Chavagnes Studium Conference

In its third year, the Chavagnes Studium Conference received sponsorship this year from the Grand Priory of Great Britain. Three members of the Order gave papers and there were seven members of the Grand Priory, including our new Grand Prior designate, Chev. Anthony Dickinson, at the event. Several young men from the College will be admitted to the Order as Esquires in our forthcoming Investiture on 28th & 29th of September in Preston next month.

The College was founded 15 years ago in what was a former junior seminary in the Diocese of Luçon and for the past two years has been in the process of creating a Liberal Arts Degree course - the Studium - fully functioning starting this September. Although situated in the historic Vendeé region of France, it is an English speaking College, drawing students form all over Europe and beyond, including the USA.

The Conference title this year was "Europe and the Faith".

The Chaplain General for Great Britain gave a paper entitled, 

The Dictatorship of Relativism and European Identity.

An analysis of Pope Benedict XVI's  Regensburg Lecture

Fr Mark Lawler, SChLJ, CMLJ, presented a paper on

Chesterton and Anglo-Catholicism.

The keynote speaker was JOSEPH PEARCE, a senior fellow at The Cardinal Newman Society and editor of its journal. He is a senior contributor at The Imaginative Conservative and senior editor at the Augustine Institute. Up until recently, Director of the Center for Faith and Culture at Aquinas College in Nashville, Tennessee he was previously on the staff of Thomas More College of Liberal Arts in Merrimack, New Hampshire,  Ave Maria College in Ypsilanti, Michigan and at Ave Maria University in Ave Maria, Florida. His books include biographical works on C.S. Lewis, Shakespeare, Tolkien, Chesterton, Wilde, Solzhenitsyn and Belloc. He is a visiting professor for the Studium’s new Liberal Arts degree being launched in September 2018. He presented two fascinating talks

The catholic Literary Revival

and

The Catholic vision of JRR Tolkien

Luca Fumagalli is an Italian teacher and writer. He is co-founder and Editor of Radio Spada

 (http://www.radiospada.org/) 

and has published on RH Benson, Baron Corvo and William Golding.

Ferdi McDermott is Principal and Founder of Chavagnes International College (www.chavagnes.org) and the Chavagnes Studium. He has authored and edited several books on literary and theological topics and also founded the international Catholic cultural journal, St Austin Review in 2000. (http://staustinreview.org/)

Benjamin Harnwell presented a paper on 

The Price of Liberty is Eternal Vigilance - Does Europe want to pay the price?

He is director of the Dignitatis Humanae Institute, founded to help Christian politicians defend the faith in the public square. He drafted the Universal Declaration of Human Dignity, launched by the Speaker of the European Parliament in 2009 and was a long-term aid to senior British politician Nirj Deva from 1996 until stepping down as Chief of Staff in 2010 to concentrate on DHI. He writes occasional pieces for Breitbart and the National Catholic Register.

“The Courtesy of Polymaths: Jesuit and Lutheran scholars in 17th c. Europe”, 
Dr Thomas E Conlon.

Daniel Rabourdin, film producer (formerly at EWTN) showed the English version of his film
"The Hidden Rebellion"
It presents a searing examination of the events surrounding one of history's most chilling stories of genocide, the slaughter of the noble Catholics of the Vendeé.

We walked the few minutes to the local cinema in Chavagnes to watch the screening.

One of the College cats followed the party and had to be ejected!

In fact, the local felines seemed particularly interested in some of the talks.

Here the College Chaplain calms the savage beast.

She only wanted her own chair.

The week included a visit to the Chateau, Chardière Castle, just two kilometres from the College. It is still lived in by the descendants of the Count of Suzannet,  who led the Army of Lower Poitou during the Vendée Wars in 1799. In pride of place is a painting by Jean-Baptiste Mauzaisse of the Count. He is one of the generals of the Vendeeé whom the four houses of the school are named after: Suzannet,  Rochejaquelein,  Cathelineau and Charette.

Cocktails served in the beautiful surroundings of the Chateau helped the evening along, with a toast to the General and the great history of the Vendeé.

The Liturgy formed an integral part of the week.

We sang the Little Office of Our Lady each day and celebrated High Mass.

The East window depicts the Proclamation of the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception.

Built on the hillside overlooking the course of the Petite Maine, the sanctuary of La Salette in La Rabatelière, consists of various buildings that marked the parish life of the late XIX th century and shows the fervor of the Vendée to honour Our Blessed Lady. The sanctuary was built in 1887 on the initiative of Father Hillairet, parish priest of Rabatelière, in part, to provide work for the local people. It represents the apparitions of the Virgin to the children of La Salette in the Alps in 1846. A pilgrimage takes place every year on the first Sunday of September.

