Day: Mar 14, 2021

Dear Bishop Pat,

First, thank you for your interesting blog. Even if I don’t all the time agree with you in your opinions and theology, your blog is well needed to make the world know about the corruption, abuse and bullying going on the Catholic church. Keep up the good work!

You have earlier mentioned about St. John’s Seminary, Wonersh on your blog. The seminary is due to close in June or July, BUT they are still asking and begging for financial support, both on their website and by snail mail!

The menu on the website  has its own tag “Support” when clicking on that there is a heartbreaking story about their chapel
and how much in need of money they are to refurbish that. The same text is written in the snail mail I’ve got a couple of times AFTER they announced they are closing, last time only a couple of weeks ago:

“Around Easter 2019, we launched our Chapel Challenge Appeal, having been overwhelmed by the generosity of so many towards our Seminarians’ Room Refurbishment Appeal the year before. We didn’t want to ‘push our luck’ so-to-speak in asking for more help from already generous donors – so we tried to make it clear that our Chapel Challenge Appeal was not being made to those who had been generous to us already, but rather to those who may have missed our Seminarians’ Room Refurbishment Appeal, and also to the ‘Old Boys’ of Wonersh – whether ordained or not.

While the Chapel is still very much fit for purpose and in daily use, work needs to be done to stabilise the original parquet flooring, to upgrade the heating and lighting, and to improve the sound system – and the Chapel desperately needs redecorating. This involves much more than just a lick of paint. There are many fine features, which have been delicately painted, and which need to remain in such a way, as the Chapel is a Grade II listed building.

Any Chapel Challenge Appeal donations, large or small, will be very gratefully received (cheques payable to: St John’s Seminary). Please send to:

Mgr Gerald Ewing
St John’s Seminary,
Wonersh , Guildford,
Surrey GU5 0QX

(It is also possible to donate by Bank Transfer, and to Gift Aid. You may even like to remember the Seminary in your will. For further details email: rector@wonersh.org )

Support the seminary!

On top on that they actively seek out new donors and contributors, especially “Old Boys of Wonersh – whether ordained or not”. As they state in their appeal:

“… our Chapel Challenge Appeal was not being made to those who had been generous to us already, but rather to those who may have missed our Seminarians’ Room Refurbishment Appeal, and also to the ‘Old Boys’ of Wonersh – whether ordained or not.”

Their earlier “Seminarians’ Room Refurbishment Appeal” which according
to the seminary was a success didn’t benefit the seminarian rooms at all but rather the staffs rooms which were upgraded to fancy apartments and suites. Plus spent on other things benefiting the staff.

And now they are begging for more money.

Knowing how the place works and how they misuse money and treat people I’m disgust and offended by these appeals which in my eyes are scams.

And as a former Wonerhs seminarian I’m deeply offended that they are targeting former students / seminarians, not only on their website but also by appeals by snail mail.

God bless,

PAT SAYS

Its strange if Wonersh is still collecting money if is going to close this June?

The talk was that the bishop/ bishops were goibg to sell the building and land for God knows how many millions?

Here we have another situation which needs transparency.

INTERVIEW OF BILLY MURRAY, LARNE UNDERTAKER.

Billy Murray was a much loved character in Larne.

He and Norman were generous in the extreme to me when my mum Jo died in 2006.

For a joke Billy used to measure me with his eyes and tell me the size of coffin I would be going into.

I told him he might be away before me and he was.

https://vimeo.com/61572587?ref=em-share

*****UPDATE ON WONERSH

Worersh seminary has this morning taken down their website?

The Vatican’s Secretariat of State has issued an instruction regarding the celebration of Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, suppressing Masses said by a priest by himself, and restricting the celebration of the extraordinary form of Mass in the Latin rite to one altar in the crypt of the basilica.

The instruction comes from the First Section of the Secretariat of State, which deals with the general affairs of the church and is headed by Venezuelan-born Archbishop Peña Parra. He is the third-highest ranking official in the Roman Curia and is known as the “substitute” (or chief of staff).

The instruction, dated March 12, is addressed to three separate bodies. The first is the “extraordinary commissioner of the Fabric of St Peter’s,” meaning the person the pope has appointed to oversee the administration and upkeep of the basilica.

