Category: Latest News

Fr Rory Writes:

Once again from the Standbrook Abbey Hymnal, a line stands out that expresses

“The seed of Glory sown in man, will flower when we see your face”

After the early events following the crucifixion, the disciples were at a great loss.  An awareness that He has Risen from the dead begins to spread, that He has gone before them into Galilee; and that it is from there that He will ascend into heaven.  The situation is very difficult, and the forces that had Him crucified have not gone away.  The words we read from the scriptures, in the divine office and our daily mass, highlight the issues; “He calls us out of darkness into His true light”.

Our present circumstances highlighted by the closed churches, the great importance of the need to isolate and establish social distancing, in a strange way helps to draw us together.  This was admirable, expressed in the Queen’s address to the nation, as a most important part of the celebration of “Victory in Europe Day”.  Her words were memorable and will inspire for a long time to come.  She captured what is best in the human spirit and that those who died, all that long time ago, would echo the sentiment that give value to their sacrifice the loss of so much life in the war.

Please God, a greater focus upon the family, and the local community may be one of the great fruits of this very difficult time.  Times of trial capture what is best in the human spirit and may become a great blessing.  For our parishes, when we are left to choose between partaking on screen or being present at our parish mass, may help us to establish the commitment to be involved and to truly belong within our parish community.  At the same time there are always two sides to a coin.  The options that will be available because of the advance in technology could benefit and enhance our world.  It may reduce some of the necessity to travel and thereby help with global warming and allow different choices within the world of work.

In the meantime, because we have our website this can become a way of beginning.  We are very blessed with Jackie and Sophie, because of their willingness to do their best.  We can improve that best, though I accept it is not easy.  I have to admit to a lot of limitations, but I do hold a great belief, that a body of many parts working together, is best.  As we acknowledge the age profile of the clergy, there is a great need for a new generation, in the life of the church.

Several persons (though not a large number) have offered to help communicate with those who are isolated.  It highlighted for me the number of persons immediately known to me, whom I should be ringing in order to keep in touch.  As time goes on it becomes more difficult, so it would be very helpful if we could establish a couple more core groups to support this, which would be a great blessing.

We have some very sad losses of lives, and because the bereaved could not be properly supported, it is a very painful time.  At the beginning of my priesthood the sacrament of extreme unction at the time of death was greatly important.  It remains so for the elderly generation, and I particularly call to mind, Evelyn South, Margaret Malone, Douglas Booth and pray that their loss and affliction will be turned into great joy in heaven.

Next Thursday is the Feast of the Ascension, and next Sunday would have been the celebration of First Holy Communion at St Wilfrid’s.  We have a very good group, so I commend them to you for lots of prayers.  Currently, because I am over seventy, and being without my car, is a great loss to my priestly ministry. 

Over the next couple of weeks, we will celebrate the joyous events at the heart of our faith – the Ascension of Christ into heaven and the descent of the Holy Spirit to the Apostles, and so will be a source of great graces and blessings that will shine out in this time of great trial.

Deacon John Writes:

From Easter to Pentecost the readings all concentrate on the preaching of the Good News of salvation and on the promises Jesus made to his disciples, culminating with the promise that all would receive the Holy Spirit. This Sunday we hear about the Holy Spirit and how we can experience Him in our daily lives. 

The reading from the Acts of the Apostles begins by describing how the Deacon, Philip, in Samaria, converted many of the Samaritans to Christianity and then how Peter and John were sent to follow this up through prayer and laying on of hands to bring the Holy Spirit to them.

The reading from the first letter of Peter reassures us that life is possible when we suffer in any way so long as we continue to live our Christian lives of love in the midst of any kind of suffering, be it from a virus or any other difficult situation. The Gospel contains Jesus’ promise to his disciples of the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit, and is part of the long “Farewell Discourse” near the end of John’s Gospel. The Gospel tells us quite specifically that, providing we live as Jesus commands, the Holy Spirit will accompany us in all that we do in the name of Jesus – our faith will be nurtured, we will see Jesus in the poor, the sick and in all those in need, so enabling us to be healers of discord in our world. We are assured that we will never have to face any trial alone—even death—if we walk with Jesus.  There is a sentence in the second Eucharistic Prayer when the priest holds his hands over the offerings and says: “Make holy, therefore, these gifts, we pray, by sending down your Spirit upon them like the dewfall, so that they may become for us the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.” It has only been during the lockdown that Tessa & I have actually noticed the word ‘dewfall’ at this point while listening to Mass! 

