This has been a Dominican week...

...culminating in  joyful afternoon in Portsmouth Cathedral today with Sister Mary Catherine of the Dominican Sisters of St Joseph  making her vows at a glorious Mass  celebrated by Bishop Philip Egan. 

Earlier, on Wednesday, I was in Oxford, visiting some young friends and their enchanting new baby, Joseph....recently baptised by Fr Richard Conrad of Blackfriars. It was a happy afternoon over tea and gingerbread, with the baby giggling and enjoying life, and all of us reminiscing and talking over lots of things...and then later I was myself at Blackfriars for Vespers.  The strong young voices singing the psalms back and forth, a sense of reassurance, of confidence in the Church and the future...and then a warm welcome and a  hearty supper in the Refectory , preceded by Dominican grace said in the Cloister. Over supper, a wonderful mixture of banter and good theological conversation...and then more good talk over wine  afterwards, ranging over St John Paul II, Redemptor Hominis, evangelisation, academic work, the nature and purpose of post-graduate study, cookery, and the importance of ceremonial cakes ....home on a late train to London with a sense of a very well-spent day...

Then today, a cathedral filled with joy - glorious singing by a young girls' choir, fruit of the Sisters' wonderful work with young people through "Fanning the Flame"  and other youth gatherings. The moving and impressive sight of Sister Mary Catherine kneeling before the Bishop to make her final vows.Then a delicious tea with lots of cakes, and the great joy of meeting lots of friends...

While in Oxford I had been impressed by the youth of the Friars...but now today a group of novices were among the guests,  from  Blackriars, Cambridge - the newest and youngest of the Dominicans in England. Golly...the Dominican Order, in this 800th anniversary year, is thriving and is going to be a big part of the New Evangelisation of our country...