Feast of the Visitation

Another wonderful day ahead of us in Lourdes. This will be the first time I've been here for a Saturday, so it will be interesting to see if there is any difference in the way the Domaine "feels."

We're starting with Mass in the Grotto itself at 8:30am. There will be a video on the life of St. Bernadette shown at the Forum Information at 9:30am, and then, in recognition of the fact that we have to leave Lourdes very early on Sunday, there is pretty much a free day, until the first Sunday Mass at 4pm, which we're celebrating in the Chapelle Saint Michel again. Then more free time until dinner and the torchlight procession.

I'm not entirely sure that it will be worth going to bed afterwards...

Feast of the Sacred Heart

A pretty gentle day ahead of us. We will start off with Mass in the Chapelle Saint Michel, which is to the right of the Crypt Chapel. It's the twin chapel to that of St. Gabriel, but the road runs right past that one, which means that it is very noisy, and tourists and pilgrims are more likely to try to wander in for a look round... which isn't really ideal, as the door is right next to the altar!

The Chapelle Saint Michel is on the side above the Grotto and the Gave river, and there is a gate which is often locked, so people don't often try to go through. I took this photo last year, from just outside the chapel door, looking down. The group of people at the bottom of the picture are attending Mass at the Grotto, and further back you can see the candle stands and the baths.

Then, after Mass, we'll have our official group photo taken in front of the Rosary Basilica.

There's free time until the Stations of the Cross at 4pm. We'll have two groups - the more agile pilgrims will make the traditional stations on the Espélugues Hill. They are the most beautiful stations, but the hill is very steep, and the pathway rather treacherous underfoot, especially if there has been any rain. It's deceptively easy on the way up, though steep. But, the last time I went, I had to hold on to a friend's arm on the way down at the end, and I realised that it really wasn't a good idea to repeat the experience.

The second group will make the Stations over on the other side of the Gave. These stations have been updated in time for the Jubilee celebrations, and I'm very keen to try and get a few photos.

Once again, we'll finish the day with the torchlight procession at 9pm.

Prepare to be "Dunked"...

The third day of our pilgrimage, and the "dreaded dunking" is scheduled! Actually, this is something I wouldn't want to miss. Until last year, I went to the baths every day during my stay in Lourdes. Then it was pointed out to me, by one of the helpers who'd noticed my frequent visits, that by going more than once, I might actually be depriving someone else of the opportunity. The queue, on the women's side, is certainly ferocious, and, regretfully, I decided to limit myself to a single visit in future... unless I'm visiting out of season, and there is no sign of a queue!

We shall have to get there early - although the baths do not officially open until 9am, the queue for the women's side can start before 8am. However, if the mums on the trip are generous, and share their children round a bit, we might be able to get in first!! (Only joking... though people with children do get ushered to the front, as do any disabled pilgrims... which is something I love about Lourdes.)

Mass today is in the Crypt Chapel (the High Altar is shown in the photo above, taken on pilgrimage last year) - and it's the only part of the church which was built while St. Bernadette was still in Lourdes.

Later, we'll pray the rosary at the Grotto and have the blessing of children - this will be the first time I've attended this particular service, and the first time it's been scheduled in to our official programme. Then there will be the Blessed Sacrament procession, starting at 5pm, and we'll finish our day with the 9pm torchlight procession.

Mass In The Underground "Car Park" !

Our first full day in Lourdes will start with Mass in the Basilica of St. Pius X... the one I refer to as the "underground car-park." I'm afraid that pre-stressed concrete pillars are just not my thing. Still, the shrine authorities have tried to pretty it up a little by hanging up banners of the most recently canonised saints, along with some older favourites. I just don't understand why someone doesn't give the place a lick or two of paint... just to brighten it up a bit!

The Basilica seats 10,000 pilgrims, and the International Mass is something to be experienced. It is better than it used to be, apparently, as there is more Latin, so there is less need to have prayers in every single different language. Overhead screens also provide translations of some bits... as well as the words for the hymns... karaoke style! The Mass starts at 9:30am, but if you want a seat you need to get there considerably earlier.

At 3pm we have our tour of the town. The "Way of the Jubilee" visits the places mentioned by Pope Benedict in the indulgence he granted for this 150th year: places like the Cachot (the condemned prison where the Soubirous family were living at the time of the apparitions) and the parish church. I missed out this walk for the last couple of years, having been to the places on several occasions previously, in an attempt to pace myself... Lourdes is very hilly. However, if my knee and ankle aren't playing up too much after yesterday's travelling, I hope to make the effort to go along today.

The torchlight procession at 9pm will finish off our day perfectly!

...And We're Off !

The big day has finally arrived. Because of flight times and the coach journey, it won't be possible to have Mass when we arrive in Lourdes, so we will start off at 8:30am with a Low Mass in the parish before we leave. Then, after a cup of tea, we'll have a special pilgrimage blessing before boarding the coach to Gatwick.

I am busy praying that everything goes according to plan... and that I have remembered to plan everything...

In theory, we should have our own dedicated check-in, courtesy of British Airways. At least, that's what I was promised. If we do, I shall be sure to take a photo, because it'll be a first for me!

