A message from Fr John

Dear Friends

Good morning - cold enough for you? Do your best to stay warm and safe.

What sad news last night from the USA. That great country has in so many ways been a beacon of hope and generosity for many, many years in dark times across Europe and the world at large, which is why the news last night from Washington was so disturbing. Please pray that order will be restored quickly and the ordinary political processes of bridge building across communities will be maintained.

For sure, it’s not easy finding good news these days but a couple of things come to mind:

    1. Our schools, teachers, parents and students are rapidly adjusting to the new demands that were thrust upon them at such short notice. They are all making heroic efforts to maintain standards and morale. Our Catholic schools are vial component of the life of the Church in this diocese; let’s support them as best we can.

    2. I saw a report in a newspaper over the weekend concerning wind farms in the North Sea. It seems that on Boxing Day, Storm Bella ensured that more than half of Britain’s daily electricity came from wind turbines for the first time (Julian Ambrose). And whilst it’s true that every form of energy comes at a cost, it must be satisfying to know that we are not completely dependent on carbonised fuels during the winter. Let’s hope that we can continue to make all the efforts to bring down the impact of climate change.

Tomorrow I’ll include some material from CAFOD about how we can continue to contribute.

St Joseph, pray for us

Every blessing

Fr John