A Chaplain Abroad - Fr Bede Rowe

WARNING - PROPOSAL IMMINENT

2012-02-29T08:35:00.000Z

I've warned my boys, on the 29th of February women can propose. It was so grave I even mentioned it in French.

They visibly blanched.

Les Sables d'Olonne

2012-02-28T15:18:00.000Z

Mgr Castet, the Bishop of Lucon, has asked me to celebrate the Extraordinary Form of Holy Mass at Sables d'Olonne, a little sea-side town not far from Chavagnes. The Bishop responded to a request from Christ's Lay Faithful and arranged that Holy Mass be offered. I know, I know... I was completely gobsmacked at such obvious obedience to the Holy See as well.

They asked and he facilitated it.

Just think what would happen if other Bishops blatantly followed the will of the Church. Sky would probably fall in or something.

Anyway, I preached about the essential need for individual, integral Confession. I have to come clean and say that I have preached the same homily before... but if something is good, why improve on it?

I'm now waiting for the backlash. Last time I preached this homily I was publicly, verbally attacked at my Chrism Mass by a nutty Priest who accused me of being rigid and un-Vatican II! Heaven preserve us! He pursued me for ages. I suppose nurse has taken him off again. It's no surprise that the laity don't go to Confession when they have been "instructed" so terribly by foolish Priests. And don't get me on the subject of the abusive lies peddled about general absolution...

Pah...

... and grrrrrr.

Mgr Keith Newton

2012-02-27T09:05:00.000Z

Funny who you run into at a Papal Ash Wednesday Mass.

Boys in front of St Peter's

2012-02-26T18:37:00.001Z

Deeply moved by our visit to the tomb of Saint Peter, some boys were overcome by Apostolic zeal...

... and tried to make others recant from an over-interest in lunch time, as opposed to the joys of the eternal city.

We were also joined by a 1940s spiv. This chap actually went into a Ray-Ban Sunglasses shop later in the afternoon and asked the assistant if the "Ray-Bans" he'd bought for ten euros from a dodgy geezer in the street were real!

Needless to say, they were not... he then tried to sell them to passers by for the rest of the afternoon for twenty euros!!!

The English College Rome

2012-02-26T17:52:00.000Z

A wonderful chap showed us around the English College and quite fine it is too!

Although I have to say that the reordering is terrible. The 'plinth' for the Blessed Sacrament is not worthy for its great purpose and now looks like a naff 1960s kitchen surface.

Inside Santa Maria Maggiore

2012-02-24T11:53:00.002Z

Vatican Gardens

2012-02-22T19:25:00.001Z

Sancta Maria Maggiore practice Chapel

2012-02-21T17:28:00.001Z

Venerable Pius XII Vase

2012-02-21T17:16:00.001Z

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The Chapel of The Blessing of Palliums

2012-02-21T17:12:00.000Z

In the Cancelleria is the chapel where the Palliums are blessed. These are the black and white stole like things that archbishops wear. They are all blessed here. It is an amazing sign of the universality of the Church.

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The Blessing of Palliums

2012-02-21T17:11:00.000Z

The Tribunal of the Roman Rota

2012-02-20T19:12:00.000Z

The Cancelleria

2012-02-20T19:09:00.000Z

With Mgr Gervais at the Cancelleria

2012-02-20T19:07:00.001Z

We had an excellent trip around the Cancelleria and the Roman Rota. I'd heard about it during seminary but to see it! Quite excellent.

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Inside the Lateran

2012-02-20T19:02:00.001Z

Scala Sancta

2012-02-20T08:12:00.001Z

The Scala Sancta is the staircase outside the Lateran which was brought from the Holy Land. Great grace comes with going up up ones knees praying on each step. Our boys did it and received the grace of God. Sometime you think they are little monsters and sometimes human beings. Here they're on the side of the Angels.

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Scala Sancta

2012-02-20T08:09:00.000Z

Boy Bishop Elevated

2012-02-19T20:54:00.000Z

Our Boy Bishop of Chavagnes reached his full potential at a private ceremony at St John Lateran today when he was elevated to the Papacy. The world waits in anticipation for his first statements. We think it is going to be about bed time, washing up and homework.

Viva il papa!

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More Scouts

2012-02-18T22:02:00.001Z

Tonight we were hosted by the Scouts of Europe. Mass before then a meal and things around the camp fire.

For some reason the wood exploded in the fire. Still, no one was terribly damaged!

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Scouts and Bonfires

2012-02-18T22:00:00.001Z

More on the museum

2012-02-18T15:50:00.000Z

One of the boys decided that he was going to be a founder (he couldn't decide whether to be Romulus or Remus). But EUR is mainly famous for the excellent scale model (1:250) of Rome. See photos in post below.

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Museum of the City of Rome

2012-02-18T15:43:00.001Z

After a trying and exhausting choir practice we went off to the Museum of the City of Rome. Wonderful fascist architecture!

The Seraphicum

2012-02-18T08:30:00.001Z

We are staying at the Seraphicum. A little way out but very good for the boys. They don't seem to mind the noise - the authorities that us, not the boys! I say Mass in this Chapel. This is before we made it fit for our Mass. As one of the boys said " what's that table for? " and he wasn't taking about the main altar!

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At Tre Fontani where no Boys Lost their Heads

2012-02-17T17:32:00.000Z

When Saint Paul came to Rome to be tried and eventually killed, the manner of his death was this.

His head was chopped off with a sword and when it fell to the ground it did not do so in a normal manner but rather bounced three times. Each place where it bounced a fountain sprung up.

The Beginning of the Trip

2012-02-17T10:37:00.000Z

Boys and aeroplanes. A wonderful combination.

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Getting Ready for Rome

2012-02-16T21:15:00.000Z

The choir of Chavagnes International College is getting ready to take the Eternal City by storm as our choir trip gets itself ready to move out.

It sounds wonderful, but in reality it involves getting up at midnight and driving to Paris Beauvais airport.

Yikes!

More shiny things

2012-02-15T21:41:00.000Z

Again at Emmaus I managed to find untold glories. The first was the set of cruets. To be honest I'm not entirely sure what they are or were for, but they will now serve the altar of God as proper cruets. I have shown a "one polished and one not" photograph.

Then there was this brass bowl and jug. Perfect for a lavabo. So I think I might use them for best feasts.

And all for 10 Euros!

St Michel Chef-Chef

2012-02-09T15:11:00.001Z

Enough of this ghastly cold weather! On last Monday I went for a constitutional drive and stopped at a place called St Michel Chef-Chef. Mainly because of the name. How wonderful to be called chef-chef. Also they make biscuits. Anyway the church was really quite fun, nice inside with a couple of side altars in the transepts, and a sanctuary that had not been completely wrecked.

There were some truly frightening statues of the Devil and St Michael. Thank God St Michael won.

From the Chapel to the Library

2012-02-08T08:16:00.000Z

So we decided that the Chapel was a little bit cold. Well very cold actually, and so have moved to the library to say Mass.

We just tried to recreate the Chapel in the library. It's funny that when you do this, that the boys, and I suppose people in general 'respect the space'. Of course they sat on the floor for the readings, but for the rest they stood or knelt. And came to the edge of the carpet, as if it were an altar rail, to receive Holy Communion.

This 'holy space' is so easy to do. I have thought about it much, and firmly believe that what we have done to our churches, removing defined spaces etc. has not brought the sacred into the world, but rather dissolved it. If I want a sugar lump, then I want a sugar lump. I do not want it dissolved in a cup of water. If we want the sacred then we want to know where it is and how to access it. We do not want 'it's everywhere around you'.

Doing some reading for the boys to prepare them for their GCSE in Religion, I was again reminded of this when looking at the presences of Christ in Holy Mass. If you are in any way interested (and believe me, I wouldn't blame you if you were not) the modern theology stresses four:

In the proclaimed word (readings)
In the Priest
In the assembly
In Holy Communion

So where is Christ? He's everywhere. What we have done (completely by accident - the law of unintended consequences) is dilute the true, real and abiding presence of God in the Blessed Sacrament. By playing up the others, we down play the most important. We have dissolved Christ into mushiness. I'm sorry but I'm not going to run into a burning Church to save the proclaimed word!

So we in Chavagnes stand as a bulwark preserving and promoting the sacred in the midst of the profane. And we do it by building altars in libraries.

And the Igloo is Finished!

2012-02-05T16:39:00.000Z

And snow forts

2012-02-05T15:39:00.000Z

And there are igloos

2012-02-05T15:37:00.000Z

...others go to Marian Shrines...

2012-02-05T15:34:00.000Z

...have fights...

...and fall down!

What happens when it snows...

2012-02-05T15:31:00.000Z

boys build snow men...

and fight!

Candlemass at Chavagnes

2012-02-04T10:13:00.000Z

One of our boys took some videos of Candlemas. This is the Blessing of Candles - with the all important instruction "DON'T DRIP WAX!" Of course they did.

