Papal visit: Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini! (as of 28th July 2010)
Dear Friends,
Despite the restricted access, it is important that as many Catholics as possible should be physically present at some of the official events during the Papal visit in Great-Britain (15-19 September 2010). Since space at other events is even more limited, we think it best to attend the Papal Vigil at Hyde Park, London on Saturday evening 18th September 2010, when the Holy Father will lead us in Eucharistic adoration (cf official programme).
1-The ‘Registered group’:
We have now been granted the fifty (50) places we had requested. To spare paperwork, we have said our group would have only adults (at least 18 years of age). You do not need to live in or near Reading to register with us.
Lauren Mills, who attends Mass in Reading, has kindly accepted to be our ‘Pilgrim Leader’, as required by the organizers. If you would like to be part of our group, I should be grateful if you could email her or send her the following details which are mandatory for your being registered: title, first name, surname, address and telephone number.
Please also send Lauren Mills your £10 registration fee per person as required by the organisers (if by cheque, then payable to 'FSSP ENGLAND'). Clergy from the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter will accompany the ‘Registered’ group. Other clergy welcome. Specific meeting location will be communicated later on.
2-The ‘Non registered group’.
Important: we surely could and should be many more coming than 50. Even if this means that we pray the Rosary in an other area of Hyde Park (i.e. outside the official registration zone), it will be very significant to be a very very large crowd there. In some years, we want to be able to look back on this First papal State visit in Great Britain and say: ‘I attended’. Clergy from the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter will accompany the ‘Non registered’ group. Other clergy welcome. Persons under 18 years of age are welcome under the responsibility of their parents. Specific meeting location will be communicated later on.
Preparation:
1. Over the next 8 weeks, please make sure you devote special time to pray for the spiritual success of Pope Benedict’s visit. Let us not underestimate the great power of prayer and of mortification. This is a unique opportunity. Our Blessed Lord surely expects all souls of good will to intensify their prayers for His Vicar on earth as he is about to visit Our Lady’s Dowry.
2. Specific preparation at St William of York church, Reading:
- Novena starting on Friday 10th September until Saturday 18th September included: we will pray 5 decades of the Holy Rosary after each Holy Mass.
- Friday 17th September 2010, 7pm: Sung Mass ‘Pro Fidei Propagatione’ (Votive Mass n°18) followed with Prayer vigil in front of the Blessed Sacrament until midnight.
Please kindly contact Lauren Mills now by email laurenkmmills@yahoo.co.uk or telephone (0)118 9588 189 or post: 69 Wolseley Street, Reading RG1 6AZ.
Sunday 18 July 2010: 22nd anniversary of the foundation of the FSSP in Hauterive - Solemn High Mass at St William of York, Reading 11am.
'Tu es Petrus'
The priests of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter assure their friends, supporters and benefactors of their prayers on the feast of SS Peter and Paul, 29th June 2010.
In particular, members of the Confraternity of St Peter are reminded to gain a plenary indulgence at the usual conditions on that feast day.
Please pray for our 5 new European priests to be ordained on 3rd July 2010 by Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments Antonio Cardinal Cañizares Llovera at our motherhouse and European seminary in Wigratzbad.
British FSSP First Masses 2010 in the Catholic Herald: here.
Polyphonic Mass of thanksgiving
for the ‘Year for Priests’
On Saturday 12th June 2010, 3pm, at St James’s Church, Spanish Place, 22 George Street, London W1U 3QY - kindly welcomed by Parish Priest Fr Christopher Colven - newly ordained British priest Fr Simon Harkins, FSSP will offer his first Solemn High Mass in England (in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman rite).
On this occasion, the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter (i.e. FSSP) is pleased to invite you to pray in thanksgiving for the graces granted by God during the last 12 months of the ‘Year for Priests’ in response to the many prayers offered for the sanctification of priests and for priestly vocations worldwide and in Great Britain in particular.
Clergy: choir dress. Music: Tomás Luis de Victoria’s ‘Missa Simile est regnum coelorum’ and his ‘Gaude Virgo Maria’ motet.
After Mass, Fr Harkins will give individual First blessings.
