Christmas comes but twice a year ...

The above title is a remark attributed to the Greek Catholic Archimandrite who ministers here in Dublin. However that may be, for those of us attached to the Traditional Latin Mass, Christmas is a bumper treat in terms of Masses. The schedule looks like this:

(NB All Masses will be sung i.e. Missa Cantata, unless they are Solemn High Mass - with deacon, subdeacon etc.)

Vigil of Christmas, Sunday 24th December, 11.00am
First Mass of Christmas, Sunday 24th December, 10.00pm
Third Mass of Christmas, Christmas Day, Monday 25th December, 11.00am
Feast of the Epiphany, Saturday January 6th 2007, 11.00am

All other Sunday Masses will be at the usual time of 11.00am.

All these Masses will be celebrated in St Audoen's Church, High St, near Christchurch Cathedral.

Holy Wisdom ...

For those who are up to speed with their Greek, Holy Wisdom is of course, Hagia Sophia. That was (and is) the name of the greatest of the Christian Churches of Constantinople (aka Istanbul). It functions nowadays as a museum, in the supposedly secular Turkish Republic. However, an experprising person called Angeiki Papagika has started an online petition to have it restored to its proper use as a Christian place of worship. This project needs your support (they're looking for 1 million votes, as soon as possible) as they take it forward to the EU and look for their assistance. They also need help from anyone who has skills in IT, European legal affairs and political lobbying. Please do join them (as I have) in furthering a valuable project.