Author: Jacky

Love Speaks

Love Speaks (Messages to the Heart)

By Mary Harrington

Love Speaks is a timely book, appearing at a time when all God’s people are asked to embark on a spiritual journey marked by two important elements:  listening and sharing.  This journey is the synodal path that Pope Francis has  proposed for our times so that the Church can listen profoundly to what the Holy Spirit is saying to us.  However, an aspect of this listening which can too often be neglected is attentiveness to the inner voice in our own hearts, that still small voice of the Spirit in us.  Our author has shared generously the fruits of such attentive listening and by so doing invites us to ponder the words of love that sustains our journey in the spiritual life.

Fr Rory Writes

Grace and Peace

A heart felt thank you for all your care and kindness over the years

Father, Son and Holy Spirit                                                      Jesus, Mary and Joseph.

I deeply appreciate all the care and kindness over all the years that I have been here, and these celebrations are the icing on the cake. 

Please God, over the years to come, this will provide us with a source of strength and the grace to persevere through the trials of life.

No Cross No Crown, so may we all continue to persevere until we enter Our Fathers house. Our true home kept for us in heaven.

Sea Sunday 2024

Seafarers and fishers play a vital role in all of our lives, but they often work in difficult, hazardous conditions.  Sea Sunday is Sunday 14th July.  It is when the Church prays for all those who live and work at sea.  Your support will make a big difference to seafarers and fishers in need.  You can donate in church, by visiting www.stellamaris.org.uk/donate, or by texting ‘SEA’ to 70460 to donate £5.  This collection is vital to enable Stella Maris to continue its important work, so please give generously.  Thank you.

Fr Rory Writes

“On the horizon a Golden Jubilee”

When God’s glory is revealed, then our joy will be full. 

On my journey of life this has always had a fixed and most important focus for my faith.   A focus when many times the hard reality of trials and tribulations left be living with all my weaknesses, faults and failures as a parish priest.  Triumph by the power of Him who loves us. 

For many, this is much more embodied in the words “pie in the sky when we die”.  When I reflect upon this response I can understand those who would more honestly continue to reflect this as being more authentic.  It is not what they find in the world of religion we bring to them.  It is a real challenge.  Our call to be disciples was fundamental to the message we received from Fr Seamus Ryan, with other very important contributions from professors while we were at the seminary.   Leaving us with an anchor that is important.  Confronted with the present situation, so far from our hopes and aspirations the challenge remains.  This has received powerful expressions for me in the music and verse:-

“We come to share our story,

  We come to break the bread, The divine bread that has come down from heaven.

  We came to know our rising from the dead”.

Truthfully and sincerely this is what I find in our parish community.  I am privileged to be here and look forward to working together.   Let us continue.

Deacon John Writes

Recently I have written about the Holy Spirit. There are seven gifts of the Holy Spirit so over the next few weeks by way of relaxation, I will present some jokes which are based on these gifts:

B. The Gift of Understanding:

1) A Primary school teacher was observing the children in her classroom while they drew pictures.  She would occasionally walk around to see each child’s artwork.  As she came to one little girl who was working diligently, she asked what the drawing was. The girl replied, “I’m drawing God.” The teacher paused and said, “But no one knows what God looks like.” — Without missing a beat, or looking up from her drawing the girl replied, “They will in a        minute.”

2) “If I sold my house and my car, had a big garage sale and gave all my money to the Church, would that get me into Heaven?” I asked the children in my Sunday School class. “NO!” the children all answered. “If I cleaned the Church every day, mowed the yard, and kept everything neat and tidy, would that get me into Heaven?” Again, the answer was, “NO!” “Well, then, if I were kind to animals and gave sweets to all the children, and loved my wife, would that get me into Heaven?” I asked them again. Again, they all answered, “NO!” “Well,” I continued, “then how can I get into Heaven?” A five-year-old boy shouted out, “YOU GOTTA BE DEAD!”