We arrive (Deo voluntas) in Toulouse at 4:15pm, and in Lourdes at about 6:45pm (travelling by coach from the airport), which means that we should arrive just in time for dinner at the hotel, and we'll have time to find our rooms and unpack before going to pray the rosary on the torchlight procession at 9pm. Then, those of us who are still conscious will be able to relax in the hotel bar.

I am going to be cheating dreadfully this week. I am making use of Blogger's new scheduling facility, as I'm not sure that I'll be able to get access to a computer - though I'm certain that His Hermeneuticalness will manage it somehow. Anyway, rather than put up a huge post with what we've got planned for the whole week, I'm doing a day-by-day schedule, which will (hopefully) go up each morning. I can add more posts if I do manage to prise Fr. Tim away from the computer in the nearest internet cafe, but there will be a little something for you all in the meantime.

And when I get back, there will be a photo-fest, and maybe even a video, so watch this space!

Another Noisykid On The Blog...

After the awful tragedy of Noisykid number three's death, a little light gleams. A new noisykid is in the process of making its presence felt. Heartfelt congratulations and many prayers to Dadwithnoisykids, Wifeofdadwithnoisykids, and the Noisykids themselves. I shall pray for you all at the Grotto in Lourdes.

One Bishop Speaks Out...

Bishop Patrick O'Donoghue, the Bishop of Lancaster, appears to have realised what it means to be a Catholic Bishop! Not only did he speak out on Catholic education with his excellent "Fit for Mission: Schools" document, (for which he was hauled up before a Parliamentary Select Committee) but he's also been weighing in on the side of the unborn...

In a statement made last night, Bishop O'Donoghue lamented the lack of ethical considerations (as opposed to the purely "scientific" arguments) in the parliamentary debate, and the rejection of religious arguments. He concluded:

"I would like to personally thank all those Members of Parliament who tabled amendments and voted in defence of unborn human life. I call on all people of faith – Muslim, Jew, Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, and Christian – who believe in the sanctity of unborn human life to join with the Catholic Church in redoubling their efforts in the continuing campaign for a change in these laws.

"During the 19th century, slavers said black people weren’t human. They were wrong. During the 20th century, the Nazis said Jews weren’t human. They were wrong. Since 1967, the House of Commons has said the unborn are not human. They, too, are wrong."

Twitch of the mantilla to Fr. Ray Blake and John Smeaton, both of whom carry the full text of the Bishop's statement.

On a related note, did anyone else pick up on the fact that, when the Dalai Lama appeared before MPs this week, he was addressed as "Your Holiness," while, when Bishop O'Donoghue attended the Select Committee, it was considered ok to use first names?

Last Minute Preparations...

I am getting so excited. The parish trip to Lourdes is very near, and I'm desperately racking my brains to see what I've forgotten.

So far, so good, I think.

The coaches have been booked. I need to put the contact numbers for the English coach company and the hotel just in case there are any last-minute glitches. I have spoken to my contact at Gatwick Airport, and she has promised that we get our own dedicated check-in, and that the seats and luggage tags will have been sorted out the day before. So that should be fairly straightforward.

That reminds me: I need to print out little cards for everyone with the flight number, time and booking references, and to print out little luggage tags to make luggage retrieval easier. Having a tag with a picture of Our Lady on it means that it's less likely to be grabbed by someone else by mistake (as happened one year!)

I've printed and collated the pilgrimage booklets - these have copies of the itinerary inside, as well as hymns and readings for the Masses, as well as the most common chants sung during the processions, and the Hail Mary in several different languages, including Latin. And I have printed out the notices for each day on headed paper so that we can post them up on the hotel noticeboard. That also has the added advantage of annoying any reps from other tour operators if they have pilgrims staying in the hotel!

On a personal level, I have my passport, my European Health Insurance Card, and my insurance documents. I also have my holiday Euros to spend on rosaries. And don't bother telling me that "Euro" is actually the correct plural. I don't care... I've got plenty of catfood in for Sylvester, and my next-door neighbour is primed and ready to make a fuss of him.

I think that's everything...

Updating Links...

The Curt Jester has moved... his blog is now HERE if you want to update your bookmarks and blogrolls...

Holidays Are Here Again...

I am extremely glad that it is the start of the school half term holiday. This is a really manic time of year for us poor Science teachers, as coursework needs last-minute tweaking, marking, re-tweaking and re-marking, and then the marks have to be sent to examiners, after which the coursework for particular students has to be taken out, annotated, verified and sent off.

I really hate coursework.

There is also the pressure of getting the exam courses taught before the students have their exams... many of which have started, so you try to teach a lesson on stem cell research, only to discover that half the class are absent due to an art exam.

I am absolutely shattered.

Somehow or other, I allowed myself to be persuaded to give a talk to our parish Youth Group, about Lourdes. Unfortunately, what with workload, preparations for our Parish Pilgrimage and Corpus Christi, I didn't manage to get any time to prepare. So, directly after school, I drove down to the church and sat in the small hall putting together a PowerPoint presentation on the life of St. Bernadette and what goes on at Lourdes today... which gave me the perfect opportunity to show off some of my favourite photos!

I then went to sit in the car until someone came to open up the large hall. I was so tired, I fell asleep...

