Monday 14 September 2015

Come and Visit the Relics of St. Simon Stock on his 750th anniversary!




2015 is the 750th anniversary of the death of St Simon Stock, why not come and learn more about this world famous saint - his relics are currently located in the Relic Chapel at Aylesford. 


Tradition states that on July 16, 1251, he had his famous vision of Our Lady  bringing the brown scapular to him with the following words, which are preserved in a 14th-century narrative: “This will be for you and for all Carmelites the privilege, that he who dies in this will not suffer eternal fire.” Thus, popular devotion to Saint Simon Stock is usually associated with devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel and the Brown Scapular (worn by millions of Catholics the world over.

The visions and messages at Fatima also encouraged the wearing of the Brown Scapular. In the final Fátima appearance on October 13, 1917 the Virgin Mary had a brown scapular in one hand and a rosary in the other.

Young Catholic Adults  (YCA) will be using the Relic Chapel, as well as St. Joseph’s Chapel – during its 31st Oct- 1st Nov weekend. To book please goto:- https://v1.bookwhen.com/yca-aylesford-2015 . Prices range from £5-£95.

Saturday 5 September 2015

“The Rosary is the ‘weapon’ for these times.” -Saint Padre Pio. The Power of the Rosary - Ten Quotes



It is said the Pope Francis is an ardent proponent of the Rosary and its devotions - he's not the only one! See a selection of quotes from the saints (and holy men and women) below:-             
1. “The Rosary is the ‘weapon’ for these times.” -Saint Padre Pio
2. “Give me an army saying the Rosary and I will conquer the world.” – Blessed Pope Pius IX
3. “The greatest method of praying is to pray the Rosary.” – Saint Francis de Sales
4. “Some people are so foolish that they think they can go through life without the help of the Blessed Mother. Love the Madonna and pray the rosary, for her Rosary is the weapon against the evils of the world today. All graces given by God pass through the Blessed Mother.” -St. Padre Pio
5. “Go to the Madonna. Love her! Always say the Rosary. Say it well. Say it as often as you can! Be souls of prayer. Never tire of praying, it is what is essential. Prayer shakes the Heart of God, it obtains necessary graces!” -St. Padre Pio
6. “The holy Rosary is a powerful weapon. Use it with confidence and you’ll be amazed at the results.” -St. Josemaria Escriva
7. “The Rosary is a powerful weapon to put the demons to flight and to keep oneself from sin…If you desire peace in your hearts, in your homes, and in your country, assemble each evening to recite the Rosary. Let not even one day pass without saying it, no matter how burdened you may be with many cares and labors.” – Pope Pius XI
8. “The rosary is the book of the blind, where souls see and there enact the greatest drama of love the world has ever known; it is the book of the simple, which initiates them into mysteries and knowledge more satisfying than the education of other men; it is the book of the aged, whose eyes close upon the shadow of this world, and open on the substance of the next. The power of the rosary is beyond description.” – Archbishop Fulton Sheen
9. ““The Rosary is the most excellent form of prayer and the most efficacious means of attaining eternal life. It is the remedy for all our evils, the root of all our blessings. There is no more excellent way of praying.” Pope Leo XIII.
10. “The Most Holy Virgin in these last times in which we live has given a new efficacy to the recitation of the Rosary to such an extent that there is no problem, no matter how difficult it is, whether temporal or above all spiritual, in the personal life of each one of us, of our families…that cannot be solved by the Rosary. There is no problem, I tell you, no matter how difficult it is, that we cannot resolve by the prayer of the Holy Rosary.” -Sister Lucia dos Santos of Fatima

Monday 17 August 2015

Author - Donal Anthony Foley, Fr. Gregory Pearson OP, The Schola Gregoriana of Cambridge. Participants at YCA National Weekend at Aylesford 31st October 2015 - 1st November 2015


Fr. Gregory Pearson OP


Fr. Gregory  Pearson works as an assistant priest at St Dominic’s, London.  For examples of his teaching go to http://english.op.org/profiles/gregory-pearson.htm.



The Schola Gregoriana of Cambridge


As in previous years, the Schola will provide a programme of talks and tuition to enable participants to sing at the solemn Masses.

The Schola was founded in 1975 by Dr Mary Berry, a Cambridge musician and musicologist, in order to ensure that the chant should continue to be taught, and that all those who wished to sing and study this profoundly spiritual and ancient music should be able to do so. It became a registered charity in 1984. The Schola aims to promote the teaching and singing of Gregorian chant and, whenever possible, to foster its study and research. 

Since the Schola's foundation, hundreds of people from all over the world and from all backgrounds have come to the Schola's singing days, workshops and seminars, to sing and study the chant. 

