Midnight Mass 2013...

Just for once I'm organised with my photos - well, sort of. I have put them into a Flickr set, but haven't labelled them, or weeded any out (that may change if I get a bit of spare time.)

In the meantime, do go and have a look. I don't know of anywhere else in England & Wales that had a vetus ordo Solemn High Mass for midnight on Christmas Eve...

Fr. Finigan reported that he very nearly had his first Christmas without any phone calls to ask what time Midnight Mass was. Then, at the last minute, he got two enquiries... Better luck next year!

Telling The Christmas Story...

The use of social media for the new evangelisation? Most appropriately, this one's doing the rounds of Facebook...

Christmas Bells...

We have a lovely entrance bell in the church at Blackfen, positioned by the doors from the small hall. But when big processions or funerals enter via the main church doors, we have to rely on the organist (if there is one) spotting that the priest is ready, or a server (if there is one) ringing a small handbell.

Delia (I think), presented Fr. Finigan with a rather nice bell she had come upon in Greenwich market some ago. Unfortunately there wasn't a bracket from which to hang it. Jonathan, Blackfen's Senior MC, seems to keep a weather-eye on Ebay for useful items, however, and he spotted one which looked as if it might do the trick.

He managed to put it all together on Sunday, just in time for the big entrance procession on Christmas Eve...

If You Can't Win Using Theology...

The Anglican Divines failed to win a theological debate against Edmund Campion despite his having been racked beforehand. Four centuries on, and Canterbury has recognised the futility of continuing to use theological arguments. Instead, they have challenged Rome to a cricket match.

The Vatican now has an official cricket club, comprised of priests and seminarians from the Vatican and the Roman colleges. The match between St. Peter's Cricket Club and the Church of England's team will probably happen in September, possibly at Lords.

Australia and England fight to win the charred remains of a cricket bail. I wonder what trophy Rome and Canterbury will contest... ?

Needless to say, I would be extremely keen to go and watch this one!

Ikea Have It Sussed...

A while back, Ikea produced a video which did the rounds on Facebook. They videoed an "experiment" - releasing 100 cats into one of their stores overnight, just to see what would happen. There was precious little "experiment" about the whole thing; as far as I could see, the exercise simply demonstrated that Ikea had worked out the golden rule of internet marketing: if you put a cat in the video, it's an instant hit.

The video itself was a bit of a disappointment to many people, as there was far too much talking about the cats from their owners, and not as much actual footage of the kitties themselves. Watching it carefully, however, made me wonder if this wasn't actually just the first step - and that an actual advert starring the feline explorers would eventually be released.

I was absolutely right, of course, and here is the finished article...

However, it would appear that not everyone is quite as positive about our feline friends. There is a spoof version of the advert, with an alternative ending. I am posting it here for the entertainment of Jonathan, Blackfen's Senior MC, who is forever asking whether my two cats have been turned into vindaloo yet. Before you start sending him death threats, I should just point out that Jonathan actually built the cats some rather nice steps to help them get to the cat flap...

Kitty Envy...

I thought it was about time for a kitty update.

All is not peace and harmony chez Mulier.

Miaowrini seems to be the better hunter - quite apart from being out more than Furretti, she appears to be the one bringing mice home to play. Furretti is usually asleep by my feet when this happens. The first indication that there is a catch is that Furretti wakes from a deep sleep and immediately scoots out into the hall. This contrasts with her normal relaxed awakening which involves much stretching and licking of various limbs. The two cats then play with the mouse, unless I rescue it.

I was too ill to get up the other night, and figured that I'd leave them to it, unless I heard screaming. The next morning, to my surprise, the mouse was still very much alive, and being watched by two fascinated cats...

There does appear to be some sort of power struggle going on at the moment. Miaowrini sneaked onto the bed when Furretti was out, and curled up in the favoured spot next to me, under my tray table. Furretti returned, and was most displeased by this turn of events. She promptly tried to get under the table too. I blocked her by encouraging her to settle in front of me... unfortunately she decided that she preferred to curl up on my stomach, and I was then trapped. When I finally moved, I succeeded in offending both cats.

This evening Miaowrini made another bid for the bed while Furretti was out. Furretti was sulking in the kitchen when I came home. I didn't want to move Miaowrini, so I'm sitting on the edge of the bed prior to getting in. Furretti has upped the ante by stretching across on to my lap for attention, and is getting the evil eye from Miaowrini as a result...

In the meantime I am attempting to placate both kitties, and give them each plenty of attention. I suspect that I am destined to fail...

Time For A Commercial Break...

My friends all know how much Coca Cola I drink, but I promise I haven't got shares in the company, and I'm not being paid to show this (unfortunately) but it made me smile, (and brought a lump to my throat) so I thought I'd share.

After all, we need to spread as much pro-life cheer as we can, right?

Oh, and there aren't any cats. But it still works.

Twitch of the mantilla to Matthew Archbold at CMR...

Finding St. Anne Line...

When I first decided to take private vows, my Spiritual Director advised me to adopt a patron saint, preferably one of the English martyrs. I had heard lots about St. Margaret Clitherow, but I couldn't find any sort of connection that made me want her as my patron, and so I started to look at St. Anne Line as a possible candidate.

