The now-traditional procession...

...of the Blessed Sacrament from Westminster Cathedral, across the Thames to St George's Cathedral, Southwark, took place today, with a vast crowd, glorious Autumn sunshine, and some wonderful singing. Every year I am worried that the numbers won't be great, and every year the crowd is huge, and Southwark cathedral is packed, with a great surge of voices singing at Benediction.

This year, the date clashed with a couple of other events, and even as the Procession began to gather on the steps of Westminster Cathedral and Orders of Service were being handed out, an enthusiast for another event was busily trying to recruit, despite my pleas that we be left alone...but once the Bl. Sacrament was brought out, and we began to go down Ambrosden Avenue, everything felt suddenly all right.  In traditional style, we inevitably had one part of the great procession singing one hymn, another beginning a fresh one, and people in between singing something else or praying the Rosary...but the overall result was still  hugely impressive, as well as being  prayerful, sincere, and, I hope, pleasing to God and somehow good for London...

What is most delightful is that, in this third  successful year, we can truly say that it is now an established traditional part of the annual London scene. The Procession was begun in thanksgiving for the successful visit of Pope Benedict in 2010, and the idea is to have it on or near the feast of Bl John Henry Newman, beatified by the H. Father on that visit. The Feast on October 9th, so it can be a Saturday near that date... thus Oct 4th suggests itself for 2014...

The most impressive part of the Procession is crossing Lambeth Bridge, with the Houses of Parliament in the background.  Incidentally, along the whole route, we get no opposition, no signs of disrespect,  and the whole thing always goes peacefully and beautifully.

Deo Gratias.