Phil Widdows ("One way or another, we'll end up paying for St Walburge's", 14 Jan) is perhaps a little unkind in his criticism of the Church's failure to cherish St. Walburge's church, but he is surely on the right lines when he reminds us that the Church can, should, must keep the building in use as part of her mission to Prestonians. He is right, too, to imply that the financial cost of doing so - although large - is not so large that it could not be met by a thriving and faithful local Church.Please join me in praying that Bishop O'Donoghue will invite the ICKSP to Preston.
Fortunately a solution is at hand. The Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest has offered to take financial and pastoral responsibility for the building and for the parish, which currently has no resident parish priest. The Institute is a small but growing international religious order dedicated to the traditional liturgy, which was recently derestricted by Pope Benedict XVI. The Institute has revitalised formerly moribund schools and parishes in several countries. One example is the Shrine of Christ the King in Chicago, USA - a church which had been gutted by fire and is now being restored physically and spiritually by the Institute.
I believe the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest could do the same thing in Preston. I pray that Bishop O'Donoghue will accept their offer to take care of St. Walburge's.
St. Walburge's does not need to close.
Dystopia and the destruction of language
1 hour ago
5 comments:
Please God Bishop O Donoghue will keep St Walburge's open. It would be lovely to be able to know that one could attend a Latin Mass there when visiting.
After your kind comment on my blog I checked you out and now see that you are in Preston. My son supports Preston NE. Therein lies a fine example of how well one can manipulate one's children when they are young and not too prey to outside influences.(Homeschooling helps!) We were living in Bristol at the time, and our boy was trying to choose which team to support, and as he's a contrary fellow (or maybe, in footballing terms quite wise?) he didn't want to follow his daddy in supporting Nottingham Forest. His Godfather mentioned that Preston sported the Lamb of God on their badge, and as I thought this was infinitely preferable to supporting a team known as "the Red Devils" towards which he was veering, due to said team's pervasive influence throughout boykind, I managed to get him to believe Preston would be a good team to support! He's managed to follow them for 4 years so it looks like it's stuck with him! I wonder how much longer I'll be able to influence his decisions!!!!
Will keep the ICKSP intention in my prayers.
Thanks for your good wishes and your prayers Maggie.
I suppose your son must be pleased with a good win yesterday - a bright spot in a disappointing season so far for North End.
Did you know where the badge comes from? The lamb is the symbol of St. Wilfrid, patron saint of Preston. The monks of Ripon, where St. Wilfrid had been abbot, held land hereabouts in the middle ages, so St. Wilfrid became our patron and his symbol was adopted by the town and, eventually, by the football club.
If anyone knows why St. Wilfrid is symbolised by the Lamb, I should be glad to hear about it. (The lamb and cross symbolise Our Lord, of course, but what I don't know is why they were adopted as symbols of St. Wilfrid.)
Thanks for this, Simon, and the lamb badge, I'm doing a special post for my son with this information in it!
Dear Simon, a recent article on the Preston Express, "Locals rally round to save St Walburge's" got me worrying a bit. I pray every day that the ICKSP can finally take care of this Church. It would be great news not only for Preston, but for the whole Church in this Country.
Please let me know how I can support this cause.
Thank you
Dear Bregwin,
Keep praying! Especially at this time. Mgr. Wach is visiting Preston at the end of the month and will visit St. Walburge's. I hope he will be able to meet Bishops O'Donoghue and Campbell and discuss the future of the church and of the Institute's apostolate in Lancaster diocese.
It will be good for our bishops to know that people all over the country are supporting and praying for this intention.
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