Category: Fr Rory Writes

With the help of God:                                                                      Yes, please God:

As we move forward after lockdown; yes, to keep safe is a very important priority, but not the only one.  The words “By their fruits you shall know them” comes from the mouth of Jesus.  One of the great fruits of lockdown for me was “Spring Watch” and its offshoots, a carbon freer world, less plastic in the rivers and seas, a litany could be underway, with please God, a better outlook for the future of the planet.

The life of our church, this too cries out for a response in our time.  Here personally I feel a real affliction as I recall the early stages of my journey and the hope that was there at the beginning.  The time of lockdown has given me plenty of time to reflect, and it has brought home to me deep rooted failures and weaknesses, which will not disappear from me by any magic thinking.  So, back to the beginning with the help of God, I will change and grow up.

With our two churches we have many a great challenge before us.  Our first response it that we are two communities, and please God, we will become two sides to the same coin.  I have always tried to help this, with an awareness that a body is best when made up of many parts working together for the good of all.  When the virus sprung we were struck with the same weakness of  most.  Our age profile meant that there was a great shortage of help, and so many of the old reliable’ s were rendered out of action.  A great thank you to those who are stepping up to the mark as we return to church.  This is just one small step in the right direction.

It is now very important to establish these small steps.  Many of our elderly parishioners are refraining from returning to our church at the moment, as they receive nourishment for their faith in many ways, especially Mass on T.V. and Skype.  If we had young ministers of Holy Communion to take them communion, this would be one of the steps in the right direction.  I also want to encourage them to make arrangements with me, so that I could take Holy Communion to them.

A suggestion some time ago now, when garden centres were first opening, was a visit to our Garden of Remembrance.   This had some very special moment of grace.  Our First Holy Communion preparation has been among the casualties and needs special attention.  A meeting of our  Parish Finance Committee will take place, please God, next Thursday evening, and please lots of prayers for this very important event.  With the help of God we may have a fresh lease of life.

Fr Rory Writes:

Truly important is social distancing.  Whether we express this as the new normal, it is an essential part of keeping safe.  While the virus is a constant threat, we must be on our guard and carefully adhere to safety.   Be alert, or as I would prefer, be responsible.  For me to be responsible addresses the situation better.  The great gift, the great good is our faith.  A very important moment within this is – “the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom”.  Note the beginning because fear can be a great gift.  But it is also important to acknowledge and recognise evil.  Evil can use fear and then truly abuse it.  Lives can be destroyed by fear, and fear can create situations which cause great suffering, affliction and sometimes death.

We have reached an important moment in living with the coronavirus.  Please God, there may be light appearing at the end of the tunnel, with the gift of a vaccine that would be a great help.  There is no guarantee of this, so living with the present situation is now a great priority and may be a great opportunity.  Lockdown was such an experience for me and for all of us.  It will certainly influence, please God, in a good way for the remainder of life.  The memory of spring watch; thank God for its blessing and please God, it will have a good influence in the future of our planet.

This is a time of great challenge for our church and please God, a great opportunity, or the church will grind to a halt.  The last deanery meetings, the aged profile of the clergy, the funding of the Diocese, are real causes for concern.  What will be the future for our church?

For it to be bright and good, first it is not the church but our church.  For a long time now there has been a crying need for a new generation in the life of the church.  In the coming months and years we will provide a new generation.  As we celebrate the liturgy and as we continue to skype and locate other sources of nurture for our faith we are beginning to build.  Our website is a very important instrument and please God, with care and attention it will become very fit for purpose.  A very special thank you to Sophie for all that she is doing to lead the way.  The life of the children’s liturgy is also an important new beginning that needs to develop to grow and blossom.

Fr Rory Writes:

Happily,  we can now plan for the opening our churches for Mass.  We are working out how we can do this with safety concerns in mind. We hope to open for the first time the weekend of 18th/19th July.  

Masses will be offered during the week.   If you are not at work during the week, you are strongly encouraged to attend a weekday Mass to allow those who are working to attend on Sundays.

You will need to apply to attend on your chosen day. (Please see attached posters)

Times of Masses during the week are:

St. George’s Church – 10am on Tuesdays and Thursdays.     Sundays, 9.00am

St. Wilfrid’s Church – 10am on Wednesdays and Fridays.       Sundays, 10.30am

Our Mass time experiences will be very different.