For more info please see http://www.scholagregoriana.org/.


Author - Donal Anthony Foley


Donal Anthony Foley has degrees in Humanities (BA) and Theology (BD), and his book on the subject of apparitions - Marian Apparitions, the Bible, and the Modern World - was published by Gracewing in 2002, and he has written articles for a number of Catholic magazines and newspapers.

To book on to the weekend please go to the automated booking system at:-

 


*Please note Aylesford Priory have a booking deadline of 18th September, otherwise they reserve the right to release rooms for sale to other guests as required. Also they do not allow last minute refunds so any non-arrivals and/or cancellations made up to 3 days before the event will be non-refundable.


Wednesday 22 July 2015

Children's Choir from Versailles, France, led by FSSP Clerics to perform in 8 Major Cathedrals and Churches across England: 19th-27th August 2015

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"Tomorrow all the children of the world will sing God’s peace"
August 2015 - England Concert Tour
The Little Singers of Saint-Charles
Versailles, France
will sing sacred music including works by
Palestrina, Victoria, Bach, Handel and Rossini.
Who they are
The children’s choir Les Petits Chanteurs de Saint-Charles was founded in 1983 by Father Roger Morandi. Their mission is to sing the Lord and his wonders and to radiate faith and Christian joy. Our young singers receive both a musical and a spiritual education for without a living faith, sacred music is reduced to a purely artistic gesture and loses its meaning.

This choir is part of the International Pueri Cantores Federation, a grouping of children’s choirs whose purpose is to praise the Lord through sacred music. Together with other young singers of the world, Les Petits Chanteurs de Saint-Charles sing the peace of God so that, on Earth, all men of good will live in peace.

What they sing
Les petits chanteurs de Saint-Charles perform Renaissance motets (Palestrina, Viadana) and Sacred Masterpieces from the world's great composers such as Vivaldi (Gloria),  Bach (Magnificat, St. John Passion, Cantatas), Handel (Messiah), F.J.Haydn (St. Nicolas Mass, Missa in tempore belli), Mozart (Requiem, Kronungsmesse,Vesperae solennes de confessore) and Rossini (Solemn Little Mass). They also sing French repertoire from Charpentier (Midnight Mass For Christmas), Gounod (St. Cecilia Mass), Fauré (Requiem) or Duruflé (Requiem).

Les petits chanteurs de Saint-Charles have recorded a dozen music CDs.  You can listen to audios extracts on this page : https://soundcloud.com/petitschanteurs-stcharles.

The choir is conducted by Hélène Nougayrède. She graduated in Harmony and Theory at the National Conservatory (CNSM) of Paris and received both piano and flute diplomas at the National Conservatory for the Versailles Region.

What they do

These singers have rehearsals every week. Once a month they sing Sunday service in Versailles. They give several concerts a year, mostly in December with traditional a capella Christmas songs and in June at the end of the school year. Late August during summer vacation about 50 young singers spend a fortnight together in France or abroad for a concert tour. This gives the children an opportunity to learn community life and to discover many foreign countries : Italy, Austria, Germany or Poland in the past years, and England in 2015!

Concert Programme

O Jesu Christe - Van Berchem (1505-1567)
Sicut Cervus - Palestrina (1525-1594)
Alma Redemptoris - Palestrina (1525-1594)
O Vos Omnes - Victoria (1548-1611)
Exultate Justi, Ps. 32 - Viadana (1560-1627)
Cantata BWV 105 - Bach (1685-1750)
For unto us (from Messiah) - Haendel (1685-1759)
Alleluia (from Messiah) - Haendel (1685-1759)
Solemn Little Mass, excerpts - Rossini (1792-1868)
Veni Domine - Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
Panis Angelicus - Franck (1822-1890)
Benedictus - Saint-Saëns (1835 - 1921)
Tour Dates
Wednesday 19th August
1.00 pm
Our Lady of Consolation Church
West Grinstead, Horsham, West Sussex
~~~
Thursday 20th August
1.00 pm
Portsmouth Cathedral
High Street, Portsmouth
~~~
Friday 21st August
1.10 pm
St George’s Chapel
Windsor Castle
~~~
Saturday 22nd August
12.00 noon
Arundel Cathedral
London Road, Arundel
~~~
Monday 24th August
1.30 pm
St George's Cathedral Southwark
Westminster Bridge Road, London
~~~
Tuesday 25th August
1.00 pm
Christ Church Cathedral
Saint Aldate's, Oxford
~~~
Wednesday 26th August
7.00 pm
Oxford Oratory
Woodstock Road, Oxford
~~~
Thursday 27th August
7.00 pm
Our Lady & St John Church
Ferry Lane, Goring, Oxfordshire

