HEALTH UPDATE
Last year Fr Bill mentioned that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. Fortunately the treatment has been very successful. Though one can never claim to be completely cured of cancer, since it has a way of coming back, we have to say that the response to the treatment has been excellent, and the outlook is as good as could possibly have been hoped.
THE YEAR OF SAINT PAUL AT PICKERING
On the eve of the feast of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, Pope Benedict proclaimed a Year of Saint Paul. A six-point plan is already in hand at St Joseph’s, Pickering, to celebrate this year in accordance with the wishes of the Holy Father.
On Friday 18th May St Joseph’s hosted an organ recital by the distinguished organist, Mr Robert Foreman, Fellow of the Royal College of Organists.
On this occasion St Joseph’s was graced by the presence of the Town Mayor, Councillor Julie Hepworth.
Mr Foreman played a varied programme of music by Mozart, Bach, Verdi, Pachelbel and many other composers.
The recital was designed to demonstrate the capabilities of the new Eminent organ, one of the finest instruments in the region.
Afterwards refreshments were provided by the Ladies of the Parish.
Following the appeal by Fr Tom Cussen, the sum of £450 was sent to the Society of African Missions for their work.
There has also been a retiring collection for the Priests’ Training Fund, and to date this has raised £267.
The Christian Aid service on May 13th was led by Mrs Brenda Sillito, and the speaker was Mrs Betty East.
A large and enthusiastic congregation made a positive start to Christian Aid Week.
The Ryedale Walsingham Association pilgrimage to Walsingham on 6th-8th May was this year led by Fr Paul Dowling from Scarborough, as Fr Bill was unable to attend.
We congratulate David Owuor and Claire Blackie who were married recently in St Joseph’s.
The church was full to capacity on this occasion.
UPDATE
A few weeks ago I made an announcement that I had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. I promised to keep you informed of any change in the situation. I am now in a position to give you an update. I have to undergo two treatments, that is to say hormone therapy and radiotherapy. The hormone therapy involves taking one tablet the size of an aspirin every day for two years. This I have been doing for several weeks. About three months into the hormone therapy the radiotherapy will begin. This will involve travelling to Hull every day for four weeks. The actual treatment takes about ten minutes, but of course the travelling will be tiring and time-consuming. The exact start date for this therapy will be the Tuesday after Easter. This means that I will be able to celebrate Holy Week and Easter with you exactly as I always do. It is possible that I shall cancel some of the weekday Masses in the weeks after Easter, and unfortunately I shall not be able to lead the May pilgrimage to Walsingham as I had hoped. I have already asked another priest to take my place. I would hope to continue to celebrate the Sunday masses without interruption, but if I should find this difficult I have already asked yet another priest to be ready to lend a hand. On one of those Sundays we shall in any case be welcoming a missionary priest to make the annual mission appeal. I thank you very much for your prayers and your concern. Please continue with both.
A GLIMPSE OF HEAVEN
“A Glimpse of Heaven” is the title of a new book by Christopher Martin, published by English Heritage, which tells the remarkable story of Catholic Church architecture in England and Wales, a subject about which very little has been written. Some 224 lavishly illustrated pages reveal the glory of such churches as Westminster Cathedral, Brompton Oratory, Norwich Cathedral and – yes – St Joseph’s Pickering. English Heritage have therefore made official what Pickering people have always known, that St Joseph’s is one of the most remarkable, beautiful and astonishing churches in this country, the last church built in England by the distinguished Catholic architect Leonard Stokes.
NEW ORGAN
A new digital organ has been installed in St Joseph’s Church, Pickering. Made by the Dutch organ builders Eminent and installed by the suppliers Cathedral Organs Ltd, it is far superior to the modest instrument it replaces and is indeed one of the finest organs in the area. Church custom forbids elaborate performances on the organ during Lent, but during Eastertide, a recital will be arranged to display its potential.
• The first point is, that Fr Bill East, the parish priest, will throughout the year preach as often as possible on the reading from Saint Paul at Mass.
• The second point is that St Joseph’s School will undertake a special R.E. project on Saint Paul during the year.
• The third point is that the Saint Joseph’s Friday Fellowship will make Saint Paul the theme of their meetings throughout the year.
• The fourth point is that a catechist will deliver a Lent Course on the readings from Saint Paul which occur on the Sundays of Lent.
• The fifth point is that the repository will carry a range of books on Saint Paul, and parishioners have been asked to re-read the Epistles and some commentaries on them.
• The sixth point, by far the most ambitious, is to explore the possibility of a parish pilgrimage “In the Steps of Saint Paul,” visiting some of the places where Paul visited and preached during his lifetime.