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Daps in the tramlines

May 28, 2016Corpus Christi, newsletternewsletter3 churches

In the early 60s it was up and down, up and down St Peters Street; in the later 60s it was back and for, back and for across St Illtyd’s playground, Edgar Welch bellowing what sounded like “lift… lift…lift right lift”. On the day, it was marching round behind the jail, making sure you didn’t get stuck to the soft tar covering the old tram lines, or get caught in the bits that were still showing. It was the sound of St Albans or St Patricks Band somewhere up ahead belting out “Sweet Sacrament Divine” or “Sweet Heart of Jesus” or, of course, “Faith of Our Father”.

It was the build-up of the crowd from the Monument and up St Mary Street. It was maybe spotting Mum somewhere in there. Then it was the final turn in front of the castle and through the West Gate to the grassy scene. It was spotting all the different coloured school uniforms, until suddenly the girls were strewing their flowers. It was the Archbishop – or was he some kind of prince? – passing by and then blessing one and all with the fine golden monstrance. Or rather, Jesus blessing us in His bready Eucharistic reality.

By the late 1970s it was getting difficult to get the older school-kids to walk, and likewise, if we are honest, some of the teachers. Now it was a shorter walk, just from King Edward VII Avenue to the Arms Park for Mass.

In 1989, Archbishop Ward asked me to take over chairing the committee running the afternoon – a poisoned chalice, if ever there was one. 1994, and we held it in the then CIA and presented the delegates for the late- lamented diocesan Pastoral Congress held the next year. And that was it. It wasn’t “killed off” by the then Archbishop, at least not only – it was dying on its own.

Corpus Christi – then part of Catholic Cardiff. Now, of course, commemorated in bricks and mortar in our local High School’s name. Various processions have been held in different parts of our diocese since then – this year here in Nazareth House. Was it triumphalist? I don’t know… Caused traffic chaos? Difficult to say so after the Velothon…

What do you think?

Fr Matthew

From Rome to Cardiff

May 21, 2016newsletternewsletter, philip neri3 churches

Philip Neri, (1515 – 25 May 1595), was an Italian priest noted for founding a society of secular clergy called the Congregation of the Oratory.

At the age of 18, after a religious conversion, he moved from Florence to Rome. He started to study, and began the labours among the sick and poor which, in later life, gained him the title of “Apostle of Rome”. He founded a Confraternity to minister to the needs of the poor pilgrims who flocked to Rome, and the poor and weak patients discharged from hospitals.

At 36 he was ordained priest, and settled at the Hospital and church of San Girolamo della Carità. In 1556, he founded the Oratory, but the plan at first was no more than a series of evening meetings in a hall (the Oratory), at which there were prayers, hymns, and readings, followed by a lecture, or discussion of some religious question. The musical selections were called oratorios. The members of the society undertook missionary work throughout Rome, such as the preaching of sermons in different churches, a completely new idea at that time. He spent much of his time hearing confessions, and gaining many conversions.

They moved to the parish of Santa Maria in Vallicella, where they built a larger church. Here Neri formally organized his community of secular priests, the Congregation of the Oratory. The congregation is unusual as the members live in community, but there are no vows. Each takes his turn in all the tasks and pays his own expenses.

St Philip Neri combined popularity with piety, against the background of a corrupt Rome and an uninterested clergy. He was ready to meet the needs of his day in a way which even the Jesuits could not match. He was a mystic, who sought God by helping his neighbour. He died 25 May 1595, and was canonized in 1622. The Oratory spread through Italy and France, and later other countries. They reached Britain in the 19th century with Blessed John Henry Newman, starting at Birmingham and later Brompton in London. Now they are in Oxford, Manchester and York, most recently in Bournemouth and now – Cardiff.

Fr Matthew (with a little help from Wikipedia)

3 Churches in Cardiff

Official website for Christ the King, St Paul's and St Brigid's R.C. churches in Cardiff, UK.

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