Roman Surprises 2 (to me anyway): Rigatoni and St Joseph's Chapel

ROMAN CULTURE: PASTA PARTICULARITIES AND DOING AS THE ROMANS DO:

Over the hectic but very enjoyable pre-Blogmeet lunch, I learned why the Romans favour rigatoni as being short tubes ahead of spaghetti strings.  It is simply because the hollow tubular construction of the former, allows it to absorb the flavoursome juices from the sauce with which it is served. The hollow bit is of greater diameter than in macaroni and so is more effective. Not only that, but none of the sauce is wasted and left swimming around on the plate when the pasta has been eaten.It is as logical and explicable as the French habit of marinading meat for hours before it is committed to the oven, or the 'fire' as it is always called in old recipe books.. As as an Anglo and Franco cook I've never had the time for proper study of the specifics of  pasta cuisine. Anyway it's not the sort of thing most modern recipe books would tell you. Another factor in this Roman business-person's lunch-time pasta preference, is that rigatoni  is more easily eaten without spillage down ones clothes, which are thus kept impeccable for the return to the office in the afternoon. I had the impression that had I chosen a spaghetti dish, I should definitely have given myself away as a non-Roman.tourist. That factor is of no relevance in my decision to cook with rigatoni in the future. The vastly improved flavour over the old stand-by 'spag. bol', most definetely is.

SOMETHING I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT ST. PETER'S:
Like many visitors I thought that the Blessed Sacrament was only reserved in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel where It is exposed all day between the morning Mass and the 5pm one. You can see the noble proportions and lofty ceiling of this chapel in the photograph below.

On the afternoon of my visit,  the Basilica and the Chapel were so crowded that the latter felt almost claustrophobic and much smaller than it is in reality. I suppose it must have been about 4.14pm when we entered and knelt to pray before the Blessed Sacrament. We did not stay for the Mass because of my Seminarian's limited time and because we fully believed that I would be able to attend Mass in St Peter's the following morning before the General Audience.I suppose at about 5pm, he led me to St Joseph's chapel which is beyond the Sacristy on the other side of the nave, telling me as we approached it that most people don't reallise  the Blessed Sacrament is reserved there too, although firmly hidden in the tabernacle. I think he realised that if he didn't find somewhere quiet and unpopulated, I would probably collapse or explode. It was entirely due to his sensitivity because I gave no indication of how I felt inside. And so we came to the chapel of St Joseph

It was even less populated than in the above photo, although I don't know how those people with bare arms managed to get in on the occasion when it was taken. It must have been a very hot day and the Swiss Guards were feeling less inclined to enforce the 'dress code' than is normally their wont.

But oh, on May 3rd, what blessed balm of peace and solitude whilst the 'madding crowd' beat by, only a matter of yards to our right , but now amazingly they were totally unheard. In the silence it was suddenly possible to pray for them all, to realise the enormity of where I was, and with Whom..
The photo at the head of this post shows the pew in front of the one where I knelt that afternoon. I was aware that there was a nun in front of me too. But that is all. Reflecting now, I wonder whether perhaps there is an Order which makes sure that Our Lord is never left unattended in this chapel of His foster father.

I am sorry that this description is so inadequate.
We must have been there for at least ten minutes, and then we went down to the Grottoes by a way other than the two I knew about. DV, more of that  and other surprises tomorrow. In the meantime, God bless all here.

In Christo pro Papa,

Jane

A thread of hope for the French Diocese of Rodez?

This afternoon's email from VIS reports that the Pope received the Prefect of the Congregation for bishops in private audience, on Saturday May 21.

Oasis Update; and memories of the 'Eternal City'

Please forgive sparse and sporadic posting over the past week. Not until last night was I able to solve at least part of the computer problems that have beset and frustrated me this week.Thanks to guidance from Mac, who possesses the patience of Job, I've been able to install Google Chrome. This has meant that I can again access my own dashboard, a facility that had been lost on Saturday morning, on top of not being able to post directly to the blog of 'The guild of Blessed Titus Brandsma', another problem which had plagued me all week..Anyway things should look up now, and with thanks to dear Mac, I'll leave further explanations and 'return' to Rome.

As you know the recent visit, was my first. During my four days in Rome, I learned many  things which intrigued and surprised me. Seasoned visitors to the Eternal City may disregard my reports and find nothing new in them, but I will submit them over coning day in case they  may give others information they do not already regard as in the 'well of course we all know that' category. These things fall into three areas: The present Pope and his Blessed predecessor; facts about the Vatican and St. Peter's Basilica; and general things observed about Roman culture. I listed 18  points in my notebook and will deal with only one tonight.. Much of this information was gleaned from the fact that I was privileged to have as my guides, two people who have lived in Rome for several years, one a journalist and the other a seminarian.

1. Blessed John Paul II
 As we passed the relatively huge part of the transept of St. Peter's which is devoted to Confessions, my Seminarian said to me that John Paul had come down there quite frequently, and  anonymously, to hear  Confessions .  Many thoughts raced through my head at this information, two of which were: 1. why should I be surprised to hear this? As a priest of Jesus Christ, he could not do otherwise. He must bind and loose according to his priestly vows. As Successor of Peter, he should be doing that, and he could not and would not neglect, or be prevented from the execution of this part of  his sacred function, least of all because of the trappings of being Pope. 2. How many people would have recognized the voice of their  Blessed Confessor, and how many would have not? For those who did recognize it, had any of them been in the Square on May 1st? Highly likely that they were . I  couldn't begin to contemplate in any depth how they must have felt. And yet I faced it for that fleeting moment in St Peter's on the afternoon of May3.
Then I asked my seminarian whether he thought that Pope Benedict did this too. His answer: 'Well it's possible,  (and of course I thought it was more than likely, for the same reasons that  Blessed John Paul had done it), but we won't know until after he has died.

Tomorrow, DV,  Rigatoni and St Joseph's chapel in St. Peter's plus more, if I can get up to steam.

GBAH,
In Christo pro Papa

J

First female blogger has at last arrived on the Guild of Blessed Titus

She apologises for this extremely late representation of her gender. But despite the best efforts of Laurence, Dylan and Richard (the Linen) Collins, she has been jinxed all week by techno-problems which have still not all been solved.

As someone said, where is Mac, where is Red Maria? I do like men, but some sisterly company would be welcome!

Benedict XVI: Spiritual Direction is Needed

See also Zenit article on this papal address.
And you might like to investigate this site if you are without a spiritual director or having difficulty in finding one
And this and this.

The Emperor's new clothes: That horrible statue in Rome:

Who is the mayor of Rome trying to kid?
If you haven't already been exposed to this atrocity, please see The Hermeneutic of Continuity (Fr Tim Finigan) and WDTPRS (Fr  Z ) in the sidebar here.

Blessed John Paul II, pray for us.

Happy Feast of SS Dunstan, Ethelwold and Oswald

.......at least for old calendarians! They did so much for the Faith in England that  it's quite shocking they are not even afforded a Memoria in the present English and Welsh calendar.  I wanted to post, at least about St. Dunstan tonight, but technical problems prevented. Perhaps tomorrow.

Still no news about bishop elect Fonlupt of Rodez; and the French Bishops conference hasn't exactly been informative or enlightening about Universae Ecclesiae. (see sidebar and look under 'evenements'.) Well it WAS an evenement for us! But as usual most of the French faithful will not know about it.

In the meantime, GBAH

In Christo pro Papa

The Rodez/Fonlupt affair and other important French connections including an astounding video on the life of St Therese of Lisieux

RODEZ AND THE FONLUPT AFFAIR
I continue to chase up news of any developments in this affair and will post anything I find ASAP.

PAIX LITURGIQUE WILL DEAL WITH THE UNIVERSAE ECCLESIAE INSTRUCTION IN ITS NEXT NEWS LETTER

THE BEST FRENCH ORTHODOX CATHOLIC BLOG This is recommended. It is  Le Blog de Christophe Saint-Placide 'Summorum Pontificum' The author has been in Rome at the recent Conference on Pope Benedict's Motu Proprio, and is just getting back to steam. Find him, towards the top of left sidebar here.

VIDEO ON ST THERESE OF LISIEUX 'THE STORY OF A SOUL' (Bonne Pioche TV in collaboration with kto tv)
This is an absolute tour de force one- woman performance. The actress plays the parts not only of St Therese herself, but also of her parents, The Pope, other nuns of the Lisieux Carmel and many others in her story. Even if you don't understand French it's power will reach you. It's 55 minutes long.

There is a direct link but it's six lines long. Better to give you the following directions
Google kto tv
Choose their 'Programmes' link
On this page in the left sidebar 'Dernieres Videos' click 'L'Histoire d'une Ame'

Alternatively the film will be repeated tonight on kto at 22.01 (UK time) Reach it by googling kto tv and clicking the 'Accueil' choice.

Also new in sidebar is a link to the site of the French Bishops Conference. I've had a brief look but have not yet found any reference to the Vatican Blogmeet, or to the UE instruction. Will look again this evening. Meanwhile if anyone finds anything that the French Bishops may have said about either of these things, I'd be grateful for comment.

The Guild of Blessed Titus is now up and running! Deo Gratias

Thanks to Laurence and Dylan.
See sidebar here.
Have promised to post on it at the weekend. Now back to other pressing tasks.

God bless all here.

In Christo pro Papa

Antonio Bertali : Regina Coeli (Folia)

Just so there's no 'dead air'!

Working on article about the Vat Blogmeet for S.E. Charente news Bulletin

So with apologies, have to report that won't post here again until tomorrow evening, DV.

GBAH

In Christo pro Papa

ZENIT - Aide: Pope's New Audience Series on PRAYER is Attracting Attention

ZENIT - Aide: Pope's New Audience Series Attracting Attention

Latin Mass Card. Brandmüller Rome 2011 Saint Peters Basilica - Ite Missa...

That congregational Deo Gratias at the end sounds like Mac at Blackfen. Don't tell me she managed to sneak away and get there! If so it's no wonder her 'Monsignori' had nearly killed a bird in her absence. At least she was home in time to save the poor critter.

