Priest Vapourised At Papal Visit To Birmingham, England

The story starts in 2080 with an elderly Priest reminiscing about his youth, at a party to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of his Ordination.
A young boy of about 8 asks him, "So tell us Father when did you first think that you might have a calling to the Priesthood?"
"I didn't 'think', I knew, in one moment when I was about your age back in the Summer of 2010. Blessed Pope Benedict XVI had come to visit Scotland & England and I was asked to help serve at the big Papal Mass in Cofton Park. What a Mass, only Priests distributing Holy Communion, people kneeling to receive from the Holy Father. I could feel the importance of the Priesthood, I could see that the Real Presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament was...well....Real!
But the Grace filled moment when I KNEW that I was called by God to be a Priest, came when the Holy Father took off his Mitre and my role was to hold it."
At that point St Michael walked into the Television room in Heaven and stopped the DVD player, "With all due respect Almighty One, it does no good watching the what-should-have-been DVD over and over again". So God pushed the what really happened button and watched the young girl hold the Holy Fathers Mitre instead.

W.A.S. Alliance Attacks Holy Father

Putting aside the main stream media for today, What A Strange (W.A.S.) Alliance came out to attack the Pope. Firstly there was Peter Tatchell et al demanding "homosexual rights" and more opium! The police said there were 5,000 of them, while 200,000 came to see the Pope.

[I have removed part of this post after a number of anonymous comments which said I was being 'disingenuous' etc to the Society of St Pius X. The reason that I have done this is that I do not wish to be an obstacle to any supporters of the SSPX, or to the Holy Father's endeavours to resolve things. Let us all continue to pray for the day when Deanery meetings will be enlivened by the presence of SSPX Priests!]

There was a crowd of Ian Paisley type protestants, singing very well outside Westminster Abbey on Friday night, but their booing was totally off key and impolite to say the least!

The British Christian Crusade newspaper (printed in New Zealand) was handed out at most events. They are Seventh Day Adventists, protestants who were so dishonest as to make the front cover of they paper look Catholic, whilst attacking the Church inside.

I didn't see the muslim demo, but Fr Finigan did and in fact both of these photos are from his blog.

Sorry to any other group that I have missed out!

So there you have it, like the orcs of Mordor these groups would not normally give each other the time of day, but when faced with a common enemy they 'unite' and attack. Be you Hobbit, Elf or the Vicar of Christ on Earth the orcs will attack you because you hold to what is true and good.

The Holy Father's Most Important Words On His Visit To Britain

After the unveiling and blessing of a mosaic of David, and after the greeting of the Bishop of Wrexham, SE Bishop Edwin Regan on behalf of the delegation of the faithful of Wales, the Holy Father spoke the following words.

Dear Bishop Regan,

Thank you for your very warm greeting on behalf of the faithful of Wales. I am happy to have this opportunity to honour the nation and its ancient Christian traditions by blessing a mosaic of Saint David, the Patron Saint of the Welsh people, and by lighting the candle of the statue of Our Lady of Cardigan.

Saint David was one of the great saints of the sixth century, that golden age of saints and missionaries in these isles, and he was thus a founder of the Christian culture which lies at the root of modern Europe. David’s preaching was simple yet profound: his dying words to his monks were, "Be joyful, keep the faith, and do the little things". It is the little things that reveal our love for the one who loved us first (cf. 1 Jn 4:19) and that bind people into a community of faith, love and service. May Saint David’s message, in all its simplicity and richness, continue to resound in Wales today, drawing the hearts of its people to renewed love for Christ and His Church.

Through the ages the Welsh people have been distinguished for their devotion to the Mother of God; this is evidenced by the innumerable places in Wales called "Llanfair" – Mary’s Church. As I prepare to light the candle held by Our Lady, I pray that she will continue to intercede with her Son for all the men and women of Wales. May the light of Christ continue to guide their steps and shape the life and culture of the nation.

Sadly, it was not possible for me to come to Wales during this visit. But I trust that this beautiful statue, which now returns to the National Shrine of Our Lady in Cardigan, will be a lasting reminder of the Pope’s deep love for the Welsh people, and of his constant closeness, both in prayer and in the communion of the Church.

Bendith Duw ar bobol Cymr! God bless the people of Wales!

(Photo from http://www.thepapalvisit.org.uk/st-david-pics )

Papal Flags Descend On Abortuary

Not quite what the Home Office wanted, but 3 days after the Papal visit 40 Days for Life started in London. Catholics (and maybe a few protestants) are spending 40 days praying and counselling outside marie stopes house, which is now an abortuary. Help & support will be offered to the women going in by counsellors, while on the other side of the road the faithful will pray for them.

On Sunday after Mass we went there to pray, a young lady was there on her own at that moment. We said a Rosary and as we left someone else came to join her. Please come and pray there(108 Whitfield Street, Marylebone, London, W1T 5EA. Nearest tube station: Warren Street). People are there from 8am until 8pm every day and all night some days, check the schedule and please sign up.

If it is too far for you to travel (there was someone from Folkestone there on Monday) then please pray and fast for the success of this great venture.

