A Requiem and Another Busy Week.

The new Requiem Chasuble.

This morning began, after the necessary ablutions (which take twice the time they used to, having no sink or shower while the bathroom enters it's fourth week of being fitted) and the giving of a lift to Swinton and the consuming of a sausage sandwich (and the putting out of the bins, the letting in of the tiler, the visit to the post office for the posting of the letters of various sizes which necessitate a personal visit) with a requiem Mass. The Mass was for the repose of the soul of Colin Watts, Father of a friend of my brother called Andrew Watts, a stand up comic of repute. I gave a short talk beforehand to explain why we had broken our pattern of feria days and occasional Feast Days to do this. It was, I surmised, good that someone can phone someone who can phone someone else who can phone me who can arrange a Mass to be said for the repose of the original someones Father. This shows the Catholic Faith in a most true and therefore human and approachable way and reminds us that we are not alone. That we are surrounded by, as has been said before by one more eloquent than I, a great cloud of witnesses as well as a support structure in place for us in this life.

You know my thoughts on communication and support, but this morning just brought home how easily and well we can connect with each other in a fruitful way using the current structures we have. As you know, I am fully aware of the need for this New Oxford Movement, or a new movement of some name, to revitalise our wing of the Church and to help us and support us in our fight. These existing avenues of communication for the main part of this new movement, though, which must eventually embrace the whole of our constituency, work well and could be used to great effect. A new blog will complement this perfectly, but I think we need to look hard, and reading other blogs over the last couple of days as well, others think that we need to look hard at the central system already in operation and find new ways to disseminate the new, vital information as we pull ourselves together. Two and sixpence for a dance is of no use to anybody.

Anyway, another busy week looms and an important part of it, indeed possibly the most important non-sacramental part will necessitate my leaving in half an hour, so I shall go and use the toilet in the Church as mine is behind me in the study, detached from it's usual happy home and then it will be time to go. Pray, if you will be so kind, for the soul of Colin Watts.