Next Thursday is Ascension Day, the day on which Jesus was taken up to heaven. We can perhaps imagine him flying up from the land and vanishing into cloud in front of our eyes. Jesus invites all of us to prepare ourselves for a similar flight. Set our eyes towards heaven. Keep our hearts open to receive the Holy Spirit to help us achieve that goal. Surely that is what He is inviting, encouraging, helping us to do.

I have just read an extract from Pope Francis work, Evangelium Gaudium: – ‘The joy of the Gospels’.  It says, “Realities are more important than ideas”.  It certainly confronts me as I unfold my journey of faith, or lack of faith.

As we return, to a post coronavirus world, it will be changed in many ways. Social media will remain a large part of life, travel, especially by aircraft will take a long time to recover.  Family and hopefully community-based lifestyle may be enhanced.

For us as a church, I believe we will have an incredibly challenging time.  From experiencing screening, you may have found a site that suits, and sustains your faith.  For centuries, the mass was in Latin, pews the normal furnishing, and the spiritual experience a priority.  America which has a higher percentage of practice in recent times, experienced people doing a lot of “shopping around” for the church that best suited them.

The Second Vatican Council was a hugely important occasion in the life of the church, a privileged and blessed time.  The prospects for the future, but now a full sense of sadness in contrast with the promise that it offered.  I was very aware of the situation when in Ireland; and could foresee the great challenge and difficulties that the churches would have with mass attendance.  I believe that this was especially true for the seminaries and in the present time most are closed. 

Now as we focus upon the present moments in the life of the church – the Feast of the Ascension, and please God, we may have great preparation for Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit greatly empowered the early church.

The foundation of our faith is so important.  Returning to its source for me; the home and family I grew up in.  As mentioned before my Sister Mary’s book “A Mother’s Love” catches many moments of the crosses and trials but also the great moments of grace and here is one extract from her book.

My guardian angel’s description of love, placed upon my heart, reads:

God’s love is without end.  Love is bountiful, forgiving, enduring.  It is never self-seeking, but reaches out its tender shoots to embrace all on their spiritual journey.  Love seeks to lighten the load of others.  Love knows that all are brothers and sisters in Christ.  Love knows that all can be forgiven.  It bears no grudges, but is unconditional.  Speak of this God of Love.  He seeks to be part of each pilgrim’s life on this earthly journey.  God’s love heals and supports, nourishes, and suffuses the spirit.

There are also testaments from persons experiencing the dark side of life, and the accounts of their experiences of evil, deserve our attention and the sure response that we make.  This is working for God, belief in the one He has sent, Jesus.  Through the coming days and weeks all our attention must be with the first disciples as we will listen to their story……..

Deacon John Writes:

In the Gospel for this Sunday Jesus makes it clear that He is God, when He says “To have seen me is to have seen the Father” and then “whoever believes in me will perform the same works as I do myself.” God became man, one of us to show us a real person leading a life of caring for others, a life of healing, forgiving, a life of love.

We are called not just to be followers of Christ but to be Christ to the world around us. It is through our being Christ that He may live and act in the world today and every day. That is easy to say but from where do we get the strength to be Christ to the world? The answer to this surely lies in the Sacraments, especially from receiving the Eucharist. When we receive the Body and Blood of Christ, Christ is in us, giving us the power to be like Him.

One of the key actions we can take is to Listen. In the Gospel Jesus first listens to the disciples, listens to Thomas, listens to Philip and then comforts them, eases their fears, teaches them. We can do the same: listen to what people are saying to us by giving them our time and undivided attention. 

Secondly, we hear time and again how Christ healed the people he came in contact with. We all have the power to heal, not physically perhaps, but through our words, gestures and actions such as showing acts of kindness. It is by doing these things that we show that we care and allow Jesus to live his life through us.

