Notre Dame de Rouen. The façade of the Gothic Church in France. Photographer: Hippo1947. Licence: SHUTTERSTOCK.

Thursday 28 May 2015

Cordoba Cathedral.


Text is from Wikipedia - the free encyclopaedia,
unless otherwise stated.



English: Cordoba Cathedral, Spain.
The Ceiling.
Português: Teto da Catedral de Córdoba.
Photo: 4 February 2013.
Source: Own work.
Author: Jbribeiro1.
Attribution: © José Luiz Bernardes Ribeiro / CC-BY-SA-3.0
(Wikimedia Commons)



English: Cordoba Cathedral, Spain.
The Choir.
Español: Coro de la Mezquita de Córdoba (España).
Photo: 26 November 2012.
Source: Flickr: IMG_5289.
Author: Jan Seifert.
(Wikimedia Commons)


The Cathedral of Córdoba (Spanish: Mezquita–Catedral de Córdoba), known as the Great Mosque of Córdoba (Spanish: Mezquita de Córdoba), whose Ecclesiastical name is The Cathedral of Our Lady of The Assumption (Spanish: Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción), is the Catholic Cathedral of The Diocese of Córdoba, Dedicated to The Assumption of The Virgin Mary and located in the Spanish region of Andalusia. The structure is regarded as one of the most accomplished monuments of Moorish architecture.

It originally was a Catholic Christian Church built by the Visigoths, When Muslims conquered Spain in 711 A.D., the Church was first divided into Muslim and Christian halves. This sharing of the site lasted until 784 A.D., when the Christian half was purchased by the Caliph 'Abd al-Rahman I, who then proceeded to demolish the entire structure and build the grand mosque of Cordoba on its ground. After the Reconquista, it was converted to a Roman Catholic Church, culminating in the insertion of a Renaissance Cathedral Nave in the 16th-Century.



Cordoba Cathedral, Spain.
The Choir.
Photo: 2 November 2002.
Source: originally posted to Flickr as 2002-10-26 11-15
Author: Allie_Caulfield.
(Wikimedia Commons)



Cordoba Cathedral, Spain.
Interior.
Photo: 17 August 2007.
(Wikimedia Commons)

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Wednesday 27 May 2015

Pope Saint John I (525 A.D. - 526 A.D.) Martyr. Feast Day 27 May.


Text is from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal,
unless otherwise stated.

 Saint John I.
Pope and Martyr.
Feast Day 27 May.

 Simple.

 Red Vestments.



Illustration of Pope Saint John I.
Date: 1911.
Author: Artaud de Montor, Alexis François.
(Wikimedia Commons)


Pope Saint John I (Papacy 525 A.D. - 526 A.D.) governed The Church at the time when the Arian King, Theodoric, ravaged Italy. This King, having artfully enticed the Pope to Ravenna, caused him to be thrown into a dark dungeon, where he died.

His body was buried at Rome in the Basilica of Saint Peter.

Mass: In Paschaltime, Protexísti. Out of Paschaltime, Sacerdótes Dei. Collects: In both cases from Mass: Sacerdótes.



The following Text is from Wikipedia - the free encyclopaedia.

Pope John I (Latin: Ioannes I; 470 A.D. – 18 May 526 A.D.). He was a native of Siena (or the "Castello di Serena"), near Chiusdino, in Italy. He is the first Pope known to have visited Constantinople whilst in Office.

While a Deacon in Rome, he is known to have been a partisan of the Anti-Pope, Laurentius, for, in a Libellus written to Pope Symmachus in 506 A.D., John confessed his error in opposing him, condemned Peter of Altinum and Laurentius, and begged pardon of Symmachus. He would then be the "Deacon John" who signed the "Acta" (Ecclesiastic publication) of The Roman Synod of 499 A.D., and 502 A.D; the fact The Roman Church only had seven Deacons at the time makes identifying him with this person very likely. He may also be the "Deacon John" to whom Boethius, the 6th-Century philosopher, dedicated three of his five religious tractates, or treatises, written between 512 A.D. and 520 A.D.

John was very frail when he was Elected to the Papacy as Pope John I. Despite his protests, Pope John was sent by the Arian King, Theodoric the Great, Ruler of the Ostrogoths, a Kingdom in present-day Italy, to Constantinople, to secure a moderation of a decree against the Arians, issued in 523 A.D., of Emperor Justin, Ruler of the Byzantine, or East Roman, Empire.




King Theodoric threatened that if John should fail in his mission, there would be reprisals against the orthodox, or non-Arian, Catholics in the West. John proceeded to Constantinople with a considerable entourage; his Religious companions included Bishop Ecclesius of Ravenna, Bishop Eusebius of Fanum Fortunae, and Sabinus of Campania. His Secular companions were the Senators Flavius Theodorus, Inportunus, Agapitus, and the Patrician, Agapitus.

