Our Lady of the Rosary, Blackfen
The first post on this blog gives an introduction to the concept of the hermeneutic of reform and continuity in the words of Pope Benedict XVI.
Yes, but please give me a link, and please credit people that I have credited. For details, see the licence below:
Parish priest of Our Lady of the Rosary, Blackfen
Trustee of The Faith Movement
Founder of the Association of Priests for the Gospel of Life
Visiting lecturer in Sacramental Theology at St John's Seminary, Wonersh
Uncle to 10 nephews and 7 nieces, and great-uncle to 2 great nieces and a great nephew
Bible version - Clementine Vulgate
Spiritual Classic - Introduction to the Devout Life
Church Father - St Hilary of Poitiers
Theologian - Blessed John Duns Scotus
Period - The Counter Reformation
English Martyr - St John Fisher
Mass setting - Lux et Origo
The television
ICEL "translations"
The hermeneutic of discontinuity
Anti-life, anti-family policy masquerading as "equality"
Creative liturgy
Ceterum autem censeo Tabulam esse delendam
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153 comments:
To Fr. Finigan and Fr. Z and to all those priests of God who respect tradition and both forms of the Mass. As a 32 year old American who has finally experienced both the extraordinary and ordinary forms of the Roman Rite, I say: KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK! We are praying for you.
Father - my prayers are with you.
Please do not be hurt or despondent about all this.
Unfortunately,one often finds that the people who do this sort of complaining, sadly do not realise that their understanding of the Church's teachings on the Liturgy is deficient; sometimes they feel that their way of doing things is the only way: it is all part of the cultural change brough about by the ubiquitous 'spirit of Vatican 2' that simply doesn't exist. The last thing they want is to be corrected. However, the Holy Father himself is trying to correct all of this and, in some respects, is experiencing a world-wide revolt - so you're in good company.
Be of good cheer and know that many people world-wide support you, your brother priests who are also trying to put in effect good Liturgy and, above all, our beloved Holy Father.
Wow, what a piece of work.
Ye gods! and God bless you, Father Tim.
Anne Mansfield
Dear Father, I think I speak for everyone whom met you at Bootcamp last year: be assured of our prayers and written support (in various blogs) in this case. This is nothing but a cheap attempt at publicity, and if I were you (and it's a good thing for the entire Church that I am not), I would seriously consider making an official complaint at The Tablet for this gross misrepresentation of reality. I'm not sure how realistic that is and even if it would be useful, but all the same, you and your parish do not deserve this.
Oh Fr. Tim! GOD BLESS YOU!
I *WISH* I was in your Parish! It sounds like Heaven!
I'm praying for you
Antonia
xxx
Father,
I will offer my Angelus this afternoon for you, your intentions, your parish and your priestly ministry.
AMDG,
Oh, Father you are WONDERFUL!!!!!! And Catholics all around the world LOVE you for what you do.
Sorry, Elena Curti but YOU LOSE! And that thrills me to death!
I don't think your parishoners realise how lucky they are to have a pastor who cares about them as much as you so blatantly do.
Not many are so lucky to have a priest who can offer both forms of the mass!
Not many are so lucky to have Benediction and Rosary 'inflicted' on them! *sigh*
God Bless you Fr. Tim, and long may the Lord provide the seeds for your good work!
I love the quote from the then Cardinal Ratzinger !
Yes, I know it's daunting, but please don't be daunted.
You are now under attack not from disgruntled parishioners, or the Tablet, but from the Devil himself. Why ? Because you are doing the right thing.
Frankly, I saw this coming from the day the Pope's motu proprio "Summorum Ponitificum" was published. I thought : The Pope is doing what is right, but what about the "poor bloody infantry" who try to implement the motu proprio ?
Please know that my prayers are with you every day. Better still, Christ is with you, always, until the end of the world.
To adapt a famous quote by Abraham Lincoln: You can please some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot please all of the people all of the time.
I guess it's not always easy being a parish priest, and loyal to the Holy Father.
God bless you, Father. I will continue to keep you and your parishoners in my daily prayers.
Sticks & stones may break your bones but Curti's words will never hurt.
I look forward to an article commenting on those parishes where the refusal of the priest to respect instructions on the liturgy have upset the faithful.
Well done Father.
May God continue to bless you and your parishioners, and may He soften the hearts of all involved!
Father
The real problem is that you have too many readers and the Tablet can't stand the competition.
best wishes and keep up the good work
God bless you, Father!
Father -
I admire your work and wish you were here in the States to lead the "infantry!"
Also, your charitable responses to such vile and unfounded attacks is a good lesson to the rest of us struggling with daily life.
Hang in there. God will sort through this, and the past 40 years of, flotsam and provide what HE wants.
God bless you, Father. Please know that there are many, many people all over the world standing with you and keeping you in their prayers.
May God give you strength, patience, and peace as you faithfully serve him.
From the sound of things, I hope that Blackfen does become the model that other parishes follow.
I hope that the Tablet has had the good manners to offer you the right of reply?
My prayers are with you and your parishoners, Father.
Thomas
Dear Fr.,
The devil only bothers those whom he fears! We will keep praying for you that the Holy Spirit will continue to inspire, guide and strengthen you in your priestly ministry.
I emailed the Pill and told them how lucky your parishioner are to have the Old Rite at all! In my deanery we have no access to the Old Rite at all - despite writing to the dean - the latter replying that we would get questionnaires!!
As yet no questionnaires have been forthcoming.
Dominie
I emailed the Pill and told them how lucky your parishioner are to have the Old Rite at all! In my deanery we have no access to the Old Rite at all - despite writing to the dean - the latter replying that we would get questionnaires!!
As yet no questionnaires have been forthcoming.
Dominie
Dear Father,
This sneering article condemns you for .... doing the right things. It reflects very badly on the Tablet.
I pray that your unhappy parishioners will be reconciled to what sounds like an authentic resoration in your parish. They are lucky people.
Father,
Your are certainly doing something right to warrant and attack like that! God bless and keep you.
I am offering up my fasting this week for you.
Well there you go Ms Elena Curti - feel better now? Quite what was the point of her article? What came across very clearly is her complete ignorance of Sacred Liturgy and Church matters in general. Just good ole' tabloid stirring it up! This article is an absolute flop as far a 'good story' goes. Even the bits that have been made up won't help the Tablet sell any more copies this week.
I'm sure Fr Tim is quaking in his boots as the terrible truths exposed by the Tablet hit home -
1/ Fr Finigan is in the vanguard of priests determined to restore “tradition” to their parishes 2/ Fr Tim Finigan, popular blogger and leading light of the Latin Mass Society of England and Wales 3/The centrepiece is the weekly Sunday Tridentine Mass at 10.30 a.m 4/Altar rails have been installed
5/ he prefers communicants to kneel and to receive the Host on the tongue.
Yes folks - these are the awful truths for which I as a parishioner am truly thankful. God Bless Fr Tim and may his work bear great fruit.
It is very unfortunate that a so-called Catholic journal should print such an offensive, unbalanced article which includes personal attacks, especially as the journal is given wide circulation by the official bodies representing the Catholic Church in the United Kingdom.
There are many deficiencies in the article which masquerades as serious journalism.
Two struck me in particular:
1. ""Rules introduced include an insistence on silence in the church before and after Mass, which critics said meant there was little opportunity for parishioners to mingle afterwards, losing an important point of contact especially for the elderly"
If people wish to have conversations, is the Church the right place especially if the Blessed Sacrament is present ? There would appear to be other places such as outside the Church and the Church Hall for that.
2. "Fr Finigan’s response was a 35-page essay, in which he set out the thinking behind his use of the “traditional liturgy”. But it is in a lecture to the Latin Mass Society’s training conference at Oxford last year for priests learning how to celebrate the extraordinary form that he set out his strategy."
It is surprising to say the least that such an "essay" is dismissed of so easily.
One hopes that many parish priests will now consider again whether they should continue to stock issues of "The Tablet" if this is the standard of journalism contained in it.
I am very sorry that you and your parish has been the subject of such an article. I do hope that you and your parish can put this behind you and go from strength to strength.
Our prayers are with you and your parish.
Fr. Tim,
I have read about this fiasco on Fr. Z's Blog. I am now offering prayers for you and I will start becoming a reader of your blog.
Please, do not be disheartened and know that this 33 year-old Catholic is praying for you and supports what you are doing even though he is 8 hours away by airplane!
