November Monday Evening Requiem Masses at the Birmingham Oratory

Just like last year, a Requiem Mass will be held at 6pm on Monday evenings at the Birmingham Oratory followed by Sung Vespers for the Dead: the picture on the left is one of these Masses celebrated last year.

You may also be interested in attending the ordination of Br Francis of the Oratory by former Birmingham Oratorian Bishop Robert Byrne, which will take place on Friday 5th December 2014, probably in the evening with first Masses on Saturday and Sunday. I will update this post when I have further information.

Oratory All Saints and All Souls Masses

Picture courtesy of the Birmingham Oratory Gallery

Birmingham Oratory Masses

Sat 1st November (All Saints) - 9.30am Sung Mass

Sun 2nd November (External Solemnity of All Saints) 10.30am High Mass

Mon 3rd November (All Souls) 7pm High Mass

There may be some more Masses available on All Souls - please contact the Birmingham Oratory for further details.

Please note that the regular monthly first Monday Mass at Redditch has been cancelled this week (3rd November).

New Last Friday Solihull Mass

St Augustine (source: Church website)

If you closely watch the calendar in the sidebar or follow the Facebook page of the local branch of the LMS, you will notice that there will be a new Extraordinary Form Mass in the area on the last Friday of the month at St Augustines in Solihull Town centre. The celebrant will be Fr Daniel Horgan, ably assisted by Kevin O'Connor who also serves the Maryvale Mass on 2nd Wednesdays. This is a most welcome development for two reasons, namely that we have lost the weekly Friday Mass at St John Fisher since the departure of Fr George, and that it is the first regular Mass in the East Birmingham Deanery. Please support this Mass if you are able to do so and publicise it to anyone who might be interested.

Details:

6.30pm Last Friday of the month (first Mass 31st October)

St Augustine's Catholic Church
1, Herbert Road
Solihull,
West Midlands,
B91 3QE

Last West Heath Mass this Friday

Fr George preaching at the High Mass for St John Fisher (2014)

Fr George Grynowski will be leaving St John Fisher in West Heath this weekend and celebrating his last Mass in the Extraordinary Form there this Friday and the regular time of 6.30pm. This will be the last Extraordinary Form Mass there for the time being: two priests from Cameroon will be taking over the running of the parish while studying at Maryvale, and closer links will be forged between St John Fisher, Our Lady and St Brigid in Northfield and Our Lady of Perpetual Succour in Rednal. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Fr George for his provision of the Extraordinary Form in this parish. In addition to the weekly Friday Mass, which started life as a monthly first Friday celebration at 7pm, the parish was also famed for the only regular (annual) Extraordinary Form High Mass to be held outside the Oratory in the region, which took place on the old date of the Feast of SS John Fisher and Thomas More. The picture in this post is of Fr George preaching at the most recent such  celebration earlier this year; more photos are available here. Even though he seems too young, Fr George will be retiring from active ministry but hopefully we will still see him celebrate the odd EF Mass, particularly at Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Redditch which he will continue to celebrate on the first Monday of every month, with the exception of the coming Monday in October where the Mass has been cancelled.

Forty Hours' Devotion High Mass of Exposition

High Mass of Exposition, Forty Hours' Devotion 2013

The Birmingham Oratory will be holding its annual Forty Hours' Devotion starting on Tuesday 30th September with an EF High Mass of Exposition at 7pm. There will be a Holy Hour and Compline the next day at 8pm and 9pm respectively, and it will end with Solemn Vespers, Procession, Benediction and Reposition at 7pm on Thursday 2nd October 2014. The photo above is from the High Mass of Exposition in 2013.

Departures and the Future of the Maryvale Mass

Fr Paul Lester and server Kevin O'Connor

I am delighted to announce that, despite the departure of Fr Paul Lester to Hethe in Oxfordshire on 10th September, the parish priest of Christ the King in Kingstanding, Fr Eamonn Corduff, will be taking over the celebration of the 2nd Wednesday Maryvale Mass for the foreseeable future. His first Mass will be on the same day as Fr Paul's departure, this Wednesday 10th September at 7pm. This will be Fr Eamonn's first celebration of the Extraordinary Form and he will be ably assisted by veteran server Kevin O'Connor, so if you are able to support them this Wednesday please do your best to attend.

