It is the custom at St Hildas' , on the feast day of a Saint of whom we have a statue, to move the statue to the Lady Chapel partition and erect a temporary shrine. Depending on my mood, some of these are lavish confections, with more in common with a Venetian barge during the Counter Reformation than the brand of simple country religion we normally espouse here (he removes his tongue from his cheek) but today, for the eve of St Nicholas, I was in a very stern mood, as befits this evenings Office prayers, and went for the simple option. After all, he may have been a simple man, we just do not know anything beyond the hagiography. This statue is by Faith Craft of Westminster, Lord Halifax's old ecclesiastical outfitting company which, as I have said before, was destroyed in the Blitz along with all the casts for the statues.
As we have no Thursday Mass, we will remember him at the prayer group and Bible study tomorrow night.
All Holy men and women, Pray for us.
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