Ordination season seems to be bearing proper fruit worldwide this year, and the Diocese of Groningen-Leeuwarden, in its own small way, joyfully participated in that as well. With the ordination of Father Tjitze Tjepkema and Deacons Pascal Huiting and Maurits Damsté our diocese gains three spiritual, intelligent and socially-minded men, if the words of Father Peter Wellen, diocesan vicar, are anything to go by. Bishop Gerard de Korte ordained the three men in a two-hour-plus Mass attended by some 400 people. The two new deacons are transitional deacons, and will be ordained to the priesthood on 29 October. Sadly, it was not allowed to take photos during the Mass, so I didn’t snap any inside the cathedral. Still, the photo to the left may give an indication of the gold-and-white flying against the clear blue sky of a lovely spring morning outside the cathedral of Saint Joseph in Groningen.
Speaking about photos, two galleries have appeared on Flickr of the annual Guild procession to Our Lady of the Garden Enclosed. I participated in that and wrote about it on the blog before. The first gallery, courtesy of Mr. Geert van Duinen, may be viewed here, and the second, by Marjo Antonissen, is here. Images of devotion, prayer, and also hard labour, because those banners don’t get themselves to Warfhuizen, certainly not when the strong wind of the Hogeland does its best to blow them all the other way. Carrying a banner depicting Saint Ludgerus, I can safely admit that I offered up my efforts of pushing the saint to the hermitage.
Showcasing the unique mix of devotion and levity, is below photo of a common sight in Warfhuizen: Brother Hugo when he needs to get somewhere reasonably fast, relying on his trusty scooter.
In Caelo et in Terra 