NZ Pontifical

The prefect of the Guild and myself, have recently traveled to Christchurch New Zealand to assist the Hearts a Blaze Conference with their planned Pontifical Mass at the Faldstool. The mission was a great success. Local extraordinary form servers were also invited to serve the Mass.

Several conference attendees were train by the guild to a sufficient level, so as to be able to serve at the Mass.

The Mass went smoothly and was well attended. His Lordship Bishop Basil Meeking DD, pontificated at the Mass. Fr Willam Define FSSP was the assistant presbyter, Fr Clement Mary FSSR was Deacon and Fr Nicolas Dillon was Subdeacon.

The Guild was more then happy to assist the Hearts a Blaze team with this expedition. The Guild also wishes to praise them on their ability to put on such a well balanced and Catholic conference for the youth of the New Zealand church.

WYD Juventutem

The Guild was proud to provide servers for the pontifical Masses said during the Juventutem program during World Youth Day 2008, in Sydney Australia.

Anouncement

The guild has taken "Digne et Competenter", meaning with Dignity and compitence.

The Guild Conference

The Conference was a great success. Many servers came, not only from Victoria, but also from Tasmania, South Australia and Queensland. Many new friendships were made and many servers brushed up on their, or gain skills.

Father Glen Tattersal FSSP, gave many informative talks on the liturgy, serving and the Holy Mass. I found his talk on the minor orders and the dignity of the server most inspirational. Also he enlightened everyone on the proper meaning of the word Liturgy. Litugia, a public work, but those work? Christ's work of redemption, not the work of the People. The priest being the representative of Christ, not of the people.

Everyone listen attentively to the wisdom of Fr Tattersal.

The conference also included basic chant lessons. The server and the scholaist both exercise similar liturgical roles, both should have at least basic knowledge and skill in each others duties.
The lessons also helped us sing Pontifical Vespers at the Faldstool with His Lordship Bishop Peter Elliot.

Taught by the best.

Father Tattersal explains the structure and nature of the missal. The Roman Missal is one of Christianity's most prized books, the sythias to 2000years of belief.

Everyday of the four day conference had a solemn Liturgy, Most days we had Solemn High Mass, but on the Saturday, we had solemn Vespers. Also on the Saturday we had a Low Mass done at the High altar to show us all how a Low Mass is served.

Cassocks every where. The divisons of Bishop Elliot, the Black Cassocks!

The Conference

The first Annual Guild Conference will be held in Melbourne, on the 10th to the 13th of January.
All servers welcome, who are interested in learning to serve that Extra ordinary form of the Roman rite and all servers that all ready serve the Extra ordinary form. For more details please contact Fr Tattersall ASAP chaplain@latinmassmelbourne.org

The Guild's foundation Mass

On August 10th at the church of St Aloysius, Caulfield Melbourne, Victoria , Australia the foundation mass of the Guild was celebrated, a solemn High mass of the martyr St Laurence. The Procession of the Servers and the Sacred Ministers

The servers first duty is to serve the mass, the second duty is to sing in choir if need be.
The Celebrant is incensed. St Laurence was burnt alive on a gird iron and famously said "Turn me over I think this side is done". Burning alive and still retaining a sense of Humor. A server must all ways be ready to die for the faith and take correction with good disposition.
"And God is able to make all grace abound in you" From the epistle of the Mass. Serving the holy mass is meritorious and earns a lot of graces, it is important to always keep that in mind, most of the time a careless server does not claim his grace.

"The Levite Laurence wrought a good work, who by the sign of the cross gave sight to the blind"
The Alleluia verse tells use that good serving can give sight to those who do not spiritualy see the divine mystery being worked in the Mass.

"Let him follow me"
Pope John Paul II stressed many times that the servers are the vocational garden of the priesthood, a server should always seriously think about a vocation to the priesthood.A server is the closes thing a priest ever has to a son and hopefully the son will follow in his father's footsteps. St Laurence remarked to the Pope who was on his way to being martyred
"Where doth does thou go, Father with out thy deacon"
St Laurence demonstrated the kind of a bond a server must have with his priest.

The Blessed sacrament should be source and summit of a servers life, the most important thing a server does during the week is serve the mass.
As the server leaves the sanctuary and the Church he must remember to spread Gospel to the World, to his friends, to his family and the greater public. This is the way of St Laurence.
finally a server must always have solidarity with his fellow servers, St Lawrence was one of 7 deacons, no doubt that his fellow deacons held a close bond, so must servers.