Tuesday, July 31, 2018
Sunday, July 29, 2018
Friday, July 27, 2018
On Monday....
...I will be off to Walsingham for the NEW DAWN gathering. Then, after a visit home to sort things out and reorganise....I'll be going back to Walsingham, this time on foot with a group led by the Dominican Sisters
Other summer events for Auntie include a pilgrimage by boat, and two very important family gatherings, one of which is also on water...
Other summer events for Auntie include a pilgrimage by boat, and two very important family gatherings, one of which is also on water...
St Teresa's Home...
...in Wimbledon is a most wonderful residence for elderly people, offering superb care and always in an atmosphere of great goodwill, joy, and peace. In this Blog, I have frequently written of a believed elderly relative who spent her last years there....it became also a sort of home-from-home for me too, where I was always welcome.
Recently, this wonderful Home marked its 30th anniversary, and we all gathered for a beautiful Mass, celebrated by Bishop Howard Tripp, and a delicious Tea, with scones with lavish jam and cream, magnificent cakes, lots of prosecco, and the joy of being among so many people with a shared affection for this lovely place.
I mention all this because I'll be back again shortly with some home-made blackberry jam...and will also (if only this hot weather breaks for a while) be joining the group taking some of the residents out for a visit to Richmond or one of the other pleasant local places where we enjoy a wander through parks and gardens, a lovely tea. and lots of chat and laughter...I love St Tetresa's.
Recently, this wonderful Home marked its 30th anniversary, and we all gathered for a beautiful Mass, celebrated by Bishop Howard Tripp, and a delicious Tea, with scones with lavish jam and cream, magnificent cakes, lots of prosecco, and the joy of being among so many people with a shared affection for this lovely place.
I mention all this because I'll be back again shortly with some home-made blackberry jam...and will also (if only this hot weather breaks for a while) be joining the group taking some of the residents out for a visit to Richmond or one of the other pleasant local places where we enjoy a wander through parks and gardens, a lovely tea. and lots of chat and laughter...I love St Tetresa's.
Gratitude....
...to God for the glorious rain this evening. London has been parched and ghastly, lawns scorched and grey, great cracks appearing in flower-beds.
Wednesday, July 25, 2018
...and the family...
...gathered for the beautiful and moving traditional funeral of a beloved mother, mother-in-law, and grandmother,
SUSAN GOWAN BOGLE
in the village church, with lovely music and tender memories.... The family crest stood in the sanctuary, and flowers covered the coffin, and the Rector led the service before a congregation of family and friends, and then we walked in procession to the grave, the church's flag at half-mast in the still air of the summer afternoon, It was fitting and solemn and beautiful, and difficult to write about, because days like this are the essence of the story of our lives...
An Army wife, the creator of a happy home for her husband and sons, a dear mother-in-law and grandmother, a wonderful hostess, a much-loved woman, with a joyful spirit and a welcoming heart. May she rest in peace.
SUSAN GOWAN BOGLE
in the village church, with lovely music and tender memories.... The family crest stood in the sanctuary, and flowers covered the coffin, and the Rector led the service before a congregation of family and friends, and then we walked in procession to the grave, the church's flag at half-mast in the still air of the summer afternoon, It was fitting and solemn and beautiful, and difficult to write about, because days like this are the essence of the story of our lives...
An Army wife, the creator of a happy home for her husband and sons, a dear mother-in-law and grandmother, a wonderful hostess, a much-loved woman, with a joyful spirit and a welcoming heart. May she rest in peace.
Tuesday, July 24, 2018
...and the blackberries...
...are just astonishing this year. Two shelves in the Bogle kitchen are already stacked with jars of Blackberry Jam and Bramble Cheese, and as I write another vast batch of berries is gently stewing ready to be made into jam tomorrow...
