Category: Fr Rory Writes

Special Moments

The power of God to redeem and to save all that is lost,

as in …..

“Dying you destroyed our death, rising you restore our lives, Lord Jesus live in us”.  Nourishment that comes from faith and from prayers is very much our way forward and not true obligation and duties.

I believe Bishop Richard was one of the priests who came to my aid while I was away for a welcome break.   I am sure you welcomed them and left them leaving you on a very positive note.  So please God, you as a body made up of many parts, and to all who contribute, I am so grateful.

When we find the right Instruments, they are often so helpful.  The Synod, an awareness of a new generation and other factors may become key to our future in response to God’s call.  The centenary celebration is now high on our agenda, I am sure with all the work that you are doing may make it a memorable occasion for us and for our future.

“Make your home in me, as I make mine in you.  As a branch cannot bear fruit all by itself, neither can you unless you remain in me. John 15”.

Last Sunday on the Feast of the Holy Trinity, the readings were particularly inspiring and nourishing, it is how we continue to draw life from God.  Now we are particularly called to respond to our vocation and to give life to our world as we witnessed to God through our life in the church.  A body made up of many parts working together will experience much more life, and will bear great witness to the love of God.

After the pandemic, and with a focus and inspiration from the Synod we have a great opportunity to renew our lives, and the life of our communities.  We have made a good start, grateful for focus that Bob Waters provided, so now is an important time to make further steps together.  Two important images I continued to highlight.   In the building trade; laying a good foundation, in the gardening work; planting and sowing.  Let the building commence and let the garden grow.

As providence has it, I am away for three weeks for a necessary break.  Please God, keep me in your prayers; but it is most important that you now get on together with the proposed Parish Meeting.  This is a good opportunity.  As we plan our way ahead and focus upon the many different ministries needed to build up our celebration of Sunday Mass and to develop our communities.  The Catholic Church has a rich tradition of lay movements from the past to draw from A) Welcomers; hospitality the Knight of St Columba B) Readers; the great tradition and apostolate work of “The Legion of Mary”  C) For the ministry of the eucharist; the St Vincent de Paul for the music.  D) For the music with the cantor playing an important role, a long history and a rich tradition.

We have celebrated the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. 

Now let us continue to prepare for the celebration Mass here in Hailsham for our Centenary of celebrating.

God is love, let us love one another. 

So often we can see the faults and failures of religion.  The war in the Ukraine exposes the dreadful position of the Orthodox Church in Russia.  The paedophile scandal exposes all religious bodies.  When I was younger I had a special attachment to Taizé and the focolare, with them and a lot of bodies in the Evangelical churches, all have had their difficulties.  In the end it is the reality of life.  There is a Kingdom of darkness of evil, and so there is a constant battle and without the light of Christ, and his constant source of grace, life would be a very dark place indeed.

With the celebration of the first mass on August 12th 1922, a source of Devine grace was established.  Now in different circumstances we have the responsibility of ensuring that it continues, and that we as the catholic community will play their full part in continuing to be faithful.

I would emphasis the word faithful.  The opportunity of the Synod has provided an appropriate platform on which to build a structure to continue to develop and grow our parish community.  The liturgy of the church presents us with this instrument to grow, develop, and nourish our lives as faithful Christians.  We are beginning to see a way forward, and part of our responsibility as we prepare for the visit of our Bishop Richard, is to outline plans and a strategy for our future.  The age profile of our priests gives emphasis to this.

“Come Holy Spirit and fill the hearts of your faithful and enkindle in them the fire of your love”.

How often and how constantly we make this prayer.  As we return once again to the great Feast of Pentecost, it is a time to refocus.  The Synod invites us to make a fresh start, guided by the ministry and life of Jesus.  “By their fruits you shall know them, good trees bear good fruit”.

From time to time I have heard stories of priests making predictions years ago, that the number of priests would decline.  By the beginning of the new millennium there would be many less priests.  I would have to say I could see all the signs that this would take place.  When I first entered the seminary, over fifty years ago, this was a time of great inspiration.  The Second Vatican Council had just taken place.  Pope John XXIII made the statement “that it is time for the church to open its windows, and let in the light”.

Pope Francis frequently returns to this.  I began writing this before this evenings very important meeting that will please God, prepare our way for a journey together with good purpose.  The opening prayers had been prepared laying the foundations in place.

