Biggest Ever Chartres Pilgrimage

The organisers of the Chartres Pilgrimage, which takes place over the Whitsun weekend, have been forced to close registrations 15 days before the commencement of the event, due to an unprecedented number of applications.  A limit of 16,000 pilgrims has been applied for practical reasons.

The size of the pilgrimage has grown steadily in recent years, but applications for the 2023 pilgrimage have shown an unprecedented 33% leap.

Pilgrims from 22 countries will be taking part, including about 300 priests and religious.  In the past, the Chartres Pilgrimage has been very much a youth movement, with the average age of pilgrims being about 20.  However, this year's registrations have seen a surge in adult participants, with many more families taking part.

This picture, taken some years ago shows some of the British pilgrims.

Feast of the Ascension

 Thursday 18th May is the Feast of the Ascension, a Holyday of Obligation.

There will be a Sung Latin Mass at 6pm in the York Oratory.  There will also be a Low Mass in Latin at 7.30pm in the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes and St Peter Chanel in Hull.

First Masses

This coming weekend, there will be two First Masses offered by newly ordained priests of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest.

On Saturday 13th May at 10am Canon Liam Dodd will offer his first Solemn Mass at the Church of Ss. Peter, Paul and Philomena in New Brighton.

The following day, Sunday 14th May, Canon Michael McCowan will be offering his first Solemn Mass at the Church of St Walburge in Preston.

Canons Dodd and McCowan are shown below on the day of their ordination, flanked by two oither priests of the Institute ordained the same day.

Pilgrimage in Honour of the English Martyrs

The annual pilgrimage in honour of the English Martyrs will take place in Preston on Saturday 13th May,

Pilgrims should assemble at 12 noon at St Walburge's Church, Weston Street, PR2 2QE.  |After prayers in the church, the procession with relics and banners will set off for the Church of St Thomas of Canterbury and the English Martyrs in Garstang Road, PR1 1NA, where  a Solemn Mass will be offered at 1pm (approx).

After Mass, there will be veneration of relics.  Refreshments will be served in the English Martyrs' hall.

The pilgrimage will be led by the Canons of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest, which has custody of both these churches.  The Church of St Walburge was designed for the Jesuits by Joseph Hansom and opened in 1854.  It has the highest steeple of any parish church in England.  The Church of St Thomas of Canterbury was designed Edward Pugin and was opened four years later.  It is one of his finest works.

Here is a picture of la\st year's pilgrimagde.

Latin Mass Restricted in Glasgow

The Archbishop of Glasgow, Most Reverend William Nolan, announced that as from 1^st May 2023 Latin Masses will no longer be celebrated at the Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Balornock, which which is a housing estate on the northern fringes of Glasgow. The parish priest is Fr Mark Morris, who has done a great deal to promote the Latin Mass in one of the most socially deprived areas of Glasgow.   In 2019, the Immaculate Heart Church hosted a Pontifical High Mass with Cardinal Raymond Burke at the throne.

Latin Masses continue in the Archdiocese at St Brigid’s Church in Toryglen at 9.30am on Sundays. Toryglen is housing estate on the southern fringes of Glasgow, which, like Balornock, has many high rise tenements developed in the 1960s.

The statement issued by Archbishop Nolan states that the authorities in Rome have given permission for the 1962 Latin Mass to be celebrated at St Brigid’s in Toryglen, which will be the sole venue for such Masses in the Archdiocese. This would imply that, in accordance with the Rescripta of February, Archbishop Nolan applied to Rome for permission to continue Latin Masses at both churches, but that it was only given was only given for one location.

The Archbishop thanked Fr Morris for the care he had shown for the Latin Mass community at Immaculate Heart of Mary, and acknowledged that many would be disappointed that they will have to travel to another parish.

Latin Masses continue in the Diocese of Middlesbrough

I am happy to report that Latin Masses will be continuing at all three venues in the Middlesbrough Diocese.  Following the Rescripta issued by Cardinal Roche of the Dicastery for Divine Worship in February, Bishop Drainey sought permission for all the Latin Masses offered in the Diocese of Middlesbrough to continue.  A positive response has now been received.

At the York Oratory, the Sung Masses at noon on Sundays will continue, as well as the the Low Masses at 8.15am Mondays to Fridays and the 9.15 am Mass on Saturdays.

At the Church of St Andrew in Teesville, a Low Mass will continue on Sundays at 3pm.

At the Church of Our Lady and St Peter Chanel in Hull, the Low Masses will continue on Thursdays at 7.30pm.

Thew arrangements are to be reviewed in two years.

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Canon Fragelli ICKSP RIP

 Have a look at this video:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=K8pFCRrRbO0…

Stainer's Crucifixion

On Wednesday 1st March at 7pm, there will be a performance of Stainer's Crucifixion given by the combined ranks of York Oratory's Choral Scholars, Schola and Choir.  Something not to be missed.

New Instruction concerning Traditionis Custodes

Arthur Cardinal Roche, formerly Bishop of Leeds, but now Prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship, has today issued a statement concerning two aspects of the "implementation of the motu proprio, Traditionis Custodes" of July 16 2021.  He states that two specific dispensations are reserved ti the Apostolic See.

The two dispensations are:-

 - the use of a parish church or the erection of a personal parish for the celebration of the Eucharist using the Missale Romanum of 1962 (cf. Traditionis custodes art. 3 §2);

- the granting of license to presbyters ordained after the publication of Motu proprio Traditionis custodes to celebrate using the Missale Romanum of 1962 (cf. Traditionis custodes art. 4).

In the original document, it is not completely clear whether individual bishops have the authority to grant these dispensations, and many have argued that, since the purported intention was to give bishops greater control over the celebration of the older form of the Mass, it would be logical for these two issues to be within the competence of local bishops.

It is clear that the intention of this latest instruction is to further limit the availability of the Latin Mass, but it is much less clear how things will work out.  In the Diocese of Middlesbrough, Latin Masses are offered publicly and regularly in three parish churches.  This is done with the full approval, and indeed the encouragement, of Bishop Drainey.  The new instruction would seem to require that application must be made to Rome to seek permission for these to continue.   I cannot see this happening any time soon.

Guild of Saint Clare

This is a reminder that there will be a gathering of the northern chapter of the Guild of St Clare at the York Oratory after the 9.15am Mass.  Anyone with an interest in the making or repairing of vestments, or ecclesiastical sewing and embroidery more generally is invited to attend, regardless of experience.  

As this picture shows, the Guild is not totally a female organisation.

There is more information onthe earlier post below.