St Therese

[presbyter]

She's in Birmingham until 8.00 am tomorrow - and I've been to venerate her today. THOUSANDS of people have visited the Cathedral over the weekend - long queues yesterday and today down the Queensway - amazing! I spent a busy hour in the confessional (well I do sometimes, being such a sinner) - "hearing Confessions", that is.

Sorry - I know this is off topic but I've never seen anything like this.

[organist]

First encountered the relics in North Sydney and there was a wonderful peace and prayerfulness in that cathedral that day. I am sure that the visit can do a lot to bring people back to deeper faith as she is such a modern saint (see this week's Tablet better still read her book!) As to music for liturgies how about "Christ be our light" and "For all the saints"

[Southern Comfort]

She's in Birmingham until 8.00 am tomorrow - and I've been to venerate her today. THOUSANDS of people have visited the Cathedral over the weekend - long queues yesterday and today down the Queensway - amazing! I spent a busy hour in the confessional (well I do sometimes, being such a sinner) - "hearing Confessions", that is.

Sorry - I know this is off topic but I've never seen anything like this.

Same down South. Thousands of people, and cathedrals fuller than they've ever been. Quite extraordinary.

[gwyn]

She's at the all but redundant Cardiff Cathedral this coming Tuesday 22nd.

[Hare]

.......the all but redundant Cardiff Cathedral......

Interesting.... Any chance of some elucidation, either in a new topic or by PM please?!

[johnquinn39]

I was there on Sunday at St Chad's for 7.30 Benediction and veneration of the relics of St Therese.

The place was packed.

We sang 'Immortal, invisible' and some grail psalms (Rees & Bevenot, I think).

Why is it that this seems to be attracting so many people, when the official liturgy of the Roman Church does not really seem to be delivering the goods?

[SOP]

The relics arrive in Salford on Friday evening. I did not expect the crowds that have been visiting the relics in other places so not sure how things will turn out here in Salford.

I am surprised at the crowds and also wonder what is going on.

[VML]

The relics are in the Clifton diocese tomorrow at a church in Bristol, and coaches are travelling from around the four counties. The BBC has covered the month long visit a few times on Radio 4, and people seem willing to travel some distance to celebrate an undeniably inspiring saint in a fairly simple way.
I have mixed feelings about the event, but still find myself touched by small 'relics' of special people in my own life, thinking of those long dead people as I use their ordinary things. So it may be St Therese's emphasis on the little things that is so attractive.

[gwyn]

She spent time in Cardiff cathedral yesterday, God luv her. It was at best diabolical, the church filling up from around 10am onward; seats being kept by some for others who were to arrive later. At one point someone who'd been in a seat since early-ish nipped into Marks and Spence next door to have a pee. On returning to her seat she found that someone had taken her place. There was a heated exchange, almost a fight.

No one had thought to arrange stewards - or if they had it was far from obvious. People were jostling outside and moving this way and that to allow traffic through - since no one had thought to properly organise that either.

Herself, placed between the north and south choir stalls (as per Anglican setup), would have afforded two dignified files of pilgrims the chance to process up the centre aisle, reverence Herself then process single-file down the side aisles. Far too simple that'd have been, Herself was on the sanctuary step so that pilgrims could scuffle, jostle and scrat around her.

There was exposition too, though you would've been forgiven for not realising this.

Eeee! They're trying to raise a few million quid to squander on St. Dai's. Does anyone remember the Traditional Rite Sunday Mass fiasco? I shouldn't think any diocese can beat ours in the ineptitude stakes. One could excuse this had she come to a back-water parish church, but this is a city centre cathedra, seat of the Archbish.

I can only hope that such of Herself as was present had a sleeve up which to chortle, she wouldn't have been alone.

[festivaltrumpet]

There was exposition too, though you would've been forgiven for not realising this.

Instinctively one would imagine that dual, and simultaneous, focuses to a liturgical act, namely the Blessed Sacrament and the Relics of St Therese, was a poor practice. Gwyn's observation would suggest that this was the case- the greater focus being overlooked. It seems however that exposition is a common theme in several of the churches which St Therese will visit, so perhaps exposition is proper to the rite of veneration of relics.

[SOP]

There will be exposition whilst the relics are at Salford too and I also thought it was odd. I do know that initially they thought there may be a few people turning up but hopefully they are preparing for crowds.

[Gabriel]

It would be interesting to know more about the liturgies and what is being sung. I wonder if it gives a 'state of the nation' picture. I suspect that part of that 'state' is that some places have prepared well, put good musical resources in place whereas others... have been surprised. But it may be better impression of 'ordinary Catholic' good or ill.

[SOP]

Interesting at Mass this morning. MCB will be posting on the blog everything that we sung so I won't repeat it here. However, there was quite a bit of plainchant to cater for the visitors but from where I was, it seemed the Mass part they joined in with more than any other was the Inwood Gathering Mass Holy. Very surprised as I was expecting a wall of sound at each of the Latin pieces, the Credo, Agnus Dei and so on.

Yesterday was the bus parties. Coach after coach and the queue went on forever. Big queue outside when we came out after Mass but I had the impression that most of the regulars managed to get into Mass and the visitors were more local instead of the coaches that apparently came down from Scotland yesterday.

I sincerely hope people are gaining something from this visit.

[Southern Comfort]

My impression is that everyone, from diocesan bishops to us ordinary folk, has been absolutely stunned by the impact of this tour. Not what some of us were expecting (I'm not into relics at all, meself), and still difficult put one's finger on exactly what took place, but the whole thing has been a quite extraordinary demonstration of faith and something more besides.

[SOP]

The numbers have taken us by surprise. It appears there were not enough volunteers to cover everything and I feel bad as I didn't volunteer as this is just not my thing at all. However, with the numbers involved, instead of a few volunteers dotted around to point people to book shops, tea and coffee, toilets, etc it has more or less been full blown crowd control.