On June 9th, the FSSP church in Warrington, England, St Mary’s Shrine, welcomed His Excellency Malcolm McMahon, Archbishop of Liverpool, to celebrate the priestly ordination of a member of the order, Fr Seth Phipps. A video of the complete ceremony was just posted yesterday on the FSSP’s LiveMass Youtube channel.
In the traditional rite, the ordination of a priest is just done before the conclusion of the last chant between the Epistle and Gospel, be it the Gradual, Tract, or Alleluia. The Mass on this occasion was that of the Most Pure Heart of Mary, (coinciding with the feast of the Immaculate Heart on the calendar of the Ordinary Form). The choir therefore sings the Alleluia up to the end of the verse (44:50); this is followed by some introductory remarks, the bishop’s sermon (49:10), the call for the ordinand to come forward, his presentation to the bishop (1:00:46), the reading in Latin of a very ancient sermon which is a fixed part of the ordination rite (1:01:35), and the Litany of the Saints (1:07:55). Towards the end of the Litany (1:20:50), the bishop rises, receives his crook and miter, then turns to the ordinand, and sings the invocations, “That Thou may deign to bless + this chosen one. - That Thou may deign to bless + and sancti+fy this chosen one. - That Thou may deign bless +, sancti+fy and conse+crate this chosen one.”, making the sign of the Cross over him at the + sign. The Litany concludes, followed immediately by the imposition of hands, first by the bishop, then by all other priests present.
The bishop then says a prayer over the newly ordained (1:27:00) which segues into a consecratory Preface. He then sits on the faldstool; the new priest comes forward, and the bishop changes his stole from the deacon’s form to the priest’s, and clothes him with the chasuble (1:33:20). This is followed by another prayer, then the Veni, Creator Spiritus (1:37:10), during which the priest comes forward, has his hands anointed, and receives the chalice and paten, after which the Mass resumes, and the newly ordained concelebrate with the bishop.
Our congratulations to Fr Phipps, to all of his family and friends, and to the FSSP, and our thanks to His Excellency Bishop McMahon for his pastoral care for the faithful attached to the traditional rites of the Church. Ad multos annos!
The bishop then says a prayer over the newly ordained (1:27:00) which segues into a consecratory Preface. He then sits on the faldstool; the new priest comes forward, and the bishop changes his stole from the deacon’s form to the priest’s, and clothes him with the chasuble (1:33:20). This is followed by another prayer, then the Veni, Creator Spiritus (1:37:10), during which the priest comes forward, has his hands anointed, and receives the chalice and paten, after which the Mass resumes, and the newly ordained concelebrate with the bishop.
Our congratulations to Fr Phipps, to all of his family and friends, and to the FSSP, and our thanks to His Excellency Bishop McMahon for his pastoral care for the faithful attached to the traditional rites of the Church. Ad multos annos!
