ANNIVERSARIES:
In recent times we have been thanking God for the blessings that are recalled when we celebrate significant anniversaries. Bishop Ralph’s Golden Jubilee of Ordination is the most recent but in April we gave thanks for St Gerard Majella as it marked the 300th anniversary of his birth. As I look into the future there are a couple of very significant anniversaries that are already being planned. On the 9 November 2032 we will celebrate the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica and the 300th anniversary of Alphonsus founding the Redemptorist Congregation. And the following year the whole Church is preparing to celebrate the 2,000th anniversary of the death of our Lord Jesus Christ. When you get to a certain age – l had my 56th anniversary of Ordination last Tuesday – you begin to wonder whether you will be around for these occasions in the coming years, and that is not being morbid, just realistic. We are living in this rapidly changing world and, as you know, I am trying to work with you as we look into the immediate future and strive to lay plans which will ensure that our community of faith continues to grow and flourish.
Imaginative ideas are being discussed about how we can re-establish a Parish Council, which will be able to embrace all aspects of parish life. The hope is that we can find a structure which is less formal and more fluid, enabling a regular exchange of ideas and insights and therefore be as effective as possible. Watch this space and, in the meantime, have a really good holiday.
I have a few commitments with weddings and funerals in the coming weeks but hope to get away for a couple of breaks before the autumn brings not just the start of a new academic year, but an official visit from the Redemptorist General Council during the last two weeks of September.
