A message from Fr John

Dear Friends

Good morning - I hope you’re well and recovering from the horrendous downpours of Tuesday.

Today is the Feast of St Monica - mother of St Augustine. She is the archetypal mother who never lost faith in her son even when he was wandering down all sorts of unregulated, even wild, paths. Like all mothers she prayed and prayed for her children especially when things were difficult. And her prayer worked - Augustine was converted, received into the Church by St Ambrose of Milan and became Bishop of Hippo in North Africa. He also became one of the great theologians of the Western Church.

She was obviously overjoyed but retained a great simplicity. Her last words to her two sons on her death bed were, ‘Lay this body wherever it may be. Let no care of it disturb you: this only I ask of you that you should remember me at the altar of the Lord wherever you may be.’

She is witness to the value of persistence in prayer - especially the prayer of parents. Where would any os be without he prayer, patience and example of our parents.

Thinking of patience ……

Fishing requires enormous amounts of patience and persistence but it too brings its rewards.
’There is certainly something in fishing that tends to produce a gentleness of spirit, a pure serenity of mind.’ - Washington Irving

There’s a slight change in the timetable

Mass on Friday will be at 5.00pm

St Joseph, pray for us

Every blessing

Fr John