Memorial Service for Chris Inman, Former LMS Chairman
LMS Pilgrimage to Our Lady of the Taper in Cardigan this Sunday, 2 September
Bishop Mark Davies attends final Mass of LMS Walsingham Pilgrimage
Father Hugh Thwaites SJ, Requiescat in Pace
Petitions to Our Lady of Walsingham
Walking Pilgrimage to Walsingham This Weekend!
Report of High Mass in Shepton Mallet for the Assumption
Latest FIUV Position Paper Published on the Eucharistic Fast
Happy Assumption!
Full Official Recognition for the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer on Orkney
Very Rare Opportunity to Attend Traditional Mass in Liverpool Cathedral This Monday
New Edition of 'Mass of Ages' Now on Sale!
New Late Summer and Autumn Mass Listings Available Online
Masses for the Assumption
Chris Inman’s family has arranged a memorial Mass for Chris at 2.00 pm on Saturday 1 September. Chris' widow Ilse has informed us that it will be in the Catholic church in Bury St Edmunds which is the Church of St. Edmund, King and Martyr, 21 Westgate Street, Bury St Edmunds, IP33 1QG.
Please note, this will be a Mass in the new rite and will be celebrated by Fr Conlon. Below is the text that will be read out at the memorial Mass by Chris’s son.
Please note that the LMS itself is arranging for a Requiem in the Traditional Rite to be offered for the repose of Chris's soul. More details will follow soon.
'The Mass today is for the repose of the soul of John Christopher Lupton Inman – or ‘Chris’, as he was known to most people.
'Chris was a founder member of the Latin Mass Society and a stalwart of the Tridentine Mass. He was elected to the committee of the society in 1985 and elected chairman in 1986. He served in this office for 14 years until he stepped down in the year 2000. During that time he made several trips to Rome in furtherance of the traditional cause. Here at home he had a number of meetings with the late Cardinal Hume to try to promote the legitimate celebration of the traditional Latin Mass. Chris was also a prolific writer and many of his letters and articles were published in the Catholic press.
'On his retirement from office in 2000 Chris was appointed a vice president of the Society and remained active in that post up to the time of his death, peacefully at home, on 26th May aged 80 years.
'Chris’s Tridentine Requiem Mass took place in his home village of Lawshall, Suffolk, on 7th June. It was celebrated by Canon Michael Hazell and served by the Society MC who was assisted by Chris’ two fellow vice presidents, and the society representative in the diocese of East Anglia. For many, the name of Chris Inman will always be synonymous with the Latin Mass Society. Under his leadership it went from strength to strength. He was known, respected, and loved in the traditional movement throughout the world.
'Eternal rest grant unto him O Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace. Amen
'May his soul and the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen.'
The annual Pilgrimage to Our Lady of the Taper, Cardigan, West Wales takes place this Sunday, 2 September at 2 o'clock. Do support this important event.
Venue: Our Lady of Our Lady of the Taper, North Road, Cardigan SA43 1LT.
This pilgrimage to the National Shrine of Wales begins at 2pm with Devotions, followed by Confessions at 2.30pm and then Sung Mass at 3pm, followed by Benediction.
Phone LMS Local Representative Luigi Dimaio on 07802 792981 for full details.
Bishop Mark Davies of Shrewsbury preached at the Solemn Mass offered to mark the end of the Latin Mass Society’s 3rd Annual Walking Pilgrimage to Walsingham on Sunday, 26 August. The Mass was celebrated by Canon Olivier Meney, ICKSP, with Fr Bede Rowe (the pilgrimage chaplain) as Deacon and Fr John Cahill as Sub-Deacon. Gregorian Chant was provided throughout the pilgrimage by a schola assembled from amongst the walking pilgrims and directed by Matthew Schellhorn, who is also our Local Representative for Southwark North.
Around 70 people took part in the three-day, 55-mile walk from Ely in Cambridgeshire to the Slipper Chapel in Walsingham, which was offered for the conversion of England.
The pilgrimage began with Sung Mass, celebrated by Fr Cahill, offered on the Friday morning at St Etheldreda’s Catholic Church, Ely. The MC was Rev James Mawdsley, one of the English seminarians studying with the FSSP. Mass was followed by the traditional Pilgrims’ Blessing given by Fr Rowe. A visit was then paid to Ely Anglican Cathedral to prayer for the conversion of our separated brethren. By the end of the afternoon, the pilgrims had been blessed with beautiful sunshine and had reached their first billet at Stoke Ferry near King’s Lynn.
