THE FUNERAL OF FR BEVERLEY AHEARN:

Fr Bev’s body will be received into the church at 7:00pm on Sunday evening and his funeral will take place at noon on Monday (11 March) and, of course, he will be buried in our cemetery afterwards. You are all welcome to join us as we leave a much-loved brother and friend safely in the hands of the Lord. Once again, we offer his brother, Raymond, and all his family our sincere condolences and thank them for their loving care in accompanying Fr Bev during the last weeks of his life.

LAETARE SUNDAY:

The Church invites us to take a breather this weekend as we reach the midway point of Lent. In St Mary’s the rose vestments leave us in no doubt about the significance of the special Sundays in Advent and Lent, but in Bishop Eton we have to allow the liturgy to lift our spirits.

The entrance antiphon is the key:

“Rejoice, Jerusalem, and all who love her. Be joyful, all who were in mourning; exult and be satisfied at her consoling breasts.”

Hopefully, this special season of preparation for Easter is going well for you, but if not, why not take a deep breath and gently commit yourself to try and use the remaining three weeks as a time to deepen your friendship with the Lord?

 PASTORAL LETTER

This weekend we share Archbishop Malcolm’s Pastoral Letter with you.

He returns to the theme of accompaniment to help us understand the unfolding programme of the Synod and the vision of Pope Francis for the Church of the future. This prompts me to reflect with gratitude on the countless experiences I have had of people accompanying me on my pilgrimage through life and the grace-filled opportunities I have had of accompanying others. A perfect illustration of this is found in Fr Bev Ahearn, who was called home by the Lord last week. He was there for me on many occasions during my life and it was a privilege to have lived next door to him over these last few years. As we try to envisage how the concept of ‘families of parishes’ might enable us to develop an awareness of the value of being there for one another, I am not sure we need to be making great plans as to how to effect this: rather, let’s try to cultivate a deeper sensitivity to the needs of our neighbours and to use that scriptural image, ‘be on the alert’ to respond to them. A few weeks ago, as I thought back over the challenges of the Pandemic, I noted that often we do this almost instinctively: I guess the trick then is to nurture that instinct and realise that it is built around the conviction that we are all children of God, brothers and sisters of Jesus and temples of the Holy Spirit.

THE LOURDES GROTTO AT ST MARY’S:

You will note what a magnificent job has been done in cleaning the statues and the surrounding area. Immense thanks to those who volunteered to make this possible. For me, it is another perfect illustration of what wonderful support continues to be forthcoming, as parishioners take the initiative at all sorts of different levels.

COPING WITH DEATH, COPING WITH LIFE:

For those of you who have tuned into my weekly message, you will have noted  that I was grappling with the mood swings which beset us all. I used a treasured reflection of the late Cardinal Basil Hume, which shares both the questions and doubts that can arise in our minds and hearts, but also leads on to that hope, which springs eternal and leads us to Christ. For me it is a perfect illustration of the honest dialogue which I yearn to have on all the issues with which we grapple in the Church and in society at large.

FR BEVERLEY AHEARN, CSsR, RIP

(1 August 1929 to 22 February 2024):

Fr Bev finally died on Thursday afternoon at 3:25pm and it was fitting that his niece, Una, was at his bedside. She had stayed by him for hours, including many nights, during these past few weeks. Fr Andrew and I had both visited in the previous three hours and we gathered again with his brother Raymond to pray in thanksgiving that the Lord had finally called him. He will be sorely missed by our Redemptorist Community and by his loving family, all of whom have been attentive during his final illness. With the loss of his sight some years ago, Bev’s final years were challenging, but he radiated a serenity and peace, which were inspirational. I, personally, have many reasons to be grateful for his friendship and wise counsel. May he rest in peace. We anticipate that his funeral will be in early March.

FAMILIES OF PARISHES:

At all the Masses this weekend, David Delaney (St Mary’s) and Elizabeth Parsons (Bishop Eton) will share the agreed statement about the Archdiocesan experiment to form ‘families of parishes’. We will do our best to share our resources and our gifts more widely in the future.

A GOOD START:

Many people have commented on the wonderful congregations on Ash Wednesday, so ‘thank you’ for your good example and please take note of the various events in both parishes to help us ensure that we make the most of Lent. I mention particularly the sessions on the next five Friday evenings, when Fr Tony Cassidy CSsR, will explore the previous Sunday’s readings in a way that would not be possible during the short homily at Mass. You can be assured that he will entertain you.

FASTING AND PRAYER:

I realise that I forgot to remind everyone that Ash Wednesday is one of the two days in the calendar when the Church asks us to fast and abstain. In case you are wondering which is the other one: well, it is Good Friday. Anyway, if you did not remember, please do not start worrying yourselves unnecessarily. In the past these obligations were impressed upon us to the extent that they could become burdens, which weighed heavily, sometimes leading to scruples and anxiety. By the same token, they were so legislated for, that they could resemble the kind of strict adherence to detail that Jesus condemned in the scribes and Pharisees.

For example, when Andrew and I were novices, the prescriptions in Canon Law provided for one main meal and only a certain number of ounces at breakfast and supper. Accordingly, scales were put out for the confrères to ensure that they did not exceed the designated amounts, while the main meal actually had an extra portion! Furthermore, because, as novices, we were still below the canonical age for fasting (21), we were not entitled to the extra portion, which was often the only appetising dish on the menu! Hopefully, you get my point. Jesus came to liberate us. We know the physical and spiritual benefits of healthy diets and avoiding excess. My prayer is that this Lent will offer us the opportunity to be liberated in every way and help us to deepen our prayer-life, realising just how much our Lord wants the best for us.

HALF-TERM:

With Easter so early, half-term is already upon us. We wish everyone a good break. With the four Masses on Ash Wednesday, I hope many of the children will be able to experience the blessing and distribution of ashes in the church. Otherwise, for many it will just be another church event solely associated with school life!