We stayed Saturday night in York after the pilgrimage and came home on Sunday morning, taking in Mass at Holy Cross, Leicester, the Dominican Priory. Fr Thomas Crean OP, the LMS Chaplain for the Midlands, usually says this Mass, which takes place at 12.30pm each Sunday. It takes place in a large side chapel, although the congregation were spilling out into the pews in the nave.
I have never visited the church before, and it is very impressive. I was able to see myself the new shrine to the English Martyrs which was recently dedicated by Bishop McMahon of Nottingham - Bishop McMahon is himself a Dominican, and also says the Traditional Mass, and he took the opportunity to be the first Ordinary in England and Wales to say an EF Mass in his own diocese.
Here's a photo from Mike Forbester's set (the same Mike Forbester who organised the chant in York for St Margaret Clitherow, of Rudgate Singers fame). (There's more on this Pontifical Mass here.)
Here's the shrine. It is nicely done, though it seems slightly odd for it not to have an altar attached to it.
The congregation was full of families with small children. They characterise congregations at regular Traditional Masses in most places, but here in Leicester the small children seemed to outnumber the adults!
While reading all the wonderful feedback on several blogs and websites, I have been trying not to comment on my own role in the wonderful event in York last Saturday. However, I now feel impelled to point out that while my brother, Mike Forbester, did indeed put together a very fine schola to sing the propers in the Mass, it was I who put together the polyphonic choir which sang in the Minster and later at English Martyrs church.
ReplyDeleteRighto, I've made Mike's role a bit clearer in the post above.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for your hard work! I didn't mean to diminish that, I'm just referring to Mike's photograph here. The polyphony in York was superb, and much appreciated.