upcoming events - February

Tuesday 2 February 2010
Missa Cantata for Candlemas (Feast of the Purification)
6.15pm, FSSP Oratory, 6 Belford Park, Edinburgh

Thursdays, 4, 11, 18 & 25 February 2010
Gregorian Chant (intermediate)
9.45 - 11.45am, Appies Tea Rooms, Sandvick, Orkney Islands

Monday 8 February 2010
Traditional Latin Mass
7pm, Sacred Heart Church, 50 Old Dalmarnock Road, Bridgeton, Glasgow
followed by tea and talk for half an hour - all welcome

Tuesday 9 February 2010
Debate on legalising assisted suicide
6.00 - 7.30pm, Charles Wilson Building, University of Glasgow, G12 8QQ

Thursday 11 February 2010
(Apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
Solemn Vespers and Benediction
6.45pm, St Mary's RC Cathedral, Broughton Street, Edinburgh (info)

Wednesday 17 February 2010
Masses for Ash Wednesday
6.15pm, St Andrew's Church, Belford Road, Ravelston, Edinburgh (more)
6pm, Sacred Heart Church, 50 Old Dalmarnock Road, Bridgeton, Glasgow

Sunday 28 February (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 28 February
Adoration & Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament
11.00am, St Margaret's RC Church, Loch Rd, South Queensferry,
followed by Benediction at 3.00pm

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Please comment with details of further events.

Lenten week-end of Recollection

Lenten week-end of recollection: 5-7 March 2010
on ‘The Four Last Things: Death, Judgment, Hell and Heaven’.
Retreat Master: Fr Armand de Malleray FSSP

All Saints Conference Centre, Shenley Lane, London Colney, Herts, AL2 1AF. Website: www.allsaintspc.org.uk
Starts on Friday 5th March 2010 at 5pm (later arrival possible) – ends on Sunday 7th March 2010 at 4pm.

Price: £126 everything included (for: £116 as Centre’s fees + £10 as FSSP fees). Please bring your traditional hand missal + your own towel and soap.

Booking: please send a £15 deposit cheque made payable to FSSP ENGLAND, to ‘FSSP Lenten Retreat', 179 Elgar Road, Reading, RG2 0DH, Berks. Please kindly book now.

Holy Family Apostolate has a website!

The Holy Family Apostolate is a new association, based near Edinburgh, Scotland, for Roman Catholic families. Their field of apostolate is "firstly ourselves as individuals, our family members, form whom we have to answer directly to God, and lastly other families, as good families will necessarily produce a better society".

Their new website can be found at holyfamilyapostolate.wordpress.com

reminder: Chartres Pilgrimage Mass in Glasgow

Monday 18 January 2010
Missa Cantata (Votive Mass for Unity of the Church), followed by talk about Chartres Pilgrimage
7.00pm, Glasgow University Catholic Chaplaincy, Turnbull Hall, 13-15 Southpark Terrace, Glasgow G12 8LG

Sung Mass celebrated according to the Extraordinary form of the Roman Rite. There will be a short talk about the Paris to Chartres Pilgrimage afterwards with details of how to apply for sponsorship.

For more information (previous posts) about Chartres see here.

Note: a similar talk will be held on Sunday 31 January, at the Edinburgh University Catholic Chaplaincy, 24 George Square, Edinburgh, at 8.15pm.

Unwanted Christmas gifts!

The Sisters of the Gospel of Life want your unwanted gifts! If you have adult, children or baby clothing, jewellery, unopened toiletries, craft items or books that you don’t want, please pass them along to them and they’ll be sure to make use of them, either at the Initiative or in the Precious Things shop.

Their office at 104 Albert Rd, Glasgow is open 9.30-5pm, Monday to Friday. If you’d like more information give us a call on 0141 433 2680.

Thank you and God bless you!

Incidentally, Monday's Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God marks ten years since their foundation. Please pray for them that the next ten may be as blessed and grace-filled as the last.

Mary, Mother of God, pray for us!

reminder: Blog Help Wanted

Reminder:

One of the authors of this blog intends to retire from blogging by Easter. If you have time to help out with this blog, and see it continue, please leave a comment, or email markadm at catholic dot org.

Without such help, this blog cannot continue.

All comments are moderated, hence private comments can be left which will remain unpublished.

Majestic Irish Cathedral Destroyed by Fire

The north-central Irish Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise has suffered the tragic loss of its 150-year old cathedral yesterday morning in what may have been an act of arson. Just a few hours after the bishop celebrated Midnight Mass, the fire broke out. By the time it was extinguished the beautiful interior was completely gutted.

