Archbishop Malcolm McMahon OP of Liverpool has requested that the following message be sent out:
The Venerable Ignatius Spencer CP
It was with great happiness that I heard the news on 20 February 2021 that Fr Ignatius Spencer CP was declared by the catholic Church as having lived a life of heroic virtue and may now be called ‘venerable’. To get this news so soon after the very recent declaration of Sr Elizabeth Prout CP as ‘venerable’ is a remarkable grace to the Passionist Order and to the archdiocese. These two Victorian Catholics are as relevant to the mission of the church today as they were in their lifetimes. They show us how to reach out beyond ourselves and respond to suffering due to poverty and deprivation. My prayer is that the shrine at St. Anne’s, Sutton [NB: 18 minutes from St Mary’s Warrington] which harbours the mortal remains of three great Passionists, Blessed Dominic Barberi, Venerable Elizabeth Prout and the now Venerable Ignatius Spencer, will increase as a centre of devotion and prayer in the archdiocese. All three of these great disciples loved the poor and worked tirelessly for their bodily and spiritual wellbeing.
Venerable Ignatius, who had left behind a life of privilege, devoted himself tirelessly to visiting the poor, giving food and all his personal possessions to those in need. His preaching and writings showed him to be a true disciple of Jesus and in his daily life he lived out the passion of our Lord in heroic fashion. His life of service is a true example to his living relatives, Prince William and Prince Harry, and is to be emulated by us all.
7:50pm-8:20pm: Spiritual Talk by Group Chaplain Fr de Malleray, FSSP on “Remaining in the presence of God: the best kept secret that saints would die to share with us. Avoiding grave sins and dangerous occasions is a prerequisite to sanctity; then to become regular in saying our prayers, confessing our sins and receiving Holy Communion. But all along, nothing will help us like cultivating the presence of God lovingly watching us day and night. This is how so many sinners became saints.”
Welcome
to our First-Time Visitors! We are glad to share
with you the beauty and depth of the traditional Latin Mass. Feel welcome to ask us
about silence, Holy Communion on the tongue, the use of Latin, etc. Most
people here came across this form of the Mass within the past few years or
months. Like you they were perplexed at first. Now they treasure it. Find
out more on lms.org.uk/faqs
St Mary’s Shrine Church Bulletin
14 Feb 21 (fortnightly)
Smith Street, Warrington, Cheshire, WA1 2NS, England
Served by the Priestly Fraternity of St Peter by appointment from the RC
Archdiocese of Liverpool.
Weekdays: 11:00am-1:30pm (Confessions 11:40am-12:05pm; Holy
Mass 12:10pm)
Saturdays: 10:00am-1:30pm (Eucharistic Adoration
10:00am-12noon, with ongoing Confessions; Holy Mass 12:10pm)
Daily Holy
Mass online with homily: on
LiveMass.net > Warrington: Sun 11:00am; Mon-Sat 12:10pm, and the same
on demand 24hrs after 3pm upload for weekday Masses, and over 7days for
Sunday Mass.
To receive
Holy Communion: one must be a Catholic, in state of grace, one-hour fasting
at least. In the EF liturgy, Holy Communion is received kneeling (unless unable
to) and always on the tongue. Thank
you in advance.
All must dress modestly in church out
of reverence for God and of respect for fellow-worshippers. Chest and limbs
must be covered down to elbows and knees at least. No sportswear. Sunday best should be worn
by all on Sundays and feasts: suit and tie for men and boys, dresses for women
and girls. Men keep their heads uncovered within church; women are encouraged
to wear a scarf, hat or mantilla. Thank you.
Switch OFF your
mobile phonebefore
you enter our church. Letting it ring inside the church gravely disturbs the
quiet of the sacred place. Thank you for your consideration.
Safeguarding: If you have
concerns about children or vulnerable adults, please contact the
Archdiocesan Safeguarding
Department on 0151 522 1043 or e-mail
safeguarding@rcaol.co.uk, or speak with Clare Fraser, St Mary’s Safeguarding
Officer. Thank you for your awareness.
Confirmations: our Archbishop Malcolm McMahon OP of Liverpool kindly agreed to confer the Sacrament of Confirmation at St Mary’s on Saturday 10th July 2021, 3:00pm. Candidates should contact Fr Stewart: astewart@olgseminary.org. Preparation will begin soon after Easter. We are very grateful to His Grace.
Ash Wednesday 17th February. Day of FAST (one full meal a day and up to two snacks not amounting to another full meal, for any Catholic aged 18-59 unless pregnant or sick) and ABSTINENCE (no meat for any Catholic aged 14+).
Come to holy Mass and receive the blessed ashes (not applied upon the forehead this year but spread upon the head as anti-Covid precaution): a powerful sacramental to begin our preparation for the redemptive Passion of Our Lord.
Bring by
Tue 16 Feb 12noon any blessed PALMS from last year to be burnt into
ashes.
