The feast of the Immaculate Conception (December 8) is on a Sunday! So naturally we have a church that puts Mary on a pedestal!
Mater Amabilis is the Catholic parish in Ambleside, England. We went there for Sunday Mass since we were visiting the Lake District.
The interior of the church is simple with a short nave and two side aisles.
We sat on the far left side, but not far enough to escape the notice of the Children's Liturgy coordinator. She came over just as Mass was starting and asked if the children would like to come to Children's Liturgy. My wife took them off while I stayed at Mass. They came back happy so I assumed it was a good experience.
In fact, it was a good experience. It was good that J and L went, because that meant there were three children at Children's Liturgy. The other child was the coordinator's son. They had some activities and read some stories, all quite well done. At the tea and treats after Mass, we sat with them. J was surprised to see the boy (about 7 or 8 years old) drinking coffee (albeit decaf), which he assumed was an "adults only" drink. He still talks about it to this day.
The outside of the church has some wonderful things. A statue of Mary stands high on a pedestal, in view of everyone passing by.
They also have a small stone circle, presumably like the ancient stone circles found all over England.
We found the church and the community very welcoming and definitely worth visiting. To read about the history of Catholicism in the Lake District, go here.
Mater Amabilis is the Catholic parish in Ambleside, England. We went there for Sunday Mass since we were visiting the Lake District.
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| Uncharacteristically sunny day |
The interior of the church is simple with a short nave and two side aisles.
 |
| Nave |
We sat on the far left side, but not far enough to escape the notice of the Children's Liturgy coordinator. She came over just as Mass was starting and asked if the children would like to come to Children's Liturgy. My wife took them off while I stayed at Mass. They came back happy so I assumed it was a good experience.
In fact, it was a good experience. It was good that J and L went, because that meant there were three children at Children's Liturgy. The other child was the coordinator's son. They had some activities and read some stories, all quite well done. At the tea and treats after Mass, we sat with them. J was surprised to see the boy (about 7 or 8 years old) drinking coffee (albeit decaf), which he assumed was an "adults only" drink. He still talks about it to this day.
The outside of the church has some wonderful things. A statue of Mary stands high on a pedestal, in view of everyone passing by.
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| Mother most lovable! |
They also have a small stone circle, presumably like the ancient stone circles found all over England.
 |
| Or maybe it's just a rock garden |
We found the church and the community very welcoming and definitely worth visiting. To read about the history of Catholicism in the Lake District, go here.
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