...I'm now going to have an early night. Blogging will resume tomorrow.

What The Bishops Tried To Stop...

It's a bit late, but I just wanted to post a couple of photos from the Corpus Christi celebrations at Blackfen today (Thursday) ... I managed to take about 350 photos, and obviously haven't had a chance to go through them all: that's a little task for the weekend, when I might get a You Tube video up.

I came in early to say a few prayers, and was greeted by the sight of two priests and a deacon being put through their paces by our very experienced MC; from left to right: Fr. Charles Briggs (another of those non-blogging priests who keeps popping up on various blogs), Fr. Tim Finigan (His Hermeneuticalness), Rev. John Harrison (Fr. Charles' deacon) and Jonathan Hague (MC).

And here we have the Elevation of the Host for the adoration of the faithful, just after the Consecration.

Finally, a shot of the Corpus Christi procession around the church grounds... (well, ok, the car park!) My little phone camera couldn't cope with the movement, so it's not a very good one, but you get the idea...

Confused? You Will Be...

This one had my head in a spin. The vice-chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Pro-Life Group, Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas, has come out with a real show-stopper.

"For the record, and contrary to many of the statements that I have read this week which purport to know my views, I am not opposed to abortion. I believe that women should have the right to choose; I just hope that they do not choose to have an abortion."

Which bit of "pro-life" do you think that the woman does not understand?

Mantilla-twitch to John Smeaton of SPUC, who calls for her to resign from the post.

UPDATE: An anonymous comment was made on this post which was just too good to leave languishing in the com-box...

"They need to rename it the All-Parliamentary Partly Pro-Life Group. Then they won't need to change the letterheads. Roll on the Chastisement. I'm beginning to envy the dead already."

Ashamed To Be British...

The Government was concerned that Britain might fall behind in the field of embryo research if the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill were to be defeated.

I, for one, would much rather that we weren't responsible for such monstrous research. Being the only country in Europe to allow both cybrids (human-animal hybrids where animal eggs have had the nucleus removed and human DNA inserted) and true hybrids (where human eggs (or sperm) are fused with animal sperm (or eggs) and then allowed to develop) is nothing to be proud of.

Just because a thing is scientifically possible, does not mean that it should be allowed. The experiments at Auschwitz are a case in point.

Please don't tell me that the embryos will never be allowed to develop beyond 14 days. It makes no difference: if life begins at conception (as the Church teaches) then mucking around with cybrids, hybrids or simple human embryonic tissue is wrong. In fact, it's murder. There is also the "scientific" element to consider: someone will want to let an embryo develop, just to see what happens. And sooner or later, it will happen.

Another argument: the scientists will have to prove that the research is absolutely necessary. Yes, well, scientists are good at that. The fact that adult stem cell research has proved to be so much more useful therapeutically has been neatly side-stepped by scientist and politician alike.

And as for the so-called "saviour siblings" - well, at the moment it's all to do with donating bone marrow and umbilical cord stem cells. But why stop there? The second child could be used as a constant source of cells, right the way throughout their life. Or at least until the child reaches the age of consent... and then that might put a spanner in the works, especially when they go through that uncooperative, bolshy teenager phase... And the next step? I mean, your sick child needs a kidney? Hey, have another baby for spare parts...

No. This is not a good day to be British.

Overdue Housework !

I'm still in the process of tidying up... but I need to take plenty of breaks for stuff like, ummm... blogging... and eating... and teaching. I'd get so much more done if I didn't have to go to work (not!)

Anyway, I finally moved my old bookcase from one part of the living room to another, to make way for one of the new bookcases. Under it, I found a rather dead (and slightly squashed) mouse.

It could have been worse... Sylvester went through a phase of bringing me breakfast-mouse-in-bed.

On a related note, I think I might be running out of bookcases. I have no idea where all the books are coming from. I'm sure that they didn't take up that many armchairs!

More Clangers...

I'm seriously beginning to wonder whether there ought to be a gagging order on the Bishops of England & Wales. Either that, or they should refuse to give interviews, instead submitting written statements which have been given both an imprimator and nihil obstat from someone in the Vatican... preferably the Holy Father...

What is the ONE major argument against embryo experimentation (and abortion, come to that) ?

That's right. The embryo is a human person, with all the God-given dignity that entails... including the right to life. The embryo is not an "object" which can be disposed of, used for spare parts, or used for experiments.

It isn't rocket science.

I'm sure Archbishop Vincent Nichols probably didn't mean to say what he did. I'm being charitable here. Unfortunately, get any Bishop (or Archbishop... or even a Cardinal) in front of a microphone, and he seems to open his mouth, simultaneously to change feet and also to drop enough bricks to build a Cathedral.

John Smeaton quotes the Archbishop of Birmingham as saying, "…What we’ve been trying to say all along is ‘What is the value that we give to human life in its first beginnings?’ Now clearly it’s not the same as we would give to another adult sitting next to me…"

Presumably this is because any adult sitting next to the Archbishop has a greater right to life than a child sitting next to him... which in turn has a greater right to life than an unborn child in the womb of a woman sitting next to him...???

One of those classic Homer Simpson "D'oh!" moments... only far less funny.

And this chap is favourite for Cardinal of Westminster?

