PRESS RELEASE FROM THE LATIN MASS SOCIETY

Bishop Drainey Leads LMS Pilgrimage to York

The Bishop of Middlesbrough, Rt Rev Terence Drainey, led a procession through the streets of York, as part of the Latin Mass Society’s 2^nd Annual Pilgrimage to York in honour of St Margaret Clitherow on Saturday, 24 March. This followed a Solemn Mass in the Extraordinary Form at St Wilfrid’s Church at which Bishop Drainey had presided at the Faldstool, and which attracted pilgrims from across England and Wales and overseas. The music was provided by the Rudgate Singers who sang a Mass setting by contemporary composer Jeffrey Ostrowski and pieces by Victoria, Bruckner and Scarlatti.

During the Mass, the bishop preached on the danger posed in contemporary society by moral relativism. ‘This relativism seems to permeate our world today to such an extent that it is part of the cultural and societal air that we breathe. If we are not on our guard it will taint us and affect us. It is an evil about which our Holy Father, Pope Benedict has spoken on many occasions,’ said the bishop. He went on to say that this was nothing new and, indeed, Bl. John Henry Newman had spoken nearly two centuries ago about the dangers to the faith posed by liberalism and religious indifferentism.

After Mass, Bishop Drainey led the procession through the narrow streets of the city, as pilgrims prayed the Rosary. Passing St Margaret Clitherow’s house and her shrine in The Shambles, the line of people crossed Ouse Bridge where the bishop drew attention to the site of St Margaret’s martyrdom, now marked by a plaque. The procession reached the Church of the English Martyrs where Solemn Benediction was celebrated. A relic of St Margaret’s hand, which was kindly lent by the Sisters at the Bar Convent, was exposed for veneration by the faithful.

LMS General Manager Mike Lord commented, ‘The pilgrimage was an important witness to the Catholic Faith in times when our religion is once again under attack. This was brought home by some of the negative comments made from the crowd as the procession made its way through York’s city centre. We were delighted that Bishop Drainey was able to join us and his encouraging sermon was much praised by pilgrims on what was a very successful day.’

Photo attribution: Andrew Sheffield

For further information, please contact Mike Lord, General Manager,

on (T) 020 7404 7284; (F) 020 7831 5585; (E mail) michael@lms.org.uk

Mass Cancellation.

There will be NO 3.00 pm Easter Day Mass at Our Lady of Consolation, West Grinstead, as Fr Hurley will be away.

Please pass the message on!

It's better in Latin

St Mary Magdalene, Bexhill, Palm Sunday

         There will be a Mass at 8.00 am on Palm Sunday,

at St Mary Magdalene, Bexhill.

Mass at Christ the King, Steyning, this Sunday...

...is at the usual time of 9.00 am.

York Pilgrimage

WIFE PRIDE

I am married. I am, and like being, a wife. 

I also really like the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

1603 The intimate community of life and love which constitutes the married state has been established by the Creator and endowed by him with its own proper laws. . . . God himself is the author of marriage."⁸⁷ The vocation to marriage is written in the very nature of man and woman as they came from the hand of the Creator. Marriage is not a purely human institution despite the many variations it may have undergone through the centuries in different cultures, social structures, and spiritual attitudes. These differences should not cause us to forget its common and permanent characteristics. Although the dignity of this institution is not transparent everywhere with the same clarity,⁸⁸ some sense of the greatness of the matrimonial union exists in all cultures. "The well-being of the individual person and of both human and Christian society is closely bound up with the healthy state of conjugal and family life."

Please remember...

...that Mass in Seaford is at 4.00pm this Sunday, NOT at 3,00pm.

You know I said that in the future...

...one man and his dog won't be about sheep?

The words wife and husband will soon be archaic, spouse defunct, and children born the old fashioned way will be just that, old fashioned, so last century. After all, I can't remember the last time anyone from an institution, whether it be school, bank, wherever, referred to husband or wife. 'Partner' has been the term for someone with whom you are assumed to be having a co-habiting sexual relationship for a long time. (Read HERE for an interesting article by Lord Brennan, QC)

But I have to confess that my mild irritation at being regarded as some kind of relationship fossil is now more than mild. I know it's absolutely acceptable, nay, de rigueur, to assault marriage outright, to undermine it with  the continuous drip-drip that any alternatives are better because, well, they just are, okay,  in spite of what the government's own reports say. Perhaps they're hoping we'll all get bored and forget about it.

So if you haven't already signed the petition in support of marriage, please do by CLICKING HERE.  And the husband and me are still waiting for replies from our MP. Yawn.

Wow.

Mass at Seaford this coming Sunday...

...is at 4 o'clock, NOT at 3 this month.

In Other News...

...There will be a Pilgrimage to Our Lady of Consolation on Saturday, 2nd June, everyone welcome, bring a picnic. Mass will be at noon, Benediction at about four o'clock.

More details nearer the time!

Marriage

It's all over the blogosphere and news, but I haven't felt I could add anything particularly original to the great things I've read. We've written to our MP (twice, still no response), we've signed the petition, and here are a few thoughts.

You can't ignore biology. Men and women complement one another, and marriage is just the best way for us to love and support each other and children.

So the first thing is how sorry I feel for anyone who wants a long term committed married relationship.  They aren't to be had for love nor money (perhaps for ready money, but I wouldn't know about that), certainly not from what I can see under the age of thirty five. There is so much emphasis on the feel good pick up: meet, meet again, have sex, if the sex is good stay around for more sex, get to know each other, move in, stick around until you find someone better to have sex with. Repeat as necessary. Not being sexist here, but generally the woman and possibly a kid or two are left to get on with it. It's really not a good time to find that permanent special someone.


So what's the remedy to improve the lives of men, women, and children? Let's batter matrimony, says the Government, reduce its significance even further in the popular mind, redefine it, ignore biology, include everyone.


The trouble with being so very open is, that in the future, one man and his dog won't be about sheep.

It's not for government to legislate what constitutes an essential part of Faith, that's the bottom line.

So, now we have our dear government attempting to remove all visible signs of Christianity in the work place.

No crucifixes? No crosses? What about stars of David? The Sikh steel bangle?

I think I'm starting to feel persecuted.

I think this is a really, really, good idea.

In the States, a change in the order of the Sacraments is on the cards for children in the Diocese of Fargo.

Now it will be Baptism, Confirmation, First Holy Communion.

Read all about it here at the National Catholic Register.

Any thoughts?