G.B.A.H.
In Christo pro Papa

Latin Mass Card. Brandmüller Rome 2011 Saint Peters Basilica - Gospel

Pontifical Mass in Latin -- St. Peter's Basilica

THIS MORNING! FOR THE FIRST TIME! SOLEMN EF MASS AT THE 'ALTARE DELLA CATHEDRA' ST. PETER'S BASILICA ROME

For more details see Sandro Magister (third up from the bottom of left sidebar here.

Thanks to my 'dogs in doublets'; h/t to the Anchoress for this post title

I'm too tired to do any more tonight  aside from this. I will re-engage the battle tomorrow and later resume the series of posts on my Roman experience. But for now, what exactly is a 'dog in a doublet'? The Anchoress (Elizabeth Scalia), who thanks be to God has recovered from temporary illness, posted today an Eric Partridge-type list of old slang. 'A dog in a doublet' gives its period away by the item of male clothing mentioned. Anyway, the definition given is: 'a daring resolute fellow'. You can just see them strutting about Shakespeare's Southwark, can't you (Paul, Laurence, Dylan and James, furiously and productively arguing with each other.). The definition of  a  'dog in a doublet' does not specify youth, but it was the young, or relatively young, who sprang immediately to mind when I read this. Our priestly bloggers deserve a post of thanks on their own and Father Z is already too venerable to be included as a 'dog' of this kind! Thank God he was able to blog in isolated splendour yestersday, whilst Blogger bloggers were rendered mute. His voice on the podcast was incredibly soothing

So thanks to you, my 'dogs in doublets': that is Paul Priest, Laurence England, Dylan Parry and James Preece, even though you do not always agree with each other, and at times I may not be entirely comfortable with the style of what you do and say, I thank God for the gifts He has given you, and pray you well.

G.B.A.H.
In Christo pro Papa,

J

The 'Morris-like' bishop-elect of Rodez France. How on earth did this happen?

First, this appointment  seems to be (from the description of the bishop-elect given by Valle Adurni) a catastrophic and totally unaccountable act on the part of 'the eldest daughter of the Churchi'.  The Pope has only just 'removed' Australian Bishop Morris after years of quiet negotiation, during which theVatican had tried repeatedly to persuade him to resign. After all that trouble why is a similarly dissenting bishop now appointed to a French diocese, and moreover one that is not known to have a history of heterodoxy? Suspecting that the Congregation for Bishops had been atrociously misled by the terna from Paris, I turned to "my friend in Rome" hereinafter MFIR. I refer to him thus to answer his need for anonymity.
The rest of this post is based on what he was able to tell me.

MFIR assured me that the problem had indeed arisen from a misleading Terna, and that those who, even before this incident, wished to see the responsible Nuncio replaced, may soon have their desire fulfilled. Cardinal Ouillet is now perfectly well aware that he was wrong to have trusted the Terna and that 'mistakes' of this magnitude therefore will NOT be repeated in future, at least not while the present Nuncio remains in post.. In any case there is great concern amongst the priests of the diocese of Rodez about this appointment.  If there is to be a change, will the Vatican be able to find a replacement Nuncio strong enough to resist pressure brought to bear on him by the 'liberal' wing of the Church in France? MFIR felt it unlikely that the decision would be reversed.

My comment:
Whoever was behind this successful attempt to trap the Holy See into appointing a bishop as far away from the mind and wish of Pope Benedict as is Hans Kung, has achieved something he or they could only do once. They are people who have got their way by the playing of a dishonest trick which makes both Cardinal and Pope look foolish and not at all with their fingers on the pulse. But the players of this dastardly hand  against truth, have now blown any cover they may have had. As to the decision being reversed, Pope Benedict has done something similar once before in the case of Fr Wagner's not after all being appointed a Bishop because of local liberal opposition to his traditionalism. Perhaps the Holy Father will use this opportunity to again reverse a locally unpopular choice. Ishall have a keen eye of the VIS list of people the Pope will see privately next week. In the meantime please join me in praying  for the priests and people of the Rodez diocese.

Universae Ecclesiae: Catholic Herald reports on Archbishop Nichols' 'wet blanket'

As already indicated, shortly after noon today,  I was very grateful for Fr Z's podcast and comments. My initial reaction was that although, as he had already flagged, there were some very good things about the UE, I felt that the section about teaching the EF is seminaries was by no means forceful  enough and that its polite phrasing would allow certain bishops who have demonstrated their opposition to SM, at the very least, by inaction over the 3 years since its promulagation, to treat this UE clarification in exactly the same way.

Unfortunately I didn't have to wait long to have these fears substantiated. Mid-afternoon the Catholic Herald launched a debate on whether English seminaries should teach the EF. I've been back to look at it again and I'm sure the original wording has been changed. I distinctly remember from that first reading that Archbishop Nichols had said that he perceived no pastoral need to teach the EF in English seminaries........ No link was given to where, when or to whom he had made this statement. (Very un-Herald-like) Nevertheless, the first 9 comments were obviously answering the item that I had read and all of them said they thought that ++Nichols was wrong to say this. (There are now 11 comments and only one is in support of his attitude.) Anna Arco now has a more detailed report on the Herald site and it seems that the Archbishop's remarks were indeed made at a Press Conference earlier today. Interesting that the recent deliberations of the  BCEW  at Leeds received equal attention with the UE matter, although it seems clear to me that no notice has been taken of the new nuncio's exhortation and advice to follow Pope Benedict.

I am really very saddened by Archbishop Nichols. In his first interview with the BBC after his appointment to Westminster, he acknowledged Tony Blair as a clever politician, but affirmed that he personnaly would be following Pope Benedict. It was an encouraging and brave start, but I'm afraid not one borne out in his reaction to subsequent events and issues.

Many of us know that at least at the English College and N.A.C. in Rome, young seminarians have to keep their traditional leanings below the parapet, or risk being thrown out. (This has been going on since the 70s  and although now less oppressive than heretofore,  it is still the case, certainly in my personal knowledge.) Until that situation ceases and seminary staff stop working against the Pope we will not get much further, UE or no UE.

As far as England and Wales are concerned, today has demonstrated that our bishops either totally misunderstand the vision of Pope Benedict and what he is trying to do., or they are died-in-the-wool opposed to him. He is after all the supreme 'law-giver'.The BCEW does not seem to acknowledge that. Is this because of a faulty quasi/protestant interpretation of collegiality? I think that may be so.  A long time ago I posted on this blog that collegiality could work for the good, only if bishops were in collegiality WITH the Pope, not AGAINST him.   There is only one Pope, not a pope per diocese.

Archbishop Nichols' statements today, for a man who has been so involved with Education, seemed totally to miss the fact  that when you train people to anything, you have to be agreed on your priorities. You start at the beginning and you train to that end. You don't let  the most important things be an option for later. You explain what those options are from the beginning, and how much they matter. It's just, I fear, that Archbishop Nichols'  priorities are very different and that he is so far from Pope Benedict's mind.

I am horrified at having to post in apparent criticism of an Archbishop. I'm sure you all know how hard I have striven over past years not to do that. But in the end there is a limit. At least it looks as if we may have Epiphany and the Ascension restored to us.

Perhaps more tomorrow,
God bless all here

In Christo pro Papa

J

Blogshock, the UE and a sad indication from Archbishop Nichols (see Catholic Herald).

Blogger restored itself about an hour ago, in the middle of my preparing supper. DV will post again in about an hour.Where would we have been without Father Z?!!

Tomorrow's "Universae Ecclesiae"

Yesterday I'd already decided not to post tomorrwo, Friday 13 May. Like  most readers for whom it is a possibility, I will (DV) be glued to the Vatican Bollettino at noon tomorrow, will be spending the afternoon digesting the document and following the comments on other blog. I expect that you will be similarly occupied.

As you know I intended to post today about the Tuesday of my recent Roman experience. Therefore you can imagine my dismay upon discovering at 11am this morning that I could not access my Blogger dashboard. I worked  hard to restore it for a couple of fevered but unsuccessful hours, before giving up in frustration that I could not keep my promise to you. Awareness of the gremlin responsible for such  incidents, is what causes me always to put DV when announcing intended posts. (This is at least the third time the said Mr g. has had the better of me, and I hereby announce that in future, if I fail to post as promised it will be because he has managed to find another chink in the system.!)

Other commitments for the rest of today make it sensible not to post again until Saturday unless there are any easy video snippets. (Last night's was put up to remind me that kneeling for prayer is something I've wanted to post about for a long time.)

With a very loud and emphatic DV,
I remain yours in vast relief,

G.B.A.H.

In Christo pro Papa
Jane

Pope explains why we kneel during prayer

Pope explains why we kneel during prayer

Forced and necessary: a day's break from blogging intensity!

Today will be busy and time consuming from a domestic point of view. It's also necessary to 'recharge batteries' before continuing to record and relive the recent Roman experience, particularly since last Tuesday and Wednesday were even more intense and penitential than the first two days, already described in earlier posts below.
(Favourable reports continue to reach me about the Westminster bloggers' meeting last Saturday. Thanks and congratulations to Dylan and friends. Hope to do my own post about this early next week.)

DV, until tomorrow then, God bless all here.

In Christo pro Papa

J

Rome May 2011: Mainly Spiritual Reflections (plus more reactions to the Vat. Blogmeet) Part 3

MONDAY MAY 2

One thing I did not mention in the last post was the nagging worry and lack I had felt about not having been to Mass the previous day. In one sense I was firmly in control of practical matters, in another I was completely out of control of events as they were unfolding. I had made a Spiritual Communion during the TV broadcast of the Beatification and given myself into Our Lord's will. Today perhaps He would provide the opportunity.

I rose relatively late on that second morning and whilst preparing to go down for breakfast learned from the TV  of Osama Bin Laden's killing by the Americans. That this news broke the day after the beatification of Pope John Paul II made it easy to suspect that the hand of God had been at work in the business. On the other hand it was quite apparent to me that the timing of the event was politically motivated to give early and powerful muscle to President Obama's eventual election campaign. There was no vengeful rejoicing, either in my hotel room or in the Italian TV studio. My own first reaction was fear that this would set off international and violent Islamic reprisals  I prayed for Asia Bibi and the other Christians cruelly imprisoned for so-called contravention of Pakistan's anti-blasphemy laws. After breakfast, I rang my husband for a brief exchange of views and then settled down to making some notes for the afternoon's blogmeet.

