Northampton: New Mass in the Old Rite

Catholics in Diocese of Northampton now have the option of a regular Sunday morning Latin Mass at Christ the King, Harrowden Road, Bedford. Latin Mass Society representative Eric Friar, with local lay people, obtained permission from Bishop Peter Doyle and clergy at Christ the King to hold a weekly Traditional Rite Low Mass at 8.30 am, the first of which took place on Sunday (16 August).

Previously, people from Bedford would typically take a two-hour round trip to attend a Latin Mass on Sundays at Chesham Bois, Buckinghamshire.

Eric said: "Bedford is an urban centre with a big Catholic population so it makes sense there should be an Old Rite Mass there. I'm grateful to the Bishop, to Fr Patrick Hutton the Parish Priest and to the parishoners for being so accommodating. Everyone has been very helpful, even people with no particular interest in the Latin Mass have been welcoming and taken an interest in what we are doing."

Around 20 people turned up to the first Mass, celebrated by Fr. Daniel Horgan. Numbers are expected to grow to 50 or more as word spreads and the holiday season draws to a close.

Priests versed in the Old Rite are making themselves available on a rota system to say the Mass at Bedford. Priests are now confirmed for most Sundays for the next few months. There are also plans to run training sessions for servers in the Old Rite in the area.

LMS Chairman Joseph Shaw said: "We are delighted to see a new regular Sunday Mass being celebrated in the Extraordinary Form in Bedford, filling an important gap in provision, thanks to the hard work of the local Latin Mass Society Representative and the generosity of Bishop Peter Doyle. This will make it possible for parishioners and other local Catholics to experience the riches of the Church's ancient liturgy, as Pope Benedict hoped.

"The first Mass was celebrated by Fr Daniel Horgan, who has attended both the Latin Mass Society's Priest Training Conference and our Latin Course. With thanks to him and the other priests involved, I hope the Traditional Mass will continue to flourish at Christ the King parish."