REPORTS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY
DIOCESAN DIGEST Mass of Ages quarterly round-up Our Local and Assistant Representatives submitted their reports before the publication of Traditionis Custodes. Appended to some of these report is an update on the current situation in their area/diocese as we go to press. Arundel and Brighton Huw Davies aandb@lms.org.uk This summer saw the happy resumption of Extraordinary Form Masses at Our Lady of Ransom in Eastbourne at 10am on Saturdays and at 7.30am on Tuesdays, the latter of which replaces the Mass at Christ the King in Langney, where the regular Ordinariate celebrant has departed the diocese. We are blessed to have two priests at Our Lady of Ransom in Fr Bruno Witchalls and Fr Tristan Cranfield who are enthusiastic about celebrating the Traditional Form of the Mass in this beautiful church. There was also cause for celebration at St Hugh of Lincoln in Knaphill, where on the feast of Corpus Christi five children received Holy Communion for the first time at Mass, followed by a procession in the streets of Knaphill and ending with Benediction. St Pancras in Lewes also saw a joyful first Holy Communion in the EF, for Penelope, on the feast of SS John and Paul, 26 June. We keep all these children in our prayers and hope that there can be repeats of these occasions in future years, and remain thankful that at both of these churches Mass is offered in the EF every Sunday. The first EF Mass at Our Lady of Consolation and St Francis in West Grinstead since the start of the pandemic restrictions took place on Whit Sunday, with Fr James Hurley from the Archdiocese of Southwark celebrating a Missa Cantata. Please keep Bank Holiday Monday, 30 August, free for the next Mass, which will be a Pilgrimage Missa Cantata at 2pm, followed by refreshments and then Rosary and Benediction. There will also be a Missa Cantata on Remembrance Sunday at 3pm. Masses also continue on Wednesdays at Sacred Heart, Caterham, where pleasingly the Traditional Form of the Mass is held in public once again, as does the established and very popular celebration on Saturdays at St Barnabas in Molesey. STOP PRESS Following the publication of the Apostolic Letter Traditionis Custodes, Bishop Richard issued all priests of the diocese who currently have a public Mass in the Traditional Form with a faculty to continue, so at present there is no change to the published Mass schedule. Birmingham and Black Country Louis Maciel 07392 232225 birmingham@lms.org.uk birmingham-lms-rep.blogspot.co.uk/ In addition to the weekly Sunday High Mass, High Mass was offered at the Birmingham Oratory for the Feasts of the Ascension, Corpus Christi and SS Peter and Paul, replacing the usual weekday 5.45pm Low Mass on these days. A High Mass was also celebrated for the Patronal Feast of St Philip Neri on the Spring Bank Holiday, transferred from the 26 May due to
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the Octave of Pentecost. Low Mass continues to be celebrated at 9am on Saturday and at 7.30am on Sundays. An additional Low Mass was also offered on the Ascension at St Mary-on-the-Hill in Wednesbury, complementing the usual 11.30am Sunday Low Mass. As a result of the gradual removal of restrictions, communion is now distributed at these Masses. The weekly first Friday Mass at Acocks Green continues and is increasingly well attended. The third Friday Mass at St Dunstan’s in Kings Heath also continues to attract a decent sized congregation, with a Sung Mass taking place in the month of June in honour of the Sacred Heart. Our Lady of Perpetual Succour in Wolverhampton continues to offer Low Mass each Friday night at 6.30pm, only interrupted in this quarter by the Novena preceding the patronal feast day on the 27 June, with Mass being celebrated on Saturday morning at 8am during this period. Birmingham (Oxford) Joseph Shaw oxford@lms.org.uk oxfordlmsrep.blogspot.com/ I am happy to report that both Archbishop Longley of Birmingham and Bishop Egan of Portsmouth rapidly confirmed that celebrations of the 1962 Mass could go ahead in their respective parts of Oxford, and I am expecting all the Sundays, weekdays, and feast days listed in the quarterly listings to go ahead. On behalf of all the Traditional congregations of the area I would like to express my gratitude to both Archbishop Longley and Bishop Egan for their pastoral concern, and to the priests of Oxford who celebrate this Mass. I am also hoping to confirm some extra Masses. I will inform our local members and supporters about these and also of any disruption by email: please ensure that I have your email address if you wish to be kept informed. Birmingham (North Staffs) Alan Frost A sad occasion for the regular worshippers at Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Swynnerton, was the funeral of David Ashley, an immense support to the people and practice of the Traditional Rite in North Staffs since his conversion in 1998. The Requiem Mass (Missa Cantata) was celebrated by Fr Anton Guziel, P.P. of Birmingham Oratory, long-standing friend of David, with Fr Chavasse in choro. The Oratory organist attended and led an improvised schola. David died, aged 68, after suffering severely from cancer and requiring a (successful) brain tumour removal. He was lucid and aware of his time being short, but kept making it to Mass to near the end. His unstinting kindness up to his suffering at the end, suggest for this writer a likening to our
AUTUMN 2021
