Monday 14th April 2014
More than seventy priests of the Ordinariate as well as deacons, seminarians and lay faithful filled the Ordinariate's central church, Our Lady of
the Assumption and St Gregory, Warwick Street, London, on Monday 14 April, for the Ordinariate's Chrism Mass. For the third year in succession, the Apostolic Nuncio, HE The Most Reverend Antonio Mennini, was the principal celebrant. The Ordinary, The Rt Revd Monsignor Keith Newton, preached.
In his sermon, Mgr Newton referred to Pope Francis' Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium, in which the Holy Father reminded us that we are called, by virtue of our Baptism, to be "missionary disciples". "We cannot be mediocre or lukewarm in our response to God's overflowing grace if we are going to be missionary disciples", Mgr Newton said. He went on to speak of the need for the Ordinariate "to communicate more widely and with more vigour and enthusiasm" the vision of the great ecumenical project of which it was part. He said that, for that reason, a day had been set aside later in the year as an "exploration day" when Ordinariate groups will organise events and invite those who might be interested to learn more about that vision for unity and truth in communion with the successor of St Peter.
Music at the Mass, sung by the church's resident choir, included Bruckner's Ecce sacerdos magnus, Schubert's Mass in G and The Spirit of the Lord by Edward Elgar. The congregation sang Just as I am, to the "Saffron Walden" tune by Arthur Henry Brown, We Hail Thy Presence Glorious to the tune by Michael Haydn and and R.R Terry's setting of Newman's Praise to the Holiest in the Height.
To read the full text of Mgr Newton's sermon please click here
For more pictures, please click here
