Dear Friends.
Cataclysmic!
I have not known anything like this and as a 1955 baby with post- war rations, experiences of current times do not match my gentle yesteryears. I remember how limited as a young 50's – 60's family we were, how well we ate, how much fun we had indoors and outdoors as a family, and how my village worked so well as a whole community. We need all that back, returned, relived again in the present scourge of Covid-19. I equate this Pandemic to the Plagues of Egypt in Exodus, when Pharoah refused to listen to Moses, and the Bubonic Plague in Mediaeval times. A famous village in Derbyshire called Eyan, 'locked' itself down to save its population. Why have we not learnt from them?
Out of bad comes good. I am learning, hearing, and reading of so many good community acts in our times of need and crisis. Streets, lanes, cul-de-sacs joining together to do voluntary work to support and enable the elderly, vulnerable and key-workers - in collection, delivery, support telephone lines, putting themselves out of time, and putting themselves at risk. One endearing tale was of a little Primary School boy who used all his Piggy-Bank money to buy toilet rolls and give them as a gift to all the old people in his neighbourhood. That child is a little angel!
Schools have gone! No Leavers Do's for Years 6, 11 and 13. What a strange world. An uncanny quiet, an eeriness as I do car duty pre and post school; even the pupils remark on it. My god-children are in 'melt-down' as there are no Uni. Graduations, Degrees and jollifications. The weirdest Mothering Sunday ever experienced; Mass without parishioners and no car sounds in the Lane. I spent most of my church morning contacting friends and family attempting to instil some hope, cheer and goodwill for our Nation's future.
I place a lot of faith in our Queen. She is a stoical role-model of considerable strength. I look forward to her future Broadcast eagerly, as she is a figure-head of magnificent quality; sincerely, deeply, honestly. This evening Fr. P and I will join other Christians throughout the country in lighting candles at 7.00pm. and placing them in windows to show the presence of Christ for and with us all, whoever and whatever.
In these turbulent times please pray to Our Blessed Lady. She will ask her Son to rescue us if we ask her that Favour.
Enough for now.
Love and prayers.
Take care and try and look out for the poor and the elderly.
Jane
Most weekends we have our young people helping with the Collection, collecting Missalettes at the end of Mass and taking part in the Offertory Procession. We try to alter our front of church Tableau each week to fit in with the Gospel of the Day, and a short explanation is given to the Congregation.
People show great interest in what the Catechist does each week!. Our parish is a small country one, and through the Sunday Mass our little ones get to know each other before entering our school.
Fr. Peter Charles Crowther obl. sbso | The Presbytery, Bury Lane, Withnell, Chorley, PR6 8SD | Tel 01254 830 995 | Reg Charity: 232709
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