A Cathedral Surprise

This morning I made my way to Southwark Cathedral (the true name is “the Cathedral Church of St. Savior and the Collegiate Church of St. Mary”) in the neighborhood of Southwark in South London for Morning Prayer and Eucharist.  There has been a church on the site of Southwark Cathedral since 606 A.D.  The current structure dates back to 1220.

 

I got there about 7:45 a.m. for the 8:00 start.  The morning was misty and cool.  The City was starting to move with people heading to work.  The church was lit, and a man was sitting in the back row, praying.  Then I noticed something that caught me by surprise—a cat! At first I wondered if the cat somehow wondered into the church and simply couldn’t get out.  But various Cathedral staff and clergy started to wonder through.  The cat was, quite casually, walking around the Cathedral, through the nave, up around the altar area and then jumping up on the choir stalls up front.  The cat, as it happens, is part of the Cathedral staff and this tabby’s name is Doorkins Magnificat.  The Cathedral staff report that sometimes Doorkins Magnificat can be found sleeping in the choir stalls, and on occasion, on the Bishop’s chair (I am told the Bishop does not mind.)  He wandered into the Church in the winter of 2008, right when the Cathedral was having a problem with mice.  As the doors were being opened one cold morning he appeared from beneath a bush near the main doors, and made it quite clear he would be pleased to “make friends.” It was at first thought that he belonged to one of the nearby residents; but as time went on and he appeared each morning to greet the vergers, it seemed he had adopted the church yard as his new home.

Oh, there were 11 of us present this morning, half were the Cathedral clergy and 1 was Doorkins.  Along with Doorkins, the Sub-dean, the Rev. Canon Bruce Saunders, was very welcoming.

Let us pray:  Gracious God, we thank you for the gift of creation, and most especially for all of our pets, who are expressions of your love for us.  Help us to be good stewards of your gifts and to care for them as you care for us.  We ask this all in Christ’s name.  Amen.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

The Ladies from the Diocese of Southern Malawi are being hosted by the Taylors and St. Augustine’s is hosting a pot luck dinner for them during their visit to the Island. If you haven’t signed up to bring a dish, please do this Sunday since the dinner will be next Thursday. They will discuss with us their work in the literacy field.

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List, especially Steve Poirier, Rose Daniels, Patricia Florence and Gladys Simon.

Your servant in Christ,

 
Fr. Chester J. Makowski+
St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church
Galveston, Texas 77550