Category: Fr Rory Writes

Remembrance Sunday – Yes we will remember them.

Help, I need help.  It is a constant need.  In the wider wilder story of life it is easy to acknowledge.  A good example for me is when coming to England, my first introduction to Remembrance Sunday.   The Sunday liturgy was well prepared for this event.  The question always remains, “how to do what is best”.  A body made up of many parts working together is most helpful, since I have come here Deacon John has always been a big help.

A parish community working together is a most important criteria.  The Synod as it takes place has a great importance.  How we address the future life of our church is critical.  Our present situation, with the dire shortage of priests in our diocese, brings to my mind what is most critical.  The failure of our response to the 2nd Vatican Council.  As part of our seminary training, we were greatly inspired by the council.  It remains a source of great inspiration.  The Holy Spirit at work in the laity.

This week we had a very welcome visitor from our diocese, her name is Cathy Bergin.  She looks forward to helping us, as we had a very fruitful meeting with her and members of the parish council and children’s liturgy.  Soon we will be beginning a new year with the lighting of the first Advent Candle – the candle of hope.  I have real hope that the first shoots of our work are beginning to emerge and with God’s help will develop and grow.

Back on the horizon again

“The Great Feast of Christ the King”

One day this will be the Greatest Feast of All.  When Christ will come in His glory; and all will be raised to life in the  Glory of God’s Kingdom.  This is the true inspiration that Christ left with His disciples – the promise I will be with you always, and after I am gone I will send the Holy Spirit which the early disciples experienced at Pentecost.  This is at the heart of our lives of faith; and please God, with the help of the parish council; the renewal of different ministries, and the inspiration of our children’s liturgy groups, and young people, a need for a new generation is so important to all.  So really, really important is there notice last week.

Preparing for Advent Family Workshop: Saturday, Nov 18th, 3.30pm – 6.00pm, St Wilfrid’s Hall. Following the success of last years event we are going to hold another Parish Advent Workshop and look forward to seeing many of our  families there. This is an opportunity for families to come together and have fun, be creative and prepare for Advent. There will be variety of Christmas related activities, relevant to all ages, followed by a short time of worship and a shared meal.  Children under 11 must be accompanied by an adult. To book your place please complete the form available at the back of church and collect a tear off slip for your small contribution to bring to the shared meal.

“Next time we meet, see you in heaven”

What a beautiful note coming from the mouth of Ruth Ayres to her friend Judy Davies, as her farewell greeting just before she flies out to her new life with her daughter in America.  When the spirit is willing then age can only be a number even if the health is not good.  Next Sunday it will be the turn of St George’s church to give thanks for all our treasured memories of those who contributed so much to the life of this church over the years.  We will have special prayers and blessing in the garden after the Mass.

Solid steps are being taken to develop our lives of faith and ministry here together in our parish.  In the wider context in our diocese much of the focus remains on what priests are available to the parish.  Our efforts over the years to be a body made up of many parts working together will be truly tested.   Our new parish council, with all the work that is taking place by our children’s liturgy group with the hope that it will serve all our young members better.  Yes a new     generation is required.

“Our Homeland is in Heaven”

St Paul to the Philippians 3:20-21

Last Sunday we had a special celebration here at St Wilfrid’s in remembrance of all our treasured memories, the souls of our departed who contributed so much to our parish.  Now they leave us with important challenges to continue to develop and to grow in our lives of faith.  Like each parish we have particular riches of memories to be treasured from the many who had contributed to our parish community.

On Sunday 5th November it will be the turn of St George’s.   They have also lost some very special people recently and please God, we will do justice to the occasion with a commemoration that reflects their achievements and        underpins our work to build upon this, so that our church has a definite future.

As we commence this years preparation for the Sacrament of Reconciliation, Holy Communion and Confirmation, this needs to reflect upon the sure foundations of our faith.   After the resurrection, Jesus gave a mandate to His disciples to go out to proclaim good news; Gods salvation.  In our time at the seminary we received two most important emphasises.  Life is a journey, it has a beginning and an end, whether we like it or not.  The second is story telling.  To tell our story, but above all to listen to God’s story as He intervened through the ages.  The old Testament prepared us for this when Jesus highlighted special moments on that journey.  He referred to “as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up ” John 3:14-16.  Prefiguring when Christ would be raised up upon the cross and all who would call upon Him would receive Gods salvation beginning with the forgiveness of sin.

I received a star quality letter that I believe is right to share

Dear Fr Rory

Thank you for inviting us to the Bereavement Mass on Sunday 15th at St Wilfrid’s.  Unfortunately we shall still be away on that date, so regretfully cannot be present.

The children’s liturgists are doing sterling work with our young people, but the lack of adult formation courses has   resulted in a lack of knowledge in our grown up population, an area for our Bishop to address.

And yes, an area for me to address with the parish council who have taken this onboard.  In fact they had brilliantly     attended to this at their first parish council, which I could not attend because I was in Ireland.