~~~
Admission is free

~~~

More Information:

Sunday 5 July 2015

Book Now for Young Catholic Adult Event in Aylesford 2015

                   
http://www.youngcatholicadults.co.uk/


During the weekend of 31st October- 1st November, YCA will be running a weekend with the assistance of the Schola Gregoriana of Cambridge there will be:-


·         Sung/High Masses and Marian Procession

·         Gregorian Chant Workshops

·         Rosaries, Confessions, Talks and Socials


This is a great opportunity to deepen your faith, grow in holiness and meet fellow young Catholics.

How to Book for the Weekend

Prices start from £5-95 for the weekend (Sat-Sun:- full board). For more details please see http://youngcatholicadults.co.uk/events.htm. Please note Aylesford Priory have a booking deadline of 18th September, otherwise they reserve the right to release rooms for sale to other guests as required. Also they do not allow last minute refunds so  any non-arrivals and/or cancellations made up to 3 days before the event will be non-refundable.

 To book please go to:-


For general enquiries please ring Damian on 07908105787. For more details, please see http://www.youngcatholicadults.co.uk/events.htm or email margret.barker@rocketmail.com, or ring 07515 805015.

Monday 18 May 2015

YCA National Weekend at Aylesford - 31st Oct 1st Nov 2015. Bookings Now Being Taken


2015 Theme: “One day, through the Rosary and the Scapular, Our Lady will save the world.”
Attributed to Saint Dominic.

YCA National Weekend at Aylesford -in Association with the Scola Gregoriana of Cambridge

Set in the heart of Kent, England, The Friars - Aylesford Priory - is an ancient religious house of the Order of Carmelites dating back to the 13th Century. Over the centuries and now today The Friars has become the destination for thousands of visitors. Fr. Gregory Pearson and noted author Donel Foley will be giving talks.

At the 2015 Young Catholic Adult Weekend Pilgrimage, there will be:

  • Sung/High Masses, 
  • Gregorian Chant Workshops, 
  • Talks, 
  • Rosaries, 
  • Confessions, 
  • Marian Procession, 
  • Socials.

To book on to the weekend please go to the automated booking system at:- 

 
For more details please see:- http://www.youngcatholicadults.co.uk/events.htm .
*Please note Aylesford Priory have a booking deadline of 18th September, otherwise they reserve the right to release rooms for sale to other guests as required. Also they do not allow last minute refunds so  any non-arrivals and/or cancellations made up to 3 days before the event will be non-refundable.



Sunday 26 April 2015

Prinknash Sunday Latin Mass Cancelled - Indefinitely



Some very sad news from Gloucestershire, the longest running Sunday EF Mass in Gloucestershire has been stopped, an announcement was made, after the Saturday Low Mass on 18th April.

No official reason has been given.The weekly Saturday Low Mass continues, for the moment; however, it should be noted that it no longer appears on the offical weekly notices (although it remains on the main Prinknash website).

Sunday 5 April 2015

HAPPY EASTER!

'Noli me tangere'
Appearance of Jesus Christ to Mary Magdalene
by Alexander Andreyevich Ivanov
 
Christus resurrexit! Resurrexit sicut dixit, alleluia!
 A very happy Easter! May God bless you abundantly today and always!

Thursday 2 April 2015

Maundy Thursday: please now sign the petition 'Support our Priests'

Image result for support our priests 
This is the petition which is separate to the letter to the press which many have signed in support of our courageous and faithful priests: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/support-our-priests. Please do sign it if you haven't already.

[In case you didn't know, these priests signed a letter asking the Synod members to uphold Church teaching on marriage. And this was printed in the Catholic Herald: http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2015/03/24/nearly-500-priests-in-england-and-wales-urge-synod-to-stand-firm-on-communion-for-the-remarried.]

And, if you still haven't signed the letter to the press, you may do so here: http://marklambert.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/in-support-of-our-priests-our-families.html.

Please do sign and then encourage others who'd be interested in signing too.

What a wonderful thing to do on Maundy Thursday, the day that Christ instituted the Priesthood!

Monday 30 March 2015

In support of our faithful priests, our families, and our Church


You may have seen the recent letter from more than 450 faithful priests in support of the Church’s teaching on marriage.
We would like to invite you to sign the letter below, to be sent to the press in support of them, and to encourage others to sign it.
To sign, please leave your name and your diocese, with the coordinators: Mark Lambert (mark@landbtechnical.com) and/or Andrew Plasom-Scott (andrewplasom_scott@me.com).

 
The Letter:

Dear Sir,

We, the undersigned, wish to endorse and support the letter signed by over 450 priests in the recent edition of the Catholic Herald.

As laity, we all know from our own family experiences, or those of our friends and neighbours, the harrowing trauma of divorce and separation, and we sympathise with all those in such situations.