The first thing I discovered was that there was very little known about her, other than brief accounts of her arrest, trial and her death at Tyburn. However, her feisty declaration, first at her trial and repeated on the scaffold, that she didn't repent of the "crime" of sheltering a Catholic priest but only regretted that she couldn't shelter more, really did grab my attention. I decided that Anne Line was the patron for me.

For a while, I knew very little else about my chosen saint. The internet, normally such a mine of information, yielded only three sources - one from the Catholic Encyclopaedia, one from Wikipedia and one on an American website with resources on the Faith for families. That was it.

A few years later, I got chatting to a friend of mine, Joanna Bogle, and St. Anne came up in the conversation. It transpired that Joanna had recently met a priest whose church was dedicated to the saint, and we decided to make a pilgrimage there. I've described in a previous post how we ended up going to visit a completely different church to the one we'd originally intended to visit before going on to our planned destination. That's what happens when you get two blondes in a car.

The two visits provided me with more valuable information about my chosen patron - much of which I used for my chapter about St. Anne in Joanna's book, English Catholic Heroines.

And now it seems that someone else has been interested in my saint. Martin Dodwell has written her biography, claiming that she was a muse for some of Shakespeare's work. Most appropriately, there is going to be a talk (and book signing) by Martin Dodwell held at the second of the two churches we visited - the church of St. Anne Line, South Woodford. Even more appropriately, the date of the talk is 2nd February - Candlemas - the 413th anniversary of St. Anne Line's arrest. The talk is at 3:30pm, followed by Benediction.

I am delighted to learn that the statue of St. Anne Line is no longer consigned to the presbytery garage (where it was being kept safe at the time of my pilgrimage.) Fr. Coveney reported to His Hermeneuticalness that the statue has been restored and moved inside the church in a place of honour, flanked by the framed account of her martyrdom and the famous painting of the Forty Martyrs, with votive candles in front. I can't wait to see it!

Only If They're Terminally Ill...?

I shouldn't be surprised. Babies are already killed legally through abortion, disabled babies can be killed legally right up until birth. Why should the mere fact of birth get in the way?

The Belgian Senate has voted to extend euthanasia to children. It's being called "voluntary euthanasia for terminally-ill children" but nothing on this earth is going to persuade me that a child is in any way able to "decide" that they want to die.

The scaremongering tactics ("Oh, but the disease has to be terminal and there must be unbearable pain!") are pretty clever. Quite apart from the simple fact that painkilling drugs such as morphine can be given so effectively that pain should not be experienced to that extent if the medical care is being given properly, there are several other points to consider. How much pain is unbearable? How do you quantify it?

I have been in what seemed to be unbearable pain which threatened to go on without any hope of treatment. I wanted to end it all. I actually considered it, but wasn't willing to put my family through the awfulness of coping with my suicide. This was some time before my reversion to the Church. As it turned out, the pain (caused by a combination of (iatrogenic) Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy, chondromalacia patellae and the complete erosion of the front of my tibia) was easily treated once a correct diagnosis was made - but it took several years of misdiagnosis and increasingly severe pain before I got there.

Now the pain I was in was not due to a terminal disease, but the doctors I saw said that there was no cure for it. Why should a child in pain for which there is no "cure" be excluded from euthanasia on the paltry grounds that the disease causing the suffering isn't a terminal one? Where does one draw the line?

So, by allowing euthanasia for children in one scenario, the Belgian authorities have opened the way to killing children who are suffering from disorders that their parents cannot cope with, or that the medical establishment cannot afford to cope with...

It will only get worse. We need to pray for our legislators, and pray for the medical establishment.

Last Chance For The Ashes...

I'm beginning to wonder if I'm a jinx. England seem to have taken a turn for the worse since I started to take an interest in cricket. I listened to the Second Ashes Test on the radio each night as I drifted off to sleep, and it turned into a bit of a nightmare - even I didn't need anyone to tell me that England's first innings was a major disaster. It only got slightly better for the second innings, and I suspect it would have been much worse had Australia not declared early due to concerns about rain.

I'm not entirely sure about tactics - the importance of batting position, for example, escapes me. Why does it matter whether Root goes in at Number 3 or not? And if you have a bowler who gets lots of wickets, why bother to change him? As for "sledging" - it's just the equivalent of playground name-calling, isn't it? So why are grown men making such a fuss? I obviously still have much to learn...

Anyone For A Tuna Sandwich...?

Everyone seems to love cat videos. Quite simply, on the internet, cats rule.

However, even in real life, cats have the edge on other mammals. These people have presumably paid to see the dolphins, or feed the dolphins, or maybe even swim with the dolphins, and all you can hear on the video is "Hey, look at the cat!"

Yes, it's sweet. But the cat isn't kissing the dolphin. Cats aren't that stupid. It isn't even "playing." I suspect that it can smell the dolphin's tuna-breath...

I Couldn't Resist...

Yes, yes, I know! It isn't Christmas yet... but it makes me smile, so...

First Celebrate Advent...

This was posted on YouTube last year, but it still bears repeating...

A Digital Advent Wreath...