Your Unworthy Son,
Dr. Eric
Thank you Father for inflicting the Rosary and Benediction on us suffering, ungrateful, critical parishioners. We love Our Latin Mass on Sunday at 10.30, and so do our six children, wives husbands and grandchildren. We love the silence before and after Mass, we are there to adore and praise God, not chitter chatter to our mates, that can be done in the hall, in the streets any where but Church. We need some time of silence.
As for Elena Curti - poor soul - God will reward her faithfullness to His Teachings. I have emailed her and received no reply - she only listens to the moaners. I will email her again.
God Bless you Father we are all behind you and the Angel of God is before you, the devil doesn't stand a chance the battle is won he is just desperate for any souls he can get??????
what an ignorant journalist. I am very pleased you are reminding people that church is for praying and not idle chatter. they have the rest of the town to gab to each other. Typical Tablet rot. Remember the old saying Father Tim "never argue with a liberal"!
Fr. Finigan,
Even Roman Cardinals are saying that this all-out attack on the Pope, the Extraordinary Form of the Mass, and the SSPX are the work of the Devil. (Of course, we cannot judge the intent lady who was kind enough to grace the pages of the Tablet with your name). If this global "effort" is the "work of the Devil", I know which side I'd rather line up on.
The troops are behind you and the HF all the way!
Dear Father,
Please never sway from the wonderful path you have taken. You are truly a priest who is trying to save souls! May God Bless You! This article gets me so mad, but I know the truth will prevail.
Mater Ecclesiae, ora pro nobis!
Blessed are ye when they shall revile you and persecute you and speak all that is evil against you, untruly for my sake. Be glad and rejoice, for your reward is very great in heaven. For so they persecuted the prophets that were before you.
'Marble-effect laminate' - what a cheap shot! Captures the tone of the whole piece. You're clearly doing wonderful work there, Father, so please don't get disheartened. Lots of prayers coming your way.
Ignore the haters.I agree with all the well wishers and people of good will commenting here.Today, the priest was drinking coffee and eating donuts right before the Tabernacle where he is conducting a Bible study. I was asked to join in. I explained why I thought that this it is wrong but they are taught to believe that it doesn't matter because Jesus would be happy to see them and times have changed.Most Catholics in this Diocese talk,talk and talk, very loudly in the Church along with the priests and deacons.Dreadful.
You are one of the finest priests with one of the finest parishes with one of the finest blogs online. I support you 100% and i deeply regret that any goofy persons might be inclined to give you grief.
Fr. Finigan,
I am a 21 year old American student who was at St Andrews in Scotland for my semester abroad last year...I admire everything you're doing for the Church and I pray that it will continue! I love attending the Extraordinary Form of Mass and do so whenever I can...its a lot easier in the US than it was in the UK, but thanks to priests like you I'm sure that trend will reverse! Young Catholics who take the teachings and faith of the Church seriously are the future, and we support you. The liberals are, for the sake of a better term, a dying breed. God Bless and keep up the great work!
Shock, horror! Stop the press!
Journalist finds Catholic Parish in which a handful of Parishioners don't like the way the PP does stuff!!
Does Ms Curti plan to investigsate all such reports or only those where the PP's policies don't fit her (paper's) agenda?
Father,
Though I have never met you, be assured you are very much in my prayers.
It is scandalous that a so-called Catholic newspaper should seek to stir up trouble - and that is all it is, in the best tradition of our tabloid newspapers. If the best they can come up with is a few grumblings... well it's not worth the paper it's printed in.
How lucky your parish is!
Seth (aka Athanasius)
PS hope to catch you in Oxford on Saturday!
From one Tim to another: Well done!
I recently began attending the Extraordinary Form in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area. Now I know why I felt cheated and disappointed after so many Novus Ordo Masses. The difference is incredible and it is changing my life. Father, please keep doing what you are doing. The traditional Mass is changing lives and giving people a sense of the sacred that we have been missing!
May you still be raising the sacred Host when the last surviving copy of this libelous issue of the Tablet has turned yellow and/or captured its last budgie dropping.
I believe Ms Curti's article will be an inspiration to other priests and parishes to follow the Blackfen example. Andrew Brown's recent Catholic Herald article http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/features/opinion/o0000291.shtml shows you are not alone.
Fr Finigan, if this article is the worst they can do, you have little to worry about. It comes across as the embittered whining of senescent felt-banner-waving sandalistas, the Bugnini Brigade, if you will.
Keep up the good work of having liturgy reflect the holiness of its Source!
Father, I am really encouraged by your work and resolve: thank you for being such a witness. I continue to keep yourself and your parishioners in my prayers.
Registering support, Fr. Tim, even though it's not required. Keep up the great work. I would dearly love to see more parishes like your own. Thank you.
Fr. Tim,
I find it unfathomable that you are being highlighted in The Tablet as though you are committing some grave error, when the priest of the parish i used to worship at has decided to close the church for 4 weekdays because (i am told) it will save £1000 a year on heating costs (what a joke)...the Mass will instead be said in the Presbytery, in his former office which is now entitled 'the Chapel' - confessions will be held in the same room also apparantly.
Now there is a parish torn apart!
p.s. this taken from their website:
"Weekday Masses
from Monday the Masses on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday will be celebrated in the Presbytery in the extension to the house which we used to call the ‘Meeting Room’. This will be warmer and considerably cheaper (our Church heating bill for Christmas was more than £500). Not heating the Church Mon to Thu should save the parish more than £1000 per year, or about £20 a week! Confessions will also be held in the House. "
( the priest i refer to is a married priest with family who reside in the presbytery where the Masses and Confessions will be said and heard)
http://sacredheartnotices.blogspot.com/
You do well to respond with patience and humour to that wretched mud-slinging. I'll pray for you and your parish (and la Curtis).
I will offer prayers for you and your parish, Father. God bless you for the work you do!
Father, on the question of some parishioners feeling 'self-conscious' when receiving Communion in the hand, isn't it strange that they do not consider that perhaps they feel awkward because they are before God Himself and yet not behaving as He wishes?
A little more than ten years ago I was on retreat at Chateauneuf de Galaure, home of Marthe Robin in France. The then director, P. Ravanel, was preaching the retreat and his response to the action of a few of us taking Communion on the tongue was to ask in the next teaching session whether some of us felt that our tongues were any cleaner than our hands? Extraordinary! But when you know you are doing the right thing, you just carry on in peace. Carry on, Father Tim!
Oh for the days when Catholics knew that this kind of thing was a mortal sin ad damned you to hell!
Please, please, please everybody boycott the Bitter Pill.
It is an anti-Catholic, liberal Anglican rag.
It does not good, it is for beaten docket 68ers.
Just don't buy The Tablet.
Simple.
Oh, Father....it appears that the Holy Spirit has come to rest on you.
What a hack job.
It's very evident by some of the complaints made that 40 years of neglecting the subject of virtue and mortification (and an over emphasis on social justice), has reared it's ugly head. Total lack of humility and filial reverence - two more subjects unknown to our generation.
This is just the tip of the ice berg of what priests will experience as they themselves begin to comprehend worship more clearly adn attempt to bring it to the people.
Prayers, Father. I'll include you and your parish in my Mass intentions in an upcoming Mass, and in my Divine Office tomorrow.
Well done, Fr. Tim, a humble and balanced response. As a fellow 'infantryman' may I suggest that you expect more to come. The article was just an opening salvo from the enemy, a 'softener'. We must do as the Roman Legionaries did - stand shoulder to shoulder and support one another. Since Christ our Captain is for us who can stand against us? You are in my prayers.
Has Ms Curti not read "Celebrating the Mass" - A pastoral Introduction issued in 2005 by the Catholic Bishop's Conference of England and Wales?
Par 92 - final section
"Even before the celebration itself, calm and opportunities for silent prayer and reflection have their proper place in the church, in the sacristy and in adjacent areas so that those gathering for the assembly of the Church may recollect themselves and begin to prepare for prayer together. Providing opportunities for such calm and quiet is one of the many ways in which a community is able to show hospitality to those gathering for worship." (page 32)
O Lord our God arise,
Scatter her* enemies
And make them fall;
Confound their politics,
Frustrate their knavish tricks,
On Thee our hopes we fix,
God save us all!
*In this case, inimici Matris Ecclesiae!
Ms Curti could probably start a fire in an empty house! Her article is scurrilous, purposely making mischief for you, with the aim of fanning the flames of parish politics to burn you alive.
