Fr Tony writes.....

My dear friends;
This weekend we begin a Novena of prayer, (9 days), leading up to the great Feast of Pentecost on Sunday May 31st. Each evening a different group of parishioners is responsible for arranging and leading a short time of prayer together. We began this last year at Whitsun, and repeated the exercise in September in preparation for the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. I want to thank all the groups who are leading our prayer, and to encourage you to think of coming at least once or twice to share in this Parish initiative. The purpose is very simply to ask God to pour out the gift of The Holy Spirit on our Parish, on our families and on each of us as individuals. We pray also for the Church in the diocese and across the world, and we pray especially for the precious gifts of justice and peace in our troubled world.
There is no shortage of things to pray for, and it is our duty as Christians to bring all our needs before God in prayer.Our Lord Himself told us to do this. During these days wherever you may be please join with us in this Novena.
Come Holy Spirit, and fill the hearts of your faithful.
With my love and prayers for each of you,

Next Wednesday evening, May 20th, Archbishop Vincent Nichols will formally “take possession” of the Archdiocese of Westminster, and he will be enthroned on Thursday morning as the 11th Archbishop at a concelebrated Mass which will be broadcast live on BBC 2. During the Mass Cardinal Cormac will hand over his crozier or pastoral staff to his successor. The Archbishop of Westminster is frequently described in the media as the “Head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales”. This is not really correct. In the first place the “Head” of the Church is Jesus Christ, and secondly each diocesan bishop answers not to the Cardinal but to the Pope. None the less the Bishops’ Conference enables the Bishops to work together in a number of areas where joint action is appropriate. Archbishop Nichols has already been elected as the President of the Bishops’ Conference, and thus he becomes in practice the leader of the Church in this country. I am sure that those of you who are at home during the day will watch the Mass on TV. I hope that you will also remember the Archbishop in your prayers.