We are absolutely delighted to announce that Archbishop George Stack will ordain Peter Davies as deacon in St Brigid’s Church on Saturday 2 December during Mass at 12 noon – and all are invited to this wonderful occasion.

Peter is part of the chaplaincy team at our Cardiff hospitals, and became Catholic two years ago. He has become a regular attendee at St Brigid’s. Now after a period of reflection and formation, the Archbishop will ordain him deacon, hopefully on the way to priesthood next year. This last stage before priesthood is called being a “transitory deacon” as opposed to the “permanent deacons” who remain as deacons for good. As a married former Anglican priest with family, this has required special approval from the Vatican.

This is a great opportunity to take part in an ordination, which is one of the most beautiful liturgies of the Church, and may be a new experience for many. It is very fitting also to be at the beginning of Advent. It will be the beginning of a new year in the Church’s history, and, of course, is the beginning of a new stage in Peter’s own journey.

We will need extra altar servers – you are welcome from all 3 Churches. Fr Daniel Stanton will return to MC for this special occasion.
The Archbishop has decided that the Mass texts will be from the First Sunday of Advent.
To continue the celebration and welcome the new deacon, there will be a Bring-and-Share Lunch after the Mass in St Brigid’s Hall. Finger food (please) should be taken to the Hall before the Mass.

Please put the date in your diary – these events do not come around often! And watch for further details. Saturday 2 December 12 noon at St Brigid’s.

Fr Matthew

Wednesday sees the beginning of November, month of the Holy Souls.

• Wednesday 1 November Feast of All Saints, Holyday of Obligation. Mass times inside and on back cover.
• Thursday 2 November Commemoration of the Faithful Departed (All Souls). Mass will be celebrated as usual on Thursdays, at 9.30am at Christ the King, and 7.30pm at St Brigid’s.
• Saturday 11 November 3 Churches Mass of Memories at Christ the King 10am. Our Bereavement Support Group invite you to come in memory of your loved ones. We remember especially those who have died since last November. Light refreshments to follow.
• Wednesdays 1, 15 & 29 November “A Time to Remember” at the Cathedral House. The Mostyn Room (former CTS) will be set aside as a quiet space for those who have experienced bereavement. Tea/coffee, a chance to talk, or just to be quiet, reflect, pray…
• Throughout November Remember that St Brigid’s and St Paul’s churches are always open each day. People pop in to pray or just for peace.
• Throughout November In each of our 3 Churches there will be a November Book of Remembrance. You are welcome to add the names of those who have been important to you. Regular Masses will be offered for those mentioned in these books.

We give them back to You, O Lord, who first gave them to us;
Yet as You did not lose them in the giving, so we do not lose them by their return... 
For what is yours is ours also, if we belong to You.
Love is undying, and life is unending,
And the boundary of this mortal life is but a horizon,
And the horizon is nothing save the limit of our sight.
Lift us up, strong Son of God, that we may see further. 
(Bede Jarrett)

On 3 September Pope Francis issued the document Magnum principium (“The Great Principle”). It shifts responsibility and authority for translations from Latin into modern languages of liturgical texts (e.g. the Missal), to national Conferences of Bishops, and restricts the role of the relevant Vatican department, the Congregation for Divine Worship (CDW). This is a significant step in the Pope’s plan of changing the role of the Roman Curia in the Church, and fostering “shared decision-making between local churches and Rome.”

After Vatican II, there was much discussion about the quality of some translations. In 2001, the CDW’s instruction Liturgiam Authenticam ruled that texts “insofar as possible, must be translated integrally and in the most exact manner, without omissions or additions in terms of their content, and without paraphrases or glosses.” But an alternative view sees translation as “dynamic equivalence”, roughly “sense-for-sense” translation, rather than the more literal word-for-word translation that was now required. Various countries struggled with the new instruction. The CDW tightened its grip on the multi -national International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL), created to produce English translations, overruling its proposed revision.

In 2016, Pope Francis formed a commission to review the implementation of Liturgiam Authenticam. He says “some principles handed on since the time of the [Second Vatican] Council should be more clearly reaffirmed and put into practice”. He wants collaboration and trust between the CDW and conferences of bishops, but lays down that the CDW’s role is to ratify the bishop’s approval, not to review the translation itself.

So what will happen? We have the possibility that the 2011 English Missal could be changed, if the Bishops choose to take that route. Will the over-ruled ICEL translation re-emerge? Or something different? Or not? Watch this space…

Fr Matthew