D'oh!

Fun & Games...

Last August, I bought some flat-pack bookcases. The book situation has gotten steadily worse, despite a vicious cull followed by several trips to the local charity shop and/or rubbish dump (sorry, "refuse & recycling centre" !)













Anyway, a friend offered to come round and help me tackle the cases. I now have four of these:

Blogging may be light for the next day or two as I try and tidy up a little...

It's Official...

...the Holy Father is going to be in Lourdes for the 13th - 15th September, 2008.

The new school term will have started...
*sigh*

My one consolation is that The Tablet had (wrongly) assumed that the Holy Father would be there in August, for the Assumption...

Foot In Mouth Disease

It is a sad fact that pro-life organisations often appear to be at loggerheads with each other. This is a crying shame, and a real demonstration that the devil is doing his best to sow dissension among those who oppose him, following the maxim "divide and conquer."

I note that Passion for Life is campaigning hard (and doing some good work) against the HFE Bill. However, by concentrating on reducing the number of abortions, they allow people to assume that abortion is alright in some circumstances.

The problem is, once you abandon the moral high ground which maintains that all human life is sacred, the whole thing just becomes a subjective quagmire: if one person maintains that abortion shouldn't be allowed after twelve weeks, that is merely his subjective opinion, and someone else could have equally valid reasons for making the cut-off at sixteen weeks...

So, regretfully, I have to say that I think Passion for Life have put their collective foot in it with their latest postcard campaign. I haven't managed to find it on their website, but I have seen the postcards (I wish I had managed to get a photo.) It reads: "Abortion should be rare."

Which rather begs the question, how many abortions, exactly, would qualify as "rare," and, by implication, "acceptable"?

UPDATE: It was suggested, in the combox, that no such postcard existed, and that I was misrepresenting the work of Passion 4 Life. Fr. Tim Finigan has put a photo of the postcard on his blog.

The Truth About Stem Cells

Given all the hyperbole about the "desperate need" for embryonic stem cells and human-animal hybrids to allow the development of many treatments for human diseases and disorders, and all the claims made by scientists about how scientific progress will be unbelievably hampered if Dr. Frankenstein isn't allowed complete freedom in the laboratory, it is refreshing to find a simple, but authoritative, summary of where the research actually stands at the moment.

The Scottish Catholic Media Office has produced the following video, showing Professor Colin McGuckin, from the University of Newcastle, explaining it all in words of one syllable. The music in between sections is rather grating, but it's worth putting up with it, as this is the most accessible and comprehensive summary of stem cell research I have encountered.

Hmmmmm. Hang on a minute. Newcastle was in England the last time I looked. So why wasn't this stuff produced by the Catholic Media Office of England & Wales?? Maybe something to do with the excellent support given to the pro-life movement on this issue by the Scottish Cardinal, and... (I'll leave you to work out the end of that statement.)

Twitch of the mantilla to John Smeaton for the video link.

Survey On Catholic Education

The Association of Catholic Women have the following survey out on Catholic education. Take a few minutes to fill it in... I think it's open to anyone - there's a question asking if you're from England & Wales or elsewhere at the end.

Mantilla-twitched in Auntie Joanna's direction

Just In Case You Can't Think Of A Reason...

A while back, Newhousenewjob said that she had been angered by the implication that the Rosary is a prayer only said by people too stupid to think up their own prayers. She did wonder whether her friend had gotten the wrong end of the stick, but looking at the name of the group her friend went to for instruction ("Journey in Faith") I suspect that this was one of those wishy-washy, cafeteria-catholic type groups, who love to imagine that they're oh-so-sophisticated-and-adult in their faith.

Well, plenty of intelligent people I know pray the Rosary: several with doctorates, many with at least first degrees. People who believe that the Rosary is just repeating prayers mindlessly haven't had the intelligence to find out what the Rosary is all about.

Anyway, I saw this video on Fr. Ray's blog, and it is so uplifting and cheerful... and gives fifty reasons (from fifty young people) why we need to pray the Rosary.

Progress Report...

I only took half an hour to fall asleep last night. Admittedly, I was late getting to bed (11pm.) At least I didn't keep waking up... and I managed to get to the early-morning Mass at Blackfen. The headache has gone. However, I'm still feeling grouchy, though that might have something to do with the fact that we've been trying to help students squeeze out the last few extra marks for their coursework... because these are the students who didn't bother to do any work when it was originally set. That is now at an end, though, as the final marks have to be sent off to the examiners tomorrow.

I'm now fantasizing about tall glasses of iced coffee... with scoops of vanilla ice-cream. And cans of Coca Cola.

Web Games

I have discovered yet another way to waste time online: web games. The one I discovered is a free one: I have been told that Ikariam is a bit like the old SIMS games, in that you build a town from scratch and watch what happens.

Ikariam is set in a world of Greek islands. You get to name your town and build it up brick by brick. You have workers, citizens, soldiers and academics... and you can even train up a spy or two. The whole thing happens in "real" time, so if you see that a building will take 2 hours to complete, it will take two hours. You can only build one building at a time, and most buildings can only be built once you have "researched" relevant skills in your Academy. Population growth is limited by the size of the town hall, and the income of the town depends on the number of citizens (as opposed to workers, soldiers and academics.) Each island has a particular resource, and you need them all, so you have to arrange to buy them from other islands... or pillage another town on the offchance that the resource you need is lootable.

