What will they think....in 2114?

How will Catholic history judge us?

"You mean that they ignored the Latin Mass?"

Always assuming, of course, that in one hundred years from now there are a few scattered outposts of the Faithful remaining living in caves as far from bigotry and persecution as possible.

Here are a few pointers as to how they might regard us Catholics of 2014:

1. Bemused that the Novus Ordo was so widely accepted and the old Mass discarded by those who should have known better.

2. Highly entertained by the banal hymns incorporated into the liturgy since 1969.

3. Bewilderment that Bishops and Priests and other religious failed to observe the doctrinal teachings of HMC and embraced secularism.

4. Angered that so many souls were lost in the period of liberal madness.

5. Outraged at the lack of respect and reverence for the Son of God, his blessed mother and all things sacred.

6. Puzzled at the lack of leadership demonstrated by the bishops.

7. Concerned that so many Catholics disregarded the teachings of the Church and made their own rules as they went along.

8. Dumbfounded that most priests were allowed to dress as they pleased and become worldly.

9. Confused as to why the directives emanating from the Second Vatican Council were routinely ignored.

10. Disturbed by the lack of attention and reverence given to the National Shrine of Wales, Our Lady of Cardigan, supposedly equal to Walsingham in importance.

Identify this building....

.....I mean, do you think it is a water tower?

Or, maybe the entrance to a retro seventies style art gallery?

Or, is it some biological research station?

Of course, it is none of those things, the clue lies in the cross on the cream wall; it is, in fact, a church.

But, not only is this building a church, it is the National Shrine of Wales - Our Lady of Cardigan, also known as Our Lady of the Taper.

Unbelievable!

How does this compare with, say, Walsingham?

That looks more...er, traditional (and Catholic)

Or, even, Holywell, in mid Wales.

The 'Lourdes' of Wales

No one, least of all the Bishops of Wales, seems to care one iota for their national shrine.

Of course, the cry will go up that the diocese is strapped for cash. 

OK bishop, that's the problem, now think of a solution.

Start a fighting fund to re-build a proper shrine on the banks of the River Teifi (where it historically belongs).

And find a Catholic architect who has an awareness of how early churches (tabernacles) were built in biblical times and, no, that does not mean we want a badger skin edifice in Cardigan, just one that is pleasing to the eye (and Our Lady).

Finally, spend some money, quite a bit, in fact, on commissioning Catholic artists such as James Gillick and his twin sculptor brother, Theodore.

Remember to call your Mother today....

.......Mothering Sunday

Our Lady of Cardigan - national shrine of Wales

   Most Glorious Virgin, chosen by the Eternal Counsel to be the

Mother of the Eternal Word made flesh, thou who art the treasurer of Divine graces, and the advocate of sinners, I, thy most unworthy servant, have recourse to thee; be thou pleased to be my guide and counselor in this vale of tears. Obtain for me through the Most Precious Blood of thy Divine Son, the forgiveness of my sins, the salvation of my soul, and the means necessary to obtain it. In like manner, obtain for Holy Mother the Church victory over her enemies, and the spread of the kingdom of Jesus Christ upon the whole earth.

Amen. 

Pilgrimage qualifies for Guinness Book of Records

Yesterday's Latin Mass Society's Annual Pilgrimage was a real record breaker - except that...it was a record in the wrong direction.

                                      Cardigan, less  than 100 miles from the capital of Wales

Only 17 souls attended (18 if you include the church cat) and, if anyone so inclined had fired a shotgun during Mass, I am sure that none of the congregation would have been injured.

If you project this decline in numbers (roughly 50% down on last year), by my reckoning, in the year 2017, only the church cat will be in attendance and there's some speculation that he may be Church of Wales!

It was, a great occasion, nonetheless; the Newcastle Emlyn Schola sang the Mass beautifully and the servers served well.

After Mass came a break for tea and cake and then devotions in front of the Blessed Sacrament led by Paul, deacon of Menevia, and many thanks to him.

However, 17 people at a national pilgrimage is something of an insult to Our Lady of the Taper. Despite the valiant efforts of our LMS representative, it just did not cut the mustard.

What to do?

I do not know how much publicity and promotional activity LMS HQ put behind the day, it would be interesting to be able to see a breakdown of pilgrimage support costs broken down by pilgrimage.

Will there be another pilgrimage next year? I hope so. There is no shortage of would be helpers on standby.

I have two constructive suggestions to make.

First, be aware of Catholic etiquette and good manners when planning such an important event.

