The Feast of St. Ignatius

The Martyrdom of Saint Ignatius of Antioch

Tonight was Fr Blume's first mass, a low but spirited celebration in the Lady Chapel on the Feast of St Ignatius, which we will solemnize on Sunday. Fr Blume brought his own wonderful red and gold solemn set which was just stunning to behold and even had a nice appareled amice. It was supposed to be a mass for just the vestry before their first meeting with the new rector, who isn't even on the payroll yet but has done a full month's worth of work already since being chosen. He managed to even transfer the website over today to a new address under the diocese and Fr Blume's wife has graciously accepted the job of webmaster and designer. I am glad to have one less thing to do every week, although I enjoyed learning about web design. I hope to do more of that in the future and will continue to contribute photos and reportage for our site, starting with this Sunday, which should be a very joyous Feast.

Last Sunday I came in a bit late for Solemn Mass, during the first hymn actually, so I missed the mistaken funeral tolling in place of an Angelus. Not sure how that happened, but soon after the hymn ended I saw a lot of scurrying about up at the altar and wondered what on earth could be going on. When the MC asked an acolyte to go back and report something to an usher, I knew there must be trouble. I had just settled into my pew and was looking forward to dozing through our last Sunday in limbo when suddenly I had to spring into action as the acolyte reported that the waters of Babylon were flowing behind the altar. (Interesting, the choir sang a motet about that very subject at the offertory.) I recalled that I had turned the boiler on Saturday as it was a bit nippy and heating season was due to start on Monday. Sunday morning was cool enough to get the boiler churning and suddenly right before the 11:00 Mass a pipe erupted and began spewing hot water from the century old radiator behind the High Altar. I went down to the dungeon, turned off the boiler and went into the kitchen and got a big roasting pan to put under it and the water got collected in there until after Mass. A quick call to our boiler guru made us gulp our coffee and get back to the boiler room to put a hose under it and drain all the water out of the system so the leak finally stopped a little while later. Now we await our master plumber to hopefully repair the leak for now while we ponder replacing the element, a pretty major job I imagine. And just when I was hoping to spend some money to beautify the place, we have to go back to some unseen basics. But I believe we are on the eve of a new and more glorious era at the shrine church. Tonight was a wonderful beginning.

Glory to God

Saturday, October 6, I was thurifer for Kathy's wedding to John at St. Mark's. I spent about an hour before the service cleaning and polishing St. Mark's cute little thurible with bells that looked like it had not been cleaned for several decades. They don't burn incense much at St. Mark's any more, although they did have a near-disastrous fire recently from burning some kind of stick incense in a potted plant. Kathy was fortunately there showing a prospective priest associate around when they noticed a bitter smell and found a plant smoldering in the upstairs chapel. Luckily it was soon put out and left only a very disfigured pot and plant.

Mo Barbara Crafton, also a member of our reunion group, presided and gave a wonderful homily. The St. Mark's choir and band was superb, especially on The Lord's Prayer, using my favorite rock setting. I had quite a time getting those "quick-lights" to start, and I held up the opening procession even as I was expecting Kathy to be her usual late self. She was miraculously on time leaving the rectory and Fr. DeNaro could be heard all over the church announcing "we're waiting for the thurifer". I finally got the coals going and by the consecration we even had a little smoke. There were several who strongly objected to having incense but I assured them they would hardly notice a little frankincense. And Janet only had to leave once, at the offertory when Fr. DeNaro piled it on. I had fun censing the congo in the round and that thurible is just the right size, with bells that are just the right degree of subtle. I left the boat full of frankincense so I hope they make use of it from time to time.

Kathy will miss St. Mark's quite a lot, I'm sure, as she begins a new life in Saskatoon. We will miss her also but somehow I suspect she and John will find a way to visit from time to time. We wish them well in their life together and Godspeed them back to us.

Image designed by Sr Claire Joy