Sung Mass on Saturday morning was in the family chapel at Oxburgh Hall, a fifteenth-century moated manor house, which, although now owned by the National Trust, is still lived in by the Bedingfield family whose ancestors built it. Oxburgh has a long history as a centre of recusancy and boasts its own priest’s hole, which pilgrims were given the chance to visit after Mass. The pilgrims continued through Saturday, praying the Rosary, singing hymns and songs, and getting absolutely soaked through as the heavens opened and thunder and lightning let loose on the Norfolk landscape. By the time the procession of pilgrims reached Harpley village, their Saturday evening stop, spirits had recovered somewhat, which was further aided by a visit to the Rose and Crown pub in the village.
Sunday saw the last leg of the pilgrimage and the tired pilgrims reached their destination of the Slipper Chapel. They were joined by a coach full of people who had travelled from London for the day to attend the final Mass in the Chapel of Reconciliation at the National Catholic Shrine. Following Mass, Bishop Davies gave his blessing (in Latin) to the pilgrims.
The statue of Our Lady of Walsingham, which had been carried throughout the final day of the pilgrimage led the procession of well over a hundred people along the Holy Mile to the grounds and ruins of Walsingham Abbey, the site of the Holy House of Nazareth, built by the Lady Richeldis in 1061 and which, like the abbey, was destroyed under Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries. Prayers of thanksgiving were offered by Fr Bede Rowe followed by veneration of the statue of Our Lady.
LMS General Manager, Mike Lord, said: ‘This year’s pilgrimage was the most successful yet, with the number of participants rising to 70 from last year’s total of 30. This is very encouraging. Several family groups joined us, which we were delighted about and, although most pilgrims were young people, there was a good spread of ages. Everyone was most impressed by two ladies aged 84 and 86 who completed the walk.
‘We are very grateful to Bishop Davies for agreeing to attend in choro for the Solemn Mass and for preaching. There are many other people who put in many hours of work to make this event the great success it turned out to be and we would like to thank them all.
‘We hope that our pilgrimage, with the many prayers and personal sacrifices of the pilgrims, and the Masses offered up during the three days, will bring many graces upon England and assist in its conversion.’
More photos of the pilgrimage can be viewed here.
We would like to inform you that one of the most influential, courageous, and remarkable advocates for the Traditional Latin Mass, Father Hugh Thwaites, passed peacefully on to his Eternal Reward yesterday at around 3:45am (GMT).
Quoted by the Catholic Herald as one of 10 of the world’s most amazing priests. He suffered extraordinarily in his lifetime;
Firstly as a Prisoner of War in the Changi Prison, Singapore, during the Second World War.
Then having converted and having become a Priest in 1954, suffered extraordinary difficulties in maintaining the Traditions of the Church, orthodox teaching and catechesis, and most of all in ardently persevering in celebrating the Traditional Latin Mass
There is a vast online audio library of his works, which he painstakingly undertook for the propagation of the Faith, the preservation and promotion of Catholic orthodoxy and Tradition, hosted by Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice (www.proecclesia.com).
Father Thwaite’s declining health finally saw him in the care of the Jesuit retirement home in Boscombe, Bournemouth, where for the last part of his journey was deprived of the Mass that he so loved.
Whether or not he will be granted the dignity of having Requiem Mass in the Traditional Form remains to be seen.
He is considered to be a Saint by those that knew him.
Requiescat in Pace.
Anyone who would like us to carry a petition, in a physical form, from Ely to Walsingham on the LMS Walsingham Pilgrimage, please send it to info@lms.org.uk.
Don't delay, we need it right away! It will be printed out and carried by the pilgrims for you, and presented to Our Lady when we arrive at the Slipper Chapel.
The LMS's 3rd Annual Walking Pilgrimage from Ely to Walsingham begins early this Friday morning (24 August) with Sung Mass at 6.15am, followed by the blessing of the pilgrims and the beginning of the 55-mile walk over three days. On Sunday afternoon the procession of weary pilgrims will arrive in Walsingham for a Traditional High Mass at the National Shrine in the presence of the Bishop of Shrewsbury, Rt Rev Mark Davies, who will preach. We are delighted that Bishop Davies has agreed to join us at Walsingham.
The pilgrimage is being undertaken for the conversion of England. Please pray for this intention during the pilgrimage (i.e. 24 to 26 August).
