Oxford Martyrs’ Mass at Blackfriars

Over two hundred people gathered in Blackfriars Oxford on 25 October for a High Mass celebrated according to the 1962 Roman rite. This was probably the first time that this particular form of Mass, now called the ‘extraordinary form’ of the Roman rite, has been celebrated in the Oxford priory church with Dominican friars serving at the altar. Fr Dominic Jacob from the Oxford Oratory was the celebrant, and he was assisted by fr David Rocks OP as deacon and fr Lawrence Lew OP as sub-deacon. In addition, five other Dominican brothers served as Master of Ceremonies and acolytes at the High Mass. Also present in choir were Bishop William Kenney CP who preached, and priests and religious from around Oxford.

The Mass was a votive Mass to commemorate four martyrs of Oxford who were executed for their Catholic Faith on 5 July 1589. Fr George Nichols, Fr Richard Yaxley, Thomas Belson and Humphrey Pritchard were beatified in 1987. To mark their heroic witness, the Latin Mass Society (LMS) erected a plaque at 100 Holywell Street in Oxford, which is the site of their martyrdoms. 

Since 2004, Dr Joseph Shaw has been organising a Pilgrimage to honour the Oxford martyrs and this year was especially significant because the newly-erected plaque was to be blessed. After the Mass and lunch, an even larger group met at Cornmarket, near the site of the old prison where the four men were imprisoned, and went in procession singing the Litany and Te Deum to Holywell. There, Bishop Kenney, who is the auxiliary bishop for Oxford, blessed the plaque and reminded us that even today we have to die to ourselves and suffer for our Faith. The group then returned to Blackfriars for Benediction which was given by Fr Armand de Malleray FSSP.

Below are photos from the Mass, courtesy of Joseph Nunan and Martin Beek.

This High Mass, which was celebrated in a form that was familiar to the Oxford martyrs, was a beautiful occasion which reminded us of the richness of the Church’s liturgical tradition. It is part of our Catholic heritage, and links those of us who usually celebrate the (post-Vatican II) ‘ordinary form’ of the Roman rite to those saints we commemorated. 

Lawrence Lew OP