Friday, October 12, 2012

St Wilfrid, Bishop of Hexham

Tonight we celebrated Solemn High Mass in the EF at St Mary's Church, Hencotes, Hexham, Northumberland on the feast of St Wilfrid early Bishop of Hexham.  He is reputed to have built a church here on the site of the present Hexham Abbey, directly across the road from St Mary's.

The Mass was celebrated by Fr Michael Brown (LMS Northern Chaplain) with Fr David Phillips as deacon and Andrew Bunce (transitional deacon) as sub deacon. The altar team came from across the diocese with MC (myself) from St Joseph's in Gateshead, Leo Darroch (thurifer) from Consett, Frank Walker (acolyte) from Morpeth and Ryan (our newest recruit) from Forest Hall.  Fr Christopher Warren (parish priest) and retired priest Fr John Campbell were in choir.  The music was plainchant from our own Schola Sancti Baedae.

This was the first celebration of the EF in Hexham since Vatican II and it was encouraging to have some 40 (mainly from the parish) in the congregation.

Our thanks go to all involved especially Fr Warren for his kind invitation and his wish to have at least an annual Mass in his church.

Our next special Mass will be a Solemn Requiem Mass on 2nd November, the Feast of All Souls.  On that occasion the Ordinary of the Mass will be Faure's Requiem.

No comments:

Post a Comment