Pasquetta

The Italians call Easter Monday Pasquetta, or Little Easter; and it was celebrated beautifully at St Aloysius, with the last Pontifical Mass for the visit of Bishop Meeking from Christchurch. (There was still to come a Pontifical Low Mass on Easter Tuesday, but I attended an earlier Low Mass instead.)  As seems the usual length, Mass, beginning at 10:30am, took an hour and a half, and was followed by a parish picnic in the grounds of Maryvale: a very merry affair, with good wine and good company; some of us remained till after sunset past 6 o'clock.  Being invited for dinner that evening, I went and read the Hours back in church to use the time intervening profitably.  What can I say but that it was a very pleasant meal that followed, a chance to thank and enjoy the converse of priests and laymen, some of whom I hadn't seen for years, some of whom were new acquaintances.  It was midnight before Pasquetta ended for me as I returned to my accommodation for sleep.