One of the key signs Jesus made was that of forgiveness not just in words but in actions too. We should always be asking ourselves some questions such as: How forgiving am I? Do I pray daily for the grace to forgive others? Do I show this forgiveness through what I do – a phone call, (a handshake or a hug in normal circumstances). 

When we come forward to receive Christ’s Body and Blood and confirm that with our “Amen” we should all remember that what we are really saying is “Lord, live in me today so that I may give life, heal and forgive as you did.” Remember there is nothing casual about that “Amen” – it is the most important word we say in that Mass.

Now the weather has changed and you are clearing out your cupboards and drawers once again. Please remember to put aside any suitable donations for St Wilfrid’s sales table, which will be running as soon as things are back to ‘normal’.”

Our Website

Please don’t forget to explore our Church website to watch live Masses from across England, Ireland and Scotland, including Masses and Sermons from our very own Pope. 

We also are showing photos of the activities our community have been doing whilst we are confined at home.  If you would like to share any photos on our website, please send them into us using the church email, with a note saying that you consent to any photos that you have sent to us being displayed on the church website.  Many thanks and stay safe.

Fr Rory Writes:  

Last year my sister Mary Harrington had her book ‘A Mother’s Love’ published.  I believe her book brings us great re-assurance, hope and comfort that God personally knows us and turns all things to our good.  He is the divine author of life, so we can truly place our trust in Him.  As her book reveals, it was from a place of great anguish, because of our mother’s death, that she received a great grace.

As she expressed it, one month after Mam’s death I was feeling pretty low.  I had begun to come away to my own room for a quiet time to pray, now including praying to my guardian angel with more care and conviction.  Then I would breathe in slowly and peacefully asking for heavens help in dealing with my grief.  On one such evening feeling rather bereft, I expressed a great desire to communicate with my guardian angel.  What took place next was quite extraordinary, a really great grace.  I had hoped that Mary would come and speak for herself, but the Coronavirus has prevented that.  Please God, her visit will happen sooner rather than later.  For all of us a great focus for all our prayer during this time of confinement, must be for a vaccine that will overcome this virus.

I often recall our family home where the Catholic faith was very much part of life and the daily Rosary and Sunday Mass were an essential part of this.  This was also reflected in daily life.   A visitor on entering the house with the words “God Bless the House” and with the response “God save all here” were normal greetings in life.  Another particular expression coming with my maiden Auntie Mai coming with sad news ended “no cross, no crown”, if she turned up with good new “wasn’t that providence, Maura”.

As a result of her experience with her angel guardian, Mary developed a prayer group on a Thursday evening through the Autumn, Winter and Spring of each year.  I shared in the prayer group many times, and it was a deep well of faith and trust, that prayers were answered.   Before having her book published, she produced a daily diary of prayer, which she has documented.  She presents it as a prayer journal “Love Speaks”.

Speak, Lord, your servant listens.  Samuel 3.9, I add – food for the journey when the cross is heavy.

One example for the day:

 April 4th

To behold My cross anew each day, with love and affection, is to reciprocate My love, return My embrace.  All who acknowledge My cross by Me before the Father.  Within the cross is contained the Mystery of Redemption, the power of love, the power of forgiveness.

‘For he surrendered Himself to death, and was even counted among the wicked, bearing the sins of the multitude, and interceding for sinners.’ Isaiah 53:12

With the help of God, as we continue with the daily rhythm of life.  Our Catholic faith while deprived of what we greatly appreciate, our Sunday Mass through screening and more attentive to our journey of faith through this coming year.  Next stop, the Great Feast of the Ascension and Pentecost, may provide us with great blessings and strength.  In the meantime, pray for our website, that it will develop and respond to all our needs in this time of isolation and or social distancing.

Deacon John Writes:

If you travel around in Jordan you will see shepherds  everywhere. They are part of the landscape. The Bedouins who tend the sheep sleep on hillsides under tents; they stand watch in large empty fields while the sheep graze on weeds and dust and sand. Your vehicle is sure to come to a halt in the middle of the road while a shepherd leads his flock across the road. One shepherd is Mohammed. He is in his early 20s, shy. He was asked how long he’d been a shepherd.

