Dear Friends,
As Christians we believe, not in a remote mysterious divine being, but in one who is revealed in the face of Jesus Christ. In the readings last Sunday Jesus speaks of himself as a shepherd who guides his flock, protects them when they are threatened and feeds them when they are hungry. In today’s Gospel he tells us that he is the Way to the Father, the Truth of God and the giver of Life. He is in the Father and the Father is in him. ‘To have seen me is to have seen the Father’, he tells us. St Paul says ‘set yourselves close to him’, because we are ‘a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a consecrated nation’ called out of darkness into his radiant light.
The coronation of our new king is an important moment in the history of our nation. The ancient and solemn ritual, full of religious symbolism, is a reminder of the Christian values that have shaped our society. We need to hold fast to them in a world that is increasingly secular. We keep King Charles and Queen Camilla in our prayers.
I am grateful to Father Peter for allowing me to supply for him during his annual leave in India. It is a pleasure to do so. If anyone would like to pay a visit to my cottage in Buxton they will be most welcome. My address is: Rainbow Cottage, Crown Road, Buxton NR10 5EH. Best to ring first. Tel: 01603 652100. Mobile: 07876196032. Tea or coffee always on offer: G&T after midday!
Father James
The parish has received a letter of thanks from CAFOD for the generous support we have shown, especially in our latest donation of £1,671.27 from the Family Fast Day.
The annual Children’s Pilgrimage to Walsingham takes place on Tuesday 30th May (during the school half-term holiday). The day will start with a procession from the village at 10.45am, walking to the shrine along the safe path, formerly the railway line, with pauses for prayer and hymns along the way. Mass is celebrated at the Chapel of Reconciliation at 12.00 noon. Servers will be welcome. After a picnic at the shrine, it is hoped to finish the day on the beach at nearby Wells-Next-The-Sea.
Tuesday is a Day of Prayer for Survivors of Sexual Abuse.
The Rosary will be said at each of our churches during the month of May: on Saturdays from 5.00pm at St Helen’s; on Sundays at 10.30am at the Sacred Heart and on Fridays from 9.00am prior to the 9.30am Mass at St John of the Cross. Those who would like to lead the Rosary please sign the list in church porches. Leaflets on how to pray the Rosary are available.
Bishop Peter invites all married couples in the Diocese to join him at the annual Marriage Celebration Mass on Saturday 3rd June at 11.30 at the Cathedral of St John the Baptist. All married couples and their families are welcome! Those couples who are celebrating significant anniversaries (one year, five years and every multiple of five years thereafter, or individual years from 60 years onwards) will receive a certificate from the Bishop. If you would like to register for a certificate please visit the website https://www.rcdea.org.uk/marriage-mass-registration/ or contact the Marriage & Family Life Coordinator, Dr Antonia Braithwaite, on mflcoordinator@rcdea.org.uk Join us after Mass for tea & cake in the Cathedral Hall. Photographs of couples with the Bishop will be available online after the day.
Message from Hamish MacQueen, Director of Diocesan Youth Service. Interested in working with children and young people? Leaving school or university in the summer and deciding what to do next? In between jobs or would like to do something ‘different’? The Diocesan Youth Service is looking for people aged 18-35 to join the Ignite Team, sharing the Gospel Message with young people. These are full-time positions initially for either 12 months (September intake) or 6 months (January intake), with training, food, accommodation and a monthly allowance provided. For more information see www.rcdea.org.uk/youth
We pray for our sick parishioners: Matt Butler, Frances Palman, Mary Bell, Mary Carr, Paul Watson, Cyril Shenton, Patricia Newton, Celia Cooper, Michael Haughton, Marie Barton, Gerry Francis, Robert Buhagiar, Alf and Margaret Larkins and Daphne Necchi.
We pray for those whose anniversaries occur this week: Charles Cornish, Anne Kelly, Marjorie Reynolds, Christopher Smith, Lillian Davis, Olive Carr, Alan Dorsett, Elizabeth Buchanan and Jane Brown. May they rest in peace.