Fr Frank writes:
My Dear Friends,
We look forward to welcoming Bishop Alan to the two parishes later this month: Frinton and Walton parish on Wednesday 12th (where he will celebrate a Mass at 7.00pm marking the second anniversary of the Dedication of the church following the installation of the new altar), and Harwich and Dovercourt parish on Wednesday 19th (where he will celebrate a Mass at 7.30pm at which Rachel Twumasi will receive the Sacrament of Confirmation). Prior to each of these Masses Bishop Alan will visit our schools (St Philomena’s on 12th and St Joseph’s on 19th) for a special assembly with the children at 2.00pm and a meeting with staff at the end of the school day. On both occasions there will be a reception after Mass giving the Bishop the opportunity of speaking to parishioners.
I am hoping (and praying) that both Masses will be memorable and special occasions, please put the dates in your diary now and make sure that, if at all possible, you will be present. We will, of course, need as full as possible complement of musicians, ministers and servers at both.
During the last two years both parishes have enjoyed interesting Autumn Outings (Pilgrimage Lite!); the first to Norwich where we celebrated Mass in the cathedral and finished the day at the Julian Shrine; and last year to Cambridge, celebrating Mass at the church of Our Lady and the English Martyrs and finishing the day with Choral Evensong in the stunning King’s College chapel. This year will be slightly different. We will travel to Huntingfield, a tiny Suffolk village, to see the remarkable painted ceiling in the village church (the church is known as Suffolk’s Sistine Chapel). At the church we will hear a talk about the painting of the ceiling and about Mildred Holland, the amateur Victorian artist who executed it, and have been given permission to celebrate Mass in this wonderful medieval church (now used by Anglicans, but run very much as a pilgrimage centre open to all…..it is a very welcoming place). In the afternoon we will travel to Southwold before returning home. This ‘pilgrimage’ is designed to appeal to all ages and for this reason will take place during the October half-term, on Thursday October 25th. To prepare for this experience, which I guarantee you will find interesting and uplifting, you could visit the Church’s web site and see the paintings on line, or (and I would recommend this) you could read the novel ‘The Huntingfield Paintress’ by Pamela Holmes.
Details of timings and a sign-up sheet for the coach will appear soon.
May God always walk alongside you through life’s pilgrimage,
Frank ofs
Sunday Smile:Remember: Amateurs built the Ark.Professionals built the Titanic.(footnote: ‘amateur’ comes from the Latin for heart. Amateurs do things out of love).