In 1949, Bishop Roncalli who was apostolic nuncio, but who will become

Pope John  XXIII was visiting La Rabateliere - and the College. The inhabitants,

all proud, took him to  see the sanctuary of La Salette.

 Seeing this site, Bishop Roncalli exclaimed:

"  Oh, how many bricks, how many bricks  ! ".

The Virgin appearing to the children.

 And weeping for the sins of mankind.

Another visit - this time to the Chateau in Les Brouzils.

A manor house has stood on the site since the 14th century. The present house dates from 1884 but the house it replaced served as a hiding place during the Terror. Local priest, Canon Goillandeau sometimes went there to say Mass. It was also part of the 83 houses burned on February 22, 1793, by the infernal columns of General Turreau, whose forces massacred tens of thousands of Vendeéans.

Not forgetting our bodily nourishment.

Meals served each day in the College Refectory.

Mass for the Feast of the Most Precious Blood

On the 1st July, the Feast of the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord, Fr Simon Henry, Chaplain General in Great Britain, celebrated Mass for those suffering from leprosy, at his church in Lancashire. many chaplains of the Order all over the world did likewise, offering a spiritual work of mercy. It was taken up here at the suggestion of our new Grand Prior designate, H.E. Anthony Dickinson.

+++++++++++++++++

Devotion to the Precious Blood is not a spiritual option, it is a spiritual obligation, and that not only for priests, but for every follower of Christ. I really believe that one of the symptoms of modern society (and I would even include, sadly, modern Catholic society) one of the symptoms of a growing, gnawing secularism is the lessening and the weakening of devotion to the Precious Blood. Devotion, as we know, is a composite of three elements: It is first- veneration, it is secondly- invocation, and it is thirdly- imitation. In other words, devotion to the Precious Blood of Christ, the Lamb of God who was slain, is first of all to be veneration on our part, which is a composite of knowledge, love and adoration. We are to study to come to a deeper understanding of what those two casual words, Precious Blood, really mean.

I found this passage in the oldest document, outside of sacred scripture, from the first century of the Christian era – to be exact, from Pope St. Clement I, dated about 96 A.D. Says Pope Clement: "Let us fix our gaze on the Blood of Christ and realize how truly precious It is, seeing that it was poured out for our salvation and brought the grace of conversion to the whole world."

To understand the meaning of the Precious Blood we must get some comprehension of the gravity of sin, of the awfulness of offending God, because it required the Blood of the Son of God to forgive that sin. We are living in an age in which to sin has become fashionable.

This veneration of the Precious Blood, which is the first element in our devotion to the Precious Blood means that we have a deep sensitivity to the awfulness of sin. Sin must be terrible. It must be awful. It must be the most dreadful thing in the universe. Why? Because it cost the living God in human form the shedding of His Blood.

                                               Excerpted from The Precious Blood of Christ, Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J.

Lord Jesus, You became Man in order by your Passion and Death and the draining of your Blood on the Cross, might prove to us how much You, our God, love us. Protect us, dear Jesus, from ever running away from the sight of blood. Strengthen our weak human wills so that we will not only not run away from the cross, but welcome every opportunity to shed our blood in spirit in union with your Precious Blood, so that, dying to ourselves in time we might live with You in Eternity. Amen

Raising a glass for charity

HE Anthony Dickinson, Grand Prior of Great Britain, presented a hamper at the annual St Joseph's Hospice Garden Party recently to assist in raising funds for their work.

Thank you to members of the Order who donated various bottles to make a welcome addition to any drinks cabinet!

St Joseph's Hospice is one of the charities supported by the Order here in Great Britain, working with Archbishop Malcolm McMahon of Liverpool. The hospice was founded by in the Archdiocese by Fr Francis O'Leary, caring for those with terminal illness. This first small project is the first of many as we work with this local charity, engaging in supporting the life of the Church in our local dioceses.

http://www.jospice.org.uk/default.aspx

GARDEN PARTY

In conjunction with His Grace, Archbishop Malcolm McMahon, the Archbishop of Liverpool, the Grand Priory of Great Britain is supporting St Joseph's Hospice Association as one of its charities this year. Members and friends are encouraged to support them. We have donated a large Spirits and Wine Hamper to the Garden Party. Thank you to those members that contributed.

