THE HOLY FAMILY

A lovely tradition in Catholic and Orthodox Churches is to light a small votive candle as a symbol of prayer. We provide facilities for this in our church. People can ‘light a candle’ and give a little donation, when holy Mass or Prayer before the Blessed Sacrament is not taking place in the church. However, we must take matters of Health and Safety and the matter of Fire Prevention, very seriously. We cannot allow votive candles to be alight in the church when nobody is actually in the church. We must insist on this for very good reasons as I’m sure you understand. A recent serious incident involving fire, in a local Catholic church, highlighted the importance of this. When holy Mass is not taking place or hasn’t yet begun or when Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament is not taking place and if someone is present in the church, please feel free to ‘light a candle’. However, please be sure to extinguish all candles before you leave the church.

Forgive me for raising the issue of parish finances, but I need to alert you to how we must finance our parish and manage our financial resources, if we are to continue as a viable parish. We pay a monthly levy to the diocese of £1,110.59. We also pay a monthly Health and Safety levy of £118.43. Monthly charges for electricity are around £200.00 These are just a few basic monthly costs. Our general monthly expenditure is well in excess of these amounts. Our weekly Collection is presently around £450.00. As you will appreciate then, our present weekly income is not covering our normal weekly expenses. Please may I suggest that every adult member of our parish give a minimum of £15, each week, in our Collection. If you are in personal financial hardship, please just disregard this suggestion. If you are in a reasonable or good financial position, please give more than this suggestion. We live in a relatively affluent area, so our finances should be secure. In addition to a Current Account, we also have a Savings/Loan account. I am reluctant to take anything from that account to pay our normal bills. The Savings/Loan account is there in case we face any unforeseen, sudden, emergency call on our finances or for any special projects we might have. That said, we are about to incur a debt of almost £8,000 to replace our very poor church Sound System with a much-needed new system. We will have to take that cost from our Savings/Loan account.  In this weekend’s first Scripture Reading at holy Mass, we were given an inspiring example of generosity prompted by trust in the providential care of God. In this very practical matter of how we manage our parish financial resources, please be generous.

Dear Father Malachy I hope this letter reaches you at the right moment. A small encouragement tucked between your many unseen labours Please know that even if you don't always hear it aloud, what you’re doing and chose to do matters. Though I remain anonymous, I am part of this parish and I wanted to say thank you. Thank you for staying- faithful, even when the pews felt a little empty. Thank you for showing up, not just to preach, but to live the Gospel through action; by opening the café, openng Bible study, creating spaces for connection, prayer and warmth. It’s easy to over - look these things in a busy world, but I see them. Many of us do. And they mean more than you may ever know. Thank you also for creating space for others to serve, in a time when many feel disconnected from their faith, it’s a quiet gift to see opportunities open up within the parish, ways for people to take part, however small. That kind of invitation a can mean more than words express. Even if some members of your parish aren’t here all the time, and even if the presence feels scattered or uncertain, please know that your ministry is still reaching hearts. There are many of us who are quietly praying for this parish, even from a distance. People who are not away visible but are still drawing closer to God, slowly, quietly, but deeply. Even when growth feels hidden, I hope you remember that God sees it all. Your words, your witness, your sacrifices. None of it is in vain, Some-of the most life -changing work happens in silence and in stillness. You are creating a space where the holy spirit can move, even when it seems small. Sometimes, the smallest seeds grow into the strongest roots, ones that hold firm through every season. And though the fruit may not be visible yet, God is still working. Please do not lose heart. The quiet things matter to God, the prayers no one hears, the hours no one sees, the love that doesn’t need recognition, It all adds up in eternity. Your faithfulness is planting more than you know. And one day, those seeds will bear fruit in ways only Heaven can measure. May God bless you with strength when you're weary, joy when you’re discouraged, and peace that comes not from outcomes. but from the quiet assurance that you’re walking faith fully with him. Thank you for your patience. Thank you for your leadership. Thank you for staying. With gratitude.  A thankful member of the parish.