HIGH MASS ON SAINT JOHN'S DAY

High Mass was celebrated at Noon, following sung Lauds, at the Church of the Assumption of Our Lady and Saint Gregory by Dr Antony Conlon, the Chaplain to the Grand Priory, assisted by Fr Mark Elliot-Smith, Parish Priest of the church, and Fr Christian de Lisle.

We were privilege to have been offered the use of the Parish's wonderful antique vestments bearing the badge of the Order of St Gregory the Great, a lovely œcumenical detail.

The Homily was preached by Fr John Hunwicke, of the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham, who based his text around a visit to the Church of Our Lady and St Edmund of Abingdon, in Abingdon, which was built by Sir George Bowyer and contains a magnificent east window of Order saints, including Our Blessed Patron wearing the Cross of his own Order upon his camel-skin cloak! In the churchyard is a monument by Eric Gill, the burial place of Montagu, 7th Earl of Abingdon, grandfather the late Grand Master Servant of God Fra' Andrew Bertie, so there are several connections to the Order.  (Sir George Bowyer was a co-founder of the British Association and the donor of our Church in Saint John's Wood, where his heart is buried.)

It was therefore doubly fitting that, as is customary for this Feast, the chalice given to Sir George Bowyer by Pope Saint Pius IX was used for Mass.

Mass was followed by veneration and benediction with the relic of Saint John the Baptist (see previous post) and then lunch in the parish rooms (where on Wednesday mornings the Order and Companions feed Our Lords the Poor) by the great generosity of some members of the Order.

Fr Hunwicke preaching before members of the Order.

FEAST OF OUR PATRON SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST

Happy Feast to all our Friends!

St John the Baptist - Guido Reni
Dulwich Picture Gallery

DEUS, qui præséntem diem honorábilem nobis in beáti Ioánnis nativitáte fecísti: da pópulis tuis spirituálium grátiam gaudiórum; et ómnium fidélium mentes dírige in viam salútis ætérnæ. Per Dóminum nostrum Jesum Christum. Amen.

O GOD, who makes this day great in honour of the nativity of the blessed John: grant to Your people the grace of spirtual joys, and direct the minds of all the faithful into the way of eternal salvation.Through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

The Grand Priory's relic

CORPUS CHRISTI PROCESSION

Members of the British Association and Grand Priory, assisted by many Companions, were involved in Sunday's Central London Corpus Christi Procession from The Church of the Assumption Warwick Street to Saint James's Spanish Place, crossing Regent's Street and Oxford Street.

The Procession, attended by around 1500 people, the numbers somewhat down this year due to great heat, was great act of witness along busy shopping streets and among crowds of onlookers. It was a fitting response in our capital city to the call of His Eminence Cardinal Nichols in the Pastoral letter delivered that morning, of which the text is given below. 

For more photos CLICK image

The Cardinal's Pastoral Letter for Corpus Christi 2017

Dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, 

The words of the Gospel we have just heard contain a remarkable promise: ‘Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever’ (John 6:58). This promise of everlasting life comes to its fulfilment in the death and resurrection of Jesus, in which he not only shares our human nature, destined for death, but also gives to us the gift of new life after that death. This promise lies at the very core of our faith and it is made real, within our reach, in every celebration of Mass. In the Eucharist we come before the Lord, present to us for ever in the very act of fulfilling his promise through the breaking of his Body and the shedding of his Blood. This is the great feast we celebrate today. In the presence of this Sacrament, whether at Mass, at Benediction or reserved in the tabernacle in the silence of a church, our stance is always that of adoration.

19th June - FEAST OF ST GERLAND, RELIGIOUS ON

While Gerard Mecatti was edifying Tuscany, there lived at the court of Frederick II, King of Sicily, a Knight called Gerland of Apollonia. Some say he was a German or a Pole; his origin is uncertain. We do know, however, that he had been sent to Sicily by the Grand Master of the monastery of Jerusalem to take care of the property that the Order possessed there. In the city of Caltagirone, near Licata in which the court of the king resided, no one could have believed that the illustrious Gerland of Apollonia wore a hair shirt under the magnificent uniform of his rank; the wonder would have been even greater if the court had discovered that in the solitude of his room the Knight administered to himself painful scourgings. His fasting and abstinences were frequent and prolonged. But where his sanctity clearly appeared was in his liberal alms, the help and consolation he gave to the wretched and all those who stood in need of his charity. He did not hesitate to aid those who suffered from injustice and abandonment. At his death, which occurred in 1242, there was great grief among all the poor. He was buried outside the Walls of Caltagirone, rather near the city, and miraculous cures glorified his tomb.

