My Dear Friends,        28 September 2009

My very special thanks to all - 684 (183,160, 341) who celebrated the memorable Masses last Sunday. Thank you for your cards, letters, emails and good wishes, which mean so much to me. As a result, I will have to carry an extra box of cards and gifts to my new home, but I do so gladly, knowing that they express your sentiments, which I treasure.

My thanks to the children for all their homemade cards - what a fine sight it was to see the children carry the cards to the sanctuary in a long procession at the Offertory!

Thank you for your generous farewell gift of £2,200 which was made up of money donations (including two gifts of £500 & £200) and vouchers.

Thanks to all who organised the Farewell and for two cakes - one at breakfast which was shared at the refreshments after 10.30am Mass and also for another cake which depicted a hiker sitting on top of a mountain.

I hope to publish photographs of the celebrations as they become available,

26 Sunday Final Homily

For weeks, I was writing what I wanted to say to you today, but as the days went by, it grew longer and longer. So I thought it was better to print in the newsletter.)

This is just a short reflection.

As a newly ordained priest, the thought of preaching terrified me.

I would climb those pulpit steps at The Cathedral -

facing 1,400 people on Sundays, sometimes 600 at evening Mass -

feeling like a martyr climbing the scaffold.

To calm my nerves, I often thought of the words of my first Parish Priest, Mgr Brimley.

He would ask, 'Who is saying a few kind words this Sunday?'

'Saying a few kind words' sounded better than 'preaching a sermon?'

Before my first 'sermon', I asked a fellow curate to listen in and tell me what he thought.

I preached along these lines - 1 What have we done? 2 What are we doing? 3 What are we going to do?

As I began Part 3, I thought, 'This is coming to the end very soon.'

After Mass, I asked my fellow priest what he thought.

He said, 'It was very good but - it was too short!'

I was happy with that.

I hope you were, as we try to live

The Gospel -

The Good News!

A few Kind Words!