Driving in England

A painting of Our Lady done by someone locally (image is copyrighted), but who very kindly gifted me with a copy.

Dear Friends and Family,

This Wednesday morning I was quite nervous. After 20 hours of driving lessons (see partial list on the photo below), additional hours of studying necessary written questions, after having passed the theory test, the moment had now come... to take my British drivers' license test!

List of most of the driving lessons I had over the past few months.

For those Americans reading this, the test is much more difficult than the U.S. one. In addition, I had not driven a stick shift from when I was a teenager, and now I had to learn to do so left-handed. During each lesson the instructor drilled me, step by step, on the precise way you needed to be able to maintain your position on steep hills with only the clutch while preparing to enter a busy, narrow road at an intersection; how to navigate roundabouts of various shapes and sizes, emergency stops, the customs of giving way and maneuvering in narrow streets with oncoming traffic, various reversing and parking procedures, highway policies, etc. etc.

Many people fail the test on their first try, and some multiple times. Very much hoping to not have to spend any more time in driving lessons, nor to have to wait another six weeks to retake it, I was picked up at 9:30 AM to prepare for 11:30 AM test. We drove the streets of Bodmin for most of the next two hours, preparing for intricacies and traps to be found around the Bodmin test center. Then, as the clock struck 11:30 a man named Andy stepped into the test center waiting room and told me he would be administering the 40-minute test. After a few preliminaries we got in the car and, following his instructions, I drove off. While giving me instructions he would periodically ask me questions such as "Why did you become a priest?"--seemingly at moments where a lapse in concentration could lead to missing a key turn or required maneuver.

I was aware of a few mistakes and, when we pulled back into the test center, was unsure of the result. Thankfully, he turned and said, "First of all I can tell you that you passed..." and then proceeded to point out my mistakes. But he only marked me down for three minor faults out of a possible 15 before failure would have occurred. It was wonderful news! Now I can get back to driving normally, without some particulars that I think people only do for the test, and above all can devote my time to better pursuits than the finer points of driving!

In all of this, I couldn't help but think: do most couples take marriage preparation as seriously as the preparation for their drivers' license? Often marriage prep consists of a few meetings with the priest, or perhaps on a Friday evening to Sunday retreat. But in how many cases do couples' spend a solid 30 hours in class of some sort, or marriage preparation sessions? And is there any sort of test administered at the end? If there were, couples might work harder to retain much more of what the Church teaches about marriage, and marriages might be significantly better off.

Now, after a full day of ministry, finishing with a game of "Risk Europe" with some of the altar boys, and a nice meal with them, I need to finish some preparations for meetings tomorrow morning with the board overseeing renovations at Lanherne.

May Jesus and Mary watch over you and guide you.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,
Fr. Pillari

Carmel, Children, Angels and Demons

The church of the Carmel where I stay during courses in Toulouse.

A side altar.

Another view.

Dear Friends and Family,

Thank you for your prayers for my studies last week. While exhausting, it was also very blessed. The course on angels and demons was excellent. For those of you in England, you will likely be hearing a series of sermons in February and March about the angels. Father Serge-Thomas Bonino, O.P. is the secretary general of the Vatican's International Theological Commission (and also celebrates the traditional Mass!), and an excellent teacher. His course focused on the sin of the angels: what choice did the good angels make to enter glory? What choice did the fallen ones make to turn away from God? But to get to that analysis much had to be looked at: what is an angel? How do they act, know, love? Can they form real bodies when acting in the world? etc. Fascinating topics.

The above photos give you a glimpse of the Carmel I stay at from Sunday night until the flight back to England Friday or Saturday. It's a very prayerful church. In the early morning hours, a few of us priests take turns celebrating the Holy Mass, after which the quiet chapel awaits us for time alone with the Lord (in such a big church it is easy to find a quiet corner!). This past week I was struck by the beautiful gift of being a child of God. How wonderful it is to be called to be like little children! In spite of how seriously we can take ourselves at times, God realizes how small and often mistaken and imperfect our actions, are but calls us to rejoice in Him at all times, to be like a little child who knows how wonderful his father is, how his father constantly wants to give him good things. Hard to put into words well, but it is truly wonderful to be a child of our Heavenly Father.

