Wonderful Turnout for LMS Walking Pilgrimage to Walsingham
LMS Walking Pilgrims Have Rainy Start
WYD Success for LMS
LMS-sponsored pilgrims bravely hold their ground in face of anti-Catholic mob in Madrid
LMS Walking Pilgrimage to Walsingham - Last Call
The Gravitational ‘Pull’ of the Extraordinary Form
That Time of Year Again
LMS’s Pilgrimage Year in Full Swing
World Youth Day: They've Arrived!
LMS Calendar for 2012 Available to Pre-Order
Traditional Confirmations Make a Steady Return
Help For Singers Who Are Not Familiar With the Traditional Latin Mass
Fr Charles Briggs Celebrates Silver Jubilee of Ordination
A Warm Welcome and Increased Numbers at Pilgrimage to Welsh National Shrine
Pilgrimage to Welsh National Shrine This Sunday, 7 August
Architects, Pastors and Parishioners Find Altar Rails Enhance Reverence in Church
Head of Vatican's CDW Recommends Catholics Attending Ordinary Form of Mass Should Receive Communion on the Tongue
The LMS's 2nd Annual Walking Pilgrimage to Walsingham for the Conversion of England finished successfully with Sung Mass at the National Shrine and a procession of around 130 people along the Holy Mile from the medieval Slipper Chapel to the Abbey ruins.
Although this is the second year of the pilgrimage, last year's was really a dry run with a deliberately small number of walkers. This was the first 'proper' event open to all, and the turnout was very encouraging for the future.
In addition to the walking pilgrims, the LMS organised a coach from London for Mass on the final day. The pilgrims were also joined at Mass by young people attending the Youth 2000 weekend in Walsingham, proving, yet again, the magnetic pull that the Traditional Mass has on the young.
A full account of the event from Dr Joseph Shaw on his LMS Chairman's Blog. In the meantime, more pictures of the three-day, 55-mile walk can be seen here.
After breakfast, a blessing on the pilgrims from the pilgrimage chaplain, Fr Bede Rowe, and the blessing of the LMS's new banner (made by the Oxford chapter of the Guild of St Clare), the pilgrims set off. The walk to Walsingham is 55 miles and the pilgrims are due to arrive at the Slipper Chapel in Walsingham on Sunday afternoon.
There is Sung Mass every day and if you are not taking part in the pilgrimage you are still very welcome to attend the Masses.
Sung Mass on Saturday morning (i.e. tomorrow) is at 9am at Oxburgh Hall, Oxborough, near Swaffham, Norfolk PE33 9PS. Mass on Sunday is at 2pm in the Chapel of Reconciliation, next to the Slipper Chapel. It will be followed by a walking of the Holy Mile to the Abbey ruins in Walsingham. A coach (fully booked now) is leaving from London on Sunday morning to join the walkers for the Mass. Many people who live in East Anglia and Cambridgeshire are planning to attend the final Mass. It should be a great day.
Meanwhile, Dr Joseph Shaw, the LMS Chairman, one of the walkers, is blogging about the pilgrimage throughout the three days. You can follow him here.
Some of the Juventutem group, including English pilgrims sponsored by the LMS
The Latin Mass Society has welcomed back home a group of young Catholics that it sponsored to attend World Youth Day in Madrid.
The LMS teamed up with Juventutem, the international youth movement that supports the Traditional Latin Mass, and funded over twenty young people from England and Wales to attend two weeks of events in Spain culminating in Pope Benedict’s visit to Madrid.
Juventutem organised a week-long ‘pre-retreat’ event based at the Carmelite monastery of Amorebieta-Etxano near Bilbao in the Spanish Basque Country, that combined daily Traditional Mass and talks about the Catholic Faith from priests of the Fraternity of St Peter with fun social and recreational activities around the region.
The Juventutem group then went to Madrid to attend WYD, where the English and Welsh pilgrims mixed with many other Catholic youngsters and clergy, many of whom had not come across the Extraordinary Form Mass before. It was a wonderful experience for all those who were there. Teresa Nevard (above, second from left), one of the English pilgrims, and WYD co-ordinator for Juventutem in England and Wales said:
‘We had a fantastic time in our pre-retreat in Bilbao and in Madrid itself for WYD. All 22 of us from the UK Group are really grateful to the Latin Mass Society for the sponsorship which enabled us to attend and show our support for the Extraordinary Form of the Mass and for the Pope, by joining in some WYD events as well as our daily Pontifical Masses. These Masses were all attended by close to 1000 people with standing room only and included those experiencing the beauty of the Traditional Latin Mass for the first time. The numbers of young people attending Juventutem Masses and events in the UK have risen a lot over the last year and we anticipate another increase following the great time had by all of us who attended WYD with Juventutem.’
Fr. Z's blog carries a report of the Catholic response to a large anti-Catholic mob who assembled in the centre of Madrid to protest against World Youth Day and the presence of Pope Benedict XVI in the city.
The young Catholics stood in front of the mob, who included protesters from extreme secularist, gay activist and far-Left groups, who were shouting and screaming obscenities at them, and the Catholics...knelt down in front of their enemies and prayed the Rosary for them.
Amongst the group were many of the traditionalist Juventutem International youth movement, who are dedicated solely to the Traditional Mass. Within this group were young people from England and Wales sponsored by the LMS to attend WYD. In fact one of them appears in this photo (we are prevented for legal reasons from identifying the person).
It's important to note this fact - the Traditional Catholic response to some of their most committed opponents was to do as Our Lord commanded and pray for them.
No violent response, no hatred in return for the hatred being thrown at them; instead love and prayer. These young people are an example to us all. The anti-Catholic mob's resonse to this? More virulent hatred against Our Blessed Lord, the Pope, the Catholic Church and the young Catholics in front of them.
If ever there was a clear dividing line between Our Lord's Kingdom and the Kingdom of this world, it was on display in Madrid at the weekend. We must each ask ourselves, would we have done as these brave young Catholics did? Which side of the line would we have stood?
A video of some of the incidents is on YouTube. Warning: it contains some obscene and blasphemous language from the protesters.
The Pilgrimage takes place from Friday 26 August to Sunday 28 August.