Emperor Justin is recorded as receiving John honorably and promised to do everything the embassy asked of him, with the exception of restoring converts from Arianism-to-Catholicism to their original beliefs. Although John was successful in his mission, when he returned to Ravenna, Theodoric's Capital in Italy, Theodoric had John arrested on the suspicion of having conspired with Emperor Justin. John was imprisoned at Ravenna, where he died of neglect and ill treatment. His body was transported to Rome and buried in the Basilica of Saint Peter.

The Liber Pontificalis credits John with making repairs to the cemetery of the Martyrs Nereus and Achilleus, on the Via Ardeatina, that of Saints Felix and Adauctus, and the cemetery of Priscilla.

Pope John I is depicted in art as looking through the bars of a prison or imprisoned with a Deacon and a Sub-Deacon. He is Venerated at Ravenna and in Tuscany.

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When It All Gets Too Much, Get Onboard The California Zephyr.


Text is from Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia,
unless otherwise stated.




Postcard photo of the California Zephyr,
prior to her first 1949 run.
Source: eBay item.
Author: Publisher: Lyman Cox-Photograph: Western Pacific Railroad.
(Wikimedia Commons)


The California Zephyr is a passenger train operated by Amtrak between Chicago, Illinois, and Emeryville, California, via Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and California. At 2,438 miles (3,924 km) it is Amtrak's second-longest route. Amtrak claims the route as one of its most scenic, with views of the Upper Colorado River Valley in The Rocky Mountains, and The Sierra Nevada.




Travelling on Amtrak's
California Zephyr.
Part One.
Available on YouTube at


Before Amtrak, the California Zephyr (the CZ, or "Silver Lady") was a passenger train operated by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy (CB and Q), Denver and Rio Grande Western (D and RGW) and Western Pacific railroads, all of whom dubbed the train "the most talked about train in America" on 19 March 1949, with the first departure the following day.

It was scheduled to pass through the most spectacular scenery on its route in the daylight. The original train ceased operation in 1970, though the D and RGW continued to operate its own passenger service, the Rio Grande Zephyr, between Salt Lake City and Denver, using the original equipment until 1983. Since 1983, the California Zephyr name has been applied to the Amtrak service, which operates daily and is a hybrid of the route of the original Zephyr and its former rival, the City of San Francisco.




Still travelling on Amtrak's
California Zephyr.
Part Two.
Available on YouTube at


During fiscal year 2012, the California Zephyr carried more than 376,000 passengers, an increase of 5.9% on 2011. The train had a total revenue of $47,605,728 in 2012, a 6.4% increase on 2011.

The original California Zephyr operated over the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad from Chicago to Denver, Colorado, the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad between Denver and Salt Lake City, Utah, and the Western Pacific Railroad from Salt Lake City to Oakland, California. Cars owned by different railroads ran together; rail cars cycled in and out for service, repairs, and varying passenger loads with the seasons.

The first train was named in San Francisco by Eleanor Parker, while California Lieutenant Governor Goodwin Knight, Mayor of San Francisco Elmer Robinson, and WP President Harry A. Mitchell looked on. For the inaugural run in 1949, every female on the train was given "silver" and orange orchids flown from Hilo, Hawaii. The rail car hostesses were known as "Zephyrettes."




Tickets, please.
Still onboard The California Zephyr.
Part Three.
Available on YouTube at



In Summer 1954, the schedule for 2,532 miles Chicago to San Francisco was 50 hrs 50 mins. An Eastbound California Zephyr, through Ruby Canyon, saw the train's first birth on 1 March 1955, when Reed Zars was born.

The Zephyr was not immune to falling passenger travel in the 1960s; moreover, it began to lose money even when sold out. The Western Pacific applied to discontinue its portion in 1966 but the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) refused after public outcry.




English: Westbound California Zephyr, operated by Amtrak, in front of the Book Cliffs, between Green River and Floy, Utah, USA. The train is hauled by two General Electric P42DC locomotives.
Deutsch: Von Amtrak betriebener nach Westen verkehrender California Zephyr
vor den "Book Cliffs", zwischen Green River und Floy, Utah.
Der Zug wird von zwei General Electric P42DC gezogen.
Français: Le California Zephyr, un train de voyageurs américain de la compagnie Amtrak,
passe devant les Book Cliffs, entre la rivière Green et Floy, en Utah (États-Unis).
le train est tracté par deux locomotives General Electric P42DC.
Photo: 14 June 2010.
Author: Kabelleger / David Gubler (http://www.bahnbilder.ch).
(Wikimedia Commons)



The D and RGW made the same request in 1969 and in 1970 the ICC permitted Western Pacific to end its portion, provided the D and RGW and Burlington provide "some semblance of [service]" between Chicago and Ogden, Utah. The last Westbound California Zephyr to the West Coast left Chicago on 22 March 1970 and arrived in Oakland two days later.