Mother Elizabeth Prout declared Venerable by Pope
Francis: thanks be to God! Given that her community ran St Mary’s
School – now Priory Court – let us pray that she might intercede in particular
for our children and our families.
Educational Project St Mary’s: Thank you for
your interest in upgrading our educational offer at St Mary’s. Please email
malleray@fssp.org. Despite the many restrictions, now is the time to
communicate, anticipate and set up a more permanent framework to educate our
children as saints. Please tell your friends. Please also visit www.rcahybrid.org.uk/.
Moving near St Mary’s? Interest was
recently expressed to us again by families considering moving to Warrington. We
can advise you on preferred locations and local housing market.
Congratulations to our Welsh seminarian Gwilym
Evans, FSSP who
was admitted to major orders and was
ordained a Subdeacon at our Bavarian seminary on Sat. 13th February. This month, 18 FSSP seminarians
were ordained Subdeacons. Please God, they should become deacons this spring
and priests next year. Pray for more via https://www.fssp.org/en/help-us/confraternity-of-saint-peter/.
Ask us for a Gift Aid form to
increase your donation by 20% at no extra cost to you. Gift Aid
envelopes can be obtained from our Secretariat. Standing
orders are easier and quicker for us to process than cash: Lloyds
Bank ; Sort Code: 30-80-27 ; Account number: 30993368 ;
Account name: FSSP Warrington
COVID: Please
observe social distancing, sanitizing and one-way system as signed, and kindly
cover your face with a mantilla, scarf or mask unless exempt. We thank our stewards who generously
give their time to secure a safe environment for all visitors to St Mary’s.
Please make sure to follow their instructions and abide by the regulations
(unless exempt from some), including social distancing and one-way system.
On Priory Court Car Park, please park on any spaces to the FRONT & RIGHT of
the pedestrian wooden gate into the Presbytery garden and church, as the spaces
on the LEFT of that gate are for office users.
New Baronius hand missals and Holy Bibles for sale. Public price $
64.95/copy. St Mary’s hugely discounted price: £35.00/copy! Pay by cash only (better on Sundays), and have your
item handed to you by us immediately. New
Memorare prayer cards sponsored
by benefactor. Holy Mass
booklets, rosaries for sale. Ask us after Holy Mass. St Mary’s logo on mugs and coasters: £7/mug
& £3/coaster. Profit goes to support St Mary’s Shrine.
Welcome to our Fourth Year
seminarian Miklos (pronounce MIK-LOSH,
Hungarian for the name Nicholas)
who is beginning his pastoral stage at St Mary’s until the summer. Miklos discerned
his vocation to the priesthood while completing a doctorate in Computing at
Imperial College London. Until two weeks ago he was based at our international
seminary in Bavaria, together with two more FSSP seminarians from the UK,
Gwilym and David. Miklos knows St Mary’s Shrine well as he stayed here before
on retreat and apostolate, and also helped at our Summer Camps in the Peak
District. We welcome him wholeheartedly and assure him of our prayer for the
second half of his formation to the sacred priesthood.
Pray for our Sick: Sue Shovelton, Michael
Meadows, M. Hawley, Theresa Reynard, Hilda Creagan, John Sunderland.
HOLY MASS
INTENTIONS
Sun 14
Quinquagesima Sunday, II Class
5pm Vespers and
Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament
11:00am6:00pm
All St Mary’s Faithful
Mary Coakley
Mon 15
Feria IV Class
12:10pm
David Hall (RIP)
Tue 16
Feria IV Class
12:10pm
Satan’s plan exposed
Wed 17
Ash Wednesday Fast &
Abstinence
12:10pm
6:00pm
7:00pm
St Mary’s penitents
Betty/Paul Mcnulty
Men of St Marys
Thu 18
Feria III Class
12:10pm
Michael McEvoy RIP
Fri 19
Feria III Class
12:10pm
Mary Connolly
Sat 20
Feria III Class
Adoration &
Confessions 10:00am-12noon
12:10pm
Sean Keenan RIP
Sun 21
Ist Sunday in Lent, I Class5pm Vespers and
Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament
11:00am6:00pm
All St Mary’s Faithful
Audrey Jones
Mon 22
Chair of St Peter I Class (in FSSP) Plenary Indulgence CSP
12:10pm
FSSP
Tue 23
Feria III Class
12:10pm
Maureen Walsh
Wed 24
St Matthias, Apostle,
II Class
12:10pm
7:00pm
Michael McEvoy RIP
All Men of St. Mary’s
Thu 25
Feria III Class
12:10pm
Deceased family/friends
Fri 26
Ember Friday in Lent,
II Class
12:10pm
All St. Mary’s
penitents
Sat 27
Ember Saturday in Lent II Class
Adoration &
Confessions 10:00am-12noon
12:10pm
Phillip Chirgwin RIP
Sun 28
II Sunday in Lent, I Class
5pm Vespers and
Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament
Welcome to our First-Time Visitors! We are glad to share with you the beauty and depth of the traditional Latin Mass. Feel welcome to ask us about silence, Holy Communion on the tongue, the use of Latin, etc. Most people here came across this form of the Mass within the past few years or months. Like you they were perplexed at first. Now they treasure it. Find out more on lms.org.uk/faqs
St Mary’s Shrine Church Bulletin
31 Jan 21 (fortnightly)
Smith Street, Warrington, Cheshire, WA1 2NS, England
Served by the Priestly Fraternity of St Peter by appointment from the RC
Archdiocese of Liverpool.
