Talks Raise £700 for Parish Vestment Restoration

A series of talks on the life of Fr Bryan Houghton, the former parish priest of Bury St Edmunds, has raised £700 towards the renovation of the parish’s historic vestments.

The presentations, delivered by John Saunders, offered a fresh insight into the life and ministry of Fr Houghton — a man who, according to Saunders, “was an extraordinary priest who cemented Catholic education in Bury, increased the size of the congregation and inspired devotion.”

Fr Houghton, who served in Bury St Edmunds during a time of great change in the Church, was sometimes misunderstood. “He was sometimes labelled as rich and arrogant by people who never knew him,” said Saunders. “These talks were an opportunity to unveil his true life — a story of tragedy, comedy and verve.”

The events were warmly received by attendees and described as “a novel and enjoyable way” to raise funds for the preservation of the parish’s liturgical heritage.

There are plans to repeat the talk at a later date. Anyone interested in attending or learning more about the vestment restoration project is invited to contact jes767894@btinternet.com.

A Parishioner’s Reflection

Alan Robinson, a parishioner from Diss, offered his own reflections on Fr Houghton’s enduring significance:

I’m sure some readers will wonder why there is still such interest in him. Articles about Fr Houghton appear on both French and American websites, and three of his books have been reprinted in the United States. He was indeed a good parish priest and well known in England — serving as chairman of the Higher Studies Conference, a Catholic academic body — but there is much more to his story.

The title of his autobiography, Unwanted Priest: The Autobiography of a Latin Mass Exile, explains why. Fr Houghton made a certain amount of history as the only priest in England to resign his parish rather than introduce the New Mass. With his bishop’s agreement, he left the diocese, settled in France, and continued to provide pastoral and sacramental care for those attached to the Old (Tridentine) Rite — again, with the permission and blessing of the local bishop.

He retired in November 1969, when the New Mass became obligatory in England, at the age of 58 — still in good health and spirits. He went on to minister actively in France for a further 23 years. Those interested can read more in the English edition of his autobiography, published in 2022 by Os Justi Press. He also wrote two novels: Mitre and Crook, directed towards priests, and Judith’s Marriage, written for the laity, both available from the same publisher.

There is a section about him in the excellent parish history of Bury St Edmunds, though it contains one serious misunderstanding: Fr Houghton did not support, nor did he agree with, the work and ideas of Monsignor Marcel Lefebvre and the Society of St Pius X.

It’s heartening to see that there remains interest in him here in England — and that we’re not leaving it all to the French and the Americans!”

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