Diocesan Saints

St Claude de la Colombière

This morning I was invited to the Archbishop’s Council in Westminster. This meets every week in the Upper Library of Archbishop’s House and consists of the Cardinal, his four Auxiliaries, various other diocesan dignitaries and a couple of invited guests. It might sound a bit intimidating but there is a relaxed atmosphere, which immediately puts you at ease.

The reason I was there is that I’m involved in revising the diocesan calendar. We already have a number of diocesan commemorations in the existing Ordo, such as SS Mellitus and Erkenwald, early bishops of London, and the martyr St John Southworth. It would be good to see a few more of our London saints remembered, though, such as the Carthusian Martyrs (11th May), St Richard Reynolds, the Bridgettine martyr of Isleworth (14 May) and St Claude de la Colombière (15th February), the spiritual director of St Margaret Mary and a great promoter of devotion to the Sacred Heart, who lived at St James’ Palace as chaplain to Mary of Modena in the late 1670s.

We’re nearly ready to finalise our proposals but, although the Cardinal is keen to push ahead, we have to await the approval of Rome and also the finalisation of the new English translation of the Roman Missal. This is going to take time. Still, it’s great to be involved in making people more aware of and devoted to our local saints through the Sacred Liturgy.