Silver Jubilee of Fr Timothy Finigan...

I was privileged today to attend (and serve) the Votive High Mass of the Holy Ghost at the parish of Blackfen to mark the 25th year of Fr Timothy Finigan's ordination. Jonathan (the parish Liturgy expert and Master of Ceremonies) and I were the first there (among the Servers) and we arranged the church, Altar, choir stalls etc for the proper and smooth conduct of the elaborate ceremonies that are part of the Church's Traditional Liturgy. The Mass itself was beautiful; the Mass Propers and Ordinary were sung very well by the parish choir and the visiting schola, and the organ accompaniment was played exceptionally well also. Many familiar faces were in choro and in the Congregation, among them Fr John Zuhlsdorf, Fr Ray Blake, Dr Alcuin Reid and a good many other Clergy such as Fr Patrick Hayward, a most worthy priest (who celebrated his Golden Jubilee recently).

After putting the church ''back to normal'' and setting everything up for the New Rite in the morning, we joined the parish for celebrations in the specially set up marquee and parish club. I grabbed a beer from the bar and collapsed in a chair briefly, but then Fr Finigan delivered a well-thought-out and moving speech about his life as a priest. It put things into ''perspective'' (as the saying goes - and my mother often says that I lack perspective) for me in a way; I am often vindictive and very selfish, but Fr Finigan is a man who has devoted himself wholly to his vocation as priest of God and to the service of his parish. I wish him every blessing, both temporal and spiritual, from Our Lady of the Rosary, and pray God that I too may come in the end to some notion of what (if any) vocation I may have.

The day has been altogether wonderful, and shall remain engraved in my memory as one of the chief events of my life (rather like Samwise Gamgee's first impression of the Elves, although others may see that differently). So congratulations Fr Finigan, and may I say this: Sic Hobbitur ad astra! (Thus he is Hobbited to the stars!)

I have found no decent pictures to supplement this post, but I am sure that tomorrow and the next day there will be plenty on other, more famous blogs.