FIUV General Assembly, Rome

Another wee journey before I hibernate for the winter. 

On this occasion it was off to Rome during the first weekend of November to attend the 20th General Assembly of the Foederatio Internationalis Una Voce which is held every two years.  I was one of the two delegates from Una Voce Scotland.  The Assembly was held at a simple two star hotel which nevertheless served good food, had comfortable rooms, a chapel and a very fine auditorium with the added benefit of being only 15 minutes walk from St Peter's.

Arriving a day early Fred (UVS chairman) and I took the opportunity to go to confession and Mass at St Peter's on Friday then spent the remainder of the day sightseeing which included finding, after much going round in circles, the church of Santissima Trinita dei Pellegrini entrusted to the care of the FSSP by His Holiness Benedict XVI. We purchased a travel pass for the duration of our stay which is very reasonably priced at 11 Euros for three days or 16 Euros for one week permitting you to travel by all types of public transport across Rome.



One of the many stunning domes in St Peter's



Saturday dawned and it was off again to St Peter's.  On this occasion Mass was to be very special indeed.  The Blessed Sacrament Chapel had been reserved for us and no less a personage than His Eminence Dario Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos was to celebrate Mass in the Forma Extraordinaria.  This was without doubt one of THE highlights of the weekend. His Excellency offered the Mass in a most wonderful prayerful manner with an incredible polyphonic schola providing the music which included Byrd's Ave Verum (sung here by the Tallis singers).  A true gentleman of the old school - I felt, and still do, truly blessed and fortunate to have met him. 

 

Dominus Vobiscum

A Holy Man at Prayer

 

Lunch was, once again, rather special.  His Eminence Raymond Cardinal Burke graced our gathering by joining us for lunch.  Indeed he had delayed his departure for the Netherlands so he could dine with us.  Another gent to be sure.

A Blessing before meal

Group photo opportunity

After lunch it was time to convene the General Assembly.  I shall not go into detail except to say I was not overly impressed with certain aspects of the afternoon's proceedings, and, not being noted for diplomacy, I fired off a salvo or two across the bows.  How to make friends and influence people - NOT.  Notwithstanding that it was a real pleasure to meet with other Una Voce organisations from around the world.  Delegates included representatives from Russia, Japan, New Zealand, America just to name a few.

Sunday morning and off to the FSSP church in Rome for Solemn High Mass.  When they were first given this church the pews were now overfull but how things change in a short time.  Due to full pews some of the congregation had to remain standing at the back of the church.  Two priests heard confessions before and during mass, seminarians and visiting priests filled the choir stalls and the schola sang beautifully.  To add icing to the cake I was able to chat with Fr William Barker who is one of the assistant priests there.  I last saw him during his priestly ordination at Wigratzbad in 2009.  (For videos and photos of that event please take this link to my blog entry).

After lunch it was time for the Sunday afternoon FIUV session.  We were rather fortunate in having some very good guest speakers including Monsignor Grau, president of the Pontifical Institute for Sacred Music. For those who wish to read a detailed account of the General Assembly my I suggest they go over to the St Conleth's Catholic Heritage Association who have posted extensively on the weekend.

As usual I have posted a few photos which may be viewed HERE

Tonsuring

Thursday the 20th of October saw me flying off to Germany to witness the tonsuring of seminarians attending the FSSP Seminary in Witgrazbad.  The ceremony was scheduled for Saturday morning but earlier that week each of the chosen seminarians was incorporated into the Society.  The incorporation involved, among other things, completing a submission as to why they should be accepted into the Fraternity.  This exercise, I am led to believe, requires to be completed on an annual basis until they reach the diaconate.

Saturday dawned with blue skies and a temperature of minus 3C as we set off for Das Munster Unserer Lieben Frau (The Minster of Our Lady) in Lindau on the Bodensee. 

