Blog Archives - THE LATIN MASS SOCIETY IN WREXHAM

Lent Retreat

22/2/2015

Why not consider a short pilgrimage to Lancashire this Lent?

St Walburge's, Preston - a church now cared for by the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest, is hosting a Lenten Retreat, next Saturday (28th February).

The resident priest, Canon Francis Altiere ICKSP is an excellent orator. One is able to listen and learn from without him without becoming the slightest bit distracted. I am disappointed not to be able to be there!

Ember Week

22/2/2015

Elias is fed by an Angel before his fast of forty days.

Ember Wednesday, Friday and Saturday fall this week and are days of special fasting and abstinence to pray for those who may be ordained to the priesthood on the Ember Saturday and make reparation for sin. On the Ember Wednesday and Saturday meat is eaten only once with the main meal. The calendar has a half fish on those days, indicating this. No meat on Friday. No eating between meals. Juices, milk and other liquids may be consumed. On the Ember Days two small collations which together are a little less than one full meal and one full meal. Fasting for those between 21 and 59. Abstinence for those over 7 years of age. For the ill, no fasting.

Traditionally, on the Ember Wednesday and Saturday meat is eaten only once with the main meal. The calendar has a half fish on those days, indicating this. No meat on Friday. No eating between meals. Juices, milk and other liquids may be consumed. On the Ember Days two small collations which together are a little less than one full meal and one full meal. Fasting for those between 21 and 59. Abstinence for those over 7 years of age. For the ill, no fasting.

Ember week fasting and abstinence is to pray for those priests being ordained on the Ember Saturday. Prayers might also be offered for all priests, for seminarians as well.

First Sunday of Lent

21/2/2015

Not by bread alone does man live, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God" (Gospel). The Devil tempted Our Lord and attempted to snare Him through the bread of fleshly desire. "Now is the acceptable time" to "ration" our self-indulgence, our worship of physical culture (Epistle) and to feed our souls with the Divine Word. This temptation calls for mortification of self.

The "pinnacle of the temple" recalls the pride of usurping God's Power, of trying to live beyond His reach. We must topple ourselves from the pinnacle of pride and lift ourselves up by prayer to the pinnacle of God Himself. The "kingdoms of the world" represents those who covet mere earthly "glory." To offset this temptation there must be alms giving or devoting one's talents to the service of one's neighbour. The Epistle exhorts us not to receive "in vain" this plan of personal reformation, first by warning, then by encouraging us in the eternal struggle between Christ and Antichrist.

A Sung Mass will be held at St Winefride's Church, Well Street, Holywell on the First Sunday of Lent (22nd February) at 1130am

40 days and 40 nights .... Lent

17/2/2015

Jesus led by the Spirit into the desert, to be tempted by the devil. He had fasted forty days and forty nights

The Masses of the 40 days of Lent are possibly the oldest. The readings were intended to be instructive, laying out the essentials so to speak. Furthermore, the early Christians didn’t let catechumens (those undergoing instruction), view the whole picture.

The Mass is divided since antiquity into two parts: The Mass of the Catechumens and the Mass of the Faithful.

Catechumens departed from the Church after the first part of the Mass, which consisted of instruction in the readings and sermon. The Mystery of the Holy Eucharist was reserved to those who undertook Baptism, usually on Holy Saturday. Thus, a person had to prove he had the Faith and follow through by study, and be scrutinized by the priest and his fellow Christians, prior to being admitted to the sublime Mystery of the True Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ.

In at least one sermon, still existing today, St. Augustine reminded his flock one Sunday, after the Catechumens had departed, to carefully watch the aspirants and not to recommend another for Baptism who showed a lack of complete faith in Jesus and the Church or who might be sceptical regarding Her Doctrines.

Perhaps in these testing times the words of St. Augustine ought be read again! Furthermore, St. Paul said “Therefore, whosoever shall eat this bread and drink the chalice of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and of the blood of the Lord.”

St. Pius X restored the Masses of Lent to their proper place in the early part of last century. His reforms were printed in the 1920 edition of the Missale Romanum.

