Friday 25 September 2009

Walsingham Association Birmingham branch 40th anniversary mass


Yesterday the Birmingham branch of the Walsingham Association celebrated its fortieth anniversary with the mass of the feast of Our Lady of Walsingham celebrated by Bishop Philip Pargeter,Auxiliary of Birmingham. It was a very joyful occasion, but it was also overshadowed by the death of one of the founding members, Grant Roberts, yesterday. Please remember to pray for the repose of his soul.


Above is Bishop Pargeter delivering the homily: he celebrated the golden jubilee of his ordination this year. For those of you wondering, this is a concelebrated English novus ordo mass celebrated ad orientem! Below is Anne Roebuck leading the bidding prayers: the national Walsingham association chairman and stalwart of the Oratory parish.


Unfortunately due to the lighting in the Oratory unless you have professional equipment photographs come out with a red tinge! But that can't be helped. The mass continues with the offertory:


Bishop Pargeter leads the final prayer and blessing:




And then we have the procession of the statue of Our Lady of Walsingham around the church to the hymn, 'Sing the praises of Mary, the Mother of God.' The Walsingham mass is an annual event in September which is an integral part of the devotional life of the parish. There is a great tradition of devotion and pilgrimages to Our Lady of Walsingham here which was begun by the late Fr. Humphrey Crookenden, one of the Oratory fathers who died in 1978.



And finally, we had a buffet in the parish hall afterwards, where Bishop Pargeter was presented with a gift for his golden jubilee of ordination on behalf of the Walsingham Association members.

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