Llandudno -
Our Lady Star of
the Sea
Parish
Priest: Fr Antony Jones STL - Telephone: 01492 860546 [Email]
Sunday August
13th
2006
Dear Parishioner,
You’ve done it again! The collection for Sr Jean last week was an
absolutely whopping £493. Well done.
I would also like to say, on behalf of the Parish, a big Well Done to
Margaret Hunt and Sylvia Bell. They have been General Secretary
and Treasurer of the Guardian Angel Society for several years now and,
in their own quiet way, have done fantastic work for the church.
Sadly, they feel that the time has come to pass on the baton to
others. Words cannot express all the good they have done for the
Church. And while thanking them, I include the other faithful and
hard-working members of the Society as well.
Their decision has been the occasion for GAS to take stock of itself
and to examine carefully where exactly it is going. We have done
this together over the past few weeks and have come to our conclusions,
which I wish to share with you now.
First of all, I would like to clarify just exactly what the Guardian
Angel Society is. Its principal aim is to combat loneliness in
the name of the Lord.
The Church and loneliness, of which there is a great deal in our modern
world, are not comfortable bedfellows. The Church is all about
Community and Fellowship. The Church exists to create
community. God himself is a Community of Persons dwelling in such
close community that the Three are indeed One. The Church
reflects this Community. Her purpose is to create fellowship with
God and fellowship among ourselves in Christ.
Loneliness is, by definition, the opposite of community – it is to feel
left out, isolated. The Guardian Angel Society exists within the
Parish to counteract this sense of isolation and help people realise
that they do belong, that they do matter.
At our recent meetings together, we concluded that there is a great
deal of loneliness in this town and that a lot of it exists in the
residential homes which abound here in Llandudno. This is no
criticism of the staff; it is just the way things inevitably are.
So, GAS decided that they will give the residential homes of the parish
a high priority and will endeavour to visit them in the name of Christ
and of the Church. They will make no distinction between Catholic
and non-catholic.
They also decided to continue visiting lonely people living in their
own homes. Now here is where I need your help. You know
where these lonely people are – people who do not have family with them
or around them, people who receive few or no visitors apart from the
support professionals who go in officially. Just let me know who
and where these people are and I will pass their names on to GAS.
Make no distinction between Catholic and non-catholic. They will
then be visited regularly, each time by a different member of the
Society. They will get to know all the members of GAS who will
inevitably become their friends. See how much good you could do
if you take this invitation of mine seriously and just let me know.
And finally, would you like to be a part of this team? You could
do a huge service to the Church. There is only one meeting a year
you would be obliged to attend, and that is the Annual General Meeting,
usually held at the beginning of October, near the Feast of Our Holy
Guardian Angels. The monthly meeting is optional. You would
be informed each month of the home and individual you would be required
to visit, and you would visit these once or twice in the month as your
time allows. As simple as that. Please contact me.
God bless you,
Fr Antony Jones
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