This is the introit.

Preface

And consecration...

This is the NEW RITE. Please remember this... the NEW RITE!

Boy meets Bouc

2012-02-03T17:27:00.000Z

Boy meets bouc.

Boy frightened of bouc.

Floreat Oriel

2012-02-02T13:55:00.000Z

Candlemas, today, is the feast day of Oriel College Oxford - The House of Mary the Blessed Virgin in Oxford.

So I wish all Orielenses a Happy Feast!

Floreat Oriel

A New Gradine

2012-02-02T09:20:00.000Z

The Chapel in Chavagnes I have always said, was quite fine. however it had been messed around with quite a bit in the time of the destruction of the interiors of Churches (commonly called the 70s-90s). You can see what it used to be like here.

So in order to give even more dignity to God, a pupil and I discovered this piece of wood. In classic style we simply carried it all through college, and no one batted an eyelid ("Ahhh, yes, Chaplain and Max carrying a very large piece of wood, nothing to worry about there. All perfectly normal.)

It was cunningly fashioned to be twice the height, and sat perfectly behind the Tabernacle. Truly a sign that Almighty God likes gradines.

You can see how it is simply placed on the altar and then covered in cloths. It gives a definition to the Altar that was not there before. Of course new candles help, but it seems much more solid now.

A Gradine, every Church should have one.

It snowed!

2012-01-30T17:57:00.000Z

In Chavagnes! yes. Snowballing was forbidden in the front court yard, but I still managed to get a boy right down the back of his neck before being told off by Mr Usher!

Even the car is covered! Poor car!

St Teresa of Avila in Ecstasy

2012-01-27T09:14:00.000Z

My printed hanging of St Teresa of Avila in Ecstasy is up in my room. It looks very smart. It is based I assume on Bernini's sculpture. The account of her ecstasy is found in her autobiography (this culled from Wikipedia - so its bound to be true!):

I saw in his hand a long spear of gold, and at the iron's point there seemed to be a little fire. He appeared to me to be thrusting it at times into my heart, and to pierce my very entrails; when he drew it out, he seemed to draw them out also, and to leave me all on fire with a great love of God. The pain was so great, that it made me moan; and yet so surpassing was the sweetness of this excessive pain, that I could not wish to be rid of it. The soul is satisfied now with nothing less than God. The pain is not bodily, but spiritual; though the body has its share in it. It is a caressing of love so sweet which now takes place between the soul and God, that I pray God of His goodness to make him experience it who may think that I am lying.

I have not found too often printed versions of this. Posters, of course, by this hanging really is quite fine. It's about four foot by three - so a reasonable size.

Burns Night

2012-01-26T10:40:00.000Z

Burns night notice by our art department under the direction of the Boyles Family

In fine form and fine fettle, our school celebrated Burns Night. We were helped enormously by a Pipe Band from Nantes, the Askol Ha Brug Pipe Band of Nantes.

Refectory in glorious array

Preceding their arrival we congregated in the library to drink aperitifs (non-alcoholic for the boys, of course) and sing Scottish songs, accompanied on the pianoforte by Mr Tyldesley, and gently crooned by Mr McDermott, Mr Crawford, and the assembled masses. It was at this moment that we realised just how depressing much Scottish music is... "What did you get form your own true love? I got as cup of poison as she died."

Depressing Scottish songs sung with a smile on the face

Everyone was in their finery with kilts on show.

Mr and Mrs McDermott

The family of Mr Usher, our head of the senior boys

The Pipers were excellent, here come clips form them. The sound reverberating in the school was extraordinary!

All together a piece of Scotland in the Vendee... strange yes, but quite wonderful.

I Thirst for your Soul

2012-01-25T15:00:00.000Z

This is the sentiment found in a Church on my travels last Monday. It was written under the crucifix.

It uses, of course, the words of Our Lord on the Cross, "I thirst". This physical thirst confronts us with the humanity of Christ. He thirsted in His humanity, but also He thirsted in His Divinity, not for a water to satisfy the body, but for the souls of believers.

On the Cross, even at that moment, Our Saviour thirsted for our soul. He desired that we come to His poor, crumpled body. Even then, our soul had no hope except in Him.

J'ai soif de ton âme!

I thirst for your soul... not for my own good, but for yours. Not out of my need but from your wretched state.

I thirst for you...

The Handing in of Guns

2012-01-25T08:11:00.000Z

Mr McDermott and the weapons

Not usually a subject which is broached in most schools, or if it is then usually it is accompanied by terrible headlines and horror stories. But not here in Chavagnes. The photo is of Mr McDermott being given a series of guns, five in all I think, from our boys.

WHAT!!! I hear you cry! But this is terrible! What dereliction of duty! Guns in a school!!!

Have no fear - they are only the sort of guns the fire clay pellets. But we decided (quite sensibly in my opinion) that they should be in the hands of the teachers. We know exactly what to do with them...

Olympic shooting in the modern Pentathlon

... organise a tournament of markmanship of course - what else!

To the Washing Place with you...

2012-01-24T10:59:00.000Z

Such was the exciting nature of our Sunday walk, as we went to the Laverie du Pontereau. This was the outdoor place where the people of Chavagnes (the women I suspect) went to do their washing in yesteryear.

The boys, I suspect, do not ponder much on these things - seeing rather an opportunity to try to jump into water or push Mr McDermott in! Or even, in the case of the boy on the left, ignoring the whole thing and read a comic book on the Smurfs instead.

But if you do think about it, what a different world when people had to come together to do things, like washing, or shopping, or even working. I do not glorify the past - who would not prefer an indoor washing machine or the convenience of supermarkets which are open all day long.

No, but what I mean is that the experiences, and thus in some manner, the very mentality and shaping of the minds of the people at that time would have been different because of such communal activity.

Shiny old things

2012-01-23T06:47:00.000Z

Little Candlestick

On a recent trip to an Emmaus (info and details here), I came across two forlorn little candlesticks, about 8" high or so. After the liberal application of Miror formule Cuivre (Brasso to you and me) they came up a treat. And €10 the pair not bad at all.

Before and after shot. Thank God for Miror (Brasso).

Now, there is a train of thought that says "do you really need more of that?" Actually it is my mother's train of thought, who does not see wonderful stuff, but just more stuff. I say you can never have enough of certain things, and little candlesticks are one of those things. If nothing else it now means that we are up to 20 candles on the altar for Benediction,and that can only be a good thing, non? So while there is a € in my pocket and a shop to go through, that number will go higher and higher!

The Sacred Heart in the Supermarket

2012-01-21T17:13:00.001Z

This is the symbol of the Vendee: twin hearts, a crown and a cross. This is the Sacred Heart and the Crown of France. "Faithful to Both" as the motto says, utrique fidelis.

How cool to have a Sacred Heart in a supermarket!

In fact, schoolboy french lingo, "C'est hyper-cool, mec!"

In the News

2012-01-20T16:21:00.001Z

The Boy Bishop of Chavagnes - photo Fr Anthony Talbot

There is a very good article in the Catholic Herald about our school. Link Here.

Great quote from Mr McDermott, our headmaster

It’s a great life out here, and I thank God for looking after us.

Bouin

2012-01-19T08:37:00.000Z

In the town of Bouin in just to the north of Chavagnes and near the coast is an unassuming Church. Of course it looks quite monumental from the outside as many of them do, but inside there are three wonderful baroque altarpieces.

It is dedicated to Notre Dame, and is built in the style of the fourteen century.

Final Word on Evil Modern Theology

2012-01-18T14:53:00.000Z

...I doubt it will be the last word, but never mind.

Someone asked me if what I had said contradicted the celebration of the EF Mass. It would seem on the surface of it that the New Mass was designed to have a meaning which was easily accessible, and which could speak to all people, who then, if they need to would be able to look further into it.

I have much sympathy with this view. Contrary to some I am not of the opinion that those who reformed the liturgy had evil motives (some of them had motives which I violently disagree with, and which have, I am sad to say, proved themselves to be destructive to the Church, but that is to mix motives with results and that is just not on). I think that what they wanted to do was actually in accord with what I have outlined. They wanted to produce a pristine liturgy, when the 'noble simplicity' of the signs spoke to people, without commentary.

By the way the phrase 'noble simplicity' now makes me feel more than queasy as it was used in seminary to justify the destruction of anything of beauty or complexity - a rose is beautiful, complex, and has a noble simplicity.

So if this was the intention, what went wrong? Well we all know the problems of archeologism (returning to the past for its own sake) namely:

We really have no idea what went on liturgically in the early Church - all that priest-turning-his-back-on-God business proves that.
There is a reason liturgy develops.
We all want a golden age until we have toothache, and then we want modern anesthesia.
Why would we choose 4th century Rome, or Ephesus or any other time or place as the perfect moment?

etc. etc. So archeologism as an end in itself is not going to work (it can be used in service to a greater whole, such as relearning the ancient chant of the Church, but not if we recreate a historical 'reality').

