Bedford
February 13, 2018
Catholic Young Adults, aged 18 – 35, are invited to a social evening this Saturday 17 February in Bedford. This will be the first time the FSSP are hosting such an evening in the area, so we are flexible with the programme, depending on the preferences of those who attend.
Fr James Mawdsley, FSSP will be glad to welcome you from 5 pm at the church hall of Christ the King Church, Harrowden Road, Bedford, MK42 0SP. There is parking available in the church car park. After introductions there, we will likely go to a nearby place to eat in Bedford town centre (so best to arrive at the church hall not too late after 5 pm).
Do contact Fr Mawdsley if you have questions or suggestions or just to let him know you hope to attend. Here is the link: http://fssp.co.uk/young-adults-group-18-35-starting-in-bedford-this-saturday-17-feb/ which also gives a map.
by fsspuk
Catholic Young Adults, aged 18 – 35, are invited to a social evening this Saturday 17 Feb in Bedford. This will be the first time the FSSP are hosting such an evening in the area, so we are flexible with the programme, depending on the preferences of those who attend.
Fr James Mawdsley, FSSP will be glad to welcome you from 5pm at the church hall of Christ the King Church, Harrowden Road, Bedford, MK42 0SP. There is parking available in the church car park. After introductions there, we will likely go to a nearby place to eat in Bedford town centre (so best to arrive at the church hall not too late after 5pm).
Do contact Fr Mawdsley if you have questions or suggestions or just to let him know you hope to attend.
by Fr JM
February 12, 2018
With Lent almost upon us now, here are some suggestions which Fr Goddard gave in his homily last Sunday as to how we might use this holy time of grace.
Prayer
· Try to get to Mass more often during Lent
· Try to get to Confession regularly during Lent.
· If you are not already saying a daily Rosary then Lent would be a good time to start. If you do already, then why not take a second Rosary during Lent for the needs of others.
· The Stations of the Cross is a popular devotion which focusses us on the direction Lent leads us, namely salvation won for us through Christ’s Passion and Death.
· Why not take up a particular prayer intention for Lent:
o This could be personal or for others in your life.
o For our children’s education and the end to immoral secular agendas being imposed in the classroom.
o For the clear and unambiguous reaffirmation of Church teaching around marriage.
· Lent would be a good time to make an effort in spiritual reading: You might like to consider volume 2 of Benedict XVI’s book: Jesus of Nazareth: From the Entrance into Jerusalem to the Resurrection.
Fasting
· Only take on things which you think you can manage for 40 days – don’t overstretch yourself.
· Don’t choose something that will make you “crabby”, thus leading you and those around you into sin.
· Don’t give up if you slip up in your resolve, but keep starting again for the 40 days.
· If charity towards a challenging person in your life is particularly difficult, refraining from a lack of charity and trying to get on with that person can be a greater penance and mortification than, for example, chocolate or television.
Almsgiving
· Home – Consider supporting a pro-life charity, such as SPUC or The Good Counsel Network.
· Abroad – Consider supporting a charity which supports persecuted Christians, such as Aid to the Church in Need.
by fsspuk
“…they have filled this place with the blood of innocents, and have built the high places of Baal to burn their sons in the fire as burnt offerings to Baal, which I did not command or decree, nor did it come into my mind”
Jeremiah 19
The most powerful reason against abortion is God’s Sovereign ownership of every immortal spirit, of every human soul, of every creature. There is just one week remaining to add your voice defending the unborn in the consultation on ‘buffer zones’ opened up by the Home Secretary, Amber Rudd, MP.
Click on the image below to give your views online. The deadline is 19 February.
To read Bishop John Sherrington’s homily on the 50th anniversary of the Abortion Act, given with depth and clarity, click here. Below is an important letter from Clare McCullough of the Good Counsel Network to the Home Secretary outlining what is at stake.
“They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons; they poured out innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan; and the land was polluted with blood.”
Psalm 105
by Fr JM
“Do you wish your prayer to fly toward God?
Give it two wings: fasting and almsgiving.”
–St Augustine
Please read Bishop Peter Doyle’s thoughtful pastoral letter for Lent, exhorting: “Between now and Wednesday, Ash Wednesday, let each of us plan what we can do to pray, to fast, and to give alms.”
