An extremely enjoyable and successful second meeting of the Guild of Blessed Titus Brandsma...

For good food, good company and good liturgy,
Our Lady of the Rosary, Blackfen is the place to be!
Taken during lunch at today's Guild of Bl Titus event 

The Guild of Blessed Titus Brandsma for Catholic bloggers and those who use the new social media gathered at Our Lady of the Rosary, Blackfen, today for its second official meeting. All those who came along to this event were warmly welcomed by the parish and its parish priest, the well-known and acclaimed blogger, Fr Tim Finigan (The Hermeneutic of Continuity).

The day began with Holy Mass celebrated in the Lady Chapel, followed by Adoration and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament on the high altar. This period of worship was followed by a talk by one of the Guild members.

Unfortunately, our guest speaker, Fr Sam Medley SOLT (Medley Minute), was not able to be with us, so the Catholic journalist and writer, Mary O'Regan (The Path Less Taken), graciously volunteered to address the Guild in his place. Fr Sam had planned to speak on the theme of blogging as a way of enhancing ecclesial communion, but Mary developed this idea in her own way, concentrating on the relationship that exists between print journalism and the new media. Being both a blogger and a journalist, Mary O'Regan was aptly qualified to speak on this interesting subject. Her informative and entertaining talk left her listeners with much food for thought!

Lunch was a time for catching up, laughing, sharing stories and discussing various aspects of Church life and the Catholic blogging community. The food was superb - really wonderful, as always! In fact, if parishes were ever to receive awards for culinary excellence, Our Lady of the Rosary, Blackfen, would probably be given a Michelin star!

After lunch, about 15 Catholic bloggers - plus some others who use the new media (Facebook, YouTube, etc) or who comment on blogs - met for the second meeting of the Guild since it was formed last year. Amongst some of the issues raised at the meeting were: the contribution made by Catholic bloggers to the New Evangelisation, how members could make better use of the Guild blog, and the best way for Catholics to respond to cyber bullying. It was also decided that the Guild should next meet in another part of the country, so as to make sure that members from outside London and the South-East are able to attend future events.

Mary O'Regan addresses the Guild of Bl Titus Brandsma
(Photo: (c) Mac McLernon at Mulier Fortis) 

It was also noted during the meeting that several apologies had been sent, and that many internationally well-known bloggers, such as Tito Edwards (Editor of The Pulp.it) as well as the blogging members of the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer, had expressed a desire to come to the next Guild event. During our prayers before and after the meeting, members of the Guild remembered those who could not be with us due to ill health - especially Fr Sam Medley and Stuart James (eChurch).

Here is a list of those Catholic bloggers who were present at the Guild of Bl Titus Brandsma's meeting today - it does not include participants who do not have their own blog, or those who use Twitter or Facebook only: -

Me (A Reluctant Sinner), Richard Collins (Linen on the Hedgerow), Hilaire Belloc, Laurence England (That The Bones You Have Crushed May Thrill), Paul Priest (On The Side Of The Angels), Karen Horn (Gem of the Ocean), Plain Talking, Mac McLernon (Mulier Fortis), Anthony Radice (A Tiny Son of Mary), Fr Tim Finigan (The Hermeneutic of Continuity) and Mary O'Regan (The Path Less Taken). Annie Elizabeth (Defende nos in proelio) was present in the morning, but had to leave before lunch. Two future bloggers called Therese and Jimin were also present, as was a reader on Catholic Answers, called Sonia. One or two blog followers, such as Roy Hobson, also made it to the Guild meeting.

The day ended with the public recitation of the Rosary - which was more than a fitting way of bringing the Guild meeting to a close, especially seeing that we had gathered at the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary!

I would like to express my gratitude to all who supported this event, to those who travelled far and wide to be at it, and, of course, to Fr Tim Finigan and his parishioners, especially those who helped with the liturgies and cooked and served the excellent lunch!

Dylan Parry (A Reluctant Sinner)