Wow. Just, wow.

“For in His Hand are all the ends of the earth: and the heights of the mountains are His.” ~ Psalm 94:4

Father Antony Sumich, FSSP, offers the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass at the base of Mount Assiniboine on the British Columbia-Alberta border.

(credit: FSSP.com "Image of the day" 19 August 2013)

We had the privilege of getting to know Fr Sumich during the three weeks we spent in Alberta earlier this year, and we were struck by his robust holiness and masculine witness to the faith. He is a superb role model for young men, and leads a wilderness pilgrimage / camping trip for older teenage boys and their fathers during the summer: I'm assuming that this photograph was taken on this trip. My husband and eldest son were captivated by the idea of a rigorous expedition with a spiritual dimension and have both insisted that we make sure that one of our future visits coincides with one of Fr Sumich's camping trips -- as soon as our son is old enough, that is! 

Two of my fondest recollections from our family's trip to Canada this year are the wonderful traditional Mass community at St Anthony's Church in Calgary, ably led by Fr Sumich; and the (literally) awesome scenery, particularly in the more remote mountain areas. This photograph brings both together and looking at it made me feel very very happy. Here, if only for a few moments, is a corner of the world where all is as it should be. Deo gratias.

A weekend in April

Great video of this year's Saint Catherine's Trust Family Retreat. I cannot overemphasise the benefits, both spiritual and in terms of fun and fellowship, of this weekend to families. If you're even the slightest bit tempted to try it, or vaguely curious about the Traditional Latin Mass or keen to cultivate an authentic Catholic family culture, then pencil it in for next year!

One Weekend in April: The St. Catherine's Trust Family Retreat, April 2013 from LMS on Vimeo.

 

What readers want to know about Pope Francis

There has been a flurry of traffic to my blog from google searches about Pope Francis in the few hours since his election was announced. I thought it interesting that two dominant patterns emerge:

• Pope Francis / Bergoglio + "Neocatechumenal Way" / "Neocatechumenate"
• Pope Francis / Bergoglio + "summorum pontificum" / "extraordinary form"

I think the truth is that as Pope Francis is unknown to most of us, many people are apprehensive about what the future may bring. The anxiety appears to be most acute among those who feel that their celebration of the liturgy may be under threat. The most sensible thing to do is to ignore the hysteria in the blogosphere and pray for our new Pope, for Holy Mother Church, for our priests and our bishops and for ourselves. I should take my own advice: I've been driving my husband mad with incessant pacing around the house, punctuated by web searches followed by more pacing throughout the evening and into the small hours.

Really, this anxiety is misplaced. The reform of the reform has gained its own momentum: think about the growth in traditional masses, communities and clergy in the last eight years. There is no reason to assume that anything will change with regard to Summorum pontificum, and so equally there is no reason to assume that the brick by brick reform will not continue to gain momentum. On the other hand, the former Cardinal Bergoglio has a track record as a staunch defender of natural law, having opposed homosexual "marriage", adoption of children by same sex couples, and abortion. He has shown that he is not afraid to confront secular authorities where moral issues are at stake. With homosexual "marriage" being promoted across the planet, and abortion being redefined as a human "right" by NGOs whist at the same time German Bishops approve the morning after pill, it could be that Pope Francis is a truly inspired choice, and that his own choice of name reflects his understanding of the enormity of the task ahead.

UPDATE: according to Holy Souls Hermitage, as Cardinal Bergoglio, Pope Francis promoted the Traditional Latin Mass immediately the Publication of Summorum Pontificum. Here's a link to a map showing locations of parishes with Mass in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman rite in Argentina.

 

Singing the Salve Regina on the roof of Saint Peter's Basilica....

  

...he is rather unstoppable!

Roma!

We've just arrived, en-famille, this evening to our apartment in the Borgo Pio. After delicious pizza (potato pizza - who knew?!) and courgette and other delicacies we got four very sleepy children ready for bed and prayed our family Rosary and night time prayers: two were fast asleep before the end.

Tomorrow, Deo volente, we'll be at the High Mass organised by Una Voce in thanksgiving for Summorum Pontificum celebrated at the altar at St Peter's tomb.  I will pray for Catholic bloggers and readers of Catholic blogs.

It's a warm, calm and quiet night. The lights are on in the Holy Father's apartment windows: I wonder what he's thinking about, reading, or studying. It's somehow very comforting to know that he's so close by.

Love the Latin Mass? Support Summorum Pontificum? Fancy a trip to Rome?

On 1-3 November this year, traditionalists from around the world will converge in Rome for a pilgrimage timed to coincide with the beginning of the Year of Faith, to support the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI and to celebrate the fifth anniversary of Summorum Pontificum.

The pilgrimage will culminate in a Pontifical Mass in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite at 10 am on Saturday, November 3 in St. Peter’s Basilica, the beating heart of the Catholic world.