Readers of the LMS website will know that making pilgrimage to Walsingham is an increasingly popular activity in the life of the Church in England and Wales.
The LMS has organised its own national pilgrimage to Walsingham for many years; until 2010 it took the form of a coach pilgrimage from London on a Sunday in September supplemented by as many local members as possible attending.
However, we had reached a plateau with that approach and it became obvious that our younger members and supporters were looking for something more challenging. 2010 saw the final demise of the long-standing walking pilgrimage from London to Walsingham organised by the Guild of Our Lady of Ransom and this seemed like a good moment for the LMS to develop its own walking pilgrimage to, at least in part, plug the gap. We also decided to shift the date of the pilgrimage to the late August Bank Holiday weekend to make participation as easy as possible.
Our first walking pilgrimage in 2010 was very much a trial run with the enthusiastic participation of a small group of young adult walkers. We are planning for our 2011 pilgrimage to be larger and better in every way. We already have a good number of the young and not so young signed up to participate in all or some of the pilgrimage. There is easily room for more and this is where you come in!
If you feel that England and Wales are desperately in need of the insights and consolations derived from faith in Jesus Christ and his Holy Mother, and if you have understood that the Lord and his Mother smile especially on the penances and hard work which we offer up in reparation for sins, both our own and those of others; and if you feel that Holy Mass and devotions in the Traditional liturgical forms of the Church are especially efficacious in these desperate times for the Church, both externally and internally, then you should accept the challenge of the LMS to come along and take part in our physical and spiritual offering up for the conversion of these islands. You will also make good friends and have a wonderful if strenuous time!
Our information page will give you full details on our Walking Pilgrimage to Walsingham which has the specific intention of the conversion of England and Wales.
Pilgrims will walk from Ely to Walsingham over the Bank Holiday weekend of Friday 26 August to Sunday 28 August and will gather in the evening of Thursday 25 August at St Etheldreda’s Catholic Church, 19 Egremont Street, Ely CB6 1AE.
There will be a sung Traditional Mass each day and confessions will be available throughout the pilgrimage.
The pilgrimage is open to all ages and families. Indoor overnight accommodation will be available for women and children.
Of course, those unable to take part in the actual walking are welcome to attend the pilgrimage Masses – full details of which are here on the information page.
For those wishing to attend the final Mass in Walsingham in the Chapel of Reconciliation at 2.00pm on Sunday, 28 August, we hope to run a coach from London. Please contact the LMS office urgently for details: telephone 020 7404 7284 or email info@lms.org.uk.
Prices to participate in the Walking Pilgrimage are:
Adult LMS members - £50.00,
adult non-LMS members - £60.00,
Under-18s (as part of a family group) and F/T students - £30.00.
You can book and pay online on the information page or below:
You will also find a set of FAQs on the information page which should answer all your queries about the pilgrimage. If not, contact the LMS office!
Come along and join us in the struggle to reconvert England and Wales. If you can’t be present then please support us with your prayers, Rosaries and devotions. If you wish to make a donation to help defray the considerable costs of the pilgrimage please use the donate button below or contact the LMS office. Thank you!
On Monday, 15 August, Mass for the Feast of the Assumption was offered in the Extraordinary Form at about 32 locations in England and Wales.
Mass was also offered in the ordinary form by Pope Benedict XVI at his holiday retreat in Castel Gandolfo (for the Holy Father keeps the traditional day for this glorious feast. In England and Wales, in the ordinary form, it was celebrated on Sunday 14 August).
Mass in the ordinary form was also offered by Fr Martin Fox, a priest of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, in his parish of Picqua, Ohio. He wrote about the occasion on his blog site, frmartinfox.blogspot.com:
My Experimental 'Spirit of Vatican II' Liturgy
“Tonight, I did an experiment with the liturgy, in the (true) spirit of Vatican II. “For the Solemnity of the Assumption, we had the schola present; we chanted the Introit - in English - as well as the Offertory and Communion. In fact, the only hymn we sang was the Salve Regina at the conclusion.
“We did use some Latin and Greek: Kyrie, Gloria, Sanctus and Agnus Dei.
“I chanted the Gospel, the Roman Canon and a lot else.
“Oh - and I offered the Mass toward the Lord.
“Before Mass, I explained what I was going to do; and then I elaborated on it during my homily.
“I chose this occasion because it was not an obligatory Mass, and I'd warned in the bulletin there'd be lots of incense and chant, so I figured that would be something of a clue.
“But I didn't decide, until 15 minutes before, to go ahead with ad orientem.
“I let folks know they didn't have to like it, but they might; I invited them to let me know what they thought about it. (A few gave comments and those were positive ones.)
“In my homily, I explained how Pope Benedict has prompted this reconsideration of ad orientem, I attempted to explain how, after Vatican II, some things were given so much emphasis that other important aspects of the liturgy were obscured, and I explained how the priest needs to decrease, so that Christ may increase. I explained that I wasn't planning on doing this all the time, just now and then.
“We had about 40 folks present.
“It's not the first time I've done it; but I haven't offered Mass ad orientem in the parish many times other than privately. I was a little nervous, because I thought, is someone going to get upset about this? Really upset? And it didn't help that I am getting over a cold and developed a bit of a cough as I'm finishing the Canon (singing it); it was really hard finishing the Per Ipsum.
“The servers, including several adults, in cassock and surplice, were excellent. The three boys were all brothers, sons of the music director. The schola was excellent. The acoustics in Saint Boniface - now that the carpeting is gone - are excellent. The one downside of ad orientem was I couldn't see the clouds of incense I knew the servers were offering behind me, during the elevations.
“I might also add, that having a procession carried out well is very edifying.
“I am sorry I forgot my biretta, but - it is just as well. It was probably better I didn't wear it; as well, that I didn't use the Roman Canon in Latin, as I was going to do initially. Why do I say that?
“Because, as it was, it should have been clear we were offering the newer form of the Mass, not the Extraordinary Form. Had I used a biretta, and used Latin, it might have been less clear.
