Pro-Life Witness, January

This took place as usual last Saturday, with 20 people reciting the rosary in the cold by the roadside, by the entrance to the John Radcliffe Hospital, and four people praying before the blessed Sacrament, exposed in the Church of St Anthony of Padua behind them. The rosary was led this month by Fr Daniel Seward; Fr John Saward was also present.

The witness starts at 3pm and ends with a short benediction at 4pm. The next dates are

Saturday 23rd February
Saturday 29th March

Traditional Lenten Devotion in SS Gregory & Augustine

Each Sunday of Lent will see this traditional Lenten devotion, comprising a public recitation of the Rosary, a Sermon (including visiting preachers), and Latin Benediction, starting at 5pm.

St Catherine's Trust Family Retreat: now booking

Friday 28th to Sunday 30th March.
Registration from 4.30 to 5.15pm Friday;
departures before or after lunch on Sunday.
£80 for a single adult, couples £140, under 18s free.
See the website here.

Booking deadline: 1st March.

Book bound in Fr Garnet's skin sold

Is this the weirdest thing you've heard this week? The book is a Protestant telling of his story and was bound in 1606. There seems to be a face on the book cover; tradition has it this is an image of Fr Garnet himself. Garnet was implicated in the Gunpowder plot but was clearly a martyr for the faith.

H/T to Colleen Hammond.

Pro-Life Witness

The monthly Pro-Life prayer vigil took place today, from 3 to 4pm, in its usual location at the main entrance to the John Radcliffe Hospital. The 'JR' is the only place in Oxford where abortions take place. Ironically, the JR has been in the news in its other role, of saving babies: a Russian woman with quintuplets who was told by her Russian doctors to abort some of them delivered them all safely, by Caesarian section, there last week.

These Witnesses are the initiative of Mrs Amada Lewin; the first tool place in March this year. This one was well attended despite the cold; 25 people stood outside to pray 15 decades of the Rosary 'in reparation for abortion and for all unborn babies and their mothers and fathers', led by Fr John Saward of SS Gregory and Augustine, while others remained in the Church of St Anthony of Padua, where the Blessed Sacrament was exposed. The group included Fr Jeremy Davies, from Luton. At the end of the Rosary we all went into the Church and Fr Saward blessed the people with the Blessed Sacrament.There will be no Witness in December; the next dates are

26th January
23rd February
29th March

Newman Society Mass

For the first time for many years, the Oxford University Newman Society held its Termly Mass in the usus antiquior. For the first time ever, I think, since 1970 this was a Solemn High Mass. It took place in Brasenose College Chapel, by kind permission of the College authorities. Fr Dominic Jacob of the Oxford Oratory was celebrant, Fr Anton Webb (ditto) deacon, and Br Lawrence Lew OP was subdeacon. Mr Richard Pickett was MC, with a team of Newman Society servers.

The propers were sung to a very high standard by the Oxford Gregorian Chant Society; Mr Andrew Knowles organised a superb polyphonic choir for the ordinaries and some motets. For more on the music see here.Mass was extremely well organised and despite torrential rain was attended by about 90 people. It was followed by a the Newman Society's splendid termly black tie dinner, which was addressed by Mr Julian Chadwick, Chairman of the Latin Mass Society, who had attended the Mass.

Two cheers for the John Radcliffe Hospital

Today I received the following heartening news item:

Quintuplets born to a Russian woman in a British hospital are doing well. The babies were delivered at 26 weeks by caesarean section by Dr Lawrence Impey of the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford. He was contacted by the mother's relatives after her doctor in Russia had advised selective abortion for some of the babies. All medical costs have been met by a group of Russian philanthropists.

Congratulations to mother, babies, philanthropists and Dr Impey. It is a sad irony the JR also carries out abortions itself.