Pilgrimage Preparations

This evening we had a meeting for all the people going on our Parish Pilgrimage to Lourdes. Fr Tim did most of the hard work - he gave a brief introduction to the Domaine and explained what the main activities of the pilgrimage would be.

My job was getting wine and nibbles ready, and going through some of the boring but necessary details about travelling by air... like the fact that only one piece of hand luggage is allowed (no surprises there) and that no liquids can be taken as hand luggage into France, unless they are in containers of no more than 100ml and carried through security in a clear bag. Also, only one piece of luggage is allowed as check-in baggage. This is only really a problem on the return flight. In my experience, lots of little old ladies seem to return from Lourdes with gallons of water as part of their luggage. BA apparently charge for extra bags/containers... at £60 per container (no matter how small), it would be cheaper to get the stuff posted home.

I was trying not to sound too school-marm-ish... and probably failing miserably. This was the first time I realised how many people we have on the trip: twenty-five adults and three children... and boy, it looks like a big group when they're all together!!

I have to say that it was a very enjoyable evening: helped, no doubt, by the fact that it was one of the rare occasions when I allowed myself to leave my car behind, and therefore I could have a glass or two of wine...

Lord, Have Mercy On Their Souls...

...the souls of all those involved in carrying out abortions. While I wouldn't want to condemn any woman for having an abortion (only God knows how anyone can be brought to the point where taking an innocent human life seems like the "best" option!), with the advances in medical technology, the medical staff who perform these procedures must be more and more culpable...

If you can truly convince yourself that it isn't a child, but just a bunch of cells, a blob of tissue, then it is almost understandable. But when we find out that aborted foetuses can actually survive the procedure...

The case of the Norwich toddler who survived three botched abortions, and was born at 24 weeks made me go cold all over.

Apparently, babies surviving abortion for a few hours (and sometimes even just being left to die) is not uncommon. The photo shown here is of Gianna Jessen, who suffered cerebral palsy as a result of a botched abortion. Read more about babies surviving abortion over at Fr. Ray's blog. You'll need a strong stomach.

Back To Normal !

Whoops... nearly forgot. After the austerities of Lent, and last week's feasting for the Easter Octave, I nearly forgot about Fridays!!


*sigh* I guess that pepperoni pizza won't be on the menu today. Twitch of the mantilla and an Ave Maria to my Guardian Angel for reminding me before I phoned for the pizza!!

If It's Fruit, It's Good For You...

I was walking innocently past various shops in Bluewater when I was cunningly ambushed by a window display: a huge cherry.

I'm not really into fruit. But this was no ordinary cherry. It had rather a lot of chocolate lovingly dripped over it. Now, when I was much younger, my mother (who is German) used to make me a proper Black Forest cherry gateaux for my birthday. And I mean a proper one. She used to get the cherries pre-soaked from some continental food specialist shop, and then she would soak the bottom sponge layer in kirsch (and we'd drink a glass of kirsch for good measure!) and the cherries were enough to send you over the limit (luckily, I didn't drive in my early teens)... and then more kirsch... Each year, one of my presents would be this cake: it was so much hassle to make that it was a once-a-year production!

When my (English) stepfather appeared on the scene, he wanted to get a really special Black Forest gateaux as a special birthday present, and went to Harrods and ordered one... but the sponge was typical shop-bought sponge, and there wasn't any kirsch, and the bottom layer of cherries was more cherry jam... but he'd meant well, and so, because we didn't want to hurt his feelings, that was the end of the home-made version. And a couple of years later I left home, and birthday cake was no longer on the menu, so to speak...

So, today, all of my birthday cake memories came flooding back in an instant. Mesmerised by the display, I wandered inside the shop... just over the threshold with half a toe... to be greeted by a shop assistant... with samples...

...ummm. And it must be good for me, because it's dark chocolate (55% cocoa solids) and cherries are full of vitamins.

To be fair, I think that Green & Black's chocolate is better. But this comes a pretty close runner-up, and if you're in the mood for a hit of kirsch, then this wins hands down. Even better (or should that be worse?) I find that they do online ordering... visit them HERE.

Toddlers Tell It Like It Is...

Newhousenewjob (who will surely have to come up with a new moniker soon... it isn't that new anymore!!) has this salutary warning for all those who come into contact with the little people: they listen, they remember... and they repeat!

A Day To Remember !!

I watched this two years ago on cable TV in the parish hall (no cable tv at home at the time!) I remember all the assurances that they couldn't possibly have elected anyone so fast (only the day after the conclave opened) and that the smoke was black... well, grey... no, the crowd had got it wrong: they were cheering, but bells had been promised if the Pope had been elected... and that smoke was awfully light grey, almost white, really... and the crowd were certainly cheering... oh, and there go the bells, Esmerelda...