“Finally, I have to tell you, there is something tremendously powerful, for the priest, in offering Mass toward the Lord. For one, the architecture of the church makes so much more sense. As I offered the Sacrifice, I was aware of the beautiful sanctuary lamp over my head, I was gazing at the massive crucifix ahead of all of us, and above that, the Good Shepherd window in the apse. The light from the evening sun poured in through the windows, a dappled gold light.
“I knew everyone was behind me, but - I was there alone; but not alone, with the Lord.
“A couple of curious things happened, none of which I orchestrated. The servers were all kneeling behind me, at the top step of the altar, as I made my Communion; they remained kneeling for Communion.
“Then, when I went down to distribute the Eucharist to the faithful, it seemed a lot of folks received on the tongue - more than usual. And there seemed a tremendous sense of awe among all who came forward. It's hard to know if that's actually what others felt, unless folks present say so, or just my perception.”
As the Holy Father desires, the Extraordinary Form of the Mass is being celebrated ever more frequently at ever more locations. At the same time it is influencing celebrations in the ordinary form to enable sacrality and a true understanding of the Mass as a sacrifice to return to that form. Among the comments on this story left on Fr Fox’s blog were the following:
“I felt that, when you said the Mass ad orientem, my perception was such that you were celebrating with us and not just doing something for us. With your own corpus repositioned, it helps us (or me, anyway) to centre our focus on the body of Christ. It also positions you as a leader, because you are facing toward what we should be facing toward. Thanks for celebrating ad orientem.”
“God bless you, Father. Would that other priests had your courage...”
Every August for the past several years, Colin Fernandez and Edward Barrett have organised a High Mass in the Traditional Latin Rite at St Mary’s Church, Cadogan Street, London SW3. Cadogan Street is behind Peter Jones department store and Sloane Square underground station is just a few minutes away.
This Mass is not an LMS Mass but we have always been very pleased to support it with publicity.
The High Mass this year will be celebrated on Saturday, 20 August at 12 noon.
Every year, many LMS members assist and a good-sized congregation is once more expected. The church itself is beautiful and imposing and the Rector always makes the congregation very welcome.
If you haven’t assisted at this Mass before do make a diary note to attend – it will be spiritually fulfilling and you can combine it with shopping!
For further details contact Colin Fernandez on choirman@msn.com.
Every year the LMS’s hardworking and unsung regional Representatives organise a wide-ranging programme of pilgrimages to enthuse the faithful and keep alive Traditional Catholic devotional practices which have often been abandoned in the wider Church.
Already this year we have seen very successful pilgrimages to York Minster to honour St Margaret Clitherow (Saturday 26 March) – over 700 hundred faithful attended (photos here)! (St Margaret is one of the LMS’s two co-patron saints – the other being St Richard Gwyn); the Shrine of Our Lady of Consolation in West Grinstead, West Sussex (Saturday 28 May - report and pics), the Shrine of St Winefride in Holywell, North Wales (Sunday 3 July - photos here) – this is one of the LMS’s two national pilgrimages (the other being Walsingham) and is in need of a new organiser. Please volunteer by contacting Mike Lord in the LMS office – michael@lms.org.uk or telephone 020 7404 7284; the Shrine of the Padley Martyrs, Padley in Derbyshire (Sunday 17 July - report and pic), the international walking pilgrimage from Paris to Chartres (Friday 10 June to Tuesday 14 June) – the LMS sponsors the English and Welsh contingent, and the Welsh National Shrine of Our Lady of the Taper in Cardigan (Sunday 7 August - pics here) – the shrine statue of Our Lady was taken to London last year during Pope Benedict XVI’s wonderful visit to Great Britain so that the Holy Father could bless it and light the candle in Our Lady’s hand after the Papal Mass in Westminster Cathedral on Saturday 18 September.
Coming up shortly is World Youth Day in Madrid in the presence of the Holy Father (Tuesday 16 August to Sunday 21 August) – the LMS is sponsoring the Juventutem contingent from England and Wales, and the LMS’s national walking pilgrimage from Ely to Walsingham for the conversion of England (Friday 26 August to Sunday 28 August) – a coach will also travel from London on the Sunday. For registration check the LMS website or contact the LMS office on 020 7404 7284, e mail: info@lms.org.uk
Our autumn pilgrimage programme will commence on Saturday, 3 September with our annual Pilgrimage to Glastonbury organised by local LMS members in Clifton diocese. Proceedings will start at 12 noon with Sung Mass in Our Lady’s Church, Glastonbury. The church hall will be open for lunch (people should bring their own – tea and coffee will be provided). At 2.15pm there will be Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament in Our Lady’s Church followed at 2.30pm by a Rosary Procession in the abbey grounds. For details contact Justin and Caroline Shaw on 01225 471180, e mail: flosinger@yahoo.com
On Saturday, 10 September the LMS’s annual pilgrimage High Mass in Brinkburn Priory, Northumberland will be offered at 12 noon. Details of the sacred minsters and music are to be announced. The Mass will be followed by a shared lunch. For details contact David and Theresa O’Neill on 0191 264 5771, e mail: david-oneill3@sky.com
On Saturday, 8 October the much-loved annual Rosary Crusade of Reparation will take place in London. Marchers will assemble in Ambrosden Avenue outside Westminster Cathedral at 1.45pm and will then process through the central London streets accompanying the statue of Our Lady and praying the Rosary to Brompton Oratory for the customary ceremonies of devotions, crowning of Our Lady and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. LMS members have always supported this event in large numbers. For details contact Francis and Julie Carey on 01494 729223.
