Chrism Mass

This mass, which the bishop concelebrates with his presbyterium and at which the oils are blessed, manifests the communion of the priests with their bishop. It is thus desirable that all the priests take part in it and receive communion under both kinds.

"Jesus Christ has made us a kingdom of priests to serve his God and Father: glory and kingship be his for ever and ever."

The Chrism Mass is usually celebrated during Holy Thursday. In this diocese that means in York Minster tomorrow morning for most but because of the two integrities in the Church of England at the present time priests are given the option of sharing the mass with a bishop of their own integrity which for those of us of the minority integrity means the Bishop of Whitby.
In order to allow the archbishop to attend as preacher our service is being held this afternoon.
Four priests and a number of laity will be travelling to Lastingham for a mass over the grave of St Cedd.

LASTINGHAM CHURCH:
A VERY SHORT HISTORY

The church stands on the site of the seventh century Celtic monastery. It has undergone a number of radical changes, nine altogether, as outlined below and numbered in brackets. See also the summary to on the right. The existing building dates from 1078, and is famous for its unique apsidical Norman crypt.
Early times Christianity must have existed in this area in the early fourth century, because we know that in 314 ad a Bishop of York attended an ecclesiastical council in Arles (in southern Gaul).
Founding of Lastingham Church, c.654 Little is known about the site itself. Bede speaks of this site as ‘remote’, and of the need for it to be ‘cleansed.’ Near a Romano-British building (i.e. pre-410 ad) at Spaunton, a Roman Road and Cawthorn Camp .A Romano-British 'Cyst Burial' has been found at the present-day boundary between Appleton and Spaunton. Cedd from Lindisfarne founded Lastingham Church as a monastery, in the Columban or ‘Celtic’ tradition. Original building probably of timber . Read the account in Bede's Ecclesiastical History of the English People.
Synod of Whitby, 664 Cedd attended the Synod of Whitby, where he was an interpreter. The Celtic way met the Roman way. That same year Cedd died of the plague and was buried at Lastingham.
Church dedicated to Our Lady c.725. Cedd buried to the right of the altar. (Bede)


ST. CEDD—A.D. 664
Feast: October 26

Cedd belonged to a family of brothers, and all six of them were chosen by King Oswald of Northumbria to be trained by St. Aidan to be monks and missionaries. This was in 635, when Aidan came from the monastery of Iona in Scotland to become bishop of King Oswald's kingdom. One of St. Cedd's brothers was St. Chad, who was the first bishop of York and then bishop of Lichfield.
In 653, Peada, king of the Middle Angles, asked Aidan's successor at Lindisfarne for a bishop for his diocese, and St. Finan chose four monks from Lindisfarne to evangelize Peada's people. Later, the king of the East Saxons, whose chief city was London, also asked for a bishop, and Finan called Cedd to Lindisfarne and consecrated him bishop of London.
Cedd founded three monasteries of his own, the best known being Lastingham, where he died of the plague in 664. St. Bede has a beautiful story of Cedd's founding of Lastingham: Cedd spent forty days in prayer and fasting in a remote spot given to him by King Ethelwald.
In 664, Cedd was present at the Synod of Whitby and was a member of the Irish party, those wishing to retain the Irish date for Easter. But when the synod decided in favor of the Roman date, Cedd accepted the decision, not wanting to cause any further disunity in the English churches.
After the Synod of Whitby, a plague struck England, and Cedd was among those who died from the plague. At the news of his death, thirty monks came from London to spend their lives where their founder had died. But they, too, caught the plague and were buried near the little chapel that had been erected in Cedd's memory.
Cedd was the second bishop of the city of London; the first was Mellitus, who came with St. Augustine and later became archbishop of Canterbury. Mellitus was driven from the see by the king of the East Saxons in 616, and London was without a bishop until Cedd's arrival about 654.
Thought for the Day: St. Cedd was trained by a saint and he himself trained others to holiness. A good teacher teaches mostly by what he is; and, if he is a good teacher, the things that are important to him become important to those he teaches. Good teachers fashion the souls of others by contact with their own soul.
From 'The Catholic One Year Bible': . . . I have been sent to bring faith to those God has chosen and to teach them to know God's truth—the kind of truth that changes lives—so that they can have eternal life, which God promised them before the world began....—Titus 1 :1-2

A good and holy place for catholic priests to renew their priestly vows with their bishop.