The Sundays of Lent were restored to their place, and he encouraged priests to say the Lenten Masses, appropriate to the Season of Lent, rather than the Masses of Saints which might have little relationship to the Season, by making them privileged.

The Lenten Masses were given precedence over the ordinary feast days of Saints falling during Lent in the 1962 Missale Romanum.

The only feasts of note now celebrated during Lent are St. Joseph, the Annunciation, both I Class feast days and St Matthias, a II Class feast.

Here in Wales we celebrate St David, also a I Class feast. But as popular as he may be, St Patrick is a commemoration only in England and Wales. Saints days of the III and IV Class are only commemorated in the Lenten Masses. Thus, the violet and penitential aspect of the Season of Lent is preserved.

Rules for Fasting and Abstinence

16/2/2015

Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, February 18, 2015. Canon Law of the Catholic Church concerning fasting and abstinence for Latin Rite Catholics states:

Can. 1249 - All members of the Christian faithful in their own way are bound to do penance in virtue of divine law; in order that all may be joined in a common observance of penance, penitential days are prescribed in which the Christian faithful in a special way pray, exercise works of piety and charity, and deny themselves by fulfilling their responsibilities more faithfully and especially by observing fast and abstinence according to the norm of the following canons.

Can. 1250 - All Fridays through the year and the time of Lent are penitential days and times throughout the universal Church. [Although no particular penance is prescribed by the Church (ref. Can. 1250), the old discipline of abstinence on all Fridays and of fasting on all weekdays of Lent may be maintained. If not, it must be replaced by some other form of penance.]

Can. 1251 - Abstinence from eating meat or another food according to the prescriptions of the conference of bishops is to be observed on Fridays throughout the year unless they are solemnities; abstinence and fast are to be observed on Ash Wednesday and on the Friday of the Passion of the Death of Our Lord Jesus Christ. [Whenever a solemnity (first class feast) falls on a Friday, abstinence is dispensed.]

Can. 1252 - All persons who have completed their fourteenth year are bound by the law of abstinence; all adults are bound by the law of fast up to the beginning of their sixtieth year. Nevertheless, pastors and parents are to see to it that minors who are not bound by the law of fast and abstinence are educated in an authentic sense of penance.

Can. 1253 - It is for the conference of bishops to determine more precisely the observance of fast and abstinence and to substitute in whole or in part for fast and abstinence other forms of penance, especially works of charity and exercises of piety.

In England & Wales, such days include Ash Wednesday and all Fridays.

Abstinence
The law of abstinence requires a Catholic 14 years of age until death to abstain from eating meat on Fridays in honour of the Passion of Jesus on Good Friday. Meat is considered to be the flesh and organs of mammals and fowl. Moral theologians have traditionally considered this also to forbid soups or gravies made from them. Salt and freshwater species of fish, amphibians, reptiles and shellfish are permitted, as are animal-derived products such as gelatin, butter, cheese and eggs, which do not have any meat taste.

Fasting
The law of fasting requires a Catholic from the 18th Birthday [Canon 97] to the 59th Birthday [i.e. the beginning of the 60th year, a year which will be completed on the 60th birthday] to reduce the amount of food eaten from normal. The Church defines this as one meal a day, and two smaller meals which if added together would not exceed the main meal in quantity. Such fasting is obligatory on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. The fast is broken by eating between meals and by drinks which could be considered food (milk shakes, but not milk). Alcoholic beverages do not break the fast; however, they seem contrary to the spirit of doing penance.

Those who are excused from fast or abstinence, besides those outside the age limits, those of unsound mind, the sick, the frail, pregnant or nursing women according to need for meat or nourishment, manual laborers according to need, guests at a meal who cannot excuse themselves without giving great offense or causing enmity and other situations of moral or physical impossibility to observe the penitential discipline.

LMS LATIN COURSE FOR ADULTS

16/2/2015

27 JULY TO 1 AUGUST 2015 (MONDAY TO SATURDAY)

INFORMATION AND HOW TO BOOK

This will be the 5th Residential Latin Course organised by the LMS and it is here in the Diocese of Wrexham yet again! The course will be held at:

The Franciscan Retreat Centre, Monastery Road, Pantasaph, Holywell, Flintshire, North Wales CH8 8PE

Registration is from 11.30am to 12.30pm on Monday, 27 July.

