Author name: Penelope M

When a 27-year-old woman leaves the Catholic Church and begins training to be a priest in the Church of England, it might be assumed it is because she was put off by clericalism or misogyny or the cover-up of abuse, or saw her route to ordination blocked. But something more fundamental is sometimes at play […]

I’ve been a granny for 21 months. My grandson calls me MorMor which is a tradition we’ve taken from the Danish side of my family. To read the rest of the article, please view the PDF.

Revd Ruth Gee, a former president of Methodist Conference at the Open Table at All Hallows Anglican Church, LeedsAll photos by Lisa Loveridge In last Sunday’s readings for Sunday Mass, Jesus tells the religious authorities that all their ‘tradition’ is nothing but human teaching. It does not come from God. And James reminds us that

Today, two people close to me (one, an adult, the other, a young child) had operations under general anaesthetic. Of course, what mattered most was the skill of the medical team (and thinking of the ongoing torture in Gaza, the existence of a bed, a hospital and drugs). But most important after that was the

My husband and I have visited several care homes recently. His mother, with vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s, is in need of professional care. To read the rest of the article, please view the PDF.

Catholics devote the entire month of May to Mary. In the West, May is a most beautiful time of year when new life appears everywhere, bursting forth at unexpected speed. So it’s only fitting to dedicate this month to the woman who gave new life to the world. To read the rest of the article,

My grandmother was a surprising person. She received an MBE for helping young Kenyan women in the 1950s and 1960s; became an ardent campaigner for recycling 35 years before it became compulsory in the UK; and mastered a crude, early word processor to write her last book, at the age of 81. To read the

“She’s been seen turning cartwheels!”“What? in her habit!?”“How do you do that?”“How do you know?”“S’Mary Peter saw her.”“She told you?”“She told S’Mary Paul,’ Karen said. We nodded. Everyone knew Karen was a favourite of Sr Mary Paul.”“Sr Mary Peter said she didn’t even seem to notice she’d done a cartwheel.” To read the rest of

I often have coffee with Mary, who is now in her late 80s. Last time I met her she told me about the winter boxes she had beenpacking at her church. To read the rest of the article, please view the PDF.

You have to keep inside the dolphins in the Venetian lagoon. These tall groupings of two or three wooden pillars, set a short distance apart, mark the outer edge of deeper water. To read the rest of the article, please view the PDF.