The California Zephyr had operated for 21 years and 2 days. East of Salt Lake City, the train was reduced to a tri-weekly schedule, operating as California Service on the Burlington and as the Rio Grande Zephyr on the Rio Grande. The Rio Grande portion of the train was extended beyond Salt Lake to Ogden, Utah, allowing Nevada and California passengers to connect to the Southern Pacific Railroad's City of San Francisco. This continued until the creation of Amtrak on 1 May 1971,




The California Zephyr.
Part Four.
Available on YouTube at



The brainchild of Velma McPeek, the Burlington's Supervisor of Passenger Train Services, the Zephyrettes were train hostesses who performed a wide variety of roles, from tour guide, to First Aid Responder, to Babysitter. After debuting on The Denver Zephyr in 1936, they served on The California Zephyr from 1949 until it was discontinued in 1970.




A Zephyrette (centre, in blue uniform) at work
on the lower level of a California Zephyr Vista-Dome car in 1967.
Date: March 1967.
Source: eBay.
Author Burlington Route.
(Wikimedia Commons)



Described by former Zephyrette, Julie Ann Lyman, as "the railroad's answer to the air line stewardess", the various duties of the position included welcoming passengers, making announcements, sending telegrams, making dinner reservations, and generally serving as a liaison between the train's passengers and its crew. At any one time, there were ten or eleven Zephyrettes who were actively employed. When Amtrak revived The California Zephyr in 1983, it invited a former Zephyrette, Beulah Bauman, to Christen the train.

A pair of the Western Pacific's Budd Rail Diesel Cars (RDCs), replacements for the Royal Gorge (trains No. 1 and 2), also picked up the name Zephyrette. From 15 September 1950 to 2 October 1960, they were in service between Oakland, California, and Salt Lake City, a distance of 924 miles (1,487 km), which made the route the longest Rail Diesel Car service in the United States.




The California Zephyr.
Part Five.
Available on YouTube at





California Zephyr 60th Anniversary Special, 2009.
Rear car is the Budd #377 "Silver Solarium," built 1948-1949.
Photo: 30 October 2009.
Source: 086xRP.
Author: Drew Jacksich from San Jose, CA, The Republic of California.
(Wikimedia Commons)





The California Zephyr.
Part Six.
Available on YouTube at





Historic California Zephyr dome coach car "Silver Lariat" en route to Oakland, being pulled by
the Coast Starlight. The Budd Company built #4718 "Silver Lariat" in 1948-1949 for the CB and Q
as part of the original California Zephyr.
Date: 12 May 2009 (original upload date).
Source: Transferred from en.wikipedia;
Transferred to Commons by User:Liftarn using CommonsHelper.
Author: Original uploader was Jcesare at en.wikipedia.
(Wikimedia Commons)

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Saint Bede The Venerable. Confessor And Doctor. Feast Day 27 May.


Text is from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal,
unless otherwise stated.

 Saint Bede The Venerable.
Confessor and Doctor.
Feast Day 27 May.

 Double.

 White Vestments.




The Venerable Bede, translating The Gospel of John, on his deathbed.
Artist: James Doyle Penrose.
Date: 1902.
(Wikimedia Commons)



Born at Yarrow, in Northumberland, England, Bede was committed, as a child, to Saint Benedict Bishop, Abbot of The Benedictine Monastery at Wearmouth.

The Holy Ghost filled him with Wisdom and Intelligence (Introit), wherefore his writings, penetrated by Holy Doctrine (Epistle), were read aloud in the Churches, even in his lifetime. As it was not permissible to call him "Saint", he was called "The Venerable," a Title he kept after his death.

He was one of the most learned Churchmen in the 8th-Century and his name is found among those of The Doctors of The Church.

Not satisfied with teaching men the Law and the Prophets, he also practised the most beautiful Virtues (Gospel). On the Eve of The Ascension, he received The Last Sacraments, embraced his brethren, lay down on the ground upon his hair cloth, said twice: Glory be to The Father, and to The Son, and to The Holy Ghost, and fell asleep in The Lord on 27 May 735 A.D.

Let us honour Saint Bede, the Holy Doctor, that we may always be enlightened by his Wisdom and helped by his Merits (Collect).

Mass: In médio.
Commemoration of Saint John I. Collects from Mass: Sacerdótes Dei.



Tomb of The Venerable Bede in Durham Cathedral,
Durham, England.
Photo: 4 May 2008.
Author: robert scarth
(Wikimedia Commons)


The following Text is from Wikipedia - the free encyclopaedia.

