Welcome to our parish website. All newsletters and other updates are posted on the home page. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @stwilfholycross. We are beginning the amalgamation process with Holy Cross, Whitwick so you can find information on new Mass times here.

24 December 2010

Newsletter for 26 December - Holy Family

Click here to read this week's newsletter. We have a quieter week and smaller newsletter than usual. We will be back to normal next week!

Pope's Christmas Eve 'Thought for the Day'

It was lovely to hear the gentle voice of our Holy Father speaking to us this morning. If you missed it, you can hear the three minute broadcast and read a transcript of what he said here.

This is his closing prayer for us all:
Dear Friends from Scotland, England, Wales and indeed every part of the English-speaking world, I want you to know that I keep all of you very much in my prayers during this Holy Season. I pray for your families, for your children, for those who are sick, and for those who are going through any form of hardship at this time. I pray especially for the elderly and for those who are approaching the end of their days. I ask Christ, the light of the nations, to dispel whatever darkness there may be in your lives and to grant to every one of you the grace of a peaceful joyful Christmas. May God bless all of you!

20 December 2010

The whole world awaits Mary's reply

St Bernard said this in response to today's Gospel. Well worth reading:

You have heard, O Virgin, that you will conceive and bear a son; you have heard that it will not be by man but by the Holy Spirit. The angel awaits an answer; it is time for him to return to God who sent him. We too are waiting, O Lady, for your word of compassion; the sentence of condemnation weighs heavily upon us.
  The price of our salvation is offered to you. We shall be set free at once if you consent. In the eternal Word of God we all came to be, and behold, we die. In your brief response we are to be remade in order to be recalled to life.
  Tearful Adam with his sorrowing family begs this of you, O loving Virgin, in their exile from Paradise. Abraham begs it, David begs it. All the other holy patriarchs, your ancestors, ask it of you, as they dwell in the country of the shadow of death. This is what the whole earth waits for, prostrate at your feet. It is right in doing so, for on your word depends comfort for the wretched, ransom for the captive, freedom for the condemned, indeed, salvation for all the sons of Adam, the whole of your race.
  Answer quickly, O Virgin. Reply in haste to the angel, or rather through the angel to the Lord. Answer with a word, receive the Word of God. Speak your own word, conceive the divine Word. Breathe a passing word, embrace the eternal Word.
  Why do you delay, why are you afraid? Believe, give praise, and receive. Let humility be bold, let modesty be confident. This is no time for virginal simplicity to forget prudence. In this matter alone, O prudent Virgin, do not fear to be presumptuous. Though modest silence is pleasing, dutiful speech is now more necessary. Open your heart to faith, O blessed Virgin, your lips to praise, your womb to the Creator. See, the desired of all nations is at your door, knocking to enter. If he should pass by because of your delay, in sorrow you would begin to seek him afresh, the One whom your soul loves. Arise, hasten, open. Arise in faith, hasten in devotion, open in praise and thanksgiving. Behold the handmaid of the Lord, she says, be it done to me according to your word.

17 December 2010

The last week of Advent...





...sees a change of direction in the Church's Liturgy. We being to look towards Bethlehem and the birth of the one who is Emmanuel, God with us. There is a new Preface at Mass. At Evening Prayer there are very ancient antiphons for the Magnificat, known as the 'Great O Antiphons' which capture in a special way the atmosphere of these days. You can find the text and a bit of background to these antiphons here. Why not use them in prayer each day as we prepare for Christmas?

14 December 2010

St Wilfrid's Word - Christmas Edition

You can access the Christmas issue of our parish magazine here. Paper copies will be available in Church on Sunday. Thanks to all the contributors and to Tricia Simpson for editing the Magazine.
 The next issue will be in the Summer and will be a celebration of the Golden Jubilee of St Wilfrid's Church.  What memories could you contribute?

