Sunday, November 8, 2009

November 13: Mass in Honor of St. Didacus of Alcalá

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Friday, November 13, 7:30 P.M.
Mass in the Extraordinary Form
for the Feast of St. Didacus of Alcalá
Celebrant: Rev. Fr. Harry Neely, O.S.A.
St. Augustine Monastery Chapel
3266 Nutmeg St., San Diego, CA 92104




The Mass will be entirely sung in Gregorian Chant. St. Didacus (San Diego in Spanish) is the patron saint of America's Finest City. In November of 1602, Sebastián Vizcaíno was sent to map the California coast. Arriving on his flagship San Diego, Vizcaíno surveyed the harbor and what are now Mission Bay and Point Loma and named the area for St. Didacus.
Donations will benefit St. Augustine's Monastery.
Everybody is welcome to attend.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

More Photos From All Hallows' Vespers






Frater John B. Polhamus reads inscriptions from Enrollment Cards sent from the Mother House in London.










Frater George Pecoraro, the liturgy's Thurifer, stands by for Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament to begin, while other Brethren around him vest in robes of the Confraternity of the Most Precious Blood, which Postulants and enrolled Brethren of the Little Oratory have the privilege to wear.









Fr. Victor Szczurek (O. Præm.), with Rituale, blesses the occasion's Holy Cards.











Small reliquary containing relics of our Holy Patron, St. Philip Neri, rests near the Spanish Colonial tabernacle of Mission San Juan.

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A bill advertising the vespers liturgy is posted on the outside gate of historic Mission San Juan Capistrano.

Sunday, November 1, 2009

All Hallows' Vespers at San Juan Capistrano, and the Distribution of Enrollment Cards


The Brothers of the Little Oratory in San Diego at the invitation of and in conjunction with members of Una Voce Orange County, sang the 1st Vespers of the Feast of All Hallows before the glittering reredos of the Serra Chapel at Mission San Juan Capistrano. A congregation of fifty persons, plus twelve in the sanctuary and five in the loft, brought the total in attendance to nearly seventy for the first traditional Roman vespers in at least the last forty years to be celebrated in the historic two hundred and forty year old chapel, the oldest original building remaining in all of the mission chain established by Blessed Junipero Serra.


The vespers were accompanied by a brother on the chapel's two manual pipe organ. In addition to the organ, violin descants, as well as flute and cello accompaniments were added to the processional and recessional hymns, as well as the hymns of Benediction, by the members of the Delina family, sisters Faith and Nicole, and their brother Gian. For this musical generosity the Brothers and doubtless all assembled return their sincere thanks. Fr. Victor Szczurek served as Hebdomadary and performed the Benediction, assisted in the sanctuary by MC Enzo Selvaggi.


In the sacristy following the services, enrollment cards for the Brothers' membership in the Archconfraternity of the Precious Blood were distributed, along with fresh and matching copies of the Brothers' cards of enrollment amongst the Brothers of the Little Oratory. This set was generously and exactingly prepared by Mr. James C.R. Cross of the London Brothers, and was prefaced by a formal message which was read prior to distribution. Accompanying the enrollment cards were copies of the St. Philip's Day 2009 cards distributed at London this past 26 May. Coming as it did following another successful annual observance of the vespers of one of the most glittering feasts of the church year, this touch of a London hand heightened the Brothers' sense of connection both to our living London family, and to the spiritual presence of our Saint, his sons, and our Brothers who have gone before us.