Dear All,
Vocations Sunday: We are all called by God for a specific purpose in order to fulfil his mission and his plan for all humanity. We need to listen carefully for his call (vocare) and then spend time in silence, prayer and with our Lord to work out where and when he wants us to follow him. This generally results in sacrifice, change and action. This can be scary and unsettling and often takes a degree of bravery and trust. We need to trust in the Lord and in his providence.
This Sunday, often called Good Shepherd Sunday because of the Gospel reading, the church asks us specifically to be attentive to the vocations of the priesthood and religious and consecrated life. The church needs people to take up their cross, in this unique way, and follow him through service, prayer and leadership.
As in all dioceses across the world, we have a vocations team who are always happy to meet with men and women and to assist them in their discernment– the first port of call should generally be the Parish Priest, so that he can meet with the person and then recommend them to the vocations team. The Lord can call at any stage in our lives– not just when we are in our teens or twenties.
Again, like many dioceses across the globe, we are seeing an increase in people joining the Church and looking for the love of Christ and the community of the local church– but we are seeing (and have seen) a strong decline in vocations to the priesthood and religious life. This has been the way for the last few decades now. Unless this changes, there will have to be some pretty tough decisions, in the years ahead, as to how the diocese will be structured, and an honest look at our parishes and how they are managed. I do not have any details of these plans at the moment, but I trust that we will be informed in due course. Bearing in mind that it takes seven years to train a priest and then a couple of years as an assistant priest, there is no ‘quick fix’ to this crisis.
We must pray for guidance from the Holy Spirit, and an increase in vocations and wisdom to meet the demands and needs of our parishes. There will be a retiring collection for the Priests’ Training Fund after all Masses this weekend– all of our parishes have Sum up machines now and these will be available after Mass-thank you.
Father Alan
Walsingham Pilgrimage 4th May The final details for the coach journey are as follows: Pick ups will be: Hoveton 9.05, Sacred Heart (Park Lane) 9.25, Aylsham (Top of Gashouse Hill) 9.45, Sheringham (Opp. Tesco)10.15. We hope to arrive at the Shrine 10.30-11.00.
The coach will park at the Shrine for the day until it is time to go back to the village car park, taking those who do not wish to walk to the Abbey in the afternoon, and to be ready to take everyone home at the end of the day.
We ask for a £5 contribution to the coach travel, collected on entry, and will expect to give an extra amount to show our appreciation for our driver. This will be collected on the return journey.
Office Telephone – We apologise to anyone who has tried to contact the church office by phone in the last week. It is not working properly and is due to be replaced shortly. If you have urgent need of the parish office please try the mobile number given on the newsletter for The Hall, and your query will be redirected as soon as possible.
Sum up machine –a new method of payment will be trialled for the second collection at the Sunday Mass this weekend. It is hoped to make this available regularly in future for the convenience of parishioners who prefer not to carry cash.
Beetle Drive -The social committee have several events planned this year. The first of these is a Beetle Drive to be held in the Parish Hall on 9th May from 2pm to 4pm. This has been a huge success in the past and it is a great event for all the family to enjoy.
We pray for our sick parishioners: Matt Butler, Frances Palman, Mary Bell, Celia Cooper, Margaret Larkins, Maria Halsey, Joan Macnamara, Richard Skelton, Teresa Fitzmaurice, Bernadette Saunders, Doreen Rockey & daughter Sandra, Pam Thornton, Mary Long, Malcolm Akers, Frances Mack, Amy Heywood & Peter, Cathie Dickson, Carolyn Rayner & her mother Mary Rayner and Alan Ganney.
We pray for those whose anniversaries occur this week: Bob Maidment, Sally Lovell, Nuala Wilders, David Bullen, Linda Slater.
May they rest in peace.