Thanks be to God for our meeting and for all who attended.  There was a lot for our attention, and one contribution was an outline of what had been proposed by Our Lady of Ransom.  I look forward to the presentation of the minutes from our meeting.  The opening prayer was an indication that we can grow and develop our life of prayer and service.  There was a lot of material presented and questions raised during this meeting; a sign that we are a work in progress.

The centre and the heart of our lives is Sunday Mass.  This provides the central structure and nourishment for our faith.  The preparation and the presentation of the liturgy will be crucial to our development or not.  Having just to turn up to Mass, will continue to bring about our decline.  There is no quick fix solution, but working together has the potential to be effective, creative and inspiring. 

Just a moment to focus our attention to the essential ingredients:

a) Gossip from our parish, with all its potential for good news,

b) Prayer, nourishment, caring for the needs of our parishioners, growth in faith and renewal of life.

“Go out to the whole world Mk16:5”

                      “Proclaim the good news to all creation”.               

This is the final parting message from Jesus to his disciples for all ages, as He ascended into heaven.  But while on earth living like one of us He revealed the reality of what it means and what it entails, “no bed of roses”.

When I left my family home in order to do this; it had become enshrined in the expression “no cross, no crown”.  This is a great constant in all our lives and of my family.  The years of preparation had embedded this in my life.  His final instructions compelled His Apostles and His Mother Mary to return to Jerusalem.   They prepared to watch and pray because they were faithful, the Holy Spirit came down upon them and this is the great legacy of Pentecost.  It is important for us each year that after the Feast of the Ascension, we likewise “watch and pray” in preparation for the Holy Spirit being poured out upon us.  We may be more open and prepared for the Holy Spirit to be more active and at work in our lives.

This year gives us the opportunity to work together, to build up and renew our parish communities.  The Synod, and now our parish response is truly important.  As we receive reports from other parishes and churches, the continuing scandals in the churches, we must really raise up our hearts and minds to be refreshed and refocused.  It is only through the power of the Holy Spirit at work in us, that we can change and respond by really working together.  A start has been made, and one sign of the fruits that it can bear, was the celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation with Bishop Richard, on Sunday at Our Lady of Ransom Church.  Our 10 candidates and their sponsors, Mary, Sandra and all those who helped, left us with an inspiring moment, and a very happy occasion to celebrate and remember.

Please God, may your Holy Spirit be at work in us, and let us all say Amen to this.

Time to concentrate all our attention.

In the natural order of creation, one of the loveliest times of the year is when there is a flurry of blossoms.   It quickly gives way; but is still a most crucial time for the resulting harvest.  The blossoms give way to the emerging fruit, so a time of great importance.

In the life of the spirit, it is the same process.  From the life of Christ when His work was accomplished upon the cross, the first words then began to emerge “Christ is Risen”.  Rumours began to spread.  The stories in the scripture at this time are so revealing.  The more they develop they shed light,  but also reveal the mystery.  Why?

I always remember (an early introductions of what it means to be a priest) being awakened in the early morning by someone shouting outside the church, very shortly after Holy Week “demanding that He would come out and fight, why was He Hiding?” .  I could hear what was being said – why does He not reveal Himself clearly.

For those who were chosen to experience His Ascension into Heaven, this was an incredible grace.   The instruction that follows are of the greatest importance to all of us.  The apostles returned to Jerusalem to watch and to pray, essential now for us.

So during the coming week with our focus upon the Feast of the Ascension; there will be a vigil mass on Wednesday evening (25th) at St Wilfrid’s at 7pm, and the 10am mass will be at St George’s church for all the parish. 

Our next open meeting for our parish will be Tuesday 31st May at 6pm in St Wilfrid’s Church, beginning with May devotions and setting the ball rolling with plans for our future.   The Synod questionnaire and now our continuing response to all the questions raised, and the statements that followed are very helpful. 

“With the help of God”

Yes, with the help of God we will do better; and so let us rely more upon that help.  We had a very good get together with those who attended our first meeting in response to the issues raised by those who responded to the Synod questionnaires.

The reality of the age profile of the priests now in the church here in England and Ireland is beginning to be recognised and acknowledged.  A great concern is the number of churches closing, and being sold; with this becoming a threat for other churches.   For years our response has been too superficial, and of no help or benefit for a good outcome to the problems that are real.

With all my heart and soul I pray to God that this Synod will provide a great opportunity.  I recall the great hope with which the 2nd Vatican Council was received.  Equally there were many who were hostile to it.  Life does not change, and so I am becoming more realistic.   The first thing I can do in my response is not to set my hopes too high.  Also to become more responsible and in the best possible way to help so that we can achieve the best possible outcome.  Please God, St George’s church and St Wilfrid’s will flourish through God’s grace at work in us.

