Wednesday 3rd January

Please note that there will be NO Latin Mass at St Charles Church in Hull on Wednesday 3rd January.

I am not sure whether first Wednesday Masses will resume, so please keep an eye on this blog.

Starting on Sunday 14th January,  Fr Mark Drew will be offering a Low Mass on the second Sunday of each month at the Church of St Mary and St Joseph in Hedon.   More about this, including the time, later.

Rorate Mass in York

There will be a Rorate Mass at St Wilfrid's Church in York at 7am on Saturday 23rd December . It will be in the side chapel of St Philip Neri.  A Rorate Mass is an early morning Mass of Our Lady offered in Advent and is usually by candlelight.  It takes its name from the opening words of the Introit.

Breakfast is being provided after this Mass, but must be pre-booked.  See the parish website for details. 

Midnight Mass in York

There will be a Solemn Mass in the Extraordinary Form  at St Wilfrid's Church, York at Midnight on Christmas Eve.  It will be preceded by the singing of carols.  So far as I am aware, this will be the only EF Christmas Mass in the Diocese of Middlesbrough this year.

Pope Francis on Latin

In a message to a meeting of the Pontifical Academies in Rome, Pope Francis is reported as saying:

"Teachers should know how to speak to the hearts of young people, know how to treasure the very rich heritage of the Latin tradition..."

As is usually the case with Pope Francis, he talks around the subject, dropping in suggestions and inferences, but not being very clear about what he actually means.  Many reporters have interpreted the pope's message as encouraging the teaching of Latin, especially to young people.