Sunday Oct 29th
Mass at St Patrick's, Soho Square. This is a splendid church, which has so much history (dates back to the 1790s, before Catholic Emancipation), and is the focus of so much superb evangelistic work in London (teams of young people, soup and sandwiches to the homeless, street evangelisation, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, talks on the Faith.,..and more.....). But it's endeangered., and it's whole future is at stake. IF THEY CAN'T RAISE ENOUGH MONEY FOR URGENT RESTORATION WORK ALL THIS WONDERFUL ACTIVITY MAY CEASE. In order to help, all you have to do is send a cheque (American dollars would be very, very acceptable) to them: St Patrick's appeal, 21 Sooho Square, London W1. This is the church where Archbishop Fulton Sheen worked when he was in London, and where he brought many people back to the Faith, and heard many confessions........today's Mass was beautiful, a cantor singing the Psalm, lots of lovely Latin chant (Agnus Dei, Sanctus), a moving sermon about forgiveness, and a packed congregation.....people kneel for Communion, and linger to pray after Mass. There is a warm neighbourly atmosphere as people mill about afterwards too....and at lunch I met some of the young people at the St Patrick's School of Mission, from which so many vocations have come.....and all this in the heart of London, in soho, where sordid clubs and all sorts of horrible things abound....

On to Mother's for the evening, and an overnight stay. I'll have to be up early to cycle over to meet my godson for the Museum trip.....