St. Zephyrinus

August 26th. marks the Feast of St. Zephyrinus in the Old Rite. Like many saints, he was dropped from the Novus Ordo Roman Calendar in 1969.

From 'Catholic Online'

St. Zephyrinus, Pope from 199-217. According to the Liber Pontificalis , he was a Roman by birth. His reign, as succcssor to St. Victor I (r. 189-199), was dominated by the troubles caused by several heretical groups and the severe persecution of the Church launched by Emperor Septimius Severus (r. 193-211) around 202. The antipope Hippolytus criticised his vacillation in dealing with the Monarchian heretics. According to tradition, Zephyrinus was martyred.

A happy feast to you all, and an especially happy pseudonymical feast to Zephyrinus of the Blogosphere.

London Churches 3 - Our Lady of the Assumption and St. Gregory, Warwick Street

At the other end of Soho from St. Patrick's lies this little church, which used to be somewhere I would call in to if I was in the Regent Street area of London. Sadly, it has been several years since I last visited this church, largely because of the scandal surrounding its hosting of 'gay Masses'. Recently, following the ending of these Masses, the church has been given over to the care of the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham, who I feel will make great and positive use of it.

Clergy of the Ordinariate of OurLady of Walsingham take posession of Warwick Street church

The church is interesting as it dates from pre-emancipation times, originally only being permitted to exist because it was the chapel of the adjacent Portugese Embassy in the 18th. Century. As a result, it has a very plain and anonymous exterior, resembling contemporary non-conformist chapels.

Plaque detailing the history of the church

This simple outside belies a most beautiful interior, with much decoration in a Baroque style.

Church interior

Two noticeable features are the presence of a gallery (typical of protestant churches of the period, but rarely seen in a Catholic church) and also the splendid shrine behind the Lady Altar, incorporating many silver ex voto hearts, given by benefactors of the church.

Our Lady's Shrine

If you happen to be near Regent Street or Piccadilly Circus, I would recommend a visit to this beautiful church, and also ask that you pray for the priests of the Ordinariate.

Regina in Caelum Assumpta, ora pro nobis.

Sancte Gregori, ora pro nobis.

London Churches 2 - St. Patrick's, Soho Square

This magnificent church is another of my favourites in Central London. Located close to Tottenham Court Road tube Station, and Oxford Street, it is somewhere I like to visit when shopping in the West End (or more likely visiting bookshops, such as Foyles, in the nearby Charing Cross Road).

Once again, the parish website has saved me the trouble of writing a history of the church, by including the following:

The history of St Patrick’s is, shall we say, colourful.

In 1690, when only the privileged lived in Soho Square, the Earl of Carlisle established his home here. Around 1760 it was leased by one Mrs Cornelys. An opera singer, serial bankrupt and socialite, she had a child fathered by Cassanova.

Carlisle House became a venue for dazzling soirees, recitals and concerts,. Leading figures including the Prince of Wales gravitated here to satisfy their cultural, musical, and other appetites. However, Mrs Cornelys’ fortunes changed and she was jailed for bankruptcy.

Surrounding Soho Square was the squalid area of ‘The Rookeries’ immortalised so graphically in Hogarth’s picture ‘Gin lane’. This was home to destitute immigrants, many of them Irish. To add to their misery, the anti-Catholic laws denied them the comfort of the sacraments and support of a parish priest.

Occasioned by the Relief Act of 1791, an Irish Franciscan Friar, Father Arthur O’Leary, managed to raise funds to lease Carlisle House with the help of a group of prosperous Irish Catholics who were equally moved by the misery of London’s poor Irish. In 1792, on the 29th of September, St Patrick’s was consecrated, and the existing elegant Italianate building we now know was later built on this site.

St Patrick’s is the first Church in England, at least since the Reformation, dedicated to St Patrick. It was also one of the first Catholic parish Churches established after the passing of the Catholic Relief Acts of 1778 and 1791, which brought freedom of teaching and worship.

_

Even in its early days, the church was the scene of several major religious events, most notably the official requiem for the repose of the soul of Pope Pius VI. The annual procession honouring the Tyburn Martyrs stops at St Patrick’s as it makes its way from the Tower of London to Tyburn, as a relic of one of them, Saint Oliver Plunkett, is housed in the Church.