Yesterday the faithful in Chesham Bois responded generously to an appeal on behalf of the victims of human trafficking, giving alms through the Medaille Trust. After the Mass, Tony Burton explained more about the Trust’s work (pictured below).
by Fr JM
February 7, 2018
Today the FSSP UK priests’ meeting included a visit to Lancaster.
Image (above): close to the spot in Lancaster Castle where St Edmund Arrowsmith was held before being martyred in 1628.
Image (above): A memorial stone marking the location of several martyrdoms in Lancaster. Among those whose intercession we invoked was Bl James Bell, born in Warrington, and martyred in Lancaster in 1584 under Bloody Queen Bess.
Downhill from where the martyrs died is the plot on which in 1859 the Catholic Cathedral of St Peter was built. The cathedral’s fine windows tell of St Peter’s life and death in Christ. Above:
- St Peter’s sermon on the day of Pentecost
- St Peter at the Council of Jerusalem
- St Peter delivered from prison by an angel
And below:
- St Peter’s restoreth Tabitha to life
- Lord, where goest Thou
- St Peter is crucified at Rome
St Peter, pray for us.
by Fr JM
Every priest is appointed to offer sacrifice (cf Heb 5:1).
FSSP UK priest meeting at St Mary’s Shrine.
by Fr JM
February 6, 2018
As well as the Sung Mass on 4 February described under a separate article, Saturday 3 February saw the first of five Family Catechism Days with Fatima Devotions at Christ the King. The day started with a Rosary, followed by 15 minutes of meditation, during which time Confessions were available. Mass was at 11 am, celebrated by Fr James Mawdsley, FSSP, who gave a very stirring homily on the widespread effects of abortion. Then, having refreshed souls, it was time to refresh bodies, and we had lunch. In the afternoon, Catechism was offered for the under 8s and the under 16s respectively, where the Holy Trinity was explained at a level appropriate for the participants’ ages. There were some 15 participants in each age group. It was lovely to see how much about the Faith they already knew. It was the adults’ turn after this and our talk was on the Holy Eucharist.
Practice for the Sung Mass, both for singers and altar servers, rounded off a very successful day. People came and went as they were able and it was well attended by about 60 adults and children. Our grateful thanks are due to Fr Mawdsley for arranging this day and we look forward to the next one on Saturday 3 March.
by fsspuk
It can truly be said that a window into heaven was opened at Christ the King, Bedford, on Sexagesima Sunday, 4 February. After several rehearsals, this was the day when our own schola sang its first Mass. Although we have had two Sung Masses at Bedford previously in the last two years or so, thanks to the Bedford Choral Society, the arrival of the priests from the Priestly Fraternity of St Peter last October has given us the continuity we needed to form our own schola. Five men and four ladies gathered in the choir loft and we sang the complete Mass under the direction of Katherine Smith. No, it wasn’t perfect, but members of the congregation were kind enough to tell us that our efforts had been uplifting. We also had a team of five altar servers led by MC Nick Ross, some of them serving for the first time, and for them, like the schola, each Sung Mass will be progressively better.
As our celebrant, Fr James Mawdsley, said “Heaven is surely pleased by our efforts to do what ‘all generations’ have done!”.
We are looking forward to our next Sung Mass at Christ the King, which will be at 8.30 am on Sunday 4 March. We will be rehearsing in church on Saturday 17 February from 2.30 pm – approximately 4.30 pm, and at the same time on Saturday 3 March. We are always looking for more singers; please contact the Schola Secretary, Barbara Kay, on mbky3@outlook.com if you are interested.
by fsspuk
February 2, 2018
FSSP England has launched its new website today. Many hours of work have gone into creating this. Each Apostolate has its own page, including ours at Bedford!
The introduction looks like this:
Welcome to FSSP England’s new website. While the site was born on the Commemoration of the Baptism of the Lord, it is going public today, Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord. Remembering also the Purification of Our Lady today, the Church sings the Ave Regina Caelorum at the end of Compline from tonight until Wednesday of Holy Week. Of your charity, please say a prayer for the good fruit of this website, asking Our Lady’s patronage, so that it serve the mission of her divine Son.
Here is the link:
http://fssp.co.uk/fssp-englands-new-website/
by fsspuk
It can truly be said that a window into heaven was opened at Christ the King, Bedford, on Sexagesima Sunday, 4 February. 