Roman Vestments

What we almost brought back for the Fathers following last year's Roman adventure...

No, not really. Thank you for the photo, Jude!

As I was coming back today after Mass, I hopped off the tram a little early and decided to visit the cemetery. It's rather lovely, having opened in 1855, but so many shattered and unreadable tombstones coupled with headless statues is quite upsetting. One prays especially for those souls. Requiescant in pace.

As I was wandering through the 'Roman Catholic compartment' I passed by a family grave, one in very good condition. As I gazed closer, I noticed a little gold thing near the headstone. On closer inspection I realised that it was some sinister looking budha statue. That's right - happily sitting on a Roman Catholic family's grave. Where on earth does something like that come from? Perhaps where on earth isn't the question.

Anyway, affronted, I took the rotten thing, I took it from the cemetery, and I smashed it as best I could on the ground. It chipped rather than smashed, and I discarded the remnants.

Horrible thing.

There was also cleaning out of the choir loft today. I now have the little documents case that once belonged to the Choirmistress. It seems that all the pre-conciliar missals and libers were discarded, but we did stumble across a brochure issued marking Archbishop Mannix's 50th year of consecration in 1962 with an original letter inside. I love all this historical stuff. Even the music program scribbled on some old sheets of paper for Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, and Good Friday, 1976!