A message from Fr John

Dear Friends

Good morning - I hope you enjoyed yesterday’s warmth. It was good whilst it lasted.

I’m sure that, like me, you were disappointed but not surprised at the re-imposition of a lockdown just when we were somehow getting used to the idea of things being a little easier. It is very dispiriting but, as ever, we’ll cope in the best way we can, with patience and confident that 'the Spirit comes to help us in our weakness'.

I am enjoying seeing folk on our zoomed Masses each Sunday and during the week; it re-enforces that sense of us all pulling together as a community even though our worship is so very different - I wonder what our forebears who went through the various persecutions would make of it. However, I am very conscious that quite a number of our parishioners don’t have access to the internet and all it offers in terms of zoomed or live-streamed Masses and the sense of belonging that they offer.

I know that we and they will be praying for each other but I wonder if there’s something more we might do to reach out to the isolated. Hopefully carers and family will be attentive to the needs of the elderly and vulnerable but what of our younger families? How are they coping? What of our new parish members, some of whom are from overseas and don’t have English as a first language albeit that they are very, very faithful and an essential part of our parish community?

A suggestion - see what you think, see if you can respond:

Each week Mrs Hawes sends out by email the leaflet ‘The Lord’s Day at Home’. And so …. Could you perhaps print off two or three copies and deliver them to parishioners whom you know and who live nearby and who maybe are not part of this email, zoom community - push it through the door, ring the bell and stand back - as if you were from Amazon! There are about 160 people (plus your own family members) on the email list and if everyone drops off two or three we will reach all the parish and maybe more besides. Normal safeguards to be observed please.

What do you think? Can it be done? This week's leaflet has been re-sent with this email.

And while we’re at it - can we please remember in our prayers all those families who should have been celebrating First Communions and Baptisms as well as Requiem Masses. We are pondering how best we might resume limited service but when we do we will need more volunteers to help stewarding and cleaning. Maybe now that the parameters are more clearly understood you might consider putting yourself forward. Thank you for you patient perseverance.

The mole says, ‘One of greatest freedoms is how we react to things.’ (He’s a wise mole)

St Joseph, guardian of our parish during these times, pray for us

Every blessing

Fr John