And, second, start the planning process for 2013 now, yes, now!

Because today is Our Lady's day in Wales......

........and because I couldn't find a Cardigan hymn

National Welsh Pilgrimage begins today at 2pm, Church of Our Lady of the Taper, Cardigan.

News of a pilgrimage.....a Welsh one!

                           Pope Benedict in 2010 at Westminster Cathedral
                            with the statue of Our Lady of the Taper in the background

The Latin Mass Society is to hold its annual pilgrimage to the National Shrine of Wales, Our Lady of the Taper, Cardigan, on Sunday 2nd September commencing with devotions at 2pm and Latin Mass at 3pm.

That is not a great deal of notice, I know, but if you would like to visit Cardigan for a pleasant weekend of good Welsh food and hospitality AND combine it with a pilgrimage......that would be good all round.

The Cliff Hotel has a great position (as its name suggests) and nearby Newport, Pembrokeshire is well kitted out with boutique hotels and unboutique hotels and eating houses according to your fancy.


And more news........grateful thanks to the two donors who have raised Fr Z's travelling fund by $100 - please keep the donations coming, we are close to one third of the way there.

The five minute pilgrimage

Today we visited Cardigan, a small town on the far West coast of Wales. Famous for......um.....er.... of course! The famous Cardiganshire Corgi, a dog trained to herd cattle.

But Cardigan is also famous as the home of the National Shrine of Wales, that of Our Lady of the Taper and it has been a place of pilgrimage since the 12th century, maybe longer.

So, on this bright and sunny day we set off to visit good Catholic friends in the vicinity but stopped off first to pay our respects to Our Blessed Mother and to leave a few of our troubles and woes at her feet (and to pray for all Catholic bloggers).

I am happy to report that the Shrine looks good despite the fact that it is located in a 1970s designed church that owes much to the NCP Car Park style of architecture rather than the baroque or gothic.

Most important of all, the statue of Our Lady, candle in hand and the infant Christ cradled in her other arm, looked good, we felt as though we had returned home.

And then, after our five minute pilgrimage we were off to meet our friends in a local hostelry and to engage in Catholic badinage - as has been the custom of Catholic pilgrims since the time of Chaucer.

Did we get that the right way round? Five minutes for Our Lady and her Divine Son and a couple of hours down the pub?

Maybe, maybe not but, as we are off to the LMS Pilgrimage to Holywell as part of The Confraternity of the Holy Cross on 1st July, I thought that Our Lady would be as understanding as all mothers are and bear with us in our weakness.

PLEASE NOTE: IF YOU HAVE A DEVOTION TO OUR LADY, PLEASE USE THIS PICTURE ON YOUR SIDEBAR TO HELP RAISE AWARENESS OF THIS SHRINE WHICH IS SECOND ONLY TO WALSINGHAM IN ENGLAND AND WALES. 

 IT MATTERS NOT IF YOU LIVE IN ENGLAND, THE USA OR ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD.

                                  Shrine Prayer

                   My soul glorifies the Lord,

               Henceforth all ages will call me Blessed.

                The Almighty works marvels for me:

                           Holy His name.

                   Behold the handmaid of the Lord.

              Be it done unto me according to your word.

Father, Your Son Jesus born of the Virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit is the Light of the world. May the same Spirit lead us to imitate Mary’s faith love and humility, that, guided by her example, we may follow the light of her Son on our Journey through life and come at last to see you as you are, and praise you in the everlasting kingdom of heaven.

Amen

Holy Mary Mother of God, you offer your Son for our adoration

May we too treasure His word in our hearts and help bring His light.

              Our Lady of Cardigan         Pray for Wales

              Our Lady of Cardigan         Pray for us

National Shrine to Our Lady closed!

 I AM PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT THE SHRINE IS NOW OPEN DAILY!

What Lourdes? No!

Fatima then? No again!

Walsingham? No, of course not.......it's WALES!

Sad but true. The National Shrine of Wales, Our Lady of the Taper, open to receive pilgrims daily since the 14th century has now locked its doors except at weekends and when a Mass is celebrated.

That means that, if you happen to be passing through the peaceful rural town of Cardigan and wish to pray your respects to Our Lady of the Taper - tough luck!

The reasons for locking the doors to the church and shrine are not clear.
Cardigan has always been a quiet non violent sort of place and the shrine is a short step out of the town centre, away from any pubs and bars.

So why close the shrine?

