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.

20 December 2013

A Little Treat of a Song

After a week of fabulous music provided by the De Lisle Christmas Show & St Clare's Carol Service, you might wish to click here to listen to a sensational version of the Little Drummer Boy by Pentatonix via this You Tube link.

Baptism Course

The latest Baptism Course will take place on Tuesday 21st January 2014 at 7pm in the Fr Balfe Room. See Sue for further details and an application form.

Double Newsletter: Taking us to Epiphany

Click here to view this bumper edition. It includes details of all the Christmas & New Year Mass Times plus details about Confession times this week.

13 December 2013

Fr David's Induction Mass


At our 10am Mass on Thursday morning, Fr Colin (our Dean) very kindly popped back to induct me as Parish Priest here at St Wilfrid's. This involved my public Profession of Faith and the taking of various Oaths. This is a canonical procedure just to make sure all is above board and proper as I begin my ministry here in the parish... we even had a few chocolates & a glass of wine to ensure an even sweeter taste to the canons! 


Newsletter 14/15 Dec - Advent 3(A)

Click here to read this week's newsletter.

11 December 2013

Ofsted Inspection at De Lisle

Please keep in your prayers all the staff and pupils at our secondary school, De Lisle College, on the 11th & 12th of December as they have their Ofsted Inspection. It's a great opportunity to show the wider community just how excellent they are so we'll be praying especially hard for them today and tomorrow in our parish Masses. If you're a parent, do click here to find out more about how you can offer your views to the inspection team. Click here to keep updated via the De Lisle website as to how they got on... Go De Lisle!

Hot off the Press: The Latest 'You Are Living Stones' Update

Click here to read, reflect & pray about all the latest updates following the meeting at De Lisle on Tuesday 26th November 2013.


09 December 2013

Evangelii Gaudium - ‘The Joy of the Gospel’ by Pope Francis

To mark the close of the Year of Faith, Pope Francis has written an Apostolic Exhortation on the proclamation of the Gospel in today’s world. Called Evangelii Gaudium, ‘The Joy of the Gospel’, the Exhortation invites us all to become missionaries, playing our part in bringing Jesus to the world in which we live. Click here to read it via the Nottingham Diocesan Website.

Bishop Malcolm's Advent Pastoral Letter

Click here to read his letter.

Newsletter 7/8 Dec - Advent 2(A)

Click here to read this week's newsletter.

24 November 2013

Thank you...

...for all your kindness today and over the last four years, and indeed before that.

Today's Mass and the celebration afterwards were beautiful. It was a great joy to have our young people so involved on Youth Sunday, and to welcome Charlie into the Church. Priests come and go. The parish community goes on.

Thank you for the miner's lamp, the cup, the tea bags, the very generous cheque and the numerous individual gifts and cards.

Please welcome Father David warmly and go forward with him to advance God's kingdom of justice, love, and peace.

Let us pray for each other.

Father Colin


21 November 2013

Newsletter for 23/24 November - Christ the King

Click here to read this week's newsletter.


Apologies for the mistakes on the back page of the newsletter. Please note: There is no RCIA or Prayer Group this Monday, but there will be Cherubs on Wednesday. There are two other mistakes on the back page - but they don't make any difference to the programme of events. No prizes for spotting them! I think my mind must have been on other things. I wonder why!

15 November 2013

Extraordinary Synod on the Family 2014

You will have heard on the news and read in the Catholic Press that there will be an Extraordinary Synod on the Family in Rome in 2014. The Church is listening widely to people's experience of family life to help prepare for the Synod. Because of my imminent change of parish I have not been able to spend the time I would have wished talking to people about this.

I would like to draw your attention to this which tells you more about the whole process. You can also access the relevant questionnaire through the page to which the link takes you. If you respond to the questionnaire you will find that some of the questions are rather daunting.  Don't panic! There is no obligation to answer every question. Feel free to respond to the questions where you feel that you have something important to share, and simply leave the rest.

May God bless us as we work with his Church to enrich the sort of family life which will bring healing and hope to our society.

