Rosary Processions

What a splendid time last Saturday! The Rosary Procession, of Reparation, from Westminster Cathedral down to the Oratory. At the beginning of October, Month of the Rosary, one naturally feels in a Lepanto mood, so I duly preached on that. It seemed so appropriate as we tottered past Harrods with the Knights of Malta and their flag leading the way just in case of any rough stuff ... after all, they did have four galleys at Lepanto. All the way down Knightsbridge we were walking directly into the sun, and it seemed as if we were heading for a mighty bonfire, so big and billowy were the clouds of incense which they were preparing for our Lady. The Altar of our Lady of Victories inside, pietra dura, is always dear to me because it is the altar upon which I offered my first Holy Mass after entering into full communion with the See of Peter. And, to the right of the hupermakhos strategos is a statue of S Pius V, who had ordered a Rosary procession for the very day of the Battle and who was granted a vision of the victory  that evening. What a Pontiff: Lepanto AND Regnans in excelsis!

I think Fr Faber, on some such occasion, said "Won't Mamma be pleased!".