Refreshments will follow.
· Nearest underground: Baker Street, Bond Street.
· Nearest car park: Welbeck Street Mscp, 74-77 Welbeck Street, London W1G 0BB - Distance: 0.22 km, 0.13 mi - Opening hours Monday-Sunday: 24 Hours – Dailytariffs: 1 Hour £ 5.00; 1 To 2 Hours £ 10.00; 2 To 3 Hours £ 15.00; 3 To 4 Hours £ 20.00; 4 To 5 Hours £ 25.00; 5 To 6 Hours £ 30.00.
Please come and give thanks for a new British priest (formed according to the usus antiquior).
With 360 clergy serving in 110 dioceses (in the UK: Portsmouth, Northampton, Edinburgh) on 4 continents, the Priestly Fraternity of St Peter is the largest Extraordinary Form priestly community in full communion with the Holy See. British priests ordained for the FSSP: 2 in 2009; 1 in 2010; 1 in 2011. Also: 40 new seminarians starting this year in our two international seminaries. In Rome, Pope Benedict has granted us a personal parish in 2008.
Contact: FSSP, 17 Eastern Avenue, Reading, Berkshire, RG1 5RU. Website: www.fssp.co.uk/england
Last Saturday in Edinburgh, Cardinal O’Brien attended in choir and preached at Fr Harkins’ First Solemn High Mass. See slideshow here. His Eminence has kindly allowed us to publicize his homily:
"THANKSGIVING MASS FOR ORDINATION OF
FATHER SIMON HARKINS
ST MARY’S CATHEDRAL, EDINBURGH
SATURDAY 5th JUNE 2010
HOMILY PREACHED BY CARDINAL KEITH PATRICK O’BRIEN
INTRODUCTION:
It is indeed a joy for me being with you this morning having been asked to preach at this Mass of Thanksgiving for the Ordination of Father Simon.
Father Simon well known within our Archdiocese and the City of Edinburgh as well as within our Cathedral Parish is a member of the Priestly Fraternity of St Peter – and has asked permission to celebrate this Mass of Thanksgiving according to the Roman Rite in the extraordinary form.
TEACHING ON THE PRIESTHOOD:
We learn of the Priesthood of Jesus Christ from various sources – the first and most important being of course from Sacred Scripture itself.
Our Lord Jesus Christ, knowing that he was not going to be on earth in bodily form forever, called a group of men around him to be ministers both of word and of sacrament and to serve the people of God in his place. Jesus called these men from their family and friends; he prayed with them; he instructed them; he formed them. They were the men who were to go and teach all nations; they were the ones who had to baptise in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit; they were to hand on God’s mercy, forgiveness and healing in the sacrament of reconciliation as Jesus said to them: “Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them – whose sins you shall retain, they are retained”. And they were to re-enact the words and actions of Jesus at the last supper: “Do this in memory of me”.
We also learn of the Priesthood from the teaching of the Church.
In the decree on the ministry and life of priests of the Second Vatican Council there are emphasised the various different roles of a priest: He is a minister of God’s Word; he is a minister of the sacraments; and he is one who exercises the role of a teacher of God’s people.
He is called upon to serve as Jesus himself served and give an example of service to the whole people of God.
TEACHING OF POPE JOHN PAUL II AND POPE BENEDICT XVI:
Our two recent Popes have also taught in very beautiful ways of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, of the Eucharist, and of the Priesthood.
In his encyclical letter published on Holy Thursday 2003 Pope John Paul II wrote on the Eucharist as: ‘The mystery of faith’ and of how the Holy Eucharist forms the Church.
In one passage in particular the Pope emphasised how important the Eucharist is not only for the individual priest and the congregation who may be with him at a particular time but how important the Eucharist is for the whole of creation – uniting, as he says, Heaven and earth “this embraces and permeates all creation”.
Pope John Paul spoke of the different experiences he had in celebrating the Eucharist in different parts of the world and went on to state: “I have been able to celebrate Holy Mass in chapels built along mountain paths, on lake shores and sea coasts; I have celebrated on Altars in stadiums and in city squares – this varied scenario of celebrations of the Eucharist has given me a powerful experience of its universal and, so to speak, cosmic character. Yes, cosmic! Because even when it is celebrated on a humble Altar of a country church, the Eucharist is always in someway celebrated on the Altar of the world. It unites Heaven and earth. It embraces and permeates all creation”.