 His Excellency Vitus Huonder, Bishop of Chur

awaits entrance of the aspirants

In the Fraternal Society of Saint Peter tonsuring is given to seminarians during the early part of their second year, the first being more of a discernment year, and includes clothing the seminarian in a soutanne, cincture and wearing the roman collar.

Those to be tonsured process into church



 Sprinkled with holy water

Tonsurants process into the church again,

this time clothed in their soutannes

The soutanne denotes the modern day cloth of a cleric, the cincture symbolically recalls the "girding of the loins" whilst the roman collar that of the "yoke" around the neck - all reminding the wearer of his giving himself completely to God and accepting the weight of responsibility this brings.

The moment of Tonsure

Locks of hair are cut from the front, back and sides of the head taking on the shape of a cross to remind the seminarian of the Christ Crucified.

The clothing in the surplice

A Bishop's Blessing

 

A happy Group Photograph



As usual I have uploaded additional photogaphs which may be accessed HERE

Please pray for all those tonsured -

Laurent Dejean

Manu Ihou

Edouard Laurant

Henri Lefer

Mark Miles

Alois Nespor

Jaromir Palka

Vasily Prusakov

Gregoire Remusat

Mateusz Rutkowski

Stepan Srubar

Nicolas Telisson

Hilaire Vernier

Roland Weiss





Happy Tidings - Vocations

We are often assailed with the reality of drastic falls in the numbers of priestly and religious vocations in today's world.  Well, here is some good news. 

I was very pleased indeed to receive a telephone call from Mark, a wonderful young gentleman and one whom I count as a dear friend, that after some wait he has finally received news from Rev. Fr. Banauch the rector of the FSSP seminary at Wigratzbad in Germany.  What news?  He has been accepted as a seminarian and commences studies for the Sacred and Holy Priesthood in October. Deo Gratias!

(photos from orbiscatholicus.blogspot.com)

We had the rare privilege in attending the priestly ordinations at Wigratzbad in 2009 (click here for link to post) and I think this may have been one of the defining moments in Mark's discernment of his vocational journey.

Mark is the second "home grown" Scottish Catholic to join the FSSP (the first being Rev. Fr. Harkins FSSP who celebrated his First Solemn Mass in Edinburgh last month (see earlier post).

For those unfamiliar with our situation in Scotland we only have one small FSSP community in Edinburgh attending the usus antiquior, usually numbering about 50 - 70 at Sunday Mass.  However that number belies the fact that in the past two years we have witnessed with great joy and thanksgiving a total of FIVE young men and women setting out on their journey of faith.  Helen to St Cecilia's Benedictine Abbey on the Isle of Wight, Yanush to the Carthusian Charterhouse at Parkminster, England.  This summer Garry and Christian finished their studies at Edinburgh University and both have been accepted as seminarians for their respective English Diocese.  Now, Mark is commencing his journey in October.

Time and again we hear and read of the remarkable phenomenon regarding the steady, and in some cases rapid, increase in vocations in Orders and Societies which either continue or have reverted to follow the traditional liturgy, teachings and way of life.  At the same time "modern" seminaries continue to close through lack of vocations.  Here is Scotland we have no seminaries at all.  Diocesan seminarians now have to travel overseas to be formed - how tragic and sad that it has come to this.

Please pray for Mark and all young men and women who have started their journey to the priestly or religious life that through the Power of The Holy Ghost they will continue to grow in faith and love of God our Father and our Saviour Christ Jesus. 

O Holy Spirit, Spirit of wisdom and divine love, impart Your knowledge, understanding, and counsel to youth that they may know the vocation wherein they can best serve God. Give them courage and strength to follow God's holy will. Guide their uncertain steps, strengthen their resolutions, shield their chastity, fashion their minds, conquer their hearts, and lead them to the vineyards where they will labour in God's holy service.
Amen.

Mary Mother of God - pray for them, 
St John Vianney - pray for them, 
St Benedict - pray for them,
St John Ogilvy - pray for them.

