WATCH CARDINAL GEORGE PELL....

 ...talking frankly about his life, his beliefs, the Church, the Pope, and more...here...

IMPORTANT: a senior judge criticises the plans for the new "hate crime" law...

 

....read about it here...

The influence of the lobby group STONEWALL is particularly criticised...the judge notes that its approach is taken as a standard one, instead of simply one view among many.

This is of great importance, as the concept of "hate crime" is something that has already created much confusion, and caused real problems. 

...and in the latest PORTAL magazine...

 

...read my personal tribute to HRH Prince Philip...here...with memories of  the challenges of the Award Scheme... 

Come and visit Auntie in the Rosary Garden!!!

 ....on May 29th, National Gardens Day!

The Dominican Priory at Southampton Row in North London has a glorious Garden dedicated to the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary,  and it will be open to the public on National Gardens Day and is well worth a visit.

Info here.  The garden is easy to reach and you will find Auntie Joanna there,  and can even obtain a copy of her book telling the story of the Garden and the story behind it...which takes in the Fleet river, Blackfriars station, and St John Paul...

A GLORIOUS MASS FOR ST GEORGE'S DAY...

 

...at St George's Cathedral, Southwark, with an inspiring sermon by the Archbishop, and  beautiful singing from the choir.  As we made our way out into the sunshine  from those great arched doors, we were each given a beautiful long-stemmed rose...a lovely way to carry the message out for the rest of the day...

The hymns included "Great Saint George, our patron, help us..." which we used to sing at school, and I have rarely heard since. Found myself singing it as I set about housework later in the afternoon...

An on-line conference organised by a new group....

 ...Smart Catholics...and it was a privilege to take part. I was invited to speak on "Women and the Church".

This was my first experience of a large-scale on-line event organised through "Hopin".  Previously, I've used ZOOM etc.

The Smart Catholics team work with Catholic Voices and are very friendly,  efficient, upbeat and helpful.  We had a training session some days before the event.

There really is a strange illusion that  there is a genuine conference going on, and one is simply there "on screen" while a large audience is present in person, seated in rows at a conference etc.  Actually of course everyone is "attending" like me, by sitting at home with a computer.

The various talks have also been recorded and I think will be available as podcasts etc. This was a joint USA/UK event, and I was speaking at 3.15pm British time. I explained that the funeral of HRH Prince Philip was taking place and my husband was listening to it in an adjoining room.  I had asked him to let me know when the National Anthem was played so that I could stand up!  In the end this wasn't necessary, because my session conveniently ended shortly before the funeral reached that part of things.

There will be prayers for Prince Philip at Masses tomorrow...

 

...and memorial pictures of him in churches and Cathedrals, like this one at St George's Cathedral, Southwark,  with a message from the Archbishop.

THE HISTORY WALKS ARE RE-STARTING...

 

...so do come along!!!  You need to let us know that you are coming.  Walks will start from Westminster Cathedral,  from St George's Cathedral, Southwark, and from St Elizabeth's Church in Richmond.   We offer evening and afternoon walks.  Come and discover London's magnificent history.  Info here

Tributes to HRH Prince Philip...

 

...and I add my own small voice...like thousands of other young people over the past half-century or more, I took part in the Duke of Edinburgh's Award, and am so grateful for all that I learned and was able to do...

His was a life of service, lived well.

A  man of Christian faith, of courage - not least in wartime - and of dedication to our country. May he rest in peace. Read here...

IT'S TIME TO GET BACK TO MASS!!!

 

.....people who have been watching at home: it's time to get back to church now.

Here is a leading Cardinal on the subject,   and frankly, he's quite right.

Prince Charles has chosen a perfect poem for Easter...

 

...and shares it here...

Enjoy, and share with others. How lovely that our future king loves the work of Hopkins as so many of us do...and sees how Hopkins speaks to our current longing to reconnect with God and with God's creation...

....and this brings Easter greetings to my faithful readers...

 

....and may this holy season bring new hope and joy to our country and to the world which sorely needs it...

Read and enjoy Auntie at...

 

The Portal magazine, here...

HOT WEATHER, LOCKDOWN EASING...

 

...and somehow London looks ugly. The dress-code is deliberately-torn  beachwear....for females,  very tiny, tight, ripped shorts and fleshy posteriors. For males, oldish teeshirts and ripped-knee jeans. Very loud rock music from ricksaws. People crammed together along the South Bank, with  litter stacked on walls and on street corners, mostly randomly, sometimes alongside overflowing litterbins. Cans, pizza-boxes, a lot of chicken bones and pizza crusts, discarded chips in expanded-polystyrene containers, more cans.  Plastic bags flapping against bus stops and lamp posts. 

People are very much out and about: lots of crowds. But somehow the mood isn't merry. Will this year have a hot  summer season of riots and anger?

I had spent part of the afternoon pondering History Walks...several new ideas from routes mapped out over recent weeks. The prospect of good company and a sense of cheerful purpose.  But suddenly the idea  seemed stale and dull. London's mix of boarded-up shops and scruffy beachwear gives a gloomy feel.

We are promised cooler weather for Easter, but a very hot summer to follow.

Spent yesterday afternoon on my knees...

 

...at St George's Cathedral, Southwark.   Not praying...cleaning!  Very satisfying work, getting dust out of odd corner at the edges of the kneelers, and - much harder work - polishing the brass plates on the doors of the confessionals!  Every bit of brass in the cathedral now gleams gloriously...

It's a fine building,  designed by Pugin, re-modelled slightly  courtesy of the Luftwaffe in WWII, rebuilt beautifully to original design....it lost its original stained glass but has acquired some magnificent new ones, including a fine East window above the sanctuary, and an equally glorious one at the West end. My personal favourite, however, is the superb stained glass by the Blessed Sacrament chapel, depicting Pope St John Paul administering the Sacrament of Anointing in the Cathedral...it is worth visiting the Cathedral just to see it.  Next year, 2022, will mark the 40th anniversary of the great Pope to Britain...

A very muddled Cardinal...

 

....poor Cardinal Schonborn seems to be in a complete muddle over same-sex marriage 

What does he think he's doing?

It is tragic. 

LISTEN TO AUNTIE JOANNA...

 

....on Radio Maria England.

You can find out about Holy Week and Easter customs - including things that Auntie and her friends and family will be doing!

Last year we were told it was "an Easter like no other" because of the restrictions due to the China virus.  But alas this year there are restrictions too...though at least we can get to church, provided there is space and we can book in advance.

There is going to be a great need for evangelism in the months ahead, helping people to rediscover the pattern of some regular life of worship and the use of churches...

Lots of news outlets have reported the Church's ban on blessing homosexual unions...

 

...eg this

and this

It needs to be understood that this is Church teaching: it cannot be changed. The Pope and the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith not only make this clear, but also explain about it in some depth. 

Rome has spoken...

 

....authoritatively....

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has issued a detailed  statement on the question of homosexual unions: they can in no circumstances be blessed.

Read here

Many a rich, beautiful, successful American actress....

....has proved to be a challenging employer, whom staff find difficult to please. 

Marrying into the Royal Family is not always quite the same as being a rich successful actress, and changing from the latter to the former could be quite a challenge, requiring a great deal of thought and care.

In a world where many are hungry, ill, or victims of war or famine, it's probably worth counting one's blessings if one has a large comfortable home in a prosperous place, lots of money, good health, and an affectionate husband and children.

Thought this worth mentioning.