This morning, for this sombre day of Holy Saturday, we have re-enacted the tradition of the Tenebrae hearse in our front room. We have matched the number of tealights with the number of Antiphons in our 1954 Benedictine 'Short Breviary' (which uses the traditional little hours of Matins, Lauds, Prime, Terce, Sext, None, Vespers and Compline). It has for today eight psalms, a lesson, and the Benedictus. We extinguished a candle after each with the dawn light flooding in the window. In the background we played Carlo Gesualdo's Tenebrae Responsories. Twas lovely. This little breviary has nicer translations of the Psalms than the modern ICEL one.
Here is love, vast as the ocean,
Oremus.
Bless, + we beseech Thee, O Lord, these branches of palm (or olive or other trees): and grant that what Thy people today bodily perform for Thy honor, they may perfect spiritually with the utmost devotion, by gaining the victory over the enemy, and ardently loving every work of mercy. Through our Lord.
In the news today, the announcement that our own Archbishop, the Most Rev Vincent Nichols, will soon be set up as 'primate' of our country in the See of Westminster. I have always liked Vince, and every time I met him he was gracious in his time and very gentlemanly. Unfortunately there has been a lot of controversy recently about his inability to follow Rome's example in the Catholic education stakes, and to everyone's bewilderment the Archbishop is supporting the government's initiative to thrust sex education of the youngest and most innocent of our children. Since it is the inalienable right of every parent to educate their child, we are keeping Maddy out of the education system.
The Sacred Triduum in the Extraordinary Form Will be Celebrated at 8 Locations for 2009
In a sign that the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite (Traditional Latin Mass) has returned to the heart of the Church, the Latin Mass Society has announced that the Sacred Triduum in the Extraordinary Form will be celebrated at 8 locations within England and Wales.
In recent years the LMS has organised 2-3 celebrations of the Sacred Triduum each year so 2009 is proving a bumper year – clearly Pope Benedict’s Motu Proprio, ‘Summorum Pontificum’ is having a powerful effect. The full Holy Week ceremonies will be celebrated at Lanherne (Cornwall), Reading, South London, Central London, NW London, Brentwood, Leeds, Shrewsbury. A partial Triduum will be celebrated at Ham, Surrey. A full list is available on the LMS website (http://www.latin-mass-society.org/) or from the LMS office.
IMPORTANT
For many years, the LMS has celebrated the Sacred Triduum at Corpus Christi Church, Maiden Lane, London WC2. Because the Triduum was also celebrated there in the Ordinary Form, the LMS had to arrange its celebrations at unusual times. However, this year, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, Archbishop of Westminster, has graciously arranged that the Ordinary Form congregation of Corpus Christi Church will join the congregation at nearby St Anselm & St Cecilia’s Church in Kingsway for their Ordinary Form Triduum so allowing the Sacred Triduum in the Extraordinary Form to be celebrated at Corpus Christi Church at the usual times (e.g. 3.00 pm on Good Friday).
In a further gesture of reconciliation, Cardinal Cormac has asked one of his priests, Fr Andrew Wadsworth, to celebrate the Corpus Christi Triduum – in previous years the LMS had to make its own arrangements.
John Medlin, General Manager of the LMS said, “We are very grateful to the congregation of Corpus Christi and the parish priest, Fr Chris Vipers, for giving free use of Corpus Christi Church for the Triduum in the Extraordinary Form. We are particularly grateful to Cardinal Cormac for proposing this arrangement and to Fr Wadsworth for coming to join us. Fr Wadsworth knows the Extraordinary Form well and we are looking forward to a wonderful celebration of these Mysteries of our salvation.”
PRESS RELEASE FROM THE LATIN MASS SOCIETY
23 March 2009
Latin Mass Society Appoints New Chairman and Treasurer
At its meeting on Saturday 21 March 2009 the Committee of the Latin Mass Society made the following appointments:
Dr the Hon. Joseph Shaw (LMS Representative for Oxford) was elected Chairman;
Mr Paul Waddington (LMS Representative for Middlesbrough) was elected Treasurer.
Dr Joseph Shaw said: “I am greatly honoured to be asked by the LMS Committee to take over as Chairman. There is much work to be done in furthering the cause of Traditional Catholicism in England and Wales, in loyalty to the Holy See and in accordance with the provisions of Summorum Pontificum. The emphases of my Chairmanship will be on supporting our hard-working diocesan representatives, and on priests’ training, families and the young. These three categories in particular represent the future both of the LMS and the Church.
“I am pleased to say that our Priests’ Training Conference at Ushaw College, Durham during Low Week is almost fully booked. The LMS will shortly make an announcement confirming our southern-based priests’ training conference in August.
“Further it is now confirmed that Bishop John Arnold of Westminster will celebrate the LMS’s High Mass in Westminster Cathedral at 2.00 pm on Saturday 20 June; that Bishop Fernando Rifan of Campos, Brazil, will lead the LMS National Pilgrimage to Holywell on Saturday/Sunday 11/12 July; that Bishop George Stack of Westminster will confer Confirmations in the Traditional Rite at St James’ Church, Spanish Place, London W1 at 11.00 am on Saturday 7 November; and that Bishop Alan Hopes of Westminster will celebrate the LMS’s High Mass of Requiem in Westminster Cathedral at 2.00 pm on Saturday 14 November.
“It is evident that the LMS is responding to the Holy Father’s request that Catholics give an account ‘of the hope that is in us’.”
Bishop Richard Challoner consecrated the chapel in 1771, and many of his Mass endowments are still kept, and indeed used. Fr John Saward wore his vestments at this Mass (above) and read from the same altar cards that Bishop Challoner would have. It is magnificent that such a place is preserved and used for its original intention. We are much indebted to Mr & Mrs Mocklet-Barrett for their kind hospitality, and to their ancestors who helped keep the Catholic faith alive in this part of the country.
Prayer for the Beatification of Richard Challoner:O God who made your servant Richard a true and faithful pastor of your little flock in England, raise him, we beseech you, to the altars of thy Church, that we who have been taught by his word and example may invoke his name in heaven, for the return of our country to belief in the Gospel, and to the unity of all Christians in the one Church of Jesus Christ. We ask this through the same Christ our Lord.
Father David Higham died at Oulton Abbey on Saturday 22nd November 2008. When I wrote a eulogy about him, I was overwhelmed by the response from people who knew Fr Higham, especially his old novices from Farnborough.
He was a testament to the fatherly love a Priest should have for his flock, and his consideration in providing the traditional Rites of the Church for his faithful was truly moving. When asked, he even gave Wendy her 'Churching' upon returning to Mass for the first time after giving birth, despite never having performed such a ceremony, understandably, in his many pre-conciliar years as Monk-priest!
