Bishop Michael Campbell of Lancaster announced on Sunday that Mgr Gilles Wach, General Prior of the institute, together with parish priest Fr Simon Hawksworth, have agreed to establish a foundation of the Institute at the Church of St Walburge, Preston, in the early autumn.
Now why is it that "The Dome of Home" Ss Peter and Paul, New Brighton, St Wilfrids, York and now the iconic St Walburge's, Preston have been handed over to 'traddie' religious? I mean where are the dynamic liberal religious orders? Why is it that these city centre parishes, which obviously are going to need a lot of hard work, to restore and normally have tiny congregations, are so attractive to 'traddies' and simply dismissed by others of a more liberal outlook? Why is it 'traddies' actually hope to make a go of these places, whilst others just want to shut them down, why this hope?
10 comments:
"dynamic liberal (and) religious Orders"? an oxymoron.
Apparently,
"there will be some priests and people in the Diocese [of Lancaster] who urge the Bishop to withdraw from inner Preston ... There are some voices who tell [Bishop Campbell] that the presence of the Catholic Church in inner-Preston is finished."
(http://www.lancasterdiocese.org.uk/Publisher/File.aspx?ID=131041)
As an inner-Prestonian I say "thank God Bishop Campbell doesn't agree. And thank God, too, for Mgr Wach and the Institute of Christ the King."
Totally agree but can we dispense with using that dreadful and somewhat vague word, 'iconic'. It won't be long before someone describes my daily Weetabix as 'iconic'. St Walburga's is a famous landmark. Let's stick to real English.
Are there worse things than clinging onto Catholic traditions seemingly ushered out by Vatican II. A soul here perhaps ought not strain its will discerning between what is beautiful nostaligia and what is living tradition.I say follow Rome come what may.
Vincent Elliott
The Institute also bought the church in Limerick, Ireland, closed down by the Jesuits some years ago. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Institute-of-Christ-the-King-Sovereign-Priest-Ireland/261762050542649
Preston used to be a Catholic stronghold, with the Jesuits holding the fort. The principal church there is St Wilfrid's, a Jesuit parish. It is a magnificent building which has not been seriously reordered
It is good that St Walburg's has found a new use but it should not be necessary to have an alternative centre of Catholicism in the city. Ultimately this is divisive. The Jesuits are, on the whole, notorious for the poor quality of their liturgy and need to implement the Benedictine reforms - in my experience they seem not to have moved on from the 1970s. I think one problem is that the Jesuits translate a style of liturgy which is appropriate to the small scale and intimate context of a retreat house, to parish situations where the more formal structure of the traditional liturgy is necessary.
St Walburg was, I believe, designed by J A Hansom, architect of Arundel Cathedral.
Lancaster Diocese sought to seel St Walburghe's to the local university, without success. The bishop emeritus refused to hand the church over to a Traditional Order - on the basis it would have a deleterious effect upon adjacent parishes. At on stage, the church was also used for Granada TV broadcast religious services - of such appalling format that the outcry resulted in their demise.
Preston's coat of arms includes a nod to the Papacy.
What a wonderful event.
We should rejoice! Rejoice!
There is a thriving Society of St Pius X Mass centre in Preston, so that may also have been a factor.
Unknown - why are the Jesuits at St Wilfred's so pig-headed? If they had a weekly Sunday EF Mass, none of this would be necessary. I wonder if they will get the message now?
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