Jeff, the Curt Jester, very kindly allows his fellow-bloggers to make use of his cool Advent Wreath, which I have stolen for my sidebar. Each week, another candle is lit, and Christmas itself is welcomed by a picture of Our Lady holding the newborn Jesus.

If you want to get the image for your own blog, you can find the Javascript code over at the Curt Jester's blog.

Thanks again, Jeff!

First Vespers of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception...

My Renewal of Vows on Saturday was followed by the celebration of First Vespers of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, which was a fabulous way to round off the day (and made up for the fact that I felt like death warmed up!)

I love this particular feast - there is something so right about it. Just think, if you were God, and could choose your own mother, wouldn't you want to make her as perfect as it was possible to be, untouched by Original Sin (with all that entails)? Well, Jesus is God, and he did just that...

And then, on Sunday morning, we had the Mass for the Feast itself... (it takes precedence over the Second Sunday of Advent in the Extraordinary Form calendar.)

The Guild Meeting...

The only two bloggers willing to pose for photos at the excellent Guild of Blessed Titus Brandsma meeting back at the end of November were the two priest bloggers, Fr. Ray Blake and Fr. Timothy Finigan...

I've been snowed under (and very stressed) at work, so hadn't gotten around to blogging any sooner, but there have been other first-class reports of the proceedings from Richard Collins (aka Linen on the Hedgerow) and from the lovely Bones (Laurence England.)

Lunch was provided by Annie Elizabeth (Defénde Nos in Proélio) though I almost caused a major diplomatic incident by refusing to eat the pea and ham soup (on the basis that I loathe vegetables in general, and pulses in particular) and so was very nearly banned from having the sticky toffee pudding... She relented when my lip started to wobble (Annie's sticky toffee pudding is legendary!) but I suspect that I am paying for it now with a very bad cold (which Annie will, no doubt, inform me would have been avoided if I'd eaten my veg!)

The talk was a subject very dear to my heart - some of the miracles at Lourdes - given by Dr. Adrian Treloar. I did my best to live-tweet some of the main points. Adrian asked me to give the Catholic Medical Association a plug: something which I am more than happy to do. The CMA is responsible for producing the journal, Catholic Medical Quarterly, which is being made available online. As it happens, the May 2013 issue has an editorial by Alison Davies, a staunch defender of the pro-life cause who died just a couple of days after the Guild meeting. You can read more about Alison Davies over at Fr. Finigan's blog (he gives further links.)

Eccles also has posted an amusing account of the Guild meeting, courtesy of his Anti Moly...

A Seriously Blonde Moment...

Off to lunch this afternoon, I had a bit of trouble getting the car to start.

As I started to drive off, Fr. Finigan asked me why there was a red light flashing on my dashboard. I couldn't remember what the light was for. It wasn't the oil light. It wasn't the water light. The temperature was ok (well, actually the car hadn't had the chance to warm up) but this little red light kept blinking.

A few minutes later, driving along the road, I remembered that the last time it had been on, it was the immobiliser thingy. It used to come on when you pressed the clicky thingy for the whatsit...

My ability to explain myself wasn't helped by the fact that Father was making amused comments about the terms I was using, and the likelihood of finding "clicky thingy" in the index of the car handbook.

Then I noticed that the light went off.

"Ah!" I exclaimed, "Good. It's gone off... Oh! It's come back on again... Ah, it has gone off again... oh, no, it's back... Ah! It's sorted... umm..."

Did I mention that the bulb was blinking...?

Sometimes I worry about me...

(Once he had stopped laughing at me, His Hermeneuticalness did confirm that it had been blinking at slightly erratic intervals, and that I wasn't actually as mad as all that sounds...)

All Animals Are Equal, But...

I've said it before. That Same-Sex Marriage thing was nothing to do with equality.

The case of Mr. & Mrs. Bull, the B&B owners who refused to allow a homosexual couple to share a double bed back in 2008 have lost their appeal in the Supreme Court.

For my transatlantic readers, a B&B isn't quite the same as a hotel or motel. It is usually a private house (often quite small) where some of the bedrooms are rented out. The owners live in the house.

Despite the fact that it was proved that Mr. & Mrs. Bull applied their policy to all unmarried couples equally, the court ruled that the policy constituted illegal discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation.

I don't quite get it - maybe I'm missing something here. A heterosexual unmarried couple could be refused a double bed, but refusing one to a homosexual unmarried couple is discriminatory...

So, one rule for heterosexuals and a completely different one for homosexuals.

And that is meant to be equality?

I suppose that, if the powers-that-be can redefine "marriage" then they can redefine "equality" too...

Mea Culpa...

Having posted a brief reminiscence on my visit to the tomb of St. Peter last year (prompted by the recent exposition of some relics of St. Peter) I decided to have a look back at my posts from my visit to the Eternal City.

I was rather disconcerted to find that I'd only written two posts - one on my first visit to St. Peter's itself and one on my visit to the Venerable English College. I then remembered that I had intended to finish captioning all my photos before actually posting any more, and somewhere along the way I'd forgotten to finish the job. Also some of my photos were locked.

