Wednesday Sept 27th 2006
Several correspondents to this Blog have asked me how they can enter the Quiz: it's easy, you simply send you answers in the form of a Comment to this Blog. They won't be published, as I have a "Comments Moderation" system, which means that all comments come to me as an email to my home email address first. So I'll read the answers there, choose a winner, and contact him or her directly....most would-be entrants seem to be in the USA. In my experience, many American Catholics know more about English saints and Catholic history than British ones do. Please do send in your entries to the Quiz even if you aren't sure you have all the answers right....it will still be fun to make contact.

A nice message today from Dwight Longenecker, telling me of his blog Standing on my Head - worth a look.

I am embarrassed about typing mistakes on this blog but it's jolly difficult as I only get half an hour at a time in the local library, and feel I am always working against the clock.....yes, the email and internet at home are STILL not working.....

Yesterday I met my godson, now back in London following summer break, for tea. We sat in the churchyard of St Paul's Cathedral and talked and talked. Enormously enjoyable. Cycled on to St Mary Moorfields for committee of Catholic Writers' Guild, planning speakers and events for 2007.....by tradition our annual meeting is on the Feast of St Francis de Sales. Last yr we had a most successful evening with various members invited to talk about "Work in progress" and we'll do that again this time, with the emphasis on how blogging and the Internet are changing the face of Catholic journalism.....

There is a daft letter in the current Catholic Herald from a lady saying that in her part of rural Wales it is hard to get to Mass on Holy Days so she is glad the Bishops have abolished them. She was well aware that it was no sin to miss Mass if attendance simply wasn't possible, but she just wanted to make the point about the annoyance of not being able to go. By this logic, none of the rest of us would ever have any Holy Days at all!

Gossip says that our Bishops really wanted to abolish all the Holy Days - sorry, "move them to the nearest Sunday" - but a slip in the paperwork meant that they accidentally only mentioned a few of them, so the others have been providentially salvaged! I find this rumour absurd enough to be true. I still think we must all work and to get back the ones they have tried to abolish: HAVE YOU WRITTEN TO ROME ABOUT THIS YET??

I have one complete and accurate set of answers to the Quiz from "Mary" in the USA. She's absolutely correct in every answer.....but adds a note to say she did it purely for the fun of it and doesn't require a prize. This is extremely sporting and commendable. However, Mary, I really am happy to send you a prize, if you send me a postal address to which it could be addressed. Meanwhile there are still a couple of other books available, so keep the answers rolling in!

I am not publishing Mary's correct answers yet, so as to allow others to participate too.