In other news, Fr George's departure from St John Fisher in West Heath has been confirmed: his final weekend will be on the 4/5 October. I will post on the future of the Friday Masses at West Heath and first Monday Masses at Redditch as soon as I have any further information - however I can confirm there will be no Mass in Redditch on the first Monday in October (the 6th). Please also pray for the two Redditch servers, Joshua Crunden and Mateusz Bugno, who both entered seminary this September at Oscott and in Poland respectively.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Fr Paul for bringing the Extraordinary Mass to Maryvale, Fr Eamonn for agreeing to take it over, and our servers Kevin, Joshua and Mateusz for their assistance in helping priests offer a worthy celebration of the Mass. I am sure they will all remain in your prayers.

High Mass Photos and Late August 2014 Mass News

Elevation at High Mass, St John Fisher 9th July 2014

If you keep up with the newsletter, you may have been aware that there was a Low Mass in the Extraordinary Form at the Birmingham Oratory at 9am on Bank Holiday Monday. However, there will be no Mass at Halesowen or West Heath this week. Normal service will resume at both next week.

I am pleased to announce there will be Mass at Maryvale on the 10th September and I am hopeful that the 2nd Wednesday Mass there will continue despite Fr Paul Lester's imminent departure to Heathe in Oxfordshire.

Finally, Matthew Doyle has uploaded the photos of the West Heath High Mass that took place on the Old Rite Feast of Ss John Fisher and Thomas More. They are available here.

Positio 4: Liturgical Orientation

If you have ever been asked why, in the Extraordinary Form, the priest celebrates Mass with his back to the people, perhaps you could forward the following video:

Friday Masses for the Feast of the Assumption

Low Mass
6.30 pm St John Fisher,
1 Cofton Road, West Heath, BIRMINGHAM B31 3QT

High Mass
7.00 pm Birmingham Oratory, 141 Hagley Road, Edgbaston, BIRMINGHAM followed by Torchlight Procession of Our Lady

See sidebar for directions.

The regular 6.30 pm Mass at Our Lady of Perpetual Succour in Wolverhampton will not be taking place on Friday but there will be a Mass at 7.00 pm on Thursday 14th August instead for the Vigil of the Assumption of the BVM.

First World War Anniversary

From the Our Lady of Perpetual Succour Newsletter (Cannock Road, Wolverhampton WV10 8PG):

First World War Anniversaries

28th July, 1914 – the first shots of the war were fired when between the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Serbia.

4th August, 1914 – the British Empire entered the War.

To mark this centenary, there will be a Mass of Requiem in Our Lady’s Church on Monday, 28th July, at 7 p.m.  (This Mass will be offered in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, the form used on both sides of the conflict, both in the churches and the trenches).

Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Christians of the Middle East

If you, like me, are concerned about the events in Mosul, where the presence of Christians my be coming to an end after 1600 years, remember that there is plenty we can do about it, not least fast, prayer and sacrifice. Dr Joseph Shaw has provided some useful prayers in Latin on his blog which I reproduce here:

1.

Graciously hear the prayers of Thy Church, we beseech Thee, O Lord: that her enemies and all heresies be brought to nought, and that she may serve Thee in perfect security and freedom. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Ecclesiae tuae, quaesumus, Domine, preces placatus admitte: ut, destructis adversitatibus er erroribus universis, secura tibi serviat libertate. Per Christum Dominium nostrum. Amen.

2.

That Thou wouldst vouchsafe to bring low the enemies of holy Church, we beseech Thee to hear us.

Ut inimicos sanctae Ecclesiae humiliare digneris, te rogamus, audi nos.

3.

Almighty, everlasting God, look with compassion on all those who suffer persecution for justice’ sake.
     Grant them grace to carry their cross with patience in the name of Thy beloved Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
     Let the chalice pass from them is such by Thy holy Will: yet, in all things, may Thy Will be done.
     Grant to those who persecute, light to see the truth, and the grace of mercy and forgiveness, for they know not what they do.
     Mary, Mother of Jesus, Comfort of the Afflicted, help thy children in their time of bitter trial.

