Pilgimage to Stonor

On Trinity Sunday the Latin Mass Society's first pilgrimage to Stonor took place. With the kind permission of Thomas, Lord Camoys, we had a Sung Mass in the medieval chapel, attached to this great house where the lamp of the Catholic faith was never extinguished, even in the darkest days of the persecution.

(This photo is from here.)

Although dating back to the 13th Century the interior was remodelled in the 18th Century in the 'Strawbery Hill Gothick' style, the style of two other Recusant Catholic chapels where the LMS regularly has Masses in Oxfordshire: Milton Manor and Mapledurham. Those two chapels have essentially flat ceilings, and it is interesting to see the 'gothic effect' plaster panels superimposed on a genuine Gothic ceiling. This decoration dates from 1759, with additions in 1797.



The chapel is dedicated to the Holy Trinity, so this was its patronal feast.

The Mass was accompanied with chant by the Schola Abelis.

St Agatha Mass in Milton Manor

It is always a joy to attend Mass in Milton Manor's lovely chapel. Last Saturday we had a particularly beautiful Mass with polyphony and chant, celebrated by Fr Anthony Conlon. Fr Conlon is the Chaplain of the nearby Oratory School. His colleague at the school, and LMS Secretary, David Forster, was MC.

We had the biggest serving team I have ever assembled in this chapel. It wasn't exactly planned, but it seemed to work. The torchbearers knelt at the communion rails.

After Mass we had a very pleasant lunch in Limoncello, an Italian Restaurant in Abingdon, with Fr Conlon.

More photos here. Videos to follow.

And now for something completely different

Slow posting I fear for a couple of weeks; listen to this, however, from my local Oxford schola.


The Schola Abelis sing at a Votive Mass of Our Lady on 19th June 2010. Here they are singing a motet at Offertory, Ave Maria by Francisco Guerro.

Mass was sung by Fr Simon Leworthy FSSP, in the private chapel of Milton Manor House, a historic Catholic house near Abingdon.

Mass at Milton Manor with the Schola Abelis

With all the things happening I haven't had time to blog about this, a beautiful Mass we had on 19th June in the private chapel of Milton Manor House, thanks to the hospitality of Anthony Mockler-Barrett, the owner.

In the choir loft in Milton Manor Chapel.

This chapel was consecrated by Bishop Richard Challoner, and our celebrant, Fr Simon Leworthy FSSP, used Challoner's altar cards, vestments and chalice.

The Mass was a Votive Mass of Our Lady and was accompanied by the Schola Abelis, the last Mass of their schedule for the academic year. They sang a polyphonic Ordinary, Francisco Guerro's Missa Beata Mater.

The Schola is the ONLY Catholic choir each year in Fresher's Fair, though I hope this may change. Equally surprising is the fact that our polyphonic section is also the ONLY Oxford choir of any kind specialising in Renaissance music. It now has the right to use the University's name, and call itself the Oxford University Gregorian Chant Society.

The schola has had a very good year. We have more town-based people singing for us now, which means there are more resources for Masses in the vacations. We are planning more Saturday Masses for next term, and more training for members. See the Schola's blog for more about them.

We made a good sound in Milton Manor; here are the polyphonists singing a motet.

There are more videos here, and more photos here.

Requiem at Milton Manor

Last Saturday we had a Requiem for Michael Eyston at Milton Manor. Anthony Mockler-Barrett was as always extremely hospitable and it was a great occasion.

In the small but lovely 'Strawberry Hill Gothick' chapel we had a full Sung Requiem with the blessing of the catafalque, with a chant schola of a dozen and polyphonists as well, in the chapel's choir loft.

More photos here.

Sung Mass in Milton Manor

On Saturday we had a splendid Sung Mass in Milton Manor, thanks to the kind hospitality of Mr & Mrs Mockler-Barrett, and the organisation of Miss Maureen Eyston and the local LMS representative, Dr David Joyce. The celebrant was Fr John Saward of SS Gregory & Augustine.

The chapel was consecrated by Bishop Challoner, and Fr Saward wore his vestments and used his altar cards and chalice: see the chalice in photograph below.

The Mass was accompanied by the Schola Abelis; they have more photographs and videos of some of the singing.
For more on the chapel see my post on historic Oxfordshire chapels on the New Liturgical Movement.

Mass at Milton Manor

This took place yesterday as advertised. The Traditional Mass has been taking place twice a year in this historic Catholic chapel for some time; this was the first occasion it was sung. It is hoped that there will be more frequent sung Masses in future. The chapel is closely associated with Bishop Challoner, who consecrated it and was buried nearby until his body was moved to Westminster Cathedral. It contains some of his possessions, including a chalice.

The house itself is open to the public; see their website.

The celebrant was Fr Andrew Southwell.

Mass at Mapledurham House

This took place on Saturday 31st May, but so much has been happening since then it is only now that I am getting round to posting the pictures.

It was a glorious day, the chapel was full of Catholic families from Oxford, Reading, Abingdon, and points in between, and, the feast being the Queenship of Our Lady, the celebrant, Fr John Saward of SS Gregory and Augustine, preached beautifully on Our Lady. The Oxford Gregorian Chant Society provided the music, under the direction of our professional coach, Mr Adrian Taylor. Afterwards the schola and a number of others had lunch in a nearby pub, the Pack Saddle, and then returned with the general public for a tour of this fascinating house, where Catholicism was preserved throughout penal times.

The chapel itself is an important example of the chapels which served as de facto parish churches in the 18 and 19th Centuries. Surprisingly, formal parishes were not established in England until after the First World War. Mapledurham's secret attic chapel served the local population until the Catholic Relief Act of 1791 made it possible to build a publicly recognised chapel, albeit with neither a steeple nor a bell - it was consecrated in 1797. Unlike the chapel in the nearby Catholic houses of Milton Manor, there is a public entrance to the chapel from the outside, as well as a door from the main house for the family. Nevertheless it discreetly blends in with the rest of the house. As it happens the Anglican parish church is only a hundred yards from this side of the house.

I very much hope to establish a sung Traditional Mass at Mapledurham as at least an annual event. The chapels of the Recusant Catholic houses of the Oxford area are of such significance for the preservation of the Faith, and above all the Traditional Mass, from the 16th Century right into the 20th, it is appropriate for us not only to pay our respects to them but to assist, in a small way, with their upkeep, which is often a headache for the extraordinarily dedicated families who live in them.

Saturday 31st May

Traditional Sung Mass in Mapledurham House 11.30am

Assist at Sung Mass for the Queenship of Our Lady in the private chapel of this historic hosue, where the Faith was kept alive during the years of persecution. The house is on the 'Oxford side' of Reading.

Pro-Life Witness 3-4pm

The Rosary is said by the entrance to the John Radcliffe Hospital, next to the Catholic Church of St Anthony of Padua, Headley Way, where meanwhile the Blessed Sacrament is exposed. The JR is the only place in Oxford where abortions take place. See Streetmap.co.uk here.

Yes! You can do both.

Mass in Milton Manor this Sunday, 18th May

Please support this Mass in a historic Catholic house. It has been in Catholic hands since 1764; the Chapel was consecrated by Bishops Challoner in 1771. A number of Challoner's possessions are kept in the house.

Mass is at 6pm.

To find Milton Manor, turn off the A34 for Didcot (etc.), between Newbury and Abingdon, and follow signs for Milton. The village is very near this interchange. Turn left in the middle of the village for the Manor, by the Admiral Benbow pub. You can park in the drive, outside the front of the house.

For more information on the Mass in Milton Manor, please telephone David Joyce on 01635 874101.

Map with pointer to Milton Manor