To find out more, visit Una Cum Papa Nostro - the website of the Coetus Internationalis Summorum Pontificum who are organising the pilgrimage and Mass.

We're going to be there: it took Mr Annie Elizabeth about 60 seconds to start booking the flights on EasyJet once I'd told him then news. Hint - the sooner you book the cheaper tickets are!  Reasonable convent accommodation is available - see the Una Cum Papa Nostro website or see the recentish LMS blogpost about the pilgrimage.

Addendum: the time of the Mass has been changed to 3pm on Saturday 3rd November to accommodate the celebration of the annual Mass for deceased members of the Sacred College of Cardinals by the Holy Father that morning . Please see here for details.

Wonderful footage of the F.SS.R. public profession on the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Those of you who, like us, would have loved to have been able to get to Papa Stronsay for the Congregation of the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer's public profession of vows will enjoy this lovely video of the ceremony.The F.SS.R website says "Bringing to a close the whole process of reconciliation with, and canonical establishment in the Catholic Church, the members of the Congregation of the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer made their public vows in the presence of the Right Reverend Dom Hugh Gilbert, O.S.B. Bishop of Aberdeen, on the 22nd August 2012."

There are also some beautiful photographs of the day on the F.SS.R. blog

God bless the Congregation of the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer!

Bigger than the Beatles. Cooler too.

We're all getting rather excited here about the grand opening of the Shrine Church of Ss Peter and Paul and St Philomena, New Brighton, Wirral which has been entrusted to the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest an order both dedicated and devoted to the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite; an order dedicated to defending Catholic orthodoxy and priestly spirituality. We love the ICRSP who run our parish in France, and our contact with them has been a great blessing to our family.

We'll be leaving SE England in the small grey hours of Saturday morning, to arrive at the Shrine Church on time for Mass which will be celebrated by Monsignor Gilles Wach, the French founder of the Institute, and the homily will be preached by our favourite Bishop, Rt Rev. Mark Davies, the Bishop of Shrewsbury. 

How much better can it get? 

Well, try this on for size: the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI has offered a Papal Blessing with an attached Plenary Indulgence (usual conditions apply) for all the faithful who attend the grand opening.

Well, what ARE you waiting for? Details below

...and while you're sorting out your travel arrangements, why not say a decade (or five) of the Rosary for Bishop Mark Davies, a courageous and visionary shepherd, without whom none of this would be possible... 

...and when you've done that, say another decade (or five) for the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest. who, (as I wrote last year) 

"have a steady stream of vocations for the priesthood and of women to the religious life. Their parishes are so demographically healthy that anyone much over 40 will be at the top end of the age bell-curve. They run excellent schools, academically and doctrinally rigorous, educating children in the Faith. They run orthodox Catholic summer camps for boys and girls, and traditional Catholic scout groups. In short, they are a massive success story". 

God bless the ICRSP: may they repeat their international successes here in Mary's Dowry.

Mantilla mayhem

Somehow, somewhere our family has managed to lose three mantillas at church in as many months. It's annoying and puzzling in equal measures. I lose my red leather gloves, they turn up in the lost and found box. But three mantillas -- zoop! -- disappeared forever. Or have they? It's sort of like a lacy version of Schrödinger's cat. Mac suggested that I check the spare mantilla drawer, but no luck there either. Yes, I did say Spare Mantilla Drawer. How cool is that? Does your church have one? Nyah-nyah.

And speaking of cool -- well, just check this out. A parish like ours is worth any number of self-vapourising mantillas: perhaps it's fueled by mantilla power. I may stock up on a few extras just in case...

New to the Extraordinary Form? Here's a great new resource.

A new blog that does exactly what it says on the tin: "New to the Extraordinary Form: An irenic* guide for perplexed inquirers to the older form of the Roman Mass" is a project by "an enthusiast for the Traditional Latin Mass, ...[who] wish[es] to share [his] experiences and love of the liturgy with others." The blog has only been running since 12 August and is already a valuable resource for those unfamiliar with the Extraordinary Form or who would simply like to learn more about it. There are some lovely photos and old pictures on the site.

A note in the sidebar points out that the a blog author will very shortly be beginning seminary formation with the Priestly Fraternity of St Peter, at Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary in Denton, Nebraska. He's very kindly offered to answer any question through the combox (" ask as many questions as you like: nothing is too stupid!") but warns that "[i]f you are here looking for polemics, sorry, wrong place. You won't get it here. Take your fight elsewhere please."

You can also support the seminarian(-to-be)/blogger during his formation at the FSSP seminary with prayers and material help: he gives information in the sidebar. 

I think this is a really worthwhile project -- pop over and have a look. 

**BTW, I had to look up "irenic" as it's a word I'd not come across before. According to Dictionary.com it's a  "part of Christian theology concerned with reconciling different denominations and sects". So now you know too!

