Son spotted in London

I happened to be in St Bede's on Sunday, where Fr Andrew Southwell celebrated a magnificent Missa Cantata in rose vestments, to the accompaniment of a polyphonic choir, Cantores Missae, under the direction of Charles Finch. The Cantores Missae sing at St Bede's once a month.

By coincidence Br Dominic Mary F.SS.R. was in choir. He was en route from the Orkneys to his native New Zealand, where he will be joining the Sons' second community in Christ Church.

Br Dominic Mary (right)

Br Dominic is a lay brother, and has been (and will continue to be) much involved in The Catholic newspaper. Please pray for the community in Christ Church, where after-shocks from the big earthquake of a year ago are still being felt.

New Friends' Newsletter

Available for free download -

here!

Two clothings, a temporary profession and a final profession on St Alphonus' day

The Monastery blog reports that on 2nd August, the Feast of St Alphonsus, two postulants were formally 'clothed' in the habit of the Order, one notive made his 'temporary profession' (like the 'temporary' or 'simple' vows of Benedictines and others, a stage towards becoming a fully professed member of the community), and one Brother made his 'Final Profession' (equivalent to 'Solemn' as opposed to 'Simple' profession, ie a permanent committment to the Order).

This is a great day for the community, and all these young men and their families are to be congratulated.


Congratulations to Br Peter and Br Seelos!


And to Br Xavier Maria and Br Alfonso Maria!

See the Sons' blog for more pictures.

Newsletter

The Friends of Papa Stronsay are proud to announce our first Newsletter for supporters!

Those on our mailing list with postal addresses will get a printed version; all are free to download it here:

Friends of Papa Stronsay Newsletter.

The Newsletter is hosted on a special page of the Latin Mass Society's website; many thanks to them.

Visiting Oxford

Fr Michael Mary, Br Magdala and Br Martin visited Oxford last week for a few days. Among other things they sold some of their rare-breed sheep's wool to a customer in the South West of England.

Here they are with the Trustees of the Friends of Papa Stronsay.

(Left to right: Br Magdala, Fr Michael, Julian Griffiths, FOPS Chairman, Joseph Shaw, FOPS Trustee, Br Martin.)

They made it!

Not that there was any doubt, but well done to the Sons taking part in the pilgrimage to Chartres. There are two excellent photos of them in the 'Official Photo Album' of Notre Dame de Chretianite, from the Mass in Chartres Cathedral at the conclusion of the Pilgrimage.



Since originally posting this, linking the photos directly from the Notre Dame website, the links have died (they must have moved the photos) so I have downloaded the photos and put them on Flickr. You can see all the photos I could find featuring the Sons in my set here, including Br Magdala with the British Adults Chapter.

Sons spotted!

On the way to Chartres.
This one is from Fr Bede Rowe.
This photo appeared on the New Liturgical Movement blog.

Sons on the Chartres Pilgrimage

Today, tommorrow and Monday they will be walking the 70-odd miles from Notre Dame of Paris to the Cathedral of Our Lady in Chartres.


A photo of one of the Masses en route from last year.

Those who set out from Papa Stronsay:
Fr. Anthony Mary
Br. Yousef Marie
Br. Jean Marie
Br. Magdala Maria
Br. Martin Mary
Br. Gerardo Maria
Br. Bernard Maria
Mr. Mills
Mr. Lunsford

More here.

Abbot Hugh Gilbert of Pluscarden Abbey to be new Bishop of Aberdeen

Bishop Moran of Aberdeen has passed the age of retirement and his resignation has been accepted; the new bishop is to be the Abbot of Pluscarden. This is great news as Abbot Hugh knows the Sons already and is well known as a solid and orthodox man.

Congratulations both to him and to the Catholics of Aberdeen! And 'thank you', Holy Father!

There is more on the Sons' own blog.

John Hunwicke on the Purgatorian Archconfraternity

John Hunwicke, a member of the Oxford Ordinariate group, has just written on his blog:

Above my desk as I write this I have a Certificate of Perpetual Membership of the the Purgatorian Archconfraternity in honour of The Most Holy Redeemer of Golgotha For the Relief of the Poor souls in Purgatory, maintained by the Transalpine Redemptorists who pray and work and live on the northern island of Papa Stronsay. I find it a source of great strength to know that both now and after my death I shall be in the fellowship of prayer which this represents, that the One Sacrifice will be offered again and again for me.

