Sunday 2 September 2012

Another cause for rejoicing, the Manchester Oratory

Today we heard that approval has been given to the establishing of an Oratory in Manchester.  The following information appeared on the website of the Church of the Holy Name of Jesus website.


"With great thanksgiving to Almighty God, our Blessed Lady and our Holy Father St Philip, we can announce that the Bishop of Salford given his approval for the erection of the Congregation of the Oratory of St Philip Neri in Manchester.

The Manchester Oratory will be close to the city centre at St Chad’s, Cheetham Hill, which is the Mother Church of the City.

We will continue to be at the Holy Name until Advent, or when arrangements have been finalised. The Holy Name will then be part of the Chaplaincy to the Universities on Oxford Road staffed by the Society of Jesus.

A Letter from His Lordship will be read the weekend of 1st / 2nd September to the Congregations at the Holy Name and St Chad’s.

Please keep us in your prayers at this time."

The Manchester Oratory will be the fourth English Oratory.  The first, Birmingham, was established by Bl Cardinal John Henry Newman in 1848, and was shortly followed by London and more recently Oxford.  St Chads Church is associated with Sister Elizabeth Prout who converted to Catholicism having heard a talk by Blessed Dominic Barberi who also received Bl Cardinal John Henry Newman into the Church.  Some pictures of the church can be found here.

It is particularly welcome to hear this news following so quickly on the heels of the announcement of the Institute of Christ the King's purchase of the Sacred Heart Church in Limerick.  

2 comments:

Hakuna Matata said...

Congratulations for having a successful event. Keep it up Guys!

Clickhere - TFI

Sixupman said...

The formalisation of the Oratory is most welcome, but the move, to conform with Canon Law, will abandon the local student population to the mercy of the Jesuits.

The Holy Name has an exemplary basis for the propagation of orthodox Catholicism and I fear that such will be lost.

A successful, non-parish, community, of clergy and laity, has been created around a church, of which it was the Jesuits' intention to dispose of as a conference centre, is now at risk.

The question is: will the Jesuits provide the breadth and depth of religious facility as has Frs. Matus and Hilton provided?