The Pilgrim, our Diocesan Newspaper
Some of you read our monthly diocesan newspaper ‘The Pilgrim’. You can now access it online HERE. Other Catholic newspapers from around the UK are available HERE.
Continue readingEaster Wednesday
On Easter Wednesday our gospel reading is one of the best loved of the accounts of Jesus’ resurrection appearance – his meeting with two disciples on the road to Emmaus and his meal with them (Luke 24:13-35). The human touches and depth of understanding always touch our hearts – and
Continue readingEaster Tuesday
On this Easter Tuesday our gospel reading is always the sequel in John’s gospel (20:11-18) to the Easter morning account of the finding of the empty tomb by Mary of Magdala and Peter and the ‘beloved disciple.’ Mary encounters Jesus, without initially recognising him and thinking him to be the
Continue readingEaster Monday
Easter Monday, traditionally a Bank holiday in the UK and Ireland, is in some places a holy day of obligation (Poland, I think). We see the whole of Easter week, or the Easter octave, as a continuation of Easter day, with some of the same psalms and hymns in the
Continue readingEaster Vigil Reflections from Fr Ashley
I promised to write something about last night’s celebration of the Easter Vigil – this picture shows the Holy Father in an almost deserted St Peter’s Basilica, holding his candle and following the Paschal Candle. Many of you participated remotely in the ceremonies led in our church by Fr Steve
Continue readingEaster Sunday: Christ is Risen!
You will be able to join us online for Masses, live at 9.30am and 5.30pm, and available to watch at a later time under “Recordings”; our Webcam is HERE. You may also want to connect to the services at the Vatican, which are available via the LIVE link below:
Continue readingHoly Saturday: Anxiety and Uncertainty
This is Holy Saturday (not ‘Easter Saturday’ which is actually in a week’s time). I would urge you, if you haven’t already heard it, to listen to the Catholic commentator and former Tablet editor Catherine Pepinster who spoke on ‘Thought for the Day this morning on Radio 4 (it won’t
Continue readingGood Friday: the Holy Week Liturgy
Some of us, in Holy Week, have a tendency to think that the special acts of worship which are so important to us, and so characteristic of this time, in some ways don’t need much explanation: they can be allowed to speak for themselves. The Passion narratives which we hear
Continue readingGood Friday: Office of Readings
For most of us, unless we go to Mass regularly, we seldom experience the daily prayer of the Church, known as the ‘Daily Office’ or ‘Divine Office’ or ‘Breviary’. This has to be said every day by priests and deacons and most Religious, but laypeople are encouraged to say it
Continue reading“Triduum Sacrum” in Lockdown
The Church begins this evening what we call the ‘Triduum Sacrum’, the ‘sacred three days’ – possibly the strangest marking of this very special time in the history of the Church. In much of the world public worship has been suspended; in Catholic churches the customary acts of worship will
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