O Lord our God, by the sign of Thy holy cross deliver us from our enemies.

4.

O God, our refuge and our strength, look down in mercy on thy people who cry to thee; and by the intercession of the glorious and immaculate Virgin Mary, Mother of God, of St Joseph her spouse, of thy blessed apostles Peter and Paul, and of all the saints, in mercy and goodness hear our prayers for the conversion of sinners, and for the liberty and exaltation of our holy Mother the Church. Through the same Christ our Lord.
R: Amen.

Deus, refúgium nostrum et virtus, pópulum ad te clamántem propítius réspice; et intercedénte gloriósa et immaculáta Virgine Dei Genetríce María, cum beáto Ioseph, eius Sponso, ac beátis Apóstolis tuis Petro et Paulo, et ómnibus Sanctis, quas pro conversióne peccatórum, pro libertáte et exaltatióne sanctæ Matris Ecclésiæ, preces effúndimus, miséricors et benígnus exáudi. Per eúndem Christum Dóminum nostrum.
R: Amen.

 5.

Prayer to Our Lady Help of Christians.

Virgin most powerful, loving helper of the Christian people, how great thanks do we not owe thee for the assistance thou didst give our fathers, who, when they were threatened by the Turkish infidels, invoked thy maternal help by the devout recitation of thy Rosary! From heaven thou didst see their deadly peril; thou didst hear their voices imploring thy compassion; and their humble prayers, enjoined by the great Pope, Saint Pius the Fifth, were acceptable unto thee, and thou camest quickly to deliver them. Grant, dear Mother, that in like manner the prolonged sighs of the holy Bride of Christ in these our days may come to thy throne and engage thy pity; do thou, moved anew to compassion for her, rise once again to deliver her from the many foes who encompass her on every side.

Even now from the four quarters of the earth there arises to thy throne that lovéd prayer, to win thy mercy in these troublous times even as of old. Unhappily our sins hinder, or at least retard, its effect. Wherefore, dear Mother, obtain for us true sorrow for our sins and a firm resolution to face death itself rather than return to our former iniquities; we are sore distressed that, through our fault, thy help, of which we stand in such extreme need, should be denied or come too late.

Rise, then, O Mary, incline thyself to hear the prayers of the whole Catholic world, and beat flat to the ground the pride of those wretched men, who in their insolence blaspheme Almighty God and would destroy His Church, against which, according to the infallible words of Christ, the gates of hell shall never prevail. Let it be seen once more that when thou dost arise to protect the Church, her victory is sure. Amen. 

The FSSP have called for the 1st August, the Feast of St Peter in Chains, to be a day of prayer and supplication for the persecuted Christians of the Middle East. Perhaps you could spend an hour in adoration or attend Holy Mass on that day. If you are unable to persuade your parish priest to hold a special event, perhaps you could attend one of the following: Our Lady of Perpetual Succour in Wolverhampton has Adoration and Benediction at 5.30pm followed by Mass at 6.30pm. There are also EF Masses at the Oratory and St John Fisher at 6pm and 6.30pm in addition to the numerous Ordinary Form Masses available throughout the region on Friday. St Dunstan's in Kings Heath and St Francis in Handsworth have adoration between 8am and 10pm when Mass is not being celebrated. Please feel free to add events in the region to the comments whatever your theological Catholic bent.

French Football Team Train Ad Orientem!

The following was filmed during the World Cup. Is traditionalism having its effect on football?



Brick by brick...

St John Fisher Annual High Mass

Fr George Grynowski will be offering Solemn High Mass for the great Feast of St John Fisher & St Thomas More; the Patron of his West Heath parish. Please make every effort to support this event!

St John Fisher RC Church
West Heath, Birmingham
Wednesday, 9th July 2014 at 7pm

Fr George Grynowski would like to welcome everyone to a Solemn High Mass in the Extraordinary Use of the Roman Rite at his Parish Church in West Heath, South Birmingham, for its Patronal feast (which differs in the old calender and therefore gives his parishioners the chance to celebrate it twice!