Bramble Cheese? It's a creamed mixture of blackberry-and-apple, created through careful cooking and then pushing through a sieve. The "cheese" refers to the texture rather than to any link with dairy food. It's delicious on scones or buttered toast, and popular with people who don't like pips in jam. Also goes nicely with pancakes.
Bramble Cheese? It's a creamed mixture of blackberry-and-apple, created through careful cooking and then pushing through a sieve. The "cheese" refers to the texture rather than to any link with dairy food. It's delicious on scones or buttered toast, and popular with people who don't like pips in jam. Also goes nicely with pancakes.
Signing a book contract...
...seemed a serious and exciting thing the first time.And in due course we took a photograph in the kitchen where I posed with my completed manuscript, all wrapped up in a big envelope and ready to be posted Many years and many books later...well...it's still somehow exciting. In the steady, scorching heat of this torrid summer of 2018 the post brought my latest contract, and the quickened heartbeat was just the same as thirty years ago. Then, happy and excited, I set off to pick blackberries and ponder the work ahead.
No, I'm not going to tell about the book yet. Wait and see. There are in fact two books now in the offing. Plenty of work ahead.
No, I'm not going to tell about the book yet. Wait and see. There are in fact two books now in the offing. Plenty of work ahead.
Monday, July 23, 2018
The passing of...
...a great lady from the finest days of the BBC World Service. Dora Lavrencic had a remarkable life. She was brought up in Maribor, Slovenia, and was studying law, planning to be her country's first female judge. Her father was acting Mayor of Maribor when the Nazis invaded. He refused to fly the swastika flag and was arrested. He died in Dachau. Dora and her mother later escaped over the mountains to Austria where in due course she worked for the British Army as a translator. She married Karl Lavrencic, lawyer, linguist, and author and together they worked for the BBC World Service and were leading figures in Britain's Slovenian community, and a voice for freedom in the dark days of Communism.. Read more about it all here: it's inspiring. Their daughter Alenka, herself a distinguished journalist and author, is one of my greatest friends. It was a privilege to be at the funeral Mass held in the church at Cobham in Surrey.
Wednesday, July 18, 2018
It was a real pleasure...
...at Westminster Cathedral the other day, to meet the Vatican Cricket team, enjoying a most successful visit to Britain. They have played the Royal Household, and a team from the Houses of |Parliament, plus an inter-faith game in which they joined with the Archbishop of Canterbury's XI plus cricketers from the Sikh, Hindu and Moslem religions...
On Sunday J and I had the pleasure of spending the evening with John McCarthy, former Australian Ambassador to the Holy See, who initiated this whole venture. It is superb to see it all flourishing: the Queen attended the Royal Household match.
On Sunday J and I had the pleasure of spending the evening with John McCarthy, former Australian Ambassador to the Holy See, who initiated this whole venture. It is superb to see it all flourishing: the Queen attended the Royal Household match.
Tuesday, July 17, 2018
In scorching heat...
...London's lawns are turning white, grass is dying, and feet are pounding dry baked earth.At St Mary's University the traces of the underground WWII air-raid shelter can be seen as the drought reveals the pattern beneath the scorched grass.
You can read Auntie's take on it all here...
You can read Auntie's take on it all here...
Monday, July 09, 2018
Recent news...
...a glorious First Mass for newly-ordained Fr Jonathan Creer at the Church of the Most Precious Blood on Sunday July 1st. He had been ordained the previous day at the Birmingham Oratory.
The Mass at Pr Blood was packed and was the last to take place in the church before big renovations begin with the laying of a new floor.
Afterwards, celebrations over fizz in the Redcross Gardens nearby: scorching sunshine across all of London so it was good to be in a place with some trees and greenery.The Gardens were initiated by Octavia Hill, founder of the National Trust and much more...as she was a fervent High Anglican, it is somehow appropriate that the Gardens she created are now in regular use by the Ordinariate with that special heritage.
