Sunday Feb 11th
CATHOLIC CONTACTS
Early morning Mass with L. in local parish in St Cuthbert's, Durham. What a meeting-point for Catholics!! Young people, including M., daughter of friends Clare and Malcolm U. (one of their other daughters is a godmother to our great-nephew. Now there's a nice network - does it make them sort of spiritual relations?) - gosh and how delightful these young people are, talking and laughing together..... and to our huge pleasure we are also greeted by the delightful C. family - some of whom I last met in a field at Walsingham, where we were gathered for the annual pilgrimage run by the National Association of Catholic Families. Much good talk and "Why didn't you tell us you were coming to Durham?" Immediate invitation to supper tonight. Jamie is able to go, but I am distraught - I have to be back in London for a radio programme at 11pm! And it will be such a wonderful get-together: Professor Sheridan Gilley (author, speaker - last enjoyed at a Catholic Writers' conference on the Isle of Wight) will be there....
Jamie very gleeful, because it turns out that Robert C. is an Australian, so is Sheridan, and so is Father Mark W. who will also be of the party - and so, of course, is Jamie! - which means a glorious Aussie gathering this evening. Durham - which we are already hugely enjoying because of delightful niece, her extremely agreeable young friends, and yesterday's special and lovely family gathering with Auntie P - takes on a further glow.
GLORIOUS MUSIC
On to morning service at St C's college, where L. sings in the choir. Glorious music, choir in academic gowns, everything beautifully done. Opportunity to sing some splendid hymns. Afterwards a v. agreeable gathering over coffee (and it's REAL coffee, not instant) and cake (birthday of choir director).
AND MORE.....
Readers of this Blog are going to get fed up with me saying what a good time we've been having in Durham, but I'm jolly well not going to stop, because next came a really enjoyable lunch with Fr Mark W., currently in Durham for studies.....niece Lucy already knows him through the pro-life group, Cathsoc etc, so it was a wonderful, talkative, informative, laughing meal in which we covered - in no particular order - Anglo-Saxon saints, ideas for a research centre on business ethics, Feenyism, liturgy(of course), why sermons emphasising social justice without proper mention of God are a horrible waste of time, Durham's history, and more......
Afterwards, back to Lucy's house for final mugs of tea...and then a wonderful final visit to the great Cathedral, its interior glowing against the dusk outside, prayers at St Cuthbert's tomb (Fr Mark's suggestion) for the rather scary BBC radio programme awaiting me in London.......a brief look at the Castle (where I once stayed, a few years ago, when up here for a debate at the University)....and then on to the railway station, the London train, and Jamie seeing me on board with hugs and reassurances....
2 comments:
Thanks for the very positive write-up about Durham, Joanna. Makes me feel nostalgic for my home town, which is just 8 miles up the A1 from Durham.
Church there also dedicated to St Cuthbert (he was bishop of that See before it was moved to Durham and his body rested there on its long journey from Lindisfarne).
Unfortunately, Church suffered iconoclastic wreckovation some years back and now has the apperance of colourful Methodist Chapel - but without the fervent singing that goes with the good Methodists. Tabernacle stripped of its jewelery and veils, now mounted on wall (looks like a hot water tank) in niche where statue of Our lady used to be; Our Lady displaced St Joseph, who's now been booted upstairs, virtually out of sight. Don't have many contacts there now, but heard rumours that tabernacle may be moved back to centre. Let's hope so.
Sounds like a glorious trip. As a graduate of Durham, a convert while there, and a former member of St C's College, a regular attender at Mass at St Cuthbert's (and St Godric's) by the Station, I felt a certain pull to go back up to Durham to visit on reading your blog entry. However, it's never the same going back, as there are few of the people there one used to know. Last time I went I happened to run into Dr Gilley - who had taught me Newman's theology when I was an undergrad - and we went for a rather pleasant and interesting lunch.
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