With students at Leeds University

On this, Vocations Sunday, I celebrated the evening Mass at Leeds University Catholic Chaplaincy. I read out Bishop Roche's excellent Letter - my favourite line was: "The priest is our privileged companion on our journey through life" - and said a few words afterwards. In fact, as quite often happens, there was a Providential conjunction of factors that made the occasion especially significant. Yesterday, I attended the 80th birthday celebrations in Harrogate of my Uncle Austin, the brother of my mother, who died when I was a boy. Whilst at this lovely event, I met some of my mother's former school friends, including my aunt: they used to attend what was then Notre Dame High School in Leeds, whose chapel is now the University Chaplaincy chapel. This evening I celebrated Mass for the repose of my mother's soul in that chapel, in gratitude for the gift of faith which she transmitted to me. The Sisters of Notre Dame formally took their leave of the diocese a couple of years ago. The beautiful chapel continues to testify to their commitment to Catholic formation; its exquisite proportions, coloured marble interior and tastefully reordered sanctuary make this one of the jewels of the diocese. It was moving to see rows and rows of young women and men there this evening, sitting where my mother and her friends sat in the 1940s. I joined them for a quiz afterwards. They were a delight.