As the afternoon drew on, I made my way to London Bridge station where after a badly-needed cup of tea I travelled to Tunbridge Wells, and thence to Pembury for Evensong and the blessing of a beautiful stained glass window which completes the transformation of what was once a dreary hall on the village green into a charming little church, St Anselm's. A beautiful traditional Evensong with splendid singing, and then out into the gardens for more fizz and talk and celebrations...
An Ordinariate day...
The Mass at Pr Blood was packed and was the last to take place in the church before big renovations begin with the laying of a new floor.
Afterwards, celebrations over fizz in the Redcross Gardens nearby: scorching sunshine across all of London so it was good to be in a place with some trees and greenery.The Gardens were initiated by Octavia Hill, founder of the National Trust and much more...as she was a fervent High Anglican, it is somehow appropriate that the Gardens she created are now in regular use by the Ordinariate with that special heritage.
As the afternoon drew on, I made my way to London Bridge station where after a badly-needed cup of tea I travelled to Tunbridge Wells, and thence to Pembury for Evensong and the blessing of a beautiful stained glass window which completes the transformation of what was once a dreary hall on the village green into a charming little church, St Anselm's. A beautiful traditional Evensong with splendid singing, and then out into the gardens for more fizz and talk and celebrations...
An Ordinariate day...
Wednesday, July 04, 2018
THIS BLOG...
...has been silent for the past two weeks.
Pray for the beloved soul of
Mrs Susan Gowan Bogle, much-loved wife, mother, grandmother and mother-in-law. "Far above rubies" (Prov.31:10).
This Blog will recommence shortly.
Pray for the beloved soul of
Mrs Susan Gowan Bogle, much-loved wife, mother, grandmother and mother-in-law. "Far above rubies" (Prov.31:10).
This Blog will recommence shortly.
Monday, June 18, 2018
The Eucharistic Congress...
...takes place in Liverpool in September and I'll be there...the ticketing seems unecessarily complex - there are meant to be 2 delegates from each parish, but of course that means lots of discussion and checking and fuss... Why don't they just say:"All welcome! Buy a ticket!"
Anyway, my ticket is all organised, and I'm looking forward to it all, especially as Bishop Robert Barron is to be a keynote speaker.
MASSIVE History Walk on Thursday...something like 100 people. We began at Westminster Cathedral and although we had a formal completion at the gardens alongside the Houses of Parliament, a large crowd wanted to continue down along the Thames to the Tower. A great atmosphere and a wonderful afternoon. Some of us peeled off at London Bridge for Evensong and Mass at Precious Blood church...and then afterwards I hurried across the river to the the pub near the Tower where the final group had agreed to meet for supper....and things finished at a very late hour...a hearty meal, prosecco, lots of lively talk...and then out into the summer night and I caught almost the last Tube trundling out to the suburbs...
It was a busy week...a LOGS meeting at Norwood on Monday evening...excellent talk from Fr James Clark, chaplain at the John Fisher School. A family connection with the school goes back a good many years...and in the chapel there are some altar-kneelers worked by Auntie Joanna...
LOGS has some good plans for the Autumn, starting with a three-day pilgrimage to Walsingham, staying at Dowry House.
At the weekend, a wonderful Silver Wedding party given by a couple whose wedding J and I attended...golly, it just doesn't seem 25 years ago...Saturday's gathering was joyful and full of friends and fun...
Anyway, my ticket is all organised, and I'm looking forward to it all, especially as Bishop Robert Barron is to be a keynote speaker.
MASSIVE History Walk on Thursday...something like 100 people. We began at Westminster Cathedral and although we had a formal completion at the gardens alongside the Houses of Parliament, a large crowd wanted to continue down along the Thames to the Tower. A great atmosphere and a wonderful afternoon. Some of us peeled off at London Bridge for Evensong and Mass at Precious Blood church...and then afterwards I hurried across the river to the the pub near the Tower where the final group had agreed to meet for supper....and things finished at a very late hour...a hearty meal, prosecco, lots of lively talk...and then out into the summer night and I caught almost the last Tube trundling out to the suburbs...
