Apologies, explanations and future plans

Over past months and particularly since August this year, I have found it impossible to maintain this blog at the level warranted by its subject matter. I apologise for this and beg your understanding and forgiveness. Please be assured that I have not neglected the prayer life of a spiritual mother and have no intention of doing so. Also, a fair amount of private correspondence has resulted from the original initiative and that cannot be neglected.

In an attempt to improve matters and make it easier for me to post more frequent items of relevance to Spiritual Mothers and their friends, I have decided to record such items as part of my other blog, Thoughts from a Catholic Oasis - see here Such posts will usually appear under 'Spiritual Mothers' Community Room News' starting at number 1 and continuing in due numerical order. I've just finished a week's break from blogging and will be back on the Oasis later today.

This blog will remain as it is so that its links will still be available. As time allows I'll duplicate these links in the Oasis right hand sidebar.

God bless all here.

Novena for the Church In Ireland begins today

For explanation and text see Protect the Pope

Father Mark and his little but growing monastic community in Tulsa OK are desperately in need of a new and more secure home. He has asked us to beg for the intercession of Saint Vincent de Paul. (See Vultus Christi)

St. Vincent we beg your prayers for all Benedictines, but particularly at this time for Father Prior Mark Kirby and his fledgling community at the Monastery of Our Lady of the Cenacle in Tulsa..

Protect the Seal of Confession

Clicking the purple stole at top of right sidebar will take you to the Irish  Saint Genisius blog. There is voiced Irish  anguish that their hierarchy has as yet said nothing about the Irish governement's threat to the Seal of Confession. Please do everything you can to support any effort to get them to fight and to speak out.

Congregation for Clergy: The Priest, Minister of Divine Mercy

The Congregation has published this new aid for Confessors and Spiritual Directors. See here, and press 'read more' for the whole document.

ZENIT - Georg Ratzinger Also Marks 60th Anniversary

ZENIT - Georg Ratzinger Also Marks 60th Anniversary

This is a poignant interview and one that could be easily overlooked. I love the revelation about the brothers' nick-names their seminary class. How appropriate they turned out to be. Ad multos annos to both 'Bucher-Ratz' (book-lover-Ratz) and 'Orgel-Ratz (music-lover-Ratz).

News from Birmingham, England

A friend from Birmingham has let me know (at least I think she's in Birmingham) that her parish is about to have a priestly ordination, the second in three years. She also told me that the seminarians, must be Oscott if she's in Birmingham, are very appreciative of all the prayers that we offer in their support. It's great to have this feedback, and I share it with you in great happiness.It is still less than a year since they were visited by the Holy Father. How stirring that must have been for them, They were the last people he saw on his trip to the UK last September and the occasion must have given him great joy and hope for the future..

Our dear HSD Fr Mark Kirby speaks this evening at Adoratio 2011 in Rome

This is most probably an unnecessary reminder, but in case anyone has forgotten, Fr Mark will speak tonight on 'Eucharistic Spirituality' at 6pm (i.e 5pm UK time). I'm hoping that the full text will be published on the Adoratio site. Please see the same site for full programme of speakers. I'm sure you will all want to join in the sending of the following message:

Dear Father Mark,
Our love and prayers always, but particularly for the success of your talk tonight, and for that of the entire Conference.
from the friends, followers and author of  'Spiritual Mothers of Priests'.

Horse drawn carriages bring miniature Bavarian churches to the Vatican

Horse drawn carriages bring miniature Bavarian churches to the Vatican

Fr. Mark Daniel Kirby The Chant Café

Fr. Mark Daniel Kirby The Chant Café

Our dear Fr Mark will be speaking at the Adoratio 20011 Conference in Rome on June 20th. For more details and a full list of speakers see here http://www.adoratio2011.com/