Sunday, May 23, 2010

International Mass Pentecost 2010

Today we celebrated the gift of tongues present in the Church today as the Gospel is communicated in the many languages spoken in our parish, including: English, Gaelic, Malayalam, French, Ibo, Swahili, Maltese, Polish, Italian, Tamil, Nyamje. That's eleven which, for a small parish like ours, is pretty impressive!

Much of the Mass was said/sung in Latin: the proper prayers (Collect, Super Oblata, Post Communionem), Sequence (Veni Sancte Spiritus), the conclusion of each bidding prayer (Dominum precemur, Te rogamus audi nos), the Preface, Eucharistic Prayer III, Pater Noster and embolism, Dismissal, Regina Caeli.

We were also please to baptise Jan Kasimierz.

Following Mass there was an international shared lunch.

Here's a slideshow to give some flavour of the celebrations. It was a very happy morning indeed. (My shirt was a present from a Tanzanian parishioner! Photo at the end taken by our professional paparazza Maureen A.)



Or a video:

8 comments:

  1. Congratulations, Fr. A wonderful celebration, indeed.

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  2. Today we celebrated the gift of tongues present in the Church today as the Gospel is communicated in the many languages spoken in our parish, including: English, Gaelic, Malayalam, French, Ibo, Swahili, Maltese, Polish, Italian, Tamil, Nyamje.

    Is this not all the more reason for the mass in one language i.e. Latin?

    I seem to remember that the reason why there are so many "tongues" is because God cursed them earth with "Babel" (Genesis 11:9)

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  3. I assume that shirt will be seldom worn .....and only on truly exceptional occasions, if any such occasion should occur! :-)

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  4. @Hestor: Well, it's one reason. I have no problem with Mass in English, or in other languages. The Holy Spirit did not abolish the diverse languages brought about at Babel but united them in the proclamation of the one Gospel. We should bear in mind that the Church consists of many different Churches with differing Rites and root languages. Latin is common to only one of those Churches. However, let me assure you that I am firmly in favour of Latin in the Liturgy, in accordance with the authentic interpretation of the liturgical constitutions decreed at Vatican II in continuity with all the previous councils.

    @EFpastor emeritus: well, you can't pigeon hole me too easily, can you?

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  5. Great work, Father. However, I was mildly disappointed that the Roman Canon wasn't used - given it's special Communicantes for Pentecost. But I emphasise, this is a mere observation, not a criticism. I greatly admire all you do for the Church and your parish.

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  6. Thanks Monica, and I fully understand your very mild observation. I made the decision 'for pastoral reasons' to use EP3. It is a bit shorter, and clearly expresses the work of the Holy Spirit in sanctifying the offerings. I was able to sing it all the way through, which I think is more 'bearable' for the people rather than saying it. (Obviously, to have said the Canon/EP is silence would have been great.) As Fr Z, brick by brick...

    I used the Roman Canon at the evening Mass.

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  7. What a powerful witness to the one language of faith!
    Is about time our crazy country realised that we Catholics have the key to bringing all nationalities together.
    I just can't believe you wore that shirt.

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  8. Something in Scripture about being all things to all men? Beings fools for Christ?

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