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Showing posts with the label holidays

"off the Boulevard St-Michel"

I last went to Paris when I was on holiday with my family as a teenager. Having seized the opportunity for a rare day off, I was going to go to Bruges but the Eurostar timetable prevented that so I chose Paris instead, a little reluctantly. Having spent a day and a half here, I could kick myself for not having put it on the A-list for brief R&R locations. My room is in fact " off the Boulevard St-Michel " and I am inescapably reminded of one of the more ludicrous number one hits of the 1960's: Peter Sarstedt's "Where do you go to my lovely?" as in the video above. My father found great amusement in the line "You sip your Napoleon Brandy / And you never get your lips wet / Ah no you don't". I posted a number of tweets alluding to this song yesterday but I fear that I am showing my age and that most of my followers (who were born some time after 1969) will have concluded that the seemingly inconsequential snippets were merely evidence of ...
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Holiday time

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Time for my summer holiday. I'm off this afternoon on the 1415 BA flight to Toulouse and then via SNCF to Lourdes until Friday. I'm hoping to make a visit to Bartres this week to see the Church where St Bernadette went to Mass during her time there. I'll remember all my readers (friends and enemies) at the Grotto and at Mass. A great thing about Lourdes for a priest on holiday is that you can say Mass any time of day at one of the altars by the sacristy of the Crypt Chapel. The Blessed Sacrament is exposed all day so there is always somewhere quiet to go and say the breviary, and, since it is a holiday, there are some reasonably priced restaurants which do a good confit de canard . I'm just about to pack and pondering which books to bring. I suppose I'll have to read "The Shack".
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Back from Eastbourne

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Fr Briggs and I were undecided on the plan for today. If it had been raining, we would have returned early to London and lunched before taking suburban trains home. Thanks be to God, today was an absolutely glorious day so we took a couple of long walks along the seafront and had a sandwich at the hotel before taking an early afternoon train back to London. I realised this morning how much I had needed a couple of days' rest and was grateful to Our Lord for His providence, and my parishioners for their generosity which enables me to get away from time to time. Last night's dinner was a great success with Frs John Zuhlsdorf, Ray Blake, and Stephen Boyle bringing great insights and experience to the conversation. Ecce quam bonum et quam iucundum . ( Wiki ) The above photo is from Westminster Cathedral which was a staging-point for our trip. It shows a mosaic of John Henry Newman that was installed last September.
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A visit to Brighton

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As you can see from Fr Ray Blake's post " Visitors ", Fr Charles Briggs and I have taken a couple of days by the seaside, at Eastbourne, joined by Fr Stephen Boyle of Good Shepherd, New Addington. This morning we took the train to Brighton and said Mass at St Mary Magdalen's. Laurence of That the bones you have crushed may thrill , kindly served my Mass. This evening, Fr Ray Blake and Fr Zuhlsdorf will be joining us for dinner so we will have a party of five. Tomorrow is the feast of St Mary Magdalen and so the statue in the Parish Church has been decorated specially:
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Beachy Head video

Here's a video in what I have now called the "Well I'm Standing Here" series. (They have to begin with a piece-to-camera that starts "Well I'm Standing Here.") There was a previous example in the V&A "runny nose" video with Aunty Joanna. Actually, this one was a little tricky to edit because there is, on the one hand, a fairly light-hearted trip to Beachy Head by myself and Fr Charles Briggs, attempting to get some footage in high winds on an English summer's day; and on the other hand, the serious matter of praying for the poor souls who have committed suicide by jumping off the cliff. I hope the balance is right.
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Beachy Head and Lewes

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We did manage to visit Beachy Head yesterday on the way over to Shoreham-on-Sea. It was a good blustery English summer's day which added to the experience of walking near the edge of the highest coastal chalk cliff in Britain. Above is one of the photos I took. I might get a chance to stitch together a YouTube video about the site. Fr Sean Finnegan (of the Valle Adurni blog) was, as ever, a magnificent host, not only setting us up for our Masses but also giving us an excellent lunch. He has posted an amusing lament on the subject of his Church: Oh Lord! A prayer . Today, we took the train to Lewes to visit Fr Richard Biggerstaff at the parish of St Pancras. Fr Jonathan Martin is staying with him during the summer. Below, you can see the fine Church; thankfully, the Ditchling altar has survived various phases of "re-ordering". I realised today that I love serving Mass in the usus antiquior as well as saying it. I served Fr Briggs' Mass after saying my own and tried t...
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Fr Briggs and I are spending a few days in Eastbourne, a traditional English seaside town on the Sussex coast. The parish Church of Our Lady of Ransom is very fine; above is a photograph of the Church's Lady Altar. We are quite near to Brighton and therefore yesterday took the train across to visit Fr Ray Blake at Saint Mary Magdalen . After saying our Masses at the Sacred Heart altar, we joined Fr Blake for lunch in one of Brighton's many and varied restaurants. This morning, we intend to visit Beachy Head , the highest chalk sea cliff in Britain at over 500 feet high. An area of great beauty, it has sadly gained a reputation as a location for committing suicide. Thanks be to God, a chaplaincy team which regularly patrols the area has helped to reduce the number of people jumping off the cliff. Then we will drive over to Shoreham to visit Fr Sean Finnegan of the parish of Our Lady Queen of Peace which comprises three Churches in the Adur Valley. We will be saying our Masses in...
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Views of Bruges

