At the beginning of Lent, I would like to recommend a book for your reading.
No Greater Love: A Biblical Walk Through Christ’s Passion, by Edward Sri (Link to Amazon – CLICK HERE)
We will be following this book through the weeks of Lent. Taking time to look at the whole of the biblical story of the Passion as we journey together…
Each Sunday will see us looking at a particular element of the Passion 1. The Prayer of the Agony 2. Peter denies Jesus 3. Judas the Betrayer 4. The Good Thief 5. The Death of Jesus
For the first time in a while, we were able to meet face to face as a Parish Pastoral Council this week. For me, it was one of those moments where you really have to step back and look at the magnitude and shift that has taken place in our lives and our work. It was also a moment where the importance of the community we have shines out as a key to everything we are and do
The gathering was not primarily about looking back but looking forward. Time passes. We really need to listen to the pulse of the times, but the uncertainty that this brings cannot cause us to simply standstill.
There is a lot going on around us. COP26 will be with us shortly (watch out for ways to be involved – CAFOD are inviting to a petition for example – we will be praying during mass for this event too). In the Church the Pope is inviting to a Synodal process, discerning on a wider scale the promptings of the Holy Spirit who is constantly at work. In the Diocese here we have just entered Stage 4 of Hope in the future where we focus on our outreach and Evangelisation.
Interestingly, over the pandemic, we have grown. We have more people in offices and roles than before. There are still many challenges that we need help with – but progress is real.
Challenging is the continued uncertainty that we face. We talked a lot yesterday about our relationship with Church, the Eucharist, Parish. The challenges of busy-ness – all the other institutions are opening up too – parents being full employed taxi drivers to the multitude of programs they are involved in. More important than ever to make conscious choices – and Fatih and Community should belong high up on the list of priorities as you make decisions as to what to actually invest in.
We continue to discern our way. I hope you are doing well as you make the important decisions moving forward.
Keep an eye on the newsletter – there is lots to look forward to in November – our Adult Formation program looks at what this intro is pondering….
The last few days have been full of many great experiences. Firstly the celebration of the silver anniversary of my Ordination, then, starting my course in Clinical Counselling in Chester.
The first event was a chance to look back and remember the many people and experiences that have been a part of my journey over those years. I was so grateful to the incredible effort put in by so many of you to make the feast a great success. For me it was a success not because of the 25 years that have been, but that we have a community that gathers around the Eucharist today that values the presence of a priest and his task of making Christ present in the heart of the community. The guests that came, my community and family were in awe of the great atmosphere we create together at St Vincent’s. So the feast for me was not just about memory, but about mission.
The second part of the week was about the challenge we face as a Church and I do as a priest – what do the next 25 yeas look like. It has been a challenging but fun reality going “back to school”. I have the feeling that I am the oldest… I have to continue, as we all do, to ask the question of how we can be and build Church in the changing wold in which we live….
If the next 25 years are as adventurous as the last – we are in for a ride…
Don’t know about you – but I do have the feeling we are moving toward more normality. There is still some uncertainty in the air as to how things will progress – but on the whole – we seem to be getting there…
The month of September is the month we celebrate the feast of St Vincent – the month to celebrate our Parish life. Traditionally, we have also held our AGM in this month. As we get back to doing more things together I would like to hold our AGM as we did 2 years ago, after Mass on the weekend before the feast of St Vincent on the 27th September…. It will take about 15 minutes…
The AGM will be after Mass on Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th September – we will give you a brief report on what has gone on over the last year and a half. We will need to take time to share and catch up with one another after so much has happened, and we have not had the opportunities we have had now… The AGM will be the start of that process…
We are in a fantastic position. We are still here after a long absence, our community strengthened with the experiences that have shaped us the past 18 months.
We have the chance to start again with a blank slate. Not only that, but we have made new and different experiences over the pandemic that can stand us in good stead moving forward.
What do we want to get back to?
What would we like to be different?
What are new ways can we be community from now on?
With the reports, we will be letting you know about a couple of projects that are coming up on the horizon….
You are welcome to share your thoughts and impressions looking forward and looking back. Let’s see where God is guiding us…
These have been very different summer holidays. Even though I, as well as many of you, are not in school any more, a lot of our lives are moulded by the rhythm of the school year. That is always a pointer for me. I don’t remember ever having to live with such prolonged uncertainty on a day to day basis. Good that we have our faith to guide and comfort, to encourage and challenge us.
