Parish Priest

FR TIM: BISHOP RALPH'S INSTALLATION IN HALLAM 13.7.14

Bishop Ralph's Installation in Hallam. Bishop Ralph Heskett was duly installed as the new Bishop of Hallam last Thursday. It was a very happy event with a liturgy to fit the occasion. Since he has also been asked to be Apostolic Administrator of Gibraltar until a new bishop is appointed there, he certainly has his work cut out. Please keep him in your prayers.

BR. GLYN CSSR'S FUNERAL AND BR. CAJETAN RIP

Bro Glyn's funeral was a blessed occasion and our thanks to those of you who were able to join us at Bishop Eton last Monday. His family, most of whom are not Catholics, were touched by the occasion and are very grateful to everyone who helped make his life as comfortable as possible during these past few years.

A few days after Bro Glyn's death we heard of the death of another of our Redemptorist Brothers, Cajetan. He had been living at Nazareth House in Aberdeen for many years and his funeral was last Thursday in Perth. In less than three months we have lost three of the six remaining brothers in the Province, so you don't need to be a mathematical genius to realise that there are only three now left: Bro William here in Liverpool, who is doing sterling work at the prison and with Mother Teresa's Sisters in town; Bro Michael who is a prison chaplain in Middlesbrough, and Bro Thomas, who is sacristan in Clapham. Many of you will remember the days when each of our large communities would have had half a dozen brothers, so this is a further reminder of the changing face of the Catholic landscape in this country. I will not harp on about it, but you know that the number of active priests we have has also diminished dramatically. It is almost two years since I took on the care of our two parishes, so I have less than two years to run in the four-year cycle and I think we must continue to dialogue about how to prepare for the future. Watch this space!

A FOND GOODBYE

Goodbye from Fr Desmond. May I take this opportunity to say a very sincere thank you for the privilege of serving the parish of Our Lady of The Annunciation, Bishop Eton, for the past nine years.  Thank you for all the kindness, support and generosity of the parish to me over the years.  I am truly grateful for this very blessed time in my life as a Redemptorist priest serving this wonderful parish community. I wish Father Richard, Father Tim, Father Barrie and all the community every joy, blessing and success in the time ahead.

 Goodbye to Fr Desmond. On behalf of all the parishioners and the Redemptorist community I wish to thank Fr Desmond for his faithful service of the parish during the past nine years. We wish him every happiness and success in Edinburgh and assure him of our prayers. Tim Buckley C.Ss.R.

BISHOP RALPH'S INSTALLATION IN HALLAM 6.7.14

Bishop Ralph's Installation in Hallam. This Thursday Bishop Ralph will be installed as Bishop of Hallam in St Marie's Cathedral in Sheffield. Most of the Redemptorist community will be there to support him and I am sure you will all keep him in your prayers at this time. I am grateful to Frs Grant Maddock and Stephen Pritchard for the covering the Masses on that day. If you wish to watch the ceremony on the internet, go to www.stmariecathedral.org