One thing not necessary...

... seeing the priest's face at Mass.

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1962 Missal pdf online

The Church Music Association of America and Jeffrey Tucker of the New Liturgical Movement have made available the 1962 Missal online in pdf format (72Mb). The file is hosted at Musica Sacra , the website of the CMAA, thanks to a generous gift from Fr Robert Skeris While you are at it, take a look at the articles clarifying the rules for music at Low Mass and music at High Mass .
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Saint Gabriel

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The angels call for our veneration and awe as part of God’s creation. Part of the destructive modernism of the 1970s included advice to Catholic school teachers that they should not talk to children about angels. This wrought lasting damage which continues to need rectifying. We should include in our prayers a heartfelt recourse to our own Guardian Angels. The Archangel Gabriel “God is my strength” would be terrifying were he to appear to any of us. Our Lady was “troubled” at the word of Saint Gabriel and wondered at the manner of the salutation. Immediately, according to his mission, the awesome messenger explained himself. Modern retelling of the event is often reduced to the jejune “Mary said Yes to God”. In fact, she said “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to thy word”. This conveys more accurately the flawless faith and trust of the Immaculata. In the infinitely wise providence of the Father, we now know the structure of the event in even more detai...
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Hand Illuminated Altar Cards

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If you need a set of Altar Cards, Breviarium Romanum now offers you a set of free copies of hand illuminated altar cards . Don't use the one above which is just a low-res example to illustrate this post. Go to the original site and download the high-res versions, prepared over six months by the mother of a priest; print them out and frame them. Suggested donation is $30 for the support of a Catholic family. H/T New Liturgical Movement
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Walsingham - the Anglican shrine

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Fr (Alfred) Hope Patten was appointed the Vicar of Walsingham in 1921 and wished to encourage devotion to Our Lady of Walsingham by having a new statue made, based on that depicted on the seal of the medieval Priory. In 1931, a "Holy House" was dedicated, enclosed within a small Church. In 1938, that Church was enlarged to for the present Anglican Shrine. Here is a rather fine ceramic of the Annunciation which is at the back of the shrine: The shrine at Walsingham traces its origin to the vision received in 1061 by the Saxon Lady Richeldis de Faverches. In her vision, she was taken to the Holy House at Nazareth. It was difficult at that time for Christians to visit the holy land because of their occupation by Muslim forces. Our Lady asked the Lady Richeldis to build an exact replica of the Holy House at Walsingham and hence Walsingham became known as "England's Nazareth." There are some curiosities at the Anglican shrine. Here is a statue of Charles, King and Ma...
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"A Brief History of Marriage" by John de Waal

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Family and Youth Concern has produced A Brief History of Marriage as a free online resource for schools. Many adults would find it a useful overview. Here is the summary from Family and Youth Concern: In twelve short chapters, experienced educator John de Waal traces the history of marriage from the ancient world of Egypt, Greece and Rome down to the present day. Along the way, he interacts with the disciplines of literature, theology, philosophy, psychology, politics and sociology in clear and accessible prose. Wide-ranging and varied in style, A Brief History of Marriage includes references to marriage customs, laws and policies through the ages, alongside extracts from love letters and quaint and homely tips given to husbands and wives in bygone days. Attractively produced and well-illustrated, this online resource is suitable for use in PSHE, history or Religious Education classes. Each chapter concludes with several questions which will stimulate further thought and p...
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