Father Stephen Somerville died last night.  
 In your charity please pray for the repose of his soul. (Perhaps the 9 days prayers for one recently deceased)

 

I am praying for the repose of Fr. Somerville Soul.

I am not familiar with him, could you post a short bio?


 

I am not familiar with him, could you post a short bio?

 

Fr. Somerville was the youngest priest among those in the ICEL (International Commission for English in the Liturgy) whose work it was to arrive at 'the official' text for English language Newmasses.  Sometime in the 1990's he came to the realization that his longstanding reservations were actually more credible and he left the Commission.  (As I recall, this was about the same time that Fr. Paul Trinchard 'saw the light' and gave up saying the Newmass, and spent the rest of his life writing books about the great conspiracy to undermine the Faith of Catholics.)  Then he stopped saying the Newmass and spent the rest of his life only offering the Traditional Latin Mass.  

He made appearances in several conferences, one of which being where I personally met him in Hamilton, Canada, 1999, where he said he was the last surviving member of the Commission even at that time.  He was the only one present who could lead singing for the attendees, and since he played guitar, he used it to help keep everyone in tune while the group sort of sang a few Marian songs.  The scene was surreal, since the gathering was mostly traditional Catholics who by that time were well steeped in "guitar mass" experiences.  He apologized for resorting to guitar but he did not have any sheet music to go by and he couldn't play piano.  There was a piano right there in the conference hall, and several people could play piano, but there had been no rehearsal and so no one was willing to fake it.  Therefore, the guitar was used, once, not for Mass but just part of the program of speakers.  His guitar playing was not received very well, as you might imagine, but his speech was very well appreciated.

Fr. was very clear that he realized his past error and was very sorry for having done the work he did, even if he had acted at the time due to his respect for authority.  He recalled that the other members of the Commission had died without ever having publicly repented of their nefarious work.  He was thankful for having received the grace of conversion and for thereby seeing his error before it was too late for him.

 

Funeral Mass for Fr Stephen Sommerville
December 15, 2015

District of Canada

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As an organist, conductor, composer and singer of church music; as an ardent birdwatcher and camper; as a writer, a mentor and pastor of souls, Father Somerville was in all things a priest of Jesus Christ.
Requiescat in pace

Born April 1, 1931;
ordained priest by Cardinal McGuigan of Toronto May 26, 1956;
died December 12, 2015, the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Visitation
Visitation at Humphrey’s Funeral Home,
1403 Bayview Avenue (at Davisville) Toronto,
on Wednesday, December 16, 2 - 4 pm,    
Fr. Emanuel Herkel will lead the Rosary at 3 pm.
6 - 8 pm – Prayers by Fr. Brian Clough (Toronto Diocese).

Mass
Traditional Latin Requiem Mass will be celebrated
at the Church of the Transfiguration (SSPX)
11 Aldgate Ave, Toronto, ON  
on Thursday, December 17th at 11 am
followed by reception at the church hall.  
416-503-8854 (Church)   416-251-0499 (Priory)

There will also be a Novus Ordo Funeral Mass
at Our Lady of Lourdes Church, 520 Sherbourne St, Toronto,
on Friday, December 18th at 10:00 am, celebrated by Fr. Brian Clough
Interment will follow at St. Augustine’s Seminary - Our Lady of the Clergy Cemetery.

Announcement on Catholic Family News

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