There is just time for you to sign up to do the walking pilgrimage (sign online here or phone 020 7404 7284 - deadline Wednesday, 22 August). If you can't do that, you can still participate in the pilgrimage by attending one or more of the daily sung Masses celebrated by the clergy who will be walking the route with us. Our pilgrimage chaplain will be Fr Bede Rowe, but we will also be joined by Canon Olivier Meney of the Institute of Christ the King and Fr Cahill.
The following Masses are open to all, so please do come along and join us. The details are as follows:
Friday, 24 August: St Etheldreda’s Catholic Church, 19 Egremont Street, Ely, CB6 1AE. Mass at 6.15am
Saturday, 25 August: Oxburgh Hall, Oxborough, near Swaffham, Norfolk PE33 9PS. Mass at 8am
Sunday, 26 August: Chapel of Reconciliation, Chapel of Reconciliation, Houghton St Giles, Walsingham, Norfolk, NR22 6AL, Mass at 2pm
The final Mass on Sunday will be a High Mass, whilst Friday's and Saturday's Masses will certainly be Missae Cantatae, but possibly High.
Following the Sunday Mass, there will be a procession from the Slipper Chapel to the Abbey ruins via the Holy Mile.
If you wish to travel from London on Sunday, there is a coach leaving Westminster Cathedral on Sunday morning. To book a place on the coach, and for full details about departure time, phone Graham Moorhouse (urgently) on 01322 409231 tobook a place.
If you can't be there at all, then please pray for the success of the pilgrimage.
Our Lady of Walsingham, pray for us!
One of our Local Reps for Clifton Diocese, Caroline Shaw, has sent this report and picture on Wednesday's High Mass at Shepton Mallet in Somerset:
'The great feast of the Assumption was celebrated with dignity and beauty at a Solemn High Mass at the church of St Michael the Archangel, Shepton Mallet on the evening of Wednesday 15 August.
'Fr Philip Thomas was the Celebrant, Fr Andrew Goodman was Deacon and Fr Alexander Redman Sub-deacon. Fr Bede Rowe acted as Master of Ceremonies.
'Rupert Bevan led a choir of 18 singers, including several ex-Wells and ex-Exeter Cathedral choir members, and three former Westminster Cathedral choristers. The Mass setting was Palestrina’s Missa Assumpta est Maria, based on the motet of the same name, which was also sung at the Mass. The Communion motet was Lobo’s Ave Maria.
'Fr Andrew Goodman preached the homily, and spoke about the striking parallels between Our Blessed Lady, Elizabeth her cousin, and Hannah the mother of Samuel. All three were ‘women of faith’, handmaids of the Lord, who put their lives into God’s hands and were richly rewarded. We too, said Fr Goodman, are called to be humble, faithful, trusting servants of God.
'The small church was almost full, and there were well over 60 communicants. Grateful thanks to Fr Thomas for organising the Mass, and to Fr Goodman, Fr Redman and Fr Rowe. Sincere thanks too, to all the servers who took part in the Mass, and to Rupert Bevan and his splendid choir.
'Mary Assumed into Heaven, pray for us.'
More pictures of the Mass are available here.
The latest of the Traditional Position Papers has been published here.
The subject this time is the Eucharistic fast which, under current legislation, is a mere one hour. We do not know of anyone who regards this as anything but absurd - not absurd that we should have to fast before Communion, but absurd in that we are required to fast so little! It is a fact that you could almost enter the church gulping down a sandwich as Mass starts and still manage to get in the one hour fast by the time Communion is distributed. It makes a mockery of the whole thing. The Position paper calls for a restoration of the discipline in force between 1957 and 1964, namely, the three-hour fast. This was introduced by Pope Pius XII to accommodate evening Masses which the previous fasting from midnight rendered all but impossible. The Position Paper is short and to the point - it is a quick read, as are all the other papers. If you have not yet done so, they deserve your attention!
A happy feast day to all our readers! Today, the Assumption of our Blessed Lady, is one of the Church's major feasts and is a Holy Day of Obligation. All Catholics are bound, under the pain of mortal sin, to attend Mass today. Fortunately, there are a number of Traditional Masses being celebrated today in England and Wales, and the full listing can be viewed here.
After, literally, years of delay by local Church authorities, the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer on Stronsay, Orkney (formerly the Transalpine Redemptorists) have been granted full canonical recognition. The new Bishop of Aberdeen, Rt Rev Hugh Gilbert, OSB, has proved himself a generous pastor to this traditional community, in marked contrast, it has to be said, to his predecessor.