Restrictions are imposed as follows:-

Numbers are restricted to ensure social distancing

If you are at all unwell, please DO NOT attend church

It is recommended that small children and babies are not brought into the church

You will be met at the door, you must give your name and contact details to the usher

Sanitise your hand and wear a mask (this is compulsory)

The usher will guide you to a marked bench at appropriate distance from anyone not in your household. There are arrows on the floor, guiding you through the one-way system.

Please do not genuflect to any of the statues, or touch them or any surface unnecessarily

No leaflets or Missals will be provided. If you bring your own you MUST take them home with you.

Please do not converse with anyone outside your own household, to limit the spread of the virus

There may be music, but no singing is allowed

Mass will be shorter to reduce the time spent indoors with other people

The sign of peace will be not be exchanged

The reader, Eucharistic Minister and Priest will always be on the altar

The Priest will remain socially distant at all times

There will be no offertory

Cash offerings must be placed in the boxes provided at the entrance and exit to the church.

Communion under one kind will be distributed at the end of Mass.

An usher will guide you  to communion  when it is safe for you to enter the aisle, always maintaining social distance

There will be a small physical barrier between the recipient and the Minister. The distribution of the Host will be in silence with arms at full stretch, palms upwards, one on top of the other, as flatly as possible. Communion may not be received on the tongue.

You will leave the church immediately after Communion, through the Sacristy door. Take ALL your belongings with you (including your mask) and leave your offering in the box provided. (you may not return to your seat under any circumstances)**

You will be asked to  sanitise your hands before leaving the church

**If you cannot manage the steps leading to the sacristy, please wait to receive communion until all others have left. The usher will escort you and you may leave through the back porch.

There will be NO tea/coffee after any Mass. The hall remains closed

 The lavatories are closed

Please continue to maintain social distancing whilst in the carpark

Please see the above posters for details of how to book for St George’s and St Wilfrid’s.

Fr Rory Writes:

With the help of God we will be able to re-open our churches for Mass.  First and foremost this is to be appreciated for the right reasons, with great care given.  It will be influenced by a) the fact that we do not, while this outbreak of coronavirus continues, have an obligation to go to Mass, b) social distancing and all the other measures required for health and safety purposes will need to be in place.

So there are reasons to have fears and to take these into consideration.  As this is “Fr Rory Writes”  it is not prescriptive and the date have to be changed in order to have all the safety measures in place. Happily, we are hoping to open our churches for Mass on the weekend of the 18th/19th July.  There is still work to be done to achieve this with all safety concerns carefully managed.  Numbers will be greatly reduced because of the need for social distancing.

We have good teams working together and our first meetings were very successful, but they did open my eyes to how difficult it is to ensure the safety of everyone in both churches, whilst matching the requirements of our diocese, who dictate how much preparation is necessary.

Only 36 people may attend at any one time at St George’s.  If you are not at work during the week, you are strongly encouraged to attend a weekday Mass to allow those who are working to attend on Sundays.

You will need to apply for your chosen day, and we ask that you keep to this. (Details as to how to do this will follow)

Times of Masses during the week are:

St. George’s Church – 10am on Tuesdays and Thursdays

St. Wilfrid’s Church – 10am on Wednesdays and Fridays.

Our Mass time experiences will be very different.

Restrictions are imposed as follows:-

Numbers are restricted to a Maximum of 36 people at St George’s to ensure social distancing

If you are at all unwell, please DO NOT attend church

It is recommended that small children and babies are not brought into the church

You will be met at the door, you must give your name and contact details to the usher

Sanitise your hand and wear a mask (this is compulsory)

The usher will guide you to a marked bench/seat at appropriate distance from anyone not in your household. There are arrows on the floor, guiding you through the one-way system.

Please do not genuflect to any of the statues, or touch them or any surface unnecessarily

No leaflets or Missals will be provided. If you bring your own you MUST take them home with you.

Please do not converse with anyone outside your own household, to limit the spread of the virus

There may be music, but no singing is allowed

Mass will be shorter to reduce the time spent indoors with other people

The sign of peace will be not be exchanged

The reader, Eucharistic Minister and Priest will always be on the altar

The Priest will remain socially distant at all times

There will be no offertory

Cash offerings must be placed in the boxes provided at the entrance and exit to the church.

Communion under one kind will be distributed at the end of Mass.

An usher will guide you  to communion  when it is safe for you to enter the aisle, always maintaining social distance

There will be a small physical barrier between the recipient and the Minister. The distribution of the Host will be in silence with arms at full stretch, palms upwards, one on top of the other, as flatly as possible. Communion may not be received on the tongue.