This will be followed on Saturday, 15 October by the LMS’s annual Pilgrimage to Aylesford Priory in Kent organised by the LMS’s Representatives for the Southwark Archdiocese. There will be Sung Mass, a spiritual conference, Rosary and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. Precise timings are still being worked out; it is hoped a coach will run from London. For details contact Matthew Schellhorn on 07545 234848, e mail: lmssouthwarknorth@me.com
Then will come the LMS’s annual Oxford Pilgrimage on Saturday, 22 October. There will be Solemn Mass in Blackfriars at 11.00am followed by a pause for lunch. At 2.00pm there will be a public procession to the site of the martyrdom of the four martyrs of 1589 at ‘Hangman’s Corner’ (the junction of Manor Road, Longwall Street and Holywell Street); the procession will return to Blackfriars for Solemn Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament at 3.00pm. For details contact Dr Joseph Shaw on 01993 812874, e mail: joseph.shaw@philosophy.ox.ac.uk
Our final pilgrimage of the year will be to the Shrine of Our Lady of Willesden in north west London on Saturday, 29 October organised by the LMS’s Representatives for the Westminster Archdiocese. There will be Sung Mass, a spiritual conference, Rosary, a procession and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament – the times are to be confirmed. For details contact Roger Wemyss Brooks on 020 7224 5323, e mail: member@brendonhse.freeserve.co.uk
If there is nothing in this listing to your taste or in your area the answer is to volunteer to organise something yourself! LMS event organisers are always supported by the LMS office and staff and you have the satisfaction of knowing that you are doing something practical and spiritually fulfilling to help the Traditional Latin Rite to return to every part of England and Wales.
If you wish to share ideas or discuss the possibility of organising a pilgrimage or other Traditional event please contact Mike Lord, LMS General Manager on 020 7404 7284, e mail: michael@lms.org.uk
Holy Mass in the Traditional Roman Rite for the Feast of St Bartholomew, Apostle, 5.30pm Wednesday, 24 August 2011 in The Parish Church of St Bartholomew the Less in St Bartholomew’s Hospital, Smithfield Gate, West Smithfield, London EC1A 7BE. Celebrant Rev Fr Patrick Hayward CRL
How to find St Bartholomew’s Hospital: Bart’s is near Smithfield Market and the Old Bailey, a few minutes' walk from St Paul’s Cathedral and the Museum of London. St Paul’s, Barbican and Farringdon underground stations are close by, as are Blackfriars, City Thameslink and Farringdon main line stations.
Our group of pilgrims, the 22 young people from England and Wales that the LMS has sponsored to attend WYD in Spain, flew into Bilbao in the Spanish Basque Country today. They are staying at the monastery of Amorebieta-Etxano, near Bilbao, to take part in the one-week pre-WYD Retreat organised by Juventutem, and run by priests of the FSSP. This was optional, but we're delighted that most of the English and Welsh pilgrims chose to participate.
It won't all be serious stuff, however. Some fun things are also planned. The mornings will concentrate on Mass, devotions, talks on aspects of the Faith and generally preparing the young people spiritually for WYD. The afternoons will be devoted to relaxation and recreation, with trips to local places of interest and age-appropriate leisure activities.
The countryside in this north-east corner of Spain is green, lush and mountainous, as you can see from the photo above that we've just received from one of the group, with the group of older pilgrims (23 years+) looking out at the countryside. This was after an introductory talk from an FSSP seminarian (see more pics below).
Photo credits: Lucy Hall
We are in the final stages of production of the LMS 2012 Traditional Catholic Calendar, which we anticipate will be sent out to customers next month, but you are advised to pre-order now to avoid disappointment (limited print run). This year we have completely redesigned the layout:
• Feast Days in accordance with the 1962 Missal
• More pictures of Traditional Catholic events in England and Wales and overseas
• More space to write your appointments etc.
• Spiral-bound with hanging loop (easy to change months)
• Printed on low-reflective art paper
• Spacious A3 size (no more staples across the centre)
• A better calendar but held at last year’s price!
Stocks are limited, so order today!
Prices:
£7.95 inc. UK delivery
£10.25 inc. European delivery (inc. ROI)
£12.50 inc. delivery outside Europe
or £7.00 direct from our local Reps at the church door
ORDERING INFORMATION:
You can order online here:
Other payment methods:
Cheques payable to ‘LMS’ to: LMS, 11-13-Macklin Street, London WC2B 5NH
Phone 020 7404 7284 (credit or debit card)
One of the expected but more hidden consequences of the Holy Father’s Motu Proprio, Summorum Pontificum has been an increase in the use of the Sacraments in the Extraordinary Form.
In England and Wales, baptisms, marriages and funerals in the Traditional Rite are much more common. Confirmation, of course, has been offered every year in Westminster Archdiocese since November 2004 at ceremonies organised by the Latin Mass Society and with auxiliary bishops of Westminster conferring the Sacrament. Traditional Confirmations have also been organised in November 2007 and July 2011 in Northampton Diocese with Bishop Peter Doyle conferring the Sacrament.
During the 2007 ceremonies, in an address to the candidates, Bishop Doyle won the hearts of the congregation when he noted that some of the candidates might be nervous and told them: “I, too, am nervous as this is the first time that I have conferred Confirmation and celebrated Mass in the older form of the liturgy”. He went on: “Remember that it is not you or I who are in charge – it is the Holy Spirit.”
The LMS has been trying to spread celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation into the dioceses for some years and it looks as if these efforts will at last begin to bear fruit in the next year or two. The establishment of the two main Traditional priestly orders in England and Wales – the Fraternity of St Peter and the Institute of Christ the King – will accelerate this process as they begin to supply a steady stream of properly catechised youngsters in need of the Sacrament.
This process has been developing overseas as well. We carry below a report of Traditional Confirmations in Denmark conferred by Bishop Czeslaw Kozon of Copenhagen (see photo, left) who is quite well-known to LMS members having celebrated Masses for the Traditional Paris to Chartres Walking Pilgrimage and made himself available for several smaller Traditional pilgrimages in the Low Countries.
Even Cardinals are getting involved! On Saturday 4 June, Cardinal Sean O’Malley, Archbishop of Boston, USA, conferred the Sacrament of Confirmation in the Extraordinary Form in his cathedral.
This, of course, is what the Holy Father wishes – the steady and unremarkable reintroduction of the Extraordinary Form, and the spirituality which it nourishes, into the mainstream life of the Church. Coming back to England and Wales, it is noticeable that stifled hostility has given way to bemused acceptance among many bishops and priests. There are even signs of enthusiastic engagement!