  



The Magnificat

My soul doth magnify the Lord:
And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour
Because He hath regarded the lowliness of His handmaid: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
For He that is mighty hath done great things to me: and holy is His Name.
And His mercy is from generation until generations, to them that fear Him.
He hath showed might with His arm: He hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart.
He hath put down the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the lowly.
He hath filled the hungry with good things: and the rich he hath sent empty away.
He hath received Israel His servant, being mindful of His mercy:
As He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed for ever.

Bad day at Black Rock

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.

'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 gunsmoke 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?

291 and still counting!

A massive 'thank you' to all those who have responded to my request for a rosary (or Memorare) to be said for the intercession of Our Lady of the Taper at Cardigan, for the return of the Tridentine Latin Mass to this part of West Wales.

291 rosaries or equivalent have been pledged and these will be laid at the feet of Our Blessed Mother at Cardigan on Sunday 4th December at 3pm - the last Mass to be celebrated here at the National Shrine of Wales - stunning isn't it?

Surely the National Shrine should
have a regular Latin Mass?

Furthermore - the rosaries offered will form a spiritual bouquet that will be presented to the Bishop of Menevia, Bishop Thomas Burns for both his personal intentions and for the return of the Mass.

Brick by brick, rosary by rosary, the Mass will return - but, a few more rosaries would be much appreciated - please email 1 or whatever number you wish to donate (1 is good) to: r.collinsassoc@btinternet.com or, leave a note in my comment box.

We, the members of The Confraternity of the Holy Cross, will have a Mass said for the intentions of all donors - thank you!

A tragedy unfolds.....join with us if you are able

If you cannot be physically present at the National Shrine of Wales on Sunday 4th December at 3pm, then please remember us in your prayers....we few, we unhappy few, we band of brothers and sisters.

What is the occasion?

Why so pale and grim?

It will be the last EF Mass to be celebrated in West Wales - the end of a brief era that came in like a lion after Summorum Pontificum and now, goes out like a....well it goes out with its head held high at least.



RIP in West Wales!



There will be a Missa Cantata sung by the excellent schola that grew in voice and stature after 14th September 2007 and I have no doubt that the faithful band of brothers and sisters, the lay members of the Confraternity of the Holy Cross and members of the LMS will turn out in honour of Our Lady of the Taper.

After that date the nearest Mass will be around 70 miles distant, that may not sound too much, I am sure for those souls in Middlesborough, Portsmouth and elsewhere who have similar or even further distances to travel.
But it is a massive loss for those of us residing in Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion.

How you can help us

Please pledge a rosary for the cause of the Tridentine Latin Mass returning to West Wales and, in particular, for the Mass to return to the shrine of Our Lady of the Taper - we do not need money, just a pledge of your prayers
Please send me an email just stating 1, 2 or however many rosaries you can afford.....send it to r.collinsassoc@btinternet.com

The pledges will be placed at the feet of Our Lady of the Taper at the National Shrine of Wales, Cardigan on Sunday 4th December and then sent to our Bishop, Bishop Thomas Burns in the form of a spiritual bouquet and petition.

Wherever you are in the world, please add your rosaries to our list, thank you.

Small volcano erupts - not many killed!

That is the sort of headline newspaper reporters write when an event does not come up to the required level of global news importance.

I might write a headline that states:
"Small pilgrimage organised - not many attend". I am speaking, of course, about the 2011 LMS Welsh National Pilgrimage  to the Shrine of Our Lady of the Taper in beautiful Cardigan, West Wales.

This year we had an attendance of 35 pilgrims (and two of those had wandered in by mistake) - I jest. It was a low turnout but a definite improvement on the previous year - double the numbers, in fact. Good but not good enough.

Our Lady of the Taper - second class shrine!

This is a National Shrine to Our Lady, it has been a place of pilgrimage since medieval times and, in those days, they journeyed on foot or on horseback, without the benefit of cars and coaches, and I can tell you one thing - they could muster more than 35 pilgrimes on a special feastday.

Now St Winifride's Shrine in North Wales also has an LMS pilgrimage, generally a few weeks before Cardigan's and they attract hundreds of pilgrims (I believe this year c. 700 people attended).



Holywell definitely has the ambience

The shrine is located in the town of Holywell near Flint in North Wales and is, if anything, more remote than Cardigan so, presumably, distance is not a deterrent. For that matter, Walsingham is not all that convenient but hordes still go there each year.

So why the difference?

