Goodbye 2009

It's nearly the end of the first decade of the twenty-first century since the birth of Our Lord or the third millennium of the Common Era. (Actually, there's another year to go but I've stopped being picky about these things...)

Here at DNC we have a special thanksgiving Mass at 11pm tonight. Tomorrow, a whole group of us is going to Lonavla (a hill-station about an hour's drive from here) for a conference on Nano-science and Religion (organised by the JDV's Association for Science, Society and Religion). We'll be back on Tuesday, when my provincial - Rev. Michael Holman SJ - will be visiting me (all the way from London, no less!) and receiving my annual manifestation of conscience. More on that next year...

2009 has been a memorable year for me. The most important moment, of course, was my profession of first vows in the Society of Jesus on September 5th. This year I've been an assistant chaplain in a South London comprehensive (high school), the sacristan of a suburban parish church and a philosophy student. Some of my favourite memories of the year:

• Fun in the snow in London in January (unfortunately I'm missing this season)
• The sight of Stonyhurst College, Lancashire as one comes up the drive for the first time
• Relaxing in the pub with freshly-minted Jesuits the evening after vows
• The hospitality of the Indian Jesuits when I got here in October
• Many many long meaningful conversations - with family and friends, strangers and dreamers, laypeople and consecrated and priests

I hope and pray you will have a blessed new year and your heart's deepest desires will come true. See you in 2010!