Christ the King

The missa cantata yesterday afternoon was celebrated by Fr Hurley at Our Lady of Consolation West Grinstead for the feast of Christ the King. It was one of the most wonderful Masses I think I've ever assisted at.
It managed all at once to be profoundly intimate and mindblowingly cosmic.

The consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus at the end of Mass was moving, but the Christus vincit at the end of Mass had the hairs standing up on the back of my neck! The Seaford schola, led by Tom Haggar, provided the music, many thanks to them, and of course the exceedingly competent servers made everything go smoothly - well, you know they've done a great job when you don't notice them - no offence, boys!

Here's a taster of Christus vincit on youtube if you've not heard it before:




It was good to catch up after Mass over tea and flapjack, and to see Fr Goddard back on his feet.

All in all a pretty much perfect afternoon!

Masses for All Saints and All Souls

Countrywide Masses for these feasts can be found on pdf here and here.



Please don't forget that St Mary Magdalen, Brighton, has a Mass for the feast of All Souls, details here.

I love these two feasts (is there one she doesn't like?!)

Missa Cantata

Hi folks, there will be a Missa Cantata next Sunday, Feast of Christ the King, 25th October at 3.00pm, Our Lady of Consolation, West Grinstead.

High Mass

It occurred to me when I was at Arundel on Sunday, that it was only the fourth (or is it fifth?) High Mass I've ever been to. If you think Low Masses are a bit thin on the ground, High Masses are even thinner.

So when I opened an email from Mike this morning, it was a bit of a godsend, because he'd sent me this link to a youtube video of High Mass. So for any of you out there who haven't yet experienced the wonder and solemnity and joy of a High Mass here's one to watch. Thanks Mike!

Arundel Cathedral

On Sunday afternoon, still buzzing from the visit to Aylesford, we drove all the way to Arundel for High Mass celebrated by Fr Sean Finnegan, Deacon Revd Alcuin Reid, and Subdeacon Revd Richard Edwards. Dominic Scarborough was the MC.

There was a good turn out. As there was no Mass at West Grinstead because of the cathedral Mass, a few of the regulars from Our Lady of Consolation were there, as well as spouses and families of the servers and choir which came from St Thomas More, Seaford, led by Tom Haggar.

It was also great fun to put some faces to very familiar names afterwards, and then have a really good chat in the pub!

Thanks to everyone who came!

At Aylesford

I'd been looking forward very much to making our trip to venerate the relics of St Thérèse, and we got to Aylesford just after three, and saw this the queue snaking across the grass from the car park, so we joined it...



...and it went on...




...and on...



...and on...



...until we got to the queue which began at the Rosary walk...



...and on it went, past a booth where you could reflect on the childhood of St Thérèse...



...and on...



...to another booth, with photos of the Saint as a Carmelite...



...and on...



...to the last booth,with more photographs of St Thérèse...



...and the last leg...



...almost there!



And here we are.



I never know what to say when I'm put on the spot, and in spite of thinking long and hard before hand, I found being in the chapel a bit overwhelming. So I didn't manage to say all the things I wanted to, although I did get these two wobbly photos.




What's wonderful is that there were so many people there, so many families, so many nationalities, everybody was having such a brilliant time! Over two and a half hours in a queue? So what? I only wish I could do it again.

What a weekend!

Saturday was Aylesford and St Thérèse, today was High Mass at Arundel Cathedral. Wow, what a weekend! I'll put up pics and comments tomorrow, but right now I'm slightly fatigued.

Just in from Clare

St Mary Magdalen's, Brighton has a Missa Solemnis at 7.30pm for the Feast of All Souls. It will feature music from Faure' s Requiem, Stanford, Victoria and lots of wonderful chant.

Please try and make it!


Clare: Are you going to Arundel this weekend?

Rights and Dignity

There is a petition from C-Fam, the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute calling for the UN to support the Rights and Dignity
of the Human Person and the Family, specifically these points:

Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person (Article 3)

Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family (Article 16).

The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State (Article 16).

Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance (Article 25).

Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children (Article 26).

So, please click here and add your name to the half a million already there, all these rights are being eroded. Thanks to Mike Telford for letting me know about the petition.

This is good

Whilst up in the metropolis on Saturday, DH spotted this in St Pauls bookshop and bought a copy. It's a fab little book in comic format, called 'Know Your Mass', a reprint of a book from the mid 50s. If you ever come across it, have a browse through. It's great for kids.

Don't forget...

...Arundel on Sunday.

Not that I'm a nag, you understand.

Leaving a comment

If anyone wants to leave a comment, but isn't too familiar with how to do it, here's a bit of help.

Click first on the word 'COMMENTS' at the bottom of the relevant post, don't click on the envelope, that's for email.

If you are looking at a specific post rather than the blog in general, follow the link below the post that says 'Post a Comment'.

Once you've clicked on 'COMMENTS' or 'Post a Comment', a combox should appear on your screen. If there are already comments, scroll to the bottom, or click on the link at the top that says 'jump to comment form' to get to where you type the message.

When you've had your say, you are required to type a series of seriously random letters into a 'WORD VERIFICATION ' box to prove you're not a robot.

Then it's time to 'choose an identity'.

The simplest way to continue, is to click on 'Name/URL'.

Type your name (or pseudonym if you're shy or hiding) in the 'Name' box and IGNORE the 'URL' box, it's optional.

Then you can 'PREVIEW' your comment if you want to.