The course ends at lunch time on Saturday, 1 August (lunch is at 12.30pm).

It is close by the Wirral and not far from Chester. The closest railway station is Flint from where taxis are available. For full directions, if coming by car, see the Retreat Centre's website.

THE COURSE

The course is intensive, over six days, with accommodation close by in the St Winifrede’s Guest House in Holywell, which is run by the Bridgettine Sisters. The Latinists will be able to attend the daily Missa Cantata and sung Compline which are part of the St Catherine's Trust Summer School, which will be running simultaneously to the Latin course in another part of the Retreat Centre.

In addition to language teaching, the course participants will have talks on Gregorian Chant, the Latin liturgy, and Latin in Philosophy and poetry.

The Latin Mass Society’s Latin coursebook, ‘Simplicissimus’, is used as an aid in the course, and all participants are given a copy.

BOOKING INFORMATION

Discounts are available for paid-up LMS Members, full-time students, seminarians and priests (scroll down to book online). If you are not already an LMS member, you can join now and claim the appropriate discount off the price. The saving on the Latin course fee is greater than the annual membership fee for the LMS!

We also offer an option without accommodation (i.e. you can book your own B&B accommodation nearby).

You can also download a booking form to pay by cheque.

Single and shared rooms: single rooms are available, subject to a single room supplement. However, single rooms are fairly scarce and we are encouraging people, where possible, to share a twin room to help us fit everyone in! If booking a single room, please indicate whether, if required, you would be prepared to share instead. If you end up sharing, you will be refunded any single room supplement you've paid.

PRICES AND ONLINE BOOKING

Discounts for LMS members

Discounts for priests, seminarians and full-time students

Latin course and new membership combo

FULL PRICE OPTION:

Single room supplement: £70

DISCOUNTED RATE FOR LMS MEMBERS:

Single room supplement: £63

FOR CLERGY, SEMINARIANS AND F/T STUDENTS:

Single room supplement: £35

COMBINED RESIDENTIAL LATIN COURSE AND MEMBERSHIP PACKAGE:

Single room supplement: £63

Gregorian Chant Network Meeting

16/2/2015

The Gregorian Chant Network Meeting Saturday 14th March 2015 - St Wilfrid's Hall at the London Oratory, Brompton Road, London, SW7 2RP.

The Gregorian Chant Network (which is sponsored by the Latin Mass Society and other groups - notably the Ordinariate, the Schola Gregoriana of Cambridge, and the Newman Institute of Sacred Music) has announced their third meeting of chant directors, which for the first time will be open to all.

The meeting will be addressed by Dr Daniel Saulnier, former choirmaster at St Peter's Abbey, Solesmes, and one of the most influential chant experts in the world, and Giovanni Varelli, the Cambridge researcher who discovered the manuscript of the earliest written polyphonic music, which will be performed at the meeting.

The meeting includes lunch, for those who want it, and concludes with Vespers, followed by tea.

Programme (Subject to minor changes)

10.30
Registration

11.00
Talk by Dr Daniel Saulnier

Noon
Angelus and talk by Giovanni Varelli

1pm
Lunch

2.30pm
Joseph Shaw on the GCN

2.45-4pm
Rehearsal for Vespers with Dr Daniel Saulnier

4.15pm
Vespers in the Little Oratory

5pm
Tea

Prices: Directors of scholas and chant choirs which are members of the Gregorian Chant Network: £10 including lunch. Others: £10 without lunch; £25 including lunch.

Payment can be made here, or by cheque, made payable to "Latin Mass Society". In either case a Booking Form must be downloaded from here and returned to The Latin Mass Society.

Any group of singers singing Chant regularly in the context of the Catholic liturgy (in any rite or form of the Mass) can join the Gregorian Chant Network free of charge; email [email protected]

For more on the GCN, including a list of supporting organisations and member choirs, see http://gregorianchantnetwork.blogspot.co.uk/

Quinquagesima Sunday

14/2/2015

We are drawing to the end of the pre-Lent season of Septuagesima, the final Sunday is Quinquagesima, 50 days before Easter day.

