NACF Walsingham pilgrimage: we've arrived!

Tents are up, as is the papal flag, but there's still a lot of unpacking to do. Rain or shine it's going to be a memorable weekend - so many lovely families arriving. Will try to blog on the talks over the coming days. Now it's time for tea!

Consequences of Liberal Theology - Western Canadian Edition

Whilst Michael Voris may be an acquired taste, I enjoyed this talk that he gave in Edmonton Alberta on 22 May 20 2012. I'd be interested to hear from any readers who may have been at the talk: how does Voris go down in Western Canada? What is the state of the Church out there?

As a child I spent just over a decade in Southern Alberta and was married in a small prairie church. We have family there, but they have no connection to the Church as I know it.  I'm always curious to know what life as an orthodox Catholic in Canada. Sitemeter tells me that I have quite a few Canadian readers, some not far from Edmonton - were any of you at the Voris talk?

British Muslims launch petition to protest government's redefinition of marriage

Following on from the Coalition for Marriage petition (which at last count had 535731 signatures), the Muslim Council of Britain has launched a campaign to support natural marriage, which has been endorsed by SPUC. The petition launched by "Muslims Defending Marriage" states:

I disagree with the government’s proposed re-defining of marriage. I fully support the long-standing legal definition of marriage as the voluntary union of a man and a woman to the exclusion of all others.

This is good news as it makes the point - which should be obvious but clearly isn't - that it isn't just Christians who oppose proposals to redefine natural marriage.  I hope this new effort gains many signatures. Please point any Muslim friends in the direction of the website and petition.

This raises another interesting question: the Coalition for Marriage petition has well over half a million signatures, and yet has largely been ignored by the government and mainstream media. I wonder just how many signatures it will take before this latest petition makes the government sit up and pay attention. Just sayin'.

Stations of the King's Cross

This past Lent, an anonymous Catholic artist created a booklet called "Stations of the King's Cross" which featured a series of original paper-cut illustrations to encourage travellers on London's Central Line tube to meditate on the Stations of the Cross as they travel in either direction. 

Describing her project, the artist says:

Stations of the King’s Cross is a little illustrated prayer aid for following the way of the cross while traveling on the tube. Moving clockwise or anti-clockwise on the circle line,there’s one tube stop for each station, ending up at, appropriately, King’s Cross.They contain 14 beautiful illustrations, which have been created by intricately cutting single sheets of white paper.The booklets have been made & distributed by a young artist who has always found idle train trips a fruitful opportunity for prayer, been moved greatly by this profound devotion, and thought that other tube-travelers might appreciate this neat idea of combining the two. 

During Lent, copies of the booklet were left in the trains; travellers can now request a copy by visiting the artist's website. The booklets are free but donations to cover costs are welcome.

The striking paper-cut illustrations are to be sold by silent auction with all proceeds supporting three charities: Mary's Meals, The SVP and The Bard School. The images can be viewed (and bid on) on the Stations of  the King's Cross website. 

On Saturday 26th May an exhibition of the original artworks will open at St Mary’s, Eversholt Street (near King’s Cross Station.); this is the eve of Pentecost, which marks the end of the Easter Season. The exhibition will open with an evening prayer at 7pm, followed by refreshments, and an opportunity to view the artworks accompanied by live piano music. Free booklets will be available for people to take as they please, and everyone is welcome to the event. The exhibition will be open 9am – 8pm daily up to and including Monday 4th June.

So - if you're looking for an interesting present for somebody, whist supporting a good cause it may be worth checking this out.

For my part I'm just delighted to see orthodox Christian practice in the public square and think that it's important to support projects like this. I don't often travel by tube, and rarely take the Circle Line, but I have been told that the booklets were readily available on trains during Lent - and that can only be a Good Thing. What an exceptional example of evangelisation! 

While the world carried on as usual...

...here, in the orchard, blogging slowed to a halt. The last couple of months have been exceptionally busy, and the pressing responsibilities of being a mother, wife and home educator have had to supersede the desire to blog. My senior blogging colleague, Mistress Mulier of Fortis, consoles me that it "doesn't matter" ... But Oh!  it jolly well does! Blogging is a little bit of 'me' detached from daily life: the blog matters to me, even if only about 10 people read it (hello in Stony Plain, Alberta!) . Getting it all out into cyberspace also saves me from muttering about things beneath my breath and being mistaken for a nutjob ("Never" you gasp!). This blog is one mother's green-ink letter to the world. Even if it isn't written in green ink. And even if only 10 people read it. And I know 8 of them.

Highlights of the past few weeks include a family retreat (Saint Catherine's Trust / LMS) to the Reading Oratory, a short surprise trip to Rome spent almost entirely in Saint Peter's Basillica, DD1's First Holy Communion, a week up North visiting relatives with the obligatory trip to the Dome of Home thrown in, and, most recently, a five day migrane which is just beginning to wane.

I promise to try to do better. I have some lovely photos from San Pietro which I'll attempt to put up in the next week or so, but most pressing is to join the "I am Sparticus" brigade (or, more aptly, "I am Cranmer") and support His Grace vs the ASA. If we don't act now to support our right to express support for marriage as it has been understood since the dawn of time, we risk losing the right to express our views on many more controversial issues.

Are you offended? Then why are you still here reading this?

Happy Saint George's Day

Happy Saint George's Day to all of you. Today's grand plans included making a dragon cake for the childen to "slay". Here's the result:

It was generally agreed that our dragon wasn't nearly ferocious enough, that he was probably called "Dongo" or something equally mild and was probably a reject from the fierce dragon school. However he was tasty when speared and eaten - and with a cake dragon, that's what counts.

Christus Resurrexit! Resurrexit Vere!