Fr. Aaron Writes :23rd January 2022

Webmaster • January 22, 2022


Dear Friends,


Week of Prayer for Christian Unity – Theme for 2022 - “We saw His star in the East” – As we celebrate this special week for prayer for the Unity of Christians, I draw your attention to this year’s theme for prayer and reflection and I also encourage parishioners to join other Christians at the joint service at St Mary’s in the Causeway this Sunday evening at 6pm. 


The story of the Magi visiting the Holy Family in Bethlehem is one very familiar to us. The Magi have sometimes been seen as a symbol of the world’s diversity – different religions and cultures – that comes to pay homage to the Christ-child. The story might therefore represent the unity of all created that God desires.


The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in 2022 has been prepared by the churches of the Middle East, the history of which was, and still is, characterised by conflict and strife, tainted with blood and darkened by injustice and oppression. The Christians of the Middle East offer these resources conscious that the world shares many of the travails and much of the difficulties that it experiences, and yearns for a light to lead the way to the Saviour who is the light that overcomes darkness.

Serving the Gospel today requires a commitment to the human being, especially the poorest, the weakest and those marginalised. It requires from the churches transparency and accountability in dealing with the world, and with each other. This means churches need to cooperate to provide relief to the afflicted, to welcome the displaced, to relieve the burdened, and to build a just and honest society. This is a call for churches to work together so that young people can build a good future according to God’s heart, a future in which all human beings can experience life, peace, justice, and love.


To find prayer resources and other information, please visit the Churches Together in Britain and Ireland website: www.cabinet.org.uk




First Holy Communion Preparation – our Programme for 2022 was launched last weekend. The Programme will prepare your children for First Confession and for First Holy Communion. You will find all the information you need, including the application form and timetable, on our website. You can also pick up an application form from the back of the Church or from the Parish Office. The window for submitting applications closes on Sunday 6th February, so please get your completed form back to the Parish Office as soon as possible. I look forward to welcoming you and your children to the Programme.


It is an expectation from me that the children with their families practice the Catholic Faith and attend Holy Mass on Sundays, know the basic prayers such as the Sign of the Cross, Hail Mary and the Our Father before joining the program.




10am Mass this Sunday – This Mass will be particularly busy this weekend as there will be a number of babies and children celebrating the Rite of Welcome into the Church as part of their preparations for Baptism. There will also be three children making their First Holy Communion. So, you may want to consider attending a less busy Mass at 8:30am or 11:30am this week.



A Prayer for the Synod – We are invited to pray this prayer as we continue the listening phase of the Synod of Bishops.


We stand before You, Holy Spirit, as we gather together in Your name. 

With You alone to guide us, make Yourself at home in our hearts; Teach us the way we must go and how we are to pursue it. 

We are weak and sinful; do not let us promote disorder. Do not let ignorance lead us down the wrong path nor partiality influence our actions. 

Let us find in You our unity so that we may journey together to eternal life and not stray from the way of truth and what is right. 

All this we ask of You, who are at work in every place and time, in the communion of the Father and the Son, forever and ever. Amen.



Synod of Bishops on Synodality – I would warmly encourage as many of you to join in our parish meetings that continue this week. There have been very stimulating contributions and discussions in all three groups. Do come and bring a friend, we want to hear your views and opinions!


Please note anyone can submit their own contributions to the diocese, the parish meeting facilitators will submit a parish contribution.


The meetings will take place in the hall on the following dates:


Sunday 23rd January, meeting after 11:30am Mass at 12:45pm. Monday evening 24th , meeting at 7pm. Friday 28th, meeting after the 12 Noon Mass at 12:45pm.


The basic question for us to prayerfully consider: “What is the Holy Spirit saying to our Church today?”.



