This Lent

Now is the favourable time; this is the day of salvation (2 Cor 6: 2). We are now entering the joyful season of Lent, a time of real personal renewal and I would like to suggest, a time of renewal for us all as the People of God within our Diocese of Portsmouth. I know that in many of our parishes and Pastoral Areas clergy and faithful are collaborating on the implementation of our ten-year mission strategy You Will be My Witnesses. The plan involves three interrelated activities: (1) renewal of faith and deepening our love for Jesus Christ as His disciples, sent to proclaim the Good News and to usher in the Kingdom; (2) becoming true missionary-disciples of Christ, apostles who reach out to the poor and needy around us in loving service; and (3) prudently planning and using our resources in the service of the Church’s mission and evangelisation. I thank all of you for your commitment and all the efforts and initiatives being made. At the same time, we continue towards the goals of our Closer to Christ Campaign which has been raising the funds we need to train our seminarians, to secure the ongoing formation of our clergy and to care for our retired priests. Thank you to so many who have very generously contributed to the campaign. This Lent, I wish to invite everyone in the Diocese, clergy and faithful in our schools and parishes, to undertake with big-heartedness the three Lenten works of prayer, self-denial and charity, offering them for the renewal and the mission of the Church in our Diocese. May we bring many more souls closer to Jesus Christ through His Church. Let’s pray to God for His grace and for the gifts of His Holy Spirit that we might ‘turn the ship.’

Read Issue 434 in full here.