If you're happy, click 'PUBLISH' and it'll end up ready for me to read in comment moderation, and I can put it up when I've read it.

Countdown to Arundel 2009

Yes, there's a week to go. I mentioned the Solemn Mass at Arundel Cathedral a while ago, and here's the reminder, Solemn Mass on Sunday 11 October at 3.00pm. Fr Finnegan is the celebrant.

There is no Mass at Our Lady of Consolation next Sunday, so please everyone, try and get to the Cathedral, even though I know it's one heck of a haul, not being situated in the most accessible spot if you're in the north and east of the Diocese. It'd be great to have a good turn out.

For drivers, here's a google map. Now the parking isn't special, but there is a pay and display in Mill Road, near the castle, and you might be lucky with on road parking.

See you there!

St Thérèse

It struck me as I read another snide comment about the visit of the relics of one of my most beloved saints to this country, how utterly skewed society is.

If I -or anyone else for that matter- was going to New York to place candles on the spot where John Lennon was shot, no one would turn a hair.

If I made a pilgrimage to Gracelands dressed as Elvis, I might get a few peculiar looks, but people would in the main, I expect, indulge me.


If I wore sack cloth because Michael Jackson is no more, wailed in agony over the death of Diana while lobbing bunches of flowers at her coffin as it passed by, it wouldn't be considered that odd by the media.



But because people are turning out to be close to the relics of a nun who didn't make a bean, make a record, divorce anyone in the royal family, or do anything really except *be*, and try to find a path to God in the small hidden things, that's somehow medieval, lacking in psychological balance, or even just downright dodgy.

Funny old world, isn't it.

'Latin is dead, as dead as can be, it killed off the Romans...'

I wonder if any of you have had the same problem?

Papal Blessings, the paper kind: When asked what language we would like the Blessing to be in when we were arranging one, we said 'oooh, Latin please!' and have been eagerly awaiting its arrival since July.

Had a phone call about it today: 'They don't do Latin,' I was told, 'they' apparently being the office in Rome. 'What other language would you like?'

West Grinstead

Today at OLOC Fr Hurley celebrated Mass, preaching on the need to not prejudge others and to always be charitable. Mass was as ever a very moving and prayerful experience.



We heard that Fr Goddard is returning home tomorrow after another stay in hospital, so please remember him and his family in your prayers.

Our Lady of Consolation

Mass at the shrine is at three o'clock tomorrow.





Prayers please for Fr Goddard, who is still very unwell, and for his family, that he may have a speedy recovery and be up and about soon.

Yesterday evening...

...was wonderful, a Solemn Mass for the Feast of Our Lady of Walsingham and of Ransom and Fr Sean Finnegan's 20th anniversary of ordination. There are some lovely photos of the Mass on Valle Adurni you really must see!



Fr Sean was the celebrant, the Deacon was Revd Alcuin Reid, and Subdeacon Revd Richard Edwards. Dominic Scarborough was MC. Fr Ray Blake preached the homily. The music was superb, Byrd four part Mass, and the propers were Missa Sancta Parens (Hail Holy Parent). The church was full, the atmosphere was great and it was a real joy to be present at such a special Mass.

Naturally, afterwards there was an equally traditional celebration in the hall:










Congratulations Fr Sean!

Our Lady of Ransom

Happy feast day everyone!

Today

Fr Sean Finnegan is celebrating his 20th anniversary, details here.

A request

David Joyce is organising a High Mass in Portsmouth Cathedral on Sunday 4th October, at 3.30pm, and is currently searching for a subdeacon who would be free. Is anyone able to help out/ask around? If so, could you please leave a not for publication message in the combox, and I'll pass on the message.

Apparently...

... I can't count. At Our Lady of Ransom last week, there weren't 40 people, there were 50!

This afternoon...

...was a West Grinstead afternoon, at Our Lady of Consolation. Fr Bruno Witchalls celebrated, and preached on the importance of keeping the Cross in our minds, and looked forward to the Exaltation of the Holy Cross tomorrow.

As usual, tea was a very convivial affair, and very welcome on a surprisingly chilly afternoon, and it was good to catch up with some of those who had been to the Masses at OLR Eastbourne and St Mary Magdalene's Bexhill. Fr Bruno is soon to move from his current parish to St Mary Magdalene's, and we hope he has a great time there.

We also heard that Fr Goddard, the priest in charge of the shrine of Our Lady of Consolation has been very ill and is now convalescing, please say some prayers for his speedy recovery.

Solemn High Mass in Shoreham

Fr Sean Finnegan put this on his blog a few days ago, please follow the link and have a read if you haven't already.

The Nativity of Our Lady

Another favourite feast day of mine, have a lovely day everyone!

PS, Please click here for some wonderful reflections from Fr Mark.

This coming Sunday, 13 September, OLOC, West Grinstead

I don't know, you wait yonks for a Low Mass, and like buses, 3 come along at once. Not that I'm complaining.





At 3 o'clock this Sunday, there is a Low Mass at OLOC.






Since the two masses in Bexhill and Eastbourne, it's brought home to me how much is possible with the good will of a few priests, those willing to allow their parish churches to be used even if it's not their 'thing', and those willing to say the EF. There's no reason why every parish in the country couldn't have a Low Mass at a reasonable time each Sunday. Failing that, at least one Mass per Deanery. If two parishes can manage congregations of 40 (and no, the same people weren't assisting at both for the cynics among you, although me and a couple of others obviously were!), at inconvenient times with very little publicity, what's that saying?