Venerable Fulton Sheen

An important visitor to the church was Archbishop Fulton Sheen [Please see my various posts about Ven. Fulton Sheen - Matthaeus], the first Catholic television evangelist. A regular preacher between the 1920′s and 60′s, he was not only a man of enormous renown but also of great holiness. His cause for beatification has been opened. He often described himself as the “un-appointed curate of the Parish,” and stayed in the Parish House on many occasions. His public talks were so well attended that the congregation would often spill out onto the street.

The church’s patron, St Patrick, was first a foremost a missionary. The missionary endeavour has always been at the very heat of the parish’ desire to evangelise, bring the sacraments, and to prepare their flock for their final meeting with God.

The church still stands close to one of the more 'colourful' areas of London, and its tall tower suggests something of a beacon of hope and goodness in challenging the sleazier aspects of Soho. Until recently, the church was hemmed in by neighbouring buildings, but demolition in the last few years to make way for the Crossrail development mean that it can now be seen from several nearby streets (whether this will remain he case in future is yet to be seen).

Recently, St. Patrick's has undergone a very extensive restoration, the funds for which were raised by the formidable Parish Priest, Fr. Alexander Sherbrooke, without, I understand, recourse to the National Lottery or Government grants.

Fr. Sherbrooke

Following the restoration, the church interior now looks magnificent, with some features, such as the marble floor, intended in the original design but never executed, finally in place.

Interior of St. Patrick's

The sanctuary is arranged to allow Mass to be celebrated either Ad Orientem or versus ad Populum, and is used from time to time for the Usus Atiquior. As an inner city parish serving a diverse community, there are also regular Masses in Spanish and Portugese, and, I believe, also in Cantonese.

The Sanctuary during Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament



The restoration also allowed for the provision of meeting rooms and facilities for various parish, community and outreach projects, perhaps most notably the Soho Parish Evangelisation School (SPES).

I conclude with a few further pictures of the church. If you are in London, I strongly recommend a visit to St. Patrick's (perhaps even attending Mass or Benediction). It will provide a welcome respite from West End shopping :-).

Sancte Patricie, ora pro nobis.

The Baptistery

'Ecce Agnus Dei' - Fr. Patrick Hayward CRL celebrates High Mass at Soho Square, assisted by Fr's. Sean Finnegan
and Tim Finigan

The striking statues of welcoming angels which hold the Holy Water stoups.

 

London Churches 1 - Corpus Christi, Maiden Lane

I see that my friend Zephyrinus has decided to move on from Cathedrals and go parochial in Ireland   :-) .  This gave me the idea of doing some posts on my favourite London Catholic churches, and I am starting with one for which I have a particular affection, namely Corpus Christi, Maiden Lane.

Church Exterior

The following passage is taken from the Corpus Christi parish website:

'The Parish of Maiden Lane is situated in the Westminster Deanery. It was founded in 1873 and consecrated on the 18th of 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 hymns Sweet Sacrament Divine and O Sacred Heart were written by the parish priest Fr Francis Stanfield (1835-1914). It 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 dairy 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.'

The church is located in Maiden Lane, on the south side of Covent Garden, and has an imposing frontage in polychromatic brickwork. The floor level is several feet below that of the pavement outside and so one descends a short flight of steps to enter the church, being first 'greeted' by a welcoming statue of the Sacred Heart.

The Sacred Heart statue at the entrance

 

Inside, there are a number of interesting features, including a shrine to Our Lady in a side chapel on the gospel side, and a large and imposing crucifix, which was recently restored following desecration and breakage by vandals. there is also a statue of St. Genesius the comic, patron of actors, recalling the church's long assocition with the theatrical profession (it is generally regarded as the Catholic counterpart to the Anglican St. Paul's, Covent Garden - the 'actors' church' - a number of the pews still retain plaques with the names of various theatrical personages from the days when these were reserved for them).



Church Interior

The vandalised Crucifix - thishas now been restored

The reredos features an interesting exposition throne, with three angels swinging thuribles about the Blessed Sacrament.



The High Altar

The church is currently undergoing a major refurbishment, which will include the removal of paint and artex from various 20th. Century redecorations, to reveal the original stone and polychromatic brick. It should look splendid when finished.

As mentioned on the website, the church has a long association with the Latin Mass Society of England and Wales (their offices were for many years located in the presbytery) - Mass is celebrated in the Usus Antiquior (usually as a Missa Cantata) every Monday evening at 6.30, and at the same time on most Holy Days of Obligation, as well as some other occasions. There is also something of a tradition for the choir and servers, and members of the congregation to visit one of the numeorus excellent local hostalries for a pint, and perhaps a bite to eat, after Mass.

