S Wilfrid's, Harrogate

S. Wilfrid's, Harrogate

Looking east, after Mass

High Altar

Sanctuary Lamps

A view from the Lady Chapel into the Sanctuary

A priest offers his thanksgiving after Mass

Our Lady of Walsingham

Our Lady and Christ Child

Baptistry

A few incense-laden images of S. Wilfrid's, Harrogate in Yorkshire. My family and I went to the 10.00 a.m. Sung Parish Mass there last Sunday. The choir was very good indeed. The Mass setting was Harold Darke's Communion Service in A Minor, John Rutter's I will sing with the Spirit, and David Cooper's Come, my way, my truth, my life. There was a first-rate sermon from Fr. Gareth Jones, one of the parish's assistant priests, and a very good congregation. We were made very welcome indeed and I was asked by two parishioners if I was to be their new Team Vicar, on account of being young and having children, something their new Team Vicar also has.

S. Wilfrid's is a fine church built in the twentieth century, but you could be fooled into thinking you were worshipping in a beautifully-maintained medieval abbey church. It has that sort of feel and atmosphere. The architecture and fittings are magnificent and it is in excellent upkeep. It had been eight years since I had last visited. Then, the celebrant was a Kelham Father, who wore a maniple and celebrated Mass ad orientem with the assistance of deacon and subdeacon, and in traditional language. Then, the service was a 'Sung Eucharist'. The parish has since - rightly - changed the name of its main Sunday service to the 'Parish Mass', though maniples are gone and Mass was versus populum, in contemporary language, and was concelebrated, though I understand that the parish might be considering some further exploration of its liturgical life in the future. (There's no criticism of present practice intended here, by the way, just observation). Further information on the church's architecture and history can be found at their website, here. A link has been added to the 'Churches of interest' at the side of the blog. If you are in Harrogate, or travelling through it, don't hesitate to pay a visit. I think it to be one of the finest churches I know.

UPDATE

Nice to know that the Team Rector has joined our Facebook group!