A blessed and happy Easter to you all!
The Easter gift to the Diocese this week has been the announcement of a new Bishop! Fr Alan Williams was appointed by Pope Francis last Monday as the Seventh Bishop of Brentwood and his Consecration will take place on 1st July. He is a member of the Society of Mary (Marist Fathers) and in recent years has been the Director of the National Shrine of Our Lady at Walsingham. I had the opportunity to speak with him on Monday after the Press Conference when he was presented to the Diocese. I thanked him for accepting the invitation to be our Bishop and said that I believed his choice was the fruit of much prayer over these last three years! He particularly requested that I ask the Parish here to pray for him as he assumes the task of being an Apostle for us in Brentwood. I have assured him of our prayers, devotion and loyalty. May God bless him and give him a happy and fruitful ministry as our Father in Christ.
Our prayerful good wishes and congratulations go to Suresh Raj, Christine Reid & Michael Torode who were received into Full Communion with the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil. We pray for them - and ask them to pray for us - that we may all be faithful to what we have promised and receive through our perseverance what is promised to us.
We are all ever-so grateful to all those who have contributed to the liturgical life of the Parish over these days of Holy Week: the many individuals and groups who have helped us to pray and participate in a holy way in the mysteries of our Redemption. May God bless and reward you all as we enter this joyful Eastertide!
Fr Kevin Hale