Solemn Pontifical Mass for St Philip's Day at the Oxford Oratory

Yesterday evening  the Oxford Oratory had a Solemn Pontifical Mass for St Philip's day celebrated by the former Provost, Bishop Robert Byrne of Cunacestre. As with the report yesterday of Solemn First Vespers I have copied the photographs from the Oratory website and added a few further comments of my own.

It was, as the Oratory website says, a  great joy to have the Right Reverend Bishop Robert Byrne, Cong. Orat. celebrate and preach for his first St Philip's Day as a bishop. It was a joyful occasion both in that it celebrated the ministry of  St Philip, the saint of joy, and, as the photographs show, there was joyfulness in the Oratorian community of the parish.

The Introit procession to the strains of Ecce Magne Sacerdos:

 

In addition to Bishop Robert we were also honoured by the presence of the Bishop of Northampton, the Right Reverend Peter Doyle, who had been unable to be present at Bishop Robert's Episcopal ordination, as well as other clergy and religious friends of the Oratory:

As the Provost, Fr Daniel remarked, bishops are like buses - you wait and then two come along at once.

The first reading, from the Book of Wisdom:

The second reading, from St Paul's letter to the Philippians:

The Gospel, from St John:

The sermon:

 

The Creed:

The Offertory incensation:

The final blessing:

 

The clergy  and servers procession forms up to leave the sanctuary:

 

Bishop Robert blesses in procession from the church:

Images: Oxford Oratory

St Philip's Day in York

The website of St Wilfrid's in York has a report of the first celebration in the parish, yesterday, of St Philip's Day since the Oratorian clergy from Oxford took charge of the church. I have copied and posted it from their parish site.

Bishop Robert Byrne Cong. Orat. was the celebrant and preacher at St Wilfrid's for St Philip's Day, the first for him as a bishop and the first for the Oratory Fathers in York. There was a Solemn Mass at 11am followed by a party in the Rectory. In the evening Bishop Robert celebrated Benediction. Apart from our York parishioners there were some visitors from elsewhere in the county who know the Oratory from Birmingham, London and Oxford or through the Oratory School.

A happy feast of St Philip to all our Oratorian brethren and friends!

Text and images: St Wilfrid's York

Bishop Byrne at the London Oratory

The New Liturgical Movement has a report about the Solemn Mass for St Philip Neri's day celebrated in advance for St Philip's School by Bishop Byrne at the London Oratory earler today. The illustrated account can be seen at Pontifical High Mass of St Philip celebrated by Bishop Robert Byrne at the London Oratory.

More photographs of Bishop Byrne's Episcopal Ordination

My friend Irim posted some links to other photographs of last week's episcopal consecration of Bishop Byrne in the comments section of my post about the day. In case other readers have not seen that the links are, firstly, to the cathedral website which has 216 photographs of the ceremonial, and can be viewed here. 

Episcopal line-up:

Left to right, Bishop William Kenney, Bishop David McGough, Bishop Byrne, Cardinal Nichols, Bishop Philip Pargeter, Archbishop Longley, Bishop Michael Barber

Image: mazur/catholicnews.org.uk.on Flickr

In addition she found some photographs of the reception at Oscott on the website of the Washington DC Oratorians which can be viewed here. She says she was particularly taken with one of the new Bishop checking his watch, which can be seen here, and one with his family - as was pointed out during the service in the cathedral it is quite unusual for a new bishop to have both his parents present at his consecration - and which can be seen here.

Presentation to Fr Robert Byrne at the Oxford Oratory

This lunchtime, following the Solemn Mass at the Oratory the Provost, Fr Daniel, presented his predecessor, Fr Robert Byrne, who is to be consecrated as Bishop of Cuncacestre on Tuesday, with a pectoral cross given by the Fathers of the Oratory and with a handsome crosier which has been bought by the parishioners as a gift for him.

The Bishop- elect with his new croiser

Image; Oxford Oratory

Fr Robert will take the oaths and his pontificalia will be blessed in a vigil service at the Birmingham Oratory on Monday evening.

Fr Blake on Fr Byrne's appointment

There are further comments on the blogosphere about Fr Robert Byrne's appointment to the episcopate - in this case from Fr Blake in Brighton. His post can be read at Congratulations to Bishop Robert Byrne.

Damian Thompson on Fr Byrne's appointment as a bishop

Further to my post The new Bishop of Cuncacestre about the appointment of the new auxiliary bishop for the diocese of Birmingham the other day, and in case readers have not seen it, or are not regular readers of his Telegraph blog, here is the link to Damian Thompson's recent post about Fr Robert Byrne's impending elevation to the episcopate: A miracle! Oxford Oratorian who celebrates the Old Mass is to be made a bishop.

The new Bishop of Cuncacestre

Last night at the Ordinariate mass here in Oxford I saw on the pewsheet that Fr Robert Byrne, the founding Provost of the Oxford Oratory is to be elevated to the episcopate.

He will become Bishop of Cuncacestre - the Anglo-Saxon name for Chester-le-Street, which was the seat of the Northumbrian bishopric until 995 when it moved to Durham - and he will serve as an auxilliary bishop in the Archdiocese of Birmingham. In this new task he will have responsibility for Birmingham and for Worcestershire. The previous Cuncacestrensis was Bishop Alan Hopes who served as an auxilliary in Westminster before he became Bishop of East Anglia.

Fr Robert will be the first Oratorian to be appointed as a bishop in 140 years - in 1874 Fr Edward Bagshawe of the London Oratory became Bishop of Nottingham.

Fr Robert will receive his episcopal ordination in St Chad's Cathedral in Birmingham on May 13th, and I am sure many of us from Oxford will travel to the Mass.

Fr Robert brings awealth of expereince to his new responsibilities. Originally an Oratorian in Birmingham he was the founding Father here in Oxford in 1990-93, and Provost until just over three years ago. Since then he has been the Ecumenical Officer for the Bishop's Conference of England and Wales. I think several of us have been expecting such an elevation for him, and can see that his robust Mancunian style and Oratorian spirituality combined with so much pratical experience will be a wonderful asset for the diocese at large.

Fr Robert Byrne

His Grace the Archbishop of Birmingham, the Most Reverend Bernard Longley, said:

“I am immensely grateful to Pope Francis for appointing Fr Robert Byrne Auxiliary Bishop of Birmingham. From his time at the Birmingham Oratory and as Provost of the Oxford Oratory, Fr Robert has come to know our Archdiocese well. Having worked alongside him in recent years as the Bishops’ Conference’s Ecumenical Officer, I know that he will bring considerable pastoral, theological and administrative skills to his new responsibilities as a bishop. Above all I am grateful that he brings the spirituality of St Philip Neri, the founder of the Oratory, to enrich his ministry among us. I know that everybody in the Archdiocese, and especially in his pastoral area of Birmingham and Worcestershire, will join me in asking for the prayers of Fr Robert’s fellow Oratorian, Blessed John Henry Newman, as he now prepares for his episcopal ordination in May. I also wish to record my abiding gratitude to Bishop Philip Pargeter for continuing to serve the Archdiocese with great dedication in recent years and for the support and friendship he has so generously given me.”

An interview with Fr Robert may be seen here

The Bishop's Conference website article about Fr Robert and his appointment can be seen here.

Please pray for Fr Robert as he prepares for his episcopal ordination.

Image, quotation and interview: Oxford Oratory website