Parish log

2010

February/March (Lent)

THE MYSTERY OF PRAYER (Parish Lent Study Programme held on Tuesday evenings at St Joseph’s and on Thursday afternoons at Our Lady of Refuge). Led by Father Denys.

Week 1: ‘Looking within’ – belief and doubt in our depths

Week 2: ‘Looking round’ – conversion of mind and heart

Week 3: ‘Looking back’ – our biblical roots and the Church’s teaching

Week 4: ‘Looking ahead’ – prayer and our involvement in a world of change

Week 5: ‘Looking to YOU’ – Jesus Christ as the foundation of our life and the source of meaning for us.

July/August
It was with very great joy that parishioners welcomed Deacon Padraig Hawkins during the peak holiday season. They welcomed him into their homes and he was exposed to some of the special attributes of the summer season: the Sheringham Beach Mission, and the Parish Fete. Padraig has been preparing for the Priesthood at Oscott Seminary for the past five years and where he will be until, all being well, he is ordained Priest in June 2011. He was brought up in Cambridge, but his parents have since returned to Ireland. He bravely and competently spoke to parishioners both at St Joseph’s (after the evening Mass) and on Thursday at 2.30pm at Our Lady of Refuge on the current procedures of the Catholic Church for discerning vocations to the Priesthood – including the psychological dimensions of the discernment process that have been ‘fine-tuned’ in recent years in response to the issues raised by the sexual abuse scandals in the Church.

July
31st (Saturday) 

PARISH FETE at St Joseph’s

October

2nd and 3rd (weekend of)

Bishop Michael Evans' formal visitation to the Parish.

This is an extract from his Report dated 5 October.

Sheringham and Cromer continues to be a welcomIng and active parish, with a good level of participation by parishioners. Combined average Mass attendance has now largely returned to the level it was at before the merger (315 at the October 2009 Mass count; 321 in 2007; 325 in 2006; 310 in 2005). All Sunday Masses were celebrated prayerfully and reverently, with active participation by the congregation. It was good to have the Beeston Hall School Choir at the Sunday morning Mass at Cromer. I was particularly encouraged to hear of the fruitful and much appreciated way that the two choirs (Cromer & Sheringham) have come together at certain times to pool their evident talents. My thanks also to the altar servers at each community and those normally responsible for the Children's Liturgy groups and First Communion preparations well as the Readers and the Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion. I strongly encourage parishioners to receive Holy Communion under both kinds (both host and chalice). even when it has not been their custom in the past. As The Holy See's General Instruction of the Roman Missal puts it. 'Holy Communion has a fuller form as a sign when it is distributed under both kinds...' (n. 281). The refurbishment of the presbytery at Cromer had enabled it to be rented as a source of income for the parish including the work on the new sacristy.

The parish has well-established and effective forms of lay participation: I am especially grateful to Tony Webster and the Parish Pastoral Council and to Keith Holt and the Finance Committee for their ongoing contributions to parish life. Many people in the parish are generous with their time, talents and money. It would perhaps be good if even more parishioners were to attend quarterly meetings of the Parish Pastoral Council so that it is as representative as possible of the whole parish community.

Any parish will naturally wish to reach out in welcome with the Gospel message to those beyond the parish community, including young families, migrants. the 'lapsed' and the 'unchurched'. How this can best be done might be initially explored at a meeting of the Parish Council, in the context of this year's diocesan theme, rooted in the command of Jesus himself: 'Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News to all creation.'

I encourage lay people at local level, in both Cromer and Sheringham, to involve themselves as a Catholic presence in ecumenical activities. The hospitality offered by the Church of England for the weekly Mass in Holt is particularlv appreciated.

Ongoing formation and religious education are important for all Christians. Parishioners are very welcome to attend the diocesan 'Learning Together' study days; it was good to see them well-advertised in the parish. I realise most of them take place at some distance from the parish, which does of course make attendance difficult. As a way of nourishing parishioners, Fr Denys has run several teaching programmes himself covering various official documents.

Concern for Justice and Peace at home and abroad is expressed through generous support for CAFOD, the Cromer project in support of Sr Bridget in Uganda, and the Stable Door and the well-supported Samaritan's Purse project in Sheringham.

Care for the sick and housebound is particularly important in such a parish, and seems to be well done.

Our priests for the future must come primarily from our own parishes in East Anglia. like every parish, . Sheringham and Cromer could make prayer for vocations more central to its prayer, in the hope that God may call people to serve him in the ordained ministry and religious life. I am very grateful for the way the parish welcomed and nurtured Deacon Padraig Hawkins during his recent pastoral placement.

Every Catholic community is an integral part of the local diocese, and I encourage parishioners when possible to attend diocesan events at the Cathedral, Walsingham, etc.