High Mass in the Extraordinary Form

St. Bartholomew

(From the St. Andrew's Daily Missal)

St. Bartholomew is probably the disciple introduced to Our Lord by Philip under the name of Nathanael, whom He praised in the words: "This is a true Israelite in whom ther is no guile" (John 1:47). St. Luke mentions him among the Twelve whom Christ, after a night of prayer, chose to be witnesses of His life, His teachins and His miracles, and, after His Resurrection, preachers of the Gospel. It is difficult to say where was the field of his apostolate. There is a tradition that he was flayed alive, as Cibo's magnificent white marble statue in Milan Cathedral shows him.

Statue of St. Bartholomew flayed - Milan Cathedral

His relics were brought from Benevento to his church on an island in the Tiber at Rome. His name occurs among the Apostles in the Canon of the Mass.

Sancte Bartholomaee, ora pro nobis.

Happy Feast.

Outgoing Chief Rabbi speaks in support of marriage

Lord Jonathan Sacks, the outgoing Chief Rabbi of Britain, has apparently criticised the UK Government for not doing enough to support marriage, particularly through the tax system. Here is a link to the story.

Notably, Lord Sacks spoke about the lack of support for mothers who stay at home to raise children, and pointed out that in purely practical terms, family breakdown is not in the national interest as it represents a large financial cost to the state. He does not appear to have discussed the social and moral implications of the demise of the family, which should, of course, be a much greater concern for the nation.

The tone of Lord Sacks' statement suggests it is implicit that he is talking here of traditional marriage and the importance of the parents' role, especially to a young family. Sadly, he has not explicitly commented on the government's redefinition of marriage and the family, the implications of which we are still yet to see.

I wish Lord Sacks a happy retirement and will remember him and all of our Elder Brethren of the Jewish faith in my prayers.

Pelagianism - some thoughts

Bones has recently put up a detailed and very thought-provoking post concerning Pelagianism, which I would strongly recommend you to read.

 

 

There has of late been quite a lot of reference to Pelagianism in the Church and elsewhere, particularly in the context of recent papal teaching, and it is interesting to reflect on why it is heretical, and what its implications may be.

 

I do not intend to reproduce a great deal of Bones' excellent post, but would like to add a few thoughts.

 

Pelagius (incidentally a native of Britain, so my Catholic Dictionary tells me) rejected the doctrine of Original Sin, and denied the necessity of grace for salvation. Essentially, he taught that it was possible to be 'good without God', and to achieve Heaven without the need for Him, essentially overstating the doctrine of Free Will. This was condemned by the Council of Carthage, whose decision was later ratified by the pope (an early example of the use of Infallibility?), causing St. Augustine to utter his famous words 'Roma locuta est, causa finita est'  - 'Rome has spoken, the case is ended.'

 

What Bones has picked up is that we see a great deal of this attitude in our present-day society. Among Christians there is often an emphasis on works, particularly of a social or environmental kind, at the expense of worship and religious devotion. The liturgy has in some cases become a social event, with emphasis on human intereactions rather than contemplation of the divine (an example must be the baseball-capped ministers at WYD in Rio dispensing Our Lord's Precious Blood in a plastic cup, like cheap booze at a party - but I digress - end of rant).

 

 

There also seems to be lots of emphasis on, for example 'good atheists', ie atheists who live virtuous and moral lives - but then who decides what is good and moral? We need an external reference point to tell us what we ought to do, and this is, of course, God. It is, of course, easy not to recognise His influence - one of the consequences of omnipresence, just as we do not usually notice the air around us because it's always there.

 

The danger with trying to do good without reference to God is that we tend to focus on trying to be nice to people, rather than truly loving our neighbour and wanting the best for them, which is ultimately that their soul gets to Heaven (other options are not, I hope, something you would wish on anyone). Sadly, without divine guidance and support, this can lead to, for example, tolerating, or even encouraging immorality in a misguided effort to achieve 'equality' or avoid 'discrimination'. There are very few of us who would be deliberately evil, but very many, if not all, of us sin through a distortion of the good, which is the devil's favourite trick.

 

Let us remember, then, that we cannot 'go it alone', or as Blessed Teresa of Calcutta once said 'I'm not OK, and you're not OK, and that's why we need Jesus.' ... and that is why Pelagianism is a heresy.