Blog Archives - THE LATIN MASS SOCIETY IN WREXHAM

50 not out supporting the Traditional Mass and our Catholic Heritage - now support us!

26/4/2015

LMS Anniversary Supporters’ Appeal 1965-2015
Fifty years of campaigning for the Traditional Mass

Next year, the Latin Mass Society celebrates its half-centenary.

Over the past fifty years, the LMS has been a constant voice campaigning for the preservation and promotion of the Traditional Mass. In recent times we have seen a number of breakthroughs, but there is a great deal of work still to be done before the Old Rite is freely available for all Catholics, as Pope Benedict desired.

The Latin Mass does not just appear by itself in parishes—it is the result of continual work by supporters of the Old Rite. The Latin Mass Society is the only lay organisation in this country campaigning for the Traditional Mass, and we cannot continue our work without support from you.

Helping our campaigning work to grow

That is why we are launching a new scheme to ensure the continued expansion of the Society’s work. To provide a predictable income for the Society for our new and existing projects, we are calling on our supporters to consider making regular donations of a few pounds a month.

We have set ourselves a target of ‘Anniversary Supporters’ as follows:

200 people to commit to giving an extra £2.50 a month

100 people an extra £5 a month

50 people an extra £10 a month

Never have the prospects for the traditional movement in England and Wales been more positive. Never has the Latin Mass Society been more active.

Please support our transition to the next fifty years of our work. Thank you.

How to donate

Please click on the appropriate 'Subscribe' button below to show your support for our continuing and growing work.

Alternatively, please fill in the Direct Debit Form and return it to:

LMS, 11-13 Macklin Street, London WC2B 5NH

Sign up here to help us continue our work for the Traditional Mass:

Anniversary Supporter £2.50 a month

Anniversary Supporter £5.00 a month

Anniversary Supporter £10 a month

Mass for the III Sunday after Easter at Holywell

24/4/2015

St Winefride's, Holywell - venue of the 4th Sunday Mass in the Traditional Rite

Mass in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite

This Sunday - 26 April
11.30am

Roman Catholic Church of St Winefride
Well Street
Holywell
CH8 7PL

All most welcome!

11th Priest & Server Training Conference provides great witness to the enthusiasm for the Traditional Rite

23/4/2015

Many attended the latest LMS Priest and Server Training Conference [Photo: Dr. Joseph Shaw]

The LMS holds an annual course for clergy and servers which is never short of attendees and provides witness to the fact that the interest in the Traditional Roman Rite has not dwindled. In its eleventh year, 2015 was no different.

Many Priests and deacons attended the course at Prior Park College, Bath during Low Week, to learn how to say the Traditional Mass. Many servers also attended to fine tune and develop their own skills [yours truly should take note].

I am told that a priest flew 4,000 miles from his Carribean island parish. Others came from Poland, Ireland and across the UK.

Practice was facilitated around side-altars in the college’s stunning Grade 1-listed chapel and musical support was on hand with a specially assembled choir and schola.

Conference organiser and my fellow committee member Paul Waddington said: “Prior Park has proved an excellent venue because of the very beautiful chapel and the number of side chapels we’ve been able to use for practice.

Did you know?

22/4/2015

Q: Where does the familiar "do re mi" musical terminology come from?

A: The Traditional Latin Rite!

They are the first syllables of the stanzas of the Vespers hymn of the feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist (June 24th).

Ut queant laxis
resonare fibris
Mira gestorum
famuli tuorum
Solve polluti
labii reatum
Sancte Ioannes.

Later, Do was exchanged for Ut and Ti was added as the named of the 7th tone. Guido of Arezzo (990-1050) chose the hymn to name the musical notes.

Good Shepherd Sunday - II after Easter

18/4/2015

“I am the Good Shepherd... I lay down My life for My sheep...but the hireling flees because he is a hireling, and has no concern for the sheep” (Gospel). Jesus organised the visible Church along the lines of a sheepfold. St. Peter, first shepherd of the visible Church, depicts Jesus as the invisible “ Shepherd . . . of your souls” (Epistle).