13 December 2010

CEDAR - Catholics Experiencing Domestic Abuse Resources

The Radio 4 'Sunday' programme last weekend carried a piece about CEDAR - Catholics Experiencing Domestic Abuse Resources.
The following quote from CEDAR's website gives an indication of its remit.
The Domestic Abuse Working Group (DAWG) of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales have gathered here a range of resources to help parishes, deaneries, dioceses, school and organisations in the Catholic Church in England and Wales grow in awareness of issues surrounding domestic abuse. Our aim is to create an environment within the Catholic community in which domestic abuse is understood and recognised as unacceptable and where appropriate responses are available.
I have put the link to CEDAR among the permanent links on the right of this site. I have also ordered some stickers which will be displayed in Church to give contact details to any of our community who may be glad of these resources.

09 December 2010

Advent Groups...

...will meet again this coming week in various locations around the parish. Most of the groups took place a couple of weeks ago in spite of the difficult weather. I hope the weather is kinder to us for the second meetings. The material for the next meeting is based around the theme of repentance using materials from the life and writings of Blessed John Henry Newman. You can find the material here.

Newsletter for 11/12 December - Advent 3

Click here to read this week's newsletter.

02 December 2010

Cancellation

The Carols, Cakes and Refreshments event planned for Saturday afternoon has been cancelled because of the weather conditions.
Please make this as widely known as possible.
Weekend Masses will, of course go ahead as usual.

Newsletter for 4/5 December - Advent 2

Click here to read this week's newsletter.

30 November 2010

Angelus Project


Click here for more about the Nottingham Diocesan Angelus Project with lots of resources intended for schools which could also be a fruitful resource for individual or family use.

28 November 2010

Advent Groups

Five Advent groups will meet in different parts of the parish this week and the third week of Advent. The material they are using can be found here.

Pastoral Letter from our Bishop


Click here to read Bishop Malcolm's Advent Pastoral Letter.
The Bishop reflects on Pope Benedict's visit. He asks us to make room for  silence in our lives and to pray the Angelus at noon each day.

22 November 2010

Youth Sunday

The weekend Masses were a great joy. It was lovely to see our wonderful young people involved in the Liturgy in so many ways. The social/fund-raising events for charities involved with young people afterwards were also a great expression of our community life.
We all enjoyed the presentation by Bernadette and Charlotte about the Papal Mass at Cofton Park. If you would like to revisit what they said click here
(Blue=Bernadette, Red=Charlotte, and Black=both!)

19 November 2010

New translation of the Missal

It seems likely that the new translation of the Missal will be in use in this country in about a year's time. It is widely agreed that one of the virtues of the new translation is its transparency to the Scriptural roots of so much of the liturgy. Last year the Americans produced a text with footnotes to draw attention to this characteristic. Martin Foster of the Liturgy Office has now reshaped this material to make it easier to use - the scriptural references are now beside the relevant pieces of text. You can study this here. It is quite a large file, and you may need to wait a few moments for the text to display clearly. We are not certain that this is the absolutely final version of the translation, but it will give us a good idea of what is to come.

01 November 2010

Presentation

This weekend we had a presentation about necessary work that is being carried out on our buildings, our hopes to develop them to serve our parish community better, and the financial implications of all that we are doing.
In case you didn't get a copy, you can read what was said here.

23 October 2010

12 October 2010

Happy Feast



Celebrate the feast of our patron with joy.

Ask his prayers with great confidence.

27 September 2010

26 September 2010

Benediction at Hyde Park

During Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, thousands of pilgrims knelt in silent adoration and only the sound of a gong could be heard, signifying the solemnity of Benediction, while, on elevated screens, an illuminated Monstrance, with an ethereal beauty, appeared to float above the arena as a living embodiment of Christ.
Katherine Cohoon

23 September 2010

Pope Benedict reflects on the Visit






This apostolic trip confirmed my profound conviction that the old nations of Europe possess a Christian soul which merges with the genius and history of the respective peoples and the Church never ceases to work to keep this spiritual and cultural tradition alive.
And in the four intense and very beautiful days spent in that noble land, I had the great joy of speaking to the heart of the inhabitants of the United Kingdom, and they spoke to mine, especially with their presence and the testimony of their faith.

