AN EVENTFUL WEEK:

It has been another busy but rewarding week. I would ask you again to remember in your prayers the repose of the souls of Dr Neil Carmichael (St Mary’s) and Mr Brendan Kelly (Bishop Eton), whose funerals were on Monday and Thursday. As always, their funerals were beautifully prepared and reverently celebrated. Please also keep their grieving families in your prayers. There have also been two weddings, so please ask the Lord’s blessing on Richard and Katy, married at St Mary’s on Friday and Joshua and Beth at Bishop Eton on Saturday. Both Bishop Eton (Tuesday) and Much Woolton (Friday) have had Masses to launch the school year, Carleton House having had a celebration the previous week. I have managed to sandwich in a birthday celebration, assuring the children there is something comforting about having only sevens in the equation! Thank you for the many generous good wishes and greetings. You may be pleased to know that I also had my flu and covid vaccinations, so hopefully I will be well protected from whatever the winter months throw at us.

Talking of sevens, I noted another milestone last weekend: seven years of walking with a FITBIT. Converting kilometres into miles, I calculated that I have walked 16,084 miles in that time (almost two-thirds of the distance around the Equator).

The latest research suggests that you get as much benefit from 4,000 steps as from 10,000, but I am not persuaded, so you will still see me heading for the park whenever possible.