News

On Saturday 29th August 2020, the Dominican community elected Fr Lawrence Lew OP as their new Prior. Please pray for him, and for the community of St Dominic’s Priory.

The role of Prior is distinct from that of the Parish Priest. The Prior is the religious superior of the Dominican friars based here who serve in the parish and the Shrine, but who also have a diverse mission serving in local schools, universities, hospitals, and a prison, as well as giving preached retreats and talks internationally, and teaching at Blackfriars Hall in Oxford.

The Parish Priest of St Dominic’s church is assisted by other friars in the community, and he oversees the mission of the parish and has charge of the pastoral care and sacramental life of the Catholic community who worship here.

In addition to being Prior, Fr Lawrence continues to serve as Promoter General for the Holy Rosary in the General Curia of the Order, and as Rector of the Rosary Shrine, working alongside our parishioners in welcoming pilgrims and visitors and guests to the Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary.

We are not yet “back to normal” but we are delighted to have daily Masses, Confessions, and of course Sunday Mass and Adoration again. Please be vigilant, stay safe, and observe the social distancing guidelines, and wear a mask in church. Below is our current schedule:

From Friday, 5 June, which is the first Friday of the month of the Sacred Heart, we will be livestreaming the Rosary at 8pm every week to the new YouTube channel of the Dominican Order’s Promoter General of the Rosary. To go to the channel, visit youtube.com/c/RosariumOP. Please be sure to subscribe to the channel, and click for notifications so that you are informed whenever we go Live!

Read the e-edition of our latest magazine!

Owing to the current situation, we are distributing the Easter 2020 edition of our magazine electronically rather than as printed copies in our churches.

• Reviews of Books by Frs Timothy Radcliffe and Bruno Cadoré
• Reburial of a Medieval Friar
• History of the Ditchling Arts & Crafts Community
• Remembering Fr David Sanders
• Br Joseph Bailham’s unexpected year in Bologna
• Links for further reading, videos, and more…

READ THE MAGAZINE

UPDATE (23 MARCH 2020): BY ORDER OF THE GOVERNMENT, ALL PLACES OF WORSHIP, INCLUDING THIS CHURCH, MUST BE LOCKED. PLEASE PRAY THE ROSARY DAILY AND IMPLORE GOD TO MERCIFULLY LIFT THIS SCOURGE FROM OUR WORLD!

On 18th March, the Bishops of England and Wales made the following statement: “In response to the Coronavirus pandemic, so many aspects of our lives must change. This includes the ways in which we publicly express our faith. It is very clear that, following official advice and in order to keep each other safe, save lives and support the NHS, at this time we must not gather for public acts of worship in our churches. This will begin from Friday evening, 20th March 2020, until further notice.”

REVISED OPENING HOURS: Here at the Rosary Shrine, we know that Our Lady is “our life, our sweetness, and our hope”, our consolation and mother particularly in our time of need. So, the church will remain open everyday (Monday– Sunday) from 8:30am – 4pm for private and individual prayer. All other scheduled events, such as daily Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, Processions, Rosary prayer groups, and catechesis are currently suspended.

SOCIAL DISTANCING IN CHURCH: Please come in during these hours to light a candle before the images of the Saints, pray the Rosary to Our Lady in one of the many Rosary chapels and altars, or, most importantly, to sit in the real presence of Our Lord Jesus who is here for us in the tabernacle.

When you are in the church during opening hours, please observe social distancing: you must be at least 6 feet apart from the next person, and regrettably there can be no communal or group prayers in the church.

MASSES: The Priests at St Dominic’s will continue to celebrate private Masses every day, for the good of the whole Church, for our parish, and for the salvation of our world at this time of uncertainty and difficulty. The world is especially in need of the graces and mercy of God at this time, which is why Masses have not been stopped. Rather, only the public celebration of Mass, which would cause people to gather in church in numbers, are not permitted. However, rest assured that the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is offered unceasingly throughout the world.

The Bishops say: “Knowing that the Mass is being celebrated; joining in spiritually in that celebration; watching the live-streaming of the Mass; following its prayers at home; making an act of spiritual communion: this is how we share in the Sacrifice of Christ in these days. These are the ways in which we will sanctify Sunday, and indeed every day”.

