Monday, November 26, 2007

The Most Beautiful Thing This Side of Heaven

November 17 was a memorable day for Chorus Breviarii and for San Diego: a Pontifical Requiem in the extraordinary form of the Roman Rite was celebrated by H.E. the Most Rev.d Mons. Salvatore Cordileone for the repose of the soul of Fr. Sir Hugh Barrett-Lennard, Cong. Orat. Lond. , Bart. (1917-2007).
The first photos of this event have begun to reach me and I'll be posting more as they come. These are from the video taken by Mr. Dave Lanfranchi, the President of Una Voce Orange County. Slightly larger photos can be seen in this album.

























In case you wonder, we were honored by the presence in choir of three monks from Holy Resurrection Monastery, a traditional Byzantine monastic community in communion with Rome.

9 comments:

Ben Whitworth said...

How beautiful. How fitting. That MC looks familiar ...

trulyroman said...

How very splendid indeed. What a joy to see the Immemorial Rite celebrated with such obvious recollection and devotion. If Ben Whitworth can forgive a tiny little correction to his comment. In accordance with Oratory custom (the Chorus Breviarii having been founded from the London House) the Oratory does not have an MC. The gentleman concerned is always called the Ceremoniere, never the MC. I know the Chorus would echo my polite observation, and yes, the Ceremoniere does look familiar. My, Mr Paver sir, how busy you are!

Ashley Paver said...

I most assuredly was a busy Cer.

First Vespers of a parish's patronal feast, the whole of the Office of the Dead, and a Pontifical Mass in the course of three days, all prepared from afar, was fairly demanding.

Ben, my dear chap, how (and indeed where) are you?

And thank you for your kind and accurate words to my friend, whose style I don't immediately recognize!

F Christopher Smith said...

I am not sure who Ashley Paver is, but the Ceremoniere has a distinct resemblance to my dear friend F Patrick Doyle of the London Oratory; where were the Cong.Orats from? Very nicely done, lads!

Anonymous said...

Any idea on where this Mass was celebrated? The only place I know of where the Extraordinary Rite is regularly celebrated is in the Mausoleum Chapel of Holy Cross Cemetary, and the pictures are not of that chapel...St. John the Evangelist in Hillcrest, perhaps? Fr. Dillard of that parish is trained in the Extraordinary Rite, and it is one of the few churches in the diocese which has the Tabernacle correctly placed in the front, center of the church...just curious since it is where I became a Catholic.

bedwere said...

The Mass was celebrated at St. John's as you guessed. Although Fr. Dillard is the chaplain at Holy Cross, he has not celebrated the T.L.M. yet. However, he sat in the sacristy during the Requiem.

bedwere said...

Father, the ceremonieri were Ashley Paver and John Polhamus. There are five brothers of the London Oratory living in sunny San Diego: we all went to London and were graciously invested with the relic of St. Philip Neri.

trulyroman said...

Ashley old friend, so you "don't immediately recognise my style" eh? Who else do you know who is so obsessed with the minutiae of the London Oratory's traditions and liturgical customs and is so insistent on their absolute observance above all else? Recognise me now?

Ashley Paver said...

Oh heavens, what have I done? Having posted here, I have neglected to come back and check.

Truly Roman, my dear Brother, how nice to see you! Yes, I think I do recognize you now...