The Assumption of BVM 2026

The Obligation for the Solemnity of the Assumption has been transferred to Sunday 16th August this year, where the usual Masses at the Birmingham Oratory will take place (Low Mass at 7.30am, High Mass at 10.30am). However, Solemn Mass will also be celebrated at 11am on Saturday 15th August at both the Birmingham Oratory (Missa Cantata) and Our Lady of Perpetual Succour in Wolverhampton (High Mass).

The August Music List for the Birmingham Oratory including these Masses is available in the graphic.

St Philip Neri & Corpus Christi

 There are two midweek High Masses this week at the Birmingham Oratory. 

The first is on Monday 1st June for the transferred Patronal Feast of Philip Neri, with a drinks reception in the lower cloister hall afterwards. The second is on Thursday 4th June for Corpus Christi, which will include an indoor Eucharistic procession.

Both take place at 7.30pm and replace the usual 5.45pm Low Mass.

Ascension 2026

 Thursday is the Solemnity of the Ascension, a holy day of obligation in England and Wales. High Mass will be offered at the Birmingham Oratory at 7.30pm, replacing the usual 5.45pm Low Mass.

Holy Week and Easter Week Liturgies 2026

1962 Missal Masses for Holy Week and Easter at Our Lady of Perpetual Succour, Wolverhampton: 

30/3/26 Low Mass 6.30pm for Monday of Holy Week (n.b. 3/4/2026 Good Friday - No Mass)

5/4/26 Low Mass 8pm for Easter Sunday

6/4/26 High Mass 12 noon for Easter Monday

The Liturgies for Holy Week and Easter Week at the Birmingham Oratory are available in the graphic below or the calendar in the sidebar on the right hand side

St Joseph & the Annunciation

 High Mass will be celebrated at the Birmingham Oratory for the Solemnities of St Joseph (Thursday 19th March 2026) and the Annunciation (Wednesday 25th March 2026), taking place at 7.30pm and replacing the usual 5.45pm Low Mass. The music for these Masses is available below.

Ash Wednesday 2026

Music for Wednesday 18th February - Ash Wednesday 

 7.30pm High Mass, Birmingham Oratory (directions available in sidebar) 

 Emendemus in Melius - Orlando di Lassus 

 Missa Pater peccavi - Andrea Gabrieli 

 Exaltabo Te - Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina 

 Miserere mei - Gregorio Allegri

n.b. this replaces the 5.45pm Low Mass

Candlemas 2026

High Mass will be celebrated tomorrow (2nd February) at 7.30pm for Candlemas, replacing the usual 5.45pm Low Mass. The music will be as follows:

Lumen ad Revelationem - Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina 

Missa Ave maris stella - Tomás Luis de Victoria 

Diffusa est gratia - Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina 

Ave Maria - Tomás Luis de Victoria 

Herr Gott, nun schleuß den Himmel auf, BWV 617 - J. S. Bach

High Mass for Friday after the Epiphany

Weather permitting, a High Mass is planned to be celebrated on Friday 9th January 2026 at Our Lady of Perpetual Succour Church in Wolverhampton, replacing the usual 6.30pm Low Mass. Directions to the the church are available in the sidebar.

Epiphany 2026

High Mass will be offered tomorrow at the Birmingham Oratory at 7.30pm in place of the 5.45pm Low Mass. The music will be as follows:

Tuesday 6th January - The Epiphany 

7.30pm High Mass 

Missa Ecce Ego Johannes - Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina 

Orietur Stella - Felix Mendelssohn 

Omnes de Saba venient - Orlando di Lassus 

Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern - Dieterich Buxtehude

Christmas Masses 2025/26

Thursday 25th December 2025

The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ
Oratory 12 midnight High Mass

Oratory 7.30 a.m. Low Mass of Dawn

Wolverhampton (OLPS*) 8 a.m. Low Mass of Dawn
Oratory 10.30 a.m. High Mass of the Day

Friday 26th December 2025 to Saturday 27th December 2025

Oratory 9.00 a.m. Low Mass (no Mass at 5.45pm on Friday)

n.b. No Mass at Our Lady of Perpetual Succour on Friday 26th December

Sunday 28th December 2025

Octave Day of Christmas

Oratory 7.30 a.m. Low Mass
Oratory 10.30 a.m. High Mass

Monday 29th December 2025 to Wednesday 31st December 2025

Oratory 9.00 a.m. Low Mass (no Mass at 5.45pm)

Thursday 1st January 2026
Oratory 12.00 midday High Mass (no Mass at 5.45pm)

Normal service resumes from Tuesday 2nd January 2026

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

Directions to the Oratory and Our Lady of Perpetual Succour are available in the sidebar

I wish all readers of this blog a very happy and holy Christmas and New Year!

