Broken, cracked and ignored underfoot

Could this conceivably be a war memorial? Unthinkable.

A statue of Sir Winston Churchill? Certainly not.

Well then, maybe a handprint of Sir Elton John? Yikes! No way!

It's the memorial plaque to the Martyrs of England and Wales who gave their lives for their faith and the latin Mass.

                                 This is the plaque as it was 18 months ago 
                                 since then it has suffered much more wear and tear

It survives, (just about), in the central island of London's busy Edgware Road and Hyde Park; insignificant, unnoticed by virtually all who pass by.

Known only to a few Catholics and seemingly forgotten and neglected by the Catholic Church and Westminster Diocese in particular.

I visited the spot this week to say a prayer or two and was shocked to see how this lump of cement and brass letters had deteriorated in the space of two years, since my last pilgrimage.

It looks as if some seriously heavy earthmoving equipment has been over it a few times, the concrete is now cracked in several places and what was once an insignificantly placed memorial has now become almost unrecognisable, an uneven piece of the pavement.

I posted on this subject two years ago and even followed through with Westminster City Council who told me that plans for establishing a new memorial, monument even, were with Archbishop's House.

Nothing appears to have been done.

What would it take to get this project back on track? A will, certainly, a modest amount of cash (which, I am sure would be readily forthcoming if only someone asked for it) and a design for the memorial.

Not a faint imprint on a traffic island but, possibly, a replica of the original Tyburn Tree.

Is that asking so very much?

Wearing the cross or bearing the cross?

Actually, I am not a great fan of women, or men for that matter, wearing a cross as an item of jewellery.
But I would fight tooth and nail for all to have the right to choose whether to wear a cross or crucifix.

                                 You may have the T Shirt but do
                                          you have the Faith?

There is a danger that in all of this kerfuffle, we lose sight of what is at the core of our Faith; it is not publicly professing our faith by items of dress or adornment that is important, what we should be concerned about is how we give witness to the fact that we are Catholic by our actions, words and deeds.

Do we publicly make the prayer of Grace before meals? Abstain from meat on Fridays? Live the Catholic Faith in the workplace?

Those are some of the more public actions we can take that, arguably, will make more of an impact on our friends and colleagues than wearing a cross chain will do.

More privately, and for the sake of Our Lord, we may make more discreet actions and sacrifices.

Who will know? Who will be influenced by these private deeds?

Well, of course, Almighty God will and that is the most important factor of all.

Yesterday, while on a busy 3 day visit to London I found myself within walking distance of Tyburn and the convent chapel where an enclosed order of Benedictine nuns pray for 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year before the Blessed Sacrament.

Outside the frantic world of commerce and social activity scrabbles on in ignorance of what is taking place in that convent chapel.

Few are aware of the momentous activity within - but it is made even more momentous by its anonymity.