The topics for consideration over the three week ‘Listening Phase’ are Communion, Participation and Mission. The practice of living as a synodal church means:

  • The conversations lead to conversion to Christ and commitment to active participation in the Mission given by Christ – Communion
  • The people of God talk with one another and listen to one another about questions that matter – Participation
  • The communion exists for a common purpose; mission flows naturally from the experience of communion – Mission.


These gatherings will not only feed into Synod of Bishops meeting with Pope Francis but will assist us all in our parish mission, ministry and outreach as we come out of the pandemic and consider the existence of our parish in the future for future generations!


Seminarian Barnabas Mercer – is with us until the beginning of February. Do in take the opportunity to invite him out for a meal or a coffee, it will be good for him to meet as many parishioners as possible.


Parish Pastoral Council (PPC): Thank you to those who have kindly agreed to serve on the new Parish Pastoral Council. I have asked Mike Newman to be Chairman of the PPC, we will convene and inaugurate the new Parish Council in February once the Synod Meetings are concluded.


In Memoriam – Please pray for Laurie Harding RIP. We keep Nuala and all the family in our prayers at this sad time. Laurie’s Requiem Mass will take place on Friday 28th January at 10am here at St. John’s.



With my very best wishes and prayers for you all.


Fr Aaron

OUR VISITING SEMINARIAN, BARNABAS, WRITES - 14th June

By Webmaster • June 13, 2026
And proclaim as you go, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. Liturgically it has certainly been a rather exciting week. Last Sunday we celebrated the solemnity of Corpus Christi, on Friday the solemnity of the Sacred Heart, and indeed I would be remiss without mentioning the memoria of St Barnabas on Thursday! But as we return to the more regular rhythm of the Church’s liturgical calendar in Ordinary Time, perhaps we can pause to reflect on the message in today’s Gospel that the Apostles preached to the lost children of Israel; The kingdom of heaven is at hand. There are many things that one can say about this passage. We know that the kingdom of God is here and yet is not of this world; that it is to be truly experienced in the next life, and yet also fast approaching, as we await the remaking of all things on the last day. In fact, some people have, out of an attempt to appropriate or control what the kingdom of Heaven is all about, either turned it into something worldly and political, or something merely theoretical and metaphorical, thus losing what it really is, a theological reality. Ultimately, the kingdom of God is intimately tied up with Christ’s coming to us. He has come, and He is here, really, truly, substantially, and yet, He shall come again on the last day, and we are told to wait with our lamps full so that we may joyfully enter the coming wedding feast. How are we to readily anticipate the coming of Christ whilst also being in His presence? How do we wait for Christ, whilst in a sense waiting with Him? One of the most profound ways in which we can do this is Eucharistic adoration. In this time in which the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand, Christ’s Eucharistic presence is indeed giving miraculous healing and cleansing effects to many. In Lourdes, it is significant that it is in fact during the Blessed Sacrament procession that the most people are healed rather than at the grotto or the baths, and so how wonderful it was for us to process with Our Lord in His Eucharistic presence last Sunday, bringing Him to the people in our local community! What better way to proclaim that the kingdom of God is at hand than worshipping Him in our streets!  So let us try to be mindful of Our Lord’s Eucharistic presence, as we spend time with Him in the Blessed Sacrament, and as we receive Him in Holy Communion. Perhaps we can try to spend slightly more time before Him in prayer this week, or perhaps we can try to be especially reverent when receiving Him, and if possible, find an extra moment to be with Him in silence, to allow Him to continue to cleanse and cast out whatever prevents us from being closer to Him in our hearts.

