Saturday, October 10, 2009

On the anniversary...

...of the reception of John Henry Newman into the Catholic Church, a great gathering at the school he founded - The Oratory School, near Reading. Launch of a magnificent book celebrating 150 years of the school, a glorious Vespers and Benediction in the school chapel - a rousing "Faith of our Fathers"... the glow of candles, the boys' strong voices singing the Psalms and leading us in Newman's beautiful hymn "Lead kindly light"...

A delicious buffet supper in the magnificent surroundings of the Georgian manor house which forms the core of the school's group of buildings, and then an excellent lecture by Prof Sheridan Gilley on Newman as a writer of novels. It is years since I first read Callista, and Loss and Gain - Prof Gilley's lecture brought the books alive and has sent me hurrying to read them again...

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