newsletter 31st May 2015

Newsletter 31st May 2015
May has been a busy month. Three weeks of celebration with the Confirmations and the First Holy Communion. We have been blessed in many ways and thanks to so many people who helped to make these days possible – not only the on the days themselves but with the classes and the special Sunday Masses which have been taking place since September. Already some enquiries about next year. The forms for the next programme of First Communion classes will be available at the end of July and classes will start in September.
Today is Trinity Sunday – after completing the Easter Season, the Church celebrates the mystery of the most Holy Trinity.
On Monday we take up the weeks of Ordinary time once again – starting with the Ninth week. The readings at Mass are taken from the first cycle. In fact Monday is the feast of St. Justin the Martyr and the green vestments do not appear until Tuesday.
We are looking for a somebody to look after the repository at the back of the Church – the main tasks are ordering stock and making sure that everything is kept in order – if you are able to help, please let me know and I will out you in touch with Mary Scott who has been attending to this task up to now.
The recent visit to the College in Valladolid was most enjoyable. The purpose of the visit was the meeting of the Trustees, which included three Bishops who came from England. The finances are well controlled but are subject to detailed scrutiny during the course of the visit. One needs an encyclopaedias memory in order to answer the various questions. We are now looking forward to the visit in October with the group from the parish.
Spanish trains are always interesting. There are problems at the moment with trains from the North to Madrid. The high speed line is being extended from Valladolid to the frontier with France at Irun so arrivals of southbound trains at Valladolid are delayed. I was waiting for the express which connects with the overnight train from Paris which used to be known as the Iberia Express… This leaves Irun at about 8.30am and reaches Valladolid at 1pm. In the past it used to arrive at 4.15, with a change from electric to steam traction at Alsasua.
A common dish at this time of year at the College is a salad containing lettuce, some tuna fish, some tomatoes and some green and black olives and maybe some strips of red pepper. The local white wine – Rueda – is now becoming well known and this goes well with a summer dish.
And now a prayer:
Lighten our darkness, we beseech you O Lord, and by thy great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers. For the lobe of thy only Son, Our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
The garden has done very well this spring with the warm days and plenty of rain. The plants that we put in a couple of years ago have taken well and we now have a fine display. Great annoyance with the squirrels: the liner of the swimming pool had been stored away in the garage during the winter and some holes had been chewed in it as they tried to store some conkers. Luckily a kit was to hand to repair the damage.
Something curious: Geoffrey Hill’s Requiem for Plantagenet Kings.
For whom the possessed sea littered, on both shores,
Ruinous arms; being fired, and for good,
To sound the constitution of just wars
Men, in their eloquent fashion understood.
I am looking forward to next Sunday as the great nephew, and his sister, will be coming for Theo’s baptism.
Best wishes to you all,
Monsignor Nicholas Rothon