It is important for me at the moment to use every milestone – like schools starting up – to orientate myself. Through the pandemic time has stood still and accelerated at the same time. Being overwhelmed is an experience that is never too far from the surface.
It is a time where we are not just ploughing forward, but need to come together and listen to one another. Help each other heal and so be healthy for the journey ahead. This is not just true of our schools but for our places of work, our homes, our places of worship and in our dealings with one another in our town.
When the traffic builds in the next week – remember to not only slow down in the car – but in your life too.
It has been a strange few weeks. We have been moving out of the restrictions slowly at Church and I think things have gone reasonably well. There is still some space for those who wish to social distance, but the body of the Church is now back to normal use. Durning the week, numbers have gone down as people become busier with other things. Sundays we are seeing new faces – but still have plenty of space…
It is going to take a while for us to get used to being around one another again – let’s give it some time – and some effort. Will try another experiment next week. We will be celebrating the Requiem for Joan Thomas, and we are going to try singing (with masks) and see if this is an improvement on humming (I love the humming).
September and October will see some more developments. We will have all our weekday Masses both live and online. When I am not around I am re-introducing Eucharistic Services led by our Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist.
As many of you are aware, in October there are two key moments for me. Firstly, I will be celebrating my Silver Jubilee of Ordination. Celebrating in the Parish on Sunday 3rd October, also with a Mass on the day of the Jubilee in the Church I was ordained, Mount Carmel, Blackley. To round things up, there is a celebration at the Shrine on the 16th October. Details will be circulated in due course. Thanks for all the well-wishes and greetings.
Secondly, I am heading back to University. I begin a course in Clinical Counselling in October. It is a part-time course that does not mean I will be leaving St Vincent’s. It does, however, mean I will need to make a few adjustments, one of which is that there will be no services from October on a Wednesday. Keep your eye on the Newsletter and on our Website.
As we move forward, we do so in faith. Let’s keep on asking for guidance from God. I am sure you have got many ideas moving forward – but let’s make sure we take time to stop and listen…
Its easy to know what others must do. The questioon is what is asked of me.
This week has been an important week in the history of our Amateur Dramatics Society. Like many organisations they find themselves in difficult circumstances after 25 great years of entertaining audiences twice a year. As with many other societies, and many parts of our Church, there is a challenge, not to find actors for the stage, but to find people to put out the chairs. This, of course, is a caricature, but it is also a challenge for us as we attempt to define a new normal.
We do live in a culture that provides services. This is a fantastic thing – especially if you are hungry for a Big Mac at three o’clock in the morning. But it does bring with it a culture of passivity and high expectation. As well as catching myself doing it, I attend many gatherings where I am informed in no uncertain terms what I “should” be doing. We love having an opinion on what others ought to be doing.
How will things go with Dramatics?… Well, I am pleased to say that a production is in the pipeline. Beyond that, time will tell. Be on the look-out for info and think whether you would want to get involved.
As we move to a new normal, please consider two things.
Firstly, it is more important than ever that we have to learn to work together. In my experience, people want to know what they are meant to do and then get on with it without any bother. If we don’t learn to work together and spend time not just on the task, but on the community that that task is to serve, we have missed a trick.
Secondly, even if you can only do something small here in the community – that thing is important!
What will the new normal be? Will it be the old repeated or something new and inspired, coming from the many new experiences and lessons of these past months?
I am hopeful for us, and for our Dramatics Society.
We live in a country where the weather changes rapidly and often.
Many years ago I had an experience in India. I was working there in our seminary. I was involved in the organisation of one of the large feast days, where 6-8 thousand people would attend. It was the beginning of the rainy season and the planning meeting was scheduled for 5pm. At 4pm on the dot, the rain came down. Wow. It was torrential. The streets were like free flowing streams – a bit like in the many flooding scenes we have seen over the last months. Un-deterred, I headed of to the house of the Schoenstatt Sisters, where the meeting was to be held. I arrived around 4.55pm. I knocked on the door and a sister opened with a surprised look on her face. “Why are you here?” She asked. “I’ve come for the planning meeting”, I replied. Her answer has stayed with me until today. “But it is raining.”
For us, if we were to cancel meetings every time it rained – we would not get very much done.
There are many storms at the moment. We just need to switch on the news to see wildfires and floods. In the Church and in politics, there are so many cracks and issues, it can become overwhelming. Add on to that the heavy toll of the pandemic, and there is a danger that we will not find the energy to look for God’s plan as we move forward in our life as a community.