So if the New Mass does not deliver on 'clarity' then why not? I think it is all to do with... too many words. This is both in readings and in stripping everything away except the spoken word. There is nothing else to look at. You cannot engage in paraliturgical activity. You cannot say the rosary, you cannot read different prayers from those that the priest says. You are a slave to the action of the Priest - you are tied to him, as if by strings. Ironically what was supposed to free the liturgy from being Priest-centred (only the action of the Priest) has tied the people to him. In a world of choice, there is no choice, in a world of freedom, there is no freedom. Stand up, sit down, say this, listen to this. This is passivity dressed up in external action.

I'm not just criticising the New Mass, but rather pointing out areas of unintended consequences. Either you are 'involved' (thus one of the club) or passive. Either you understand the hidden messages in art or scripture of whatever, or you do not.

If you came to Holy Mass from outside, you would experience rites, language and symbolism of a group of people of whom you are not a member, the group is in relationship to each other - you are not a part of it. If you go to an Extraordinary Form Mass, then you experience the rites, language and symbolism of an act of worship which you are in relationship to. You may not have the faintest idea of what is going on, but you and everyone else is in the same boat. You are all in relationship with what is beyond you. You can stand in awe at something which is there, as opposed to standing outside a circle of worshippers.

I can bang on like this for ever, but I'll stop now. It is interesting when you thing of things in this way. It is all a bit counter-intuitive.

Evil Modern Theology Revisited

2012-01-13T09:33:00.000Z

Seeing our refectory, I described it as 'incarnational'. It is recognisable as what it is, and what it is has the obvious ability to elevate the individual. The signs and symbols are accessible.

Modern theology moves this into a representational symbolism, which is not accessible, except to those in the know. If you like it is a kind of modern gnosticism. I know, of course, that symbolism has been used in Christian art and architecture for centuries, but only as something which gives an obvious picture an extra depth. In accord with classical Biblical interpretation, you should not just have hidden interpretation, or mystical interpretation, but also a plain meaning. One can go deeper if one has the time and the inclination, but one should also be able to stay on the surface.

The Annunciation by Jan van Eyck - full of symbolism but with an obvious and plain meaning.

A picture of the Annunciation can be filled with any number of hidden references that one is able to 'read' if one knows the key - symbols of virginity, of the presence of the Holy Spirit, of the crucifixion and death of the Son who is about to exist in her womb... but if it is not recognisably the Annunciation, then these other symbols only have meaning for the smug club who understands such things.

This is what I hate, anything that transforms our religion into a smug club for those who have the time (and education) to 'read' the hidden things.

Incidently this is one of the reasons why the revision of the Lectionary was such a disaster in my opinion. Simply put, huge chunks of dislocated Old Testament Scripture were inserted into Holy Mass. If you happen to go to daily Mass you will hear them 30 times in your life, on Sundays perhaps 20 times or so. They will generally not be preached on, nor explained. If you are clever, and have the education and intelligence to go to Bible study groups, then you can have access to them. If you do not have the time nor the inclination (and there is no obligation to study the Bible after all) then it is a 'closed book'. It becomes hidden.

Please follow the link below

Getting back to the smug club. I came to this conclusion and this comparison having seen an installation of a religious image in a school in my British Diocese. Please look at the pictures here, or none of this will make any sense. I am not making any judgement on its merit as 'art' - or its meaningfulness for the children who are there at the moment. But it is not immediately accessible. It has no plain meaning. It is at best, in the theological terms that I have just outlined, a secret coded image which is meaningful for those in the club.

When the Rites of the Church are shrouded in mystery, then the symbols which explain and expand them must work on numerous levels, and these levels must be built one on top of the other. The base is a plain reading, a plain representation, something that everyone, be they four or ninety four, can access. When it becomes clever, then it stops being Catholic.

We are both clear and clever. We can be only clear, but we enter dangerous water if we are only clever. The modern Church (and I would also say modern liturgy) tends towards being too clever, becoming too smug.

The result of the Incarnation was that it was accessible (had a plain meaning) and was infinitely deep, far beyond our understanding. He was human with warmth, and recognisable.

Faith, practice, theology, architecture, art, liturgy must imitate God-made-man. God became man, then we went further into the mystery.

Chavagnes College Refectory and the Evils of Modern Theology

2012-01-12T10:26:00.000Z

The Chavagnes Refectory

I know this is not the most exciting title for a post, but what I want to do is to give an example of where I think modern theology/Church practice/everything I don't approve of... has gone wrong. And I want to do it through comparing and contrasting two places.

This all comes about because of the background to the picture about the choir which I posted the other day.

I want to look at our refectory (dining hall, salle polyvalante). You can see that it is ordered. There is a high table where the masters eat breakfast and the evening meal (we all eat together at lunch). This shows order and difference.

Christmas Tree (bush?) in the Refectory. The picture on the wall is Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman.

The room itself is well appointed and interesting, with things to see and engage the mind. Also there is clutter, and things that need to be tidied away. Just in case you thought it was all order and discipline, then have no fear.

Two House Tables. Far left Rochejaquelein, and closer Charette.
The portraits of the people the Houses are named after are on the walls behind the houses.

The House Portraits give a sense of identity and distinction. This house is Cathelineau because it not Suzannet and we have a better picture than you... etc. This gives the boys a sense of pride and communal expression. And it is something that they can see. They are spatially away of it (it is on this table and not that one) and it is iconographic (it is this picture and not that one).

And speaking of iconography, these two photographs are of the most important objects in the room, The crucifix and the Blessed Virgin. We have crucifixes and statues everywhere, so they are not something new or different for the boys. But they are proper depictions. This is a man on a cross and he is being crucified. Then we can take the boys to an appreciation that this is THE God/man on the Cross and He is being crucified for us. The images are immediately accessible to the boys from the age of 10 to 18. He looks like a man on a cross and she looks like a woman with a crown of stars.

What I want to say is that this is an incarnational room. It depicts the faith in accessible terms for everyone. Not for the initiated or clever or those looking or hunting for it, but in easy images. It is ordered, hierarchical, giving identity and purpose.

It is a Catholic room.

I'll get on to the rest later!

Preparing for Rome

2012-01-11T07:43:00.000Z

Altos finishing choir practice

During half term in February, the school choir is going to Rome to sing in various places. You can see where when and how and the like on Mr McDermott's blog here.

The boys are brushing up their polyphony. This is something excellent about this school. There is no choice as to whether a boy sings or not. If they have the voice, then they are in the choir. This gives them the opportunity of singing in a group, working together, producing something of honour and beauty, which, if we are honest, they probably would not choose to do if given a straight "do you want to sing in a choir".

It is of course important that they have choices, but these have to be limited, after all they do not have a choice but to get up in the morning, or brush their teeth (a lesson some still have to be reminded of!), or to go to biology or history or Holy Mass. In an all boys school it is easier for them to sing as it simply is a manly pursuit.

Choices are all well and good, but they have to be informed, and also tempered by what is best for the community.

So they sing... and no matter what they might say every now and again, they actually like it. It is also quite bizarre to hear boys harmonizing pieces of Mass Settings as they wander along, or kill time, or annoy you in a lesson!

Ciborium Veil

2012-01-10T14:37:00.000Z

Ciborium

One of the dangers of letting a boy loose on Fortescue (the rubrical book on how to do almost anything in the Extra-ordinary Form) is that they keep finding things that you should be doing.

Such is the case with the ciborium. Previously (this is a terrible scandle - not for the faint ears) I had simply been using an unveiled ciborium (a ciborium being the silver thing that the hosts are brought to the altar in before they are changed into the Body of Christ, and which they are preserved in in the tabernacle).

Ciborium veil in process of being made

So I was INFORMED that we needed to have a ciborium veil. Quite correct, of course. So I have made one. It is just a circle of material, hemmed, with a hole in the middle for the cross on top of the ciborium to go through. I think it looks quite smart.

The finished article

I'm now working on a Monstrance cover... because similarly I was INFORMED... !!!

So Who's Missing?

2012-01-08T17:55:00.000Z

Just what was the fate of this schoolboy?

This photo was taken at the end of the last term. I'm used to seeing blazers lying about, and also ties... but shoes??!!

So either it was the rapture or spontaneous combustion (though there were no scorch marks). As we welcome the boys back tonight, we'll eventually be able to see... just who didn't make it.

The King of the Smurfs

2012-01-07T09:36:00.000Z

Galette des Rois

On the Epiphany the French eat cakes.

