The Abbey Church at Belmont is currently "in restauro" as they say in Rome. Encased in scaffolding, it is undergoing some major restoration. Therefore most of the Sacred Liturgy is celebrated in a very well appointed temporary chapel in the Monks' Refectory.Today, however, we were able to celebrate our Missa Cantata in the Abbey Church. Fr Harrison of the Oratory was the celebrant and a schola of three (two monks and Fr Wadsworth) provided the chant for the Mass which echoed through the stone walls of the beautiful Church.
Fr Wadsworth, the chaplain of the Society of St Catherine of Siena, preached today, and Dr Laurence Hemming served the Mass. In the setting of the Abbey Church, there was a sense of what really constitutes the traditional Roman "noble simplicity" without any of the dumbing down that is so often associated with that phrase. We were there to offer adoration to the Father through Christ His Son, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, in the timeless and unaffected ceremonies and chants of the Roman Liturgy as it has been celebrated for centuries.
4 comments:
'We were there to offer adoration to the Father through Christ His Son, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, in the timeless and unaffected ceremonies and chants of the Roman Liturgy as it has been celebrated for centuries'.
Thanks for that Fr Tim. You sum up so beautifully all that the Latin Mass means to so many Catholic faithfull.
Our Lady of the Rosary parish is truely blessed through your efforts Father to celebrate the Latin Mass in its High and Low forms on a weekly basis now.
And plenty of very reverent Novus Ordo Masses also - so no-one feels left out or marginalised in any way.
Thank you so much for bringing these timeless spiritual jewels to us, enriching our formation and helping us 'pilgrims' on our life's journey to Jesus.
I trust you had a good time at Belmont. Did you meet the Abbot? He is a real inspiration!
I do like the photographs on this blog. they are very high quality. I have come across the Saint Catherine of Sienna group and have thier website in the favourites on my computer. Glad you enjoyed Belmont. i must go back there. They do a very good May devotion. Did you meet Fr Thomas Regan?
Thank you very much, Robert. Yes, Belmont was most enjoyable and we had the company of Fr Thomas Regan for our High Mass and dinner at the Parish Church in Hereford.
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