Corpus Christi Barnard Castle

Once again this year I have been able to celebrate Corpus Christi twice, once on its proper day  with a Traditional Latin Mass and again on Sunday with both a Traditional Latin Mass and with Novus Ordo Masses.
I have also been able to celebrate with a group of our children, nine in all, as they have made their First Holy Communions. Preparations began for them on the first Saturday in Lent when they were asked to come to church for instructions each Saturday morning.  And I am glad to say that they, and their parents, came each week to receive a half hour's instruction from Carol and me.
Saturday was their great day to receive for the first time, and they did so with enthusiasm and reverence.

(I can only count eight children here - one seems to have got lost!)

After Mass, we all retired into the garden where the children had an al-fresco breakfast on the lawn - and actually so did everybody since the amount of food available was immense. Indeed there was so much food that it was the basis for a great feast on Sunday afternoon.

On Sunday afternoon there were further celebrations of Corpus Christi.  We had our Procession of the Blessed Sacrament, beginning in church and then processing around the outside of the church to halt near the Tomb of John and Josephine Bowes where we celebrated Benediction, and then continued back into church for a further Benediction.  Then came another opportunity to try to consume all the food which had been brought. And we failed.  Father was given the job of trying to eat everything which was still left, and even he failed, leaving quite a bit for the jackdaws who this morning were delighted to get the sandwiches which had been left over.
Many were the expressions of delight from the children and their parents at the outcome of all their hard work and their enjoyment of our celebrations.