Feast of the Ascension

Thursday 30th May is the Feast of the Ascension.  There will be a Sung Mass at 6pm at St Wilfrid's Church in York.

No Mass at Hedon this Coming Sunday

There will be no Mass at The Church of St Mary & St Joseph in Hedon on Sunday 12th May.  This is because Fr Drew is not available.

Fr Nicholas Rynne

Readers may have been following the story of Fr Nicholas Rynne on various internet sites, or possibly in the Daily Mail which has covered the story.

Fr Nicholas Rynne is a young Australian priest, ordained in 2013, and appointed earlier this year to be the pastor of Meander Valley Parish in the Hobart Archdiocese in Tasmania.  It seems that, even before his arrival in the parish, an unwelcome reception had been planned, but few could have predicted the scale of the row that has developed.

Matters came to public attention when a rather unpleasant letter, written by one Maureen Bennett and addressed to Fr Rynne, was "accidentally" leaked, and subsequently published on numerous websites around the world.

The story is that some outspoken parishioners took exception to Fr Rynne wearing a clerical collar and cassock.  They also objected to his introduction of a Latin Mass in the weekly schedule, despite the fact that it was an additional Mass and did not displace any other Mass.  A complaint was lodged with Archbishop Julian Porteous, who decided to request the retired bishop, Peter Elliott, to conduct an enquiry.  It seems that he did not do this very evenhandedly, as he failed interview Fr Rynne and gave little opportunity for supporters of Fr Rynne in the parish to present their views.  The result was that Fr Rynne was suspended, and the following statement issued:

"Fr Nicholas Rynne has ceased his role as administrator of the Meander Valley Parish, and other associated roles in the Archdiocese. We pray that a process of healing and restoration of unity may be achieved in the parish and among all affected."

The matter was taken up first by the local press, then by the national and even international press.  Not surprisingly, the story spread around the world on social media.  The latest is that an internet petition has been launched in support of Fr Rynne, which gained more than 1000 signatures in the first day.

The petition can be found at:
www.change.org/p/archbishop-julian-porteous-reinstate-fathe…

Mass in Hedon

There will be a Latin Mass celebrated at 5pm on Sunday 14th April (Palm Sunday) by Fr Mark Drew at the Church of St Mary & St Joseph in Hedon

Hedon Mass

The next Mass at the Church of St Mary & St Joseph,Hedon will be at 5pm on Sunday 10th March.  As usual, it will be a Low Mass with Fr Mark Drew as celebrant.

Ash Wednesday

There will be blessing and distribution of ashes at 6pm on 6th March at St Wilfrid's Church in York.  It will be followed by a Sung Mass.

Pilgrimage in Honour of the Martyrs of England - 4th May 2019

There will be a pilgrimage in honour of the English Martyrs in Preston on Saturday 4th May.  The programme will be as follows:-

11.45       Assemble at St Walburge's Church.  Postcode  PR2 2QE

12noon    Devotions in St Walburge's Church.

12.15       Procession sets off for English Martryrs' Church.

13.00       Solemn Mass at English Martyrs Church.  Postcode  PR1 1NA

The Church of St Walburge in Preston is very spectacular, and has the tallest spire of any church in England.  It was designed by Joseph Aloysius Hansom for the Jesuits, and opened in 1855.  The Church of the English Martyrs in Preston, which is about a mil;e away, was designed by Edward Pugin, son of Augustus Welby Pugin, and opened in 1867.  Both are now in the care of the of the Institute of Christ the King, Sovereign Priest.

Mass at Hedon

Being the second Sunday of the month, there will be a Latin Mass at 5pm on Sunday 13th January at the Church of St Mary and St Joseph, Hedon.  The celebrant will be Fr Mark Drew.

The Christmas Crib

When I was young, it was quite common to see Cribs in shopping centres or in High Streets around Christmastime.  Usually they were provided be the Knights of St Columba, or some organisation like that.  Nowadays they are less common.  For about the last 10 years, I have organised the putting up of a outdoor crib in the grounds of the Catholic Church in Howden.  It is illuminated, so makes quite a spectacle at night.

There is a story on Catholicism Pure and Simple about attempts to to site a crib in a shoppling centre in Stirling in Scotland.  Apparently the owners of the shopping centre refused permission for a crib.  Not to be put off, some enterprising young people decided to have a live crib with the characters of Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus wandering around the shopping centre asking whether there was room at the inn.  The response from the shoppers was very positive, and it became a major news item.

Later the owners of the shopping centre changed their minds and made a public statement of how much the welcomed the initiative.  Read the full story at Catholicism Pure and Simple.

Jim Carroll RIP

Reproduced from the Leeds LMS Blog. lmsleeds.blogspot.com

Of your charity please pray for the repose of the soul of Mr. James Carroll who departed this life on Saturday 25th November at his home after a long illness patiently borne. May he rest in peace.
Jim and Marie were regular attenders at our Masses for many years until ill health curtailed their ability to travel.
Jim was always well informed and a loyal son of the Church. Our prayers go to his widow Marie.

I mention this here because Jim and Marie often came to the York Masses when they were held at English Martyrs on Sunday evenings, so he may be known to some of you. His Requiem, which will be a Missa Cantata takes place at 11.00am on Tuesday 11th December, at the beautiful church of St Edward the Confessor in Clifford, near Wetherby.

If you're able to go the address is: Chapel La, Clifford, Wetherby LS23 6HU