Fourth Sunday of Lent

Dear friends in Christ 

As we are now at the half-way point of Holy Lent, the Church slightly eases the rigours of these days with this Lætare Sunday which anticipates the happiness of Easter, as the opening words of the Mass proclaim, together with lighter coloured vestments and music. Last week the Gospel was the Samaritan Woman at the Well, this Sunday the cure of the Man Born Blind. The whole of our Christian lives is an effort to believe more deeply and see the Person of Jesus more vividly. That man, blind from birth, had his sight restored. Once his eyes are opened, he is able to see Jesus and make a profession of faith in His divinity, His Godhead.  The miracle is a symbol of how God in Christ restores the eyes of our faith so that we can proclaim our faith in the True God. Jesus uses mud to anoint the eyes of the Blind Man, he uses created material to effect the miracle. Similarly in the Sacraments, God uses matter such as water, oil, bread and wine, as the means whereby grace—the life of God—is communicated to us in the Church. God continually uses ordinary and human means to communicate his divine life to us. We are hearing this Gospel, on this Sunday, to remind us of the essence of this season. Lent is a period of enlightenment for those who are preparing to enter the Church this Easter or Pentecost. It is also a period of increased light for all of us as we prepare to celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus.

During this week shall celebrate two important Saints for our Parish: Saint Patrick on Tuesday and Saint Joseph on Thursday; both are patrons of the Parish Family. The original church building (the old Parish Hall demolished in 2012) was dedicated to these two Saints. When Canon Francis Gilbert built our present edifice, he wished it to be dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes. Saint Patrick was lost from the new dedication but his statue in the church today is a reminder of his original patronage of our Parish. May these two Saints intercede for us in a special way this week, and bring us closer to Christ in his Passion and Death.

Please pray for our Bishop—Alan Williams—who this weekend reaches a significant birthday by which he is required to submit his resignation to Our Holy Father, the Pope. We now begin the important process of discerning and awaiting a new Pastor for our Diocese, perhaps later this year.

We pray also for Father Cornelius Joyce who celebrates his ninetieth birthday next Saturday; may God bless him and reward him for his generous priestly service.

We remember all Mothers this Sunday as Mother’s Day always occurs on Lætare Sunday which neatly reminds us of the joy of Motherhood and the gratitude owed to our earthly mothers who are mirrors and icons of God’s Mother, who is our heavenly Mother too.

God bless you all!

Msgr Kevin Hale

Third Sunday of Lent

Dear friends in Christ

The Readings over the next three Sundays begin to lead us into the mysteries of our salvation in Christ: The Woman at the Well this weekend, the Healing of the Man Born Blind next Sunday and finally the Raising of Lazarus from the Dead. In each of these Gospel narratives, we are being lead from the darkness of sin and death towards the light of the Resurrection. For this reason, these passages from the Scripture are ideal helps in the preparations for those who are to receive the Easter Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and the Blessed Eucharist. In a beautiful sermon of Saint Augustine on the Samaritan Woman whom Jesus meets at the Well he concludes: What is this water that he will give if not the water spoken of in Scripture: With you is the fountain of life? How can those feel thirst who will drink deeply from the abundance in your house?  He was promising the Holy Spirit in satisfying abundance. She did not yet understand. In her failure to grasp his meaning, what was her reply? The woman says to him: 'Master, give me this drink, so that I may feel no thirst or come here to draw water.' Her need forced her to this labour, her weakness shrank from it. If only she could hear those words: 'Come to me, all who labour and are burdened, and I will refresh you.' Jesus was saying this to her, so that her labours might be at an end; but she was not yet able to understand.

We know, with the hindsight and insights of faith and history, that Jesus has come to give us life abundantly, and by our Baptism, we share on earth the life we look forward to possessing in all its fullness in eternity. As we approach the mid-way point of Lent, we renew our faith and hope in the promise of eternal life and ask for grace to daily persevere in fidelity to our place in the Church.

God bless you!