I still have to finish the captions for days four and five of my visit, but I shall try to get that done as soon as possible. Part of the delay is partly because, after a while, the churches started to meld into one another, and I've had to spend a lot of time checking where exactly I went, and what I saw... I meant to check some of it with His Hermeneuticalness, but he's been busy...

I must just recount one of the funniest episodes of the trip.

In Santa Maria sopra Minerva there is the tomb of St. Catherine of Siena. I wanted to go and pray before the tomb (as well as get a good photo) so I walked closer. Now I have problems with both my knees and one of my ankles, but steps up (if not too steep) are actually less of a problem than going down. I didn't actually notice how high the altar was until I finished praying and turned to come back down...

There wasn't a handrail.

Fortunately, I noticed a sort of plinth to the side of the altar - there was a large statue on it and the bottom formed a convenient ledge to lean on as I made my way gingerly down the steps. The statue was a little unstable and rocked slightly, but I wasn't leaning heavily on it.

His Hermeneuticalness was waiting patiently at the bottom, looking slightly amused.

When I reached ground level, he asked in a casual tone, "Mac, you do realise, don't you, that the statue you were just leaning on was carved by Michaelangelo...?"

Once my heart started beating again, I just had to take another photo. It is rather blurred because I couldn't stop giggling...

The Relics Of St. Peter...

The end of the Year of Faith was marked by a Mass where relics of St. Peter were brought out for veneration for the first time since they were unearthed in the 1940s.

The BBC, with typical lack of sensitivity towards the beliefs of billions of Catholics around the world, put up a headline which read "Pope puts 'St Peter's bones' on public display." The quote marks around St. Peter's bones indicate clearly that the author of the piece doesn't agree in their authenticity.

I haven't seen the relics themselves, obviously - they've only just been brought out. I have been down to the tomb - or rather, the chapel where the tomb is. Looking at the maps of the Vatican Grottoes, I see that this is the entrance to the Confessio, and I think that the remains of St. Peter are (or were) behind the grill by the mosaic of Christ. If I'm right (and I'm very bad at following maps, and have a lousy sense of direction), the grill actually backs onto another chapel - the Clementine Chapel - which we didn't go in to because there was a Mass being celebrated at the time. It was a spine-tingling moment being even that close, and I was almost in tears. Fortunately I pulled myself together and got some photos, which you can find on my Flickr set.

Throughout the history of the Church, the location of St. Peter's remains has been said to be under St. Peter's Basilica... underneath the High Altar, to be precise.

When excavations under St. Peter's were carried out, they discovered a tomb below the High Altar with "Peter is here" (or words to that effect).

The Church hasn't been around that long - 2000 years, give or take. 266 Popes - and we know the names of all of them. Something as important as the burial place of the first Pope is likely to have been passed on with great care. So finding remains labelled "Peter" under the High Altar of St. Peter's Basilica shouldn't come as any great surprise.

Of course, no one is obliged to believe that the bones belong to St. Peter...

Patience... Or Just Exhaustion...

Am I the only person rooting for the bird to get splatted with a paw and eaten...?

Ok. Just me then...

Career Opportunities...

I previously admitted my desire to be a womyn priest, but a traddy one, as polyester tie-dye brings me out in hives. Following news that the Church of England has agreed to appoint womyn as byshops, I have come to the realisation that I have been setting my sights too low.

Upon a brief examination of the copy of Fortescue in the sacristy (seventh edition), I discovered many hitherto unexplored opportunities for the expression of traddy sartorial elegance: I think I'd look pretty stunning in a rochet and cappa. I'm not quite sure how I'd cope with putting on the liturgical stockings and shoes at the throne... 

Having gloves, tunicle, dalmatic & chasuble should certainly help to keep me warm (I have constant battles with Blackfen's MC over exactly how many bars of heater should be switched on) and the crozier will make a handy place to hang my handbag. The deacon and subdeacon pinning on the pallium might be a little bit tricky - I am generously proportioned - but I'm sure I can figure something out...

On second thoughts, after having a look at this lot (courtesy of the very-saved Eccles), perhaps being a womyn byshop isn't all it's cracked up to be...

Learning To Serve...

As I have mentioned before, Jonathan, the Senior MC at Blackfen, likes to get the boys serving at Mass and other events as quickly as possible, and doesn't hesitate to get them doing different jobs.

A favourite job is that of thurifer - something to do with setting fire to charcoal, I think.

Anyway, two of our newest recruits to the serving team have each shown up on Thursday evenings for Rosary & Benediction. The job of MC is a little too ambitious for them both at the moment - Jonathan will probably give it a week or two - and it was very sweet to see thurifers who were almost the same size as the thurible chain...

You can see a few more photos over on Flickr...

A Photo Opportunity...

At the beginning of the month I attended a meeting of The Keys at St. Mary Moorfield's. Bishop Philip Egan was the speaker, talking about evangelisation in a secular culture. It was an excellent talk, and a wonderful evening, though I was disappointed not to be able to get a good photo of Bishop Egan as he had to leave early to catch a train.

However, I did manage to get this photo of Mgr. Keith Newton of the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham together with Fr. Finigan...