He tenderly remembers all that Jesus suffered for us “sheep going astray.” On catacomb walls, early Christians delighted to draw pictures and to write explanations of the perfect understanding and love between the Good Shepherd and His sheep, such as that which exists between the “Father” and “Me.” We are not only fed through the visible guidance of His Church, but also through the invisible grace of the Sacraments, especially “in the breaking of bread” (Alleluia verse).

This Week:

Monday, 20 April: No Feast falls today, and a Votive Mass may be said or the Mass of the prior
Sunday.

Tuesday, 21 April: Although born in Italy, St. Anselm E. C. D., was a Benedictine who ended up defending the liberty of the Church in the late X Century against the English King, William Rufus, while stating “nothing in this world is dearer to Christ than the freedom of His Church.”

Wednesday 22 April: Feast of Popes and Martyrs, SS Soter and Caius. St. Soter was Pope for about 10 years beginning in 166 and was martyred under Marcus Arelius. St. Caius died in 296, served during a period of relative peace as Holy Father.

Thursday 23 April: Feast Day of St. George M., Patron of England since 800, a Roman soldier who was martyred under Diocletian in about 304. He is Patron of Armies in both the Eastern and Western Churches and is one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers invoked for herpetic eye diseases. St. George is often pictured slaying the dragon.

Friday 24 April: St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen M. is honored in the Mass today. A Swabian of the XVI Century, he was a Capuchin Friar, known, to love the poor, stabbed to death in Switzerland by Protestant soldiers who feared his conversions.

Today, is Anniversary of Coronation of Pope Benedict XVI.

Saturday 25th April: The Greater Litanies and Feast of St. Mark falls today.

Who is able to carry out the role of Sub deacon at a Solemn High Mass?

17/4/2015

With due credit to Rorate Cæli who posted the below item on their blog:

"Straw" subdeacon PCED letter One of the challenges concerning the traditional Latin Mass in modern times is how to reconcile 1962 rubrics and disciplines with current law. Often times it can be like fitting a square peg into a round hole, but #28 of the instruction Universae Ecclesiae establishes a general principle: "Furthermore, by virtue of its character of special law, within its own area, the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum derogates from those provisions of law, connected with the sacred Rites, promulgated from 1962 onwards and incompatible with the rubrics of the liturgical books in effect in 1962."

The role of subdeacon at a Missa Solemnis is certainly to be included in the short list of frequently asked questions by priests and organizers of Solemn High Masses.

Who can serve as subdeacon without the ritual differences required of a "straw" subdeacon? That is an easy one -- priests, deacons and subdeacons.

Who can serve as a "straw" subdeacon? That is a more difficult question, although it has been addressed by the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei (PCED) on several occasions. The answer seems to be: 1) most seminarians; and 2) instituted acolytes (the rare case of a bishop instituting a non-seminarian layman as an acolyte). The differences between an ordained subdeacon and a "straw" subdeacon are that the "straw" subdeacon does not wear the maniple; he does not pour the water into the chalice at the offertory, but must let the deacon do so; he must not touch the chalice infra actionem, nor cover it with the pall, nor uncover it; and after the communion he does not purify the chalice, as the celebrant must purify it, after which the "straw" subdeacon covers it with the veil and burse and carries it to the side table.

The seminarian answer was clarified in November 2012 to include any (diocesan or otherwise) seminarian who wears clerical clothing (basically, the equivalent of a tonsured seminarian). See here for that letter.

A month after that question was answered, a follow-up to PCED was made on the issue of laymen who are not seminarians. In a letter, the exact question was: "May a layman who is not a seminarian serve as a subdeacon at a Solemn High Mass?"

Rorate now shares with you the response, which has not been previously released, stating "the function of Subdeacon can be legitimately assumed by an acolyte suitably instituted by a Bishop, but with the particular ritual differences."

PCED has carefully attempted to "limit itself to saying" its above answer, but it clearly did not state any layman could serve as a "straw" subdeacon, which was the question posed to PCED. Looking at PCED's most recent decisions on the issue of "straw" subdeacons, its November 2012 decision states seminarians could serve as "straw" subdeacons, and its April 2013 decision states instituted acolytes could serve as "straw" subdeacons.

Given those answers, it would seem the only legitimate "straw" subdeacons at a Solemn High Mass are seminarians and instituted acolytes.