Newsletter for 25/26 September - Sunday 26(C)

Click here to read this week's Newsletter.

CAFOD thanks our Young People

20 September 2010

Big Assembly with the Pope

Some of our students from St Clare's went to take part in the Big Assembly with the Pope at  St Mary's University College, Twickenham.

Those who remained at school joined in the  Assembly through a live internet link.

Click on the slide-show below to see a bigger version.

18 September 2010

Pope's message to the young

The Holy Father said this to young people gathered outside Westminster Cathedral  after Mass today::
I ask each of you, first and foremost, to look into your own heart. Think of all the love that your heart was made to receive, and all the love it is meant to give. After all, we were made for love. This is what the Bible means when it says that we are made in the image and likeliness of God: we were made to know the God of love, the God who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and to find our supreme fulfilment in that divine love that knows no beginning or end.
We were made to receive love, and we have. Every day we should thank God for the love we have already known, for the love that has made us who we are, the love that has shown us what is truly important in life. We need to thank the Lord for the love we have received from our families, our friends, our teachers, and all those people in our lives who have helped us to realise how precious we are, in their eyes and in the eyes of God.

15 September 2010

14 September 2010

Leicestershire Catholics look forward to Pope's visit


Click here to read and hear reactions from local pilgrims who will be going to see the Pope - including from one of our own parishioners.

12 September 2010

Pope Benedict, here we come!

Pastoral Letter from our Bishop

Click here to read the pastoral letter from Bishop Malcolm to be read in all our Churches this weekend. We will all have heard the letter at Mass, but it is worth another look. Even if we don't read the whole letter, it would be good to take the final paragraph to heart:
Above all, the visit should be a time of great joy for us. To have our spiritual Father with us must be a source of happiness and I am sure that that happiness will sustain us on our Christian pilgrimage. Playing our part, however we can, is important. And so I ask all of you this week to pray for the success of the visit, both individually and as church communities. Many people will be able to be present at the events; but if you cannot be there, please follow the visit’s progress through the media and in the Magnificat booklets available to all. Above all let us pray that the graces of the visit will honour our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the source of all life and goodness, and that in turn, we are renewed in the Spirit to proclaim the Good News wherever we may
be.

09 September 2010

Newsletter for 11/12 September - Sunday 24(C)

Click here to read this week's newsletter.

Ready for the Pope

We thank Pansy Hancott for making a parish banner to be carried by Faron Jordan at the Prayer Vigil in Hyde Park on Saturday, 18th September.

29 August 2010

Reflections on an early start.

We have recently discovered that those who are attending the Mass at which Pope Benedict will beatify Cardinal Newman will need to start their journeys very early on the Sunday Morning. Our Vocations Director, Father David Cain, who is masterminding our Nottingham Diocesan arrangements for the papal visit offers the following reflection on the early start:
The act of witness to their faith that pilgrims will show in order to participate in the Papal Beatification Mass, at Cofton Park, will be tremendous.  Admittedly, we may not be in quite the same league as the Martyrs of England and Wales who often shared our early start to the day before going to their torture and death.  We don't quite feel the daily sting of persecution for our faith as Catholics in China or parts of the Middle East nor do we have quite the distances to walk that many Catholics in South America and Africa have to face in order to participate in their single monthly Mass.  However, there are many Catholics in our country who face hardship in their work place because of their desire to witness to their faith and these stories are often not recorded but they maintain a quiet dignity.
My belief is that just like the tens of thousands of elderly, children and people with disabilities who stayed out over night to witness to their faith in Coventry in 1982 so too will the thousands of pilgrims from the Nottingham Diocese, and beyond, be a fantastic witnesses to their faith.  The loyalty shown by those setting off at 1.30am for those in Scunthorpe, 2.00am for those in Lincoln and 3.45am for those in Derby, Nottingham and Leicester is wonderful.  Our Pilgrims will ensure that the lyrics of many of our hymns and prayers that speak of our faithful witness, are not just words but are a lived reality even if it involves a huge sacrifice for a one off occasion.  If pilgrims wanted comfort they would have gone to a health spa or beach for the day but instead they've signed up for a pilgrimage adventure.
On the Sunday morning of September the 19th I'll be on the local radio stations saying exactly what I've said just here.  Catholics in this country are as tough as we've ever been we just don't often get the opportunity to publicly witness to our faith.  We celebrate the Beatification of John Henry Newman who gave up his status to follow his heart and mind and who leads us in this witness.   The Papal Visit is our opportunity and we're certainly up for the challenge, in fact we welcome it.