Bede (Old English: Bǣda or Bēda; 672 A.D. – 26 May 735 A.D.), also referred to as Saint Bede or The Venerable Bede (Latin: Bēda Venerābilis), was an English Monk at the Monastery of Saint Peter at Monkwearmouth and its companion Monastery, Saint Paul's, in modern-day Jarrow (see Monkwearmouth-Jarrow), Northeast England, both of which were located in the Kingdom of Northumbria. He is well known as an author and scholar, and his most famous work, Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum (The Ecclesiastical History of The English People) gained him the Title of "The Father of English History".

In 1899, Bede was made a Doctor of The Church by Pope Leo XIII; he is the only native of Great Britain to achieve this designation (Anselm of Canterbury, also a Doctor of The Church, was originally from Italy). Bede was, moreover, a skilled linguist and translator, and his work made the Latin and Greek writings of the early Church Fathers much more accessible to his fellow Anglo-Saxons, contributing significantly to English Christianity. Bede's Monastery had access to an impressive Library, which included works by Eusebius and Orosius, among many others.

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Tuesday 26 May 2015

Pope Saint Eleutherius (170 A.D.-185 A.D). Martyr. Feast Day 26 May.


Text from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal,
unless otherwise stated.

 Saint Eleutherius.
Pope and Martyr.
Feast Day 26 May.

 Simple.

 Red Vestments.



English: Basilica of Saint Denis, France. Tympanum of the Portal of the North Transept showing the beheading of Saint Denis and of his Companions, Rustique and Eleutherius.
Français: Basilique Saint-Denis (France), tympan du portail du transept nord : la décollation de saint Denis et de ses compagnons Rustique etÉleuthère.
Photo: 1 March 2012.
Source: Own work.
Author: Myrabella.
(Wikimedia Commons)


Saint Eleutherius governed The Church during the period that followed The Persecution of The Emperor Commodus. Faith, at the time, made great progress in the whole World.

After a Pontificate lasting fifteen years, he died in 185 A.D., and was buried on The Vatican Hill near the body of Saint Peter.

Mass: In Paschaltide: Protexísti. Out of Paschaltide: Státuit.
Collects: As mentioned in The Mass of Saint Philip Neri.



English: Stained-Glass Window in the Church of Saint Germain-l'Auxerrois, Paris, France, commemorating Saint Dionysius (top), Saint Rusticus (bottom Left)
and Saint Eleutherius (bottom Right).
Deutsch: Detail eines Bleiglasfensters in der Kirche Saint-Germain-l'Auxerrois in Paris.
Inschrift: "Scs Dionysius", "Scs Rusticus" und "Scs Eleutherius"
Photo: 25 August 2010.
Source: Own work.
Author: GFreihalter.
(Wikimedia Commons)



English: The Church of Saint Eleutherius, Lesdain, Belgium.
Deutsch: Lesdain, Ortsteil der Gemeinde Brunehaut (Belgien, Prov. Hennegau),
Dorfmitte mit St. Eleutheriuskirche (église saint-éleuthère).
Photo: 3 January 2009.
Source: Own work.
(Wikimedia Commons)



English: The 11th-Century Church of Saint Eleutherius,
Esquelmes, Belgium.
Français: Eglise d'Esquelmes.
Photo: 21 July 2009.
Source: Own work.
Author: Laurent Lienart.
(Wikimedia Commons)



English: 
Saint Dionysius’ Church,
Esslingen am Neckar, 
Baden-Württemberg, Germany.
Detail from Stained-Glass Window at the South-East side of the Choir. Circa 1300.
The four Saints depicted in the bottom row are (Left to Right):
Saint Rusticus; Saint Dionysius; Saint Eleutherius and Saint Vitalis.
Deutsch: Esslingen – Sankt Dionys – Südost-Fenster im Chorraum (ca. 1300). In der unteren Reihe sind (von links nach rechts) die Heiligen Rusticus, Dionysius, Eleutherius und Vitalis zu sehen, in der oberen Reihe (von links nach rechts) die Heilige Agnes, die Madonna mit dem Kind sowie die Heiligen Katharina und Margareta. Die Bilder des Heiligen Dionysius und Eleutherius sind nicht original erhalten, sie wurden nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg ergänzt.
Photo: 23 August 2009.
Source: Own work.
Author: Ecelan.
(Wikimedia Commons)

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Saint Philip Neri. Confessor. Feast Day 26 May.


Text from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal,
unless otherwise stated.

 Saint Philip Neri.
Confessor.
Feast Day 26 May.

 Double.

 White Vestments.