It's great fun... but be aware that it's not a fast-moving game. Decisions made can take several hours (or even days) to have an effect.

If you want to have a go for yourself, you just need to register HERE. Oh, and make a note of which "world" you are on when you register... it can cause frustration when logging on if you forget to check that box. I'm in World Beta if you want to join me...

HFE Bill Gets Through Second Reading...

John Smeaton, Director of SPUC, has pointed out that, although the Human Fertilisation & Embryology Bill has passed through to its committee stage, there are still debates going on.

He explains that it is vital that MPs vote against the pro-abortion amendments on Monday and (especially) Tuesday next week. Examples of amendments being proposed are the removal of the requirement for consent from two doctors and allowing nurses to administer drug-induced abortions.

John also reminds us of the need to pray for the failure of this Bill. I have a suggestion: ask your parish priest to offer Mass for the defeat of the HFE Bill, and give a stipend for the Mass.

(Remember that, in England & Wales, the priests don't get a salary, so stipends are an essential part of their income. Priests will say Masses for a particular intention if asked even without a stipend if someone cannot afford it, but if you can afford it then you have a duty to give that financial support.)

Feeling Grouchy...

I'm feeling out-of-sorts. And grouchy with it.

I've always classified myself as a "night-owl" type. Left to my own devices, my body clock seems to set itself quite happily to the hours of darkness.

At least, this is what I tell myself. Psychology, see! Larks and night-owls and body clocks...

Unfortunately, my spiritual director has also studied Psychology... and has pointed out one or two home truths. Humans being able to train and adjust their body clocks being one of them. And the necessity of allowing enough time for sleep so as not to induce a state of sleep deprivation being another.

"Oh, but I can never get to sleep before midnight!" I countered, the last time we discussed this aspect of my life. "...Even if I'm in bed earlier, I just lie there..."

A few days later, my SD observed me ordering another after-dinner coffee. "You might want to consider your caffeine intake," he suggested, ever so gently.

My gut response (as always) was one of definitive denial. Two cups of coffee in the evening was nothing to be concerned about... I always drank coffee... that's hardly anything...

...and then he pointed out that I had also consumed two pints of Coca Cola, my usual beverage when I'm driving. And that made my caffeine intake rather high for an evening.

As is the usual way for me, I initially refused to acknowledge that there could be any foundation in fact for this idea. After all, I run on coffee all day at school. I even have my own coffee machine. And I don't have trouble sleeping... I just don't feel sleepy until midnight... and at weekends I don't normally drink coffee, unless I go out for a meal... though I do drink plenty of coke... and tea...

The more I thought about it, the more I began to acknowledge that there might be something in it. So I decided to put it to the test. My caffeine intake at school has been seriously reduced (I don't think I could ever survive without any coffee) and I have resolved not to drink any caffeinated drinks until I've sorted out my sleeping pattern.

The result? I have been tired and lacking in energy for the past two days. By the end of Monday I had a splitting headache, and went to bed at 9:30pm. I then couldn't sleep until 10:45pm, woke up at about 11:30pm, then 2am, 3:30am, 4:30am, 5am and finally 7am (which is cutting things a bit fine for school.) I've also been grouchy and irritable.

I shall give it until Half Term. Until then, don't mess with me. Or my blog.

Marking Coursework...

To any students out there who still have to complete coursework as part of their exam course (I know some subjects no longer have coursework) - a little friendly advice:

If your teacher "suggests" an alteration to your work might be a good idea, then don't just ignore it. It wasn't actually a suggestion, but exam regulations mean that we can't "tell" you what to do.

Moving "House"... Blogger Style!

The intrepid Catholic Mom of 10 has run out of house-room... to be more precise, she can't put up any more photos on her blog as she's reached her Blogger limit. Undaunted, Jackie has set up a new blog. The old one is not being deleted, it just won't be updated, so she's asked us all to amend our blogrolls accordingly. You can find the new blog OVER HERE.

For Your Delectation & Delight...

We have a very beautiful High Mass set of red vestments. Hopefully, we're being treated to a High Mass tomorrow for Pentecost, but I thought I might not manage to get a clear close-up of the chasuble, which is stunning... so I scooted into the Sacristy and snapped this one. Enjoy!

(It's a little blurred... the centrepiece shows the Agnus Dei)

When The Composer Has Big Hands...

I spotted this one over at Mark's blog, and it made me chortle... not quite sure what Leutgeb will make of it!

Cat Trouble...

First the car, now the cat...

Sylvester's eye looked a little odd a while back... However, I couldn't see anything obviously wrong, and he didn't seem listless, or in pain. I concluded that he'd probably had a run-in with one of the neighbourhood cats and come off a little the worse for wear.

And then, about a week or so ago, I thought that his right pupil looked different... but Sylvester didn't take kindly to being stared at. He still didn't seem to be in pain, and he was eating plenty. I wondered if he'd had a stroke, and steeled myself for the inevitable decline...

...and then yesterday I saw a big, black "shadow" appear over his eye. From one angle it just looked like his pupil, and then it moved over the iris. I decided that this was one for the vet.

