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Justice & Peace Webinar 2021

The number of people experiencing food insecurity has increased dramatically during the COVID-19 19 crisis, with families in our diocese under increasing pressure.  Join our free Justice & Peace Webinar to find out what parishes can do to help on Saturday 16th January 2021:  10 am to 12.30 pm.  To book you free place and receive the Zoom link, contact Rosie Read, Social Action Secretary, at [email protected]

Deacon John Writes

Last Tuesday was the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and should have been a Holy Day of Obligation when all Catholics should attend Mass.  In the current situation this was impossible so I have included an attempt to lighten the situation which I found on the internet:

The Pharisees brought the woman, caught red-handed in adultery, before Jesus for judgment, and Jesus said, “Let the person who is without sin cast the first stone.” They fell silent, and then, all of a sudden, a stone came flying from the crowd. Jesus looked up, surprised and amused, and then said, “Hold it, mother? I was trying to make a point, here.

This Sunday is the third Sunday of Advent and is called “Gaudete Sunday” because the Mass for today (in its original Latin text), begins with: “Gaudete in Domino semper” – which translates as “Rejoice in the Lord always.” This is reminding us that we are getting ever nearer to the birth of Jesus which we celebrate at Christmas, so the rose candle in the Advent wreath is lit, and the priest and deacon may wear rose vestments. The common theme of the readings is one of joy and encouragement. They urge us to prepare ourselves in our hearts and lives as we await the rebirth of Jesus. Scripture reminds us that the coming of Jesus, past, present, and future, is the reason for our rejoicing. 

Malcolm Muggeridge wrote the following: Through her ministry in Jesus’ name, Mother Teresa brought untold blessings and joy to the poor who lay unattended and forgotten on our streets. When asked the source of her joy, Mother Teresa replied: “Joy is prayer — joy is strength — joy is love — joy is a net of love. . . A joyful heart is the normal result of a heart burning with love . . . loving as He loves, helping as He helps, giving as He gives, serving as He serves, rescuing as He rescues, being with Him twenty-four hours, touching Him in His distressing disguise.”

Fr Rory Writes

In Ireland there was a well known poet, who was greatly loved and appreciated.  He was blind and his name was “Raftery an File”.  For the winter he used to move down into the south of Ireland, the prosperous part where I lived, but he really thought we were a lot of mean old people, but he much preferred to live with his own people out in the west of Ireland.

So he used to really look forward to his return there.  He left us a great rich legacy.  A poem in Gaelic.  The words were “anois teacht an earraigh”.  Now with the coming of Spring I will raise up my sail and tar eis na feil Bride… and after the Feast of St Bridget – 1st February – he would take off for happier summer grounds.  I very much identify with his sentiments.  After this most difficult year, and we still have quite a time to go to survive, we can all look forward like Raftery an File, we can also be prepared to lift up our hearts and re-launch our lives once again.

For the moment “grace and peace”.   May this holy season bless, strengthen and restore us.  I am most grateful for all the help that I am getting in spite of or maybe on account of the difficulties that we have been going through.

Justice & Peace Webinar 2021

Justice & Peace Webinar 2021:  How Should this Diocese Respond to the Food Poverty Crisis?

The number of people experiencing food insecurity has increased dramatically during the Covid 19 crisis, with families in our diocese under increasing pressure.  Join our free Justice & Peace Webinar to find out what parishes can do to help on Saturday 16th January 2021:  10 am to 12.30 pm.  To book your free place and receive the Zoom link, contact Rosie Read, Social Action Secretary, at [email protected]

Deacon John Writes

The second Sunday of Advent has readings based on the theme of “Homecoming”. They focus on how essential it is for us to prepare for Christ to come home into our hearts and lives through repentance, making good anything that has gone wrong in our lives, prayer and the determination and effort needed to renew our lives. God has a saving plan for every one of us through our attendance at Mass, through the Scriptures and through the community life of prayer and thanksgiving.

