In John’s Gospel Jesus is presented as using the language of being at home and it encourages us to ask whether we feel at home in the church and with God. Feeling at home somewhere goes deeper than a postcode: it’s where we are most comfortable, where we are fully ourselves, and where we experience comfort and security. Please God we can instantly call to mind that place where we feel at home. Where is it for you? Give thanks for that place.
It’s remarkable to think that God sees his home as within us: that the Son of man who had nowhere to lay his head, in today’s Gospel, sees us as the person whom he leans upon to rest. The same Jesus who invites all those who are burdened to find their rest in him, recognises us as his place of comfort and restoration. Often this way of viewing our relationship with God can be uncomfortable because we experience feelings of inadequacy or guilt. Perhaps this is something to pray about: asking God to increase our sense of self-worth, with a grace to enable us to view ourselves more as God sees us; as his home. Indeed, this is a particular grace we pray for at every Mass: “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed”. Fr Ryan Service, Holy Trinity, Sutton Coldfield
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The Holy Father Pope Francis has today appointed Mgr Timothy Menezes, Dean of St Chad's Cathedral, and Canon Richard Walker, Vicar General, to be new Auxiliary Bishops to serve our Archdiocese.
Mgr Timothy has been the Dean of St Chad's Cathedral since 2019. He is also the Vice-Dean of Birmingham Cathedral and South Deanery. He was the Vicar General for several years and also the Archbishop’s Secretary. Mgr Timothy was installed as an Ecumenical Canon at Lichfield Cathedral in July 2022. Canon Richard has served as the Vicar General and Trustee of the Archdiocese since September 2020. In previous years he served as the Director of Ongoing Formation for the Archdiocese and Vice Rector at St Mary's College, Oscott. Information regarding the Episcopal Ordination of Bishops-Elect Mgr Timothy and Canon Richard will be shared in due course. Archbishop Bernard said: “I am very grateful to the Holy Father, Pope Francis, for appointing Mgr Timothy Menezes and Canon Richard Walker as Auxiliary Bishops to serve the Archdiocese of Birmingham. “With their long experience of pastoral ministry, their contributions to priestly formation and their dedicated service as Vicars General I know that they will assist me and Bishop David Evans in caring for our clergy and in carrying out our diocesan vision and mission in the years ahead. “I ask the prayers of Our Lady and St Chad, St John Henry Newman and Blessed Dominic Barberi for our two bishops-elect as they prepare for their episcopal ordination in the coming weeks.” Bishop-Elect Mgr Timothy said: “A vocation to the priesthood is one of my earliest memories and my faith has been nourished by my family. For us, Parish life and Sunday Mass were always so important. “It has been a privilege to have served as a priest for 29 years. I am grateful to those who have shaped my life through every pastoral experience and I ask those who have been part of the journey of life to pray for me now. “I have always tried to encourage the young to know the importance of their place in the Church and to value their joyful witness of hope. “In this new role as a Shepherd, I will continue to serve the Lord, encouraging the People of God, the Religious and my fellow Clergy to know God’s love for them and together to build the Kingdom of God beginning with the needs of those whom we might have left behind: those who are homeless, the asylum seeker and those for whom the Church owes a special duty of care.” Bishop-Elect Canon Richard said: “It was a surprise to be appointed an auxiliary bishop of Birmingham, but with humility and hope I have accepted. “It is a privilege to be asked to serve the people of God in this manner and I look forward to continuing to work with Archbishop Bernard and the priests, deacons and people of the Archdiocese to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ. “Please keep me in your prayers that, with God’s grace, I may be a faithful shepherd and servant of the Gospel.” The Bishops-Elect will join Bishop David Evans as Auxiliary Bishops serving the Archdiocese of Birmingham. Main photograph: Canon Richard, Archbishop Bernard, Mgr Timothy. Biographical information: Mgr Timothy Menezes SLL • Born 18 July 1970 • Formation for the Priesthood at St Mary’s College, Oscott, and the Venerable English College, Rome • Ordained Priest at St Dunstan’s, Kings Heath, 22 July 1995 • 1995-96 Further Studies, Rome • 1996-98 Assistant Priest, St Michael’s, Wolverhampton • 1998-2000 Assistant Priest, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Redditch • 2000-2004 Archbishop’s Secretary • 2004-11 Parish Priest, St Thomas More, Coventry • 2011-19 Vicar General • 2019-Present. Dean, St Chad’s Cathedral • 2022-Present. Parish Priest, Sacred Heart and St Margaret Mary, Aston. Canon Richard Walker STL • Born 24 October 1960 • 1985 Qualified as a solicitor • Formation for the Priesthood at St Mary’s College, Oscott, and the Venerable English College, Rome • 2000 Awarded Licentiate in Dogmatic Theology from the Gregorian University, Rome • Ordained Priest at St Francis, Kenilworth, 22 July 2000 • 2000-2003 Assistant Priest, Christ the King, Coventry • 2003-2014 Member of the Formation Staff at St Mary’s College, Oscott, for the majority of which time he was Vice Rector • 2014-2020 Parish Priest, St John the Evangelist, Banbury • 2015-2020 Director of Ongoing Formation for the Archdiocese • 2017-2020 Member of the Archdiocesan Safeguarding Commission • 2018-2020 Parish Priest, St Joseph the Worker, Banbury • Trustee of St Mary’s College, Oscott • September 2020 Appointed Vicar General and a Trustee of the Archdiocese. Fourth Sunday of Easter
John’s words “the good shepherd is one who lays down his life for his sheep” set the tone for us this Good Shepherd Sunday. As a child I was fascinated by the start of the Good Friday liturgy where the clergy would lie flat on the church floor. With enthusiasm, I also wanted to be lying down at that moment. We all make sacrifices in this life, often in ways hidden to many, but seen by God (think of the widow’s mite). In loving others, sacrifice is always involved as we reach out of ourselves and seek to understand the other, and this helps us understand the power of the call to lay down our lives. Laying down ourselves is not about being a doormat or self-neglect. Rather, as Pope John Paul II reminded us, we are called to be bridges (pontifex) in helping people reach God through the way we reveal the love of God incarnate in the concrete reality of our lives. We are all called to be shepherds, then, and we lie down every day and not just on Good Friday. Let us give thanks, too, for the shepherds and shepherdesses whom we have known and who have helped reveal something of the face of God, bridging the gap between heaven and earth. Fr Ryan Service, Holy Trinity, Sutton Coldfield In 1964, Pope Paul VI, launched the Vocations Sunday, which since then we celebrate on the fourth Sunday of Easter, also called as Good Shepherd Sunday. This year it is on the 21st April 2024, which marks the 61st Anniversary of World Day of Prayer for Vocations.
As Catholics and people of God we all know that God is calling us and has a plan for each of us. He called each of us by name through our Baptism to holiness. He continues to call and cry out to us each day to be his disciples, some to the married life, some to the priesthood, some to religious life or to live as kind single people. Everybody is called! What is God calling you to? Along with the whole Church, let us pray for vocations today. Let us take time to stir the hearts and minds of the people around us to think about the topic of Vocation. The National Office for Vocation (NOV) invites you to talk and encourage children, young people, grandchildren, students, family members to respond generously to the calling of the Lord. Some food for thought from the National Office for Vocations: 0ba3d2_79669bd8a00442fa8ddabe52b2fc67f7.pdf (ukvocation.org) God our Loving Father, you called each of us by name through the Sacrament of Baptism to holiness. Through the gift of the Holy Spirit, you made us the temples of the Holy Spirit. Help us to listen to the cry of our Lord Jesus from the Holy Cross ‘I thirst’ and respond to the call ‘Go out to the whole world and proclaim the good news to all the nations’. Guide us in every step we take in life and lead us in every decision we make in responding to your call. Make us and mould us into the living images of Christ your Son, who was always close to those in need. We make this prayer through Christ our Lord, Amen. We are very pleased to announce that His Grace, Archbishop Bernard Longley, has accepted Douglas Grantham and Filip Gronkiewicz as seminarians for the Archdiocese beginning formation this autumn.
Douglas and Filip will begin formation with a propædeutic year at the Royal English College of St Alban, Valladolid (Spain), from September. Please keep them and all our seminarians in your prayers. Photograph L-R: Filip, His Grace and Douglas at Archbishop’s House I'm delighted to greet you as we come together to celebrate the great feast of Easter, the most important feast in the Christian calendar.