Msgr Kevin Hale

Second Sunday of Lent

Dear friends in Christ

The Gospel of this Sunday—the Transfiguration—shows us a huge contrast between the glorified Jesus on the mountain and the conversation He had with the disciples when He came down the mountain. On the mountain, Peter, James and John saw Him transformed, in His glory. When they came down the mountain, they see simply Jesus their friend. In fact, the conversation was then not about glory but about suffering and death. This moment in the life of Jesus and the disciples reflects in a touching way something of the course of our own lives as human beings and followers of Jesus Christ. We all experience light and darkness in our lives. There will always be moments when we feel close to God and experience His presence; other times we will be struggling as we face challenges. It can often feel like light and dark in contrast. The most important thing we have to remember is that God was present with Jesus His Son on the hill of Calvary as much as He was present to him on the mount of Transfiguration! God is always there, whatever we are going through.

As we continue in Lent, and perhaps some issues in our lives come to light or are seen under the microscope of grace, we can think of this moment in the Gospel, and be reassured that the disciples would have felt much as we do. Sometimes God is very evident to us, at other times He may seem distant. What is vital is that we hold-on to the moments of transfiguration.

God bless you as we continue our Lenten pilgrimage!

Msgr Kevin Hale

First Sunday of Lent

Dear friends in Christ

We have begun the pilgrimage that is Lent, by receiving the imposition of ashes last Wednesday—the outward sign of our desire for inner conversion and purification. The essence of this holy time—a gift from the Church each year—is so that we may become closer to Our Lord, more committed to His Church and more detached from the passing nature of this life. I urge you to use this Lent as a unique opportunity to achieve with more fervour, all that we should be doing throughout the entire year. There are several helps to our spirituality in these days: the liturgical timetable, reading matter available at the back of church, the various series of Talks you will find published in this Newsletter, to name a few. Above all, try to persevere in what you promise Our Lord and arrive at Easter feeling that this Lent has been a true time of renewal for you.

I remind you to pray this weekend for those from across our Diocese and Parish (fourteen from Leigh) who with their Sponsors are presented to the Bishop this Sunday afternoon in our Cathedral. Also, for our young adults who next weekend will begin their preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation at Pentecost. May God increase their love and devotion to His Holy Church in this intense time of preparation for the Sacraments. Pope Leo, in his Lenten Message, gives us a simple programme for this time:

Lent is a call to conversion: a call to hope, to trust in God and his great promise of eternal life. Let us ask ourselves: Am I convinced that the Lord forgives my sins? Or do I act as if I can save myself? Do I long for salvation and call upon God’s help to attain it? Do I concretely experience the hope that enables me to interpret the events of history and inspires in me a commitment to justice and fraternity, to care for our common home and in such a way that no one feels excluded? May the Virgin Mary, Mother of Hope, intercede for us and accompany us on our Lenten journey. 

We can read the full text of the Holy Father’s Lenten Message.

God bless you!

Msgr Kevin Hale

Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time

Dear friends in Christ

This is the final Sunday (Quinquagesima in the former Roman Calendar) before we begin Lent. Ash Wednesday is a matter of days away, and we should have a plan in place for our living of the Forty Days that comprise the sacred and penitential season of Lent.

Within the Newsletter you will find various initiatives for Lent this year, together with the liturgical celebrations that characterise this time. Lent is known as the Springtime of the Church since during his time our lives are renewed and we are invigorated with the grace of God, to serve Him better and become more devoted disciples of Jesus.

This is also the time when those discerning a call to become Catholic intensify their preparation for the Sacraments, either at Easter or later in the year. Next Sunday they will make a pilgrimage to Brentwood Cathedral and they are presented to our Bishop in the Rite of Election; there are fourteen from our own Parish. Please pray for them and their Sponsors.

This Saturday is the occasion of the Installation of the new Archbishop of Westminster—The Most Reverend Richard Moth. With our Bishop I shall be attending the ceremony and I remind you to pray for his intentions as he takes-up this huge responsibility of shepherding that great Archdiocese.

May God bless us as we make our own personal pilgrimages through this Lent that lays ahead of us!

Msgr Kevin Hale

Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Dear friends in Christ

Our Lord tells us in the Gospel that we are the salt of the earth and light of the world. He says this to each and every one of us who wants to follow Him. Salt gives flavour and makes food more pleasant, and light shows the way out of darkness. When we look around us, it is not difficult to see the results of mankind not living as the salt and light of Christ. But when we do live as salt and light in the midst of the world, we can transform the world from the inside. As G K Chesterton said: The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult; and left untried. Saint John Paul II reminds us of this in a Homily given in 1983: In some way you lend Him your face, your heart, your whole person, when you are convinced, dedicated to the good of others, faithful servants of the Gospel. Then it will be Jesus who attracts people. But if you were to be weak and evil-minded, you would obscure His true identity and would give no honour to Him at all.