Cardinal Newman

27 August 2010

New translation of the Mass

I understand that the new English translation of the Missal has been finally approved by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. It will be used in America from the first Sunday of Advent this year. The date of its introduction in this country has not yet been announced. The text can be read here.

18 August 2010

Answers to questions about Papal Visit - local arrangements



Those who are going to either Hyde Park or Birmingham, it is worth keeping an eye on this link for the latest information from our diocesan coordinator.

Papal Visit - timetable



Click here for the timetable of Pope Benedict's visit.

09 August 2010

Important Information about Beatification Mass

Click here for important information for those going to the Papal Mass at Cofton Park on September 19th.
More information about the Hyde Park Prayer Vigil will be available soon.

03 August 2010

The first Papal Visit

Click here for a retrospective of 1982. Take a good look at this first slide. Do you recognise the bishop on the right? Click on the picture for a closer look!

31 July 2010

Bamenda

On a recent visit to the Diocese of Portsmouth for an ordination, I was very interested to see that the diocese is twinned with the Archdiocese of Bamenda in Cameroon.
For a number of years our own parish has supported a water project in connection with Our Lady of Bamenda Abbey, founded from Mount St Bernard.

18 July 2010

Thank you...

...to all who made the Bishop's Visitation such a wonderful day in the life of our parish.

16 July 2010

Welcome to...



... Bishop Malcolm who is visiting us this weekend. He will celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation at the 10am Mass this Sunday, and the Sacrament of the Sick at 3.00pm.

Newsletter for 17/18 July - Sunday 16(C)

Click here to read this week's newsletter.

My apologies: some people had problems accessing last week's newsletter. I think I have now sorted out the problem. If you have any difficulties please click here to email me with details.

11 July 2010

Papal Visit - arrangements for our Diocese

Further to what is in the newsletter, and what I said at Mass this weekend, you can see more details of everything I have received from the diocese about the papal visit here.

02 July 2010

Mass with the Pope - more details

It has been announced that the Mass at which Pope Benedict will beatify Cardinal Newman will be at Cofton Park, Rednal. Read more here.
This is a smaller location than Coventry Airport where many people thought this Mass would be, and it is likely that each parish will be allocated a fairly small number of places. As soon as I know more, I shall publish details.

30 June 2010

Yesterday's feast

Together with the whole Church we celebrated the apostles Peter and Paul yesterday. The morning Mass was attended by St Clare's School, and was their leavers' Mass. We thought about how St Peter left home, family and his job as a fishermen and St Paul left behind his persecution of the Church. There will be sadness for us at leaving St Clare's, but many happy memories too, as we continue to follow the Lord on our journey through life.
We also thought about the visit of Pope Benedict, the successor of St Peter. Some of our children are hoping to see him during his visit.

21 June 2010

Thank you...

...to all the wonderful people who filled three skips over the weekend.

11 June 2010

World Cup - Prayerful Reflections

Click here to find prayerful reflections for this time when all (or most!) eyes are on the World Cup.

They can also be downloaded via iTunes. Search for 'Pray as you go.'

10 June 2010

Newsletter for 12/13 June - Sunday 11(C)

Click here to read this week's newsletter.