I managed to get the last free appointment slot for this evening. I needed to go to Bluewater first, to sort out a mix-up with my contact lenses, but figured that I could just about get back home in time to scoop up the cat, stuff him in the kitty-carrier, and dash straight back out again.

This required military precision and planning. I was counting on him being greedy enough to greet me when I arrived home. He was. My first move, after greeting him was to lock the cat flap. He may be fat and indolent, but he can still move pretty smartly when he wants. Next was the super-sneaky retrieval of the kitty-carrier. I opened it, lined it with a towel, and positioned it carefully. Only then could I approach the cat, scoop him up - ostensibly for pre-feeding cuddles - and then try to get him into the carrier.

Why is it that a normally four-legged feline suddenly seems to sprout legs when one approaches a kitty-carrier? And I swear that Sylvester's tail became prehensile!

I did manage it, eventually. However, the car journey to the vet's surgery was a real ordeal (for me) as Sylvester mewed pitifully the whole way.

The vet was completely flummoxed. "I've never seen anything like this before," she admitted, and went to fetch a more experienced colleague: disconcertingly referred to as "the eye specialist." I had visions of having to sell the car in order to pay for the cat...

The senior vet knew exactly what was wrong: a corneal sequestrum. The exact cause is unclear, but it can result from some injury or irritation to the eye which results in a patch of the cornea dying. The dead tissue can slough away, and may leave an ulcer. However, the vet thought that, as the condition sometimes sorted itself out, it was worth trying a fortnight of treatment with an antibiotic cream for Sylvester's eye... though if there was no improvement, he would probably need surgery, maybe to remove the eye completely.

So, spare a thought for the two of us... for Sylvester, that he recover without the need for surgery, and for me, that I manage to retain some of my fingers after a fortnight of trying to apply ointment to the eye of an uncooperative cat...

Is Anyone In A Betting Mood?

I have a hectic week ahead. I found that the only delivery slot for my groceries which was practical (and would arrive before I found I needed to actually venture out to the shops for myself) was the 9pm-10pm slot this evening.

Tomorrow is Parents' Evening for my Year 7 classes. Year 7 parents are invariably keen to attend. I have no problem with this (it's better than the alternative) but it will be a long evening... and tonight I'm really tired...

Anyone care to bet against the delivery van arriving at the end of the slot?

UPDATE: Wow! All bets are off. The delivery arrived at 9:10pm. So all I have to do is unpack it all, and then I shall have a very early night...

Not A Lot Of Blogging Lately...

I haven't had much time for the blogs this past week... I have been committing the gravest sin known to teacher-kind: going out on school nights. Several times. Tut tut! I shall have to give myself a detention and 300 lines. (That's Parents' Evening and a class set of reports, in case you were wondering!)

Monday, I went to Corpus Christi, Maiden Lane, for their Rogation Day Mass. This was followed by a most agreeable session in the Coal Hole, a local hostelry. I have it on the best authority (several Camra members) that the beer there is very good. I wouldn't know, as I'm nearly always driving, so I was on the Coca Cola.

Tuesday was the quietest day this week... but I needed to do some housework (mainly laundry) and cook lunch for the week ahead. I'm not a brilliant cook, but I have a few favourite dishes which I can rustle up when necessary. I was in the mood for a lamb-and-macaroni-cheese bake thingy which is a variation (ie. it's my attempt to remember it) of a Greek Cypriot recipe which a friend told me about many years ago. My main problem is that she didn't know what the herbs were - it was a special Greek mix - and so I have to guess. The end result, as far as I'm concerned, is edible, which is all that matters. A job-lot of that sorts out lunch for the week, except Friday.

Wednesday was pretty hectic. First a Year Team meeting after school. Then a session of spiritual direction. Then on to a session of Child Protection training at the parish. Information about procedures and form-filling. I was amused by the fact that I had to fill out an application form for the post of catechist, and toyed with the idea of not applying... but I suspect that I wouldn't be allowed to back out of Confirmation classes quite so easily!

Thursday was the Feast of the Ascension. Totally not obligatory. But it would have taken a whole troupe of wild horses to prevent me from going. Especially since it was a Missa Cantata. And this was then followed by a session in the Parish club. I believe that the beer isn't quite as good as that at the Coal Hole, but I was on Coca Cola again, so it made no difference.

Friday there was a Mass at St. Etheldreda's, Ely Place. I'm not quite sure why I allowed myself to be talked into going to that one rather than attending Mass in Chislehurst, but it seemed like a good idea at the time... and I'd never attended a Mass there before. This was followed by a brief sojourn in the Mitre Pub. There's a historical connection between the pub and the church, something to do with the Bishop of Ely's palace, but it escapes me for the moment. I am assured that the beer is very good... but I was almost Coca Cola'd to death by this time.

Saturday proved to be a day for recouping lost energy. The usual Saturday morning Low Mass was followed by some time for prayer and reflection (though Exposition & Benediction had been cancelled) before the First Communion Mass. I stayed for that because of the "promise" that a Plenary Indulgence was attached to First Communion Masses... and I need as many Holy Souls as possible waiting to meet me when my time comes!

