News

Young Catholic Adults Appear in the Catholic Herald

For the first time ever YCA (Young Catholic Adults) have managed to get a write up in the August 1st edition, in the Catholic Life section on page 6.

There was a good selection of photos of the Marian Procession on July 5th 2008!

An Extraordinary Weekend at
Douai

The Young Catholic Adults (YCA) retreat at Douai was fully booked this year and proved to be the most successful to date. It was led by Br. Christopher Greener the Guestmaster of the Abbey. The accommodation in the Bl Hugh Faringdon and St Alban Roe buildings was excellent, and much improved from previous years.

Fifty People Join in the First Marian Procession in Recent Memory

On the afternoon of Saturday 5th July at 2.30pm, YCA organised a Marian Procession in the grounds of the Abbey. This was the first such event in recent years at Douai, and was made possible with the help of the organisation Our Lady Help of Christians. Fr. Abbot gave a blessing and joined in with approximately fifty other people, including many clergy and religious. Everyone loved the event, including one of the resident monks who said that this was his first Catholic Procession ever.

The rest of the weekend involved saying the Rosary, attending Vespers (in Latin), a talk on St. Benedict given by Br. Greener and having social time in the evenings. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with other guests commenting about how nice it was to hear younger people praying the Rosary.

Monsignor Conlon Celebrated Mass

On Sunday 6th July, almost one year on from the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum, the Traditional Mass returned to Douai Abbey for only the second time since the liturgical changes. Monsignor Conlon (despite and incredibly busy weekend) celebrated Low Mass (the Eighth Sunday after Pentecost) in the Parish Church of Our Lady – which is adjacent to the Abbey. Some on this retreat had never been to a Traditional Mass, (there were also two Anglicans in the group) and so Monsignor very kindly an excellent and informative talk about the positive benefits of the extraordinary form of Mass and how the Pope wants the Old Rite to flourish once again in every Parish in the West. Again the comments afterwards were all positive – someone suggested that they would now like to start attending Latin Masses. The Mass was open to the public (not just retreatants) so afterwards some of the congregation thanked Monsignor Conlon for celebrating a Mass, which they had not seen for almost forty years.

The Abbey are keen to keep the event an annual one and have already invited YCA back for next year. Young Catholic Adults would like to wholeheartedly thank Fr. Abbot, Br. Greener and Monsignor Conlon for making this event a truly extraordinary success.

Letter of Support from the Vatican

Cardinal Castrillion Hoyos the President of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei has lent his support to the International Juventutem Federation. Young Catholic Adults has just affiliated itself to the Fœderatio Internationalis Juventutem. His Eminence writes:-

Dear young members of the International Juventutem Federation,
You are young Catholics, loyal to the hierarchy of the Church and attracted by the “forma extraordinaria” of the Roman liturgy, in particular by the Missal of the Blessed John XXIII. I encourage you in your aim, that is to say your sanctification through the Roman traditions of the Church.

The presence of your little groups in Asia, Europe, Africa, the Americas and Oceania demonstrates the universal attraction of the most ancient forms of the Roman liturgy, whose particular transcendence serves to connect the most diverse cultures. From this liturgy, you will receive special help in coming better to know and love Our Lord Jesus Christ and His Church, as the Holy Father wrote on 7th July 2007: “Immediately after the Second Vatican Council, it might have been imagined that the demand for the use of the 1962 Missal would have been limited to the older generation, which had grown up with it, but it has since become clear that young people were also discovering this liturgical form, feeling attracted to it and finding in it a type of contact with the Most Holy Eucharist which suited them particularly well” (Letter to the Bishops, accompanying the Motu Proprio “Summorum Pontificum“).

As a sign of your devotion to the Sacrament of the Eucharist, your Juventutem Federation has chosen as its emblem a monstrance. I also know that you will be present at the International Eucharistic Congress in Québec in June 2008.

I therefore wish to renew my encouragement of your progress in Christian piety and friendship via the Roman traditions of the Church. May you continue to obtain ever deeper sanctification, which will make you warm witnesses of the love of Christ in communion with His Church.