It would be churlish to end without noting that the first permission in recent years for Confirmations in the Extraordinary Form was given by Archbishop Emeritus Michael Bowen of Southwark when he graciously allowed Bishop Fernando Areas Rifan of Campos to confer the Sacrament at St Bede’s Church, Clapham, London in May 2003. But Confirmation in the Traditional Rite was firmly re-established in the Church’s life the following year when Cardinal Cormac Murphy O’Connor, Archbishop of Westminster, gave permission for Confirmations at St James’s Church, Spanish Place, London and asked Bishop James O’Brien (RIP), one of his auxiliaries, to confer the Sacrament. Since then, Traditional Rite Confirmations have become an annual part of Church life in Westminster with auxiliary bishops Bernard Longley (now Archbishop of Birmingham), George Stack (now Archbishop of Cardiff), Alan Hopes (who has special responsibility for Bishops’ Conference liaison with the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham) and John Arnold all conferring the Sacrament.
Incidentally, after those first Confirmations in Westminster, John Medlin, then General Manager of the LMS, wrote to Cardinal Murphy O’Connor conveying the thanks of the parents and letters of thanks from the children; the Cardinal graciously replied: “Dear John, Thank you for your letter following the Confirmations by Bishop James O’Brien in the Traditional Rite. I am glad the ceremony went so well and I am really grateful for the kind letters from the children and so many signatures from the different parents. So please express my thanks to them and thank you again for writing. With my kind wishes. Yours devotedly in Christ.”
Note: in 2011 Confirmations in the Traditional Latin Rite, by permission of the Most Rev. Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, will be celebrated at St James’s Church, Spanish Place, George Street, London W1 on Saturday 12 November at 11.30 am by the Rt Rev. Alan Hopes, Auxiliary Bishop in Westminster. The ceremonies will be followed by Pontifical Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.
Parents requiring Confirmation for their children, and unconfirmed adults who wish to be confirmed in the Traditional Rite, should contact the LMS office soon on info@lms.org.uk or 020 7404 7284 for full details.
Traditional Confirmations in Denmark [Source: Katolsk Tradition]
'For the first time since the post-Conciliar liturgical reforms, a Danish bishop has conferred the Sacrament of Confirmation on young people in his own diocese (Copenhagen), according to the Traditional form of the Roman Rite. This event took place yesterday, on the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, in St. Andrew’s Church, in a northern suburb of Copenhagen (note: this church was one of the first built after Catholics were again allowed to practice their faith in public, after more than 300 years of Lutheran suppression, from 1534 to 1849).
'The local ordinary, Bishop Czeslaw Kozon (59), is well known to Catholics who support the Traditional Rite and the Holy Father's recent initiatives to facilitate their access to it within normal parishes. He has celebrated several Pontifical Masses in the Traditional Rite - including one in his own cathedral in January 2010. He had already conferred both Holy Orders and Confirmation in this rite - but, up to now, only in other dioceses. The development of the Traditional community in Copenhagen has been steady but, in a country with few Catholics, relatively slow. This past Saturday's event is therefore a source of great encouragement and hope.
One of our objectives as a charity is to promote Gregorian Chant. Apart from being a founding member of the Gregorian Chant Network, The LMS obviously provides many opportunities for keen singers to perform Chant in the setting for which it was composed: the Church's traditional Latin liturgy.
A common problem, however, amongst singers who perform Chant (bear in mind that Chant has become very popular in the secular musical world) is that they are unfamiliar with the Traditional Mass.
So what can singers expect when they file up to the choir loft to accompany a Traditional Latin Mass for the first time?
Fortunately, help is at hand. Dr Joseph Shaw, LMS Chairman and co-ordinator of the Gregorian Chant Network, has produced the Schola's Guide to Sung Mass.
Father Charles Briggs, Parish Priest of the historic church of St Mary's Chislehurst and Archivist for the Archdiocese of Southwark, celebrated his Silver Jubilee of Ordination to the Sacred Priesthood on Tuesday 2 August with a High Mass of Thanksgiving at St Mary's.
Father Briggs was assisted by Father Timothy Finigan as deacon and the Reverend John Harrison as subdeacon. The Most Reverend Kevin McDonald, Archbishop Emeritus of Southwark, assisted in choir and preached.
Father Briggs was joined by a large number of priest friends from the Archdiocese and beyond and was further assisted by eight altar servers from the Parish who did a splendid job serving High Mass in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite. The Cantores Missae choir sung Byrd's Mass for Four Voices; Byrd's Ave Verum and Victoria's Veni Creator Spiritus. The Mass concluded with a solemn Te Deum in thanksgiving for 25 happy years of priesthood.
Father Briggs was ordained by Bishop John Jukes in August 1986 and has served in Tunbridge Wells, Lewisham, West Croydon, the London Oratory and at St Mary's since 2000. Ad multos annos!
There is a Sung Mass in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite at 11am every 3rd Sunday of the month at St Mary's, Crown Lane, Chislehurst.
The LMS's Pilgrimage to the Welsh National Shrine of Our Lady of the Taper in Cardigan took place yesterday (Sunday, 7 August). Mike Lord, LMS General Manager, joined the pilgrims. Here is his report:
'The journey to the coast of West Wales began unpromisingly. As soon as I drove across the Severn Bridge the heavens opened and rained continuously until I reached the outskirts of Cardigan, whereupon the sun came out and we were blessed, more or less, with a fine sunny day. The welcome I received was as warm as the weather. I was met inside the church door by Tom and Elaine Sharpling, the LMS's Assistant Representatives in Menevia diocese and moments later by Diocesan Rep Luigi Dimaio, who was sorting out last minute details to ensure the smooth running of the afternoon's events.
'The pilgrimage began with the Angelus followed by the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary, led by Deacon James Craddick. Deacon Craddick was ordained into the diaconate only five weeks ago and is based in Neath. A friendly, down-to-earth, very approachable man, he had been more than happy to help out in any way he could with the pilgrimage.
'Following the devotions, there was a lunch break in the church hall. As instructed, I had brought a packed lunch with me, but in fact, Tom and Elaine Sharpling had put on an impressive buffet spread for the pilgrims. I had a chance to chat with some of the pilgrims who had travelled from all over the diocese. Among them were Louise Sharpling and Seamus Hargrave (pictured below) who were about to set off the following day to attend World Youth Day, being two of the 22 young people that the LMS is sponsoring to attend with international Juventutem group. I also had a chance to catch up with Jeff Pillar, whom I met last year on the LMS walking pilgrimage to Walsingham.