The 10am Mass this Sunday, will be the special celebration for our young people who have received the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Communion this year. Please keep them in your prayers that they may treasure the precious gifts they have received, and continue to receive the sacraments faithfully throughout their lives.

06 June 2010

Thinking about today's celebration.

A parishioner was kind enough to send me this prayer for today:
Dear Lord, you gave us your Body and Blood for our salvation, to put an end to sin and death's power over us. You gave your entire self for us and to us that we might continually be nourished by your example. Continue to feed us with your life and your love, O Lord. As we receive this gifted communion with you, Lord Jesus, may we grow in gratitude, in courage, in generosity in being broken and given for others. Let us love those closest to home first. Let there be healing and peace because you let us receive your own Body and Blood as a gift of healing and peace, for others. Let our receiving of your Body and Blood make us more compassionate to hear the cries of the poor. May our communion with you bind us to your loving heart for all your people. May we be a Eucharistic people who labor for justice and peace in our world, which can only come when there is no more hunger or need. We ask this, more readied to say "Amen" to the gift of your Body and Blood, for us and for our mission, in you.
It is part of a page on the Creighton University website which reflects on today's mass and procession. Find the whole article here.  It is well worth a read as it links to an important document from the present Pope about the Eucharist, and so reminds us that our celebration of the Eucharist must transform our attitude to unjust social structures. Here are a few words from the Pope:
Our communities, when they celebrate the Eucharist, must become ever more conscious that the sacrifice of Christ is for all, and that the Eucharist thus compels all who believe in him to become "bread that is broken" for others, and to work for the building of a more just and fraternal world. Keeping in mind the multiplication of the loaves and fishes, we need to realize that Christ continues today to exhort his disciples to become personally engaged: "You yourselves, give them something to eat" (Mt 14:16). Each of us is truly called, together with Jesus, to be bread broken for the life of the world.
The union with Christ brought about by the Eucharist also brings a newness to our social relations: "this sacramental ‘mysticism' is social in character." Indeed, "union with Christ is also union with all those to whom he gives himself. I cannot possess Christ just for myself; I can belong to him only in union with all those who have become, or who will become, his own." The relationship between the eucharistic mystery and social commitment must be made explicit. The Eucharist is the sacrament of communion between brothers and sisters who allow themselves to be reconciled in Christ, who made of Jews and pagans one people, tearing down the wall of hostility which divided them (cf. Eph 2:14). Only this constant impulse towards reconciliation enables us to partake worthily of the Body and Blood of Christ (cf. Mt 5:23-24). (242)
Sacramentum Caritatis 88f

20 May 2010

Reflection to prepare us for Pentecost

Does being a Christian make any difference? Being a Catholic? On Pentecost we are supposed to celebrate the church, but what is the church?

It is expected that we cherish our faith, that we value it enough to pass it on. But is it worth it?

Is our church really all that much a cause for celebration? Has our faith been worth receiving? Is it worth giving?

These days, I guess, we are not supposed to be too proud of our traditions and our identity. After all, diversity is king. One faith, we are told, is as good as another. There are many paths to the mountain top. Why should we be so arrogant as to assume that ours is the best?

But if we believe that, why would it make much sense to want to proclaim it to anyone else? In fact, if our faith is not all that special, why should we even be grateful for having it?

If we have nothing wonderful to give to the world, why would our children want to possess it? If we are so pluralistic as to think that any way to God suffices, why should the way of the Lord Jesus be considered a gift to our young?

It is no secret that many of us elders wonder why so many of our youth seem not to take our church as seriously as we once did (or as seriously as we think we once did). We can say that the homilies are boring, that we should be as entertaining as TV or the new supermarket cathedrals.

We can blame the music, the irritating improvisations, the lack of reverence, the loss of chant, the irrelevance of sermons, the carping about money, the exclusive language, the inclusive language, and an almost infinite number of deficits.

But whatever it is, we lack the fire.