Painting of Saint Philip Neri.
Artist: Unknown.
This File: 6 March 2006.
User: Mathiasrex.
(Wikimedia Commons)



Saint Philip, born at Florence in the 16th-Century, left everything to serve The Divine Master (Gospel), and Founded The Congregation of The Oratory.

The Holy Ghost had inflamed him with such love for God (Introit, Alleluia, Secret), that the palpitations of his heart bent two of his ribs (Communion).

He would spend whole nights in the contemplation of Heavenly things and The Spirit of Truth "taught him true Wisdom" (Epistle). His conversations with  Jesus filled him with such intense joy that he exclaimed: "Enough, Love, enough ! "

He loved young men: "Amuse yourselves," he said to them, "but do not offend God."

He died in 1595 on The Feast of Corpus Christi.

Like Saint Philip, with our hearts full of a holy and loving joy, let us run in the way of the commandments of God (Collect).

Mass: Cáritas Dei diffúsa est.
Commemoration of Saint Eleutherius: Infirmitátem.

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Pope Saint Gregory VII (1073-1085). Confessor. Feast Day 25 May.


Text from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal,
unless otherwise stated.

 Saint Gregory VII.
Pope and Confessor.
Feast Day 25 May.

 Double.

 White Vestments.


Pope Saint Gregory VII saying Mass
(inspired by The Holy Ghost).
Date: 1878.
Source: Scanned by Uploader from page 292 of
Little Pictorial Lives of the Saints, Benzinger Brothers.
Author: Unknown.
(Wikimedia Commons)


Born at Soana, Tuscany, Italy, Hildebrand became a Monk in the famous Benedictine Monastery of Cluny, on which, at the time, depended two thousand Monasteries. He soon became Prior, and was later Elected Abbot of the Monastery of Saint Paul-Without-the-Walls, Rome, and made a Cardinal of The Roman Church.

At the death of Pope Alexander II, in 1073, he was Elected Pope and took the name of Gregory VII. Thus entrusted with the government of The House of God (Gospel, Communion), he participated in the full Priesthood of Jesus (Introit, Epistle).

At a time when the Bishops, mostly Simoniacal, were the dependents of Lay Princes, he strove with such constancy to defend the liberty of The Church (Collect) that, as we are assured, no Pontiff, since the time of The Apostles, undertook more labours for her (The Church) or fought more courageously for her independence.

While he was saying Mass, a Dove was seen to come down on him: The Holy Ghost thereby bore witness of the Supernatural views that guided him in the government of The Church. Forced to leave Rome, he died at Salerno in 1085, saying those words, the first of which are from Psalm xliv: "I have loved justice and hated iniquity: That is why I die in exile."

Following the example of Saint Gregory, let us overcome with courage all adversities (Collect).

Mass: Státuit.
Commemoration of Saint Urban I.

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Pope Saint Urban I. Martyr. Feast Day 25 May.


Text is taken from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal,
unless otherwise stated.

 Saint Urban I.
Pope and Martyr.
Feast Day 25 May.

 Simple.

 Red Vestments.


English: Pope Saint Urban I
(Papacy 222 A.D. - 230 A.D.),
wearing The Papal Tiara.
Polski: Pomnik świętego Urbana w Cieszowej.
Photo: 12 July 2006.
Source: Own work.
Author: User:Pleple2000.
(Wikimedia Commons)



Date: 12 December 2007.
Sources: 
Bruno Bernhard Heim, Heraldry in the Catholic Church: Its Origin, Customs and Laws (Van Duren 1978 ISBN 9780391008731), p. 54; 
Author: F l a n k e r.
(Wikimedia Commons)


This Holy Pope, whose Feast Day was yesterday, 25 May, is believed to have been the same Urban who Baptised Valerian (husband of Saint Cecilia), Tiburtius (brother of Valerian), and Maximus (their gaoler (jailer)), whom we honoured on 14 April.

Pope Saint Urban I was Martyred in 230 A.D.

Mass: Protexísti.



A 12th-Century fresco of Pope Saint Urban I
in a window embrasure in the
Church of Chalivoy-Milon, France (see, below).
Image: Julianna Lees.
(Google Images)



English: The Church in 
Chalivoy-Milon, France,
which contains a fresco of Pope Saint Urban I (see, above).
Français: Église de Chalivoy-Milon, France.
Photo: 25 August 2011.
Source: Own work.
Author: ManiacParisien.
(Wikimedia Commons)


The following Text is from Wikipedia - the free encyclopaedia.

Pope Urban I (Latin: Urbanus I) was Bishop of Rome or Pope from 222 A.D. to 23 May 230 A.D. He was born in Rome and succeeded Pope Callixtus I, who had been Martyred.

Much of Urban's life is shrouded in mystery, leading to many myths and misconceptions. Despite the lack of sources, he is the first Pope whose Reign can be definitely dated. Two prominent sources do exist for Urban's Pontificate: Eusebius' History of The Early Church and also an inscription, in the Coemeterium Callisti, which names the Pope.

