Third Sunday After Easter 1863

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26 SUNDAY. Third after Easter. The Patronage of St JOSEPH, Spouse of the BVM, double of the second class. Commemoration of Sunday only. Last Gospel of Sunday. White. Second Vespers of the Feast with commemoration of the Sunday and of SS Cletus and Marcellinus, Popes, Martyrs.  [In Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle Plenary Indulgence.]

27 Monday. SS Cletus and Marcellinus, Popes, Martyrs (transferred from 26 April). Third prayers Concede. Red.

28 Tuesday. Of the Octave of St George, semidouble. Second prayers of St Vitalis, Martyr.  Third prayers Concede. Red.

29 Wednesday. St Peter, Martyr, double. Red.

30 Thursday. The Octave of St George, double. Red.
 

1 Friday. (Feast of Devotion) SS PHILIP and JAMES, Apostles, double of the second class. Creed. Preface of the Apostles. Red. Abstention.

2 Saturday. St Athanasius, Bishop Confessor Doctor, double. White.

For those who are joining us late (in the liturgical year, that is): before the changes introduced by Pius X, Sundays did not take precedence over other feasts: indeed some Sundays were marked out for other feasts, as we find this week.  Pope Pius X changed this. It would probably be a bit much to accuse him of Sabbatarianism, but the dreary procession of green Sundays he introduced in the time after Pentecost will be contrasted vividly here in a few weeks' time.  As it is, St Joseph's feast is today, Sunday, the third after Easter: not last week, as it would become early in the 20th Century; not on 1 May as it would become later in the 20th Century; but on the third Sunday after Easter, and the third Sunday's Gospel becomes the second Gospel of the Mass.  

This means that 1 May is the feast of SS Philip and James, as it always used to be.  Note that it is a Feast of Devotion: the Church marks this out as a day which should be a Holyday of Obligation, and should be marked as such by those who can, while recognising that in non-Catholic countries this is a big ask.

I have little doubt that many readers of this blog will join me in celebrating the feast of St Athanasius on Saturday: maybe we should start a tradition of our own, of punching ... no, this is becoming a liturgiological version of Fantasy Football.

The parish of St Ann and St Mary Magdalene on the Island of Alderney is served by the Revs P H Van de Voorde and l'Abbé Jean Dénis.  Mass on Sunday is at 8.30 and 10.00.  catechism is at 2.00, followed by Vespers, Instruction, and Benediction at 3.00.  At 6.00 there is a special service of Rosary, Instruction and Benediction for the troops of the garrison. Every evening at 6.00  the Devotions of the Confraternity of the Brown Scapular are held.  Stations of the Cross are every Friday at 7.00 pm. In Advent and Lent there is a special session of Instruction on Thursday, In May, there is Rosary, Instruction and Benediction every evening at 7.00 pm. There are two further Confraternities: of the Immaculate Heart of the BVM for the Conversion of Sinners, and of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

Even in the period before Catholic Emancipation, English Catholics had enjoyed music at Mass. Around the turn of the nineteenth century, some High Masses in London were more like concerts, attracting non-Catholics to listen to fashionable singers.  But music was available even for modest choirs and later in the nineteenth century, Mass settings were available to suit all available resources, no matter how modest.  Sometimes, it only took three men ...

 

 

 

(Apologies that this week's offering is a bit truncated: I type these words 4000 miles away from the Muniment Room and will rely on Blogger's scheduler to get it out at the usual time.)

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