What a Wonderful Week !

Sadly, the events of last weekend have – at least pro tem – prevented me from driving; so the one thing I cannot do today or at any other time this week is make my annual pilgrimage to Mells . . . to lay at least a spiritual bouquet on the tomb of Ronnie Knox, whose anniversary it is.

It hasn’t, however, prevented me from starting a suitable bouquet already, having due regard to what Ronnie said to the girls of The Assumption School when it was at Aldenham during the war : that he trusted that any ‘spiritual bouquets’ which they gave him would consist not only of prayers and penances, but also enjoyable things such as trips to the cinema, and the enjoyment of music !

This is a special week for me, because it was largely the writings of two people which – under the grace of God – helped me find my way home to the Catholic Church : and those two people were fr Timothy Radcliffe OP, whose dies natalis was on Sunday, and Mgr Ronnie Knox, whose dies natalis in cælo was today . . . so I have much to rejoice in this week.

Incidentally, last year I took fr Lawrence Lew OP to Somerset on a day out taking photos, and we not only had a splendid wander round the Anglican Church and graveyard, but then got to meet Lord Oxford and his daughter, who live in The Manor House, and who invited us to visit the Chapel in which Ronnie said his last Mass . . . and which is dedicated to S. Dominic, so we had the enormous privilege of singing the Dominican Salve Regina in there ! Truly something to remember.