Tuesday, July 02, 2013

History...

...at Precious Blood Church, London Bridge, with a glorious Mass for the patronal festival, Mgr John Broadhurst of the Ordinariate presiding. Aftrewards, everyone crowding into the parish room for something fizzy and lots of cheerful talk...

I would love it if Pope Emeritus Benedict could know of the joyful things at the Ordinariate parish, and how Anglicanorum Coetibus has worked so well here...I actually wrote to him a little while back, and sent him a copy of the parish newsletter, and had a nice acknowledghement from the secretariat, so one hopes...

Celebrations at Pr Blood continue - some of the beautiful work done by children in the schools project run by the Ladies Ordinariate Group is on display, and this coming Sunday sees a visit by Mgr Keith Newton for Mass and a celebration parish lunch, and then on Monday there is a Parish History Walk, led by JB. I walked through the route today...this is a corner of London with so much history: the Bishop of Winchester's Palace and the Clink prison, and Guy's Hospital, and John Harvard, and St Mary Overie where Chaucer is buried...Shakespeare lived in this area (and the Globe theatre is of course here, too), and there are all sorts of other important links...the pubs alone are crammed with history(the George, and the Canterbury Tales...) and then there is the river...

This afternoon, another History Walk around Westminster Cathedral.  It is good to bring back memories of Bl John Paul's visit in 1982, and of Benedict's in 2010...the Cathedral is always a work in progress, and in recent years, we have seen the addition of the John Henry Newman mosaic, and the St David mosaic blessed by BXVI (speaking in passable Welsh!), and work has just started on addition to the St George's Chapel...

Of interest: the FAITH Movement web-page has a short report on the recent Day of Faith

2 comments:

pelerin said...

Many thanks once again for the fact filled tour today. Is the Parish History Walk on Monday open to all or is it reserved for that particular parish?

Aitch said...

Yes, it was a good celebration at Precious Blood on Monday evening. Two of my favourite hymns - "Glory be to Jesus" (Via via Jesu originally?) and that great Hymn by Wesley "Oh can it be?" Then, as someone else pointed out the sun coming through the widows at the west end shining on the red vestments, frontal and the golden candle holders and reliquaries, a bit difficult for those in the Sanctuary, but still adding to the celebration. Then the "something cold and fizzy" in the parish room and the chance to meet old and new friends. Yes I wish Pope Francis had been there too.