Faith in Russia and Oxford

A happy St Peter and Paul feast day to everyone. In this week of feasts - Friday is the Sacred Heart, and we had Corpus Christi on Sunday - and further to the interesting Eucharistic video from Preston, more news of an Eucharistic nature comes from a rather unexpected place - Russia!  Zenit.org today has an item about what is going on in St Petersburg. 

"JUNE 28, 2011 The streets of St. Petersburg became witness to the Real Presence of Christ on Sunday, after 93 years in which there had not been a Corpus Christi procession. The Eucharist was processed along Nevski Avenue, carried under a canopy and followed by a series of banners with images of Our Lady and saints, and a group of Dominican religious and numerous priests, Vatican Radio reported. Archbishop Paolo Pezzi, of the Archdiocese of the Mother of God in Moscow, carried the Eucharist. That archdiocese includes St. Petersburg.

According to the organizers, the historic procession was viewed with satisfaction by leaders of the Russian Orthodox Church, as a manifestation of love for the Eucharistic God."

A Corpus Christi procession down the main street of St Petersburg, formerly Leningrad. My picture shows the same street during the Russian Revolution where Communism was born... Amazing!

I notice that the Dominicans seem to have organized or animated this beautiful event. I am a great admirer of the Order of Preachers, to give them their proper name. So here is their new British vocations video, featuring among others Fr Timothy Radcliffe, who was formerly the Master of the whole order. Much of the video is filmed at Blackfriars, their formation house in Oxford. And let's not forget that in past centuries they had a monastery in Cardiff, whose remains are in the Castle grounds (see picture right).
Lastly, folks, a little push today and tomorrow and this will be record month for visits to this blog-site. Previous record was this January - so come back tomorrow!