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    Bishop Wright to visit St Pauls Bookstore in York

    St Pauls is delighted to announce that the Rt Revd Tom Wright, Bishop of Durham and world-renowned New Testament scholar, will be in their bookshop in York on Thursday 11th March, from 6 - 8pm to sign copies of his latest book 'Virtue Reborn'. In the book he shows us how Christian virtues transfor

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    Papal honour for Hull man

    Papal honour for Hull man

    Congratulations to Patrick Doyle (seen here with Kevin McNamara, former MP and fellow KSG) on the award of the Knighthood of St Gregory the Great. (photo by courtesy of Bernard Swift) Bishop Terry made the presentation to Patrick, a former lecturer, councillor, school governor and member of the

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    Encouragement and Support

    Encouragement and Support

    The Visit of the Bishops of England and Wales to the Threshold (Ad Limina) of the Apostles, 25th January - 4th February 2010 We were all called to Rome - all 35 of us, four archbishops, 18 diocesan bishops, ten auxiliary bishops, including one retired, the Apostolic Administrator of the Ukrainian C

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    Fr Joseph O'Brien R.I.P.

    Fr Joseph O'Brien R.I.P.

    Fr Joseph O'Brien who died on 25th January 2010 aged 87 was buried after his funeral Mass on 5th February at Sacred Heart Church, Hull, where he had been ordained as a priest for our Diocese by Bishop McClean on 22nd February 1975. Bishop Terry was the Principal Concelebrant and he was joined by 20

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    Ecumenical Service of Commemoration at York Minster

    On 24th March 1980, whilst celebrating the Eucharist, Oscar Romero the Roman Catholic Archbishop of San Salvador in Central America, was assassinated by a government-backed militia because of his Gospel-inspired defence of human rights and his speaking out on behalf of the poor. At his appointment

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    Bishop Terry's Pastoral Letter for Lent 2010

    Bishop Terry's Pastoral letter for Lent 2010 has been posted to Bishop Terry's section of this site. Click here to read it. To hear Bishop Terry's podcasted version of the Pastoral Letter for Lent 2010, which has also been posted to Bishop Terry's section of this site, click here.

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    Introducing Oscar Romero

    Julian Filochowski, Chair of the Archbishop Romero Trust, will present 'Introducing Oscar Romero' in York on Saturday 6th March. This meeting will take place at St. Paul’s Church, Heslington, York from 10.15am until 1pm and will be hosted by York Carmelite Spirituality Group, www.carmelite.org/yo

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    Give It Up For Lent!

    Give It Up For Lent!

    Transforming Lives For Over 50 Years CAFOD Lent Fast Day, Friday 26th February 2010 Over the last 50 years, your support has helped to transform the lives of millions of people. Thank you for your generosity. Help us make 2010 a special year. We're asking you to give something up for Lent and donat

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    The Church Behind Bars

    The Church Behind Bars

    Prison Chaplaincy A much hidden but very important work that goes on throughout our diocese is the work of prison chaplains. The number of prisoners throughout England and Wales is at its highest level ever and seems to be on course to continue to rise. Within the boundary of our diocese we have

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    Oscar Romero and Carmel

    On Saturday 6th March the Carmilite Spirituality Group meets to look at the topic of "Oscar Romero and Carmel", in anticipation of the 30th anniversary of the martyrdom of this Archbishop of El Salvador. A presentation on Romero’s life and witness will be given by Julian Filochowski, Chair of the

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    CAFOD Haiti Earthquake Emergency Appeal

    Dear Friend CAFOD Haiti Earthquake Emergency Appeal - Please hold a special collection in your parish this weekend People are removing rubble with their bare hands to find survivors in Haiti, where a massive earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale has devastated the capital. We fear that mo

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    Mary Ward and the idea of holiness

    The York Circle of the Newman Association present a talk by Pamela Ellis on 'Mary Ward and the idea of holiness' on Monday 15th February, 7.30pm at St Bede's Pastoral Centre, 21 Blossom Street, York Any enquiries, please contact Judith or Robert Smeaton on (01904) 704525 or email jud

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  • Documents for Lourdes 2010

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Celebrations of St Vincent de Paul and St Louise de Marillac

Saturday April 24, 2010

350th Anniversary Mass to celebrate the lives of St Vincent de Paul and St Louise de Marillac
Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King, Mount Pleasant, Liverpool on Saturday 24th April 2010, 2pm Read More »