Immaculate Conception and Rorate Masses

The Birmingham Oratory will offer High Mass tonight, Monday 8th December, at 7.30pm for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, replacing the usual 5.45pm Low Mass. During Advent, Rorate Masses are taking place at 7.30am on Saturday mornings at the Birmingham Oratory, and at 7am at Our Lady of Perpetual Succour in Wolverhampton. I believe St Mary's Catholic Church in Brewood is offering Rorate Masses every Tuesday at 7am during Advent, with breakfast served afterwards.

All Hallowtide 2025

All Saints will be celebrated at the Birmingham Oratory on both Saturday and Sunday. The celebration at 12 noon on Saturday will be particularly special because it will take place after founder St John Henry Cardinal Newman has been declared at Doctor of the Church in Rome on the same day.

A High Mass of Requiem will be celebrated at 19.30 on Monday 3rd November at the Birmingham Oratory. Wolverhampton will similarly celebrated a Sung Mass at 12 noon on the same day.

The November Music list for the Oratory is available below.

Feast of St John Henry Cardinal Newman 2025

The final Feast Day of St John Henry Cardinal Newman before he is made a Doctor of the Church on All Saints Day (when High Mass will be celebrated at 12 noon followed by Te Deum in thanksgiving) will be celebrated with High Mass at 7.30pm on Thursday 9th October at the Birmingham Oratory, replacing the usual 5.45pm Low Mass. The details of the music at the Mass are detailed in the poster below.

The Assumption of the BVM 2025

 The Solemnity of the Assumption falls on a Friday this year: as a holy day of obligation, the usual Friday Low Mass at Our Lady of Perpetual Succour in Wolverhampton has been switched to Thursday (the Vigil of the Assumption) at the same time of 6.30pm. High Mass will be offered at the Birmingham Oratory at 7.30pm on Friday in place of the usual 5.45pm Low Mass. Directions to these churches are available in the sidebar.

The Oratory Music List for August, including the Music for the Mass on Friday, is available in the graphic below.

The Transfiguration of Our Lord Jesus Christ

High Mass will be offered for the Transfiguration of Our Lord on Wednesday 6th August at Our Lady of Perpetual Succour in Wolverhampton at 7.30pm. Directions are available in the sidebar.

Additional High Masses at the Birmingham Oratory

The Birmingham Oratory will offer High Mass tonight (Thursday 19th June) on the Traditional date of Corpus Christi. Please note there will also be High Masses Wednesday 25th June and Friday 27th June to open and close the Qurant'ore devotion, the latter on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart. All of these Masses replace the usual 5.45pm daily Low Mass.

Please note that due to the annual Novena in honour of the Patronal Feast of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour, there will be no Mass on Friday in Wolverhampton: it is instead transferred to 8am on Saturday morning

High Mass on the Friday during the Octave of Pentecost

There will be a High Mass at Our Lady of Perpetual Succour tomorrow on the Friday during the Octave of Pentecost. More details are available in the poster below; directions to the church are available in the sidebar.

St Philip Neri and the Ascension

 I did not get a chance to advertise it in time but the Spring Bank Holiday this year fell on the Birmingham Oratory Patronal Feast of St Philip Neri where High Mass was celebrated at 11am on 26th May. Thursday saw High Mass celebrated for the Solemnity of the Ascension, marking 40 days since the resurrection and the beginning of the Pentecost Novena.

Below is a record of the music list used in these Masses and the Masses during May.

Missa pro Eligendo Summo Pontifice

I heard about the death of Pope Francis just as I left the 9am Low Mass at the Birmingham Oratory on Easter Monday.

Ahead of the conclave tomorrow, there will be a High Mass at the Birmingham Oratory tonight at 7.30 pro Eligendo Summo Pontifice, replacing the usual 5.45pm High Mass.

May God grant us a Holy Pope.

Holy Week and Easter 2025

Below is the Holy Week and Easter schedule at the Birmingham Oratory. Please note there will also be a Low Mass at 8am at Our Lady of Perpetual Succour in Wolverhampton on Easter Day.