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Post by Alaisdir Ua Séaghdha on Feb 25, 2009 10:07:05 GMT
Cork really deserves to have a regular daily & Sunday mass like St. Kevin's Dublin. Come on Corkonians! Eh, eircomnet, we're talking about St Paul's on the Falls Road in Belfast here in Down and Connor. Not Cork. Like to post this on Cork & Ross? Well, Eircomnet could ask the same question about Belfast as about Cork - it has the same Catholic population. Regretably there is only one priest available in Belfast and the recent history is shorter than Cork.
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Post by hibernicus on Jun 23, 2009 12:46:23 GMT
I was at the June first Saturday Mass in St. Paul's Belfast. About 30-40 present, fewer than the last time I was there some months ago. I think some people may have been away.
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Post by Alaisdir Ua Séaghdha on Jun 23, 2009 14:56:53 GMT
The numbers are not good for a place like Belfast.
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Post by hibernicus on Aug 3, 2009 10:39:59 GMT
About 40 at the First Saturday Mass on August 1st at St. Paul's, including a lot of old people and several small children. One thing surprised me - the priest was wearing Marian vestments. I thought 1 August was the feast of St. Alphonsus Liguori, whom I am developing an interest in (and whom as a Doctor of the Church I would expect to take precedence under normal circumstances). Somebody told me the use of Marian vestments was somehow related to the proximity of the Assumption - does anyone have a fuller explanation. Let's see how the Solemn High Mass at 4 pm in St. Patrick's Church goes on 15 August. If anyone is coming up from Dublin, St. Patrick's is a red-brick Victorian church off the northern end of the city centre. You go up Royal Avenue and turn right, on the northern side of the road; turn north (i.e. right again) just after you pass the BELFAST TELEGRAPH building and it's on the right-hand side of the road. Just past the church is a motorway; a few hundred yards further on you may see an eighteenth-century building (the Belfast Charitable Institution) and an Orange Hall with a metal statue of king William III.
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Post by Alaisdir Ua Séaghdha on Aug 11, 2009 10:14:27 GMT
Vestment choice on the first Saturday does seem odd - but isn't St Alphonsus white too?
Sounds like the Assumption Mass is in a very interesting location.
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Post by hibernicus on Aug 17, 2009 11:04:48 GMT
150+ at the Assumption Mass. I hadn't been in St. Patrick's since it was restored after a fire some time ago; I must say the damage was less than I feared and the interior is very clean and full of light. For art-lovers, there is a big triptych by Sir John Lavery showing Our Lady adored by the young St. Patrick (as a swineherd) and St. Brigid (as a shepherdess or herding cows, I forget which). Unfortunately not only is the BVM identifiable as Lavery's wife and constant model, but her pose is very stiff and unresponsive, and St. Brigid's dress is a bit fancy for herding cattle. The St. Patrick is quite good, however - one out of three isn't bad.
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Post by Beinidict Ó Niaidh on Aug 17, 2009 11:27:53 GMT
150 - that was very good, but last year there was about 300. Was it a solemn high Mass?
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Post by hibernicus on Aug 17, 2009 11:29:52 GMT
Yes - there were three priests. I would say 150+, I didn't do an exact count, just a rough estimate before settling down to concentrate on the Mass. There could have been as many as 200.
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Post by Alaisdir Ua Séaghdha on Aug 19, 2009 11:55:12 GMT
Whatever our criticisms - it is a boost for trads in Belfast.
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Post by servus on Sept 3, 2009 9:14:22 GMT
One thing surprised me - the priest was wearing Marian vestments. I thought 1 August was the feast of St. Alphonsus Liguori, whom I am developing an interest in (and whom as a Doctor of the Church I would expect to take precedence under normal circumstances). Somebody told me the use of Marian vestments was somehow related to the proximity of the Assumption - does anyone have a fuller explanation. August 1st is the feast of Saint Alphonsus in the Ordinary Form, however in the 1962 Missal Saint Alphonsus' Feastday is one day later, August 2nd. The Mass was celebrated was Low Mass of Our Lady's Saturday with the Commemoration of the Holy Machabees.
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Post by guillaume on Sept 3, 2009 10:46:12 GMT
One thing surprised me - the priest was wearing Marian vestments. I thought 1 August was the feast of St. Alphonsus Liguori, whom I am developing an interest in (and whom as a Doctor of the Church I would expect to take precedence under normal circumstances). Somebody told me the use of Marian vestments was somehow related to the proximity of the Assumption - does anyone have a fuller explanation. So do I. I haver read recently most part of the "Way to salvation" (not sure of the proper translation, the book is in French). The book contains lots of short meditations mostly on the last ends, hell, salvation, death. Those meditations are always accompanied by short prayers. Then you have meditations based on some specific religious feast and most important, at the end, some "advices" on practising your faith. This book, like all book by Saint Alphonsus, are very easy to read and understand. Saint Alphonsus "public" was poor people, in general, not scholars, not intellectual. I found the writings of Saint Alphonsus so easy to read, than a child could understand. But above all, Saint Alphonse is speaking to sinners, and manages so well to convert them (us) by an easy but firm and straight preaching. Saint Alphonsus is a father, a real father of souls. He is also a great marian devout. And his book "The Glory of Mary", a best seller, is a perfect master piece.
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Post by hibernicus on Sept 7, 2009 15:29:12 GMT
22-23 at the monthly Mass in St. Paul's. This is not good at all (especially as one of the regular attenders is moving away). The server was audible but the lessons were read in Latin only (not English). There's now a nice little newsletter which gives the propers for the day (it was the feast of St. Lawrence Justinian, a patriarch of Venice).
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Post by Alaisdir Ua Séaghdha on Sept 8, 2009 13:57:00 GMT
22-23 is extremely low for Belfast.
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Post by hibernicus on Sept 8, 2009 15:53:00 GMT
It seems to be poorly advertised. I will be offline now for some days.
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Post by Alaisdir Ua Séaghdha on Sept 9, 2009 10:52:31 GMT
Well, where is it advertised other than here and on the LMSI website? Nowhere I know of.
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