After the talk, Mgr. Newton chatted to me about my patron saint, St. Anne Line, about whom I had written for a chapter in English Catholic Heroines (my claim to being a "proper" writer!) - it transpires that Mgr. Newton knew the church dedicated to St. Anne in South Woodford as this was his old stamping ground, and it was a real treat to be able to swap stories with him.

I've Been Preoccupied Of Late...

Furretti was giving me cause for concern earlier this week.

I noticed that she appeared to have lost weight - it's difficult to tell just by looking at her, as she is very fluffy, but it seemed to me that she was rather thinner than usual: I thought her pelvic bones were more noticeable when I stroked her, and her vertebrae were rather more pronounced. Furretti didn't seem to be comfortable - she was holding herself rather carefully rather than just curling up on my pillow, and, most worryingly, she didn't purr when I made a fuss of her. She had a scab on her neck (though she wasn't too keen on my examining it) but no other obvious injuries, and was off her food.

When I arrived home on Monday evening, I noted with some concern that she was out (and her food was uneaten) - this was worrying because it had been pouring with rain all afternoon, and Furretti normally loathes getting wet. I wandered around outside, calling her name, and questioning my next-door neighbour. To my consternation, I saw that a fox was lurking near the catflap, and did my best to scare it off - after which Furretti made an appearance.

As luck would have it, I had lent my cat carrier to a friend and had forgotten to retrieve it at the weekend. Fortunately another neighbour had a carrier to lend to me. I then drove over to the vet's surgery, with Furretti yowling all the way.

The vet was very nice, assuring me that it was better to come in earlier rather than later. A thorough examination of the cat was carried out, including a check of her temperature. Furretti does not have a bio-chip, and so her temperature had to be assessed in the traditional manner - a procedure which ruffled her dignity somewhat. Never have I seen a cat look so affronted.

The verdict was then given: Furretti was perfectly healthy, in the vet's professional opinion, but she would be happy to carry out a blood test just to put my mind at rest. Heartless mercenary beast that I am, I made enquiries as to the cost of such blood tests. On hearing that it was in the region of £70 or so - in addition to the consultation fee - I declared myself perfectly content with the professional opinion of the vet. Indeed, Furretti had perked up quite a bit, and seemed keen to leave the surgery...

It was decided that I would monitor her for a few days, and return for a blood test if she didn't show any improvement.

I am delighted to report that Furretti has made a complete recovery...

Female Cardinals...

The Irish Times claimed that Pope Francis might appoint a female Cardinal or two at the next Consistory. They are a little behind the times - the first female Cardinal was actually appointed at an emergency Catsistory, once it became clear that England & Wales didn't have a Cardinal of voting age. Unfortunately for Archbishop Nichols, the recipient of the red hat was none other than Cardinal Mastai-Furretti (to give her her full name)...

Now that a new Consistory has been announced for February, Monsignor Guido Miaowrini is hopeful for an upgrade... and it would double the number of female Cardinals, so everyone (except Archbishop Nichols) would be happy...

After all, if people are silly enough to think women can be Cardinals, why not cats?

Photo-Fest...

It has been a busy end to the half term holiday, but I've been good, and have managed to upload various photos to Flickr before the madness of term time descends once more. This was a more onerous task than one might think, as, for some reason, I had to load the photos in batches of six or seven photos to avoid the uploader crashing in a sulking fit.

I started playing about with my phone settings (after Mass, I hasten to add!), and managed to produce the photo on the left (from the Mass for All Souls) - and think I might try to experiment a little more with sepia tones and black & white photos.

Anyway, I have different sets up on Flickr for general perusal. There were the photos from Halloween (well, ok, First Vespers of All Saints), then the photos from the Missa Cantata celebrated on the Feast of All Saints. Yesterday we had Blackfen's monthly First Saturday Missa Cantata which, fortuitously, was the Commemoration of All Souls. And today was the annual Prayers for the Dead at the local cemetery, along with the blessing of graves.

Do go along and have a look...

A Blognic...

Yippee! I was just thinking that we were well-overdue for a blognic. The next meeting of the Guild of Blessed Titus Brandsma is on Saturday 30th November at Our Lady of the Rosary, Blackfen. It's open to anyone who uses the new media - so that means people who comment on and read blogs, as well as bloggers, twitterers and Facebookers.

Difficult Words...

There is an online survey on same-sex "marriage," contraception and divorce being promoted by the Bishops of England & Wales.

Leaving aside the whole question of whether the Bishops should consult the Laity on a matter of faith and morals (the Church is not a democracy, and Truth is not subject to a majority vote!) I was intrigued to notice the language used in the survey.

In the past, when considering the motives of the members of our Bishops' Conference, I may have been less than charitable. I have decided to turn over a new leaf, and try and think of the most charitable explanation that I can come up with. So, this is my theory...

There were no sudden deaths or even major injuries sustained due to the implementation of the corrected ICEL translation of the Mass, despite the use of tricky words such as "chalice" or "gibbet." The Bishops of England and Wales were so encouraged by this indication of academic excellence from the average man person in the pew that they decided that we could all understand tricky words after all, and proceeded to use a few more of them...

