Bishop Patrick's Pastoral Letter- Sunday 18th July 2004

From:    Rt Rev Patrick O’Donoghue

            Bishop’s Apartment, Cathedral House

            Balmoral Road, Lancaster LA1 3BT             Tel: 01524 596050

July 2004                                 PASTORAL LETTER

Dear Friends,

I have, over the past year, shared with the Deans & the council of Priests my concerns for the future.  We know that with retirements, deaths & fewer vocations there will be a smaller number of priests to serve the pastoral needs of all our people.

 However, our difficulties can prompt us to take a fresh look at the best way priests & people together can use our baptismal gifts in living out our calling.  As we plan for the future, I ask each parish community to consider now, how best the Gospel of Christ will be proclaimed, the spiritual needs of the people catered for, & the social life of the community maintained.

 Each parish community should have a Pastoral Council.  Among its many tasks, I would highlight the following:

•  Sacramental preparation programmes for the Sacraments of Initiation & Marriage

• Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist to take Communion to the sick & housebound.  The latter should also be visited by other members of the parish.

• A concern for the poor

• The care & maintenance of parish property & finances

The above will require parishes/ deaneries to undertake programmes of formation, enabling & facilitating imaginative training opportunities.  Deanery Pastoral Councils should help in sharing good practice & expertise among the different parish communities. 

When it becomes necessary in our planning to think about twinning, clustering or linking parishes (‘linking’ is the in-word!) I want to stress the following principles: 

• A  priest will be appointed to look after the pastoral & spiritual needs of the parishes under his care

• No parish community will be closed

• The rights & identity of each parish community are to be respected, upheld & encouraged

• Twinning, clustering or linking will not mean one parish community taking control over another, irrespective of where the priest resides

In the execution of the above, it will be necessary, of course, to take into consideration the demography & geography of the area.  On occasions this will mean crossing present deanery boundaries. 

Looking to the future I can see a new & vibrant Church emerge, with all members of the local community playing an active part in, & with, the evangelising Church.  Faith is what is required above all. I, myself, am inspired by the persevering faith of the Prophet, turning a time of great crisis into a unique opportunity: “Even though the fig does not blossom …   And the stalls stand empty of cattle, yet I will rejoice in the Lord.  God, the Lord, is my strength.” (Hab. 3:17-19) & the wonderful insight of the Psalmist: “Unless the Lord builds the house, they labour in vain that build it.” (Ps. 127). 

I ask you to pray for God’s blessings on our future plans & undertakings.  Pray. Too, that He will bless His Church with a committed laity & many vocations to the priesthood & religious life. 

With sincerest good wishes & prayers, 

As ever in Christ Our Lord, 

Patrick,  Bishop of Lancaster 

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