In Wales we value a good funeral above many things. Maybe it's a Celtic thing. The Anglican rite is central but there will be so much more and in our Catholic (Anglo) tradition there is a lot of poetry, joy, tears and laughter. At St Mary's Hay-on-Wye we had the funeral a while back of Alan (Swainston Cooper) a founder member of the Temperance Seven ("You, you're Driving me crazy..") He was a regular at Mass every week and is much missed. He had a New Orleons Funeral with marching band. The wake was in the grounds of Hay Castle. His 12 Scottish WolfHounds walked in procession behind the band. I left about 3 pm but I heard the dancing and drinking went on until 11 pm. A good sendoff for a great guy! The old members of the Temperance Seven played of course. To the Vicar he left a Crucifix of ghastly appearance. Alan had bought, at some point, the entire contents of the house of Thomas Crapper of plumbing fame. So Fr Richard got the "Crapper Crucifix" which sits above his kitchen sink with a j-cloth hanging from it. Above the sink a card with the legend "Jesus is coming. Try to look busy" Only a very serious Priest could get away with this. See you at Benediction /Exposition!
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In Wales we value a good funeral above many things. Maybe it's a Celtic thing. The Anglican rite is central but there will be so much more and in our Catholic
(Anglo) tradition there is a lot of poetry, joy, tears and laughter. At St Mary's Hay-on-Wye we had the funeral a while back of Alan (Swainston Cooper) a founder member of the Temperance Seven ("You, you're Driving me crazy..") He was a regular at Mass every week and is much missed. He had a New Orleons Funeral with marching band. The wake was in the grounds of Hay Castle. His 12 Scottish WolfHounds walked in procession behind the band. I left about 3 pm but I heard the dancing and drinking went on until 11 pm. A good sendoff for a great guy! The old members of the Temperance Seven played of course. To the Vicar he left a Crucifix of ghastly appearance. Alan had bought, at some point, the entire contents of the house of Thomas Crapper of plumbing fame. So Fr Richard got the "Crapper Crucifix" which sits above his kitchen sink with a j-cloth hanging from it. Above the sink a card with the legend "Jesus is coming. Try to look busy" Only a very serious Priest could get away with this. See you at Benediction /Exposition!
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