Mass for the Year of Faith, 11th Oct

In SS Gregory & Augustine, Oxford, accompanied by chant (of course) and some really good polyphony too, with Aidan Nichols preaching. An initiative of Fr John Saward, Priest in Charge of SS Gregory & Augustine's.

Rosary Crusade of Reparation in London, 13th Oct

This sadly but unavoidably clashes with the Aylesford Pilgrimage, and even I can't be in two places at once. But I heartily recommend the Rosary Crusade, which is one of the most impressive Catholic acts of witness in the country each year. 

Rosary Crusade of Reparation on 

Saturday 13 October 2012, Westminster.

Starts at 1.45pm outside Westminster Cathedral. Walk in procession to the Brompton Oratory.

More info on http://rosarycrusadeofreparation.blogspot.co.uk/.

Successful LMS Pilgrimage to Lourdes

The LMS has had groups going to Lourdes before, but this was the first time we've attempted a pilgrimage, in accordance with Our Lady's specific request, 'with the sick'. Pilgrimages with the sick - which can mean a very wide range of things, from mild but chronic illness or disability, to the most serious issues which only pilgrimages with a high level of medical expertise can deal with - add a whole new dimension to the usual pilgrimage experience.
Our pilgrims have established a good precedent for future pilgrimages, and I hope this pilgrimage will grow and flourish. This year it was attended by 23 pilgrims, with Fr Michael Brown, LMS Regional Chaplain for the North. There are reports here, here, and here, and more photos here.

More Hildebrand on the Requiem

Bishop Hopes blessing the catafalque at the LMS Annual Requiem

'To see the purely human aspect of things is a necessary foundation for seeing the supernatural aspect. One who does not see the human aspect is insensitive and superficial, and his attitude is incompatible with the true faith. The deeper one sees the natural tragedy of death, then the more one is able to grasp the tremendous significance of our redemption through Christ, and the more one possesses that true faith which St Paul expresses by asking, "O death, where is your sting?" But as soon as one jumps over the human aspect without passing through, one does not ascend to the supernatural aspect, but rather replaces the natural with the supernatural aspect, which can only be attained by faith - one treats the supernatural as if it were the natural, one takes it for granted, and omits the sursum corda, that ascent into the supernatural world which is possible only in faith, If the human aspect is not duly seen, then the aspect of faith is naturalized, and dragged down to the level of the obvious. If the human aspect is suppressed or omitted, then the aspect of faith becomes ungenuine, unreal.

'Thus the Alleluia and the elimination of black vestments in the Requiem not only ignores the human aspect of death, but also distorts the supernatural perspective on death. The death of a man is the moment of judgement, it is the great and fearful encounter with the divine Judge. Although death is transfigured by hope - hope for our dead beloved one, and for all who loved him and mourn for him - this hope does not take away ultimate seriousness and holy fear. It is simply not the right form for the Mass for the Dead when this Mass gives the impression of celebrating the entrance of the deceased into eternal blessedness. ...

'The optimism of the new Mass for the Dead, as well as its tendency to introduce a harmless note into the theme of the judgement of God (there was none of this in the Tridentine Requiem) is deeply related to this-worldliness, and to a loss of a sense of the supernatural.'

Dietrich von Hildebrand, 'The Devastated Vineyard'. pp224-5

See my extracts from this book, on grief, and on truth and the via media.

Dominican Rite Low Mass booklet: corrected

The Dominican Rite Low Mass pdf which has been available on a couple of websites had a number of typos in it, including the omission of Anastasia from the Canon. It has now been corrected and is available from David Forster's Liturgia Latina site.

The typos came to light in preparing a booklet for last year's, and then this year's, Oxford Pilgrimage, which includes a Solemn Mass in the Domincan Rite in Blackfriars, Oxford. The differences between Low and Solemn Mass are also quite confusing. Since few people have a Dominian Rite hand missal, I thought it best to create a booklet with all the prayers of the Mass, Ordinary and Propers, so people can follow it as easily as possible.

Do come along this year! It is taking place on
Saturday 20th October, 
with Mass at 11am, and 
a Procession to one of Oxford's sites of martyrdom at 2pm, followed by Benediction.

LMS Pilgrimage to Aylesford, 13th October

Latin Mass Society Pilgrimage to Aylesford, the shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, the home of the Brown Scapular.

Saturday 12th October, Sung or Solemn Mass at 1.30pm, celebrated by Fr Tim Finigan in the Relic Chapel

Coach from London: booking required. info@lms.org.uk; 020 7404 7284 

I'll be driving from Oxford, please email me if you want a lift from there: joseph.shaw@philosophy.ox.ac.uk

Please bring your own picnic lunch


Programme:
Confessions from 12:45pm
1:30pm Mass
3pm Spiritual talk
4pm Tea / coffee

4.30pm Rosary and Benediction


Music for Mass will be polyphonic, provided by Cantus Magnus.

John Taverner (c.1490–1545)

Kyrie 'Leroy'

Mass 'The Western Wynde'

Thomas Tallis (c.1505–1585)

Bone pastor

William Byrd (c.1540–1623)

Ego sum panis vivus

Aylesford, an ancient Carmelite house re-established in modern times, is a remarkable place, and this pilgrimage is highly recommended. See my report from last year, and more photos.

To get to Aylesford Priory (‘The Friars’) from the M20, leave at Junction 5, drive SOUTH and turn right onto the A20, right again onto Halls Road to Aylesford. Drive through Aylesford and follow the signs.

View Larger Map

Mass in St Peter's 3 Nov 3pm

STATEMENT.
Following the press conference of 10th September, the Coetus Internationalis pro Summorum Pontificum wishes to announce a change of time for the Mass in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite. The Mass will now take place in St. Peter's Basilica at 3 p.m. in the afternoon of Saturday 3rd November.

This change has been made to facilitate the celebration of the annual Mass for deceased members of the Sacred College of Cardinals by the Holy Father that morning. We are one with the Holy Father and we accept without question this change of time.

The International Federation Una Voce will be organising Masses and other events in Rome on 1st and 2nd November and all pilgrims are invited to participate.

Details of these events, together with details of all Masses in the Extraordinary Form in the City of Rome during the time of the pilgrimage, will be released on the official website of the Pilgrimage http://unacumpapanostro.wordpress.com and the official website of the International Federation Una Voce http://fiuv.org by early October.

The Coetus Internationalis pro Summorum Pontificum invites all the faithful attached to the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite to double their efforts to show their support for the Holy Father and his document Summorum Pontificum.

The Coetus Internationalis pro Summorum Pontificum invites all the faithful coming to Rome and those who can not come to join the Holy Father in prayer for the souls of the deceased Cardinals.

Contact: Secretary of CISP: orga.cisp@mail.com
Official Spokesman of the Pilgrimage: secretary@fiuv.org