Portsmouth Diocese e-News Issue 466
This last week was marked by the US presidential election and the decisive victory of Donald Trump. Let us pray for President-elect Trump that he will be filled with the gift of wisdom, not only to unite his country much polarised by political divisions but also to bring peace to the many conflicts in today’s world, especially for an end to the conflicts in Ukraine and the Holy Land.
Meanwhile, welcome to e-News this week, which I am sending you from the Bishops’ Conference, which is meeting at Hinsley Hall, Leeds. All the bishops of England and Wales are attending, including the Bishop of the Forces, the Bishop of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham, the Ukranian Eparch, the Syro-Malabar Eparch, and the Apostolic Administrator of the Prefecture of the Falkland Islands. This time, there is much discussion of the assisted suicide bill currently before Parliament, and also safeguarding and its arrangements in the life of the Church. Most of Monday and Tuesday has been dedicated to this, and to environmental matters. There is also a Holy Hour tomorrow (Wednesday) praying for the upholding of the dignity of human life in our society. The Conference concludes on Thursday morning with voting on the various proposals and propositions. Please keep the Bishops in your prayers to the Lord. [Image: Library of Congress on Unsplash]
Fr Michael Cronin R.I.P.
From the Bishop
Fr Michael Cronin died on Saturday 9th November. His sister, Mary, and niece, Catherine, were with him. Please pray for his happy repose…
Michael Cronin was born in St Ouen, Jersey on 3rd March 1943. He has a sister, Mary. He studied at St Mary’s College, Oscott and was ordained to the priesthood at the Convent Chapel, Kiln Green, on 19th July 1980 by Bishop Anthony Emery.
He first served as Deacon at St James, Reading in 1980. Following ordination to the priesthood in 1980, Fr Michael served at St Vincent de Paul, Southampton, as assistant priest, until 1982. He was at St Edmund’s, Southampton between 1982 and 1987 and then served as Parish Priest at Sacred Heart, Bordon (and latterly, also at St Joseph’s, Grayshott) from 1988 to 1999. His last parish appointment was at St Vincent de Paul, Southampton until 2003, when he took on the full-time role of Hospital Chaplain for the Southampton hospitals until his retirement in 2018. He also served as Spiritual Adviser to the disabled between 1982 and 1994. In addition, he was a member of the Council of Priests.
Let us thank God for his loving service to the people whom he was called to serve. May the Lord grant him eternal rest in the love that he so generously served through his ministry:
Hear with favour our prayers, which we humbly offer, O Lord, for the salvation of the soul of Michael your servant and Priest, that he, who devoted a faithful ministry to your name, may rejoice in the perpetual company of your Saints.
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