I had the privilege of meeting the great St John Paul ...

 

...and am thrilled that CTS has used my piece about him on their current blog celebrating his feast-day...

WHY WALK ALONG THE RIVER THAMES...

 

...when you can walk IN the River Thames?

Today's History Walk began very comfortably at St Elizabeth's church, Richmond, warmly welcomed by the excellent parish priest Fr Stephen Langridge,  we  then walked - properly spaced, obeying all the corona-rules - down into the town and across the Green, with me explaining about how the town got its name, and about Henry VII and the Old Palace, and more...

And then we turned Old Palace Lane and headed for the river. It was seeping up across the bank, with tiny rivulets making their way across the towpath. But I led the way as we strode out towards  the boatyards and then the fields and Ham...

But we had hardly gone a few yards  before the rivulets became a serious puddle...and people ahead of us urged us to turn back...and attempts to go further were clearly absurd and had to be abandoned - and as we turned  the towpath was impossible as it had become part of the river .... Only by  squelching and scrambling scrambling right up against the garden wall of  Asgill House were we able to regain Old Palace Lane, and by then we were wading up to our knees in the Thames...

Everyone remained in good spirits - in fact one member of the party was laughing so much he could barely speak, and another lined us up as I was pouring water out of my boots, and photographed us...

I've promised to check the tide-tables before any other Richmond Walk. 

We will shortly be celebrating...

...the feast of St John Paul the Great.

Did you know he had thought of taking the name Stanislaus I?

Info here

 

YOU CAN LISTEN TO AUNTIE JOANNA....

 ....on Radio Maria England.

This is a new initiative: an independent radio station,  linked to a "family" network centred in Italy.  There is a good range of programmes, with Mass and various devotions, music, and all sorts of talks and discussions. Auntie Joanna's contribution is a regular "Feasts and Seasons" programme, which each week has info on the feast-days and saints' days that are coming up...

Tune in here....

or here

VINDICATED...

 ...Cardinal George Pell with the Pope at the Vatican this week.

A little while ago......

 ...I was told emphatically that the modern Church has produced no saints.

This was and is rubbish.  But it is glorious to be able to refute it with the dramatic scenes from Assisi this weekend. A London-born computer whizzkid has just been beatified, a Millenial saint.   Read here...

Lift up your hearts.

The 2020 CATHOLIC YOUNG WRITER AWARD....

 

....had fewer entries this year but produced two fine winners/. You can read all about it here