I am now safely back at Lanherne, but rather exhausted, so I will sign off and finish preparations for tomorrow morning.

May Jesus and Mary watch over you and guide you.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,
Fr. Pillari

PS Here is a photo I took while sitting in the airport waiting for the flight to England. Surprisingly, sitting in a chair along the conveyer belt was one of the quietest and most peaceful places in the airport!

Snow on the Hedges

Snow falling thickly Thursday afternoon.

Friday Morning. Looking from my window.

Dear Friends and Family,

There is snow on the hedges! Such joyful words were whispered among the Catholics of the village and surrounding areas many centuries ago, when St. Cuthbert Mayne was in town. For in the late 1500's it was illegal to celebrate the Holy Mass--a crime punishable by death. So Fr. Cuthbert had to pretend to be the Arundell's steward, to make the rounds of their properties. When he was in town, the ladies would hang their washing out to dry on the hedges--so that all who saw it would know that the priest was in town and that an early morning candle-lit Mass, and the chance for Confession, would be available. "Snow on the hedges!" was the joyful cry.

Well, this Thursday afternoon, all of a sudden, several inches of snow fell from heaven to blanket the hedges and the rest of the monastery and village in white. It was a beautiful site to see. I had planned to write you more about the snow but my keyboard is freezing up and it is becoming increasingly difficult to type, so I had best sign off!

Tomorrow afternoon I will fly to France for another 5 days of studies--this time focussing on angels and demons. I will let you know next week how it was.

May Jesus and Mary watch over you and guide you.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,
Fr. Pillari

Renovation work in the Presbytery

Renovation work in the ground floor of the presbytery--future room for meeting/dining/kitchen.

Dear Friends and Family,

A blessed last Sunday of January to you all! Several of you have asked about the renovations at Lanherne, so today's post will show you photos of the ongoing work in the room that will become kitchen, dining, meeting area, and even... Confessional!

To back up: 12 months ago renovation work began at Lanherne. This was preceded by about two years of planning and obtaining permissions from the British government. Lanherne is a "Grade 1 Listed Building"--the highest level of historic building. And in England, historic buildings are a big deal. So any work in it has to be very carefully done--you must use the same materials to repair a window as the window was built with, restore wooden frames using the same style and techniques, carefully preserve floorboards and plaster that may be hundreds of years old, document everything before an after work is done--it is similar to restoring a museum. Thankfully, we have an excellent team of craftsman, project director, and oversight board.

The following photos will show you the work in this one room, followed by some commentary.

First, in the above photo, much of the shelving was sagging and a decision was made to replace it all, as well as to install new radiators, pipes, and wiring. So much of what is done cannot be seen.

The old fireplace restored, chimney cleaned out and repaired. Some stonework still has to be fixed, as you can see.

The opposite end of the room from the shelving. The middle cabinet is... where the priest will go to hear Confessions. You can see more clearly in the photo below, the small wooden panel that the priest opens to hear the penitent who kneels on the other side of the wall. They enter that side of the Confessional from the church. To soundproof the Confessional much extra insulation was added. But when a room is very well soundproofed there is no ventilation... To remedy that problem they cut a hole in the floor, leading to the "basement" (with its dirt floor) underneath. A ventilation fan will be placed in the floor to provide air circulation.

The two side cabinets will house the kitchen. Though you can't see it well, there is a sink on the right-hand side. There will also be a small fridge, a stove in the left-hand cabinet, cupboards above both, etc. The goal has been to soundproof the Confessional well enough so that a priest can hear Confessions at any time during the day, regardless of whether or not someone (for example a priest on retreat) is cooking in the cabinets next to it.

Side windows. Amazingly, this batch of wires and boxes, which has been subjected to much dust, paint and other debris, is still functioning to provide internet to the presbytery. Once the work is done, new wires and boxes will be installed.

Much of the work is hidden. For example, new piping and wiring were laid under the floor or elsewhere. Before repainting the walls, they stripped them and carefully removed decaying plaster, while keeping what was good. They then patched up the plaster so that it would be smooth, and began a process of painting. A similar process has been carried out for the wood.

This room is just one of about 12 rooms, along with the hallways, all of which has taken a great deal of work and care. The building is looking nice. While the hammering, electric saws, and other noises that began 12 months ago are still ongoing, we are hopeful that by April 1st the presbytery will be complete. And then it will be on to other aspects of the buildings and grounds, for much still needs to be fixed. But thanks be to God for the beautiful work done so far.

