Christmas Mass Times 2018

Our Lady's Altar at the Birmingham Oratory
set up for a Rorate Mass

Over the Christmas period, there is inevitably a change to the Mass schedule which is detailed below. On Christmas day itself, there is a choice of three Masses in the region, all at different times and one each in the form of low Mass, Missa Cantata and High Mass! In summary, there is no Mass on Christmas Eve and the Wednesday Halesowen Mass is cancelled. The weekday evening 5.45pm Mass at the Oratory moves to 9am in the morning and there is at least one other low Mass every day during the Octave except on Sunday.

Monday 24th December 2018

No Mass at the Oratory

Tuesday 25th December 2018
Christmas Day
Wolverhampton (OLPS*) 8 a.m.
Low Mass
Wednesbury (SMH#) 9.30 a.m.
Sung Mass
Oratory 10.30 a.m. High Mass


Wednesday 26th December 2018
St Stephen
Oratory 9.00 a.m. Low Mass
Wednesbury (SMH#) 12.00 noon Low Mass
No Mass at Halesowen

Thursday 27th December 2018
St John the Evangelist
Wednesbury (SMH#) 8.00 a.m. Low Mass
Oratory 9.00 a.m. Low Mass

Friday 28th December 2018
Holy Innocents 
Wednesbury (SMH#) 8.00 a.m. Low Mass
Oratory 9.00 a.m. Low Mass
Wolverhampton (OLPS*) 6.30 p.m.  Low Mass

Saturday 29th December 2018
St Thomas Becket
Oratory 9.00 a.m. Low Mass
Wednesbury (SMH#) 11.00 a.m. Low Mass

Sunday 30th December 2018
Oratory 10.30 a.m. High Mass

Monday 31st December 2018
Oratory 9.00 a.m. Low Mass
Lichfield(HC+) 11.00 a.m. Low Mass

Tuesday 1st January 2019
Octave Day of Christmas
Oratory 12.00 noon High Mass
Wednesbury (SMH#) 12.00 noon Low Mass

*OLPS - Our Lady of Perpetual Succour, Cannock Road, Wolverhampton, WV10 8PG

#SMH - St Mary on the Hill, St Mary's Road, Wednesbury, WS10 9DL

+HC - Holy Cross, Upper St John Street, Lichfield, WS14 9DX

Oratory directions in sidebar

I wish all readers of this blog a happy and holy Christmas 2018 and New Year 2019

Rorate Masses and the Immaculate Conception

Due to the Immaculate Conception and the Feast of Oratorian Blessed Antony Grassi falling on a Saturday this year, there will only be one Rorate Mass at the Birmingham Oratory during Advent at 7.30am on the 22nd December. Instead, on 8th December, High Mass will be celebrated at 11am. There will additionally be a low Mass at the same time in Wednesbury at St Mary-on-the-Hill. On the 15th December, the Feast of the Oratorian Blessed will be celebrated with a Missa Cantata at the usual time of the Saturday Latin Mass of 9am.

Pontifical High Mass 2016 (c) Jozef Lopuszynski

The Immaculate Conception is the patronal feast of the Oratory in Birmingham and so first Vespers will also be celebrated on 7th December at 7.30pm. The music list is as follows:

First Vespers - Friday 7th December 2018

Deus in Adjutorium Padilla

Magnificat I Palestrina

Ave Maria a 5 Morales

High Mass - Saturday 8th December 2018

Missa Alma Redemptoris Victoria

Ave Maris Stella Monteverdi

Alma Redemptoris Victoria

This year, Rorate Masses will also be taking place at Our Lady of Perpetual Succour in Wolverhampton every Thursday in Advent (6th, 13th and 20th December) at 7am. This is in addition to the weekly 6.30pm Friday Mass.

Directions to these churches are available in the sidebar.

NB This post has been amended to say there will be a Missa Cantata at 9am on the Feast of Blessed Antony Grassi (15th December). This replaces a Rorate Mass at 7.30am that was previously advertised here and in Mass of Ages.