Server Training

A server training day has been arranged for Saturday 16th February 2013.  It will take place at the Chaplaincy of the University of Leeds, commencing at 10.30am.  The tuition will be arranged according to the requirements of those who book in, and will be suitable for beginners as wekll as more experienced servers.

There is no fee for attending, although participants are asked to bring a packed lunch.  Anyone wishing to attend should contact Paul Waddington.    paul@gooleboathouse.co.uk

Sunday Masses in Middlesbrough

In case anyony is in doubt, there WILL be a 6pm Latin Mass next Sunday (25th Nov) at the Church of St Alphonsus, North Ormsby in Middlesbrough.  It will be celebrated as usual be Mgr Heslin, and I am expecting that he will be able to make an announcement as to where future Latin Masses will take place in the northern part of the diocese.

There will probably be a change of venue, and if so the details will be given in a future post on this blog.

Christmas Day Mass in the Extraordinary Form

at

English Martyrs' Church, Dalton Terrace, York

8.30am

Fr David Smith will celebrate low Mass (Dawn Mass of Christmas Day)

This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the Feast of the Nativity with an EF Mass. Please publicise this widely. A good turnout would be fantastic.

Clerical Dress

According to Andrea Tornielli, an observer of all that goes on in the Vatican, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican Secretary of State, has issues a circular concerning clerical dress.  It stresses the need for all priests working in the Vatican to wear clerical dress.  This is taken to mean cassock and clerical collar at all times.  On more formal occasions, such as in the presence of the Holy Father, the fascia should be worn as well as trimmings to the cassock appropriate to their rank.

It seems that some priests working in the Vatican have adopted the practice of dressing informally, just as some have in England; and Cardinal Bertone has moved to put a stop to it.  A similar move by the English hierarchy would be welcome.

Traditional Latin Vespers of the Dead.

In remembrance of those who died in the two World Wars and other conflicts.

St. Mary's Church, Bishophill Junior, York. YO1 6EN

Gregorian Chant, sung by members of the Rudgate Singers.

All Welcome.

Weekly Sunday Masses in York Again

The Sunday Latin Masses in York, which in recent months have been twice a month, will for the forseeable future resume their former weekly pattern.  This has been made possible with the help of Fr David Smith, who is currently stationed as an army chaplain in Harrogate.

The Mass is at 4pm each Sunday at the Church of the English Martyrs in Dalton Terrace, just off the Tadcaster Road.  For those using satelite navigation, the postcode is YO24 4DA.

Fathers Stephen Maughan and James Callaghan will continue to be the celebrants on the second and fourth Sundays respectively; and Fr David Smith will be celebrating on the first, third and, when they occur, fifth Sundays.

What we need to do now is to rebuild the congregation.  This should be easier, now that there is a Mass every Sunday.  Please help to spread the word about these Masses.

Sunday 14th October

Fr James Callaghan OSB will be celebrating a Low Mass at 4pm on Sunday 14th October at the Church of the English Martyrs, Dalton Terrace in York.  Fr Stephen Maughan, who usually says the Mass on the second Sunday of the month, has been unwell and has reduced his engagements.  We wish him a speedy recovery.

Mgr Gordon Read becomes National Chaplain

The Latin Mass Society has appointed Mgr Gordon Read as its new national chaplain, following Fr Andrew Southwell's move to Rome.  Mgr Read is Chancellor and Judicial Vicar of the Brentwood Diocese, as well as a parish priest and local dean, so we must be grateful that he is willing to devote what little free time he has to the LMS.

Fr Southwell, who has been the national chaplain for a few years, has enrolled to study theology for two years in Rome.  His place at St Bede's in Clapham Park has been taken by Fr Leworthy, formerly with the FSSP in Reading.

It may be worth reminding readers that the LMS also has regional chaplains.  Our chaplain in the north of England is Fr Michael Brown of the Hexham and Newcastle Diocese, who also happens to be a Canon Lawyer.  He writes the blog Forest Murmers.

Where have all the Candles Gone

Although millions of candles are sold each year in Lourdes for burning at the grotto and being carried in the torchlight procession,  it seems that candles, and especially candlesticks, have practically disappeared from the churches.  At the chapel of St Gabriel in the main basillica, there was just one candle, or rather an oil burning imitation of a candle, with no candlesticks.  At Bartres, and at the chapel of the Sacred Heart, it was exactly the same, although the sacristans did manage to find a second, non-matching, candle.  Only at the Ukrainian Church did we find proper candlesticks.

At the Benediction at the end of the procession of the Blessed Sacrament there was not a single candle to be seen!

Another ecclesiastical item in short supply in Lourdes is the thurible.  At Bartres an exceedingly diminutive and unimpressive one was found, and at the Ukranian Church, as one would expect, they had an Orthodox style thurible with bells.  Otherwise, they seem to have gone out of fashion in Lourdes.

On Return from Lourdes

There were 23 pilgrims on the Latin Mass Society pilgrimage to Lourdes -  somewhat fewer than I had expected, and it seems that many had decided that the cost at £500 to £600 was too great.  I have to agree that that is beyond the budget of many people.

Despite the small numbers, the pilgrimage was a great success.  Mass was celebrated each day by Fr Michael Brown, with three of the five being sung.  I had doubted whether such a small group could support sung Masses, especially since some of our number were not Catholics at all; but whith the help of David O'Neill was was able to sing the propers to a psalm tone, we made a reasonable job of it.  In fact the congregation sang the ordinary parts with great enthusiasm, and the sung Masses were perhaps the highlight of the pilgrimage.

One of the sung Masses was in the village of Bartres, and this excursion also included a visit to Lac du Lourdes for a picnic lunch.  Another was in the Ukrainian Catholic Church, which was a fair walk from our hotel, but a delight to visit.  We were made very welcome by the sister in charge.  Our third sung Mass was at the chapel of the Sacred Heart in the Hospital Saint Frai.  This chapel was a great discovery and ideal for the traditional Mass.

The group did most of the usual things including visiting the grotto (many visited it several times) and taking part in the processions.  We also took the Way of the Cross high up the mountain that overlooks Lourdes.  Some of our number were inspired to purchase an enormous candle (20 kg I think).  This was inscribed with the words Latin Mass Society 2012 and should be burning for many weeks to come, close to the grotto.