It is not too soon to start thinking about Lent which begins in just ten days time; the time of radical penance and renewal. Start to plan how we will live these forty days of Lent so as to be more profoundly the salt and light our world needs right now.

Wednesday is the Solemnity of Our Lady of Lourdes—Patroness of our Parish and Diocese. We celebrate Mass with our Primary School in the morning, asking that Our Blessed Mother continues to watch over us, draw us closer to Jesus and show us how to live as ever more dedicated members of His Church.

May our Lady of Lourdes and Saint Bernadette pray for us!

Msgr Kevin Hale

Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Dear friends in Christ

The Beatitudes form the Gospel of the Mass this Sunday. Blessed means graced by God and in each one of the Beatitudes Jesus tells us how we can receive grace and happiness from God. Our Lord points to the ways that can lead to limitless happiness in eternal life, and also happiness in this life. Poverty of spirit, a hunger for justice, for mercy, for purity of heart, and bearing rejection for the sake of the Gospel—all these are manifestations of the same attitude of soul: abandonment in God. We can ask for these graces and virtues even when those around us seem to be on a vastly divergent path. Saint Basil says we should not consider the rich man fortunate solely because of his riches, or the powerful man because of his authority and dignity, the strong man because of his bodily health or the learned man because of his eloquence. All these things can be instruments of virtue for those who use them rightly, but in themselves they do not hold the secret of happiness (cf his Homily on Envy). When in our search for happiness we attempt to follow other ways, other than those willed by God, we find that our journey ends in sadness and frustration. The Beatitudes, taken as a whole, point to the same ideal—holiness. This Sunday as we listen to these words in the Gospel, may we be moved to desire holiness, to seek holiness and live holiness in all the facets of life.

This weekend we welcome Edmund Adamus to our Parish. I have invited him to come and speak on behalf of the Charity The Friends of the Holy Land. He will tell us something about the situation there and the plight of our bothers and sisters in the Middle East. There will be an opportunity to show our practical support and charity in a retiring collection.

May God bless you all.

Msgr Kevin Hale

Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Dear friends in Christ

Over these past weeks we have heard how Jesus, the Light of the World, has shone upon us. He shone upon Joseph and Mary, on the Shepherds and the Magi. Then He, that bright morning star hides Himself for years in the little town of Nazareth and lives the same life as His fellow countrymen. In fact He still continues to give light to peoples lives, for during the Nazareth years He has shown us through His hidden life, that ordinary life can and should be made holy. Now, after he leaves Nazareth, and has been baptised in the Jordan, He goes to Capharnaum to begin His public life. The Gospel tells us of the calling of the Twelve. Jesus Christ continues to give light and life to the world, and He can do so through our following of Him, by us being apostles to the people of our time. The joy and hope that comes from our Faith gives light to all our activities, and it is the marvel of Jesus who gives meaning to everything that happens to us and everything we do.

Next weekend we shall welcome Edmund Adamus to our Parish who will make an Appeal on behalf of The Friends of The Holy Land. This Charity, so important in these current days, aims to give help and hope to vulnerable Christians in the land of Our Lord’s birth. I look forward to hearing of the situation there and how we might help them from our abundance.

God bless you!

Msgr Kevin Hale

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Dear friends in Christ

We have contemplated the early life of Jesus from His Birth to the Epiphany and now we come to the River Jordan where he has been Baptised and Saint John the Baptist points Him out: Behold the Lamb of God. These words had serious overtones to those who knew the meaning of the paschal lamb. The blood of the sacrificed lamb was  smeared on the doorposts of the Jews on the night of their liberation from slavery in Egypt. All of that was a prefiguring of the true Lamb, Jesus Christ, the victim of Calvary on behalf of all mankind. Christian art has represented Jesus Christ—God and man—as the Paschal Lamb, who takes away the sins of the world. Each time we attend Holy Mass we hear these words of Saint John the Baptist: they are calling Him out, pointing us to Him, telling us to pay attention: Jesus, the Lamb of God is in our midst. There is nothing sentimental about this imagery as we reflect on the blood of the Lamb, poured-out for the sins of the world, poured-out for our salvation. In the Mass, Jesus the Lamb of God, is both Priest and Victim who pleads our cause before the Father. May we be constant in the attention we give Him and always endeavour to receive Him worthily under roof of our soul.