14 November 2013

Newsletter for 16/17 November - Sunday 33(C)

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You will see from the newsletter that there will be a collection for the Philippines after the Typhoon. You can also give to this via CAFOD by credit card by phoning 0500 858885, or online here.

10 November 2013

Pray for the Philippines

Let us respond to the call of the Holy Father:

Let us pray, too, for those of our parishioners who are anxious for loved ones whose lives have been affected by the typhoon.

31 October 2013

All Saints Day...

... is tomorrow, Friday. It is a Holy Day of Obligation and we should all be at Holy Mass. Mass will be celebrated at St Wilfrid's at 9.45am, and 7.30pm. Let's leave the ugliness of much contemporary 'celebration' of Hallowe'en behind and celebrate the beauty of heaven, as we....

... keep the festival of Your holy city,
the heavenly Jerusalem, our mother.
Around Your throne the saints,
our brothers and sisters,
sing Your praise for ever.
Their glory fills us with joy,
and their communion with us in Your Church
gives us inspiration and strength
as we hasten on our pilgrimage of faith,
eager to meet them.
Preface of All Saints
As it is Solemnity, there is no Friday abstinence tomorrow. Happy feast!


29 October 2013

The task of the priest

As I prepare for a new chapter in my priestly ministry, I am moved and challenged by words that Pope Benedict spoke to students of the Venerable English College in Rome last December:

Your first task, then, is to come to know Christ yourselves.... Learn to pray daily, especially in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, listening attentively to the word of God and allowing heart to speak to heart, as Blessed John Henry Newman would say. Remember the two disciples from the first chapter of Saint John’s Gospel, who followed Jesus and asked to know where he was staying, and, like them, respond eagerly to his invitation to "come and see" (1:37-39). Allow the fascination of his person to capture your imagination and warm your heart. He has chosen you to be his friends, not his servants, and he invites you to share in his priestly work of bringing about the salvation of the world. Place yourselves completely at his disposal and allow him to form you for whatever task it may be that he has in mind for you.

To call you Christ, to invite you to pray

In my homily last weekend, I reminded you of what I said when I came to St Wilfrid's four years ago. I quoted some words of Blessed John Paul II from 1982. Here is a quote from a post I put on this site in September 2009:

As I reflect on this new stage of my life and ministry, I keep going back to words of Pope John Paul II when he addressed 35,000 young people in Cardiff in 1982. The Pope said that he hoped that, as long as the memory of his visit lasted, it would be remembered that he had come to Britain 'to call you to Christ, to invite you to pray!' Although I have had no time to form definite plans for the way the parish might develop, I am trying to keep those words of Pope John Paul as a sort of backdrop to my thinking and praying. I would be very happy if it were to be said of me, 'Father Colin came to Coalville to call us to Christ and invite us to pray.'

21 October 2013

An eventful week

Last week was an emotional roller-coaster.

It started with great joy. Our first grandchild, Luca Vittorio Giorgio Patey was born late on Sunday evening, 13th October. I was able to get down to Milton Keynes the next day and had the great joy of seeing him and holding him in my arms.

Then on Wednesday I was asked to visit the bishop. Bishop Malcolm asked me to move from Coalville to Ashby and Measham where Monsignor Phelan, the present priest, is retiring because of ill health. The bishop was kind enough to explain his reasoning to me, and I am sure he has made a wise decision. However, it is very hard for me to say goodbye to a parish I love so much, where I was welcomed into the Catholic Church in 1994, ordained to the priesthood in 1998, and where I been privileged to serve as priest-in-charge since 2009. I found telling you all at the weekend Masses very hard indeed, as I think you are aware. I have been overwhelmed by the kind things people have said since.

Father David Cain will be your parish priest from the beginning of Advent. He was ordained in 2003. He was assistant priest at Sacred Heart, Leicester with Fr John Lally, well known to Coalville people, and later served as assistant priest at the Cathedral in Nottingham. He spent some years as full-time Vocations Director and was instrumental in increasing
the number of men offering themselves for the priesthood in our diocese. For the last two years he has undertaken further studies at Louvain in Belgium. Father David is very excited about coming to Coalville and is looking forward to living in the new presbytery flat. I know that you will welcome him, and that this wonderful parish will go from strength to strength under his leadership.