Fr Tristan Writes 31st May 2026

By Webmaster • May 30, 2026
“Last week in my homily I referred to the fact that the one thing that characterises our holy religion more than anything is the sheer amount of celebrations we hold - and they continue to come thick and fast! It was a joy to celebrate the Confirmation Mass this year, where Canon Tim and I confirmed 24 of our young people on Pentecost Sunday (for want of a bishop!) On Tuesday, Barnabas and I attended the 30th Anniversary Mass of the ordination of our Diocesan Administrator, Canon Jonathan Martin and then, the next day: The Jubilee Mass to celebrate the 25th, 50th and 60th anniversaries of several of our other priests (including our former parish priest, Fr Raglan!) On top of this, I know that many of you are celebrating anniversaries of marriage too (including a Ruby Anniversary last week!) just as this year's wedding season is beginning, with several new couples pledging their lives to Christ in that beautiful sacrament. In a few weeks’ time we will be celebrating the Sacrament of the Sick here in the Church with those who find it difficult to make it often to Mass, which is always a poignant occasion.  In terms of the liturgical year, as well as the Solemnity of the Most Blessed Trinity today, this month also sees the celebration of the solemnities of Corpus Christ and the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. To this latter devotion, the whole month of June is traditionally dedicated: praying to Jesus, who though divine, chose to live with us with a heart that is truly human - a heart of flesh, pierced on the Cross - able to identify with us. How much this loving, human presence is verified for us through His touch at all these feasts and sacraments, where he celebrates His Death and Resurrection in us and we in Him through the Spirit! What proof of His abiding love!

OUR VISITING SEMINARIAN, BARNABAS, WRITES - 24th May

By Webmaster • May 26, 2026
“As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you. Receive the Holy Spirit.” There are many striking aspects to this moment of Jesus sending the Holy Spirit to His disciples. Jesus does not pick a time when they are triumphant and confident to come to them. Instead, He comes to them through locked doors in a time of fear and hiding. It is remarkable that the Resurrected Christ can pass through physical matter to get to His disciples, but it is more remarkable that through the power of the Holy Spirit, Christ not only passes through mere physical barriers, but spiritual ones as well, the parts of us that are closed off due to fear and shame. And what does he do once He has entered into that dark place? He shows us His wounds, the very wounds that we have caused, but not to condemn us, but instead to show us that what before brought death is now for God’s glory and victory, and to bring us peace, the peace that only He can give. Finally, having given us the Holy Spirit, He immediately sends us on mission, so that we too may proclaim the Gospel boldly.  Today our young people and Ralph Montilla will receive the Holy Spirit in the Sacrament of Confirmation. Assisting to prepare our young people to receive this great sacrament during my time at St John’s has been such a privilege, and I ask you to keep them and Ralph in your prayers, that they may be strengthened to proclaim the gospel boldly wherever the Lord sends them in their daily lives.

OUR VISITING SEMINARIAN, BARNABAS, WRITES - 3rd May

By Webmaster • May 2, 2026
‘Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?’  Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” There has certainly been a noticeable shift in the way people view the message of the Gospel. Perhaps ten years ago the general perceived stance towards organised religion, particularly Catholicism, was one of mild disdain or, perhaps worse, sheer indifference, but now there is a noticeable renewed curiosity. That would already be a positive step in the right direction, but there’s more. In France alone, about 13,000 adults were baptised or received into the Church this Easter, and in the UK the numbers have also grown significantly. This is not only happening in Europe, but in the US, Australia and other parts of the world. Non-Catholics I have spoken to about this have sometimes tried to dismiss it as merely people searching for direction in a directionless world, or trying to make sense of the conflict and austerity we are currently facing. To that my response is simply that these are not unlikely, or invalid, reasons to turn to the Lord. In fact that is the pattern that stretches throughout the Old Testament; the people of Israel are usually reminded of their covenant to the Lord by encountering great hardship, which has usually been a consequence of them turning away from Him in the first place. However, perhaps this isn’t the full story. Trying to pinpoint where human response to circumstance ends and the intervention of grace begins is perhaps a fraught venture, but in any case, something is happening. People want meaning. They want truth. The Lord is working through people’s lives, and that means that, as His disciples, we are called to share in His work. What could it be about us, as God’s chosen people, that may be attractive to others? Perhaps one way of putting it is that, in a world of people who are lost and in search of direction and meaning, we know where we are going. Not in the sense that the world promises, in fact we may be rather lost when it comes to our career, family life or personal circumstances. But, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, in our daily struggle to follow the Lord, we know that we are ultimately a pilgrimage people on the journey to (please God) our true homeland: Heaven. So, let’s be welcoming to those who come to our parish, so that we can witness to that truth to them. If we see a new face, let’s go out of our way to make ourselves known to them, and make it clear that they are welcome, and that the Lord desires them to be here. After all, it is He who has brought them here, just as it is He who brought us, one way or another, to His Church. If you who are reading this are new to the Church, and are unsure if you have a place here, be at peace; you have a place here, and Christ has prepared a place for you in His Kingdom. You are welcome. Please introduce yourself to us and keep coming. We want you to be here, but more importantly, the Lord does too; in fact, He wants you more than you can possibly imagine.

