NOT NINJA NUN! NOT MI5!

From the Daily Mail:

The secret identities of two nuns who took pride of place next to Prince William and his new wife at the Royal Wedding have been unveiled.

They were seen by two billion people around the world, looking on demurely as William and Kate listened to prayers during the service.

But despite their unassuming appearance, rumours began to surface that one of the women was a secret 'ninja nun' intended to protect the Royal couple, after she was pictured wearing black trainers.

Speculation was rife that the taller nun, wearing Reebok Classics with her traditional habit, was on hand to pounce on any intruders.

One internet user wrote: 'I guess they were undercover agents, MI5.'

But today she has been revealed to be Sister Annaliese Brogden - a 52-year-old nun from the Community of the Sisters of the Church.

Her identity was disclosed by her bemused father Geoffrey Brogden who said she always wore trainers - no matter what the occasion.

Ninja nuns. MI5. How silly! Sr Annaliese wears exactly the brand and color trainers that I wear when I want to dress up from my white trainers - say when I'm wearing dark colored slacks, and the dirty white trainers would stand out. I don't wear the trainers on every occasion, say with skirts and dresses, but I'd like to.

The 80-year-old [father] from Needham Market, Suffolk, said: ' She has her trainers on most of the time because she finds them the most comfortable things to wear.

' She has always worn them and I am sure she thought they were the most appropriate thing to wear at the wedding.

Brava! I wish I had Sr Annaliese's moxy. Don't believe me about the trainers? See mine below.

She [Sr Annaliese] was made a chaplain at the Abbey after spending 12 years at St Paul's Church, Bristol. She has played an important role in several high-profile events.

So there!

VERGER BEN WILL NOT BE DISCIPLINED

Ann Fontaine tells me that Twitter is all a-twitter about the news that Westminster Abbey Verger Ben will not be disciplined. I had no idea that punishment was considered because Ben did joyful cartwheels, but Ann tells me that yesterday there was talk of discipline. Oh dear! Some person or persons need to lighten up.

Since I don't tweet, I'm often out of the loop, so I'm grateful to Ann for helping me to keep up.

PRAY FOR THE FEDERAL ELECTION IN CANADA

David@Montreal and Janet Murray have asked for prayers for the very important federal election taking place today in Canada, our good neighbor to the North. Pray for the election of leaders who will best serve the people of the country, rather than the special interests.

Almighty God, to whom we must account for all our powers and privileges: Guide the people of Canada in the election of officials and representatives; that, by faithful administration and wise laws, the rights of all may be protected and their nation be enabled to fulfill your purposes; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

EPISCOPAL DIOCESE OF QUINCY SAYS NO TO ANGLICAN COVENANT

The Episcopal Diocese of Quincy
Anglican Covenant Responses

We, the deputies of the Episcopal Diocese of Quincy, each having read the proposed Anglican Communion Covenant thoroughly and prayerfully and various documents in favor and not in favor of adopting the covenant, report our unanimous response (with one lay deputy absent due to serious illness):

1) We have grave reservations about the “instruments of the Communion,” the authority bestowed by the proposed covenant and the hierarchy it creates. The only hierarchy of the Communion has been a spiritual one, bonding all Anglicans to the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The Lambeth Conference is an important gathering of the Communion’s bishops, each now by invitation of the Archbishop of Canterbury. It may issue recommendations or spiritual advice to the Communion, but has no binding authority.

The Anglican Consultative Council, created by the Lambeth Conference in 1968, is not widely recognized as an authoritative body in the Communion, nor does it appear to be clearly known to the average Anglican.

The Primates’ Meeting seems to have taken on a life of its own and again is not widely understood or seen as a source of authority.

While the present wording of the Covenant does not clearly establish these bodies as an authoritative hierarchy it is a move in that direction.

We only recognize the Archbishop of Canterbury as our spiritual head, and no other earthly international authority. We see no reason to change this.

2) Despite protests to the contrary, it is clear that section 4 is punitive. It is a break with the history of the Communion, which has been a warm fellowship of churches in communion with the Archbishop of Canterbury and who share common sources of worship and tradition.

3) The need or desirability of a Covenant, with or without section 4, seems to us counterproductive, sewing seeds of conflict and endangering the great productivity with which God has blessed our Communion.