After Mass on Sunday morning, I drove down to Marble Arch and parked the car outside Tyburn Convent. I then made my way back to the Old Bailey for the Tyburn Pilgrimage. The rain held off, and the weather was almost perfect for walking. However, mindful of the fact that I have one dodgy left knee and one dodgy right ankle, I cheated, and cabbed it from church to church. After Benediction at the Convent, and a brief visit to the Crypt Chapel to venerate the relics of the martyrs, I drove home with a friend who had done the walk properly.

Driving home, I noticed that the car was making rather worrying noises. I'd had it serviced and MOT'd while away in Ryde a couple of weeks back, and the exhaust had been partly replaced. I'd told my next-door neighbour (whose garage had fixed the car) but he couldn't hear any noise when he drove it. I was pretty sure it was the exhaust, but didn't understand why it only made a noise when I turned right with my foot on the brake. I wondered if I was imagining things...

...but as my neighbour's garage was open on the Bank Holiday, I drove down and demonstrated what I meant by "noises." The upshot was that I wasn't imagining things, but that the exhaust was just moving around a bit too much, so something was bolted into place. Luckily this didn't take long at all, and I was able to drive down to Aylesford for the Mass at the Altar Servers' Rally. I went back home almost immediately after Mass (coursework marking season!) but it was a lovely day for a drive... and I was also able to check that the noises had truly disappeared.

The coming week is going to be almost as hectic, but it'll be closer to home, so less tiring... at least, that's the theory!

Playing With Photoshop

I have been pretty annoyed with the results of some of the photos I've taken with my phone camera. The colour seems to go completely mad, with everything far more yellow than it should be. I tried using my computer's photo-editing software, and couldn't quite get it right... so most photos have just gone up unedited.

However, I decided to give Adobe Photoshop a try... I saw that there was a cheap one going on Amazon, and snapped it up. And then forgot about it. The CD arrived during the week, but I've been a bit busy.

So this evening I decided to have a little play around. It isn't particularly user-friendly, but by dint of pushing buttons just to see what happens, I discovered that

I could make this original photo here

look like this:

which is rather an improvement.

Watch this space for further experiments!

Fabulous New Blog...

This is just sooooo funny... but so true too! If you ever wondered what it was about rosaries that Catholics love so much, and why those same rosaries can cause Protestants to have palpitations and come out in a bad case of hives, then Stuff Catholics Like is the site for you.

Mantilla twitched to the Curt Jester (who writes some of the articles!)

Our Catholic Heritage

I was able to get to Mass at St. Etheldreda's, Ely Place, this evening. I was looking at the beautiful stained glass, and the statues, and it struck me that these images, and the decoration of the vestments, were the "textbooks" in times past, when the majority of people couldn't read, or didn't have access to books.

How could we possibly have forgotten that all this beauty was practical as well as aesthetic? Why were churches stripped of all their statues and pictures? - and I'm not referring to the Reformation, but to the wreckovation which happens in parishes even today!

Anyway, I thought I'd share...

Not An Obligation...

We celebrated the Mass of the Ascension at Blackfen, in the Extraordinary Form of course... It was wonderful, and the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate made a visitation to the parish to sing the propers for the Missa Cantata. Fr. Tim quipped that they are one of the Orders that has refused to observe the Vocations Crisis...

As Fr. Tim had pointed out about four times during his sermon last week, there was absolutely no obligation to go to Mass on Thursday, it was not the Holyday of Obligation, that would be Sunday... Plenty of other bloggers have indicated what they thought about Ascension Thursday Sunday, and Christ ascending to heaven 43 days after the Resurrection...

And the number of people who turned up for the Mass rather indicates what their thoughts on the matter were... There were at least 65 people present at this non-obligatory ex-Holyday. Methinks their Lordships have shot themselves in the collective foot: by transferring the obligation to Sunday, they have opened up the possibility for extra Masses to be scheduled on the old Holydays... but in order to celebrate the Feast, they have to be from the old calendar... so many more people than would otherwise have made the effort to attend the Extraordinary Form have done so... and will have rediscovered the beauty of their Catholic liturgical heritage...

Oooops. Somehow I don't think that was the intention...

It's Been A While...

...since we had a blonde joke, so here it is.

A blonde lady motorist was about two hours from San Diego when she was flagged down by a man whose truck had broken down.

The man walked up to the car and asked, 'Are you going to San Diego?'

'Sure,' answered the blonde, 'do you need a lift?'

'Not for me. I'll be spending the next three hours fixing my truck. My problem is I've got two chimpanzees in the back which have to be taken to the San Diego Zoo. They're a bit stressed already so I don't want to keep them on the road all day. Could you possibly take them to the zoo for me? I'll give you $100 for your trouble.'

'I'd be happy to,' said the blonde.

So the two chimpanzees were ushered into the back seat of the blonde's car and carefully strapped into their seat belts. Off they went.

Five hours later, the truck driver was driving through the heart of San Diego when suddenly he saw a horrific sight! There was the blonde walking down the street and holding hands with the two chimps, much to the amusement of a big crowd.

With a screech of brakes he pulled off the road and ran over to the blonde.

'What the heck are you doing here?' he demanded, 'I gave you $100 to take these chimpanzees to the zoo.'