The cake in question is the Galette des Rois, the Kings' Cake, or the cake which is about the kings, or something like that. According to the Internet (Oh great and wise wisdom) the feast of the cake was bound up with a kind of role reversal, akin to the Boy Bishop. However, as this depends on the Cake only existing in Royal circles, that seems a little odd. Also it is dependent on ancient Roman practices, which I fear may be a kind of false archeologism, which we hate.

Anyway, the thing about the Galette des Rois is that there is a thing baked into it. In this it reminds me of a Christmas Pudding which has a sixpence baked into it. Alas this does not really happen anymore. I remember it as a boy, but that was when we made our own Christmas Pudding, and I have not done such a thing since my days at L'Arche Lambeth. Originally these were crib figure in metal or pottery, and one could get the Virgin or the Christ Child.

The Smurf Crown

Now things are a little different. Eating supper last night with Mr McDermott and Mrs McDermott, we too had a Galette des Rois, but this was a Smurf one. (French for Smurf is Schtroumpf). And I found it so got to were the crown above. The figure within was a standing up thing with Les Schtroumpfs written on it.

I, Fr Rowe, the winner of the Standing up Thing

So much for Kings, and Christmas, and baby Jesus. And I suppose I should have mourned the passing of the religious symbolism of it. But in the middle was a little joy, because the standing up thing was made of ceramic, and no where on the packaging did I see:

WARNING - May contain ceramic Schtroumpf

For once it was not 'elf and safety gone mad!

Mexican Kings

2012-01-06T19:55:00.000Z

Happy Epiphany!

In Mexico it is traditional for children to put polished shoes stuffed with straw out for the arrival of the Kings. The camels eat the straw and the Kings leave presents.

Kids get stuff and parents get polished shoes. Everyone wins!

Back to School

2012-01-05T06:47:00.000Z

And so back to school. Up and down the country children tremble at the thought but I'm looking forward to it.

Up at three, Holy Mass at half past and then a drive to Portsmouth. And here I am on the ferry.

This is my new car. 1970 Morris Minor. I hope he's going to be ok downstairs as I enjoy the untold luxury of Brittany Ferries.

I should arrive back at Chavagnes this evening at eight ish.

And then setting GCSE religion mocks.

Sent from my iPhone
With the help of my Guardian Angels
http://frbederowe.blogspot.com

God Bless the Hungarians

2012-01-04T11:18:00.000Z

I know this is old news, I found it on Rorate Caeli, but this is just wonderful! No wonder all the terrible political liberals of the European Experiment are frothing. As my old grandmother used to say "there's nothing so illiberal as a liberal". (She also had a few things to say about men in beards, but that is for another time).

[Preamble:]

God bless the Hungarians
...
We are proud that our king Saint Stephen built the Hungarian State on solid ground and made our country a part of Christian Europe one thousand years ago.
...
We recognise the role of Christianity in preserving nationhood. We value the various religious traditions of our country.
...
We do not recognise the suspension of our historical constitution due to foreign occupations. We deny any statute of limitations for the inhuman crimes committed against the Hungarian nation and its citizens under the National Socialist and Communist dictatorships.
We do not recognise the Communist constitution of 1949, since it was the basis for tyrannical rule; therefore we proclaim it to be invalid.
...
Article L
(1) Hungary shall protect the institution of marriage as the union of a man and a woman established by voluntary decision, and the family as the basis of the nation’s survival.
(2) Hungary shall encourage the commitment to have children.
...
FREEDOM AND RESPONSIBILITY
...
Article II
Human dignity shall be inviolable. Every human being shall have the right to life and human dignity; embryonic and foetal life shall be subject to protection from the moment of conception.

How can it come as a surprise that we should defend life? Slightly different from the Americans, British, EU, etc. who seem to be hell bend on killing their future generations.

The irony is that you cannot hold an absolutist position in liberalism, unless it is the liberal agenda. Something which is supposed to allow all to hold 'what is true and meaningful for themselves' will not admit a truth claim. Interestingly this was my conclusion in part on the subject of synodality (in a rather good book by myself on the bar to the right - actually it is quite dull, so don't buy it... get the one on the Old Testament instead, its a bit tricky, but a cracking read).

My Mum's Christmas Hearth

2012-01-01T12:03:00.000Z

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

This is my Mum's Christmas Hearth. More is the new less...

Sent from my iPhone
With the help of my Guardian Angels
http://frbederowe.blogspot.com

De-sexing the Carols

2011-12-30T18:54:00.000Z

One of the things I'd forgotten being in France for the past three months (it seems so much longer) is the wicked evil nonsense of changing the words to hymns. I know all that stuff about not using 'man' and all that, and I suppose that if you were writing a hymn nowadays then it would be anachronistic to say the least to keep shoving man in if you could write something in a different way. By this of course I mean something that would not draw your attention to the lyrics in the first place. The only reason I can think of for writing the new stuff is so that people do not stop in the middle of a hymn and say 'gosh Marjory, you couldn't say that today!'. At that moment, the mind has stopped being elevated and is embroiled in a mundane battle of language.

So far so obvious (though don't get me started, no really don't, I become incandescent with rage, over trying to STOP people using the Name of the Lord - Y**H - willy nilly. If for no other reason than Our Lord when He went to the Synagogue would not have used it, so where do we get off thinking that we can be more chummy with the Almighty than Our Saviour Himself. I told you - don't get me started).

But oh, the crossness, the annoyedness, the sadly furiousness of it all.

This book has de-sexed the carols. (It has also kept in the Name of the LORD in song songs - I said don't get me started). I can't really go on. It is just too awful.

While shepherds watched: "goodwill henceforth from heaven to men (now "all")".

O Little Town: "and praises sing to God the King, and peace to men (now "upon") the earth".

On Christmas night all Christians sing: "Then why should men (now "all") on earth be so sad".

We three kings: "prayer and praising all men (now "gladly") raising".

Hark the herald-angels: "pleased as man with man (now "us") to dwell".

...and others. I just got too depressed looking them up.

I know that it goes on. I know that it is defended by people saying that such use of man and men is now old-fashioned and offensive, but really. These are carols which we have sung for generations. It's like leaving great aunt Mabel, always the soul of propriety and sober dignity, with the neighbour for the day, only to find when you get back that they have tarted her up in cheap lipstick and put her in a low cut dress.

"There's no harm done", they cry, "she likes it, its much better than her looking washed out in that dour black cardigan."

Rubbish, rubbish, rubbish. How do they get off changing our carols? And its fine saying that you don't have to buy the flaming book, but you just try to find one where the hymns have not been destroyed. And once they've been bought, they're so terribly expensive that you can't just change them.

It doesn't stop it including a song that refers to God the Holy Spirit, as a bleeding female bird!

Anyway... got that off my chest... feeling much better.

The Shields of God

2011-12-29T08:23:00.000Z

When we go into war, we are disguised, melting into the background. In previous days it was not so, as we went into battle with coats of arms blazoned on shields, telling everything who we were, and who they were to be afraid of...

"Gosh, here comes Bede the Invincible - can't see him because of all that armour, but that's his shield - better run away and be scared."

The Shields of God are different. They are the shields which similarly show His victory, and show us how we recognise Him. They are the shields of His suffering and passion. In the eyes of the world, they are the Shield of failure, but under eternity, they show the way to final and true victory. The Church at Nympsfield has these shields on the altar reredos.

Rest of the World Catches up

2011-12-28T10:20:00.001Z

The Boy Bishop of Chavagne - shrouded in mystery (and bad lighting)

While we at Chavagnes rejoice in the Boy Bishop (see many and varied links within this blog), others now clamour for a return to it. See 'A Reluctant Sinner' here. Good luck to them all in reviving these traditions. I do not see why those who usurped our Churches, position, and titles should get away with our heritage as well...

My Christmas Church

2011-12-26T18:29:00.000Z

St Joseph's Nympsfield at Advent

I said Mass at Christmas in Fr Redman's other Church, St Joseph's Nympsfield.

St Joseph's from the Altar

Here is some info stolen from the Parish website (link here).

William Leigh purchased an estate at Woodchester in 1845. The Mansion remains incomplete, but is well worth a visit. Leigh was keen to have a religious community nearby, and invited the Passionists. He met with Blessed Dominic Barberi in 1846 at the George Inn, Frocester. Blessed Dominic ministered for a time in Nympsfield. In 1847 he said Mass in a house that is now known as Barberi Cottage. From 1852 Mass was celebrated in the Red Lion, which is now called Chapel House. St Joseph’s Church was built in 1923. It is a wonderful spiritual inheritance that Blessed Dominic helped build the foundations of the Catholic community in Nympsfield. Blessed Dominic Barberi is the priest who received Blessed John Henry Newman into the Church. We continue to ask for Blessed Dominic’s intercession for our community.

