The organist librarian

After Mass took Henry to Kelsey Park 19 degrees! Today we celebrate St George transferred from the 23rd as Easter week took precedence. Universalis gives 6 alternatives for the second reading at Mass! Just seen Fr Dominic Robinson on Britain's Easter story with Gareth Malone. Most enjoyable! Watched Songs of Praise. The Dean of Southwark Annual report wide-ranging and engaging.First opera at West Norwood picturehouse fabulous singing ROH Faust and new depths in the production. Wed swim and both to mass and coffee. St Joseph the worker. Excellent spirituality day with Mary Lean on Prudence. I went to the National gallery to see Boilly. Unimpressed by Sam Scully. I did find a beautiful early Pieta. Stunning singing and dancing at Linbury theatre Cape of Good Hope a sad tale of refugees.

A good day. Servers mini retreat with Fr Andrew Gallagher. I took flowers and a card to the New Zealand memorial at Hyde Park Corner and a moving sight - people in tears. Meanwhile a huge demo against racism passed by. To the House of Illustration for the first time North of King's Cross. I liked the early work of Sister Corita Kent, Ludwig Bemelmans' nuns and Journeys drawn: illustration from the Refugee Crisis. All in all a very pleasing small gallery. I returned to the cathedral for an excellent servers training session with Paul Moynihan. Fr Daniel celebrated Mass and the choir from Woldingham school sang well.

An enjoyable programme of Mendelssohn, Couperin, Haydn and Bach from Ben Lewis-Smith at St Michael Turnham Green. Good chat to Jonathan Dods, Bored quiding at the cathedral / Fr Stephen Haylett came to hear confessions -  he is fat!  Holy Week practice went well rather a lot to do! Ben is a real asset and Rebecca as well so we had 6. Home at 9 but picked up Liz - 30 minute wait. Decline and Fall not as good as last week. Saturday cleaned garden windows and got water features going. Lovely day again. Clare came. Wrote letter about refugees.  This week I attended two similar events. Bishop Paul McAleenan gave the last Lent lecture at St Joseph's hospice Hackney and Lord Alf Dubbs spoke at St Mary at Hill on bringing unaccompanied refugee children from Europe to the U.K. Bishop Paul is the bishop dealing with migration and he said that only 3 church organisations in the diocese of Westminster had responded to Pope Francis's call to take in migrants. This is a very disappoi...

National Gallery Michelangelo and Sebastiano, NPG Howard Hodgkin (either brilliant or a con) and the interesting Claude Canon and Gillian Wearing. I went to 2 Temple Place but hit a large coach party swamping the gallery. Lent lecture by Bishop Paul McAleenan on serving the poor. I wonder why only 3 places in Westminster diocese have given accommodation to refugees? To Whitechapel gallery and enjoyed Paolizzi and women photographers.  A real inspiration to listen to Lord Alf Dubs on efforts to bring unaccompanied refugee children to the UK. St Mary at Hill. The speaker's chaplain is impressive. Met a lady from Essex and a lady who may come to the group. A good day!  Friday swam 14 and to Mass. 

Set out to go to St John's coffee morning but discovered front tyre needed checking. It was resealed. Liz went to Lourdes Mass. To Chorus 2016 at South Bank centre and heard Choir with no name, Bexley and Gospel Oak groups. Plenty of enthusiasm, not my style of music. the conductor even got me moving arms and singing! One guy was wearing a deerstalker! Drawing at National Gallery - the Michelangelo entombment. Listened to some speeches at Trafalgar Square Refugees welcome demo. Foyles and then to Tim Harper's excellent recital at Bloomsbury Baptist. Vespers and Mass for Palm Sunday at the cathedral.

Second Catenian funeral of the week Paul Morris at Beckenham - such a gentleman. 2 free exhibitons about graffiti and elms not impressive. St Stephen Wallbrook has a most moving station based on the Turin shroud and photos of Syrian refugees.  Visited Tower of London for the station Crucifixion by Guy Reid and met Marcin Mazur  . To National Gallery for the last station and Michelangelo's Entombment and the Botticini altarpiece. Very powerful photos at St Martins in fields of refugees. To South London circle for mass for Ros David's wife Mgr Vlad and meeting. I suppose it is inevitable that the two funerals this week get compared. Pat's was personal with an excellent homiy although John tells me Orpington people cannot understand Fr Vella and he can preach for 45 minutes! Ashley Beck tends to the formal although there were some lighter touches like the aisles in Waitrose. Nice to meet Molly at the reception.  Like Show More Reactions ...

Up early to get to Europe House for 9 a.m. Double jeopardy: women refugees. Informative and shocking. What dangers do women refugees face? How can the challenges be met? Should we be doing more? Mary Honeyball MEP, member of the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality will present her draft report on the situation of women refugees and asylum seekers in the EU. She will be joined for a panel discussion by Rahela Sidiqi, trustee of Women for Refugee Women and Dr Michelle Dimasi who works with governments on implementing effective measures to tackle refugee crises. Razia Iqbal, BBC News will moderate the discussion. To National gallery to see the Delacroix exhibition. Excellent film but why so many people? The gallery seem to be only concerned with packing them in! Then to Whitechapel gallery for Electronic Superhighway 2016-1966. Some of the videos were very interesting - others less so. No sign of Nelson Ferreira's art and I did ask! Land of hop...