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A few weeks ago, I went for a couple of days to Bruges. It is easy for me to get to: an hour or so to Dover, lunch on the ferry, an hour's drive to Bruges. You can cut half an hour or so by using the Channel Tunnel. The train is not a good idea - from Brussells it is another hour to Bruges. (If you look at the map, you can see that you are going back on yourself.) Bruges is one of the most photogenic cities in Europe. Here are a few of my efforts. First a classic view of the Church of Our Lady across the Minnewater: One of the little bridges over the canals: The end of the Minnewater with the bridge to the Beguinehof on the left: Some typical Bruges houses along the canal: The central part of the City is illuminated at night offering the opportunity for photos with reflections in the canal. The tower of the Markt is in the centre here:
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A treat for all the family

I just read Hilary's post reminding us to ask her why Christmas should be banned, especially in Britain ( Orwell's Picnic: Grinch Chronicles ) and thought "What the hell is she going on about?" Now I understand. Here is an excerpt from a London Dungeon Press Release : [...] the London Dungeon will be spreading ill-will amongst all men in an alternative 'Satan's grotto', from 13th to 26th December. Elves impaled on spikes and robins roasting over an open fire will greet visitors to the Tooley Street attraction, whilst Santa gently boils in a witch's cauldron. Only the naughtiest of children can perch on the knee of the sprawling red-cloaked prince of darkness before confessing their secret desires … but beware wishes often come true! The London Dungeon FAQ states that the attraction is accessible to the disabled and they welcome school parties. I bet they use low energy light bulbs, recycle their cardboard, and offer healthy snacks in the gift shop, too...
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A foretaste of eternity

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The daily liturgical timetable for weekdays at Pluscarden is as follows: 4.45am - Vigils (similar to Matins of the Roman Breviary) and Lauds - approximately an hour and a half c. 6.55am (half an hour after Lauds) - Prime 8.45am - Conventual Mass and Terce 12.35pm - Sext (followed by lunch) 2.15pm - None 6pm - Vespers, followed by prayer before the Blessed Sacrament in the Lady Chapel (Supper is at 7pm) 8pm - Compline The offices and conventual Mass are all chanted in Latin. The community are using the new books edited by Solemnes as they are produced. The older Antiphonale Monasticum is used where necessary. Mass in in the Novus Ordo , using the new Graduale Romanum (readings in English). One of the pamphlets I read spoke of the chanting of the psalms as an image of eternity. This could be joked about, especially at Vigils when, for example, we chanted the whole of psalm 77 - on a monotone as are all the psalms at Vigils. However, I think there is an important point in seeing this ...
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Pluscarden Abbey

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After an interval of nearly 400 years, Benedictine monastic life began anew at Pluscarden. After the Reformation, the Priory had been in the hands of lay owners. In 1897, John Patrick Crichton-Stuart, the 3rd Marquess of Bute, and author of the eccentric but enormously useful translation of the Roman Breviary, purchased the Priory from the Duke of Fife. A devout and wealthy philanthropist, he helped the Presyterian congregation who had been using the ruins for services to build a Church in the glen, and arranged for Catholic Mass to be celebrated in the Prior's Chapel by Dom Sir David Oswald Hunter Blair Bt OSB of Fort Augustus Abbey. On the death of the Marquess, the property passed to his son, Lord Colum Crichton-Stuart who was eager for a monastic community to take up residence. Eventually, he found Abbot Wilfred Upson of Prinknash willing to found a new monastic community and in 1948, five monks began to live the Benedictine life once more in the Priory. The community has carri...
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Off to Pluscarden

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Sorry that this is a little abrupt. As ever, the day before going away seems to be frantically busy with things that cannot be left until I get back. After Mass this morning, I am taking the train to London, then flying to Inverness where I will be staying overnight. I will have some time to look around Inverness in the morning and then catch the train to Elgin. From there it is a 7 mile taxi ride to Pluscarden Abbey. This is my annual retreat so I will be incommunicado until I am back late on Friday. I have switched off the comments box: the 24 theses will have to wait until next weekend. I will be taking my camera so I hope to have some nice photographs for you when I get back. I will include all of you in the Memento in my private Mass each day.
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Booked in at Pluscarden

