 |
|
|
|
|
|
Pastoral
Letters
|
Pastoral Letter for Advent 2002 Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, I begin every day with the same prayer which I am sure is familiar to many of you.
Father,
pour our Your Spirit on our diocese It's a prayer that helps me to focus on what God wants of me and what I should be trying to achieve. It strongly reminds me of my responsibilities to all of you, clergy and people alike, and to all the parishes and communities which form our diocese. Priorities change according to needs and I am particularly concerned at the moment to build up the profile of the clergy in the life of the diocese. This is not an appeal for vocations to the priesthood or the religious life, although that is a need that is never far from my thoughts and prayers. It is rather that I want us, as priests and deacons, to be able to build on the very positive experience that we shared together when we met in Bournemouth in 1998. We went to that "Called by Christ" gathering with great hopes and with some fears – some of the hopes have begun to be fulfilled and many of the fears have now been dissipated. At Bournemouth we were able to articulate our concerns and we began the process of addressing some of our needs, both as human beings and as priests, working together for the Lord and with you in this diocese. Ongoing formation and its development has been one of the fruits and, last year, I reminded you of what Pope John Paul II had to say when he wrote, "The priest's commitment to his ongoing formation is an act of love for Jesus Christ and love and duty to the people of God." I am impressed and moved by the huge effort that many of the clergy have made in the last few years to grasp hold of the imperative to continue to develop their pastoral skills, their spirituality and their sense of commitment to the diocese. All these aspects of our life as clergy are vital if we are to play our part in deepening that sense of Communion in the diocese that is at the heart of the Mission to which the Lord calls us all. I want to say also how much we clergy appreciate all the help, support and encouragement we have received from every part of the diocesan community. Without your prayers and your belief in the vital importance of our ordained ministry, we could have made no progress at all. And now, I want to ask you yet again to enfold your priests and deacons in your special love and prayers. We need to continue the Bournemouth experience and so there is to be another clergy gathering - this time in 2004 – when we will go away together again for the inside of a week for reflection, prayer and study and to build up partnership and mutual support. I said last year that, as a diocese, we need to invest resources, both material and personal, to enable us to deepen our sense of commitment to our calling from the Lord to serve you, His brothers and sisters, who form the community of our diocese. This next proposed clergy gathering is just such an investment. At the moment, I just want you to know that the clergy will be away for a week in September 2004 at the Hayes Conference Centre at Swanwick in the Derbyshire hills. Why Swanwick? Well, it's away from the diocese, we will have to make a positive commitment to go there, and - not the least consideration - it is nearly half the price of going to a hotel in Bournemouth. There is a great deal of preparatory work to be done and this will involve clergy and laity, all working under the direction of Fr Paul Townsend. But, most important of all, this is an undertaking that needs your heartfelt and prayerful support. If there is to be a new vision of the Lord's glory, then that is for all of us. That new experience of the Lord's power empowers us all. A renewed fidelity to the Word anchors us all more securely in the love of the Lord. A new consecration to the service of the Lord and His people is a major part of the responsibility that rests on all of us as Christ's disciples. A greater awareness of the love that the Lord has for us is indispensable if we are to deepen our communion with the Lord and with one another. That deepened "communion" gives us fresh confidence and renewed faith to continue to proclaim the Good News of the Gospel so that "the kingdom may come and the Lord's will be done on earth as it is in heaven." I wish you every blessing for this great Advent season and I pray that Christmas and the New Year will bring you in abundance all those good things that the Lord has in store for you. God bless you all, To be read or made available in all churches of the diocese on the weekend of the 1st Sunday of Advent 2002. |
