Love and Peacey in Assisi...

We are fresh from our return from the Holy Family parish holiday, er, I mean pilgrimage to Assisi. What a time we had!

An enduring memory of the visit is the presence of Peacey. Peacey is an installation by artist Ugo Nespolo which graces the main piazza and the Basilica of St Francis in Assisi and consists of strings of doves suspended from the masonry. May I take this opportunity to assure Fr Simon that I did not suggest the name Peacey to the artist though, as a native Scouser, I wholeheartedly approve of the practice of adding 'y' to any one-syllable word or name. I refer to the official Peacey presentation for an explanation of the name:

"PEACEY is a fantastic name that evokes the ideal of which the art work is depositary: the Peace.

Friendly, familiar and young, the name PEACEY is easy to remember and thanks to its english matrix, it lets possible the diffusion of its worldwide message."

So, I hope that has cleared up any confusion...

In spite of an abundance of torrential downpours, we had a superb time and we have all returned relaxed, knowing each other to a deeper level than we did before. This was helped along, no doubt, by the free wine with dinner at La Rocca. New friends were made and friendships were deepened by the effects of praying together and playing together. The week was not without laughter - indeed laughter was an integral part of the experience. Our time together has been infused with the spirit of Francis.

Who said it?

Just for fun, see if you can guess which of our illustrious pilgrims is responsible for coming out with the following:

1) The Pope's coming!

2) There's a canoe behind me, isn't there?

3) Stuff Cardinal Levada!

Ah well, I suppose you had to be there.

Check out the more detailed report of the pilgrimage the main parish website.