Juventutem for Hexham & Newcastle

I see from blogs of this Diocese that we are about to get a Juventutem chapter. Deo Gratias! Now that Father Brown has a centrally-located Church in the Diocese establishing such a group has become an easier project, a centrally-located Church being important if access to the group is to reach all parts of the Diocese. Drawing upon the youth who attend his Sunday TLM, the project is now viable in Fr Brown's parish (a negative response by our Cathedral to allow such a group two years ago because they had their own youth group hampered the founding of Juventutem before now). Juventutem is certainly a great thing for young people who are attached to (or interested in discovering) the Church’s Traditional liturgy, devotions and catechesis. We must pray for great things to come from this new foundation.

I have reservations about it being run from the ‘back office’ of the (out-going) LMS rep however, since this will link Juventutem to the LMS in the minds of many, and even though members of Juventutem attend LMS organised Masses and events, Juventutem itself is not affiliated to the LMS. Further, since the LMS is not readily accepted by many clergy, there may be a negative impact upon how well advertised Juventutem will be by resistant clergy. This is sad because they would probably support other youth groups in their search for a deeper spiritual, social and charitable life, which are central aims of Juventutem.

I do hope there are no dissenters from or antagonists toward such a group; certainly I know of none -other than those exclusively (and tenaciously?) devoted to the Novus Ordo. Sadly, however, we all know people who will not support anything to do with tradition and who see TLM supporters as ‘eccentrics’; a label some may take as a personal insult even when it is not personally aimed, so we will have to live within that reality until the day comes when we can truly come out into the sun and stand as equals with whatever is left of our fellow Catholics who hold exclusively to a dying misuse of the Novus Ordo.

I think that day is still some way off (certainly beyond my lifetime) but it is not that far away -I personally believe that as we close more and more parishes, convents and seminaries which  hold exclusively to the Novus Ordo, we will be left with little other than the Traditional Communities such as the Fraternity of St Peter; Institute of Christ the King, Sovereign Priest; Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer; Good Shepherd Institute,  Servants of Jesus and Mary; Canons Regular of the New Jerusalem; Canons Regular of Saint John Cantius; Canons Regular of the Holy Cross; Fraternity of Saint Vincent Ferrer; Personal Apostolic Administration of Saint John Mary Vianney et al. These will be the remnant from which the Church will regrow in all her glory and which will have arms open to the SSPX.