Photos from the seventies

In my post on Monday, Happy Anniversary Father, I mentioned something about kissing the priest's hands. The following day at our Deanery meeting, Fr Michael Jones, parish priest of St John Vianney, Bexleyheath, told me that he had an old photo of me kissing his his hands on the day of his ordination to the Priesthood at St Bartholomew's, Norbury in 1978:

He also sent me this interesting photo of the Wonersh schola from 1976:

(Back row left to right) Bernard Longley, Michael Jones, Robert Ellis, John Inglis. (Middle row left to right) Christopher Basden, Graham Wheedon, Richard Moth, Tim Finigan. (Front row) Martin Thompson (Schola Master.)

From that time, I remember singing a wonderfully soupy version of O Esca Viatorum, a three-part setting of the Cherbikon, and a setting of the Tota Pulchra that we all found quite difficult.

Of the above, Graham left the seminary and all the others were ordained to the priesthood. They are all still in the active ministry which is not a bad record at all considering the times. Bernard, of course, is Auxiliary Bishop in Westminster, and Richard is Vicar General in Southwark.

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