In your very gentlemanly response to the sickeningly tacky article, you base your arguments on the stable tripod of Scripture, Tradition and the Magisterium.
You may well be churning away inside right now, but your all-embracing & all-welcoming approach to the celebration of Holy Mass at Blackfen on Sundays is the epitomy of stability and a model for the future.
Coolness under fire, Fr Tim. You are at the forefront of many a Catholic Christian's prayers. You certainly are in mine.
I'm so sorry the silly asses went ahead with their disgusting little piece. They are worthy cousins of those liberal types who criticized the Catholic-minded children in a recent post on this blog.
God bless!
It never ceases to surprise me that complaints about Masses full of liturgical abuses are ignored but here we have a Mass celebrated according to the rubrics and people are complaining and their complaints are featured in a widely read paper. As for that woman's daughter 'crying all through Mass'. Diddums, how old was the daughter? I remember the Latin Mass and I don't recollect anyone saying the rosary durign Mass and as for reading the newspaper!! I wonder if some of the complainents are those who are no longer busy in the sanctuary on a Sunday. To avoid the charge either implicit or explicit of financial impropriety I do think that there should be a financial committee and all cheques require at least two signatures. A parish council to decide general matters in the parish is not a bad idea but as the VII documents say all committees and councils are advisary only, the priest is in charge. I don't think a committee is needed to tell the priest how to celebrate Mass. The GIRM requires there to be silence in the body of the church and the sanctuary before Mass so that people can pray. I do hope that the Tablet gives you the right of reply and doesn't edit your reply. I wonder if this article was written to scare off other priests who might be thinking of introducing the Extraordinary Form into their parishes.
You are in our prayers Fr. Tim! God Bless you in this time of persecution!
Father Finigan,
Strength to your arm! There are very few parishes in the world where people are free to exercise choice over what kind of liturgy they attend to fulfil their Sunday obligation. Your genuine liberality may offer the greatest threat of all to self-designated liberals in the Church, who wish to impose their one model of 'freedom' on all.
Damian has your entire fisk up as well now, Fr. Finigan. You are not without friends.
I have not had the chance or the honor of attending mass at Blackfen or making your acquaintance in my travels in England, Father, but rest assured I will go far out of my way to do so the next time I'm across the pond.
Keep the faith. God bless.
Thank you, Father, for giving great Hope to so many people and an inspiring witness of the Holy Priesthood ! You've got me praying for you and your parish.
Well done, Father for your adherence to the Magisterium and to the wishes of the Holy Father, who in matters of faith and morals, cannot err!
"My Mass?"
Every Mass is God's Mass.
Father Finigan,
You have prayers and support.
J. Wong
Miami, Florida
Apologies for the long post, however I have emailed the following to the Tablet:
-----------------------------
Dear Madam
I am writing to express my dismay and sadness at the article (of which I have read a reprint) which you have recently published on Fr. Tim Finigan. The tone of the article is distinctly uncharitable and seems in places to be an attempt to personally attack Fr. Finigan, a priest whom one generally hears very good things about. Additionally it surprises me that a publication which claims to be Catholic would publish an article which sets out as criticisms so many actions which are in fact in full accordance with the teachings of the Church. The following are some points that I would like to bring up, though I am sure this is by no means an exhaustive list:
1. Restoring "tradition" - This would seem to be at odds with what the Pope wrote in his accompanying letter to Summorum Pontificum, "There is no contradiction between the two editions of the Roman Missal. In the history of the liturgy there is growth and progress, but no rupture." From this we see that there is no tradition to restore as the tradition of the Church is continuous.
2. Silence before and after mass - As well as being courteous to allow people who wish to pray in silence (and I am sure there are other places to converse) the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) states, "Even before the celebration itself, it is commendable that silence be observed in the church, in the sacristy, in the vesting room, and in adjacent areas, so that all may dispose themselves to carry out the sacred action in a devout and fitting manner."
3. Not using Extraordinary Ministers - Again quoting from the GIRM, "The priest may be assisted in the distribution of Communion by other priests who happen to be present. If such priests are not present and there is a very large number of communicants, the priest may call upon extraordinary ministers to assist him, i.e., duly instituted acolytes or even other faithful who have been deputed for this purpose. In case of necessity, the priest may depute suitable faithful for this single occasion.". It is clear from this that it is up to the priest to decide whether such ministers are needed, clearly Fr. Finigan has deemed that they are not.
4. Communion kneeling - The GIRM states "The communicant replies: Amen, and receives the Sacrament either on the tongue or, where this is allowed and if the communicant so chooses, in the hand." Apart from this fact (which would imply that communion in the hand is in fact an exception rather than the expected norm) it is also noticeable that it is not merely Fr. Finigan who expresses a preference that communion is received in this manner. The Pope does so as well...
5. Communion under both kinds - while it is the case that the GIRM says "Holy Communion has a fuller form as a sign when it is distributed under both kinds. For in this form the sign of the Eucharistic banquet is more clearly evident and clear expression is given to the divine will by which the new and eternal Covenant is ratified in the Blood of the Lord, as also the relationship between the Eucharistic banquet and the eschatological banquet in the Father’s Kingdom" it also states, "The diocesan Bishop is also given the faculty to permit Communion under both kinds whenever it may seem appropriate to the priest to whom a community has been entrusted as its own shepherd, provided that the faithful have been well instructed and there is no danger of profanation of the Sacrament or of the rite’s becoming difficult because of the large number of participants or some other reason.". This would seem to me to mean that if Fr. Finigan has reason to only distribute communion under one kind then it is within his remit to do so.
6. The sign of peace - Again, looking at GIRM "Afterwards, when appropriate, the priest adds: Offerte vobis pacem (Let us offer each other the sign of peace)." I assume that Fr. Finegan has his reasons for concluding that at one of his masses this is not appropriate.
7. Spending on vestments - This seems to me to be a rather cheap shot, and in almost implying financial irregularity, bordering on slander. However I am sure that Fr. Finigan, in buying vestments was following what the Church suggests (again from the GIRM), "At the same time, however, the sacred
vestments should also contribute to the beauty of the sacred action itself."
Bearing the above in mind, it would seem that Fr. Finigan is sticking within the rules and guidelines established by the Church. Surely "Parish Priest has an opinion" is not really worthy of an article? The tone of the article in fact brings to my mind a passage from scripture, "if there is something wrong in what I said then point it out; but if there is no offence in it why do you strike me?". Seeing as how Fr. Finigan seems to be well informed, and as mentioned in the article, happy to explain his actions (a 35 page essay seems very thorough) it would be instructive to allow him to write a reply to this article which could then be published in your magazine. He could also explain some of the non-liturgical opinions that he (and I think a fair few people share) has such as why other charities are perhaps a better option for donations that Cafod.
As a final point I would like it to be mentioned that I have never met Fr. Finigan, and that I have attended Mass in the Extraordinary Form only a couple of times.
Once upon a time, even very young Catholic children knew what was meant by Reverence in the Real Presence of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. Now a lamebrain journalist promotes a complaint that Father insists on silence in church before and after Mass! Catholic parishioners the world over would be more prayerful, and closer to God, if we had had more parish priests like you, Father. God bless you.
I have been reading your blog from the USA for a couple of years now. You are doing wonderful things at Blackfen. God bless you and your parish. I have placed your name on the list of those for whom I pray for daily.
Dear Fr. Tim,
Will continue to support you and your parish with prayers.
I think the article of the Tablet is very unfair and unjust. Your response and Fr. Z response are very good.
May God bless all your good works.
Exactly as Kevin said.
would that more priests would "oppress" here in the states. As it is there are but two good parishes in the entire diocese when it comes to reverent & worthy liturgy.
Wishing you support and prayers. This is ad hominum persecution of the type that only occurs to someone who is doing things correctly and conscientiously. God bless you, don't let this deter or deflect you.
Father,
Keep up the good work. I wish there were more priests like you and Fr. Z!
Some of the attacks in the article on you and the Church's traditions were so vicious I don't quite know how to react. But be assured that you and all priests are in our prayers.
Ad hominem, of course, not ad hominum. I'm so angry at Ms Curti that my Latin is slipping... Let's have more prayers for the heroic Fr Finigan.
I'm obviously missing something here. You do have OF Masses for these Poeple to go to. So where is the problem? Is it the Mass times?