Let us pray for each other, for priests past, present and future, and for more vocations to the priesthood.


10 October 2013

Newsletter 12/13 October - Celebrating St Wilfrid

Click here to read this week's newsletter. This weekend we celebrate our own Patron, St Wilfrid of York. Come prepared to thank God for him, to celebrate all that our parish means to us, and to ask St Wilfrid's prayers for all our needs.
O God, who endowed the Bishop Saint Wilfrid
with outstanding graces for the building up of your Church,
grant that by the help of his prayers
we may, like him, weather every storm
and be brought at last into the haven of your peace.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.


07 October 2013

04 October 2013

Today is CAFOD Harvest Fast Day

Let's try to deny ourselves something today, and bring the savings to Mass at the weekend to help feed the hungry.
More here.

03 October 2013

Newsletter for 5/6 October - Sunday 27(C)

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If you would like to join those who receive an advance copy of the newsletter by email each week, please click  here, and simply send the resulting email.

02 October 2013

Month of the Rosary

During October we say the Rosary before every Mass at St Wilfrid's. Why not come a little earlier and join in this lovely prayer?

You might like to try this link when you pray the Rosary at home. You will find gentle music, devotional pictures, and some reflections to take you deeper into the mysteries.

30 September 2013

Where restless yearnings cease

Yesterday our organist chose the old hymn, "Sweet Sacrament Divine" for Holy Communion. We don't often sing it these days.

As I was distributing Holy Communion, I suddenly became aware of the congregation singing "Where restless yearnings cease, and sorrows all depart." I know that the Blessed Sacrament is the place where my own restless yearnings cease. But every priest is privileged to be privy to the sickness, anxieties, sorrows of his parishioners and I became aware of the pains and sorrows of the long line of communicants, hands stretched out, mouths open, to receive Jesus. As I continued to distribute Holy Communion I tried to join in prayer with those receiving: "In thine ear all trustfully, we tell our tale of misery...." Jesus hears our tale of misery, and brings healing.

The people started singing the last verse of the hymn. Holy Communion was almost done. I heard the words: "In thy far depths doth shine thy Godhead's majesty." I looked at the One I held in my hands. And I knew as if for the first time - though I have never doubted it - that this is my Lord and my God.

24 September 2013

Today's Feast

There are many wonderful Shrines of our Lady around the world. Let us never forget that one of the most historic is in our own land. Today the Church in this country celebrates the feast of Mary under her title of Our Lady of Walsingham. Perhaps you could gather as a family around your own statue of Mary and say this prayer:
O Mary, recall the solemn moment when Jesus, your divine Son, dying on the cross confided us to your maternal care.You are our Mother; we desire ever to remain your devout children. Let us therefore feel the effects of your powerful intercession with Jesus Christ. Make your name again glorious in this place, once renowned throughout our land by your visits, favours and many miracles. Pray, O Holy Mother of God, for the conversion of England, restoration of the sick, consolation for the afflicted, repentance of sinners, peace to the departed. O Blessed Mary, Mother of God, Our Lady of Walsingham, intercede for us. Amen.

08 September 2013

Thank you...

...to all who came and prayed for Syria and the Middle East last evening. It was wonderful how word got around and how people responded at such short notice.

Let us continue to hear and respond to the words of Pope Francis at the Vigil in Rome last evening:
Let the words of Pope Paul VI resound again: “No more one against the other, no more, never! ... war never again, never again war!” (Address to the United Nations, 1965). “Peace expresses itself only in peace, a peace which is not separate from the demands of justice but which is fostered by personal sacrifice, clemency, mercy and love” (World Day of Peace Message, 1975). Forgiveness, dialogue, reconciliation – these are the words of peace, in beloved Syria, in the Middle East, in all the world! Let us pray for reconciliation and peace, let us work for reconciliation and peace, and let us all become, in every place, men and women of reconciliation and peace! Amen.