Weekdays: 11:00am-1:30pm (Confessions 11:40am-12:05pm; Holy
Mass 12:10pm)
Saturdays: 10:00am-1:30pm (Eucharistic Adoration
10:00am-12noon, with ongoing Confessions; Holy Mass 12:10pm)
Daily Holy
Mass online with homily: on
LiveMass.net > Warrington: Sun 11:00am; Mon-Sat 12:10pm, and the same
on demand 24hrs after 3pm upload for weekday Masses, and over 7days for
Sunday Mass.
To receive
Holy Communion: one must be a Catholic, in state of grace, one-hour fasting
at least. In the EF liturgy, Holy Communion is received kneeling (unless unable
to) and always on the tongue. Thank
you in advance.
All must dress modestly in church out of reverence for God and of respect for
fellow-worshippers. Chest and limbs must be covered down to elbows and knees at
least. No sportswear. Sunday best
should be worn by all on Sundays and feasts: suit and tie for men and boys,
dresses for women and girls. Men keep their heads uncovered within church;
women are encouraged to wear a scarf, hat or mantilla. Thank you.
Switch OFF your
mobile phonebefore
you enter our church. Letting it ring inside the church gravely disturbs the
quiet of the sacred place. Thank you for your consideration.
Safeguarding: If you have concerns about
children or vulnerable adults, please contact the Archdiocesan
Safeguarding Department on 0151 522 1043 or e-mail
safeguarding@rcaol.co.uk, or speak with Clare Fraser, St Mary’s Safeguarding
Officer. Thank you for your awareness.
Mother Elizabeth Prout declared Venerable by Pope Francis: thanks be to God! Given that her community ran St Mary’s School – now Priory Court – for decades, no doubt all of us at St Mary’s and further afield will renew our prayers to God that she might soon be beatified and might intercede in particular for our children and our families. We invite anyone who attended St Mary’s School under the Sisters as pupil or staff to send us their memories and anecdotes.
Educational Project St Mary’s: following last
week’s online presentation of the Regina Caeli Academy (www.rcahybrid.org.uk/), would anyone
interested in the hoped for upgrade of our educational offer at St Mary’s
please email malleray@fssp.org? Despite the many restrictions, now is the time
to communicate, anticipate and set up a more permanent framework to educate our
children as saints. Please tell your friends.
Moving near St Mary’s? Interest was
recently expressed to us again by families considering moving to Warrington. We
can advise you on preferred locations and local housing market.
Congratulations to our Welsh seminarian Gwilym
Evans, FSSP who
was admitted to major orders and will be
ordained a Subdeacon at our Bavarian seminary on Sat. 13th February.
Congratulations to Baby Thomas Lawrence baptised last week (the
youngest of seven children) – and to his parents who so generously welcome life
and raise their children in the faith.
Warning: Our Offertory collection has been diminishing over the past month, falling below £800.00 last week. Even when adding the online donations, we are well below the £1,400.00/week needed to cover our weekly expenses including heating, insurance, maintenance, safety features, priests’ support (food, personal allowance, healthcare, car allowance, Government contribution for retirement); admin staff salary including accounting and more. Please bear in mind that if the acquisition of Priory Court was a great step forward, it also means increased expenses. Sadly the Covid restrictions prevent us from using the new building as we would wish yet. But the bills still must be paid by us. We also know that the national and international situation makes the future look very precarious for many of you, our benefactors. While we trust in God’s Providence, we also need to do what we proportionately can to support a busy place of worship and of doctrinal and spiritual teaching such as St Mary’s Shrine, even though we might attend rarely or via LiveMass.net.
Please bear in mind that St Mary’s Shrine receives no financial support from the Archdiocese of Liverpool where we serve, so that each and every expenses is incurred solely by us, including the care of this vast Grade II-listed church building.
Ask us for a Gift Aid form to
increase your donation by 20% at no extra cost to you. Gift Aid
envelopes can be obtained from our Secretariat. Standing
orders are easier and quicker for us to process than cash: Lloyds
Bank ; Sort Code: 30-80-27 ; Account number: 30993368 ;
Account name: FSSP Warrington
COVID: Please
observe social distancing, sanitizing and one-way system as signed, and kindly
cover your face with a mantilla, scarf or mask unless exempt. We thank our stewards who generously
give their time to secure a safe environment for all visitors to St Mary’s.
Please make sure to follow their instructions and abide by the regulations
(unless exempt from some), including social distancing and one-way system.
On Priory Court Car Park, please park on any spaces to the FRONT & RIGHT of the pedestrian wooden gate into the Presbytery garden and church, as the spaces on the LEFT of that gate are for office users.
