More Awards...

I didn't win anything in the Cannonball Awards, so I was determined to sulk and not pay any attention to other "awards" for blogging. That lasted until I spotted that the Catholic New Media Awards have taken over from the Bloggers' Choice Awards. Somehow or other, I have been nominated... woohoo!

You only get one vote, and that's your lot, so I have about as much chance as a snowball in hell of hitting the top spot in any category, but I can bask in the fact that I've been nominated. Admittedly, it looks as if the world and its cousin has been nominated, but I shall draw a discreet veil over that little point...

Unfortunately, one needs to register before one can vote. Make the effort... you know you want to!

I have been nominated for four categories... People's Choice Blog; Best Blog by a Woman; Funniest Blog; and Most Entertaining Blog.

I have decided that I despise blatant begging or recounting of sob-stories in order to drum up support. I have only this appeal to your better nature...

Holiday Snaps...

Just a brief selection to be going on with...

On arrival, we were told that there had been a lot more rain than usual in Lourdes, and that the Gave was running a metre higher than normal (and indeed, had overflowed at its lowest point), so I took a photo or two...

I couldn't find the exact corresponding shots from previous years, but this is a photo from 2007... check out the arch under the bridge, and the white struts...

Then there is the French sense of humour, which places a saint at each end of the ramps up to the Crypt Chapel: on the left, nearest to the St. Joseph's Gate, we have St. Remy...

... while, on the right, nearest the Gave River (and the Grotto) we have St. Martin!

This makes me chuckle every time I see them.

This photo, taken from the river wall just opposite the water taps shows the building work being carried out on the outside of the St. Michael's Chapel... we had our Masses in the St. Gabriel Chapel this year, which is the counterpart to St. Michael's Chapel, and is on the opposite side of the Crypt Chapel.

Finally, I couldn't resist a shot of the webcam camera...

I'll post more photos in the next day or so, but now I have to go to bed...

Back To Reality...

This morning, I awoke to find myself aching in places I didn't know existed: the effect of all those Lourdes hills.

I made my way to church and gave some Lourdes water and cards to various people. We then had Mass, Exposition for a Holy Hour and Benediction (our normal Saturday routine) followed by a Latin lesson for the altar servers, given by Fr. Tim. Wendy, the mother of two of the servers, kindly provided bacon and sausage sandwiches.

After this, I went to buy milk and a few other necessities, and came back to find Sylvester looking aggrieved. I curled up on the sofa with him beside me, and settled down to read a "new" Bernard Cornwell book - one of the Alfred the Great series. I enjoyed his Grail Quest and Sharpe books, but I'm not quite sure about this one.

The inevitable happened, and I soon dropped off to sleep. I woke up briefly, realised that I had only fifteen minutes left in which to collect my jacket from the dry cleaners, and rushed out. On returning, I sat back down on the sofa, picked up the book, and...

... woke up at about 9:30pm. Oops.

I uploaded all my photos from the phone - about 120, which is fairly restrained for me. I had been advised by Fr. Tim to reduce the size of my photos used on the blog, or else I'd run out of photo space, and although I'd do it for the occasional photo (along with punching up the contrast and correcting lighting levels) it took so long that I usually didn't bother. Jonathan mentioned that my blog took far too long to upload onto his phone, and, guessing that picture size might be a factor in this, I explored the options on Photoshop Elements 6.0. I discovered a "multiple files" option, and hoped that this would allow me to convert a whole bunch of photos to web-friendly settings without too much time and effort on my part. I'd be interested to know if things speed up...

Home, Sweet Home...

I've finally arrived back home and unpacked. I loaded the washing machine, and made a fuss of the cat. I also edited a few of the posts I submitted via email, as the layout was all wrong...

The morning passed as planned... I managed to get a few things sorted, went to the Grotto to pray for specific intentions, arranged for a few Masses to be said, lit some candles, and renewed my subscription to the Lourdes Magazine. I also paid the photographer for the group photos.

Mass was very emotional for me, as I prepared to say goodbye to Lourdes for another year. At the end of Mass, I went off for a quick lunch at the Brasserie Brancardiers, which had the advantage of being two minutes away from the hotel.

I returned to the hotel in time to load my bag onto the coach, and said goodbye to the proprietress of the hotel. Sylvie was very kind, and indicated that we were very welcome indeed to return again next year. Yes, I have booked the hotel already. The location is second to none and the staff are wonderful... and the fact that even the dining room waitresses and the chambermaids are pretty much the same each year shows that they must be a very special outfit...

The DVD was duly loaded, but the angle of the screen meant that the contrast had a few "issues" that neither Fr. Tim nor myself could resolve... so the picture was rather unclear. The sound was good though... and anyway, we'd had the pictures (without sound) on the journey up!

We arrived half an hour early at Toulouse, but they didn't have a specialised Groups' check-in, and so we waited the 30 minutes until the desks opened. However, they did open an extra desk (I mentioned the number of children again...) and we were able to proceed without any further delays. The flight made excellent time...