05 September 2013

Newsletter for 7/8 September - Sunday 23(C)

Click here to read this week's newsletter.

Could I draw your attention to the 'Stop Press' item on page one?
STOP PRESS
Pope Francis has asked the whole Church to keep this Saturday, September 7th as a day of fasting and prayer for peace in Syria and the Middle East. Prayer Vigil at St Wilfrid’s 7pm–8pm this Saturday Please come for as much of this time as you can.
Please make this as widely known as possible.

02 September 2013

Our response

In answer to the Holy Father's call for a day of fasting and prayer for peace in Syria and the Middle East, there will be a prayer vigil at St Wilfrid's on Saturday evening, September 7th from 7pm-8pm.
Please come for as much of this as you are able.

Please make this as widely known as you possibly can - invite people from St Wilfrid's Community and anyone else who longs for peace.

Let us ask Mary to help us to respond to violence, to conflict and to war, with the power of dialogue, reconciliation and love. She is our mother: may she help us to find peace; all of us are her children! Help us, Mary, to overcome this most difficult moment and to dedicate ourselves each day to building in every situation an authentic culture of encounter and peace.
Pope Francis, Angelus Address, 01.09.13.

Day of fasting and prayer for peace in Syria, the Middle East, and throughout the world

Pope Francis has called us all to participate in a day of fasting and prayer for peace this coming Saturday, September 7th. You can read the full text of last Sunday's Angelus address when he made this call by clicking here.

27 August 2013

I have a dream

Fifty years ago, Martin Luther King made his famous speech on his dream for civil rights for all in the United States. As I have heard the speech replayed on radio and TV over these last couple of weeks, it has challenged me to articulate my dream for our parish as we return from our holidays and ‘get back to normal.’ This is what I came up with very quickly without prolonged thought, simply typing as things came to mind.

I have a dream...
that we will all gather for Mass every Sunday, and not only when it suits us.
that we will prepare for Sunday Mass by study of the readings during the week and by quiet prayer when we arrive at Church.
that we will stay and meet each other in greater numbers over a cuppa after Mass and build up our community life.
that meeting the Lord in word, sacrament, and each other will send us out changed in our attitudes and ready to challenge the attitudes of society.
that this change in our attitudes will move us to work generously for justice and peace locally, nationally, and worldwide.
that we will reflect on our lives regularly and use the sacrament of reconciliation when necessary.
that we will pray every day and come to Mass in greater numbers on weekdays.
that we will use opportunities to find out more about our faith when these are offered in the parish, through the diocese, and elsewhere.
that we realise that events and meetings are not just for other people.
that we will all feel part of the Body of Christ in our parish.
that we will care for each other, especially the sick, bereaved, lonely, and disadvantaged, in our parish community and throughout our locality.
that the young and the old will be equally valued in our parish life.
that we will care for our buildings, our finances, share the tasks that keep our parish life going, and not assume that A N Other will do it.
that we will share our love of Jesus, our faith, the Mass, the Church with all we meet, and invite them to share that love.
Do you share my dream?
Have I left out anything important?
How can we make the dream become a reality at St Wilfrid’s?




15 August 2013

A bit of history

The scenes in Rome the day the doctrine of the Assumption of Mary was infallibly proclaimed by Pius XII in 1950.


THE ASSUMPTION PROCLAMATION

Newsletter for 17/18 August - Sunday 20(C)

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14 August 2013

Thursday 15th August - Assumption of Mary


An interesting discussion on tomorrow's Feast can be read here. I must confess that the details of the observance of the Feast in the Eastern Church were new to me. One thing that comes over very clearly in Dr Taylor Marshall's post is the antiquity of this teaching and of the Feast. Although the formal definition of the doctrine of the Assumption by Pius XII did not take place until 1950, the Feast was observed, the doctrine held throughout the Church from at least the middle of the first Christian millennium.

Mass at St Wilfrid's for the Feast of the Assumption, 9.45am and 7.30pm.
It is a Holy Day of Obligation so we should all be at Mass.

