August 1999   For the Newsletter

The Master Writes

The Keys, like so many organisations with which Cardinal Basil was linked, is beginning to come to terms with his loss. I was very privileged to be invited to his Funeral Mass, an account of which by Father Kit is reproduced later in the Newsletter. His impact on national life was very great indeed, as was seen by the extensive media coverage of his death, lying in state, and funeral. I am sure that many of you will have had the experience of being contacted by non-Catholic friends to be offered condolences, as happened several times to me.  They seemed to be struggling for some way of indicating to a Catholic friend their personal sense of loss, and a wish to share this with the Catholic community. We were so lucky that he was able to talk to us at a meeting in May 1998. Cardinal Basil was amazingly active till just before he died. I had a charming letter from him on 21 May, not long before his death, thanking Keys members for the message which I sent on your behalf. Requiescat in pace.

The Keys weekend is on Saturday the 9th and Sunday the 10th of October. We are to be at Prinknash Abbey in Gloucestershire. There is accommodation for both men and women at St Peterıs Grange, the guest house of the Abbey. We have booked 15 places. There are some single and some shared rooms. There is no fixed charge, but the recommended donation is £25 a day for full board, and £17.50 a day for bed and breakfast. The programme is still be worked on, but so far it consists of a talk on the history of the Prinknash foundation by Father Fabian Binyon OSB, and a discussion on "The Faith: works of imagination for children and young people." Father Fabian and one of the young monks will lead us on this. In view of the Harry Potter book 
phenemenon (see review elsewhere), of the recent launch of Joanna Bogle's new book for school girls (under her nom de plume), and of the continuing popularity of the work of Tolkien and CS Lewis, and magico-realism generally) it seems a good time to get to discuss this. Of course there will also be a chance to take part in the monastic liturgy, and walk in the lovely Gloucestershire countryside. Do please try to come if you can.

Joanna Bogle has been busy over the holiday period organising the second year of The  Keys' Young Catholic Writer of the Year competition. For this Millennium year young writers are being asked to write a letter to a friend on OPilgrimage.ıPlease do what you can to publicise this Keys' competition for young writers by mentioning it in any paper or periodical you are involved with, and by encouraging teachers to support it and students to enter. There is a £50 cash prize, together with a number of 
books. The award ceremony will be at the May meeting of the Keys in the year 2000. Joanna has further details.

As members know, Henry Sire has been Appeal Director for the Catholic Central Library Millennium Foundation Appeal. During his time as Director funds raised have totalled about £100,000. Henry is now taking up a new challenge helping to run an English Language School in Croatia. The Trustees of the Library have been very grateful for all that he has done, and wish him well in his new venture.  I am sure that Keys members will also be keen to join them in this.  Plans are in hand for an organisation to take over the torch and carry the fund-raising into the new Millennium. The Catholic Women of the Year lunch on 10 June at which David Alton spoke raised £3,000 for the Library Appeal; this will be used to help put its 
catalogue on the Internet.

One final plug for Joanna Bogle! I have recently very much enjoyed her new trenchant CTS booklet, Does the Church oppress women?  This is one of a new interesting CTS Explanation Series. I thoroughly commend this to all of you (price £1.95).

Yours in Domino

Antony

Dates for your Diary: Thursday 30th September: Dr John Morrill, leading Cambridge historian: "Cromwell and Catholics." Dr Morrill is a Catholic convert and a married deacon, as well as having a personal Chair in history at Cambridge University.

Thursday 4th November: Joseph Pearce, author of recent recent Harper Collins book: "Literary Converts" (TLS major review 23/7/99), and a biography of GK Chesterton, will talk on "Oscar Wilde: Hounded by God." He is very interesting indeed about Wilde and other 1890s figures who had similar struggles with the Faith. His new biography of Wilde is due out next spring.