Urban ascended to The Chair of Saint Peter in the year of The Roman Emperor Elagabalus' assassination and served during the Reign of Alexander Severus. It is believed that Urban's Pontificate was during a peaceful time for Christians in The Empire, as Severus did not promote the persecution of Christianity.

Urban is a Canonized Saint of The Roman Catholic Church and The Eastern Orthodox Church.

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Solemn High Mass. Saint Mary Moorfields Church, Moorgate, London EC2M 7LS. Friday, 29 May 2015. 1930 hrs.



Illustration: LMS CHAIRMAN

All are most welcome to attend this Mass.


The following Text is from LMS CHAIRMAN

Juventutem London Mass, Friday 29th May

As usual, the Mass takes place on the last Friday of the month at 7:30 p.m., in St Mary Moorfields Church, Eldon Street, London EC2M 7LS. It will be Solemn High Mass for the Ember Friday which follows Pentecost.

See Juventutem London's Facebook page.

[Editor: Nearest Tube Stations are Moorgate and Liverpool Street.]


The following is taken from the Web-Site of ST MARY MOORFIELDS

St Mary Moorfields
Roman Catholic Church,
City of London.


Canon  Peter Newby,
Parish Priest of
Saint Mary Moorfields,
4-5 Eldon Street,
London EC2M 7LS.
Telephone: 020 7247 8390.



Saint Mary Moorfields Church,
Eldon Street,
London EC2M 7LS.

The roots of the Parish of Saint Mary Moorfields go back to
several Chapels that sprang up in the area in the 17th- and 18th-Centuries.
Catholic worship in those days was illegal. 
The Chapels were known locally as ‘Penny Hotels’, as people had to pay a Penny, to a man behind a grill in the door, before they were allowed in.

These were hard times for Catholics. In 1736, for example, The Gordon Rioters attacked the Chapel in Ropemakers Alley, ripping out its Altar, fittings and Crucifixes. Following The Catholic Relief Act of 1791, Catholics were permitted to worship in public.

And, in 1820, the first Church of Saint Mary Moorfields opened in Finsbury Circus,
nearby to its present location. As the permanent Seat of The Vicar Apostolic,
it served as Cardinal Wiseman's Pro-Cathedral from 1850 to 1869.

The original Church was pulled down in 1899 and replaced by the present Church in Eldon Street, which was opened on 25 March 1903. The architect was George Sherrin, who also designed the Dome of The London Oratory, as well as several Underground Stations.


Saint Mary Moorfields, in Eldon Street, between Moorgate Tube Station and Liverpool Street Station, is the only Catholic Church in The City. Anyone is welcome, either to come in to Pray or to just find a peaceful place, away from the business and stresses of life.

The Church opens each day at 6.45 a.m., and closes at 6.45 p.m. The Parish Priest is Canon Peter Newby, a former Catholic Chaplain to The University of Oxford. Before becoming a Priest, he trained as an architect and also worked as an antiquarian bookseller.

[Editor: Nearest Tube Stations are Moorgate and Liverpool Street.]

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Monday 25 May 2015

Memorial Day.



"WELL DONE".
Memorial Day Poster, 1936.
Image: CLKER.COM

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Sunday 24 May 2015

Whit Sunday. Pentecost. The Holy Ghost. The Source Of All Graces. La Source Des Grâces.



English: Pentecost.
Français: Pentecôte.
Artist: Jean II Restout (1692–1768).
Date: 1732.
Author: Jean II Restout (1692–1768).
(Wikimedia Commons)

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Pentecost. Whit Sunday.


Text from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal,
unless otherwise stated.

Pentecost.
Station at Saint Peter's Basilica.
Indulgence of 30 Years and 30 Quarantines.

Double of The First-Class
   with Privileged Octave.

Red Vestments.

THEY WERE ALL FILLED WITH THE HOLY GHOST.


Illustration taken from Saint Andrew's Daily Missal, 1952 Edition,
with the kind permission of Saint Bonaventure Press.





Veni Sancte Spiritus.
The Sequence for Pentecost.
Available on YouTube at




Interior of Saint Peter's, Rome.
[Editor: The Station for Pentecost is Saint Peter's.]
Artist: Giovanni Paolo Panini (1692–1765).
Date: 1731.
Current location: Saint Louis Art Museum, Missouri, United States of America.
Source/Photographer: Saint Louis Art Museum Official Site.
(Wikimedia Commons)



"The Gift of Wisdom is an illumination of the Holy Ghost, thanks to which our intellect is able to look at Revealed Truths in their more sublime light, to the greater joy of our Souls." [Reverend M. Meschler, S.J.: "The Gift of Pentecost: Meditations on the Holy Ghost," translated by Lady Amabel Kerr.]

