Dear friends in Christ
The Readings of the Mass this Sunday speak of unselfish generosity: the widow who brings Elijah the only food she had to live on, and the Gospel of the Widow’s mite. These are symbols—expressions—of the generosity of God, who continues to pour out his life and love for us, especially in the Holy Mass. We are also conscious of this outpouring of God’s charity in the world around us. Many have been following with interest the events of the last week at Cop26 in Glasgow. Commentators have seen this as a pivotal moment for our planet and there are renewed expectations as a result of this Conference. Each of us can play our part in showing loving concern for the gift of the created world. We are the stewards of God’s creation and individually we can do something, however small.
Within our own Parish we have implemented changes which help the environment and reduce waste. Several years ago we installed low energy lighting in the church, reducing energy and costs by sixty per cent. The new Parish Centre, notwithstanding its traditional appearance, has been designed to the most modern standards. The heating of the building is provided by hot-water underfloor heating throughout, powered by air-source heat pumps, which take the warmth from the outside air, even in the depth of winter, to heat the building to a comfortable level. Apart from the electricity needed to power the pumps, this is a totally renewable energy source. The underfloor heating is installed in a way that it can be replaced at the end of its life without disruption to the walls and structure. Lighting is by energy-saving fittings, most of the main areas are illuminated with LED spotlights, which give a high-quality of light at minimum energy consumption. The hot water is provided by a gas-fired condensing boiler. Both internally and externally maintenance costs are kept to a minimum, with no external cyclical painting required at all. Internally, high quality and durable natural surfaces require minimal and infrequent attention. In October 2015, Southend Borough Council gave the Parish Centre an Award for outstanding architecture. On a weekly and daily basis we have worked to become paper-free and so the weekly Newsletter is delivered online to over a thousand subscribers. Publicity for forthcoming events can be found on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. In our own small way we are being custodians of God’s beautiful creation.
Please continue to pray for our beloved Faithful Departed in this Month of the Holy Souls. On Friday there will be a Requiem for Sir David Amess and the following Friday—19th—a sung Requiem, for departed parishioners, according to the Missal of 1962. In all of this, and above all, may God be praised!
Msgr Kevin Hale