Newsletter for 22/23 September - Sumday 25B

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Thank you - God be with you.

In this Sunday's newsletter I wrote this:

Dear Brothers and Sisters
Thank you for all your love and support over the last five years. I shall miss being with you very much. I thank you for your kindness, and ask forgiveness of any I have failed or wronged in any way.
Today’s Gospel tells us how Simon Peter recognised Jesus as the Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed One. At the Eucharistic Pilgrimage and Congress, Adoremus, in Liverpool last weekend, Bishop Robert Barron told us that our journey to sanctity involves the realisation that it’s not all about me! It’s all about the one whom Peter points out to us as the Christ, the one who died and rose again for us, and calls us to follow him. It is that Death and Resurrection we celebrate in every Mass: We proclaim your Death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection until you come again.
On the last day of his visit to us in 1982, St Peter’s successor, St John Paul II, spoke to the young people of England and Wales at Cardiff. I have never forgotten the powerful impact his words made on me when I heard them on the radio: “It is my hope today, as I return to Rome, that you will remember why I came among you. And as long as the memory of this visit lasts, may it be recorded that I, John Paul II, came to Britain to call you to Christ, to invite you to pray!” That’s how I would like to be remembered among you!
Please welcome Fr Peter warmly. Work with him, pray with him, support him. Every new priest has fresh insights into the vast love of God, the deep riches of our faith, a faith and a love so deep that none of us can grasp more than a little of its beauty and depth.
I shall always pray for you with thanksgiving in my heart. Please pray for me.
God bless you all
Fr Colin

To these thanks, I would like to add my thanks for all the love I have experienced today. Your parting gift was wonderfully generous and will go a long way towards funding the travels we have planned this autumn. Cards and messages I have received have moved me greatly. It was so good to have the involvement of staff and children from St Charles School at my final Sunday Mass with you as parish priest. It was thrilling to see the number of people who stayed behind for refreshments after both Masses.
At the end of Mass I would have liked to thank so many people who have worked with me so willingly and given of their time so generously these last five years. However, I was afraid of two things: I feared that I would forget someone, and also that  I might get very emotional! Please forgive me, and know that, as I write this my heart is filled with gratitude to God and to you all.
God bless you. We shall pray for each other.

Bishop's Pastoral Letter on Education

Today Bishop Patrick has written to us about Catholic Education. You can read his Pastoral Letter here. He updates us on the changes to the way our diocesan schools are run, and issues an invitation for people to consider become Foundation Governors in our schools. He has asked for this to be put in newsletters this weekend:

Foundation Governors are an integral part of the leadership and management of our Catholic schools and make a substantial contribution to their success. Most people find being a governor to be highly rewarding. Across the Diocese of Nottingham, we have a number of vacancies that we need to fill. Bishop Patrick is inviting people to come forward who are willing to become Foundation Governors in our Catholic schools.  If you have the commitment and desire to become a governor now or in the near future, we would be delighted to hear from you.

More information about being a governor is available from the Diocesan Education Service Governor Support Team, (01332 293833) or from the Diocesan Education Service website http://www.dioceseofnottingham.uk/education  where you find a ‘Self-Nomination’  form which we would encourage you to complete and return to us.

Adoremus 2018 - Bite sized Bishop Barron!

I strongly recommend listening to the full presentations I posted here. They are wonderful. (And I've sorted out some problems with the links!) However, if you can't manage the time to listen to them in full, try these bite-sized tasters from Bishop Barron's account of his"Missionary Journey to England!  They may inspire you to listen to the talks in full.

This video from the day before he spoke, sees Bishop Barron's previewing part of what he would share on the Mass as call and response, particularly focusing on the Liturgy of the Word.
This presentation ends with more inspirational words from his keynote talk on the Mass. You might even spot some people you know applauding at the end!

Photos from Adoremus

You can find all the official pictures of Adoremus from the Bishop's Conference here. Can you find anyone you know?

Newsletter for 15/16 September - Sunday 24(B)

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There will be refreshments in the crypt after both Masses at OLOL this weekend to give people a chance to say goodbye to Father Colin. Please stay for a little while if you possibly can.

More from Adoremus

Here are some scenes from Sunday's Eucharistic Procession through the streets of Liverpool. This concluded Adoremus, the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage and Congress.



Those of us who were privileged to be in Liverpool this last weekend found an enormous encouragement in our life of faith. Bishop Patrick is keen that the legacy of this event should be a rich one. With this in mind, the diocese is providing a follow-up day on Saturday October 20th at St Benedict School, Derby, DE22 1JB. All are very welcome, not just those who were at  Liverpool.