“Four years,” he said and added: “its alright, but it’s boring.” It’s not that exciting for the sheep, either. They aren’t pure lambs with “fleece as white as snow.” They all look as white as mud—hardly the image one gets from the nursery rhyme. Mr Google on the Internet, informed me about a shepherd in Italy named Fabrizio Innocenzi who oversees about 60 sheep in the hills of Roviano, 40 miles east of Rome. He said that sheep actually need a shepherd, because they have no natural hierarchy, no leader of the flock. “The sheep learn to trust the shepherd”, Innocenzi said, “as they hear and understand the voice, the smell, the behaviour of the person who is looking after them every day”. He said “a shepherd needs to be someone who is in tune with nature, decisive and willing to bear the long hours, inclement weather, hard work and sacrifice—and do it out of devotion to his flock.  A good shepherd should not be afraid of anything.” Doesn’t that describe Christ? 

In the gospel for this Sunday Jesus says to us “I am the good shepherd, a good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep.” This Easter season, with the fragrance of Easter flowers still in the air and multiple alleluias we cannot forget the hard wood of Calvary. We cannot forget how this good shepherd laid down his life for us. He didn’t do it because we have “fleece as white as snow.” Far from it. We are as muddy and as ordinary and as unclean as those sheep in Jordan. We aren’t always beautiful.

But the Good Shepherd, who is Christ, loves us anyway. He calls us to love one another as the shepherd does his sheep. This is our challenge. If we are to be imitators of Christ, we must be willing to be more than sheep. We must also be shepherds—good shepherds to each other and good shepherds of our faith. We must be unafraid, devoted, steadfast. We need to support those who are frail…nurture those who are weak…lead back those who are lost…comfort those who are afraid…love those who are covered with dust from the journey.

This is what a good shepherd does.

This is what Christ has done for us.

This is what we must do for each other. 

Special Moments From The World of Isolation

It would help our website greatly, if you have any special memories and other comments that can help us to share this special time, when we find ourselves isolated and cut off from our everyday life.   If you have any photos that you would like to share on our website, please send them in the format of  jpg or png to [email protected]  When you send your photos to us, please can you write a message stating that you are happy for the photos that you have provided us with, to be displayed on our Church website.  Thank you.

Deacon John Writes:

The Scripture readings for this Sunday have one common, encouraging theme: No matter what happens in our lives, the risen Jesus is always with us. God is always near to those who seek Him and who want to live in His presence, doing His will. 

Dr. J. Wallace Hamilton, in his book Horns and Halos in Human Nature, tells of one of the weirdest auctions in history. It was held in the city of Washington, D.C. It was an auction of designs, actually patent models of old inventions that did not make it in the world at large. These 150,000 old inventions were declared obsolete and put up for auction. Prospective buyers and on-lookers chuckled as item after item was put up for bid, such as a bed-bug buster or an illuminated cat that was designed to scare away mice. Then there was a device to prevent snoring. It consisted of a trumpet that reached from the mouth to the ear and was designed to awaken the snorer and not the neighbours. One person designed a tube to reach from his mouth to his feet so that his breath would keep his feet warm as he slept. There was an adjustable pulpit which could be raised or lowered. You could hit a button and make the pulpit descend or ascend to illustrate a point dramatically. Obviously, at one time somebody had high hopes for each of those designs which did not make it. Some died in poverty, having spent all of their money trying to sell their dream. They represented a mountain of disappointments. One hundred fifty thousand broken dreams! Is there anything sadder? Today’s Gospel describes the shattered dreams of two of Jesus’ disciples at the tragic and unexpected death of their Master whom they trusted as their promised Messiah. 

As Jesus met them on the road to Emmaus so he meets us on our Emmaus Road, both in the ordinary experiences of our lives, and in the places to which we retreat when life is too much for us.  We, too, have hopes and dreams about better health, healing, financial security and better family relationships.  These often shatter.  The story promises us, however, that Jesus will come to us in unfamiliar ways to support and strengthen us when we least expect the risen Lord.  Emmaus moments come to us when we meet the risen Christ on our life’s journey through rough times like the present lockdown due to the virus.