Llandudno -
Our Lady Star of
the Sea
Parish Priest: Fr Antony Jones STL - Telephone: 01492 860546 [Email]
Sunday, March 4th, 2007 - Lent 2 (C)
Dear Parishioner,
<>I write to you on St David’s Day, but not in the happy frame of mind one should have on such a lovely feast. I have just come back from celebrating Mass with the school children, but on driving along Maesdu Road I saw, to my dismay, that the lovely line of poplar trees there has been cut down.
The poplar tree was known in ancient Wales as the tree of the old women’s tongues, because the leaves never keep still, even on the quietest of days. Now those tongues are for ever still and Wales is a little less beautiful place. I feel angry. Whatever the reasons for felling these trees, these reasons could have been and should have been circumvented. The decision to cut them down is nothing short of scandalous and a sad exercise in community vandalism.
But now to more civilised behaviour. I am sure you would like to read this letter I received from Revd Kamal Samaan, the National Secretary General of the Society of St Vincent de Paul in the Sudan:
Dear Father Antony Jones,
Best greetings to you and hope you are keeping fine. The purpose of this letter is to express our deep gratitude to you and the brothers and sister in the Parish of Our Lady, Star of the Sea, Llandudno, for their great efforts for raising an excellent sum of money for the Baby Feeding Centres by the Feed my Lambs project. Father, the above is a clear indication that you all there are keen to share your resources for the sake of the poor children whom we are serving.
We must mention that we are in bad need of such help as our resources are always very limited in comparison to the actual need on the ground. You might be pleased to know that we are now feeding about 10,000 to 12,000 babies daily in 17 centres.
May our Lord bless you and all the brothers and sisters at your end and elsewhere. Best regards, Revd Kamal Samaan.
Sister tells me that there are many items of furniture that will no longer be required and which you are welcome to have, though a reasonable donation to Feed my Lambs would be appropriate and appreciated. They include beds, wardrobes, dressing tables, chests of drawers, bedside cabinets, tables, chairs, blankets, pillows, electric kettles and a toaster. If you are interested, just speak with Sister.
"I have now made a habit of being prepared in all affairs of life for the worst. As death, when we come to consider it closely, is the true goal of our existence, I have formed during the last few years such close relations with this best and truest fiend of mankind that his image is not only no longer terrifying to me, but is indeed very soothing and consoling! And I thank God for graciously granting me the opportunity (you know what I mean) of learning that death is the key which unlocks the door to our true happiness. I never lie down at night without reflecting that, young as I am, I may not live to see another day. Yet no one of all my acquaintance could say that in company I am morose or disgruntled. For this blessing I daily thank my Creator and wish with all my heart that each one of my fellow creatures could enjoy it."
God bless you,
Fr Anthony Jones
Parish Priest: Fr Antony Jones STL - Telephone: 01492 860546 [Email]
Sunday, March 4th, 2007 - Lent 2 (C)
Dear Parishioner,
<>I write to you on St David’s Day, but not in the happy frame of mind one should have on such a lovely feast. I have just come back from celebrating Mass with the school children, but on driving along Maesdu Road I saw, to my dismay, that the lovely line of poplar trees there has been cut down.
The poplar tree was known in ancient Wales as the tree of the old women’s tongues, because the leaves never keep still, even on the quietest of days. Now those tongues are for ever still and Wales is a little less beautiful place. I feel angry. Whatever the reasons for felling these trees, these reasons could have been and should have been circumvented. The decision to cut them down is nothing short of scandalous and a sad exercise in community vandalism.
But now to more civilised behaviour. I am sure you would like to read this letter I received from Revd Kamal Samaan, the National Secretary General of the Society of St Vincent de Paul in the Sudan:
Dear Father Antony Jones,
Best greetings to you and hope you are keeping fine. The purpose of this letter is to express our deep gratitude to you and the brothers and sister in the Parish of Our Lady, Star of the Sea, Llandudno, for their great efforts for raising an excellent sum of money for the Baby Feeding Centres by the Feed my Lambs project. Father, the above is a clear indication that you all there are keen to share your resources for the sake of the poor children whom we are serving.
We must mention that we are in bad need of such help as our resources are always very limited in comparison to the actual need on the ground. You might be pleased to know that we are now feeding about 10,000 to 12,000 babies daily in 17 centres.
May our Lord bless you and all the brothers and sisters at your end and elsewhere. Best regards, Revd Kamal Samaan.
__________
And now a word about Seren y Mor,
Sr Jennifer’s house. Thirty two years ago, Sr Jennifer took out a
mortgage on this house in Caroline Road and managed to pay it off by
herself with no outside help. She used it to give respite to
troubled souls, shelter to the homeless, and holidays to weary nuns.
Very many people are grateful to Sr Jennifer and her Seren y Mor.
But the time has come (hastened by all the rules and regulations
imposed upon us by the Department of Health and Safety) for Sr Jennifer
to finish this wonderful work she has been doing for so long. She
has been in negotiation with the Bishop and the outcome is that Seren y
Mor will be converted into three flats for retired clergy. For
the rest of Sr Jennifer’s lifetime, she herself will have the ground
floor flat. Work, under the supervision of John Dennison and
myself, will begin just as soon as planning permissions are obtained
and we will report back regularly to the Diocese.Sister tells me that there are many items of furniture that will no longer be required and which you are welcome to have, though a reasonable donation to Feed my Lambs would be appropriate and appreciated. They include beds, wardrobes, dressing tables, chests of drawers, bedside cabinets, tables, chairs, blankets, pillows, electric kettles and a toaster. If you are interested, just speak with Sister.
___________
And finally, Mrs Daphne
Richardson came upon the following extract from one of Mozart’s letters
to his dying father. We thank her for it, and I share it with you:"I have now made a habit of being prepared in all affairs of life for the worst. As death, when we come to consider it closely, is the true goal of our existence, I have formed during the last few years such close relations with this best and truest fiend of mankind that his image is not only no longer terrifying to me, but is indeed very soothing and consoling! And I thank God for graciously granting me the opportunity (you know what I mean) of learning that death is the key which unlocks the door to our true happiness. I never lie down at night without reflecting that, young as I am, I may not live to see another day. Yet no one of all my acquaintance could say that in company I am morose or disgruntled. For this blessing I daily thank my Creator and wish with all my heart that each one of my fellow creatures could enjoy it."
God bless you,
Fr Anthony Jones