As an Anglo-Catholic let me tell you that these people should go to an Anglican parish. Then they might really find something to fight about.
As for what you are doing Father allow me to quote a friemd and admirer of your's: Brick by Brick!
Fr. Tim,
God Bless you for your stalwart defense of the Sacred Liturgy. Know that there are prayers being lifted up for you from all corners of the globe; your example greatly strengthens my own convictions and gives me great hope for the future of the Church! God Bless you Father!
Pax Christi Tecum,
Chris from Florida
Fr. F., You, Fr. Z and all the "faithful" priset are in my prayers. Do not despair. You have much support. As others have stated, I wish you were my pastor.
God bless you Father. I live in the US and wish I could have a parish like yours in my locality. You are a beacon of light for every Catholic. Keep up the good work. We need more priests like you and yes more Blackfens!. I love the Extra-Ordinary Form of the Mass!.
Ad multos annos, Fr. Finigan! Ad multos annos!
Fr Finigan, I'm a fair bit away from Blackfen, as I live in Wichita, Kansas, USA (for those of us who do not know where Wichita, or Kansas may be). Still, we're all Catholics together, and this article was greatly disturbing to me. It was truly slanted and disrespectful to a fine priest.
Hang in there, Father, sounds like you are fighting the good fight. I think that your parishoners are very lucky to have a priest who truly embraces diversity. Those who prefer the OF, versus populum, have it. Those who prefer the OF, ad orientem, have it. Those who prefer the EF, have it. What's not to like?
I will pray for you, Father. If I ever get back to England, I will make it a point to come and assist at Mass in Blackfen. God bless you.
Keep up the good work Fr.
You must be doing something right.
Marty
As I have said before, I greatly admire all that you have done and are doing.
I caused a rumpus in my own parish after one Mass by asking the noisy chatterers to move out of the church because people were trying to pray.
I'm not a priest, just one of the congregation and it didn't go down too well! But some did move out!
The number of abuses of the liturgy which happen in my parish have pushed me into going to a neighbouring parish for Sunday Mass.
How I wish that I could come to yours but you are rather far away.
JARay
Hey Father Tim,
Maybe you could invite Elena to join your pilgrimage to Lourdes. It would make an interesting story for her and... and... good things can happen.
It is her avid readers who have publicly accused me here in Lourdes of being a pedophile and an idolator and someone who works against the Holy Spirit because of the fact that, during "the Season," I offer Mass in the Extraordinary Form for the pilgrims.
Of course, we want her to be a bit more reasonable for her own sake, since we love her with Christian Charity. But her coming around to being a bit more reasonable would have an astounding effect, I think, on the diminishing followers of the Tablet.
See you again in a few months!
Father George bloggingLOURDES
God bless you Father. You have a lot of friends around the world. I offer the mass for you and your parish.
God bless you, Fr Finigan. And long may The Tablet continue to shoot themselves in the foot!
Well done Father Tim.
I think Fr Z's quote from the Pope is right on target. If the Tablet is going to such lengths to attack you, you must be doing something right, as indeed you are. The fact is that the Tabletistas have had it all their own way for too long and, now that they sense that the tide is turning against them, they are panicking.
I sincerely hope and pray that Blackfen will become a model for other parishes. Keep up the good work and God bless you.
Dear Father Finigan you have my prayers and most certainly my "support"! I have posted the article with your responses on my own blog. Be assured that I will remember you and your parish at the Altar and may I thank you for your blog which is interesting, educational and spiritually edifying!
Dear Father,
As one who would rather be fed through a food mixer feet first than attend the Nervous Disordo I am very grateful for what you are doing at Blackfen. I imagine the complaints are coming from one or two redundant “Special Ministers” who are miffed that they can no longer regularly strut their stuff on a Sunday morning - poor dears. It’s humiliating when you have bagged the top seats at the table to be asked to move lower down, as Our Lord pointed out.
The Tablet serves the malign post-Conciliar spirit of those who, without any conscious irony, insist on self-proclaiming themselves “liberal”. With Novus Ordo land imploding at the rate of 100,000 souls every three years in England and Wales alone, I believe that it is a mistake to give them the oxygen of publicity as you have done on your blog - one should simply ignore them. You are wasting time and effort responding to what is the equivalent of hair growing on a corpse.
You may be interested to check out my article on the Tablet at www.plain-talking.com
Don McGovern
Thank God for priests like you Father. I'm a young lad of 20 getting more involved with the EF Mass and drawn by it's silence, beauty and dignity which the Ordinary Form, more often than not, has continued to disappoint me.
I hope and pray more priests have the courage that you have to take these steps and to 'put out into the deep'.
God bless and many prayers,
Shaun Bailham
You do not SOUND hurt, Father, and that is important. There can be great dignity in controlled irritation, an example one may also learn from Pope Benedict!
From the outside looking in, one may give thanks for this whole episode. For many years a large groups of sympathetic people have come to know and admire you and your ministry, both liturgical and electronic. Many more, in parishes around the country, have neither heard of you nor Summorum Pontificum. Thank you, Tablet, for airing this topic. Thank you, Fr Finigan, for being wipping boy. This is truly a felix culpa.
A. M. D. G.
I wrote to Ms Curti when this first blew up and of course received no reply, I write once again and here is a copy for your reference dear readers, please put your thoughts on an email and send it to her
'ECurti@thetablet.co.uk'
Dear Ms Curti
How sadly your article reflects a journalistic license to make up stories, just to sell your rag. With the support Father Tim is receiving, it is obvious that what you have written is not the work of a catholic. Actually, I forgot to ask you what domination you belong to.
May God reward your fidelity to Him
Elizabeth
Hardly the 'hatchet job' it was all blown up to be over the last week or so, more of an attempt at 'sharpening a pencil' with a very dull penknife indeed!
Father
You are in my prayers, as are your parishioners. Be strong - the fightback against SP & everything the Holy Father is doing is now beginning in earnest.
Fr, you are doing a wonderful job ! Here, in Ireland, we wish to have a priest so determined as you to restore a proper liturgy in parishes. God Bless !
Dear Father Tim
We simply reiterate what we said in our comment the other day; you are doing much to build up the Church - both in your local parish and, via the internet, in the wider Church.
We met a parishioner of yours a few months back who affirmed what a great parish priest you are.
The snapshots that we get from your blog of the Mass in your living parish have encouraged us on many occasions.
May the Lord bless you at this time. What an honour to be critiqued in this way for the truth!
God Bless
Alan and Angeline
Dear Father Finigan
Oppression?
As stated before I will be eternally grateful for your prison visit to the Cat 'AA' jail HMP High Down in 2002,which sustained me through a spell in the Segregation Unit,and which was instrumental in forcing the Prison Authority to bring Holy Communion to my Seg Unit cell,after they had banned me from attending Chapel and speaking to other Catholic prisoners about Human & Civil rights abuses.
Yesterday The hermeneutic of continuity published details,"Parish dispute "goes loud"",that the British Government have done their very best to bury i.e..
vesper has left a new comment on the post "Parish dispute "goes loud"":
Fr Richard Aladics concludes his post with the following sentence..'You are at the cutting edge and you are paving the way for renewal.'
I concur.
In the 1969/70 I played at the heart of the defence for the English Martyrs team that won the under-14 Dominic Savio Football (Soccer) League here in Millwall's South East London.The winners medal is adorned with the "Chi-Rho" or "sigla": the letters "X" and "P" representing the first letters of the title "Christos," were eventually put together to form this symbol for Christ ("Chi" is pronounced "Kie").It is this form of the Cross that Constantine saw in his vision along with the Greek words,TOUTO NIKA,which are rendered in Latin as "In hoc signo vinces" and which mean "in this sign thou shalt conquer.
In the 2008/9 season my FARE Millwall + supporters legal case has found it's way on to The hermeneutic of continuity where vesper has left a new comment on the post "Stirring stories for a packed Church".
The following e-mail sent today to the MPA brings you and all your readers 100% up to speed with my qualified suveyor's London City Challenge development case.
Alix Rejman
Acting Professional Standards & Legal Officer
Metropolitan Police Authority
1st Floor,10 Dean Farrar Street,
London SW1H ONY
Dear Alix Rejman
Thank you for your letter dated 17th February 2009 which I received today.
I find your half hearted apology for the excessive and stress inducing delay to be insulting in the extreme.