A video showing the destroyed cathedral can be seen here. The Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise, Dr Colm O'Reilly, has said he will restore St Mel's Cathedral in Longford , though it will cost over €2 million. Bishop O'Reilly said he celebrated midnight mass to a packed Cathedral. He said that it was an extraordinary contrast the next morning. Construction on St Mel's started in 1840 and it opened in September, 1856.

More on this story here.

Though details of any fundraising efforts have yet to emerge, the Diocese can be contacted as follows:-

The Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnois
Diocesan Office,
Ballinalee Road.
Longford.
Co. Longford.
Phone: +353 (0)43-3346432
Fax: +353 (0)43-3346833
Email: ardaghdi at iol.ie

(image: RTÉ)

upcoming events - January

Friday 1 January 2010
Mass for New Year's Day [EF]
6.00pm, FSSP Oratory, 6 Belford Park, Edinburgh

Wednesday 6 January 2010
Mass for the Epiphany [EF]
6.15pm, St Andrew's Church, Belford Road, Ravelston, Edinburgh (more)

Monday 18 January 2010
Missa Cantata (Votive Mass for Unity of the Church),
followed by talk about Chartres Pilgrimage
7.00pm, Glasgow University Catholic Chaplaincy, Turnbull Hall,
13-15 Southpark Terrace, Glasgow G12 8LG

Thursdays, 21 & 28 January 2010
Gregorian Chant (intermediate)
9.45 - 11.45am, Appies Tea Rooms, Sandvick, Orkney Islands

Thursday 21 January 2010
Solemn Vespers and Benediction for the feast of St Agnes
6.45pm, St Mary's RC Cathedral, Broughton Street, Edinburgh (info)

Friday 29 January 2010
Mary's Meals Launch Night (fb)
7.30 - 9.00pm, Balcony Room, Teviot House, University of Edinburgh (Bristo Square)

Sunday 31 January (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 31 January
Talk: Paris to Chartres Pilgrimage
8.15pm, Edinburgh University Catholic Chaplaincy
Blackfriars, 24 George Square, Edinburgh (facebook)

~~*~~

Please comment with details of further events.

Christmas Masses in Edinburgh

CHRISTMAS 2009

Thursday 24 & Friday 25 December 2009
11.30pm, 09.30am, and 11.30am

Latin Masses
according to the Extraordinary Form

Rev. Fr. John Emerson
Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter
Celebrant

11.30pm, Gregorian Sung Mass
St Andrew's RC Church, 77 Belford Road, Edinburgh
(Carols from 11.30pm to midnight)

09.30am, Low (said) Mass
FSSP Oratory, 6 Belford Park, Edinburgh

11.30am, Gregorian Sung Mass
St Andrew's RC Church, 77 Belford Road, Edinburgh

For more information on the FSSP in the UK, see www.fssp.org.uk

Two Venerable Popes and a Martyr

A decree issued today by the papal offices has declared Popes Pius XII and John Paul II to be venerable. The bestowing of this title is a confirmation of their exemplary life and a step towards beatification and perhaps ultimately sanctification. For the cause of Pope John Paul II the miracle cure of a French nun is under investigation.

The decree is not unexpected in the cause of John Paul II. At his funeral there were calls for 'Santo subito'(Saint now) and rumours of this declaration of venerability have been growing these past days. Similarly, rumours continue that his beatification will happen sometime next year, either on the anniversary of his death (2 April) or the start of his papacy (15 October).

Pope Pius XII's papacy ran from 1939 to 1958 and his cause has long been slowed down by of accusations of his alleged lack of actions against the Holocaust. Much can be said about this and against the majority of the accusations, but evidently the decision has been made to recognise Pius XII's heroic virtues.

Officially, the two popes must now be referred to as Venerable Pope Pius XII and Venerable Pope John Paul II.


The same decree also affirms the martyrdom of Fr. Jerzy Popiełuszko, a Polish priest who was murdered by the Polish Security Police in 1984 for his role in the anti-communist workers movement in Warsaw. Fr. Popiełuszko was a young priest (only 37 at the time of his death) who supported the striking steel workers in Warsaw and then became an inspiration, both spiritually and politically for the fledgling Solidarność union. Eleven days after his murder, the body of Fr. Popiełuszko was found in a reservoir. He is buried in front of his church in Warsaw.

(reposted from There was a boy...)