The Conclusion of the Year for Priests . . .

Here at St Ann's to mark the end of the Annus Sacerdotalis we had a simple devotion of the Holy Rosary offered for all our priests concluding with Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.

In Rome, naturally they did it with a little more 'style'. Here is a clip showing some of the Closing Vespers to mark the end of the Year for Priests.

Parish Pilgrimage - Day 3 . . .

Up early again today. Here we are waiting in St Peter's Square for the General Audience with His Holiness Pope Benedict. It's 80 degrees Fahrenheit this morning at 9.30am (27 degrees Celsius). The beautiful floral umbrellas are for protection from the sun, not that we're expecting rain!

Great excitement as we wait for the Holy Father . . .

Thousands in St Peter's Square as we are entertained by a band.

More later . . .

An Encounter with the Risen Christ

Christianity is not a moral code or a philosophy, but an encounter with a person, says Benedict XVI.

VATICAN CITY, SEPT. 3, 2008 (Zenit.org).

St Paul's conversion was not an intellectual one but rather a meeting with the Risen Lord which transformed him.

This has been very well expressed by the Holy Father in his message at the General Audience with pilgrims yesterday as reported by Zenit.

The Holy Father continued by saying that for us too Christianity is not a new philosophy but a meeting with Christ not necessarily in the 'luminous' way in which he showed himself to St Paul but through our encounter with Christ in the reading of Holy Scripture, in prayer and in the liturgical life of the Church.

"We can touch Christ's heart and feel him touch ours. Only in this personal relationship with Christ, only in this encounter with the Risen One do we really become Christians. And in this way, our reason opens, the whole of Christ's wisdom opens and all the richness of the truth. Therefore, let us pray to the Lord to enlighten us, so that, in our world, he will grant us the encounter with his presence, and thus give us a lively faith, an open heart, and great charity for all, capable of renewing the world."

Year of St Paul

A special year dedicated to St. Paul was officially inaugurated by Pope Benedict XVI last Saturday, 28th June with the celebration of Vespers at the Roman Basilica of St. Paul's Outside the Walls.

The Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople was also present at this celebration to open the Pauline year.

The Holy Father has granted a Plenary Indulgence to any of faithful who fulfill the necessary conditions during the Pauline Year. Thanks to Fr Ray Blake at St Mary Magdalen for the link to the Urbis et Orbis Decree giving details of the Plenary Indulgence. He also has some super photos of the celebration of Vespers on Saturday evening.

Pope Benedict XVI at The White House

A video of Pope Benedict speaking at The White House yesterday.

Happy Birthday Your Holiness

The TV, radio and newspapers are full of Pope Benedict's arrival in Washington for his first pastoral visit to America. Today Our Holy Father also celebrates his 81st birthday

so we also add our wishes:

Alles Gute zum Geburtstag Heiliger Vater!

Buon Compleanno e Tanti Auguri

Santo Padre!

Felix sit natalis dies!