Cost: $18.95 USD = £13.43 GBP. Check with your local FSSP UK & Ireland parish for discounted bulk order.
“Can priests miss Mass? This little book light-heartedly depicts ten Holy Masses nearly missed by priests due to some opposition. From Kilimanjaro to Loch Ness, from Burma to Paris and more, the ten humorous short stories describe obstacles to the celebration of Holy Mass, thankfully overcome. The ten priests persevered, spurred by the conviction that Holy Mass: 1) honours God, whose extrinsic glory increases each time the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is offered; 2) helps souls through the temporal application of Christ’s saving merits that Holy Mass brings about; 3) fortifies priests, whose ontological raison d’être is to offer the divine Victim on the altar. Leaving aside theological arguments, Near Missed Masses entertainingly illustrates these truths through fiction.”
Praise for Near Missed Masses
In the real world, which is the world that God made, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is the power station feeding the life of grace. Without such grace, we die. In this volume of true stories, Fr Armand de Malleray shows us the life-giving power of the Mass in a world darkened with devildom. The light-hearted and humorous tone of the stories makes them easily readable without ignoring the gravity of the topic. — Joseph Pearce, author of biographies of J. R. R. Tolkien, Oscar Wilde, C. S. Lewis, and G. K. Chesterton
The unusual theme that unites a good number of the stories in this compendium is a scenario with which many a freshly-ordained priest will soon become familiar—the battle royal that often ensues in the attempt to secure an altar at which the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass may be offered in an atmosphere of recollection and decorum. With tact and good humour, Father de Malleray explores the intra-ecclesial prejudices and neuroses which have given rise to such a state of affairs, and illustrates how perseverance, charity and prayer are the most effective weapons we possess against suspicion and bigotry. An edifying read for both priests and laity, which we should pray will contribute to the healing of self-inflicted wounds which for too long have hampered the Church’s mission of evangelisation. — Fr Julian Large, Provost of the London Oratory
The stories in this collection give us precious evidence of the hidden persistence of the grace of the true priestly vocation in unexpected situations. The ten narratives portray priestly candidates and priests of various ages and cultures. All reveal that secret dialogue in the soul that takes place when grace is at work. Based on my experience in teaching Thomistic philosophy to seminarians for a decade and catechesis to seminarians and priests as well as lay people, I cannot recommend this book highly enough for young Catholic men and for all those who nurture vocations, or who could, but who are not sufficiently alert to the quiet presence of the Holy Spirit in many young souls. — Dr Caroline Farey, Annunciation Catechesis
In Near Missed Masses, Fr de Malleray finds a delightfully playful and imaginative way to reinvent true contemporary stories and drive home a serious point: the value of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and the zeal that we should have to celebrate (as priests) or attend (as layfaithful) this Sacrifice worthily and frequently. In this way, the book functions like the proverbial storeroom containing things both new and old! — Fr Henry Whisenant, Diocese of East Anglia (England)
Mexico will witness its first Traditional Ordination in decades as Rev. Mr. Joel Pinto Rodriguez, FSSP is ordained to the priesthood by His Eminence Raymond Cardinal Burke.
The ceremony will take place at the Sanctuary of the Martyrs in Guadalajara, Mexico on the Feast of the Sacred Heart, June 11th, 2021, at 5PM CST.
The ordination is open to the public and free of charge.
Also, the ceremony will be broadcast on LiveMass and Facebook.
The ordination will also be part of a larger event, the Third Congress of Summorum Pontificum, featuring H.E. Cardinal Raymond L. Burke, Dr. Peter Kwasniewski, Fr. Javier Olivera Ravasi, Dr. John Pepino, Matt Fradd, Gregory DiPippo, and more, including the Very Rev. P. Andrzej Komorowski, FSSP Superior General, and Fr. Jonathan Romanowski, FSSP. Virtual tickets to view the conference online can be purchased here.
Note that space at the ordination is limited, and seats are reserved for those attending the conference, after which they will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.
A reflection on the Feast of St. George for the Juventutem London youths, by Fr Armand de Malleray, FSSP. “St George, Patron of England. Why countries need patron saints: the idea of a motherland. How to distinguish patriotism and nationalism; civic loyalty and insularism. As the world becomes a global village, have national history, culture and customs become irrelevant?”
Thank you for spreading the word today. Launching Regina Caeli Hybrid Academy in Warrington will help children get a better Catholic education.
By Regina Caeli Academy UK
In 2019, a few families in Bedfordshire took the initiative to bring a successful U.S. model of Classical Catholic education to the U.K. and founded Regina Caeli Academy UK, with pastoral support from the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter. In its second year, the number of families using the Academy has already doubled, with more families joining and moving to the area this year in anticipation of September 2021. Full details about Regina Caeli Academy, including an introductory video, fees, timetables and curriculum, are available at www.rcahybrid.org.uk.
