St Peter's Cardiff - Served by the Rosminians

St Etheldreda’s Church was the town chapel of the Bishops of Ely from about 1250 to 1570. It is the oldest Catholic church in England and one of only two remaining buildings in London from the reign of Edward I. It was once one of the most influential places in London with a palace of vast grounds. It was like an independent state, the Bishop of Ely’s place in London or Ely Place as it is now called, and its chapel took its name from one of England’s most popular saints of the day, Etheldreda. In 1829, the Catholic Emancipation Act was passed and for the first time for 300 years it was no longer illegal for Catholics to have churches and say mass. In June of 1835, three Italian priests arrived at Tilbury. They were members of the Institute of Charity, founded by Antonio Rosmini, and later to become known as Rosminians. They introduced into England a new form of clerical dress, the Roman collar or dog collar. The Rosminians had worked very successfully in the Nottingham and Leicester areas and later in North London. The Rector of the North London Mission was Father William Lockhart, an Oxford convert and friend of the man who was to become the great English Cardinal, John Henry Newman; and it was Lockhart’s conversion that finally convinced Newman that he too should become a Catholic. The then Cardinal, Henry Manning, wished the Rosminians to serve in the slum areas of Holborn. Father Lockhart was chosen for this task. And in December 1873, he learned that the ancient Chapel of St Etheldreda’s was about to be sold by auction. Father Lockhart faced competition from the Welsh Episcopalians, who had the backing of a Welsh steel magnate. But at the auction, the Welshmen made a mistake. They thought Father Lockhart’s agent was theirs, so they stopped bidding. And with the next bid of £5,400 St Etheldreda’s was knocked down to the Rosminians. Parish Priests Fr. Fr Tom Deidun IC St Etheldreda's Catholic Church St Etheldreda's Church, 14 Ely Place, London, EC1N 6RY http://www.stetheldreda.com/

Congratulations to Fr Tom Thomas IC who will be the new Provost Provincial of the Rosminians of the United Kingdom  and New Zealand Province of St Thomas of Canterbury and St John Henry Newman. We wish Fr Tom well as he begins his new ministry on 6th January 2025 and assure him of our prayers.

Follow our video series with talks on St. Joseph by Fr. John Bland and Fr. Chris Fuse

After the Blessed Virgin Mary, St Joseph is the greatest of the saints. He is the one “into whose custody God entrusted his most precious treasures,” Jesus and Mary, out of all of the men who will ever live. The Church honors St Joseph on March 19th for his faithfulness to God and to his vocation as Custodian of the Redeemer. From St Joseph, we can learn about the importance of faith when we see how deeply he believed the message of the angel and took Mary home as his wife. We also understand what courage is when we hear about the flight into Egypt, and how St Joseph was obedient to God, even in the midst of great trials and danger. St Joseph is the patron saint of the Universal Church, unborn babies, families, fathers, immigrants, social justice, carpenters, those seeking employment, realtors, and a happy death. “Go to Joseph with extreme confidence, because I do not remember having asked anything from St. Joseph, without having obtained it readily.” ~ St. Padre Pio St Joseph, pray for us. ( Source: Catholic News Agency )

Laetare, taken from the first words of the Entrance Antiphon, “Laetare Jerusalem” which means “Rejoice, Jerusalem”. On this Sunday the Church expresses hope and joy in the midst of our Lenten fasts and penances. Laetare also reminds us of the event we look forward to at the end of the penitential season  and the joy in anticipation of the resurrection.

20th February Blessed Antonio Rosmini had wanted to write the Constitutions (the aims or purpose and way of life for his Institute of Brothers and Priests) in a secluded place, but what awaited him on the Sacred Mountain of Calvario was something more like a haunted castle. So what did Antonio Rosmini do? From this wilderness and disorder he created a humble home and wrote the Constitutions or foundations of his Order. In silence and prayer, and with great patience and trust, he set about his work. On the 20 February 1828, he spent the next two months writing the Constitutions in his small and simple room  called 'La Cella' or the Cell; hence the name of this feast and day of celebration.

Father Michael Hill has gone to the Lord. He passed away on Thursday 6th July in Christchurch, New Zealand. He worked most of his life in New Zealand. He was the editor of the international Catholic magazine Tui Motu InterIslands and he was the author of the book, Antonio Rosmini — Persecuted Prophet. We pray for his eternal rest.

With sadness we hear that Fr Jim has gone to celebrate Christ the King in the kingdom of the servants of God. The last 24 hours he was extremely weak and died at 5.00 am Saturday morning 20th November. The funeral will be in Dublin on Tuesday 23rd. . We will pray for him at holy Mass and in our divine Office. He will be praying for us as he has been, as don Marco Tanghetti, our new Father General told us when he went to visit him. May he Rest in Peace.

Follow our video series with talks on St. Joseph by Fr. John Bland and Fr. Chris Fuse