7th September

Kendal is a quiet place in many ways, but yesterday began in the early hours of the morning when Bill died and Pauline and I were at his side anointing him and praying for him before the necessary authorities arrived. At 10.00 we had Mass and some of the First Holy Communion children made their first appearance for a while after the lockdown. At 12.00 I was in Sedbergh with the small community there and met Bishop James as he was leaving, he always seems to be welcoming and easy to chat to, and Becca the newish C of E Pioneer Minister in Dent, who seems very pleasant too. Early on in the afternoon Daphne Kathleen and her family arrived for her baptism which was the first one we had had since the lockdown began. Her great-grandmother, Kathleen at 92, survived the rain to be there with us as well. A bit later someone had asked to come in for Confession. Then at the evening Mass we sadly said good-bye to the Cenacolo lads as the house is closing for a while and we prayed for them as they set off on the next stage of their journey. So for Kendal is had been a busy, and very sacramental, day. But as people often point out, ‘You only work one day a week, don’t you Father?’