You will leave the church immediately after Communion, through the Sacristy door at St George’s.  Take ALL your belongings with you (including your mask) and leave your offering in the box provided. (you may not return to your seat under any circumstances)**

You will be asked to  sanitise your hands before leaving the church

**If you cannot manage the steps leading to the sacristy, please wait to receive communion until all others have left. The usher will escort you and you may leave through the back porch.

There will be NO tea/coffee after any Mass. The hall remains closed

The lavatories are closed

Please continue to maintain social distancing whilst in the car park

PS. You will need to apply to the Parish Office for your preferred day as the number at each Mass is so strictly limited, either email [email protected] or phone 01323 841504.  

Having plenty of time each day to hear the word of God, and to celebrate the Mass knowing that it is “The Lord’s Supper“, bringing home in a vivid way that “On the night Jesus was betrayed, He carried out this action to be a memorial forever for our salvation”. 

The greeting from the Gospel “Alleluia Alleluia” accepts the message for what it really is, God’s message and not some human thinking “Alleluia”.   From the letter of St Paul to the Romans 5.12-15 – we know sin entered the world and spread through the whole human race.  If it is certain that through one man’s fault, so many have died; it is now more certain that divine grace coming through one man, Jesus Christ came to so many as an abundant free gift.

On Saturday morning, a meeting with one of our parishioners as part of planning preparation for opening our churches, was an expression of our experience of this time on account of the coronavirus.  As in the larger world of business, or for our daily world of life, there are two important elements:

Survive, survive, survive.

To prepare for a fresh start, a new beginning.                                                                                                                       

So first it is important to isolate, to protect, to safeguard, to be responsible.  Secondly, prepare for a future that will be different.  So many things have changed everywhere, and people will have more options and choices.  It will be important to appreciate the great gift that our faith brings.  The opening of our churches for prayer gives us an important focus.  Jesus present in the Holy eucharist in the tabernacle waiting to welcome us back, always present, waiting for us and our attention.  To listen to our prayers and to hear our afflictions.  So please God, this will begin, and as time goes on, we can adapt to our circumstances.  So far anything to do with churches and schools has been slowly, slowly.  By necessity as the business world resumes, yes problems may increase, but the need to return to work is essential.  I have had my first enquiry about a wedding and a baptism and the question of First Holy Communions, a welcome change from funerals.

Fr Rory Writes:

Eternal Father, Loving God

Who made us from the dust of earth

Transform us by the spirit’s grace

Give value to our little worth   

                                                                                   Stanbrook Abbey Hymnal

“By His wounds we have been healed”, has been a traditional focus for our spirituality and is a great help to me at this time.  On my way to bed recently, having switched off the TV, from which the only consolation came through Spring Watch and Gardeners’ World.  The almost unescapable, unavoidable news media is an affliction of the highest order.  In its unending search for the worst news that it can get, and with the twist that it constantly brings to the coronavirus is trying to take hold of me.

The stress that we are living with, the implication of the lockdown means that the days and weeks are simply disappearing.  While this, for me, helps the passing of time, its loss to our lives is very real and needs the best and most positive attention that we can give.  We are now passing the longest day, and the excellent weather a solid bonus.  If it were not for the virus, 2020 might have been a very special year.

Having acknowledged the difficulties and damage that is being done, it is more important to be aware of God’s help and His promise to turn all things to good.  Truly appreciate moments of grace – spring walks, with people’s generosity and kindness.  With shops, businesses and works opening, there is a need to try to get on with life.  The churches’ opening has brought home to me, “easier said than done”.  We have received all the requirements and the directions for opening our churches, and with our age profile (as indeed with most churches), it presents us with a great challenge as we cannot ask for help from those willing persons who are over seventy.

During the night I was filled with great apprehension for our situation.  As deep awareness of my faults and failings, a powerful thought came to me that I should go home.  A fear was upon me.  Then about 3am I had a great sense of consolation, a deep, deep awareness of God’s grace, and that through the help of God’s grace, Jesus would prepare the way for our churches to be open.  Our need for help in every way, stewarding, cleaning, encouraging our parishioners to come back to church, initially for private prayer, bringing with them an atmosphere of togetherness.  A new generation and a new church need to be in our planning for the future.

Again, thanks to those who are developing our website.   We will be using it with our newsletter to re-establish our parish, please God, bigger and better.  There is a lovely scene with the lambs on our website.  We will now develop into God’s flock flourishing in His Kingdom.