It was fire that the Spirit bequeathed to our ancient brothers and sisters. They were so much on fire, they wanted to proclaim it to the world. They spoke of something that made a difference in their lives, something or someone they loved.

St. Paul tells us that the something they experienced was enough to make them feel like one vibrant body, unified in a common good and goal. They cherished differences, but only because of the different ways they revealed the one splendor of the gift they shared.

So what is our something, the common gift we share as Catholics? Certainly it is the gift held in common with all Christians: our Gospels, our Lord, our one faith, baptism, and communion. But for Catholics it is more.

The "catholic" dimension is holistic, organic, and integral. We come from a people whose encounter with Jesus Christ is inclusive and capacious.

He may speak different tongues to us, but the same truth. He shines in different gifts, but as one giver. He is our one body, our unity, but he thrives through different members.

Thus, Catholicism resists any move that reduces Christ to only one facet or moment of experience.

We find him in the holy word. But we know this is a scripture given to us by a community, our community. We see him in community, but we know our community was born of Christ and our memory of him. We pass the word on, but it is the word that made us who we are and brought us together.

As a people, we meet Christ in structures of law, magisterium, and tradition. We see him in those shining lights we call our saints, those leaders we call our hierarchy, those scholars we call our theologians.

We encounter him in the passages of our lives: our birthing and maturing, our failing and healing, our commitments and loves, our feeding and our dying. Thus sacraments, bestowed by Christ and sustained by the church, are signs of his presence holding together the warp and weft of our lives.

We find him in the movements of our hearts: our great pieties and devotions that remind us of the mysteries of his life. We find him in the discernment of spirits, the weighing of forces for joy and sadness. We hear him in the cry of the poor and read him in the signs of the times.

Christ is not confined to any one of these. He is not in our sanctuaries alone. He is not in the law alone. He is not in sacraments alone. He is not in scripture alone. He is not in the magisterium alone. He is not in our devotions, our saints, or our poor alone.

He lives in and through them all. And through them all he blesses and calls us. No one of them is supreme. Only he is supreme. And only in him do we find the spirit of God that vivifies all his parts.

Such a faith, ultimately faith in a person, deserves our zeal as much as our consent.

I once asked a group of university students if they thought their faith was worth sharing, even preaching to others? The wisest answer was this: If you love someone or something enough, you want to share it.

If you are in love, you can't wait to tell someone else. If you love what it means to be a Catholic, it makes all the difference in the world that you give this gift to the ones you love.

Ah, but do we love our faith enough? And do we love the world enough to impart our faith to it?
 
John Kavanaugh, S. J. of Saint Louis University

16 May 2010

Mary, we crown thee....

After her Son's Ascension, Mary ‘aided the beginnings of the Church by her prayers.’ In her association with the apostles and several women, ‘we also see Mary by her prayers imploring the gift of the Spirit, who had already overshadowed her in the Annunciation.’
Catechism, 965

08 May 2010

Statement by the Catholic Bishops of England and Wales - our response.

In their recent statement about child abuse, out bishops made this request:
Now, we believe, is a time for deep prayer of reparation and atonement. We invite Catholics in England and Wales to make the four Fridays in May 2010 special days of prayer. Even when we are lost for words, we can place ourselves in silent prayer. We invite Catholics on these days to come before the Blessed Sacrament in our parishes to pray to God for healing, forgiveness and a renewed dedication. We pray for all who have suffered abuse; for those who mishandled these matters and added to the suffering of those affected. From this prayer we do not exclude those who have committed these sins of abuse. They have a journey of repentance and atonement to make.
I am sorry that my absence at the beginning of the month made it impossible to fulfil this request immediately. I am very grateful to Deacon John and Sue who arranged for suitable prayers on Tuesday evening this last week. For the rest of May there will be 30 minutes Exposition before the Friday morning Mass . I realise that this is not an easy time, but perhaps this makes it somehow more valuable. If you are unable to be present, you might like to pray the Litany of the Sacred Heart on Fridays during May. At the bishops' suggestion, this will be used at Exposition. Text here.

