The feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary was celebrated at St Patrick’s Church, Donegall Street, Belfast with a programme including solemn Vespers and High Mass according to the usus antiquior. the Mass setting was Victoria's Missa O Quam Gloriosum, sung by the Schola Gregoriana of Belfast. The congregation of about 450 included many young people, some of whom had come from as far afield as Dublin. NLM has some photos of last year's Missa Cantata: Feast of the Assumption in Belfast, Northern IrelandFor the feast of the Assumption, there were five extraordinary form Masses across Ireland - it is most encouraging to hear of this growth of interest in the celebration of the Sacred Liturgy in the classical form.
6 comments:
Wasn't this advertised as a High Mass?
Only 5 in the whole of Ireland? Mind you i'm afraid it is pretty pagan now...& as I have hundreds of relatives I can vouch for that fact.
Well yes, 5 seems rather small beer by English standards but it is a very hopeful sign in present-day Ireland. Rather points to the prophecy that Ireland would lose the faith but England would regain it.
Patricius - "High Mass" is actually an ambiguous term as I was advised by one well-versed in these matters. You could correctly call the Missa Cantata a "High Mass" while referring to Mass with Deacon and Subdeacon properly as "Solemn Mass".
It seems I mixed up last year's Mass and this year's.
This year's Mass was very well attended too! It was also in a city centre Church rather than in the strictly Catholic and Nationalist enclave of the Falls (where St Paul's, last year's venue is). The celebrant this year was the same as last year, the indefatigable Fr Martin Graham. More to the point, the cohort of servers at EF Masses in Down and Connor are almost always seminarian from the diocese. The situation for traditional Masses in Ireland is about 25 years behind England but never fear, we're catching up!
Yes, five seems like a small number for the whole of Ireland. But from communications with my relatives there it appears that there is not a lot of interest in the TLM in Ireland these days. My old parish is a rather large one (a PP and three Curates…!) and rather dynamic. Lots of groups and activities – both supportive and devotional (they have Perpetual Adoration…). Much ‘lay participation’ in the Liturgy (a veritable ‘army’ of EMHCs, altar girls, ‘Ministries’ etc.).
While they do keep to many of the traditional devotions – Rosary and Benediction, Corpus Christi Procession through the town, Annual Mission and so on, I hear there is little call for a return to Latin and the EF. One of the Curates does introduce some Latin hymns betimes (he studied in Rome…) and I suspect he may be interested in the TLM but might not get much support from the PP who is close to retirement.
Granted, this is just one parish and one can’t generalize from one example. But from anecdotal evidence I suspect their situation may not be unique.
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