I know its been a long, long time since I posted anything on the blog. So I think it's high time that I updated the blog. I know that my readers will have been disappointed that nothing has appeared for such a long time.
I don't think it will be possible to write something on all that has happened since the last post so you will have to make do with a little summary of the past few months to bring everything up to date.
At the end of April I may my annual retreat at Thorneycroft Hall in the Diocese of Shrewsbury. Fr. Peter Haverty, a Priest of Opus Dei was the retreat master. Every year a priest has the obligation of undertaking a retreat in order to help him focus on his life and ministry and his relationship with God. The five days of prayer and reflection in silence were very pleasant.
In the month of May we celebrated the Sacrament of Confirmation for our Year Three children in both our primary schools. This is the last year that Confirmation will be celebrated in Year Three. We are currently undergoing a review of how will be celebrate this Sacrament in the future but the likelihood is the that the Sacrament will be celebrated when the children are much older.
On 13th June I celebrated my anniversary of ordination to the Sacred Priesthood. This year marks seventeen years of service as a priest. Please continue to pray for me and the people I try to serve.
Also in June we celebrated First Holy Communion for all our Year Three Children. Many thanks to all who helped make those celebrations so prayerful. At St Joseph's this year we decided to spread the celebrations over two weekends with the families having the choice of coming to Mass on the Saturday Evening or Sunday morning.
In July I was present at the Ordinations for members of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest (ICKSP) in Gricigliano. It was wonderful to see so many young men dedicating themselves to the service of God and His Church in the priesthood. Please keep these baby priests in your prayers.
At the end of July I made my way to Lourdes for the annual diocesan pilgrimage led for the first time by our new bishop, John Arnold. Once again it was a very uplifting experience. Although this year was my 29th visit it is a place I can never tire of.
After the pilgrimage I was able to take my annual summer holiday. Holidays took me around various parts of France. I am grateful to the hospitality extended to us by Canon Landais of the ICKSP. We celebrated Mass for the Feast of the Assumption and the following Sunday at the Institute's Church. I am grateful to Fr. Clement and Fr. Antony from Nigeria who supplied for me enabling we to get away from the parish for holidays and recharging the batteries.
I returned from holiday towards the end of August to be ready to welcome seminarians and deacons from the Archdiocese of Katowice in Poland who were coming to experience something of the life of the Church here in England.
I think that's about as much as I want to say in this post. It is already quite long. Hopefully the blog will be updated more regularly from now on but I cant promise!!!