I have come to bring fire to the earth


I have been reflecting on the Readings for next weekend's Masses, as I always do, to prepare my homily. They are not easy reading. I searched on-line to find some inspiration. I found a fascinating address by Pope Benedict on the 650th Anniversary of the Venerable English College in Rome. The College's motto comes from the Gospel for the 20th Sunday of Year C.

Pope Benedict commented:
You have heard much talk about the new evangelization, the proclamation of Christ in those parts of the world where the Gospel has already been preached, but where to a greater or lesser degree the embers of faith have grown cold and now need to be fanned once more into a flame. Your College motto speaks of Christ’s desire to bring fire to the earth, and your mission is to serve as his instruments in the work of rekindling the faith in your respective homelands. Fire in sacred Scripture frequently serves to indicate the divine presence, whether it be the burning bush from which God revealed his name to Moses, the pillar of fire that guided the people of Israel on their journey from slavery to freedom, or the tongues of fire that descended upon the Apostles at Pentecost, enabling them to go forth in the power of the Spirit to proclaim the Gospel to the ends of the earth. Just as a small fire can set a whole forest ablaze so the faithful testimony of a few can release the purifying and transforming power of God’s love so that it spreads like wildfire throughout a community or a nation. Like the martyrs of England and Wales, then, let your hearts burn with love for Christ, for the Church and for the Mass.
 Full text of the address here.

08 August 2013

Newsletter for 10/11 August - Sunday 19(C)

Click here to read this week's newsletter.

Please remember that Thursday, 15th August is the Assumption of our Lady, a Holy Day of Obligation. Mas at St Wilfrid's will be at 9.45am and 7.30pm. If you are on holiday, find your nearest Catholic Church and keep the feast with the community there.

Finally the Immaculate Virgin, preserved free from all stain of original sin, when the course of her earthly life was finished, was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory, and exalted by the Lord as Queen over all things, so that she might be the more fully conformed to her Son, the Lord of lords and conqueror of sin and death.
Catechism of the Catholic Church, 966

10 July 2013

Magazine Article

The July edition of Coalville Community Eye, contains an article (on page eight) about the Coalville Male Voice Choir Concert  at St Wilfrid's back in April.


Leavers' Mass with St Clare's

Today we celebrated Mass during this last week of the school term. We said goodbye to our Year 6 children and prayed for them as they prepare to go on to their new schools.

We also said goodbye and thank you to Mrs Sheila Stacey who has been a governor since 1975, and who has worked with four headteachers and seven parish priests. Sheila was awarded the Benemerenti Medal when she retired as chair of governors a year ago, but has continued until a governor until the end of this school year. 

Here is Sheila with our headteacher, Mrs Louise Freeman at the celebration after Mass.


09 July 2013

Latest Year of Faith Video from Bishop Malcolm

Ordination of Father Neil Peoples

Father Neil was ordained for our diocese last Saturday. You can watch the Ordination Mass below. The homily by Bishop Malcolm starts around twenty minutes in, and is a wonderful reflection on what priesthood is all about.
Pray for Father Neil  and please continue to pray for more vocations to priesthood and religious life.

Double clicking on the video should bring it up in full screen and enable you to close any annoying adverts!

07 July 2013

Our parishioners...

...seem to have had quite a bit of coverage in the Catholic News, our diocesan newspaper, lately.

See here for a page in the June edition with a report on a music day.

See here for a page in the July edition with a report on the Retired Priests' Fund.

You can't keep a great parish down!

Brother Gabriel RIP

Please pray for the repose of the soul of Brother Gabriel, monk of Mount St Bernard, who died last night.
Many will remember Brother for his work promoting the Rosary. Perhaps we could pray that he will be granted a wonderful contemplation of the Glorious Mysteries of Jesus and Mary for all eternity.

04 July 2013

Faith School Transport - Urgent

The proposals for school transport come before the Scrutiny Committee tomorrow, 5th July. It is proposed that the charge for transport to faith schools will rise to £450 from September 2014 and to the full cost of £640 from September 2015.

