Thursday 12 February 2015

The Remnant of the Flock of Christ

I was watching yesterday a DVD of the blessing of the SSPX Church in Gateshead, Tyne & Wear, by Bishop Fellay. As I watched I found myself saying, with a sense of sadness and even pity, “They are holding onto a Church that has gone”-and realised in that same instant that it was the Church to which I had converted.

When I was instructed in The Faith in the 1970’s there were few RCIA programmes around. As such I was instructed one-to-one by the priest using Drinkwater’s Catechism (very much the same as the Baltimore Catechism, Drinkwater’s was the ‘Penny Catechism’ with extended explanations). I learned about the One True God in Trinity; about the Incarnate God the Son, and about the Blessed Virgin and her unique role in our salvation. I learned about the Sovereign Authority of the Pope; about Infallibility and its limits; about the Magisterium and Tradition. I learned about the sacramental system and the great and wondrous Sacrifice of the Mass; the wonder of Confession wherein the grace won for us by the Sacrifice re-present-ed in the Mass is applied to our souls, making us worthy to receive at the sacramental banquet we call Holy Communion, and about the great spiritual healing given us by Anointing of the Sick -especially its use as Extreme Unction given with the Apostolic Pardon. I also learned about the Virtues and Vices of human living, the wonders of Marriage as God had arranged it, and the misdirection sexuality had taken in the modern world. This was all filled out by my private reading of F J Sheed’s Theology & Sanity and Ludwig Ott’s Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma. I learned about the Church as the Body of Christ active in the world (and experienced it too by my membership of the SVP -wherein we undertook the corporal works of mercy- and in the Legion of Mary, wherein we undertook the spiritual works of mercy and evangelisation by door-to-door and city centre street contact). I saw the men of the parish taking care of the grounds and the buildings and the women of the parish doing excellent fundraising via bingos and women’s league activities. In short, I knew the Catholic Faith as it had been handed down, and saw it very much still being lived.

As I considered the DVD yesterday I looked at the Church which I inhabit. Not only the laity but the most senior of the clergy speak and act as though it matters little (if at all) what religion one follows as long as one is ‘searching for God’ and ‘journeying toward Him’; I see that to many it matters little what sexual antics we engage in as long as it is between consenting adults and springs from the emotion we call ‘love’.  I see the Holy Sacrifice offered as a community jamboree wherein ‘pop groups’ find their captive audience and clergy use the pulpit to display comedic ‘talent’ people wouldn’t pay to hear elsewhere.

As I asked myself if the Church the SSPX are holding onto and the Church I converted to has gone, I came to the conclusion that  many would like to think so, but a remnant exists in many ways and places: SSPX; FSSP; ICKSP, Barroux, Papa Stronsay, The Fraternity of St. Vincent Ferrer, The Good Shepherd Institute, The Apostolic Administration of Campos et al., and many parish folk and clergy who rejoice in Summorum Pontificum in many national associations affiliated to the Una Voce International Federation. We may be small in comparison to the ‘Church of Nice’ (that well-meaning but theologically bankrupt part of the Church where it seems all that matters is being nice to people; to be welcoming of everyone no matter what their ‘living arrangements’, to be social activists and to celebrate Mass in such a way as to entertain folk), yet no matter how small we are in comparison, we have the Lord’s words to keep us going: “Have no fear, little flock, it has pleased the Father to give you the kingdom’ (Lk.12v32). In any case, we are a little flock that is continually growing; a remnant which continues to flourish while the ‘Church of Nice’ is closing parishes, seminaries, convents, schools etc. So the SSPX; the Ecclesia Dei communities and we Summorum Pontificum supporters are not holding onto a Church that has gone. Nor are we  hankering after a by-gone age -we are the little flock who preserve a treasure and who need not fear, for Truth always wins out in the end. It’s just hard to be part of a large community where one is tolerated but not valued; a community where its own liturgical and spiritual heritage and Divine Donation of moral and doctrinal truth is not valued in practice. Meanwhile we can quote Robert Depiante to our detractors saying, hand on heart, “We are what you once were. We believe what you once believed. We worship as you once worshipped. If we are wrong now, you were wrong then. If you were right then, we are right now".

