Saturday, July 02, 2016

On the feast of...

...Saints Peter and Paul, I was at Allen Hall, the seminary for the diocese of Westminster, where Fr Doug Grandon celebrated Mass for his pilgrim group from  Denver, Colorado. Afterwards, the Rector spoke to the group about the seminary's magnificent tradition of heroic martyr priests. The names of the Douai Martyrs are on the honour boards in the refectory: at the start of each academic year they are read out by the men studying at the seminary, tomorrow's priests...

After the Rector's talk, I was invited to take the pilgrims to the famous miulberry tree in the garden: this was part of St Thomas More's land, and he planted several mulberry trees - the Latin word for mulberry is morus...

The group then went on to the Tower of London, and I travelled with them in the coach to give a potted history...we went from the Battle of Bosworth through to the execution of More and Fisher as the coach took us through rainy streets, and we reached 1535 as we approached the Tower...

A laptop enables one to work anywhere.  After making my farewells to the Americans, I settled down with a mug of coffee and a belated breakfast, and opened up my emails. As rain splattered down I sat quietly and enjoyably working, a second mug of coffee  by my side.

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