Busy week

Dejeuner sur l'herbe

Busy week: the Bournemouth Ordinariate had a bring-and-share lunch party, in the home of Mary and Martin Taylor. Their garden was lovely in the perfect summer weather, so we were able to spread ourselves through house and garden. The pictures will tell it better than my mere words . It was especially good that Fr John Lee was able to be with us (along with several other old friends). Fr John prepared most of the members of our Group for reception into the Catholic Church, and has been a great pastor and counsellor to many of us. Soon he is to move on from his parish in Christchurch to a parish in Maidenhead, in the far north of the diocese. We shall miss him greatly.

Fr John makes a point

Our Welsh grandson was staying for a few days while his parents went on a course together - learning how to build eco-homes with straw bales (honestly). Huw and I went swimming together in the sea at Barton a couple of times (no pictures from there, mercifully) and on Friday had a great day at Marwell Zoo - pity we need the excuse of a young person to visit such places. Besides the animals there were diverse model Dinosaurs which roared and flapped wings and generally looked terrifying. Great fun  

Tererible Lizard - deino-saur

Huw joined us at Mass on Sunday and at the lunch party afterwards; and approved of it all. Everyone was very friendly, he said, and the food was great. From a 14 year-old Welshman that is real praise. Which set me thinking that perhaps one of the less acknowledged bits of our Anglican Patrimony is hospitality. I do hope so for if anything can win English men and women back it will be food and friendship – that and a solidly based faith, with a readiness to share it without any hard sell. We hope the Ordinariate's Open House on Sept 6th will be just such an exercise.