"Describe how the Catholic Church's teachings on the value of the family contained in the Bible, Gaudium et Spes, Familiaris Consortio and other documents of the post-conciliar Magisterium is understood by people today?"

"What anthropological ideas underlie the discussion on the natural basis of the family?"

"In what way have the local Churches and movements on family spirituality been able to create ways of acting which are exemplary?"

"Is cohabitation ad experimentum a pastoral reality in your particular Church? Can you approximate a percentage?"

I will firmly resist all temptations to speculate that, by wording the consultation questionnaire in such a manner, their Lordships are hoping to skew the responses in any way. That would be most uncharitable of me, and, as I said earlier, I am attempting to turn over a new leaf.

And if you believe that, then there is a bridge I'd like to sell you...

On a more serious note, I think it is important that as many faithful Catholics as possible do respond to the survey. If you can't bear the online form option, then it is possible to download the Response Proforma as a Word document and send it as an attachment to Elizabeth Davies.

Liturgy At Blackfen For Halloween...

Well, actually it's for All Hallows' Eve - in other words, First Vespers of the Feast of All Saints. Sung Vespers (Extraordinary Form), followed by Benediction. We start at 8pm. Directions to the church can be found here.

Intrigue & Speculation...

A new blog has started up. I have no idea how well-informed British Catholic is - he claims to be "in the know" and also that he only blogs from things he knows first-hand, and not gossip or speculation. The information on his profile page says that he is in the field of education. The speculation is therefore on my side...

The blog does make for interesting reading... particularly with regard to the delay in episcopal appointments in the United Kingdom. One to keep an eye on, I think...

New Blog On The Block...

Back in the mists of time when I first started blogging, I was in a distinct minority. The majority of Catholic blogs were written by men, and most were from the US. Being one of the very few British female bloggers meant that I had a higher profile than I deserved. Seven and a half years later, and I'm delighted to note that there is now a huge selection of good, Catholic female bloggers... and it's impossible to follow everyone.

However, there is one new blogger who should be flagged up as compulsory reading: Yes I'm Catholic is a blog by a young student concerned with living life as a committed Catholic, and all the issues she has to face in day-to-day situations. She includes the caveat that we should "expect controversial topics, a fair amount of teenage angst, and some mushiness mixed in with the theology."

For some reason I've yet to fathom, she refers to herself as the skinny walrus. Already she has started up a series of excellent, informative and highly entertaining posts on the subject of dating. The first in the series can be found here, and the second one has just been posted. I really wish that I had had a friend like her around back when I was a student. Do go on over and say hello...

A Statement So Obviously Stupid...

The Bitter Pill has really outdone itself. It published a letter, I assume without editorial correction (I refuse to buy it in order to check) which started off with the following jaw-dropping statement:

"It was interesting to read about the new Confraternity of Catholic Clergy in the British Province of Pope St Gregory the Great (News from Britain and Ireland, 2 April). The theologically dubious description of the priest as being an image of Christ, acting in the person of Christ, and possessing an “active instrumental power” all in a way in which the layman respectively is not, cannot, and does not, betrays a clericalist and power-based notion of priesthood at odds with any notion of service."

Theologically dubious? It would appear that the letter-writer (and presumably the editor of The Bitter Pill who allowed it to pass unchallenged) is unacquainted with the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

The Catechism states:

1592 The ministerial priesthood differs in essence from the common priesthood of the faithful because it confers a sacred power for the service of the faithful. the ordained ministers exercise their service for the People of God by teaching (munus docendi), divine worship (munus liturgicum) and pastoral governance (munus regendi).

and earlier:

1581 This sacrament configures the recipient to Christ by a special grace of the Holy Spirit, so that he may serve as Christ's instrument for his Church. By ordination one is enabled to act as a representative of Christ, Head of the Church, in his triple office of priest, prophet, and king.

Tabletistas are rather keen on quoting the spirit of Vatican II. I, on the other hand, prefer the actual documents, so that there is no chance that I reinterpret things to fit in with my personal viewpoint... So, how about one of the Decrees produced by the Council? The Decree on the Ministry and Life of Priests, Presbyterorum Ordinis, states quite clearly:

Wherefore the priesthood, while indeed it presupposes the sacraments of Christian initiation, is conferred by that special sacrament; through it priests, by the anointing of the Holy Spirit, are signed with a special character and are conformed to Christ the Priest in such a way that they can act in the person of Christ the Head. (n2)

And if you're not happy with a mere Decree, what about a full-blown Dogmatic Constitution? Lumen Gentium, anyone?

The ministerial priest, by the sacred power he enjoys, teaches and rules the priestly people; acting in the person of Christ, he makes present the Eucharistic sacrifice, and offers it to God in the name of all the people. (n10)

It really isn't rocket science. No ministerial priesthood = no Sacraments = no Church.

Lay people can become friends of the Confraternity and offer prayers, financial and practical support to priests. Check out the membership page of the website.

Twitch of the mantilla to the inimitable Father Z, who deserves an bravery award for reading through such tripe and having the patience to explain why it's so completely wrong. I,on the other hand, just want to slap someone...

