St Philip's Day with HE Cardinal Burke

Last Wednesday evening the Oxford Oratory was honoured to welcome His Eminence Cardinal Burke to our Church to celebrate a Solemn Pontifical Mass for the feast of Our Holy Father St Philip, in the fifth centenary of his birth. These images are all from the Oratory website, with a few additional comments which I have added.

We were joined by many friends and visitors, including the Rt Rev. Hugh Allan O.Praem., Prior of the Norbertine community in Chelmsford, and many local clergy and Knights of Malta.

The Cardinal entered the Oratory church in his cappa magna :

After praying before the Blessed Sacrament the Cardinal went to vest for Mass in the Sacristy:

 

 

In the procession was a new banner of St Philip, commissioned to mark his fifth centenary:

 

 

 

 

 

In his sermon, the Cardinal encouraged each one of us to take St Philip as an example of how to transform the world in Christ. His full sermon can be read here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Archbishop of Birmingham very kindly leant us Bishop Ullathorne's crozier for the Cardinal to use:

On Wednesday, Fr Daniel took the Cardinal on a tour of Oxford. Here he is pictured next to the bust of Blessed John Henry Newman in Trinity College. He also visited Christ Church where he was able to view what is believed to be Cardinal Wolsey's red hat, which he received in 1515, the year of St Philip's birth.

Images: Oxford Oratory

Cardinal Burke to visit Oxford

2015 is the five-hundredth anniversary of the birth of St Philip Neri in Florence in 1515. On St Philip's Day this year, Tuesday 26th May at 6pm, His Eminence Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke, Patron of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, will celebrate a Pontifical Mass at the Oxford Oratory.

Image and text: Oxford Oratory

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

First Vespers of St Philip at the Oxford Oratory

Yesterday evening at the Oxford Oratory we had Solemn First Vespers of the Solemnity of St Philip. This was, as always on such occasions, a very splendid celebration, and one that was properly prayerful and devout. I have copied the photographs from the Oratory website and added some captions.

 St Philip's Altar with the relic bust of the saint.

The painting is a copy of Gido Reni's famous image, and was painted by Maria Giberne, one of Newman's penitents, and comes from the Birmingham Oratory.

The Provost, Fr Daniel Seward, presides at Vespers

 

The Cantors, Fr Dominic and Br Oliver, bow during the doxology

 

Acolytes and some of those in Choir

 

The Sanctuary during Vespers

The statue of St Philip

 

The incensation of St Philip's Altar and relic

Regular members of the Oratory congregation - the Solemn Vespers had an particularly good attendance

Preparing for Benediction

 The Provost blesses a member of the congregation with a relic of St Philip

The Oxford Oratory has a young and devout congregation

Images: Oxford Oratory

The photographer was a new recruit to taking photos on such an occasion and has done splendidly - I suspect they have got themselves a new role at the Oratory.