Newsletter for 8/9 May - Easter 6

Click here to read this week's newsletter.

23 April 2010

Bishop Malcolm on BBC 'Hardtalk'

Click here to see a recent BBC TV programme where Bishop Malcolm was interviewed about the issue of abuse in the Church. I am not sure how long the link will work as the BBC usually only keep programmes on iPlayer for a short time, and, at the time of posting it was after the expiry date, though still working!

Newsletter for 25/26 April and 1/2 May - Easter 4 & Easter 5

Click  here to read the bumper double issue of the newsletter!

22 April 2010

Statement by the Catholic Bishops of England and Wales

The following statement was issued by our bishops today. Printed copies will be available in Church at the weekend.
Child abuse in the Catholic Church has been such a focus of public attention recently, that we, the Bishops of England and Wales, wish to address this issue directly and unambiguously.
Catholics are members of a single universal body. These terrible crimes, and the inadequate response by some church leaders, grieve us all.
Our first thoughts are for all who have suffered from the horror of these crimes, which inflict such severe and lasting wounds. They are uppermost in our prayer. The distress we feel at what has happened is nothing in comparison with the suffering of those who have been abused.
The criminal offences committed by some priests and religious are a profound scandal. They bring deep shame to the whole church. But shame is not enough. The abuse of children is a grievous sin against God. Therefore we focus not on shame but on our sorrow for these sins. They are the personal sins of only a very few. But we are bound together in the Body of Christ and, therefore, their sins touch us all.
We express our heartfelt apology and deep sorrow to those who have suffered abuse, those who have felt ignored, disbelieved or betrayed. We ask their pardon, and the pardon of God for these terrible deeds done in our midst. There can be no excuses.
Furthermore, we recognise the failings of some Bishops and Religious leaders in handling these matters. These, too, are aspects of this tragedy which we deeply regret and for which we apologise. The procedures now in place in our countries highlight what should have been done straightaway in the past. Full co-operation with statutory bodies is essential.
Now, we believe, is a time for deep prayer of reparation and atonement. We invite Catholics in England and Wales to make the four Fridays in May 2010 special days of prayer. Even when we are lost for words, we can place ourselves in silent prayer. We invite Catholics on these days to come before the Blessed Sacrament in our parishes to pray to God for healing, forgiveness and a renewed dedication. We pray for all who have suffered abuse; for those who mishandled these matters and added to the suffering of those affected. From this prayer we do not exclude those who have committed these sins of abuse. They have a journey of repentance and atonement to make.
We pray also for Pope Benedict, whose wise and courageous leadership is so important for the Church at this time.
In our dioceses we will continue to make every effort, working with our safeguarding commissions, to identify any further steps we can take, especially concerning the care of those who have suffered abuse, including anyone yet to come forward with their account of their painful and wounded past. We are committed to continuing the work of safeguarding, and are determined to maintain openness and transparency, in close co-operation with the statutory authorities in our countries. We thank the thousands who give generously of their time and effort to the Church’s safeguarding work in our parishes and dioceses.
We commit ourselves afresh to the service of children, young people and the vulnerable in our communities. We have faith and hope in the future. The Catholic Church abounds in people, both laity, religious and clergy, of great dedication, energy and generosity who serve in parishes, schools, youth ventures and the care of elderly people. We also thank them. The Holy Spirit guides us to sorrow and repentance, to a firm determination to better ways, and to a renewal of love and generosity towards all in need.
22 APRIL 2010

19 April 2010

Happy Anniversary, Holy Father

Today is the fifth Anniversary of the Election of Pope Benedict XVI. Let us pray that the successor of Peter may indeed be a rock in stormy times for the Church, that he may strengthen his brothers and sisters, and feed the flock of the Lord whom he loves.

Seen recently in Leicester Mercury - 50 Years ago.