Newsletter 9th October 2016
Today is the 28th Sunday of the Church’s year.
Our ancient re-cycled boxes will be available today for your donations from the Cafod fast day last Friday.
Autumn seems to be the season for second collections and next Sunday there will be a collection for the Foreign Missions.
Thursday is the feast of St. Edward the Confessor, the great English king who is buried in Westminster Abbey.
Saturday is the feast of St. Teresa of Avila, one of our favourite saints. We have visited her Convent in Avila during our trips to Spain and seen many of her treasures. Her convents were founded in many of the familiar towns of Castile – Medina del Campo and of course Valladolid.
At London Bridge, for the present down trains seem to be using platforms 7 and 8 during the day so there is frequently a delay as up train waits to use the platform 9. A long walk to the Underground from the new concourse. Probably better to change to the Jubilee line at Waterloo East but things are not easy now the Northern line ticket office has closed at Charing Cross.
A busy week with the Deanery meeting on Tuesday – we have to elect a new Dean. Also a meeting at the Sixth Form College on Wednesday to decide on the appointment of a new principal.
I have tried all sorts of things to protect the football goal against the foxes without success. You will have noticed a number of repairs. Have you any ideas on what I might use? The new tree ladder seems to be working well. Lots of careful measurement and some help to tie it onto the tree.
Good to report that we received a grant from the Places of Worship Grant Scheme of £1789 which covers the cost of the VAT on the new kneelers in the Church. The next project later in the autumn is the overhaul of the organ and I will give you notice of this in the coming weeks. We may be able to use the piano and during the week we will need to move to the Angelus Room for the daily Mass.
Here is something to use up the last of the summer strawberries. Melt 2oz butter with 1 ½ oz. flour and add 2oz sugar. Add 1/2 pint of strawberries and some cream. Cook for 2 minutes and stir well. Remove from heat and add 4 egg yolks. Whip the egg whites and add to the mixture. Bake in a hot over for about 10 minutes in a papered soufflé dish.
An autumn poem from Binyon:
Now is the time for the burning of the leaves.
They go to the fire; the nostril pricks with smoke
Wandering slowly into a weeping mist.
For the feast of St. Teresa, here is her original poem in Spanish:
Nada te turbe
Nada te espante
Todo se pasa
Dios ne se muda;
La paciencia
todo lo alcanza
Quiene a Dios tiene
Nada le falta
Solo Dios basta.
A picture the other day of the boy reading a first edition of The BFG with great interest. I think I must have bought this for his mother in about 1982 and it has been treasured and handed on. Who is the Dahl of the present generation so that we can pass on another treasure? His mother tells me that there is nobody to match Dahl today.
A prayer to Our Lady for the month of October. Most Holy Mary, with confidence in your intercession, I ask your prayers that I may always have a great devotion to your Son and that as he has given himself for me, so may I dedicate my life to his love and service. Amen.
Off to Valladolid again in a couple of weeks’ time. Usually the days are still mild and it is a shock to come back to cold autumnal England. This year we have five students and I look forward to meeting them. Also there is a new Vice-Rector this year. Lots to do in my office at the College, sorting out the accounts and preparing the reports.
Best wishes
Monsignor Nicholas Rothon