Oxford...

...in bright sunshine, and a wonderful gathering at the University Chaplaincy for a conference on G.K. Chesterton. A splendid talk by Fr John Saward who emphasised Chesteron's joyfulness, his childlike sense of wonder, and his gratitude for life itself, for "being". This last is especially relevant in today's debates about the horrible idea of "assisted suicide", and the tragedy of a country caught up in the sort of death-wish also discussed by Charles Moore in an excellent article in the Daily Telegraph.

Fr Aidan Nichols - who will, incidentally, also be speaking at the annual meeting of the Association of Catholic Women in October - spoke superbly, and showed how Chesterton's work has profound theological messages and insights. It was a grand day - grand conversations, a great atmosphere, a and good crowd gathered together...later I went to evening Mass at the Oratory (St Aloysius) where, because it is a church I have so often attended on family occasions (many happy Christmasses and Easters in recent years)there is always somehow a sense of "coming home". Alas, it was perhaps a bit too much like home, for after lingering for pleasant chat left my mobile phone there! Consternation on arrival at Oxford railway station...panic...I was on my way to friends for a weekend stay, and on arrival they were helpful, calming, wise...over a mug of tea I tracked back to all the places I had visited, recognised the Oratory as the 'phone's most likely resting-place and was soon in contact with kind Fr Jerome, who went back into the locked church, found it, and kept it safe for later retrieval...