And so it came to pass...

It happened. Last Friday (4th February) the formerly young Catholic Student became 22. Yes, the day Wales lost to England; closely followed by a defeat for the local ENL Ice Hockey team (of which my brother is captain) - I even found myself shouting...

HOWEVER the South Wales Derby resulted in a win for my home team (Cardiff) so the weekend finished well (especially being as Cardiff then jumped from 6th to 3rd).

Anyway, the 'process' continues and I still require your prayers, and assure you of mine.

I'm currently writing a report for this blog on the Ordinations at Westminster Cathedral in January, I'm trying to write it properly.

In Domino

Dydd Gwyl Dewi Dedwydd!!

Happy St David's Day!!

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all my readers a Happy St David's Day, regardless of whether you are Welsh, English, Irish or whatever!

Today, all across Wales, schools will be having mini-Eisteddfods - I seem to remember singing "Sospan Fach" a song about a "Little Saucepan" on numerous occasions. Getting louder with each verse! Also, today there was a March from Cardiff City Hall, I don't know where it went as I was in university at the time.

I also missed the Royal Welsh on parade in Cardiff over the weekend. The were 'on guard' at Cardiff Castle. And I can't believe I missed it, however I did see a tank being driven down the road in front of Cardiff Castle yesterday. This was quite surreal.

Anyway, back to today's Solemnity, I sang this morning one of my favourite hymns; O Great St David. It was written by a former Archbishop of Cardiff, the Most Rev. Francis Mostyn.

O great Saint David, still we hear thee call us,
Unto a life that knows no fear of death;
Yea, down the ages will thy words enthral us,
Strong, happy words: "Be joyful, keep the faith."

On Cambria's sons stretch out thy hands in blessing;
For our dear land thy help we now implore.
Lead us to God, with humble hearts confessing
Jesus, Lord and king forevermore

Christ was the centre rock of all thy teaching,
God's holy will -- the splendour of its theme.
His grace informed, his love inflamed thy preaching;
Christ's sway on earth, the substance of thy dream.

On Cambria's sons stretch out thy hands in blessing;
For our dear land thy help we now implore.
Lead us to God, with humble hearts confessing
Jesus, Lord and king forevermore.

St David
Pray for us

In Domino

Catholic Cardiff...

..I popped into Cardiff city centre today (not something I try to do too often outside of term time) and I found quite an interesting book entitled "Catholics in Cardiff" by John O'Sullivan.

There were a few pictures of interest, including one which I think a follower of this blog might appreciate.

So here we go, but where to begin?!

Now... I realise this is the American prelate, the Most Rev. Fulton J. Sheen. You may well be asking why he was in Cardiff, or at least the archdiocese; well the caption reads: "American writer and broadcaster Bishop Fulton Sheen with pupils at Newport in 1971. (Courtesy of O'Sullivan Archives)"

What some of you may, or may not know is that before Cardiff became the principal diocese of Wales in 1916 the main diocese of Wales was that of Newport. Now because when the diocese was 'elevated' to an Archdiocese and the centre moved to Cardiff it meant that Newport would become a titular See, the See that Bishop Fulton Sheen was titular of, hence his visit to Wales.

This image is of the Most Rev. John Murphy, Archbishop of Cardiff 1961 - 1983. The caption reads: "Archbishop John Murphy is seen here on his way to St David's Cathedral for his enthronement on the 31 October 1961".

I have nothing else to say about the image other than... that's a deacon (or sub-deacon) with a biretta on!!

This last image is perhaps my favourite, NUNS! Proper nuns! The caption tells us that this is the Sisters of St Joseph of Annecy, in procession (presumably into the chapel) at Llantarnam Abbey just outside Newport in the 1960s.

Needless to say their 'habit' (if you can call it that) is a lot different these days!

Our Lady of the Taper - Pray for Wales
Our Lady of Penrhys - Pray for Wales

Happy St David's Day...

Or is it? Liturgically, of course, St David's Day will be celebrated up and down Wales - and in England (Feast) tomorrow. But the secularist (i.e. my parents, brothers, most of my friends) wished me a Happy St David's Day today. I of course, said it back.

So instead I wish those in blogsphere a Happy First Sunday of Lent. I think this is to be a theme i have picked up for lent. Whether it is indeed a happy time?? As i mentioned in my previous post, i think it is a very happy time. But some of you may disagree.

St David, is the principal Patron Saint of Wales, and as a Welshman am proud to wear (on occasion) a daffodil/leak as it is my national day.

The above got me thinking...being a proud Welshman/Brit does it contradict with my Catholic faith? And on reflection i suppose it does. Being proud of the country you come from tends to mean you like everything that is going on. I must say as a Catholic I am not proud..

I am not proud of a country that seems to have lost its way, turned from the path of Christianity and is heading in which ever way it is dragged. Proof of this would be His Grace, the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury. Dr Rowan Williams and his view regarding the adoption of certain aspects of Sharia Law into the British legal system. (I almost wrote constitution, but technically we don't have one.)

So this leaves me in a bit of a pickle. I'm Catholic and I'm Welsh. I love my faith and I love my country. And as such i pray for Britain's conversion every day. Or should that be re-conversion.

*gets off high horse*