Bishop Ralph
Bishop Ralph’s Reflections
Ordination of Fr Christopher W Ainslie
Fr Christopher Ainslie on the occasion of his ordination to the priesthood at the Cathedral Church of St Marie, Sheffield The Ordination of Fr Christopher W Ainslie took place at St Marie’s Cathedral, Sheffield on Saturday, 14 July – a beautiful setting for the gathering of Christopher’s family, many priests and parishioners in … [Read More...]
Priest and People in Clustered Parishes
As more and more parishes of the diocese are experiencing the loss of a resident priest and the necessity for greater involvement of lay people in the administration of parishes, now is an opportune time to reflect on the teaching of the Catholic Church on both ordained priesthood and the “priesthood of all the baptised”. The theology underpinning … [Read More...]
History of the SVP in England and Wales – Chapter 3
Founded in this country in 1844, the SVP was very quickly into its stride in trying to provide practical assistance to those in need. We saw in the last ‘chapter’ how the SVP helped combat the massive health and hygiene problems faced by the poor. This next instalment looks at how the SVP promoted the Catholic faith through supporting church … [Read More...]
SVP History Part 2
St Vincent de Paul Society History of the Society in England and Wales, Part 2 The abject poverty experienced by those in the mid-19th century unfortunate enough to be trapped within its clutches is almost too much for us to comprehend today. It had a dramatic impact in a vast range of ways: unemployment, hunger, social deprivation, lack of … [Read More...]
Marriage ~ Love is Not Rude
Jane and Charles Perryman continue their series about Marriage When Pope Francis discusses the next aspect of love that St Paul highlights, “Love is not rude or arrogant” (1 Cor 13:5), he writes about the importance of gentleness, thoughtfulness and courtesy. Quoting the Mexican Nobel Prize winning poet, Octavio Paz he says that courtesy “is a … [Read More...]
Summer Concert at The Annunciation
On Saturday, 7 July the Rose Choir and orchestra, featuring soprano soloists Jo Howland and Emily Morris, performed a spectacular programme of classical music at the Annunciation Church in Chesterfield and raised £185 for Mary’s Meals. Fr Roy Panell gave a warm welcome speech before handing over the baton to conductor Jonathan Francis, from … [Read More...]
Celebration at St Mary Magdalene, Maltby
With much relief that it was a dry and bright morning, St Mary Magdalene, Maltby parishioners gathered in the church’s garden, on Sunday, 22 July for the annual celebration of their Patronal Feast. The Mass, celebrated by Fr Andy Graydon, Parish Priest, was well attended, with standing room only by the time it began. After the Mass, many then … [Read More...]
Priests’ Retreat
Archbishop Emeritus of Southwark, Kevin McDonald was retreat master for the Annual Hallam Priests’ Retreat which was held at the Oblate Retreat Centre, Wistaston Hall, near Crewe. Pictured above left to right are Fr Santosh Vazhappally, Archbishop Kevin McDonald, Fr Albert Savaille and Mgr Aubert Carvalho. Pictured below, a group session … [Read More...]
More People Share the Journey
On a glorious sunny Sunday, 1 July, an intrepid group of eighteen people from St Joseph’s, Moorends, St Nicholas, Thorne and our sister parish of Our Lady of the Assumption, Stainforth, set off to walk the three miles (there and back again), to St Nicholas in Thorne. Walking helps talking and we shared many stories along the way. Following the … [Read More...]
Marriage and Family Life Ministry Resources
‘Counting Our Blessings’ is a new scripture-based resource, to support parish and school communities as they accompany families on their faith journey. It has been produced by the Department for Christian Responsibility and Citizenship at the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales. Bishop Ralph has purchased a copy for each parish in Hallam. … [Read More...]