From St Charles School

Three Vacancies: at Crich, Measham& Derby

Director of Youth Service.  The Diocese seeks to appoint a professionally qualified Director of Youth Service who combines a deep personal commitment to their Catholic faith with a vibrant and enthusiastic passion for Catholic youth ministry and retreat provision among young people.
This full-time post will be based at The Briars Youth Retreat Centre in Crich. For further information contact Teresa Clark on 01773 852044 or bookings@ndcys.com
Closing date for all applications 3rd January.

Advent starts

In my homily this weekend I quoted a homily by St Bernard. You can read more of St Bernard's words here.

These few words give us a flavour:

In his first coming our Lord came in our flesh and in our weakness; in this middle coming he comes in spirit and in power; in the final coming he will be seen in glory and majesty.
In case someone should think that what we say about this middle coming is sheer invention, listen to what our Lord himself ways: If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him.

Newsletter for 2/3 December - Advent 1(B)

Click here to read the latest newsletter.

As I did last year, during Advent, I shall post a piece of music each week to help us reflect on the season. The first is a very familiar chant from Taizé.



If your usual route to Church is via Market Street, you will need to allow a little more time on Saturday and Sunday....

Act in support of Catholic Education

Do you support Catholic schools and the right of Catholics to send their children to them?
Then we need you to make your voice heard. The Government is making a critical decision on whether to overturn the admissions cap which prevents new Catholic schools from allowing all Catholic pupils to attend.
The Prime Minister has acknowledged that this policy discriminates against Catholics and had promised previously to abandon it. Now the Government may decide to keep this discriminatory policy in place instead of removing it. We need you to tell the Government not to discriminate against Catholics and to remove the admissions cap on new faith-based schools.
Visit http://catholicnews.org.uk/education-cap to write to the Government and urge them to drop their policy which bans new Catholic schools.

Christ the King - Deacon Andrew's Homily

Click here to read Deacon Andrew's homily for the Solemnity of Christ the King.

Mother Teresa used to say that when we die and meet the Lord face to face we will be asked how have we loved. The more time we spend before the Blessed Sacrament in Adoration; the more time we meet him in Holy Communion; the more we receive his mercy in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, the more we will see him in others.
When we truly see Christ in our neighbour; when we love our neighbour as Christ loves us - then we need not fear our judgement. When we love as Christ loves we will certainly hear him say “Come, you whom my Father has blessed, take for your heritage the kingdom prepared for you.”

Our Bishop's Catechesis on Adoration

Here is the message from Bishop Patrick seen by all the Catholic Schools in the Diocese on Friday last.

Our Bishop presents a simple and profound catechesis, based on his own daily experience of Adoration. Indeed, he gives us a deep and honest insight into his own spirituality. So much of what he says resonates very deeply with my own experience.

Although this was produced for our schools, there is so much here that can help any Catholic who wants to pray better, who sometimes finds it difficult to pray, and yet who knows that prayer is the lifeblood of any authentic Christian life. Isn't that all of us!

Whatever your age, please do watch this video. It takes less than ten minutes.

Please remember the forthcoming opportunities for adoration in our own parishes:

• Every Saturday evening, OLOL, 4.45 - 5.15pm (with Sacrament of Reconciliation)
• Tuesday, 28 November, St Charles Church, 1.10 - 2.15pm (with children from St Charles School)
• Monday, 18 December, OLOL, 6.30 - 8pm (with two priests available for Sacrament of Reconciliation, and with Prayers for Vocations)