The shrine altar in the Little Oratory
The Feast of our virgin Saint Ubaldeseca saw members of the Grand Priory, joined by other members of the Order and Companions from the Midlands, together in Birmingham for this month's Day of Recollection at the shrine of Blessed John Henry Newman.
After Lauds in the Newman shrine chapel, members of the Order sat in choir in the stunningly beautiful Oratory church for the weekly Pilgrim Mass celebrated by the Provost, Father Richard Duffield, and then joined the other pilgrims and the local community at the Shine for the prayers of thanksgiving for favours granted, for intercessions, and veneration of the relic. The work of the Order worldwide, and the members of the Grand Priory of England and British Association were prayed for, as was Saint John's Hospice.
Father Paul Chavasse preached the conferences, on Newman's journey of Faith, and his attraction to the tradition of the life of the Oratory and to Philippine spirituality, and its applicability to the spiritual life of the religious in the Order of Malta. In the afternoon we were privileged to be led by the Provost in pilgrimage to Blessed John Henry's library and room, where we could venerate the private altar, dedicated to Saint Francis de Sales, where the Beatus said Mass daily as a Cardinal. Both the library and room are exactly as they were in the Cardinal's lifetime and may thus truly be venerated as secondary relics, as they were by the Holy Father last September in the afternoon after the Mass of Beatification.
The day concluded with Vespers and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament at the shrine altar.
Blessed John Henry, Pray for us,
Saint Philip Neri, Pray for us,
Saint Francis de Sales, pray for us.
Saint Francis de Sales, pray for us.
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