Final comments and thanks
On this occasion, I have included my recommendations within the body of the report. Sheringham and Cromer remains a very welcoming parish in each of its communities, with very many signs of strength and hope for the future. I thank those many people who serve the parish so well with their time and talents Many people made a point of spontaneously commending Fr Denys to me for his ministry as parish priest over the last two years, and I am very grateful to him for his priestly and pastoral leadership, working with so many others in the parish, including those responsible for communications and safeguarding, and to Canon McBride for the ongoing support he is able to give, I conclude this report by thanking Fr Denys and the whole parish community for their hospitality and warm welcome during my visitation. I very much enjoyed my weekend in each community of the parish.

30 October (Saturday)

Parish Day of Recollection for Lay Ministers of Holy Communion and Readers at Our Lady of Refuge.
The Day was led by Father Roger Spencer, Parish Priest of Southwold. The Day began with Mass at Our Lady of Refuge at 10am. and there were Conferences (Talks) at 11am and 2pm. This was followed by a brief meeting held by Father Denys to consider a few practicalities that affect Ministers and Readers (the decisions were recorded in a letter for those unable to be present). The Day ended with Benediction.

13 November (Saturday)

10.30am: Visit to St Joseph’s by a group from  Our Lady of Walsingham in Houston, Texas.
Our Lady of Walsingham in Houston is the sole church in the United States to be dedicated to Our Lady of Walsingham. Furthermore, it celebrates Mass according to Anglican Use which was approved by the Holy See in 1983. A group of pilgrims led by Father James Ramsey, Father Wayne Flagg who is an extremely accomplished organist, and Deacon Rev. James Barnett celebrated Mass at St. Joseph's. The Mass was sung in Latin. Many parishioners from Our Lady and St Joseph's joined the pilgrims in singing the Mass and hymns, and produced a wonderful sound: at the end of Mass Father Wayne put the organ through its paces to celebrate his joy at getting into St Joseph's after many unsuccessful attempts. After Mass parishioners enjoyed chatting in the Hall with the pilgrims from Texas who had been joined by some fellow pilgrims from Nelson and Burnley in the Salford Diocese.

11 November to 2 December at 7.30pm at St Josephs and 2.30pm at Our Lady of Refuge
The Papal Visit: an opportunity to reflect on Pope Benedict's Addresses in Westminster Hall, Westminster Cathedral and at Cofton Park
Relatively few parishioners had been able to see the Holy Father in person, but many watched the wonderful televsion coverage and were able to read what he said in the National newspapers, and the texts are available on the Internet. The visit was of very considerable historical significance being a State Visit which had been preceded by a great deal of hostility from the media and some politicians, but which gradually emerged as a quiet triumph for the Holy Spirit, the Holy Father and the Blessed John Henry. Father Denys demonstrated the significance of the event by holding three pairs of meetings.

Westminster Hall drew a remarkable audience of politicians including several former Prime Ministers. Father Denys emphasised the historical setting: It is here that sovereigns and the extremely great lie in state to receive their final respects. For centuries Westminster Hall was the centre for the English judicial system. It was from here that King Charles I was sent to be executed: although, this British tragedy was not mentioned by the Holy Father. It was here that St Thomas More had to elect to follow his conscience. And it was here that Pope Benedict informed the legislators that "religion is not a problem for legislators to solve".

In his homily given in Westminster Cathedral the Holy Father noted the significance of the huge crucifix which "seems to embrace the entire church". He then emphasised the concept of sacrifice as being at the heart of Catholic Faith. In some circles this concept has been regarded with suspicion, especially where the rights of women have been considered. But Christ's sacrifice remains central to our understanding of the life of those who are discriminated against for practicing their faith or suffer in any way whether spiritually, physically or mentally.

In his address at Cofton Park where the Beatification of Cardinal John Henry Newman was the central issue the Holy Father took great care to demonstrate that there were not two John Henrys: an Anglican one and a Roman Catholic one and used many of Newman's early writings to show his sanctity. Newman's devotion to Our Lady was evident when he was Vicar of St. Mary's in Oxford. Father Denys considered that Newman had suffered greatly through the loss of his former friends and a failure to be used fully in his new surroundings where he was viewed with suspicion, even hostility.

2011

March/April
Lent talks presented by Father Denys Lloyd on Verbum Domini: the Word of God in the life and mission of the Church. The five talks were presented in the evening (after Mass) at  St Joseph’s and on Thursday afternoons at Our Lady of Refuge. Participants were expected to have copies of Pope Benedict's document and their appreciation of it was greatly aided by Father Denys's exegesis.

Chrism Mass in Holy Week
The usual coach load of parishioners from both Parish Communities attended the Chrism Mass where the terminally ill Bishop Michael Evans performed all the liturgical ceremonies without hesitation and this included an excellent challenging homily. He was clapped both at the beginning of the Mass and at the end (with an applause worthy of a football crowd)