Given the growing community in Warrington, and answering demand from local parents, we would very much like to start a centre at St Mary’s Warrington, with God’s help, from September 2021. The Academy offers a full Classical Curriculum, completely grounded on the magisterium of the Catholic Church, and a community of Catholic families. Trained, paid teachers provide two days per week of on-site tuition. For the other days of the week, comprehensive study plans are provided for parents to follow with their children. Parents benefit from structure, accountability and community, and their children gain Catholic friends for life.
Over the past 18 years, thousands of children have been educated with this curriculum in the U.S., so parents can be confident that it is a tried and tested system of Catholic education which results in robust qualifications, a lifelong love of learning and, most importantly, a deep-rooted faith.
If you are a parent who is interested in the Warrington RCA for your own children, please email Michael and Aileen Seymour, the Warrington coordinators of Regina Caeli Academy: TheAcademyStMarys@gmail.com giving your contact details and your children’s ages/current school years. Alternatively, if you would like to apply for the Warrington RCA, please fill out the application form at: https://www.rcahybrid.org.uk/application-form.
If you are a teacher who wants to work in such a Catholic environment, or have administrative skills that could help shape the Academy, please also contact us as above. We don’t need financial assistance to start up, but you could certainly also help us with prayer, in particular to the now Venerable Mother Elizabeth Prout, foundress of the female branch of the Passionists who used to run St Mary’s School in Warrington. Any financial support will be gratefully received by Regina Caeli Academy: please contact in advance Regina Caeli Academy UK: https://www.rcahybrid.org.uk/contact (please note that the FSSP does not presently collect donations in connection with this project).
To allow us to plan the expected opening, we need to know by 1st May 2021 how many children will start with us in September.
Please be sure to contact us long before that deadline. Lastly, please share this information far and wide now. Thank you on behalf of many children – and their parents!
*UPDATE 1. Please note: Tenebræ is no longer able to happen, due to unforeseen circumstances outside our control.
**UPDATE 2. We are now fully booked for ALL the services of the Sacred Triduum. Please be aware that we cannot guarantee seats for anyone without a booking. For those with reservations, please be in your spaces in plenty of time.
In 2019, a few families in Bedfordshire took the initiative to bring a successful U.S. model of Classical Catholic education to the U.K. with pastoral support from the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter. In its second year, the number of families using the Academy has already doubled, with more families joining and moving to the area this year in anticipation of September 2021.
Given the growing community in Warrington, and answering demand from local parents, we have started a centre at St Mary’s Warrington, with God’s help, from September 2023. The Academy offers a full Classical Curriculum, completely grounded on the magisterium of the Catholic Church, and a community of Catholic families. Trained, paid teachers provide two days per week of on-site tuition. For the other days of the week, comprehensive study plans are provided for parents to follow with their children. Parents benefit from structure, accountability and community, and their children gain Catholic friends for life.
Over the past 18 years, thousands of children have been educated with this curriculum in the U.S., so parents can be confident that it is a tried and tested system of Catholic education which results in robust qualifications, a lifelong love of learning and, most importantly, a deep-rooted faith.
If you are a parent who is interested in St Mary’s for your own children, please email Dominic Jones or Raymond Cilia, the Warrington coordinators of St Mary’s Academy: stmarysacademy.warrington@gmail.com giving your contact details and your children’s ages/current school years. Alternatively, if you would like to apply for the Warrington RCA, please fill out the application form at https://www.stmarysacademywarrington.co.uk/about/admissions
If you are a teacher who wants to work in such a Catholic environment, or have administrative skills that could help shape the Academy, please also contact us as above. We don’t need financial assistance to start up, but you could certainly also help us with prayer, in particular to the now Venerable Mother Elizabeth Prout, foundress of the female branch of the Passionists who used to run St Mary’s School in Warrington. Any financial support will be gratefully received by St Mary’s Academy: please contact in advance St Mary’s Academy on the same email: stmarysacademy.warrington@gmail.com or see website for details on how to give: https://www.stmarysacademywarrington.co.uk/donations
To allow us to plan the expected opening, we need to know by 1st August 2023 how many children will start with us in September.
Please be sure to contact us long before that deadline. Lastly, please share this information far and wide now. Thank you on behalf of many children – and their parents!
St Joseph: God’s foster-father. In the context of the Year of St Joseph, we will meditate on glorious St Joseph, the man who lived for thirty years in close intimacy with the Lord Jesus and Our Lady. St Joseph is a model for obedience to the divine will, for manly courage and strength as well as for purity. He is invoked as Terror of devils and Patron of the Happy Death.
Organised by Juventutem London. Preacher and Mass celebrant: Group chaplain Fr Armand de Malleray, FSSP