UPDATE: To be honest, I didn't realise that the letter was actually published in 2011 (as was Fr. Z's article) as it only came to my attention on Wednesday. However, even though it's an old letter, my point still stands: it should never have been published in a Catholic newspaper without some sort of correction or editorial comment...

Just When I Thought It Was All Over..

The weather took a turn for the worse a couple of weeks ago, and both cats decided that they could tolerate each other's company if it meant sleeping on a warm duvet.

Am I the only person who scoots down to the bottom of the bed in order to avoid waking up two snoozing cats? And am I the only person who starts the night sleeping in the middle of the bed and wakes in the morning scrunched right up against the (cold) wall in the smallest space imaginable, with two cats sprawled comfortably in the middle of the bed?

Ok, it's just me who's a pushover then...

Anyway, this evening I was settling down to a quiet evening's tweeting when the catflap opened, and Miaowrini announced her arrival in loud tones. Furretti got up off the laptop case and ran to investigate. I realised that something was up - Furretti tends to ignore Miaowrini most of the time. I went to see what was going on, and a present was promptly dropped at my feet...

The mouse was alive, so I threw it out of my bedroom window into the grass (I live on the ground floor, I hasten to add!) After a minute's stunned inactivity, the mouse ran off. Miaowrini and Furretti are now sulking...

Having Fun...

I'm still incredibly busy, but I do like to try and liven up my Science lessons with a little light entertainment. A few years ago - in the era before YouTube - Tom Lehrer's Periodic Table Song was a rarity, because very few teachers could sing it right through (I did have one colleague who went from class to class as a favour to all of us!) Now everyone knows it, and it's rather dated, not least because 15 new elements have been disc-aaar-vared (and details duly sent to Haaar-vard.)

I found a catchy (aka irritating) song which goes through the first ten elements, and one of my Year 9 classes has started to join in (and even ask for it as a "treat" at the end of lessons!) However, I think that the following video trumps the lot, if only because of the animations. I'm tempted to try and learn it myself...

Blackfen's Newest MC...

Jonathan, Blackfen's Senior MC, believes in training up the young altar servers to carry out all the different roles on the Sanctuary. There is no protracted period as junior torchbearer for the first few years to get settled in before being promoted to senior torchbearer. I believe that Thurifer is a much sought-after role (something about boys and matches), and it's first-come, first-served when the duties are being assigned in the Sacristy before Mass.

The job of MC is, of course, a much more tricky one which requires much more in the way of preparation. There are certain responses to make (in Latin) and it must be rather daunting to have to tell Father which bits he needs to chant next (and point to the right spot in the Missal.) Nevertheless, Jonathan is keen to get the young boys doing this job too. I suspect he wants to retire early and spend Sunday mornings sailing instead.

One of our altar servers acted as MC today at Mass for the first time, at the tender age of 11. I only got a few pictures (his justifiably proud mama has promised to put up a few more in due course), and they're up on Flickr if you want to have a look.

Faith Of Our Fathers...

St. Anthony Communications has brought out a new DVD about the English Martyrs. Featuring Fr. Marcus Holden and Fr. Nicolas Schofield, the film is rather like an account of a personal pilgrimage made by the two priests... it reminds me of the pilgrimage I made with Joanna Bogle a few years ago, to find out more about my patron saint, St. Anne Line.

It was a fascinating film, though I have to confess to being a little disappointed in not being treated to more stories of the martyrs themselves - however, the constraints of time probably prevented much being done. Maybe we will be treated to more in-depth analyses of the saints in future.

Christian Holden, brother to Fr. Marcus Holden, directed the documentary, and wrote an article about it for the Catholic Herald. In it, he explained that the stories of the martyrs were more important than ever in the current climate of increasing hostility to the Faith.

I must confess a vested interest in the success of this DVD - not that I get royalties - but some of my photos from the Chapel of the Venerable English College, Rome, were actually used in the DVD: the mosaics of the deaths of the martyrs at Tyburn and a couple of the maps used by the newly-ordained priests when planning their return to England featured in the film. I even got a mention in the credits (along with very many others!) I feel incredibly proud that my photos were good enough to be used in the DVD, especially since I'm not a professional photographer, and it has encouraged me to continue to snap away and make the photos available on Flickr.

If you want to have a better look at some of the mosaics, they are over on my Flickr page. To whet your appetite, I thought I'd include two trailers...

And if they have sparked your interest, you can buy the whole DVD from St. Anthony Communications.

Feast Of The Most Holy Rosary...

With a slight sense of horror, I realised that it has been nearly two weeks since I last posted anything. It didn't feel as long as that, and I'm very tempted to remove the dates from my blog posts so that I can't be made to feel quite so guilty of neglect... In my defense, I've been busy, but only with boring, everyday "stuff" which doesn't provide any useful blogging material, however it helps to keep the kitty cats and myself fed, and so is of paramount importance.

One little ray of sunshine broke through the mundane gloom - we had the opportunity to have a Solemn High Mass to celebrate the occasion of our parish's Patronal Feast.

The group Cantores Missae sang Victoria's Missa Ave Maris Stella for the Ordinary of the Mass, then Guerrero's Ave Maria at the Offertory, Victoria's Pange Lingua at Communion, and they finished up with Schubert's beautiful Salve Regina. It was a real treat, though I felt terribly decadent being out late on a weekday evening.