And then we arrived back at Terminal 5. Ugh. I do not like this terminal. You have to walk back and forth for ages and ages, as it all seems to be laid out in one long, straight line... and everything is at the furthest point.

Our coach was delayed by traffic problems, and there didn't seem to be any way of contacting the driver, or working out where our coach might be expected. Eventually Fr. Tim discovered that the coach would be at the furthest stand from the exit, and we trudged wearily onwards.

The journey back to Blackfen was an absolute doddle, taking just over an hour. Jonathan, Fr. Charles, Fr. Tim and me then popped in to the club for a swift drink (I was back on the coca cola, for which my liver is, no doubt, eternally grateful) and a brief post-mortem on what needed to be improved for next year.

My services as Pilgrimage Organiser and courier appear to have been retained for another year... though after a few comments about "Sylvester Vindaloo" and "Sylvester fricasse," I am sorely tempted to arrange for accommodation to be transferred to the vicinity of the Pic du Jer (lots of building work, and miles from the Grotto) and Masses to be scheduled in the whitewashed garage (the St. Patrick's Chapel in the Hemicycle) ... I have already indicated that a plate of smoked salmon would form an acceptable apology as far as Sylvester was concerned...

"Sylvester Vindaloo" indeed!

The End...

Today is the last day of our pilgrimage, and, like the first day, it will be mostly spent travelling.

We start off with Mass at 10:30am in the St. Gabriel Chapel, so getting ready in the morning won't be too much of a rush. After Mass we will have about an hour to do some last-minute shopping and praying, and then we'll take the coach to Toulouse airport.

I suppose it will be good to see Sylvester again...

Blonde Jokes In Lourdes

What do you do if a blonde throws a pin at you?

Run like mad because she's holding the grenade...

Not Quite As Planned...

We had hoped to celebrate a Solemn High Mass at the Parish Church this morning, but various events conspired against us.

First of all, one member of the group never made it to Lourdes due to a bout of food poisoning two days before our departure. This was pretty bad luck for him, but also for us, as he was going to lead the chanting of the Mass propers.

Luckily, Leutgeb was also one of the group, and by switching to the Rossini propers, Jacinta and I were able to join her in singing them.We had the Missa de Angelis and Credo III, as most of the children were familiar with these. The acoustics in the Crypt were spine-tinglingly good, and I think we acquitted ourselves well.

The second misfortune to befall us was that Fr. George Byers (a chaplain here for the past two years) was suddenly lumbered with a chaplains' meeting, and so was unable to assist... Solemn High Mass became a Missa Cantata, with Fr. Tim celebrating and Fr. Charles intoning the epistle. The servers did really well, and Mass was superb.

Fr. George joined some of us for a very enjoyable lunch at a local restaurant - I was able to indulge in my favourite dish (roast duck breast.)We had the Rosary at the Grotto and I was able to encourage the children to sit at the front. Fr. Tim blessed the children at the end, and I managed to wave at the camera before and after.

I now need a nap... More later!

Another Day To Remember...

I took this photo last year, outside the parish church - you can see that the crowds were pretty horrendous.

I shall take some more photos today, as this is where we will be celebrating our Mass - Fr. Tim, Fr. Charles, and Fr. George Byers will all be present, and, since we have a couple of musicians to chant the Mass, our Senior MC and several servers, it seemed only natural to try and organise a Solemn High Mass.

Fr. George will be leaving Lourdes shortly to return to America, so it was kind of him to make the arrangements with the parish here in Lourdes when he is so busy (the Lourdes Sanctuaires are separate from the parish church, so I couldn't book this through the Service Planification.)

We will be going to the Grotto for the Rosary and blessing of children at 3:30pm. I shall try and wave at the camera after it has finished - about 4pm - but you might catch a glimpse of our group if you watch carefully, as the camera tends to pan around during the actual recitation of Rosary.

The Blessed Sacrament Procession will start at 5pm - last year my knee and ankle were playing up, so I sat down to watch Our Lord pass by, fully intending to go back to the hotel to rest once the Procession had passed. However, I found myself being drawn to the underground Basilica, and managed to stay for Benediction.

The final night here in Lourdes will end once again with the Torchlight Procession...

An Evening With The Children...

When I returned from the non-event of the Pic du Jer, I had a short nap to recharge the batteries. After dinner, the children had a session with Fr. Tim and myself, while the mums and grandparents had a bit of a break.

Fr. Tim started off by praying the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary, with a brief explanation of and reflection on each Mystery. Then a brief discussion about angels followed.

I had prepared a few different worksheets, and Fr. Tim selected one where the children had to identify photos of different places in Lourdes. I'd included a couple of wordsearches I'd made, and the group was keen to have a go. Fr. Tim also decided to try one, but, not being of the generation which had to do lots of these at school, his technique left something to be desired... 

Several of the children were indignant to discover that he was copying their answers! The session finished at 10pm amid much laughter, and I was delighted that some of the other sheets were (voluntarily) taken away as homework!

More tomorrow.

