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Fr Oswald Baker - Latin Mass
GB ARCHON 2913 DEA-05-01-02 · Subseries · 1 January 1950 to 2 July 2004
Part of Roman Catholic Diocese of East Anglia (RCDEA)

This is a collection of documentation about Fr Baker during a period of his differences with his Bishops about the Church's approach to Latin Mass. This includes correspondence, newspaper clippings and published material.

Fr Baker served as a curate at Luton, High Wycombe and Wymondham, Norfolk, before going to Downham Market in 1949. When the New Mass came out in 1969, Fr. Baker refused to say it and continued to offer exclusively the Tridentine Latin Mass as codified by Pope St. Pius V in 1570.

In 1975 Father Baker was suspended by Bishop Charles Grant. Bishop Grant told Fr. Baker not to say Mass in his Church, so Fr. Baker said Mass in his Presbytery instead. With the help of donations a house was purchased for his presbytery and chapel, at 48 Bexwell Road, Downham Market, named the "St. Pius V Chapel". He said Mass there until his death in 2004.
In 1984 he explained that the present Pope was "no more a Catholic than Ian Paisley - and no more a pope than Billy Graham". He added that "the new Mass is a sacrilegious parody of the true Mass: it is sinful to take part in it."

Baker, Oswald Charles Rev (1915-2004)
GB ARCHON 2913 DEA-05-01-02-02 · File · 20 August 1975 to 15 November 1976
Part of Roman Catholic Diocese of East Anglia (RCDEA)

EDP 20-8-1975; letter; Status of Downham: RC protest
EDP 21-8-1975; article; Downham Catholics fight to keep traditional Mass; image of mother and daughter with petition for the Bishop
Daily Mail 25-8-1975; article; Pop goes Communion with paper cups and Co-op sliced / The Watchfield faithful get a taste of religion; 3 images - Sister Verity on drums / Bishop of Reading on stage / Communion in a paper cup
Guardian 25-8-1975; letters; Mass revolt of the Catholic Loyalists
Unknown 26-8-1975; letter; Traditional Mass?
Universe 29-8-1975; article; "Latin" priest supporters plan demo
The Times 29-8-1975; article; Bishop's warning on priest offering Mass in old form
Sunday Times 31-8-1975; article; Latin lovers in protest; image Fr Baker
Sunday Times 31-8-1975; article; Priest in Mass protest; 2 images - procession; Fr Baker
The Observer 31-8-1975; article; This rite is not wrong say 300 Catholics; image of Fr Baker
The Times 3-9-1975; letters; The Tridentine Mass
Catholic Herald 5-9-1975; letters; End wrangles of amateur liturgists
Catholic Herald 5-9-1975; article; Latin protest "cause of distress"; cartoon
EDP 8-9-1975; letters; Downham Mass
EDP 9-9-1975; article; Priest "refuses to see Bishop"
EDP 11-9-1975; letters; Downham Mass
EDP 11-9-1975; article; Downham priest asked to resign
Guardian 12-9-1975; article; Priest says he is hounded
The Universe 12-9-1975; article; Fr Baker won't meet Bishop Grant
The Times 12-9-1975; article; Canon law to be used to remove priest
The Guardian 13-9-1975; article; Latin mass takes to road
The Times 13-9-1975; letters; The traditional Mass
The Sunday Telegraph 14-9-1975; letters; Tridentine Mass and Anglican voluntary principle
The Guardian 14-9-1975; article; "Sensual" girls at Sunday mass
The Times 15-9-1975; article; Knives are out for Roman Catholic dissidents
EDP 17-9-1975; letters; Downham Mass
The Times 18-9-1975; letter; The traditional Mass
The Times 19-9-1975; article; Bishop's aim "to make new Mass available to all"
The Times 19-9-1975; article; Bringing the church to the people
EDP 19-9-1975; article; Bishop on his duty over the new mass
The Times 22-9-1975; letters; The traditional Mass
The Times 22-9-1975; letter; Catholic traditionalists
EDP 22-9-1975; letter Downham Mass
EDP 30-9-1975; letter Downham Mass
Sunday Express 31-8-1975; article; Catholics march to banned Mass
Unknown undated; letters; Downham Catholics and their Mass
The Sunday Times 31-8-1975; article; Latin lovers in protest
EDP 1-9-1975; article; Procession backs Downham priest; 2 images: procession; Fr Baker
The Telegraph 1-9-1975; "Liturgical bingo" of English Mass
Lynn News & Advertiser 2-9-1975; article; Catholics on the March / Downham Mass dispute grows; 2 images: procession; Fr Baker
EDP 2-9-1975; letter; Downham Mass
EDP 4-9-1975; letters; Downham Mass
EDP 6-9-1975; letter; Downham Mass
The Times 9-9-1975; re-typed by unknown; article; [Bishop Grant statement]
Catholic Herald 12-9-1975; article; Guarding against false gods
EDP 18-9-1975; letter; Downham Mass
The Guardian 20-9-1975; [photocopy] article; Church militant
EDP 23-9-1975; letter; Downham Mass
The Times 26-9-1975; letter; The traditional Mass
Catholic Herald 26-9-1975; article; Bishop Grant on Downham Market issue
Lynn News & Advertiser 10-10-1975; letters; In support of Fr Baker / And against..
The Telegraph 21-11-1975; [photocopy] article; Bad Marks for Latin
Evening News 30-6-1976; article; Rebel priest opens centre for Mass in city
The Journal 2-7-1976; article; Catholic Bishop hits at old Mass rebels; 2 images: Fr Baker; Bishop Clark
Cambridge Evening News 9-7-1976; letter;
EDP 17-7-1976; letter; Mass
EDP 19-7-1976; letter; In reply to Fr Baker
EDP 12-11-1976; article; Disused shop setting for Downham Mass
EDP 14-7-1976; letter; Mass: rebel priest "follows ruling"
EDP 15-11-1976; [reprint] article; Rebel Archbishop's "Woolies" mass; 2 images: Archbishop Lefebvre; Archbishop Lefebvre and Fr Baker