The kind person who has been keeping me in touch with the process suggests that we express our concerns to any member of the committee - names on the document - and/or attending the meeting as members of the public have a right to do. Again the time and place are on the document.

Newsletter for 6/7 July - Sunday 14(C)

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25 June 2013

Ordinations

Please pray for Neil Peoples and John Martin who will be ordained to the priesthood for our diocese next month, and continue to pray for vocations to the priesthood and religious life.


There is an interesting page on St Peter's, Leicester parish website which reflects on the meaning of Ordination to the priesthood:

The Ordination of a Priest
The Rite of Ordination, which takes place after the homily in the Ordination Mass, contains several elements.
The first of these is the examination of the candidate.  This examination involves promises which the priest is asked to renew each year at the Chrism Mass with the Bishop in Holy Week.
The Examination of the Candidate
Bishop: My son, before you proceed to the order of the presbyterate,
declare before the people your intention to undertake this priestly office.
Are you resolved, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to discharge without fail
the office of priesthood in the presbyteral order as a conscientious fellow
worker with the bishops in caring for the Lord’s flock?
Ordinand: I am.
Bishop: Are you resolved to celebrate the mysteries of Christ faithfully
and religiously as the Church has handed them down to us for the
glory of God and the sanctification of Christ’s people?
Ordinand:  I am.
Bishop: Are you resolved to exercise the ministry of the word worthily
and wisely, preaching the Gospel and explaining the Catholic faith?
Ordinand: I am.
Bishop: Are you resolved to consecrate your life to God for the
salvation of his people, and to unite yourself more closely every day
to Christ the High Priest, who offered himself for us to the Father
as a perfect sacrifice?
Ordinand: I am, with the help of God.
The Promise of Obedience
When Neil was ordained a deacon, he promised to remain celibate and to recite the Divine Office (The Official Daily Prayer of the Church). To this he now adds a promise of obedience. In the Ordination Rite, he will kneel before the Bishop, place his joined hands between those of the Bishop, and promise obedience to him and his successors. The congregation will invoke the Holy Spirit to impart the Grace to fulfil these promises.
Bishop: Do you promise respect and obedience to me and my successors?
Neil: I do.
Bishop: May God who has begun the good work in you bring it to fulfilment.
Celibacy
Much is said about celibacy and how out of step it seems with the modern world. In truth celibacy has always been a way of life that runs contrary to the norm. The sad truth is the whole Christian vision of sexuality has now become counter cultural. For the Christian, sexual intimacy only harmonises with the deep and authentic desire of the human heart when it is placed in the context of covenantal love in the service of life. In other words, sexual intimacy is only fully meaningful within marriage. The priest is one wedded to the Church. He is called to give his life in service of the Bride of Christ (the Church) following Christ’s own example. Celibacy is a powerful expression of this gift of himself. Together with his commitment to the Prayer of the Church, celibacy manifests the priest’s fidelity to the Bride of Christ.
Obedience
Surprisingly little is said about obedience. This promise is at least as counter-cultural as that of celibacy. In an age that exalts personal freedom and the right to self determination, the Church asks her priests to promise obedience to another man, the bishop. The priest’s obedience gives witness to the truth that the bishop exercises the authority given by Christ to His Apostles when he acts and teaches in harmony with the Catholic Faith and in communion with the Pope.

22 June 2013

Congratulations..

...to Lynda, Pansy, Christine, Sue and Jamie who have been awarded the Bishop's Certificate in Catechesis at a ceremony in the Cathedral this afternoon.

21 June 2013

Saint Joseph

The Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments has issued a decree inserting the name of Saint Joseph into Eucharistic Prayers II, III & IV. The words ‘with blessed Joseph, her Spouse,’ are to be inserted between the mention of the Blessed Virgin Mary and that of the Apostles. The decree and the wording can be read on the Holy See website.

20 June 2013

Year of Faith Websites


During this Year of Faith it's worth keeping an eye on some of the websites connected with the Year.

The Universal one from Rome is here.

Our Nottingham Diocesan one is here. The Nottingham one has some pictures of some of our recent celebrations at St Wilfrid's here.