First Major Hiccough...!

Luckily I was the only one affected!

The brochure advertising the Pic du Jer funicular railway said that the attraction was fully wheelchair accessible. I thought that meant slopes or a lift... It didn't.

When the cable car arrived at the top of the mountain, I realised that I had to step down from the car onto some very steep, narrow steps... and the bannister was too far away for me to reach... It also looked over a sheer drop.

Meanwhile, a lady in a wheelchair was being loaded onto a stairlift. I asked if it was possible to use it, but was told that it was only for wheelchairs.

There was absolutely no way I could manage the steep stairs and so I just had to stay put until the car returned to the ground.

Not the most pleasant of experiences! On the plus side, at least I got to ride the "Petit Train" around Lourdes...

A (Relatively) Lazy Day...

Day 3 of the Pilgrimage will be pretty relaxed. We will start with Mass at 9am in the St. Gabriel Chapel, and then make our way down to the front of the Rosary Basilica for our official Group Photo. I loathe this part of it, but haven't yet been able to squirm my way out of it. Luckily, there are no online versions available...

The morning is pretty much fee for people to do whatever they want, and then, in the afternoon, there's an excursion to the Pic du Jer, a cable-car ride up the mountain overlooking Lourdes. I might skip this. I'm terrified of heights, and while I'm ok on solid ground, balconies and airplanes, I am not too certain how I feel about cable-cars. I have heard that the cars occasionally get stuck, and sod's law being what it is...

In the evening, after dinner, Fr. Tim is going to run a class for the children - I've prepared a short worksheet - and we may go across the Gave to the Prairie. This bit is fairly fluid, no hard-and-fast arrangements - but it gives the parents a bit of a break if they want it. 

Wet, Wet, Wet...

My second day in Lourdes started exactly as planned - I woke up in plenty of time for breakfast, and brought the group down to the Domaine where the tour guide was due to meet us.

Knowing how hilly the town is, I had decided to skip the tour of Bernadette's home, church and so on... Once the group had left with the guide, I wandered around the Domaine.

First I booked a slot with the official photographer. I went to the grotto and said a prayer, had a drink of the water, and then went in to the Rosary Basilica. I sat down to pray my Office in an inconspicuous spot, and then went around taking some photos.

I was pretty tired by this time, so I returned to the hotel for a half-hour power nap... after which I went to lunch... Unfortunately, service in the restaurant I chose was rather slow, which made me five minutes late for my appointment with the Grotto webcam...

The baths were next - and it was freezing... I did remember to pray for all my fellow bloggers - through chattering teeth! I didn't have any children with me and so I had to join the main queue... And the whole process took two hours, which meant that I only just squeaked into Mass on time.

Fr. Tim took the group to the High Stations as planned - I went with Fr. Charles for a leisurely coffee.

The weather took a turn for the worse, but we all went along to the Torchlight Procession - though after walking for a short while, I decided to "cheat" and went to sit down at the side (the constant stop-start motion is hard going on my knee and ankle!) the advantage of this, however, was that I could take some good photos.

Then it was back to the hotel for a few drinks before bed.

Tomorrow is a more gentle affair - but please pray that the weather improves...

Hope They Warm Up The Water...

Day 2 of the Pilgrimage. This year I have done my best to make sure we don't start too early, because of the time needed to get young children up, washed, dressed and fed. I have to admit that I needed prompting for this: not having any children of my own means that the mechanics escape me... by the time I encounter them at school, they've done all that stuff!

So, we will start off with the official tour of Lourdes: In the Footsteps of Bernadette. Last year was the Jubilee year, and there was a special "Jubilee Way" with stickers (and a Plenary Indulgence) to collect. The places connected with St. Bernadette's life were extremely crowded, and I'm hoping that things will be a lot more relaxed this time round. That will take all morning, and I expect that people will want to go for lunch in the town (we always stay half-board, which allows more freedom with regard to lunch arrangements, as well as keeping costs down.)

The Baths open in the afternoon at 2:30pm, but, as I don't have any children with me, I will need to get there some time beforehand to make sure I get in. Priority is given to the sick, the disabled, and parents with young children, so they don't need to queue for long periods.

I shall try and remember to wave at the video camera at 1:50pm (local time) if you want to try and catch me on a screen dump... go on, I challenge you.

Mass will be quite late: 4pm in the St. Gabriel Chapel. This chapel is to the left of the Crypt, next to the road going up the Espélugues Hill. I tried to arrange Mass in the St. Michael Chapel, but there is building work going on there, so it wasn't available.

After Mass, we will have the Stations of the Cross... the start of the High Stations is just a bit further up from the Chapel (how about that for planning!) while anyone unable to tackle the hill (like myself) will be able to make their way down to the Lower Stations, over on the other side of the River Gave.

The Torchlight Procession will finish off the day once more: I plan to take a few photos to use for another You Tube video slideshow.

The Best-Laid Plans...

My last post was one I scheduled, and it describes what I'd planned to do...

Unfortunately, plans sometimes (ok, often) come unstuck...

