A full week

What a week it was for Masses in the Extraordinary Form.

Last Sunday Fr Agley celebrated Mass at Our Lady of Consolation West Grinstead, thank you Father. Afterwards all the talk was of the Holy Father's visit. Everyone has been so buoyed up by his visit to us it's fabulous.

Last Tuesday at Our Lady of Ransom, Eastbourne, Fr Briggs said Mass in the Lady Chapel, and on Wednesday, Fr Finigan. One of the most fantastic things about those Masses was that while Mass was being said in the Lady Chapel, Mass was also being said at the Sacred Heart altar. I've never been in a church where simulataneous Masses were being said, it was wonderful! Thanks to Frs Finigan and Briggs.

If only the pews and their kneelers hadn't been turned away from the lady altar at OLR and fixed down in a strange position facing the congregation in the nave a good distance from the altar! This peculiar reordering makes it impossible for older members of the congregation to kneel, or get up safely if they do, because the blue chairs set out in lieu of the pews slide dreadfully on the parquet, and there are no loose kneelers to use.

The alternative is use the pews, and assist at Mass sideways. Perhaps next time I'll take my foam gardening mat. Thankfully the Sacred Heart chapel hasn't been messed about with.

On Saturday evening in Horsham at St John the Evangelist, more than 40 people braved the awful weather to assist at Mass, said by Fr Bradley. Fr Sean Finnegan will be the celebrant in November, watch this space.

Yesterday was Mass at St Pancras Lewes, where the celebrant was Fr Jonathan Martin, and the preacher was Fr Richard Biggerstaff. Fr Richard preached on the beauty of the rosary.

I'll take my camera next time and get a pic of the inside.

It's always so relaxing to go to an EF and turn up knowing that it's going to be the same as the last one, and the same as the next one. There's such a fantastic inbuilt quality control in the Old Rite it means you can pray away without any sudden interjections, or asides, or notices, which ruin the flow. You really can prayerfully chillax.

(Apologies if things are out of line today, the site's been playing silly bloggers with uploads, grrrr)