And we can keep in mind what the future surely holds as the remnant grows and the Church of Nice fades:

Clip of Holy Mass in the film Christmas Holiday:

Clip of a priestly ordination in the film The Cardinal


48 comments:

  1. Thank you father for your memories and particularly for your optimistic ending. I was received into the Church at a similar period after having attended Mass from time to time whenever possible over several years.

    This year will be the 50th anniversary of my reception into the Church and I am so very lucky that for the last few years I have been able to attend the Mass of Ages two or three times a week. I never thought I would live long enough to see its return. I clung on over the years through all the 'changes' - but only just. My Faith has been revived as I hope is the case for others who now attend the EF. Didn't someone once call it the most beautiful thing this side of Heaven? A Treasure indeed.

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    1. Thank you, Pelerin, and have a blessed anniversary!
      It was Fr Faber (d.1863), himself a convert and an Oratoriam Father, who described the Mass as "The most beautiful thing this side of heaven". It is certainly a treasure, and while I love the peace of the read Mass (Low Mass) I adore the beauty of the Solemn High Mass (Missa Cantata is fine but the Solemn Form -its true form, with Deacon and Sub-deacon- is a delight to the senses.
      God Bless.

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  2. This March will be the 7th Anniversary of my conversion (from Atheism) and I can't think how I would live without the Catholic Faith now. I confess that I originally converted to the Church of Nice and not being formed terribly well by RCIA and the fact that nobody thought it might be a good idea to assign an associate sheepdog to a new convert barely muddled through until 5 years ago when I started to pray the Rosary, think seriously about stuff like pilgrimages etc that I really began to 'live' the Faith.

    A large part of that was the Latin Mass, you can admit that the Novus Ordo is Valid and Licit, you can say that it is Truly the Holy Sacrifice of Calvery but even offered properly (and lets face it that is as rare these days as a red squirrel) it can't hold a candle to the TLM.

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    1. Blessings upon you on your Anniversary!
      The Church of nice is superficially (and therefore initially) attractive, but has no depth and people fall away. Only discovering of the Truth and its coherent beauty attracts the soul of man. The Rosary is our ladder to heaven, I think; each Rosary said being another rung in the ladder toward heaven.
      And I agree about the Novus Ordo. It is valid, licit and can be beautifully offered ad orientem with superb Gregorian chant, but even then it remains a pale imitation of the Traditional Ordo: its prayers are impoverished even in the new translation, and symbolism sparse.
      God Bless

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  3. the Great Apostasy must be near its pinnacle, orchestrated and led from the top. If the Church had not become corrupted the overwhelming tyrannical evil of our societies would never have become so extreme and widespread, dictating to every sphere of life. I heard today that in the UK, ITV on its decades old "This Morning" magazine show had an item discussing sexual perversions, such as "bondage" and different implements (which they showed and discussed) that people could use to abuse each other. The item wasn't to discuss how morally outrageous and detrimental to the personal and common good such evil is, but rather to laud it as normal, and morally acceptable. This is a show that is supposed to a normal, non-controversial, mid-morning show that is aimed at a general audience. I don't know how much further our countries can sink in the promotion of filth, and its imposition on all, particularly children, with the attendant public denunciation, defamation, and persecution of those who uphold objective moral truth, against the new "tyrannical morality". The widespread publicly-promoted, and legally protected abuse of children by exposure to the most vile perversion is surely beyond anything in history on its scale and infiltration into people's lives against their will. Lord, come soon, but until then give us the courage, perseverance, to not yield to this evil in the face of persecution. We will have to learn to submit completely to God's care, as those not in prison will not be permitted to work or engage in economic activity (extending from the public to the private sector). How we need some moral and spiritual leaders to encourage and support us . . . Most of the bishops and top of the Church are colluding with our persecutors, having long ago abandoned the Faith, and using their positions to destroy the a Church, to corrupt the faithful (and persecute those who will not comply with evil, with the new "religion" which will work with the tyrannical governments against us.