I am asking everyone to use a portion of the energy to be creative about our Parish life. To invest in it. To get involved and to bring ideas. So many things have changed and there is a longing to get back to normal. I want us too, long not for the past – but for a better future. Not only long for it, but, make it happen.
As we celebrate the feast of the Assumption – let’s ask Our Lady to raise our eyes to heaven, to raise our eyes to God and to have the courage and conviction to ask him where he wants us to go.
Even if this is not a question for you, it is a conversation you will be having.
I feel a little like the preacher that gets up in the pulpit and berates the congregation because no one comes to Church anymore. I know that you are the wrong audience for this in a way. On the other hand, it is a convention you may be drawn into with friends and family. It’s a conversation we all need to have.
The strangeness of the pandemic
The pandemic has impacted on different people in very different ways. As we have this conversation, I think a basic first rule of engagement is – don’t presume anything. I am amazed meeting with people coming back to Church over the last couple of weeks, some of them have no idea that we have been open or active over the last few months. Even with our over 500 live streams, reaching out and delivering to over 40 households – even then there are people we have not reached. You can imagine that some people felt abandoned by the Church. It is hard for some to comprehend that the Church would “bow” to the call to close. On the other hand, some have never been so connected to the Church than over this pandemic. It is a real mixed bag…
The lifting of the obligation
At the beginning of the pandemic, the Pope, and then our Bishops, announced the lifting of the obligation to attend Mass on Sunday. The obligation to attend mass will be re-introduced on the 1st Sunday of Advent. For some, this is an important fact and milestone. Not just important – but a bone of contention. For others, the fact of the obligation is now a bit of an academic question. How conscious people are today of that “obligation” to attend. Certainly, from modern experience, this does not seem to affect the behaviour of a majority. It remains a fact of our Church discipline and one again that must be approached as we move forward. There is an objective and a subjective side to all of these elements – both valid – and both needing to be addressed. I certainly would want people to come because they want to. On the other hand, we are a Church of conviction and belonging and not simply of convenience. A challenging concept.
The role of live-streaming
Our Church was live-streaming well before the pandemic. In the pandemic, we had to up our game massively and expand our capabilities. There is a valid ministry to those who for legitimate reasons cannot get to Church. Streaming was a lifeline to many during the pandemic and kept that connection to the community alive. The growth of the community through our online connection was also a reality. Many who joined us online though found it a great support, but it is certainly not the same as attending and receiving Holy communion. It was convenient, with lots of stories being banded about of the joy of attending mass in your slippers, a cup of tea in hand. There are big challenges here concerning the reality of what a sacred space is and how we understand “real presence”. The domestic Church is also a reality and something that, I believe, has been strengthened over this year. But what about our sense of belonging and accountability. We are called to be a “real” community, and that is challenged and strengthens in our encounter – not from a distance. Our horizons have certainly been expanded and challenged. Yet more challenges to look at with an open mind.
The habit
Research from University College London has shown that it takes 66 days to form a habit. I have not seen research as to how quickly habits can be lost. But I am convinced that over the last months’ many habits have been formed and some lost. We all need to check what has changed for us over these last months.
What has become important that needs to be reevaluated? What is important that has taken a back seat that needs to be revitalized?
Don’t panic!
As we come out of the pandemic, we have a fantastic opportunity to join with one another in “building” our Church again. We have experienced and learned so much about each other and our faith over these last months. One of the great lessons for me is the fact that things can change, and that the change although challenging is not necessarily a bad thing. We have found new ways of doing things and see the weaknesses in how we have managed things in the past. Let’s build on that.
The big challenge for me at this minute is to remain calm in the midst of the perceived great insecurity. TV experts debate ad nausium about each aspect of the changes coming. You have to be careful not to be completely sucked in to the eternal debates and discussion.
The 19th July will mark a significant milestone on our journey through this pandemic. Although we have not received any direction from the diocese as yet, the key factors are clear for us moving forward.
We still have the same mission we had before, during and after the pandemic.
Rules on social distancing and other restrictions will change.
We will respond as a caring community.
We have planned through to the end of July. There will be stewards in place for all masses, so we can calmly manage the transition. Our rhythm of public masses on Wednesday and Friday – the others online only – will continue.
The suggested changes are:
We will remove the ropes to make all benches available and so be able to fit more people in.
We will keep mass as it is now – people going to communion when called by stewards at the end and leaving immediately. There will be no singing.
We want to keep the need to wear a mask to offer a sense of security to all.
It would be great if you could get in touch and let me know what you think…
God bless
Fr Andrew
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