Catholic England's Top Five

Mulier Fortis has just tagged me - the challenge is to list my five favourite places in Catholic England. Sadly I assume that this excludes Catholic buildings now in Anglican hands, Scottish wonders like Pluscarden Abbey and our English Colleges in Rome and Valladolid. I'm also going to exclude Westminster Cathedral and the London Oratory since I'm sure every one else will mention them.

Here are five of my favourite places:

• Oxford - the city has so many Catholic connections (saints, martyrs and modern apostles like Newman and Ronald Knox) and many impressive Catholic centres within a short distance, including the Oratory, the Old Palace (University Chaplaincy), Blackfriars, Greyfriars, St Benet's Hall (OSB), Campion Hall (SJ) and Grandpoint House (Opus Dei).
• Farnborough Abbey - a little piece of France in the heart of Hampshire. Despite being a Bonapartist shrine, the architecture is stunning, the liturgy dignified and the printing press prolific. Best of all, it's within easy reach of London.
• National Shrine of Our Lady of Willesden - not in the most beautiful part of London but it's a stunning and unspoilt 1931 church, complete with High Altar and baldacchino, with a shrine to Our Lady that restores a medieval devotion and was visited by St Thomas More. Plus it was the church of my Ordination!
• St James', Spanish Place - another beautiful London church with a fine musical and liturgical tradition.
• Stonyhurst - the Jesuit school in Lancashire that has England's greatest treasure-trove of Catholic relics. Talking of Lancashire, I could also add St Peter's Cathedral, Lancaster, and St Walburge's, Preston, to my 'Top Five.'

Hopefully that's broad enough - I don't want to be accused of bloc voting (as we disgracefully saw in this evening's Eurovision Song Contest)! I could have included many other places (Cheadle, Ware, Downside, etc). Consider yourself tagged if you're reading this and would like to have a go at this meme.

Film Meme

Cally's Kitchen has tagged me with the following meme:

My Favourite Film - I love the Ealing Comedies and I think Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949) is superb. Dennis Price plays Louis Mazzini, a junior and disinherited member of the noble D'Ascoyne family, who kills his relatives (all of whom are played by the peerless Alec Guiness) so that he can become Duke. The script sparkles with wit, such as Louis' comment after shooting down Lady Agatha in her hot-air balloon: 'I shot an arrow in the air / She fell to earth in Berkeley Square.'

My Favourite Religious Film - hmmm, a difficult one. Some of my favourites are listed below, but one that isn't is A Man for All Seasons (1966), starring my talented namesake, Paul Scofield (without an 'h').

My Favourite Film Priest - I think it has to be Fernandel playing the lead character in the Don Camillo films - comic acting, yes, but also a very human and masculine portrayal of Priesthood. The scenes in which Don Camillo dialogues with the miraculous crucifix in his little church are a beautiful essay in prayer.

My Favourite Film Nun - three clear contenders: Audrey Hepburn (as Sister Luke in The Nun's Story, 1959), Ingrid Bergman (as Bing Crosby's side-kick, Sister Mary Benedict, in The Bells of St Mary's, 1945) and Sydney Penny (as St Bernadette in Jean Delannoy's beautiful The Passion of Bernadette, 1989). I'd be happy to have any of these working in my parish!

Can I tag Fr Tim, Valle in Adurni and the Westminster Cathedral Administrator (if a meme doesn't compromise the semi-official nature of his blog)? - but only if they have time during the 'twelve days of Christmas.'

Books on Priestly Vocation

Joee Blogs has tagged me, challenging me to list some 'brilliant' books on the subject of vocation. Forgive me if I concentrate on the priestly vocation:

Religious Vocation: An Unnecessary Mystery, by Richard Butler OP. There aren't many books on vocation itself but I found this one useful when I was recently preparing a talk on Priesthood and Vocation. First published in 1961, this book is chiefly about vocation to the Religious Life, which Butler refers to as an invitatio rather than a vocatio - in a sense everyone is called to the Religious Life because it is basically a living out of the evangelical counsels, but most of us are prevented to do so because of circumstances (family, job, etc). Butler also makes the important point that vocation is an 'unnecessary mystery.' Many people procrastinate because they wait for a clear sign from God. Of course, this only happens rarely - initially the key thing in discerning a vocation is a right intention and the appropriate gifts of nature and grace. The long years of formation will help the individual and the Church decide whether this call is real. Vocation shouldn't be a conundrum and, in a sense, you have to be prepared to make a leap in the dark and get the ball rolling rather than procrastinate and wait for a 'feeling' that you are called.

