The Patronal Feast of St Anne Line was on Saturday 3rd February. Eighty-four parishioners attended the 6.30pm Mass with many of them and other parishioners gathering in the hall afterwards to share the traditional, international foods that were kindly prepared and offered by our parishioners from many different international backgrounds.
It was good to see so many gathered together as a Catholic community to celebrate mass, receive the Eucharist and then afterwards join together to eat, drink and chat. We spent a good couple of hours in each others company.
The crowd at mass, and later in the parish hall, was somewhat reminiscent of the life of St Anne Line, referred to in his homily by Rev Alan telling her story. She was arrested and convicted of sheltering priests. One day, on the Purification of Our Lady, she allowed a very large number of Catholics to attend Mass in one of her rooms. The crowds were noticed and police constables were quick to arrive at the house.
As Rev. Alan reminded us – “at the scaffold she repeated what she had said at her trial, declaring loudly to the bystanders: “I am sentenced to die for harbouring a Catholic priest, and so far I am from repenting for having so done, that I wish, with all my soul, that where I have entertained one, I could have entertained a thousand.” (quote from Wikepedia). To read the full story of St Anne Line visit wiki/Anne_Line
For some photos of mass see below.
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