I totally disagree with both the politically manufactured findings of Assistant Commissioner Robert Quick's investigation dated 28th May 2008,and the MPA's conveniently delayed decision made by Members of the Professional Standards Committee on the 11th February 2009.
Football is a 'SACRED AND GREAT' game linked to Churches + throughout the world.It deserves to be treated with RESPECT.
Could Catherine Crawford,the MPA's Chief Executive explain to me,John Austin MP,the FA, KICK IT OUT etc,how could a high profile Football Against Racism in Europe case,involving Sir Ian Blair,Andrea Cunningham,the IPCC,Guido Liguori and the Honourable Mr Justice Goldring,be buried alive in her office since 27-29th May 2008?
I shall be contacting the IPCC to lodge an appeal within 28 days of your letter,and if necessary I will challenge their decision in the Royal Courts of Justice as I was forced to do on the 28th February 2007 when the Government last tried to cover up the wickedness exposed by my FARE JUSTICE NOT VENGEANCE FOCUS 1991-2009:IPCC REF 2005/005639:COURT REF CO/8897/2006:MPS REF PC/2571/07 legal case.
The hermeneutic of continuity has kindly published an update of my professional work which as you can see has now reached a critical legal juncture here in London : vesper has left a new comment on the post "Mass at St Peter's".
Hard evidence relating to my high profile FARE JUSTICE NOT VENGEANCE FOCUS 1991-2009 :MPS ref PC/2571/07 case for the defence against NF/BNP entry-ism into London's Sporting/Planning Arena,which was originally backed up by a malevolent prosecution by CID Greenwich after a phone call made by Steve Taylor of the TSG,has been handed to MPS Assistant Commissioner Robert Quick MBA by DS Ian Coleman of the MPS Directorate of Professional Standards,Internal Investigations Command.
Our Lady of the Rosary pray for us in Richard Barnbrook's NF/BNP/GLA/LDA/ODA NEO-NAZI DEVELOPMENT TIMES Amen
Yours sincerely
Roy Hobson aka Our Lady's Vesper ON-LINE +
More from:www.spreadtheword.org.uk 's cityofsharedstories YouTube - Roy Hobson (From Dark to Light Too)
8 Badlow Close,
Erith,
Kent DA8 3SA
ROY HOBSON FCES1990,FRICS1984,Grad Dipl QS
NOW THAT REALLY IS OPPRESSION MS ELENA 'TABLET' CURTI,AND FATHER FINIGAN'S BRAVE CONTRIBUTION TO ENDING WICKED STATE CENSORSHIP AND SELECTIVE SILENCE SHOULD BE CAREFULLY NOTED.
Rosa Mystica ora pro nobis!
Father, I attend the Extraodinary Rite Mass offered in Edinburgh and it is always a beautiful and holy contrast to too many Novus Ordo masses in my home town.
At one Novus Ordo mass in December, a home town celebrant added "and not the reincarnation" to the Nicene Creed, interrupting the congregation and causing us to stammer confusedly.
The Tridentine rite does not leave itself open to grandstanding and other abuse by its celebrant, and it occurs to me that any priest who celebrates using the Usus Antiquor sets aside his own personality and any illusion that he is the star of the show. Sadly, too many Catholics think of Mass as a theatrical ensemble with Lector, Cantor and Eucharistic Minister in supporting roles.
I am very grateful to all priests who bother to learn the TLM and to offer it to people who wish to experience the same sense of the sacred ever-available to our ancestors in faith.
Condolences on such a ghastly article and my best wishes for your parish to overcome the hurt it may cause.
Take heart Father, you have many more supporters than critics! Your charitable handling of this is in stark contrast to the bitterness and small-mindedness of those who oppose you.
Being of a less charitable disposition I would have said with Admiral Farragut: "Damn the torpedoes. Full speed ahead!"
Ad multos annos!
Dear Father
Sorry to bother you again... but we figure that you chaps deserve all the support you can get - so we've just put a blog post up asking folks to pray for you.
Ever onward!
Alan and Angeline
God bless you Fr Tim! (while the world despises you)
Father, I can only remind you of the words of Christ Himself: ''And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved'' (St Matthew 10:22). You have my unreserved support in this matter of the gravest importance, and may God bless your work - we shall have the victory!
Great work Father! You just know that you are doing well when the modernists whine so strongly. Make 'em whine more!
Well done, Father, keep up the good work. I had no idea you were doing so many good things - no awful sign of peace, no support for the immoral CAFOD, no bidding prayers or Eucharistic Monsters...brilliant! Curti and her fellow heretics must be really desperate - they clearly think your model of a good parish might catch on, and then the liberals would be stuffed. We're singing when we're winning (Gregorian Chant, of course).
Father we all want to come to your parish. It sounds brilliant. God Bless.
What everyone else has said. I watched your interview with Joanna B on EWTN and was impressed by the moderate and reasoned responses you gave to her questions.
Younger priests are more orthodox and the liberals are horrified. There will be many more such attacks but I think that this is liberalism in its death throes. Not that there won't be some nasty storms ahead. Keep up the excellent work, Father! I wish I lived in your parish. You ought to be a bishop!
Father,
It is great to see just how much support you have, as has been clearly demonstrated at Blackfen, and on this and numerous other blogs.
It must be a real surprise to you to be told that you are doing something right! ;-)
Thank you for your courage and initiative.
Thank you for the wonderful sight of so many families and young people dicovering with enthusiasm the treasures of Catholic worship.
Thank you, especially, for the contribution you have made (though you may not even be aware of it) to my own spiritual growth and joy.
KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!
Dominus Tecum.
Father,
You're doing and WONDERFUL work at Blackfen, Father, and please continue doing what the LORD through the Church ASKS you to do.
My prayers are with you!
(from the Philippines)
Fr. Finigan, FORZA RAGAZZI !!!
oremus pro invicem
God bless you for your courage, bravery and orthodoxy. Ironically, one must ask, does the secular media give as much coverage to what the local Imam or Rabbi are doing in their congregations? Certainly there must be a proportionate number of 'disgruntled' Muslims and Jews, not to mention Protestants in the country who oppose a restoration of piety, reverence and orthodoxy. Why is it that the press feel the necessity to insert themselves in Catholic 'disputes' while overlooking our counterparts?
PERSEVERE, Father. Holy Mother Church needs more pastors like you to serve the spiritual NEEDS of his people rather than the WHIMS of the contemporary culture.
Fraternally Yours in Christ,
Father John Trigilio
Father,
Priests like your self are one of the reasons I converted as a teen. And one of the reasons I have remained a Catholic.
Thank you.
Father, although everyone else has said it - keep up the good work and don't bother with any "parish meeting" - we had one in the last parish where I was a curate after the Pastor began the "reform of the reform." It was one of the ugliest things I have ever seen with vicious personal attacks on a good priest - and yes, they always use the "expensive vestments" red herring - perhaps they should read John Paul's last encyclical on the Eucharist where he said we must be "Extravagant" where the Holy Mysteries are concerned. I shall remember you at Mass.
I read your blog daily, Father and appreciate so much of the wise advice and information.
The 'Tablet' article is par for the course for that publication, I'm afraid, but I'm sure that the publicity will do you more good than harm.
Thank you for your ministry via the internet and please add me to the long list of your supporters worldwide.
Don't let them get you down Father Finigan...look at the comments above, I can only endorse all of them and encourage you in your pastoral work.
Your blog is one that is read daily by thousands of Catholic in the world. Your parish ministry is far beyond Blackburn and that is what is feared. You, Father Z and other priests are leading from the front and it is edifying.
Thank you for all you do.
God bless you!
Dear, faithful, Fr. Finigan,
I was so incensed by the article that I responded to Ms. Curti on my blog. I sent her an email with the link. Here it is:
In Defense of the Traditional Latin Mass
Not sure if I'd get a response but did want to let you know about it. God bless you and everything you do to serve your parish.
Hmm. Isn't interesting that Ms. Curti publishes a piece like this and then vanishes from her office? I received an auto-reply that she won't be back until March 2.
What an enormous coward she is. Un-freakin'-believable.
As with Polly Toynbee I take it as a general rule now that if The Tablet has a position, the Truth will be found by taking that position and going 180 degrees the other way.
Keep up the good work, Padre.
I think that one thing this does show is the strength of the blogosphere; print media no longer have carte blanche to attack and calumniate whomsoever they will without fear of contradiction. Now their narrow minded little campaigns can be instantly rebutted and their nasty little attempts to stir up dissent are quickly revealed for what they are. Three cheers for the freedom of the web.
