, the singing of one hymn and the Magnificat, and a couple of short readings.  It lasts about half an hour, and is a very uplifting experience.  All the singing is in Latin, and to Gregorian chant tones.  Some may find this difficult at first, but it becomes easier after attending a few times,


Vespers is at 6pm each Sunday, and is followed at 6.30pm by Benediction.

Ad Orientem in the Diocese of Madison

Bishop Robert Morlino, the Bishop of Madison in the United States, has announced that, starting in October, whenever he celebrates a Sunday Mass in in his cathedral, it will be celebrated ad orientem. The bishop does not say what will happen on those Sundays when he is not there.  Neither does he say what will happen during the week.

Nevertheless, this is a very clear statement in support of Cardinal Sarah, the Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, who has called on all priests to consider offering Mass ad orientem from the beginning of Advent.  Bishop Morlino is to be congratulated on making such a clear statement.

This is an example of how the bishops of the United States differ from those of England and Wales.  In the US, bishops have a range of views, and are prepared to step out of line to express them.  In this country, it is rare for any bishop to make a public statement that is likely to be controversial, or differ from the collective view of the Bishops' Conference.  The Archbishop of Westminster has, of course, made it clear that there will be no return to ad orientem in the Diocese of Westminster, and a few bishops have made similar statements with regard to their own dioceses.

Good News Concerning Redcar

I have been informed that the 11am weekly Sunday Mass at Sacred Heart Church, Lobster Road, Redcar will resume, starting on Sunday 11th September.  I understand that Mgr Heslin, who has not been too well of late  has recovered sufficiently to restart these Masses.  We are very grateful to Mgr Heslin.

And from an Earlier Newsletter

The following is taken from an earlier newsletter of St Walburge's Church in Preston.

From the Letter Box 

The recent first High Mass of young Canon Cosme Montjean was a joyous occasion for us all. This blessed occasion made quite an impression on the many visitors and we are happy to share a few of the notes we received: “Just a quick note to say how great it was to be at Canon Montjean’s First High Mass this morning, to receive his blessing and join the reception – thank you for your hospitality. Each time I experience the Traditional Mass, particularly at St Walburge’s, it inspires me to aim to experience it on a more regular basis! [My friend] was also struck by the beauty and reverence and said that it took him back to his childhood when he served Mass each morning before school! He certainly wants to come again.” A first-time visitor writes: “It was such a wonderful and memorable occasion. I have been reliving all the ceremony ... I have been enjoying the pictures on Facebook too.” Another writes: “It was a great privilege for us to be with you all at this wonderful celebration, and I would be grateful if you would send our respects and thanks to Canon Montjean. We look forward to visiting Saint Walburge’s Catholic Shrine Church in the future.”

Reminder

There will be a Low Mass at St Charles Church in Hull this Wednesday, 5th September at 6.30pm.

Redcar Masses

Please not that the Sunday Masses in Redcar are suspended until further notice.

A Wonderful Pilgrimage to Walsingham

I am still recovering from the Walsingham Pilgrimage.  Around 70 people took part in the 57 mile walk from Ely to Walsingham.  My part was to drive one of the support vehicles, and to handle all the liturgical requisites used at the seven Masses we had during the pilgrimage.  So I did not walk very far, but it was no less exhausting.  There is plenty about the pilgrimage on the LMS Facebook pages and elsewhere.

Some people just attended the Sunday Mass at the Shrine at Walsingham and  then walked the Holy Mile.  So there was a big crowd for that.  I strongly recommend this pilgrimage, whether as a day visitor or as a full walking pilgrim.  It takes place over the August Bank Holiday weekend each year.

From the Newsletter of St Walburge's Church in Preston

The following is an extract from the newsletter of St Walburge's Church in Preston:

Vocations from Great Britain 

Please pray for the three young men from the U.K. who will be commencing their programme of priestly formation at the Institute’s seminary, Saint Philip Neri Seminary (Gricigliano), this September. They will be joining other young men from France, the U.S.A. and other countries.

No less than three young men from the UK will be joining the Seminary of the Institute of Christ the King in Gricigliano this September.   One has been a regular attender at the Church of SS Peter, Paul and Philomena at New Brighton, another has been attending St Walburga's Church in Preston, and I understand that the third is from Scotland.  What excellent news!