'Menevia covers a huge geographical area encompassing Swansea, Port Talbot and Carmarthen to the south, a huge stretch of coastline halfway up the west of Wales as far as Aberystwyth, and a large hinterland. It was a tribute to the faithful, then, that the attendance was up on last year's.
'The Missa Cantata was celebrated by Msgr Johnson, who travelled from Fishguard, and who is a regular celebrant of EF Masses in the diocese for the LMS. The choir, drawn from members of the congregation, was led by Luigi Dimaio, who also played the organ. Following a short break, the pilgrimage concluded with Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, which was conducted by Deacon Craddick.
All agreed that the day had been a success. There was a warm sense of unity and quiet satisfaction amongst the congregation, which has had to endure many difficulties to keep the Traditional Mass alive in this part of Wales. Encouragingly, plans are already afoot for next year's event.
More pictures can be seen here.
Above: Louise Sharpling and Seamus Hargrave
A final reminder to all that the LMS's Pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of the Taper in Cardigan, West Wales, takes place on Sunday, 7 August.
The pilgrimage begins at 12 noon with the Angelus and the Rosary. There will then be a break for lunch (please bring a packed lunch), followed by Sung Mass at 3pm. The Shrine is at Our Lady of the Taper, North Road, Cardigan SA43 1LT.
Further details: please contact the LMS Menevia Rep Luigi Dimaio on 07802 792981.
Following on from our posts of 2 August (Head of Vatican’s CDW Recommends Catholics Attending Ordinary Form of Mass Should Receive Communion on the Tongue) and 14 June (One Step Forward, One Step Back) regarding reception of Holy Communion kneeling and on the tongue, we reproduce an interesting article which appeared on 2 July in the National Catholic Register, the respected American Catholic journal. It was written by Joseph Pronechen, an NCR staff journalist, who (some might say surprisingly for a journalist!) has identified accurately the issues at stake.
'In Tiverton, Rhode Island, when some parishioners suggested returning altar rails to the sanctuary of Holy Ghost Catholic Church, Fr Jay Finelli gladly accepted, little knowing that shortly thereafter the Pope’s 2007 Motu Proprio letter Summorum Pontificum would follow and he would be interested in learning how to celebrate the Extraordinary Form of the Mass.
'In Norwalk, Connecticut, when a groundswell of parishioner support encouraged pastor Fr Greg Markey to restore St Mary Church, the second-oldest parish in the diocese, to its original nineteenth-century neo-Gothic magnificence, he made sure altar rails were again part of the sanctuary.
'Altar rails are present in several new churches architect Duncan Stroik has designed. Among them, the Thomas Aquinas College Chapel in Santa Paula, California, the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and three others on the drawing boards. Altar (Communion) rails are returning for all the right reasons.
'Said Fr Markey: “First, the Holy Father is requiring Holy Communion from him be received on the knees. Second, it’s part of our tradition as Catholics for centuries to receive Holy Communion on the knees. Third, it’s a beautiful form of devotion to our Blessed Lord.” James Hitchcock, professor and author of Recovery of the Sacred (Ignatius Press, 1995), thinks the rail resurgence is a good idea. The main reason is reverence, he said. “Kneeling’s purpose is to facilitate adoration,” he explained.
'When Stroik proposed altar rails for the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, “Cardinal [Raymond] Burke [Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura in Rome] liked the idea and thought that was something that would give added reverence to the Eucharist and sanctuary.”
'In Eastern Orthodox churches, there is an iconostasis – a wall of icons and religious paintings that separate the nave from the sanctuary – rather than an altar rail separating the sanctuary. While the altar rail is usually about two feet high, the iconostasis veils most of the sanctuary.
'“The altar rail is nothing compared to that,” he says, “and these are our Eastern brethren. We can benefit and learn something.”
Altar Rail History
'They may be returning, but were altar rails supposed to be taken out of sanctuaries?
'“There is nothing in Vatican II or post-conciliar documents which mandate their removal,” said Denis McNamara, author of Catholic Church Architecture and the Spirit of the Liturgy (Hillenbrand Books, 2009) and assistant director and professor at the Liturgical Institute of the University of St Mary of the Lake in Mundelein, Illinois.
'Cardinal Francis Arinze strongly affirmed this point during a 2008 video session while he was still Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments: “The Church from Rome never said to remove the altar rails.”
'So what happened?
'“Unfortunately, democratic ideas came into the situation after Vatican II,” Hitchcock said. Stroik points some out of these ideas: a general iconoclasm that rejected the past, a desire to make churches into gathering spaces more like Protestant meeting houses, and the argument that kneeling is a sign of submission, which is seen as disrespectful to the modern person – we didn’t kneel before kings and queens, so it was more “democratic” not to kneel.
'Added McNamara: “Some people called them ‘fences’ which set up division between priest and people.”
'“Of course,” he said, “theologically there is a significant meaning in the distinction between nave and sanctuary. Just as there was confusion over the roles of ordained and laity at the time, so there was confusion about the architectural manifestation of those roles.”
'Altar rails give “a clear designation as to what is the sanctuary,” Fr Markey said. “The word ‘sanctuary’ comes from the word ‘holy,’ which means ‘set apart.’ The sanctuary is set apart from the rest of the church because it reinforces our understanding of what holiness is. The sanctuary is symbolically the head of the church and represents Christ as the head.”
'McNamara traces church architecture roots to the Temple of Solomon: The large room corresponded to the church nave; the Holy of Holies, an image of heaven, corresponded to today’s sanctuary. They were separated visually by the great veil, which was torn when Christ died.
'“[The altar rail] is still a marker of the place where heaven and earth meet, indicating that they are not yet completely united,” McNamara explained.
'“But, at the same time, the rail is low, very permeable, and has a gate, so it does not prevent us from participating in heaven. So we could say there is a theology of the rail, one which sees it as more than a fence, but as a marker where heaven and earth meet, where the priest, acting in persona Christi, reaches across from heaven to earth to give the Eucharist as the gift of divine life.”
Reverence at Mass
'Altar rails have an important role for the Extraordinary Form of the Mass where, Fr Finelli noted, reception of Communion has to be on the tongue. He celebrates the Extraordinary Form weekly in Advent and Lent and monthly during the rest of the year.