I guess a number of reasons. Firstly, there is no disputing that Holywell (St Winifride's) has it on the beauty and ambience score. The poor old church at Cardigan is one of the worst examples of post Vat II architecture going but....it is home to the Blessed Virgin and the image of Our Lady of the Taper and it is the National Shrine of Wales.

Secondly, Holywell is known as "the Lourdes of Wales" and like its French counterpart it does have a well or spring, also known to have been the source of miraculous cures. Cardigan, sadly, has no such unique selling proposition ("usp"),  to use marketing jargon.

Also, it has to be said that the LMS promoted the Holywell Pilgrimage and then, more or less, sat on their hands when it came to Our Lady of the Taper's turn. You cannot organise a national pilgrimage organically.....it just will not work.

So what's to do? Well, here are a few ideas that the LMS might like to consider, for the sake of brevity I have placed them in bullet point form:-

1. Promote the National Pilgrimage with full colour inserts in Mass of Ages 
    (parity with Holywell and Walsingham)

2. Invite three well known priests to celebrate a Solemn High Mass - people  
    will support an event of importance - sorry to put it that way but you get the
    gist.

3. Promote the day around the Parishes of Wales with leaflet and poster drops
    and invite specific groups such as the Legion of Mary, SVP., Knights of St 
    Columba etc to participate - possibly attend a few parishes to make a
    personal appeal.

4. Invite the Juventutem groups to attend and to undertake a walk from St
    David's Cathedral, ancient seat of Welsh Catholicism, to Our Lady of the 
    Taper.

5. Ask the Archbishop and Bishops of Wales to attend.

6. Invite all Welsh clergy to join a procession of......?........could you do better
    than the Holy Rosary?

I know, for a fact that LMS members in Menevia would get behind such an initiative and that the Confraternity of the Holy Cross would, I believe, weigh in also. What we need also are few Welsh Catholics who are London based and who could network among the groups that could be tempted to attend, plus, of course, some support from the Catholics of Wales itself...it is your pilgrimage after all...I am just a faux Welshman!

Finally, planning for success takes time.....12 months is not too long......we have 10 months left, 8 if the LMS want the pilgrimage to take place on or close to the Feastday of Our Lady of the Taper.

And...hold it on a Saturday! or....alternatively......
.........move the National Shrine to Holywell. Well there's a thought!

Holywell photo: http://cathud.com/

Our Lady of the Taper...bring light to the trapped miners

The Jarrow Scriptorium reminded me with his post that I also intended to post on the three trapped Swansea miners and, of course, offer prayers for the soul of the miner who has been killed in this awful accident.

We remember, also, the families and friends who will be undergoing severe stress at this moment. Who better to turn to in our hour of need than Our Lady.
Whether we pray to her Perpetual Succour or her Taper aspect, it does not matter; what matters is that we pray.

And, if I recall correctly the Chilean miners also had a great devotion to their patron saint, St Laurence while St Barbara is also a patron and St Anne, mother of Our Lady is yet another.

Our Lady of the Taper, Cardigan

Out of the depths I have cried unto thee, O Lord; Lord, hear my voice. O let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplication.

Our Lady of the Taper - Pray for the trapped miners and their families

STOP PRESS:

All miners are reported dead - Our Lady of the Taper bring them eternal light!

A question for the Bishops of Wales

.........What is the difference between Walsingham and Cardigan?

Ah! the infant Christ is seated!

  

But.....He is also seated here!

Hmm…..well, one is in Wales and one in England….correct but what else?.....err……can’t think…what is the difference?

Well, sorry to try tricking your Lordships with a dummy question….you see….they are both the same.

Walsingham is the English National Shrine of Our Lady and Cardigan is the Welsh one….simple?

Actually, not so simple; there are distinctions…..Walsingham receives many pilgrimages each year and is constantly featured on blogs as a sort of Catholic stamp of identity. And that is very fine and good and right for an English blogger to do so. But for those blogs who are a little international in flavour or for Catholic organisations who represent both England AND Wales, it would be good to have a little parity for Our Lady of the Taper.

I must admit that Walsingham has it as far as style of chapel is concerned, poor old Cardigan Church makes a 1960s multi storey carpark look mystical and holy. I think it was thrown together in the 70s after the architect suffered from a long weekend on Welsh whisky (don't try it). The building is hideous but, of course, it is home to the Son of God and his Mother represented by the statue of Our Lady seated with the infant Christ on her knee and one hand holding a candle.

 We cannot desert or ignore this House of God just because it is a glorified tractor shed!

