Bourne again

St Mary’s and I have form.

In 1984 I met a friend who attended St Mary’s and I visited with him on a Sunday. In 2000 I went to Mass there and surprisingly, he was at the service, So this morning I attempted the trifecta, or perhaps the Bourne trilogy, but alas he was not there, at least not in a recognisable form to me (it is 40 years since we met).

Unchangingly it was high mass, with a choir and incense. Very formal but without amplification, as they have applied for a faculty to replace their 2020 system (didn’t seem to be much longevity in that system).

There was an excellent sermon from Fr Gau on St Thomas. I have downloaded a video of the service which you can see here. The service doesn’t start for quite some time so it’s not as long as it might first appear. I can be seen lurking at the foot of the scene, scanning the crown rather than paying attention to the altar. The gold vestments made everyone blend into the haberdashery.

I know my assistant Mother Xeverie would have enjoyed the Angelus, but this is a ‘no women priest’ church,

The clergy were very welcoming but no one else spoke to me as seems the custom in London. Quite different in Southwark Diocese.