The Hermeneutic of Continuity

The other day I began again at Wonersh with the first lecture of my course on Sacramental Theology. There was quite a buzz at the seminary after the visit of the Holy Father. Several students had been helping at Eccleston Square with reinforcements being drafted in during the immediate run-up to the visit. The highlight for them was the gathering of all the seminarians at Oscott to meet the Holy Father. The video above shows them gathering for the photo. Mgr Mark Crisp, the Rector of Oscott, was a year above me at the English College in Rome. It was great to see him sitting next to the Holy Father. I also picked out in the video students that I have taught in the past, some of whom are to be ordained to the Diaconate in December, as well those who are currently enduring my explanation of the phrase ex opere operato . It was a good idea for the seminarians to start up the Ad multos annos for the Holy Father. That is sung at many seminaries on the occasion of an ordination, an an...

The stained glass in the photo above is from the chapel of the former junior seminary at Ushaw. The building is closed but there is a group called 28dayslater who post on the Urban Exploration Forums. They go into derelict buildings to take interesting photos. Thanks to Fr Simon Henry for the link on his blog Offerimus Tibi Domine (worth adding to your blogroll) Here is another photo from the building at Ushaw: and an overview: You can find plenty more at the forum entry: Ushaw Roman Catholic Seminary . The same forum also features Cardross Seminary . This was a modernist building to start with so it does not seem quite so sad that it is a vandalised wreck. Nevertheless, it was considered by those who like such things to be Scotland's best building of the 20th century. It is Grade A listed and is on the World Monument Fund list of the 100 most endangered sites. Here's a piccie of it now: Bear these pictures in mind when you next hear stories of someone being has...

Fr Christensen writes the blog White Around The Collar . He recently reported on a new class that will be offered at the Mundelein Seminary next quarter. He will be taking the course on preparation for celebrating Mass in the Extraordinary Form.