After nearly a century of neglect, the venerable body was brought to the church of Saint James the Apostle, patron saint of the city, amidst manifestations of popular enthusiasm. The bones were cleaned and washed in a wine which afterwards operated great cures to the number of 95, as is witnessed by a story written in a book attested to and signed by the magistrates and notaries of Caltagirone; this book is preserved in the town's archives. It was decided that the image of the holy man would be painted in the church where he rested and that his feast would be celebrated like the most solemn of the city; the feast day was to be observed on the 18th of June, the anniversary of the discovery of the holy body.

Collect of the Mass: Lord God, who brought blessed Gerland from the north to Sicily and inspired him to wear a hair shirt in place of the armour of the knights of our Order, arouse in us a zeal like his so that our lives may always aim at perfection. Tthrough our Lord Jesus Christ your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. 

Blessed Gerland, pray for us

PATRONAL FEAST OF SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST - Saturday 24th June

The relics Our Holy Patron in the Order's Church in the Monti in Rome

The Grand Priory, and the whole Order in England, will mark the actual Feast of our Patron with Holy Mass at the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption and St Gregory, Warwick Street, London W1B 5LZ, at 12 noon. Mass will be followed by veneration of the Relic.

The Mass will be sung by the Chaplain of the Grand Priory Dr Antony Conlon, and Fr John Hunwicke of the Ordinariate of Our lady of Walsingham will preach.

The music will be Palestrina Missa Aeterna Christi munera with Cardoso's Inter natos mulierum.

All Members of the Order, Companions and friends are encouraged to attend.

Puer qui natus est nobis, plusquam Propheta est, 

hic est enim, de quo Salvator ait : 

inter natos mulierum non surrexit major 

Joanne Baptista.

Our Patron adores his Saviour in the womb of his holy Mother,
by the Hans and Jakob Strueb 1505 (Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza) 

**Please note that the Annual "St John's Day" Mass and investitures will happen at the Brompton Oratory as usual on the Friday 23rd, the Feast of the Sacred Heart.**

RE-ELECTION OF GRAND PRIOR OF ENGLAND

The Chapter of the Grand Priory of England met on Saturday, 10th June, in Dorchester-on-Thames, and following Holy Mass celebrated by the principal chaplain, Dr Antony Conlon, voted to re-elect Fra' Ian Scott as Grand Prior of England for a second term. 

In accordance with the Code and Constitution and the Statutes of the Grand Priory of England Fra' Ian's election is subject to the approval of the Lieutenant Grand Master, with the deliberative vote of the Sovereign Council. If approval is received in time, Fra' Ian will take the oath of office at Holy Mass at the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption and St Gregory, Warwick Street, London W1B 5LZ, at 12 noon on the Feast of St John the Baptist, Saturday 24th June 2017, the Patronal Feast of the Order, to which all are invited.

The Chapter expressed its warm appreciation for all that Fra' Ian has achieved during his first term, and its immense gratitude to him for accepting the burden of office for a further term. All present assured him of their prayers for him in the exercise of his duties as Grand Prior of England.

All members of the Order and its friends are asked to include Fra' Ian in their prayers as he begins his new term of office.

Our lady of Philermo, pray for him

Saint John the Baptist, pray for him

Blessed Gerard, pray for him

Blessed Adrian Fortescue, pray for him

CORPUS CHRISTI PROCESSION - SUNDAY 18th at 17.30

The Annual Corpus Christi Procession through central London in honour of the Most Holy Sacrament will take place again this year on Sunday 18th June, the Solemnity of Corpus Christi. The intention will be for the conversion of England to the fulness of the Catholic Faith, and reparation for sins committed against the Body of Christ. 

The procession will commence from the Assumption Church Warwick Street at 17.30, arriving at Saint James’s Spanish Place for Solemn Benediction about an hour later.  The day ends around 17.00.

Proponents of true, or authentic “liberation theology” take Christ the Liberator into the public square. In the sight of onlookers, we march in His honor, profess His gift of salvation, and kneel before Him. 

We cannot honor enough this pledge of our future happiness in heaven, the Body and Precious Blood of Christ. 

I affirm my subjugation to Christ, Victor over death, hell and my sins.  Before the Eucharist, Jesus my God and King, I am content to kneel until with His own hand He raises me. 

– Fr.Z 

Cor Jesu Sacratissimum, miserere nobis.

Cor Jesu Sacratissimum, miserere nobis.

Cor Jesu Sacratissimum, miserere nobis.