The journey to Terminal 5 was much easier than expected, which meant that we arrived an hour earlier than our check-in time. Luckily for us, on our arrival at the Groups' check-in desk, someone had an attack of the smarts and realised that it was in her interests to check us in as quickly as possible, after which we would become "somebody else's problem" - 12 children in a group have this effect on people...

For the first time ever, I was subjected to a frisk search... to say that it was thorough was an understatement - one doesn't normally get that close to a person without an introduction..!

We hit pretty bad turbulence - the captain kept coming on the intercom to apologise, saying that he'd never experienced anything like it. Not the most reassuring of statements...!

Traffic out of Toulouse was a nightmare... the weather then took a turn for the worse, and it poured down with rain... suddenly there was a loud bang on the coach roof - I assumed we'd hit a low tree or something. This was rapidly followed by more bangs, as suddenly we were caught in a storm of hailstones.The hailstones were the size of golfballs. There was a small bridge across the road, and we saw that traffic under it had come to a complete standstill - no-one was prepared to drive out and get hit by hail. We were fortunate that it was a brief shower, but we saw a car which had had its rear windscreen smashed... and several cars had lots of small indents in the roofs where the hail had impacted with the sheet metal.The hotel staff had dinner waiting for us when we finally arrived, and it was great to meet them again. They really are a lovely bunch, and it was kind of them to stay late to cook and serve the meal - not all
hotels are so obliging.

I was able to distribute keys during the meal, but I was just too tired to go down for the end of the Torchlight Procession. I've now unpacked, and have checked tomorrow's programme... so I think it's time for sleep.

More tomorrow!

And I'm Off...

Day 1 of the Blackfen Parish Pilgrimage to Lourdes... however, most of it will be spent travelling. We are starting in the best possible way, with Mass at the Lady Altar at 8:30am (well, that is the plan!) and then we'll have tea and coffee before boarding the coach to Heathrow Terminal 5.

I've never been to Terminal 5 - all I know about it is that they completely mucked up the opening and lost lots of luggage. I had originally planned to do a recce beforehand, but I have been so totally exhausted in the past few weeks that I just couldn't face it. I may regret this...

We are expected to land in Toulouse at around 5pm local time - that's 4pm British Summer Time - and will travel to Lourdes by coach, arriving at around 7:30pm. The hotel will have dinner ready for us, and I get to do my Courier bit by distributing all the room keys (no rest for the wicked) during the meal; we've found that it is simpler to do it this way, rather than everyone making a mad dash for the reception desk and the lift, especially as the dining-room staff will have been hanging on for us.

Then, for anyone with the energy, there is the Marian Torchlight Procession. This is such a moving experience: thousands of people walking round, praying the rosary, singing hymns, and raising their candles when the Ave refrain is sung. It is daylight when the Procession starts, and the light gradually fades... and by the time everyone has reached the square in front of the Rosary Basilica, the sky is dark indigo, lit by thousands of candles held up in the air... Mind you, given the timings, we'll probably only make it for the end of the Procession on the first evening.

I will probably finish off with a drink in the hotel bar and a chat with Odette (the night receptionist) before heading off to a very comfortable bed... 

Feeling Guilty...

The other day, Delia (a regular commenter on this blog, though not a blogger herself) asked me how Sylvester was doing. I was a little distracted at the time, and told her he was fine...

Well, he's not fine now. He's figured out that something is up, and he is not happy about it. As a result, he's been following me from room to room, demanding attention. I haven't so much as touched my suitcase, so that isn't the thing that's tipped him off.

Anyway, here are a couple of photos of him trying to make me feel guilty...

Here We Go Again...

Gloucestershire Royal Hospital have sent a member of staff home because she refused to take off her crucifix.

They claim that it's because of health and safety issues, namely that it could harbour infection or it could be grabbed by a patient.

This is somewhat confusing. 

Helen Slatter is a phlebologist, which means she takes blood samples from patients. When you get that close to patients, they can grab anything... or even poke you in the eye, should the fancy take them... maybe Mrs. Slatter should wear a helmet? Oh, and did you know that phlebologists carry needles... lots of them... nasty sharp things... they can be grabbed too...

The hospital authorities told Mrs. Slatter that she could carry the crucifix in a pocket rather than under her uniform as at present... because obviously this makes a difference to the amount of infective material it can harbour... ummm...

Colour me stupid, but I don't quite get the scientific argument there...

Something doesn't quite add up...

As a matter of interest, you'd think that the BBC could rustle up a picture of a crucifix to illustrate their story, wouldn't you?

Now... What Have I Forgotten...?

Tomorrow sees the start of our Parish Pilgrimage to Lourdes. I'm still feeling quite tired and washed out, so I haven't been as excited as usual: however, I know that it will be a wonderful time (it always is) and the excitement will probably hit me some time in the night, when I'll be unable to sleep for fear of being late.

