How It Used to Be

Have a look at this:

 https://twitter.com/i/status/1593728189154885632

New York Times

An article headed 'Old Latin Mass Finds New American Audience' has appeared in a prominent position in the New York Times.  The lengthy article tells of the resurgence of the Latin Mass in the United States, especially amongst young people and large families.  The writer of the article describes her experiences visiting the Church of St Joseph in Detroit.  This church, which is run by the Institute of Christ the King, has grown its congregation dramatically in recent years.

The article, which is easily found on the internet, includes many good photographs including the ones below.

Retirement of Fr Charlton

Fr William Charlton, the Parish Priest of St Joseph's Church in Stokesley, will be retiring at the beginning of next year.  This means that the regular Sunday Mass that Fr Charlton has been offering at 3pm will come to an end, with the last one being on New Year's Day, which in 2023 will be a Sunday. 

I am delighted to be able to report that, starting on Sunday 8th January, Fr Michael Sellers will be offering a Latin Mass on Sundays at 3pm in the Church of St Andrew in Fabian Road, Teesville, Middlesbrough.  This should be convenient for people living in Middlesbrough and the surrounding areas, and I hope it will prove popular.  We are grateful to Bishop Drainey for making these new arrangements.

Fr Charlton will be offering two further Latin Masses at St Joseph's Church in Stokesley over the Christmas period.  These are:

Sunday 25th December, Christmas Day: Traditional Latin Mass 11.00am   (note changed time)

Friday 6th January, The Epiphany:  Traditional Latin Mass 11.00am 

I am sure everybody who has attended Fr Charlton's Latin Masses is very grateful for his efforts to promote the traditional Mass, both in Stokesley, and earlier in York and other places.  We wish him a long and happy retirement.

We are also grateful to Fr Sellers for taking on the continued provision of Latin Masses in the Middlesbrough area. 

All Saints and All Souls

Tuesday 1st November and Wednesday 2nd November are the feasts of All Saints and All Souls respectively.  On both days, Mass will be offered in the older form at the York Oratory as follows:

        8.15am     Low Mass

        6.00pm     Sung Mass

Mass attendance in the USA

 This graph caught my eye.  It seems that Mass attendance in the USA has been in decline since the time of Vatican II, but that the decline has been particularly steep during the reigns of Paul VI and Francis.

More on the ICKSP

There is more excellent news from the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest.  I understand that seven candidates will be joining their House of Formation in Preston in October.  This is a record number, admissions having been limited to five in previous years.  It is normal in the ICKSP for young men aspiring to be priests to spend a year discerning their vocation at a House of Formation before joining the seminary in Gricigliano.  

The House of Formation at Preston is within the Presbytery which is a large old building, which has been in need of repairs, especially to the roof.  Recently, benefactors have enabled roof repairs to be completed, and I presume that it is these works that have allowed the extra candidates to be accommodated.  The picture below shows the presbytery alongside the Church of St Walburge.

One thing is certain.  There is no shortage of young men wishing to test their vocation to become priests of the Institute of Christ the King.

Institute of Christ the King

A record number of young men have joined the seminary of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest at Gricigliano near Florence in Italy. The photograph below shows the new first year seminarians, who commenced their studies earlier this month.

If I have counted correctly, there are 34.  This compares with 23 last year and, I think, 15 the year before.  These figures are indicative of the spectacular growth that the Institute can expect to achieve over the next few years.  They are also indicative of the growth of the traditional movement within the Church more  generally.  It seems that Traditionis Custodes did nothing to dampen this movement.  Indeed, the movement seems to be accelerating at a remarkable rate.

Amongst the new seminarians are five who have spent a year of discernment at the Institute's house of formation in Preston.  

The seminary at Gricigliano, is far too small to accommodate all the seminarians, so they can expect to spend considerable time during the later years of their study located at the Institute's various missions around the world.  

Diocese of Arlington

Until recently, the Diocese of  Arlington in Virginia, USA made good provision for adherents of the older form of the Mass.  There were no less than 21 locations where it was offered, and these Masses were attended by about 2.5% of the Mass going population.   The Most Reverend Michael Burbidge, Bishop of Arlington, has implemented Traditionis Custodes in a very strict way, and the number of locations has been reduced to eight and will be further reduced to five in 2023.

One of the locations to be dropped is Holy Trinity parish in Gainsville, which was one of the best attended.  In its place, the diocese has offered the use of a disused gymnasium at a school in Nokesville.  Supporters of the Latin Mass have, in very short time, transformed this gymnasium into a chapel by constructing an altar with reredos and providing a sanctuary with altar rails.  They have also acquired benches from a disused church and redecorated throughout.  The result can be seen below.

Two Latin Masses are now offered in the gymnesium every Sunday, and are attracting a congregation of over 200 at each.

King Charles III

 Check out these very wise words of our new King.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1567957411880923140

"More Protestant than Catholic"

The newly elevated Cardinal Roche, formerly Bishop of Leeds, but now Prefect of the Dicastery for  Devine Worship and the Sacraments, has given an interview to The Tablet.  In it, he describes supporters of the older form of the Mass as "stubbornly opposing" the reforms of the Second Vatican Council.  He says that these people are "putting themselves to the edges of the Church" and "becoming more Protestant than Catholic".

These statements have met with both derision and amusement throughout the traditionalist world.  To many it seems incredible that the Cardinal can describe those who align themselves with the form of the Mass that has been prevalent throughout most of the history of the Church as Protestant, when compared with those who prefer the newer form that has existed for merely 60 years.  Does Cardinal Roche not understand that the reforms that followed Vatican II were designed to make the Mass more closely resemble the Protestant liturgies?