Judge me, O God, and distinguish my cause against an ungodly nation:
The Sacred Triduum in the Extraordinary Form Will be Celebrated at 8 Locations for 2009
In a sign that the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite (Traditional Latin Mass) has returned to the heart of the Church, the Latin Mass Society has announced that the Sacred Triduum in the Extraordinary Form will be celebrated at 8 locations within England and Wales.
In recent years the LMS has organised 2-3 celebrations of the Sacred Triduum each year so 2009 is proving a bumper year – clearly Pope Benedict’s Motu Proprio, ‘Summorum Pontificum’ is having a powerful effect. The full Holy Week ceremonies will be celebrated at Lanherne (Cornwall), Reading, South London, Central London, NW London, Brentwood, Leeds, Shrewsbury. A partial Triduum will be celebrated at Ham, Surrey. A full list is available on the LMS website (http://www.latin-mass-society.org/) or from the LMS office.
IMPORTANT
For many years, the LMS has celebrated the Sacred Triduum at Corpus Christi Church, Maiden Lane, London WC2. Because the Triduum was also celebrated there in the Ordinary Form, the LMS had to arrange its celebrations at unusual times. However, this year, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, Archbishop of Westminster, has graciously arranged that the Ordinary Form congregation of Corpus Christi Church will join the congregation at nearby St Anselm & St Cecilia’s Church in Kingsway for their Ordinary Form Triduum so allowing the Sacred Triduum in the Extraordinary Form to be celebrated at Corpus Christi Church at the usual times (e.g. 3.00 pm on Good Friday).
In a further gesture of reconciliation, Cardinal Cormac has asked one of his priests, Fr Andrew Wadsworth, to celebrate the Corpus Christi Triduum – in previous years the LMS had to make its own arrangements.
John Medlin, General Manager of the LMS said, “We are very grateful to the congregation of Corpus Christi and the parish priest, Fr Chris Vipers, for giving free use of Corpus Christi Church for the Triduum in the Extraordinary Form. We are particularly grateful to Cardinal Cormac for proposing this arrangement and to Fr Wadsworth for coming to join us. Fr Wadsworth knows the Extraordinary Form well and we are looking forward to a wonderful celebration of these Mysteries of our salvation.”
I have been aware of numerous rumblings in recent months regarding the Latin Mass Society (most of which have been incredibly one-sided). Recent attention has been fixed on their committee meeting of 7th March 2009, which culminated in the resignation of several prominent members, most notably the Chairman and Treasurer. Clearly everyone is interested in the great changes afoot. But what most people will have been oblivious to is the motion carried forward that I would be assistant Diocesan Representative for the LMS!
We have been blessed in this locale for many years with the Birmingham Oratory, whose Fathers offer the Extraordinary Form every Sunday and Holy Day. It has almost been unnecessary for an LMS rep to operate in this area. However, it has also been remarkable how things have changed since the release of Summorum Pontificum: the Oratory used to have Tridentine Masses at 12.45 in the cramped cloister chapel. But after Christmas 2007, the Mass was moved into the main church at 9.30am. Numbers have inevitably increased from about 20 to between 50 and 80 people. On occasions when we have had a High Mass in the Extraordinary Form (on those Holy Days transferred in the new calendar) attendance has been exceptional at about 200. Whilst still modest in comparison with other Parish Masses, this provides an excellent basis on which to develop interest in the Traditional Latin Mass. The Oratory has also been recently blessed with the addition of Fr Anton Guziel (right) who is well known amongst traditionalist circles. I am encouraging the regular Low Mass by producing a tailored Mass booklet (the Oratory have already produced an excellent one for their High Masses) which I hope to make available after Easter. This will make it much more accessible for newcomers to the Extraordinary Form.
Outside the Oratory there has been very little activity. However, there have been encouraging developments at St Chad’s Cathedral: I arranged a Low Mass for the Feast of the Translation of the Relics of St Chad in a side chapel, which was practically the first such Mass to have taken place since the 1970s. The LMS also had a regional reps meeting at the Cathedral, where Fr Paul Chavasse said Low Mass at the new Altar in the Cathedral’s main sanctuary (left). With such permission, I hope that in coming months and years we can build upon this. It would great to see more Traditional Masses being said at the many unused High Altars in Birmingham's rich repertoire of unspoilt churches.
April
20-23 Ushaw Training Conference
May
Sat. 23 Guild of St Gregory Pilgrimage and High Mass (2.30pm) at
June
Sat 6 Fr Goddard’s first Mass in
Sat 20 AGM (11am probably) and Annual High Mass (2.00pm)
Downside High Mass
July
Sat 11 Day of Recollection at Ware
Sun 12 National Pilgrimage to Holywell Mass at 2.00pm Bishop Rifan celebrant
August
2-9 St Catherine's Trust Summer School
Sat 15 Welsh Pilgimage to Shrine of Our Lady of the Taper
24-28
September
Sat 5 Pilgrimage to Glastonbury Mass at 12 noon Benediction 2.15pm
Sat 12 National Pilgrimage to Walsingham
Sat 26 Southwark Diocese Pilgrimage to Aylesford? tbc
Sat 7 Confirmations at St James’
Sat 14 Dio Reps meeting am Annual Requiem in Westminster Cathedral 2.00pm
Towards Advent Westminster Cathedral Hall
Sat14/Sun15 Una Voce