Mantilla-twitch to Fr. Ray Blake

Another Tear-Jerker

Ok, get the tissues out... I made the mistake of watching this without any handy, and ended up having to dry my eyes using my sleeves (which are now sopping wet!) Twitch of the mantilla to Esther...


The cynic in me thinks that this option is going to get harder and harder for Catholic married couples, because with the SORs, the Adoption Agencies are going to have to fill their "quotas" of homosexual couples wanting to adopt (to prove that they're not discriminating against anyone on the basis of their sexuality... though it'll be ok to discriminate against Catholics!) and the increase in abortions means that fewer and fewer babies are placed for adoption...

...how can anyone think that it's better to kill a child than give it up for adoption? That seems so like the dog-in-the-manger attitude: if I won't have the baby, then no-one else will!

We have to pray for a change of heart.

From The Sublime To The Ridiculous...

...after the sublime Lux et Origo setting for yesterday's High Mass, we are brought down to earth by Paulinus (who has Squatter's Rights over at the Recusant Cricket Club.)

Check out his questions for folk choirs... though I think he missed the most important one, namely: "Why?"

I think my favourites have to be numbers 4 and 8:

Why are folk groups nearly always 'led' by a woman - not very inclusive is it? (and if you are so keen on actuosa particpatio why is everything pitched for castrati?)

Given that proper folk artists like Kate Rusby produce music which is by turns melodic, plaintive or joyous, how come most folk groups sound like The Wurzels?

A Little Light Relief

I needed a little more light relief after my "feminist" rant-ette. Luckily I found the following:


(My comment would be "No Motu Proprio until the clown who put glue in my hair gel owns up!" but feel free to caption away - Carolina's got the caption contest going strong too...)


Both were on the Canonball's excellent blog: and while you're there, remember to make a donation towards her trip to Rome.

If I Were Pope...

Heheheheh... I had no idea I was soooo traditional!

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Mantilla-twitch to Fr. Finigan.

Women's Voice Silenced By The Church?

At the risk of appearing, chameleon-like, to have changed my spots, I think I would just like to have a wee rant-ette about the silencing of women by the Church...

Not, I hasten to add, by the Church's Magisterium... (Long live our beloved Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI !!)

...but there does seem to have been a little air-brushing going on in Southwark...

It was drawn to my attention that someone had been taking photos for the Southwark Diocese website at the Chrism Mass this year. So I went to have a look. Sure enough, there are lots of photos. I was sure that there would be one picture of a placard saying "Thank you to our priests," demonstrating the appreciation felt by the vast majority of women in the diocese. I know that the gesture was noted by priests.

However, despite being in a perfect position right at the Cathedral gates (outside the precincts... one year, one girl was physically manhandled out by the Dean, in case we upset the pro-women's ordination group who were also outside) it would seem that no attempt was made to capture a shot of these placards, or of the sizable group applauding the priests as they processed in...

It wouldn't have been difficult to take a snap of this mark of respect and love for the ministerial priesthood... in fact, if you look at the screenshot of the pictures from the website, you can just see a corner of one of the placards...


So it would seem that the cry of the feminists has an element of truth in it: the voice of women in the Church is being silenced...

...or perhaps it is only the voice of women faithful to the Magisterium?

Another Blogstone Passed...

...ooops. I've just realised that the title is somewhat misleading. No I am not suffering from any digestive tract disorders... or any other tract disorders...

Instead, I am hopping with glee... I have gone through the 20,000 visitor mark. Very small beer for some of you uber-blogger types, but I nearly didn't start this blog because I was worried that (a) I would run out of things to say, and (b) no-one would bother to read whatever I did say...

Well, anyone who knows me personally can reassure you that there will be snowballs in hell before option (a) happens...

...and over 20,000 visitors (not page views, I hasten to add... they're over 32,000!) within my first year of blogging seems to put paid to my fears on (b). It has just occurred to me that, if I'd charged each one of you £1, I'd have £20,000 to spend at Bluewater... and then could have blogged about the purchases!!

Don't worry, it's still free... But a big "thank you" for continuing to visit!

UPDATE: Looks like Mrs Jackie Parkes was visitor 20,000 (at 10:19am) - Congratulations, you win a Hail Mary!!

More On That High Mass...

I bruised my thumb in a good cause! Fr. Tim has taken the photos from his snazzy camera and turned them into an equally snazzy video. I could make you go to his blog to see the result, but hey, I guess I can claim co-authorship (or whatever the visual equivalent is!)


Mind you, most people who visit my blog are bound to have seen it already... at least I got my write-up done a day before he did... (don't be fooled by the date... it wasn't there this morning!!)

Uh-Oh...

I went to Bluewater this afternoon. I walked right past the Krispy Kreme Doughnut shop. And then I turned round and walked in...

...they have a "new" doughnut: the chocolate dreamcake.

Well, I just had to try one, just in the interests of blogdom... I mean, you want to know what it tasted like, right?