The Dominicans replaced the Passionists and serve the area until 1932, when the diocese took over responsibility for the parish. Well-known Dominicans, such as Fr Bede Jarrett, were associated with Nympsfield. There was a Dominican presence in more recent times as well, in the person of Fr Edwin Essex. St Joseph’s church contains a 15^th century font, and a 12^thcentury niche in the Lady chapel. Adjacent to the church is the parish school: St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School. Beyond that is the Marist convent. Nympsfield and Dursley have had a long association. Originally priests would travel from Nympsfield to Dursley. Now it is the other way round. It is a flourishing community, and many families attend the Saturday evening Mass.

Stations of the Cross and consecration candles

Happy Christmas

2011-12-25T01:28:00.000Z

Christus natus in Bethlehem

Alleluia

Before and After

2011-12-24T10:43:00.000Z

As I said, St Dominic's has been reordered.

Before...

After...

St Dominic's Dursley

2011-12-23T18:48:00.000Z

The Altar of St Dominic's Dursley

I am staying as a guest of Fr Alexander Redman, Parish Priest of St Dominic's Dursley and St Joseph's Nympsfield over Christmas. I thought I would show some pictures of both churches. I will be saying the Masses in Nympsfield, but here is St Dominic's. The Parish Website is here.

On the Gospel side there is a rather nice Lady Altar.

Lady Altar in St Dominic's

And a statue of the Sacred Heart.

You may notice that this church is at the forefront of the New Liturgical Movement. In obedience to the liturgical documents and the norms laid down by Holy Mother Church, the nave altar has been recently removed, leaving the high altar as the integral altar in the church.

St Dominic's

The Invasion of the Rouge Gorge

2011-12-23T12:13:00.000Z

St Dominic's Dursley - Stuffed Robin

I fear that over mention of Robins at Christmas time has meant that they now follow me where ever I go. You will remember the trauma of trying to find a robin for the Advent Wreath (link here, and here) so imagine my surprise when I come to sunny England and go to the parish where I am staying over the Christmas holidays and I see an identical robin!

I'm not one for coincidences, so an invasion of the rouge gorges is the only possible explanation.

And they worshipped the Golden Calf

2011-12-20T09:52:00.002Z

Golden Calf - DO NOT WORSHIP THIS

In school we have been working through various Old Testament bits with the smaller boys, and we settled for quite a long time on the Golden Calf. It also has the added fun of being an opportunity to learn the 10 commandments - so fun tests all the way!

When teaching them, I was reminded of the saying (I think it was the Cure of Ars) that if men stop believing in God, they do not believe in nothing, but they believe in anything. We can see this by all this new age nonsense which became fashionable for a while, or, I would be so bold as to say, the modern liberal catholic ( 'c' - atholic ) rubbish, which might as well be pick'n'mix new age nonsense... if you just believe what you want, then it's not going to get you to heaven. There are loads of people out there how willingly believe that their illness is not going to kill them, right up to the last breath, or that they can live a life of dodgy morality without consequences. If God has bothered to set up a Church to get us into Heaven, it seems just a little rude to say - "No, stuff you Almighty, I think I've got a much better way."

Well, rude and dangerous.

So, with the Golden Calf in the back of my mind, imagine my horror at finding blatant veneration of the Owl of Chavagnes by person or persons unknown!

The Worship of the Owl?

How can this be? What can be going on? And why is there a book in front of it?

I was pleased on closer inspection to find that it was a history of Charlemagne, and not some trashy Maeve Binchy... but still.

I fear that as it is now the holidays, the trail will have gone cold by the time I get back to Chavagnes, but I have my suspects. Oh, yes, I have my suspects.

End of Term

2011-12-17T20:13:00.000Z

We have just had the end of term festivities, which I'll mention later. Unfortunately the internet was down here, so I missed lots of the run up. But I'll try to remember what has happened and put some posts about it.

Until then, the boys have gone, and I'm whacked.

Gaudete Rose/Pink

2011-12-17T13:25:00.000Z

Gaudete Vestments

Gaudete Sunday saw my new rose/pink vestment. I am not hung up on the term for the colour, and I think that we can safely assume that this veers on the pink rather than the rose side. I tried to get some photos of the Mass, to see the back of the chasuble, but the lighting at the moment is so terrible... new bulbs coming soon! So these are of the front.

The Tabarro

2011-12-14T07:36:00.000Z

Fr Bede Rowe in a Tabarro

Never since the questions about the flags have I been so inundated with requests about a subject... this time it was about the cloak shown in the post about Priests and Rugby, here.

It was cold, and I wanted to wear a cloak. I have a number of course, but when I came to Chavagnes in September, I could only bring the minimum. Of course I brought a ferriola, and I made the decision to bring my rather smart tabarro. And that is what it was... a tabarro.

A quick look at the internet shows a couple of good pictures of bishops and the like in tabarros.

H.T. Orbus Catholicus Secundus

The Tabarro

It is a very full garment, a perfect circle with a front cut in and a hole for the head, with a velvet collar, or similar. Mine does not have a shoulder cape.

They are quite fine, wonderfully warm and terribly practical.

Fr Bede Rowe in the Tabarro

And they look the business.

Walking a Bishop to an Altar

2011-12-13T15:03:00.000Z

The last decent photos of the Boy Bishop are taking him to the Altar.

I never knew how complicated it was going to be get a boy two yards. It went like this (if any of you are liturgical experts out there then I'd be deeply grateful if you could help me, and keep your opinions to yourself!)

The Bishop standing and sings the Magnificat antiphon. He sits down and gets his mitre (what self respecting Bishop would sit down without a hat on?). Incense comes to him, and he puts it in, blessing in the usual manner. The he stands up. He needs his crozier... how could a Bishop walk without a crozier.

So now he is ready to go. I go before him, then on either side, his chaplains. Then he is followed by his crozier bearer, and mitre bearer and bugia bearer and book bearer. He gets to the altar, bows and then his assistant takes his crozier and gives it to the crozier bearer, the other takes off his mitre, and gives it to the mitre bearer. The thurifer gives the incense to the MC who gives it to the assistant who gives it to the Bishop.

The altar is incensed.

But Father, Father, (I hear your cry - sorry this is France - but Fazer, Fazer) what about the crozier bearer, the mitre bearer the bugia bearer and the book bearer? Where are they all this long time?

Well they move to the Epistle side of the altar, so that when the Bishop has finished incensing the altar, the mitre bearer gives the mitre to the assistant who puts it on his head, and the crozier bearer gives the crozier to the other assistant to give it to the Bishop... BECAUSE THE BISHOP IS GOING TO WALK.

The bugia bearer and book bearer? Well they just follow, not doing much.

And then they all walk back to the Bishop's throne.

I am not even going to begin telling you what happens if the Magnificat is still being sung!!!

PICTURES OF BOY BISHOP ENDS

Priests and Rugby

2011-12-12T16:48:00.000Z

Fr Bede Rowe

One of our mothers was at the rugby match and took some wonderful photos. I am going to be terribly vain and put up some of we priests!

Priest in a wonderful 'rugby cassock' from the host school, Fr Bede Rowe, M. L'Abbe Lodde from Esperance

The Men of Chavagnes, erstwhile headmaster Mr McDermott in the middle
left to right, Fr Rowe, Mr Crawford, Mr McDermott, Mr Usher, Mr Leach

Blessing the boys before the match...

Moments of tension in the game

Rugby at "La Croix des Vents"

2011-12-11T13:02:00.000Z

Continuing with the Rugby theme (which seems to be interminable!), see here and here, we went to Sees to an FSSP school to play in a rugby tournament. Now don't get me on the increadibly bad organisation of French rugby tournaments, or the strange practice of claiming that HUGE boys are actually 12 years old, but we had a good day. We lost to Esperance (curses) in the juniors but beat everyone else. The Seniors won the Tournament so that is a good thing.

The school in Sees is quite fine, see website here, built in the 1930, it has the feel of the equivalent of the Arts and Crafts movement, and looks a bit Lutyens to me.

And there was a priest in a Rugby Cassock.

The Boy Bishop and the Bugia

2011-12-09T16:54:00.000Z

The Boy Bishop of Chavagnes singing the Capitulum.
Note the Episcopal Ring.

At last! You can see the Bishop! You see that he is only little, and was surrounded by many other servers. I quite like this. It emphasizes function over personality. The Bishop must be there, but it what he does that is important, and not who he is. Even though you could not see him for most of the time, it is enough to know that he is there and that he is 'pontificating'.

Plethora of servers - note the bugia.

You can see here that the Bishop is reading. To read he needs light, and light is provided by a candle which is held near to his book whenever he reads it. This candle is called a bugia. This is of course for use in dark Churches when it would have been tricky to read. Now we have electric light, but that is still no excuse for getting rid of something. The bugia is a candle stick held on a handle. It should be silver for a Bishop and can be gold for a Cardinal (a rule more ignored than kept I believe).

Now I have lots of bits and bobs, but to my shame, I do not have a bugia. So what to do?!?

