Monday 31 December 2018

Requiescat in pace Countess Diana


The funeral of the 

Comtesse Diana

takes place this Friday near Paris.

The Holy Sacrifice for the Mass will be offered for the repose of her soul 
by the Chaplain General of Great Britain at 9.30 am on Friday
at the Church of St Catherine Labouré, Leyland, Lancashire.

Tuesday 25 December 2018

Carol Concert 2018

Our Carol Concert this year took place last Saturday 
at the Chaplain General's church of 
St Catherine Labouré in Lancashire.

As ever, the Octavius Choir put on a splendid performance.

It's interesting to look back and see how the evening has grown over the years. The second year we arranged the concert can be seen here in 2012
with just four singers.

Though the generosity of parishioners and benefactors has remained consistent and unwavering.

This year, raising £1,500.

Bringing the total for these concerts to £31,500.

Thank you everyone!

The church was packed this year. Pretty much every seat taken. 
A testimony to the quality of the music.



A big THANK YOU to the members of "Octavius", 
who give their time and talents freely 
to support the Order's good work.

Fr Mark Lawler reads Chestereton's poem
"Gloria in Profundis"

Glory to God in the Lowest
The spout of the stars in spate-
Where thunderbolt thinks to be slowest
And the lightning fears to be late:
As men dive for sunken gem
Pursuing, we hunt and hound it,
The fallen star has found it
In the cavern of Bethlehem.


Members of the Coir also performed pieces with a Christmas message, including:

"Voices in the Mist" by Alfred Lord Tennyson

and

"King John's Christmas" by A A Milne




The singers were accompanied on organ, piano and on violin this year!


Davis Scott-Thomas is the is the Musical Director of Octavius, 
who generally sing liturgical music in its proper setting - 
that of liturgical worship.


Two Chaplains in wrapt attention!

Caught in mid-flow, our Grand Prior, Anthony Dickinson sings with Octavius and it is under his inspiration that the Concert has flourished over the past eight years.

The Chaplain General offers a vote of thanks 
- and appeals for generosity!


After the Concert, we crowded in for a good helping of mulled wine and mince pies.




Our focus for the evening is SUROL 
a charity in Sri Lanka, whose Patron is Malcolm, Cardinal Ranjith.
They work assisting all those, of any faith or background, who are affected by leprosy.

Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith is presented with the Order of Merit of St Lazarus in 2014.


And with thanks to all those who contributed in any way,
a reminder of those who benefit from your generosity.







Wednesday 19 December 2018

Historic Orléans and Boigny Meeting with Bishop Blacquart

Three members of the Grand Priory of Great Britain joined our confreres and consouers in France for an historic meeting, as the Bishop of Orléans recognized the Order as an Association of the Faithful in his Diocese.

An Investiture was held in the Polish Church of Saint Joseph, in the shadow of Orléans Cathedral, in the presence of HRH. Prince Charles-Philippe d' Orléans on Friday 14th December, with Mass the next day in nearby Boigny celebrated by the Bishop of Orléans.


 A new Knight is created.



 Chanting the final Anthem to Our Blessed Lady.



 Chaplains and members of the Order with Prince Charles-Phillippe.

H.E. Damien Van Bellingham with Chev. Pierre Piccinin da Prata
standing in front of the relic of St Lazarus.

 Outside St Joseph's Chapel, which nestles just behind Orléans Cathedral.

 Dinner in the centre of Orléans followed.





 On the Saturday, members and friends gathered in the Church of St Pierre es Liens in Boigny, part of the first lands bequested to the Order after we left the Holy Land. The Bishop of Orléans, Mgr Jaccques Blaquart celebrated the Mass, along with French Chaplains, in the historic church, which bears the St Lazarus cross in many of its decorations.





 A splendid lunch followed in with Bishop Blacquart and HRH Prince Charles-Philippe, pictured here with British Chaplains Fr Mark Lawler and Chaplain to the Grand Magistry, Fr Simon Henry.