It is precisely for that reason that we believe that the Church must continue to proclaim the truth about marriage, given us by Christ in the Gospels, with clarity and charity in a world that struggles to understand it.

For the sake of those in irregular unions, for the sake of those abandoned and living in accordance with the teachings of the Church, and above all for the sake of the next generation, it is essential that the Church continues to make it quite clear that sacramental marriage is indissoluble until death.

We pray, and expect, that our hierarchy will represent us, and the Church’s unwavering teaching, at the Synod this autumn.

 
Yours faithfully,

Saturday 21 March 2015

'Faithfull Films etc.' Film reviews from a Christian perspective… and the odd other thing.

Faithfull Films etc.’ is live!
So what’s it about?
 
Corinna Turner
 
Corinna Turner, the author of the ‘I Am Margaret’ books, a dystopian series for Young Adults with a strong Christian theme (Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com), has just launched a blog, reviewing films from a Christian perspective.

Corinna has been writing since the age of 14 and likes strong protagonists with plenty of integrity. She has an MA in English from Oxford University. She is a Catholic with roots in the Methodist and Anglican churches, and is editor of her award-winning parish magazine. A keen cinema-goer, she lives in the UK with her Giant African Land Snail, Peter, who has a six inch long shell and an even larger foot!

Corinna has started this blog in order to post film reviews from a Christian perspective. She says she likes to know what she's letting herself in for when she goes to see a film ie whether it will be compatible with her Christian faith. Although the Catholic Bishops of the United States have an excellent website on which they review every major film that is released in the US, we don’t have the equivalent in the UK and so we are thankful to her for starting up this initiative.

So, don’t forget to check Faithfull Films etc. when you’re thinking of going to the cinema…

Her first post is a review of the recent film version of Suite Française, starring Dame Kristin Scott Thomas, which Corinna navigates through quite adeptly.


Suite_Francaise_poster

 

Monday 19 January 2015

I Am Margaret by Corinna Turner

Young Adult Fiction for Catholics
 


 
 
Corinna Turner has been writing since the age of 14 and has an MA in English from Oxford University. She has recently been admitted into the Dominican Order as a Lay Dominican at Oxford Blackfriars. She is the Editor of the award-winning Caritas parish magazine of the Catholic churches of St Gregory the Great and St Thomas More in Cheltenham. 
 
 
To give us a taster of what the novel has in store, I quote the back cover of her first book I Am Margaret: 'In Margo's world, if you don't pass your sorting at 18 you are recycled. Literally. Margaret Verrall dreams of marrying the boy she loves and spending her life with him. But she's part of the underground network of Believers - and that carries the death penalty. And there's just one other problem. She's going to fail her Sorting. But a chance to take on the system ups the stakes beyond mere survival. Now she has to break out of the Facility - or face the worst punishment of all. Conscious Dismantlement.'
 
 

 
 
 
Despite only being published in June, Corinna already has had some great reviews. Eoin Colfer, author of Artemis Fowl, declares the following: "Great style ... like The Hunger Games." And Stewart Ross, author of The Soterion Mission, has this to say: "An intelligent, well-written and enjoyable debut from a young writer with a bright future." And a review from someone not so famous - my husband - which he left on Amazon: "Something about this story manages to be both thought-provoking and utterly gripping. I think it's the strength of the main character which really drives the whole thing forward - I liked her straight away and never stopped caring about what she does, how she thinks and where she ends up. Loved it."

In the summer, Corinna was interviewed by the Catholic Truth Society's Catholic Compass Blog and we share some of the interview here.
 


CTS Compass: How did the idea for writing this come about?

Corinna: It started with a growing dissatisfaction with mainstream fiction. The mainstream fiction I was reading – and writing – seemed to have to obey an unwritten rule, ‘we don’t do God’. Especially ‘we don’t do Christianity’. As someone whose faith is central to their life, this was making mainstream fiction increasingly unsatisfying, to say nothing of it feeling very unrealistic. When the idea for ‘I Am Margaret’ stormed into my head in a dream during a retreat I decided I would go right ahead and write it just as I would write a mainstream novel – but with a Catholic heroine whose faith was integral to the story.

‘I Am Margaret’ has a certain thematic and stylistic similarity to mainstream novels such as ‘The Hunger Games’ and ‘Divergent’, but it takes a very different attitude to morality and faith plays an integral role in the book. The tone and pace of a mainstream Young Adult novel are combined with a totally Catholic attitude to life and to the challenges the characters face.

