St Margaret's Schola takes a summer break

After singing every week for the Edinburgh International Festival Fringe, the St Margaret Schola is now taking a well-earned break from singing and will be back in the late Autumn. The Schola's monthly Vespers have moved to Saturday evenings at 4:30pm. There will be no weekly practices until further notice.

The calendar of events has been updated for October and November and can be viewed here.

Please contact the schola via email at edinburghschola at gmail.com, or telephone (see link) if you would like to sing with us, to arrange for us to sing at a liturgical event, or to find out about more planned events for Autumn/Winter.

upcoming events - September

Tuesday 28 September 2010
Protest against End of Life Choices (Scotland) Act
9.30am, outside Scottish Parliament, Abbey Strand, Edinburgh

Sunday 26 September (last Sunday of the month)
Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament
after 11.30am Mass (Extraordinary Form),
St Andrew's Church, Belford Road, Ravelston, Edinburgh (more)

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Please comment with details of further events.

One day retreat with Gregorian chant

Haughland House Retreat Centre Shapinsay
charity no. SC036313

Desert Wisdom
“Every single day make a fresh beginning”

Saturday August 28 10.30-4.30
(9.45 ferry from Kirkwall 4.45 back)

Ben Whitworth will share his experiences of Monastic traditions, his knowledge of the Desert fathers and he will also teach us some Gregorian Chants.

An informative, relaxing and Creative retreat.
£15 plus shared lunch
To Book a place Contact Lesley on 711750 or
Email lesleymckeown at hotmail dot com

Cardinal attacks US over Lockerbie bomber reaction

The leader of the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland has made an outspoken attack on the United States over the release of the Lockerbie bomber. Cardinal Keith Patrick O'Brien said the Scottish government was right to free Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi last year on compassionate grounds. He backed the Scottish Government's decision not to give evidence to American senators investigating Megrahi's release.

(read more at BBC News)

upcoming events - August

Saturday 7 August
Latin Choral Vespers
4.00pm, St Mary's Metropolitan Cathedral, Picardy Place, Edinburgh

Sunday 8 August
Compline by Candelight
9.00pm, St Mary's Metropolitan Cathedral, Picardy Place, Edinburgh

Monday 10 August
Requiem Mass [OF]
7.00pm, St Mary's Metropolitan Cathedral, Picardy Place, Edinburgh
Centenary of the birth of the late Cardinal Gordon Joseph Gray, our previous Archbishop

Saturday 14 August
Solemn Pontifical Vespers
4.00pm, St Mary's Metropolitan Cathedral, Picardy Place, Edinburgh

Sunday 15 August
Compline by Candelight
9.00pm, St Mary's Metropolitan Cathedral, Picardy Place, Edinburgh

Friday 20 August
The Promise of the Promised Land
(talk by Elias Chacour, Archbishop of Galilee)
7.30pm, St Mary's Metropolitan Cathedral, Picardy Place, Edinburgh (info)

Saturday 21 August
Latin Choral Vespers
4.00pm, St Mary's Metropolitan Cathedral, Picardy Place, Edinburgh

Sunday 22 August
Compline by Candelight
9.00pm, St Mary's Metropolitan Cathedral, Picardy Place, Edinburgh

Saturday 28 August
Day Retreat at Haughland House, Shapinsay (Orkney)
for more information contact Ben Whitworth, the Orkney Schola

Sunday 29 August (last Sunday of the month)
Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament
after 11.30am Mass (Extraordinary Form),
St Andrew's Church, Belford Road, Ravelston, Edinburgh (more)

Sunday 29 August
Compline by Candelight
9.00pm, St Mary's Metropolitan Cathedral, Picardy Place, Edinburgh

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Please comment with details of further events.

