Congratulations to Fr Gregory Carling who was ordained today at St Hugh's Charterhouse, Parkminster. This is the first ordination at Parkminster for many years. God willing there will be some more ordinations and solemn professions over the next few years.
The local Ordinary, Bishop Kieran Conry, celebrated the Mass, assisted by Bishop Richard Moth, a long-time friend of the Charterhouse. There were more than a dozen others concelebrating: it was rather a tight squeeze on the small sanctuary of the extern chapel. The plainchant was a trap for unwary priests accustomed to the Roman chant. The Carthusian chant is sometimes quite similar but you can be caught out by minor differences.After Mass, there was a reception in the external guest house and time to chat until a lunch held for the bishops, and a few close family and friends. It was great to catch up with the three monks who had come from Pluscarden - Fr Gregory had been a member of their community before joining the Carthusians. Lunch ended with a small glass of Green Chartreuse: you only need a small glass.
In the afternoon, I gave my usual lecture to the novices and simply professed (today's session was on the Church as Communion.) Vespers was followed by Fr Gregory's blessing of the community, given in the Chapter House with its striking paintings of the martyrdom of the Carthusians under Henry VIII.
The novice master will be sending me a file of the booklet that was used for the Mass: I told him that chant afficionados would be most interested.
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The gradual and other liturgical books, with the chant, are on the order's website. I was particularly intrigued by the fact that simple chants such as the preface had the semitone in a different place.
(maybe it wasn't the preface, now I come to think of it, but certainly chants using reciting tones with wiggly bits for punctuation as the preface does)
My congratulations to Fr Gregory, and the brothers and fathers of Parkminster.
I often regret the fact that I didn't explore a vocation to the Charterhouse as a younger man. After receiving Communion at Mass today, I felt convinced that my happiness can only really be found in the eremitic or monastic life. But, as always, may God's will be done...
Goodness: I remember Fr Gregory as a novice at Pluscarden when I was an undergraduate at St Andrews. Ad multos annos!
Thanks be to God! This makes my day. JOYFUL news!
I have ordered books from Parkminster a couple times (Carthusian books tend to be very exquisite). And one time, which happened to be Valentine's Day and I suppose indeed I was thinking who do I love? I love Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and visited Him, also being a solitary woman of prayer I love hermits. I just made a small donation through their website, and a little while later I received from Br Simon a book of beautiful poetry by one of the monks, which with shipping to Wisconsin easily cost as much as my donation. I felt, knew for sure even, the Carthusians love me too. I entirely was not expecting that and was deeply touched.
A holy old Italian missionary religious priest here said on the Feast of St Bruno, if it weren't for the Carthusians he truly believes God would destroy us all. Although I am sure they are ordinary men, I have come to understand that the Church profoundly relies on them and believe in the great power of their prayer for us all. Jesus preserve them all in holiness. Deo Gratias for giving us more Carthusians!
Many congratulations to Fr Gregory. I remember him well at Pluscarden. It was good to read that some of the Pluscsrden community were in attendance. May God grant him many graces in this life.
For those who have not met him he is the religious wearing spectacles and with his hands outstretched.
Great news! Can you tell us what numbers are like at Parkminster at the moment?
Great picture of the Chapter house.....if you look very close you can still see the teeth marks from the day Dom Bede's false teeth made their break for freedom......they jumped from his mouth and scuttled across the floor....that was in November 1986, Dom Bede is dead now....but I remember it like it was yesterday....happy days and congrats to Fr Gregory.
josephmchardy - numbers are rising, with the average age of the community much lower now. All very promising.
What a wonderful moment! I'm teaching a class this fall on silence and contemplation in the Western tradition, including the Carthusian way of life, and will use some bits from this blog! Thanks....
Michelle - it is great to hear of you teaching a class on silence and contemplation. Don't forget that there are some other photos in St Hugh's Charterhouse, Parkminster set on Flickr. They are all licensed as Creative Commons so you are free to use them as you wish in your teaching.
Fr. Finigan,
Thank you for the pointer to Flickr! That will be a wonderful resource.
The course involves field work, so my class is off next week to try silence for the first time, two days at a nearby Jesuit retreat house. If you have a prayer to spare, I would appreciate it!
Some ten years ago it was my great privilege to be invited into choir at Parkminster to sing Vespers with the monks. As but a mere ex-Benedictine the moment was as inspiring as it was awesome.
A Providential accident, I was lost driving home from some business on the South coast when I spotted the sign to the Charterhouse. Had to go and take a look. Porter was very kind and when the bell sounded for Vespers and I asked if I might stand in the ante-hall and listen he said "Go on in dear boy!" So I did. Took a place by the door, was shown the chants for the day and off we went. More or less hacked it from memory, though the immense and gracious slow rendering of the 'Gloria Patri...' completely threw me first time.
Came out in a daze of joy and emotion. Maybe the Porter knew I needed something like that. I did. Newly diagnosed with cancer, feeling pretty rotten and wretched. A moment of healing. Thank you Carthusians for that.
Just guessing, here, but "Rise and Shine" wasn't sung during Mass, right?
God grant Fr Gregory many blessing in his priestly life.
Dear father Finigan,
sorry to bother you via a comment, but it seems I was using an out-of-date email adress... I'd like to point your attention to this fascinating documentary on the Carthusians in Marienau:
http://de.gloria.tv/?media=196879
yours in Christ,
Thomas
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