Young Catholic Adults Douai Abbey Retreat

by Fr Tim Finigan

It is very heartening to receive news of so many different retreats and events, especially for young people. Organisers frequently tell me that they receive many bookings after a notice has been posted here, so I am happy to help.

Young Catholic Adults Douai Abbey Retreat

During the weekend of the 18-20 September 2009. Young Catholic Adults (YCA are part of the International Juventutem Federation) will be running a Traditional Retreat at Douai Abbey in the south of England. The weekend will be led by Juventutem Ecclesiastical Assistant Fr de Malleray.

Here are some particularly encouraging points to note: they show that Summorum Pontificum is working - as Fr Z says - "brick by brick."

• For the first time Young Catholic Adults will be using the main Abbey Church for Mass
  
• For the first time YCA will be organising a Missa Cantata, sung by the Douai Singers; this will be followed by a Marian Procession
  
• YCA has booked out the whole of the retreat complex this year, on the advice of Douai Abbey itself, as the monks were so pleased with the YCA retreat last year
  

YCA will have the retreat centre to itself, and there will be a social in the evening. Fr de Malleray FSSP head of Juventutem will preach the retreat, and all Masses will be in the Extraordinary form.

There will be a Sung Mass (Missa Cantata) in the main Abbey Church on Saturday 19 September 09 at 10am. (Choir: the Douai Singers) This will be followed by a Marian Procession at 11am around the extensive grounds of the Abbey. (If the weather is poor there will be Marian devotions in the main Abbey Church.) This event will be open to the public. There are also a few rooms allocated for all age groups (not just YCA) so please book soon.

How to book

The weekend will be full-board (except for the Sunday lunch.) The cost will be from as little as £25 for students (or £48.88 for non-students). For more details, please see the notice at the YCA website or email juventutemcatholicam at yahoo.co.uk. Places are limited so please book early.

Novena for 3rd anniversary of Juventutem Federation

Ad Deum qui laetificat + Juventutem meam

Dear Juventutem Friends,

Greetings in the Lord.

In 10 days (Sunday after the Ascension, 24th May) on the Feast of Our Lady Help of Christians we will celebrate the third anniversary of the foundation of the International Juventutem Federation. We invite you to pray each of the next 9 days one decade of the Holy Rosary for all Juventutem members worldwide and for the clergy supporting Juventutem.

With my prayers,

Fr de Malleray,
Ecclesiastical Assistant, Juventutem

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Upcoming events:

1) Traditional international ‘Pilgrimage of Christendom’ from Paris to Chartres, France, May 30th – June 1st, 2009 (see here). Join the Juventutem chapter and walk from Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris to Notre-Dame cathedral in Chartres, together with 8,000 other young pilgrims! All Masses in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman rite. Meet with dozens of clergy and religious from the Priestly Fraternity of St Peter and other ‘Ecclesia Dei’ communities. Contact: Madeleine Readings: madeleinereadings at googlemail.com.

2) Juventutem retreat in England, Douai Abbey, Berks., September 18-20, 2009: all young adults welcome. Preacher: Fr Armand de Malleray, FSSP. Contact: Damian Barker: juventutemcatholicam at yahoo.co.uk; for more details, please see here. Cost: from as little as £25 for students (or £48.88 for for non-students).

Plenary Indulgence for the Year of Priests

According to a decree made public today and signed by Cardinal James Francis Stafford and Bishop Gianfranco Girotti, O.F.M. Conv., respectively penitentiary major and regent of the Apostolic Penitentiary, Benedict XVI will grant priests and faithful Plenary Indulgence for the occasion of the Year for Priests, which is due to run from 19 June 2009 to 19 June 2010 and has been called in honour of St. Jean Marie Vianney.

The period will begin with the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus [June 19th], "a day of priestly sanctification", says the text, when the Pope will celebrate Vespers before the relics of the saint, brought to Rome for the occasion by the bishop of the French diocese of Belley-Ars. The Year will end in St. Peter's Square, in the presence of priests from all over the world "who will renew their faithfulness to Christ and their bonds of fraternity".

The means to obtain the Plenary Indulgence are as follows:

(a) All truly penitent priests who, on any day, devotedly pray Lauds or Vespers before the Blessed Sacrament exposed to public adoration or in the tabernacle, and ... offer themselves with a ready and generous heart for the celebration of the Sacraments, especially the Sacrament of Penance, will be granted Plenary Indulgence, which they can also apply to their deceased confreres, if in accordance with current norms they take Sacramental Confession and the Eucharist and pray in accordance with the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff. Priests are furthermore granted Partial Indulgence, also applicable to deceased confreres, every time they devotedly recite the prayers duly approved to lead a saintly life and to carry out the duties entrusted to them.

(b) All truly penitent Christian faithful who, in church or oratory, devotedly attend Holy Mass and offer prayers to Jesus Christ, supreme and eternal Priest, for the priests of the Church, or perform any good work to sanctify and mould them to His Heart, are granted Plenary Indulgence, on the condition that they have expiated their sins through Sacramental Confession and prayed in accordance with the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff. This may be done on the opening and closing days of the Year of Priests, on the 150th anniversary of the death of St. Jean Marie Vianney, on the first Thursday of the month, or on any other day established by the ordinaries of particular places for the good of the faithful.

