Wednesday, February 11, 2015

We met at...

...St Patrick's, Soho, for a lunchtime Mass, to be followed by a Catholic History Walk.

On appropriate feast-days, the Mass at St P's is said at an appropriate side-altar - thus today being the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, Mass was at an altar dedicated to her. But because there are always good numbers for Mass at this busy London church, most of us had to use the main pews, which face the main altar - so we were all kneeling sideways to be at the Mass...however, this gave a sort of awkward intimacy which was not without its charm....afterwards a group gathered outside and we set off to explore the area and learn the history... At St Giles-in-the-Fields the Rector made us welcome (he and his congregation welcome the procession of the Blessed Sacrament from St Patrick's every summer, allow Benediction in the churchyard, and offer wine and refreshments afterwards...) . At Bloomsbury Baptist Church we were again greeted in a most friendly way and the kind lady at the desk was very helpful and the visit ended with us all saying the Lord's Prayer together...

The Walk finished at SS Anselm and Cecilia, Holborn, and the nearby Ship Inn, where Bishop Richard Challonger used to say Mass and meet his flock, in recusant times...

NEXT HISTORY WALK: Monday  March 2nd, meet 6.30pm at St George's Cathedral, Southwark (nearest tube: Lambeth North or WATERLOO). We will make a tour inside St George's.

DATE FOR YOUR DIARY: Sunday June 21st, 1.30pm  meet at St Sepulchre's  Church, near the Old Bailey for THE MARTYRS' WALK.  Nearest tube: St Paul's.



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