Our Lady of Aberdeen

Friday the 9th of July was our Patronal Feast Day in the Diocese of Aberdeen therefore a First Class Feast Day.  Unfortunately I was amazed to find out that in my local chapel there was not even a mention of this Feast never mind a Mass in Her Honour.

A Little history

Located in a side chapel in a Brussels church is one of Scotland's treasures, a statue of Our Lady and Child which was saved from destruction in Aberdeen during the Reformation.  For sixty-five years, it was hidden until it was shipped to safety in the Low Countries.  Despite her intention to keep the statue in the Royal Palace, the Infanta of Spain, the Archduchess Isabella, was persuaded to place it in the newly built Augustinian church in Brussels.  

The statue remained in this church until 1796, when it was again removed for protection into private hands, this time to escape the ravages of the French Revolution. An Englishman, John Morris, safely restored it to the Augustinians in 1805 and it remained in their care as an object of devotion until 1814 when it was removed to the neighbouring Church of Our Lady of Finisterre.  It is still venerated there as Our Lady of Good Success.

Since the Restoration of the Scottish Hierarchy in 1878, devotion to Our Blessed Lady in Aberdeen, throughout the diocese, and further afield, has focused on copies of this ancient statue including the statue (above) which stands in the Chapel of Our Lady at Saint Mary's Cathedral Aberdeen.  Why won't the Belgians give us back the original statue?

Here is the old version of the Hymn to Our Lady:

Our Lady of Good Succour,

In the city by the sea,

Where the Don flows down the valley

To greet the silver Dee,

The ashes of faith still smoulder

Where the fire of the faith has been:

Bring the old faith back to Scotland

Our Lady of Aberdeen.

Our Lady of Good Succour,

In the country saints have trod,

While martyrs and brave confessors

Who gave their lives for God,

O hear the prayer of Columba,

Of Margaret, Saint and Queen:

Bring the old faith back to Scotland

Our Lady of Aberdeen.

Our Lady of Good Succour,

The love of God grows cold

In a country that has forgotten

The saving truths of old;

But a brighter dawn is breaking

And a fairer hope is seen:

Bring the old faith back to Scotland

Our Lady of Aberdeen.

Our Lady of Good succour,

In the happy days of old

Men deck'd thy gracious image

With silver and with gold;

Though darker days succeeded

Thou still art Scotland's Queen,

Come back, come back to Scotland,

Our Lady of Aberdeen.

As I said this is the old version.  Some years ago I sadly recall the then Bishop of Aberdeen, Bishop Conti, (currently Archbishop of Glasgow) commissioned new wording to make it more "ecumenical" so as not to upset the Protestants.  Phrases such as 'the old faith' were removed and replaced with PC wording.

Reflecting on this version I marvel that, whilst written approximately one hundred years ago by Mother Francis Forbes R.S.C.J., its currency remains as true today as when penned by this devout Scottish religious.

My local chapel may not have honoured Our Lady but I was very pleased to find at the FSSP chapel in Edinburgh today that this was chosen as the recessional hymn.  Also that wonderful community The Sons of The Most Holy Redeemer wrote a fine article on their blog.  Strange the only two places I visited which honoured this Feast day were Traditional communities!

Wigratzbad Ordination 2009

The newly ordained Fr. William Barker FSSP giving individual blessings. A truly glorious occasion. Deo Gratias.

Fr. Barker offers the Sacrifice of the Mass for the first time.

Fr. Leworthy (left) and Fr. de Mallery (right) with Fr Barker after Mass.

Three wise men? Well certainly the gentleman in the centre is.

The rogues flanking His Excellency Bishop Schneider are none other than Leo Darroch, President of Una Voce International, and Joe Shaw, Chairman of the Latin Mass Society of England and Wales.

Our intrepid little band enjoying the sights of Lindau before flying home.

To view all the photographs click here