ROME-SSPX Talks 14 September 2011

Please pray for a satisfactory outcome for Bishop Fellay's meeting in Rome today, 14 September 2011 - Feast of the Holy Cross. Please pray that the Holy See may be generous in any offer that it may make to the Society of St Pius X and please pray that in its turn the SSPX will respond generously to any offer that may be made to it. The contribution the Society can make to both the Church and the cause of Tradition will produce greater fruit if its canonical situation is regularised. This does not mean selling out on its principles but, whilst maintaining true to tradition, taking its rightful place within the Church community. Lest any should have any doubts about this let our Holy Father, Pope Benedict, have the last word:

"Can it be completely mistaken to work to break down obstinacy and narrowness, and to make space for what is positive and retrievable for the whole? I myself saw, in the years after 1988, how the return of communities which had been separated from Rome changed their interior attitudes; I saw how returning to the bigger and broader Church enabled them to move beyond one-sided positions and broke down rigidity so that positive energies could emerge for the whole. Can we be totally indifferent about a community which has 491 priests, 215 seminarians, 6 seminaries, 88 schools, 2 university-level institutes, 117 religious brothers, 164 religious sisters and thousands of lay faithful? Should we casually let them drift farther from the Church? I think for example of the 491 priests. We cannot know how mixed their motives may be. All the same, I do not think that they would have chosen the priesthood if, alongside various distorted and unhealthy elements, they did not have a love for Christ and a desire to proclaim him and, with him, the living God. Can we simply exclude them, as representatives of a radical fringe, from our pursuit of reconciliation and unity? What would then become of them?

Certainly, for some time now, and once again on this specific occasion, we have heard from some representatives of that community many unpleasant things – arrogance and presumptuousness, an obsession with one-sided positions, etc. Yet to tell the truth, I must add that I have also received a number of touching testimonials of gratitude which clearly showed an openness of heart. But should not the great Church also allow herself to be generous in the knowledge of her great breadth, in the knowledge of the promise made to her? Should not we, as good educators, also be capable of overlooking various faults and making every effort to open up broader vistas? And should we not admit that some unpleasant things have also emerged in Church circles? At times one gets the impression that our society needs to have at least one group to which no tolerance may be shown; which one can easily attack and hate. And should someone dare to approach them – in this case the Pope – he too loses any right to tolerance; he too can be treated hatefully, without misgiving or restraint."

Fr William Charlton

Since his appointment to the Church of St Alphonsus in Middlesbrough about three years ago, Fr Charlton has celebrated a Mass in the usus antiquior at his church each Sunday evening at 6pm. Prior to his moving to Middlesbrough, Fr Charlton was the regular celebrant of the 6.30 Sunday evening Mass in York.

News has filtered down that Fr Charlton will be leaving Middlesbrough later this month to be part of a newly formed community of Benedictine monks in France. We wish Fr Charlton and the new community every success.

Some had feared that this move would bring about the end of Latin Masses in Middlesbrough. I am pleased to be able to confirm that the Middlesbrough Sunday evening Masses will continue. The celebrant will be Mgr John Heslin, a retired priest of the Birmingham Archdiocese living in Saltburn. He used to celebrate First Friday Masses at the Church of St Clare in Middlesbrough.

I hope that Mgr Heslin's Masses will be well supported.

Sung Vespers in York This Sunday

Vespers for the 13th Sunday after Pentecost

Will be sung by the Rudgate Singers at St Mary's, Bishophill Junior at 6.30pm this coming Sunday, 11th September. Please do join us.

location map for St Mary's can be found at their website

http://stmary-bishophill.co.uk/index.html

Walsingham Pilgrimage

I have recently returned from the walking pilgrimage from Ely to Walsingham, a distance of 55 miles, and it was a great experience. I should add that I only walked the final mile. My role was driving a support vehicle, which carried some of the baggage and was available to pick up anyone who could walk no further.

Over 30 young and not so young people walked the whole distance over three days. They prayed the rosary and sang hymns much of the time, and there were opportunities for confessions to be heard by Fr Rowe along the way.

It was a great occasion and even the rather wet, and sometimes stormy, weather did not dampen the spirits of the pilgrims. There was a sung Mass each day. On the Friday it was at 6am in the church of St Etheldreda before setting off from Ely, and on the Saturday, it was in in the chapel of Oxborough Hall. The Sunday Mass was at the shrine in Walsingham, and the walking pilgrims were joined by others who had travelled there by coach or car.

For me the high point was walking the Holy Mile into the village of Little Walsingham. Many, but not me, did this bearfoot. We carried a processional cross, and sang the Rosary and a Litany as we walked. The musical setting of the Ave Maria was new to me, and is apparently the one used on the Paris to Chartres pilgrimage. I found it very attractive and suitable for the occasion. People certainly joined in well.