Paix Liturgique man (hereinafter referred to as PL) had originally said he would arrive to collect me at 1.30pm. An hour before that, still fearful that he may not turn up, I went down to the reception area to wait for him. I leave you to imagine the relief that flooded me when he arrived on time and we set off together to find some lunch.
He knew the area well as he had lived in it until March, when he had moved to the outskirts of Rome where the cost of living is much lower. On the way to the pasta place (used by local Romans and rare;y if ever, found by tourists), he told me what the Vatican had said that morning about how Christians should react to the killing of Bin Laden. Both of us were in full accord with the Vatican statement.. PL is a charming young Frenchman, totally dedicated to 'the Reform of the Reform' and married to a Roman wife, who he told me, had lost her Faith until the moment six years ago, when Joseph Ratzinger stepped out onto the central Loggia as Pope. PL  speaks fluent Italian and English and at a great rate of knots. With my French as well, we had no problem in communication. His speed of delivery and his knowledge, reminded me very much of the way in which my dear friend Paul Priest comments on blogs and writes his emails. Over lunch, which was the first hot meal I had eaten since the previous Friday night, we had an intense preliminary discussion about the composition of the list of invited bloggers that had been published by the PCCS. I had previously assessed that the anglophone bloggers all seemed to be pro-magisterium and loyal to the Pope.  PL confirmed that at least in France and Italy, the Anglophone blogosphere has an exemplary reputation in its intelligent understanding and infomed support of the Holy See, and  the Pontificate of Pope Benedict.. In other words this must have been noted by the Vatican itself. PL's superior knowledge of the Italian and French blogging and media scenes, enabled him to reveal a) that there were several non-catholics on the list, including one from the French section of the Salvation Army! and b) that there were one or two less orthodox French representatives.  I was glad to be prepared for this but wondered how it would affect the conduct of the afternoon. We agreed that the inclusion of a) and b) must have been the result of Vatican diplomacy, but wondered whether the meeting would be an attempt to bite off more than it could chew in the alloted four hours at its disposal. Neither of us drank wine over lunch. Wits had to be kept totally intact. (No alcohol passed my lips during the entire time I was in Rome and the water diet continued until Tuesday when I managed to buy some fruit juice!)

Several other matters were discussed over lunch, the details of which I expect will come back later. We walked as far as the station where PL had to buy tickets for a train journey the following day, and then took a cab to the Palazzo Pio X. We were running out of time and the driver took us an illegal but shorter way. Even so, we were stuck for several anxious minutes in a narrow sidestreet behind a stationary Roman dust cart and its human operatives, going about their lawful occasions in a maddeningly leisurely way.

MORE REACTIONS TO THE BLOGMEET

1. In spite of Archbishop Celli's opening claim that this was NOT a meeting of Catholic Bloggers, I really think in the event that is the very thing that itt turned out to be. Catholic Bloggers were in a definite majority. All the speakers on both panels, and all but one of the questioners from the floor were convinced Catholics. I do think the Vatican had been genuine in its attempt at outreach to non-catholic Christians, and at the very least it thus covered itself agains possible accusations of exclusivity and of being inward-looking.

2. The meeting very definitely attempted too much in such a short space of time. It really warranted a day-long event. Added to this, the mixture of private independent bloggers and those official ones run by professional journalists, made it difficult to point up the very important differences between these two types of author. That said, there was no attempt on the part of the latter group , to monopolise the meeting. The sense of togetherness and community was uppermost throughout. A longer meeting would have allowed the important difference to become clearer. On the other hand, the opportunity to make personal contact with these journalists was a very definite plus. (For instance I am now in touch with one of the most important American ones.)

3. One was tremendously impressed when the Vatican official invited us to do something many of us,  already do, namely to help the Church fight and correct mainstream media  'misrepresentation' of the Pope, the Church and the Catholic Faith. It was salutary to learn about the difficulties the Holy See faces in the running of its own sites and media outreach. Encouraging also to learn about their plans in the very near future to put up a single site which will access all their outlets.(See Edward Pentin's earlier mentioned Zenit article.) In short the Church was gladly and graatefully accepting us as valued soldiers in the spiritual battle she has on hand.

4. The matter of the temptation to make one's blog into a platform for egotism was mentioned first by Elizabeth Scalia and Fr Lombardi took it up in his later address. I think it is something of which most of us are deeply conscious and try to avoid.  Nevertheless, I think he encapsuled it memorably in his motto-like conclusion: 'Service not Ego'.

5. I was very interested to listen to Fr Lombarrdi's comments. In the course of describing the difficulties and vast compass and responsibilities of his own job, it became clear to me that he knows all about the criticisms to which he is subject, and that people have sometimes found his public 'clarifications' of Papal actions and words, confusing rather than enlightening.  I detected a tiny element of self defensiveness here, and for goodness sake he has a right to that. In any case his bearing and his words were distingished by their humility and one could not help but be in sympathy with him.

6. I have already mentioned the lack of emphasis on spirituallly based blogs, and came away determined to sharpen the focas of my own blogs in that aspect.

7. The simultaneous final praying of the Our Father in at least ten vernaculars made us sound like a veritable 'tower of Babel', not the right effect at all. A golden opportunity was missed to celebrate and demonstrate the unifying power of Latin as the universal language of the Church at prayer in multi-national gatherings. The Holy Father has made great and educative strides in affirming Latin over the past six years. It was sad that although the Vatican followed his lead in making the meeting open to all, they did not follow his example as far as the use of Latin is concerned. It was probably done like this so that the few non-Catholics felt comfortable. I have to argue with that thinking. Now is not the time, but if anyone challenges me on this point, I will respond most vociferously!!

8. As the meeting began to break up, PL became surrounded by several members of the French Liberal catholic Press Corps. All very charming on the surface, but it was clear to him and also to me, what they were up to. I have to be careful here and may post at greater length about it on another occasion. However, it was a first practical demonstration to me, that being in favour of the EF involves much more in France than it does in England. Let us just say for the moment, that French Politics is involved to an extent which in no way applies to the situation of the British Catholic .

It was twilight when we left and neither of us was able to follow the group to a bar for drinks and relaxed conversation. After I'd found a necessary cash dispenser, PL hailed me a cab. It was dark by the time I arrived back at the hotel. Sadly still no Mass. Perhaps tomorrw, was again my fervent prayer.

To be continued tomorrow

God bless all here,

In Christo pro Papa,

J

Home from Rome 4: Personal Reflections Part 2 - "Finding my way Home"

SUNDAY AFTERNOON
"Finding my way home"
After returning here last Wednesday I had a long phone conversation with a dear priest friend in London. I thank Fr SY for this because it helped to clarify my thoughts before writing this post. We spoke of the way in which the word 'time' loses it commonly accepted meaning in Rome. Not for nothing is it known as the Eternal City. If you are an open channel, earthly time shows itself as meaning nothing there. At times it can simply disappear altogether, and heavenly time takes over, simply because Rome is, apart from Jerusalem, the nearest earthly place to eternal 'time'. The veil between human understanding of time and God's omniscient and 'Other' knowledge, is at its thinnest in these places. Rome showed herself to me like this on more than one occasion, but my experience of being lost in her streets on Sunday afternoon was a first demonstration of this her most special nature. I will try to describe it although words will
"strain,
 Crack and sometimes break, under the burden,
Under the tension, slip, slide, perish,
Decay with imprecision, will not stay in place,
Will not stay still."
(T.S. Eliot - from 'Burnt Norton')

When I realised the helplessness of my situation, although I continued determinedly to put one foot in front of the other, I had no idea where their steps were leading me. I did not panic but  felt time suspending itself and began to experiece a totally different consciousness. (It was not hallucinatory; I experienced no vision', unless it is possible to have an unseen 'vision'!) I knew with an absolutely calm certainty that I, a lost sheep in both the physical and spiritual senses, would be found and carried home in the arms of our most beloved Good Shepherd and Redeemer. It truly ceased to matter whether 'home' would mean the end of my earthly existence.
"Not darkness to purify the soul
Emptying the sensual with deprivation
Cleansing affection from the temporal.
Neither plenitude nor vacancy........................"
(T.S. Eliot op. cit.)
If conscious when I come to die, I will remember the true reality of the experience and know it will help me to die ' a good and holy death'. Incidentally, amongst other things, largely overlooked this year, Sunday was the first day of Our Lady's month and one of St Joseph's feasts. I have been asking them both over a considerable time for their protection and intercession  as regards death. 

I do not know how long I wandered in this state because finally arrived safely at the hotel, I didn't look at my watch.
Back in my room I lay down to rest and to pray about what had just happened to me..............

I was woken by my mobile. To my delight and relief, it was the seminarian in Rome, with whom Father Mark Kirby had put me in touch just before I left France the previous day. He made an arrangement to pick me up at the hotel on the Tuesday and spend the afternoon with me. It began to look as if it would after all be impossible for me to attend the 'other' Blogmeet at the Scholar's Lounge, but really there was no choice for me between that and meeting S., particularly not, in my capacity as Spiritual Mother of priests and seminarians. (I remembered and prayed particularly for Ros (Shadowlands) at that point of immediate decision.) To protect his identity, he will simply be referred to as S. in the rest of these posts about Rome. Looking at my watch after his call, I was amazed to see that it was only 5.30. The whole of the afternoon's experience had taken less than two and a half earthly hours. Time truly did appear to have stopped during it.

Early to bed that night. I was still anxious  not to have had confirmation from my Paix Liturgique contact, who had promised by email to meet me at the hotel and go with me to the Vatican Meeting the next day. (It has since become apparent that the hotel failed to pass on emails or faxed messages to me. At least I received none whilst I was there.) Nevertheless, I fell into an immediate and deep slumber, healing to body and refreshing to spirit.

Next post, DV tomorrow: Onday May 2: Obama, Osama, Paix Liturgique and more reflections on the Vatican meeting. In the meantime as always, God bless all here!

In Christo pro Papa

Home from Rome 3: Personal reflections on the recent 'pilgrimage' Part 1

First of all, I'm very pleased that everything seems to have gone so well yesterday at the Westminster Blogmeet to plan a possible 'Guild of Catholic Bloggers'. I won't comment on it until more reports appear on other blogs and don't expect to hear until this evening from my personal representative at the meeting.