I always have a fear of being late... and it is very well-founded, as I could probably sleep through the Parousia. I have a large, old-fashioned, wind-up, bell alarm clock, a small, beeping, travel alarm clock, a radio alarm clock (which is set to beep, as I wouldn't wake up with just the radio) and three alarms on my mobile phone. I generally find that I've slept through a few of them without noticing, or (and this is the scary part) switched them off in my sleep.

There's no point saying that I should put them across the other side of my bedroom... I've tried that, and I just ignore them as they're not close enough to be annoying.

I might ask one of my friends to phone... just to make absolutely certain!

Meanwhile, I am racking my brains to see if there is anything I have forgotten. I have my own travel insurance, EHIC, passport and holiday money. I've asked my neighbour to feed Sylvester (she is a real cat-lover, and will wait with Sylvester while he eats his food, and will also spend time with him in the evening) and have arranged for my landlord to come and plaster up the holes left by the electrician...

I haven't packed yet - partly because I don't want to tip off Sylvester too soon, but also because I'm trying to take only what is absolutely necessary... and much of it will be necessary in the morning!

I have printed out notices for the hotel noticeboard, detailing each day's activities along with the next day's events, and then any last-minute changes can be made clear. They look quite good - we have a "corporate logo" which is eye-catching! The same logo appeared on the letters I sent everyone and on the programme, and the parish flag has the same picture of Our Lady on it. I've also produced matching luggage tags, so that our bags are easy to identify... one year, an elderly monsignor from another group picked up one of our bags by mistake!

In previous years I've done little cards with the Booking Reference printed on it, but we'll be checking in as a group this time, and we all have the same number, so I haven't done it... I might live to regret that!

I will be in the Grotto waving at the webcam on Tuesday at 1:50pm* and on Thursday at about 4pm (after the Rosary and blessing of children has finished) - obviously I'll be at the Grotto more frequently than that, but those are the two definite spot-the-mulier-fortis moments!

Wendy (one of the other pilgrims) offered to produce hymn sheets/booklets, Jonathan promised to get the Mass texts printed off for everyone, and we're taking the red Missal booklets from church (they won't be used in the parish during the week) as Mass will be in the usus antiquior. Servers will be responsible for their own cassocks and cottas... yes, I think that is pretty much everything...

Famous last words...

*All times are local - France is currently an hour ahead of the UK on BST, which makes it GMT + 2 hrs (I think that's how it works!)

In Case You Hadn't Noticed...

...there are actually two Rorate Caeli blogs.

Well, actually Rorate Caeli is the famous blog... it comes up in uppercase letters on the tabs, with the fancy "Æ" which I can rarely be bothered to find in the character map.

Rorate Coeli is the less well-known blog on Wordpress, written by Michael Skaggs of Indiana.

I know the words are from the Introit to the Mass for the Fourth Sunday in Advent... however, not being a Latin scholar, I have no idea why one blog has "caeli" and another "coeli" - any suggestions?

Either way, remember to visit them both!

Habit-Fest...

I have just seen this slideshow, courtesy of J.P. Sonnen, which shows lots and lots of young men and women in habits and other clerical dress. Very encouraging...



I hadn't spotted John's blog before - it's well worth a visit. John is a graduate student and tour operator living in Rome. I love one of the phrases he uses: to know history is to be Catholic.

Twitch of the mantilla to Fr. Ray Blake.

Just For The Fun Of It...

This YouTube offering tickled me...

Mantilla The Hon...

Mantilla Amontillado, aka Mantilla the Hon, is an occasional "guest" blogger on Fr. Dwight Longenecker's blog. With a degree in Ecclesiastical Haberdashery from Salamanca University, she has plenty to say about liturgical style (or lack thereof!)

Check out what Mantilla thinks about cassock albs (those ghastly dressing-gown albs are made out of a material called "hopsack," which just about sums up what they resemble), vestments and mantillas...

Looking at Site Meter reveals that quite a few people arrive at this blog because they were researching "mantillas". If you want to know more about the whys and wherefores of wearing mantillas, you can see my previous posts on the topic: Made-to-Measure Mantillas (I give details of a woman who makes mantillas, really nice ones, in the com-box), Wearing the Mantilla (with a link to an article by the Latin Mass Society) and More on Mantillas.

Ok... If You Really Want To Know...

Monday sees the start of our parish pilgrimage to Lourdes. I'll put up the times I'm planning to be at the Grotto later so you can check out the webcam, but here's a copy of the programme...

Lourdes Programme 2009 Blog Version

Publish at Scribd or explore others:

Installation Of The Arch In Westminster...

Heheheheheh... couldn't resist that title! The Mass was covered live by EWTN and BBC2, and the Catholic Herald had a twitter-thingy going on a special Installation Page on its website to keep everyone informed.

Impressive stuff. My one gripe was that the "Sign of Peace" was included - it was a touchy-feely fest for the congregation, and even the priests concelebrating had a bit of a mill-around.

Not too sure about that morse though...

The Pope & The Media...

In the beginning, Vatican news was reported by special courier... like the chap who brought news that John Fisher was to be made Cardinal, upsetting Henry VIII so much that the king declared he would ensure that Fisher would not have a head upon which to set his new red hat.

