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.

Anecdote of JP II

Hat-tip to the Hermeneutic of Continuity. It is from an article by the Cambridge academic John Casey; the whole of which is worth a read.

Nearly twenty five years ago, a Pole was dining in my college in Cambridge. He told us that he had been an altar boy in Poland, and had often served the masses of the Archbishop of Cracow. A year or two after that prelate, Karol Woytila, had been installed in the See of Rome, he decided to visit him, for John Paul II never became too grand for his old Polish friends. The Pope (so he told the story) strode up to him, punched him lightly in the chest, and began: Introibo ad altare dei ... to which our guest responded: Ad deum qui laetificat iuventutum meum. ("I will go unto the altar of God'' - "To God who giveth joy to my youth.'') This was the opening exchange between priest and server of the old "Tridentine'' Latin mass, abolished in the early 1970s, and the two continued it right down to the Confiteor. Then the Pope shrugged his shoulders and said: 'Well, that''s no use to us anymore.' His old altar boy replied: 'No, Holy Father, and that''s why I no longer go to church.' To which the Pope (he said) instantly rejoined: 'Don''t blame me. Blame that maniac John XXIII!'

New term's regular events in Reading

From Savio and Ann de Cruz, of the traditionalist community at St William of York, Reading.

Dear Friends,

It is with pleasure that we are able to announce the restart of both the St Bruno's mens' group and our family Catechism Days in October.

St Bruno's will be on First Fridays, starting Friday 3rd October. We are delighted that Fr Armand de Malleray will offer Mass at 7.00pm, to which all are welcome. The usual men's activities - meditation, discussion and confessions - will follow afterwards, beginning at approximately 8.15pm. All men are welcome to stay for this group.


Our Family Catechism Days will be on First Saturdays starting on Saturday 4th October. We will retain the format from last year, so we begin with Mass at 11.30am, then lunch in the annexe, followed by the catechism sessions and activities for adults and children. The day concludes with Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament at approx. 3.30pm. Fr de Malleray will hear confessions before Mass and after Benediction as required.

We would appreciate it if you could let us know in advance if you will be attending the catechism day so we can ensure that we have enough materials for the children. Also, if you can offer your assistance and talents on the day to take an activity for the children or adults, please contact us.

NB: Could the parents of those children seeking Confirmation this year, please contact Fr de Malleray directly.

We hope to see you at these events
With our prayers and best wishes
Ann & Savio

Osculations

A practice about which there is no uniformity in the Traditional Mass is the server's kissing the biretta and cruets and so on when giving them to / taking them from the priest, at Low Mass. There is a view this was left out in the 1962 rubrics but interestingly Fr Zuhlsdorf has dug up something which contradicts this:

After consulting Trimeloni, which is reprint pertaining to the 1962 edition of the Missale Romanum, I confirmed (not that I needed to) that the server kisses things when giving them to and receiving them from the priest.

(p. 421 – #445.5) At the beginning of Mass the server kisses the hand and then the biretta. (The he goes and puts the Missale on the stand, etc.)

(p. 423 – #447.1) He kisses the cruet and gives it to the priest, and kisses it when receiving it back. Both wine and water cruets. He doesn’t kiss the priest’s hand.

(p. 424 – #448.5) At the end of Mass he kisses the biretta and gives it to the priest, kissing his hand as he does so. Be SURE, of course, to make sure the middle "point" of the biretta is offered to the priest’s hand.

If the priest saying the TLM would prefer that you not do this, don’t worry about it. But in 1962 that was the custom.

Leeds Petition: please sign up!

The faithful of the diocese of Leeds are protesting against the closure of churches, including one where the Traditional Mass is said. The parish priest in that case, Fr Mark Lawler, is not even going to be given a new parish, rather undermining the argument that the motivation here is the shortage of priests.

See Damian Thompson's excellent commentary here. The text of the petition is this - click to go to the site to sign it here. (You do NOT have to make a donation to the website, ipetition.co.uk!)

Papa Stronsay novices on their way to FSSP seminary

Here they are, with Oxford's contribution to their community included, on the first leg of the long journey to the Fraternity Seminary to Denton, Nebraska. It is wonderful that such a good solution has been found so quickly for them.

Some of them were spotted first at Lourdes: see picture below.

Please say a prayer for them.

Hat tip to Fr Finigan: here and here.

Merton Priests' Training Conference

I couldn't attend this myself because, as I explain below, I was at the St Catherine's Trust Summer School, but there are lots of pictures, and commentary, on the New Liturgical Movement blog, here, here and here. A lot more can be found on Fr Tim Finigan's blog here. Here's one of Fr Finigan's photos.