Newsletter for 22/23 June - Sunday 12(C)

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17 June 2013

Retired Priests Appeal

Thank you for your interest and generosity. I understand that the diocese is very pleased about the way the appeal is going at St Wilfrid's and that we will be featured in a  forthcoming edition of the Nottingham Catholic News. Many of the questions which people ask about the appeal are dealt with by this website.

11 June 2013

MoonWalkers

Congratulations to Jim, Kate, Francis and Mary who completed the 13.1 hilly miles of the Edinburgh MoonWalk  in 3 hours 39 minutes. They raised £800 for Breast Cancer Charities. Jim tells me that a good proportion of that came from St Wilfrid's people and has asked me to pass on their thanks.

05 June 2013

Special Mass for our Servers


We are very blessed at St Wilfrid's to have so many committed servers under the leadership of Tony Rush, our MC. At a special Mass this evening they were enrolled in the Guild of St Stephen. Refreshments followed for the servers, their families and friends. Thanks be to God.


School Transport

Once more, Leicestershire County Council is proposing to remove the subsidy on travel to faith schools. This means parents would have to pay £640 per student per year for school transport. This would impact on the Catholic community more than on any other group. De Lisle College, as the biggest faith school in the county would particularly suffer. Could I ask you to read the consultation leaflet, then fill in the transport consultation survey. Question 5 is the most crucial, and I hope that you might click 'strongly disagree’ for this question. Please hurry. The consultation closes on 30 June.

You may also like to find your councillor and send him or her an email expressing your opposition to this change. Public opinion prevented this change last time. Let's see if we can do it again!

30 May 2013

Newsletter for 1/2 June - Corpus Christi (C)

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Deanery 40 Hours Adoration...

It was wonderful to see this so well kept at St Wilfrid's yesterday. Most of the times I popped into Church there were two or three or more people there, and there was never any danger of the Blessed Sacrament being left unattended. I recognised visitors from Ashby and Shepshed parishes, and there may have been some from elsewhere.

Today Adoration moves on to Sacred Heart, Loughorough. Please make the little journey to Loughborough if you can. The Church is easy to find, right next door to an enormous Tesco store.

A reminder of the programme:


28 May 2013

Loughborough Deanery Forty Hours Adoration

The Forty Hours Devotion got off to a good start at Shepshed this morning. It was good to see representation from Coalville there. I look forward to seeing many of you for our big day tomorrow - and we are encouraged to visit the other Churches taking part as well. A reminder of the programme....

"The time you spend with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament
is the best time you will spend on earth.
Each moment that you spend with Jesus
will deepen your union with Him
and make your soul everlastingly
more glorious and beautiful in Heaven,
and will help bring about everlasting peace on earth."
Blessed Teresa of Calcutta





25 May 2013

Last Sunday...

...we had a lovely celebration of Sacrament of the Sick. There was a wonderful prayerful atmosphere in Church.

Afterwards, afternoon tea was enjoyed by all.


Click on any of the pictures to see a larger version.

23 May 2013

St Clare's May Devotion


 We had a lovely Procession and Crowning of Our Lady at St Clare's School this afternoon. The sound of so many voices singing our Ave around the school made me feel I was in Walsingham or Lourdes.

Newsletter for 25/26 May - Trinity (C)

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09 May 2013

You Are Living Stones Update

Quite a lot has been happening over the last few months and it is time for an update.

In February the priests of the diocese met with the bishop. The bishop announced some proposals for linking parishes. He stressed that these were not set in stone but were the basis for further consultation.

The bishop asked every parish to consult on these proposals. Here at St Wilfrid's we did this by means of a questionnaire. A summary of the results can be found here.

Bishop Malcolm also asked every deanery to hold an open meeting to look at the proposals. Ours was held at De Lisle School on the evening Pope Francis was elected. It was a very positive and well-attended meeting. A full report of the meeting can be read here, and a short summary here.

Every thing has now been sent to the diocese, and circulated to the parishes of the deanery. I attended a meeting of deans at the Cathedral recently, and following this meeting a small sub-group of deans started to look in detail at our responses, and the responses which had come in from all over our diocese.