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    1. Thank you Lynda.
      Yes, the Church like Moses, lowered her arms once raised in sound prayer for banal and theologically impoverished liturgy. and when that happens, the enemy has the upper hand (cf. Ex.17v11). That is why a return to solid Catholic liturgy (surrounded by faithful dogmatic teaching) is essential for the world and not only for the Church.
      I am not surprised by the TV show portraying what we know to be evil as good; the devil has tricked mankind into believing evil is good from day one by manipulation of the truth. Thus the Church collaborates with the world instead of converting the world.
      God Bless

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  4. Thank you Fr for that memory of the Church of past to which I was brought up in and still adhere to. It is a great sadness that there is no traditional core in leeds. I am not surprised at the huge loss to the Church of the next generation of Catholics. You can blame the clergy especialy bishops who brought in the traitorous Weaving the Web.
    I would like to meet fellow Catholics with this same attachment to the Faith.

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    1. Thank you Paul.
      However, it is still the Church of today, but in remnant form, with pockets of solid Catholics not only attached to the Ecclesia Deicommunities, SSPX and Summorum Pontificum, but inhabiting many of our parishes. They just keep their heads dowen (in prayer) and await the rising Son.
      Weaving the web has not yet, in most places, been replaced with anything anywhere near Catholic, in my opinion.
      God Bless

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  5. Father, the Church has not gone. It cannot go. But yes, it will be smaller, for a while.

    The SSPX holds that the true doctrinal position of the Catholic Church is as it was prior to Vat II. So does Benedict XVI .

    “ The truth is that this particular Council defined no dogma at all”, (address to Chilean bishops Dec 2008).

    So do I, and so do you. We are all in agreement as members of the One True Church, The Catholic Church. But many who call themselves “Catholic” are not. The situation will be a bit clearer after the second session on the Family.

    The Church of “nice” or the Relativist Church, call it what you will, will fade, for two reasons, falling numbers of priests and falling Mass attendance. This latter factor will lead to a financial crisis, only now just being realised.

    “New Catholic”, 11/090.2014, showed that in France the number of traditional priest although small will exceed that of others by 2039. I don't think things will be much different in the UK. That is only 24 years from now. No time at all. I've watched the present Mess developing now for fifty years. And that doesn't take into account the steadily increasing number of parish priests who are moving over to the traditional Mass and therefore to Catholicism in Continuity.

    So it is up to you and those who agree with you to encourage your fellow priests to say the Mass in the fully authorised traditional, Vetus Ordo form. The rest will follow!

    And by the way, it is high time that fully Catholic, orthodox groups such as the SSPX are back soundly within the body of the Church which is where they belong. But as I said the numbers will sort that out!

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    1. Thank you, Jacobi.
      The 'Church of being Nice' may not fade if it simply returns to being clear about its moral and doctrinal teaching as contained in the catechism, and to a liturgy focused on God; it is floundering badly at the moment though.
      I don;t think a return to the TLM is a magic wand; I think a return to confidence in our Doctrine in homilies and schools, and a more God-centred worship (which I do think is more the case with the TLM but not completely absent from the Novus Ordo if done well) is needed.
      I also think any extreme elements of the SSPX need to learn how to read Vatican II as Benedict asked -in continuity with Tradition- rather than seek its wholesale condemnation.
      God Bless.

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  6. Father, I agree the Church has gone soft on her moral teaching, and the Synod last year seemed to bring this to the forefront. But why do you say the Novus ordo is impoverished? Having the mass in English doesn't impoverish it for me. in fact it helps me to pray.
    David

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    1. Thank you, David.
      The Synod is only one half of the whole event; this year's meeting may put right all that went astray last year.
      AS for the Novus ordo, its impoverishment is in the loss of so many prayers (at the foot of the altar; at the Offertory) as well as the loss of genuflections to the sacred Victim (which are now minimal in number) and the loss of the ceremonies performed by deacon and Sub-deacon at a Sung (Solemn) Mass.
      God Bless.

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    2. THE
      LITTLE
      CATHOLIC
      HEN

      Who'll say Mass
      Assumption Feast?
      No longer done
      Said parish priest.

      Who will baptize
      Little one?
      More important
      In-i-ti-a-tion.

      The Catholic Faith
      Please teach my child?
      Not I, said nun born-
      To-be-wild.

