Get Me To The Church On Time!

Thanks, John-of-Hayling, for reminding us about Portsmouth on a Saturday. Especially when Pompey are at home. On Saturday March 5 they will be playing Sheffield at Fratton Park (funny, I thought Sheffield only played on Wednesday?)
So here is what our helpful commentator had to say: 'Assuming that you can't get a place in the Cathedral car-park, then the best solution is to head for the Cascades shopping centre car-parks (£5).
From the M275 keep left at two roundabouts until you see that the left lane is marked Cascades Car Park.'

He is right, the Cathedral car-park is very small, and apart from a few reserved places it will be first come, first served. The Cathedral is approached by road via a one-way street (Edinburgh Road)and its car-park is on the right. There is a park-and-ride scheme from just off the M27 but I have no experience of it. Some such schemes are very unreliable. The best solution would be to let the train take the strain; maybe park at some station on the Waterloo-Portsmouth line such as Liss or Haslemere - or somewhere East or West of Portsmouth, like Chichester or Fareham. At all events, the station for the Cathedral is PORTSMOUTH & SOUTHSEA and it is only a few hundred yards from there to the Catholic Cathedral.

From the front of the station, cross Commercial Road, go down the street ahead of you (Stanhope Road) and so first left into Edinburgh Road, where the Cathedral is on your right.
Kick-off at Fratton Park is 15.00 hrs; we are half an hour earlier at the Cathedral, 2.30pm. There is to be some sort of bunfight afterwards - I hope if you make the journey you can stay long enough to say "Hello!".

You might like to print this page and file it for March 5th

Amazing (G)Race

* * * * * * * * * St John's Cathedral, Portsmouth * * * * * * *

Forgive the punning title, but it does seem to have been a sprint rather than a marathon, heading towards Catholic priesthood. Certainly there has been much grace involved, on the part of the Catholic authorities, from the Holy Father via the Diocesan Bishop and our Parish Priest to the local congregation here. Everyone has done everything possible to smooth our path and make us welcome.

So it is good to be able to announce that the intention is that Jane and I should be received here in Lymington, at the Church of Our Lady and St Joseph, at the 9.30am Mass on January 21st. Bishop Crispian says he will ordain me Deacon in his private chapel on the morning of February 11th, and my ordination to the Priesthood will follow three weeks later at 2.30pm on Saturday March 5th in Portsmouth Catholic Cathedral.

It would be helpful if any Catholic priests who wish to concelebrate in the Cathedral could let me know, so that I can send their names on to the Bishop. But whoever you are reading this blog, please be kind enough to remember Jane and me in your prayers at this exciting and slightly nerve-wracking time.