50 new Baronius hand missals and Holy Bibles for sale. Public price
$ 64.95/copy. St Mary’s hugely discounted price: £35.00/copy! Pay by cash only, and have your item handed to you by
us immediately.
New Memorare prayer cards
sponsored by benefactor.
Holy Mass booklets, rosaries for
sale. Ask us after Holy Mass. St
Mary’s logo on mugs and coasters: £7/mug & £3/coaster. Profit goes to
support St Mary’s Shrine.
RIP: Fr Calvin Goodwin, FSSP, who taught Frs Verrier, Stewart, Goddard and Phipps at seminary. Born in America of a British mother, Fr Goodwin had lived for a short time in Wimbledon and always treasured his British heritage, including a dry sense of humour.
At our American seminary, he would often pray the Prayer for the Queen after his Low Mass. A highly cultured man and an expert in opera music, he was a frequent guest on a national radio to comment on opera performances. Fr Goodwin was the first Jesuit to join our Fraternity. He had been actively involved in the professional tutorial DVD made in partnership between the FSSP and EWTN. You can watch his 21min presentation of the Traditional Mass (where he quotes Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple!) here: https://youtu.be/JVVXPhcV9_4 .
Find out more here: https://fssp.com/lectures-of-fr-calvin-goodwin-fssp-1948-2021/
Pray for our Sick: Sue Shovelton, Michael
Meadows, M. Hawley, Theresa Reynard, Hilda Creagan, John Sunderland.
Pray for our Deceased:
in your charity please pray for the repose of the souls of Aurora Sim and Frances
Houghton whose funerals will take place this week. Also, of Mrs Frances Fawcett
recently buried; and of Fr Calvin Goodwin, FSSP buried last week in America.
R.I.P.
HOLY MASS
INTENTIONS
Sun 31
Septuagesima
Sunday, II Class
5pm Vespers and Benediction of the Blessed
Sacrament
11:00am6:00pm
All St Mary’s Faithful
Eileen
Corcoran (RIP)
Mon 1
St Ignatius, Bishop, Martyr
12:10pm
Emmanuel Keenan
Tue 2
The Feast of the Purification of the Blessed
Virgin, II Class
12:10pm
Paul Whitley
Wed 3
Mass of St Blaise & Blessing of Throats in honour of St Blaise after both Holy Masses
12:10pm
7:00pm
Thanksgiving
All men of St. Mary’s
Thu 4
St Andrew Corsini, Bishop
12:10pm
Denise Curtis and Family
Fri 5
St Agatha, Virgin, Martyr
Sacred Heart Vot Mass & Holy Hour 7:30-8:30pm + Confess
12:10pm
7:00pm
All St. Mary’s penitents
Celebrant’s intentions
Sat 6
Immaculate Heart of Mary Votive Mass (St. Titus BC)
Adoration & Confessions 10:00am-12noon
12:10pm
Terence Keenan
Sun 7
Sexagesima Sunday, II Class5pm Vespers and Benediction of the Blessed
Sacrament
11:00am6:00pm
All St Mary’s Faithful
Michael Keenan (RIP)
Mon 8
St John of Matha, Confessor
12:10pm
John and Anne Norris (RIP)
Tue 9
St Cyril of Alexandria, Bishop, Confessor, Doctor
12:10pm
Prevailing of Will of God
Wed 10
St Scholastica, Virgin
12:10pm
7:00pm
All Souls in Purgatory
All men of the St Mary’s
Thu 11
Apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary Immaculate
12:10pm
Colin Jones
Fri 12
Seven Holy Founders of the Order of the Servants
12:10pm
All St. Mary’s penitents
Sat 13
Saturday of Our Lady (Subdiac.
Ordination Gwilym Evans, FSSP)Adoration & Confessions 10:00am-12noon
12:10pm
Dr Gordon Boyden (RIP)
Sun 14
Quinquagesima
Sunday, II Class
5pm Vespers and Benediction of the Blessed
Sacrament
Please pray for the repose of the soul of Fr. Calvin Peter Goodwin, FSSP, who passed away yesterday around 9:30 am EST in Lewiston, ME, USA.
Born in America of a British mother, Fr Goodwin had lived for a short time in Wimbledon near London, and always treasured his British heritage, including a dry sense of humour. At our American seminary, he would often pray the Prayer for the Queen after his Low Mass. He had come to England in August 2009 to assist as tutor with Fr de Malleray at the Priests’ training session organised by the Latin Mass Socitety in London Colney, the then-pastoral centre of the Westminster Archdiocese. A highly cultured man and an expert in opera music, he was a frequent guest on a national radio to comment on opera performances. Fr Goodwin was the first Jesuit to join our Fraternity.
He had been actively involved in the professional tutorial DVD made in partnership between the FSSP and EWTN. You can watch his 21min presentation of the Traditional Mass for clergy here (where he quotes Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple!): https://youtu.be/JVVXPhcV9_4 .