      Who will help
      Teach catechism?
      Don't call it that
      It sounds like schism.

      Who will hear
      My child confess?
      We're all forgiven
      More-or-less.

      Who will give
      The angels' Bread?
      Extra-ministers
      Sue and Fred.

      Confirm my teens
      Their souls they're losing?
      That must be done
      Of their own choosing.

      So little mother
      Walked away
      Hating to
      Look bold.

      Never orphaned
      Clung to Cross
      Deposit- Faith
      Her gold.

      Then up above
      On mountain top
      A man in white
      He stood.

      Just one more Bishop
      Who'll try to stop...
      Disorient
      What's good.

      But Bishop lifted
      Up her Cross
      His sons helped
      Bear the weight.

      And Pilgrims in
      Progressive lands
      Continued in
      Grace-state.

      They handed down
      What they were taught
      Vocations now
      They flourish

      And others old
      Who loved new-thought
      Had only crust
      To nourish.

      But little mother
      Saw their tears
      Starving for
      What's true...

      Come in, come in,
      We've waited years...
      His Bread's, in memory,
      For you!!!

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    3. Dear Long-skirts,
      Thank you for the smile!
      God Bless

      Delete
  7. Dear Rev Father,

    Once again, you have posted well. It could be said that you are in agreement on this matter with Pope Paul VI.

    Shortly before his death, Pope Paul VI confided to his friend Jean Guitton: ‘what strikes me in the Catholic world today is the fact that at times within Catholicism itself there seems to dominate a mentality which is not Catholic. It is quite possible that this mentality may prevail in the end. Yet, it will never be representative of the Church. Of necessity, a small flock must remain, however infinitesimal.'"*
    [* Jean Guitton: "Paul VI Secret", p. 166, Desclée de Brouwer, 1975]

    Who can disagree with the Pope of the Council and of the New Mass?

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    1. Thank you, Leo.
      Sounds like a book worth reading, and sounds like Paul VI's prophetic gift demonstrated in Humanae Vitae was not a one-off.
      God Bless.

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  8. Thank you, Father, for keeping the flame alive. Your work is very much appreciated, because the TLM is so important to the preservation of the Faith.
    Have you a link to the Mass celebrating the opening of the SSPX church in Gateshead?

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    1. Thank you.
      Send me your postal address and i will loan you the DVD.
      God Bless

      Delete
  9. Our Lady of Good Success said, of our times that when things are at their worst, “Then will the Church, joyful and triumphant like a young girl, reawaken…… " Pope Leo XIII said that God would give Satan 100 years to attempt to destroy the Church. That is surely linked to Fatima and the Russian Revolution that coincided with the last apparition whose centenaries are imminent. I believe that we are now close to the promised 'era of peace' and the re-flowering of the Church. Patience, friends help is on its way.

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    1. Thank you, Lepanto.
      I too think the 100 years of the Enemy's power-hold must be coming to an end soon, but a time of realignment will perhaps be needed afterwards. I think help is already here; seeds are flourishing.
      God Bless

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  10. Welcome to being just like a divorced against one's will, but defending against fraudulent annulment grounds, Catholic.

    I know the role well.

    Not fun. I am the "bastard child" of the Catholic Church but not, really, the bastard!

    How I wish I could meet Francis, one of us would never be the same. It would not be me!


    Karl

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    1. Thank you Karl.
      The fraudulent grounds presented by folk (either for change or annulment) will have to be accounted for in the end. We, at least, have our integrity.
      Ggd Bless

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  11. Thank you Father. I believe that my four young adult children are still practicing because of the Chartres traditional pilgrimage and in two cases thanks to good choice of spouses. Can I add to your remnant list, the Good Shepherd programme for infants/juniors started by Sofia Cavalletti and her Montessori collaborator, Gianna Gobbi, in Rome - really worth a look at. Families could be re catechized through their children

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    1. Thank you Pat.
      I will look up that programme myself.
      God Bless.

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  12. Do you include the Society of Such Pious Gents as part of the remnant?!

    www.thesocietyofsuchpiousgents.blogspot.co.uk

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    1. Thank you.
      Do you include them? I have no knowledge of these piuos gents!
      God Bless

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    2. I believe they ARE the remnant!!