This may indeed be the last chance to attend a High Mass at St John Fisher because Fr George will be moving on from his role as parish priest here in the Autumn so do make every effort to support this Mass, which is currently the only High Mass in the region to take place in a regular parish church. There will also be a Low Mass celebrated by Fr Paul Lester at the Maryvale Institute chapel on the same night at 7pm if you live in the north of the city; this is a Mass which may not continue after August so please support it if you are wish to see the Mass continue to be celebrated in this location.

Directions to St John Fisher, West Heath
1 Cofton Road,
West Heath
Birmingham
West Midlands
B31 3QT

Birmingham and Worcestershire Mass and Pilgrimage News

Updates on Masses in the Birmingham and Black Country and Worcestershire areas from July onwards:

1) Masses at Halesowen will continue weekly at 12 noon on Wednesday's except for the following dates: there will be no Mass on 9th July and 27th August and Mass on 6th August will be at 8.00am. If you are planning to attend please ring in advance (number available in the sidebar) because Masses are subject to late changes.

Side Altar prepared for Low Mass at Halesown

2) The First Monday Mass at Redditch in July has been cancelled because it is parish retreat week to prepare for the consecration of the church later in July. Please keep the parish in you prayers at this important time

3) The weekly Spetchley Low Masses outlined in the last post now take place at their new time of 10.45am, not 11am as previously stated. There will be no Mass on 10th and 17th August and 14 and 21st of September.

4) There will be a High Mass for the Old Rite Feast of St John Fisher and St Thomas More at 7pm on 9th July in West Heath. I will post further details about this separately.

I am also now taking bookings for the pilgrimage to the Dome of Home in New Brighton, Wirral. The coach will leave the Birmingham Oratory at 7.45am and return by 6.30pm. The cost is £20 - £15 for LMS members/ students/ unwaged. You can book by leaving a comment on the webpage (it won't be published - please leave contact details), or by phoning 07855 723455. Alternatively my contact details are available on the LMS website or in Mass of Ages. The itinerary of the day is as follows:

Saturday 2nd August

11.30am Solemn Mass

1pm break for lunch

1.45 Talk

2.30 Tour of the Shrine

3.00 Benediction

and Veneration of a Relic of St Philomena

Please book as soon as possible to avoid disappointment - I have had many enquiries about this already.

I plan to write to all local LMS members about this soon.

Corpus Christi and Spetchley Park

As usual, there will be a High Mass on the traditional Thursday date (this year 19th June 2014) for Corpus Christi at the Birmingham Oratory as well as an external celebration of the Solemnity at the 10.30 EF High Mass on Sunday.

Alternatively, in neighbouring Worcestershire, there will be a Missa Cantata and procession from the Catholic chapel in Spetchley Park to the nearby disused medieval church. A report from last year is available at the following link:

http://birmingham-lms-rep.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/corpus-christi-sunday-in-spetchley.html

Spetchley Park Corpus Christi Procession 2013

After Mass at 11am there will be the opportunity to have a picnic in the beautiful grounds. It normally costs £6.50 to enter Spetchley Park gardens so this is an opportunity to fulfill your Sunday obligation with and Extraordinary Form Mass, have a lovely day out and save money all at the same time!

Spetchley Park House and Gardens

Spetchley Park now has a Low Mass every Sunday at 11am. There will, however, be no Mass on the 10th and 17th of August, and the 14th and 21st of September.

The Kiss of Peace and Pentecost

The Kiss of Peace during the Milton Manor High Mass

In the Gospel for Pentecost today we hear the words: "Pacem relinquo vobis, pacem meam do vobis: non quomodo mundus dat, ego do vobis". Perhaps it was with these words ringing in his mind that Dr Joseph Shaw launched Position Paper 19 on the Kiss of Peace which is well worth a read and explains why the sign of peace appears at this point in the Mass, which does seem particularly odd in the Novus Ordo.