Isaiah tells us about the Babylonian exiles coming home to their native country, Judah, and their holy city, Jerusalem. He assures them that the Lord promises them that it will be a grand procession and he will take care of them as a shepherd cares for his sheep. This is then reflected in the Psalm with the promise of peace when the Lord comes.

The Gospel tells us that during our preparation for Christmas we need to allow Jesus to be reborn in our lives.  People around us should recognise this happening in our lives by the way we share our love around us, by unconditional forgiveness, with a compassionate and merciful heart and a spirit of humble and committed service. So let us all accept John’s challenge to turn this Advent season into a real spiritual “homecoming” by making the necessary preparations for the fresh arrival of Jesus into our hearts and lives at Christmas.

Fr Rory Writes

“These are the trials by which we triumph through the power of Him who loves us”.  I am receiving help to prepare a letter from some persons from our leaven group at St George’s.  This will be sent  out to members of our parish.  This gives me a chance to say thank you to them and to all who have helped me through the years.  Also to acknowledge how reliant I am upon receiving that help.  One of the fruits from the pandemic, is a deeper awareness of the solid foundation that our faith is built upon.

Returning to our first lockdown in March, when a stringent isolation process helped me to focus clearing upon our churches liturgy.  From the end of Lent, giving the Holy Season my fullest attention; on through Holy Week, then the celebration of the Ascension and the great promise of Pentecost .  This promise  “I am with you always”, this was so well echoed by Springwatch.  The great challenge that will be ours, when we climb our way out from the grief caused by the pandemic, there will be a great challenge from global warming that will be the consequences of human greed and exploitation.  For our church this may be more drastic, as we have experienced a great loss of credibility. 

I keep returning to a privileged time when I was in the seminary in the late sixties.  The second Vatican Council had ended and one professor in particular, together with all of us in the seminary, was inspired with the spirit of the council.  It reflected a time of great hope, but the seeds for the opposite to happen were deeply ingrained.  So the fact that the seminaries have emptied is a very important consideration and sets the scene for life following on from the coronavirus.

Again, the great assurance “I am with you always”.  We are deeply and unconditionally loved by the living God.  Our sure hope, our sure foundation, and our sure point of reference as we continue our journey of faith.  Let us have love one for another.

Love In A Box 2020

Thank you to all the members of both parishes who have been able to contribute to this year’s Love in a Box event.

Despite the difficulties and restrictions we have all faced this year, you have been able to contribute 17 boxes filled with gifts, 35 cosy blankets and over £80 towards transportation costs. It’s wonderful to know that the obstacles posed by COVID 19 have not stopped us from supporting this worthwhile cause.

Christmas Masses at St Wilfrid’s Church

Christmas Masses at St Wilfrid’s Church:  Christmas Eve – 4pm & 7pm

Please email [email protected] or Tel: 01323 841504 to put your name on the list, due to restrictions on numbers, a raffle will be drawn for you to be allocated a place and you will be duly notified if you have been allocated a seat.  The last date to book will be Wednesday 16th December.  Thank you.

Christmas Masses at St George’s Church

Christmas Masses at St. George’s Church:

Christmas Eve Morning – 10.00am   Christmas Day 9.30 a m

We have contacted as many parishioners as possible and these Masses are fully subscribed,  but the Christmas Day Mass will be live streamed offering a wonderful opportunity for us all to share in the celebration of the Birth of our Lord.  Due to Covid 19 restrictions, entrance to the church is by ticket only. Please do not come to the church unless you have the appropriate ticket. Stewards will also have a list of attendees for each day. I’m deeply sorry, but those who have not booked in will be turned away. This is to reduce the risk of spreading Covid 19 and is in line with government requirements regarding spacing.

Christmas Masses in other churches:

Our Lady of Ransom  Christmas Eve – 6.00pm, 9.00pm and Midnight Mass at 12.00.   Christmas Day –  9.15am, 11.30am

St Agnes     Christmas Eve – 6.00pm and 8.00pm.  Christmas Day – 8.00am (Mass in Latin) and 11.15am

St Gregory’s     Christmas Eve – 6.00pm.  Christmas Day – 9.30am and 11am

Booking is essential for all Masses