Halloween and the month of Holy Souls

Requiem for Fr Anthony Conlon at Our Lady of the Assumption Warwick Street

My latest on Catholic Answers.

In his book, The Reform of the Liturgy 1948-1975, the architect of the reform that took place after the Second Vatican Council, Annibale Bugnini, expressed his regret that he could not move Ash Wednesday onto a Sunday. A penitential Sunday is impossible, he explains, but as things stand, Ash Wednesday is forever associated with Mardi Gras.

In countries and regions where Mardi Gras is a big thing, one can appreciate the problem, especially when celebrations spread over Ash Wednesday itself. And yet, like the consumerism of Christmas present-giving and the chocolate eggs of Easter, it is ultimately a product of Catholic liturgy. As Catholics, we have to work out how to handle this overgrown and frankly deformed progeny of our own tradition.

We have a similar problem with Halloween.

Read it all there.

And come to the LMS Annual Requiem in Westminster Cathedral this Saturday! Mass at 2:30pm.

We will hear Anerio's Requiem, Palestrina Super Flumina Babylonis at communion, plus Gregorian chant propers. All welcome!

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