Once I was a clever boy learning the arts of Oxford... is a quotation from the verses written by Bishop Richard Fleming (c.1385-1431) for his tomb in Lincoln Cathedral. Fleming, the founder of Lincoln College in Oxford, is the subject of my research for a D. Phil., and, like me, a son of the West Riding. I have remarked in the past that I have a deeply meaningful on-going relationship with a dead fifteenth century bishop... it was Fleming who, in effect, enabled me to come to Oxford and to learn its arts, and for that I am immensely grateful.


Saturday 8 September 2012

Ordination in Chelmsford


Yesterday evening I went over to Chelmsford to attend the Ordination of Fr Rupert Allen O. Praem. as a priest. I got to know him whilst he was a student here in Oxford. The service was held at the Church of Our Lady Immaculate, which is served by the Norbertines from St Philip's Priory.

The Ordination was conducted by Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, and was attended by two mitred abbots, other Premonstratensians from England and Belgium and Australia, plus Oratorians, Dominicans, secular diocesan clergy and also nuns from the Ordinariate, and by many parishioners and friends of Fr Rupert from Oxford - most of the usual suspects were there and some others - and from elsewhere, and, not least noteworthy, a uniformed Honour Guard armed with swords and their flag from a Fraternity to which he belonged whilst studying at the University of Louvain.

Image
The Cardinal lays his hands on Fr Rupert's head in the rite
Image: Norbertine Vocations

A set of photographs of the Ordination on can be found on this Facebook page, and another set from Fr Rupert's First Mass, which he celebrated this morning, can be seen on this Facebook page.

1 comment:

Station Cars said...

Interesting to see a photo of an Ordination. Not something many of us get to see.