Saturday, May 26, 2007

Pro-Life Witness

The monthly Pro-Life Witness took place today, by the Catholic church of St Anthony of Padua. The main group of people stood by the road leading to the John Radcliffe Hospital, praying the Rosary (led by Fr John Saward); others prayed before the Blessed Sacrament, which was exposed in the Church. Thanks to Fr Aldo Tapparo, the Parish Priest. The witness took place from 3 to 4pm, at the end of which we all returned to the church to the Blessed Sacrament, until Fr Tapparo blessed us with it and returned it to the Tabernacle. There were refreshments afterwards in the Church Hall.

The next witness will be on Saturday 30th June, 3-4pm. Please support us!

Thursday, May 17, 2007

Cardinal Hoyos on the coming Motu Proprio

Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos makes some very interesting remarks in a speach in Latin America. Hat tip to Rorate Caeli, where there is more here.

It is, instead, a generous offer of the Vicar of Christ who, as an expression of his pastoral will, wishes to put at the disposal of the whole Church all the treasures of the Latin Liturgy which for centuries has nourished the spiritual life of so many generations of Catholic faithful.The Holy Father wishes to preserve the immense spiritual, cultural, and aesthetic treasures linked to the Ancient Liturgy. The retrieval of this wealth is linked to the no less precious one of the current Liturgy of the Church.

For these reasons, the Holy Father has the intention of extending to the entire Latin Church the possibility of celebrating Holy Mass and the Sacraments according to the liturgical books promulgated by Blessed John XXIII in 1962. There is today a new and renewed interest for this liturgy, which has never been abolished and which, as we have said, is considered a treasure, and also for this reason [the interest] the Holy Father believes that the time has come to ease, as the first Cardinalatial Commission of 1986 had wished to do, the access to this liturgy, making it an extraordinary form of the one Roman Rite.

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Pro-Life Procession in Birmingham

Under the banner of Our Lady of Guadalupe
SIEGE OF JERICHO.

ACCOMPANY THE BLESSED SACRAMENT IN DAILY PUBLIC ROSARY PROCESSIONS IN EDGBASTON BIRMINGHAM TO END ABORTION

Monday 14th May to Sunday 20th May 2007

Priests and people praying the rosary are to process with the Blessed Sacrament round the abortion clinic on Arthur Road Edgbaston Birmingham 15 following the route of Arthur Road, Carpenter Road and Ampton Road

On the weekdays from Monday 14th May to Saturday 19th May 2007 inclusive we will start with Mass at the Oratory Church, Hagley Road, Edgbaston at 3pm and after travelling to Arthur Road priests (one carrying the Blessed Sacrament unseen) and people will process once round the route. It will take about 20 minutes.

On Sunday 20th May 2007 we will start at Arthur Road at 2pm (no Mass) and process (priests vested) round the route seven times, carrying the Blessed Sacrament openly, accompanied by the ringing of bells.

PRAYER BACK UP.

During the event supporters will pray before the Blessed Sacrament at St. Dunstan’s Church, Kings Heath and other venues praying many Rosaries. We invite everyone to join us in prayer from their churches or homes or elsewhere, especially the old and the sick.

THE INTENTIONS

1. For a conversion of heart among the organisers and staff of the abortion centre and centres generally so that they and others may join the present movement to stop abortions world wide. They will know at first hand the distressing effects abortion has on women and the cruel death visited on the babies aborted. They must know too about the lucrative and shameful sale of aborted baby parts.

2. To reinstate the priesthood in the eyes of the people, one of God’s purposes at the original Siege of Jericho on which we model our plans.

To help with organisation please let us know in advance, if you can, on which days you intend to participate.

Contact us on 0121 705 9317 or 0121 706 1973
Please tell your priest friends and encourage them to come on one or more days

Tuesday, May 08, 2007

Confirmations in the Traditional Rite

will take place in

St James's Church, Spanish Place,

by Bishop John Arnold (auxiliary of Westmister) on

Saturday 3rd November 2007, 11.30am,

followed by Pontifical Benediction.

Candidates for confirmation, or their parents, should get in touch with the LMS Office:

020 7404 7284
thelatinmasssociety@snmail.co.uk

Priests' Training Conference in August

From the Mass of Ages (magazine of the Latin Mass Society):

'The LMS will host a major training conference in the rubrics, language and practice of the traditional Rite at Merton College, Oxford from Tuesday 28th to Thursday 30th August.

...The LMS will shortly write to all priests in England and Wales ordained within the last ten years, and will also contact seminarians, to invite them to this conference. We may ask for a donation to cover part of the costs involved, but no one will be turned away on the grounds of difficulty in paying. This will be even more important as regards seminarians.

Top flight tutors, both priests and academics, will give the conference participants an intensive grounding in liturgical language, Gregorian Chant, the rubrics and the practicalities of offering the Traditional Rite. A full liturgical programme of Low and Sung Masses, daily Offices and Benediction will be arranged, culminating in a magnificent High Mass celebrated in Merton College's historic chapel. We hope this Mass will be offered by a bishops.

Apart from the 'nuts and bolts' lectures mentioned above, we will also provide sessions on the principles and history of the liturgy, Church architecture, Latin pronunciation, how to sing(!), and the spirituality and theology of the Traditional Mass. Throughout, there will be opportunities to offer private Masses assisted by a top LMS team of servers and MCs.

We hope to be able to throw parts of the conference open to lay participants, although we will have to charge a fee. details will be made public subsequently."

Monday, May 07, 2007

Gregorian Chant Training Day coming up

Saturday 2nd June will be our annual Gregorian Chant Training Day (in fact, the second such day). I have a healthy number of applications, but it's not too late to secure a place for the day, which will be run by Dr Mary Berry CBE, the veteran Gregorian Chant expert.

All are welcome to join the participants at

Traditional Latin Benediction at 11am,
and
Solemn High Mass at 3.30pm,

at the church of SS Gregory and Augustine.

See where the church is (the little arrow is pointing to it!): see here.

See buses from central Oxford (get out between North Parade and Mere Road) here.

Details of the day, which is sponsored by the Latin Mass Society:

Provisional Programme

9.00 Registration
9.30 First Session in hall
11.00 Traditional Latin Benediction in the Church
11.15 Coffee in hall
11.30 Second Session in hall
13.00 Lunch (provided)
13.45 Third Session in hall
15.30 Solemn High: Mass of Whit Saturday
16.45 Tea and depart

Booking is required, as spaces are limited:
Fee: £15; students: £7.50; free for those in Holy Orders
Get in touch with me, if you want to come!

Refurbishment of the Oratory 'Social Club'

means that there will be no tea and cake after the 8am Mass for a few weeks (certainly the rest of May). There was a certain hideous charm about the 1970s wall-paper and carpet, but as they say, one must move with the times!