Priests for the Third Millennium, by Timothy Dolan (now Archbishop of Milwaukee). To my mind the best modern book on the Sacred Priesthood. It is a collection of conferences by Mgr Dolan when he was Rector of the North American College, Rome, and they are lively, direct and frequently hit the nail on the head.

Vessel of Clay, by Leo Trese
I love this book by another American priest, Fr Trese. Published in 1950, it is effectively a 'day in the life of a priest' and each chapter signifies a different time of the day. Thus Chapter One is '6.30am' and begins:

One hand gropes for the alarm clock, two feet hit the floor. Another victory is achieved; another day begins. Sometimes I feel that a priest's salvation is determined during those first ten seconds after Big Ben sounds his call. It is so easy to say to oneself, "Just five more minutes." The five minutes become fifteen or thirty, and then there is a quick splashing of water and a mad dash for the altar.

I'm sad to say: been there, done that!

The Joy of Priesthood, Fr Stephen J. Rossetti
Another American book, published by Ave Maria Press last year. It is very accessible and, written as it is by a priest psychologist (with his head firmly screwed on), it contains some interesting observations. One chapter proposes that society is biased against masculinity and that the modern Church promotes mostly feminine virtues (listening, caring, nurturing, etc) but that priests must have the confidence to be masculine as well (direct with a clear identity and loyalty to the Church).

Finally, a trilogy of English authors on Priesthood: Cardinal Manning's Eternal Priesthood (probably one of his best books), Bishop Bernard Ward's superb Priestly Vocation and Ronald Knox's incomparable Priestly Life. These should be easily available via abebooks.

Hope that helps!

Episcopal Meme

Valle Adurni has tagged me with the question: 'if the Holy Father were to nominate you bishop tomorrow (and anyone can play this one, lay, clerical, guy, gal,—this is about ecclesial priorities not ontology) what are (in order) the five (or more) really important issues that you would address first?'

Well, I thought of more than five and here they are, in no particular order:

An early and essential task would be to get to know your clergy and parishes – through a schedule of visitation and interviews with priests (perhaps deanery by deanery). That way, appointments could be based on personal knowledge. Once a week there would be an open slot so that priests could freely see the bishop and discuss problems, issues, etc.

If there was a seminary in the diocese, then that would be the apple of the new bishop’s eye. He would frequently visit, carefully appoint the staff (so that the right students reached Ordination) and not be afraid to make it a centre of spiritual and academic excellence.

The promotion of vocations would also be a priority and based on a pro-active approach, unashamedly setting forth the splendour of the Sacred Priesthood (including its many crosses – we are supposed to be ‘priest victims’ after all). Potential seminarians would not be rejected just because they were ‘too young’ or ‘too inexperienced’ or because their face didn’t fit – what’s the point of the six years of seminary if it can’t form men to be ‘other Christs’ in spite of their limitations?

The Cathedral and other key urban churches would be encouraged to become liturgical and musical centres. Guidelines would be produced so that parishes could correctly implement the new General Instruction. The Historic Churches Commission would make sure no needless architectural vandalism took place. The use of other rites and older editions of the Missale would, of course, be generously allowed.

A diocesan programme of catechetics would be drawn up, the emphasis being substance as well as style. A good catechists training centre would be established. The bishop would also visit his schools and make sure the Faith was being taught and lived there.

Bureaucracy would be cut back, where possible; the bishop would try to be more a shepherd than an administrator and committee meetings would be minimised!

Given the level of Catholic immigration, special attention would be given to ethnic chaplaincies and the integration of these groups into diocesan life. After all, most Catholics in this country are not English in origin and we owe to them the growth of the Church!

If a new Order or movement wanted to move into the diocese, the application would be encouraged and carefully considered.

To renew parochial life, such things as parish missions, novenas, processions, adoration and festal celebrations would be encouraged.

That should keep a new bishop pretty busy for the first few years!