NOW TO TACKLE THE ROMAN EXPERIENCE.
Setting out, an the Day of Beaticication
I should not have dreamed of going, had I not been selected for invitation to the Vatican meeting. I went with only one expectation, and that was that it would not be easy. At least part of me wanted to stay in the comfort zone of home. I silenced that voice in my heart as lily-livered cowardice, but here are some of the thingst that made me wonder whether I was wise or equipped to go at all, or whether I was being foolhardy to take up the challenge. On the other hand I faced the possibility, if not the probability, that this may be the only chance I would ever have to see St. Peter's  and perhaps even the Pope at the Wednesday General Audience.
It would be my first time in Rome and I would be totally alone there. It would be brutally busy because of the Beatification. I would have to have wheelchair assistance at both airports because I can no longer manage stairs of escalators. My walking stick would be essential whilst in Rome, but at the same time would clearly announce my vulnerability to any ill-disposed witness of my halting progress through the streets surrounding the Vatican. The only confirmed event before I left home was the Vatican meeting, but even for that I had to be prepared to make my way there without assistance. I had a new mobile and a digital camera but apart from these was definitely electronically under-equipped.  Woud my presence be justified? Would there be opportunity to make a contribution? Was I being selfish in going when many others would be of more use in the place alloted to me? Even after the arrangements were made and there was 'no going back', these thoughts argued with each other in my head. By the time I set off on Saturday morning, I had decided to take the whole thing as a pilgrimage and had faith that I was in God's hands, my Guardian Angel would look after me and you would be praying for me.

On Saturday morning therefore, I left here with three emotions doing an odd battle within: serenity, anxiety and joyous excitement.

I write the rest of this as a log, because after all the word blog is a contraction of 'web log'. In this instance it's a sharing of parts of my 'spiritual' diary'. By its nature it thus involves more use of the first person, than I have usually employed in Oasis posting.

SATURDAY April 30
My fears about the journey itself proved totally unfounded because of the excellent care of airport staff - Air France at Bordeaux and Al Italia at Fiumicino - the latter delivering me direct to a taxi and helping me into it. This wheelchair experience was a first for me, and I learned something of what it must be like as a seriously disabled person. Parked by the check in desk in the departure lounge, I learned what is like to be unable to see what is going on behind , and to have one's weakness displayed before everyone there. It was not pleasant and I took that to heart as the first lesson of my pilgrimage.

It was dull, rainy and quite chilly when we arrived in Rome. The journey to the hotel, which was on the via Aurelia side of the Vatican, seemed to pass quickly and soon I caught my first glimpse of  the greyish bulk of the dome of St Peter's, momentarily dominating everything else in vision. Nothing felt real. I still didn't believe I was actually there.

I had been pre-warned by several people not to attempt St. Peter's Square for the Beatification and this advice was reinforced by a very kind and sensible young female receptionist. And so resigning myself to watching it on TV in the morning, learned how to operate all the electronic gadgetry in my room and began to settle in and calm down. Knowing the hotel only did breakfast, I'd brought a baguette sandwich from home and therefore dined on bread, ham and water. The ham was the only meat I ate in Rome. As you will see later, there was very definitely an element of fasting and abstinence, gladly accepted as appropriate to a pilgrim's diet. Night Prayer and then sleep. Unlike the Anchoress I slept soundly all the time I was there, sheer exhaustion overcoming excitement and anxiety. I continually thanked God for this blessing of peaceful sleep..My Angel obviously knew that I needed to be properly rested to face the minor trial of the following afternoon.

SUNDAY May 1
The Breakfast buffet was excellent and plentiful. On the tip of my friend Mary, I was able to pack enough away in my bag to keep body and soul together for the next 24 hours. At that stage I did not know whether there would be a chance to buy anything or eat elsewhere. After breakfast returned to the room,  settled down to The Office and then to watch the Beatification. The screen in my room was large and very clear. I tried several photos during the Beatification but do not know whether they will come out at all successfully. Probably not, but it was worth a try. In any case photos taken during the four days will probably not be posted until next weekend.

It was a strange experience, to watch on TV, something so moving and important to our faith, when it was taking place 5 minutes away. Also odd to sit alone in the quiet room whilst thousands were assembled with the Holy Father just down the road. Probably fear of the unknown and my own immobility were the only things that prevented me from breaking out and trying to get down there! The 'pull' was very great but had to be resisted. I think it may have been at that point that I began to accept just how much my physical and nervous capacity has been eroded by the passage of the 5years since my retirement and how blithely I had taken them for granted until then. It was a passing but serious prayer as the Beatification unfolded.

When it was over, another battle began to rage inside. Dylan and I had agreed by email to try and meet in the Square in the afternoon. I couldn't get his mobile number to work. Should I try to keep the appointment? Set off at about 3.30 and managed to get as far as the  Colonade before the crowds began to make progress difficult. I followed the Colonnade round to the entrance to the Square. By then it was very difficult to make any progress at all.There were barriers across the entrance to the Square. People were being allowed to exit from the side I came to first, and to enter by the farther side. It was mayhem. The ground underfoot was strewn with a filthy carpet of  ripped up newspaper, I suppose left by pigrims who had camped in the Square overnight. Fearful of slipping, of pickpockets, bagsnatchers and all the other dangers of which I'd been warned, I turned with bag round my neck and  clutched close to my body, and began the weary and rather frightened way back to the hotel. It was hot by then and those cruel and quite dangerous Roman cobbles, again which Mary had waned me about, began to take their toll. Someone at home had said 'You'll be able to use your stick as a weapon'. By now it was all I could do to walk with it at all, leave alone to crack someone over the head with it and start an 'incident'! Having crossed the road at the point where the Vaticah Wall ends, I went on a while and then realised that somehow I had missed my way. At a road crossing just before the station I asked a Policewoman for help. She spoke English but directed me entirely wrongly, and I ended up badly lost in the hilly network of streets surrounding the hotel. Whereas half an hour before , the press of crowds had made progress almost impossible, now, under a glaring sun, the sleepy lanes  of the Roman afternoon contained nobody to ask for help.

Tears were close and my legs were objecting to the demands being placed upon them, but there was no point in giving in. Obviously I did eventually find my way back, or you would not be reading this! All of life is a pilgrimage, but the perhaps hackneyed symbolism became a total reality in  the circumstances I was experiencing. One makes a pilgrimage in search of God, one listens for His 'Still Small Voice' , so that one may hear, love, fear and obey Him. In the last 15 to 20 minutes of my 'lost sheep' wandering on Sunday afternoon I learned so much and I will try to share it with you tomorrow and then continue to Monday and the meeting and so on................

God bless all here,
In Christo pro Papa
J

Home from Rome 2: The Vatican Blogmeet

I have read widely about the meeting over the last two days. Of the general reports I recommend Edward Pentin's 3 page piece for Zenit as being a most thorough and comprehensive treatment. As for the bloggers themselves, the general assessment seems to be that the Vatican scored a great success and I endorse that view. As you know, I was sceptical beforehand and had been irritated by the PCCS's assumption that many bloggers would be in Rome for the Beatification anyway.  Judging from several remarks made from the platform, I think they revised that opinion,  acknowledging the distances from which many of us had come and that we had made the effort to there simply because the Vatican, and by extension the Pope himself, had called us. We regarded the invitation as an honour and that we must therefore do everything we could to accept. I guess all of us felt a tremendous sense of responsibilty to the blogosphere which is our 'virtual' home and workplace and where many of our friends and colleagues also live and work.

When the programme of the meeting was published, some of the bloggers with whom I was in touch feared that it would all be very controlled and that we would be 'talked at' by various Vatican officials. I tended to share that expectation. Well, we now know that it wasn't at all like that. Hilary White gave an extremely honest and enthusiastic interview on Vatican Radio, in which she described her scepticism beforehand and her delight when it was melted by the way the Vatican officials welcomed us, by their genuine desire to listen to us, and to seek our help in their own dealings with and understanding of , the 'new media'. Hilary said that the Vatican approach to us was respectful and even humble. We were told that the Vatican had no intention of controlling what we write and that if they formed  a Free Association of Catholic Bloggers, accreditation to it would be totally voluntary on our part. The word 'free' was the operative one.

When I arrrived in the room with my Paix Liturgique friend, the first person we met was Dylan Parry (another of God's little providences) and we settled down at the left hand back table next to him. Dame Catherine Wybourne was immediately in front of us and it was great to meet her as we had agreed to do by email beforehand. Most of the people there were festooned with every kind of electronic gadgetry. In a way I was glad to be insufficiently geekified/nerdified. It allowed me to concentrate on what was going on in a different way. I had my headphones for the necessary translations. And that was enough. The first thing that communicated itself was the sense of a community, of people delighted to meet others whom they had only known on line until the Vatican gave us this chance to meet each other in reality. That was an added gift. Nobody seemed ill at ease. We were all geared up in our own way, and raring to go.

As you know I'm keen to avoid repetition of what you will have read on other blogs, so will concentrate here on things that have not been mentioned, or emphasised, elsewhere. They may sound like criticisms but they are not meant in that spirit.

First I think there was too much emphasis on the Social Networks, on Facebook and Twitter for instance. Most of us know that these activities are not the same as blogging. Blogs have a memory, archives etc. and they enable their followers to see the author reacting to different issus, and share the author's own spiritual journey. Spirituality brings me to another point. The emphasis was almost completely on the blog as a purveyor of news, not as a sharing of its author's spiritual pilgrimage. On this blog for instance, I do deal with current issues, particularly as they are caused by, or affect the Holy Father, but I try to make it more spiritual than temporal. There was absolutely no chance to mention this aspect, and sadly none to mention specialist sites like my Spiritual Mothers of Priests blog, founded as it was as the result of the Year for Priests initiative of the Congregation for Clergy. (That was another sad thing about the shortness of notice for the meeting. There was insufficient time to contact Cardinal Piacenza, although I did everything I could and faxed him a few days before I left for Rome.) I'm sure this aspect will come up when I eventually get round to contacting Dame Catherine again.