What is quite hard to understand is how the Catholic Church in Wales appears to be quite happy to have Our Lady’s shrine in this awful mixture of concrete blocks, wooden beams and glass. Are the Bishop’s proud of this shrine? At present the shrine (wisely moved on Bishop Burns’ advice from an ante room outside to a side chapel in the main church) is to the right of the main altar. Trouble is, apart from the statue there is nothing shrine like about its position, physical or spiritual.

Who would wish to travel several hundred miles to worship at a place that calls itself a shrine but has none of the trappings of one? What awaits  at the end of the journey?

Well, if you consult the very informative website you will see that the church also houses a stone from Calvary plus a stone Benedictine cross, from the remains of a long deserted Monastery at nearby Llechryd but that still, to my mind, is not enough to make it a full blown site of pilgrimage.

What is very necessary is for the three Diocese of Wales to put money in a pot to create a brand spanking new Church and Shrine that has some style and bezazz about it (by bezazz I mean a good and sound base in traditional architecture).

Then the Bishop of Menevia (in whose Diocese lies the shrine) might graciously consider permission for indulgences to be gained for those visiting the holy place. I am uncertain of the procedure here but I am sure it must be possible.

Maybe consideration might be given at this stage, for a marketing programme that firsts looks at the holistic offer; local hotels and restaurants for the overnight pilgrims, processional routes back to the original riverside Abbey (now an Anglican church but I am sure a deal could be struck) – thanks to Michael Lord of the LMS for this suggestion, and a campaign to have the shrine listed on all official pilgrimage web pages.

The Parish Priest might like to compose a series of Our Lady of the Taper prayers to be incorporated into literature and the website.

Now the framework of a fully functional shrine begins to emerge.

And for the piece de resistance? – a special Tridentine Latin Mass to be celebrated on the feastday of Our Lady of the Taper – 15^th June.



Our Lady of the Taper meets the Holy Father
at Westminster Cathedral September 2011

 So where does one go from here? Perhaps our new Archbishop, His Grace, George Stack, might like to bring his two fellow Bishops together to discuss how to raise the money – after all, nothing is impossible where the Almighty is concerned.

And, if you agree that this should take place, please remember to say the shrine prayer below to ask for Our Lady’s intercession.

A brief history of Our Lady of the Taper may be read on the

Guild of Blessed Titus Brandsma blog.

                                        Shrine Prayer

                                 My soul glorifies the Lord,

                        Henceforth all ages will call me Blessed.

                           The Almighty works marvels for me:

                                         Holy His name.

                             Behold the handmaid of the Lord.

                       Be it done unto me according to your word.

 Father, Your Son Jesus born of the Virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit is the Light of the world. May the same Spirit lead us to imitate Mary’s faith love and humility, that, guided by her example, we may follow the light of her Son on our Journey through life and come at last to see you as you are, and praise you in the everlasting kingdom of heaven.

Amen

 Holy Mary Mother of God, you offer your Son for our adoration. May we too treasure His word and help bring His light to the world.

A small pilgrimage but with a lot of spirit!

Yesterday, Sunday 7th August saw the Annual LMS Pilgrimage to the National Shrine of Wales, Our Lady of the Taper in Cardigan.



Commencing with the Angelus at 12 noon there followed an hour's meditation in front of the statue of Our Lady before lunch in the Church hall.

Confessions followed at 2.30pm and then a Sung Mass with the ever wise Mgr Johnson as celebrant, Steffano Mazzeo as MC and Seamus, Corey and Jeff Pillar as altar servers.

The Newcastle Emlyn Schola sang like angels and all left the church on a spiritual high.

After a brief break for refreshments the pilgrims returned to the church for Benediction celebrated by Deacon Jim Caddick and some rousing hymns to Our Lady.

Benediction with Deacon Jim Caddick

Now, as far as numbers are concerned only 35 souls attended but in the case of a pilgrimage, numbers should not matter too much; it is the spiritual strength and renewal that is all important (although, it would be very good to see this very important occasion at least level pegging with the Holywell Pilgrimage held each July).

Very good to meet up again with the LMS General Manager, Michael Lord who travelled down specially for the day and thanks must also go to the LMS representative for Menevia, Luigi Dimaio. 

In honour of Our Lady of the Taper and the LMS Welsh National Pilgrimage today

Our Lady of the Taper- Ora pro nobis!

Ave Maria.............................please endow this pilgrimage and those taking part with spiritual comfort and succour. Amen.