Jesus said to him, "Receive thy sight, thy faith has saved thee." (Gospel). "We are going up to Jerusalem," city of His Great Sacrifice, during Lent.

His intimate followers were spiritually blind to the need of a Good Friday.

The Apostles were "angrily" trying to hold back one who wanted to "see" the need of Lenten penance - faith which lives by love; love for God and love for neighbour by true charity (Epistle).

St. Paul speaks of the necessity, the excellence and the nature of true charity. He says that all natural and supernatural gifts, all good works, even martyrdom, cannot save us if we have not charity; because love alone can render our works pleasing to God. Without charity, therefore, though ever so many prayers be recited, fasts observed, and good deeds performed, nothing will be acceptable to God, or merit eternal life.

Where there is love there is no labour. But if there is labour, it is loved. The Introit, Prayer and Gradual inspire us with confidence as we too "go up" with faith (Offertory) and charity (Communion).

Cardinal Burke to visit the region in March

10/2/2015

His Eminence, Raymond Leo, Cardinal Burke photographed with Monsignor Schmitz of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest during a visit to St Louis in 2011

UPDATED

His Eminence, Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke is visiting the area over the weekend of Friday 6th March , Saturday 7th March and Sunday 8th March.

Starting on Friday he will be giving an address on Marriage in Chester.

He will be speaking at the SPUC Youth Conference in Southport on Saturday, as detailed here.

Finally, on Sunday His Eminence will celebrate Mass as follows:

Pontifical Low Mass
Sunday 8th March 2014 at 1030am
Shrine Church of Ss Peter and Paul & Philomena Church
Atherton Street
New Brighton, Wirral, CH45 9LT

A Social follows Mass

The usual second Sunday Mass at Llay has been brought forward by one week to the 1st March in view of this special visit.

Requiescat in Pace

10/2/2015

Regretfully, I have to record that my colleague diocesan representative for East Anglia, Kevin Marshall passed away yesterday. Please remember him and his family in your prayers.

Kevin, who was 60, goes with the great accolade of having recently helped organise the first Extraordinary Form Mass in many a year, celebrated by a Diocesan Bishop in his own Cathedral at throne, Bishop Alan Hopes having celebrated the All Saints Day Mass at Norwich last November.

Requiescat in Pace.

Sexagesima Sunday

7/2/2015

The parable of the Sower

The Sexagesima Sunday Mass presents two dramatic pictures.

The Epistle is a vivid picture, moving in quick action over Europe and Asia, but above all, moving our soul to action as it describes the sacrifices of the convert Paul to preach the "word of God" despite persecutions from without and passions from within. Hence, in the Prayer we implore his aid "against all adversities."

The Gospel, so appropriate to the coming Springtime, pictures Jesus as a Sower, sowing seed, "the word of God," on three kinds of soils and souls. The Introit calls upon the Divine Sower not to cast us off but to prepare us for His Word which "we have heard." The Offertory beseeches the Divine Ear to "hear my words" for which we praise Him in the Gradual.

Low Mass for Sexagesima Sunday will be said at St Francis of Assisi, Llay Chain, Llay at 1230pm on Sunday 8th February.

Pilgrimage to Wrexham Cathedral

4/2/2015

Cathedral Church of Our Lady of Sorrows, (St. Mary's), Wrexham

In association with St Catherine's Trust, I am pleased to announce that there will be a pilgrimage to the Cathedral Church of Our Lady of Sorrows, Wrexham on Saturday 1st August.

High Mass at 11am will be followed by Benediction and Veneration of the relic of St Richard Gwyn (a patron of the Society) at 2pm. The Mass will be a votive of St Richard Gwyn.

The celebrant will be Dom Mark Daniel Kirby, prior of Silverstream, Co. Westmeath, Éire.

The Latin Mass Society are grateful to the Bishop of Wrexham, the Rt. Rev. Peter Brignall and Cathedral Dean, Father Simon Treloar, who has been very helpful.