Our Lord laid the foundations of His Church during His Public Life, and after His Resurrection He gave it the powers necessary for its mission. It was by the Holy Ghost that the Apostles were to be trained and endued with strength from on High (Gospel).

"At Pentecost, we celebrate the first manifestation of the Holy Ghost among Our Lord's Disciples and the foundation of the Church, itself." Hence, the choice of the Basilica, dedicated to Saint Peter, for today's Station.



We read, in the Gospel, that Our Lord foretold the coming of the Paraclete to His Disciples, and the Epistle shows us the realisation of that promise.

It was at the third hour of the day (Terce, nine o'clock A.M.) that the Spirit of God descended upon the Cenacle, and a mighty wind which blew suddenly upon the house, together with the appearance of tongues of fire within, were the wonderful tokens of His coming.

Taught by the "light of Thy Holy Spirit" (Collect), and filled by the gifts of the same Spirit poured out upon them (Sequence), the Apostles become new men, to go forth and renew the whole world (Introit).






Gregorian Chant
from Fontgombault Abbey, France,
for The Divine Office at Pentecost.
Available on YouTube at


It is at High Mass, at the third hour, that we also receive the Holy Spirit, whom Our Lord "going up above all the heavens, on this day sent down . . . on the children of adoption" (Preface); for each of the Mysteries of the Liturgical Cycle brings forth its Fruits of Grace in our Souls on the day which the Church keeps as its anniversary.

During Advent, we raised to the Incarnate Word the cry: "Come, Lord, and purge the sins of Thy people"; at this Season, let us, with the Church, say to the Holy Ghost: "Come, O Holy Spirit, and fill the hearts of Thy Faithful, and kindle in them the fire of Thy love" (Alleluia).

Of all ejaculatory Prayers, this is the most beautiful and necessary, for, from the Holy Ghost, that "sweet Guest of our Soul", flows all our supernatural life.

Every Parish Priest celebrates Mass for the people of his Parish.



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Saturday 23 May 2015

O Sacrum Convivium. O Sacred Banquet ! Thomas Tallis (1505 - 1585).


Text and Illustration from Wikipedia - the free encyclopaedia,
unless otherwise stated.



Monstrance.
Photo: 2004-10-18 (original upload date).
Source: Own work (zelf gemaakt).
Originally from nl.wikipedia; description page is/was here.
Author: Original uploader was Broederhugo at nl.wikipedia.
(Wikimedia Commons)


O Sacrum Convivium is a Latin prose Text honouring The Blessed Sacrament. It was written by Saint Thomas Aquinas. It was included in The Latin Catholic Liturgy as an Antiphon on The Feast of Corpus Christi.

Its sentiments express the profound Mystery of The Eucharistic Miracle: "O Sacred Banquet, at which Christ is consumed, the memory of His Passion is recalled, our Souls are filled with Grace, and the pledge of future glory is given to us."



"O Sacrum Convivium",
by Thomas Tallis (1505 -1585).
Available on YouTube at
https://youtu.be/u0D6bzRo1ns


Original Latin (punctuation from The Liber Usualis).

O Sacrum Convivium !
in quo Christus sumitur:
recolitur memoria passionis eius:
mens impletur gratia:
et futurae gloriae nobis pignus datur.

Alleluia.


Translation of original Latin.

O Sacred Banquet !
In which Christ is received,
The memory of His Passion is renewed,
The mind is filled with Grace,
And a pledge of future glory to us is given.

Alleluia.

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Vigil Of Pentecost.


Text from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal,
unless otherwise stated.

 Vigil of Pentecost.
Station at Saint John Lateran.
Indulgence of 10 Years and 10 Quarantines.

Privileged Vigil of the First-Class.

Violet and Red Vestments.


THEY WERE ALL FILLED WITH THE HOLY GHOST.

Illustration taken from Saint Andrew's Daily Missal, 1952 Edition,
with the kind permission of Saint Bonaventure Press


The First Mass for Pentecost, formerly Celebrated during the night, has, like that of Easter, ever since been an Anticipated Mass.

This Great and Solemn Festival, therefore, begins with The Vigil. In early days, the Catechumens, whom it had not been possible to Baptise at Easter, received this Sacrament at Pentecost, which explains the similarities between The Mass for The Vigil of Pentecost and The Mass for Holy Saturday.

The Mass is preceded by the Reading of Six Prophecies and The Blessing of The Water in The Baptismal Font.

It is also celebrated at the Basilica of Saint John Lateran.




THE PROPHECIES.

The Celebrant and Assistant Ministers are robed in Violet Vestments, and the Candles on the Altar are not lighted until the beginning of Mass, as on Holy Saturday.