St. Joseph's Hospice

7th July 2018 13:00 - 19:00

Come and join us in our beautiful gardens for a fun-filled family afternoon in our beautiful hospice grounds.

Expect all this and more!

• Teddy Bears Picnic and Parade
• Teddy Treasure Hunt
• Ice cream, Candyfloss and Popcorn
• BBQ
• Prosecco Bar
• Garden Afternoon Tea
• Entertainment and Music
• Stalls and Games
• Raffles and Tombolas
• Reflections Service at the Pool of Remembrance
• Visit the Stations of the Cross

Free admission for all!

For more information, call the fundraising team on 0151 932 6026 or email events@jospice.org.uk.
Father Francis O'Leary MHM MBE MAFounded by Francis Aloysius O'Leary MBE (1931–2000) a Roman Catholic priest and missionary who founded the St Joseph's Hospice Association, an international network of hospices known as Jospice.Father O'Leary was born June 18 1931 in Crosby, Liverpool, England, the youngest of three children. At the age of 11, he entered the seminary of Mill Hill Fathers at Freshfield. He later attended seminaries at Burn Hall, County Durham, and St Joseph's College in Roosendaal, Netherlands. Father O'Leary was ordained on 8 July 1956. After earning a post-graduate degree from Glasgow University in 1960, he was posted to Pakistan.Father O'Leary was assigned as a missionary in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. In 1962, while attending to a sick woman in an empty mud hut, he realized the need for a hospice care facility. In 1964, he opened the first hospice in Rawalpindi. After receiving advice from Mother Teresa, he obtained loans and donations to establish more facilities. Father O'Leary established several hospices in Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, Honduras and Guatemala. He also founded three facilities in England.In 1973, Father O'Leary was the subject of the British television program This Is Your Life.In 1974 the UK Jospice opened in Thornton, near Crosby.It was Father O'Leary's legacy to provide love and compassionate care to people of any faith and those without faith in the last weeks of their life. He was awarded the 1974 Daniel Carrion Medal for his medical work in Peru.In 1996, he was awarded an MBE membership.Father O'Leary died at age 69 on October 4, 2000.The leader of England's Roman Catholics, Archbishop Vincent Nichols was a cousin of Father O'Leary, and is current president of the Jospice organisation.

Fr Francis appearing on "This is your Life".

Priestly Ordination

Archbishop Malcolm McMahon of Liverpool celebrated Pontifical High Mass for the Ordination of Deacon Seth Phipps to the sacred Priesthood at the Shrine of St Mary in Warrington, Lancashire last Saturday. The Shrine is run by the Priestly Fraternity of St Peter. It is the second year that the Archbishop has celebrated ordinations there and only the second time ordinations have been conducted in the Traditional Form of the Roman Rite in Great Britain in the last 50 years.

Present was Great Britain's Chaplain General, representing the Order of St Lazarus,

at this wonderful occasion, offering our prayers and congratulations to the new priest,

Fr Seth Phipps, FSSP.

Before Mass stars the Archbishop prays at the Lady Chapel.

The Ordinand, Seth Phipps, trained at the FSSP American Seminary in Denton, Nebraska. He hails from the South West of England and holds a doctorate in Classics from Oxford.

Archbishop Malcolm addresses the ordinand and the congregation. 

Great Britain's Chaplain General and Chaplain to the Grand Magistry, Fr Simon Henry, was in attendance representing the Order of St Lazarus. 

The Litany of Saints.

The ordinand's hands are bound in service to Almighty God.

When the chasuble is first placed on the newly ordained, it is folded up, only being released at the end of the Mass as the newly ordained is sent out too minister in God's Church.

His Grace, the Most Rev. Malcolm McMahon, O. P.

The Archbishop of Liverpool.

His Grace, as with our own Cardinal Duka, is a member of the Order of Preachers - a Dominican.

The Sacred Ministers and servers.

The giving of First Blessings by the new priest.

We give thanks to God for another priest to serve His Church and continue to pray for vocations.

You can access many more photographs of the occasion at:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/138056205@N08/albums/72157667970978197/page1

Photographs used here with the kind permission of

John Aron Photography

Grand Priory of Great Britain sponsors Summer Conference

Europe and the Faith : 

an inter-disciplinary Catholic conference

30th July to 3rd August 2018

The Grand Priory of Great Britain is sponsoring the Summer Conference in Chavagnes International College and Studium this year, where Order Chaplain Fr Mark Lawler is the Chaplain and also one of the speakers (G K Chesterton as his subject).

