THE NEW REDEMPTORIST FEDERATION OF NORTH-WEST EUROPE:

The Feast of Saint Alphonsus is of special significance to those of us in this part of Europe because today our new Federation is being inaugurated.  Fr Richard, our Provincial, the other Provincials and confrères from the four Provinces, are joining Fr General in Limerick for a special celebration to mark the occasion. Bro Michael Duxbury is there representing Bishop Eton. Again I beg your prayers that we will find new ways of cooperating with one another which can help foster more vocations and enable us to continue to preach a Gospel of plentiful redemption to as many people as possible.

RETREATS AND SUMMER BREAKS:

I am writing these few notes before leaving for Perth on Monday morning for my retreat and I am confident that the coming week will be greatly blessed: I feel that there is something providential about the way the opportunity for me to take part has arisen. Meanwhile, I hope that you will all be able to get some quality time for rest and relaxation over the coming weeks, before we reassemble for another school year and all the associated changes in the life of our parishes that await us in the autumn.

ARCHDIOCESAN LOURDES PILGRIMAGE:

I am conscious that two years ago I was with the pilgrims in Lourdes, marking the centenary since the first diocesan pilgrimage. That will always be remembered for the remarkable cure of Jack Traynor, a miracle that has now been officially recognised by the authorities there. You may recall that some months ago we celebrated that event in our Cathedral and the Bishop of Lourdes preached at the Mass. This year’s pilgrimage covers this weekend, so we can unite our prayers with the pilgrims, and I suggest we remember especially the army of young people who form a team of helpers. They always return from Lourdes with their faith enlivened and a new sense of purpose. We pray for them all, but especially for those whom we have sponsored from our parishes. It is also a good opportunity to renew our commitment to the Jubilee Year when we are being invited to see our lives as a pilgrimage in hope. This will be Archbishop John’s first pilgrimage with Liverpool, although he was there two years ago with Westminster and I met with him for the first time again in well over twenty years! This year Fr David Gamble is among the clergy and has asked me to cover in Stockbridge Village on Sunday morning, so that is where I will be for the 10am Mass this weekend.

FR TIM - SPECIAL INTENTIONS:

Among the Mass intentions received this week was one from the secretary of Network for a Better World for Professor Ken Holden (and his wife Jenny). Ken is retiring from his voluntary role in looking after their finances with meticulous care over many years. It reminds me that there are many of you quietly using your gifts in serving the community in similar ways. Thank you for your quiet and unassuming good example.

FR TIM - REDEMPTORIST PROVINCE RETREAT:

Thanks to the gracious help of Bishop Tom Williams, I will be able to go to Perth this week for our Province Retreat. Bishop Tom will look after the funeral of Stephen Patrick Vaughan at noon on Wednesday at Bishop Eton Church. There will be a sizeable congregation because I know the family have eight limousines following the hearse.

FR TIM - CONFIRMATIONS:

We had a joyful celebration as Archbishop John Sherrington confirmed forty-seven young people at St Charles’ church on Wednesday evening and I am sure the same will be true at Our Lady of the Assumption tonight (Friday) with Archbishop Malcolm McMahon. Congratulations to all our young people who have received this Sacrament, and I look forward to the autumn when we will arrange a ceremony for the seven young people for whom these dates were not convenient.

FR TIM - THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR:

It has been a joy in this past week to attend the final school assemblies and celebrate all the Leavers’ Masses as well as hosting at St Mary’s the Mass for the students from Years 7 and 8 at St Julie’s. At the same time, it is a relief to know that, at last, the summer break has arrived. I hope everyone will be able to enjoy some time of rest and recuperation during the coming six weeks.

FR TIM - OUR SPECIAL REDEMPTORIST FEAST:

Each year on the third Sunday of July we celebrate the Feast of the Redemptorist Congregation. Our Founder, Saint Alphonsus, was moved for compassion for those who had been abandoned even by the Church in his day and that should always be foremost in the minds of his sons and daughters as they continue to respond to the needs of the world as we find them today.

There will be no appeal this weekend for the training of our students because we had our foreign mission appeal last Sunday, My hope is that Fr Joseph Musendami will be able to introduce himself when he comes and speaks to us about his vocation and about the work in Zimbabwe, the region still attached to the London Province. Sadly, Joseph’s mother died a few days ago and he has had to return to his own country and will now be joining us for a month from 21^st August. We will look for a suitable Sunday during his stay for him to speak to us.

Our confrères from that country are immensely grateful for all the support we have given them over the years: I am sure that support will continue into the future. Unlike the Province, they do still have young men in training.

BISHOP ETON OFFICE:

Hayley Metcalfe will be on annual leave for the coming fortnight and so the parish office at Bishop Eton will be closed during that period. Fortunately, the rota at the front door of the monastery for receiving visitors and phone calls is functioning very efficiently, so we should be able to respond as usual, especially if there are any emergency calls. At the same time I would ask that you postpone any routine requests until she returns at the beginning of August. Finally, with another heatwave predicted, let’s enjoy the good weather, while taking all the necessary precautions.

SUMMER HOLIDAYS:

Already some schools are breaking up and for others we are entering the final week of term. The coming days will be marked by a series of Leavers’ or end-of-year Masses and assemblies, and then the transition period I shared some thoughts about last week moves us into the summer holidays. We will be blessed over this period with the presence of one of our Zimbabwean confrères, Fr Joseph Musendami. Joseph is studying theology at our Alphonsian Academy in Rome and has asked whether it would be possible to gain some extra pastoral experience with us here in Liverpool. He flies in from Rome next Thursday and we will be with us until the beginning of September. I am assured by Bro Michael Duxbury that he is a very gifted preacher!