"Christ, our Light"

There was rather a nice moment at the start of the Easter Vigil in which I took part last night. If you start at the bottom right hand corner of the photograph above, and count along three buildings you will alight on the Catholic Church of St Margaret of Cortona and All Saints, Canning Town.

The Vigil began with the Blessing of the New Fire and the lighting of the Easter Candle in the yard behind the Church. Rather than then taking the "short way" down the side of the Church and in to the Church by way of the door (the door is off the street, hidden from view at the left hand end of the Church as in the photograph), we processed the "long way". This involved leaving the yard by the vehicle entrance on to the road at the back of the Church. The procession then went along the block - with several relights of the candles of the faithful along the way - and emerged on to the main road at a point that can be determined by counting two buildings further along to the left from the Church in the photograph above. I can't answer as to whether or not the Easter Candle had to be re-lit - I was to busy being incompetent at keeping my own candle alight to notice.

The procession then gathered on the pavement in front of the Church for the second "Christ our Light" and "Thanks be to God", with the deacon holding the Easter Candle high for all to see.

A few people stopped by, to see what was happening.

A fascinating moment of "new evangelisation" that one would not normally associate with the Easter Vigil!