Rather smart Bishop's bugia

Well, there is always something around, and if you look carefully at the 'Chavagnes Bugia' you will see that it is just a little bit shoved together, but it does look quite the job, n'est pas?

The Chavagnes bugia

The Boy Bishop - During the Psalms

2011-12-09T13:33:00.000Z

Boy Bishop seated
You still can't see him

Indication to the Boy Bishop to bow during the Psalms

As you can see the angle of the photographer does not aid sight of the Boy Bishop! But he is there. Also you can tell this is Catholic, because the other servers are completely ignoring what I am telling them to do!

The Beginning of the Pictures...

2011-12-08T19:18:00.000Z

Boy Bishop of Chavagnes - the Arrival of the Bishop
You can't see him, because he's so small!

Boy Bishop - the Bishop prepares to sit after the intonation of the psalms

As I said, I do not have many great pictures of the Boy Bishop, but here are some of them...

The Arrival of the Robin

2011-12-08T12:49:00.000Z

The Chavagnes Advent Wreath (with Robin)

Having mentioned the lack of a Christmas Robin on my Advent Wreath, imagine my surprise and wonderment when a Robin came through the post (I know, robins are very lazy nowadays, I would have expected it to fly as well!).

Many, many thanks to the wonderful lady who facilitated its flight! I will keep you and your family in my prayers.

So my wreath is complete at the moment (until this Sunday - Gaudete - when it gets jazzed up a bit).

Boy Bishop link

2011-12-07T19:24:00.000Z

Perhaps more of a Boy Pope than a Boy Bishop

Here is a link to our Chavagnes Boy Bishop tradition. And also one to the Catholic Encyclopedia.

The Boy Bishop of Chavagnes

2011-12-07T14:31:00.000Z

Boy Bishop ceremony

I should, of course have posted about this before it took place, and then have done a follow up. And that would have been very sensible, but the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

You can see our Headmaster's musings on the choice of the boy bishop here, and in the next few days, Ill try to gather photos together etc. But as I was Master of Ceremonies, I could not take any!

It took ages not only to get all the people together (13 servers all together) and look up the rubrics (it is not every day that I get to MC Pontifical Vespers at the throne) or dragoon the boys into behaving ("an Acolyte Candlestick is not for that - Gustan!") but all the paraphernalia had to be gathered together.

Mrs McDermott always takes care of the Bishop's finery, so it just falls to me to get together such trumpery as the bugia. I'll shop you what we did later...

Advent Calendar

2011-12-04T13:09:00.000Z

I've started teaching Mathematics, so I have an excuse for not posting for a few days. It is funny how much you forget about the addition and subtraction of indices and fractions in 25 years, but I digress.

As I went on my constitutional promenade one day, unto the delights of Huit à Huit (the local 7-11), I discovered a thing of truly wondrous proportions. It was an Advent Calendar. I love Advent Calendars, actually I really love Advent Candles, but I couldn't get my hands on one of those this year.

I remember as a child, the excitement of knowing that it was the next day, and you were one day closer to Christmas. Also the excitement of trying to be the first to open the door, or burn the candle. Of course with a brother and a sister, I was not always the one to be able to do it, but as the youngest, I got away with it more often than not.

So what an excellent thing to come across... An Advent Calendar! And it gives you chocolate every morning. I suppose that the only down side is that IT HAS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH CHRISTMAS!

It has Santa, and trees, and jolly people, but nothing even vaguely Christmassy.

Well never mind. I will open the doors and know that the birth of my Saviour draws near, and I will scoff the chocolates and think of the great things that He has done for me, and when Christmas comes I will enjoy the trees and the tinsel and baubles with happy abandon.

The Robin who Fanned the Flames

2011-11-30T07:46:00.000Z

There is also another tradition of the Robin and how he gained his red breast. This one is more to do with Christmas.

It starts as before, with God creating the robin grey and brown, lacking colour, but this time it was not courage he lacked, but just something which made him different, something which defined him against the other birds.

It happened that on the eve of Christmas, the poor family of Mary and Joseph arrived at Bethlehem. Indeed the town was crowded, and no matter who you are or what your state, there was not room, no decent place to stay. Eventually, they were given permission to spend the night in a stable.

They arrived during the night. A cold night. The Virgin had been sitting all day, stiff and cold, heavily pregnant, knowing that the time was near, but (miraculously) without the pain that that should bring.

Joseph, honourable and devoted to his wife, gently helped her off the donkey and bade her rest herself next to the stable wall. It was not a good place. It was somewhere, but it was no where near perfect. There was dirt, and animals, mangy animals, but now the problem was the cold. It was so cold. There was no door, and the walls were broken planks of wood. The wood lay all around them, where the animals had charged into it and broken it. And poor Mary's frame shook as the bitterness of the night bit into her flesh. They had had little space to bring clothing, and had not thought that shelter would have been such a problem.

Joseph shooed the animals away and set about blocking up the worst of the gaps. And the rest of the wood he gathered into a small mound. He knew that setting a fire in a stable was not really a good idea, but if it was that or the life of his beautiful wife and the child she carried, then he would do it.

The wood was gathered, and a little dry straw, and he struck the flint. It caught, and a little flame, with light and warmth, entered the world. But the wood was damp and the flame kept dimming. Joseph brought Mary closer to the little fire and gently blew on the damp wood to keep the flame alive.

The animals stopped their noise and their movement. The very air itself stilled and silence hung in the air. Joseph turned to his wife and saw that the moment was come. But the light and the warmth and the comfort of the fire was failing. He moved to Mary's side - she was more important than the fire.

To have a child born in the darkness and cold!

At this moment a little brown and grey bird flew into the stable. It knew, as all the animals knew, that this was the moment to stand still to cease their activity and to feel the change in the world, because of the birth of this boy. But the bird knew that it, of all the creatures, had to pull against its nature, its innate command to cease and to adore. It flew down to the fire and gently beat its wings. The swirls of air it created fanned the charred wood and a flame flickered into light. It would make sure that this child was born in the light and warmth.

As the birth took place, and silence reigned on the earth, everything in all creation stood still. All beasts fell silent and knelt in adoration. The stars and planets in their course hung in space. No sound, no movement throughout the whole of creation when God became man.

Except for the beating of a tiny wing, the gentle crackle of the fire. In that moment of birth, which lasted for all eternity, the bird never ceased in its task. The flame rose and filled the stable. The place was warmed by the wondrous blaze and the darkness was illuminated by the light that the fire brought.

Christ was born surrounded by His family, and by His creation and bathed in light and warmth.

And then the Angels sang! And how they sang. The Holy Mother's eyes were filled with tears of joy that something so beautiful could come into the world, and Joseph was humbled with honour. The beast fell to their knees. They knew that their God had come. And a little frail body lay next to a roaring fire. The flames had burnt the birds chest and singed away its feathers. But it had never allowed the fire to die. It had worshipped its creator and given Him heat and light.

The baby tore His eyes from His Holy Mother and glanced at the poor bird. The angels came at His silent command and carried away the near dead body. St Joseph in his heart said thank you to the little bird.

But even as the whole of creation worshipped God, the sound was not full, the scene not complete.

At that moment the same little grey brown bird flew through the opening of the stable and perched on the side of the manger. And as it too raised its voice and completed the song of the universe in praise of this child, the bird's chest glowed with the flame of kindness, compassion and love. A red glow - amid the dark feathers.

It flew off knowing that it's brother birds would meet this man again, and the glow of red would be fixed forever by the blood of God.

The Christmas Robin

2011-11-29T07:39:00.000Z

I mentioned before my desire to have a stuffed (or at least a fake) robin on the Advent Wreath. Well, let me tell you, that it has opened the flood gates of discussion, questions and ideas as to why the robin is associated with Christmas.

Yes it is a pretty bird (by the way it is a rouge gorge in French), and the brown and red provide a nice counterpart to snow and Christmas logs, but there has to be more to it than that. Just look at Christmas Cards, and you will see the omnipresence of the robin.

There is the tradition that the robin was created brown and grey and God told it that it would remain that way until it earned its badge of courage. When the little bird, one day, saw a poor man being laughed at and derided, being dragged through the streets and spat at, being tormented and in so much pain, its heart was broken. So it flew to help the man, so afflicted, and though people shouted at it, and threw stones, and laughed and jeered, the little bird flew on. It saw that the man was covered in blood, and carrying a heavy cross. It could not help with that for it was too small, but it saw that there were cruel thorns sticking into the man's head, and so the little robin flapped its wings and tried with all its might to pull one out, and so to ease the suffering of this poor unfortunate man. He pulled and pulled, though being such a little bird, he could not pull it out. The man fell, and the poor bird was almost crushed. Soldiers shooed it away, kicking it and threatening it. But as soon as the man stumbled on his way, the brave little robin flew back, and tried again.

