Dear Brothers & Sisters, “By blood, I am Albanian. By citizenship, an Indian. By faith, I am a Catholic nun. As to my calling, I belong to the world. As to my heart, I belong entirely to the Heart of Jesus.” Gonxha Agnes Bojaxhiu was born on 26 August 1910 in Skopje. At the age […]
Dear Brothers & Sisters, This week is full of celebrations of English martyrs. Today, 20th June is the feast day of St Alban, a Roman soldier and the first to die for the Christian faith in our land. He was beheaded and a shrine was built on the site of his martyrdom. That shrine developed […]
Dear Brothers & Sisters, The month of June is dedicated in the Catholic tradition to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. We have three representations of this devotion in our parish. One crowns the main stained glass window, another one is at the back rosette while the third one is a statue by the pulpit. Whereas […]
Dear Brothers & Sisters, Following last week’s announcement, Fr Howard James, the new parish priest of Our Lady and St Catherine’s has sent the following message: Dear Parishioners I am Fr Howard James. The Cardinal has asked me to succeed Fr Javier Ruiz Ortiz at Our Lady and St Catherine of Sienna. I am very […]
Dear Brothers & Sisters, On Monday we will begin the week of preparation for the celebration of Corpus Christi. The current situation prevents us from having a procession from Guardian Angels but does not stop us from processing in our grounds. This year I want us to reflect on the value of creation and the […]
Dear Brothers & Sisters, The apostles “returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and they were continually in the temple praising God” The description of the first Christian community given to us at the end of last Thursday’s gospel portrays how we should prepare for the great feast of Pentecost. During these days the church invites […]
Dear Brothers & Sisters, Sr Kate Midgley is a member of the Columban sisters community in Ridgedale Street. She has been a missionary for many years and now continues her mis- sion in London. She has recently started a gardening group which has resorted quite popular. Her interest on the environment is inspired by pope […]
Dear Brothers & Sisters, Pope Francis is inviting us to pray during May to Mary for the end of the pandemic. A year ago he also invited us to do the same. Some of his words at that time were: In the present tragic situation, when the whole world is prey to suffering and anxiety, […]
Dear Brothers & Sisters, Today the Church celebrates Good Shepherd’s Sunday and the World Day of Prayer for Vocation. As you may know, Robert Smialek, from our parish is at Allen Hall, the diocesan Seminary, where I teach Old Testament every Tuesday. Robert, who appears in the poster/envelop of the Priests Training Fund, has sent […]
Dear Brothers & Sisters, Friday is the Feast of St George, the Patron Saint of England. Very little is known about his life, but it is thought he was a high ranking officer in the Roman army who was killed in around AD 303. It seems that the Emperor Diocletian had St. George tortured to […]