 
H.E. Chev. Matthew Jackson along with the two British Chaplains represented the Grand Priory of Great Britain with thanks for the very warm welcome by our brothers and sisters of the Order.




PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF 
David Nivière.
With thanks.

Monday 17 December 2018

Carol Concert


Just a reminder that our Carol Concert is this coming Saturday. Always a fantastic event. We have raised thousands at this event over the last five years which has been sent to Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith of SUROL, the leprosy charity of which he is the patron. Let's make this another great year!


Carol Concert


Free Entry
A collection for the work of SUROL
(those affected by leprosy in Sri Lanka)
will take place
 Mince pies & Mulled wine to follow
 at
 St Catherine’s Church
Stanifield Lane      Farington   PR25 4QG

 Saturday 22nd December
7.30pm 

  www.surol.org    

Saturday 8 December 2018

Chaplain's visit to Bristol University


Our Chaplain General, Fr Simon Henry, paid a visit to the Catholic Chaplaincy at the University of Bristol this week, attending a lovely sung Mass in the Chaplaincy Chapel for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. 
The invitation came from University Chaplain Fr Rupert Allen.

Raising the Order's profile, particularly among young people is one of the aims of our newly installed Grand Prior, HE Chev. Anthony Dickinson, to make sure that the Order will have a flourishing future here in Great Britain.

Friday 16 November 2018

Roman Pilgrimage


 A number of members of the Grand Priory of Great Britain took part in a pilgrimage to Rome recently, as part of a larger group from the parish of the Chaplain General for Great Britain. Fifty one of us altogether. One of the highlights was Mass in St Peter's Basilica, very early in the morning, as you can see from the photograph above. Fr Simon celebrated Mass for the pilgrims at the altar of St Margaret Mary, the great devotee of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

 
Our Grand Prior, H E Chev. Anthony Dickinson read the Epistle.
 





Singing the Salve Regina at the end of Mass. 

 Among those on the pilgrimage, four of our new Esquires, who are all students at Chavagnes International College, where Order Chaplain Fr Mark Lawler has the care of souls.

 Our other venue for Mass was right next to our hotel in the gem of a church, San Salvatore. It is part of the Pallotine Fathers House and the body of St Vincent Pallotti is enshrined under the high altar in a "basilica" arrangement. We were made very welcome there and celebrated Mass each morning with ease.

 There were four Chaplains from the Grand Priory of Great Britain,
assisted at Mass by some of our new Esquires as servers.











Some of the Grand Priory members in the church.


Grand Prior, HE Anthony Dickinson

Thanks to HE Chev Matthew Jackson, who took most of the photographs.

Chaplains Tapparo and Charlton
(Diocese of Birmingham and Middlesbrough, respectively).

 
 A Roman Dome


No introduction need to this well-known face!
A far cry from the weather in Scotland!

Grand Prior and Hospitaller in conversation.

Father's straw Saturno was quite a talking point but proved a very efficient way of the group recognizing where they were heading among the Roman crowds.

Due to Father's training in Rome, we were never lost!

 Chaplains and our Esquire from Switzerland.

Father's hat proved popular elsewhere.

 For any Order chaplains reading this. Mr Gamarelli makes a fine green piped cassock.


 A welcome rest.

 An even more welcome rest.
In the courtyard of our hotel, the Ponte Sisto. 
Very centrally located in the heart of Rome.




 Two of our Esquires on the Ponte Sant Angelo' Angelo.

 Deciding on a pizza or visiting another church... hmmm?

 The Esquires assisting one of the pilgrims in his wheelchair.


 Chev Danny Lawler and Dame Margaret Lawler

Only in the Order of St Lazarus do the Esquires drink champagne!

Received into the Order this year, Mt Jeff Jackson, pictured here with his wife.

Companions of the Order, Brian and Margarita, who hail from Yorkshire.