Friday 17 June 2011

Solemn Mass in Oxford

I attended Solemn Mass during the Octave of Pentecost at the church of St Anthony of Padua in Oxford (where J.R.R. Tolkien attended Mass). It was part of the celebrations to mark the 50th anniversary of the church. Mass was offered by the Parish Priest Fr Aldo Tapparo; the deacon was Br Nicholas Edmunds-Smith, and the sub-deacon Fr Anton Webb, both of the Oxford Oratory.

My thanks to Mr Joseph Shaw, Chairman of the Latin Mass Society for the photographs. You can view more of them on his flickr page.

Afterwards at a splendid lunch in the hall Joseph Shaw's wife, Lucy was telling me about the Guild of St Clare which has recently started making and repairing vestments. The venture is still in its infancy and there is a keen interest in educating children in these arts as well, as their blog site shows.


In procession with the sacred ministers, Mgr Vaughan Morgan and Fr William Charleton of Middlesborough Diocese.


The Deacon prepares to receive the blessing.


Br. Nicholas gives the sermon on St Anthony and the Holy Spirit.


Fr Aldo Tapparo gives the final blessing.

1 comment:

The Bones said...

I've seen these images also on Dr Joseph Shaw's blog.

I must say that, even though I see the Church itself has been improved, does it not look awfully bare and stark.

It is so sad that modern Churches were built in the late 19--'s only to appear as if that their heritage started then also.

Where is the heritage, the tradition of the Church of Rome? So depressing!

Still, we must count our blessings. The Priest, Deacon and Sub-Deacon are facing East!