At the end of the Prophecies, the Collect is read, but Flectamus genua is omitted.




THE BLESSING OF THE FONT.

At the end of the Prophecies, the Celebrant puts on a Violet Cope, and, while the Procession moves towards the Font, the Tract, "Sicut cervus", is sung.

Mindful of the fact that, in The Beginning, The Spirit of God moved over the Waters and made them fruitful, The Liturgy asks God to Bless the Water in the Baptismal Font, out of which will arise a purely Heavenly Race.

The officiating Priest then plunges the Paschal Candle into the Water three times, for it is by Christ, Whom the Candle typifies, that the Power of The Holy Ghost, by which our Souls are enlightened, is infused into them.



THE LITANY OF THE SAINTS.

The Liturgy, as affecting The Litany of The Saints, is the same as on Holy Saturday. Where there is no Font, the Litany begins after the Prophecies and Collects. At "Peccatores, Te rogamus audi nos", the Priest and his Assistants go to the Sacristy and put on Red Vestments, and the Candles are lit on the Altar.

At the end of the Litany, the Kyrie Eleison is Solemnly Sung, without Introit, like on Holy Saturday. At the Gloria, the Bells are also rung and the Organ begins being played.




MASS FOR THE VIGIL OF PENTECOST.

After having been Baptised "in Water and in The Holy Ghost", the Neophytes were Confirmed. All through The Mass, there are references to these two Sacraments, showing how The Holy Ghost enters into our Souls the effect He produces in them.

The Creed is not said.


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Friday 22 May 2015

"Sweet Sacrament Divine" And "O Sacred Heart". Composed By Fr. Francis Stanfield (1835-1914).



Illustration: S&W ANTIQUITÉS



Sweet Sacrament Divine.
Available on YouTube at


Why not ask your Parish Priest
for these beautiful Hymns
to be sung during Communion
at your Masses ?


Sweet Sacrament divine,
hid in Thine Earthly home;
lo! round Thy lowly shrine,
with suppliant hearts we come;
Jesus, to Thee our voice we raise
In songs of love and heartfelt praise
Sweet Sacrament divine.

Sweet Sacrament of peace,
dear home of every heart,
where restless yearnings cease,
and sorrows all depart.
there in Thine ear, all trustfully,
we tell our tale of misery,
Sweet Sacrament of peace.

Sweet Sacrament of rest,
Ark from the ocean's roar,
within Thy shelter blest
soon may we reach the shore;
save us, for still the tempest raves,
save, lest we sink beneath the waves:
Sweet Sacrament of rest.

Sweet Sacrament divine,
Earth's light and jubilee,
in Thy far depths doth shine
Thy Godhead's majesty;
Sweet light, so shine on us, we pray
that Earthly joys may fade away:
Sweet Sacrament divine.



"O Sacred Heart".
Composed by Fr. Francis Stanfield (1835-1914).
Available on YouTube at
https://youtu.be/G2Ejipe3rVE.


The Catholic Church of Corpus Christi, Maiden Lane, London.






The High Altar,
Corpus Christi Church,
Maiden Lane,
London.


The Parish of Maiden Lane is situated in the Westminster Deanery, London. It was founded in 1873 and Consecrated on 18 October 1956. Often referred to as the “hidden gem” of The West End, the, then, Archbishop Cardinal Henry Manning said, during his Homily at The Opening Mass, that “a Sanctuary has been opened to be specifically Devoted to The Adoration of The Blessed Sacrament”.

This was the first Church Dedicated to The Blessed Sacrament after The Reformation. The famous Catholic Hymns "Sweet Sacrament Divine" and "O Sacred Heart" were written by The Parish Priest, Fr. Francis Stanfield (1835-1914). The Church is also known as “the Actors’ Church” and is the home of The Catholic Association of the Performing Arts (formerly, the Catholic Stage Guild).

A very famous Priest visitor to the Parish, over many years, was Monsignor Ronald Knox. He first preached his Forty Hours Sermon in 1926, at the invitation of Father Kearney. This became a regular feature in Mgr Knox’s diary from 1926 until 1956. These Sermons were published by Burns and Oates in 1956, under the Title “The Window in the Wall”, and the charming and touching Dedication of this book is: “To the Memory of Father Kearney and to his successors.”

For decades, The Latin Mass Society has also Celebrated Mass here. A young adults’ Prayer Group meets here, weekly, and this is a vibrant place of worship and an oasis of Prayer and calm – open all day long for visitors, tourists, those who work and live nearby, and shoppers, to pause and pray.

Unless otherwise stated, Illustrations and Text relating to Corpus Christi, Maiden Lane, London, are from the CHURCH'S WEB-SITE

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