One of the priests speaking from the platform did say that running his blog was rather like building a parish community and I thought immediately of Father Mark who through his blog Vultus Christi , which is mostly spiritual, has managed to gather a group of Oblates and Friends of his small Benedictine Priory in Tulsa. He put us all on a private Facebook group and communicates monastery news to us in that way. Note, blog to Facebook, not the other way round. Someone else said that there was a need for digital Pastors on the blogosphere and I hope that idea will be taken up more widely..

I am glad we were not asked to fill in an evaluation form at the end of the meeting. (Shades of G.C.S.E Moderation meetings!) We all needed time to reflect but I do think it is right that we  let the PCCS have some grateful feedback in the coming days.

Finally, something has been chasing round inside my head since the meeting.And it was about the way the Vatican officials, including Archbishop Celli and Fr Lombardi, comported themselves, in the way they treated us. Last night I put together the following string of words: respect for the dignity and contribution of each blogger to the mission of the Church; gentleness and gentility, openness and a willingness , a desire to listen; holy charity, and humility, which many saints have taught is the beginning of all virtue. At this point I stopped, because I suddenly realised that these are the characteristics of our beloved Pope Benedict. They seen to be rubbing off  on his representatives. Looking back, it was almost as if he had been personally in the room.

And something I haven't seen mentioned anywhere. I think it was Archbishop Celli who invited us to close the meeting by praying the Our Father together, and then led us all in doing so.

Sorry about any mistakes. May tidy this up tomorrow.
God bless all here!

In Christo pro Papa

Vatican reaches out to bloggers and discuss mutual relationship

This video clip appears on Reluctant Sinner (Dylan Parry's blog) About 40 seconds in, you can see the two of us sitting next to each other on the back row. (I'm wearing black and have a red scarf round my neck) We had failed to meet the previous afternoon because the crowds made it impossible and I was forced to return to the hotel. It was an absolute delight to meet Dylan at the actual event and he is quite correct about our shared sense of humour! (see his relevant blogpost).

I returned home in the early evening yesterday in a state of nervous exhaustion. I wasn't particularly worried about being unfit to post here last night because I knew that other attendees would do so. As you see from the above clip, Dylan was electronically well equipped and blogged live as the meeting progressed. He had to leave the meeting early to catch a plane home. Up until that point the meeting had been very relaxed, but it became clear that time was running out and in the end the final q&a session was  a bit of a shambles and the questions had to be taken and a promise given to answer them later.. This is not meant as a criticism and congratulations are due to the Vatican organisers of the Blogmeet, as are sincere thanks for the way in which we were all welcomed.

I have spent the morning reading up on what has already been posted on other sites (which I trust you have already found) so that I do not waste time in repetition here on the Oasis. Anna Arco is amazingly cogent given her lack of sleep during these Roman days. (See Catholic Herald in sidebar here and find her article 'From Beatification to Blogmeet') Elizabeth Scalia reports on her site The Anchoress (also in the sidebar) that she suffered from insomnia throughoutt the trip. She also reproduces the text of her address at the Meeting. Quite simply we all need time for some reflection before we can post our analyses of the meeting. And if Anna Arco feels this, then you will please have to excuse me too! I will post on this tomorrow evening DV

Aside from the meeting itself, I need to post in a more personal way about my first pilgrimage to Rome. And it WAS really a pilgrimage, involving a considerable amount of penance mainly caused by my lack of easy mobility, stress and anxiety. It was indeed a physical and mental 'via Crucis' and I offered it up with joy and thanksgiving. I knew how many of you were praying for me and you did an excellent job! I felt you with me spiritually and prayed for you all at the 'Confessio' on Tuesday afternoon. I am so grateful to you. I owe especial thanks to Fr Mark Kirby who just before I left the Oasis on Saturday morning had put me in touch with a seminarian from the NAC. Without his company I probably wouldn't have done and seen all the wonderful things of Tuesday afternoon. Over the four days, I held onto my faith that each step was guided and protected by our Lord, His blessed Mother and my Guardian Angel.  So a report on my personal journey, and all the things I learned in Rome will follow on Sunday, DV.

There are several regrets, one being that I was after all unable to attend the other blogmeet at the Scholar's Lounge. My belated apologies to Hilary White. Fortunately, this morning on You Tube, I was able to watch the keynote address of Michael Voris.

Until tomorrow then, God bless all here
In Christo pro Papa
J

God's 'little Providences'.

That's what Blessed John Henry Newman called them. In any case they have been strewn beneath my halting feet and amazed heart for the last week. Late this afternoon I arrived at the last task on my list before departure for Rome tomorrow. The whole garden had to be watered, and it is fairly large. (Unfortunately my husband is not a gardener and in any case is not strong enough  to do this job.) So I began by dragging the hose down as far as my 'John Paul II ' Clematis. A couple of years ago, I planted it against the fence in the Advent section of the garden. Last year it bloomed in late May. This year, I found to my astonished delight that it was already in bloom. Plants tend to do this sort of thing. I've  had snowdrops on a very special February 2nd, Passion Flower on Corpus Christi, but this 'floraison' two days before the Beatification of Venerable John Paul , meant that I had to cling to the fence in my surprise. Call it fanciful if you like, but the plant's urgency seemed to answer  the criticisms of the Beaticication as being 'too soon'. I will admit that I was not quite comfortable with it until I saw those papery pale violet  blooms in my own garden as today neared its end.

I just had to share this with you.

Of equal importance is that Father Mark Kirby, this blog's honorary spiritual director, has sent his loving blessing on my pilgrimage to Rome, which as he knows, will be conducted  in the spiritual presence of you all.

J

To travel hopefully: ...............Rome 2011

As you will know, R.L.Stevenson maintained that 'to travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive'.  I have always agreed with his sentment,  but on the eve of my first ever Roman pilgrimage I pray that he and I will both be proved wrong.

I leave here on Saturday at 10am and should arrive at the Hotel Gravina San Pietro sometime during the afternoon of that day. I will be there until the morning of May 4 and during that time you can message me via email at info@hotelgravinasanpietro.com

Seasoned pilgrims to Rome might ask themselves why this old girl is making such a fuss about her first  pilgimage there. But I know my friends understand and I thank them all for the encouragemtnt and support they have given me over the last few days.

I'm sure that other anglophone bloggers will post their impressions of the PCCS blogmeet before I can. Returning on May 4 , I will post reflectively as soon as possible after that date.

With my plea for your prayers and the promise of mine for you,

In Chrito pro Papa

J

Rome update

Most of the essential arrangements are fixed and now I have to make preparations to leave my husband on his own for four days. As many wives of my generation will know, that is no mean task. (Why does the face of Annette Crosbie keep swimming in my mind?) Seriously though, the dear one has coped well with my stress over the last week. Now it is his turn for some TLC. With your prayers, and his, I will make it intact to the departure gate on Saturday morning. On Friday evening, D.V., I will post my final Roman plans, as far as they can be predicted.  There'll be an email address where you can leave messages for me whilst in Rome. I will be tremendously helped by any such messages. As you know, it's my first pilgrimage to Rome and I'm very nervous.

Until Friday then, God bless all here.

Christ is risen. He is risen indeed. Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Listen to us - VOCES (Buckfast Abbey)

Listen to us - VOCES
Highly recommended.

'Voces' is the Buckfast Abbey 'special' choir'. that is they are not the monastic choir, but give concerts, and recently, according to a friend who is a member of the SouthWest Ordinariate Group, have been assisiting at liturgies in the Abbey connected with the preparation of Ordinariate Catechumens. Please click the above link to listen. (There's a choice of Victoria, Morales, Byrd and Schutz) No time for more now, (Rome preparations an' all) but you can be sure I will be following this ensemble with the keenest interest and will be posting further links and info. as they come to my notice. Have not had the time to check whether 'Voces' is represented on YouTube.. Might have the time tonight. First I must email my friend to say 'thank you'. He alerted me to their existence a couple of weeks ago but I couldn't find a site at that time..Devon is indeed made even more 'glorious' by its Ordinariate members, and by this choir which supports them.

Deo gratias.

Haec Dies - William Byrd [1540 - 1623]

Posting of Exsultet Recordings.

Just for the record I put these up at 8.15pm European time. Having just returned from the Vigil in Rome (courtesy of EWTN) I am delighted to find that NLM posted the same videos a few minutes ago. Clearly I made a good choice!

Oh, the joys of being a small blogger!

Easter blessings to all here.

Jane

EXSULTET PART 2

Apologies for the bad split between these two parts. In spite of this, a noble and very moving rendition, well worth saving to the blog archive.

Christ is Risen!. He is risen indeed!.

Happy Easter everyone.

EXSULTET PART 1

Pope to call space station in papal first

Pope Benedict XvI and Communications: Today, Italian Television interview; on May 4 a phone call with astronauts in Space.

And in 10 minutes time he's due at the Colisseum to preside over the Via Crucis. Am just off to watch this via EWTN. I expect that whilst I am thus occupied, other bloggers will post on the TV interview and the telephone call into Space. If not, will post again as soon as possible.

Improperia (Popule Meus)

Improperia later this afternoon

In monte Oliveti (Ingegneri).mpg

This is one of my favourite Holy Week Motets. It is the best version I could find, although the Maynooth University choir discharges itself well. (see YouTube to compare.) The composer was a pupil of Palestrina and seems to have developed a predilection for his master's polyphonic 'scrunches'. His pursuit of this fixation comes as a shock when you see it written on the page and then hear yourself trying to execute it! It's  no use shilly-shallying. You must have confidence and then it works. In our choir, for once, the sops really had trouble in rehearsals. This ensemble is at least as good as we eventually became in performance.
Now it's time to 'creep to the Cross'.
With my prayers always,
J

Ubi Caritas by the Cambridge Singers

Unless there is any late mishap I AM GOING TO ROME!

After this post I hope to be silent, (apart from music clips) until the afternoon of Easter day.
In the meantime, here's my news. In view of all the difficulties and the feared impossibility of getting things sorted at such short notice, it's very hard to believe that my Guardian Angel has not been extremely active over the past several days.

First of all, I simply could not have cleaned up the blog so effectively and solved various technical problems without Mac's help. Sorry Mac, I just have to hand it to you. Thank you so much. And I see that the PCCS has been having a look too. When they see this post they'll wish they'd invited you as wellas, or instead of me!! We'd make a fine pair if we were there together, you with a crutch and me with my walking stick.
(Changes to the blog were not made because of the'invitation'. They would have been made anyway and were indeed part of 'God's little providences.' in advance.)

