First Communions - and lots of other liturgy

Today my parish celebrated the first of two first Holy Communion Masses. We say the Rosary before Mass to pray for the children and their families. It also helps visitors who are not used to coming to Church to get the idea of what the place is used for. I have baptised most of these children and many of their older brothers and sisters so it was a great joy to celebrate this day with so many good families. Praised be to God it was a fine morning for the photographs outside afterwards.

It has been a busy week liturgically. As well as the ordinary Masses in my own parish and two funerals, I was celebrant at High Mass at Corpus Christi, Maiden Lane on Monday (complete with Litany and Procession), and on Tuesday attended in choir for the Pontifical High Mass at St Etheldreda's Ely Place - the annual Mass of the Society of St Catherine of Siena. Thursday, we had an extra Mass in the evening to celebrate the Ascension. The Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate kindly came and sang the chant. The photo to the left and the one below are courtesy of Mulier Fortis.

Then on Friday evening, it was back again to St Etheldreda's for another High Mass with superb polyphony from the choir. Fr Cunningham is shortly to retire from St Etheldreda's and this was a farewell to him from the Latin Mass Society which he has supported so consistently, having the old Mass at his Church since he went there in the 1970s. (see Mac's photos at her post Our Catholic Heritage.

Earlier this morning, before the first Communion Mass, we had our usual Saturday morning Low Mass. Tomorrow, we'll have the new rite Ascension Thursday Sunday as well as the old calendar's Sunday after the Ascension. We may need to change the latter next year but at the moment lex dubia non obligat.

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