History in the making

Alan Frost reports on the first ordinations in the Traditional Rite in England for more than 50 years

In the spring issue of the Fraternity of St Peter’s (FSSP) magazine Dowry, Fr de Malleray, Rector of St Mary’s Church in Warrington, reminded us of two disastrous anniversaries this year: it is 500 years since Luther’s revolt and 100 years since the Communist Revolution in Russia. But, of course, 2017 is also the centenary of something dwarfing these dates into insignificance – the Apparitions at Fatima. He also pointed out that the year is the twentieth anniversary of the setting up of the FSSP, the Fraternity of St Peter (Fraternitas Sacerdotalis Sancti Petri).

So it was appropriate that on 17 June the priestly ranks of the FSSP should be boosted by the ordinations of Fr Alex Stewart from the Wirral nearby, and Fr Krzystof Sanetra, London-based but of Polish background. More history was made as these were the first ordinations in the Traditional Rite in England and Wales for more than 50 years. The ordinations were carried out by the Archbishop of Liverpool, His Grace Malcolm McMahon OP.

St Mary’s Shrine Church, Warrington was crowded for the event and the impressive processional entry to the high altar of many priests and seminarians followed by priors, the Right Rev. Mark Davies, Bishop of Shrewsbury and, spectacularly in a trailing scarlet cappa magna , Archbishop McMahon. It was the second visit of the Archbishop to the Warrington Shrine in a month. He had earlier confirmed a number of the faithful in the Traditional Rite, as indeed had Bishop Davies at the New Brighton Shrine Church of SS Peter & Paul and Philomena, just three days previously.

The Solemn Pontifical Mass with Ordination was accompanied by beautifully sung liturgy by two choirs, sometimes together. The impressive Shrine choir of St Mary’s Warrington sang, inter alia, Byrd’s Mass for Five Voices while the propers were chanted by a schola of seminarians, FSSP and other Orders, including the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer from the Orkneys, assembled for the occasion. In the sanctuary the devout pomp and ceremony was splendid to behold, and probably something rarely seen over the past few decades in the UK.

At the heart of this sacred service was the great and individually unique experience for the two priests-to-be. As their ordinations unfolded, Archbishop McMahon addressed them with the guidance that there will be times when they will feel alone and wretched. At these times he advised they turn to ‘your people’ for they are the body of Christ, ‘the mystery you are to become part of.’

He then pronounced the formal address, after the chanting of the Litany of the Saints as the ordinands lay prostrate. Thereafter he laid his hands on their heads and prayed to God Almighty, ‘Da, quaesumus, omnipotens pater, in hos famulos tuos presbyterii dignitatem… ’ The admittance of the deacons to the dignity of the priesthood was completed by the Archbishop vesting each of them with the chasuble, and after intoning the Veni Creator Spiritus , anointing them. After the chanting of the Veni Creator, he said to them, ‘Accipe potestatem…’, that they would receive the power to offer sacrifice to God and to celebrate Mass. The Shrine Rector, Fr de Malleray, gave the homily, after thanking the many priests and seminarians who had travelled very long distances in some cases to be at the Ordination, including Fr Bisig, Rector of the Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary in Denton, Nebraska where the ordinands had trained.

A moving and profound spectacle was the repeating of the laying of hands upon the heads of the ordinands by each of the clergy present in choro. Also impressive was the reception of Holy Communion by the new priests from the Archbishop, and the dignified movement to the sanctuary steps of the priests and seminarians to receive the Blessed Sacrament in their turn. Shortly afterwards another very special occasion, at the altar rails: several children and adults making their First Holy Communion, kneeling, and receiving the Host on the tongue.

At the end of Mass, the Archbishop gave the Final Admonition to the newly ordained priests, urging them to consider attentively the burden laid upon their shoulders and to endeavour to lead a holy life pleasing to Almighty God, to which they responded ‘gladly’. And, at the concluding procession, the Te Deum was sung. There followed a generous reception in the nearby Salvation Army Hall (provided at no cost) offering a chance for the meetingup of friends and acquaintances from across the UK and abroad, and a return to St Mary’s for early evening Vespers.

The following morning, at St Mary’s Shrine, Fr Alex Stewart celebrated his first Mass in the Extraordinary Form on the Feast of Corpus Christi. While some of the clergy at the Ordination were back at their parishes, there was still a substantial number of priests, mainly FSSP, and seminarians in the procession to the sanctuary. This meant again that the schola of seminarians was available to sing the propers, in assistance to the Shrine choir, under its director Michael Wynne. Interestingly, this meant that a chanted and a sung version of the Lauda Sion were heard. The Mass sung was Vierne’s Messe Solennelle.

In his homily, Fr de Malleray said how important it was that so many and varied clergy had attended the Ordinations (‘such a full choir’), and he thanked them and those able to make the First Mass of Fr Stewart. He advised the newlyordained priest: you must be Christ-like in your calling; your joys, recreations, and friendships need to be Christ-like and you must oppose anything that would be contradictory to God’s greater glory. He then alluded to the numbers of visiting clergy and seminarians again, indicating how special their presence would be in the forthcoming Procession of the Blessed Sacrament that afternoon through the centre of Warrington.

After the Mass, Fr Stewart gave the First Blessings as the congregation moved outside to enjoy a garden party set up for the occasion; the garden being dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes, whose statue takes pride of place in the grounds. Appropriately, the sky was a clear Marian blue on a very hot day, although the weather was not ideal for Fr Stewart and the priests leading the Corpus Christi Procession later, in their weighty chasubles!

The procession, for perhaps a mileand-a-half of more than 100 clergy and faithful, ended at the Catholic Church of St Alban, the first Roman Catholic church opened in Warrington after the post-Reformation years of hidden Masses in different buildings about the town. St Alban’s was opened in 1823 under the supervision of Dr Alban Molyneux OSB. It was lovely to see the strewing of petals as the processors entered the church for the concluding service and Benediction.

Sitting in the grounds afterwards, reflecting on how much preparation and activity had been involved, how intense the weekend had been at a physical and spiritual level, how many graces had been bestowed… one could only marvel.

Photographs by John Aron