Convent needs Sisters, Sisters need Convent

by Fr Tim Finigan

Joseph Shaw at the LMS Chairman's blog has news from the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate. They are appealing for benefactors to help them start a new community in Darlington. If you have the funds, you could own a beautiful building and do a good work for the Lord in letting the Sisters use it for its proper purpose. The photo above is of the sisters at Lanhearne and is from Joseph Shaw's flickr set. Here is the information from Lanhearne:

Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate, Lanherne Cornwall

DARLINGTON CARMEL (one of the very early Carmels to be established in England [1830]) is up for sale. The very few remaining sisters are soon to move out. At Lanherne we have known about this for several months and we have been to visit the establishment. Wonderful for our needs! The Sisters are not going to leave Lanherne, in fact another house is needed as a new foundation. The Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate have a goodly number of vocations; especially sisters who at the moment belong to the “active” branch who have a vocation to the contemplative life. So another contemplative house is needed. There is a major problem. Yes, you’ve got it! The FSI have no money and the Carmelites at Darlington require one and half million pounds. If you know Darlington and the Carmel then you will be surprised that it’s going for only £1,500,000. It’s large and fine, in good order and a Grade 2 listed building.

So we are looking for a benefactor. Franciscans cannot own property and therefore a possible benefactor would continue to own the Carmel and would let the FSI use it – or a trust could be set up. It is possible that with a serious bit of thinking other activities may be considered - retreats etc. ALL is possible. May I remind you that the FSI use ONLY the 1962 liturgical books. A centre for traditional Catholics in the north of England would be a great help to many people.

Please pray that a benefactor or a group of benefactors may be found.

Please contact me and let me know your thoughts.

Father Joseph M Taylor
Lanherne Convent
St Mawgan
Newquay
Cornwall
TR8 4ER

(reposted from The Hermeneutic of Continuity)

upcoming events - July

Sunday 25 July (last Sunday of the month)
Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament
after 11.30am Mass (Extraordinary Form),
St Andrew's Church, Belford Road, Ravelston, Edinburgh (more)

Monday 26 July
Solemn Vespers and Benediction for Sts Joachim and Anne
6.45pm, St Mary's Metropolitan Cathedral, Picardy Place, Edinburgh

~~*~~

Please comment with details of further events.

Video from the First Mass of Fr. Harkins in Edinburgh's Cathedral

by Shawn Tribe

Some video footage has now been released from the first Mass of Fr. Simon Harkins, offered in Edinburgh's St. Mary's Cathedral in the presence of Cardinal O'Brien.

There is also a video of the entrance procession. (Many thanks to A Wandering Oblate)

(reposted from The New Liturgical Movement)

Polyphonic Mass of thanksgiving for the ‘Year for Priests’

On Saturday 12th June 2010, 3pm, at St James’s Church, Spanish Place, 22 George Street, London W1U 3QY - kindly welcomed by Parish Priest Fr Christopher Colven - newly ordained British priest Fr Simon Harkins, FSSP will offer his first Solemn High Mass in England (in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman rite).

On this occasion, the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter (FSSP) is pleased to invite you to pray in thanksgiving for the graces granted by God during the last 12 months of the ‘Year for Priests’ in response to the many prayers offered for the sanctification of priests and for priestly vocations worldwide and in Great Britain in particular.

Clergy: choir dress. Music: Tomás Luis de Victoria’s ‘Missa Simile est regnum coelorum’ and his ‘Gaude Virgo Maria’ motet.

After Mass, Fr Harkins will give individual First blessings.

Refreshments will follow.

• Nearest underground: Baker Street, Bond Street.
• Nearest car park: Welbeck Street Mscp, 74-77 Welbeck Street, London W1G 0BB - Distance: 0.22 km, 0.13 mi - Opening hours Monday-Sunday: 24 Hours – Daily tariffs: 1 Hour £ 5.00; 1 To 2 Hours £ 10.00; 2 To 3 Hours £ 15.00; 3 To 4 Hours £ 20.00; 4 To 5 Hours £ 25.00; 5 To 6 Hours £ 30.00.
  

Please come and give thanks for a new British priest (formed according to the usus antiquior).

First Mass of Fr Simon Harkins

reposted from Transalpine Redemptorists at Home

Today in Edinburgh Cathedral, Father Simon Harkins, F.S.S.P. celebrated his first Mass in his home country and home town. The Mass was celebrated in the presence of His Eminence Keith Cardinal O'Brien, who also preached at the Mass. It is the first time a Cardinal has assisted at a first Mass in the extraordinary form in his own cathedral. Below are lots of photos - too many to caption - but they are fairly self explanatory:

Father Harkins before Mass.




Very Rev. Fr Josef Bisig, F.S.S.P was assistant priest.


















































Rev. Fr. Anthony Mary, F.SS.R. meets the Cardinal.

(source)