Category: Fr Rory Writes

 Help, I rely upon help.

In my first parish, St Anne’s, Banstead, we started up a parish youth group called Y.A.F (Youth Action Fellowship) it got off to a great start.  I hoped to add the word formation, but the time as curate was short lived, 3-4 years.  So I was moved on.  There appears to be so much less time in a week as weeks and years fly by.

We are now well launched on our response to Bishop Richards pastoral plan “The Word Who Is Life”, especially from the introduction 1.3: “I therefore take this opportunity to invite everyone in the Diocese – lay faithful and religious, deacons and priests – to join with me in forging our parishes into communities”.

Putting things into practice is the important thing, this is where I need all the help.  Already in our plan for St George’s I got the date for our meeting after our weekday mass wrong, as I am not free on Tuesday, so it needs to change.

Most important is our first Sunday Meeting after Mass which takes place at St George’s Church next Sunday. 

We need to spread the word and encourage people to come.

Le Cunamh De         with the help of God         Le Cunamh De

On the 4th Sunday of Lent “Laetare”, March 19th, Canon Paul will celebrate with us the 10.30am morning mass.  This will give an opportunity for all the people from St George’s to gather together after their 9am mass, to outline plans and actions for the future of the church at St George’s.  This is a response to the growing great shortage of priests.  Above all it is a providential opportunity for the people of God to grow.  As mentioned great and inspiring moments during our seminary preparation.   A statement in the Old Testament was “Let my people go”.  I have occasionally mentioned restoring the use of selective moments of incense at some masses.  Incense places special emphasis on God’s holiness, sacred moments like the consecration of the mass.  One other is the assemble of the faithful.  Fr Seamus always highlighted that emphasis, by saying without the faithful we cannot have the rest.  We are most grateful to Bob and Martin and all who have guided and facilitated our response.  An outline of this is now being prepared, and it is a time for all of us to join in and work together for our good future.

“A very, very special moment”

The outstanding event during my visit to Ireland was Fr Seamus Ryan’s funeral mass in his home village of Cappamore.  A truly, truly inspiring priest, a great gift to us during our seminary days.  Because of his inspiration we left our       seminary full of hope, a time of renewal and inspiration was in store for our church because of the 2nd Vatican    Council.  Pope John 23rd had announced the council in order to open up the windows and let fresh light shine into the church.  A time of great hope.  Unfortunately his funeral mass was quite a contract.  The age profile of the priests, and indeed the congregation.  The stories of all his endeavour and our remembrance of his celebrations of the liturgy.  His key message …. “The church as communities of faith and a new generation”.  This is exactly what he would want us to continue to focus upon, and to develop and grow.

“Waters of life cleanse and refresh us, raise us to life in Christ Jesus”

Please God, this Sunday we celebrate the baptism of Maceo Adelaja.  I hoped that this celebration would have taken place on the feast day for the baptism of Jesus.  The waters of baptism open the way for God’s salvation, but above all focuses our need for community.  A very important moment during the celebration, is the lighting of the baptismal candle from the paschal candle.  It is then handed to the parents and godparents with the words “This light is          entrusted to you to keep burning brightly, your child has been enlightened by Christ”.  The parallel with the natural order is the same in the order of grace.  This is the beginning of a new life and I will continue to return to this during our journey through Lent, Easter and Pentecost. 

As you see in our parish newsletter this week, the recommendations of our parish council.   A lot of work has taken place and now it is time for it to bear good fruit, so please give this great care and attention

“So Important”

Grateful for the team for taking on great responsibility and progressing our response to the synod experience.  It is now time to engage with our present situation and develop the parish council, the ministries needed, and a window to develop the liturgy and life of the church.

Those who are already committed are in danger of taking on too greater burden, tasks that are difficult and are put under too much pressure.  The work that they do is so important we are truly grateful, and our gratitude is best  expressed by working together to the best of our abilities.

I am trying to place myself on a learning curve; my role as parish priest is to keep our parish functioning…..  paying our bills.  But above all to focus upon the challenge for us to grow as communities of faith, to bear witness to the good news of God’s salvation in a world that is challenged by many dark forces.

“precious, truly precious”

The light of Christ has come into our world.  A great focus for us to grow in His light is:-

“God is love, God is life, God is nourishment”

Recently a challenge was offered; come and speak to children in our local schools.  We are in the process of responding, though I am hesitant.   With concerns over the relevance of the church, especially because of the war that is taking place in Europe at the moment.  Other ministries have been welcomed and it is part of our time of prayer each month, and highlights our divisions, so we are all in a work in progress.

