Rolling Back the Tide of Post-Conciliar Iconoclasm: Newly Revealed Wall Painting at the Oxford Oratory

A friend and parishioner at the Oxford Oratory, has drawn my attention to a spectacular development in its ongoing restoration project: the white paint has been removed from large sections of the church walls to reveal the original decoration and wall paintings. The murals of scenes from the life of St Aloysius were painted by Gabriel Pippet between 1902 and 1905.

Whitewashing over wall paintings has often been a measure taken by those who wish to remove images from churches. Applying a coat of paint is cheaper and quicker than replastering the surface! Islamic iconoclasts at Hagia Sophia, Protestant Reformers in 16th-century England, and, it seems, Catholic iconoclasts of the 1970s all resorted to this method of obliterating sacred art to hide the beauty of the Church.  

The good news is that very often, this actually preserves the images underneath, and the white surface can be removed to reveal what was beneath. This has just been done with great results at St. Aloysius to reveal scenes from the life of the patron saint. 

Here are some before-and-after photographs: I encourage you to go to oxfordoratory.org, to read the account written by the Fathers of the Oratory themselves about what has happened.  

Due to dampness and the ravages of time, it was not possible to save all the original paintings. Still, the goal is to restore the remainder of the church using the revealed imagery and decoration as a model for a full restoration. I have no doubt that they will do a good job. Do consider donating to this excellent cause!

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Cardinal Burke celebrates St Philip's Day at the Oxford Oratory

Cardinal Burke celebrated a Solemn Pontifical Mass for the feast of St Philip Neri at the Oxford Oratory, in the 5th centenary of the Saint's birth. The pictures below appear courtesy of the Oxford Oratory and there are more over at the the Oxford Oratory website. During the sermon (full text here) Cardinal Burke spoke of St Philip's example in countering the secular culture and recalled the words of Cardinal Ratzinger immediately preceding the 2005 conclave:

Celebrating the fifth centennial of the birth of Saint Philip Neri, let us all take particular example from the manner in which he encountered a secularized and, therefore, corrupt culture. Let us implore his intercession as we ourselves confront a culture in which even the most fundamental truths, the truth about human life and the truth about its cradle in the family constituted by marriage, are consistently ignored, defied and grievously violated. I recall how Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger addressed the contemporary secular culture in his homily during the Mass for the Election of the Roman Pontiff, celebrated before the conclave during which he was elected to the See of Peter. He spoke of how the “the thought of many Christians” has been tossed about, in our time, by various “ideological currents,” observing that we are witnesses to the “human deception and the trickery that strives to entice people into error,” about which Saint Paul wrote in his Letter to the Ephesians. He noted that, in our time, those who live according to “a clear faith based on the Creed of the Church” are viewed as fundamentalists, as extremists, while relativism, that is, “letting oneself be ‘tossed here and there, carried about by every wind of doctrine’,” is extolled. Regarding the source of the grave moral evils of our time, he concluded: “We are building a dictatorship of relativism that does not recognize anything as definitive and whose ultimate goal consists solely of one’s own ego and desires.”

Called to transform the world in Christ, let us, with Saint Philip Neri, turn to Christ, to His truth and love handed on to us in His Mystical Body, the Church. Let us practice the humility which recognizes that only the grace of God saves us from our sins and animates us for the pure and selfless love which conquers sin and everlasting death. Let us follow the counsel which Saint Philip gave to his niece. Let us give our hearts into the Sacred Heart of Jesus, through the opening of His glorious pierced Side, and let us strive, through prayer and penance, never to leave that home in which alone we find forgiveness, peace and strength. This is not fundamentalism. This is not extremism. This is living in Christ, in the Wisdom of God. As Christ sanctified the times of Saint Philip with an abundant outpouring of the sevenfold gift of the Holy Spirit into Saint Philip’s heart, so may He sanctify our times through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit into our hearts.

Cardinal Burke to Visit Oxford Next Week (May 26 and 27)

His Eminence Raymond Cardinal Burke, Patron of the Order of Malta, will visit Oxford next week, on the 26th and 27th May. During his two day visit, His Eminence will:
- celebrate Solemn Mass in the Ordinary Form and preach at the Oxford Oratory for the patronal feast of St Philip, at 6 p.m. next Tuesday evening, May 26th.
- celebrate Low Mass in the Extraordinary Form at Ss Gregory and Augustine parish church at 8 a.m. on Wednesday morning, May 27th.
- attend Solemn Vespers in the Extraordinary Form for the Octave of Pentecost, and celebrate Benediction for the Order of Malta, with music provided by the Ordinariate’s Newman Consort, also at the Oxford Oratory, at 4 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon; and finally
- deliever a lecture on the intellectual legacy of the reign of Benedict XVI to the Oxford University Newman Society at 6 p.m. on Wednesday evening.

He will also be visiting some of the Order’s activities in Oxford with the poor and the marginalised, which are carried out under the auspices of the Companions of the Order of Malta, a group of students and academic staff from the University.