Now, here are the bare bones of what has been achieved since my last post, and quite against all rational hope:
1. Have managed to book two DIRECT flights with Al Italia/Air France. Have to stay until May 4 to take advantage of the direct flight offer and its cheapness.
2. The hotel booking problems just melted away. A friend gave me a  link to booking.com and there I found an hotel in the Via della Cava Aurelia, five minutes walk from St. Peter's Basilica and the Palazzo Pio X where the 'meeting is to be held. I would think I was dreaming if I didn't have the print out of reservation confirmation in my fevered fingers. (Actually I'm calming down now that everything is fixed.)
3. Both of the above deals are substantially less than I expected to pay.

DEO GRATIAS!

Convenor, I won't forget the Year for Nuns.

THE CHIEF SHEPHERD PREPARES THE FLOCK
Have a blessed Sacred Tridumm everyone. I know you will all be reflecting upon the Holy Father's catechesis at this morning's Audience. I was somwhat distracted, as you can imagine, but he calmed me with his emphases on accepting the will of God in our lives and on the necessity of being in constant Vigil.

The minute I have signed off, I will remember something else I wanted to say. Until Easter then,

God protect and strengthen Pope Benedict , and may He bless all here.
.

Haydn TE DEUM in C

Courtesy of 'papa Haydn' to Papa Benedetto on the joyful occasion of his sixth anniversary of election. as Pope. And of course from us Holy Father. Have a blessed anniversary.

The palm cross in my kitchen window; report on Roman blogmeet arrangements

The palm cross is there in my kitchen window, visible to all who pass by; the Gendarmerie have not yet arrived to insist that I take it down because it may cause offence in the village. What on earth is happening in England? In my French garden, the white rose of York is already in bloom. (She's always first to flower, but this year even sooner than usual.) I will have sprays of fragrance for Our Lord on Easter Sunday morning..

Good news. I WILL BE ABLE TO ATTEND THE ROMAN BLOGMEET, thanks to a very dear relative. Now, it's just a question of booking flights and accommodation. Not easy in view of the lack of time. But if 'Digitalnun' can make it, then I ought to do my best as well. Please pray for me tomorrow as I do battle with successive screens demanding expiry dates, security numbers, mother's maiden name and all that jazz.

Time to sign off for the night.
God bless all here and thanks for your support.

I am on the list of 150 invited to attend the Vatican's first Blogmeet

I'd need to quote an entire entry from Roget's Thesaurus to express my astonishment at this development. I expect to wake up at any moment and find that the whole thing is a dream.  Most of last evening was spent working on the Oasis design and other techno problems which had kept me from posting all day yesterday. (That's why the Holy Father's little birthday gift was posted so late in the day.) A very dear friend guided me through the whole thing with amazing patience and great expertise. She will remain nameless for the time being, although I suspect many of you will guess her identity! We didn't finish our work until 10pm French time and I didn't find the list  until gone 10.30pm and then only by accident. I decided on a final bloglist check before retiring to bed. Well, I read Reluctant Sinner's post reporting that he had been invited. I sent him a comment of congratulation.. I don't know what made me follow the link he gave to the full list of 150. For one thing I thought it beyond the bounds of possibility that we would both have been selected, for another, I didn't send my application until the very last minute on Wednesday. I really only sent it to get the Oasis URL on some Vatican list somewhere.

For me to get to Rome is going to take a minor financial 'miracle'. There is one family phone call to be made tonight, which might help to get me there. And (like Dylan Parry) I'll approach my London bank tomorrow in the hope of an extended overdraft. Other than that it's down to prayer. I'll keep you posted.
Please be assured that I do NOT fall into either the 'uber-trad' or the 'supporters of Mr Ivereigh' category.
On this blog, I have always striven for balanced orthodoxy. If I go to Rome, my behaviour, and anything I say there,  will follow the same yardstick. I think the mottto has to be 'Evangelisation through Love, Truth and Reason'. We will do our Catholic Blogosphere no good if we cannot be charitable and fair  towards each other. I've perhaps failed on the first count once or twice. But I always feel rotten after a rant!

Please pray for me and for my efforts to be able to accept this amazing opportunity.
God bless all here
In Christo pro Papa

J

Hans Hotter sings An die Musik

A little present for Pope Benedict on his birthday. I suspect he would like this version.
Ad multos annos Holy Father!
With filial love and constant prayers.

(Gerald Moore at the piano)

Spring-Cleaning in the Oasis

As you see work is still in progress. Hope to post again over the weekend, and then to be in retreat from Wednesday until after the Urbi et Orbi on Easter Sunday.

A break from posting until Friday, but I will not be idle

It is better that I spend all spare moments assisting Reluctant Sinner's initiative for a Catholic Bloggers' Guild. It is a rare opportunity and it should not be missed.

Bloggers' Guild: Positive response

Reluctant Sinner has continued to deal with comments individually. The idea shows every sign of bearing great fruit. Do give your support at http://areluctantsinner.blogspot.com/

A bloggers Guild? (And trying to get rid of the paragraphing problem

Reluctant Sinner is having a good response to suggestion for a Guild of Catholic Bloggers and has promised to respond this evening to issues raised by commenters. A further report here when this has been done.

Thanks very much to Mac who has very kindly given me a tip as to how I may solve the paragraphing problem. And it works! Not that I'm surprised, knowing her expertise!

'Taliban' Catholics

Now stop it you lot! A joke's a joke among friends, but you are using the phrase more than the people who coined it as a tasteless, even spiteful insult to orthodox Catholics. If we're not careful 'Taliban Catholic' risks entry in a future Oxford Dictionary as follows: 'American journalistc phrase coined circa 2010, descriptive of orthodox Catholics (defunct). One who supported the Papacy of Benedict XVI. Accepted by traditional Catholics as an estimate of their rigid, repressive and inhumane position.' Think on, as they say 'up North'. Sleep well. More tomorrow.

The Vatican and its proposed Blognic: Well, I've 'slept on it' and am still irritated

My dear readers must judge for themselves whether I have calmed sufficiently to avoid a rant.. I am glad to see that Mulier Fortis agrees with me about the ridiculously short notice we have been given if we wish to have the slightest chance of attending the first Vatican blogging conference. In my turn, I agree with the other points Mac offers about expense and the difficulty of making arrangements at this late stage.

The Vatican seems to have launched this initiative on the basis of some questionable assumptions. 1. that we can all afford to go to Rome at the drop of a hat. (There seems to be total unawareness that many of us blog simply BECAUSE it is a CHEAP way of keeping in touch with the Church at large, and of sharing out views. 2. that many of us will be in Rome anyway for the Beatification 3. that many of us do not have jobs which preclude any chance of our being there 4. that the majority of Catholic bloggers are 'young'. (see Rome reports video on Bones' blog) Of coursse the Church must attract and look after the 'young'. They are the future. But if you are between 40 and death, do you ever feel that the Church has forgotten about you?) 5. that in the terms they give, the Vatican thinks that with a full capacity of 150 (worldwide and from several different language groups) it can select a truly representative assembly.

SEVERAL QUESTIONS ARE BEGGED. According to the Catholic Herald 'hundreds' have applied already. Who is doing the sifting and how thoroughly? Will a list of the successful applicants be published? Why the haste? How can such an event be properly organised within such a short time frame?Rome is usually much more cautious and thorough than this. It shouldn't be surprised that many of us are sceptical. Congratulation to Hilary White for efforts to organise and independent bloggers meeting, again in Rome. Personally I think Reluctant Sinner has made the best suggestion. More about that in the next post. (It's Monday, and shopping day here! Have to go.)

Tomorrow, a Rant about the Vatican's last minute invitation to a blognic.

That is, unless I calm down sufficiently to conceal exasperation. There were other things I wanted to post about. So DV there will be something here tomorrow whatever happens.

Delalande: Confitebor tibi Domine (part 1)

For the Eve of the 5th Sunday in Lent, a setting ot tomorrow's Offertory text.