Our future is a great challenge.  My core position is that the light of Christ has come into our dark world.   This was the great gift I received from my home and family.  I have struggled with how we have expressed this in the life of our  parishes, but thanks be to God, I am greatly helped by the work that is taking place here.  I was asked by a parishioner who was particularly impressed with Stephen’s input which was presented to us in our newsletter last week.  It is so, so important.  In fact it is brilliant.

Here is an extract from it, “The reports sent by Churches across the world give voice to the joys, hopes, sufferings and wounds of Christ’s disciples.  They express the desire for a Church that walks with Christ under the guidance of the Spirit, so to fulfil its mission of evangelization”.

‘I Found’

The opening prayer for the first week in the new year was incredibly fit for purpose and worthy of all our attention.

                            “Attend to the pleas of your people with

                             heavenly care, O Lord, we pray,

                            that they may see what must be done

                            and gain strength to do what they have seen.

Through Our Lord Jesus Christ”.

Hearing about the situation of the church in France, now what is happening in Ireland, all the signs are that this will be our situation.  Reality is a shortage of priests and if we continue as we are, this is not going to change any time soon. I find it so so sad.  When we were in our seminary, we were so inspired (though this may not have been the same in every seminary) with the work of the Second Vatican Council, and what the Holy Spirit was saying to the church.  This is what I find so summed up in that opening prayer.

I am greatly impressed by the support that I am receiving here in our parish.  Our meeting on Tuesday evening was excellent and the work being done by the team was inspiring.  We will be hearing from them as they present their plans in conjunction with the work that is being done by the Synod.  This will be presented to our two communities in the weeks to come.

“Stripped Bare”

While sitting in the church at St George’s to say my prayers, I could not help but admire this years Advent and     Christmas decorations.  They were really great.  Sincere thanks to those who work so hard to get this done.  This is also so true for St Wilfrid’s.  Then suddenly the churches are stripped bare; and all their work is gone.  As this is a    reality in the life of the church, so it is in life.  We are always in need of renewal, and be a fresh work in progress.

With the help of God we begin a new year in our life of faith.  We join others who continue to develop and grow the work that has begun.  This week we have received a very good report from St George’s and last week from St Wilfrid’s.  The work that is done for the children’s liturgies, and the work in progress in response to the Synod provide a good framework.  As in nature; the seasons of the year, Spring will follow winter, so for us Lent will follow the Christmas  season.  So please God, we will develop and grow.

For many the institution of the church receives most attention, with the death of Pope Benedict there is a focus upon the politics of power, and who will be the next one to replace Pope Francis.  While this is understandable, it is often very far from the life of Christ, and the reality of the cross.  The words of Christ to His disciples is to encourage them to take up their cross every day in order to follow him.  In following him there are key moments; like on the night he was betrayed, he took bread, blessed and broke it and said, “do this in remembrance of me”.

To repeat a little bit from what I said last year, with emphasis on the season of Advent.  The seed has been sown and a focus given to that most special moment of baptism when the new baptism candle is entrusted to the parents and godparents with the words “this light has been entrusted to you to be kept burning brightly, this child of yours will be enlightened by Christ as he grows in faith on his journey of life”.

This seed has been sown for us, and as we sincerely strive to grow as a community of faith, it has been refreshed by the work that is being done as we try to be involved in the synod process.  A greater awareness of ministry in different moments of service, welcomers, readers, ministries of the eucharist, ministry of prayer, and the great openings that are developing from our children’s liturgy.   The ministry of hospitality after mass allows various windows to begin to open.  A parish council can really develop as one of our services to the greater community than just being an instrument of authority.    So to all a Happy Christmas.

Last Sundays Carol Service

Just a very joyful occasion, most appropriate to Gaudete Sunday

Rejoice in the Lord indeed.  I am sure the weather had its effect in reducing the numbers, and by the end of the carol service the snow was falling very, very heavy.  A bit of a spectacle in itself.  In the hall the mulled wine, the very best of fayre and a tombola stall that consisted of  winners and winners.  Really great and a great lady (she won’t like me saying that), Joan, a real treasure.  Needless to say the children stole the show, there is something about carol singing to lift the spirits.  We can continue to build on this.  What a world it would be if there is no Saviour, no salvation.  The light of Christ shines through all our obstacles, and I say thanks be to God for that.