'Yes, I know you did,' said the blonde, 'but we had money left over, so now we're going to SeaWorld.'

Falling Standards in Education...

Please don't bother telling me that standards in the exams are the same as they always have been. It just isn't true. What is true is that the exam burden on students has increased to ridiculous levels. And don't get me started on the subject of coursework. I'm having to mark quite a lot of the wretched stuff at the moment...

Anyway, I spotted this over at Paulinus' place...

1. Teaching Maths In 1970:
A logger sells a truckload of lumber for £100. His cost of production is 4/5 of the price. What is his profit?

2. Teaching Maths In 1980:
A logger sells a truckload of lumber for £100. His cost of production is 4/5 of the price, or £80. What is his profit?

3. Teaching Maths In 1990:
A logger sells a truckload of lumber for £100. His cost of production is £80. Did he make a profit?

4. Teaching Maths In 2000:
A logger sells a truckload of lumber for £100. His cost of production is £80 and his profit is £20. Your assignment: Underline the number 20.

5. Teaching Maths In 2008:
A logger cuts down a beautiful forest because he is selfish and inconsiderate and cares nothing for the habitat of animals or the preservation of our woodlands. He does this so he can make a profit of £20. What do you think of this way of making a living? Topic for class participation after answering the question: How did the birds and squirrels feel as the logger cut down their homes? (There are no wrong answers.)

6. Teaching Maths 2018:
أ المسجل تبيع حموله شاحنة من الخشب من اجل 100 دولار. صاحب تكلفة الانتاج من الثمن. ما هو الرب

My Favourite Place...

I love Lourdes. I may have mentioned this before!

Anyway, the annual Parish Pilgrimage to Lourdes is at the end of the month, and I am the lucky soul who gets to do all the organising.

There was a rumour that the Holy Father was going to be popping along too... I heard it from the hotel owners last year, and also from a nurse who assured me that the hospital room where John Paul II had stayed last had been booked for the 31st May.

It seemed too good a chance to miss, and so we extended our stay by a day and moved it to include the weekend. Sadly, it seems that the Holy Father has changed his mind (I refuse to believe that two totally independent sources could both plump for the exact same day by pure chance!)

Anyway, I've managed to arrange the times of Mass for the group - the main difficulty with this is persuading the Shrine authorities that we want Mass in a particular chapel, and will move the Mass to whatever time is necessary. Of course, the official tour operators are more interested in herding their pilgrims round to various attractions according to a military-style timetable, which is why they often end up taking groups over to some of the more austere* chapels... and it is also why we no longer use the tour operators!

*I'm attempting to be charitable. For "austere", substitute "Protestant, minimalist, garage-cum-broom-cupboard"!

Westminster Update...

Heheheheheh... It would appear that, even if the Nuncio isn't interested in what the Blogosphere has to say about the succession, Paddy Power is keeping a beady eye on things.

Archbishop Vincent Nichols is now at 7-4 (from 2-1), Bishop Arthur Roche is now back at 10-1 (after a brief stint at 12-1) and Archbishop Peter Smith is staying steady at 12-1.

Blogging Supremo Fr. Timothy Finigan is still in there (according to Paddy Power) at 10-1.

Tyburn Walk

The merry month of May approaches, and with it the commemoration of the martyrs who died at Tyburn. This is a great annual event, walking the route that the martyrs would have taken from Newgate Prison to the Tyburn Tree, stopping off at a few key churches and finishing with Benediction at Tyburn Convent.

We start at St. Sepulchre-without-Newgate (diagonally across from the Old Bailey) at 2:30pm on Sunday 4th May. We stop at St. Etheldreda's, Ely Place, then St. Cecilia's, Lincoln's Inn Fields, and then St. Patrick's, Soho Square - where we also have a blessing with the relics of St. Oliver Plunkett and (I think... though I may have remembered it incorrectly) St. Cuthbert Mayne.

Benediction at Tyburn is some time between 5:30pm - 6pm depending on how quickly people walk!

How Very Interesting...

After blogging about the rumours concerning the terna for the Westminster succession, I have finally had a chance to calm down enough to read the Telegraph article more carefully...

Mandrake has heard this rumour about the shortlisted candidates from someone in Archbishop's House. Now, there are not many people who would have access to any such shortlist. It is not the sort of document to be left accidentally lying around under a pile of missalettes and newsletters. This suggests that the terna has been deliberately leaked...

Given that the Nuncio isn't based at Archbishop's House, we can safely conclude that he isn't the source of the leak...

I'm not entirely sure of the condition of fish in the state of Denmark, but something here reeks of political manoeuvring by members of the English and Welsh hierarchy. Are all the calls on the blogosphere for an appointment from outside the so-called "magic circle" making their Lordships a trifle nervous, perhaps?

Papa Preaches Up A Storm!

The Seminary in Yonkers, New York, has been inundated with applications since the Papal Visit, according to a report by CNA. The diocesan vocations director, Fr. Sweeney, commented: “We were hoping the Pope would convince many who were considering the priesthood to make the next step. It looks like he did.”

So what did the Holy Father say that had so much impact? Read it for yourself, HERE.

Mantilla twitch to Fr. Ray.