'Communicants kneel at the oak railing that was crafted by a parishioner who is a professional woodworker. The rail was gilded by parishioners. They crafted a similar altar rail for the adoration chapel.
'The presence of the rails has made an impression on the 2,000-family parish. “So many people kept requesting to use the altar rail,” he recalled, “I decided at the beginning of Lent that people receive at the altar rail.” (The requirement is for all weekday and special feast Masses in the ordinary form too.)
'Given the option to kneel or stand, many choose to kneel to receive Communion. While they can receive on the tongue or in the hand, more people are choosing to receive on the tongue.
'As Fr Finelli put it, “It’s a very strong sign of love and respect for the Real Presence because it’s really Jesus we’re receiving.”
'Father Finelli clarifies that for Latin Catholics to receive the Eucharist while standing and in the hand is an indult, a special permission granted by the Holy See, because the ordinary way by Church law is still to receive while kneeling and on the tongue. The indult was granted at the request of the American bishops. [Note: it does not apply in the Extraordinary Form of the Rite.]
'While the Extraordinary Form is celebrated three times weekly at St Mary’s in Connecticut, Fr Markey says the Communion rails are used for all ordinary form Masses as well. In his 1,000-family parish, parishioners also have the option at the ordinary form to kneel or stand.
'This is approved by Rome. He notes the Vatican directive: “In 2003 the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments says in the ordinary form ‘communicants who chose to kneel are not to be denied Holy Communion … nor accused of disobedience …’”
'Stroik designed St Mary’s renovated sanctuary incorporating hand-carved marble neo-Gothic altar rails with brass gates that Fr Markey purchased from a church that was closing in Pennsylvania. It beautifully matches the original white marble fixed altar and the new marble free-standing altar, which brings another dimension to liturgical symbolism.
'“When we gather at the altar rails, we symbolically gather at the altar,” Stroik said.
'Making both altar and rails from the same materials – in this case marble – makes the connection even clearer.
'Liturgical architecture expert McNamara agrees. He has found that some old church architecture books consider the rail the “people’s altar” and thus it was made with the same marble as that of the altar.
'To add to the symbolic connection, some churches cover the rails during Communion with linens similar to those on the altar.
Drawn to Prayer
'There are yet more reasons for incorporating altar rails. Stroik finds where they have been removed in a cathedral, basilica or historic church receiving numerous visitors, many don’t know how sacred the altar is and wander around the sanctuary. The church has to put up ropes and signs as in a museum to do what altar rails were supposed to do: “create a real threshold so people can tell it’s a special place, a holy place set apart.”
'Stroik says the altar rail is “an invitation for people to come close to the sanctuary, kneel and pray before the tabernacle, a statue of Our Lady or images of saints.”
'Father Markey said returning the rails has been a great success.
'Long-time parishioners who have attended St Mary’s for fifty years or more regretted the magnificent altar rail being torn out in the 1960s. They now tell him, “Thank God you brought it back, Father.”
'He also notices worship is enhanced for adults as well as children: “Little children like to kneel and pray there while their mom and dad receive Holy Communion,” said Fr Markey. “There’s almost universal embracing. It’s one of the most popular decisions I’ve made as pastor.”'
Note: Many faithful Catholics in England and Wales will continue to register their sadness that following the English and Welsh bishops request to Rome that a ‘norm’ be inserted in the General Instruction of the Roman Missal for use in England and Wales (which recommends that Communion be received in the hand whilst standing), the Archbishop’s Council in Westminster decided it could see no place for the re-introduction of altar rails in the archdiocese and has informed the Historic Churches Committee of this decision.
The Catholic News Agency (CNA) reported from Lima, Peru on 28 July that Cardinal Antonio Canizares Llovera, Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments (CDW), recently recommended that Catholics receive Communion on the tongue, while kneeling.
'It is to simply know that we are before God Himself and that He came to us and that we are undeserving,' the cardinal said in an interview with CNA during his visit to Lima, Peru.
The cardinal’s remarks came in response to a question on whether Catholics should receive Communion in the hand or on the tongue.
He recommended that Catholics 'receive Communion on the tongue and while kneeling.'
Receiving Communion in this way, the cardinal continued, 'is the sign of adoration that needs to be recovered. I think the entire Church needs to receive Communion while kneeling.'
'In fact,' he added, 'if one receives while standing, a genuflection or profound bow should be made, and this is not happening.'
'If we trivialise Communion, we trivialise everything, and we cannot lose a moment as important as that of receiving Communion, of recognising the real presence of Christ there, of the God who is the love above all loves, as we sing in a hymn in Spanish.'
In response to a question about the liturgical abuses that often occur, Cardinal Canizares Llovera said they must be 'corrected, especially through proper formation: formation for seminarians, for priests, for catechists, for all the Christian faithful.'
Such a formation should ensure that liturgical celebrations take place 'in accord with the demands and dignity of the celebration, in accord with the norms of the Church, which is the only way we can authentically celebrate the Eucharist,' he added.
'Bishops have a unique responsibility' in the task of liturgical formation and the correction of abuses, the cardinal said, 'and we must not fail to fulfil it, because everything we do to ensure that the Eucharist is celebrated properly will ensure proper participation in the Eucharist.'
In a post, One Step Forward, One Step Back of 14 June, John Medlin, retiring Editor of Mass of Ages, writing in a personal capacity, commented on the recent news that the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales (CBCEW) had gained a recognition from the CDW for its request to have a norm inserted into the England and Wales edition of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) regarding the reception of Holy Communion by the faithful.
The norm reads:
'In the Dioceses of England and Wales Holy Communion is to be received standing, though individual members of the faithful may choose to receive Communion while kneeling. However, when they communicate standing, it is recommended that the faithful bow in reverence before receiving the sacrament.'
At the same time it was announced that in view of this new norm, the Archbishop's Council in Westminster had decided that it could see no place for the re-introduction of altar rails in Westminster Diocese, and had informed the Historic Churches Committee of this decision.
