MASS ONCE

A QUARTER
Yes, in England SIXTEEN quarterly Mass centres
have been established and maintained during the past year by the Northampton diocesan travelling mission. announces the 1959 Diocesan Year Book (Is.). People living in or near these places can now count on hearing Mass once every three months without having to travel. say, five or 10 miles to the nearest church.
These arc in addition to the annual Mass Centres visited once a year by the two priests of the mission and to the one or two new ones they have established.
One of the two vans used by the travelling mission is now getting too old. the account notes.
There are now three more priests at work in the diocese, bringing the total up to 133 secular and 95 regular priests. There is one more convent in the diocese, the provincial house and novitiate of the Daughters of the Holy Ghost at Clapham, Beds.
The Catholic population has gone up by &NO to 98,0110. Baptisms increased by 392 to 3,892; adult conversions by 29 to 632; marriages by 99 to 1,543; and Easter Duties by 2,107 to 44,000.
Three new priests were ordained during the year. the same number as during 1957 and 1956.