Commencing at 12 noon with the Angelus, Sung Mass at 3pm.

Shrine of Our Lady of the Taper, North Street, Cardigan.

The LMS Annual Pilgrimage to the National Shrine of Our Lady

            SUNDAY 7th AUGUST 2011

The National Shrine of Our Lady of the Taper

           North Road, Cardigan, SA43 1LT

PROGRAMME:

                     12 noon: The Angelus followed by one hour with Our

                                    Lady of the Taper, Rosary & Traditional Hymns

                     1pm:        Lunch (please bring your own)

                      2.30pm:  Confessions

                      3pm:       Sung Votive Mass of Our Lady

                      4pm:       Tea and refreshments followed by

                                     BENEDICTION

Please do all you can to support this important national pilgrimage and pay homage to Our Lady

Our Lady of the Taper, pray for Wales

Our Lady of the Taper, pray for us!

Our Lady Vanishes

No this is not a remake of that old film, good as it was, starring Angela Lansbury. This concerns OUR Lady...or, to be more precise, Our Lady of the Taper - the statue that is the focal point for the National Shrine of Wales.

Our Lady of the Taper - Ora pro nobis
Our Lady of the Taper - Where are you?

The statue normally resides in the shrine which is at a side altar in the distinctly 70s retro shed church in North Road, Cardigan. Without the statue there is nothing....except an empty plinth which, according to reliable sources now hosts a Ronnie Corbett sized version of the statue.

Where has Our Lady gone to? Does anyone know? No parishioner has been informed. What happens if you happen to be a pilgrim en route through the lovely Welsh countryside in a quest to give honour to the Mother of God at the National Shrine no less? You will arrive to see a pygmy sized replica sitting on a massive plinth. The authentic shrine statue has vanished.

Has the statue been stolen? Are we witnessing a modern miracle? Is Our Lady trying to tell us something about the way she is treated at the National Shrine?

Nope. I think she has gone walkabout to visit other parishes in Wales.

 You can just see this happening at Walsingham or Lourdes or Fatima can't you?
Pilgrims arrive to find the source of their visual inspiration gone! Out of sight....gone away.....not there.

I believe that Bishop Stack* has taken up his new role as Archbishop of Cardiff today. Perhaps he can find Our Lady for us!
* As reported by Whispers in the Loggia, Ecumenical Diablog and
A Reluctant Sinner

Bring her back to her throne in Cardigan - pdq!

A little parity for Wales?

Now as I am English (or maybe English with a dash or two of Irish) it may seem strange that I am flying the flag for Wales but, I do have a strong sense of fair play (it's the English part of me) and I notice that just about every blogger...and even the LMS., feature strongly Our Lady of Walsingham and England.
Fine. But, England and Wales are linked not just by the Severn Bridge(s) but also by, what's the phrase?......ecclesiastical union?......you know, the Catholic Bishops Conference is not just England but England and Wales!

Our Lady of Cardigan - pray for parity!

And here in Wales we have, of equal status to Walsingham,
Our Lady of Cardigan, Patron of Wales - Our Lady of the Taper as she is known for an obvious reason - she holds a candle in her right hand.


Admittedly, the shrine is not quite so grand as Walsingham, in fact, it's definitely quite a long way down market compared with Norfolk......I don't know why the Catholic Church in Wales doesn't put a shade more effort into making the shrine a more desirable place to visit....not for me to reason why although I think the word apathy might come into it somewhere. Lack of vision may be another reason.
However, I am drifting off the point, my plea to other bloggers (and to the Latin Mass Society of England and WALES, who may  feature Our Lady of Walsingham on their site), is, please remember Our Lady of the Taper.
And I am sure she will also remember you!

Pilgrimage to the national shrine of Wales, Our Lady of the Taper

Our Lady of the Taper needs YOU!

The LMS has announced Sunday 7th August as the date for the pilgrimage to Our Lady of the Taper, full details will follow but there will be an EF Mass and Benediction plus a refreshment break - could this be an opportunity for a Welsh blognic?????

Our Lady of the Taper is in Cardigan and we struggle to maintain our numbers in this far flung spot so please visit on 7th August. It is very beautiful, has many good and inexpensive links and golf clubs; just the place for a long weekend away.

Just a few miles down the coast is Newport, home
to good accommodation (Newport Links Golf Club)
and excellent eating places......renew the body as well as the soul!

Bring your family, your friends, your parish, solvent enemies (if you have any), in brief, just come and enjoy a momentous occasion.