It sounds rather pious perhaps, but saying the Rosary does help. Right now life seems rather fraught, even in the remote fastness of head office, when most of the “action” is taking place in the earthquake recovery zone. Responding to a disaster on this scale is a real challenge for our fledging NGO. On the surface, the prayerful routines with which a group of priests begin the day go on as usual, but, in me at least, it has been overtaken by a kind of claustrophobia that makes sitting before the Body of Christ somewhat difficult. Instead I start my day with a walk in the seminary grounds, the wooden beads of my rosary playing though my fingers. This seems to set me up better for the day at a time when I find it ever harder to keep focused. Continue Reading »

Tags: Beijing Diaries, bricks, natural disasters, prayer, Sichuan, Wenchuan Earthquake