In particular any Mass intentions you have sent into our parish office will be honoured. Unfortunately, you will not be able to be physically present in the church for any Mass; all Masses will be celebrated by the priest alone. The Bishops, in accordance with Canon Law, have thus dispensed all Catholics from the obligation to attend Mass on Sundays during these emergency circumstances. Nevertheless, Sunday is still the Lord’s day, and God’s commandment to keep Sundays holy remains. So, for example, be sure to read the Mass readings for the day, watch a livestreamed or televised Mass (see below), and pray the Rosary. The arrangements for Holy Week are being reviewed by the Bishops, and we will be informed in due course.

SPIRITUAL COMMUNION: In these difficult times, then, we invite you to be united with us in prayer from your own homes: you can watch a Mass live online as celebrated in Walsingham, or recorded on YouTube. When you watch the Mass online, make an act of Spiritual Communion. In this manner, you can receive the graces of Christ and have a genuine union with God through charity, for Jesus comes to us with his blessings and grace in these extraordinary means during these extraordinary times until we can once more safely gather again for the Holy Mass in our church.

CONFESSION & SICK CALLS: The Sacrament of Confession will be available on Saturdays from 10:30am, or on call. The Sacrament of the Sick will be administered in emergency situations on request.

PRAYING TOGETHER ONLINE: If you can, please stay in contact via our Facebook page. We hope to put up homilies, spiritual readings, and videos that will help us grow together in faith, hope, and love during this unusually hard season of Lent.

Musical experiences coming up: We invite you to experience Pergolesi’s poignant and expressively beautiful musical setting of the ‘Stabat Mater’, which is the Sequence hymn for the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows, a meditation on Our Lady’s sharing in the Passion of Christ on the Cross. This is probably one of the most renowned settings of these words, and we are glad to welcome back the Bach Players, who will perform in the gorgeous and intimate setting of the Lady Chapel in our church.

The concert will be on Saturday 7 March 2020 at 7:30pm, and tickets are available online, or on the door. £15 general admission, or £5 for students.

Moreover, on the 14th March at 7pm, we will be hosting a Celebrity Organ Recital! Our monthly organ recitals are a wonderful chance to hear our historic and internationally renowned ‘Father Willis’ organ at its splendid best. This month features a special concert given by international concert organist Nigel Allcoat. He will play his own Stabat Mater with plainchant and improvisations. Admission free – retiring collection.

Every blessing for the new year! Come join us this month of January in two special celebrations:

Sat 18th Jan = Santo Niño celebrations by the Filipino community at 6pm Mass; a celebration of the Child Jesus, and the coming of the Christian faith to the Philippines. There will be food in the Hall after Mass.

Sat 25th Jan = monthly Eucharistic Rosary Procession with healing prayers, at 7pm. Come join us in prayer around the Blessed Sacrament, and with Our Lady of the Rosary, as we pray for new beginnings, blessings in the new year, and for conversion of hearts, unity, and peace.

Our Christmas and New Year schedule is available in the church from this weekend. Here it is below for your reference:

In addition please note the following events this December 2019:

• Thu 12 Dec – Annual Guadalupe Mass at 6pm, celebrated by Archbishop Malcolm McMahon OP
• Sat 14 Dec – candlelit Rorate Mass (Dominican rite) in honour of Our Lady at 6 a.m., followed by coffee and hot chocolate in the Hall.
• Sat 14 Dec – monthly organ recital at 7pm
• Sat 21 Dec – monthly Eucharistic Rosary Procession at 7pm, praying for expectant and new mothers, and unborn children
• 16 – 23 Dec – Simbang Gabi Masses followed by reception in the Hall every night. For times and details, see this post.

November is the month of the Holy Souls in Purgatory, a month of remembrance and prayer for all our beloved dead. The following is a list of events planned for this month:

• 9th Nov – Annual Sung Requiem in the Dominican rite celebrated for the Catholic Medical Association (UK), at 11:30am.
• 9th Nov – monthly organ recital, at 7pm.
• 17th Nov – annual parish Requiem at 12 noon.
• 22nd Nov – St Cecilia’s day concert of celestial music performed by Baroque lutenist Andrew Maginley and soprano Regina Martin, in the Lady Chapel at 7:30pm. Tickets at £20 available from Eventbrite or on the door.
• 23rd Nov – Day with Mary, beginning with Mass at 10am.
• 30th Nov – Eucharistic Rosary procession with ‘De profundis’ prayers for the dead, and prayers for healing.