God Bless you Fr Finigan.
As an Anglican I can assure you that you can't please everyone!
Thank you for posting 'Sacred and Great' - it will be very useful for my studies.
That is one thoroughly disgusting article. It is fantastic, Father, that you are answering this, and deftly. The goal of Summorum is liberality, and you are following up on this. The press, however, seems to prefer the crackdown and censoring of Catholic tradition.
God Bless you, Father! Your parishoners are very blessed.
Keith
Father, you deserve ever one of the supportive comments already posted. The score so far is:-
Fr Finigan 59
Tablet 0
I endorse the suggestion that readers should cancel their subscriptions to this dreadful paper. I would also urge them to see what they can do to get their parishes to stop ordering it.
Having said all that, it does look like a bit of an own goal for the Tablet.
This Catholic from the other side of the "Pond" says Thank God for you, Fr. Finigan! Keep up your great work!
In Christ Jesus,
Khaled
Well done, Father, both in doing the right thing in your parish and in your charitable response to this less-than-charitable article. You have been, and shall remain, in my prayers.
Good grief... the folks at the Tablet ARE the divisive force. I am surprised that 9 people took it upon themselves to represent a sizable proportion of parishioners with grievances. It's rubbish like this that causes division. If the Pope knew or felt that the TLM would be divisive, he would not have issued the Motu Proprio. The Magesterium is wise indeed, fooey to the Tablet's personal attacks.
Fr Finigan, keep up the good fight! I was assigned to a parish where a new pastor arrived and began ridding the liturgy of all traditional elements... including casting off elements of the General Instructions to the Roman Missal (lastest version) recently implemented for parish Masses. This initiative from a pastor who imagines that the '70s is the best norm for Mass and who highfives at the sign of peace and forbids the school children from genuflecting. About the same number of parishioners have complained to the bishop and a few directly to Rome. No action whatsoever from the Ordinary! I once concelebrated Mass with this man and seriously felt that the Mass was invalid! Fr Finigan, it's just a fact that liberalized Catholics are cry babies and used to getting their way in the battle between good liturgy and bad (they prefer bad, for reasons I can only understand as a loss of faith)... Thank God for our Holy Father and clergy like yourself... on duty, in the vineyard, Fr. B
As I said elsewhere, the only thing that really needs to be said to these people (the parishioners, not the Tablet people...I've got quite a lot to say to the Tablet people...)
is...
"So, who's making you go?"
I am really edified that Fr. Finigan has such a profound grasp of the issues at stake and such a pastor's heart in introducing his parishoners to the Catholic patrimony. Courage Father! You are engaged in something that is very beautiful for God and very critical in terms of saving souls. God Bless You!
Dear Father adding my comments to this missive might seem like throwing water into the wind, but I have heard all these complaints before in our parish. It is not for the Latin Mass that people leave that is just the excuse. Any excuse rationalizes their idea of correctness and makes those who leave as though they had a justified, rationalized reason. They would never permit anyone or even themselves to think they were in error.
Next I detest the terms Old Mass, extraordinary Mass, and New Mass, Spanish Mass, Anglo Mass, and any other divisive term used to seperate us from the community of the Church.
You wrote...
"It is a part of my responsibility to ensure that there are dignified vestments for the Liturgy." Very much so. The Cure of Ars dressed in rags, but his vestments were of the best cloth and embroidery. These poor souls who complain just do not have a clue.
Persevere!
God Bless you and your Parish.
Richard
Well done Father, the rat has abandoned ship, well at least for a short time?
Response from Ms Curti:
I am away until Monday 2 March. If you are contacting me in connection with an article please write to the editor's PA Fiona Chisholm at thetablet@thetablet.co.uk
If you wish to offer a piece for home news or Notebook contact our home news editor, Isabel de Bertodano at isabel@thetablet.co.uk
Keep Praying bloggers it's working!!
Continue your excellent work, I always say if there isn't a "hate" comment a day or e-mail, I'm not doing my job right.
"Fr Tim siamo con te!" I personally support you Fr, not only for what you are doing for the faith of your flock, but also for the thoughts and insight you offer every day to us blog-readers.
Thank you, I will pray for you at the tomb of St. Anthony, (the gentlest of saints but also hammer of the heretics)
God bless you, Father.
Full disclosure: I've neither met Fr. Finigan nor attended Holy Mass at his parish. That being said, I offer the following observations:
(1) God bless you, Father. Anything that gets under the skin of liberal, pick-and-choose, "educated" Catholics deserves my approval. ;-)
(2) However, as far as I can tell, someone who doesn't want to go to the usus antiquior at Blackfen really only has 3 options (none of which is too convenient): the "Vigil Mass" on Saturday; the "Children's Mass" on Sunday; or, the 6:30 P.M. "Quiet Mass" on Sunday. The 10:30 on Sunday is the old (read: Tridentine) form.
Also, given that your blog is about the Hermeneutic of Continuity, I'm wondering why there are no cantata celebrations of the Pauline Missal with incense, tapers, etc. -- the full works -- as one would find with the antiquior usage? In other words, the Novus Ordo version of the "High Mass." (Though that distinction no longer obtains.)
Seems to me that's what the Fathers of Vatican II intended for the liturgy. Not a Missa lecta every Sunday. I point to the Vatican document Musicam Sacram.
In short, why does the Tridentine liturgy get all the trim and pomp at Blackfen?
It is amazing how so many people think that the Liturgy is there own little toy made to amuse them, and how many clergy coddle them in this belief. The liturgy is meant to be a transforming encounter with the Living Word who on the cross offers us the ability to become like him, sons in the son. Its us who must be transformed by the liturgy, not the liturgy that is meant to be transformed by us; and while there is some room for our inovation and human genius fundamentally the liturgy is about fitting our genius into God's plan. In this way we reverse the effect of the fruit of the tree of good and evil: instead of taking what is not meant for us, making ourselves judges on par with God, in the liturgy we give up ourselves in acknowledgment that HE is God.
Whether its the old or new mass, we must decrease if He is to increase in us. Sadly many people don't want to, and think that they shouldn't have to, decrease, but fundamentally it comes down to the fact that HE is God and we are not. The very structure of reality: of creation, revelation, and the Church point to this fundamental fact of reality, that everyone from the Pope to the lowliest slave is subject to the authority of someone greater, and ought to compose himself as such. Sure we can reject this fact, as Adam and Eve did, but we know the results.
I am a catholic convert and have not been at a lot of Latin masses but find something in the sacred about them and the wholeness - not so disjointed - as the normal masses. The old missals used to explain the service in red as well as having the translation in for those who wanted it. I think it will be helpful when the normal masses reflect this translation as well. I think if a Church is big enough and has enough priests who can take a Latin mass then it would be good to have at least one of the masses in this form each week. Just as people prefer to go to a 6.30 pm Saturday Mass, so anyone who wanted to could choose to go to the latin Mass. let's hope more parishes will follow suit.
I have been a parishioner of OLOR for 29 years and I have attended Mass in that Church for all of that time.
In all that time people have been very reverent during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, prayful and silent during Mass.
The facts are as follows.
There are three English Masses, 6 pm Saturday, 9.am Sunday and 6 pm Sunday evening.
After these Masses parishioners have to leave the church as quickly and quietly as possible according to weekly instructions in the newsletter.
There is no place where they can meet together thus losing an important point of contact especially for the elderly. The halls are not available.
The weather in England has been the worst for 40 years, sub zero temperatures, elderly people like to socialize after Mass and it is not an option to stay out in the cold.
On the other hand, after the two Latin Masses on Saturday morning and Sunday at 10.30 am. The people at Latin Mass can walk straight into the hall for drinks and refreshments.
Would it not be an act of charity to relax rules about talking after Mass for people at the English Masses who have no access to the hall?
The Masses in the parish are as follows; Two East facing Masses and they are the 10.30 am Sunday Extraordinary Form and 6 pm Sunday - “a sort of “ Novus Ordus, no hymns, no bidding prayers, no sign of peace and no pray for Our Lady. 9 am Sunday is a Children’s Liturgy and 6 pm Saturday is in the Ordinary Form.
I would to thank Elena Curti Deputy Editor of The Tablet very sincerely for letting us know what Bishop Pat Lynch said about the division in our parish as I was unaware of his comments. He said that the whole parish needs to build on communion through prayer and social activities.”You need a situation where people respect diversity but can also come together.”
