Tuesday 26 March 2019

Congratulations to Bishop Robert Byrne


The Grand Priory of Great Britain offers its warmest congratulations to our friend Bishop Robert Byrne,
installed as the 14th Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle on the Feast of the Annunciation this week at 
St Mary's Cathedral, Newcastle upon Tyne.


Ad multos annos!
We offer our prayers for his ministry.




Bishop Byrne reverencing the Book of the Gospels
with another friend to the Order, the Most Rev'd. Malcolm McMahon, the Archbishop of Liverpool.
Hexham is one of the Suffragan See of the Archdiocese.

Bishop Byrne with the Grand Master and our Hospitaller at our Investiture in 2015.

USA Investiture in New Orleans


The Grand Priory of the USA recently held its annual Investiture in New Orleans in the splendid church of St Mary, the Chapel of the Old Ursuline Convent built in 1845.
Cadetes formed an honour guard for the procession as new members were admitted and promotions awarded.

Some of the Chaplains of the USA with Prince Charles-Philippe de Orléans and Princess Clotilde.
Also pictured, British Chaplain General and Chaplain to the Governing Council, Fr Henry.




A side chapel in the church is dedicated to St Lazarus and provides a spiritual home for the Grand Priory.



H.E. Thierry Pauquet of Villejust, Grand Prior of the USA.


A celebratory Dinner was held afterwards in the Ballroom of the Bourbon Orleans Hotel in the heart of the historic French Quarter. It was once a convent for the Sisters of the Holy Family.




A newly invested Chaplain of Eastern Rite.


Picturesque and historic New Orleans

 The Cathedral of St Louis, 
where members of the Order were welcomed to Mass on Sunday morning by the Archbishop, 
the Most Rev'd. Gregory Aymond.

The Grand Priory of the USA currently supports five major charitable endeavors throughout the country.







Monday 25 March 2019

Fr Milan Badal. Requiescat in pace.


Sad news that Fr Milan Norbert Badal died yesterday aged just 62. A  Chaplain to the Order, he was also personal secretary to our Chaplain General, the Cardinal Archbishop of Prague, Dominika Duka, assisting particularly with media related issues.

Between 2003 and 2009, Milan Badal served as vice-president of the Czech television Council. Between 2015 and 2016 he was deputy chairman Of the Czech Radio Council.
From 1996 to 2003 he served as editor-In-chief of the Catholic weekly newspaper.

He was Born in the town of OpoÄŤno in eastern Bohemia, 15. August 1956. He graduated from the philosophical Faculty of Charles University in Prague.

He was parish priest to a parish on the outskirts of Prague at Hostivice.

He was a writer, publishing mainly with Sursum Publishing and was a contributor to the Christian Internet magazine Christnet.cz. He also published a recipe book of traditional Czech dishes.




Fr Milan last visited the UK on holiday in 2016, where the Chaplin Fr Simon Henry got him to try a pint of good northern bitter. The photo above shows that this was not a successful experiment.

Fr Badal in procession in Prague at the Navalis Festival.

He was a most kind and gentle priest.
May God give him the reward of his labours.

Requiescat in pace.

In paradisum deducant angeli
In tuo adventu suscipiant te martyres
Et perducant te
In civitatem sanctam Jerusalem
Chorus angelorum te suscipiat
Et cum Lazaro, quondam paupere

Aeternam habeas requiem


 





Wednesday 6 March 2019

Investiture for 2019

The Grand Prior of Great Britain, His Excellency Anthony Dickinson, cordially invites all members of the noble Order, Companions, their families and guests to meet in the County of Lancashire on 12th and 13th July 2019 for the Annual Investiture of new members and the granting of promotions.

On the Friday we will gather for prayer in the Church of St John the Evangelist, Burscough. Following the Vigil the Grand Prior will host a Charity Dinner in the Orangery at Briar’s Hall. 

On Saturday we gather once again at the Church of St John the Evangelist for Solemn High Mass celebrated by the Chaplain General and for the Investiture. 

Mass is followed by a Reception  on the lawns of Burscough House.

Guests are most welcome to attend any and all events. Members should receive the official details very shortly. Non-members are most welcome to attend. Please contact any member of the Order.

 
The Church was built in 1793 and partly disguised with false windows making it look like a grand Manor House. Hence the presbytery’s designation as “Burscough Hall”. This was to keep a low profile at a time when Catholicism was still censured by law. It was extended with a bell tower and porch in the early twentieth century. Much of the land as you drive up the private Road of Chapel Lane once belonged to the church, which still includes a school, cemetery and fields stretching down to Abbey Brook.


 
There has been a house on the site since the 16th century but the present building dates mainly from a rebuilding of 1745 for the Ashton family.  It consists of a three storey three bay house with lower and later wings to either side; the larger right-hand wing and the porch and bay window on the end elevation to the left represent the extensions made for John Ainscough after he bought the estate in 1902.  The house has been a hotel since 1970. Beautifully located in 5 acres of mature gardens and woodland. It offers olden charm with modern comfort and service.