Then came newsprint and radio... and even television. This was good, but only if you lived in Italy or had very strong radio reception...

Next came the Vatican website. Great for archive stuff. This was good. The Bollettino even gets updated each day... unfortunately, unless you speak Italian, it's not so good... However, you can now access newsprint, radio and television without living in Italy, which is good...

Then came the Vatican You Tube channel... and finally, the Pope is on Facebook! Unfortunately, the Holy Father will not, I suspect, be adding me to his list of friends. I will, however, be able to send picture postcards with snippets of the Pope's speeches.

And indeed, it was very good.

(Check out Pope2you for the 43rd World Communications Day on 24 May 2009... twitch of the mantilla to Jane for the reminder, although I read it somewhere else as well!)

Striking An Off Key Note...

Glancing through my favourite blog updates on Google Reader, I spotted a few references to Paul Inwood being awarded Pastoral Musician of the Year. I did a double-take... Paul Inwood of Gathering Mass infamy? Pastoral Musician?? Shorely shome mishtake, Mish Moneypenneh?!

I followed the link on Jane Teresa's blog... I had that car-crash feeling: I knew I really shouldn't look, but... (I wonder if I'll need to mention this one in Confession... "Bless me Father, for I have sinned... I've been listening to Paul Inwood on the Internet...")

After having listened to about fifteen seconds of the Alleluia "Ch-Ch" through gritted teeth, I spotted something else which was far more worrying: under the Liturgical tab is a whole section on Sunday celebrations in the absence of a priest...

Perhaps this is an acknowledgement of what poor music has done to vocations.

Just A Few More Photos...

As I said before, I was asked to use Fr. Tim's camera when I was at the Mass in New Malden for St. Joseph's feast day. I also promised to put up a few more photos when I got given a copy, as Fr. Tim only put up three...

Enjoy...

Some Good News...

James and Ella Preece have just had their second baby - a girl. No further information or pictures yet, but that is hardly surprising!

James recently bearded the lions in their den when he went on a TV chat show to defend the Holy Father's teaching on HIV/AIDS and condoms.

Ella was at the Faith Winter Conference at Stonyhurst a year and a half ago, and she just couldn't resist posing for a photo or two... (well, actually, I did have to beg and plead a bit... ) Ella's the one in the middle...

Frustration...

I am a big fan of the I Can Has Cheezburger? site... lots of cute kitties and silly captions to make you smile. There are some other sites associated with it - I Has a Hot Dog is the dog-lovers' photo and caption site, for example, but there is also the Fail Blog - where some real boo-boos are highlighted, like the advertising slogan for Nina's Photography: "I Shoot People and Pets" or the Freshman/Sophomore Masquerade Ball, posters for which point out that no masks are to be worn at the dance...

This isn't too bad. A quick click to check out the latest photos and then it's back to work (or whatever)...

...Unfortunately, a recent game link has been added: nom nom nom 4 fud. In this, you aim your kitty at various cat biscuits, launch it by clicking on the tail, and watch as the cat munches up the biscuits for points. Big bags of catfood, cat baskets, water bowls and brooms make up the obstacles to be avoided. There are extra points for balls of wool and cheezburgers provide extra "lives."

The game is a complete waste of time, and therefore very entertaining...

It is also extremely frustrating, as the kitty doesn't seem to follow the laws of physics after the first two (simple) levels. I have launched my cat at exactly the same angle and strength on a particular level, and the cat seems to scoot off in a completely random manner... eating and missing biscuits in an infuriatingly idiosyncratic fashion each time. As a result, my highest score has been only 31500... more by luck than judgement.

There is also a doggy version...

Ten To The Power Four...

Leutgeb, in common with many musicians, is mathematically-minded. She has noticed that she is very close to achieving 10 to the power 4 hits on her blog, Bara Brith... that's 10,000 to the (un-mathematical) likes of me.

Who will be the lucky 10,000th visitor? And is there a prize? You'll just have to keep clicking here to find out...

The Winds Of Change...?

It is fascinating to see the preparations being made for the Installation of Vincent Nichols as 11th Archbishop of Westminster. The Diocese of Westminster "webteam" started up a blog to show all the work that's going into the liturgy and the whole "takeover process"... a very media-savvy move, I think.

(Yes, I also read the comment, somewhere or other, that central heating is installed, but bishops are enthroned, but the Westminster diocesan blog refers to the installation of the Archbishop, so I shall do the same...)

The Friends of Westminster Cathedral decided to present the new Archbishop with a set of new vestments. When I first read the announcement, it did occur to me that this could be ghastly - visions of "fuzzy-felt" bunches of grapes kept floating before my eyes, and mention of griffins just brought the old Barclays Bank logo to mind. The Installation Blog, however, put up some pictures of the vestments being made, along with a description, and there's not a grape, felt or otherwise, in sight! The griffin design mentioned is presumably woven into the fabric itself. The overall effect is one of elegant simplicity. This is not, by the way, the same as the "simplicity" claimed by the awful fuzzy-felt vestments of the 1970s - that was a stripping out of all that was beautiful, of all that was perceived as "not relevant" or "not modern."

