Here’s a new one I hadn’t heard of before. They claim to be Catholic, but they’re independent. Whaat? From their website: We proclaim the faith of the Nicene Creed:Jesus Christ is fully God and fully humanJesus Christ saves humankind through His death and resurrectionWe celebrate the seven sacraments and preserve the apostolic successionWe welcome all people to full participation in the churchWe ordain men and women, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and heterosexual Christians as bishops, priests, and deaconsWe celebrate the... Read more

Somebody has suggested that I write my conversion story. I’m not sure about autobiographies as a genre. It seems to me that you have to assume that a good number or ordinary folks will cough up twenty dollars of their hard earned money just to read all about your life. Isn’t that about tops for egomania? Nevertheless, I’m thinking about it, and am reading the great spiritual autobiographies to remind myself what to aim for. So I’m reading Confessions by... Read more

Have I recommended this new blog? A young Evangelical searching for the Truth of the historic faith. I wish he’d get hold of a couple of my books and read them and recommend them to others. I can’t seem to get hold of him by email. Maybe he’ll read this and be in touch… Read more

Some time ago during the height of the sexual abuse scandals in the Catholic Church my friend David said that plenty of the same stuff went on in Protestant Churches, but because they are much more unaccountable and without a strict hierarchical system they don’t get picked up. Here’s a link which proves he was right. In addition to this, it seems the sexual abuse of minors in public schools is off the charts. Here’s just one story that reminds... Read more

Thank you to all the people who have answered my questions on the Latin Mass and expressed their opinions. The combox is now closed on this one. A summary of my own feelings is this: I do actually appreciate the Latin Mass, and hope a wider permission is granted for the Latin Mass to be celebrated because it will aid the cause of unity in our church. A wider use of the Latin Mass will also help to set an... Read more

OK, I’m not a liturgical expert. I’m only a convert, and a new priest at that, but I have been trying real hard to understand the attraction of the Latin Mass. Some time ago I attended a Latin Mass and enjoyed it up to a point, however, I have some questions. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not trying to be critical or unkind. These are genuine questions. Can anyone who reads this blog, and who is keen on the Latin... Read more

One of the great things about Netflix is the availability of almost any movie you want to see. I ordered Schindler’s List and have just finished watching it with my teenagers. Pretty terrifying, and like the best of Spielberg, the whole film has layer upon layer of meaning.The subtle interplay of Judaism and Schindler’s Catholicism is worth an essay in itself, but what I found most moving was the accuracy of the portrayal of Schindler’s inner journey to repentance. At... Read more

…and sometimes I let him sleep in. Is the name of a book by some sort of Christian Erma Bombeck humorist. It was a cheerful ‘Sunshine on the Soapsuds’ kind of book. I was reminded of it by a comment by someone who signs themself ‘anonymous old friend’ in my combox. AOF said that one of my recent posts was ‘full of grace’ whereas others of my posts are ‘harsh.’ Really? Funny how we don’t know how others perceive us.... Read more

One of the most wonderful and interesting and amazing things about being a Catholic is that you keep on discovering more saints. I’d heard of Aloysius Gonzaga, but I’m afraid I first came across the name ‘Aloysius’ (and couldn’t figure out how to pronounce it) as Sebastian Flyte’s teddy bear. Then I happened into St Aloysius’ Church in Oxford. I still couldn’t prounounce it. St Aloysius was born into an aristocratic family in Lombardy, and left his inheritance to become... Read more

Sorry so few posts over the last few days. I’ve been on the go for over a year without a break. The last few days I’ve crashed. nuthin serious. Ahm jist tard. Read more