Blessed Sacrament Procession for Corpus Christi

It was very moving to be once more gathered for prayer in our former parish church – now leased to the Sutton Central Churches Trust and run as the Carpenter’s Arms.

Moving too to pray – before the Blessed Sacrament – for all those who have gone before us, but who prayed there weekly over so many years.

Some more recent parishioners may not be up-to-date on our parish history and our various churches. You can learn more here.

Thank you to all who came to take part in the Blessed Sacrament Procession – and those who provided for the social that followed…

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Congratulations

Congratulations to Phil Steele who has recently received from Archbishop Bernard the Ubi Caritas award for her skilful and effective leadership of St Edmund Campion School and Sixth Form Centre.

Phil retires at the end of this term. Hopefully the retirement will bring a well earned rest, but it is likely to be pretty busy too as her great expertise and experience will be sought out by many others who wish to help their schools to the high standards achieved at St Edmund Campion!

Photo (c) 2019, Fr Simon Ellis,

Speak Lord: A priest for ever

Living Eucharist

Melchizedek king of Salem brought bread and wine; he was a priest of God Most High. He pronounced this blessing: ‘Blessed be Abram by God Most High, creator of heaven and earth, and blessed be God Most High for handing over your enemies to you.’

And Abram gave him a tithe of everything.

First reading for Corpus Christi
Genesis 14:18-20

This somewhat engimatic encounter proves a fruitful source of metaphor for Christian theologians!

• Here is a priesthood that predates Israel’s cultic priesthood, established in the wake of the flight from Egypt.
• Here is a priest who blesses Abraham, and so can be seen to have a certain priority and authority over him
• Here is a priest who, independent of the story of Genesis so far, is described as a priest of God most high, and not of the Canaanite deities.

As Christians come to seek to articulate their faith in…

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This week’s newsletter…

Click here for access to the full newsletter…

Speak Lord: as we kneel before you

Living Eucharist

The Lord’s revelation to my Master:
‘Sit on my right:
your foes I will put beneath your feet.’

The Lord will wield from Zion
your sceptre of power:
rule in the midst of all your foes.

A prince from the day of your birth
on the holy mountains;
from the womb before the dawn I begot you.

The Lord has sworn an oath he will not change.
‘You are a priest for ever,
a priest like Melchizedek of old.’

Responsorial Psalm for Corpus Christi
Psalm 109(110):1-4

The psalm – perhaps originally sung in honour of Israel’s kings – finds new meaning in the Church where it is applied to Jesus.

• The language of relationship between Lord and Master speaks of intimacy and care between the two, but also in the light of the resurrection and ascension now implies a present sharing in the divine and heavenly life.
• Christians will find…

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Speak Lord: source of life

Living Eucharist

This is what I received from the Lord, and in turn passed on to you: that on the same night that he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread, and thanked God for it and broke it, and he said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this as a memorial of me.’ In the same way he took the cup after supper, and said, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Whenever you drink it, do this as a memorial of me.’ Until the Lord comes, therefore, every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are proclaiming his death.

Second reading for Corpus Christi

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

The Lord shows total love and makes a total commitment to his disciples, here now and forever..

Sacre Coeur, Paris. Photograph (c) 2018, Allen Morris

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Report on child sexual abuse in Birmingham Archdiocese

The Archdiocese has released this statment today:

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) has today published its report on the Archdiocese of Birmingham, as a case study of the Roman Catholic Church.

We accept that we have failed victims and survivors of abuse and again apologise for the grievous failings we have made in the past. Apologies are just words though, if not backed up by action.

We will take the time needed to review the IICSA report thoroughly in order to make a considered and detailed response, which will inform our ongoing commitment to do more and do better.

In light of independent reviews commissioned by Trustees and made available to IICSA, the Archdiocese has already fundamentally changed its practices and processes to ensure an open and compassionate approach to victims and survivors. It now has more safeguarding personnel, better management and recording systems, stronger DBS/checking procedures and clear policies and practices on safeguarding referrals and agreements, to safeguard those who come in contact with the church.

If you would like to speak to Archbishop Bernard Longley about your own experiences, you are very welcome to get in touch by contacting the safeguarding team on 0121 230 6240 or via email: safeguarding@rc-birmingham.org.  Meetings with victims and survivors have already been arranged and taken place. We are committed to listen to and learn from victims and survivors.

For a listening ear outside of the church, NAPAC is the National Association for People Abused in Childhood. If you want to talk about what you experienced in childhood and how it is affecting you now, you can call their support line on 0808 801 0331 or email their support team via the NAPAC website: https://napac.org.uk/contact/

Read the IICSA report on the Archdiocese of Birmingham

Visit St Chad’s as Our Lady of Walsingham visits…

Speak Lord: Saving Lord

Living Eucharist

Jesus made the crowds welcome and talked to them about the kingdom of God; and he cured those who were in need of healing.

It was late afternoon when the Twelve came to him and said, ‘Send the people away, and they can go to the villages and farms round about to find lodging and food; for we are in a lonely place here.’ He replied, ‘Give them something to eat yourselves.’ But they said, ‘We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we are to go ourselves and buy food for all these people.’ For there were about five thousand men. But he said to his disciples, ‘Get them to sit down in parties of about fifty.’ They did so and made them all sit down.

Then he took the five loaves and the two fish, raised his eyes to heaven, and said the blessing over…

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In solidarity…

Thank you to Tony Sawbridge and Geraldine Foster for, this morning, leading a ‘drawing a self-portrait’ session for parishioners taking part in the parish project in preparation for Holocaust Memorial Day 2020.

The parish project involves parishioners, pupils from St Nicholas and Bishop Walsh schools in preparing images of themselves standing in solidarity with victims and survivors of the Holocaust.

For a brief video reminding of the Holocaust, prepared for HMD 2019, with help of students of Bishop Walsh, click here.

The project honours the suffering and murder of Jews by Nazis and their collaborators before and during World War II. It also enables us to register abhorrence at the rise of anti-semitism and the like in our own time, and our readiness to stand alongside those who are victims of persecution and violence wherever and whenever.

Not too late to join the group… Next meeting is on Tuesday 2nd July at 11am… All are welcome…