Regarding the apparent contradiction of the CDW authorising the new norm at the same time as its Prefect recommends receiving Communion on the tongue whilst kneeling, it should be noted that if Bishops’ Conferences, following due process, take advantage of temporary concessions granted by Rome the CDW has little choice but to grant its recognition even if it has misgivings about the practice being authorised.
John Medlin made the following points:
He commented on the ‘schizophrenia’ of the English and Welsh bishops - on the one hand reflecting the mind of the Holy Father by reintroducing the Friday penance but on the other promoting practices such as reception in the hand;
He stressed that the faithful have a universal right to kneel and receive on the tongue at ordinary form Masses and the bishops’ new ‘norm’ is therefore by indult only.
He pointed out that the bishops’ decision suggested they were giving little thought to making sensitive provision for those attached to the Extraordinary Form (in which, of course, all are required to receive kneeling and on the tongue unless physically impaired).
He also pointed to the ‘disconnect’ between the Holy Father’s practice of only giving Communion on the tongue to those who are kneeling and the English and Welsh bishops preference for Communion in the hand whilst standing.
Now that Cardinal Canizares Llovera has spoken publicly in favour of the Church’s traditional discipline in the reception of Holy Communion, John Medlin has provided a further personal reflection:
'The culture of secrecy continues at the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales. Was there any public consultation before the English and Welsh bishops applied to the CDW for the new norm? It seems that the post-Vatican II insistence on ‘participation’, particularly of the laity, is easily forgotten at the CBCEW. This is all the more surprising since the bishops have been forced to revisit the matter of moving Holy Days to the nearest Sunday following an outcry from the laity – another decision which was taken in great secrecy. 'One needs to understand clearly what this new norm means - which is not a lot. Once you unpack its wording it is clear that since the universal right remains to receive kneeling and on the tongue (which is the Church’s universal law) it is not just individuals who may choose to kneel but many, most or all individuals – in fact entire congregations. Let us hope that congregations choose this route because it will reveal that the new norm is in effect merely a recommendation.
'In light of the norm it was upsetting to note the haste with which Westminster archdiocese rushed to instruct its Historic Churches Committee that there would be no need to give consideration to bringing back communion rails. As has been pointed out, if many (or all) choose to kneel then the rail becomes necessary if only as an aid to the elderly or infirm.
'A pastoral letter of Archbishop Vincent Nichols was read in Westminster churches on 17 July and called for deeper reverence for the Blessed Sacrament and a deeper appreciation of the Eucharist. He wrote: "We must always present ourselves for Communion with the utmost reverence and aware of the immensity of what is taking place". Queuing and receiving in the hand strikes many as an unlikely way of achieving such a laudable aim. To do the archbishop justice he discussed in a fair way the option of receiving kneeling and on the tongue but this makes the action of his Archbishop’s Council all the more distressing because it obviously tips the balance in favour of receiving standing.
'It needs to be remembered that just as the new norm does not, in fact, bind the laity neither does it bind individual bishops in their dioceses, i.e. each diocesan bishop may derogate from CBCEW policies. Bishops receive their authority from the Successor of Peter, not the local Bishops’ Conference and they are answerable to the Pope not the bureaucratic quagmire of a bishops’ conference. Some years ago, the then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger publicly decried the tendency of Bishops’ Conferences to act as Boards of Directors with the individual bishops taking direction as branch managers.
'It is a great puzzle to many devout Catholics, especially the young, why the traditional way of reverently receiving the Blessed Sacrament became so frowned upon in the Church post-Vatican II. After all, Cardinal Basil Hume said shortly before his death that the loss of reverence for and belief in the Blessed Sacrament represented a great crisis in the Church in England and Wales. How will this crisis be solved by introducing a ‘norm’ which departs from the universal and historic practice of the Church? This negative attitude to the Church’s traditional practices espoused by many clerics of the post-Vatican II era is self-defeating since it merely delays the time when vibrancy and genuine growth return to the Church in England and Wales.
'With all respect, it is to be hoped that this latest initiative of the CBCEW will wither on the vine. Despite the bishops’ secretive efforts, the global return to reverence and sacrality will take root because that is what young priests and seminarians want, as well as increasing numbers of the laity – inspired by Pope Benedict’s teaching and example. In this way the ordinary form will begin to reintegrate with the Church’s organic Tradition.
'On Sunday 18 September the English and Welsh bishops will offer Mass in thanksgiving for Pope Benedict’s visit to our shores a year ago. During his visit Pope Benedict showed clearly what he wanted as regards reception of Holy Communion by only giving Communion to those kneeling and on the tongue. It is rather unfortunate that the CBCEW’s response was to pursue a request for a ‘norm’ which no one had requested. One wonders if appropriate provision will be made at this thanksgiving Mass for those who desire to receive kneeling and on the tongue.
'The Holy Father came to our shores last year to beatify Cardinal John Henry Newman: many will wonder if Bl. John Henry Newman – who wrote so eloquently about the Blessed Sacrament - is pleased that the English and Welsh bishops petitioned to be allowed to promote a practice which is such a marked rupture with developed Tradition.
'The Orthodox Churches – reunion with which is so close to the Holy Father’s heart – will certainly not be impressed: for them it is unacceptable that unconsecrated hands should touch the Sacred Elements. Even the Anglican communion might not be bowled over - many Anglicans receive kneeling at the communion rail.
'Finally, it needs to be stressed continually that this new norm does not apply to the Extraordinary Form which is governed by its own rubrics and particular law and is protected by the enactments of the recent Instruction, Universae Ecclesiae, which states: “Furthermore, by virtue of its character of special law, within its own area, the Motu Proprio, Summorum Pontificum derogates from those provisions of law, connected with the sacred rites, promulgated from 1962 onwards and incompatible with the rubrics of the liturgical books in effect in 1962” (Art. 28).
'Truly the Church in England and Wales continues in a schizophrenic state. Let us pray that the astonishing reality of what we do and what happens when we receive Communion will so enthuse the faithful that the necessity for a return to the laudable practice of receiving kneeling and on the tongue, actively promoted by Cardinal Canizares Llovera, the CDW and others, will become ever clearer and that it will re-establish itself in the parishes as an unexpected fruit of that ‘lay participation’ so often trumpeted since Vatican II.'