Pastoral ponderings Passing on the baton

One of the funny things I’ve found is that you never really know what you’re going to be doing day to day, and recently I’ve had the opportunity to attend several events which were not part of the usual routine. It has been nice to meet some new people, and bump into a few who I’d not seen for a while.

Firstly, I had the pleasure of being able to join members of the Union of Catholic Mothers from all over the diocese for Mass at St Gregory’s in Lydiate, at the end of which the UCM made a generous donation to the Priests’ Training Fund. I was able to accept the donation, as a delegate from the vocations office. Of course, as a seminarian myself, I was personally grateful, since it’s thanks to donations like this that I can continue my training.

Another event which I was able to attend was Canon Christopher Cunningham’s eightieth birthday celebration in Warrington. Canon Christopher is the parish priest of my home parish of Sacred Heart and St Alban’s. I was glad to be able to go, since Father Christopher was my parish priest when I was little, and helped to encourage me in my vocation, and it was nice to see so many in attendance.

I also happen to have been invited to a priestly ordination in Leeds, which was a very enjoyable experience. There’s a lot of preparation involved in an ordination, not to mention the years of training, so it’s always a good feeling when everything has gone well.

Of course, now we’ve entered into Lent, so there’s a lot of preparation to be done for Easter - both practical and spiritual. I’ve never particularly looked forward to Lent, unlike some people I know. It always seems like a bit of a dark tunnel you have to go through to arrive at Easter, which I suppose, in some ways, it is. But at the same time, nothing worth doing is easy, and, by the time we finally get to Easter, it’s always good to notice even a slight positive change in my spiritual life. So, as always, I’ll try to make the most of Lent, even if it’s not quite as enjoyable as what comes after.

Wishing you all the best in your preparation for Easter.

M.C. Benitan - Director of Pastoral Development

On the First Sunday of Lent, we had a special celebration at the Cathedral called the Rite of Election.

This rite is held specifically for those people who are going to be received into our midst at Easter. They came in two groups. The first group were the catechumens with their godparents. Catechumens are those who journey on the path of initiation but have not yet received the sacrament of baptism. They are now called the elect because their names were called, and they responded by signing the Book of the Elect. In many ways, this rite reaches back in time towards the early centuries of Christianity where signing your name on a dotted line could have meant death if the record was found during periodic persecutions. Therefore, even publicly expressing one’s desire to be a Christian was an incredibly daring act.

The second group were the candidates with their sponsors. They also expressed their desire to become Roman Catholics and were greeted and blessed by Archbishop Malcolm. Candidates are already members of a Christian denomination that baptises in the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. We therefore honour their baptism because it already makes us brothers and sisters in Christ. Candidates seek reception into the Roman Catholic Church after a period of discernment, and this reception will include confirmation and first holy communion, but not baptism. Often candidates bring an amazing wealth of experience in their following of Christ, which enriches our lives and our communities.

Both the elect and the candidates are now firmly plunged with us into the Lenten period of purification. As we all focus on the Word of God, prayer, fasting, and charitable works, we can all help with our prayer, support, and witness of our lives. For, as it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a community to foster a new Catholic. And Lent is the time when we all try to renew our discipleship, walking the same desert path for 40 days before we reach the oasis of Easter together. After all, it was the example of early Christians that spoke more eloquently than words to those who eventually converted and kept the light of faith burning. It is now our turn to pass on the baton by the way we are with one another, and by the way we pray.