Copy of Our Lady's Tilma comes to Cornwall

Fr Chris went up to London to receive the specially blessed digital copy of Our Lady of Guadalupe's miraculous Tilma from the pastoral director of Westminster Diocese. It has been sent to our country by the Cardinal of Mexico and it seemed only right that if it was touring the country, it should come to Cornwall. It was displayed in both churches, the convent and St John's school before going to Lanherne, Truro, Falmouth and Plymouth Cathedral.

Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the unborn, pray for us

(Was St John's historic statue modelled on the image?)

The Cornwall CWL had their Mass in Camborne.

Beatification Mass

The coach left Camborne around midnight, with 22 of us joining Penzance parishioners. It was still dark and raining when we arrived at the huge coachpark on the outskirts of Birmingham. We had to walk for about a mile to get to Cofton Park - carrying our parish banner (and a Cornish flag).

Fr Chris had a great place just on the edge of the priests' area of the staging overlooking all the people. As the pope arrived by helicopter, the sun broke through the clouds. All the banners and flags went up into the air to the thrilling strains of 'Praise to the Holiest'. What an honour and a grace for our country - that Pope Benedict should himself choose to beatify John Henry Newman here.

Delusions of grandeur

Getting back to Camborne - what an experience!
(Here is the link to the BBC Cornwall page on the visit http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/cornwall/hi/people_and_places/religion_and_ethics/newsid_8979000/8979621.stm)

Harvest Supper at the Lowennac Hotel

Following Radio 4's 'A history of the world in a 100 objects', parishioners were invited to bring in obscure items for identification as a sort of quiz. We got slightly more than we bargained for. Don't people have some strange things in their homes?! These two are of course from the church - a mother-of-pearl shell for baptisms and the wooden clapper is used instead of the bell at the consecration on Holy Thursday. But you knew that.