30 June 2009

July festivals

I've been mad and wild. It started off when I realised that, this year, the Visitation on May 31 would be expunged by Pentecost. I resolved to observe, here at S Thomas's, the Visitation on its original date of July 2. Then ... you know how one thing leads to another ... I succumbed to the temptation to start July in a fully EF way. So the Precious Blood went onto the S Thomas's Calendar for July 1: the day from which Bugnini removed it on the specious ground that it duplicated Corpus Christi (which he accordingly and cumbrously renamed Corpus et Sanguis Christi). Nonsense. The Festival of July 1 concentrated on the redemptive power of the Precious Blood, Corpus Christi on the Eucharist. Of course they are connected, but they are not a duplication. Bugnini also claimed that Holy Cross day was duplicated by the Precious Blood ... you see the daft logic. The reductio ad absurdum would be to reduce the calendar to Christmas, Easter Day, and All Saints. Though, come to think of it All Saints really duplicatesEaster ...

Actually, we have a splendid start to July here in the Ebbsfleet Apostolic District. The Apostolic Administrator decided to celebrate his Jubilee on July 1, in S Barnies.It should be a good event.

3 comments:

Pastor in Monte said...

Hm: I understand Bugnini fought very hard to have all feast days abolished except for those of the Apostles.

Unknown said...

Father, you can still celebrate the Visitation on July 2 but without a First Vespers (Evensong).

Feed Room Five said...

Father

I was pleased to learn that at St. Thomas you follow a practice very close to that of my own parish. We use the Anglican Missal (American ed.) but adapted to the new Roman Calendar. It does make me feel just the least bit less eccentric to know that someone somewhere is doing the same or similar.

But, more importantly I wonder if I might ask you a few questions about how you do this:

1) Is the ceremonial that of the English Missal or the Novus Ordo?
or both?

2) Are the modern texts mixed in with the old ordinary of the Mass: e.g. what offertory prayers do you use? Do you use the Last Gospel?

3) I believe I know your answer to this one: what about feasts no longer in the Latin Calendar? Of course Precious Blood is not much of a problem since there is provision for a votive Mass, but what of other days, e.g., S. John before the Latin Gate?

I am sure I have many other questions and I would appreciate any help you might be able to give.

Fr. David Allen
S. Francis, Dallas, Tx