It was a busy week...a LOGS meeting at Norwood on Monday evening...excellent talk from Fr James Clark, chaplain at the John Fisher School. A family connection with the school goes back a good many years...and in the chapel there are some altar-kneelers worked by Auntie Joanna...
LOGS has some good plans for the Autumn, starting with a three-day pilgrimage to Walsingham, staying at Dowry House.
At the weekend, a wonderful Silver Wedding party given by a couple whose wedding J and I attended...golly, it just doesn't seem 25 years ago...Saturday's gathering was joyful and full of friends and fun...
Tuesday, June 12, 2018
Meanwhile in Ireland...
...what on earth do the organisers of the World Meeting of Families think they are doing by inviting this priest to be among the speakers?
Ireland badly needs a large-hearted, open and joyful gathering to celebrate God's plan for love and life. For far too long in the last century, there was more than a hint of Jansenism in the approach to married life and to sexual communion. It created a whole sort of myth about the true nature of the Church's message, that bore sour and poisonous fruit in more recent years, with this ghastly result in the referendum on abortion. It's time for a fresh new approach...not stale rubbish from an American talking about lesbianism.
FOR GOODNESS' SAKE, IRELAND! Wake up! Look to the truth and beauty of the Christian teaching - and give it a fair hearing with open hearts!
Ireland badly needs a large-hearted, open and joyful gathering to celebrate God's plan for love and life. For far too long in the last century, there was more than a hint of Jansenism in the approach to married life and to sexual communion. It created a whole sort of myth about the true nature of the Church's message, that bore sour and poisonous fruit in more recent years, with this ghastly result in the referendum on abortion. It's time for a fresh new approach...not stale rubbish from an American talking about lesbianism.
FOR GOODNESS' SAKE, IRELAND! Wake up! Look to the truth and beauty of the Christian teaching - and give it a fair hearing with open hearts!
Wednesday, June 06, 2018
Tuesday, June 05, 2018
"Why haven't you written up your blog recently, Auntie Joanna?"
I am flattered that people have been asking. It's only been a few days. But they have been busy days.
Minor adventure in Arundel. After a glorious Corpus Christi procession - packed cathedral, wonderful music, excellent sermon from the Bishop, fabulous procession across the moat and through the castle grounds, glorious gardens and meadowland, Benediction there and then again in the Cathedral - I took a lingering walk through this lovely Sussex town, dallied over a glass of wine, tackled some emails. Then went on to the station - and found there were no trains! A substitute bus would take me to Billingshurst, and the driver was kind and went on to Horsham for me. But the station there was also bereft - must have been engineering works, or something. Another stranded passenger said a mate ran a good hotel not far away and gave me the number...I phoned, got a room, and spent a very comfortable night with an excellent breakfast in the morning.
Trains were running by then, so on to London to meet a colleague to map out some more History Walks.Pub lunch at the Mitre, after Mass at St Etheldreda's...it was good to be back there, a favourite haunt when St E's was the Guild church for the Catholic Writers' Guild...
The weekend saw the regular First Saturday Mass at this church, honiuring Our Lady of Walsingham: I had invited a friend and we had an agreeable chatty lunch afterwards near the river. Then on to Night Fever at St Patrick's, Soho.Sunday saw another History Walk, and then the Procession from St Patrick's through Soho with the Blessed Sacrament, and giving out devotional cards to all the crowds...Benediction in the churchyard at St Giles-in-the-Fields and then, chatting afterwards, a sudden late-night and enjoyable Chinese meal nearby.
There's more. But that's roughly why I didn't have much time to blog.
