Monday, November 26, 2012

To Hatfield...

...to St Peter's Church. Evening Mass, with a good-sized and overwhelmingly young congregation - Auntie felt very much like...well...an auntie. Numbers of students from the University. Some good singing - was glad to have my new Missal which has the music for the Mass chants, both in Latin and in English, all simply included in the Proper of the Mass...

Afterwards, students gathered for a meeting, one of a regular series on Sunday evenings with speakers on the Sacraments. Auntie spoke on Marriage. A really delightful, friendly, interested group, a great atmosphere. Afterwards, Fr Mark gave me dinner, along with a couple of young people from the group - it was so good to relax over a meal and a glass of wine, and to talk about so many things. Above all, it is encouraging to hear about vocations to the priesthood...

It had been a lovely day, beginning with an early start and a train to Hertfordshire, for lunch with Philip Trower, distinguished Catholic author and a friend of many years' standing...we first met when we were both covering the visit of John Paul II to Britain thirty years ago. Philip has the most glorious collection of books - shelves and shelves of them all beautifully sorted and arranged, and a delight for browsing. He allowed me to borrow a volume of von Balthasar which will be of great use for my Maryvale work...and there was a very jolly family lunch, and then as the afternoon drew to a close he drove me on to Mass at Hatfield, through the November countryside on this Feast of Christ the King, the last Sunday of the Church's year...

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