A Bishop from Kazakhstan held Catholic Mass at a church in Reading, where worshippers were blessed with a relic associated with Jesus Christ.
Bishop Athanasius Schneider, who serves as an auxiliary Bishop for the Diocese of Astana, capital city of Kazakhstan, was in Reading to celebrate Holy Trinity Sunday (June 15).
He held worship at the St William of York Catholic Church in Upper Redlands Road, East Reading, where Mass is held in Latin on a daily basis.
After receiving Communion, worshippers were blessed with a relic of what Catholics believe to be the True Cross that Jesus was crucified on.
Doctor Joseph Shaw, the chairman of the Latin Mass Society (LMS), who attended, said: “To mark the 60th anniversary of the LMS, which supports the TLM, we have been very honoured to facilitate Bishop Schneider’s visits to four different dioceses, where he has celebrated Mass and given talks.
“He is always very warmly received by the Catholic faithful, who know him as a supporter of the TLM and a strong upholder of the teachings of the Catholic Church.’
The TLM has received support in the UK with 48 public figures, including former government minister Michael Gove and historian Tom Holland, writing an open letter supporting it last year, following a similar letter signed by Agathe Christie in 1971.
Bishop Schneider’s visit to the UK follows his attendance of the Paris to Chartres pilgrimage in France, which thousands of Traditional Catholics attend annually.
He was assisted at Mass by Fathers Seth Phipps and Gwyiln Evans, both priests of the Fraternity of Saint Peter, Fr Thomas Crean and Reverend James Forde-Johnson.
Bishop Schneider, who is of German heritage, was born in Kyrgyzstan and has Kazakh nationality.