Last Weekend's visits to the Abbey of Ste. Marie de Maumont 1

BACKGROUND Throughout the 1990s, and before my discovery of this Abbey of Benedictine nuns at Maumont, whenever possible we used to attend Sunday Mass at the Abbey of Trappistines at Echourgnac, just over the border into the Dordogne. The Liturgy at Aubeterre had become extremely modernistic and occasionally abusive. These visits to Echourgnac were a real spiritual shot in the arm. Yes, it was the Novus Ordo facing the choir of the nuns and the lay chapel at the west end of the church. The community of nuns numbered over 30 and it was apparent from their ages that this abbey has enjoyed a steady flow of vocations over past decades. The standard of the monastic singing was extremely high but there was hardly any Latin or Gregorian Chant. At that time modern chant in French was a novelty to me. Since then I have become less enamoured of it. (More about this on another occasion) The Mass itself was as different from the one at Aubeterre as chalk is from cheese. I'm sure this was because of the nuns themselves, who are primarily there for God and not for the sake of the assembled congregation of their lay guests. That being said, one always felt absorbed into the community of worshippers. Early in the next decade I learned about Maumont via the Internet. I had not realised that it was as near to us as Echourgnac, but to the north west instead of the south east. Quite by coincidence I already had a CD of Gregorian Chant recorded by the nuns of Maumont and therefore was delighted and somewhat surprised to find that they sing ALL the propers of the Mass according to the Roman Gradual. Their Chant is superb. The Ordinary of the Mass is sung to De Angelis or one of the other Masses in the Liber Usualis, according to the season. Otherwise the Mass is the same as at Echourgnac. I should also mention that at both Abbeys on does not present a 'sore thumb' spectacle if one kneels for the Consecration, or after Communion. At Maumont though, Communion on the tongue rather than in the hand, is made an easy althernative, and is adopted by more than half the congregation including children. Since we no longer have a car I can't get there as often as I would like. I therefore jumped at the chance last weekend, when the lady who takes me to Mass at Saint Severin, invited me to go with her to Maumont for a Penitential service which would include the opportunity for individual Confessions. I was assured that there would be an English speaking priest to whom I could go. This was a great relief because although my social French is very good, I've never been to Confession in French before. Nor have I ever been to a 'Penitential Service' , either in England or France and admit that I regard them with some suspicion, as being a substitute for the Sacrament of Penance in areas where the priest shortage is dire. Further, I admit that it was the chance of making a 'proper' Confession that overcame my reluctance to go to the Penitential Service. SATURDAY AFTERNOON - As it turned out, the fact that I didn't know what to expect, was a distraction that I had to fight all afternoon (i.e. 2.30pm until 5pm.) I castigated myself for lack of self-discipline in this regard, and in fact included it in my eventual Confession. I could have been better prepared if only the printed handout had explained that the service would in fact be an hour-long 'lectio divina' on St. Matthew's account of our Lord's tempations in the desert, that there would then be half an hour of private prayer, followed by a 'gathering' before the Sacrament of Penance. The 'Lectio' was given by a visiting Professor of Biblical Studies at Bordeaux Seminary. It was preceded by various lay people reading out St. Matthew's text. The 'Lectio' itself was a workman-like exposition, but there was no attempt to lead us afterwards to a connection with the text and the Confession we would later make. Nor even a suggestion that we should attempt that connection in the reflective period that followed it. The result was that each section of the afternoon had no clearly stated connection with the others. My Confessor turned out to be the nuns' chaplain, a kind, wise and venerable old priest. Life is made diffricult for me because I have to walk with a stick, and had to be led to the place in the church whence I would be called by one of the nuns when the priest was ready for me. It wasn't anyone's fault but I strongly dislike being made to stick out like this. Once I explained that I was used to traditional Confession in a box in Westminster Cathedral, he seemed to understand why the whole shape of the afternoon had unsettled me. I told him that much of what I'd planned to say had gone out of my head. He seemed to recognise my desire to be thorough and told me not to worry about it but that he would be happy for me to telephone him and make an appointment for another Confession in an atmosphere that would be more in keeping with my 'habitudes'. He asked me if I prayed regularly and we had a conversation about my visits to the Blessed Sacrament reserved here in St. Romain. He gave me Absolution and then gave me a lighted votive candle before I left him. When I got back into the church people were still going to Confession in other concealed areas. The same nun who had ushered me in, was waiting for me and made it clear that the expectation was that I would take the light up to a series of tables next to the altar as everyone else was apparently doing. By then I was feeling very dizzy and asked her to do it for me. I would have done it myself had I not been afraid that in spite of the walking stick, my vertigo would cause me to stumble, or even fall. She was very kind and understanding. Back in my place I gained some calm and recollection. It was then that I realised that I had not been given a penance. Only now that I'm writing about it do I suspect that Father realised that the whole experience had been enough of a penance! Even if only from the aspect of 'culture shock'. In the car on the way home I told Christiane what the priest had said to me about telephoning him for an appointment. She immediately offered to take me to Maumont whenever such a time had been arranged. A feeling flooded over me that was somewhat akin to the one I always experience after Confession, quite unnecessay to describe it to you, my dear readers. Suffice to say that my gratitude to Christiane knows no bounds. Later on in the journey she confirmed something I had already suspected. In the years between 1970 and very recently, the Sacrament of Penance became a thing of the past in this neck of the woods. Not just because of the shortage of priests, but because priests themselves did very little to preach or encourage it. She said that you had to be satisfied during that time with these 'Penitential Services'. In fact it was the only thing available in Holy Week, that is, until now. I am sure it is the young priests, like our own Pere Florian Marchand, who have a new attitude.. And the faithful are responding. They know in their bones that it is wrong to keep going to Communion and never to Confession. There were over a hundred of them at Maumont last Saturday, and all partook of the Sacrament of Penance. Never doubt the vitality of 'the eldest daughter of the Church'. Regardless of my misgivings about the way the afternoon was constructed, I truly do believe that the tide is beginning to turn. Next post: LAETARE SUNDAY, MASS AT MAUMONT ABBEY My apologies for lack of paragraphing in this and in recent posts. For some reason the wretched system is refusing to accept my instructions. Will try to sort it out next time.

Further Techno-problems

The computer and phone have been 'down' for more than 24 hours. Just getting back to 'normal'. Will answer emails asap, and post again on Friday about last weekend's visit to Maumont Abbey - good in many ways , but disturbing in others. I promise to explain!

News of Father George Byers, formerly a chaplain in Lourdes

A grateful mantilla twitch to Mac at Mulier Fortis for sharing news of a development in the focus of Father's priestly vocation. He is now a hermit and has a new blog. Link to the blog for more details and for Father's email address. (Permanent link in my bloglist here.)

The Supreme Gardener and the Dowry of Mary

This post has been delayed by my visit to Maumont Abbey. I began to think about it as a result of two recent news items, the one being well covered on Catholic blogs, the other less so. Both report growth in a literal and symbolic sense. The less-noticed report involves the Holy Thorn of Glastonbury. Three months after the Holy Father's visit to England, the tree was hacked to a stump by vandals and according to the Daily Telegraph, thus 'destroyed'. The word now proves to have been prematurely applied because the tree has recently been discovered to be budding again. Even had the tree officially been pronounced dead, all would not have been lost. In and around Glastonbury there are several saplings raised from cuttings taken from their violently wounded parent. That parent was itself a cutting from its predecessor which was cut down by Cromwell's Roundheads. We can therefore be fairly certain that there will always be a Holy Thorn of Glastonbury on Wearyall Hill, standing as the most ancient natural symbol of Christianity in England. The Legend of the original Thorn having sprouted from the staff that the wayfaring Joseph of Aritmathea struck into English earth, is in itself a symbol, and we can learn from, and be heartened by it today. The budding of the stricken tree contains a lesson. God is the Supreme Gardener, metaphorically and in reality. The vandals who chopped at the tree last year, represent the 'vandals' who are cutting away at our Christian culture, making 'laws' in the name of a tolerance that has none, laws which prevent a person from living out the Christian faith in true freedom. But the stump remains. It is not dead. In spite of persistent hacking it still lives. Saint Thomas More once said that the laws of England are like a grove of oaks. We cut them down at our peril. Then came the first Mass in York Minster since the reign of Mary Tudor. Organised by the Latin Mass Society, this Mass celebrated the 'Pearl of York', Saint Margaret Clithorow, barbarically pressed to death for the 'crime' of harbouring Catholic priests. One does not know why the local Catholic church was 'not available' for this Mass, but in the absence of support from that quarter, the LMS and the Dean and chapter of York Minster got together with the result of an amazing witness to Catholic faith, both Roman and Anglican. As a Yorkshire woman, I react to this in a very personal way, but that aside, the event means only good for the 'Dowry of Mary'. Who are the four master gardeners that I originally suggested, and who are working with the Supreme Gardener? Saint Margaret Clitherow for one, but guiding her is Our Lady of Walsingham. Added to this there is a factor of which I have been convinced since his election. Our present Holy Father understands England, and that is no mean feat! He came to the country last September with that understanding and he was determined that Blessed John Henry Newman be put in place to head the battle for the Faith. I recommend this to the reflection to those who are surprised by Pope Benedict's granting of private audience to Msgr Newton. It is no surprise to me. Rather, it is a tremendous relief. So those four Master Gardeners are: Our Lady of Walsingham, Saint Margaret Clitherow, Blessed John Henry Newman and Pope Benedict XVI.

Abbaye de Sainte Marie de Maumont: Last minute invitation forces change of plan

The invitation, received last night after Mass, means that I will be out most of the day and won't be home until it's time to cook supper. Today's promised post will appear tomorrow D.V.

The garden of the 'Dowry of Mary' buds to new life: Four Master Gardeners assist its native sons and daughters.

The next post will bear the above title, or something similar. It will probably appear on Friday. Tomorrow at 6.30pm, we have our first Mass this year in Saint Romain church, (the last one having been on July 1 last year) and preparations will keep me busy for most of the day. For the last week I've had to sweep the whole church floor everyday, of a most unpleasant descent of dead flies from above the nave. There are no cracks in the ceiling that I can see, but somehow six shovels full have so far found ingress. There were even some in the holy water stoup this morning. I think they've probably been over-wintering in the virginia creeper which covers a lot of the outside of the church. Nevertheless I can't remember such a problem happening before. God bless. A vendredi. J

Preparing the Way for the Roman Missal

h/t to Father Tim at the Hermeneutic of Continuity

More reason to encourage belief in Fr Corapi's innocence?

Santa Cruz Media Inc. is a secular corporation and although it appears to take a Christian stance, is not affiliated with the Catholic Church in any way. It is the owner of all Fr John Corapi's intellectual property. Bobbi Ruffatto, its Vice President of Operations, has issued a statement on Father's recent suspension at the blog fratres.wordpress.com/ Scroll to appropriate post, at the moment showing second on the page.
[FULL TEXT] Statement of Santa Cruz Media Inc. Relative to Fr. Corapi's suspension

This is worth reading, particularly because of the following details:

".......there is no evidence that Fr. Corapi did anything wrong, only the unsubstantiated rant of a former employee, who after losing her job with this office, physically assaulted me and another employee and promised to 'destroy' Fr. Corapi."

One hopes the assault was reported to the police at the time. For Ruffatto to report it now, after the accusations, might be seen as unhelpful because of his corporation's vested interest in proving Father's innocence.

'Sufficient unto the day .......'

I've spent the evening reading up on the case of Father John Corapi, hopefully preparatory to a post tomorrow afternoon. My present view is that the evil one is definitely at work here, wanting as he always does, to destroy the holy priesthood. No priests, no Eucharist. I am now going to bed, and will be praying for Father John during the waking hours of the night. The fact remains that his case presents two starkly opposed possibilities. One, that Father Corapi has been guilty of the most appallling hypocrisy, and that he is a total sham; or two, that he is a victim of some mad female's search for revenge in the form of monetary, yet totally undeserved recompense. I have the senstaion that it is most likely a case of
'Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned' (Congreve).

All my experience (I'm 67) leads me to favour the latter explanation.

Hans Leo Hassler: Missa super dixit Maria (Agnus Dei)

Hans Leo Hassler: Missa super dixit Maria (Benedictus)

Hans Leo Hassler: Missa super dixit Maria (Sanctus)

Hans Leo Hassler: Missa super dixit Maria (Credo)

Hans Leo Hassler: Missa super dixit Maria (Gloria)

I intend to post all the movements of this Mass in celebration of today's Solemnity and epect to reach the Agnus Dei by mid-evening.

