Tuesday, April 24, 2012

The First Mass of a Young Ordinariate Priest: Fr. James Bradley

We have had much news from the Anglican Ordinariate recently, and here is a bit more: Fr. James Bradley and Fr. Daniel Lloyd were recently ordained for the Anglican Ordinariate in the United Kingdom.

This is worth mentioning in its own right, but what I particularly wished to share with our readers today is the first Mass of Fr. James Bradley, which he celebrated this past Sunday at Holy Ghost, Balham -- which parish he had been a deacon at since September 2011. Fr. Bradley's first Mass was celebrated according to the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite (which is being used by the Personal Ordinariate until such time as liturgical texts from the Anglican tradition are approved by the Holy See).

NLM is told that the parish of the Holy Ghost has a reputation for its pursuit of the re-enchantment of the sacred liturgy, led under the pastoral direction of Fr. Stephen Langridge -- who also happens to be the vocations director for the Archdiocese of Southwark.

For Fr. Bradley's first celebration of Mass, the Missa Ego Flos Campi of de Padilla was sung, along with an eight-part setting of the Regina Caeli by Guerrero, and O Sacrum Convivium by Thomas Tallis. The polyphony was accompanied by baroque guitars and dulcian.

Servers from the parish were joined by Fr. David Elliott of the Reading Ordinariate Group (as Master of Ceremonies); concelebrants included Mgr John Walsh, Fr Langridge (who also preached), Fr David Skeoch of the Ipswich Ordinariate Group, and Fr Mark Woodruff from the Archdiocese of Westminster and the (UK) Catholic League.

Here are some photos of the event. Congratulations both to Fr. Bradley and to Fr. Lloyd.













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