OUR VISITING SEMINARIAN, BARNABAS, WRITES - 26th April

By Webmaster • April 27, 2026
“And the sheep follow him, for they know his voice”. This Good Shepherd Sunday, on which we pray for an increase of vocations to the priesthood, we are reminded of one of its most beautiful aspects. As the Good Shepherd, Christ brings His sheep unto Himself; sheep who are lost, thirsty, or in danger, yet still able to hear the unique authority with which Christ speaks. Christ calls some men to share in His eternal ministerial priesthood to call the lost sheep back to Him, and preach to those outside the fold. This only can happen when these men give themselves over to Christ in total surrender to Him, so that He may increase, and they may decrease. As Christ’s minister, the priest does not preach a message that is his own, nor does he speak with his own voice. This is also true for the whole being of the priest. His hands, anointed with sacred chrism, are not his own, but have been set apart for Christ’s use. His feet, taking him where he has been sent, belong to Christ, who sends him to a place not of his own choosing, but wherever the Church needs him to be. His heart, consecrated to Christ’s Sacred Heart, beats with His wounded love for souls. The priest, though weak and sinful himself, makes Christ present at the altar by the changing of gifts of bread and wine, and, with Christ’s authority, forgives our sins. As St John Vianney, the patron saint of parish priests tells us, if the priest truly understood his office, he would die, not out of fear, but out of love. How can we not pray, then, that the Lord may call more men to this most sacred calling? How wonderful it is that Christ takes fallen men and invites them to share in His life in this particular way!  From Good Shepherd Sunday to Pentecost, we will be praying as a diocese for an increase in vocations to the priesthood. This Monday, from 5PM to 8PM, we will have a three hour prayer vigil with exposition of the Blessed Sacrament to pray for vocations to the priesthood in our diocese. I encourage you, if you’re able, to come, even for five minutes, to pray for this intention. Let us also keep in our prayers those who are discerning a vocation to the priesthood, as well as our seminarians, particularly in this parish.

GIFT AID BOXES FOR THE 2026/2027 TAX YEAR

By Webmaster • April 18, 2026
The Gift Aid boxes for this new tax year are at the back of the church for collection. Please don’t use any of your current envelopes for future collections, as a number of the box numbers have been changed. There are special, thinner, boxes of envelopes for those of you who normally donate by monthly standing order and only use envelopes for the second collections, and for Easter and Christmas. If you have any queries, please contact the Parish Office. Thank you for your generous support.

SILENT PRAYER

By Webmaster • April 18, 2026
We warmly invite you to our Silent Prayer gatherings, now moving to a monthly meet-up. We will continue to gather in the same gentle rhythm and format: arriving at 3.30pm in the hall, upstairs, for refreshments, followed by a short reflection on Silent Prayer and the Carmelite Saints. We will then move into the church for a time of Silent Prayer, finishing at around 5.00pm. Our next date is Saturday 25th April and then Saturday 23rd May , keep an eye on the newsletter for future dates. Whether you are new to silent prayer or have been walking this path for some time, you are most welcome to join us. Please feel free to come along at any point.