Episcopal Conference delegates announced for 2015 Synod

2/2/2015

From the Vatican Information Service:

The Holy Father has ratified the appointment of the following prelates as members and substitutes, elected by their respective Episcopal Conferences, for the 14th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, which will take place in the Vatican from 4 to 25 October 2015 on the theme “The vocation and mission of the family in the Church and in the contemporary world”:

AFRICA

BURUNDI
Member: Bishop Gervais Bashimiyubusa, of Ngozi, president of the Episcopal Conference.
Substitute: Bishop Joachim Ntahondereye of Muyinga.

ETHIOPIA and ERITREA
Member: Bishop Tsegaye Keneni Derera, apostolic vicar of Soddo, Ethiopia.
Substitute: Bishop Markos Gebremedhin, C.M., apostolic vicar of Jimma-Bonga, Ethiopia.

GHANA
Member: Archbishop Gabriel Charles Palmer-Buckle, of Accra.
Substitute: Bishop Anthony Kwami Adanuty of Keta-katsi.

KENYA
Members: Cardinal John Njue, archbishop of Nairobi, president of the Episcopal Conference.
Bishop James Maria Wainaina Kungu of Muranga.
Substitute: Bishop Emanuel Barbara, O.F.M. Cap. of Malindi.

MADAGASCAR
Member: Bishop Desire Tsarahazana of Toamasina, president of the Episcopal Conference.
Substitute: Bishop Jean de Dieu Raoelison, auxiliary of Antananarivo.

RWANDA
Member: Bishop Antoine Kambanda of Kibungo.
Substitute: Bishop Smaragde Mbonyintege of Kabgayi, president of the Episcopal Conference.

AMERICA

ARGENTINA
Members: Bishop Pedro María Laxague, auxiliary of Bahia Blanca.
Archbishop Jose Maria Arancedo of Santa Fe de la Vera Cruz, president of the Episcopal Conference.
Cardinal Mario Aurelio Poli, archbishop of Buenos Aires.
Substitutes: Archbishop Andres Stanovnik, O.F.M. Cap. of Corrientes.
Archbishop Hector Ruben Aguer of La Plata.

CHILE
Members: Bishop Bernardo Miguel Bastres Florence, S.D.B. of Punta Arenas.
Cardinal Ricardo Ezzati Andrello, S.D.B., archbishop of Santiago de Chile, president of the Episcopal Conference.
Substitute: Bishop Cristian Contreras Villarroel of Melipilla, general secretary of the Episcopal Conference.

CUBA
Member: Archbishop Juan de la Caridad Garcia Rodriguez of Camaguey.
Substitute: Bishop Marcelo Arturo Gonzalez Amador of Santa Clara.

ECUADOR
Members: Archbishop Antonio Arregui Yarza of Guayaquil.
Archbishop Luis Gerardo Cabrera Herrera, O.F.M. of Cuenca.
Substitutes: Bishop Julio Parrilla Diaz of Riobamba.
Bishop Marcos Aurelio Perez Caicedo of Babahoyo, vice president of the Episcopal Conference.

HONDURAS
Member: Bishop Luis Sole Fa, C.M. of Trujillo.
Substitute: Bishop Angel Garachana Perez, C.M.F. of San Pedro Sula.

MEXICO
Members: Bishop Rodrigo Aguilar Martinez of Tehuacan.
Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera, archbishop of Mexico.
Bishop Francisco Javier Chavolla Ramos of Toluca.
Cardinal Francisco Robles Ortega, archbishop of Guadalajara, president of the Episcopal Conference.
Substitutes: Bishop Alfonso Gerardo Miranda Guardiola, auxiliary of Monterrey.
Bishop Jose Francisco Gonzalez Gonzalez of Campeche.

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Members: Archbishop Joseph Edward Kurtz of Louisville, president of the Episcopal Conference.
Archbishop Charles Joseph Chaput, O.F.M. Cap. of Philadelphia.
Cardinal Daniel N. Di Nardo, archbishop of Galveston-Houston, vice president of the Episcopal Conference.
Archbishop Jose Horacio Gomez of Los Angeles.
Substitutes: Bishop Blase J. Cupich of Spokane.
Archbishop Salvatore Joseph Cordileone of San Francisco.

