Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
This letter is a personal note and without tears. In May, I
celebrate my 40th year in Priesthood – a very happy milestone
- and in 2009 I will be obliged to retire. Privilege has been my lot
throughout life – in Family, Priesthood and as your
Bishop. Thank you for your kindness and understanding.
My passion for Mission – making Christ known and loved -
continues to grow as you will see from the Mission Review document
accompanying this letter - ‘Fit for Mission’?
– A Guidei. I believe that we are tantalisingly near great
new beginnings in the Church if only we capture something of the spirit
of the Gospel - a deepening of Faith, coupled with confidence to know
that Christ walks every step with us. He invites you and me
– to cast out into the deep for without Him we will catch
nothing.
What will this mean? Not only during Lent, but all of the time, it will
mean change and this can be uncomfortable. We are being asked
to look hard at those things in life that prevent us coming close to
the Lord. Where should we invest our energies – in
the passing and fleeting things of this world or in the eternal? Our
parishes, too, must look to what encourages or impedes mission. Could
it be that we are investing more in buildings, structures and all sorts
of things rather than in people? How can we make ourselves fit for
mission? I said that change is difficult – indeed it can be a
Cross – but once accepted and when truly of the Lord, it
brings great joy and a wonderful freedom.
I am looking to you for help in undertaking our Diocesan Mission Review
which begins today – nothing could be more exciting and
challenging. You and I need each other and together we need
the Lord; all our efforts will be ineffectual without Him.
Prayer is absolutely essential, enabling us to walk tall. With this in
mind, I ask every parish and religious house to have special services
(i.e. weekly Mission Mass, Reconciliation service and Adoration of the
Blessed Sacrament) during the entire period of the Mission Review. In
prayer we enter into a personal friendship with Christ which colours
all other relationships. Just think how it affects marriage
and family life, attitudes to people, work and life style, the hope it
offers; what it says about priorities in life. What you will
not find here is a great programme: rather it is a summons to radical
change in each one of us, our parish and diocese making us all more
open to the Lord.
There is one other thing: we need to join the Pilgrim People of God in
the journey of faith and reconciliation that began on Ash Wednesday. Be
ready to speak about it, especially to those close to you who seem to
have wandered away from the family of the Church. How wonderful it
would be for them to see in us the promise of an affectionate, merciful
and joyful welcome home. The readings at our Lenten Mass today, help
with our Mission Review. They speak loudly of what God has already done
for us – thus giving great hope. They call us, not only to
repent of our sins, but to open our hearts to God and move forward in
faith. Jesus’ temptations emphasise the importance of
fidelity to God’s promptings in life.
Finally, dear friends, I thank Almighty God for all His goodness and
mercy to me over these fruitful years as His Priest and latterly as
Shepherd of the Diocese of Lancaster. In particular, I thank Him for
the prayerful support and encouragement I have received from all of
you, priests, deacons, religious and lay faithful, in my time among
you. As we begin this time of planning for the future, be assured
always of a very special place in my prayers - and please pray for me
and for the success of our Mission Review.
Sincerest good wishes
and prayers,
As ever in Christ our Lord,
Bishop of Lancaster
+Patrick O’Donoghue, Bishop of Lancaster
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