When he was growing as tired as the man, and had almost given up hope, the robin pulled again, this time with all his might, knowing that he only had the strength for one more attempt, but he could not allow the man to suffer alone. Though he could do so little, he was willing to risk his poor frail body so that the man's suffering could be eased just a little. And so he pulled. His beak was wrenched, his wings beating to exhaustion. And then, when he had almost given up, the thorn came from the poor man's brow.The robin tumbled down, spent, into the dust.

The man was being beaten again and nailed to the wood he had been carrying and the robin could feel the pain of the nails as they tore into the flesh of the man. But he was not imagining it, for the thorn that he had struggled to pull from the man's head had stuck in his own breast. The robin's blood seeped onto the brown and grey feathers of his breast. And the man's eye turned and looked at the little broken mite, and saw with what courage and compassion this little bird had come to him, when he was alone and suffering such agony. The bird's heart quickened, and the blood from his breast dried up and vanished, leaving only the badge of honour, love and courage.

On the wreath, the robin reminds us that at this time of rejoicing and celebration at the birth of this little child, this God made Man, we must remember that in his life there will be suffering, pain and death, for our sins. This baby will die for simple love of us.

New Gloves

2011-11-28T06:55:00.000Z

Genuine Altar Boy (you can tell by the wax on the sleeve of the cassock) wearing white gloves

Just before Advent we started to wear white gloves to serve Holy Mass. Well, I have one set, so the crucifer wore them, and when we did not have a crucifer, then the MC.

Of course if there is communion in the hand (how long, O Lord, how long...) this is a little tricky, but we are enlightened here in Chavagnes, so after my Christmas break, it will be white gloves all round.

Who can say that they are simply not better!

Advent comes

2011-11-27T11:45:00.000Z

Advent Wreath

The rites which surround Advent are very important for us. I know people, priests included, who pour scorn on the whole Advent Wreath and candles bit, but to my mind it is important to heighten the changes in the Church's liturgy (and yes, before I am innundated by complaints, I know that it is para-liturgy). We do have senses and it seems more sensible to use vaguely tried and tested images, and not make them up as we go along. My only sadness so far is that I have not been able to find a stuffed robin. It has always been my practice to put a stuffed robin on my Advent Wreath.

So we have our Advent Wreath. Rather spiffy if you ask me.

Old Postcards

2011-11-26T15:58:00.000Z

Petite Seminaire Chavagnes-en-Paillers

A delicate trawl through the Internet can pick up lovely pictures, so here are some I have found of the College.

College Chapel

Against Hope

2011-11-24T09:01:00.000Z

Little bit of a play on words there, as our opponents in Rugby was the School L'Esperance ('hope' in French, see?).

Well we lost. I included extra prayers at Mass, and we called down the protection help and intercession of Our Lady of Vengeance, but all to no avail.

The arrival of the opposition

Well that's nor really true. We were like gods on the field, but they, through chicanery and any manner of nonsense managed to get through our defenses. There was a swollen up ankle, a smashed nose, a cracked tooth, I walked back with a handful of blood soaked tissues... so who could not say that it was not a successful game. And by God we'll get them next time.

Some boys did not join in the general eagerness

Their chaplain/headmaster M. L'Abbé came with them. As a member of the FSSP he is of course correctly dressed. Suspecting that this might be the case I donned a Tricorn hat and cloak. I may not be playing rugby, but my job is to chivvy the troops along, and I must do this by the splendour of clerical dress. HA!

But then he pulled out his breviary and started walking up and down the touch line reading it! Too low for words! So out came my rosary and the battle continued...

You can see M. L'Abbe Lodde to the left, suspiciously not wearing a tricorn hat

Our boys were so aggressive, it was excellent! We later found out that some of their juniors were older than our seniors. So that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

Boys of Chavagnes - truly we rock!

Prieuré Notre-Dame de la Grainetière

2011-11-23T17:39:00.000Z

Last night I went to this near by Benedictine Abbey. It dates from the XII century, and like all things, was variously destroyed in wars of religion, edict of the state and greed of man.

The restored round Tower.

I was refounded in recent times by this Benedictine community. You can read about it here (in French). It is quite wonderful. The community explicitly welcomes those with disabilities of various sorts. It is a good reminder that the vocation of a monk is not always dependent upon obvious abilities... not in this monastery anyway!

Ruins of the Abbatial Church

Chapter House now serving as the Community Chapel

Statues in the Parish Church

2011-11-22T06:59:00.000Z

One of the good things about French Catholic Churches is that they have not been smartened up. You know the kind of thing...

"Oooh we don't want that old thing, the hand has fallen off the statue, and all the paint is flaking. It looks terrible when someone walks in, and then it drops all over the new carpet. And no one really does anything with them any more (of course you are too polite to mention that one of the reasons why they do not go to the statues any more is that candles have been banned because they might get wax on the flaming new carpet!), and you can have a nice picture instead, or better still, nothing, because then it can be nice and clean and fresh and lovely."

So they get consigned to a cupboard, and then they get more and more smashed because people cram too much in the cupboard. And then they get thrown away, because now they really are trashed.

And you're left with a lovely, antiseptic Church for a lovely antiseptic religion. Pity our lives are full of blood and grime and dirt.

Sheesh. No wonder there is a disconnection between religion real life! Who wants a religion that tastes of disinfectant?

So... I was very pleased to see all these wonderful statues in the Church. Suitably falling apart and flaking and positively reeking of prayers!

The Wars of the Vendée

2011-11-21T16:06:00.001Z

Someone sent me this link to a trailer for a film about the Wars in the Vendée. I'll definitely get it when it comes out.

It seems to be done with young actors and looks wonderful. The website link for the company is this. There is an explanation of why and how they do this in the following clip. The motivation is wonderfully Catholic.

On Becoming a Rugby Blog

2011-11-21T08:57:00.000Z

This is a genuine photo, and not posed. I found it just so funny that there would be a rugby boot on top of a TV in a computer room. It could only happen in a male environment!

Having explained my lamentable experiences of the rugby field before here, it is with some horror that I return to this subject.

However, we are playing L'Esperance at Rugby this week, Wednesday to be exact, and Mr McDermott reminded them that to play with honour is the true end of all sport (and then went and messed it all up by saying that they'd be in deep trouble if they did not win!).

We should win as we have a good team, but you just never know.

So prayers are needed. I was also informed...

"...so Fr Rowe will give you a good pep talk to help you play well, and a special blessing so that you can beat them."

YIKES! I will now have to spend my time looking up "Blessings to be used when trying to defeat another school at rugby" - there must be one, as I found the following blessing in the Roman Ritual...

I have no idea why this is upside down. It is the Blessing of an Electric Dynamo. Perhaps they have to be upside down to work.

The Theology of Altar Rails

2011-11-17T10:31:00.001Z

Since mentioning the Altar rails in our parish Church here, and also the lack of them in Chapel, I have been thinking much about knees.

First, I would like to assure you of the manner in which our boys here receive Holy Communion. We may not have fixed altar rails, but half way down the Church there are pew fronts which serve the same purpose. Between this and the Altar, the pews face inwards, collegiate style, and are use by the choir on Sundays and greater feasts.

So our boys receive Holy Communion kneeling. There are issues here, with a little jostling now and again, but there is not that terrible queue that you get in parish churches. I dread to think what it would be like to do that in a school! With boys pushing and even brushing past each other. It would most definitely not help reverence at the moment of receiving the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament.

I have long been unsure about the queueing practice for Holy Communion from a practical point of view. With the best will in the world one is always going to be more distracted when one has to do something physical, such as walking and something which one cannot do unthinkingly; after all one must think about advancing at a particular pace. Of course this is going to use some mental effort even if it is only a little. Add to that that our minds and thoughts will drift into many different areas (indeed that is what the Devil wants it to do, so that we do not truly focus on the Lord Our God who is coming to us in Holy Communion). If our mind then wanders, and our body is moving, we simply will not be ready when we get to the front of the queue. We can bang on as much as we like about the inner disposition of the soul, and how the person must try to think only of God, but it is unfair if we make the process as difficult as possible.

Similarly this is a grave danger with singing hymns at this point of Mass. It is as if we are saying "Go on, sing along, you know this one, join in the congregation, try to remember the words,carry a hymn book..." Then suddenly you find yourself in front of the Priest, and then you hear in your soul "How bad and wicked you are, because you have not thought about or focussed on the Blessed Sacrament."

To receive Holy Communion and to believe it is hard enough anyway, I do not see why we should make it even more difficult.

I fear that this holy shuffle and constant singing from the moment the Priest descends to administer Holy Communion, is really more than the people can bear. Truly we bind up heavy burdens and lay them on men's backs, as the Good Book says.

It is not good.

