27th August St. Monica

It has been a busy time so I am catching up with the blog now as I am on holiday in deepest Herefordshire, or it may be Worcestershire I am not sure, and it is raining. Our house is literally at the foot of the southern end of the Malvern Hills and if you walk up you can see right along the hills to the British Camp, an old hill fort, and beyond. Before I left we had a great trip to Grasmere with the British and Irish Cenacolo houses. We climbed Helm Crag before the rain arrived and then had Mass and lunch in the old church there which has been shut for a while. It would be nice to get it open for the summers. There is a great atmosphere in the Cenacolo community and it was a treat to spend time there with them. Mother Elvira who is still going over in Italy has imbued them with an incredible spirit which you can really feel when you are with them. The total dependence on ‘providence,’ what people give them, and God’s generosity has a great deal to do with it. They have a rhythm of prayer which runs through daily life which is impressive. It does not stop them being able to play football and watch the odd game on TV. For those who settle it is incredibly successful in helping people with addictions, but it is not easy.