Reading
June 7, 2018
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.
by Fr AM
June 6, 2018
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.
by Fr JM
June 5, 2018
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.
by Fr JM
Next Thursday, 7thJune at 7:15pm
in St John Fisher House, 17 Eastern Avenue, Reading, RG1 5RU
- (preceded by optional Mass at 6:30pm)
- time of prayer before the Blessed Sacrament
- spiritual talk
- refreshments
- concludes at 8:45pm
by Fr PD
June 4, 2018
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…”
by Fr JM
June 2, 2018
by Fr JM
May 24, 2018
Click on the poster for a link to LiveMass.net
by Fr JM
Next Wednesday, 30th May at 7pm
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.
by Fr PD
May 22, 2018
by Fr JM
May 10, 2018
On this Feast of the Ascension of the Lord, the Priestly Fraternity of St Peter is pleased to introduce the Summer issue of our quarterly magazine Dowry (Summer 2018, No38).
SPECIAL ISSUE ON HOLY MATRIMONY
The layout is designed to be looked at as a double page: make sure to select this display on your pdf reader.
Click on the cover of the magazine to open the 4.2Mo pdf file.
In this issue:
Editorial: Alfie’s Death Made Us All Orphans
R.I.P. – Dolores O’Riordan of The Cranberries
The Marriage of the Virgin by Raphael
Humanae Vitae and the Crisis of Faith
The Ends of Marriage
My Name Is Bond, Marriage Bond
Forthcoming Events
Pictures of Holy Week
Support our apostolate
Please share this link with your friends: this is a simple way of spreading good news and doctrine.
by Fr AM
