Posts from July 2026
News for 26th July to 6th September
Dearest friends, Summer often brings a welcome change of pace. Schools close, regular groups pause, familiar faces go away on holiday, and the longer days invite us to slow down and notice the world around us. Rest is not an interruption to the Christian life; it is part of it. At the beginning of Scripture, God rests and makes that rest holy. The Sabbath is given to God’s people as a gift: a reminder that the world does not depend…
News for 19th July & The Week Ahead
Dearest friends, As many of you know, this is my final Sunday with you before I set off on my pilgrimage across Europe with my dear friend Rev’d Dan Beesley. On Thursday 23rd July, following a special Mass at St. John’s at 10.00am led by Fr. Robin and after a swift visit to St. Catherine’s school for a wave off in the playground, I’ll begin a journey of around 9,000km to many of Europe’s great Marian shrines. Over the coming…
News for 12th July & The Week Ahead
Dearest friends, The summer months have a way of encouraging us to slow down a little. Gardens are growing, fields are full, and all around us we see the quiet work of seeds bringing forth their harvest. It is perhaps no surprise that Jesus should choose this season of growth to tell one of his best-loved parables. This Sunday’s Gospel is the Parable of the Sower. A farmer scatters seed generously across the field. Some falls on the path, some…
News for 12th July & the Week Ahead
Dearest friends, We often think of prayer as asking God to do something for us. Of course there is a place for that. Jesus himself tells us to bring our needs before our Heavenly Father. But the deepest purpose of prayer is not to change God; it is to change us. We know this from our closest human relationships. Spending time with someone we love gradually shapes us. We begin to share their joys and sorrows, to understand their hopes,…