Lucy's Confirmation saint

I arrived over at my sister Mary's today, just in time to see my niece Lucy on her return from the Church of Our Lady of the Annunciation in Addiscombe. She was confirmed today by Bishop Paul Hendricks who was a classmate of mine in Rome. I was ordained in Addiscombe on 28 July 1984 and Paul was ordained the next day at Orpington.

For her Confirmation, Lucy chose Blessed Juliette Vérolot (Sister Saint Francis Xavier in religion). She was a Carmelite who was guillotined on 17 July 1794 along with fifteen other Carmelites from Compiegne. Before they were executed, they knelt, sang the Veni Creator Spiritus and renewed the vows of their Baptism and their religious profession. Contrary to the common custom of drum roll and cheers for each fall of the blade, their executions were carried out in total silence. Even the hardened Parisien revolutionaries were revolted by the ghastly treatment handed out to the saintly women. Ten days later the reign of terror (and Robespierre's own life) came to an end.

The English Benedictine nuns at Cambrai attributed the end of the Terror to the prayers and sacrifices of the Carmelites who offered themselves daily as victims for the restoration of peace to France and the Church.

Several family and friends were there with a number of young children. There was some excitement about the "Cake from Chicago" and I have some photos of children tucking into it. It was absolutely delicious and I can't wait to try the Blueberry one on Saturday.