Fr. Alfred McBride, O. Praem., of St. Norbert Abbey, De Pere, was invited to concelebrate with Pope Benedict XVI at the beatification Mass of Cardinal John Henry Newman in Birmingham, England.
Fr. McBride attended the Papal address at Westminster Hall, Palace of Westminster in London on Friday, September 17, 2010. He concelebrated Mass with Pope Benedict at Westminster Cathedral on Saturday and on Sunday traveled to Birmingham, England where he concelebrated with the Pope at the Beatification Mass in Cofton Park.
 Westminster Hall, where Pope Benedict addressed the Prime Minister and the members of the House of Commons and the House of Lords on Friday, is the same place that St. Thomas More was condemned to death in 1535 for defending the right of the Pope to be the head of the Church and not King Henry VIII.
The invitation was extended by the British Ambassador to the Vatican, Francis Campbell.
Fr. McBride was ordained in 1953. He has served as professor, novice master, university president and was the founder and executive director of the department of religious education at the National Catholic Educational Association. The U.S. Catholic bishops appointed him to write the catechesis in preparation for the second pastoral visit of Pope John Paul II. Fr. McBride has lectured and written widely—having published over 40 books and 200 articles. He currently serves on the USCCB Committee for Catechesis as well as the Board of Directors for Our Sunday Visitor and the Board of Trustees of St. Norbert College. He lives at St. Joseph Priory on the St. Norbert College campus where he continues his writing and retreat/workshop ministries.
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