Pope Benedict XVI also writes very beautifully on our liturgy in his Motu Proprio “Summorum Pontificum”.
The Pope writes of the “constant concern of supreme pontiffs to ensure that the Church of Christ offers the worthy ritual to the Divine Majesty, to the praise and glory of His name” and “to the benefit of all His Holy Church”.
He traces the history of our one Roman Rite and goes on to speak of the work of the Second Vatican Council.
Following on discussions, in more recent years with regard to our liturgical celebrations of the ‘sacrament of love’, the Pope indicated that he was establishing various rules with regard to our liturgical celebrations – and promulgated the two forms by which we can now celebrate the Roman Rite namely in the ordinary form and in the extraordinary form.
The Pope emphasises that “there is no contradiction between the two editions of the Roman Missal”. He adds: “In the history of the liturgy there is growth and progress but no rupture”.
Consequently within my own Archdiocese I have welcomes a regular Sunday celebration of Mass in the extraordinary form in St Andrews Ravelston to cater for the needs of those people who wish to celebrate Mass in that way; while acknowledging that the great majority of priests and people are happy to celebrate Mass in the ordinary form.
EUCHARIST LEADS TO SERVICE:
When we read the Synoptic Gospels – those of Ss Matthew, Mark and Luke – we are reminded of that great act of creation of the Eucharist by Jesus at the last supper. Following on taking of the bread and wine and uttering the words of consecration Jesus said to his Apostles: “Do this in memory of me”.
However in the account of that last supper in St John’s Gospel we are simply given the act of washing the feet of the Disciples by Jesus as his lasting memory for us.
Just as we acknowledge the two forms of the Roman Rite so too we must accept the two ways of following in the footsteps of Jesus himself.
First and foremost – we acknowledge that great act of the celebration of the Eucharist and our sharing in that Eucharist. No one can deny those words of Jesus or his act of sending out his Disciples to continue his apostolate through re-enacting the Sacrifice of Calvary in the holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
However, secondly each follower of Jesus Christ and especially each priest must see service as the result of his sharing in the Eucharistic sacrifice. Service of others was at the heart of the teaching and of the action of Jesus himself – and when he said those words “do this in memory of me” I believe that he referred to his whole life’s work of service of the people entrusted to his care. It is from the Eucharist itself that we must receive the strengths which we need to serve our people and go and teach all nations.
Pope John Paul II issued a very beautiful apostolic letter for the Year of the Eucharist in 2005.
In that letter the Pope sums up much of the Church’s teaching on the Eucharist describing it in turn as “a mystery of life”, “the source and manifestation of communion”; and “the principle and plan of mission”.
Yes there is that importance of our weekly and daily Eucharist – but that Eucharist, as the Pope reminds us, has also a “profoundly and primarily sacrificial meaning”.
The priest of today must be a man who offers the Eucharist daily – and he must be one who receives from that Eucharist strength for the sacrifices which he will have to make as an ordained priest. As the Pope goes on to add: “Present in the Eucharist as the risen Lord, he, Jesus, none the less bears the marks of his passion of which every Mass is a memorial”.
CONCLUSION:
Consequently at this Mass of Thanksgiving I ask Simon to remain ever faithful to his calling as a priest of Jesus Christ.
I remind him of his role as sanctifier of God’s people through the Eucharistic sacrifice and also of his role of servant of God’s people as he continues in his apostolic ministry wherever he is sent by his superiors.
The dignity of the Priesthood is great – but so also is the dignity of the people of God who yearn for that Eucharist and to seek to serve Jesus Christ himself in whatever way they can in their fellow human beings.
Simon may you be strengthened by your celebrations of the Eucharist and may you be strengthened by your daily contacts with Christ in his people, those people whom you are called upon to serve.
May the good Lord help you at this time as your begin your priestly ministry and may he also be with you to help you and guide you every day of your priestly life."
