Bishop Peter asked each Pastoral Area to host a Mass celebrated by him and the local priests to mark the Year for Priests. He also asked to meet, at these occasions, the Local Steering Groups which have been convened to take forward the next stages of the Walking Humbly process in their Areas.
These Masses have taken place as follows:-
1st October - Luton Pastoral Area, at Holy Ghost.
6th October - Slough Pastoral Area, at Holy Family
13th October - Central Beds Pastoral Area, at St Peter's, Biggleswade
14th October - Northampton S & W, at St Augustine's, Daventry
23rd October - South Bucks, at St Teresa's, Beaconsfield
5th November - Northampton North and East, at St Gregory's, Northampton.
6th November - Milton Keynes South, at St Thomas Aquinas, Bletchley
20th November - Milton Keynes North, at St Edward the Confessor, Shenley
24th November - Bedford Pastoral Area, at St Joseph's, Bedford
1st December - North Northants Pastoral Area, at St Brendans, Corby
3rd December - Aylesbury Pastoral Area at St Joseph's, Aylesbury
19th January 2010 - Mid Bucks Pastoral Area at Immaculate Heart, Great Missenden
20th January 2010 - South East Bucks Pastoral Area at St Josephs, Gerrards Cross
* * * * * * * * * * * *
From Milton Keynes South, Pastoral Area Link Eileen Eade reports:
"Bishop Peter came to St Thomas Aquinas Church on Friday, 6th November to celebrate Mass for the Year of the Priest at 7.30 pm.
He was joined on the altar by the other priests of the new Pastoral Area of MK South (namely Fr Ken Bowen: Fr Michael Harrison: Canon Dan Kiely) together with Deacon Noel Guina and Deacon John Lovelock. The congregation comprised a good representative number from all the parishes together with nuns from Thornton College.
Mass was followed by a social gathering where parishioners and clergy mingled happily ~ with Bishop Peter meeting and greeting as many persons present as possible. There was a short ‘update’ on the ‘Walking Humbly Process’ by our Dean, Fr Michael, followed by Bishop Peter’s thoughts and desires for the future. It was felt to be a very successful event. "
* * * * * * * * *
Your webmaster attended the Mass for the South Bucks Pastoral Area at Beaconsfield on 23rd October. There was a very good turnout to St Teresa's Church, including a good crew of young servers and other young people, and fine singing led by the excellent music group. Bishop Peter spoke on how the readings from Romans 7 and Luke 12 reminded us of the need to remember our failings, and to be aware of the signs of the times. Afterwards he met with the Local Steering group and agreed with them that the planning process should not be simply for the short-term or to react to problems.
Here's a brief report from Angela Tiffen, Pastoral Area Link for the Northampton S & W area, of the Mass at Daventry:-
"As part of his commitment to visit all the new Pastoral Areas, Bishop Peter visited Our Lady of Charity and St Augustine Church, Daventry on Wednesday 14th October. He came to meet both the priests and the steering group members and during Mass for the Year of the Priest, he commissioned us with a blessing and prayer.
In his homily he talked about the joy of priesthood and mentioned the gathering of priests from the diocese earlier in the year in Ars. With our acute shortage of priests (seven are retiring soon, for various reasons), he encouraged us to pray for new vocations and asked us all to celebrate our Parish Priest’s anniversary of priestly ordination and to make sure that they were able to take their days off and time away for holidays.
It was a very prayerful occasion with hymns which seemed to express the sentiment of our new mission."
* * * * * * * * *
Here are a couple of photos of the visit to Slough on 6th October - thanks to Bernard Stanley. For more excellent pictures of this event, see the Holy Family website. We would love to have more pictures and reports from the other Masses as they happen !
Slough Pastoral Area Link Margaret Lawrence reports as follows:
"Bishop Peter celebrated the Year of the Priest with Slough Pastoral Area. The Mass was a very spiritual occasion but also reflective for the new steering group who were meeting that evening for the first time.
Bishop Peter spoke fondly of the priests and people of Slough after his Pastoral visits earlier in the year. During his homily the congregation were asked to do three things
1. To celebrate our Priests’ birthdays
2. To celebrate the anniversary of their ordinations
3. To make sure our Priests have their holidays.
After the Mass the steering group met for the first time. Bishop Peter spoke of the challenges that we face;
• How we communicate our faith
• The shortage of Priests
• The involvement of the community who will have to become engaged in working with the lack of Priests.
Bishop Peter would like the Holy Spirit to work through the steering group.
He said that a difficulty we may find may be communicating with our Parishes. This is where we must have confidence in God to have conversations and make connections.
Parishes are precious, he said, so we must respect the communities, but we do have to function with the shortage of Priests.
Out of the whole process the Bishop is hoping that there will be new vocations to the Priesthood, the Diaconate and to Marriage.
Bishop Peter said when we are working together we must try to preserve the unity of the church. Some of the process for formulating a Groundplan for the Pastoral area was explained.
The focus for the plan is “How are we as Church?” The Bishop felt that we in the Slough Area have an advantage as we are used to working together. He advised us that the Steering Groups in each area are going to have to make decisions for the future "
* * * * * * * * * * *