Fr Goodwin teaches priests the traditional liturgical calendar at London Colney, England, 2009.
Fr. Calvin Goodwin, born October 24, 1948, was originally from Norwalk, Connecticut. He was a graduate of Fairfield University in Connecticut and received advanced degrees in philosophy from the University of Toronto and Theology from Weston School of Theology in Boston, Massachusetts. In 1974, Father Goodwin entered the Society of Jesus. During his formation years, he spent four years at Cheverus High School in Portland, where he taught Latin and Greek. Fr. Goodwin was ordained a priest on June 9, 1979 and returned to Cheverus to teach the classics for 20 years. A gifted teacher, he was loved by his students and greatly admired by his colleagues.
Fr Goodwin as Deacon at a Solemn High Mass incenses the clergy in London Colney, England, 2009. Cf https://www.flickr.com/photos/josephshaw/albums/72157622169807794/with/3868295328/
In 1999, moved by his great
love for the Traditional Latin Mass, Fr. Goodwin applied to the Fraternity of
St. Peter. From August 1999 to June 2000 he was Assistant Chaplain at our
apostolate in Pequannock NJ. Then from 2000 to 2013 he taught at the seminary
of the Fraternity in Denton, NE. He was definitively incorporated into the FSSP
on October 18, 2004. In addition to his teaching duties, Fr. Goodwin was the
spiritual director to many of our seminarians at OLGS. He later became
the Director of Priest Training for those priests wishing to learn the
Traditional Latin Mass. Throughout his priesthood, Father Goodwin showed
a special dedication to contemplative orders of sisters most notably, the
Sisters of the Precious Blood in Portland and the Carmelites in Danvers,
Massachusetts and later Valparaiso, Nebraska, serving as the Confessor for the
community and offering spiritual direction. In 2013, Fr Goodwin asked to
retire in order to assist his mother to Lewiston, while continuing to
collaborate with Latin Mass Magazine and to serve as a retreat preacher, among
other things.
In October 2016 Fr Goodwin
suffered a serious hemorrhagic stroke from which he came out quite diminished.
Unable to celebrate Mass again, he spent his last years in a nursing home,
surrounded by his mother and comforted by the visits of several confreres. He wanted
to offer his sufferings for the Fraternity.
Thanks be to God for a new Venerable. Given that her congregation ran St Mary’s School, Warrington – now Priory Court – for decades, no doubt all of us at St Mary’s Warrington and further away will renew our prayers to God that she might soon be beatified and might intercede in particular for our children and our families.
The Archbishop of Liverpool has requested the following message be sent out:
Yesterday the Holy See declared Mother Elizabeth Prout, foundress of the Sisters of the Cross and Passion, to be Venerable. The Holy Father in an audience with the Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints authorised the same Congregation to promulgate a decree recognising the heroic virtues of this Servant of God. Mother Elizabeth Prout is buried in the archdiocese and it was in the archdiocese that her sainthood cause was opened in 1994.
I am delighted that the Holy See has further recognised the holiness of Mother Elizabeth Prout. She made a significant contribution to the Church and the people of England and further afield in education and healthcare, and the Sisters of the Congregation that she founded continue to show the care of the Catholic Church for those in need.
This will be joyful news for the Cross and Passion family, and I am sure that our prayers as an archdiocese are with them as Mother Elizabeth Prout is recognised in this way. Let’s pray also that the Shrine at Sutton will be a place of prayer for her eventual canonisation. +Malcolm
Elizabeth Prout – Mother Mary Joseph Foundress of the Sisters of the Cross and Passion A short history from the website of the Sisters of the Cross and Passion
Elizabeth Prout was born in Shrewsbury, England, in 1820. Her parents baptised her in the Anglican Church. In her early twenties she became a Catholic.
Elizabeth moved to Manchester in 1849. There, touched by the misery and deprivation of the poor, she and a few companions came together to form a community to help the voiceless, downtrodden workers in the large industrial towns of nineteenth-century England.
The community was directed and helped by two Passionists, Father Gaudentius Rossi and Father Ignatius Spencer. The rule was based on that of St Paul of the Cross, founder of the Passionists. Elizabeth recognised that the Passion of Jesus is the great sign of God’s love reaching out to those in pain.
Now known as Mother Mary Joseph, Elizabeth continued to meet the challenges presented to her in her life of suffering, and to grow in solidarity with the crucified of the world. She died on 11th January 1864 at Sutton, St Helens, Lancashire.
Her body, together with that of Blessed Dominic Barberi C.P. and Father Ignatius Spencer C.P., lies in the shrine of St Anne’s Church, Sutton. People gather around the shrine annually to commemorate their lives.
✅Are you among the 99% of Catholic parents currently homeschooling during the lockdown? 🧐Would you be interested in a Classical Hybrid academy? 😍Have you seen our latest video? 💻Are you free for an hour on 22nd January?
Then register your interest in our Virtual Open Day!
