Lourdes Mass at SS Gregory and Augustine

Image; turnbacktogod.com

Last night I attended the Extraordinary Form High Mass for the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes at SS Gregory and Augustine here in Oxford. This was a beautiful and reflective liturgy, accompanied by a consort of singers under Nicolas Haigh of New College who sang Byrd's Mass for Four Voices and Victoria's Ave Maria.  

The preacher was Dom Oswald McBride OSB, Prior of St Benet's Hall, who fdrew upon his experiences of visiting Lourdes with the combined insights of a Benedictine monk who is also a trained medical doctor. As someone who had long been reluctant to go to Lourdes based on reports of its commercialisation he had, when he did finally go a few years ago, found himself humbled and profoundly moved by the compassion and faith he witnessed there. 

This Mass proved to be a fitting climax to the parish's Lourdes Novena, which has, I understand, been well supported by parishioners.

** By the way this is the 2000th post I have published on this blog **