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Christian Unity Service at Guisborough

Churches Together in Guisborough held prayers and an ecumenical celebration for Christian Unity Week 2010. The week started at the Salvation Army Citadel then moved through the week to St Nicholas Church with the Rev Graham Pacey, the Methodist Church with Rev Isabel Stuart, the United Reform Church with Rev Ken Harris, the Christian Fellowship at St Nicholas, culminating in a united Service at the new St Paulinus RC Church on The Avenue at Guisborough on Sunday 24th January. Read More »

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Canon Michael Bayldon – Ruby Jubilee

Canon Michael Bayldon is the Parish Priest at St Paulinus RC Church at Guisborough and on Monday 22nd February celebrated his Ruby Jubilee of 40 years as a priest. Fr Michael, as he likes to be known, was ordained as a priest on 22nd February 1970 by Bishop John Gerard McClean at St John of Beverley Church in Beverley. It is particularly appropriate that Pope Benedict XVI has decreed that 2010 should be the ‘Year of the Priest’. Read More »

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Fr Anthony Barry’s 90th birthday

Many happy returns to Fr J Anthony Barry on his recent 90th birthday. Fr Tony, a much loved priest (and dear friend of the webmaster) celebrated Mass with Fr Pat Keogh at the Nazareth House chapel on the day. Many happy returns to him.

photo of Father Tony Barry and well-wishers

(photo courtesy of Angela Collinson)

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Church behind bars, a talk by Fr Patrick Cope

Wednesday March 24, 2010
7:30 pm

The Cleveland NEWMAN Circle present a talk by Fr Patrick Cope who has 19 years’ experience with young offenders, nationally and locally.

He will be speaking at St Bernadette’s, Nunthorpe (Nevers Room, with disabled access) on Wednesday 24th March 2010, 7.45 pm (coffee from 7.30 pm)

Everyone is welcome!

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Young people helping young people

The St Bede’s Deanery Confirmation Youth Group chose Nightstop Teesside (a group which provides emergency temporary accommodation for homeless young people between the ages of 16 and 25) for their Christmas appeal. The group arranged an appeal within their own parishes for items such as toiletries and underwear, the amount collected was staggering.

photo of St Bede's deanery Confirmation Youth Group

The photo shows the group presenting the collected items to Ruth Fox from Nightstop, who was delighted with generosity shown.

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Royal seal of approval to a match made in Heaven

Two very special parishioners at St Patrick’s, Thornaby, had much to celebrate recently. Mary and Tom Catnach celebrated their Diamond Wedding Anniversary on 26th November 2009 and the icing on their cake was a beautiful telegram from Her Majesty the Queen. Read More »

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Oh, No! Not that woman again!

Friday March 19, 2010
1:30 pm

F Mary Callan in York’s Literature Festival

In an afternoon entitled ‘Oh, No! Not that woman again!’ Mary Callan presents ‘Four Disastrous Heroines of the Bible’ looking at how the bible can help us process modern disasters, followed by ‘Did Paris get it Wrong?’ a new look at the story of Helen of Troy. Read More »

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READ-A-BOOK-A-MONTH Bible challenge

The March project is to complete reading the Book of Isaiah, ideal Lenten reading. God shows Himself Lord of history, and promises Israel’s return from exile. The Suffering Servant prophecies prepare us for Christ’s suffering. The usual pamphlet to accompany the month’s reading will be delayed, ’till I’ve given up the day job’, says author Mary Callan.

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Fr Marsden’s homily delivered at Fr Joe O’Brien’s funeral

When talking about priests the phrase ‘men set apart’ is often used. The trouble is that such an image can expresses superiority – not servants but masters. And when the cracks and failings of human finiteness show in priests, waves of shock, horror and uncertainty ripple through the people of God.

‘Men set apart’ is not enough. Let me explain. In the Preface of Sundays in Ordinary Time ‘1′, we use the words:

‘… we are called to the glory that has made us
a chosen race, a royal priesthood,
a holy nation, a people set apart.’

