Dear friends in Christ

During this forty-day period between Easter and the Ascension of Our Lord, the Church asks us to keep our eyes on heaven, our final dwelling place, to which Our Lord is calling us. This invitation becomes more pressing as we approach the day on which Jesus went up to the right hand of His Father. Our Lord had promised his disciples in a little while he would be with them forever. Our Lord has kept His promise in this period when He stays close to His loved ones. But His promise will not end when He goes up with His glorious body to His Father, because, by His passion and death He has prepared for us a place in his Father's house, where there are many mansions. Thursday is The Ascension of Jesus into Heaven and a time for us to reflect that though He has gone from our physical sight, He remains with us sacramentally, with His Body and Blood in the Blessed Eucharist. As we sing in the hymn for Eastertide: Though the clouds from sight received Him...shall our hearts forget his promise, 'I am with you evermore’…in the Eucharistic Feast.

This Wednesday—Vigil of The Ascension—our Bishop, Alan Williams, will be making his three-yearly Visitation of our Parish. He will visit Our Lady of Lourdes Primary School in the afternoon and speak with the children and staff there. During Mass in the evening, he will confer the Sacrament of Confirmation on fifty of our young people including several adults. Our Bishop is the first teacher of the Faith in the Diocese, our Shepherd, appointed by the Vicar of Christ, the Pope, to guide, govern and instruct God’s holy people. He is an Apostle. As such, we welcome him as the one who comes to confirm us in the Faith of Christ and His Church. I know you will pray for our young adults who are to be Confirmed, that by the grace they receive from the Holy Spirit, they will take their places as fully-initiated adult members of the Church.

May God bless you all!

Msgr Kevin Hale