News

Please note: there will be no Holy Hour tonight (Thursday 9th July) and the church won’t be able to open as a result. Lunchtime Mass continues as normal. Apologies for any inconvenience.

The Government has announced that from Saturday 4^th July, we may resume the celebration of public Masses. Therefore, we are delighted to be able to welcome you back to the Shrine of the Blessed Sacrament. However, we must stick to the rules and guidelines issued by the Bishops’ Conference.

Obligation to attend Mass

It is important to note from the outset that the obligation to attend Sunday Mass and Holy Days has been suspended until further notice. Therefore if you are still shielding and unable to come to church, you are at no risk of falling into a state of mortal sin for not being at Mass. Similarly, those with any symptoms of Coronavirus are required to stay at home and must not come to the church.

Number of People

The number of people able to attend Mass at Corpus Christi, taking social distancing measures into consideration is 43. These seats will be allocated on a first come, first served basis and once we have reached this limit, we will not be able to admit anyone else.

Please maintain social distancing whilst in the church, and use the hand sanitiser provided on entering and leaving the church. The one way system remains in place with the entrance being via the glass doors next to Polpo.

Confessions

may be heard before Mass, or on appointment, however will be done outside and with social distancing in place.

Missalettes

will not be distributed. If you would like the Mass texts to follow, we recommend buying your own CTS Missal for 2020 – currently on sale for just £1 from www.ctsbooks.org/product/cts-new-sunday-missal-2020and to keep this on you.

Holy Communion

Will be distributed during Mass standing and in the hand. There will be no need to say ‘Amen’ as you receive the Sacred Host, as this will have been said beforehand during the Ecce Agnus Dei. Those who wish to receive Holy Communion on the tongue may do so after the Mass has concluded.

Live Stream

Our live stream will continue to operate 24 hours a day on our website at maidenlane.org.uk/live so that you can continue to watch Mass from home at the advertised times. Streaming on Facebook will cease.

Times of Masses from 4th July

Saturday

Church opens at 5pm. Confession available until the start of Mass.
Holy Hour: 5pm – 5:45pm
Vigil Mass of Sunday: 6pm
The church will close after Mass.

Sunday

Church opens at 9am. Confession available until the start of Mass.
Mass in English: 9:30am
Mass in Latin: 11:30am
The church will be closed for cleaning between the Masses and will reopen at 11am. It will then close again after the 11:30am Mass.

Church reopens at 4:45pm.
Holy Hour with Vespers, Rosary and Benediction: 5pm

Monday, Wednesday – Friday

Church opens at 12noon. Confession available until the start of Mass.
Holy Hour: 12noon – 1pm
Mass: 1:05pm
The church will close again after Mass.

Church reopens at 4:45pm.
Holy Hour with Vespers, Rosary and Benediction: 5pm

Tuesday

Church opens at 7:45am.
Mass: 8am
The church will close again after Mass.

A Message from His Eminence, Cardinal Nichols

THURSDAY 25th JUNE
CHURCH CLOSED

Fr Alan has been called to the hospital to give someone the last rites. As such, the church will not be able to open this lunchtime. Apologies for any inconvenience.

Please note that the Church schedule is being tweaked slightly. The church will not open on Tuesdays and there will be no Holy Hour on Tuesdays either.

There continue to be no public services, but Masses and the Holy Hour can be live streamed from maidenlane.org.uk/live

Mass
Monday – Saturday: 8am

Holy Hour
Every day, except Tuesdays: 5pm

Church open for individual, private prayer
Every day, except Tuesdays: 12noon – 2pm

As you know, His Eminence, Robert Cardinal Sarah was due to celebrate Mass with us today, on our Titular Feast of Corpus Christi. Unfortunately, the lockdown has prevented this from taking place. However, His Eminence has sent a letter to us all, in which he reminds us that the Church draws its life from the Eucharist. Please pray for Cardinal Sarah.

Dear Father Robinson,

I warmly greet you and all those who would usually come to worship and pray at Corpus Christi Shrine on this solemn feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of the Lord.

I am very sorry that due to the Covid-19 pandemic I am not able to be with you this year. I had very much looked forward to visiting the beautifully restored church, celebrating the Mass and joining in the Eucharistic procession. God willing there will be another occasion when I can celebrate the Mystery of Faith with you.

In his last Encyclical letter, Ecclesia de Eucharistia, Pope Saint John Paul II reminded us that “the Church draws her life from the Eucharist” (n.1). At this time, more than ever, we need to be reminded of this truth lest the very life of the Church begin to wither. My prayer is that when public worship resumes, Corpus Christi Shrine will ever be more a place where the faithful can “approach the table of this wondrous Sacrament, so that, bathed in the sweetness of God’s grace, they may pass over to the heavenly realities there foreshadowed” (cf. Preface for the Solemnity of the most Holy Body and Blood of Christ).

May almighty God bless you all and may the shrine’s apostolate bear much fruit in lives transformed and made holy by participation in the divine life given to us in this wondrous sacrament of the Eucharist.

With my prayers and good wishes

Sincerely in the Lord,

Robert Cardinal Sarah
Prefect

We are delighted to be opening our doors to the public once again for private individual prayer from Monday 15th June!

The doors will be open from 12noon until 2pm – but we will be reviewing these timings each week and increasing our opening hours as necessary.

Please note: we will be using the glass doors next to Polpo as the entrance, and the main doors will be the exit. Please observe social distancing rules whilst in the church, and if you are feeling unwell, please stay at home.