Solemn High Mass For The Feast Of St. George

On Friday night there was a Solemn High Mass at St. Mary's, Chislehurst. There is usually a Mass in the Extraordinary Form each Friday evening, but as last Friday was the Solemnity of St. George in England, it was decided to make a bit of an effort.

It was also a Mass to celebrate the 30th. Wedding Anniversary of Greg and Aghi Clovis, a lovely couple who work tirelessly for the pro-life cause, and so there was a bit of a bash in the parish room afterwards. The younger servers were some of Greg and Aghi's children - I don't know them so well, and haven't quite figured out who is who. Sadly, Greg's brother was originally going to be one of the sacred ministers, but, due to that pesky Icelandic volcano, he couldn't make it back in time.

The church is beautiful - Napoleon III was buried there for a time before the Empress Eugenie took him off to Farnborough Abbey. The High Mass set of red vestments was borrowed from Blackfen - they are 19th. Century French. I had to keep a very sharp lookout after Mass to ensure that the entire set made its way back to the Blackfen sacristy. I also had the opportunity to admire the reliquary of St. John Bosco which had been on the altar during Mass. Sadly, Chislehurst's sacristan was keeping a beady eye on me, so it stayed in Chislehurst...

The background music is taken from Chants of the Ordinary, by Cantus Angeli, directed by Nick Gale. If you want to get a copy of the CD, you can visit the website.

Anyway, here's the slideshow: feast your eyes!