The elderly, the sick and all those who for any legitimate reason are unable to leave their homes, may still obtain Plenary Indulgence if, with the soul completely removed from attachment to any form of sin and with the intention of observing, as soon as they can, the usual three conditions, "on the days concerned, they pray for the sanctification of priests and offer their sickness and suffering to God through Mary, Queen of the Apostles".

Partial Indulgence is offered to all faithful each time they pray five Our Father, Ave Maria and Gloria Patri, or any other duly approved prayer "in honour of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, to ask that priests maintain purity and sanctity of life".

(image: Béthune's Christ the Priest, from Vultus Christi)

Petition against abortion advertising on TV

by Fr Tim Finigan

Melanie Jane has started a petition to 10 Downing Street regarding. It reads:

We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to Stop abortion advertising on the television.

Further information:

Abortion is the easy way out and the young and general public need to be educated on the consequences of having sex. The government need to take action to help unite families and lower the pregnancy rate by raising the moral standards in this country. Abortion is murder.

Sign the petition.

(Deadline 14 October 2009. You have to be a British citizen or resident to sign.)

upcoming events - May [updated]

Saturday 2 May 2009
Gregorian Day
Brinkburn Priory, Northumberland

Thursday 21 May 2009
Solemn Vespers for the Ascension of Our Lord
6.15pm, St Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh

Monday 25 May 2009
Mass for Pilgrims to Chartres [EF]

6.00pm, University of Glasgow Catholic Chaplaincy, Turnbull Hall, 12-15 Southpark Terrace, Glasgow (more)

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Please comment with details of further events, or if you would like to know more.

upcoming events - April

Thursday 9 April 2009
Maundy Thursday Mass
5.00pm, St Andrew's Church, Belford Road, Ravelston, Edinburgh

Friday 10 April 2009
Good Friday liturgy
3.00pm, St Andrew's Church, Belford Road, Ravelston, Edinburgh

Saturday 11 April 2009
Vigil Mass of Easter
8.00pm, St Andrew's Church, Belford Road, Ravelston, Edinburgh

Sunday 12 April 2009
Mass of Easter-Day (Missa Cantata)
11.30am, St Andrew's Church, Belford Road, Ravelston, Edinburgh

Thursday 30 April 2009
Solemn first Vespers for the Feast of St Joseph the Worker
6.45pm, St Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh

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Please comment with details of further events.

The Confraternity of Saint Joseph

by Amanda Brennan

We have recently launched the Confraternity of St Joseph. This is an exciting new venture for us - so often abortion is characterised as an issue which does not concern men at all. While the devestating effect that abortion has on many women is beginning to come to light, little attention is paid to the effect that it can have on men. Like women men have a part to play in building a culture of life. If we are to truly embrace life, all hearts must be converted.

For more information and to join visit confraternityofstjoseph.wordpress.com

Edinburgh Schola - Gregorian Vespers

The Edinburgh Schola began last month meeting weekly on Thursday evenings in Cathedral House, and made its debut appearance in the Cathedral on the Feast of St Joseph, at the first of what will be monthly Solemn Latin Vespers.

Our next event will be First Vespers for the Feast of St Joseph the Worker on 30th April, followed by Benediction. The Schola will also be singing at Vespers for the Feast of the Ascension on 21st May, before the evening Mass.

Looking further ahead, we shall be having First Vespers for the Feast of the Sacred Heart on 18th June. All Offices begin at 6:45pm. Further information about events and joining the Schola (new members most welcome) can be found at edinburghschola.blogspot.com.

Vespers for St Joseph

On Thursday 19th March there will be Latin Vespers at 6.4pm in the Cathedral to celebrate the Solemnity of Saint Joseph.

All are welcome to join the Schola for this opportunity to pray with the ancient music of the Church.

This will be the first of monthly sung Vespers sung on Thursdays around 7pm by the new Edinburgh Schola. Please see edinburghschola.blogspot.com for updates and further information.

Scottish contingent to Chartres

Juventutem Scotland is organising a Scottish contingent to go on the Chartres Pilgrimage.

There are two options for those wishing to go:-

1. Going with the party travelling from London.

Complete the application form sent out by the organiser, Francis Carey (latinmassuk at madasafish.com) and send directly to him. You will have to organise your own travel from Glasgow/Edinburgh to London. Juventutem Scotland has an electronic copy if anyone needs one so leave a comment here if that is required.

2. Traveling from Scotland and joining up with the English speaking chapter in Paris.

Juventutem Scotland will organise transport from Scotland and accommodation once we're in France. However, we need to move quickly on this one. Can anyone who's interested let us know for definite by the 31st March at the latest.

The dates of the actual pilgrimage are 30th May to 1st June with a days travel either side. More information can be found by clicking here, or here. There is also a meeting at the Glasgow University Catholic Chaplaincy starting at 5.30pm on Friday 13th March regarding the Pilgrimage.