More from the Ratcliffe Conference

Ratcliffe College, and particularly the chapel with its five side chapels and two sacristies, was buzzing with activity during the conference, with all sorts of training going on and a full set of liturgies. There were about 60 people in all, including tutors and those being training, lay and clerical, and Mike Forbester's singers, all eating together and enjoying a convivial atmosphere in the evenings. What is irreplaceable about these conferences are the things which flow from getting a whole lot of priests, servers, and singers, together in one place: on the one hand, the opportunity for a wide range of liturgies, such as Solemn Mass and Offices, and on the other hand the social aspect, the chance for participants to meet like-minded priests and laity.

Benediction, celebrated by Fr Cahill

Vespers

As well as the Pontifical Mass and the server and priest training I have blogged about, we also had Lauds each morning and Vespers each evening, and one celebration of Benediction.

Me and Fred Stone, Chairman of Una Voce Scotland

We had a more formal dinner on the final evening, where, for reasons best known to himself, Fr Dunne from Glasgow gave us a spirited rendition of Robert Burns' poem 'Tam O'Shanter.' Well, it was that kind of evening. We also sang Faith of Our Fathers and Full in the Panting Heart of Rome ('God Bless the Pope!')

Fr Cahill celebrated a Missa Cantata on Tuesday.
The final liturgy of the conference, however, was a Solemn Requiem.