From Our Own Correspondent
BMWS:GRAM.
In the early morn of Easter Monday 2,000 Catholic men from all parts of Birmingham came fasting and united to St. Chad's
Cathedral. These men, who might. have taken an extra hour abed or attuned themselves to the many pursuits of a Bank Holiday, make this a demonstration of their faith.
Some years ago Mgr. Wheatley Spiritual Director in the Archdiocese of the C.Y.M.S., asked the members to make Easter Monday morning a time for demonstrating the staunchness of their faith. Each year the demonstration has been more successful, the benches filled to their capacity, AB men overflowed the sanctuary 'Itself, and as even the pavements outside.
But a short time ago Mgr. Wheatley doyen of Midland clergy, died, and this last Easter Monday was the first massed gathering without his presence. Mass was said by Mgr. Bernard Griffin, Bishop-Auxiliary, and the thanks of the Archbishop, who was a little indisposed, were tendered by the Rev. Dr. Reginald O'Reilly, who succeeds Mgr. Wheatley as Spiritual Director.
After Mass Bishop Grimm took breakfast (which had been prepared by the nuns in the adjoining schools) with a large company. Mr K. Mackey, diocesan president of the C.Y.M.S., welcomed the Bishop and their new Spiritual Director, and thanked Canon J. Roskell, " their very great friend," for the aid he had given them; also the nuns and their helpers for the trouble they had gone to in pre paring the breakfast. To the members in general he hoped that a special phase of work they would not. forget was, the care of those whom their Catholic members of the Services had left behind. They must see that they obtained their right allowances and were looked after. Also, by letters and parcels, they must remember those who were on or over seas.
To this appeal the Bishop added his own hope that they would not forget those serving abroad or who were in uniform anywhere. His lordship recalled how at some period of the last war he was in a lonely part of the Orkneys, where letters from friends would have been greatly appreciated by him.
True they came regularly from rela lives, but he also would have welcomed others from friends. Accordingly he hoped they would learn the lesson of his somewhat lonely experience by remembering the men in uniform to-day.
During breakfast, telegrams were sent from large numbers of men who had been at Holy Communion at the same hour at the following places: Chipping Norton, Langton, Stone, Leamington, Goldenhill, Bromsgrove, Stourbridge, Kidderminster, Malvern and Cannock.