You can join the Purgatorian Archconfraternity here.

Br Magdala Mary completes his studies at Denton

I was at the recent ordinations at the International Seminary of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Denton, Nebraska, belonging to the Fraternity of St Peter, and was able to meet Br Magdala Mary FSSR who has just completed his studies there.


The Seminary is new, built on a green-field site, thanks to the encouragement of Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz, and the generosity of many benefactors. The seminary chapel is particularly splendid; it was completed and consecrated only this year.


Br Magdala's distinctive Redemptorist habit among the Fraternity Seminarians in their cassocks and cottas.





Br Magdala has now completed his studies, and two other members of the Papa Stronsay community will be going to Denton to study there in September.

I have written more, with many more photographs, about the ordinations at Denton here.

New issue of 'The Catholic'

Now shipping!

Subscribe here.

As always there is an 'extra' with the newspaper: in this case a book: 'Leo XIII, God's Prisoner'.

Welcome, Br Clemens!

The community has just clothed a new novice. Br Clemens was confirmed by Bishop Stack at the ceremony organised by the Latin Mass Society last autumn.

Please pray for him!

New F.SS.R website launched!

Please visit the new website, which is excellent and informative.

http://www.papastronsay.com/

It includes a bookshop selling the books they Sons have produced themselves in recent years. Each issue of The Catholic includes a book of this kind, or the Wall Calendar; it is free benefit for subscribers.

Launch of FOPS

The Friends of Papa Stronsay is delighted to announce its launch. Our aims are to promote the work of the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer, and to help raise money for them.

We plan to organise fund-raising events and organise trips to Papa Stronsay. Please email us to join our mailing list.

friendsofpapastronsay@gmail.com

Tel: 07856 063 121

The Sons at Christmas

The Sons thank their friends and benefactors.

The Sons at the LMS Confirmations

On 20th November Fr Anthony Mary F.SS.R. and a number of members of the community travelled to London for the Confirmation service organised by the Latin Mass Society (according to the 1962 Missal), so that one of their number, a postulant, could be confirmed by Bishop Stack. The service took place at St James', Spanish Place. The Sons' presence was reported on a number of blogs, including the Ecumenical Diablog and Mulier Fortis, as well as the LMS Chairman's. (H-t Ecumenical Diablog for this photo.)

Fr Anthony was able to celebrate a private Mass after the service, on the High Altar of the church. (H-t Mulier Fortis for this photo.)
The Sons and various friends repaired afterwards to a nearby cafe for tea and dinner.

The Sons with Bishop Moran and Cardinal O'Brien

In June 2009 Bishop Moran of Aberdeen, whose diocese includes Papa Stonsay, visited Golgotha Monastery and celebrated the Traditional Mass there.

In June 2010, many members of the community assisted at the first Solemn Mass of Fr Simon Harkins FSSP in Edinburgh Cathedral, which was also attended by Cardinal O'Brien.

F.SS.R. Seminarians go to Denton

From September 2008 the community's seminarians are being trained for the priesthood at the Seminary of Our Lady of Guadaloupe in Denton, Nebraska, the North American (and English-speaking) seminary of the Fraternity of St Peter.
Here is the first group of students (at different stages in their seminary education) about to depart.

Communicatio in sacris

Following criticisms of the Holy Father for taking part in a celebration Vespers with the Archbishop of Canterbury during his visit to Britain, the 'Transalpine Redemptorists at Home' blog published a series of posts on the question of 'Communicatio in sacris' ('taking part in sacred things', in this case with non-Catholic Christians), and under what circumstances it can be permissible.

Communicatio in sacris

Communicatio in sacris II: Tollerari posse

Communicatio in sacris III - Blessed Urban V to St Peter Thomas

Communicatio in sacris - IV - Don't shoot the messenger!

Communicatio in sacris - V - The same permission many times

Communicatio in sacris - VI - Armenian Catholic priests

Communicatio in sacris - VII - Under persecution.