A barbeque...and a promise of HEAT...

...and it began with a cycle ride through the Sunday suburbs to Balham. First the busy Islamic areas, lots of shops advertising halal products,crowds of people, women in heavy veils and robes,trays and trays of rich sticky sweets on sale. Then on past the Polish church in Balham High Road where there were lots of people standing outside around the doors, all facing towards the church - puzzling for a moment, then the realisation that it's because the church is so packed and this is the overflow. Then on to Holy Ghost Church, and families hurrying in as the music began, trailing children and shuffling along the pews, the church rapidly filling...

This is a very young parish, lots of families w. small children - this corner of S. London is known as "nappy valley" - so there's always a certain amount of baby-noise during Mass. But the choir soars above all this and really is superb - glorious Latin chant and a beautiful setting of the Psalm...and the Deacon, who chanted the Gospel,turned out to be a visitor from the Ordinariate of O.L. of Walsingham, who will shortly be ordained as a priest, and it was good to chat afterwards and catch up on the latest Ordinariate news...

There was a gathering - with a barbeque lunch - for people attending World Youth Day. The presbytery garden was filled with more and more young people, at first standing around rather awkwardly like they always do, but soon talking and chattering and with chicken and sausages sizzling on a couple of big barbeques...and paperwork for WYD was handed out and announcements made, chief of which is that Spain in August will be VERY VERY HOT and the place where we will be based will have no air conditioning, so no one should assume that this will be like camping in Scotland. Auntie's heart sank slightly - I really dislike hot weather - but she remains undeterred about going to WYD, and a cheery African nun said "Oh, these are just the temperatures I know best. It'll be great!"