Southport Fr Patrick writes… On Monday 29th July, three children were murdered in Southport. It was a most terrible crime, and the motive for it remains unclear. But my horror was further increased when, the next evening, a
Fr Patrick writes…
Anticipation and uncertainty I’m writing this in early June, in a state of anticipation and uncertainty. First of all, I have an excited anticipation of my 60th birthday party in the Rectory garden, which I invited you to last month.
May 2023 – The Coronation
I’m very interested in the Coronation Service starting at 11am 6 May 2023 at Westminster Abbey, conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury. The coronation ceremony is largely based on an Order of Service used in 973 for the coronation of
April 2023 – Resurrection
The Revd Marc Catley, Vicar of Packwood and Hockley Heath has been off sick since June 2022, after suffering a stroke. He still writes articles for their Parish News magazine, and I was privileged to get an advance copy of
March 2023 – Earthquake Disaster
I am writing this in eight days after the terrible earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. It is now clear that 40,000 people have died and that number is continuing to rise. Thousands are homeless and a huge amount of help
Feb 2023 – Christian Identity
Recently religious identity data became available from the 2021 Census for England and Wales. It showed that less people are self-identifying as Christian and more people identify as having no religion. This has been a strong, continuing pattern since the
December 2022 – Safeguarding in the Church of England
Those of us in ministry licensed by the Church of England have to complete safeguarding training every three years. My three years was up in November, so once again I had to complete the CofE’s “Leadership” safeguarding module. The training
Nov 2022 – Saving energy this winter
I am writing this on a beautiful afternoon in mid-October when the temperature is 17oC. October has been so warm that I have been using electric heaters instead of turning on my central heating. Actually, I am keen to use
October 2022 – Giving thanks for H M The Queen
One of the things I have appreciated most about the Queen is her consistency. Throughout my life she has always been there, a completely reliable and dependable presence. I don’t ever remember her missing important events. I suppose she must
Sept 2022 – Refurbishing the church organ
When I buy a car, I like to buy one that is almost new and then keep it for many years. But as the car gets older the repair costs increase. Then it becomes clear that big bills are in