I have full confidence and gratefully thankful to them.  They have established a response to our  journey; building up all the ministries, that will establish a body made up of many parts working  together.  Beginning with welcomers and referring to the fact that the Knights of St Columba had years of experience.  Turning to the readers and drawing our attention to the legion of Mary who gave active witness to the implications of this ministry.  The St Vincent de Paul could bring a depth of riches to how this ministry of the eucharist could be effected.  The children’s liturgy gives us a great example of the progress that can be made.  I continually return my attention to lighting the first advent candle, the candle of hope.  Please God, these ministries will revive my drooping spirits unlike all the deanery meetings that I attend. 

Second meeting of the Parish Pastoral Council with Fr Rory present

Following up on the first parish meeting which laid down excellent foundations; Fr Rory continued by placing a clear focus on the word “Synod” and the hopes that are placed in the forthcoming Rome Synod, with the focus “for accountability” will be taken seriously.  We will be keeping our attention focus on this.

Then very important; the Bereavement Mass on Sunday at 3pm.  We are trying to establish the most important of our treasured memories, especially the contributions that were made by those who are gone before us.  Knowledge     concerning the Altar, Statues, Stations of the Cross, the new Crucifix, and all that is important that is to be remembered to pass on to future generations.  This is so that they continue to build upon the legacy that these good people left behind them.  Hopefully we will all continue to make our own contributions.  The stories and the contributions of the priests would also be helpful.

With great cruelty the war in the Ukraine continues. 

We must continue to keep this constantly in our prayers. 

With real hope we begin a new year in the life of our parish.   So to be willing to contribute to and support all the efforts to be a vibrant living community is essential.  The harvest celebration and our contribution to Cafod and    Foodbank were very worthwhile.  This week our parish council with plans to develop and share our responsibilities is the way ahead.  Streaming and developing communication facilities are key.  I saw Sophie making preparations to  resource our website; the maintenance committee and the fundraising breakfast after mass at St George’s, all initial steps in the right direction.

Please God, our Womble Day has been a positive experience and a great help for our future.

Again

Our ‘confirmands’ going forth mass made an excellent start to our new year, and it is important to build on it.  This item from our parish confirmation catechists below concerning this coming year helps to build upon their good start.  We need to widen the windows and make it more flexible for all our young people to share in our faith.

“Those who have gone before us” have always been a blessing and a source of strength …. Sometimes just survived.  We have two very special occasions to look forward to.  The first one, please God, will be at St Wilfrid’s on Sunday 15th October at 3pm and the second will be at St George’s on Sunday 5th November at 3pm, when we always remember the Holy Souls.  During the pandemic we lost so many and this gives us an opportunity to remember then again and the treasured memories they left us with.

With grateful thanks to Bob Waters for bring to our attention the Synod of Bishops with the words:-

Many parishioners took part in the local synod consultations in 2021 & 2022 which are leading to the Synod which opens in Rome on 4 October, and will now benefit from our prayers.
Pope Francis has said that without Prayer there will be no Synod. Everyone is invited to pray that the bishops and   others who take part in the Synod will listen to the Holy Spirit so that proposals will spring forth to enable the entire People of God to feel that they are truly participating in the life of the Church, and be witnesses to the newness of the Gospel in our world.

Help ……… and with the help of God that help is on its way.

We always have that assurance from God.

The harvest is ready but the labourers are few.  For the past couple of years some of our parishioners have worked very hard to prepare a foundation for the future life of our parish.

Now is the time to begin, because the reality is urgent.  Again, a body is made up of many parts working together.  As we begin a new year in our life of faith.  The beginning is called the time of enquiry.

We see in the newsletter who needs to be prepared for the Sacraments, First Holy Communion, Confession, Reconciliation and Confirmation.  This needs to be extended to the ministries and to all the needs that are essential and vital to the future of our parish.  Please God, in the weeks to come we will really address those needs.

“Hail Mary full of grace, the Lord is with thee,

blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus”.

There is a kingdom of darkness that flails its way through our world, and Putin is one small example.  Above all, there is a kingdom of light that has come into our world: Christ the Lord.  Let us make sure that prayer has an essential place in our lives.  If God is for us who can be against; the trials and tribulations of life reveals that quite a lot of things can be against us.

Putting our best foot forward, these are the trials through which we triumph by the power of Him who loves us.  First and foremost, God holds all things together, so that an acknowledgement of our needs is important and the sure hope that this brings into our life is simply helpful.

Then as we move forward together in the life of our church, the parish council, our young peoples liturgy, the various ministries, the care for our churches, and especially a real life of faith shared together.  The question of Sunday     masses will not go away.  They need not put too much of a shadow if Christ is our life.  Our light will shine.

Because I am human, the fact that my church at home in Ireland does not have Sunday morning mass, makes the    challenge very real for me and I hope for all of us.