Well....for Black Rock read Cardigan; it doesn't quite have the same sense of dramatic suspense but, today, a drama will unfold there that would tweak any Hollywood director's antennae.
Let me describe the scene for you.....a deserted church in a small Welsh town....it's 2pm on a Sunday afternoon; a car appears in the distance and pulls into the church car park. Another materialises and yet, another.
People begin to walk purposefully into the church, the hands on the church tower (there isn't one actually) move slowly towards 3pm.
From outside you can hear the strains of plainchant as the schola warms up, the tension heightens until, with 15 minutes to go, the padre arrives and quietly walks directly to the sacristy to get robed.
At 3pm, Holy Mass begins in a cloud ofgunsmoke and proceeds until, an hour later, the people begin to leave the church, possibly for the last time - you see?.........
......This was the last Latin Mass to be celebrated in Western Wales.......no more EF Mass...dim Massio as they say in Welsh. The nearest Sunday Mass to us now is two days away on horseback!
But then (high volume 'For a few Dollars More' type music)....
...the Spiritual Bouquet is blessed at the feet of Our Blessed Mother...no less than 315 Rosaries offered up by you kind folk from every corner of the earth...this bouquet will now be presented to the Bishop who will respond to Our Lady of the Taper's call and restore the Mass.
More than that, he will make the National Shrine of Wales the centre for the Latin Mass in his Diocese of Menevia! (steady now).
So, from all of us West Walian Catholics, a big thank you and a vow that you will remain in our prayers, you, our benefactors - God bless you!
...or is it?
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| 'Bad day at Black Rock' - just add a few sheep and it could be West Wales! |
Let me describe the scene for you.....a deserted church in a small Welsh town....it's 2pm on a Sunday afternoon; a car appears in the distance and pulls into the church car park. Another materialises and yet, another.
People begin to walk purposefully into the church, the hands on the church tower (there isn't one actually) move slowly towards 3pm.
From outside you can hear the strains of plainchant as the schola warms up, the tension heightens until, with 15 minutes to go, the padre arrives and quietly walks directly to the sacristy to get robed.
At 3pm, Holy Mass begins in a cloud of
......This was the last Latin Mass to be celebrated in Western Wales.......no more EF Mass...dim Massio as they say in Welsh. The nearest Sunday Mass to us now is two days away on horseback!
But then (high volume 'For a few Dollars More' type music)....
...the Spiritual Bouquet is blessed at the feet of Our Blessed Mother...no less than 315 Rosaries offered up by you kind folk from every corner of the earth...this bouquet will now be presented to the Bishop who will respond to Our Lady of the Taper's call and restore the Mass.
More than that, he will make the National Shrine of Wales the centre for the Latin Mass in his Diocese of Menevia! (steady now).
So, from all of us West Walian Catholics, a big thank you and a vow that you will remain in our prayers, you, our benefactors - God bless you!
Dropping in to wish you a blessed Advent.
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