The following official statement was issued this morning by Fr Michael Mary, FSSR:
Official Statement
On this festive solemnity of the Assumption of the Holy Mother of God body and soul into Heaven our spiritual joy and fraternal rejoicing is great indeed:
Beneath Her mantle and on this occasion of Her solemn feast, today, 15 August, 2012, our community, The Congregation of the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer, has been granted canonical recognition as a Clerical Institute of Diocesan Right by His Lordship the Right Reverend Dom Hugh Gilbert, O.S.B., Bishop of Aberdeen.
We invite you to rejoice with us on this solemn feast of Our Lady through Whose Perpetual Succour, we have received a great favour from Our Lord.
We also announce the community’s public profession of vows that will take place in Our Lady’s Chapel (at the head of the pier) Stronsay, on 22 August, feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary at 18.15 pm.
The profession will be celebrated by His Lordship, the Right Reverend Dom Hugh Gilbert, O.S.B., Bishop of Aberdeen.
(Limited overnight accommodation is available. The ferry leaves Kirkwall at 16.00 and arrives in Stronsay at 18.05 p.m.).
I humbly ask your prayers for the perseverance of our Congregation.
Devotedly
Fr. Michael Mary, F.SS.R.
There will be a rare opportunity early in the morning of Monday, 13 August, to attend an Extraordinary Form Low Mass in the Lutyens Crypt of the Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral.
The Mass - at 7.30am - will be celebrated by Fr Ian O'Shea (a good friend of the Latin Mass Society) who is shortly to finish his several years of service in the cathedral parish in order to take up duties as parish priest at St Mary's, Chorley.
Fr Ian has been celebrating a private Low Mass in the cathedral crypt since 2010 but this is the first time that an invitation has been extended for the public to attend (indeed it is believed that this will be the first Traditional Latin Mass to be publicly celebrated within the cathedral precincts certainly since the late 1960s and possibly since the end of the Second Vatican Council).
Although it will be a public Mass, there are important practical restrictions that will apply, chiefly due to the early hour at which the Mass will be celebrated.
Given that the cathedral's security systems do not cater for the crypt buildings to be opened at that hour of the morning, it will be necessary for Fr O'Shea to lead congregants from the underground car park (entrance on Brownlow Hill) through the cathedral's interior corridors and down to the crypt building. Accordingly, anyone wishing to attend MUST gather just inside the car park entrance (on the tarmaced area by the "sentry" hut) NO LATER than 7.20am in order to follow Fr Ian down to the church. A reverse restriction must obviously also apply: for although Mass is likely to finish at circa 8.20am, those in attendance must allow until at least 8.50am to be able to make their exit (the crypt doors will still be closed, the sanctuary has to be restored to its Novus Ordo setting, and Fr Ian also has to lead congregants back up to the car park).
It is an unfortunate inconvenience, to be sure, but the invitation to attend is there. It is not only a very rare opportunity but a fine way to continue one's spiritual preparations ahead of the Feast of the Assumption.
There will be plenty of time for post-Mass devotions!
* the underground car park will be open for parking.
The latest edition of our quarterly magazine, Mass of Ages, is now on sale. You can order a copyonline here.
In the new Autumn 2012 edition, we have interviews and special features, news from around the country, including reports on the visit to Britain, at the invitation of the LMS, of traditionalist Bishop Fernando Rifan of Brazil, including his address to our AGM. We also carry features on our first One-Day Conference in London and the full text of the talk given there by Fr John Zuhlsdorf (aka 'Fr Z'. ). We also include the next article in our mini-series offering deeper analysis of the important issues raised in the Traditional Position Papers published by Una Voce International. Plus our popular family notebook column, a special feature on Mass provision in our cathedrals, a further report from Afghanistan, a guestpiece from one of our new Patrons, our regular column on Catholic art, comment and opinion columns, our quarterly look back into the LMS archives from past decades, your letters and a prize crossword, plus full listings of Traditional Masses across England and Wales, and much more besides.
Wherever you are in the world, we can ship a copy out to you. Just select the correct postage rate depending on your country from the drop-down menu below, and place your order. We'll send it out asap.
You can now download full Mass listings for England and Wales for the period from mid-August to mid-November 2012.
The forthcoming Feast of the Assumption (Wednesday, 15 August), which is a Holy Day of Obligation - yes, still! - has its own separate listing for convenience's sake here.
Wednesday, 15 August is the Feast of the Assumption. In spite of all the monkeying around with Holy Days in England and Wales, the Assumption remains a day of obligation on which all Catholics are bound under pain of mortal sin to attend Mass.
There are around 35 Traditional Masses being offered on this major feast of Our Lady across the country. A full listing (updated as we receive more information) can be downloaded here.