CTS Compass: What are your hopes for the book?

Corinna: I hope this novel will allow ‘churched’ teenagers who are reading (often spiritually and morally unwholesome) mainstream novels due to the lack of compelling Catholic alternatives to enjoy a gripping, page-turning read that actually reflects their world view rather than that of the secular world, and thus to nourish their faith whilst entertaining them to the same – if not greater! – degree.

CTS Compass: Do you think your title will appeal to wider audiences too?

Corinna: From the feedback I’ve had from non-Christian readers, I think those who find any mention of faith uncomfortable are never going to enjoy it, but I have had very positive feedback from people who are open to faith and to other people’s world views. So there definitely seems to be a wider appeal.

CTS Compass: Tell us a little about how you came to the Catholic Faith and what it has meant for your writing?

Corinna: I was raised in the Methodist church, confirmed as a teenager in the Anglican church and finally received into full communion with the Catholic Church just over four years ago. In the years leading up to my reception (and since then) I had tremendous growth in my spiritual life and began to develop a genuine relationship with God for the first time in my life. This had a direct influence on my reading and writing habits. The lack of faith in mainstream fiction began to really trouble and frustrate me, and I also became much pickier about what I read (or watched) – I’m now much less prepared to put up with gratuitous violence and offensive material. However, Richard Atkins from BBC Radio Gloucestershire remarked in a recent interview that ‘Christian Fiction can be rather twee… but there’s not a twee-ness about ‘I Am Margaret’, is there?’ – and there are certainly a number of scenes in ‘I Am Margaret’ that readers find quite challenging. Because personally, I don’t think people find ‘twee’ satisfying or stimulating – but the scenes are not excessively graphic. A scene can be gritty without being gory!

CTS Compass: In Margaret’s world why is it so important to be Catholic?

Corinna: For the same reason that it is so important to be a Catholic today. Because God loved us so much he died for us – Jesus is the way to God, the truth about everything and the life eternal! In the future world of ‘I Am Margaret’ the ‘Underground’ (the network of religious believers) does essentially have a monopoly on non-violent opposition to the status quo, but I don’t think many people would join them just for this reason because the punishments are too severe. [14th August 2014]



Although I Am Margaret is predominantly written for the young Catholic adult, the book and its subject have far wider appeal. It is suitable for readers from the age of 14 upwards. To find out more about the I Am Margaret series, to read the first chapter or watch the trailer video, go to www.IAmMargaret.co.uk. The first two books are available to purchase as a paperback or as an ebook from Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com, Kobo, Barnes and Noble or any bookseller. The next book in the series to be published is the third book, Liberation, which is due out on the 15th March 2015.

Monday 5 January 2015

40 DAYS FOR LIFE GLOUCESTER


Take a stand for life during Lent
 
From 18th February to 29th March, our community will take part in 40 Days for Life: a groundbreaking, coordinated international mobilization. We pray that, with God’s help, this will mark the beginning of the end of abortion in Gloucestershire and beyond.
 
Vigil Location: 

Outside Hope House
Western Entrance
Royal Gloucester Hospital
Great Western Road
Gloucester

If you are interested in supporting this life-saving campaign, please go to
http://40daysforlife.com/local-campaigns/gloucester/ to sign up for vigil hours between 8am and 8pm, or contact the Campaign Director, James Tranter, directly by email 40daysforlifegloucester@gmail.com or phone 07796 511375.

 

If you can't make the Gloucester vigil, please keep this important cause in your prayers.

Monday 8 December 2014

8th December is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception

Click here to hear a young friar chant
Tota pulchra es Maria
before a statue of Our Lady.
 
La Purísima Inmaculada Concepción
by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (1678)
in the Prado Museum, Madrid, Spain.

Tota pulchra es, Maria.
Tota pulchra es, Maria.
Et macula originalis non est in te.
Et macula originalis non est in te.
Tu gloria Ierusalem.
Tu laetitia Israel.
Tu honorificentia populi nostri.
Tu advocata peccatorum.
O Maria.
O Maria.
Virgo prudentissima.
Mater clementissima.
Ora pro nobis.
Intercede pro nobis ad Dominum Jesum Christum.

Thou art all fair, O Mary.
Thou art all fair, O Mary.
And the original stain is not in thee.
And the original stain is not in thee.
Thou art the glory of Jerusalem.
Thou, the joy of Israel.
Thou art the honour of our people.
Thou art the advocate of sinners.
O Mary.
O Mary.
Virgin most prudent.
Mother most tender.
Pray for us.
Intercede for us with Jesus Christ our Lord.
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