New ordinariate mission: Catholic Church of the Presentation, The Woodlands, TX
  • Blaise
    Posts: 439
    Calling all ordinariate supporters:

    Does anyone in this area want to be part of a new ordinariate mission parish, founded in early February of this year? Or perhaps you have a little time to spare to visit a new Catholic community this summer? It is led by my parochial vicar at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Walsingham - Catholic Church & Shrine, Houston, Texas, the Rev. Fr. Justin P. Fletcher, and is staffed by other priests including our director of vocations of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter, the Rev. Fr. Richard Kramer.

    According to a friend who has been here, musical offerings include propers led by a cantor and a capella hymns at the 10 AM Sunday Mass and the John Merbecke setting of the ordinary. "Asperges Me" as appropriate (he was there on Corpus Christi Sunday).

    As I understand it, The Woodlands is considered a rather choice place to live.

    The Catholic Church of the Presentation
    Thanked by 3M. Jackson Osborn CHGiffen RMSawicki
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,365
    I had put a notice about the new parish, whose title is 'Presentation of the Lord', on our Forum a month or two ago. It is doing quite well - they have already close to two hundred hundred people each week. There is an 8.00am mass without music and a 10.30am sung mass with music as outlined by Blaise. Presentation of the Lord is a mission of Walsingham and was established because we have quite a number of people from The Woodlands who make the close to an hour's drive into Walsingham each week. Blaise is certainly right - The Woodlands, a Houston suburb, is a very affluent place to live. Our mission church is currently meeting at St Anthony's of Padua, a very large parish in The Woodlands.
    Thanked by 4CHGiffen Blaise RMSawicki ghmus7
  • RMSawicki
    Posts: 121
    Oh such good news!

    If I were not a full-time caretaker to two disabled family members right now, I'd be on a one-way trip to The Woodlands tomorrow.

    This new Ordinariate development would simply be a "douceur", as the French might say.

    And yes Blaise, from many standpoints and under many considerations and criteria, The Woodlands is a rather nice place to live.

    It was described by one social commentator as the closest thing to a conservative's idea of a perfect planned community.

    Gaudete in Domino Semper!
    Thanked by 2Blaise cesarfranck
  • ghmus7
    Posts: 1,464
    All Grace and good to the Ordinariate!
    Thanked by 1Blaise
  • liampmcdonough
    Posts: 282
    Update:

    The temporary building has been renovated far beyond what Google Maps might suggest. In the past few months we have drywalled, tiled the sanctuary, installed a dossal, and added pews.
    Thanked by 4M. Jackson Osborn CHGiffen Jehan_Boutte Elmar
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,365
    It is good, very good, to hear of your progress. Presentation has been frequently in my prayers. I am very happy to hear that the music is in good hands and that you have a good choir. About the organ - of course organs are a tremendous expense, but as we all know, they are worth it and I pray that you stay on that course. Tell Fr Fletcher 'hello' for me. I was at his priestly ordination at Walsingham, where he served for several years, and think very highly of him. May you continue to flourish!
  • Felicia
    Posts: 110
    Is this the church in Montgomery, TX? I hear it's about an hour's drive from College Station, TX.
  • liampmcdonough
    Posts: 282
    Yes. 5530 Honea Egypt Rd, Montgomery, TX 77316 is the address.
    Thanked by 1Felicia
  • ghmus7
    Posts: 1,464
    It seems that many good organ companies could come up with a plan to provide a small intrument for your present situation, which then as much as possible to be moved to a new building. This lind of two phase plan might actually be cheaper in the long run that purchasing an electronic now( which you would just throw away or sell) and then pipes later. It is surprising what can be done with 5 ranks.
    Thanked by 2M. Jackson Osborn CHGiffen
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,365
    amen and amen to Greg's suggestion.
  • liampmcdonough
    Posts: 282
    I spoke with John Bishop at Organ Clearing House, as well as several other organ dealers. It would be marvelous to have an five rank organ capable of future expansions, but it is not cheaper. I have been advised that moving, voicing and tuning most any organ of five ranks costs 100,000 whether you move it 10 feet or 10 states. Even the "free" small unit organs from OCH would be this cost. This is compounded by the difficulty of multiple moves, which would double the steep cost of a pipe instrument.
    Thanked by 2M. Jackson Osborn CHGiffen
  • liampmcdonough
    Posts: 282
    Here is a recent picture from Lent II:
    155809215_262086342022816_7682138529233759718_o.jpg
    1984 x 1488 - 506K
    Thanked by 3M. Jackson Osborn Jehan_Boutte CHGiffen
  • Jehan_Boutte
    Posts: 264
    The vestments are amazing.
  • liampmcdonough
    Posts: 282
    We have an altar rail!
    20220523_145106.jpg
    4032 x 3024 - 3M
    Thanked by 3M. Jackson Osborn CHGiffen Drake
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,365
    Not to mention a beautiful polychrome screen!
  • liampmcdonough
    Posts: 282
    We praise Thee, O God; we acknowledge Thee to be the Lord!
    Day be day we magnify thee; And we worship thy Name ever world without end!

    Allow me to share my joy that Presentation of the Lord Catholic Church was canonically erected as a full parish, the tenth parish of the Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter, by our Bishop on February 2nd, 2024.

    It was a joyous celebration, musical highlights including Bruckner Locus Iste and Harris Behold, The Tabernacle of God; Anglican chants by Goss and Monk, and the newly declared Patronal Hymn, "Ave, Mary, Full of Grace" with tune by myself.

    New vestments by Watts and Co were blessed by the bishop, and our newly completed Rood Scene, carved and gilded by hand, was blessed and installed in time to grace our Titular Solemnity the following Sunday.

    20240204_133904.jpg
    3505 x 2673 - 1M
    Thanked by 5CHGiffen M. Jackson Osborn trentonjconn LauraKaz m_r_taylor
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,365
    Liam -
    The rood screen in your picture looks like the same one I remember from several years ago.
    Do you have a picture of the new one?
    Congratulations on your new status!
    By the way - you had said a while back that you were considering singing all the lectionary at high mass every Sunday.
    What has been the outcome of this?
    Thanked by 1tomjaw
  • liampmcdonough
    Posts: 282
    The Rood, Mary, and St. John are new additions to our beautiful screen.

    We are actively working on the reading tones. The men are not quite ready, but I am confident we will get there.
    Thanked by 3CHGiffen M. Jackson Osborn tomjaw
  • RMSawicki
    Posts: 121
    I'd love to join an Ordinariate Parish immediately (I sometimes substitute Divine Worship:Daily Office for the LOTH!) as well as move to Texas. I've always cast appreciative eyes on The Woodlands. (I think I'll buy TWO lottery tickets this week [hee, hee])!

    Gaudete in Domino Semper!
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