Finally la Vendée has a winemaker worthy of its traditions

A year of lockdowns has certainly passed slowly. But there are topics for thought. One disappointment has been the Church of England’s failure to take its opportunity. It could have tried to position itself at the centre of national life. Even unbelievers should agree that if its Church were stronger, so would England be. What about the occasional day of prayer? A surprising number of people would have taken part. Instead we had closed churches and teeth-grating literature, like brochures from a third-rate business school. Faith by platitude and Zoom call does not work.

This is a better way. My friend Alexander Sherbrooke, the RC parish priest of St Patrick’s, Soho, believes that it would be blasphemous to close a church. This would mean that ‘the faithful were denied the Sacrament: the Blood, Body, Soul and Divinity of Christ present at Holy Mass’. Many Anglicans find transubstantiation a doctrine too far, but oh for a bishop who could express his faith in such resonant, confident language.

Father Alexander does not only nourish souls. He goes to great lengths to feed the poor — and feed them well. Ladies from Kensington gently compete to prepare haute cuisine. One suspects that many of the recipients would prefer a bag of chips, but they leave well-dined. There is a remarkable aspect to all this. Those who eat at St Patrick’s have been living on the streets. Many have compromised immune systems, and it is unlikely that they practise social distancing. Since last March, St Patrick’s has served more than 35,000 meals. Some former clients have been housed by Westminster council and have lost touch with his church, so Alexander cannot speak for them. But he is not aware of a single case of Covid.

Many years ago, he worked with Mother Teresa and was convinced of her sanctity.