THE
P RTAL
April 2016
Page 17
News from the Groups ... continued
not work out as hoped. After much searching they
found a new home in the Royal Northern Infirmary
Chapel, part of NHS Highland, although the main
hospital is no longer at that location. Its location close
to the centre of Inverness on the banks of the River
Ness makes it an ideal place.
They started using the hospital chapel on Easter Day.
All went very well until the Offertory, when two fire
engines arrived! Despite the fact that Fr Len Black had
checked the week before that it would be possible to use
incense (the Orthodox Group who also use the chapel
had told him that they have no problem with incense),
the incense had set off the hospital smoke alarms.
Not only did two fire engines arrive, but six other
fire crews were called out from being on standby, one
further crew from Inverness and two from nearby
towns, each 20 miles away in opposite directions.
After the fire officers had checked that all was well,
they were able to call off the other fire engines, whose
crews were no doubt relieved that there was no major
hospital fire in Inverness.
The Highland Ordinariate Group
After a short break while all this happened, the
Mass began again at the Offertory… without incense.
Afterwards, one of our group told Fr Len that when
the fire officer asked him who was in cha