The procession took us to the grounds of the former abbey which is the site of the original shrine.

Plans are now being made for next year, when we expect to have a bigger and better pilgrimage.

Rudgate Singers: Services for September

These may be of interest.

Sunday 04/09 6:30pm - St Mary's Bishophill Junior, York
Vespers for the 12th Sunday after Pentecost

Saturday 10/09. 12:00pm Brinkburn Priory, Northumberland.
The Annual Solemn High Mass
Saturday 10/09: 9:00pm - St Mary's Bishophill Junior, York
Compline by Candlelight

Sunday 11/09. 6:30pm - St Mary's Bishophill Junior
Vespers for the 13th Sunday after Pentecost

Saturday 24/09. 9:00pm - St Mary's Bishophill Junior
Compline by Candlelight

Sunday 25/09. 6:30pm - St Mary's Bishophill Junior
Vespers for the 15th Sunday after Pentecost

Note: NO Chant SERVICES the weekend of 17/18th September in York, as I shall be down in Oxford singing for the Ordination to the Sacred Priesthood of fr. Lawrence Lew OP.

World Youth Day and the BBC

Much has been written on various blogs about the coverage of World Youth Day by the BBC. All seem to agree that it was abyssmal.

I estimate that 95% of the coverage was about the relatively small demonstration by illinformed people protersing at the visit. Of the remaining 5%, much of it was devoted to a freak gust of wind that blew off Pope Benedict's skull cap.

If, like me you think that the coverage was outrageously biassed, then I would urge you to make a formal complaint. It is very easily done on line at:

www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/

Whilst at it, please encourage others to do the same.

The Restoration of Catholic Practices

Fr Ray Blake has a post on his blog about the external marks by which Catholics were, at one time, easily recognised. The implication is that nowadays most of these practices are rarely seen.

Here is a list, mostly taken from Fr Blake's blog:

Friday abstinence,
Fast days,
Corpus Christi and Marian Processions,
Benediction,
Confession,
The religious life,
Pilgrimages,
Kneeling in church,
Genuflecting,
Reception of Holy Communion on the tongue,
Unlocked churches,
Latin,
Plain chant,
The Rosary,
The Angelus,
Mantillas,
Holy water,
Crucifixes in the home,
Blessing oneself with holy water when entering a church,
Making the sign of the cross when passing a church.

What prompted this discussion was the welcome proposal of the bishops of England and Wales to re-introduce Friday abstinence. The list suggests plenty more customs and practices that could be revived.

Masses in York

Please note that due to the absence of Father Maughan on holiday, there will be no evening Masses in York on Sundays 7th and 14th August.

There will be Sunday Masses on 21st and 28th August, but after that the routine will change. Fr Maughan is moving to the northern part of the diocese, where he will be parish priest at Loftus, Brotton and Staithes.

Bishop Drainey is keen that the usus antiquior Masses in York continue, and he has asked Fr Maughan to travel to York on one Sunday each month to celebrate this Mass. As things are planned at present this will be the last Sunday of the month. I understand that Bishop Drainey is seeking further provision, but I have no information about this yet. Any news will be posted as it becomes available.

Although covering a large geographical ares, the Diocese of Middlesbrough is relatively small in terms of Catholic population and the number of parishes. It is also a diocese where the shortage of priests is particularly accute. As a consequence, many of the priests that we do have, are doing more than one job.
In these circumstances, it is difficult for the bishop to find priests who is able and willing to celebrate Mass in the usus antiquior.

Bishop Drainey has asked us to pray for priestly vocations. Please do so, because an influx of new priests is desperately needed.

Gregorian Chant Workshop

Following on from Et Expecto's post about children singing Chant, it's not too late to register for this.

Gregorian Chant Workshop.

Saturday 9th July. 2.30pm-6.30pm

Church of St. Mary
Bishophill Junior,
York
YO1 6EN

In this half-day workshop, in the oldest church in the City of York, we will learn and sing some of the most beautiful hymns, antiphons & psalms in the repertory of Gregorian Chant. We will immerse ourselves in the history, sound, technique and language of this ancient musical style, working toward an authentic and beautiful performance of Compline [The Night Office] at the end of the day.


All materials (scores and helpful resources) are included in the cost of the day. Beginners and more advanced singers are welcome. Registration Fee: £6.50 – £5.00 for Students. It would be helpful if you could register in advance, as this will give us an idea how music & other source materials to prepare!

To register please contact us at mike.4b@ntlworld.com or telephone (01904) 341853.

Children singing Plainchant

There is a very good video of primary age school children singing plainchant circulating around the internet. It can be found on Fr Finigan's, The Hermenutic of Continuity amongst other places. I recomment it.