John Paul II Consoles 2 Cardiff City Supporters in Ninian Park

It was only when I started to support City that I found out that the Pope had come to Cardiff in 1982. The supporters were still singing fondly about his visit many years later and may still be for all I know, sadly due to some of the language the song is unprintable.

In the photo the Holy Father is consoling two City supporters, after predicting that Ninian Park would be pulled down before a Pope would visit Britain again. And so it was, Cardiff now have a new stadium across the road and houses now stand where Ninian Park once stood!

Pope Benedict XVI was so saddened by this move that he chose not to visit Wales and thus just went to Britain instead of Great Britain. But to show what a hard core Cardiff City supporter he is, he started his trip in Scotland on the Feast of Saint Ninian!

Fr Finigan Gives Benediction At Good Counsel

Sadly you cannot make out the yellow & white flowers on the Altar in honour of the Holy Father's visit to Britain. Nor for that matter can you see much of Father Finigan, but that is fine as we all know that it is all about Jesus.

The photo is from the Good Counsel Network's Chapel in London.

Email The Holy Father

There is quite a bit of negative stuff out there about The Holy Father's visit to Britain later this week. Hardly surprising when we remember who is the prince of this world. The negative ones, be it the BBC (Beelzebub Brainwashing Catholics), The Tablet, newspapers, lay catholics, or even clergy, end up doing the evil one's dirty work for him. Some do so knowingly, some unknowingly and yet others just fall for his temptations of, 'It's too much trouble.....' etcetera.

Please e-mail the Holy Father (benedictxvi@vatican.va) and thank him for the visit and for his leadership. Offer some prayers for him, The Good Counsel Network will be having twenty seven hours of Adoration to spiritually support the Holy Father & his visit to Britain (sorry, but as he is not going to Wales, it is just Britain and not Great Britain).

Then pack a Welsh flag or two and see you at Hyde Park

Yes going to see the Holy Father will not be without a struggle, they will make it hard for us.

Blessed Are The Ticketless

Leeds to Hyde Park to see the Holy Father, without a ticket for the Vigil. This is the best I've heard so far! Having read my post about filling Hyde Park inside and outside the Vigil, Pat said, "I had decided to do that rather than Birmingham."

"See you in Hyde Park then", said I.

"Great. Will get coach and walk over with a banner of Our Lady of Guadalupe to Hyde Park. God bless." Said Pat.

So I asked, "Have you got a ticket for the Vigil with the Pope at Hyde Park?"

"No, I was just going to let Our Lady of Guadalupe sort it" said Pat!

Let's Fill Hyde Park Part III

Let us all go to Hyde Park on Saturday 18th September to support the Holy Father. If you can't get a ticket, come anyway. Details of any Priests leading the ticketless will be posted here as I find out about them.

Bring a seat if you want one, a bit of extra food & drink for those who forget and a Welsh Flag of your choice. Also see Part I & Part II and tell everyone.

To Hyde Park & Beyond

Come to Hyde Park to support the Pope!

"I would get a better view on television",
EWTN will no doubt show a rerun of the live programme, so you don't need to watch it live.

"I'm too young/old",
I'm going with a 3 year old and an 83 year old!

"I don't have a ticket",
see yesterday's post & contact Fr Armand de Malleray, FSSP

"I'm playing football...",
oh stop now, see you in Hyde Park on Saturday 18th September 2010!

Government, Bishops, Priests or Faithful to Blame for Poor Papal Turnout?

Much has been written about the organisation of the Holy Father's visit to England. I have heard that the Government wants to limit the number of the faithful attending, to make it look like a flop. I have heard the same said of the Bishop's Conference of Wales & England. I have heard of Priests at the Altar asking for names of people who wanted to go, but putting some off with a lot of negativity. "It will be a very long day...there will be no seats.....there will be a long walk as part of the day at Hyde Park.....there will be a long coach journey to Birmingham....bla, bla, bla". Rumours that there would be no toilets were thrown in for good measure!

All of this may be true, but so what! A convert, Cardinal Newman, to the One True Faith is going to be Beatified by Christ's Vicar on Earth here in England(Birmingham 19th September). At Hyde Park, London 18th September, the successor of Saint Peter will lead over 80,000 Catholics in Adoring the Real Presence of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. So as Henry Root would say, "Here's a pound [ten for Hyde Park] let's go!"

If your Parish has run out of tickets, phone around other local Parishes and ask them if they have any. I was talking to a good Priest earlier this week who was saddened by the small number of tickets he has been asked for by his Parishioners. If you cannot get a ticket, come to Hyde Park anyway! I was very heartened to receive an email today from Fr Armand de Malleray, FSSP who will be leading 50 of the faithful to the Vigil with the Pope, but went on to say, there "surely could and should be many more coming than 50. Even if this means that we pray the Rosary in an other area of Hyde Park (i.e. outside the official registration zone), it will be very significant to be a very very large crowd there. In some years, we want to be able to look back on this First Papal State visit in Great Britain and say: ‘I attended’. Clergy from the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter will accompany the ‘Non registered’ group. Other clergy welcome. Persons under 18 years of age are welcome under the responsibility of their parents. Specific meeting location will be communicated later on."

So there you have it, ticket or not every Catholic to Hyde Park 1pm-9pm Saturday 18th September 2010.