Last June, the pope appointed Archbishop Mario Giordana as extraordinary commissioner; his role is to bring clarity to the administration of the Fabric and update its statutes.The second is the “canons of the Vatican Chapter” and the third is the “service for the liturgical celebrations of the basilica.”

The new Vatican instruction strictly limits the celebration of the extraordinary form of the Latin rite in the basilica, making clear that its usage is not intended to be the norm.

The Lenten season “invites us to return to the Lord with all our heart by giving greater centrality to listening to the Word of God and to the Eucharistic celebration,” reads the beginning of the instruction. “In this sense, wishing to ensure that the holy Masses in the Basilica of St. Peter’s are conducted in a climate of recollection and liturgical decorum, from now henceforth the following has been laid down.”

The instruction makes five specific points without explanation for them, but their aim appears clear: to ensure that there is order in the celebration of the Mass in St Peter’s basilica, and that Masses are celebrated in accordance with the norms and spirit of the liturgical renewal of the Second Vatican Council. It strictly limits the celebration of the extraordinary form of the Latin rite in the basilica, making clear that its usage is not intended to be the norm.

An informed source told America that every morning, priests (many of them working in the Roman Curia) celebrate Mass at side altars of the basilica, frequently by themselves and often in the extraordinary form. The aim of the instruction’s first point is to end this practice of “lone” celebrations.

Every morning, priests (many of them working in the Roman Curia) celebrate Mass at side altars of the basilica, frequently by themselves and often in the extraordinary form.

The second point of the instruction stipulates that “the priests and the faithful who go daily to the basilica for holy Mass should have the possibility to participate in the following celebrations,” listing the time and place of various Masses: at 7.00 a.m. at the Chapel of the Choir; at 7.30 a.m. at the Altar of the Chair; at 8.00 a.m. at the Chapel of the Choir; and at 9.00 a.m. at the Altar of the Chair.

The times of other Masses remain unchanged. It says that “on the occasion of the memory of a saint, whose remains are kept in the basilica, one of the holy Masses can be celebrated at the corresponding altar.” It adds, however, that “on Sundays and on solemnities, the opportunity of celebrating Masses at these times will be evaluated.” This last point presumably refers to the fact that the pope will often celebrate in the basilica on Sundays or solemnities.

PAT SAYS

As a devoted Vatican 11 man I am happy to see Francis and the Vatican taking a step against the Latin Mass brigade.

I did not like it when Benedict permitted priests to say the Old Latin Mass regardless of the bishop’s wishes.

Since Vatican 11 the Vernacular Mass is the normative Mass for Catholics.

It is also the Mass that best expresses the theology and ecclesiology of Vatican 11.

The Old Latin Mass is one that very much panders to mega clericalism and right-wing Catholicism.

It has become the rallying tool of the right wingers.

It is based on  pre Vatican 11 theology – a theology that was quite rightly revised by the Fathers of Vatican 11.

At the Last Supper and on the Cross Christ did not have his back to the people and did not speak a language no one understood.

The Old Latin Mass proclaims a theology of Medievalism while the Vernacular Mass proclaims a theology of encounter with the modern world – bringing God to the modern world.

Maybe there needs to be a modern schism or reformation and allow the Medievalists to go off and form their own church?

An Obituary printed in the Times…..Absolutely Brilliant!! 👌👌

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as:

• Knowing when to come in out of the rain;
• Why the early bird gets the worm;
• Life isn’t always fair;
• And maybe it was my fault.

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don’t spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).

His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children.

It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an aspirin to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims.

Common Sense took a beating when you couldn’t defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault.

Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.

Common Sense was preceded in death,
-by his parents, Truth and Trust,
-by his wife, Discretion,
-by his daughter, Responsibility,
-and by his son, Reason.

He is survived by his 5 stepbrothers;

• I Know My Rights
• I Want It Now
• Someone Else Is To Blame
• I’m A Victim
• Pay me for Doing Nothing

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.

If you still remember him, pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing.

PATS HOMILY. MOTHERS DAY.

I’m listening to The bishopbuckleyspodcast | LATERE AND MOTHERING SUNDAY Mar 14, 2021 12:53 on Podbean, check it out! https://www.podbean.com/ea/pb-n3zhd-fd90e9