The Little Oratory: Requiem and Dinner 2014

Saturday, 8 November 2014

Requiem and Dinner 2014

The following is the text of a letter sent by the Secretary and Rector to the Brothers: The Annual Requiem for departed Brothers will be sung this year on Saturday 22nd November at 6.30p.m. in the Little Oratory. It will be followed by the Annual Dinner. Father Prefect has made an arrangement at Racine, in Brompton Road, where we will be seated in a private room, and greeted with an aperitif. The price will be £45 per head for three courses. Please note that this does not include wine, and those who wish to have wine (or any other beverages) will have to pay the additional costs in advance by adding the aforesaid extra costs to the minimum payment of £45 when they write their cheques. The wine list may be viewed on the website. We need to have numbers and payments as soon as possible. If you wish to come to the dinner, please inform the Rector (with mention of any dietary requirements and choice of wine from the list). Cheques made payable to 'The London Oratory Charity' should be sent to the Rector c/o the Oratory by Friday 14th November.

A blog for those who make up the Little Oratory in London. This blog serves the purpose of notifying Brothers of upcoming events at the Oratory.

The Little Oratory is a group of men with the status of a confraternity. The first Little Oratory was formed by St. Philip Neri, and was made up of young men who went to Confession to him at the church of San Girolamo in Rome. They would meet in his room there for prayer and recreation, and for daily Mass and Confession. They visited the hospitals daily, and took the Discipline several times a week. They also made the pilgrimage of the Seven Churches together, especially at Carnival time, and their devout and recollected demeanour converted many.

The Brothers of the Little Oratory in London meet every Sunday at 4.30pm in the Little Oratory, for Spiritual Exercises and then tea in St Wilfrid's Hall.

"Look down from Heaven, Holy Father, from the loftiness of that mountain to the lowliness of this valley; from that harbour of quietness and tranquillity to this calamitous sea. And now that the darkness of this world hinders no more those benignant eyes of thine from looking clearly into all things, look down and visit, O most diligent keeper, that vineyard which thy right hand planted with so much labour, anxiety and peril. To thee, then, we fly; from thee we seek for aid; to thee we give our whole selves unreservedly; thee we adopt for our patron and defender. Undertake the cause of our Salvation, protect thy clients; to thee we appeal as our leader: rule thine army fighting against the assaults of the devil; to thee, kindest of rulers, we give up the rudder of our lives; steer this little ship of thine, and, placed as thou art on high, keep us off all the rocks of evil desires, that with thee for our Pilot and our Guide, we may safely come to the port of eternal bliss. Amen."