4) While manifold blessings are being given us as our global community draws closer together, we must recognize that the world in which we live is still very diverse. The customs, circumstances, growth and spiritual needs of people throughout our world share much in common and yet remain quite divergent as our histories, traditions and social interactions are not always the same. We recognize that the continents and countries of our world each have unusual, sometimes unique, needs to which God, through His Church, will respond in varying ways. We can only respect these needs and differences and recognize God’s grace showered on us all.

5) All of our deputies feels the language of the proposed Covenant is too vague, unclear and not concise. Specifically it was called “gobbledygook.” The average church person probably will have little idea what the covenant really says or means, if she or he can be induced somehow to read it. We doubt few have any real interest in a covenant.

6) We feel rather than binding the Communion together in closer fellowship, the proposed covenant, with or without Section 4, is an invitation to conflict and will lead to further stress and distrust that will endanger our future together.

7) We shall attend General Convention determined to listen carefully and be open to the Spirit. However, with the knowledge and urging of that Holy Spirit we have received up to this point, we shall will vote against adopting the Covenant.

Submitted by:

The lay and clergy deputies to the 2012 General Convention from the Episcopal Diocese of Quincy, 24 April 2011.

Add another "no" vote by a diocese to endorsement of the proposed covenant. Keep them coming.

The response is not yet posted to the diocesan website.

THE PRICE OF GAS

I am not sure if you got up very early Friday morning to watch the wedding of HRH Prince William and Kate.

The wedding ceremony was fine.

However, following the ceremony, due to the economic downturn and the extremely high price of gas, the entire wedding party was transported from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace in horse-drawn carriages!

Don't blame me. Blame Doug.

JOHN PAUL II - ONE STEP AWAY FROM SAINTHOOD

From the The Economist:

JOHN PAUL II’s beatification on May 1st will be the most exalted ceremony at the Vatican since his funeral six years ago. More than 50 heads of state are expected, plus hundreds of thousands of the faithful, largely from the late pope’s native Poland. The former pope is now just one stage—canonisation—away from full sainthood. The adulation of his communism-toppling 27-year reign and powerful personality will inevitably highlight the less stellar record of the accident-prone Benedict XVI.

"[L]ess stellar record"? Oh dear!

Why the heads of state for a beatification in the Roman Catholic Church? Oh right. The Vatican is a state, and the pope is a head of state. It's all so confusing.

Giovanni Maria Vian, editor of the Vatican’s semi-official daily, L’Osservatore Romano, says that Benedict’s actions show him to be “not just a great intellectual, but also a simple, humble, good man”. The peak of the scandal, in the “annus horribilis” of 2010, is past, he says. But he acknowledges that the situation in Ireland still requires a “long penitential journey”.

However, as mentioned in the article, there was the suspension of 21 Roman Catholic priests in Philadelphia, month before last, in the year 2011, and there could be more surprises ahead.

Thanks to Ann V for the link.

UPDATE: Torey Lightcap at The Lead posts that President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, despite his "total disregard for life", will be present at the ceremony.

GUESS WHERE WE WENT YESTERDAY

To a wedding! Yes, another wedding. A student from Nicholls State University, who kept in touch with Grandpère after they both left the university, married his lovely bride yesterday at St Francis de Sales Cathedral, pictured above. The wedding was lovely, as was the reception, with lots of good food, drink, and music by Louisiana Spice. If you check their website, you will see that the guys in the band dress like 1940s and 1950s gangstas or FBI operatives - take your pick.



The band was hot. GP and I danced a couple of slow dances and one fast dance, and I'm still recovering from the fast dance. Imagine! One lively dance does me in. During one of our slow dances, I kissed GP while we were dancing - twice. I think he liked that. Of course, I'd had a couple of glasses of wine, which is my limit because two glasses make me tipsy.

Anyway, this morning I'm still exhausted and achy. Since I spent a good part of Friday in Westminster Abbey, virtually speaking, and over an hour in St Francis Cathedral yesterday, I'm being an example to no one and not listening to it's margaret and skipping church this morning. Mea culpa!

I was just going to mention the activity below at St John's, which would have me in my church, quite willingly, again tomorrow evening:

Please join us for a Eucharist this Monday, May 2, at 6:00 p.m., along with the Reverends Tom & Beth Papazoglakis, as we dedicate the series of pictures (on the wall in the parish hall) donated to St. John’s by the Papazoglakis family in memory of Katherine Bourgeois. These papyrus, made by the Coptics, come from Egypt and depict many of the major themes in the life of Christ found in the gospel.

