MESSAGE FROM FR. COLIN
Dear friends, for those of you who are able to read this message, I just wanted to say a big hello and assure each and every one of you of my prayers at this difficult and unprecedented time.
Since March 20th, I know that many of you have missed not being able to gather as God’s family in church and so be fed by Our Risen Lord in the Eucharist. I certainly miss you not being there too! Celebrating daily Mass in a church without a congregation is something I never thought I ever would be doing as a priest. It is certainly a challenging situation for all of us.
Over the past six weeks, I have been kept busy answering the phone/ messages and replying to emails and I have also been called into Oak Springs Care Home several times to anoint those who are very poorly. Please keep each of the care homes in our parish in your prayers, both residents and staff, at this difficult time.
Sadly, I have also led many funeral services during these weeks and have tried to support those grieving the loss of a loved one. Present circumstances makes coping with the death of a relative/friend so much more difficult. I know that the prayers of all of us go out to those who are suffering due to the coronavirus as well as to the bereaved. May they find comfort in these days of Eastertide with Our Risen Lord’s promise of resurrection life in heaven.
Please know that each one of you is remembered every day at the altar as I celebrate Mass and until we are able to meet up once again as the family of God, stay safe and well. To finish I want to share with you some words, written by Kitty O Meara, which a friend forwarded to me, words which have gone global during the past couple of months. May the positive theme of Kitty’s words bring us strength and hope. God Bless, Fr. Colin xx
And the people stayed home.
And read books, and listened,
And rested, and exercised, and made art and played games,
And learned new ways of being,
…and were still.
…And listened more deeply.
Some meditated, some prayed, some danced.
Some met their shadows.
And people began to think differently.
And the people healed.
And in the absence of people living in ignorant, dangerous, mindless and heartless ways,
The earth began to heal.
And when the danger passed, and the people joined together again,
They grieved their losses, and made new choices, and dreamed new images,
And created new ways to live, and heal the earth fully as they had been healed.