I had planned to also write about the analogous work of the renovation of a soul--of God's work of renovating a soul. But I'm afraid that fatigue is setting in at this point in the evening, so I had best sign off now.

May Jesus and Mary grant you a blessed and peaceful night!

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,
Fr. Pillari

My Uncle Ned

My Uncle Ned, who left this earth seven years ago.

Dear Friends and Family,

Tonight, I want to share with you a part of my life that has a reminder always sitting on a shelf nearby: my Uncle Ned. Born with cerebral palsy, Uncle Ned was also born with a special child-like heart and was a wonderful gift to us for many years. I would see him when he came to visit or on some family trips. The photo album that sits in my room is a reminder of the blessings of his life and of how precious every moment on this earth is--of how I should take nothing for granted, of how whatever problems I may be facing are nothing. I've sometimes asked, "Would Uncle Ned be worried about this?" or "Do my little difficulties measure up to what he had to face every day?" Such thoughts normally quickly help put me in my proper place, and turn back to the Lord with a joyful and grateful heart.

I thought the best way to share about him with you would be to share some photos. These are photos in a book put together by my mom, taken here with my phone and uploaded to the blog. I apologize if some are not oriented correctly. Couldn't figure out how to fix that... but then I thought, would Uncle Ned be bothered by it? :)

Uncle Ned "jogging" with my grandad.

Uncle Ned and Grandad.

"Going for a drive."

Helping stack the logs

Moving a big branch at the cottage.

At the special olympics.

Bowling.

With my mom at the special olympics.

May Jesus and Mary watch over you.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,
Fr. Pillari

Key Areas of Responsibility 2019

Dear Friends,

On this weekend of the Feast of the Holy Family, I will be praying for each of your families, especially in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. May God grant you an abundance of graces for this coming year!

As a way of confiding to your prayers my priestly life and ministry, I thought it might be helpful to provide you with a list of the ten key areas of responsibility that I will need to work at throughout this coming year. Please pray that I might live these well, serving the Lord according to His desires and helping souls follow the path that leads to Heaven.

Below, I will try to say a few words about something in each area. Of course, important parts of the work are confidential so I will not list those nor anything that involves individuals. So the list below is not exhaustive but is simply meant to give you a little idea of the upcoming work in each area.

Lanherne Nuns: In the first place, caring for the Nuns spiritually through the Sacraments other liturgies, blessings, etc. Also, fostering their contemplative life by assisting in various practical ways so that they do not have to interact with the public as much and can be more dedicated to prayer, silence, and solitude.

Lanherne Congregation: Offering the Sacraments and sermons, Holy Hours, teaching catechism, the Twelve Steps to Holiness and Salvation, blessing sacramentals, homes, etc. 

Saint Edward’s Congregation: Offering the Sacraments and sermons, teaching the Twelve Steps to Holiness and Salvation, formation for altar boys, trying to assist young adults’ group, home blessings, etc. 

Village: trying to reach out to those in the village and surrounding areas. For example, I visited the village pre-school last week and the children will hopefully be coming to hear me read a story to them about Our Lord.

Visitors: various people stop by looking for information on Lanherne, or with prayer intentions, or looking for Confession, etc.

Priestly Retreats and other Assistance: Though not currently in great numbers, some priests come to Lanherne for their annual retreat. Also, availability for Confession or other fraternal priestly assistance, which takes place on a fairly regular basis.

Spiritual Direction: For years, I have had to turn down almost all requests for ongoing spiritual direction because there are so many (Not that I’m great at it. There just aren’t many priests available!). But for some discerning a priestly or religious vocation, or with a particularly demanding responsibility in the Church, etc. this is an ongoing work.

Lanherne Renovation Project: Working with the trustees, project manager, construction crew, etc. Upcoming (hopefully, at some point), phases that now need to be planned are the church, more work in the convent, grounds, roads, landscaping, hopefully, the hall and at some point guest quarters. Please pray for wisdom—and for funds!

Studies in Theology and Civil Law: Licentiate in Theology at L’Institut St. Thomas D’Aquinin France, then—God-willing—a doctorate (but with no residency requirement, so I can write from Lanherne!). Ongoing civil law studies.