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    3. Thank you, again.
      lets hope they haven't travelled so far to the right that they are rounding the bend to the left! We will all need to realign once the diabolically determined crisis is over...only Satan is wicked enough to use the virtue of obedience to destroy obedience to Tradition!
      God Bless.

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    4. I agree with your sentiments entirely! The sad thing about many "traditionalists" is that they are guilty of "picking and choosing" when it suits them and this is what my website gently satirises. With regard to the SSPX, in charity is must be pointed out that they are not in good standing with the Church and their bishops are not in communion with the Pope. People forget that Archbishop Lefebvre was not excommunicated because he loved the Traditional Latin Mass. He was excommunicated because he did something gravely against the teaching of the Catholic Church.

      Delete
    5. Thanks again.
      Indeed, sometimes Traditionalists -and modernisers- do their cause no good by being extreme in some things. I know of one lady who would not receive at the TLM any Hosts consecrated at a Novus Ordo Mass, and a priest ordained prior to 1960 who called the TLM 'evil -its just plain evil'. I knew him well so I was shocked at his hostility.
      As for the SSPX,, I have to admire their commitment, and I'm glad they remain a force to be reckoned with, but I do wish the Archbishop had waited until the date of August 15th (the date promised by Rome for the consecration of a Bishop) had come and gone, because it would have proved he was right to suspect Rome was waiting for him to die so that the SSPX would die with him. His action in June, just six weeks before that August date, was an act of disobedience to a Pope he recognised as legitimate (he was not a sedevcantist) and thus he acted in grave disobedience to the Vicar of Christ. He knew the Code would excommunicate him and those he consecrated. I became a firm supporter of the FFSP afger that, since I felt they had the courage to stand by the Archbishop's stance of fidelity to Christ's Vicar on earth.
      Its all a very complicated topic but I would say that I am still glad that the SSPX remain as a thorn in the side of those in Rome who are hostile to Tradition, but I still wish the Archbishop had waited those six weeks. Bishop Castro Mayer (the co-consecrator) was not dying and could have undertaken the consecration in August had the Archbishop not lived. The SSPX could even have applied to an Old Catholic Bishop for a consecration, so I'm not sure the Archbishop's action was entirely justified. he remains however, one of the great missionary figures of the 20th century and a man whose reasoning against some of the texts found in the Vatican II documents still need to be answered by Rome.
      God Bless.

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  13. Dear Father,

    Thank you for all your writings here. They are a great encouragement to all who are trying to keep the Faith.

    Whenever we read that line from Robert De Piante we are reminded of the words of St. Edmund Campion. When the disgraceful verdict of 'Treason' was delivered, he announced: ''In condemning us, you condemn all your own ancestors, all our ancient bishops and kings, all that was once the glory of England - the island of saints, and the most devoted child of the See of Peter.''

    Back in the 80's a holy old priest helped my parents and I (Alan) to see the truth of this. He was - like my parents and I - a former Anglican. He was also a former husband, father, grandfather and bank manager! He and his wife converted and, after she passed to her eternal reward, he became a priest.

    He was very orthodox and still wore his biretta to process in for the NO. Like Newman, he helped us to see that 'to be deep in history is to cease to be Protestant.''

    He once said ''This is not the Church I joined.'' Although we did not understand it at the time - and realise that the True Church will always be - we do understand it now, only too painfully.

    He collapsed and died during Holy Mass, some time around 1989. May he rest in peace.

    In the last few years we have learned so much more about Tradition - and continue to do so. Blogs like yours are a great help.

    Thanks too, to all your commentators who help us to see we are not alone!
    Alan (and Angeline).

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    1. Thank you.
      I love the quote from St Edmund Campion!
      God Bless.