Our website has had an update. The new format is simple to navigate, shows information clearly, and hopefully will help us access Parish information easily. We are grateful to the expertise of those who have collaborated in making this important channel of communication possible.

God bless you!

Msgr Kevin Hale

The Baptism of the Lord

Dear friends in Christ

The Christmas season ends with the Baptism of Jesus. Although He Himself had no need of Baptism by John the Baptist, nevertheless our Saviour and Redeemer chose to join the ranks of those seeking a Baptism of repentance in the River Jordan. In this, as in His Birth, Our Lord shows his solidarity with us sinners. He does not shun those who are considered undesirable by the standards of the world, rather, He stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the outcasts of society, just as he will die nailed to the Cross between two criminals. That is where He desires to be, in order that He can raise-up fallen humanity.

This is a good feast for us to recall our Baptism; this was a day as important as our actual birthday, since by the grace of God, we received enlightenment in Christ, divine filiation, and a pledge of life eternal. As the priest prays right after the moment of Baptism: Receive the light of Christ: this light is entrusted to you to be kept burning brightly, keep the flame of faith alive in your heart, when the Lord comes may you go out to Him with all the Saints in the heavenly kingdom!

By a well-established Roman custom, our Cribs remain in place until the Feast of The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple—and Mary’s Purification—on 2nd February. It is possible to place a crib offering in the wall box in the Lady Chapel or use the QR code there; these offerings help the work of the Brentwood Catholic Children’s Society in their support of our vulnerable and needy young people. Thank you for your continued support of this important Diocesan Charity.

May God give you every grace and blessing!

Msgr Kevin Hale

Second Sunday after the Nativity

Dear friends in Christ

On this Second Sunday of Christmas, as at the Mass of Christmas Day itself, we listen to the Prologue of Saint John’s Gospel. These are the opening verses which, poetic in style, are reminiscent of the opening verses of the Book of Genesis. These words proclaim Jesus Christ’s life on earth, praising His divine and eternal nature. Jesus is the uncreated Word, God the Only-begotten, who takes on our human condition and offers us the opportunity to become sons and daughters of God, that is, to share God’s own life in a real and supernatural way. St John Chrysostom comments on these words of the Gospel in a Homily thus: “In the beginning” what this means is that He always was and that He is eternal…For if He is God, as indeed He is, there is nothing prior to Him; if He is the Creator of all things, then He is the First; if He is Lord of all, then everything comes after Him—created things and time. Until the revision of the Mass following the Second Vatican Council, this Gospel was read at the end of every of Mass. This was so that Catholics would leave church filled with the remembrance that what they had encountered at Mass was the re-presentation of the Word made flesh, who came to dwell amongst us on earth. This belief should still fill us with awe as we go from Holy Mass each time, conscious of the reality that God became flesh, lived on earth, and shows us the way to Heaven.

On this first Sunday of the New Year, I extend my good wishes and assurance of prayers for a happy and holy 2026!

Msgr Kevin Hale

The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

Dear friends in Christ

As we continue the celebration of Christmas throughout this week, our minds turn towards the family life of Jesus, Mary and Jospeh; we celebrate their feast this weekend. There is nothing particularly romantic about the events that surround the Nativity. In fact, it was nothing but hardship for Joseph and Mary as they try to discern what God wanted from them. It is the story of a family on the move, as they travel to Bethlehem for the Census, and then leave for Egypt to escape the persecution of Herod, and then back to Nazareth. Our hearts and prayers go out to all those at this time, who suffer similar hardships as a result of persecution and ejection from their homelands. May this feast remind us of the basic Christian charity we owe to those who suffer homelessness, hunger and poverty in all its forms.

