Readers in Oxford, may also be interested in participating in Compline followed by the Salve Procession which is a Dominican 'innovation' introduced by Bl Jordan of Saxony. According to our legends, the Vitae Fratrum and as noted below by the Dominican liturgical historian Bonniwell:
In July 1221, Jordan was made the first provincial of the newly formed province of Lombardy. He states that he set out for Bologna desirous of seeing St. Dominic, but by the time he had reached that city the holy Founder had died. Jordan goes on to tell us that at that time there was at Bologna a certain friar Bernard, who was obsessed by an evil spirit and was grievously tormented by the same. So great were his frenzies night and day that the whole community was upset; nor was even Jordan himself immune from the assaults of the evil one. He continues: "The savage abuse friar Bernard was receiving was the first occasion which led us at Bologna to decide that the antiphon Salve Regina should be sung after compline. From this monastery, the pious and salutary practice spread over the entire province of Lombardy and finally throughout the whole Order."
Please click to enlarge the poster above if you wish to join us for meditation and Compline at Blackfriars in Oxford this Advent.
