Carmelite Sisters of the Transfiguration

[Please to note: At the request of the initiators, we give you notice that the Carmelite Sisters of the Transfiguration initiative was unsuccessful and efforts to establish this group have been discontinued.  We maintain this post in the hope that it may inspire others to take up the cause of traditional religious life for women. "Gather up the fragments that remain, lest they be lost." Jn vi, 12 Ed.]

A new initiative in traditional religious life, the Carmelite Sisters of the Transfiguration, as they hope to be called, have established a blog to draw together kindred souls who may wish to be formed in the great Carmelite tradition as a semi-contemplative congregation of sisters devoted both to prayer and to the apostolic work of educating Catholic young ladies.

St. M. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross

One of the inspiriations for their apostolate is the words of St. M. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, known in the world as Edith Stein, in her essay Problems of Womens' Education:

"If we can institute an independent Catholic system of education for girls, we shall be defending in this way not only the threatened position of women in cultural life but also we shall be taking part in the great struggle of the spirit against materialism and biologism in the struggle for Christ's kingdom against all unchristian and anti-Christian movements and trends."

The first step, that of making the decision to begin, has been taken, and the next step of gathering the future sisters into a programme of formation, is envisaged.

The Spiritual Life of the sisters will be grounded in the traditional Divine Office of the Breviarium ordinis fratrum Beatissimae Virginis Mariae de Monte Carmelo and the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite Mass - perhaps the Carmelite Rite one day! Other particular devotions will be the Seven Sorrows of Mary and the Most Holy Rosary.

Carmelite Sisters in Traditional Habit
(not the Sisters of the Transfiguration)*

*A kind visitor has advised us that this photo is actually of the Servant of God, Mother M. Angeline Teresa McCrory, O.Carm., and her Companions. Mother Angeline is the Foundress of the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm and her cause for Beatification and Canonization is before the Holy See in Rome. For further information you can go to: www.carmelitesisters.com.

Benedictines of the Immaculate

The Benedictines of the Immaculate are a new traditional community of Benedictines of strict observance in Liguria, Italy. They were founded on July 2nd 2008, in Villatalla, a small Italian village located in Liguria on the height of Imperia, very near to Vintimmille and on French border.

This community was founded by two monks coming from the Abbey of Our Lady of the Annnunciation, Le Barroux (France), at the request of Monsignor Mario Oliveri, bishop of Albenga-Imperia.

Benedettini dell'Immacolata
Casa Santa Caterina da Siena
I-18020 VILLATALLA (IM)
ITALIA

Email: benedett.immacolata at alice.it

More information, including a schedule of services, can be found on their blog here.

FSSP Vocations Retreat in England

"Please support me with your prayer, and I will be happy to do the same in the recollection of the retreat, invoking divine power on each one of you, on your families and your communities."

-- Pope Benedict XVI, 25 Feb. 2007

Retreats preached at Douai Abbey (Berks., UK) by Fr Armand de Malleray, of the Priestly Fraternity of St Peter

Vocation Retreat (2 nights)
7-9 January 2009

Starts Wednesday 7th January 2009 at 2pm –
ends Friday 9th January 2009 at 11am

Theme: "Ask the master of the harvest to send out labourers for his harvest." (Mt 9,38)
Retreat for celibate men, age 16-40 [Vocations video]

Cost: £70 - to cover:
1-Accommodation: single room with en-suite bathroom, full board. The Guest Master suggests a donation of £58.75 per person.
2-Retreat Master’s expenses: a minimum £11.25 per person expected.
N.B. special reduction for students: £45 everything included.

Schedule: Silent retreat (inside the premises); meals with table reading on the theme of the retreat or music; includes a one-hour conference in the morning and in the afternoon; coffee-break; walks around the Abbey; possibility of private meeting with the Retreat Master and of confession; daily Mass in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman rite; other devotions possible (Rosary, meditation).

Possibility of attending some of the monks prayers (Douai Abbey is a community of monks of the English Benedictine Congregation).

Location: Douai Abbey, Upper Woolhampton RG7 5TQ, Berkshire, United Kingdom (about 1 hour west from London). Website: www.douaiabbey.org.uk

By car: Douai Abbey is situated 1 mile north of the A4 about half way between Reading and Newbury in Berkshire. The turn off the A4 is about 6 miles from M4 Junction 12.

By rail: the nearest station is called MIDGHAM, but it is actually in Woolhampton village: trains from London Paddington, Reading & Newbury. A lift from and to the railway station can be arranged directly with the Guest Master (tel.: 0118 971 5399).

The building is equipped for wheel chairs.

Booking and contact: Fr Armand de Malleray, FSSP, 179 Elgar Rd, Reading RG2 0DH, Berks – Tel.: 0118 987 5819 – E-mail: malleray[at]fssp.org. Website: www.fssp.org.uk

N.B. Your payment will take place at the Abbey during the retreat. Deposit has already been paid. No other payment required.

To make a donation to help others – especially students – attend the retreat: please use contact above (£ cheques made payable to "FSSP England" – please mention then "Retreat Sponsoring". Thank you very much).

New Edition of the Roman Breviary Ready to Order

by Gregor Kollmorgen

The website about the new edition of the Breviarium Romanum is now online at http://www.breviariumromanum.com complete with an order form.

This is the new edition I first mentioned in this post. While the website offers all the information you want, I'll just highlight a few things.

The Breviary fully complies with the rubrics of the usus antiquior, i.e. the codex rubricarum of 1960, and is canonically approved by the Bishop of Eichstätt, Germany.

The text of the psalms is that of the Vulgate (Gallican psalter).

It comes in two volumes in flexible leather covers, which I find a particularly practical feature which is sadly only rarely found in books these days:


It is a newly typeset edition (not a reprint), arranged in the traditional, two-column Breviary layout, and will have several other traditional features of the art of liturgical book-binding, arrangement and typesetting in the tradition of the great German liturgical publisher, Friedrich Pustet.



