De La Mennais Brothers: Making Jesus Christ better known and loved by young people

Just saw this tonight at a preview screening. I laughed out loud, I cried. One of the mostly deeply human, warm, sad, happy, life-affirming, yet melancholic films I have ever seen. Mike Leigh and a wonderful cast at the very top of their collective game. Pure enjoyment and food for thought. What more can one ask for in a film? A candidate for film of the year.

I've been totally enthralled by what I've managed to see of the Chilean mine rescue. Very impressed with not just the Chilean organisation, but also the character of the miners themselves. It would seem that the religious faith of many amongst them has helped them cope. Can't help but be moved by it all. I just pray that the media lets them get on with their lives after it's all over. What a bond they will have between them from now on! Here's an interesting summary of their whole experience and how they've coped. Love this detail:  " One of the miners' most relished gifts was a small high-definition video camera with which they've recorded a large part of their ordeal. Despite the hazards they confront, the men have maintained high spirits and the most distinguished humorists among them have dispatched eight hours of their favorite jokes on film. "

The weekend just gone saw us welcome once more in our school a weekend charismatic conference organised by Celebrate. There were over 300 participants (inc. myself), about 85 of whom were under 18. These were split into "streams" each with their own activities/talks/games/prayer times, etc... We all came together for the Sunday Mass. What a life-giving, spirit-filled, joyous, uplifting 2 days, the first of which was my birthday. In actual fact, I spent the afternoon of my birthday (Saturday) with Bernard Weaver, the 82 year-old husband of one of the mainstays of the Southampton Catholic Charismatic scene, Frances Weaver. The two of them are old friends of our family (see here ). Two days earlier, Bernard had been diagnosed with cancer (he'd already had a cancerous thyroid removed a couple of years previously). As yet, it is not known the extent of the cancer. He has to go for a full body scan in the next few days. Frances was understandably worried about him and did

Here is a new recording of a song 'wot I rote' about 8 years ago: "You Are My Foundation". I recently re-recorded it for use in conjunction with the 150th anniversary celebrations of Fr. Jean-Marie De La Mennais, at the request of other members of our media commission that I am part of. http://www.myspace.com/music/1060199/songs/74569169/?ap=1&sms_ss=email&at_xt=4cad019908b8c0ff,0

There's now some updated info available on the BBC 2 series I mention in my previous article: the BBC have changed its name to "The Big Silence" from "Silence In The City" (its working title). They have also put on their website an updated press release.  See here:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/proginfo/tv/2010/wk42/feature_big_silence.shtml

This promises to be very good. It's by the same team that produced "The Monastery" (Big Brother meets Benedictine monasticism), with former Abbot Christopher Jamison (Worth Abbey) again a prime mover behind the project. I had an e-mail from Fr. Luke at Worth the other day saying that the BBC have at last confirmed the dates of its airing. It will be broadcast in 3 parts (like The Monastery), starting on Fri. Oct. 22nd at 7pm, the other 2 parts airing on the subsequent Fridays. One to put in your diary! Here's the blurb from the BBC website: SILENCE IN THE CITY Father  Christopher Jamison , the Abbot of Worth, emerged as the key figure in the BBC Two series The Monastery broadcast six years ago. He believes that if people can learn to be silent they can communicate with God, and rediscover their souls. In a new three-part documentary series,  Silence In The City , five people attempt to put silence at the heart of their everyday, busy lives and learn what to

A quite incredible view of one of Saturn's moons, Enceladus. Sent to you by bro_james via Google Reader: Simply Astonishing: Enceladus, the Jet-Powered Moon via Universe Today by Nancy Atkinson on 01/10/10 The plumes of Enceladus are highlighted in this Cassini image. Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute What an astonishing view of Saturn 's moon Enceladus , as seen by Cassini! At least four different plumes of water ice are spewing out from the south polar region, highlighted because of the black space behind the Moon . On Twitter, Carolyn Porco said that we see four jets because we're looking down the four tiger stripe fractures crossing the south pole. "How lovely it is to know!" she added. Cassini was about 617,000 kilometers (383,000 miles) away from Enceladus when it captured this image. More info: Cassini website © nancy for Universe Today , 2010. | Permalink | 10 comments | Add to del.icio.us Things you can do from here: Subscr