Birthday Meme

Anne of Denmark

Before leaving for the start of the APGL Conference and then going on for an overnight stay at London Colney for some in-service training, let me just complete a meme suggested by the dúnadan. Here are the instructions:

1) Go to Wikipedia

2) In the search box, type your birth month and day but not the year.

3) List three events that happened on your birthday

4) List two important birthdays and one death

5) One holiday or observance (if any)

Right - my birthday (12 December) is the day of:

• the Battle of Nineveh in 627, when a Byzantine army under the Emperor Heraclius defeated the Persian forces, commanded by General Rhahzadh.


• the Massacre of Ma'arrat al-Numan (1098) during the First Crusade


• most importantly, the apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe to St Juan Diego - and this great Marian feast is kept on 12 December

I share my birthday with Anne of Denmark (b.1574 - Catholic wife of James I) and St Madeline Sophie Barat (b.1779) (as well as Frank Sinatra) and it is the anniversary of the death of Keiko, the killer whale who starred in the first three Free Willy films!

I hereby tag Fr Tim, Fr Sean and Joee Blogs.

Best Blogs

It's meme time again, courtesy of Mulier Fortis. I'm supposed to identify my favourite post from

1. My own blog. Tricky. There's nothing particularly amazing or original. I always enjoy sharing my holiday highlights and emphasising the historical and hagiographical aspects - eg The Irish Saint of Melk, On Rochets, Saroziums and Almutiums, Rule Britannia and even this week's A Pilgrimage to St Albans.

2. Another UK Catholic blog. All the blogs listed to the right are recommended (many of them are UK-based). Joee Blogs post on the Westminster Cathedral demonstrations deserves a mention for attracting so many thousands of visitors and showing our friends across the Atlantic that UK Catholic blogs mean serious business! And I enjoyed Valle Adurni's multi-posts on the Sarum Usage, simply because it brings back memories of my halycon youth (no, I wasn't born in the fifteenth century but I was involved in the Oxford Masses he talks about!).

3. A favourite UK Catholic website. Limiting it to the UK makes it very difficult. I have a soft spot for the history section of the Venerable English College, Rome website (not because I helped write it but because the College's heritage is very dear to me and there are some nice pictures).

I hereby tag the two blogs in my parish: Cally's Kitchen and Ignatius Paul (who has finally started posting - check out his descriptions of my parish's current pilgrimage to Poland).

A Perfect Evening

It must be that time of year - I've been tagged in return by Valle Adurni and asked to name five historical figures I'd like to spend an evening with (excluding Our Lord and His Blessed Mother). Well, Fr Sean has already named two people who would be in my A-List: St Philip Neri and Mgr Ronald Knox. So, apart from these, I'd nominate:

1. St Francis de Sales
2. St Ralph Sherwin (Protomartyr of the English College, Rome)
3. Dr Samuel Johnson (token non-Catholic - though he was fairly sympathetic and was also a Jacobite)
4. Pope Benedict XIV (see picture above)
5. Nicholas Cardinal Wiseman

Oh dear, they are all men and mostly clerics - just for balance I should have included St Teresa of Avila or Mary of Modena (our last Catholic Queen).

I wonder who Dappled Things and Joanna Bogle would choose?

Back in Time

Roving Medievalist tagged me a week or so ago with the question: if an angel could take me back in time, what five things or occasions would I like to experience? Ignoring Biblical events - and thinking very much on the spur of the moment - an interesting itinerary for time travel might be:

1. St Augustine's first meeting with King St Ethelbert on the Isle of Thanet (Kent), 597.
2. A day trip to either London or Oxford around the year 1500 to visit the churches and religious houses on the eve of the Reformation.
3. Hear Palestrina conduct the Sistine Choir, Monteverdi direct Vespers at San Marco or Farinelli sing.
4. Sit in choir at Frascati Cathedral for the enthronement of Henry Stuart [above], the Cardinal Duke of York and son of 'James III' (who sat in state on the sanctuary) in 1761. The fountains in the town square flowed with red wine afterwards.
5. Be present at Newman's 'Second Spring' Sermon at Oscott in 1852.

Now I'm supposed to pass this 'meme' on - so, if they read this, I will challenge Hermeneutic of Continuity, Valle Adurni, Joee Blogs, Cally's Kitchen and Ignatius Paul. It would be intriguing to see what they propose...