More Kudos to our Bishop!

As a matter of principal, I think we should look for the good in our bishops. I am fortunate in having a bishop for whom that is often not as hard as it might be in some other cases.

I blogged recently about +Campbell's pointing out that lay-led Eucharistic Services were not to be held in parishes in place of daily Mass, if no priest is available. Prior to that, I have pointed out some of his other merits, when he was being attacked on the basis of a lack of information, over the PTP affair.

I am glad to say that my thesis that he is fundamentally a good egg (if a bishop may be called an egg without lack of respect) receives further support from the press release he has just published.  Anyone with even a minimal understanding of the workings of the hierarchy in this country will recognise that this was a courageous act.

PRESS RELEASE

28 AUGUST 2014

DIOCESE PREPARES TO WELCOME NEW RELIGIOUS

COMMUNITY TO ST WALBURGE’S, PRESTON

Bishop Campbell hopes Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest will ‘breathe new life’ into St Walburge’s 

The Bishop of Lancaster, Rt Rev Michael Campbell OSA has expressed his excitement at the arrival in just a few weeks’ time of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest to St Walburge’s, Preston. 
The young religious community will establish a foundation at St Walburge’s in September – some two-and-a-half years after founding its first UK community at Ss Peter and Paul and St Philomena, New Brighton on the Wirral. Bishop Campbell, announced back in April that the landmark Preston city centre church – which has the highest spire in the country bar Salisbury Cathedral – will become a shrine church dedicated to Eucharistic Adoration, and providing Holy Mass and other Sacraments in the Extraordinary Form under the care of the Institute. In fact, the church will now be open for prayer every day with Eucharistic Adoration.

Bishop Campbell says: 
“The generous and courageous response of the Institute to my invitation to come to St Walburge’s not only ensures the future of the church but I’m confident that - over time - the Institute will breathe new life into St Walburge’s and indeed for the local Catholic community”. 

“Please God, the clergy and faithful of Preston will offer the Institute every welcome and assistance in the weeks, months and years ahead.”

The Institute’s new mission in Preston will be launched with an Inaugural Solemn High Mass at noon on Saturday 27 September celebrated by the Institute’s Prior General and Founder Monsignor Gilles Wach – in the presence of Bishop Campbell.

The Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest is a society of apostolic life of pontifical right within the Catholic Church, with a strong emphasis on missionary work. It was founded in 1990 and has its headquarters in Florence, Italy. Already the Institute has about 70 priests working in 12 countries and is training more than 80 seminarians at its seminary in Florence.

It has a proven track record of restoring churches, recently reopening two in the United States and one in Belgium. In 2004 a community of sisters was founded to aid the priests in their mission.

--

This is a very heartening development for a number of reasons; both with regard to the provision of the EF in the heart of what was once a very Catholic area, lately somewhat declining, and also because of the bishop's courage in doing the right thing, even though it will be deeply unpopular with many of his peers (and some in his diocese: I can't see ACTA welcoming this initiative, either...)

--

THE INSTITUTE OF CHRIST THE KING SOVEREIGN PRIEST

&

THE DIOCESE OF LANCASTER

INVITE ALL

TO 

THE GRAND OPENING

OF THE 

NEW SHRINE CHURCH OF ST WALBURGE

WESTON SREET – PRESTON – PR2 2QE

ON

SATURDAY 27 SEPTEMBER 2014

WITH

Solemn High Mass at 12 Noon

Celebrated by Monsignor Gilles Wach,

Prior General of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest, 

in the presence of 

The Right Rev Michael G Campbell, OSA

Bishop of Lancaster

Gregorian chant by the Seminarians of the 

Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest

Social after Mass in the hall next to the church at 

1.30pm

If you would like to help us prepare the social on Friday, 26 September 

Please contact Canon Montjean at:

preston@icrsp.org or 01772 612449

--

I have quoted the press release in its entirety, but for those interested, the source is here.