Although set in the beautiful and historic Vendée in the west of France, the College classes are taught in English (for boys of secondary age and now also at degree level at the Studium there). The Conference is also in English.

The Grand Priory is sponsoring the College Conference because it is a place of truly Christian education, where the Faith is an integral part of daily life and the boys are taught to embrace the Faith with  both joy and courage. It is also hoped that those attending the Conference might be a good audience among which to promote the work of the Order - approaching people already interested in their Faith. The Order will have an active presence at the Conference, with our Grand Prior, Chaplain General and at several other members - and prospective members -  hoping to be present.


Joseph Pearce will be the Keynote Speaker  -  “The Catholic vision of JRR Tolkien”  -  at the Summer Conference in Chavagnes, France, this year. Now in its third year, the Conference has proved to be a lively and interesting event in a convivial atmosphere, with daily Mass and visits to local places of Catholic interest.

Although in France (Nantes is the nearest airport) the Conference talks take place in English (which is also the language in which the College and Studium teach their secondary and tertiary students.)

JOSEPH PEARCE is a senior fellow at The Cardinal Newman Society and editor of its journal. He is a senior contributor at The Imaginative Conservative and senior editor at the Augustine Institute. Up until recently, Director of the Center for Faith and Culture at Aquinas College in Nashville, Tennessee he was previously on the staff of Thomas More College of Liberal Arts in Merrimack, New Hampshire,  Ave Maria College in Ypsilanti, Michigan and at Ave Maria University in Ave Maria, Florida. His books include biographical works on C.S. Lewis, Shakespeare, Tolkien, Chesterton, Wilde, Solzhenitsyn and Belloc. He is a visiting professor for the Studium’s new Liberal Arts degree being launched in September 2018.

Pontifical High Mass from one of the previous Conferences.

"A man’s view of himself is not an “aspect:” it is a comprehension. Now then, so it is with us who are of the Faith and the great story of Europe. A Catholic as he reads that story does not grope at it from without, he understands it from within. He cannot understand it altogether because he is a finite being; but he is also that which he has to understand. The Faith is Europe and Europe is the Faith.”                                                                                                                                              Hilare Belloc

You can find out more about the Conference (which is very reasonably priced and will also provide transport to and from Nantes Airport) - as well as an online booking form at:

http://chavagnes.org/conferences/

The College is set in the beautiful countryside of the French Vendée.

Bishop Athanasius Schneider speaking at a previous Conference.

The Little Office of Our Lady being sung in the Baudouin Chapel.

Fr Baudouin was the founder of Chavagnes

A convivial evening in the gardens.

New Grand Prior for Great Britain

The annual Chapter meeting of the Grand Priory took place in Lancashire yesterday. Members of the Grand Priory were delighted to give our wholehearted assent to the Grand Master's appointment of H.E. Chev. Anthony Dickinson KLJ CMLJ as our new Grand Prior.  

H.E. The Grand Master, Jan Count Dobrzensky z Dobrzenicz, writes:

"He will enjoy my full confidence, protection and respect. Success within the Order has been based upon unity, fraternal respect and Christian love. As members in Great Britain it is my wish that you embrace and support the leadership of your new Grand Prior and assist him in this challenging vocation. I commend this mission to you."

The Grand Prior outlined a strategic plan for us to move forward with some bold new initiatives and some welcome encouragement for our existing and prospective new members - already petitioning to become our brothers and sisters at our Investiture later this year on 28th and 29th September.

Thanks to Chaplain of the Order, Fr Michael Thompson for his hospitality and welcome.

It has been our tradition to hold the Chapter Meeting in the parish of one of our Chaplains; this year we were hosted by St Richard's Church in Skelmersdale.

 The church was designed by Edward Welby Pugin in 1864, 

and was opened on the 18th June 1865 by the Right Reverend Alexander Goss, 

the second Bishop of Liverpool.

H.E. Chev. Matthew Jackson, Secretary to the Grand Magistry, represented the Grand Master.

From the new Grand Prior's address to Chapter:

"Drawing from our Charter, our Tradition and our individual life experiences we must move forward together. Over recent years we have tended to be cautious about our momentum but if we look at our record of giving and compare it with our small number of members and, with respect, our even smaller number of ‘active’ members it is time to cast caution aside and move ahead, t a k i n g pride in our achievements and using that as a selling point to try and attract new members."

“Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.” [Mt. 13:52]

 A few members orienting themselves in in the Order of Service.

Final prayers.