Most Holy Father,John Charles Vargas, Procurator General of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, with due obedience and sense of filial veneration for Your Holiness, reveals that next year will occur the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the transfer of the ancient icon of the BI. Virgin Mary bearing the Child Jesus, known as the Mother of Perpetual Help, to the Church of Saint Alphonsus on the Esquiline Hill, and the restoration of it to public worship, by the authority of BI. Pope Pius IX. For the greater glory of Almighty God, and to implore the greater help of the Blessed Virgin Mary, especially in these most turbulent times, and to encourage the constant devotion and trust of the Christian faithful towards the Mother of Perpetual Help, from the 27th of June of this year to the 27th June 2016, special sacred functions, pilgrimages as well as other devotions and expressions of Christian doctrine will be held in the Church of St Alphonsus in the City, where the sacred icon is most devoutly preserved, and also in each and every church of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer. In order that the treasures of divine grace may be opened more fully to the Christian faithful who take part in these celebrations and pilgrimages, the Most Reverend petitioner requests the gift of Indulgences corresponding to a jubilee. Et Deus, etc. THE APOSTOLIC PENITENTIARY, by mandate of Our Holy Father Francis, willingly grants a Jubilee Year with the associated Plenary Indulgence, granted under the usual conditions, (sacramental confession, Eucharistic communion and prayers for the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff) to be gained in the Church of St Alphonsus in the City of Rome and in the individual Churches of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, by the Christian faithful who are truly penitent and moved by charity, make a pilgrimage to the icon of Blessed Virgin Mary of Perpetual Help and there devoutly take part in the properly configured jubilee rites, or at least spend a suitable time in pious reflections, concluding with the Lord's Prayer, the Creed and invocations of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Members of the faithful who are impeded from taking part in these exercises, by reason of old age,sickness or other grave cause, can nevertheless gain the plenary indulgence, if, moved by sorrow for any sins whatever and have the intention of fulfilling the three usual conditions, they associate themselves spiritually with the jubilee celebrations and pilgrimages, by asking God's mercy through Mary while offering their prayers and sufferings or discomforts of their life before a small icon of the Blessed Virgin of Perpetual Help. Therefore, to obtain divine pardon through the keys of the Church, since access is facilitated by pastoral charity, this Penitentiary earnestly asks that Redemptorist priests generously dedicate themselves to the celebration of the Sacrament of Penance and to the ministry of often bringing Holy Communion to the sick. The present grant holds for the jubilee year, notwithstanding all things to the contrary.
Thomas Ford and Partners led two groups from EASA (The Ecclesiastical Architects and Surveyors Association) on a visit to the Spire at St Mary Church Clapham on 25th April 2015 (see photos attached). The groups inspected the opening up works carried out both internally and externally on the Spire. The leading group from Thomas Ford and Partners including Paul Sharrock, Partner in Charge of project, Fergus Mc Cormick, Project Architect and Karen Butti Associate. Lively and interesting discussions were held on the scaffold regarding the proposed structural repairs to the Spire. Master Mason Bert from the Contractor PAYE was in attendance to give the visiting group the benefit of his long experience of dealing with the use and repair of ragstone on historic buildings. Alex Towle, contracts manager for PAYE was also in attendance.
The EASA visit comprised of two groups of a total of 13 architects and engineers. The groups met first in the morning room in the Monastery for a briefing on the background to the project and proposed repairs by Paul Sharrock of Thomas Ford and Partners Architects followed by a Health and Safety induction by PAYE. The visiting groups then ascended the scaffold externally and later also inspected the spire from the internal scaffold. The visit was very successful and the EASA groups enjoyed the chance to view the Spire up close and learn about the proposed repair works at first hand from the Architects and Contractor.
Update on Spire Repairs Works Contract
St Mary’s Church, Clapham are pleased to announce that the Heritage Lottery Fund have confirmed their permission to start on the proposed Spire Repair Works. The contractor PAYE commenced works on site on 27th April 2015 and will complete the Spire Repair works contract in early November 2015.
