Well from all accounts it would seem that next Sunday’s celebration of Mass in the Extraordinary Form will be the last time that the Old Rite will be said at this church which opened for official worship on Sunday, 10 February 1901
It is my understanding that despite the best efforts of the formally established ‘stable group’ as per Summorum Pontificum, the future does not look good.
I am told that the ‘stable group’ have been led a bit of a merry dance.
Having initially received words of encouragement from the Archbishop, the Most Reverend Malcolm McMahon OP, they have become increasingly despondent as come the 23rd November, there is no suitably qualified priest identified to continue the EF provision at this beautiful church tucked away in Liverpool’s hinterland.
Whilst the group still retain a glimmer of hope, events and revelations are not going the right way especially since they have now learned that Fr. Wood’s successor is neither able nor wanting to learn to say the Traditional Mass. It looks quite bleak.
One could suggest that the whole situation has been contrived; someone else may say it is simply circumstance and then it could be argued that it is ignorance of the pastoral need to provide for good Catholic souls who prefer to express their worship to the Almighty in the way that was the norm for 400 years and which is perfectly licit.
I could write more, but I’ll refrain at this point, the situation is potentially retrievable and I don’t think conjecture and supposition will be helpful.
But as I write, Blackfen is about to repeat itself on Merseyside and it is all quite depressing.
St Jude : pray for us!