Solemn High Mass at Downside, 5th May

A Solemn High Mass was celebrated for the transferred feast of the Blessed Martyrs of England and Wales at Downside Abbey Church on Saturday 5^th May, 2012.

Dom Boniface Hill, OSB was the celebrant, Fr Andrew Goodman was Deacon and Fr Philip Thomas Sub-deacon.

The 25-strong St John’s Festival Choir sang Lobo’s ‘Missa O Rex Gloriae’, a wonderful early seventeenth-century setting. At the offertory the motet was ‘Ave Jesu Christe’ by the seventeenth-century English priest and composer Peter Phillips, and at Communion the choir sang ‘Ave Maria’ by Clemens non Papa. 

Dom Boniface preached on the Holy Martyrs of England and Wales. He quoted the great Benedictine scholar Dom Bede Camm, who did so much to promote knowledge of and devotion to the English martyrs in the early years of the twentieth century. 

According to Dom Bede, there are four things we ourselves can do to venerate the martyrs of this country: firstly, acquaint ourselves with the stories of their lives; secondly, visit their shrines and relics; thirdly, follow their example, sacrificing ourselves for the holy sacrifice of the Mass; and fourthly, help to promote knowledge and veneration of the martyrs in the wider world. If it wasn’t for the sacrifice and witness of these men and women, he said, the Catholic faith in this country would have been extinguished.

Around 90 people attended the Mass, and there was an opportunity afterwards to venerate and examine at close hand a collection of relics held at Downside Abbey, including remains of two martyrs of the Benedictine community of St Gregory – St John Roberts (d. 1610) and St Ambrose Barlow (d. 1641). There was also a relic of St Oliver Plunkett, Archbishop of Armargh and Primate of all Ireland, who was hanged, drawn and quartered at Tyburn in July 1681: the last Catholic martyr to die in England. 

For more information about the martyrs associated with the Downside community, please see: http://www.downside.co.uk/Abbey/about_us/downside_abbey_history_detail.php?our-martyrs-5

Pilgrimage to Holywell, Sunday 1st July.

‘Father Z’ Heads Impressive Line-up of Speakers at LMS’s First One-Day Conference on 9 June

Father John Zuhlsdorf

Father Tim Finigan

Father John Zuhlsdorf, best known as the blogger ‘Fr Z’, will be one of the speakers at the Latin Mass Society’s Conference on Saturday 9 June in central London. This is the first time that the LMS has organised such an event and we are very excited to have such a strong line-up. In addition to Fr Zuhlsdorf will be Fr Tim Finigan, parish priest, blogger and newspaper columnist; Dr John Rao of ‘The Roman Forum’; John Hunwicke, blogger and well-known member of the Ordinariate; and Stuart McCullough of the Good Counsel Network. They will address the audience on the conference theme of ‘The Traditional Mass and the Catholic Life’.

We hope that our guests’ talks will demonstrate that there’s more to Traditional Catholics than simply attending the Traditional Mass. Following the end of the talks, there will be a panel discussion to round off the day. The conference is aimed principally at ordinary LMS members, although non-members are very welcome to join us.

The Conference Venue is: Regent Hall, 275 Oxford Street, London W1C 2DJ (opposite BHS, less than 5 minutes’ walk from Oxford Circus)

Admission is by ticket only. Full price tickets are £20 each, but there is a discounted price for paid-up LMS members of £15 each. In addition, we are supplying an optional buffet lunch for which there is a £9 supplement. So far, most people have booked in for the lunch (drinks are included). We are hoping that lunchtime will provide conference attendees with the chance to meet and chat with their fellow LMS members from up and down the country and to some of the speakers.

Tickets are available from the LMS office on 020 7404 7284 or online at:

www.lms.org.uk/news-and-events/lms-one-day-conference

There is a Low Mass before the Conference begins at St James’s, Spanish Place at 9am, for those who can attend. Doors open at Regent Hall from 10am and there will be a number of stalls for you to browse round (during which refreshments will be available – there will also be afternoon tea) before the first speaker begins at 11am. The Conference will close at 6pm.

Here is the full timetable and a summary of booking information:

9am Low Mass at St James's, Spanish Place.

10am Doors open.

10am -11am Registration. Stalls in the Conference Hall will be available to browse

11am - 11.50am 1st talk: Dr John Rao (Roman Forum)

12 noon - 12.50pm 2nd talk: Stuart McCullough (Good Counsel Network)

Lunch

2pm - 2.50pm 3rd talk: Fr John Zuhlsdorf (Fr Z)

3pm - 3.50pm 4th talk: Fr Tim Finigan (columnist and blogger)

4pm - 4.50pm 5th talk: John Hunwicke (of the Ordinariate)

5pm - 6pm Panel discussion

6pm Close

BOOKING INFORMATION:

Admission is by ticket only.