I'll tell you when I've finished the second one... or maybe the third, just to be absolutely sure it wasn't a fluke...

Classical Rite High Mass

Oooh, I had a real treat today! We had a Classical Rite Mass at Blackfen... not quite sure what occasioned the get-together of eight clerics, but I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, so I made sure that I was able to get to it...

Fr Tim had obviously gotten ideas from the video of the altar transformation which has been doing the rounds of the blogosphere... here you can see three priests in choir just before the Mass started...

I was put in charge of Fr. Tim's snazzy camera. However, he knows me well, and so he was careful to set it up on a tripod, and tell me the key moments he wanted captured for posterity (and more importantly, for his blog!) I proved my blonde credentials by being totally unable to find the "on" switch... being unashamedly blonde, I was able to confess my ignorance in plenty of time (in front of several clerics, which took a certain amount of courage!)

The concentration required for the pressing of buttons meant that I could only take a very few on my own phone camera (Fr. Tim's camera is not user-friendly, and the "remote" release mechanism wasn't very remote... and required a fair bit of force to operate it. My thumb still feels sore!) I have photos of the First Gospel being read as the snazzy camera (being firmly fixed in position) couldn't get it...

The Mass was awesome... the Mass setting was (I think) Lux et Origo and it was just chanted unaccompanied. Goosepimples-down-spine time! There were four or five adult servers (the boys Fr. Tim has been training up for the Old Mass couldn't make it, as they were back at school!) and it was beautiful. The silence during the Consecration took my breath away. And watching the carefully choreographed movements of priest, deacon, sub-deacon and servers was spell-binding (now that's what I call liturgical dance!!)

I like the Novus Ordo, it's the Mass I'm most familiar with, and when it's done well, it is beautiful too. But the Classical Rite is, I think, intrinsically more reverent, and therefore has more of the numinous about it...

Bring on the Motu Proprio, and make it pronto!

Restore Our Holydays !

Spotted over at Fr. Tim's blog: a call to restore the Holydays of Obligation to their rightful place... like having the Ascension forty days after Easter Sunday rather than having it side-lined to the nearest Sunday.

Pop on over to sign the online petition HERE.

Horrible Day

On a more sombre note, it seems to be a day for awful things...

I heard about the shootings in Virginia Tech, USA. This is really horrible. I haven't heard any speculation about what provoked the shootings. That will happen soon enough.

Then a friend texted me to say that there had been a shooting in the Tesco store she was shopping in this evening, in Thornton Heath (that's part of South London), though I don't know if there were any fatalities - she's ok, Deo gratias, though obviously very shaken.

And then I got a text message from another friend to say that a mutual friend (and ex-colleague) had dropped dead yesterday. We have to wait for the post-mortem, but it looks like a heart attack. Elfrida was younger than me, and she leaves behind a husband and two young children.

Of your charity, please pray for the repose of all their souls... Requiescat in pace.
And a Hail Mary for those left behind...

Happy, Happy Day

Happy 80th Birthday, Holy Father !
Ad Multos Annos

Sad, Sad Day...

...OK, so no Motu Proprio today...
*sigh*

However, checking the Vatican Website, I noticed that they had a section labelled "Bulletin of the Holy See Press Office under embargo" so something seems to be afoot...

More On Relics

Once I stopped stuffing my face full of chocolate (Green & Blacks, so it's good for me... and it's organic, so there are bound to be lots of vitamins, right? Hey, everyone is on at me to eat more organic stuff!!) I was able to turn my attention back to the Blogosphere...

Fr. Dwight Longenecker has put up an excellent post on why we, as Catholics, put so much emphasis on physical reminders of our faith. Especially relics.

I intend to do a post on relics soon (partly prompted by the discussion Ma Beck started in the com-box a short while back)... but I think I might wait for people to forget that Fr Dwight already did such a brilliant post... and then I can snaffle some of his ideas!

Heaven... I'm In Heaven...

When I was on retreat at Aylesford, I was responsible for organising drinks and nibbles for the evening get-together. Green & Black's chocolate made an appearance, but as I didn't know what people liked, I bought a selection.

There was quite a bit left over. No-one would take it home. So I did. But once off retreat, it was back on the Lenten resolution wagon...

So I hid the chocolate...

My Guardian Angel must have been in on this one, because I genuinely forgot about the chocolate. I have just found it again...

...I'll resume posting later!!

Happy Easter Octave Day!

I Knew There Was A Reason I Hate Vegetables

I wonder how much the actors had to be paid to do this? I almost wish I knew what they were saying... almost...


Twitch of the mantilla to Scorpion Stalking Duck

Now There's An Idea...

Carolina Cannonball wants to go to Rome. I'm not entirely sure Rome is ready for her ascerbic and penetrating wit...

However, Carolina needs to raise about $2000, so she's started a bleg. If you're looking for somewhere to send your spare change, pay her a visit HERE.