Pictured above on the day of his ordination to the priesthood, we were very pleased to welcome Fr Seth Phipps, FSSP, to Bedford for the first time last weekend. He has succeded Fr O’Donohue as the priest who will usually say Mass at Christ the King.
Father heard Confessions on Saturday afternoon whilst the Blessed Sacrament was exposed on the altar, and concluded the afternoon with Benediction. On Sunday he said two Masses for the External Solemnity of the Rosary. His homily was on the theme of the Rosary and we received some very practical advice on how we can overcome distractions and pray the Rosary with greater devotion.
We look forward to getting to know Father better in the coming days.
The following message appears in the Reading newsletter this week. Fr O’Donohue writes:
“I would like to express my gratitude to the faithful in Reading, Bedford, and Chesham Bois for their prayers as well as thoughtful messages and gifts before my leaving the UK for a new assignment. I have thoroughly enjoyed ministering at these apostolates of Our Lady’s Dowry over the past three years and will always be grateful to have had this opportunity. I have offered the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass for your intentions”.
Don’t forget that we have Adoration and Confessions this coming Saturday 3 October at the slightly earlier time of 2.30 pm – 5.30 pm. Two priests will be hearing Confessions, one of them Fr Seth Phipps, FSSP, whom we welcome to Christ the King as he begins his ministry with us this weekend.
For the last time, our Parish Priest, Fr Patrick Hutton will be in the other confessional, as he takes a well-earned retirement as from Monday 5 October. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Father for his kind support of the Latin Mass over the last five years and to wish him and his wife Rita every blessing as they begin this new chapter of their lives.
We also said goodbye to Fr Patrick O’Donohue on 27 September as he returned to Ireland to become the first FSSP priest in a permanent apostolate there. We thank him for his three years with us and assure him of our prayers for his new work.
On Saturday 5th September we have another of our regular opportunities for Eucharistic Adoration. St Alphonsus Liguori tells us “You will gain more by praying 15 minutes before the Blessed Sacrament than all the other spiritual exercises of the day”. Our Lord will be exposed on the altar for three hours, from 3 pm – 6 pm, so you will have plenty of time to spend with Him.
Also during this time there will be two priests available to hear Confessions. As Confessions are not being heard after Sunday Mass at the moment, this is an invaluable opportunity. Of this Sacrament, St Francis de Sales says: “Go to your confessor; open your heart to him; display to him all the recesses of your soul; take the advice that he will give you with the utmost humility and simplicity. For God, Who has an infinite love for obedience, frequently renders profitable the counsels we take from others, but especially from those who are the guides of our souls”.
Two very good reasons to be at Christ the King on Saturday week! If you can’t come this time, there will be further afternoons of Adoration and Confession on the first Saturday of October, November and December, also from 3 pm – 6 pm.
