This month ends Year B at Advent. We see autumn takes hold and nature dies back into the soil reminding us again to remember all those who have died and offer our prayers for their repose, trusting in God to take them to himself. We may, especially through suffering bereavement, hold to the truth our faith gives us that nobody is lost who seeks God and our prayers can still help them in their final journey.
The future seems much more optimistic now many restrictions are lifted, hopefully not a false dawn, with Covid brought under control.
An urgent world-wide response to any COP26 agreement in Glasgow will affect us all. The Archdiocese has announced their divestment from fossil fuels for renewable sources to avert ecological disasters, already happening across the world: the largest-ever joint divestment announcement made by religious organisations. 72 faith institutions, 37 in the UK (including ourselves) have agreed to support an ethical investment policy, including divestment from fossil fuels. This is one of a range of diocesan commitments to the environment. The challenge we face needs tackling now as Pope Francis warned in Laudato Sì. All our churches are called to respond locally.
With our energy prices set to rise still further we too need to seek ways of reducing our own footprint in our homes.
Calendar for November, Ordinary Time I, Year B
2nd Holy Souls
4th St Charles Borromeo
9th Dedication of the Lateran Basilica
10th St Leo the Great
11th St Martin of Tours
12th St Josaphat Martyr
13th St Frances Xavier Cabrini Diocesan Calendar
15th St Albert the Great
18th Dedication of the Basilicas of SS Peter & Paul
22nd St Cecilia Martyr
23rd St Clement Martyr
24th St Andrew Dũng-Lạc & Companions Martyrs
25th St Catherine of Alexandria Martyr
Advent: Year C, Weekday Cycle II begins
30th St Andrew Apostle & Martyr, Feast
Diocesan News
2023 Synod of Bishops ‘For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, Mission.’
Full text at https://www.cbcew.org.uk/bishops-conference-synodal-process/
Soon each parish will have delegates to gather the views of the baptised and those on the margins, guided by the Holy Spirit, for views on the future aims of the Catholic Church on Communion, Participation and Mission. They will present those views to the Archbishop, or you may write directly to him. The next stage will be for the bishops to formally express the results at the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, then the European Conference representing Europe.
Three questions are being asked:
What does it mean for us to belong to Christ and be in relationship with His Church?
What does it mean for us to be engaged and involved with Christ in His Church?
What does it mean for us to be sent out, in proclamation and service, by Christ and His Church?
We are being asked to rediscover together – laity, clergy, and religious – what it means to be a servant-Church, rooted in Christ. The Synod is an opportunity for everyone baptised into Christ to consider what it means to be a missionary disciple. It begins here, at the grass roots, and leads to Rome in 2023.