Corpus Christi 2010, St William of York, Reading: here.
Vocations video: watch our 3mn film here.
Now on line: our quarterly magazine Dowry (n°6, Spring 2010 - 1,5Mo): please click here to read.
Just received: the EWTN DVD’s on the Dedicace of our new seminary chapel with Cardinal Levada. We will happily send them to anyone in the
Cardinal Primate to attend First Solemn High Mass of newly ordained British priest Fr Simon Harkins, FSSP, in St. Mary's Metropolitan Cathedral,
If you live too far south the Hadrian's Wall, you are welcome in London instead on Saturday 12th June 2010, 3pm, at St James, Spanish Place, 22 George Street, London, W1U 3QY, where, kindly welcomed by Parish Priest Fr Christopher Colven, Fr Simon Harkins, FSSP will offer his first Solemn High Mass in England.
Director of Music at St James Spanish Place Dr Terry Worroll will conduct Tomás Luis de Victoria’s ‘Missa Simile est regnum coelorum’ and the ‘Gaude Virgo Maria’ motet also by Victoria.
Refreshments afterwards.
Nearest underground:
Please come and pray in thanksgiving for a new British priest (formed according to the usus antiquior). Deo gratias.
Our new address as of 4th may 2010:
Priestly Fraternity of St Peter, St John Fisher House, 17 Eastern Avenue, Reading RG1 5RU, Berks., England.
We have moved in one part of our new house. Building of the extension at the rear and loft conversion have started.
Please send all correspondence to our new address above.
Telephone: 0118 966 5284
Thank you for your interest and support.
Easter Triduum pictures:
Maundy Thursday: http://www.flickr.com/photos/josephshaw/sets/72157623776251978/
Thank you for your prayers for the success of the EF training session for priests and lay ministers at Ushaw : http://www.flickr.com/photos/josephshaw/sets/72157623871298440/.
Whereas the Holy Father is so unjustly and wickedly attacked by many media, let us increase our prayers for him in particular during this week when we will commemorate the 5th anniversaries of his election and enthronement.
EASTER TRIDUUM 2010, READING: full schedule here.
Watch the Solemn Dedicace of FSSP seminary Chapel in the U.S.A. by Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz, with Cardinal Levada and dozens of clergy in choir.
You may read the booklet of consecration here: http://www.fsspolgs.org/chapel_consecration.pdf.
See pictures of various stages of construction here: http://www.fsspolgs.org/chapel.html.
Watch ceremony: http://fr.gloria.tv/?media=56961.
Indulgenced Prayer for the Year for Priests (19 June 2009-2010):
By decree of the Sacred Apostolic Penitentiary dated 25 April 2009: “The Partial Indulgence is granted to all the faithful every time they devoutly recite five Our Fathers, Hail Marys and Glorias, or another expressly approved prayer, in honour of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, to obtain that priests be preserved in purity and holiness of life.” Consequently the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter invites all faithful (even if they are not members of the Confraternity of St Peter) to pray the following prayer, daily if they can:
“O Lord Jesus, born to give testimony to the Truth, Thou who lovest unto the end those whom Thou hadst chosen, kindly hear our prayers for our pastors.
Thou who knowest all things, knowest that they love Thee and can do all things in Thee who strengthen them.
Sanctify them in Truth. Pour into them, we beseech Thee, the Spirit whom Thou didst give to Thy apostles, who would make them, in all things, like unto Thee.
Receive the homage of love which they offer up to Thee, who hast graciously received the threefold confession of Peter.
And so that a pure oblation may everywhere be offered without ceasing unto the Most Holy Trinity, graciously enrich their number and keep them in Thy love, who art one with the Father and the Holy Ghost, to whom be glory and honour forever. Amen.”
And so that a pure oblation may everywhere be offered without ceasing unto the Most Holy Trinity, graciously enrich their number and keep them in Thy love, who art one with the Father and the Holy Ghost, to whom be glory and honour forever. Amen.”
Nihil obstat: Vic. Gen. FSSP, 05.II.2007
Imprimatur: Vic. Gen. Diœc. Laus. Gen. Frib., 28.II.2007