15th August – Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
We’re delighted that Fr. Anton Webb will once again be able to say Mass in Bedford on 15th August at 7pm (NB NOT 730pm as previously advertised!). This will be a Low Mass.
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13 July: Men’s Evening
When: 13th July, 7:30-9:30pm
Where: Ampthill: please contact us for address and directions
What: Prayers, a short talk from Fr. Diaz, and then food and drink!
What do I bring? A £2 contribution for Fr. Diaz. We’ll have pizza and beer for everyone.
16th July – LMS Day of Recollection
The Latin Mass Society’s annual Day of Recollection will take place in the chapel of St Edmund’s College, Old Hall Green, Ware, Hertfordshire SG11 1DS on 16th July
The Day of Recollection starts at 11.00am (registration from 10.00am) and will conclude at about 4.00pm.
More details are here:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1758011717817548/
Three Masses in a week!
We were very lucky to have three Masses in one week in Bedford!
On 29th June we had an evening Low Mass said by Fr. Matthew Goddard FSSP, who travelled up from Reading.
Fr. Thomas Crean celebrated a sung Mass on 2nd July for about 15 Catholic families (one of whom provided the singing!). This was followed by a picnic and ice cream
Fr. Crean also said Mass on 3rd July at Christ the King to about 40 parishioners
26th June
Fr. Alldrit came down from Northampton to say Mass this week – more new people keep on coming, which is very heartening.
Just a reminder: Mass for SS Peter and Paul is tomorrow at 730pm
Lastly, the date for the Men’s evening has been set for 13th July. Please contact us for details. More information on corporal works of mercy coming soon!
19th June
Fr. Horgan made the trip down to say Mass on 19th June, and a congregation of 50 were present, including some new faces. It’s extremely heartening to see such strong numbers!
In other news, the Mass on 29th June for SS Peter and Paul will be a sung Mass.
SS Peter and Paul
We are delighted to welcome Fr. Matthew Goddard FSSP to say Mass for SS Peter and Paul at 7:30pm on 29th June.
12th June and more activities!
Fr. Crean said the Dominican rite this Sunday and gave a wonderful homily to over 50 of us. Below are details of some other activities for Latin Mass attendees; please contact us if you’re interested in any of them.
Women’s monthly group
There’s a monthly recollection for ladies in Ampthill – it’s on a Tuesday, at 10:30am, in the house of one of the parishioners. Children are very welcome, and tea and cake are served! The next one is on 21st June.
Men’s monthly group
Not to be outdone, the men are thinking of starting a monthly evening, with prayers, a talk from a priest with some beer and food. The first one will be in July!
Servers needed!
Nicholas and Alex are doing a heroic job on the serving front, but it would be very helpful to have others available as well. We can train anyone who is interested, and you don’t need to know the responses by heart!
Corporal works of mercy
We’re thinking about starting up something to reach people at the fringes of society in Bedford and around – prison visits, pro life vigils, visiting the sick, etc. Are you interested? Do you have any ideas? Would you like to be involved in organising anything?
Weekday Masses
We are trying to organise a Mass in the evening, as we did for Corpus Christi (but without the procession, so not as long!). This would be either for SS Peter and Paul (29th June) or for Assumption (15 August) – or both! Would you come to an evening Mass? If so, what time would you like – 6:30 or 7:30?
5th June
Mass took place as usual at Christ the King on Sunday 5th June, with 52 attendees including many new faces.
Based on the success of the Corpus Christi Mass, we’re also planning another weekday Mass, as well as some more parish activities. Watch this space!
Time Stood Still at Bedford
The sun shone over Christ the King Church, Bedford on the evening of Corpus Christi as we gathered to celebrate our first weekday Latin Mass. The congregation was similar in size to that of Sunday mornings at around 50 people. We were joined on this occasion by some of our confirmation candidates who normally meet on a Thursday evening and who had been invited to come as part of their Catholic education.
Fr Anton Webb of the Oxford Oratory, who was visiting us for the first time, was our celebrant and was in fine voice, as was our schola of two, who sounded as if there were a lot more of them as they sang the settings for Corpus Christi with devotion and skill. All our regular servers, and one or two extras, did well in the sanctuary, especially as it was the first Missa Cantata for some of them.
The day was drawing to a close as we processed out of the church and into the grounds. Christ the King is fortunate enough to be set amongst lawns and trees with a circular path and we walked round twice before going back inside for Benediction. Our recently refurbished monstrance gleamed between two seven-branched candlesticks, making a worthy setting for the precious Body of Christ.
It was a beautiful, prayerful Mass, a little piece of Heaven, and time seemed to stand still. I was amazed to glance at my watch and find that I had been there for almost two hours. Conversations as we went our separate ways confirmed that it had been a wonderful occasion. Fr Webb said in his homily that he hoped we would invite him again, and I hope we will; the feasts of St Peter and St Paul and the Assumption are on the horizon …
Barbara