Shame the devil - Support the first Traditional Parish in the United Kingdom

As regular readers will be aware, I love the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest and this blog occasionally reads like something of an unofficial fan club for the order. The ICRSP (or ICKSP in English, but I'm finding the K hard to get used to!) are an inspiring and successful Traditional order with a healthy stream of vocations and are a solid bulwark of orthodoxy in an increasingly heterodox French church. They describe themselves thus:

The Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest is a Society of Apostolic Life of Pontifical Right whose goal is the honor of God and the sanctification of priests in the service of the Church and souls. Its specific aim is missionary: to spread the reign of our Lord Jesus Christ in all spheres of human life. Our work is carried out under the patronage of the Immaculate Conception, to Whom the Institute is consecrated. (ICKSP US Website)

In France they have flourishing parishes, run academically and doctrinally rigorous schools, summer camps and scout groups. They have 35 houses in ten countries, 50 priests, and more than 60 seminarians in 15 years. How often I have wished that we had an apostolate of theirs here!

Naturally, then, I was delighted by the news in June that the Right Rev. Mark Davies has invited the order to set up the first completely Traditional parish in England and Wales. It will be set up as a Personal Parish under the provision of the Motu Proprio, 'Summorum Pontificium' for all faithful attached to the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite. It is the first time that an Ecclesia Dei institute has taken over a parish in the UK, and as such is a breakthrough for the Traditional Form of the Roman Rite here.

The ICRSP will be taking over and restoring the church of SS Peter and Paul, in New Brighton, Wirral. The church is built in a classical style on a grand scale -- it was originally built by the contributions of the faithful, and the IRCSP are hoping that the necessary renovations can be funded in the same way. I'm sure that there are many,  particularly among the secular lobby, who would say "certainly that sort of thing may have happened in times past, but there's no way that it could happen today!" Let's prove them wrong and get this church renovated and opened on time for the Greater Glory of God!

 The latest edition of Mass of Ages  has an article about the order, the new parish and the church, as well as giving some indication of the momentous renovation task facing the order before the parish can open in September. In an insert to Mass of Ages, Canon William Hudson of the ICKSP says:

The Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest is delighted to announce that it will be opening the first Traditional Parish in England and Wales. This is a major breakthrough for the Traditional Mass. The Bishop of Shrewsbury, the Right Rev. Mark Davies, has invited the Institute to make an important foundation in his diocese, based in the imposing church of SS Peter and Paul, New Brighton, Wirral.

 In September three members of the Institute will be taking up residence in the presbytery and starting this new  and hugely exciting apostolate.

But we urgently need your help to make this a reality! 

In the long term the church will need considerable work. But in the immediate future we are aiming to raise £40,000 to cover essential restoration of the presbytery and other 'start up' costs. 

Without your generosity this project cannot go ahead! 

Thank you for helping make this project a reality. 

Yours sincerely in Christ the King,

Canon William Hudson
ICKSP

You can contribute to the appeal  by sending a (UK) cheque made out to: Institute of Christ the King 
and sent to:
Canon William Hudson, ICKSP Brussels International Catholic School, Chaussée de Wavre 457, 1040 Brussels, Belgium


Non-UK readers could send an International Money Order in UK Pounds made out to the same details at the same address.

I would also ask you all to join me in an extra prayer for Bishop Mark Davies of Shrewsbury who has made this possible by inviting the Institute of Christ the King in this momentous venture. Bishop Davies specifically wants SS Peter and Paul to be a centre of devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and so "to be open to all Catholics and for it to be a model in this regard for the entire diocese" (Mass of Ages, Aug 2011, p15).

On so many counts it is important that this venture is successful -- not least of all because the Devil himself will want it to fail, knowing as he will how many souls a parish like this will save.

God bless the IRCSP! God bless Bishop Mark Davies! God bless our Pope!

Traditional catechism for children in Paris

Emmanuel Delhoume's blog laments the lack of availability of traditional Catholic catechesis for children and families in France (I think we can concur that the situation is little or no better in the UK) despite there being both a need and a desire for traditional catechetics to be taught at a parish level. His blog announces the start of a new initiative aimed particularly at families in East Paris (12ieme, 13ieme, and 20ieme Arr.) offering fortnightly catechism lessons with a priest from Ecclesia Dei, specifically seeking to prepare children to receive sacraments in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite. As M. Delhoume says "It is our duty as Catholic parents to prepare our children thoroughly for the sacraments and instruct them in the Truths of the Faith". Amen to that!

Please pass on to friends and family in Paris. Interested families can contact Emmanuel Delhoume on 06 67  28 33 38 or edelhoume@voila.fr

Interestingly, one French commentator on this new initiative notes that if Summorum Pontificum is to be implemented fully in parishes, it should go beyond simply offering Sunday Mass in the E.F. but also include a thorough traditional preparation for the Sacraments. I would add that sessions on traditional catechesis and the Truths of the Faith would also be invaluable for adults of my generation, many of whom - myself included - received no real formation in the Faith as children either at school, in our parishs or at home.