URUGUAY
Member: Bishop Jaime Rafael Fuentes Martin of Minas.
Substitute:Bishop Rodolfo Pedro Wirz Kraemer of Maldonado-Punta del Este, president of the Episcopal Conference.

ASIA

PAKISTAN
Member: Bishop Joseph Arshad of Faisalabad.
Substitute: Archbishop Sebastian Francis Shaw of Lahore.

VIETNAM
Members: Archbishop Paul Bui Van Doc of Thanh-Pho Ho Chi Minh, Hochiminh Ville, president of the Episcopal Conference.
Bishop Joseph Dinh Duc Dao, auxiliary of Xuan Loc.
Substitute: Bishop Pierre Nguyen Van Kham of My Tho.

EUROPE

ALBANIA
Member: Bishop George Frendo, O.P. Auxiliary of Tirane-Durres.
Substitute: Bishop Ottavio Vitale, R.C.I. of Lezhe, Lesh.

AUSTRIA
Member: Bishop Benno Elbs of Feldkirch.
Substitute: Bishop Kalus Kung of Sankt Polten.

BOSNIA and HERZEGOVINA
Member: Bishop Tomo Vuksic, military ordinary of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Substitute: Bishop Marko Semren, O.F.M. auxiliary of Banja Luka.

FRANCE
Members: Archbishop Georges Pontier of Marseille, president of the Episcopal Conference.
Cardinal Andre Vingt-Trois, archbishop Paris.
Bishop Jean-Luc Brunin of Le Havre.
Bishop Jean-Paul James of Nantes.
Substitutes: Bishop Olivier de Germay of Ajaccio.
Bishop Bruno Feillet, auxiliary of Reims.

GREAT BRITAIN (ENGLAND AND WALES)
Members: Cardinal Vincent Gerard Nichols, archbishop of Westminster, president of the Episcopal Conference.
Bishop Peter John Haworth Doyle of Northampton.
Substitute: Bishop Philip Anthony Egan of Portsmouth.

GREECE
Member: Bishop Fragkiskos Papamanolis, O.F.M. Cap. emeritus of Syros, president of the Episcopal Conference.
Substitute: Archbishop Nikolaos Foskolos, emeritus of Athenai.

IRELAND
Members: Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin.
Archbishop Eamon Martin of Armagh, president of the Episcopal Conference.
Substitute: Archbishop Kieran O'Reilly, S.M.A. of Cashel.

LITHUANIA
Members: Cardinal Audrys Jouzas Backis, archbishop emeritus of Vilnius.
Substitute: Bishop Rimantas Norvila of Vilkaviskis.

NETHERLANDS
Member: Cardinal Willem Jacobus Eijk, archbishop of Utrecht.
Substitute: Bishop Johannes Wilhelmus Maria Liesen of Breda.

SPAIN
Members: Cardinal Ricardo Blazquez Perez, archbishop of Valladolid, president of the Episcopal Conference.
Bishop Mario Iceta Gavicagogeascoa of Bilbao.
Archbishop Carlos Osoro Sierra of Madrid.
Substitute: Bishop Juan Antonio Reig Pla of Alcala de Henares.

OCEANIA

AUSTRALIA
Members: Bishop Daniel Eugene Hurley of Darwin.
Archbishop Mark Benedict Coleridge of Brisbane.
Substitute: Archbishop Philip Edward Wilson of Adelaide.

NEW ZEALAND
Member: Bishop Charles Edward Drennan of Palmerston North.
Substitute: Cardinal John Atcherley Dew, archbishop of Wellington, president of the Episcopal Conference

The Vetus Ordo next weekend in Wrexham Diocese

1/2/2015

- Missa Cantata (Feast of St Romauld, Abbot) -
Saturday 7th February (First Saturday)
Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church
Jubilee Road
Buckley
CH7 2BF

Mass starts at 123opm

- Low Mass (Sexagesima Sunday) -
Sunday 8th February (Second Sunday)
St Francis of Assisi Catholic Church
Llay Chain
Llay LL12 0NT

Mass starts at 123opm