Ticket prices:
LMS Members £15
Non-LMS Members £20
(includes morning and afternoon refreshments)
Optional: Buffet lunch including drinks £9 supplement

You can buy your ticket by phoning the LMS office on 020 7404 7284, sending a cheque (payable to 'LMS') to LMS, 11-13 Macklin Street, London WC2B 5NH or online here: www.lms.org.uk/news-and-events/lms-one-day-conference

For further information, please contact Mike Lord, General Manager,

on (T) 020 7404 7284; (F) 020 7831 5585; (E mail) michael@lms.org.uk

Bishop Drainey Leads LMS Pilgrimage to York

The Bishop of Middlesbrough, Rt Rev Terence Drainey, led a procession through the streets of York, as part of the Latin Mass Society’s 2^nd Annual Pilgrimage to York in honour of St Margaret Clitherow on Saturday, 24 March. This followed a Solemn Mass in the Extraordinary Form at St Wilfrid’s Church at which Bishop Drainey had presided at the Faldstool, and which attracted pilgrims from across England and Wales and overseas. The music was provided by the Rudgate Singers who sang a Mass setting by contemporary composer Jeffrey Ostrowski and pieces by Victoria, Bruckner and Scarlatti.

During the Mass, the bishop preached on the danger posed in contemporary society by moral relativism. ‘This relativism seems to permeate our world today to such an extent that it is part of the cultural and societal air that we breathe. If we are not on our guard it will taint us and affect us. It is an evil about which our Holy Father, Pope Benedict has spoken on many occasions,’ said the bishop. He went on to say that this was nothing new and, indeed, Bl. John Henry Newman had spoken nearly two centuries ago about the dangers to the faith posed by liberalism and religious indifferentism.

After Mass, Bishop Drainey led the procession through the narrow streets of the city, as pilgrims prayed the Rosary. Passing St Margaret Clitherow’s house and her shrine in The Shambles, the line of people crossed Ouse Bridge where the bishop drew attention to the site of St Margaret’s martyrdom, now marked by a plaque. The procession reached the Church of the English Martyrs where Solemn Benediction was celebrated. A relic of St Margaret’s hand, which was kindly lent by the Sisters at the Bar Convent, was exposed for veneration by the faithful.

LMS General Manager Mike Lord commented, ‘The pilgrimage was an important witness to the Catholic Faith in times when our religion is once again under attack. This was brought home by some of the negative comments made from the crowd as the procession made its way through York’s city centre. We were delighted that Bishop Drainey was able to join us and his encouraging sermon was much praised by pilgrims on what was a very successful day.’

Photo attribution: Andrew Sheffield

For further information, please contact Mike Lord, General Manager,

on (T) 020 7404 7284; (F) 020 7831 5585; (E mail) michael@lms.org.uk

Solemn High Mass for the Annunciation, 26th March

On Monday 26^th March at the church of the Immaculate Conception in Devizes, a Solemn High Mass was celebrated for the transferred feast of the Annunciation.

Fr Philip Thomas was the celebrant. Fr Andrew Goodman was deacon, and Fr Jean-Patrice Coulon was sub-deacon. Fr Alexander Redman gave the homily and reflected, among much else, on the connection between the Creation and the Annunciation, the fiat lux and the fiat mihi. The choir of 11 singers, led by David and Elizabeth Bates and Rupert Bevan, sang Victoria’s Missa Ave Maris Stella. At the Offertory they sang a motet, Ave Maria, by Robert Parsons, and during Holy Communion the Ave Virgo Sanctissima by Francisco Guerrero.

Around 60 people attended – most also stayed on to enjoy the refreshments provided afterwards. It was a beautiful Mass, and a wonderful celebration of this very important feast.

Solemn High Mass at Downside, Saturday 5th May

On Saturday 5th May there will be a Solemn High Mass at Downside Abbey, celebrated by Dom Boniface Hill.

It will take place at 11am.

The Abbot will preach, and the St John's Festival Choir will sing the Missa 'O Rex Gloriae' by Lobo. At the Offertory will be "Ave Jesu Christe" by the sixteenth century English recusant exile Peter Phillips, and at Communion "Ave Maria" by Clemens non Papa.

Please support this Mass and spread the word.

Solemn High Mass for the Annunciation, 26th March

A reminder that there will be a Solemn High Mass celebrated on the Feast of the Annunciation, Monday 26th March, at The Immaculate Conception, St Joseph's Place, Devizes, at 7 pm.

The choir will sing Missa Ave Maris Stella by Victoria.

Please come along and support this Mass.

Mass for the Annunciation

There will be a Solemn High Mass for the Annunciation, Monday 26th March, at the church of the Immaculate Conception in Devizes, at 7pm.