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I heard today from Pluscarden Abbey that my booking can be accepted for a few days in August when I will be taking some time for retreat. This will be my first visit to Pluscarden. My parish organist has kindly lent me an illustrated guide to the Abbey: borrowed from her Godson who is one of the community at Parkminster. I will need to return it on one of my visits since she only sees her Godson once a year at the time of the family visit. Must now book my flight to Inverness ... Photo credit: Joee Blogs
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The Holy Father's holiday

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Andrea Tornielli of Il Giornale has an interview with Mgr George Gänswein , the personal secretary of the Holy Father. The interview is in Italian. Rorate Caeli: News from Cadore has translated a section of the interview concerned with Summorum Pontificum . I thought you might like to read Mgr Gänswein's description of the usual timetable of the day on the Pope's holiday. Reading it makes me feel that the Holy Father is setting a very good example to me as a priest ( my own translation ): Can you say how he passes his days and what changes there are with respect to the timetable of the Vatican? The day is well structured; some elements coincide with the customs of the Vatican and other are clearly different. Every day begins with holy Mass, followed by thanksgiving, the breviary and meditation. Then there is breakfast and afterwards the Holy Father gives himself to reading, study, writing and meditation. At one o’clock there is lunch and immediately afterwards, the Pope has a ...
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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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Plenary indulgences not impossible

Dilexit Prior in Letters from a Young Catholic asked some useful questions today about indulgences. I thought it would be best to do a post here especially to cover the controversial question of detachment from venial sin. But first the other questions: The conditions for gaining a plenary indulgence Pope Paul VI set down a number of norms relating to indulgences at the end of Indulgentiarum Doctrina . Norm 7 states: To acquire a plenary indulgence it is necessary to perform the work to which the indulgence is attached and to fulfil three conditions: sacramental confession, Eucharistic Communion and prayer for the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff. It is further required that all attachment to sin, even to venial sin, be absent. If this disposition is in any way less than complete, or if the prescribed three conditions are not fulfilled, the indulgence will be only partial, except for the provisions contained in n.11 for those who are “impeded.” It is worth reading the other norms bec...
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Portiuncula indulgence tomorrow (and indulgences generally)

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Tomorrow, 2 August, you can gain a plenary indulgence under the usual conditions ( see below ) by visiting a parish Church and there reciting the Our Father and the Creed . This is called the Portiuncula indulgence and goes back to St Francis of Assisi. Fr Z has the details . Don't forget that you can also gain a plenary indulgence by visiting a Church on the day of the titular feast, and there reciting the Our Father and the Creed . I made a list of other indulgences: please see the post Plenary indulgences for particular days which has a link to the list. The post has some background information which you may find helpful since indulgences are not well understood today - which is not surprising since indulgences are not included in most Catholic education curricula, and most priests never preach about them. Therefore many Catholics are left with whatever silly, half-baked, ill-informed nonsense about indulgences happens to be current. If you want to understand the theology...
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Our Easter Faith: Not a Pious Crème Fraiche

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In public life, some basically well-meaning figures have the graciousness to wish us well at Easter and to recognise the importance of the Christian feast day. Perhaps they might assure us that their thoughts are with us at this time. That is kind of them and in Christian charity we should thank them for their kindness, but Easter should be a great deal more than that for us. We must believe that Our Lord Jesus Christ is risen from the grave, in the flesh, and lives for eternity. We cannot treat Easter as a jolly holiday that heralds spring, or the remembrance of a significant event from the past. It must change us today and every day, change who we are and what we do. The Christian faith cannot be a mild custard or blancmange of religiosity. (I am showing my age. Nowadays, I should say that it cannot be reduced to a pious crème fraiche .) We bow down and adore the King of Kings, risen from the tomb, who, “[…] continues for ever,...
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Blessing of the New Painting of St Bede at Clapham Park

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This morning, the parish priest at Clapham Park, Fr Marcus Holden, blessed a new picture of the parish's patron, Saint Bede, painted by James Tildsley. It is sited over a recently installed side altar near the rear of the Church. The altar itself was acquired from Antique Church Furnishings . The website gives the information that the altar was built and carved by a nun in a convent near Liverpool. It is a beautiful piece of work and it is always a joy when such works of art find a suitable and dignified home. The inscription on the gradine is AMANS AMATUS AMOR. The sellers translate this as “Loving is the object of love” which is a reasonable stab at “dynamic equivalence”. Today the parish's relic of St Bede was exposed for veneration in its distinctive brightly-coloured reliquary. After the blessing, there was High Mass with Fr Holden as celebrant, Fr Littleton deacon, and myself subdeacon. That gave me the enjoyable task of chant...
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