OUR VISITING SEMINARIAN, BARNABAS, WRITES - 19th April

By Webmaster • April 18, 2026
And their eyes were opened, and they recognised him. And he vanished from their sight. At the breaking of the Bread, the disciples finally recognise Jesus, who has been with them throughout their walk on the road to Emmaus. As if to confirm their realisation, Jesus vanishes the moment their eyes are opened. In some ways it seems strange; having spoken to them at great length before they recognised Him, Jesus slips away the moment they realise that they had Him with them all along. Perhaps we too have, in some way, experienced this. There can be moments where, quite suddenly, Christ’s presence is so unambiguously obvious to us; whether that be whilst reading the scriptures, praying before bed, or indeed during Adoration or Mass. For a brief moment all the specific details of our fears and anxieties that weigh us down are simply not in the picture when we behold Being, Truth, Love Himself, who has not merely entered the scene just now, but has been with us the whole time, though we may not have known it. And then, perhaps as suddenly as it began, the moment passes.  However, the disciples not only realise that they had Christ in their midst the whole time, but that they had been given a sign of His presence throughout; “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?”. This burning within our hearts, be it a great furnace, or just the tiniest flicker of a candle, is the sign of the peace that only Christ can give, the consolation of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes, when we chase the spiritual consolations that God gives us for their own sake, it can be frustrating when they are fleeting. But if we search our hearts, even in the midst of turmoil so great that prayer feels impossible, we can know, as long as we acknowledge that Christ is Lord and that we trust in Him, that Christ is there with us, walking alongside us on the road, and wants to listen to our troubles and sorrows. So let us this week be particularly mindful of Christ’s presence to us, beside us, and within us, as we continue to celebrate His conquering of sin and death this Eastertide.

OUR VISITING SEMINARIAN, BARNABAS, WRITES - 22nd March

By Webmaster • March 20, 2026
“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.” This Sunday we find ourselves between various significant points in the Church’s liturgical calendar; last week we celebrated Laetare Sunday, in which we rejoiced in anticipation of the coming celebration of the Lord’s Resurrection. This week, we celebrated the feast of St Patrick and the solemnity of St Joseph. Next Sunday, we will process with palm branches in our hands as we begin that solemn journey to Calvary with Our Lord in Holy Week. And this week, the Church gives us one of the most moving Gospel readings in the lectionary; the bringing of Lazarus back from the dead. Something that has always struck me in this passage is the unapologetic way in which Jesus shows us His humanity, whilst also showing us so clearly His Divinity. In the midst of the death of His friend Lazarus, after Jesus testifies that He is the Resurrection and the life, we read one of the most awe-inspiring passages in scripture; that “Jesus wept”. Why are we told this? For what reason does Jesus let us in on this little secret, this brief glimpse into His emotions, His frailty, His pain? How are we to respond to Jesus’s tears? Perhaps one reason among many is so that we may be consoled. If Jesus had merely brought Lazarus back to life, of course, that would be enough. But how generous it is of Him to share with us not only His power, but also His sorrow. Jesus’s moving display of emotion emphasises to us a simple fact of life that He does not ask us to deny; death is tragic, and it is painful when we lose someone we love. And yet, God’s glory shines through all the same. Jesus weeps, yet He does not let death have the last word. Instead, He makes them open the tomb, not so that He can say a last farewell to his friend, but instead so that He can confidently call him out of the sleep of death. And so, as God’s children who await the glory of the Resurrection, we may also weep when faced with life’s tragedies, but we can do so not just with the comforting knowledge that Christ has wept with us, but also with the joyful hope that, at the end of all things, He will stand before the tombs of all His friends and say, this time without tears, ‘ come forth ’.

Easter Week Services 2026

By Webmaster • March 17, 2026
You can download our full schedule of Holy Week and Easter Services - HERE (PDF)