Fr Rory Writes

With the help of God: 

Thanks be to God, as we move on from the Great Feasts of Holy Week and Easter. Having celebrated the new life of Pentecost, help us now to respond to the challenges of life that comes from the coronavirus with its problems and afflictions in our lives.  As many return to work and face the need to provide for the necessities of life; increase our confidence in trusting in your divine providence, and our responsibility to protect and safeguard our lives.

The Diocesan authorities have sent the directions they received from our government to open our churches for private prayer.  At the deanery meeting of priests and deacons we had some discussion about our situations in the various parishes, and certainly the future brings challenges for our churches throughout the diocese.  Information regarding hand sanitizer and protective wear was limited and supplies received by the deanery very inadequate.  A central depot for these supplies has now been established at St Philip Howard Centre in Crawley. 

It will take some time to get the required items for our protection in place, but we have an immediate need to get ourselves ready and to be willing to offer help for stewardship, but above all to be prepared to make a greater commitment to our community of faith.  The window for prayer, and with it the actions required to live out faith more fully, will be the greatest fruits of this epidemic.  Already we are aware of some of its fruits.  This springtime nature was particularly alive and refreshing.  Alongside of this are the benefits of reducing pollution, with cleaner, clearer streams, rivers, seas, and skies.  There have also been signs of a greater concern for the needs of others, particularly for those who may have been taken for granted, with the weaker and more vulnerable members of our human family receiving better attention.

But the challenge for the future may be a lot grimmer, and certainly when the financial implications become clearer, difficult decisions will be made.  Now the concern for children’s education and wellbeing raises serious questions, as well as emerging mental health issues and other casualties from the lockdown emerges.  For the greater part, as churches, we have been fortunate enough.  This year was very promising, and we had a very good group of young children for First Holy Communion, and with the lovely weather we enjoyed this could have been a very outstanding year 2020.

Better to say, so far so good, and for most of us who had to isolate, and to adjust to very different and difficult circumstances, have done so remarkably well.   Modern means of communication have helped, skyping and other developments, hearing more regularly from family and friends, receiving acts of great generosity and kindness, having access to online masses and other spiritual nurture created a foundation to rely on, and with God’s help we must do better in the future.

Fr Rory Writes

It felt so, so strange with so much time spent in lockdown the consolation had been the Holy Seasons, especially Easter and Pentecost.  Then the directory instructs a return to the ordinary; in fact, the ninth week in ordinary time, not lighting the Pascal Candle seemed to reflect this forcefully.

Then I came to the word of God, and a reading from the 2^nd Letter of St Peter, “May you have more and more grace and peace, as you come to know our Lord more and more”.

By His divine power, he has given us all the things that we need for life and true devotion, bringing us to know God himself, who has called us by his own glory and goodness.  In making these gifts, he has given us the guarantee of something very great and wonderful to come… Peter 1:2-5

So, hope goes on and with it our responsibility to respond: to grow in faith and faithfulness.  Please God, the way ahead will develop and grow.  We have not received any guidance or instruction yet for the opening of churches, the next deanery meeting of the priests should shed some light on the way ahead.

As suggested last week, we may have a gentle introduction to return to pray together via planned and appointed visits to the memorial garden, with prayer and fellowship.  Risk assessment and procedures are now in place for such events.   It may make sense to bring appropriate refreshments with you.  With an amount of preparation for what we may call the “new normal”, caution is important, but a sense of confidence and trust in Our Lord will be really helpful.  His promise, “I am with you always”, and with the help of this we can have our lives and strengthen our faith.

Jesus goes on to say if anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him take up the cross every day, and in doing so learn from Him, for His yoke is easy and His burden light.

My sister Mary has also produced a daily prayer journal, which is food for the journey when the cross is heavy.  She titles it “Love Speaks”.   Relinquish all thoughts that would bring obstacles on your path.  Focus instead on the light that leads you forward.  The artisan leaves down the tools that no longer serve a purpose, to pick up those that best serve the next stage, open up your heart in faith and trust and I will show the way to new pastures.

The one who plants and the one who waters, work to the same end and the Lord will repay each accordingly to their work: 1 Corinthians 3: 8-9

The day of Pentecost has come, and with it the opportunity for us to really rely on the power of God, to redeem and save, but above all to live lives of faith and faithfulness.  At the beginning of lockdown my mind was focused upon this year’s Feast of Pentecost.  From the beginning of Lent I was becoming more used to the human condition I found myself in and having to adapt by giving greater attention to my prayers and mass.

