A message from Fr John

Dear Friends

Good morning

The news is not so good - the lockdown must continue for several more weeks which will be hard for everyone, especially our schools and small businesses, but we also learn that the total number of deaths in this country due to Covid has passed the almost unthinkable number of 100,000. So many lives lost, young and old; so many families who mourn the loss of loved ones, so many communities who have been touched by those losses - lives that will never be the same.
And all of us are caught up in that tremendous sense of sadness - God help us all.

We know that we need to keep hoping and working towards safety - and a new vision - but it’s also important that we allow ourselves to be sad, to feel with and for all whose lives have been hurt, to feel some of their pain. We are all part of that one human family across the world in which 2,174,105 people have died.

Cardinal Vincent Nichols offered his prayers for all who have died, all who mourn them, and all who serve in the fight against the pandemic. He writes: "A day of great sadness all over the land. So many people, families, communities, remembering those who have died in these terrible months of the pandemic. Each one is mourned. Each one is to be prayed for. This is our instinct, our faith, our practice. Our prayer is rooted in the faith that, in death, life is changed, not ended, for the promise of eternal life opens the door of hope even in our darkest moments. I pray for each and everyone, those who have died, those who mourn, those who serve. Please, please, join me in that prayer."

In prayer, we remember all those associated with parish who are on the 'frontline' in any kind of way – Laura, Jenny, Carmel, Joseph, Lisa, Patrick, Chris, Catherine, Anne, Terry, Mark, Theo, Clare, Richard, Anthony, Jane, James, Andrew, Mary, Francis, Ruth, Tony, Sue, Dan, Fiona, Katy. Ian & Bethany - we are grateful for their courageous work. Let us keep all our teachers, pupils and parents in prayer too.

St Joseph, rock of ages, pray for us

Every blessing

Fr John