Minor adventure in Arundel. After a glorious Corpus Christi procession - packed cathedral, wonderful music, excellent sermon from the Bishop, fabulous procession across the moat and through the castle grounds, glorious gardens and meadowland, Benediction there and then again in the Cathedral - I took a lingering walk through this lovely Sussex town, dallied over a glass of wine, tackled some emails. Then went on to the station - and found there were no trains! A substitute bus would take me to Billingshurst, and the driver was kind and went on to Horsham for me. But the station there was also bereft - must have been engineering works, or something. Another stranded passenger said a mate ran a good hotel not far away and gave me the number...I phoned, got a room, and spent a very comfortable night with an excellent breakfast in the morning.
Trains were running by then, so on to London to meet a colleague to map out some more History Walks.Pub lunch at the Mitre, after Mass at St Etheldreda's...it was good to be back there, a favourite haunt when St E's was the Guild church for the Catholic Writers' Guild...
The weekend saw the regular First Saturday Mass at this church, honiuring Our Lady of Walsingham: I had invited a friend and we had an agreeable chatty lunch afterwards near the river. Then on to Night Fever at St Patrick's, Soho.Sunday saw another History Walk, and then the Procession from St Patrick's through Soho with the Blessed Sacrament, and giving out devotional cards to all the crowds...Benediction in the churchyard at St Giles-in-the-Fields and then, chatting afterwards, a sudden late-night and enjoyable Chinese meal nearby.
There's more. But that's roughly why I didn't have much time to blog.
Thursday, May 31, 2018
On the train to...
...Arundel, where every year there is a glorious Carpet of Flowers in the cathedral to honour the feast of Corpus Christi. Things culminate in a procession through the town, with Benediction in the castle grounds. I'm on the train whooshing through the London suburbs and in due course we'll be in the Sussex countryside. Knights and Dames of St Gregory take part in the procession and I have my green cloak etc with me.
Yesterday evening an excellent meeting of the Catholic Writers' Gyuild, held as usual at Farm Street. Topic was Hanna Chrzanowska. No, I hadn't heard of her either. But it's a fascinating story: she is the woman who, among much else, organised and ran a system of home-nursing in Krakow in the difficult years under Communist rule, transforming the liives of sick and handicapped people who were marooned in grim conditions in dingy flats, unable to get out and lacking proper care. With teams of volunteers, Hanna gave practical care and also organised day-trips, singalongs, gatherings for prayer and celebration...all this with the support and encouragement of Archbishop Karol Wojtyla. We in the West are now only just beginning to grasp the significance of how the Church provided for human and spiritual needs under Communism, and these stories are emerging...lessons for us to absorb and examples to follow......
Yesterday evening an excellent meeting of the Catholic Writers' Gyuild, held as usual at Farm Street. Topic was Hanna Chrzanowska. No, I hadn't heard of her either. But it's a fascinating story: she is the woman who, among much else, organised and ran a system of home-nursing in Krakow in the difficult years under Communist rule, transforming the liives of sick and handicapped people who were marooned in grim conditions in dingy flats, unable to get out and lacking proper care. With teams of volunteers, Hanna gave practical care and also organised day-trips, singalongs, gatherings for prayer and celebration...all this with the support and encouragement of Archbishop Karol Wojtyla. We in the West are now only just beginning to grasp the significance of how the Church provided for human and spiritual needs under Communism, and these stories are emerging...lessons for us to absorb and examples to follow......
Sunday, May 27, 2018
A tragic...
... and alas not unexpected, result in Ireland.
One of the most baffling comments in the post-referendum round-up of interviews: a jubilant lady who announced that she had voted for repeal "for my daughters...I have two daughters, and I want it for them" Can she really be saying that she cheerfully assumes her daughrers will want to abort their babies? Does she really want to tell the world that is how she expects her daughters to behave? Ugh.
One of the most baffling comments in the post-referendum round-up of interviews: a jubilant lady who announced that she had voted for repeal "for my daughters...I have two daughters, and I want it for them" Can she really be saying that she cheerfully assumes her daughrers will want to abort their babies? Does she really want to tell the world that is how she expects her daughters to behave? Ugh.
Saturday, May 26, 2018
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