Alas, my daughter just now informed me via Facebook that our grandson will be confirmed tomorrow evening, and, since Grandpère is his sponsor, we will be at St Matthew the Apostle Church instead, willingly again, but surprised. The last we heard of this event was in the fall that the Confirmation would be "sometime in the spring". There is nothing like a last-minute, surprise reminder.

St Francis Cathedral is quite lovely. The parish was established in 1847, but the present building was constructed in 1936 in the neo-Gothic style. Other views of the cathedral may be seen at the website New Orleans Churches. I must tell you that the colors in the pictures at the website are not true, and the stained glass windows are much more beautiful than they appear in the photo. I wish I'd had my camera with me, but in honor of the wedding, I changed to my smaller, dressy purse, which does not include the pockets and pouches of my everyday handbag. The rose window above the altar is far prettier than it appears, and, as the pictures rightly show, the organ and the Stations of the Cross are impressive. The Stations remind me of those in the church I attended as a child in New Orleans, St Rose of Lima. St. Rose is no longer an active parish.

Since I didn't attend my church, I'll listen to MadPriest's service at St Laika's. The music included in his services is usually always excellent. I ask you: Where else can you hear "Joy to the World" performed by Three Dog Night on Easter Day? I've already seen Ellie Finlay's posts and pictures at The Anchorhold, and they are wonderful and thought-provoking.

UPDATE: I listened, and the service at St Laika's is very good, indeed. The music, the sermon, all of the service is well-worth a listen. My only further recommendation is that since the Gospel is John's story of Thomas the doubter, MadPriest might have added the wonderfully incarnational painting by Caravaggio, titled "The Incredulity of Saint Thomas", which is below. I like to show the painting at least once during the Easter season.

THE TINY CABIN

A social worker from a big city in Massachusetts recently transferred to the mountains of Tennessee and was on her first tour of her new territory when she came upon the tiniest cabin she had ever seen in her life.

Intrigued, she went up and knocked on the door.

"Anybody home?" she asked.

"Yep," came a kid's voice through the door.

"Is your father there?" asked the social worker.

"Pa? Nope, he left afore Ma came in," said the kid.

"Well, is your mother there?" persisted the social worker.

"Ma? Nope, she left just afore I got here," said the kid.

"But," protested the social worker, "are you never together as a family?"

"Sure, but not here," said the kid through the door. "This is the outhouse!"

Don't blame me. Blame Doug.

PRAYER FOR THOSE AFFECTED BY TORNADOES IN THE SOUTHEAST

From the website of the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama:

Loving Father of all,

We humbly pray you to look graciously upon our hurts and heartaches, and especially upon those in the greatest need in this time of trouble. Grant that we may put our whole trust and confidence in your mercy; bind us together in mutual love and service, and make us instruments of your healing and peace, through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

And we all say, "Amen!"

If you would like to help:

Checks should be sent to the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama, Carpenter House, at 521 20th Street North, Birmingham, Alabama 35203. Contributions may also be made online through the diocesan website by clicking the “Make an Electronic Contribution” button.

Or you may help with a donation to Episcopal Relief and Development. The national office is supporting the dioceses of Alabama, Atlanta and East Tennessee as they begin their efforts to help with recovery from the devastation from the tornadoes.

Thanks to Ann for sending the prayer.

I TAKE IT ALL BACK...

...the snark about the royal wedding. I just finished watching the entire ceremony in Westminster Abbey, uninterrupted, no fits and starts, no commentary. It was beautiful. The Anglican liturgy, the music, the sermon, the prayer composed by the royal pair, the Abbey, the deportment of the bride and groom, all of it was too lovely for words.

And, Leonardo, the Queen's dress was, too, mellow yellow in the softer lighting in the Abbey. I first saw the dress in bright sunlight on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in one of my earlier, disjointed viewings of the celebration.

In the scenes showing the trees decorating the Abbey, as the camera zoomed closer to the gorgeous Gothic stained glass window, the setting seemed to be the outdoors. The pans of the architectural elements of the Abbey and the shots from on high were breathtaking.

Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa!

Photo by John Stillwell/AFP/Getty Images