I am very impressed with the way in which the parish and deanery have contributed to this consultation. Please continue to pray for all who will have to make decisions based on our input.


Bishop Malcolm

Bishop Malcolm has been readmitted to hospital because his recuperation has not gone as quickly recently as it had been. He is in good spirits, and I commend him to everyone’s prayers.

Father Andrew Cole, Private Secretary

Newsletter for May 11/12 & 18/19 - Ascension & Pentecost

Click here to read the double issue of the newsletter.

02 May 2013

Mary's Month



The flowers are at last blooming to welcome Mary's month. This afternoon I visited the Costalot site  near Bagworth in our parish, and blessed this statue of our Lady for the travelling people there. Then we stood in the lovely spring sunshine and said the Rosary together.



O God, whose only begotten Son, by His life, death, and resurrection, has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life, grant, we beseech Thee, that meditating upon these mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise, through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen

Newsletter for 4/5 May - Easter 6(C)

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29 April 2013

27 April 2013

Concert

We had a lovely concert in Church last evening from the Coalville Male Voice Choir. It was a delightful evening of many different styles of music and a lovely social/community occasion.

Almost £600 was raised which will be shared between CAFOD and our Bamenda Water Project.

Live below the line


I am extremely heartened that some of our parishioners are undertaking the 'Live Below the Line' Challenge over the next week.

One of them is blogging about the experience here and has kindly allowed me to share this link.

25 April 2013

Newsletter for 27/28 April - Easter 5(C)

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If you would like to join those who receive an advance copy of the newsletter by email each week, please click  here, and simply send the resulting email.

21 April 2013

Vocations Sunday

In my homily for Vocations Sunday, I quoted extensively from the Homily of Pope Francis at the Chrism Mass. You can read all of what he said here.

I also quoted from the message which Pope Benedict wrote for Vocations Sunday before he retired. You can read the whole of his message here.

Above all, pray for vocations. You might like to use this prayer which was very important to me as I discerned a way forward at a significant time of my life.


Lord,
Make me a better person,
more considerate towards others, more honest with myself, more faithful to You.
Make me generous enough to want sincerely to do your will whatever it may be.Help me to find my true vocation in life and grant that through it I may find happiness myself and bring happiness to others.Grant, Lord, that those whom You call to enter the Priesthood or Consecrated Life may have the generosity to answer Your call, so that those who need Your help may always find it.
I ask this through Christ Our Lord, Amen.

18 April 2013

Please pray for our Bishop

Bishop Malcolm will be going into hospital for a series of operations on his left foot on Thursday 18th April. He has been in considerable pain for some time and will be in hospital for a number of weeks after which he will be convalescing. 

Please remember the Bishop and those who will be looking after him in your prayers, that he may make a full and speedy recovery. 

Father Andrew Cole, Private Secretary

Newsletter for April 20/21 - Easter 4(C)

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11 April 2013

Newsletter for 13/14 April - Easter 3(C)

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Last Sunday's Pastoral Letter

You can read Bishop Malcolm's Pastoral letter about the appeal for the sick and retired priests' fund here.

Happy feast...



...to our Polish parishioners on the feast day of one of their great patrons, St Stanislaus - or StanisÅ‚aw.


You can read more about him here.


Like St Thomas of Canterbury he died for speaking the truth to a king. Like Oscar Romero he was killed while celebrating Mass. May his prayers help us to be courageous in our faith.

02 April 2013

Coming home

One of the great joys of this time of the year is welcoming new Catholics into the Church. I recently came across this blog which is a personal account of one person's journey into the Church.


01 April 2013

Easter Octave

The whole of the eight days from Easter Day until and including the following Sunday is like one big Easter Day in the Church's Calendar. This means that Friday 5th April is not a day of abstinence from meat. Keep feasting!
Other Fridays in Eastertide are days of abstinence like any other Friday.

31 March 2013

Ninety Years Young



Happy ninetieth Birthday, Des, and thank you for all you have done and continue to do for our community at St Wilfrid's.
God bless you.