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NEWSLETTER - Seek
ye first the Kingdom of God and
his righteousness - 5 July 2009
Dear Parishioner,
Sr Emmanuel was the first parishioner I set eyes on when I arrived in the parish in January 1998. This weekend she is celebrating her Platinum Jubilee. And if you are like me and can’t remember the difference between various jubilees, then let me tell you that a Platinum Jubilee celebrates seventy years. Seventy years of life given exclusively to the Lord. Very appropriately she has chosen this hymn for her Mass:
Seek ye first the Kingdom of
God
and his righteousness
and all these things will be added unto you,
Alleluia.
and his righteousness
and all these things will be added unto you,
Alleluia.
Sr Emmanuel has indeed put the Kingdom of God and God’s righteousness before all else and in her old age she radiates joy still. What a lesson she has to teach the rest of us!
The sisters in the Convent are now mostly elderly and that is why we do not see so much of them in the parish. But they have all given themselves totally to the Lord and it is a privilege for us to have them in our parish family. There are many saints among them, though they would be the very last to acknowledge that! You would surely be most welcome to visit.
*****
The new MISSION TEAM will meet in Stella Maris on Thursday evening to introduce anyone interested to the Catechumenate. If you would like to find out how the Catechumeante works, how you go about becoming a Catholic, then drop in. The Mission Team have all been through the Catechumenate themselves, two as new converts to the Faith and two to deepen their own understanding of it.
Pope Paul VI used to say that it is impossible to be a Christian without being a missionary at the same time. A missionary is one who brings the faith to others. We used to think of missionaries as those brave priests and nuns who left their homeland far behind and journeyed to Africa or India, preaching Christ. Now, its the other way round. Our diocese is very grateful and heavily dependent on the Indian, Polish and Italian priests who have come here to help us. But because Britain itself has become a missionary country, for we have lost sight of God, it means that all of
us have to be missionaries as well. Pope Paul was absolutely right. That is why we have formed this Mission Team to spearhead our efforts. I hope you will support them with your fervent prayers. So, exercise your own God-given role as missionary of Christ by bringing someone to the COME AND SEE DAY on Thursday.
*****
The new permits for the car park are available, at the back of the church or in the sacristy. May I once again ask you to make sure that you lock the gate after you have passed through, whether entering or leaving. And, please attach the lock to the bottom link of the chain, without wrapping the chain around the bar of the gate. By doing otherwise it makes it extremely difficult at times for the next person to load the combination number onto it.
*****
As you know, Sr Jennifer is back in Seren y Mor, occupying now the bottom flat of a property of three flats. The other two are for retired priests. At this moment, there are no requests from priests to take up residence, so the flats are available for short-term lease. They are one bedroomed with parking available. If anyone is interested, please contact Smith and Wypler, tel. 860098.
And finally, we wish Bishop Edwin, who celebrates this weekend his Golden Jubilee as a Priest, our heartfelt congratulations. May the Lord grant him health and strength in the remaining years of service in the Diocese and a long and fruitful retirement.
God bless, Fr Antony Jones
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