Ad Multos Annos Pope Emeritus Benedict!

16/4/2015

Our dear Pope Emeritus is 88 years old today. May God bless him!

Be not unbelieving! - Low Sunday

11/4/2015

The Incredulity of St. Thomas by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio

Bring here thy finger, and see My hands; and bring here thy hand, and put it into My side; and be not unbelieving but believing” (Gospel). Be a witness to the Divinity of Jesus Christ!

Thus did the ancient Church speak to the newly baptized on this Sunday. Since their Baptism on Holy Saturday these converts wore white robes. Now in their everyday dress they must go out as witnesses that “Christ is the Truth” (Epistle).

God the “Father” bore “witness” to this at Christ’s Baptism by “water.” God the “Word” became our “Blood” witness on the Cross. God the “Spirit” gave witness when by Him Jesus was conceived in the womb of Mary. Yes, this is the triple “testimony of God” which we, too, must witness unto others—that “Jesus is God” (Epistle). To the “doubting Thomases” of all future ages, Jesus gave a new proof of His Divinity in today’s Gospel, “written that you may believe...and that believing you may have life.”

Low Mass for Low Sunday takes place at St Francis of Assisi in Llay near Wrexham at 1230pm on Sunday 12th April.

A sound assessment by Voris

7/4/2015

Mass for Low Sunday at Llay

5/4/2015

Thomas answered and said to Him: my Lord and my God. Jesus saith to him: Because thou hast seen Me, Thomas, thou hast believed; blessed are they that have not seen, and have believed.

All are welcome for ....

Low Mass for Low Sunday

Sunday 12th April
1230pm

at

St Francis of Assisi Catholic Church
Llay Chain
Llay LL12 0NT

Have a Blessed Easter

4/4/2015

The Latin Mass Society in Wrexham

wishes all visitors to this blog,

a very blessed Easter!

Víctimæ pascháli laudes ímmolent Christiáni.

Agnus rédemit oves: Christus ínnocens Patri reconciliávit peccatóres.

Mors et vita duéllo conflixére mirándo: dux vitæ mórtuus regnat vivus.

Dic nobis, María, quid vidísti in via?

Sepúlcrum Christi vivéntis et glóriam vidi resurgéntis.

Angélicos testes, sudárium et vestes.

Surréxit Christus, spes mea: præcédet vos in Galilaeam.

Scimus Christum surrexísse a mórtuis vere: tu nobis, victor Rex, miserére. Amen. Allelúia.

Christians! to the Paschal Victim offer your thankful praises.

The Lamb the sheep redeemeth: Christ, who only is sinless, reconcileth sinners to the Father.

Death and life contended in that conflict stupendous: the Prince of Life, who died, deathless reigneth.

Speak, Mary, declaring what thou sawest wayfaring.

"The tomb of Christ who now liveth: and likewise the glory of the Risen.

Bright Angels attesting, the shroud and napkin resting.

Yea, Christ my hope is arisen: to Galilee
He goeth before you."

We know that Christ is risen, henceforth ever living: Have mercy, Victor King, pardon giving. Amen. Alleluia.

Sequence : Easter Day Mass [Missale Romanum 1962]

The Liturgy of Good Friday and Holy Saturday

1/4/2015

Good Friday : Adoratio Crucis

The sacred and dramatic events of the Triduum begin on Holy Thursday, Our Lord is taken by the Jews, abandoned by His own Disciples and begins His Passion. Our Dear Lord goes to the Altar of Repose, and the tabernacle is left bare until the Vigil Mass of Easter on Saturday.

This blog focuses on the Liturgy of Good Friday and Holy Saturday.

He hangs on the cross of Calvary in excruciating agony to atone for all the sins, past, present and future of mankind. With this painful image, how can one not take sin seriously? It is obvious that God has a different viewpoint!

Perhaps we ought to ask Blessed Mary, given to us by her Divine Son on Good Friday and the only person totally faithful to Jesus throughout His earthly life, to direct our prayers to a greater understanding of His Passion this week!

Good Friday is referred to as Parasceve (Greek: paraskevé), in Hellenistic Judaism, the day of preparation for the Sabbath, i.e., the Friday before. Sorrow was expressed by inability to eat, in other words by fasting.