Canonical Work for the Diocese: As a canon lawyer, assisting with necessary canonical work for the Bishop.

Beyond what is listed… there is of course daily priestly prayer—in which I should spend several hours daily, then various other things that don’t fit into any category. To take a few recent examples: driving lessons in view of passing the British Drivers’ test; dealing with a notice from the power company that power would be shut off for part of next week; calling someone whose spouse just died; assisting to a theologian-friend who needed someone to review an article before publication; advising a family in need; replying to letters, etc. 

I am so very blessed to be a priest and to have the privilege of serving here at Lanherne. Please pray that I might become a better priest—there is a lot of work needed in that area!—and above all that I might be faithful to God’s will in these different key areas of responsibility.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,

Fr. Pillari

Epiphany Blessings

Close-up of Creche in Lanherne's Chapel.

Dear Friends and Family,

A blessed Feast of the Epiphany! May God grant you some share of the graces of wisdom and adoration that the three wise men received on this day so long ago.

Here, it has been a very blessed day, and is not quite done... but I'll come to that. Thank you for your prayers for a speedy recovery. While much of the past 10 days disappeared in sleep or waking hours where my brain was not functioning well, I now seem to have pulled out of the flu bug. As a precaution I slept a bit later than usual this morning, but was then able to tackle the day's Confessions, two sung Masses, visiting, etc. and my throat is still functioning, albeit a bit tired--but that can be cured soon enough by turning in earlier than usual tonight.

Where to begin to recount the many blessings of today? So many of them have proper names--they are the members of the two congregations, that of Lanherne and that of St. Edward's. It is humbling and wonderful to see so many good people, making so many sacrifices for their faith, manifesting charity and support in so many ways toward one another, working so hard to raise their children well, etc. etc. To give just a few small examples: After the Mass in Plymouth, I discovered that our organist had not only worked to prepare the beautiful music that he led during today's Mass, but had also been up until 5 AM baking a special Mexican cake that is eaten on the Epiphany! So after Mass, we had the joy of eating that cake and the suspense of seeing who would get the pieces with the three statues of baby Jesus.... Then there will little children to play with. While waiting for the cake to arrive in the hall after Mass, and trying to keep the children from rioting, I led them in a game of "Simon says" which went fine, the last "Simon says" was "Simon says go quietly to the table and stand there as I lead the blessing of the cake..." worked like a charm.

Then there was holding a little baby boy, and then--earlier in the morning--picking up a bigger boy, now about 4 years old, but who is such a joy, a little down-syndrome boy that God has blessed us with at Lanherne. Hopefully a future altar boy in a few years... There would be so many other examples of sacrifice and charity to relate, but if I did so I would either be indiscrete, or foster pride by publishing what they'd done, or both. So, I'll just mention one more: a young mother who generously provided everything necessary for the Epiphany blessings, which leads me to the other sort of blessings from today.... the liturgical ones.

On the Feast of the Epiphany, the traditional custom is to bless "Epiphany Water" on the eve of the Epiphany. It is by far the longest blessing of the year, taking about 30 minutes if not sung, and a good deal longer if sung. It involves a litany of the saints, an extended exorcism, a Te Deum, etc. Then, on the Feast of the Epiphany, chalk is blessed (including an exorcism) for use in blessing homes. Then gold, frankincense, and myrrh are blessed. For the gold, the congregation can place wedding rings, etc. on the plate to be blessed. Such items are blessed (and exorcized) and then given back to people. As for the Epiphany water and chalk, those are distributed to the faithful to take home and use to bless their homes. The chalk is used to write the year and initials of the three wise men over the doorpost to the home, to call down God's blessing and protection on all who enter.

Then, for the fourth time during Christmastide, I had the privilege of kneeling before the Infant Jesus, incensing Him, adoring, Him, then picking up His tiny statue and presenting Him to each of the Nuns and to each of the faithful for their adoration.

But the day's blessings are not yet done... In just a few minutes the Nuns will be singing Christmas carols before the creche, so I will sign off and head down to the chapel to pray and hear them sing.

May Jesus and Mary watch over you and grant you an abundance of blessings as we begin this new year.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,
Fr. Pillari