There is an excellent article by Christina White in the Catholic Herald on the creation of the new vestments.

I was extremely interested to note that the ceremony of the Reception and Installation of the Archbishop of Westminster will be carried out according to the ancient Catholic rite used in similar circumstances for the Reception and Installation of the Archbishops of Canterbury prior to the Reformation... one in the eye for all those trendies who decry the usus antiquior as dragging the Church backwards, perhaps?

Taken together, this suggests that the winds of liturgical change (or a bit of a breeze, at least) might be blowing through the halls of Westminster Cathedral. Watch this space.

Heartbreaker...

Pictures like this one make me run to my own cat and assure him that he is loved. Of course, Sylvester isn't interested in being told he is loved, and often throws me a dirty look, as if to accuse me of interrupting his nice nap...

Feeding time is another matter. Sylvester is very affectionate at feeding time. Very, very affectionate... 

Day Of Prayer & Fasting...

The Good Counsel Network does stirling work with mothers in crisis pregnancies - they provide the same sort of support that the Sisters of the Gospel of Life provide through the Cardinal Winning Pro-Life Initiative.

As well as practical support, they also believe in the power of prayer and fasting. Fr. Tim has mentioned before that he often goes up to their offices to give them Benediction.

Each month they have a National Day of Prayer and Fasting for Life: this month it will be on May 22nd, the Feast of St. Rita. It's not always possible to support every good cause financially, but praying for an end to abortion and euthanasia is something everyone can join in.

Fasting
Fast from all food except bread and water for the day
Or
Fast from a particular food or luxury, e.g. chocolate, alcohol, cigarettes, TV.
Fast from whatever you can given your state of health etc, but make sure it is something that involves a sacrifice to yourself.

Prayer
We are asking people to say a Rosary (or an extra Rosary if you say it daily already).

You could also offer an extra effort such as going to Mass (or an extra Mass) on the day, or going to Adoration. You can even pray before a closed tabernacle if Adoration is not available near you.

For further information on the days of Prayer and Fasting contact:

The Good Counsel Network on 020 7723 1740 or email them.

An Apology From The Suppository... (No, Not For THAT Article...)

Damian Thompson reports that The Suppository has found itself having to print an apology.

They printed a letter which reported a service, supposedly celebrated by euphemistic monsters, in which unconsecrated hosts, after Eucharistic Prayer II had been recited over them, were consumed as "Holy Communion."

No explanation of the reason for publishing this letter was given. Fr. Ray Blake speculated that it might be a snide attack on Bishop O'Donoghue, or a way of promoting the idea that the sacramental priesthood is not necessary any more!

Comments in Fr. Ray's com-box quickly brought certain discrepancies to light - so it would seem that the Blogosphere does have its uses, not to mention being a pretty quick way to check for accuracy in any reports. Within five days of the post going up on Fr. Ray's blog, the letter had been de-bunked.

The apology is grudging in the extreme:

"We published the letter in good faith, but it has since emerged after lengthy enquiries that the address in Grasmere, Cumbria, given on the letter does not exist, which causes us to be concerned that the letter might not have been genuine."

Might not have been genuine??? And lengthy enquiries?? A simple phone call to the parish priest concerned (or even a visit... Cumbria's not that far away!) would surely have revealed the obvious? Elena Curti was quick enough to visit Blackfen to try and dig up some dirt for her nasty hatchet-job.

I have to say that the thing which had me crying with laughter, literally doubled over, was a comment on Damian's post from an individual called "Crouchback":

"Why don't they apologize for the shiny front cover, which is no use in the dunny, believe me I've tried..."

The Real Presence...

This evening our parish was visited by Raymond de Souza, EWTN host and lay apologist, on his UK tour.

The topic he spoke on was one which is dear to my heart: whether Jesus' presence in the Eucharist is real or just "symbolic". For any Catholic it's a no-brainer, but I was keen to hear what arguments Raymond would put forward.

I was a little unsure how the talk would go: I half expected a "typical" evangelistic type, rather like Scott Hahn... don't get me wrong, I enjoy reading Scott Hahn's work (in small doses) and admire his zeal, but it's all a bit exhausting, and doesn't translate well in the UK. There is a basic lack of understanding as to how far the de-Christianisation of Europe has progressed: America, for all its "separation of Church and State" is far more steeped in religion than the UK.

In fact, Raymond de Souza proved to be an inspirational and fascinating speaker. He spoke without any notes, but he never seemed to stray far from his central message: that Christ had not been speaking figuratively when he said that a person must eat his flesh and drink his blood in order to inherit eternal life. I had already heard the arguments Raymond used, but his delivery was fresh and engaging, and he gave the topic an intensity I hadn't experienced before.