Structures have a good purpose and we made a good first response to the question raised by those in our parish to the Synod Questionnaire.

I brought to our attention some structures that worked very well in our past.  The St Vincent De Paul Society and something parallel with this for the ministers of the eucharist.  The Legion of Mary as a structure in support of the readers.  Also many others as for preparation for the sacraments; for the liturgy for ecumenism.  Beginning with core groups, identifying first points to help progress our response and in time our leaven groups will be up and running again.  “Fit for purpose”.

“Incredible”

When I look around the grounds and church I am truly blessed.  Gratitude, especially to Lulu and all who help me in the churches is extremely helpful.  I hope I can do better to help our parish to continue to develop and grow.

I have had to respond a lot to the needs of our time, and listening to people in real need who get in touch either calling at the door or on the phone, this has been demanding.  Watching the news coming from the war and destruction that is happening in the Ukraine; after two years of the pandemic means that we are all more brittle, and living with greater stress.  I am very blessed by all the help and support, and the Easter Services have been a great blessing.  Following on our response to the Synod, our meeting on Tuesday evening was very encouraging.  So let us continue to pray constantly and never lose heart.

What is truly incredible is this season of God’s grace.  After the crucifixion of our Devine Lord, the early disciples i.e. the church was in a great state of confusion and distress.  As the stories of the resurrection began to circulate there is a change.  More stories emerge that begin to show them how they should respond.  Let us too become more prepared to respond and progress as the Synod continues to happen.  Soon we will be celebrating the Feast of the Ascension, and the time that follows is the greatest time in the whole year “When the day of Pentecost came the disciples were gathered”.   At the time when I was ordained there was a great Pentecost Renewal and I had some great experiences a that time.

So please God, there will be a reawakening and renewal as we recover again after the pandemic.  I look forward to the minutes of our parish meeting, hoping to see the initial development from seeds that were sown, alongside the other analogy of the fresh foundations that are being laid, so it is a truly important time and at the heart of it prayer.  “Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of your faithful and fill us with the fire of your love”.

To be continued.

Again and again I return to what is most important “PRAYER”.

Abba Father please send your Holy Spirit, come Lord Jesus live in me.

The reality of life is often focused upon trials, and from my home when I was growing up came the response “These are the trials through which we triumph by the power of Him who loves us”.

After two years of the pandemic, which has made us all very brittle, my hope was that it would be ending and that things would feel very much better.  Some things are very much better, it is very much easier to travel.  This illness though very serious is not as fatal as it was in the beginning.

In the life of our parish we have the challenge of life, now focused by the shortage of priests.  So we need to grow and develop as a parish community that does not rely upon having priests, this will entail the care of the elderly, responsibility for ecumenism, the constant care for mass and the sacraments, payments for maintenance of church and property, funding for the administration and financial needs of the parish.  There will be other responsibilities.  We have an important opportunity to develop and grow in response to these requirements.  With the help of God a very important meeting will take place for our parish communities at 6pm in the Presbytery (or in hall if needed) on Tuesday 3rd May.  This is following up upon the work that was done in response to the Synod.  It is providing a firm foundation and a real challenge.  A early comment “there is no support after Baptism or any of the other sacraments”.

Helpful to all our work will be “Core Groups” to identify and to commit to helping with the identified challenge in order to provide for a good outcome. 

On the horizon are projects for celebrating the Queen’s Jubilee, our Centenary Year at St Wilfrid’s, with the first class work that has taken place at St George’s in their confirmation preparation program.  With the help of God we may bear fruit, fruit that will last.  Let us continue to plant seeds and nurture those already beginning to grow.

With gratitude, real gratitude.

The Easter celebrations were a great blessing.  The meaning, the hopes they bring in marked contrast with the normal news we hear.  Receiving the Holy water, the Easter cards, the messages; so many.  “Let us greet the Risen Lord with thankfulness and joy”.  A good foundation upon which to place our hopes and expectations.

On the horizon is the Feast of the Ascension, but above all, Pentecost our firm foundation upon which to build.  The preliminary work that went into our response, the call for a Synod to help renew the life of the church.  I am really grateful for the work that has gone into this, and now the intention to develop our response.  Part of that response is to be ready for new offers of help and effectively use the help we can get.