Various
Petition
GB ARCHON 2913 DEA-05-01-02-01-10-1 · Part · 10 August 1975
Part of Roman Catholic Diocese of East Anglia (RCDEA)

Page 1: Petition text: loss of daily Mass and related devotions following proposed re-alignment of parish boundaries; much fund-raising done for the Church; Rural nature of Downham Market parish would make it difficult for a priest based at Swaffham. Hence request the Bishop reverse the decision affecting Downham parish
Page 2: 1 copy of petition names - column 1 35 names; column 2 32 names

Correspondent
GB ARCHON 2913 MIS-01-40-1 · Part · 1 November 1975
Part of Miscellaneous Deposits

LP:
CC001; Coimbra Records (Highbury Studios, Swan Yard, London N1 1SD)
Sung Mass at Downham Market - 2 sides
Celebrant Fr Oswald Baker
Side one: Introit, Kyrie, Gloria, Collect, Epistle, Gradual & Alleluia verse, Gospel, Credo, Offertory, Motet - "Exultabunt Sancti in Gloria", Preface
Side 2: Sanctus, Benedictus, Pater Noster, Agnus Dei, Communion Verse, Post Communion, Last Gospel, Message for Fr Baker.

Sleeve front: Image showing Fr Baker kneeling at an altar set for Tridentine Rite; a surrounding montage of news cuttings relating to the disagreement with the Church and Fr Oswald re Tridentine Mass celebrations post-Vatican II.

Sleeve back: Sleeve notes: Written by Michael Davies; opening paragraph "This is a recording of an actual celebration of Mass which was made in a small parish in Norfolk on the Feast of All Saints, 1975. The entire Mass is included on the record and the Latin text of the sung parts, together with an English translation, will be found inside the sleeve. "

Included document: Mass text - A3 sheet with 3 columns of Latin and English translation.

Baker, Oswald Charles Rev (1915-2004)
GB ARCHON 2913 PA28-05-01-1 · Item · 29 March 1948
Part of Our Lady of the Annunciation Parish, King's Lynn

The Hierarchy's principle is to retain Catholic Children in schools until legally required to let them go. However irrational it may seem and against the good of an individual child - that is his decision.
Downham Market Boundaries - await Fr Ketterer's suggestion but the priest at Downham strictly speaking has no territory being chaplain to an institution.

Parker, Thomas Leo Rev (1887-1975)
GB ARCHON 2913 NTM-01-01-22-1 · Part · 31 March 2011
Part of Northampton Diocesan Travelling Mission - Fr McCormick

pg1: Photo 1 - annotations about placement and use of the altar as a whole
pg2: Photo 2 - annotations regarding the use of the drawer and setting up
pg3: Photo 3 - view inside the altar - placement of chalice, cruets, crucifix, candle stands, collection bowl, ciborium, missal stand. Altar cloths and vestments were put on the top and provided 'padding'
pg4: Photo 4 - view of altar with four people stood behind it (one a nun "in pre Vat II habit"). Fr McCormick still has the altar cloth for 'house mass' use.
photograph of the assembled portable altar within the RCDEA Archives.