As we approach the start of another year, I thank everyone for the kind greetings received during the Christmas celebrations. In particular for the greetings cards and gifts received and for the kind Christmas Offerings that help us financially and materially. We also extend heartfelt words of thanks to all those who work behind the scenes in the Parish, so that we can have a prayerful, beautiful and fitting celebration of Our Lord’s Birth.

May the peace of Christ and the prayers of Joseph and Mary assist us as we approach 2026 so that we may be filled with every heavenly grace and blessings!

Msgr Kevin Hale

Christmas Message

The Priests of the Parish join in wishing you every grace, peace and blessing this Christmastide.

Christmas Message

The Priests of the Parish join in wishing you every grace, peace and blessing this Christmastide.

Fourth Sunday of Advent

Dear friends in Christ

As we enter the final days of Advent, our thoughts inevitably turn towards the events which led to the birth of Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. One of the main protagonists in the narrative is Saint Joseph, that wise and faithful servant of God, foster father of Jesus. Throughout all of the accounts of the Nativity, and the events that lead to it, Joseph utters not a word. Instead, he is the recipient of some dreams and revelations from God Who is directing him what to do, where to go. He never demurs, even if he cannot see where these promptings are going, but enfolds Mary in his strong protective love; he does not question God. Even if there is potential scandal when Mary’s condition is revealed, and he is not the father, nevertheless he remains steadfast. He is a model of fatherhood. His model of fatherhood serves both for those of us who are given the care of a natural family and those of us who are given spiritual fatherhood over our Parish Families. Reading the various Gospel accounts of the Birth of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew and Luke, we quickly become aware that it was not the cute and cosy affair that we are presented with in our Nativity scenes and other depictions of Christmas. It was a messy scenario on several levels. Our lives can be messy too. The Incarnation happened in order to give us hope and create order in the midst of our disordered and messy lives. Let us keep close to Joseph in these days, asking for his prayers, that we may be docile and obedient as he was, to the inspirations we receive from God in our lives.

Our prayerful best wishes go to Bishop Richard Moth of Arundel and Brighton Diocese, who has been appointed by the Holy father as the new Archbishop of Westminster. May Christ the Good Shepherd and Supreme High Priest bestow upon him all he graces necessary for his new ministry.

God bless you!

Msgr Kevin Hale

Third Sunday of Advent—Gaudete

Dear friends in Christ

Joy and hope are the characteristics of the Advent season, and this is expressed in the opening words of the Mass from the Introit: Gaudete—Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say, rejoice…the Lord is at hand! This is also the joy of every day, knowing that Jesus is very near to us. Our Lord brings joy and not affliction; peace not discord. It is the certainty that God is our Father and wants the best for us. In those inevitable moments of life, when our soul may be filled with sadness or doubts, we remind ourselves that The Lord is very close to us. Gloominess is at the mercy of the Evil One, who wants us to feel discouraged and lead us into sin. That is why the Church exhorts us at this midway point of Advent, to have joy and trust; optimism and hope. Advent is given to us so that we can prepare for Christmas, but even more importantly to prepare for the moment when our life will end and we are taken into eternal life. This should put in perspective all of the worldly preparations we make at this time of the year. God is calling to us, he is coming to us, let us be ready. We prepare for Christmas with our Lady, who knew so many contradictions and tiredness as she prepared for the birth of her Son.

God bless you!

Msgr Kevin Hale

Second Sunday of Advent

Dear friends in Christ

The figure of Saint John the Baptist permeates Advent like a water mark. He it is who called, and still calls, the world to prepare for the coming of the Messiah. This he did during his lifetime and now he calls us from Heaven to prepare a way for the Lord! Let us heed this imperative, purify our lives, and prepare with godly devotion for the feasts ahead.

Monday, 8th December is the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Situated in the heart of Advent, this great Marian doctrine celebrates how Mary was preserved from all sin from the moment of her conception, thus making her the worthy tabernacle of God. Mary’s Immaculate Conception helps us prepare for Christmas when, through the power of the Holy Spirit, she gives birth to our Divine Saviour. On Monday evening there will be prayed the Holy Rosary, Litany of Loretto, Consecration of the Parish to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and Benediction, at 7.00pm.

The Parish Bazaar will be held this Sunday morning from 8.00 until 13.00. Do call into the Parish Centre to support this work of Charity which we organise each year. As before, we shall divide the profits between the Catholic Charities our Parish supports.