Between about the VII century and the XIV, there was a liturgical service held in the afternoon in Rome but never Mass. The first part of the service, composed of readings, chants and prayers, was originally derived from the Jewish Synagogue service of the Sabbath by the early Christians, known as the Mass of the Catechumens.

In ancient times, the service ended with the reading of St. John’s version of the Passion. This remnant of an ancient fore-Mass has been retained, on this one day, in accordance with the liturgical premise of preserving ancient practices of high value. Veneration of the Cross is the second part of the liturgy of Good Friday and is derived from Jerusalem.

Originally, (in Rome veneration was accomplished in the afternoon and began about 2:00 p.m. when a procession led by the Pope proceeded from St. John Lateran to the Basilica of the Holy Cross, and the relic of the True Cross was unveiled and venerated by the clergy, then the faithful.

The Communion Service, which constitutes the third part of the Good Friday service, was restored to ancient practice followed in Rome in the VIII century wherein the faithful would receive Communion in silence from Hosts consecrated the previous evening following the recitation of the Pater Noster.

The old Mass of the Pre-sanctified dates to about the XII century and was a Gallican practice, adopted from the Eastern Church, which spread to Rome and was an effort to add solemnity to the rite by making it appear as if an actual Mass were being said. This rite was common in the East where rubrics, going back to the IV century, forbade the Mass to be celebrated on ferial days of Lent. It was a substitute.

Reception of Holy Communion on Good Friday by the faithful continued until at least the XVII century in Rome.

However, custom developed in that people did not receive Communion on Good Friday. It simply grew out of the realisation by the Church that people did not want to receive Communion except on rare occasions.

The IV Lateran Council of 1215 had been forced to make reception of Communion mandatory, at least once a year, during the Paschal Season.

By the time of Pius XII there had been a change of attitude, and the Pope restored the simple Roman practice and removed the dry Mass aspect.

No Mass takes place on Holy Saturday in remembrance of the tradition that the Apostles spent the day in mourning for Our Lord. A vigil begins at twilight, or preferably later so that the Vigil Mass of the Resurrection begins after midnight. The vigil consists of the blessing of the new fire; the blessing of the Paschal Candle and procession; the readings; the blessing of Baptismal water and conferring of Baptism and renewal of Baptismal vows, the Mass and Lauds.

In the XII century the thinking developed in Rome that the new fire represented the Resurrection of Christ. In those days the faithful lighted candles from the Paschal Candle, lit by the new fire, and took the fire home as a sacramental.

Originally, the Easter Vigil began at Vespers. Five grains of incense are placed on the candle, symbols of the five wounds of Christ. The Cross, Alpha and Omega, and the current year inscribed on the Paschal Candle are customs which can be traced back to at least the VIII century in the Church, the XII in Rome.

The greeting of light is made by the deacon as he chants Lumen Christi three times and is answered by Deo gratias while processing toward the altar from outside the church. The greeting was that commonly given at Vespers. Although there were several versions of the joyful song of Easter in the early church, the one used at present is the Exsultet, composed by St. Ambrose.

There has previously been debate about the reduction of prophecies on Holy Saturday. However, the original number of readings was six, the same number of readings as on the Ember Days. The number twelve had been arrived at in Rome because all lessons were read in both Greek and Latin.

Thus, 12 were made from 6. Different lessons were introduced to keep their number at 12 when Greek was dropped from the liturgy.

The formula for blessing the Baptismal water is taken from the Gelasian Sacramentary. In ancient times the Litany of the Saints was chanted while the water was being blessed. In the early church Baptism followed.

Thus, the purpose of the readings and blessing of the Holy Baptism water concerns the Sacrament of Baptism. Pope Pius XII introduced the renewal of the Baptismal promises to show that Easter is the cause of the Baptismal graces.

The ceremonies of Holy Saturday are concluded with the chanting of Lauds, the Hour having the Resurrection of Our Lord as its theme. This was restored to its ancient practice by Pope Pius XII. The Vigil Mass of the Resurrection follows. The Mass, restored by Pius XII, is taken from the Gregorian Sacramentary.