The diocesan newspaper, the Northern Cross, which comes out on the first weekend of the month, takes a bit longer to get to Forest Hall: we got ours during the week. I was intrigued to see an article on page 12 about the celebration held here on October 3rd for La Virgen de Pilar. I hadn`t sent anything in but from the article it looks as if it was lifted from my account on this blog. I suppose it would have been nice to have had the blog acknowledged as the source but it`s not that important.
There is a large article on page two which gives an account of the bishop`s meeting with the `Council of the Laity` which has a picture of him and five female members of the council. In it the bishop sets out some of his ideas for leading the diocese. It is stated that the aim should be to `have everyone feeling valued and using their gifts and talents`. I hope this extends to the clergy too!
2 comments:
The Northern Cross is actually published on the first Friday of the month so you, Fr Brown, got yours in good time!
When Seamus said the aim should be to `have everyone feeling valued and using their gifts and talents` he was talking to the laity so perhaps it does not extend to the clergy.
However, in a Church which appears to be experiencing a steady decline I am always surprised just how many committees, councils, directorates, etc. there are. Perhaps it operates on the principle that if a lot seems to be happening all is well. Even the Northern Cross seems to have rather more pages than it did a few years ago to report a greater amount of trivia.
It reminds me (I wonder why?) of the adage:'When in trouble or in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout!'
I understand that the following will appear in next month's Northern Cross....
The Editor,
Dear Sir, (or preferably Madam)
How delighted I was to read that our Bishop has signalled the end of priestly domination of our Church.
About time, too. As he says, "it is important for lay people to set their priests free", since we are able to "do things more effectively".
He calls on us to set up new groups in the parish, which will self perpetuate themselves, freeing the organisers to set up even more groups, so that the parish grows, widens and develops.
The Bishop says, "If everyone did this, just imagine what a Church we would have."
Yes, how far seeing he is - each group will have sub groups who will report on a regular basis to the main group, these groups will then report to a Supreme Group. The Supreme Groups will report in turn to a Deanery Super Group, which will of necessity, have sub-Super Groups who will report to a Super-Supreme Group, which will report in turn to a Diocesan Super-Super-Supreme Group, which group will have Sub Groups.
Of course, he is right when he says that "The day of the Mass of Convenience has gone", because with this multiplicity of parish, deanery and diocesan groups, we will have no need (or time)for a priest, in any case, we have "set them free and let them go".
I do have one problem, and that is finding time for "silence, quiet listening and reflection." After I have evangelised my husband, and he has evangelised me, and we have
jointly evangelised the family, and set up our groups, then set up more groups,I may not have time for quiet reflection. It is just as well that we are not to have Masses of Convenience, because I won't have time to go.
How can I join this Laity Council thingy..where do I sign up, how much does it cost and does its meeting times clash with the groups that I am going to organise and which will create sub-groups and further groups
I am delighted to see from the Cross that the overwhelming members of the Laity Council seem to be ladies of a certain age just like me, but I had better keep my evangelised husband away from the meetings, he is so evangelised he is out of control.
Yours for a Futurechurch,
Ima Parish-Bysybody (Ms)
PS, When we have let our priests go, where will they go to, and does the same apply to the Bishop?
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