Visit to Good Counsel

I spent this morning at Amigo Hall, next to St George's Cathedral, Southwark. As Dean of Bexley, I was attending the meeting of the Archdiocese of Southwark's Council of Priests. There was mention today of the observations regarding the Community of the Divine Innocence by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. (Link to these observations and the Archbishop's statement at the Diocesan website.)

Summorum Pontificum was on the agenda but only as an item for a brief announcement from the Archbishop. He welcomed the motu proprio and said that it needed the be implemented with common sense and pastoral sensitivity. Can't see how anyone could disagree with that.

After the meeting, I made my way across London to the Good Counsel Network which offers counselling to women in crisis pregnancies and offers practical solutions to the problems that have led to them seeking an abortion. The work is based very firmly on adoration and prayer. In the chapel in the basement, they had adoration of the Blessed Sacrament all day and I was to conclude this with Benediction. Because of the timing of the Council of Priests meeting, I have to get a supply priest in for my parish weekday Mass so I asked if the Good Counsel would mind me saying Mass in the chapel after Benediction.

They were happy with this and in fact asked me to say a Requiem Mass for one of their benefactors. Extraordinary form opted for by priest an people alike. Quam bonum et quam iucundum habitare fratres in unum. Say a prayer for the Good Counsel Network. They do such wonderful work for mothers and fathers and babies - for this world and for eternity.

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