As well as the centre in Bedfordshire, there’s been interest to open an RCA in:
– Warrington – South East (Sevenoaks area) – South East London
Today, 150th anniversary of Our Lady’s Apparition at Pontmain. In our times of gloom and doom at home and abroad, let our hope be kindled again through the wondrous account of the Pontmain Apparition. It was winter like now, the national situation was desperate like now, adults and children prayed, led by their priests, and Our Lady gave the message: “But pray, my children. God will hear you in time. My Son allows Himself to be touched. “
Our Lady of Pontmain, also known as Our Lady of Hope, is the title given to the Virgin Mary on her apparition at Pontmain, France on 17 January 1871.
The Apparition
The Franco-Prussian War (War of 1870) was the culmination of years of tension between the two nations, which finally came to a head on 19 July 1870, when Emperor Napoleon III of the second Empire declared war against Prussia. From the first days of the war, defeat followed defeat. By January 1871, Paris was under siege, two-thirds of the country was in the power of the Prussians, and they were advancing.
The apparition is said to have occurred at the height of the Franco-Prussian War. Pontmain, a hamlet of about 500 inhabitants, lay between the oncoming Prussian army and the city of Laval. The Barbedette family consisted of father César, his wife, Victoire, with their two sons Joseph and Eugène, aged ten and twelve, and another older boy who was away in the army. On the evening of 17 January 1871, the two boys were helping their father in the barn when the elder, Eugène, walked over towards the door to look out. As he gazed at the star studded sky he suddenly saw an apparition of a beautiful woman smiling at him; she was wearing a blue gown covered with golden stars, and a black veil under a golden crown.[3]
Norte-Dame d’Esperance de Pontmain
His father, brother, and a neighbour came out to look and Joseph immediately said he too could see the apparition although the adults saw nothing. The mother, Victoire, came out but she too could see nothing.[3] The boys’ parents could not see what their children were seeing that night and called for Sister Vitaline, the local school teacher. She, like the boys’ parents, could also not see the apparition, and called for two girls, Françoise Richer and Jeanne-Marie Lebosse, aged nine and eleven. Sister Vitaline suggested that perhaps Our Lady was visible only to the children. Without any knowledge of the apparition, these two girls looked into the night sky and began describing Our Lady in the same exact detail as the Barbedette boys had described.[4]
A crowd gathered to pray as word quickly spread among the anxious villagers. Children saw the beautiful Lady, and gleefully pointed up to her. Adults, however, only saw three stars forming a triangle. As they prayed the Rosary, the children saw the garment’s stars multiply until it was almost entirely gold. Next, the children saw a banner unfurl beneath the Lady. Slowly, a message appeared: But pray, my children. God will hear you in time. My Son allows Himself to be touched. Upon hearing the message read aloud, the crowd spontaneously began the hymn “Mother of Hope”. As they sang, Our Lady laughed and joined in the singing.[5]
The children squealed with delight as her hands kept time with the music. When the crowd began “My Sweet Jesus,” her expression changed to profound sadness and a red crucifix appeared in her hands, with the words “Jesus Christ” above it. Her eyes mournfully contemplated the cross during the hymn. As the people sang the “Ave Maris Stella,” the cross vanished and her smile returned, though with a touch of melancholy. Two small white crosses then appeared on her shoulders before Our Lady disappeared behind a cloud.[5] As the night prayers came to a close, the apparition ended. It was about nine o’clock. The Apparition had lasted about three hours.
The Description of the Lady
Years later, Joseph Barbedette, who later afterwards became a priest of the Congregation of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, recounted:
She was young and tall of stature, clad in a garment of deep blue, … Her dress was covered with brilliant gold stars. The sleeves were ample and long. She wore slippers of the same blue as the dress, ornamented with gold bows. On the head was a black veil half covering the forehead, concealing the hair and ears, and falling over the shoulders. Above this was a crown resembling a diadem, higher in front than elsewhere, and widening out at the sides. A red line encircled the crown at the middle. Her hands were small and extended toward us as in the ‘miraculous medal.’ Her face had the most exquisite delicacy and a smile of ineffable sweetness. The eyes, of unutterable tenderness, were fixed on us. Like a true mother, she seemed happier in looking at us than we in contemplating.[5]
After the Apparition
That same evening the Prussian forces inexplicably abandoned their advance.[6] General von Schmidt of the Prussian Army who was about to move on the city of Laval towards Pontmain, received orders from his Commander not to take the city.
On the evening of 17 January 1871, the Commander of the Prussian forces, having taken up his quarters at the archiepiscopal palace of Le Mans, told Msgr. Fillion, Bishop of that diocese: “By this time my troops are at Laval”. On the same evening, the Prussian troops in sight of Laval stopped at half-past five o’clock, about the time when the Apparition first appeared above Pontmain, a few miles off. General Schmidt is reported to have said on the morning of the 18th: “We cannot go farther. Yonder, in the direction of Brittany, there is an invisible ‘Madonna‘ barring the way.”
