Countdown to Hyde Park!

According to The Tablet, and Tim Walker in The Telegraph, some of the "warm up acts" for the Papal prayer vigil in Hyde Park have now been made public. It seems that Carol Vorderman, former co-host of Countdown, will be one of those who will be leading the celebrations on 18 September.

Two other names that are mentioned by Tim Walker are Frank Cottrell Boyce, who wrote the screenplays to the films 24 Hour Party People and Welcome to Sarajevo, and Liam McNally, the 14-year-old finalist from this year's Britain's Got Talent. Liam will open the prayer vigil by singing the Lord's Prayer, whilst both Carol Vorderman and Frank Cottrell Boyce will introduce various dramatic, musical and dance pieces before the main event.

As a 14-year-old I became a member of Mensa, which is a society for those deemed to have a "high IQ". After becoming a Catholic, though, I left this society, fearing it might lead to an occasion of sin (mainly the sin of pride!). I do remember, though, that Carol Vorderman was a member, too, and that her IQ score was one point above mine! Having someone of her obvious intellectual capabilities on board can only be a good thing for the Papal visit, for it might help some anti-Catholic polemicists realise that faith and reason are not mutually exclusive, rather, they go hand in hand!

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Those who will be attending the prayer vigil at Hyde Park, or any of the other events, or are excited about the Papal visit in general, might like to browse the official online shop (here) that is dedicated to selling related merchandise? So far, it seems that I have been blessed with the opportunity to attend two events with the Pope, so might buy one or two things myself!