The picture above show me receiving the Pax Tecum from the Master of Ceremonies at the Milton Manor High Mass last weekend. A report is available on the Chairman's blog here.

The Birmingham Oratory will be holding two extra Masses for the Octave of Pentecost on Monday and Tuesday at 6pm.  Including the Maryvale Mass this Wednesday at 7pm, it means that Thursday will be the only day it is not possible to attend an Extraordinary Form Mass during the Octave of Pentecost in the Birmingham and Black Country region.

St Philip Neri, the Ascension and Mass News

The relics of St Philip Neri in front of the sanctuary (credit : Birmingham Oratory)

There was an extra EF Low Mass on Bank Holiday Monday this week at 9.30am before the Novus Ordo High Mass for the Feast of St Philip Neri at 11am. It was the first Novus Ordo High Mass I had attended in a while (the majority of High Masses at the Birmingham Oratory are now in the Extraordinary Form) and I must confess that for the first time I found it rather disjointed due to the way things have to be done sequentially - for example, the Canon of the Mass is spoken out loud so the Sanctus and the Agnus Dei have to be completed by the choir before the celebrant can proceed. By pure coincidence, Rorate Caeli's report on the first Traditional High Mass at Birmingham Cathedral in several decades also included a report of the first Traditional Masses held in Split, Croatia in several decades at a Church whose patron is St Philip Neri!

This Thursday is the traditional day of the Feast of the Ascension. There will be a High Mass at the Birmingham Oratory beginning at 7pm.

There will be no Friday Mass at St John Fisher in West Heath this Friday (30th May 2014). The Masses at the Oratory and Our Lady of Perpetual Succour in Wolverhampton are available as alternatives.

I believe there will be a Mass in Redditch on the coming Monday (2nd June 2014).

Looking further ahead, Fr Paul Lester has confirmed that there will be a Low Mass on the 2nd Wednesday of June (11th June) in the Maryvale chapel. Directions for all these Masses are available in the sidebar.

St Chad's High Mass Report

  It was pretty spectacular.

 The setting was exquisite. Even though we only had two in the choir, the music was beautiful.

We did not have Benediction in the afternoon in the end, but had some devotions finishing with the 3 O'Clock divine mercy prayer.

More pictures of the Mass are available here (courtesy of Matthew Doyle).

The Wrexham LMS rep Kevin Jones has written a report of his day here.

St Chad's Cathedral Pilgrimage

Fr Chavasse celebrating Low Mass at St Chad's Cathedral in 2008

This Saturday (17th May 2014) the Latin Mass Society will be making a pilgrimage to St Chad's Cathedral. High Mass in the Extraordinary Form will be at noon, and there will be devotions in the afternoon finishing with Benediction at 3pm. Music will include Gregorian propers, Missa De Angelis for the ordinary, Ecce Panis Angelorum (Portuguese melody) at the offertory, Gounod O Salutaris after the elevation and Mozart Ave Verum. Bring your own lunch.

Unfortunately this clashes with the visit of Bishop Athanasius Schneider who will be leading the pilgrimage to West Grinstead in Sussex on the same day. I do hope those who are unable to go to Sussex will consider coming to St Chad's, one of only two minor basilicas in England (the other is Downside Abbey). For those interested, we will be celebrating a Class II Votive Mass: this is the nearest Saturday to the Feast of the Translation of the Relics of St Chad which takes place on the 4th Tuesday after Easter in the 1962 Calendar. We will be having a collection for the Cathedral which unsurprisingly is expensive to run - I do hope that those who are able to attend will donate generously, if possible using the gift aid envelopes that are available at the back of the church.

More photographs from previous EF Masses held at St Chad's are available here.

LMS York Pilgrimage 2014

Unfotunately, this clashed with the Birmingham and Black Country Lenten Morning of Prayer and Recollection this year but I was lucky enough to go few years ago when Mass was held in York Minster. The success of this pilgrimage may well have played a part in Bishop Drainey inviting Fr Richard Duffield to York to set up what will hopefully be the fifth English Oratory after Birmingham, London, Oxford and Manchester.