Just to remind you of the Solemn High Mass at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Bedford this coming Saturday at 12 noon. This will be a wonderful and rare opportunity to see and hear the Latin Mass at its very best. Sacred Ministers, servers and singers are coming from Reading, London and Oxford to take part in this act of reparation for the many millions of abortions which have taken place in this country since 1967.
86 people came to the same event last year – it would be lovely to see an even larger congregation in the church this year to welcome our visitors from the Latin Mass Society. There will be a buffet afterwards where we can socialise. Hope to see you there!
The Catholic Children’s Society is running this Christmas appeal for families in need in this country. “Without you this family would not have had a Christmas” said one grateful recipient. The idea is that you cover a shoebox with Christmas paper and fill it with gifts suitable for a boy or girl of a particular age and return it to a collection point by a certain date – in our case, Christ the King by 8th December. The visiting FSSP priest will take the boxes back to Reading to add to the collection the parishioners there are making.
Interested? There are leaflets in the church and in the hall which give more details of what to include in the box (everything needs to be new) and a label to stick on it to indicate the age and gender of the child who will receive the box. There will also be a sample completed box on display in the hall this Sunday. See also the Society’s website: https://www.cathchild.org.uk/christmas-gift-appeal/.
If you haven’t done so already please respond to the consultation by 5pm today. You may wish to do so using the link below as it only takes a few clicks! We need as many responses from the pro-life side as possible, particularly in the Manchester area. Please share the link!!
Manchester City Council has opened a consultation on a proposed censorship zone (PSPO) at Wynnstay Grove. If implemented the censorship zone would among other things criminalise:
Free speech
Signage
Prayer
Counselling
The offer of leaflets
You can respond to the consultation below! Please use this tool and share with like-minded people. The consultation closes on Friday 15th November!
A new choir for children is starting at our Bedford apostolate. The first practice was very encouraging, and it will continue every Sunday for about 20 minutes after the 8.30am Mass in the Patrick Donegan Room. The choir will sing at Mass for the first time on the First Sunday of Advent and then potentially on the first Sunday of each month. If you have children aged seven upwards that you would like to take part, please encourage them to come along, they will be made very welcome. For further information, please contact Katherine on 07985214854.
“They really were excellent” said Katherine Smith of the five children who came along to the first meeting of the children’s choir at Christ the King yesterday. They started learning the hymn ‘Rorate Coeli’ which hopefully they will be able to sing at Communion on Advent Sunday. They looked at the English translation of the hymn and discussed words such as ‘iniquity, ‘desolation’ and ‘sanctification’, thus getting some incidental catechesis! It is hoped that more children will join them next Sunday after Mass in the Patrick Donegan room to build on this great start; boys and girls of 7 upwards will be most welcome and the practice will last about 20 minutes.
This Catholic group meets on the 2nd Saturday of each month in the Patrick Donegan Room at 7pm. This month’s meeting is on 9th November and the topic is “Are we all equal in Catholicism?” There will be two short talks, open floor discussion, prayer and refreshments. Open to all Catholics aged 18+. Come and learn more about ‘hot topics’ of the Faith so you can increase your own faith and explain key issues to others.
We are very fortunate at Christ the King to have been joined recently by Neville McNally. Neville has recently moved into the area and is making Christ the King his spiritual home. He is experienced in Gregorian Chant and has joined the adult schola, for which he has been recruiting!
However, he has also suggested that we start a children’s choir. We would begin gently and the choir would sing a short piece at the Offertory or during Communion. Katherine Smith, who directs the adult schola, has kindly agreed to take on this additional venture. There will be an initial meeting this coming Sunday 10 November in the Patrick Donegan room after the 8.30 am Mass. We think that the choir would be suited to boys and girls of 7 upwards. Parents are welcome to stay. You don’t need to be able to read music or Latin, as this will all be explained. Hope to see you there!
Is God calling ME? Matrimony, celibacy, monastery, seminary, Fraternity?
If you are a single Catholic man between 18 and 29 years of age, come and discern with us at St Mary’s Priory & Church. Shrine Rector Fr de Malleray, FSSP will lead the Weekend, assisted by Fr Ian Verrier, FSSP and Deacon Roger Gilbride, FSSP. There will be talks, prayers (Divine Office in our beautiful church), Holy Mass and informal chatting with fellow guests. Possibility of private meetings with a priest, and of confession.
[No sign up sheet for the FSSP at the end of the Weekend!] Feel welcome confidentially to call, email or write for any questions. Residential, at St Mary’s Priory: 2 nights and 2 days. FREE for unwaged and students. Others: £60 per person in total.
COME & SEE. Please share the information with your friends!
BOOKINGS & CONTACT: [not via Facebook] malleray@fssp.org (read by Fr de Malleray only); 01925 635664 (Priory’s Landline).
—————————- VOCATION NEWS: 11 FSSP UK PRIESTS IN 16 YEARS
We have currently six young men from England & Wales in formation at our two international seminaries. Three of our deacons from England were ordained priests at St Mary’s Warrington in the past two years by Archbishop McMahon, OP of Liverpool. Those were the first EF priestly ordinations by a diocesan bishop in England in fifty years.
In total, 45 young men were admitted into our two seminaries this autumn including 3 from England and Ireland.
We give thanks for 1 new priest from the UK ordained every year over the past 4 years, and more generally for 11 of them ordained over the past 16 years: Fr Konrad Loewenstein in 2002; Fr Brendan Gerard in 2006; Frs Matthew Goddard and William Barker in 2009; Fr Simon Harkins in 2010; Fr Matthew McCarthy in 2011; Fr Ian Verrier in 2015; Fr James Mawdsley in 2016; Frs Alex Stewart and Krzysztof Sanetra in 2017; Fr Seth Phipps last year.
We have two special days in the Church calendar this week:
All Saints on Friday 1 November: Mass at 7.30 pm – this is a Holyday of Obligation.
All Souls on Saturday 2 November – trinated Masses at 10.00 am, 10.45 am and 11.30 am. These ‘back to back’ Masses are being said for the first time at Christ the King.
Just to remind you of the Solemn High Mass at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Bedford this coming Saturday at 12 noon. This will be a wonderful and rare opportunity to see and hear the Latin Mass at its very best. Sacred Ministers, servers and singers are coming from Reading, London and Oxford to take part in this act of reparation for the many millions of abortions which have taken place in this country since 1967.