The sudden stopping of the Prussian forces in sight of Laval, and their retirement the following morning, meant, together with the saving of Brittany, the turning back of the tide of conquering soldiery from that part of France. The war was practically at an end. On 23 January 1871, the long-hoped for Armistice was signed. Soon all the thirty-eight conscripted men and boys returned home unscathed.
Authorization of Our Lady of Hope
After that the devotion to the Blessed Virgin under the title of that of Notre Dame d’Esperance de Pontmain, Our Lady of Hope of Pontmain, was authorized by the ecclesiastical authorities, and the confraternity of that name has been extended all over the world.
After the apparition of Our Lady of Hope on 17 January 1871, pilgrims made up of both the clergy and the laity came to Pontmain. At the same time, inquiries and investigations were made about the apparition; the visionary children were submitted to various intense interrogations. Finally, on the Feast of the Purification, 2 February 1872, Msgr. Wicart, Bishop of Laval, issued a pastoral letter giving a canonical judgment on the apparition. Thus, the veneration of Our Lady of Hope of Pontmain was given official Church recognition and approval.
Joseph Barbadette became a priest of the Congregation of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate; his brother Eùgene became a secular priest. He was assisted by one of the girls who had seen Mary as his housekeeper, and the other, Jeanne-Marie Lebossé, became a nun.[3]
Veneration
In May 1872, Bishop Wicart authorized the construction of a sanctuary, which was consecrated in October 1900. In 1905 Pope Pius X elevated the Sanctuary to the status of a basilica.[7]
Pope Pius XI gave a final decision regarding the mass and office in honor of Our Lady of Hope of Pontmain. A final papal honor was given to Our Lady of Hope on 16 July 1932 by Cardinal Pacelli, who later became Pope Pius XII, by passing a decree from the Chapter of St. Peter’s Basilica that the statue of the Blessed Lady, Mother of Hope, be solemnly honored with the crown of gold. The Lady then was crowned in the presence of archbishop, bishops, priests and the laity by Cardinal Verdier, Archbishop of Paris. The coronation took place on 24 July 1934.[7]
At Pontmain, it was a matter of a message of prayer, very simple in the dramatic circumstances of war and invasion. At Pontmain, Mary is a sign of hope in the midst of war. A place of pilgrimage, it attracts annually around 200,000 drawn from among the people of the region, with some international pilgrimages, especially from Germany.[8]
Welcome to our First-Time Visitors! We are glad to share with you the beauty and depth of the traditional Latin Mass. Feel welcome to ask us about silence, Holy Communion on the tongue, the use of Latin, etc. Most people here came across this form of the Mass within the past few years or months. Like you they were perplexed at first. Now they treasure it. Find out more on lms.org.uk/faqs
St Mary’s Shrine Church Bulletin
17 Jan 2021 (fortnightly)
Smith Street, Warrington, Cheshire, WA1 2NS, England
Served by
the Priestly Fraternity of St Peter by appointment from the RC Archdiocese of
Liverpool.
Weekdays: 11:00am-1:30pm (Confessions 11:40am-12:05pm; Holy
Mass 12:10pm)
Saturdays: 10:00am-1:30pm (Eucharistic Adoration
10:00am-12noon, with ongoing Confessions; Holy Mass 12:10pm)
Daily Holy Mass online with homily: on LiveMass.net > Warrington: Sun
11:00am; Mon-Sat 12:10pm, and the same on demand 24hrs after 3pm upload
for weekday Masses, and over 7days for Sunday Mass.
To receive Holy Communion: one must be a Catholic,
in state of grace, one-hour fasting at least. In the EF liturgy, Holy Communion
is received kneeling (unless unable to) and always on the tongue. Thank you in advance.
All must dress
modestly in church out of reverence for God and of respect for fellow-worshippers.
Chest and limbs must be covered down to elbows and knees at least. No
sportswear. Sunday best should be
worn by all on Sundays and feasts: suit and tie for men and boys, dresses for
women and girls. Men keep their heads uncovered within church; women are
encouraged to wear a scarf, hat or mantilla. Thank you.
Switch OFF your mobile phonebefore
you enter our church. Letting it ring inside the church gravely disturbs the
quiet of the sacred place. Thank you for your consideration.
Safeguarding: If you have
concerns about children or vulnerable adults, please contact the
Archdiocesan Safeguarding Department on 0151 522 1043 or e-mail
safeguarding@rcaol.co.uk, or speak with Clare Fraser, St Mary’s Safeguarding
Officer. Thank you for your awareness.
Our seminarians: Bon voyage Henry, Tom and Conan, Miklos,
Gwilym, David starting their second semester in America and Bavaria this week.
We assure them of our prayer.
Ask us for a Gift Aid form to increase your donation by 20% at no extra
cost to you. Gift Aid envelopes can be obtained from
our Secretariat. Standing orders are easier and
quicker for us to process than cash: Lloyds Bank ; Sort Code: 30-80-27 ;
Account number: 30993368 ; Account name: FSSP
Warrington
COVID: Please observe social distancing,
sanitizing and one-way system as signed, and kindly cover your face with a
mantilla, scarf or mask unless exempt.
