RECENT TRAINING:

You will all be aware of the increasing demands in today’s world when it comes to insurances and the like. Accordingly, in the past fortnight Hayley (Admin), Christine  (Cook), Fr Andrew and I have undertaken training courses with the team at the St John Ambulance Headquarters. So now we have our certificates in First Aid and are the nominated Fire Marshals should, God forbid, there be any incidents. Although we are not a registered Care or Nursing Home, you will appreciate that we are expected to follow the requirements of such places when it comes to people in our buildings at any given time.

It is in this context that I remind you all that if you are entering the monastery you are required to sign in and sign out. I gently draw your attention to this because, occasionally, we have experienced people taking exception to this.

 REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY:

This year marked the 80^th anniversary of the end of the Second World War: the war to end all wars, as was fondly hoped! Yet here we are in 2025, seemingly staring down the barrel, with wars and conflicts continuing to rage across the world and tensions between the so-called super powers as troubling as they have been in my lifetime. This weekend offers us another opportunity to thank God for all those who made the ultimate sacrifice in the past and renew our commitment to do all that we can to further the cause of peace. In promising us a peace, which only he can give and assuring us of his abiding presence, Christ enables us to live our lives in hope. We are celebrating this Jubilee Year of Hope and our Redemptorist General repeatedly reminds us that we are missionaries of hope. This causes me to reflect that hope literally springs eternal for us as Christians, and one of the great ways in which I experience a deepening of this virtue is being able to share my faith in Christ with all of you. Accordingly, I thank you again for your good example and your continuing love, support and encouragement for me and our Redemptorist family.

CONGRATULATIONS TO CARDINAL VINCENT:

We wish the Cardinal a very Happy Birthday this weekend. Liverpool born, he went to school at St Mary’s, Crosby, and the School and many of its former pupils honoured him with a meal in London earlier this week. I was privileged to have been invited to the event, and was able to assure the Cardinal of the prayers and good wishes of the Redemptorist family and our parishioners.

 SPECIAL COLLECTION:

Just for good measure, Fr General has asked that we appeal to those parishioners who feel able to support our worldwide mission financially by having a collection on this Feast. Thank you for your continuing generous support in so many ways.

 THE DEDICATION OF THE LATERAN BASILICA:

This Sunday’s Feast is of huge significance for a number of reasons. Firstly, although the focus is often on St Peter’s, the Pope’s Cathedral is actually the Lateran Basilica, dedicated to both St John the Evangelist and St John the Baptist. Dating back to the time of the Roman Empire and Constantine’s conversion, it is, therefore, the Mother Church for us all, a sign of our unity with Pope Leo and the whole Christian community. For our Redemptorist family it is also of considerable significance, because it was on this Feast Day in 1732 that Saint Alphonsus Liguori founded the Congregation. And, furthermore, as many of you know, it was because our Mother Church in Rome is situated between this basilica and that of Saint Mary Major (where Pope Francis is now buried) that we have the icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Succour.

The eve of the Feast this year marks the 80^th birthday of Cardinal Vincent Nichols, and, of course, his church in Rome is that very church, dedicated to Saint Alphonsus and housing the original icon. How about that for a set of connections!

REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY

Next sunday is Remembrance Sunday:

We will have the usual short ceremony at the War Memorial after the 10.00am Mass, united with people across the nation at that time. Having the First Holy Communion Families with us that day will add a special poignancy to the occasion.

 COMINGS AND GOINGS:

Fr Andrew has been away for the past two weekends, firstly with Marriage Encounter and then with Cursillo. I will be in London on Monday   and  Tuesday and this time it does entail Provincial Council business! We welcome back the staff and pupils after half-term, hoping they are refreshed and raring to go.

 JUGGLING WITH ALL THAT DEMANDS OUR TIME AND ATTENTION:

Next weekend is a good example of how difficult it is for all of us to decide on the priorities. Adoremus 2025 at the Cathedral is an invitation to everyone in the Archdiocese to spend time with the Lord and continue to participate as pilgrims in this Jubilee Year of Hope. At the same time our Redemptorist Associates are inviting anyone interested to join them for a day in the Fisher-More Hall, reflecting on what it means to have true and healthy self-esteem. I would like to think more of you may be interested in sharing our Redemptorist spirituality and help to keep the charism alive in our community. Details of both events may be found in this bulletin.

 THE SOLEMNITY OF ALL SAINTS:

Traditionally a Holy Day of Obligation, accordingly the Feast has been transferred to the Sunday this year so that everyone can participate in the celebration of all those who have gone before us and whom we hope are now in heaven. I find it interesting that a new trend is emerging with the canonisation of a number of modern saints, including young Carlo Acutis, whose relic we had here a couple of Sundays ago. I am sure that this is an effort on the part of the Teaching Church to remind us that we don’t have to be totally exceptional to become saints. When I was younger the lives of the saints – which were called hagiographies – were presented in such a way that not only could you not imagine yourself living like them, but you were not sure that you really wanted to imitate them. Happily today, biographies of the saints’ lives usually reveal them to be real people, struggling as you and I do to make sense of it all and cope. I will always be grateful to the Irish Redemptorist, Fr Freddie Jones, for writing a wonderful life of our founder, Saint Alphonsus, which totally transformed my image of that remarkable man. Likewise, I have just read a superb life of Saint John Henry Newman by the Anglican Canon, Rod Garner, and published by Hope University, which has given me a real insight into what a wonderful gift he was to the whole Church, while being, like most of us, a very complex character. So hang on in there and, hopefully, we will all one day be part of the Communion of Saints in the Kingdom of Heaven!

 TAKING STOCK:

Companies have their times of stock-taking and during the past week I decided to try and sort out my office and take stock of what still needs attention and what is now obsolete or irrelevant. I was amazed to find myself wading through mountains of correspondence and information going right back to the early days of the pandemic. The office is looking somewhat tidier!