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Welcome to the site for News, Events and up-to-date Information on Traditional Catholicism in the West Midlands (UK). I am one of the Diocesan Representatives for the Latin Mass Society of England & Wales for the Promotion of the Traditional Roman Rite.

Saturday 27 July 2013

The New Evangelisation

Sunday High Mass at the Birmingham Oratory, Advent 2011
Fr Z picks up on the theme of the New Evangelisation by drawing on an article from the Archdiocese of Miami which shows how, ironically, the Old Rite is drawing young people back to the Church and even attracting converts. Of particular interest to our area is the following:
Likewise, his girlfriend, Vida Tavakoli, knew she had found her home in the Catholic Church when she first attended Latin Mass in England.

Formerly an atheist, her aversion toward religion changed at the end of her college career, when she became a Protestant. During her post-collegiate travels she became resolute in converting to Catholicism after attending a Missa Cantata, or sung Mass, in the parish of her favorite author, J.R.R. Tolkien, a devout Catholic who penned the “Lord of the Rings” series.
The parish of J.R.R Tolkien which celebrates an Old Rite Missa Cantata? Surely it can only be our very own Birmingham Oratory, which appears to be sowing the seeds of Traditional Catholicism not only in our area but across the world?

As one of the younger generation who is attracted to the Traditional Mass, I am under no illusion about the challenges we face in our changing society over the next few years and decades. As a recent article in the New Statesman puts it:
Take, for example, the results of a YouGov poll of "Generation Y" released yesterday. Only 25 per cent say that they believe in God, as opposed 38 per cent who definitely don't. It may not be surprising that fewer than ten per cent attend religious worship on anything like a regular basis (at least once a month) but one finding stands out starkly. 41 per cent thought that religion was the cause of more harm than good in the world. Only 14 per cent (a considerably smaller figure than that for belief in God) thought that religion was, on balance, a good thing. Richard Dawkins and the other "New Atheists" would seem to have got their message across.
It is becoming increasingly clear that the experiments of the last forty years, under the cover of but not necessarily mandated by the Second Vatican Council, have spectacularly failed in attracting new people to the Church and if anything, have helped push those already in the Church away from her. If we are going to win the culture wars with the aggressively anti-religious secularists, we are going to have to draw on the treasures that have served us well for hundreds if not thousands of years.

The Birmingham Oratory has a High Mass every Sunday at 10.30am, and Low Masses on Friday at 6.30pm and Saturday at 9.30am. See the sidebar for further details.

Saturday 20 July 2013

Recent Mass Reports


I forgot to take my camera but here is a photograph taken with my mobile phone of the Annual High Mass on the Old Rite Feast for St John Fisher and St Thomas More at St John Fisher Church in West Heath. Around 25 people were in attendance, with around eight in the choir and seven on the sanctuary. I managed to meet Columb and Merryn Howell, the longstanding reps for Worcestershire, at the buffet after.

I also managed to attend the weekly 6pm EF Mass at the Birmingham Oratory last night which was attended by around fourteen people.

After several problems, a calendar of local EF Masses has been added to the sidebar and now contains the correct times, but particularly for the Halesowen Mass and for Masses at all churches over the summer, please check with the parish before travelling.


Monday 1 July 2013

Annual High Mass for St John Fisher and St Thomas More

West Heath High Mass 2010
Fr George welcomes us once again to St John Fisher at West Heath on Tuesday 9th July 2013 at 7pm for  High Mass in honour of the patron saint of the parish and his fellow English martyr St Thomas More. The photo above is from the same Mass in 2010 - there are better pictures but I chose this one because it includes me as the server at the back on the right, the only time I have attended this Mass and indeed served in the Extraordinary Form.

Mass will be celebrated by Fr Richard Duncan of the Birmingham Oratory with Fr Jan Nowotnik acting as Deacon and Brother Andrew of the Oratory as Subdeacon. Music will be provided by the Oratory, ably led by Oliver Hayes, and refreshments will be provided in the parish hall after Mass. A High Mass organised by a parish is a rare thing so I do hope you will be able to support this endeavour. Low Mass takes place here every Friday at 6.30pm - see the sidebar for further details and directions.

Speaking of the Oratory - I believe there will be a Low Mass at 6pm tonight for the Feast of the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
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