Comments about the rituals of the Ordinary Form of Mass published on this blog from some people that attend the Latin Mass in Blackfen are not helpful and show little respect.. These remarks are offensive and incite divisions in our parish. Tolerance needs to be cultivated and open face-to- face communication in our parish would be a good step forward. Respect is essential.
Maureen Hedderman
Parishioner of Our Lady of the Rosary
Blackfen
Maureen - I've put a note in about quiet in the church for the past two or three weeks as I do occasionally when too many people are just ignoring those who are trying to pray after Mass. I certainly don't tell people to leave quickly. The whole point is to encourage people to stay and make a thanksgiving after Mass. The word "rule" was used by Elena Curti to make me sound like some kind of dickensian schoolmaster. But you have read the newsletter and you know the way that I have actually put it:
******text begins************
Reverence in Church
And respect for others
St Pio of Pietrelcina spoke gravely of the importance of reverence and quiet in the Church. He recalled how our Blessed Lord, when he expelled the money changers from the Temple, said “My Father’s house is a house of prayer.” In our Catholic Churches, Our Lord himself deigns to dwell in the Blessed Sacrament, waiting for us
It is right, of course, that we are friendly and welcoming to one another; but if we choose to hold a conversation in the Church, we have also chosen to take away the freedom of others to use the Church for its purpose as a House of Prayer. If people have received Holy Communion, they ought to spend some time in thanksgiving after Mass. We should not make it impossible for people to do this in the Church, before the Blessed Sacrament.
****** ends ************
The Small Hall is always open after Mass - it is heated and it is possible to make tea and coffee there. Some people do gather in there and chat but maybe we should encourage this more. Perhaps a few of the people who want to talk after Mass might organise this? I'll give it a shot.
[Note to other commenters: polite responses only to this comment please.]
Matthew - as you can imagine, I'm reluctant at the moment to disturb what people are used to at the English Masses. But at our 9am Mass, a choir of young girls has begun in a small way to modify the 4-hymn sandwich. They now sing the Introit to a simply psalm tone which is at least a start. As they get older, I think we might make some considerable headway towards a better celebration of the Mass of Paul VI.
Blessed are you when men persecute you...rejoice and be glad!
When this kind of stuff comes out, we know that we have our spiritual Enemy scared, and should be glad. I admire both your charity and perserverance. It is our charity that is the best weapon to bring folks around, even folks like the author of that article. As one of the infantry, keep at it Father!
The last line made me smile! Chin up, Father -- you are handling all this admirably.
Fr. Tim,
Just another "mutual support" message from a retired captain formerly of the "PBI" (poor bloody infantry). We confirm interlocking fire and are now fixing bayonets, preparing to repel the oncomming frontal assault. Close air support is on call to soften the target; one batallion of artillery is dedicated to you for this mission.
A request for naval gunfire support has been forwarded up the chain.
The enemy is in the wire!
"COMPANY! ...... FIX .... BAYONETS!
Hoorah!
--Guy Power
Dear Maureen
I think we are very blessed in our parish. We only have to ask and Father does his utmost to oblige. If we want a speaker to come into the Church he does everything to accomodate. However, when it comes to the liturgy, Father knows the best way to lead us to God. We need time in silence after Mass. However, even with Fathers kind requests that we leave quietly and respectfully I have noticed that many stand around chatting whilst others are trying to pray. May I also add that these are not the elderly, but very able bodied and middle aged.
Most importantly and above all else we need to set an example to our children, show them that this is the house of God and we are here to worship Him, genuflect in front of the tabernacle and stay after Mass to pray in thanksgiving. It sets a bad example to turn our backs to the tabernacle and start talking to our friends and ignoring Jesus.
How are we to teach the next generation reverence, devotion, humility and a deep love for Our Blessed Lord, if not by our example.
I understand that some people may want to talk and get together over a cup of tea and the small hall with its lovely new kitchen and fridge with milk and cupboards full of biscuits is the perfect place for this, if the social club is closed. We have used these facilities many times ourselves for occassional get togethers with other families after Mass. I am sure Father would be delighted for you to organise something like this for you and your friends or the elderly parishioners who would enjoy socialising after Mass. Organising a voluntary rota of names is the best way to get this started. God Bless and good luck.
Noli nothis permittere te terere!
I have what I hope is a polite response to Maureen's comment:
What does "“a sort of “ Novus Ord[o]" mean? " ... no hymns, no bidding prayers, no sign of peace and no pray[er] for Our Lady." What is "sort of" about it?
"Sort of" implies something defective or deformed. We know that many priests do indeed deform the church's liturgy with their unauthorised omissions or additions or alterations, but these things about which Maureen complains are all examples of legitimate options in the newer form of mass.(*) Criticism of father for omitting these at one of three Sunday novus ordo masses is tantamount to asserting that they are not or should not be optional. I deplore and am repulsed by the manner in which bidding prayers and the peace often take place, but Maureen's response to people like me seems to be "Tough - we'll do it the way I want. Always."
So far as I can tell the practice at Our Lady of the Rosary is a model of diversity and tolerance. As one who has been attached to the traditional rites for several years now, I grieve that that kind of tolerance has not been extended more widely to me and to those like me.
(*)In fact there is no "prayer to Our Lady" in the Roman rite, at least in the common of the mass; that it is normal in England for the Hail Mary to be said at the conclusion of the bidding prayers in the newer form is I gather a reflection of the ancient devotion to Our Lady in this land and a response of the English church to the loss of the prayers to Our Lady commonly said after mass in the traditional form. (Although so far as I know there's no reason for this loss, and I know one priest who only celebrates mass in the newer form but who says a modified version of the Leonine prayers afterwards.)
I noticed that Curti is out of the office until March 2nd. I bet you her inbox will be full when she gets back.
I've read Elena Curti's article and Fr Finigan's response. I've also read the comments on this thread and have been heartened to see that Fr Finigan is so well supported.
While most comments have been both sensitive and sensible, others have used language which is most unhelpful to the debate.
It is easy for us to slip into opposing camps, to close our minds to the truth held by the other, and to forget the command to love that is central to the teaching of Christ.
Whether you consider those of us who are happy with the Pauline reforms to be misguided, ignorant of liturgy, malicious or simply lost, might I encourage you to pray for us as well as for Fr Finigan. And if you feel persecuted, I invite you to act on the divine instruction to pray for those who persecute you.
The greatest danger all of us face is to demonise the 'other'. Such a disrespectful stance leads to open hostility and is a cause of scandal to others who might look at us and say,"See how those Catholics hate one another."
I will try to keep my mind and heart open to you and your point of view and hope that you are able to do the same.
Peace be with you all.
I just have to say that in Oz we have taken to use support for "the tablet" as a inverse sign of Orthodoxy....
If the priest promotes the Tablet from the pulpit you know that you would be better off making a paper aeroplane out of the bulletin than listening to the homily.
If the priest condemns the latest mumbo-jumbo in "the tablet" then you should tape record the homily for later reference.
I would like to suggest that everyone e-mail The Tablet and tell them how shameful their article has been to poor Father!
Father, never let up! Keep up the good work!!!! :-)
God bless you, Fr. Tim! I would be honored to have you as our parish priest. My prayers during this Season of Lent will be for you and for ALL of your parishoners.
Pax Christi
Dear Father Finigan
the first thing that struck me when we visited your parish last year en-famille, was that is was actually possible for a modern church to be as holy and reverent a place of prayer as an ancient church. Until that visit, I'd always found modern churches somewhat soulless and had blamed the "something missing" on the building, supposing that the sense of reverence missing in the Mass was somehow the "fault" of the architecture. Your parish - and its 10:30 Mass - showed that the Mass can be celebrated with reverence and an atmosphere of great holiness can be created in any church of any age if the will is there. Your parishioners are very lucky to have a PP who is willing to "keep it Catholic" and who also embraces both forms of the Mass. Even post Summorum Pontificum, very few of us have a choice of Masses within our Parish.
You don't need me - or anyone - to tell you that you are doing wonderful work, and the number and intensity of responses to the Tablet article in the blogosphere and various comboxes shows the magnitude of that appreciation. Thank you for what you do. Our family is keeping you and your parish in our prayers.
God bless you and the work you do for your Parish and our Mother Church.