Stop Press

2011-11-15T08:53:00.000Z

CHAVANGES OWL WON BY SUZANNET HOUSE

RESOUNDING TRIUMPH

OWL TURNS YELLOW

OTHER HOUSES WEEP IN SORROW

But why an Owl?

2011-11-14T18:48:00.000Z

The Own of Chavagnes

I have been inundated with requests for further explanations of the Owl of Chavagnes. First of all, people have been clamouring to know something of its provenance, something of its history before it came to Chavagnes (for most surely it existed before we knew it), and its ultimate meaning.

So what do we know of the Owl of Chavagnes, before it came to us? We know that this wooden form was made in 1943. And perhaps that is all that we can know for certain. The rest must be supposition and guess work.

The Owl, leading men to God

From ancient times the Owl has of course been the symbol of Wisdom and foresight, notably with Athena the Greek goddess. And one must not forget that also the Owl has been viewed as the guardian of the afterlife, thus possessing sacred knowledge.

All of these things are brought by the Owl of Chavagnes... for it is true wisdom that we seek to impart not just the ability to know or to do things. And it is these things that will lead to a life well lived, a death well died and an eternity in the presence of Almighty God.

The Owl of Chavagnes shows us the way...

Armistice

2011-11-11T14:44:00.000Z

The Calvary at Chavagnes International College

I always hold Armistice Day dear. As Catholics we have an obligation not just to remember the dead, but also to pray for them.

In France today is a holiday (some of the younger boys thought that this would mean that they would not have any classes... poor fools!) but as elsewhere, this does not mean that there is greater amount of piety. Here in Chavagnes the civil Act was moved to 10.00am and shortened to five minutes or so.

We had planned our day around an Act of Remembrance in the town at 11.00am, so all of that went by the board. Luckily we have our own Calvary in the grounds, and we were planning a school Act of Remembrance there anyway.

Catafalque for the Requiem Mass, with added candles.

It is especially poignant for us, as this Calvary was erected for the Priests and boys who died in the Great War. There names are inscribed on the plaque. I will write them below.

The boys were exemplary. There is always a worry I suppose, boys being boys, that these moments of solemnity can be destroyed by foolish behaviour. But it was not. They were men and behaved accordingly, with dignity and solemnity.

We then passed to the Church for a Requiem Mass for the Dead who have fallen in conflict.

View from the Calvary to the College

I told the boys that this is our honour and duty. Sometime, quite often I'm sure, they do not want to go to Mass, and of course I worry about that... but not today. This is an obligation upon them, a sacred trust given to them, to join their prayers to those of the Priest in the great offering of God to God, in the Holy Mass. The Mass was not for the boys, it was for the dead.

Mrs McDermott's Memorial in the entrance to the Chape

From our school, of your charity, pray for the repose of the souls of:

M. L.Abbé Raffugeau

M. L’Abbé Bernier

M. L’Abbé Audureau

M. L’Abbé Gabard

M. L’Abbé Durand

Frédéric Robin

Etienne Maraiteau

Henri Bicon

Adrien Payraudeau

Paul Merlet

Armand Faureau

Armand Fort

Requiescant in pace.

Hibou or chouette?

2011-11-10T13:24:00.000Z

The Owl of Chavagnes

When the Owl of Chavagnes came into our lives, we had to know what manner of creature it was. Of course in English this is easy... It is an owl. But, as it turns out, there are two main words for owl in French. There is 'L'hibou' which means 'owl', and 'La chouette', which means, 'owl'.

The Little Owl - Athene nocturna

When the Owl of Chavagnes was revealed to the boys, amid gasps of astonishment and open eyed amazement, the hushed murmur ran round the Refectory... "Mais, c'est la chouette". The reverence was palpable. I believe that even if they had never set eyes on the Owl of Chavagnes before, somehow its essence, its existence, which had seeped into and oozed from the very building and spirit of the School, had given them a readiness, an openness to knowing the Owl when it arrived. It could come as no surprise that those who had never thought of the Owl, would immediately recognise it when it came. For which boy, or man for that matter, is not really waiting for such a thing as the Owl of Chavagnes, and is not ready to welcome it when it comes?

The Long-eared Owl - Asio otus
note the ears

How then are we to understand the acclamation: "Mais, c'est la chouette"? Are we to call the Owl La chouette, or L'hibou?

Will we recognise it at its coming?
Will we call it by its proper name?
Will it answer to another title?

Is it La chouette de Chavagnes or L'hibou de Chavagnes and what will the consequences of a miss-title be? Such things rightly tax us. But one thing we do know for certain, the Owl is here, and our lives are accordingly different.

Professor Augustus Barclay Yaffle - well known Owl, possible related to the Owl of Chavagnes.
Both show an understanding and wisdom which at first sight seems proud and haughty, but which on closer inspection can be seen to come from a deep and abiding concern for those around them.

Or, as one of the Masters said it might be that the French have more words for an Owl than the English. And it may be all to do with the tuftiness of the ears.

The Owl of Chavagnes

2011-11-09T08:18:00.001Z

In School we have a House system. The four Houses are these:

Henri du Vergier, comte de la Rochejaquelein (August 30, 1772 – January 28, 1794)

Rochejaquelein (Colour Red)

François Athanase de Charette de la Contrie (2 May 1763 – 26 March 1796)

Charette (Colour Blue)

Jean Baptiste Pierre Constant, Count Suzannet (13 February 1772 - 21 June 1815)

Suzannet (Colour Yellow)

Jacques Cathelineau (5 January 1759 - 14 July 1793)

Cathelineau (Colour Green)

The boys earn Housepoints for good work, good behaviour etc. This is convertible into privileges for the individual boy, and they are also added up so that there can be an inter-House competition. So far we have just kept a running total, but obviously that does not work so well. For in individual it's fine... he knows that he has a number of Housepoints and so can do this or that, but the 'House' part of 'Housepoints' needed to be reinforced. And thus flew into our lives the Owl of Chavagnes.

The history of the Owl and its mystical significance will follow in the coming days...

Altar Rails again

2011-11-08T07:36:00.000Z

How very strange

Looking at the past posts on the College Chapel, link here, it seems that we didn't have any altar rails before... curious.

Altar Rails

2011-11-07T13:09:00.000Z

Have a guess... yes I'm in favour of them. But this is not the purpose of this post. When looking at our parish Church here, there are, of course, no altar rails. This is the case in almost every Catholic Church, where all over the place, they were ripped out for no reason. Money was wasted. Offence was given. Bad theology was promote. And now it is going to be a complete pain in the whatsit to start putting them back in... ho hum. I suppose it was ever thus.

What makes things so much easier, however, is when things were not thrown away/sold/turned into a coffee table come sharing altar for the sitting down Mass, but rather were kept. In my time I have kept a perspex missal stand and a hessian chasuble. I would never use or wear them myself, but they are not, to my knowledge, against the liturgical norms, so I kept them for when Fr G. Tar comes to the parish. At least then he will not have to waste money on 'new' old-fashioned perspex. I only hope he has the good enough grace not to shred the Latin chasubles and maniples. But I digress (rant is a better word - but let's stick to digress).

The Altar Rails have been removed from the sanctuary in the Parish Church, but they are preserved elsewhere. Really they're just hanging around, but hanging around is good. They are quite fine, noble wooden affairs. With little turrets.

As my grandmother use to say: "You can't go far wrong with little turrets."

Spiritual Communion

2011-11-05T15:16:00.000Z

I am putting together a book for the School with Mass texts and prayers. I came to the Spiritual Communion.

A Spiritual Communion is just such a powerful movement of the soul. It gives entering a Church a very specific purpose. We tell people not to just go past the House of God, but to enter and say a prayer. But what prayer? What do you say? I myself have lit a candle, remembered those in need, those who have died... and that is good and holy, but the focus and attention of a Spiritual Communion gives a force to our aching, yearning desire for our sweet and adorable Lord in the Tabernacle.

My Jesus, I firmly believe that You are present in the Blessed Sacrament.

I love You above all things, and I long for You in my soul.

Since I cannot now receive You sacramentally,

come at least spiritually into my heart.

As though You have already come,

I embrace You and unite myself entirely to You;

never permit me to be separated from You.

If these words pierce, suffuse, drench our minds with the need for God, with the love we have for Him, then we will fly to Him, and drop on our knees to be in His presence, to gaze at Him, to throw our surging heart to Him.

Adorable Jésus,

je crois fermement que Vous êtes réellement présent au Saint-Sacrement :

je Vous aime par-dessus toutes choses,

et je Vous désire de toute mon âme.

Puisque je ne puis maintenant Vous recevoir sacramentellement,

venez au moins spirituellement dans mon cœur.

Je m’unis à Vous comme si Vous y étiez déjà venu en effet,

et je me livre tout à Vous.

De Votre côte ne permettez pas que je me sépare jamais de vous.

And if we cannot receive Him? Then what force, what a pledge of ardent commitment we make to our King and Lord.