Wishing you the continued graces of the Advent season!

Msgr Kevin Hale

First Sunday of Advent

Dear friends in Christ

We now begin a new year in the life of the Church. This Sunday—the First of Advent—heralds the start of a year when we shall once more trace the events of salvation starting with the Prophets through to the Birth of Jesus, His Life, Death and Resurrection, right up to the birth of the Church at Pentecost. This liturgical calendar we live-out in parallel with the calendar of normal world-time and events, but through the celebration of the mysteries of our Faith, we make holy all human activity. 

During each Advent we have the double challenge of living our faith in preparation for the coming of Christ at the end of the world and also of preparing to celebrate his Birth when he comes in time—the Incarnation. We need to pray for the grace to keep watching, to be vigilant, so that the cares and events of this world do not overtake us, nor cloud our vision as we strain ahead, always looking to the moment when this world and this life are dissolved. Then shall we finally come to live that life for which we pray daily in the Mass, as we wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.

The family of the Diocese of Brentwood unites in sorrow at this time following the death of Bishop Thomas McMahon on Monday morning; he was in his ninetieth year but had been sick for some months. This is a personal sadness for me since I received Priestly Ordination at his hands in 1984. He was our longest serving Bishop, from 1980 to 2014. His Requiem Mass will be offered in Brentwood Cathedral on Tuesday, 16th December. However, numbers will be restricted, so if you wish to attend you might ask me. May he rest in peace.

I wish you every blessing for a new year, for this Advent season, and for a truly vigilant preparation for the Nativity of Our Lord.

Msgr Kevin Hale

Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe (Youth Sunday)

Dear friends in Christ

The feast of Christ the King this weekend, brings the liturgical year to a close. It is a synthesis of the entire mystery of salvation. Over the past twelve months since last Advent, we have celebrated all of the mysteries of the life of Our Lord. Now we contemplate Him in His glorified state as King of the Universe, and King of all hearts. But what a strange Kingship this is: in the Gospel at Mass we hear how Christ reigns from the Cross, and one of the first fruits of the redemption is the pardoning of a thief; he is the first person to recognise Christ the King: Jesus, remember me when You come into Your Kingdom. Although His divinity was obscured in the Passion, with the eyes of repentance and faith, He could be seen. As Saint Ambrose comments: The Lord always grants us more than we ask for. The thief merely asked to be remembered, but the Lord said: ’Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise'. The essence of life is to live with Jesus Christ. And where Jesus Christ is, there His reign is to be found.

During the final days of the Church’s year, as we do each year, we celebrate the Kingship of Jesus by enthroning Him at the heart of our Parish during the days of Solemn Eucharistic Exposition, or The Forty Hours’ Prayer. This begins on Thursday evening with the Mass at 6 o’clock and there is adoration of the Blessed Sacrament throughout the next days until Saturday evening Benediction at four o’clock, just before we begin another liturgical year with Advent. We all need to be generous with the time we spend in prayer before the Lord. Let us come with hearts full of our prayer intentions, confident that Jesus simply waits for us, to hear us, and grant us what we humbly ask of Him in faith and love.

God bless you!

Msgr Kevin Hale

Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Dear friends in Christ

In the early Church there were some Christians who thought that the Second Coming of Christ was so imminent that they stopped bothering about everyday life. Saint Paul, in the second reading of Mass, laments this situation and tells them to get on with life. Our time on earth is short and our encounter with Jesus is near. We have to live with our eyes fixed on Heaven, our ultimate and permanent homeland. At the same time we are reminded in the liturgy of this Sunday, that we must be prepared for the judgement: our particular judgement and the final one at the end of the world. This has often been depicted as something terrible and dramatic. The reality is that it will be a personal encounter with our Saviour, when He will make it clear to us, and to everyone, what has been happening all along. Let us live each day in anticipation of the belief that we shall be judged with mercy, and that God has created us for Himself and to be with Him forever.

Next Sunday will be the feast of Christ the King, the final Sunday of the liturgical year; it is also National Youth Sunday and, as in previous years, our young people will provide the music and liturgical readings at the Vigil Mass on Saturday.

May God bless you all!

Msgr Kevin Hale