Serenhedd James, Author at Catholic Herald

Serenhedd James

‘Masters of Imitation’: The Sixteen’s 2024 Choral Pilgrimage does not disappoint

April 06, 2024

The Sixteen are on the road again, with their annual Choral Pilgrimage. Last year the theme encompassed the 400th anniversary of the death of William Byrd, that covert (or not-so-covert) Catholic who flourished in the reign of Elizabeth I and even under her patronage. I wonder what her chief minister, William Cecil – who probably

‘A hurricane of grief’: Contemplating the Passion at Bologna

March 30, 2024

When in Rome, do as the Romans do. When in Bologna, ask for ragù, but absolutely do not ask for it with spaghetti. Despite a certain dish being Italy’s best-known export since the Roman Empire, Sophia Loren, a few years ago the then-Mayor of Bologna, Virginio Merola, launched a culinary-awareness campaign in which he described

Rising from the ashes: Notre Dame comes to Westminster Abbey

February 19, 2024

On 15 April 2019 the world watched as Notre Dame de Paris burned. After the flèche collapsed and smoke appeared through the louvres of the west towers it seemed all but certain that one of the most iconic buildings of Christendom was doomed. Finding myself far away and sitting with a friend at dinner as

Water, water – everywhere: The Bible is full of water, both physical and metaphorical

February 16, 2024

Anyone not living in the southern bit of the United Kingdom (which amounts to most of the world, now I think about it) might need reminding that we’ve had quite a bit of rain in the last couple of months. Almost all the rain, in fact, and then some more. Given that Oxford sits on

Here, there and everywhere: it’s a grand life, if one doesn’t weaken

January 02, 2024

On a sunny day, West Knock International Airport (which is rather a grand title for what amounts to a couple of runways and sheds in a field in County Mayo) must surely have one of the most picturesque landing approaches in the world: all verdant green grass with cotton-wool sheep, azure blue skies and the

Light in the darkness: war in the Holy Land brings the Incarnation into clearer focus

December 25, 2023

An apocryphal story, one of my favourites, has been doing the rounds in diplomatic circles for decades. Late one Advent in the middle of the Cold War, the British ambassador to Washington received a call from a local news station, and answered it himself. “Your Excellency,” said a voice at the other end of the

Hidden genius: celebrating the obscure Pesellino at the National Gallery in London

December 16, 2023

How many people had heard of Francesco di Stefano before London’s National Gallery decided to stage a mini-exhibition of his work? Better known as Pesellino (all things being relative) he flourished in Florence in the middle of the fifteenth century, where he was the darling of the ruling Medici and known to the more artistically-minded

A History of the Catholic Church, by Piers Paul Read

December 15, 2023

A History of the Catholic Church Piers Paul Read Meid, £25, 560 pages Piers Paul Read – veteran novelist, historian and biographer – has produced, in his ninth decade, a book that evokes the prophet Micah’s vision of Bethlehem Ephrathah, “little among the thousands of Judah”: which is to say, humble at first glance, but

Drinking to the glory of God with ‘Monastic Order’

December 05, 2023

Serenhedd James talks to Brian Scarffe, the founder of Monastic Order, about his project and his vision for its future. Another day; another interview. This time about a company that’s importing monastic wine and beer from Europe to the UK. No doubt the usual trope of bibulous monks, and a hefty side-helping of qui bibit,

Scottish surprises: a story of restoration north of the border

November 01, 2023

It’s finally happened: I’ve been to Mass in my carpet slippers. One Sunday morning I found myself at a lovely house party, staying with friends not far from Dundee. In previous years a convoy of vehicles has trundled down the drive towards the nearest church, but the preaching style of the parish priest and the

The Faith Museum in Country Durham: anything but a conventional museum

October 07, 2023

Sitting opposite Jonathan Ruffer in the green-walled drawing room of his house in Bishop Auckland, in County Durham, I realised, as I crossed my legs, that I had gravel dust all over my shoes. It was a stifling day, and outside the window the noise of angle grinders and the clanging of scaffolding poles lent

Heaven, earth and harvest: Praise and thanksgiving in the cycle of rural life

August 30, 2023

As our international readers will know, the European summer was caricatured by certain news outlets as a pre-apocalyptic hellscape with soaring temperatures and wildfires raging out of control. Certainly, there was some truth in this; on the Continent, the thermometers definitely got a run for their money, and friends of mine were stranded on Sicily

1 2 3 … 5 →

The role of Catholic schools is to cherish pupils as God does

May 10, 2022

Teen author Simon James Green can publish what he wants, but Catholic schools should not and will not endorse his semi-pornographic writing