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  14. Once again Fr Gary you have delivered a great post. Amen. Here in Australia, in the sea of liberalism, remnant is a derogatory term. There are many bishops and priests who no longer subscribe to the tradional priesthood of Christ as it was handed down by the Apostles, and the Church of the past. The Australian hierarchy have their own 'new cultural' vision. Into The Deep(see stoneswillshout.com/wp) has been a public voice of the devout, faithful and orthodox Catholics and the defender of the Church's faith and morals for over 10 years now, and we are still going strong. During this period we have been maligned in the Church by the hierarchy, religious and disaffected laity, and have been called delators, temple police and Taliban Catholics when we have publicly applied the blow torch to their liberal Protestant words and actions. Your blog has been music to my heart and ears. Once again, it has been grace upon grace. Thanks.

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    1. Thank you Greg.
      One of the things we all need to do is discuss issues rather than persons and leave aside the negative tags we attach to people. It has to be said that most such tags are applied to those who are faithful to Tradition: temple police, Pharisees, bean counters (and rabbits)? Keep the website going!
      God Bless.

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  15. Father,

    Please excuse, but I think Long Skirts reflections are so good.

    Her latest reminded me of that old Sussex ballad noted by one Hilaire Belloc, I'm told??, on Pelagius. It goes,


    Now whether you found eternal joy
    Or sank forever to burn
    It had nothing to do with the Church my boy
    But was your own concern

    Oh he didn't believe in Adam or Eve
    He put no faith therein
    His doubts began With the Fall of Man
    And he laughed at Original Sin

    Now it seems to me that applies exactly to those who will believe that after the Synod on the Family, they can have their cake and eat it?

    Not too off-topic I trust,

    Yours, jacobi

    Promethean Neo-pelagian, (apparently?).

    ps must rush, off to Mass.

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    1. Thank you.
      I'm happy indeed to share Longskirts verse!
      and thank you for the quoted verse on Pelagius by who knows who?
      God Bless.

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  16. Thank you Father for all your thoughtful, balanced posts. Bloggers like yourself have given me great comfort in these times. It was such a relief to find out that other faithful Catholics were having the same doubts and fears as I was.
    If you don't mind I would also like to thank Alan and Angeline for the same thing as there seems to be no way to contact them on their blog.
    My father was also a convert and suffered for it as indeed our whole family did. It was not easy in N.Ireland in the 40's, 50's and 60's. He never complained, but near the end of his life he did wonder why they had changed the Mass and the churches. Like Alan's friend it was not the church he converted to and his life must have been harder because of that. Still, he remained true to Catholic teaching, the Mass, even if it had changed, and the rosary. I hope that I can do the same even if everything seems to be collapsing around us.

    marypatricia--

    sorry- I don't know what an open ID or URL is so have to use anonymous.

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    1. Thank you, Marypatricia.
      Alan and Angeline will have seen your appreciation, here, I'm sure.
      Your father has left you a great example; it is when all is collapsing around us that the gift of Faith really begins to show through.
      God Bless.
      PS Its fine to use anonymous when you give a name as you have; it can aid discussion between commentators.

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  17. Another excellent commentary, Father...the new will eventually give first place back to the old, in God's good time, of course. In the meantime, its hard to see, let alone understand, the confusion in doctrine and morals that reign in the modern Church, and it is the remnants of which you speak that will eventually be the catalyst for the change, I believe. The 3 P's - prayer, penance and perseverance - are still needed, though not much asked for now days, for the Pope, Cardinals, Bishops and the Church.

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    1. Thank you, and indeed: Prayer, penance and (final) Perseverance. Along with the Rosary, the weapon hated by Satan.
      God Bless.

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  18. Dear Rev Father,

    I hope that you allow a second comment but I think that it is one that is worth making. On 13th June, 1970, Dr Eric de Saventhem the first President of the International Federation Una Voce made a wonderfully prophetic speech in New York in which he said:

    "Fourthly -- and this is most important: GET THE YOUNG. Without knowing it yet, they desperately need a liturgy that is richer in content and expression than mere "dialogue" (of which they get more than enough in all other spheres of Church life), mere entertainment or even catechesis -- richer than togetherness or an exercise in "sensitivity" (or should we say insensitivity") training. They need the atmosphere of withdrawal, of recollection, of the true "laus Dei" which is totally different from brashly praising the "Lord of the Universe" through man's own feats or progress. They need the encounter, indeed: the confrontation with the "sign of contradiction," re-presented every day in the "Mysterium Tremendum" of Holy Mass .