Hans Leo Hassler: Missa super dixit Maria (Kyrie)

Eve of the Annunciation:

Kyrie of a favourite Mass, based in its turn upon a favourite motet by the same composer, Hans Leo Hassler. Lovely to sing, but deceptively simple and consequently easy to foul up, as demonstrated by some of the YouTube offerings.

Monday March 21: the 2011 generation of swallows arrived in Saint Romain, about a fortnight earlier that last year. It was the 105th anniversary of my father's birth. God rest and bless him for being such a wondeful parent. Sadly, he did not live to see the publication of my first three books, sadly for me that is, because I believe that since he died, he has always known about them.

Today I finished the proposal for my fourth book. Having done my very best, I will be glad to get it in the post to London, and forget about it until the (probable) rejection slip arrives. When and if it does, I will 'start over'.

'Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp,
Or what's a heaven for?' (Browning - Andrea del Sarto)

Meanwhile, my dear friend Mulier Fortis has fulminated against BST. Her felines are going to be tremendously confused. What a time to introduce a cat flap into innocent and reasonable feline lives. On top of everything else there will be a Census going on. Anyway, we will do the same artificial time-juggling stunt here in France this coming weekend, so as to keep an hour ahead of the Brits you understand. At least it's one thing on which the European Community is agreed.

More tomorrow as promised, D.V

Have a happy and holy Feast day.

In Christo pro Papa,

J

Next post coming Friday 25 March, D.V.

In which I hope to offer appropriate music and reflections on some interim concerns, Father Corapi for instance, Lord help him.

Orlando di Lasso:Ave,Regina Caelorum

Essential preoccupations

It's been an undeniably frightful week. I am sure my readers don't need a list of major news headlines and stories to be reminded of this and that like me, they will have intensified their Lenten observance as a result.

As is frequently the case, the Psalmody of the Divine Office has been strikingly apposite. Here are a couple of examples. On Wednesday at the Office of Readings we had:

From Psalm 17, with the sub-heading "A great earthquake took place at that time (Rev 11:13)

"The waves of death rose about me;

the torrents of destruction assailed me;

the snares of the grave entangled me;

the traps of death confronted me.



In my anguish I called to the Lord;

I cried to my God for help.

From his temple he heard my voice;

my cry came to his ears.


Then the earth reeled and rocked;

the mountains were shaken to their base:"


And today from the same Hour
Sub-headed "The Lord is a Saviour in time of Persecution"

From Psalm 34 (They united in making plans to arrest Jesus by treachery and have him put to death (Mt 26: 3,4)

"Now that I am in trouble they gather,

they gather and mock me.

They take me by surprise and strike me

and tear me to pieces.


They provoke me with mockery on mockery

and gnash their teeth."

Japan struggles with the results of natural disaster, and Christians throughout the world face increasingly violent persecution, whilst goverments in the West seem to be blind to the precious commodity they are squandering. Praying the Office, one could not fail to think of these things, and not only on the literal level. We are living through the collapse of western Christendom, immersed in a culture of death. As the earth of Japan literally reeled and rocked, so spiritually, the Christian world reels and rocks. Our beloved earth is no longer physically secure, partially as a result of human bad stewardship; our Christian world is desperately vulnerable in the onset of a most fierce spiritual battle.

As always the Breviary reminds us that the Psalms prefigure Christ's own suffering. He endured persecution before us, and He warned us that we will also suffer it if we choose to follow Him. But we hold to the one difference between His suffering and ours. He endured if not only before us, but FOR us and our eternal salvation.

The psalmody of this morning's Office of Readings ends with some closing verses from Psalm 34

"I will thank you in the great assembly,

Amid the throng I will praise you.

Let there be joy for those who love my cause.

Let them say without end

'Great is the Lord who delights

in the peace of his servant.'

Then my tongue shall speak of your justice,

all day long of your praise."

Kyrie. www.iuvenismusica.com

Apparently the Kyrie and Agnus Dei of this Mass (Victoria's Missa Quarti Toni) were sung today at Buckfast Abbey, attended by members of the S.W. Ordinariate group. This is the only version I could find on YouTube, and the sopranos are too loud with # tendency. Trust the Buckfast rendition was superior! I've posted here in celebration of the occasion and especially for two very dear friends who are members of S.W.O. and were present. Sorry to hear you are both rather unwell and hope this makes you feel a little better. btw Fr Ian is doing a great job with the South West Ordinariate blog (see sidebar here)

God bless you all and welcome to the boarding quay for the Barque of Saint Peter!

Invocabit Me

INTROIT FOR THE FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT
(Roman Gradual page 71, Ps. 90 vs 15,16 & 1)
After a fairly lengthy search, all things taken into consideration, this is the best version I could find. I will go to Mass tomorrow morning with the chant ringing in my heart and soul.
It's a pity the account is not in a liturgical setting, even though the concert was given in a church. One appreciates the applause being cut short at the end.

NEXT POST THIS COMING FRIDAY DV.

Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week - Book Trailer

St. Conleth's Catholic Heritage Association; a Holy Year for Nuns

St. Conleth's Catholic Heritage Association (hereinafter SCCHA) is a beautiful site, based in the diocese of Kildare and Leighlin. According to the Breviary, St. Conleth is patron of that See. SCCHA's main raison d'etre is to promote the Usus Antiquior but it also provides an ongoing photo gallery of Irish cultural/religious history (arguably the same thing). This latter aspect is extremely important and beautifully presented. I for one find it comforting, particularly at a time when Ireland, like Britain, appears to be turning its back on its ancient Faith, in favour of secularism, relativism, liberalism, and all the other 'isms' which are proving to be so destructive of a healthy society. Anyone with Irish connections will love the site.

English Catholics, particularly those in the north, have reason to be eternally grateful to Irish priests and religious sisters. Their influence, particularly at parish level, was vast. As an example, my own parish (of long ago) was founded and run by a community of around 10 members of the Congregation of the Mission, with strong support from a community of Daughters of Charity of at least twice that number. Those were the days! Now, Ireland has enough to do in the battle to save her own heritage. I know from my native Irish mother-in-law, who lives in Dublin, that the situation there is dire. I heartily recommend SCCHA and exhort you to pay a visit and spike its stats'.

Saint Conleth
He was born C450 in Ireland. Later he became a skilled worker in gold and silver and a manuscript illuminator. He lived as a hermit, but tradition has it that Saint Brigid persuaded him to leave the eremitical life. They ran a double monastery together and St. Conleth became the first Bishop of Kildare C490. It is handed down to us that in 519, he was attacked by wolves in the forests of Leinster. Dying from his injuries he was buried nearby. His relics were translated Kildare cathedral in 799 and were taken to Connell in 835 to protect them from Danish invaders. (If any of these details are incorrect, I hope 'Convenor' will correct me.)

A Holy Year for Nuns
SCCHA is the first place where I have seen this suggestion. I do not know the size of its readership, but although my own is not huge, I want to do everything I can to promote the idea I do know that my own blogs are read by a handful of the more inflential member of the blogosphere. Perhaps Pastor in Valle could help here and ensure that the idea reaches a wider audience. SCCHA encourages us 'to ask Ecclesiastical authorities to dedicate a special year to give thanks to God for nuns and to pray for Nuns and for more nuns'. It seems the natural thing to do after the Year for Priests. It would also sweep from the board any unpleasantness which may result from the Visitation of American Female Religious orders, bringing the positive power of prayer to bear on the outcome of that thorny situation, not to mention the effect upon vocations.

During Lent I will write to Archbishop Joseph William Tobin, C.SS.R.,the Secretary of the appropriate Congregation in Rome. I feel a letter is wise in the first place, and will send copy to the Pro-Prefect Archbishop Braz de Aviz, and also to Sister Enrica Rosanna, F.M.A., Under-Secretary, at the same address.

Address and email details

Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life
Piazza Pio XII, 3
00193 Rome

To email Archbishop Tobin,
civcs.segr@ccscrlife.va

Saints Conleth and Brigid, pray for us, and especially for our Holy Father, that he 'may not flee for fear of the wolves'.

How appropriate that it is the Memorial of St. Louise de Marillac today, foundress under the direction of St Vincent de Paul, of the Daughters of Charity. May she too assist us.

Benedict will make history with TV interview

News of Adoratio 2011

Continued domestic upheavals have put me behind with my stated blog intentions. Originally I said my first post in Lent would be about the possibility of A Year for Nuns which had been suggested on the blog of 'St. Conleth's Catholic Heritage Assocition' I was led to the blog by Fr Tim's 'Hermeneutic of Continuity. I put a note of thanks in his combox but think he may have missed it, being away at the 'Faith' Conference at Ampleforth at the time. Anyway, a repeated h/t to Father for his alert to what I feel is and excellent idea. A post on this subject will, after all, be my first one in Lent. (Link to St. Conleth's may take a little time, but it does work.)

ADORATIO 2011
Zenit has two items of interest entitled 'Before all Else, The Eucharist' Part 1 here, and Part 2 here. The items contain an interview with Father Florian Racine ( appropriate name), background information, and a clear statement that the Eucharist and Its Adoration are the source of all effective Evangelisation. Father Racine is one of the French founders and organisers of the Adoratio 2011 conference, that will take place in Rome this summer (June 20-23) Don't forget that our own dear Dom Mark Kirby will be one of the speakers, not to mention Msgr Marini and several high-ranking 'Benedictine' prelates, including Cardinals Ranjith, Burke and Piacenza. Veritably, an occasion not to be missed!

A full list of speakers can be found at the Adoratio site. Link in the sidebar here.



Next post on Thursday D.V.

Benedict XVI visits seminarians of Rome

H/t to Catholic Herald
Could not resist this.
Something beautiful and encouraging for the Sunday before Lent.

Next post on Monday. Apologies for unavoidable delay

I intend that the next post will cover the idea of 'A Holy Year for Nuns' As far as I know it was launched by St. Conleth's Catholic Heritaage Association. So far, it seems that only Fr Finigan and myself have mentioned it. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Katherine Jenkins Guide Me O Thou Great Redeemer

I hope and pray that you all had a happy and holy St. David's
day.