Dario Card. Castrillon Hoyos,
President of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei
Vatican City
17th January 2008

YCA Local Group(s)

Cheltenham
(Gloucestershire)

New Joint Local YCA Meeting

YCA are sponsoring the catechetical materials of Cheltenham Catholic Adults. The meeting takes place on the 2nd Tuesday of the month on the 1st floor of the Old Priory at St. Gregory's Church Cheltenham

A new group will start at St. Peter's Gloucester in the next few weeks.

Douai 2006

(Article printed in the the 2006 edition
of Mass of Ages magazine)

Retreat at Douai Abbey Friday 8th – Sunday 10th September 2006

For The second year in a row YCA held an Old Rite retreat at Douai Abbey near Reading in Berkshire, which was lead by Fr. Nicholas du Chaxel (FSSP). This time the group was lucky to have a second Priest namely Fr. Deer (FSSP) from France, happened to be visiting England. Fr. Deer was interested to see English monasticism at work as he had previously been at La Barroux in southern France.

The weekend consisted of a mixture of talks, devotions and social activities. Fr. du Chaxel delivered an inspiring talk on the importance of tradition quoting the catechism of St. Pius X and the past writings of Benedict XVI to illustrate his points. Fr. Abbott gave a fascinating lecture on the desert fathers. Especially interesting was the assertion (by Fr. Abbot) of the complexity of the cave complexes.

On the Sunday, the group decided to goto Mass at the Church of Christ the King in Reading (instead of having Mass in at Douai). The exceptional thing was the prevalence of families with young children. Watching the Mass was a fitting climax to the retreat; to quote the words of Fr. Faber it was as if the Mass, `lifted us out of earth and out of self, and wrapped us round in a cloud of mystical sweetness…. and charmed us with celestial charming, so that our very senses seemed to find vision, hearing, fragrance, taste, and touch beyond what earth can give.’

Douai kindly invited YCA back for next year. On behalf of YCA I would like to thankk Dom Geoffrey Scoott the Abbot of Douai and Br. Christopher Greener for their help in organising this retreat.

Damian (Co-ordinator).

The Abbot of Douai Dom Geoffey Scott has been very kind in allowing YCA the use of Douai and has given us two excellent talks .

Douai 2005

(Article printed in the December 2005 edition
of Mass of Ages magazine)

Rosary in the Parish Church

On 5th November 2005 Young Catholic Adults held a retreat at Douai Abbey, which is situated between Reading and Newbury, in Berkshire, about one hour west of London.

The Abbey has a distinguished history, the community was founded in 1615 in Paris, the third house of the re-established English congregation. The majority of the monks served the Catholic missions in England, often at great risk to their lives. Having suffered greatly during the French revolution the monastery moved in 1818 to the town of Douai in Flanders, now in northern France.

In 1903, three years after having been raised to the status of an abbey, the community had no choice but to leave Douai after the passing of the Association Laws. The Bishop of Portsmouth offered them St Mary's seminary in Woolhampton, which the refugee community accepted. At Woolhampton in Berkshire the Abbey Church, the construction of which began in 1929, was finally completed in 1993.

The group stayed in a delightful retreat centre exuded rustic charm and comprised of three former farm labourers' cottages that been converted into one. It had a kitchen, scullery, dining room, lounge and chapel and provided simple self-catering accommodation.

A tour of the Abbey and its grounds kicked off the proceedings. Unexpectedly, we had climbed the steep spiral staircase of the tower and found a panoramic view at the top, with the monastic gardens and the surrounding wooded countryside spreading before us. The gardens could be seen to the east of the monastery, and were laid out under in their present form under the guidance of Abbot Gregory Freeman OSB, (7th abbot 1969 - 1989) after the monastery had been built. Some of the older trees nearest to the buildings, were part of a grove planted by Abbot Stanislaus Taylor OSB (3rd abbot 1906 - 1913).

Everyone gathered in the Chapel for a rosary at 3pm, after which a period of spiritual reading ensued. At 6pm Fr. Abbot gave a fascinating talk on the ‘Four Hundredth Anniversary of the Gunpowder Plot’. We learnt about the propaganda of the time, both Catholic and anti-Catholic in the form of engravings - the most powerful medium of its time. It went so well that it continued after Supper. The evening was completed with a social gathering in the village.

