On Thursday, May 31st and Sunday, June 3rd (external feast), FSSP parishes across the District celebrated the feast of Corpus Christi, the ceremonies of which include a majestic outdoor procession with the Blessed Sacrament enthroned in the monstrance. This procession often involves halting for Benediction at several prepared altars, or “stations”, placed at intervals on the procession route. Sometimes the path is strewn with petals, and sometimes it is decorated with astounding artwork created with flowers or, as in the case of FSSP Dayton (see below), colorfully dyed wood chips. We took a virtual tour of the ceremonies, and we share with you below the beautiful things we found. Click on a picture in the gallery to see where it is from.
All are welcome to attend the ordination to the
sacred priesthood of Rev Mr Seth Phipps, FSSP by the Archbishop of Liverpool Malcolm McMahon, OP 11am on Saturday 9 June, Feast of the Most Pure Heart of Mary at St Mary’s Shrine, Smith St, Warrington, WA1 2NS (click here for more details)
Fr Phipps will be celebrating his first Mass at
11am on Sunday 10 June at St Mary’s Shrine, Warrington
and the following week will celebrate Mass at 11am on Sunday 17 June at St William of York Church, Reading bestowing first blessings after each Mass.
This Sunday 10th June at the end of the 8am Mass in Chesham Bois, the 8:30am Mass in Bedford and the 11am Mass in Reading, all are invited to pray together an Act of Reparation to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. Sheets will be provided with the text below, which is most fitting to pray also this Friday on the Feast of the Sacred Heart.
We have spaces left for girls aged 10 – 17 years-old on Summer Camp St Petronilla this August 13-18. Among much else, we invoke Our Lady, St Louis Marie de Montfort and St John Bosco to improve the spiritual eyesight of all participants. If you would like to know more about the camp or to request a booking form, please email us here. FLICKR albums from previous years’ camps can be viewed here: Girls 2017; Boys 2017; Girls 2016; Boys 2016.
Opening the Eyes of the Soul to See God
Believing that while Jesus walked in Israel He caused the blind to see by touching them, it is coherent to believe that He does the same now from Heaven through His new Body, that is the Church, specifically through His Saints in Heaven and on Earth. And if the scores of people who are physically healed at Lourdes is a sign of the countless thousands who are spiritually healed, so Don Bosco’s work with our Lady to restore the physical sight of a blind girl is surely a sign of their ongoing work to enable the spiritual sight (that is the Faith) of countless girls and boys today. If this were not possible, why would the Gospels recount to us Jesus having opened the eyes of the blind 2,000 years ago?
The passage below is taken from Saint John Bosco, Seeker of Souls by F.A.Forbes (1935), pages 93-93:
“The miracles of Don Bosco have remained famous. He was indignant when they were attributed to him. ‘I only tell people to invoke our Lady,’ he would say, ‘it is all her doing.’ When very hard pressed, and by obvious facts, he would sometimes admit: ‘Well, you see, we work together, she and I’…
Another day it was a blind girl who, led by two others, went to the church to pray, and afterwards asked to see Don Bosco. ‘How long have you been blind?’ he asked.
‘My eyes have been bad for some time, but a year ago I went completely blind,’ she answered, ‘the doctors say it is hopeless,’ and she begs to cry. Don Bosco led her to a window.
‘Do you not see the light?’ he asked.
‘Nothing at all.’
‘Do you wish to see?’
‘How can you ask such a question? I am a poor girl and my life depends on it.’
‘If you had your sight, would you use it for the good of your soul and for God’s service?’
‘Indeed I would!’
‘Trust in our Lady and she will help you.’
‘I know she will, but in the meantime I am blind.’
Don Bosco held a medal of our Lady before the sightless eyes. ‘What is this?’ he said.
‘I can see,’ cried the girl, ‘it is a medal.’
‘Whose medal?’
‘Our Lady’s.’
‘And on the other side, what do you see?’
‘An old man with a staff — oh, St Joseph!’
‘Holy Mother of God!’ cried the two women, ‘she can actually see!’
The girl dropped the medal which rolled into a dark corner of the room. One of them made a dash to recover it.
‘Let it alone,’ said Don Bosco, ‘let us see if our Lady has really given her back her sight.
The girl went straight to the corner and picked it up. She was beside herself with joy. Later on she became a nun in the religious Order founded by Don Bosco to do for girls what he himself was doing for boys…”
in St John Fisher House, 17 Eastern Avenue, Reading, RG1 5RU
Starting with Holy Mass, followed by pizza and brief spiritual talk.
Juventutem is an international movement of young Catholic (ages 18 to 36) who are devoted to the Extraordinary Form of the Mass. Its aim is to foster and strengthen relationships between young people at a national and international level, and to encourage and assist them in developing their faith.
Venue
Our Lady of Perpetual Succour Church
30 Amersham Road
Chesham Bois
HP6 5PE
Dates (on 4th Saturdays)
24 Feb, 24 March, 28 April, 26 May, 23 June 2018
Activities
2 – 4pm:
Catechism for Children*
followed by Altar Server Practice
4 – 4.30pm:
Rosary & Benediction
7pm:
Talk for Adults (at the home of a local family–contact us for address).
*Approximate schedule for catechism sessions: fiirst the children under 7 years-old (for about 10 minutes); then children aged about 7 to 12 years-old (for about 20 minutes); then teenagers 13 to 18 years-old (for about 40 minutes); then altar server training until 4pm, followed by the Holy Rosary and Benediction.
Families are invited to stay for as much of the programme as they wish. Tea and coffee will be available in an adjacent room.
The themes for the five Saturdays will be as follows:
Date
Theme for Catechism (from 2pm)
Theme for Evening Talk for Adults (from 7pm)
24 Feb
The Holy Trinity
Holy Mass–the greatest treasure on Earth
24 March
The Incarnation
“Salvation is from the Jews”–Jn 4:22
28 April
The BVM, the Apostles, the Angels
Denying supernatural Revelation–the 1st beast of the Apocalypse?
26 May
The Sacraments & the Church
Denying natural Revelation–the 2nd beast of the Apocalypse?
23 June
Sacred Scripture & Prayer
Love Defeats the anti-Christ
If you have a moment in advance, please practice this version of Ave Verum Corpus which we will sing during exposition:
Young Adults (18 to 35 years-old) are invited to join us for a social evening this Saturday, the Vigil of Pentecost. We will meet at 5pm in the parish room at the eastern end of the Church of Christ the King in Bedford (MK42 0SP). After a talk with Q & A entitled “The Blessed Trinity: Principle of Everything“, we will head to a local venue for dinner and drinks. Outline for the talk:
– Biblical Revelation of the Blessed Trinity
– Patristic & Scholastic theology: St Augustine & St Thomas
– Blessed Trinity and the person / marriage / life
– Blessed Trinity contra divorce / abortion / contraception
– Our final purpose, the beatific vision, is beholding the Blessed Trinity
As tomorrow’s weather is expected to be excellent, it may be we change venue for the talk to the north bank of the River Great Ouse–at a spot opposite the Longholme Boathouse, on the green strip between Russell Park and the river. There is free parking along The Embankment. Please email us here if you plan to join us, or else simply turn up.