You can download more sample pages here.

It will also include four insert cards for each volume with the most frequent texts.

The price for the complete set will be EUR 198, i.e. as per today USD 252.28, plus shipping.

Now this Breviary edition is expected to be ready for shipping by the end of November/early December. Orders will be carried out in the order of their placement. Early orders should therefore arrive in time for Christmas even in the US by airmail.

In the interest of full disclosure I will again say that I have been involved in this project, although in a very minor role, by proofreading; my interest, however, is entirely liturgical, I will not receive any remuneration form the proceeds whatsoever.

You can read the preface to the Breviary by His Excellency the Most Reverend Gregor Maria Hanke OSB, Bishop of Eichstätt, here.

(reproduced from The New Liturgical Movement)

Official Images from the FSSP's 20th Anniversary Celebrations

The New Liturgical Movement has published official images from the FSSP's 20th Anniversary Celebrations in Rome.

Bp. Athanasius Schneider at ICRSS Rome Apostolate

by Gregor Kollmorgen

His Excellency, Athanasius Schneider ORC, auxiliary bishop of Karaganda, Kazakhstan, and well known to NLM readers from his book "Dominus est" in favour of a return to the traditional practice of receiving Holy Communion directly on the tongue while kneeling, recently celebrated Pontifical Low Mass in the Roman chruch of Gesù e Maria, Via del Corso, where the Apostolate of the Institute of Christ the King in Rome has its Sunday Mass. This apostolate, by the way, after having been present in Rome for over 15 years, has now been canonically erected by the Vicariate of Rome. The images of this Mass also show some of the ceremonial before and after Mass, recently addressed by Shawn.







For more pictures go here.

(reproduced from The New Liturgical Movement)

Canons Regular of celebrate their Patronal Feast Day

by Shawn Tribe

The Canons Regular of Saint John Cantius report that to celebrate the Solemn Feast of St. John Cantius on October 20th, 2008, the Canons Regular offered a Latin Holy Hour, a Solemn High Mass (1962 Missale Romanum) and Solemn Vespers (1962 Breviarium Romanum).

The Canons Regular also report that "celebrating the day with the Canons Regular were Her Imperial and Royal Highness, Maria Anna, Princess of Galitzine, granddaughter of Blessed Karl of Austria, and her husband Prince Piotr D. Galitzine as well as members of the Royal Family." A reception followed.




(reproduced from The New Liturgical Movement)

Photos from FSSP Solemn Pontifical Mass in Rome

by Shawn Tribe

Teaser photos of the 20th FSSP anniversary events of this past weekend are coming out of Rome now.








We can expect to see more to come soon: FSSP Rome.

(reproduced from The New Liturgical Movement)

ICRSS Pilgrimage to Lisieux

by Gregor Kollmorgen

This Sunday, as we mentioned in August, the parents of St. Thérèse of Lisieux have been raised to the honour of the altars. On this occasion, the Institute of Christ the King made a pilgrimage for vocations to Lisieux. Here are some impressions:





Note the new dress of their altar boys, which I first noticed here.


Afterwards there was Benediction:


The Founder of the Institute of the Holy Cross of Riaumont, Fr Argouac, was also present:


For more pictures go here.

(reproduced from The New Liturgical Movement)

Video from Clear Creek Monastery

Solemn Pontifical Mass at Our Lady of the Annunciation Monastery at Clear Creek, in Tulsa, OK: celebrated by Dom Antoine Forgeot, Abbot of Fontgombault Abbey (the motherhouse of Clear Creek).


(source: The New Liturgical Movement)

F.S.S.P. 20th Anniversary Rome Celebrations...

by J.P. Sonnen

Glory be, FSSP have taken over Rome!

They were all over the streets and churches of Rome earlier this week. At the tombs of the blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, at the papal audience on Wednesday and just this morning all of their European seminarians arrived from their Seminary of St. Peter in Wigratzbad, Bavaria!

Such a treat to see so many countless FSSP priests, seminarians, families, friends and benefactors crawling all over the City in such a spirit joy and prayer and thanksgiving! A twenty year celebration is a big event and such a youthful religious order in the life of the Church is a true blessing that takes ones breath away.

And to celebrate their twentieth anniversary they even just unveiled a really nice glossy covered commemorative book - a book packed with lots of really nice photos illustrating their twenty year "pilgrimage". What I saw was in French, but a must for every family.

This evening Vespers was sung from the Liber Usualis at the FSSP Rome parish, Ss. Trinità dei Pellegrini. The church was packed with countless clergy and laymen alike. As one kid remarked afterwards: "Wow, I never saw so many birettas together in one room!"

Then it was off to dinner for everybody atop the cobbled streets of Rome!

But the highlight? Before Vespers in walked "De Magistris the Great." He is known as perhaps the most beloved of old Vatican prelates. With a smile he entered the sacristy to greet everybody and offer a few warm words of hearty congratulations to all.

More photos available at the Orbis Catholicus blog.

(reproduced from Orbis Catholicus)

More Photos from the Recent IBP Ordinations

by Shawn Tribe

Recently the NLM published some photographs of the October 11th ordinations of the Institute of the Good Shepherd in Bordeaux, France.

A French reader sent in a link to the following photos which were of extremely high quality, so they seemed worth showing in addition to what we have already.

I was pleased to see that two of the ordinandi were clerics of the IBP I had the pleasure of meeting in the spring while in Europe. They are pictured below in the first and last photograph respectively. Congratulations to them.












(In the usus antiquior the Ordination Mass of a new priest was the one and only time one would see concelebration of the Mass.)



(reproduced from the The New Liturgical Movement)