McCormick, Robert L. Rev (-2015)
GB ARCHON 2913 DEA-05-01-02-01-130-1 · Part · 19 November 1975
Part of Roman Catholic Diocese of East Anglia (RCDEA)

Fr Baker's ministry is harmful being direct and open disobedience of the Holy See. A review of the documents sent by Fr Baker were considered by the Synodal Examiner and the Pro-Synodal Examiner as not a sufficient answer and his ministry was harmful. Fr Baker had refused to resign and hence the Bishop is removing him from his office as Parish Priest at Downham Market. He has to hand over to Father Sketch.

Grant, Charles Alexander Rev LCL BA (1906-1989)
GB ARCHON 2913 DEA-05-01-02-01-155-1 · Part · 5 to 9 August 1976
Part of Roman Catholic Diocese of East Anglia (RCDEA)

Photocopies of local press coverage about Fr Baker inaugurating a Tridentine Mass centre in Newcastle.
page 1: Article: Rebel priest to celebrate Latin Mass; Article: Booted out but unrepentant; letter: Oath of Loyalty
page 2/3: article: Old faith alive in the North
page 3: article: A choice of Masses today
page 4: article: North Catholics defy their Bishop

Various
GB ARCHON 2913 PA28-05-01-125-1 · Part · 17 March 1965
Part of Our Lady of the Annunciation Parish, King's Lynn

Table "Roman Catholic Infant Baptisms in the Parishes of King's Lynn, Downham Market and Hunstanton" for the years 1949 to 1962 inclusive.
2 pages, each with similar manuscript annotations: "I suggest it is not practicable to include Downham, Hunstanton since the distances are too great for primary children."

Sammons, Francis Ethelbert Clowes Rev (1925-1975)
GB ARCHON 2913 DEA-05-01-02-01-136-1 · Part · 26 December 1975
Part of Roman Catholic Diocese of East Anglia (RCDEA)

Being discredited by the Bishop for a love of the same Mass that the Bishop professes. Repudiate charge of being disobedient as he is following his conscience. Challenges the four area covered by the Bishop's secretary (Fr Morgan). Ludicrous allegation that Fr Baker's ministry is harmful - much support, sympathy and encouragement received. Will continue to offer Mass in Downham Market.

Baker, Oswald Charles Rev (1915-2004)
GB ARCHON 2913 DEA-05-01-02-03-10 · Part · 16 March 1976
Part of Roman Catholic Diocese of East Anglia (RCDEA)

side 1: "A Warning / from / Peter Simple / of the Daily Telegraph / and an Amplification"
side 2: Article "Sign" by Peter Simple, reproduced from the Daily Telegraph, 16 March 1976
sides 3/4: "An amplification - from one of the faithful" by Margaret S Kenworthy-Browne

Unknown
GB ARCHON 2913 DEA-05-01-02-01-110 · Item · 11 September 1975
Part of Roman Catholic Diocese of East Anglia (RCDEA)

The root of the trouble at Downham Market is not the use of Latin but the disobedience of Fr Baker. Catholics not properly prepared for the changes, hence those being upset. Arbitrary experimentation by some priests have not helped - hence a longing for the old familiar Mass. The new rite has been established as valid and free form doctrinal error.

Barker, Marion Tess OSB
GB ARCHON 2913 DEA-05-01-02-01-12 · Item · c. 12 August 1975
Part of Roman Catholic Diocese of East Anglia (RCDEA)

Income in the parish has increased - so, not living on a "pittance". Willing to accept position as a curate so that the parish priest from Swaffham does not have to travel to Downham. His weekly visit to the convent in Swaffham means he could easily report to the PP. Changes would be detrimental to this parish. Suggest that any priest free to officiate do so at Oxburgh instead. Not impelled to move; willing to stay.

Baker, Oswald Charles Rev (1915-2004)
GB ARCHON 2913 DEA-05-01-02-03-12 · Part · 19 September 1976
Part of Roman Catholic Diocese of East Anglia (RCDEA)

Redemptorist publication "Christian Encounter" - reverse page for local parish notes
Page 1 - printed
Page 2 - "Are Traditionalists disobedient? (concluded)" - traditional mass dates from 1570 - persistent challenges to legality of New Mass - even the Pope will not invoke it as a legal instrument - its introduction is visible a mistake.

Baker, Oswald Charles Rev (1915-2004)