And it's wonderful for the family of our Archdiocese to give thanks for the new life which the Risen Lord brings to all of us, especially through our parish communities and through the different works of outreach, which were inspired by this new life in the Risen Christ. At the beginning of the Easter Vigil, we light a fire. We bring new light into the world at a moment of darkness and in the procession, as we carry the paschal candle, we sing the light of Christ. We recall that when Jesus spoke about himself, one of the things that he described was his own gift of light. He said, “I am the light of the world”. We know that this year has been difficult for people in so many parts of the world. We pray especially and continue to do so for the people of Ukraine. And we think of the suffering in Israel and Gaza as we pray for the Prince of Peace to influence those who can make decisions and bring peace into the world. We also know that in our own lives, just as we carry the candle at Easter, so the light of Christ can shine out from within us, particularly in our words and our deeds, because we recognize that we are indeed an Easter people. I want to wish you and your families and all those close to you, every blessing this Easter season. Let the light of the risen Christ shine through in the things that you say and do, especially within your family settings, with your neighbours, and as you witness to him in the world today. And pray for that gift of peace, that the light of the world may shine in the darkest places of our world today. May every blessing be yours this Easter season. And I assure you that I pray for you and all those close to you. A very happy Easter. 28/3/2024 0 Comments Men of FaithIn response to requests from parishioners, Fr John will be forming a 'Men of Faith' group, to be based at Holy Trinity. The first meeting will be on Tuesday 9th April at 7pm and thereafter on the first Tuesday of every month. To begin with, we shall spend 30 minutes in Adoration before the Blessed Sacrament, which will include a brief presentation by Fr John. Following Adoration and Benediction, the group will be invited to a local pub for a drink and some social time.
A film based on the life of Catholic missionary Mother Francesca Cabrini is showing at the Vue Cinema this week. Mother Cabrini arrives in New York from Italy in 1889 and manages to convince the hostile mayor to secure housing, healthcare and schooling for the city's destitute orphans. She was the first U.S. Citizen to be Canonised.
See Vue Newcastle Under Lyme Cinema Film Listings & Times | Vue (myvue.com) for showing times - final showing Thursday 21st at 4.15pm. Today, the Holy Father, Pope Francis, has accepted the resignation of the Right Reverend Declan Lang as Bishop of Clifton. Bishop Declan was ordained the ninth Bishop of Clifton on 28 March 2001 and has served the Diocese for 23 years as its bishop.
The Holy Father has appointed Rev. Canon Bosco MacDonald, a priest of the Diocese of Clifton, until now Dean of the Cathedral Church of St Peter and St Paul, Bristol, as the tenth Bishop of the Diocese of Clifton. Bishop-elect Bosco MacDonald said, on hearing the news of his appointment: “I am humbled that His Holiness Pope Francis has called me to become the 10th Bishop of the Diocese of Clifton, following the retirement of Bishop Declan Lang who has served us so lovingly and faithfully for 23 years, giving his life completely to the joys and hopes as well as the challenges of our Catholic communities here in the West of England. “As I embark on this new journey, I am filled with gratitude for the prayers and affection of so many wonderful priests and people, family and friends far and wide. “I am eager to renew my profession of faith and deepen my communion with the Successor of Peter and my brother Bishops. And just as Pope Francis encourages Bishops to be close to their people in a spirit of service, I accept this new role in obedience to my priestly call with a commitment to serve the priests and people of Clifton to the best of my ability, with care, tenderness, and compassion. “May the love of Christ and the intercession of Our Blessed Lady, Conceived Without Sin guide every step I take as the 10th Bishop of this lovely Diocese of Clifton.” Bishop Declan Lang said: “I would like to congratulate Canon Bosco MacDonald and accompany him with my prayers on his appointment as the 10th Bishop of the Diocese of Clifton. He has many years of pastoral experience having worked in a number of parishes both as an assistant priest, parish priest and Dean of Clifton Cathedral. He brings much experience to his new ministry within the diocese which he will carry out with dedication and faithfulness. “I am sure he will also be a valuable member to the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales as we discern the way forward in a changing society. “Please remember Canon Bosco in your prayers as he prepares for this new ministry. The Episcopal Ordination of Bishop-elect MacDonald will take place in the Cathedral Church of Saints Peter and Paul in Clifton, Bristol. The date will be announced in due course. Catholic Bishops' Conference (cbcew.org.uk) |
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