With love and great thanks from Antonia & the Robinson family
Dear Father Finigan aka The Hermeneuticalness of Oxford,Rome and Blackfen too
"I was in prison and you came to see me" (Matt 25.36)
Thank you for allowing me to participate in the Classic v Modern 'liturgy' debate,that has become the central focus of your 'SACRED & GREAT ministry,in this the 2008/9 FARE football (soccer) season.
Wicked words and lies,can in some circumstances be a death sentence to the innocent person who is the target of such barbs in a 'TURF WAR'.
Blogging Lourdes (Father George) aka immaculataconceptio claims that Elena Curti's avid readers have publicly accused him of being a paedophile i.e :
immaculataconceptio has left a new comment on the post "Responding to the Tablet":
Hey Father Tim,
Maybe you could invite Elena to join your pilgrimage to Lourdes. It would make an interesting story for her and... and... good things can happen.
It is her avid readers who have publicly accused me here in Lourdes of being a pedophile and an idolator and someone who works against the Holy Spirit because of the fact that, during "the Season," I offer Mass in the Extraordinary Form for the pilgrims.
Of course, we want her to be a bit more reasonable for her own sake, since we love her with Christian Charity. But her coming around to being a bit more reasonable would have an astounding effect, I think, on the diminishing followers of the Tablet.
See you again in a few months!
Father George bloggingLOURDES
Being called a "paedophile",aka a "kiddy fiddler",aka a "nonse" can quite easily get you killed inside the Cat 'AA' prison system,and the same applies OUTSIDE 'HMP' ARCHITECTURE too.
In 1993/94 football season I was imprisoned at HMP Elmley,on the Isle of Sheppey under UK Civil Law,by Densitron International (now Technologies) plc,for opposing NF/BNP entry-ism into London's FARE Planning Arena at the Old Addeyans FC (Bromley-Blackheath,Cator Estate) development.
The prison officers had a notice board on the landing outside my cell.Their THOUGHT FOR THE DAY was our first psychological interaction with the Prison Authority when the cell doors opened in the morning. One day we were treated to the following pearl of wisdom:
REMEMBER THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST 'RULE 43'
I complained to the RC Chaplain (not Trevor Jacquet 'C of E' plc) that Satan's symbolic number (666 not Rule 43) shouldn't be applied to any group of humans,no matter how vile and wicked their beliefs and practices may be.I also complained about the strategic location of the message close to my cell in a House Block Wing that wasn't under Rule 43 lockup terms and conditions. The debate raged throughout the UK Prison System,spreading like wildfire until it climaxed with the murder of 'CATWEAZLE':
Leslie Patrick Bailey (February 1953 - October 1993), was a child molester and murderer who was a member of a gang along with Sidney Cooke, Lennie Smith and Robert Oliver in the abduction, torture, sexual abuse and murders of at least three young boys in and around London in the 1980s. He was sent to trial, along with Cooke and one other paedophile, for the 1984 murder of seven year old Mark Tildesley. He was already in prison for the 1985 killing of Jason Swift but was also jailed for Mark's murder in 1992. He seemed to be the only one of the gang who would admit to his crimes. He was killed, aged 40, by two other prisoners in his prison cell in Cambridgeshire. Bailey was known as Catweazle, a nickname associated with the fictional film character.
Father Tim,Elena Curti and her avid readers have put their criticism of you in writing,and you have put the SACRED & GREAT case for the defence. Will poor Blogging Lourdes (Father George) aka immaculataconceptio be allowed the same right of response,or can we expect the Tablista lynch mob to sort it out? Finally,the author Louis Ferrante will be at Bexleyheath Central on Monday 9th March at 7.00pm to talk about his memoir TOUGH GUY.This is the former mafia insider's candid true story of his criminal exploits on the streets of New York,his incarceration in some of America's toughest prisons and how,after reading his first book,he completely turned his life around. John Pridmore of Stirring stories for a packed Church fame,claims that the first book Louis Ferrante ever read was From Gangland to Promised Land and that Barack Obama is a West Ham supporter :-) The hermeneutic of continuity has kindly published an update of my professional work which as you can see has now reached a critical legal juncture here in London : vesper has left a new comment on the post "Mass at St Peter's".
Hard evidence relating to my high profile FARE JUSTICE NOT VENGEANCE FOCUS 1991-2009 :MPS ref PC/2571/07 case for the defence against NF/BNP entry-ism into London's Sporting/Planning Arena,which was originally backed up by a malevolent prosecution by CID Greenwich after a phone call made by Steve Taylor of the TSG,has been handed to MPS Assistant Commissioner Robert Quick MBA by DS Ian Coleman of the MPS Directorate of Professional Standards,Internal Investigations Command.
Our Lady of the Rosary pray for us in Richard Barnbrook's NF/BNP/GLA/LDA/ODA NEO-NAZI DEVELOPMENT TIMES Amen
Yours sincerely Roy Hobson aka Our Lady's Vesper ON-LINE + More From: www.spreadtheword.org.uk 's cityofsharedstories YouTube - Roy Hobson (From Dark to Light Too) 8 Badlow Close, Erith,Kent DA8 3SA
ROY HOBSON FCES1990, FRICS1984,Grad Dipl QS
May God indeed bless his faithful servant. It is when truth and beauty are most evident that the evil one gets worried. For my part, I wish that my own parish were as faithfully served as Blackfen.
Signed!
Keep up the good work, Father! May God bless you and your parish.
Dear Father Finigan,
I am appalled that anyone would complain about money being spent on vestment.
As the owner of a well known vestment design studio, it always intrigues me as to why this reluctance still exists in certain pockets of Catholic society.
Witness the absurd amounts lavished on weddings, for example, and other things that people buy on this earth, claiming that they are necessary. But when it comes to the beautifying of God's Temple, the Holy of Holy, the Sanctuary wherein God Himself resides with us, stinginess and lack of interest often rule supreme. Vestments are sacramentals that convey grace to the Faithful - this is the prime reason why the modern, all enveloping, tentlike creations fail.
In ages gone by, people lived simpler, humbler lives, but their churches and cathedrals housed the most magnificent collections of sacred vestments and related sacristy furnishings imaginable. Nothing was too much for the Lord of Hosts.
God bless you and have a deeply meaningful Season of Lent.
Susan Maria Evans
www.susanmaria.com
googlecache is my friend ... :-)
happy snigger, highlight, copy, paste to blog ...
The article by Elena Curti was fair and well balanced and presented both opinions well. It was not an attack on Father Finigan but a report expressing the feelings of many parishioners in Blackfen. The Latin Mass was introduced without consultation which many people think was wrong. It is all very well to say that we can go to other Masses but many prefer the main Mass of the day which is in Latin every week. Also the Saturday morning Mass is in Latin and on Sunday evening Mass is said with the Priests back to the congregation. By all means have Mass in Latin but not every week.
Father Finigan is a wonderful man and has always been there when needed. We are not criticising him as a person.
All we are asking is to be listened to and I cannot believe how vitriolic some bloggers can be. It is quite upsetting to read some of the comments which are extremely personal.
Jeannie - many thanks for your comment and indeed your kind words. Unfortunately, I do not think that people quite understood the effect of taking their concerns to the Tablet. the controversy in the parish then became entangled in the policy of the Tablet which has consistently opposed the papal office - under Paul VI, John Paul II and Pope Benedict.
We can argue about how fair the Tablet article was - I do not think that it avoided attacking me personally and the large correspondence that I have received has indicated that this was indeed the impression that many people received. I think that it also portrayed our lovely parish in a negative way that failed to recognise the many good things that happen here.
Be that as it may, there is a significant demand for a weekly Latin Mass on Sunday and we have one weekday Mass out of six which suits those who like the older form of the Liturgy. If we had changed one of the other Masses, the people who prefer to go to that Mass would not all have been happy with the change.
At heart, though, my purpose in introducing the traditional liturgy into the parish was not to meet anyone's personal preference or to indulge my own. As a priest, I sincerely believe that what Pope Benedict is doing by way of the reform of the Liturgy is necessary for the Church. He spoke of mutual enrichment and this is vital if the Liturgy is once more to be celebrated as the Church has always understood it.
There is much to be worked on by way of reconciliation and I know that you will want to be a part of this. I hope that those who do not like the Traditional Latin Mass can accept it as part of what we offer, with the benefits that it has brought, whilst continuing their very valuable contribution to parish life in various ways.
God bless
Fr Tim
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