    A renaissance will come: asceticism and adoration as the mainspring of direct total dedication to Christ will return. Confraternities of priests, vowed to celibacy and to an intense life of prayer and meditation will be formed. Religious will regroup themselves into houses of "strict observance." A new form of "Liturgical Movement" will come into being, led by young priests and attracting mainly young people, in protest against the flat, prosaic, philistine or delirious liturgies which will soon overgrow and finally smother even the recently revised rites.

    It is vitally important that these new priests and religious, these new young people with ardent hearts, should find -- if only in a corner of the rambling mansion of the Church -- the treasure of a truly sacred liturgy still glowing softly in the night. And it is our task – since we have been given the grace to appreciate the value of this heritage -- to preserve it from spoliation, from becoming buried out of sight, despised and therefore lost forever. It is our duty to keep it alive: by our own loving attachment, by our support for the priests who make it shine in our churches, by our apostolate at all levels of persuasion."

    It has been the role of the Una Voce Federation for the past 50 years "to appreciate the value of this heritage -- to preserve it from spoliation, from becoming buried out of sight, despised and therefore lost forever."

    Everything that Dr de Saventhem forecast has come true and the cornerstone of the Church, the traditional Mass, has been restored. It is still early days in the recovery but it cannot be stopped, no matter how much the dying embers of the 1960s try to stifle it and hold it back.

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    1. Happy to publish more than one comment -especially when so appropriate!
      God Bless.

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  19. Dear Father,

    May we just pass on our sincere thanks to Mary Patricia for those kind and supportive words?

    We are presently trying to work out what to do about updating both our website and apostolate. A few years ago, we had that 'contact us' facility working and a 'members' page' too. Sadly, hackers got in by contacting us through the latter, damaged the site and sent out hostile e-mails purporting to be from us to all our members!

    The chap who built our web-site blanked off the ''contact-us'' button's function and we deleted the members' page to protect it from further attacks.

    It can seem a little isolating when no-one can leave messages, but seemed the best thing at the time.

    Anyway, thanks again Mary Patricia for reading and for taking time to leave that message. May God bless you and your family for all you have endured for the True Faith!

    In Christ
    Alan and Angeline

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    1. Thank you.
      Do keep up the blog, comment-option or not. The Information bloggers share is what is important aspect of any apostolate -comment forums for discussion are an added bonus, but not the main aim, i would say.
      God Bless.

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  20. Hi Father,

    You might be interested in this special issue of Regina Magazine profiling "Amazing Parishes", two of which are in England - New Brighton's Sts. Peter,Paul and Philomena and St Aloysius in Oxford. Link: http://reginamag.com/current-issue/

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    1. Thank you for this.
      I'm pleased to be able to promote this magazine for you.
      http://reginamag.com/current-issue/
      God Bless.

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  21. You know, Fr Gary, that some of us were talking a few days ago among other things about the SSPX. I share your thoughts that they remain as a thorn to remind the Church of what we have lost. I can never ever see the EF Mass being the standard in the Church & can only see further liberties taken by some (few) priests with the OF Mass, liberties which must upset all but the most entrenched liberals. We felt that once the SSPX is reconciled with Rome that it will become the Catholic 'High' Church very much in the mould of the Anglican Church. Does that sound possible? The biggest concern for we laity is where priests (like yourself) who love the EF will be? Will you simply carry on celebrating both forms or will you be expected to simply say the OF albeit properly? No doubt many clergy have had these thoughts.

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    1. Thanks for sharing this David.
      I do think the EF can become the dominant form again, especially as Tradition takes a greater hold on the younger generations -this is therefore going to be a long-term outcome. but I think if it is truly the Form most pleasing to God -as i believe it is- it will come. One of the strengths of the Catholic Church is that it has always been the Church of every man, having within its fold devout, poor, working class souls and royalty. It can return to this with the ebb and tide of history and the swing of the pendulum. The SSPX won't return until they see Tradition (which is wider than the Mass) regain its place in Rome, and that will be the time when the Church begins to return to normal -not abandoning Vatican II but truly putting it into continuity with Tradition. I have a dream...as Dr martin Luther King once famously said!

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