After a brief service of Benediction, there was an opportunity to buy some CDs and books - I managed to get a copy of Henry VIII's Defence of the Seven Sacraments, which Raymond de Souza had edited and supplemented - it comes with 2 CDs inside the cover. I knew that Henry VIII's treatise had defended the existence of the seven Sacraments (Luther maintained that there were only two, Baptism and the Eucharist) but I hadn't realised that Henry had also written arguments defending the primacy of the Pope. I look forward to reading the book.

The full itinerary of Raymond de Souza's tour can be found HERE, and if you are in the vicinity, I would really recommend making the effort to hear him in person. If you can't make any of the events mentioned, you can buy CD recordings of many of his talks.

Finally, I was delighted to make the acquaintance of Bernadette Bevans (of BevansInc.), who is responsible for co-ordinating Raymond's UK tour, and Gary Bevans, who painted the reproduction of the Sistine Chapel ceiling in the church of Goring-by-Sea, West Sussex. The Bevans are also responsible for producing DVDs on various topics, such as the life of St. Edmund Campion and St. Philip Howard, through their company, Mary's Dowry Productions. Pop over and check them out!

Video Excerpts From The Jubilee...

For those of you not fortunate enough to have been there, or even for those who were there, but fancy a reminder of how magnificent it all was, here's a video of the highlights...

Ad Multos Annos !

It was Fr. Ray's Silver Jubilee yesterday, and to celebrate, he had a Mass in honour of the Carthusian martyrs. I wasn't entirely certain that I'd be able to go, as driving there and back would be a bit too much for me (I'm still anaemic, and tire very, very easily) but the offer of a lift back afterwards made things easier.

I checked out train times, and discovered that there was a fast train, taking just an hour and one minute, from London Bridge, and I thought that might be my best option, as it would be less crowded than one of the "commuter" trains. However, when I got to London Bridge, there were various announcements about a Brighton train which was supposed to stop at all the stations, but which, due to its being 20 minutes late, would now not be stopping at Gatwick Airport.

Not sure about the reason for the delays, I thought that it might be a good idea to get on the first train which presented itself at the platform, as the station was getting more and more crowded with disgruntled passengers with suitcases (obviously the Gatwick crowd.)

At the first stop, a further announcement was made: the train was so late that only one further stop before Brighton was to be allowed, and all other passengers had to get off. Delighted to discover that my train was now, effectively, the "non-stop" to Brighton service, I settled down for a brief nap.

A taxi from the station deposited me at the church of St. Mary Magdalen. I couldn't see any "reserved" signs, so plumped myself down in a front pew with an eye to taking photos. Fr. Ray spotted me and gave permission to snap away, though I was (jokingly) told there would be a strict embargo until after he'd put some photos on his own blog...

There were two choirs: the parish choir and the Brighton Chamber Choir, and the music was a heady mixture of plainchant and polyphony. Afterwards, I met Clare, who leads the parish choir (and sings in the Brighton Chamber Choir) and was able to express my appreciation. Clare isn't a blogger, but she is good friends with Leutgeb, with whom she will be going to Solesmes in the Summer. The choirs were busy practicing when I arrived, and I got a sneaky shot in early...

The Mass itself was magnificent. Fr. Seán Finnegan preached an excellent sermon on St. John Houghton and the Carthusian martyrs; very stirring stuff. The sermon was a reflection on the last words of St. John, "Good Jesu, what will you do with my heart?" and from there considered the vocation of the priesthood. This passage from the sermon reminded me why we, the laity, owe so much to our priests, and why little signs of love and appreciation for our priests (such as the Chrism Mass Demo) are so important:

"I have always been very struck by the story of Blessed Noel Pinot, a martyr of the French Revolution, who, having been arrested when about to celebrate Mass, ascended the scaffold to the guillotine dressed in the same Mass vestments, reciting to himself the same words we said today 'Introibo ad altare Dei'. The mother of St. John Bosco said to him on his ordination day: 'Remember, son, that beginning to say Mass means beginning to suffer.' These words come home to me and strike at my conscience, because I would far rather have a nice dinner with brandy and cigars than suffering, but I increasingly think that I can never really be worthy of my priesthood until I pour myself more entirely into it. There is nothing worth having that does not carry its price label, and the price label for following the Lord is imitating Him in all things or, as He said Himself, taking up our cross daily. The question is not what do I want (the answer to that is straightforward: I’ll have an easy life, please, involving some nice dinners in agreeable company) but what does He want. In fact, 'Good Jesu, what will you do with my heart?' Because whereas my little wants are rather petty and contemptible, His are wonderful beyond comprehension."

Fr. Tim Finigan posted an account of the Mass, and some other photos. Laurence England (referred to as "Bones" because of his blog title) was also present, and I narrowly escaped having my photo taken outside the presbytery as I left. I believe that a few photos have made their way to the New Liturgical Movement blog, along with a close-up of the vestments. Here are a few more photos that I snapped during the Mass...

Heartfelt congratulations to you, Fr. Ray on your Silver Jubilee, and thank you for accepting Christ's call with such generosity.