This extends to the whole Church. We are left with the notion that we are apart, above, better than the rest… and how often have Catholics felt and expressed that superiority! Yet if we look at the source of these words… the first letter of St Peter chapter 2 verse 9, we find it has been cut short. Peter is talking about all of us being part of the holy priesthood, chosen and royal, and finishes with the words ‘a people set apart to sing the praises of God‘. This puts a very different slant on the quotation – a choir whose ’singing’ will lead others to turn towards God. Ours is the responsibility to proclaim the love of God to the world by the way we live. We are called to serve the will of the Father in this… not to be superior but to be humble encouragers of our fellow human beings.

So, when we talk about priests being ‘men set apart’, should we stop there or is there something else to add? Of course there is. The responsibility of the whole Church is to bring the love of Christ to the world. The responsibility of priests is to break open the Word of God with and for the Church (our second reading – Romans 10:9-18), and to celebrate the sacraments with and for the Church, to encourage, uplift, exhort and heal the people of God to enable them to fulfil their role in the world.

So at the heart of the Church we have ordinary men involved in doing extraordinary things, things that do not make him superior because he is indispensable, but make him servant as he ’serves’ those extraordinary things to the faithful. Listen to some words of Pope John Paul II (Magnificat p72):

Priests are called to prolong the presence of Christ, embodying his way of life and making him visible in the midst of the flock entrusted to their care… Priests are there to serve the faith, hope and charity of the laity. They recognise and uphold, as brothers and friends, the dignity of the laity as children of God and help them to exercise fully their special role in the overall context in the Church’s mission… Priests have become living instruments of Christ the Eternal Priest so that through the ages they can accomplish his wonderful work of reuniting the whole human race with heavenly power… The priest should be able to know the depth of the human heart, to perceive difficulties and problems, to make meeting and dialogue easy, to create trust and cooperation, to express serene and objective judgements… Through his daily contact with people, his sharing in their daily lives, the priest needs to develop and sharpen his human sensitivity so as to understand more clearly their needs, respond to their demands, perceive their unvoiced questions, and share the hopes and expectations, the joys and burdens which are part of life: thus he will be able to meet and enter into dialogue with all people… All the difficult circumstances which people find in their path as Christians are fraternally lived and sincerely suffered in the priest’s heart. And he, in seeking answers for others, is constantly spurred on to find them first of all for himself… People need to come out of their anonymity and fear. They need to be known and called by name, to walk in safety along the paths of life, to be found again if they have become lost, to be loved, to receive salvation as the supreme gift of God’s love. All this is done by Jesus the Good Shepherd – by himself and by his priests with him.

All I can say to that is ‘God help us’. Ordinary human beings called to be channels, conduits of extraordinary graces to our brothers and sisters so that they can bring the love of Christ to the world… God help them, too.

In some ways, our first reading reminds us that for a priest to stand on the sanctuary to celebrate Mass is to bring the faithful to the threshold of heaven:

Almighty Father,
we pray that your angel may take this sacrifice
to your altar in heaven.
Then as we receive from this altar
the sacred body and blood of your Son,
let us be filled with every grace and blessing.

What humility should fill the heart of anyone entrusted with this task!

Then there is the ‘Breaking of the Word’ so that people who are part of the chosen race and a holy nation, who share in the royal priesthood, can grow in the knowledge and love of God and their vocation to sing the praises of God.

But not every man ordained to the ministerial priesthood is blessed with being a great preacher, an inspirational teacher; not everyone can be a highly charismatic figure stirring the people to great actions. The majority of priests are but ordinary men, proclaiming the Word, preaching the word through action more than words. They have an eye for the needs of the people whom they serve. They see where the ‘body’ needs healing, encouragement and support to carry out its mission of singing the praises of God to the world. Much of what a priest does is unseen by the majority and is only appreciated by those who receive his ministry. From letters received, it is clear that Fr Joseph really did care for the sick and housebound, truly did encourage family life, took great care in preparing people for the reception of the sacraments and, in his own way, tried to foster a parish community spirit.

So, though it is not his exclusive responsibility, a priest’s role is to prepare the people of the Church to fulfil their role of making Christ present in the world by singing the praises of God in the way they think, speak and act towards those among whom they live.

If they are men set apart, they are set apart to serve, to be the humble servants of that part of the Church in their care. If the whole of our priestly ministry is lived like that, even though the latter years might be in a nursing home, then we will be ready when the Master comes and knocks… as indeed, through our ministry (service), will those of the royal priesthood of Christ whom we serve.

Fr Michael Marsden

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