MORE NEWS OF FR ALF'S ARMY MASS KIT

Following the successful article and film about Fr Alf's Army Mass Kit,  he has been looking through his many photographs and shares some of them and his recollections of the places he has visited...... 

This photograph was taken during Mass on QEII. Mass was celebrated in the cocktail bar for the Welsh Guards.
Some of these Welsh Guards were to die on the Sir Galahad.

April 1982

The small brown suitcase Mass kit was being used. The one that was to become impractical for transporting on rough terrain. 

"I had all this pack on my back and carrying the suitcase. The wind got hold of it and bashed it against me and it was all over the place and upset my balance as we were going over this really rough, marshy terrain and rocks. So it wasn't really an ideal bit of kit at all."






 

                 

1987 ~ Bolivia ~ Mass said for Aymara Indians at 'Island of the Sun' in a deserted Conquistadors Church. 
Father's 'roll up' Mass kit was now being used.  
"I personally designed my own Mass kit. I got some DPM, some camouflage clothing that would fit in with our camouflage and I designed it in such a way that it was like a big belt and you could put the chalice in here and the cruets in here and things like that and then it all tied up. I could actually put it inside my Bergen and carry it with me there. One of the girls in the parish, who worked for the military tailor, sewed it all together. I used that for a few years."
The 'Head Man' shouted across the hills to say that there was going to be Mass and people came from all over the area. 

     

 





1988 ~ France
Mass in the field during 'Exercise Coitine Run' in the South of France. 
Father was using his own design 'roll up' Mass kit which can be seen on the right side of the altar table. 















                       

                                 

1989 ~ Cyprus ~ Mass in the field using the Mass kit he is using today.  Read about this Mass kit here.
Picture 2 shows Father Alf with the company Sergeant Major and a Chaplain stationed in Cyprus.
The statue of the pope has travelled far and wide with Father Alf. It was a gift from his sister to his dad and it holds a secret!
It is a flask and can hold a very welcome tot of whisky! He would take it on exercise for the lads and offer them a tot especially in Wales when it as so cold. God Bless the Pope. 

1991 ~ Borneo 
Picture 1 ~ Father Alf celebrating Mass in Jungle Sarawah for Iban  natives using his current Mass kit.
Picture 2  ~ Father Alf blessed all present individually, with the Head Man explaining their symptoms before the blessing. 

Father Alf blessed this young girl on his previous visit to the jungle when they feared for her pregnancy because of hip problems.

Three months later on a subsequent visit he was able to baptise her perfectly healthy baby.

Deo Gratias.