YCA Use the Traditional Mass in accordance
with the wishes of Pope John Paul II in Eccelsia Dei (1988)

At 9am on the Sunday morning Fr. Du Chaxel gave us an inspiring talk on the catechetical nature of the Mass and how it can bring us closer to God, the talk had previously been given to the Sisters of Charity! At 10am Traditional Low Mass was celebrated in the parish Church (which is owned by Douai Abbey) by Fr. Du Chaxel, many present were attending their first Old rite Mass and the impressions gained were overwhelmingly favourable. Father gave a sermon regarding interceding for the holy souls in Purgatory - a sometimes forgotten central tenet of our faith. Fr. du Chaxel had to leave after Mass to drive to the Reading Mass Centre; however, afterwards we said a rosary and then had adoration in the main Abbey Church to finish off our weekend.

Feedback from the event was very positive, so much so, that the Abbott and Community want YCA to come back next year.

Young Catholic Adults would like to wholeheartedly thank the Abbot of Douai, Fr. Nicholas du Chaxel and Dom. Christopher Greener for their help and support with the weekend.

Dom. Christopher Greener

For forthcoming events Click here: -

(Click here for the 2005 Douai Retreat Photoalbum)

World Youth Day 2005

World Youth Day and Juventutem

YCA members went to World Youth day (WYD) this year by travelling to Dusseldorf in Germany as part of a new movement called Juventutem – (or Latin for 'youth'), this was the first time that Latin Masses and other traditional devotions have been allowed at World Youth Day; YCA joined 2,000 other pilgrims mainly from France, but other with young people coming from the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Spain, Italy, Ireland, Belgium and the Netherlands – not to mention the UK. Eight Bishops and three Cardinals attended including Cardinal George Pell of Sydney and Cardinal Francis George of Chicago.

YCA enthusiastically helped to serve the numerous Masses available (there were many private Low Masses being said as well as having Solemn High Mass every day), and gladly took part in the various events on offer such as Pontifical Vespers, processions and devotions. We also met up with others connected to YCA in Cologne, who went with diocesan pilgrimages. Despite organisational problems, Juventutem proved to be a promising new chapter in the history of the traditional movement.

Our first retreat at Prinknash Abbey (2004)

On October 23rd 2004 we had our first Day of Recollection at St. Peter's Grange in Prinknash Abbey Gloucestershire. The Grange is an enchanting building with evidence that it was an abbatial manor in 1339, although there are architectural features of later developments. The work of rebuilding and enlarging the house was the achievement of the last of a long line of distinguished Abbots of Gloucester, William Parker, who was the last Abbot of St. Peter's Abbey(which after 1541 became Gloucester Cathederal).

The weekend started off with Sung Mass in the main Abbey Church, with the monks of Prinknash kindly providing the choir, followed by a tour of St. Peter's Grange. A talk followed after tea, with rosary and Benediction in the Chapel of the Apostle (which is in the Grange) finishing off the days proceedings. This Chapel, was first dedicated in 1629 and restored in 1850. Today it is the centre of the life and work of the Retreat House and is ideal for the Old Rite! Behind the high altar are stone carvings of Christ the High Priest flanked by Our Lady and Saint John designed by Dom Theodore Baily and carved in 1929.

Sunday commenced with breakfast at 7.30am followed by Mass at 9.00am (in the Grange). It was a Sung Mass, with the congregation joining in enthusiastically . Between 10.30am and 12.30am there was a chance for some free time. Fr. Damian gave an inspiring talk just before lunch at 1.00pm, with Benediction (given by Fr. Mark) concluding the proceedings.

We would like to wholeheartedly thank the Fr. Abbot of Prinknash, Fr. Damian Sturdy and Fr. Mark for allowing us to have the retreat and for showing us the true meaning of Benedictine hospitality; the monks could not have been more welcoming.

Our first event was:-

St. Bede's Clapham , London (2004)

On 27th March 2004, we had our first major event; a Day of Recollection at St. Bede's Church, Clapham in London. It started off at 12:00noon with a Mass celebrated with Fr. Andrew Southwell. Next, there was a short introduction about the aims of the organisation over lunch and then a short talk on prayer. The rosary followed at 3:40pm with Vespers and Benediction completing proceedings. It was a wonderful day and hopefully the start of many more such events to come. We would like to wholeheartedly thank Fr. Southwell and Fr. Basden for allowing us to arrange this day, and for giving such enthusiastic support to this new venture.