Fr Justin at in his post Nova and Vetera - Vespers: a little more posted the above photo to draw attention to the crucifer and his tonsure.The gentleman is Brother Alban of the Canons Regular of the New Jerusalem, based in St Louis, Missouri. They are regular visitors to traditional events in Europe and I have met them a few times now, as well as being able to listen to a lecture given by their founder Dom Daniel Oppenheimer. Brother Alban assisted me in the group I was teaching at the Merton Conference in the summer, arranged by the Latin Mass Society to offer training to priests wishing to learn how to celebrate the Classical Roman Rite.
Seeing Brother Alban holding that crucifix brought back memories of about 25 years ago when, as a student in Rome, I assisted in the same capacity at Mass celebrated by Pope John Paul II. It is a very special thing in itself to assist as a server at a Papal Mass but you also get to meet the Holy Father personally:
Do remember the Canons Regular of the New Jerusalem in your prayers. They are very generous in remembering others
10 comments:
I had the pleasure of meeting Dom Daniel Oppenheimer in London over a year ago, when he came with two other monks to Corpus Christi, Maiden Lane.
The monks are extremely devout, well read and very humble. I was also amazed at Dom Daniel Oppenheimer's conversion story, journey in and out of Econe and the eventual setting of the Canons Regular, exclusively dedicated to the traditional liturgy.
I hope I met them again one day.
I nearly fell over with delight at the photograph of the Pope enthroned - at first glance, he looked like he was on the sedia, with the plumed helmet of one of the Swiss Guards looking like one of the flabella!
One can but hope...
well, the crucifer for vespers was actually our Br Ambrose Barlow (alongside Br bernard as one of the acolytes). I think Br Alban was looking after the Holy Father's "cross". The server's for vespers were all students from the Collegio San Norberto. There were four from St Michael's Abbey Orange, two Scilian seminarians, the two Canons of the New jerusalem and two students from our community in Manchester. Am sure I'm guilty of pride in all that but we're very proud of our two students!
I think this guy looks like an utter freak. Do you really think a weird 'hair do' is going to win souls for Christ?
Joshua,
It's taken you saying that to realise he's NOT on the sedia!
I too have met Dom Daniel Oppenheimer and brother Alban. In fact I arranged for a church where they could say Mass while heading through Newcastle! They had lunch in our garden and loved ice cream if I remember. What I remember most is their beautiful singing/chant at Mass.
The Canons Regular of the New Jerusalem have left St. Louis. Their website is obsolte.
http://www.stlouisreview.com/article.php?id=14286
Do you really think a weird 'hair do' is going to win souls for Christ?
No, what will win souls for Christ is not the hairdo but the commitment to Christ that it symbolises, summed up in the words of Psalm 16 (used in the rite of tonsure) "The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my chalice." The fact that you think he looks like a "freak" is relevant: someone who has given all for Christ does not worry what others think about them. (Cf. John Vianney, Padre Pio, Benedict Joseph Labre, etc.)
Much of what passes for 'tradition' is freakish in the extreme, comprehensively and personally. It is part of the psycho-pathology of religion.
Well that's an interesting slant. Traditional religious dress etc. is freakish and pathological but presumably what passes for "fashion" is normal and balanced. I wonder whether you are working with any objective criteria here or simply "what I feel".
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