Ecce sacerdos Magnum

On Sunday, November 25, after a full morning of celebrating Christ the King with Solemn Mass and Procession of the Blessed Sacrament, at 4:00 pm we instituted our ninth rector, the Rev'd Dr Andrew Charles Blume. Bp Mark Sisk presided and celebrated at the Solemn Pontifical Mass. I was thurifer by special invitation from the MC, who felt sorry for me that I had been, I'm quite sure, accidentally left off the rota for the event. The thurifer that was scheduled graciously allowed me to take the job and he became verger, taking into account the perilous left-knee genuflections that are called for when incense is put on by the Bishop. Better I should fall on my face than he. Luckily I managed to get through it without any major disaster, although I had to put out a fire for the initial censing with the Bishop at the door. A strong wind whipped the coals into flame but I was able to blow them out before it got out of hand. At the Offertory I somehow could not genuflect on my left knee, so I went down on both and then thought I would never get up while attempting to close the thurible, but the Lord lifted me and I somehow arose. Then at the final procession the chain was caught and I had to struggle to untangle it to get the lid up for the Bishop to put on incense all the while kneeling on my right knee (I rationalized that it was actually kneeling before the Sacrament more than the Bishop). But I had blessedly great coals all night and did a good job of smoking up the place with my Glastonbury blend. I almost felt sorry for the choir, who had complained about the procession of the Sacrament that morning when we had two thurifers (I was second) and they were almost gassed out when we passed them. But in spite of that they did a splendid job with the wonderful Howells Office of Holy Communion, which most likely had never been heard before in this church. The Elgar anthem The Spirit of the Lord during Communion was likewise most heavenly so it seems the smoke did not hinder. It sure cleared up my cold congestion by the end of the day.

We had a great crowd of religious and lay people alike, and the service went very smoothly with Frank as MC. The Rev Dr Thomas Pike gave an entertaining sermon with several good stories about Fr Blume and Bp Sisk gave a wonderful greeting to the new rector as the right priest at the right time in the history of St. Ignatius. We had a wonderful reception afterward with lots of good food and champagne. And nary a roach in sight!