I did manage to get a few photos and they are now up on my Flickr page.

Thoughts On The Latin Mass...

A friend of mine sent me a link to the following YouTube video by Catherine, a Catholic student, explaining why the "Latin Mass" was worth the effort involved.

By "Latin Mass" I am assuming that she meant the TLM rather than the Novus Ordo Mass in Latin.

Personally, I felt instinctively drawn to the Extraordinary Form: the silence and stillness of Low Mass exerted a real pull for me, and I still love Low Mass for that reason. High Mass and the Missa Canata are attractive for different reasons. But at all forms of the TLM, I am most drawn to the fact that it is all about God, and that I am free to participate by following every word in the Missal or just immersing myself in the sights, smells and sounds, raising my heart and mind to God.

The TLM can take some getting used to, and I blogged about this a while ago with my Laywoman's Guide. The laywoman referred to is me, I hasten to add, so the guide is aimed at men too, and I realise that  not everyone will have the same thoughts and experiences, so it is only a pointer.

"The Mass should change us, not us change the Mass." So very true...

New Liturgy For The Ordinariate...

A new text has been devised for use by the Personal Ordinariates – the structures established by Pope Benedict XVI which allow former Anglicans who wish to enter the full communion of the Catholic Church to do so whilst retaining aspects of their spiritual and liturgical traditions, described as “precious gifts” and “treasures to be shared.”

The liturgy – the work of a special commission established by Rome and now approved by the Holy See – includes material from the 1662 Book of Common Prayer as well as the Roman Rite. It will be unveiled with a Mass on Thursday, 10 October at 6:30 pm, to be followed by a media launch organised by the Friends of the Ordinariate charity, at the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption and St Gregory, Warwick Street, Soho.

The Mass will be celebrated by the Ordinary of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham, Monsignor Keith Newton, and the preacher will be Monsignor Andrew Burnham, Assistant to the Ordinary and a member of the commission which devised the liturgy, known as the Ordinariate Use. Music, drawn from the English tradition, will include Howells’ Collegium Regale.

Mgr Burnham said: “For some time, the Ordinariate has had its own liturgy, approved by the Holy See, for marriages and funerals and the Customary of Our Lady of Walsingham already provides a daily office in the Anglican tradition. But the introduction of this new Ordinariate Use is very important because it means that we now have our own distinctive liturgy for the Mass which brings to the Roman rite beautiful Anglican words which have been hallowed for generations. It gives the Ordinariate unity and a corporate identity.”

The Roman Rite in both its ordinary and extraordinary forms remains available for use by Ordinariate priests and there will be no requirement for them to adopt the Ordinariate Use. However, all Ordinariate clergy will be expected to familiarise themselves with it. Some priests are expected to use it regularly, while others – especially in parishes with a large concentration of “cradle” Catholics in the congregation – may only wish to use it from time to time.

Congratulations to the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham on completing this great work.

Cardinal Furretti Is Unwell...

Unlike Jeffrey Bernard, Furretti was not intoxicated. She has, in common with most cats (especially longhairs), a tendency to hairballs. However, throwing up hairballs is quite a neat operation, and the results tend to come out in a long, neat tube of matted fur...

This was very different.

The poor puss jumped onto my chest of drawers last night, opened her mouth and promptly released a stream of fluid - not quite projectile vomiting, but pretty close! It landed all over my old iPhone (which I use as a sort of iPod for playing audiobooks.) Fortunately, it doesn't appear to have suffered any ill effects... the cat, on the other hand, was looking very woebegone...

Today she appears to be feeling much better...

Urrghhhh...

Pretty much sums it up, really... (except that I didn't get to hide under the duvet all week!)

Young Catholic Adults' Retreat...

I was asked to advertise the following event for young Catholics, something I am delighted to be able to do, despite no longer qualifying...

Book now for the Young Catholic Adults weekend event at Cold Ash Retreat Centre (a couple of miles from Douai Abbey, which was booked up this year).

 * It will include the following speakers:- Fr Gregory Person OP, Fr Matthew
Goddard FSSP, Fr Armand de Malleray FSSP, and Br. Gabriel Wilson O.S.B.

* There will be a Marian Procession, Rosaries, Sung/High Masses, Confession and socials.

* Gregorian Chant Workshops will also be running, this year led by the Schola
Gregoriana of Cambridge.

How to Book for the retreat

Prices start at £35 per night. For more details/options,  please see:- http://www.youngcatholicadults.co.uk/events.htm for the online booking service, or see the booking form on the events page.

If you have any queries, please ring Margaret on 07515 805 015 or Damian on 07908 105 787.

Exaltation of the Holy Cross...

We were very blessed at Blackfen for the sixth anniversary of Summorum Pontificum. First we had a Missa Cantata organised by the Sodality of the Five Holy Wounds.

This was (as is the custom at Blackfen after a Saturday Missa Cantata) followed by a short service of Benediction. But the icing on the cake was that, for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, we were privileged to have the opportunity to venerate Blackfen's Relic of the True Cross...

More photos over at my Flickr page.