Don John Bosco was a different kind of Don Juan. He was a juggler, tight rope walker, jongleur de Dieu in the Franciscan tradition. When the northern Italian cities were like something out of a Dickens novel, Don Bosco worked with the Oliver Twists–bringing them homes, hilarity and hope. Like a cavalier for Christ he [...]

At St Mary’s, Greenville they put the homily from the High Mass at 11.00 up on podcast. I celebrated that Mass on Sunday, and you can listen to it here if you’re interested. If you scroll down to the Third Sunday in Advent you can also listen to the homily at my first Mass at [...]

Dunadan over at Cally’s Kitchen likes my book, but calls me ‘overweight’. Geesh! and I thought the English were well mannered… You can get the book here

Tolkien loathed allegory. It was too obvious; too blatant; too literal; too dead. In allegory one thing means one thing and that’s it. Myth, on the other hand, is alive. It’s a real story with the real ambiguity and complexity of real life. Tolkien’s world is multi-layered and yet full of Christian meaning all the [...]

A reader asked me if I had any idea who the patron saint of mystery writers would be. I’m sure I don’t know. I once had a book listing all the patron saints–which made a very entertaining read–but lent it to someone who forgot to return it. My nomination for patron saint of mystery writers [...]

I have to admit to a quirky enthusiasm for conspiracy theories and eccentric historical legends. Have you ever heard the old tale of the Boy of Bisley? This is the story that the nine year old Princess Elizabeth was sent for safe keeping to the Gloucestershire village of Bisley to avoid the plague, and that [...]