High Mass at Downside Abbey

Another date for the diary: there will be a Votive Mass of the English Martyrs at Downside Abbey on Saturday 5th May, at 11am. The St John's Festival Choir will be singing.

A few more dates

On Candlemas, 2nd February there will be Mass at SS Joseph and Teresa, Wells, at 6pm.

On Ash Wednesday 22nd February there will be Low Mass and Imposition of Ashes at Holy Cross, Bedminster at 12.45.

On Easter Day there will be Mass at SS Joseph and Teresa, Wells at 8am.

Some dates for February and March

On Thursday 2nd February, Candlemas, there will be a Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes, Weston-super-Mare at 9.30 am. 
(And at St Dominic's Dursley, at 8am).

On 22nd February, Ash Wednesday, there will be Mass and Imposition of Ashes at Our Lady's Church in Glastonbury at 12.15pm.

(And at St Dominic's Dursley at 8am).

On Tuesday 6th March there will be a Mass at St George's, Billet Street, Taunton at 11.30 am.

On Thursday 8th March there will be a Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes, Weston-super-Mare, at 9.30 am.

Latin Mass Society Confirmations

The Latin Mass Society organized Confirmation in the Traditional Rite at St James’s Spanish Place in central London on Saturday, 12 November. Rt Rev John Sherrington, the newly-installed Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster conferred Confirmation on all 31 candidates.

Originally, Bishop Alan Hopes was intending to confer the Sacrament but he had to withdraw at the last minute, owing to ill health. Bishop Sherrington stepped in with less than 24 hours’ notice to ensure that the event went ahead as scheduled. It was the first time that Bishop Sherrington had administered Confirmations in the Traditional Rite, but he performed the ceremony seamlessly. He was assisted by Fr Andrew Southwell, the LMS National Chaplain, Fr Tim Finigan and the rector of St James’s, Fr Christopher Colven. It was an extremely successful and happy day for all concerned.

After celebrating Pontifical Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament the bishop joined candidates and their families and friends in the Parish Social Centre for a buffet lunch, and delayed his departure for another appointment to ensure he had had the opportunity of speaking to everyone.

Are you a Member?

Since you are reading this blog, it is most likely that you are interested in the Extraordinary Form of the Mass. There is also a good chance that you are a member of the Latin Mass Society, which has done so much over the past 40 years to maintain and promote the Tridentine form of the Mass.

Some of you, however, might not yet be members. If you are not, this is a brief word to ask whether you would kindly consider joining.

The LMS is the leading organisation in the country campaigning for the Extraordinary Form. But the society doesn’t simply arrange Masses. They organize pilgrimages – to Chartres (see pic), Walsingham, Holywell, Glastonbury among others – which are open to all, and which provide an important public witness to the Faith. They hold generously subsidised training conferences for priests who wish to start celebrating the Extraordinary Form but who have never learned before, and for those who wish to become servers at the Mass. No-one else in the country does this. They organize instruction in Gregorian Chant, an annual summer school, family retreats and many other events. The Society forms a vital network for people who want to see and help the Traditional form of the Mass to flourish. By joining the LMS you will become part of a worldwide movement which is larger than your parish, broader than your diocese, and growing all the time.

The cost of becoming an ordinary member is £20 per annum.

Joint membership is £30 p.a.

Students and under-18s - £10 p.a.

Life membership - £400.

You will receive the Society’s quarterly magazine, Mass of Ages, which is full of interesting articles together with comprehensive Mass listings.

You can join online – simply go to http://www.lms.org.uk/join-us

Alternatively, you can contact the Latin Mass Society directly:

11 - 13 Macklin Street,
London WC2B 5NH
E-mail: info@lms.org.uk
Telephone: 020 7404 7284

If you are a member already, please consider passing this message on to someone you know who is interested in the Extraordinary Form.

All Saints and All Souls Update

Additional Masses in the diocese of Clifton on All Saints and All Souls have now been announced. Please see here for further details:
http://lmsclifton.blogspot.com/2011/10/all-saints_460.html
and
http://lmsclifton.blogspot.com/2011/10/all-souls.html

Low Mass in Bath, 23rd October

Fr Andrew Goodman celebrated a beautiful Low Mass on Sunday 23^rd October at St Alphege’s Church in Bath. This Grade II* church, built for the Benedictines of Downside Abbey by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott in the 1920s, evokes the early Christian churches of Rome and provides a wonderful setting for the Mass.

There is a stable group of between 30 and 40 people in and around Bath who are attached to the Extraordinary Form. No doubt more would start attending if the Mass were offered on a regular basis. Unfortunately it is unlikely that there will be another EF Mass at St Alphege’s in the next few months, but we hope to establish it more regularly in 2012.