A Merry Christmas to Everyone
High Mass on Christmas Eve in ICKSP's New Brighton Church
Increased Numbers at Candlelit Pre-Dawn 'Rorate' Mass in Oxford
Latest Edition of 'Dowry' Available to Download
Christmas Mass Listings for England and Wales Available
Feast of the Immaculate Conception
Conference on Summorum Pontificum in Rio de Janeiro
Mass in Peterborough on Friday, 9 December
Traditional Mass at Southwark Cathedral on 8 December
The blessings of a Happy and Holy Christmas to you from all at the Latin Mass Society.
Christmas Day Masses can be seen here.
Masses for the Feast of the Epiphany on 6 January can be viewed here.
NEWS FLASH: There will be a High Mass at 11.30pm on Christmas Eve (Midnight Mass) at the Institute of Christ the King's new church at New Brighton, Wirral. It has been announced by Canon Olivier Meney, ICKSP, Rector of the Shrine, that Mass will take place in the main body of the church. Until now, a side chapel was being used. There will also be Mass on Christmas Day at 11.30am. Full address: SS Peter and Paul, Atherton St, NEW BRIGHTON, Wallasey CH45 9LT.
In order to make the main part of the church available, a huge amount of clearance has had to be undertaken in a building which, until less than two months ago, was closed. Canon Meney has advised members of the congregation to wrap up warmly, as the heating may not be working!
Up to date listings of other Masses across the country over Christmas can be seen here.
As many as seventy people attended the annual 'Rorate' Mass at 7 o'clock this morning at the Oxford Oratory, so called because of the opening words of the Introit: Rorate coeli desuper et nubes pluant justum (Drop down dew, ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain the just) taken from Isaias 45:8. This is a Votive Mass of Our Lady used during Advent and the vestments were therefore white, not violet.
The Missa Cantata was celebrated as is customary by candlelight with members of the congregation also holding a candle each (no electric lights at all). The celebrant was Fr Dominic Jacob, Cong. Orat.
Amongst those present at the Mass were LMS General Manager Mike Lord and his family, and Sara Harvey-Craig, one of the LMS's Local Representatives in Gloucestershire who had set off from her home near Stroud at 4.30am to be at the Mass. Sara described the Mass as absolutely beautiful - a verdict with which everyone was in agreement.
A full set of photos of the Mass can be seen here.
The latest edition of Dowry, the quarterly journal of the Fraternity of St Peter in England is now available to download here.
Articles include reports on an impressively large number of new seminarians for the Fraternity and a high-speed sponsored walk along the entire length of the River Thames for a pro-life cause.
Previous editions of Dowry can also be downloaded from the LMS website here.
Details of Traditional Masses scheduled for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are now available to download here. As last minute information is notified to the LMS office, we will amend the listing as appropriate.
One hundred and fifty-seven years ago today, Blessed Pope Pius IX defined the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary as a Doctrine of the Catholic Church.
In the Constitution Ineffabilis Deus (8 December 1854) the Supreme Pontiff pronounced and defined that Our Lady, 'in the first instance of her conception, by a singular privilege and grace granted by God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the human race, was preserved exempt from all stain of original sin.' For a more detailed explanation of the doctrine you can read this entry from the Catholic Encyclopaedia.
Today's feast is not a holy day of obligation in England and Wales (although it is in many other countries), but Catholics are encouraged to attend Mass if they can for what is a major feast of the Church's calendar.
There are nearly 30 locations where the Traditional Mass is being celebrated in this country today and they are listed on the LMS website here.
The New Liturgical Movement Blog has a report on a study conference in Brazil on 'The Priestly Encounter with Summorum Pontificum' which took place in November. There are some splendid photographs of the Solemn Pontifical Mass that took place during the conference. It's worth looking at the photos of the Baroque chapel, even if Baroque's not to your taste!
Last month's Traditional Mass at the Church of St Peter and All Souls, Park Road, Peterborough PE1 2RS was a great success with an impressive turnout. There will be another Mass this Friday, 9 December, starting at 7pm.
This is an area of the country that is poorly served for the Extraordinary Form, so please make the effort to support this Mass and demonstrate again that Catholics want the Traditional Mass.
There will be a Low Mass for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on Thursday, 8 December at 10.30am in St George's Cathedral, Westminster Bridge Road, Southwark, SE1. Please go along and support this event if you are in the area.