REPORTS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY
DIOCESAN DIGEST Mass of Ages quarterly round-up Arundel and Brighton Anne-Marie Mackie-Savage 01323411370 aandb@lms.org.uk Sadly, there are no more Masses at St Thomas More, Seaford. Fr Bruno Witchalls, who has been most generous with his time, is moving on. I would like to take this opportunity to say on behalf of everyone how much he is appreciated and shall be missed, to thank him for his support and assure him of our ongoing prayers for him. Masses continue in Lewes and Eastbourne. We lost a great supporter of the Mass in Eastbourne recently, and I would ask your prayers for Mrs Helga Edwards. Her devotion to Our Lady was inspirational, and she is greatly missed. Once more, chaps, I would ask for anyone who is willing to learn how to serve the Mass to have a go! Email me if you would like to find someone who can show you the ropes. All updates and cancellations of which I am apprised go up on the A and B Latin Mass blog. If you can’t find it, it pops up on any browser if you just type in the blog name. Thanks to everyone who supports the Masses and to the priests who make them possible. Birmingham (City and Black Country) Louis Maciel Tel: 07392 232225 birmingham@lms.org.uk Archbishop Bernard Longley will celebrate Pontifical High Mass at the Birmingham Oratory at 7pm on 18 October following the canonisation of Blessed Cardinal John Henry Newman in Rome a few days before. A relatively quiet quarter saw High Masses at the Birmingham Oratory for the Ascension and Corpus Christi Thursday, with Sung Masses at the usual times for the Sacred Heart and SS Peter and Paul. Low Masses were also celebrated on these days at St Mary on the Hill in Wednesbury, as well as several other feast days, including the patronal feast day of Our Lady Help of Christians in addition to the monthly third Sunday Mass. There was a votive High Mass of the Precious Blood at Our Lady of Perpetual Succour in Wolverhampton on the 12 of July, which, along with the annual Novena, was the only break in the Friday Low Mass schedule. The long-awaited renovations at St Dunstan’s in Kings Heath have finally started, which include returning the tabernacle to the centre of the church from the Adoration chapel, a more centralised altar from which Mass can be celebrated ad orientem and the installation of altar rails. The church will be closed until November, and the third Friday Mass will take place in the community centre until then.
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Birmingham (Little Malvern) Alastair J. Tocher 01684 893332 malvern@lms.org.uk extraordinarymalvern.uk Facebook: Extraordinary Malvern Sung Sunday Mass at St Wulstan’s continues twice monthly for the present but discussions are now in progress regarding extending Mass provision to every Sunday. Please pray for our success … and watch this space! This quarter saw the introduction of refreshments after Mass on fourth Sundays. This was initially generously provided by Emma and William Edwards – complete with fine home-made Simnel Cake – but the early arrival of their second daughter, Cecilia, has temporarily curtailed their involvement, allowing others an opportunity to offer their services. The new service is proving popular, especially with our regular celebrant, Fr Jonathan. A recent poll of Mass-goers has identified one new volunteer altar server and it is hoped that his training can begin soon. If anyone else would like to offer their services, even as an occasional backup, then please get in touch. The Schola Gregoriana Malverniensis was privileged to sing the Solemn Liturgy in the pre-1955 form on Good Friday at St Winifride’s in Shrewsbury, at the kind invitation of Fr Scott Smith ICKSP. Unfortunately, owing to unforeseen circumstances the Schola was unable to sing for the LMS Pilgrimage to Holywell on Sunday 7 July as planned, but fortunately the organisers were able to find a replacement Schola. Lastly our thanks as usual to Dom Jonathan Rollinson OSB for his unfailing support and also to Fr Paul Lester CO for celebrating Mass for us on the 3rd Sunday after Easter. Thanks also to our servers, singers, and tea-makers for their invaluable contribution. Birmingham (Oxford) Joseph Shaw oxford@lms.org.uk The big news this quarter is the establishment of a new every-Sunday Traditional Mass in Oxford: at 5pm in Holy Rood, Abingdon Road, thanks to the parish priest, Fr Daniel Lloyd. This is in Portsmouth Diocese, a stone’s throw from the diocesan boundary, which is the River Thames, and easily accessible from the centre of the city. Holy Rood has a car park, and I hope this new Mass will prove convenient for many. It is currently Low, but will become Sung in September. Other Sunday Masses, in the Oratory and (monthly) in SS Gregory and Augustine, continue as before. In the coming quarter, as well as the usual Sunday and holy day Masses, there will be a Missa Cantata at Holy Trinity
AUTUMN 2019