The Episcopal Ordination of Oratorian Fr Robert Byrne

Fr Robert Byrne, Cong. Orat. was ordained as an Auxiliary Bishop yesterday at St Chad's Cathedral, Birmingham. He is the first Oratorian Bishop in England in 140 years, the last being Fr Edward Bagshawe who became Bishop of Nottingham in 1874. Fr Robert Byrne was one of the founders of the Oxford Oratory and he will serve as an auxiliary bishop in Birmingham. He will be the titular Bishop of Cuncacestre (Chester-le-Street). The Ordination was attended by the Oratory Fathers from Birmingham, Oxford, Manchester, London and York, as well as from the Oratory in formation in Washington DC.

The evening before there was a Vigil Liturgy at the Birmingham Oratory at which His Grace Archbishop Longley of Birmingham presided. The Bishop-Elect made his Profession of Faith and Pontifical Benediction followed. During the sermon at the Vigil, Archbishop Longley said:

Blessed John Henry Newman's beatification by Pope Benedict in 2010 has brought so many blessings to our local Church... we must now count (Fr Robert Byrne's) episcopal ministry among us as one of the gifts we have received through the intercession of Blessed John Henry, Cardinal Newman. We see in tomorrow's ordination a deepening appreciation for the charism of the Oratory as members of its various English houses increasingly play their part in the life of the Church at diocesan and national levels.

During the sermon at the Ordination His Eminence Cardinal Nichols said:

After Bishop-elect Robert makes his promises, we turn in prayer to the saints of the Church. Uppermost in my mind will be St Philip Neri, so well known as the saint and prophet of joy, renowned for his relaxed and attractive method of education, living across the road from the Venerable English College in Rome, giving his blessing to the young students, especially as they set out for their mission here in England. We certainly ask for his blessing today on this man.

And Blessed John Henry Newman, of whom Father Robert is a true son. He too will bless us today and enkindle in us that same passion for the truth of faith which he followed at such cost and with such rigour. His journey was described, on his tombstone, as one of moving ‘Out of shadows and images into the truth.’ May that be our daily journey, too, coming each day more fully into the light of the glory of God shining in the face of Jesus.

The photographs below show the Vigil as well as the Episcopal Ordination and are taken from the Catholic Church of England & Wales Photostream.
© Mazur/catholicnews.org.uk

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Pontifical Mass at the Oxford Oratory

Archbishop Longley of Birmingham visited the Oxford Oratory last Sunday to celebrate Mass. Metropolitan Kallistos Ware of Diokleia was also present on the sanctuary. After Mass Archbishop Longley invited the Metropolitan to join him in the blessing of the new building which provides additional accommodation for the community, new Parish Rooms and a library. In his sermon, the Archbishop made reference to the new Oratorian Parish in York:

Our Mass today affords me the first public opportunity to thank the Oratory Fathers for their generous response to the invitation to establish a new house in York, under the patronage of St Wilfrid. We shall pray for the founding members of this community as they serve their new parishioners and the pilgrims who visit the Shrine of St Margaret Clitherow.

The full text of the sermon and more photographs are available here. (Photos: Elizabeth Nyikos)

A New Oratorian Parish in York

Bishop Drainey of Middlesborough has invited the Oratorians of Oxford to take on the Parish of St Wilfrid's in York. St Wilfrid's is the largest Catholic church in York (originally intended to be a cathedral) and close by is the gothic grandeur of York Minster. St Wilfrid's also looks after the shrine of St Margaret Clitherow who was martyred in York in 1586. Fr Richard Duffield of the Oxford Oratory will become Parish Priest in October. Two new Oratories have recently started in the USA in St Louis and Washington DC; it's wonderful to see the same thing happening in England. More information is available on the Oxford Oratory's website.

St Philip's Day at the Oxford Oratory

St Philip's Day Mass at the Oxford Oratory was celebrated by the Rt. Rev. Dom. Cuthbert Brogan OSB, Abbot of Farnborough. The mass setting was Missa Vestiva i Colli by Ruggiero Giovanelli.

During the Offertory, the choir sang a new setting of the prayer of Baronius, 'Respice de cælo Sancte Pater' by John Caldwell, former professor of music at the University and a regular parishioner, who composed it as a gift to the Oratory. More photographs and the text of the Abbot's sermon are available on the Oxford Oratory's website. (Photos: Tessa Caldecott)

Blessed Sacrament Procession in Oxford, England

H

ere are photographs of the Blessed Sacrament Procession in Oxford last Sunday. The Blessed Sacrament was carried by Bishop William Kenney CP, V. Rev. John O'Connor OP (Prior of Blackfriars) and Fr Simon Bishop SJ (University Chaplain). The procession started at the Oratory, stopped at Blackfriars for a sermon by Fr Robert Ombres OP and finished at the University Chaplaincy with Benediction. There were over 400 people present. (Photos: Brother Oliver Craddock)