We thank our
stewards who generously give their time to secure a safe environment for
all visitors to St Mary’s. Please make sure to follow their instructions and
abide by the regulations (unless exempt from some), including social distancing
and one-way system.
Use Priory Court Car Park through automated gates. NEW: additional keypad for pedestrians to exit: same code as Entrance + letter A. Do ask the clergy for the access code on your next visit. Do NOT share the codes with anyone (unless they are personally known to you as regular Massgoers at St Mary’s). Please park on any spaces to the FRONT & RIGHT of the pedestrian wooden gate into the Presbytery garden and church, as the spaces on the LEFT of that gate are for office users.
50 new Baronius hand missals and Holy Bibles for sale. Public price $64.95/copy. St Mary’s hugely discounted price: £35.00/copy! Pay by cash only, and have your item handed to you by us immediately.
Holy Mass
booklets, rosaries for sale. Ask us after Holy Mass. St Mary’s logo on mugs and coasters: £7/mug
& £3/coaster. Profit goes to support St Mary’s Shrine.
Recent survey
of who attends the Traditional Latin Mass: https://www.hprweb.com/2021/01/the-demographics-of-the-extraordinary-form/
Prayer intentions for our sick: Aurora Sim, Frances
Houghton, Michael Meadows, M. Hawley, Theresa Reynard, Hilda Creagan, John
Sunderland, Steve Humphrey. R.I.P. Mrs Frances Fawcett.
HOLY MASS
INTENTIONS
Masses
are offered this month in private for Kevin Mcluskey; Kate O’Donoghue (RIP); Luciano
Deluca; FSSP; Theresa Raynard; Thomas Parkinson; Paul Allen’s Family; Special
Intention; Francine Hanna; Rosa: Thanksgiving; Bernadette Keenan; Reparation
for sac. act; Malarchy Cardiff (RIP); Margaret Parkinson (RIP); Holy Souls;
Miguel Casado; Mary Doyle (RIP); Reconversions of France/all French; Intentions
of Knights of Our Lady in
France, England, German, world; Luciana Robinson; Josh Langley; Leigh Keenan;
Harry Leach; David Harris; Healing for Kilsby family; Winnie Davis; Repose of
souls Covid victims; Joyce Drury; Holy Soul; Leonard Keenan; Patrick Keenan
(RIP); Fr Robert; Holy Souls; Mary Ashley (RIP); Dr Gordon Bowden (RIP); Edmund Whithall (RIP); Des Delamere (RIP);
Andrew Robinson; Bridie Ford (RIP); Deceased Mcnally/white families
Sun 17
II Sunday after the Epiphany, II
Class
5pm Sung Vespers
11:00am6:00pm
All St Mary’s Faithful
Moughton family
Mon 18
Feria, IV Class
12:10pm
Isabella Robinson
Tue 19
St. Benet Biscop, Abbot, III Class
12:10pm
Fr Joseph T
Wed 20
Sts. Fabian and Sebastian Martyrs,
III Class
12:10pm
7:00 pm
Bernadette Devlin (RIP)
All men of St. Mary’s
Thu 21
St. Agnes, Virgin Martyr, III Class
12:10pm
Dominic Hall
Fri 22
Sts. Vincent and Anastasius,
Martyrs, III Class
12:10pm
All St. Mary’s penitents of the
week
Sat 23
St.
Raymond of Pennafort, Confessor III Class
Adoration & Confessions
10:00am-12noon
12:10pm
Bridie
Ford (RIP)
Sun 24
III
Sunday after Epiphany, II Class
5pm Sung Vespers
11:00am6:00pm
All St Mary’s Faithful
Anne Drury
Mon 25
Conversion of St. Paul, III
Class
12:10pm
Intentions of Shelia Parkinson
Tue 26
St. Polycarp, Bishop and
Martyr, III Class
12:10pm
Mhaol Mhuire Coughlan (RIP)
Wed 27
St.
John Chrysostom, Bish. Conf., Doctor,
III Class
12:10pm
7:00pm
Audrey and Gavin Haig
All men of St. Mary’s
Thu 28
St. Peter Nolasco, Confessor, III
Class
12:10pm
Leila Wills (RIP)
Fri 29
St Francis de Sales, Bish. Conf., Doctor, III Class
12:10pm
All St. Mary’s penitents of the
week
Sat 30
St. Martina, Virgin Martyr, III Class Adoration & Confessions 10:00am-12noon (Last Alleluia until Easter!)
✅Are you among the 99% of Catholic parents currently homeschooling during the lockdown? 🧐Would you be interested in a Classical Hybrid academy? 😍Have you seen our latest video? 💻Are you free for an hour on 22nd January?
Then register your interest in our Virtual Open Day!
As well as the centre in Bedfordshire, there’s been interest to open an RCA in:
– Warrington – South East (Sevenoaks area) – South East London
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