Mass in Latin and Anniversary of Dominican Province

Wednesday was the anniversary of Fr Allan's ordination so we had a special mass in Latin with Ferdy playing the music of the Missa de Angelis and me singing it. We started with the asperging and I sang "Asperges me Domine". Next came the kyrie where I made a couple of mistakes. The sanctus went well but the one thing I hadn't thought about was synchronising the start of the pieces of the mass with the preceding prayer of the priest. So, it happened that I forgot that the Agnus Dei came straight after the Sign of Peace and Fr Allan had to look in my direction before I started singing it which was a bit embarassing but ok. I think the communion piece: Ave Verum by Elgar went the best as I just sang the Soprano part. It's a very tranquil and gentle piece which I thought made it perfect for communion. For the recessional music Ferdy simply played music on the organ rather singing something as this is more fitting. Despite our mistakes I think it went very well and several people commented on it as "very solemn" and "very beautiful". It was the first Latin mass ever to be said in this parish. I hope it is the first of many to come.

Yesterday was the anniversary of the founding of the Philippine Dominican Province on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary and we celebrated it by having a whole day of festivities in Angelicum College in Quezon City. This began at 8am with volleyball, basketball and other sports. I didn't arrive until 11 as the driver was busy so I was just a spectator. After lunch it was time for the presentations of the history of the various houses that make up the province. As is always the case with the Dominicans here nearly all the presentations were extremely well done and two of them could almost have been used commercially. After this we had mass and then dinner. It was a wonderful day and as always here I was made to feel completely at home and very much part of the Dominican family despite the fact that I was the only layperson there. Tomorrow is the birthday mass of our Bishop,

In Christ through Mary,

Daniel