It was very much a shock to me, (but “shock” is not really the right word);  I was landed in hospital and adapting to the label “acute psychotic state”, called upon to rely upon providence and to re-evaluate my ministry.  Above all to reconsider my journey of faith.  My sister Mary’s well-timed book “A Mother’s Love” gave me important insight; and the realisation of one constant; the gift of faith we had received as children. 

The Second Vatican Council was my “theme song” with the charismatic renewal, marriage encounter, prayer groups, Taizé in France, life in the church appeared to be very promising.  My personal limitations, alongside parish ministry found me more and more at odds between my expectation and realities in the life of the parish.  Ten years on an ecumenical project was maybe a haven, but now I am hoping and praying that the Lord will renew, direct, and support me.  The loss of my driver’s licence will please God, come to an end, and will be helpful to my work and ministry.

The challenge and please God, the opportunity that will be provided “post coronavirus” will truly need all the blessings of a new Pentecost.  From screening masses different expectations have received moments of grace and blessing, much appreciated and may go on to influence our options and choices.  But the central need is for a community of faith, with a real decision to belong.  One of my faults and failings is being poor at remembering names and establishing relationships in the community.

With the help of God this can be addressed.  The new normal is a word that we hear quite frequently from the Media.  Our need in the church to develop a fresh response as opportunities arise is essential.  We are currently waiting for guidance concerning the re-opening of churches, and at this time there are no clear instructions.  Following on from the Governments guidelines, as from Monday 1^st June, I am encouraging visits to our prayer garden in appropriate groups, including families, for prayer (confession/reconciliation) and fellowship.  Unfortunately, I do not have my driver’s licence so I cannot avail of St George’s Memorial Garden.  Please ring me as I will be delighted to hear from you.

The Feast of the Ascension

There is simply great reward in giving this Feast all the care and attention that is possible for us.  During these troubled times due to the coronavirus implications, it well rewards our great attention and that bit of extra effort.  Visualise what it was like for those disciples, as this takes place.  In prayer we say,

“Let us lift up our hearts.  Let us raise them up to the Lord our God”

As the disciples looked on, their hearts were drawn up towards Heaven.  The seasons of Lent and Easter, especially for me this year, concentrated my attention through the mass, the divine office, the rosary, and the other prayers.  Today the office of readings, a long discourse on the Psalms by St Augustine Bishop is really worthwhile so please give it your care and attention.  I highlighted this because it can be a great foundation for our lives of faith in the church as we move forward, and please God, overcome the virus.  To continue with the words of St Augustine: –

Our thoughts in this present life should turn on the promise of God, because it is in praising Him that we shall rejoice forever in the life of God, and no one can be ready for the next life unless he trains himself for it now.  So, we praise God during our earthly life, and in the same time we make our petitions to him.  Our praise is expressed with joy, our petitions with yearning.  We have been promised something we do not yet possess, and because the promise was made by one who keeps his word, we trust in Him and are glad, but in so far as possession is delayed, we can only long and yearn for it.  It is good for us to persevere in longing until we receive what is promised, and yeaning is over; then praise alone will remain.

Lent                                                                                                   Easter

Because there are these two periods of time, in the one that is now, beset with the trials and troubles of this life, and the other yet to come.  A life of everlasting serenity and joy, we are given two liturgical seasons.  One before Easter and the other after.  The season before Easter signifies the troubles in which we live here and now, while the time after Easter, which we are celebrating at present, signifies the happiness that will be ours in the future. 

Both these periods are expressed and demonstrated for us in Christ Our Lord.  The Lord’s passion depicts for us our present life and trial – shows how we must suffer and be afflicted and finally die.  The Lord’s resurrection and glorification show us the life that will be given to us in the future.

Now (therefore) brethren, we urge you to praise God.  That is what we are all telling each other, when we sing Alleluia.  You say to your neighbour “Praise the Lord” and he says the same to you.  We are all urging one another to praise the Lord, and all thereby doing what each urges the other to do.  But see that your praise comes from your whole being in other words, see that you praise God not with your lips and voices alone, but with your minds, your lives and all your actions.

We are pleasing God now, assembled as we are her in the church, but when we go on our various ways it seems as if we cease to Praise God.  But provided we do not cease to live a good life; we shall always be praising God.

You cease to praise God only when you swerve from justice, and from what is pleasing to God.  If you never turn aside from the good life, your tongue may be silent but your actions will cry aloud, and God will perceive your intentions; for as your ears hear each other’s voices, so God’s ears hear our thoughts.