We have a certain reputation

One of the good things about the life of a parish priest is that one’s faith is constantly built up by quite heroic examples of conversion.
I did a funeral on Friday, and got a lift back in the hearse, one of the undertakers said he was surprised that there were not the “usual smattering of mad people at the back of the Church”. I was a little abashed and asked him what he meant. He said Mary Magdalen was renowned for it amongst the men of his profession in the city. I was angry, I joked it off and when I had time to reflect, I thought that compared with the refined Protestantism of many of the churches of the city of Brighton and Hove there could be some evidence for it, even compared with most of the Catholic Churches in the vicinity.
Most of our people live rather solitary lives, there aren’t that many families. Accommodation is for the most part in tall Victorian houses that have been converted to single bedroom flats.
Solitude does lead to a certain “singularity” of behaviour.
I got a little annoyed with one of our parishioners this morning, who I am rather fond of, let’s call him John.
John has had an extra-ordinary life, he hears voices. John’s fingers are stained brown with nicotine. He can stand in the street for hours just staring, in an almost catatonic state, there are long pause in conversation where he says nothing. He is about forty, almost half of his life John has spent sleeping on the streets, “I loved it Father, I loved the freedom”. I think he had also spent a bit of time in hospital. When he began to get life together he desperately wanted to become a Catholic, eventually he tried for three years to get through an RCIA course in a neighbouring parish, he just couldn’t get himself there each week and when he did, because he is addicted to nicotine, he kept having to go out for a cigarette. About 18 months ago he moved into a hostel in the parish. He comes to Mass on Saturday and Sunday evenings because he just can’t get up earlier, even then he nips out every so often for a quick fag and then comes back in. He has just moved into his own flat, at last, which he wants me to bless.
I am sure John comes to Mass for the love of God, but that doesn’t stop him from begging for £2.50 for some tobacco every time he comes to Mass. So it is normally a fiver week. This morning I rather cruelly told him in front of a group of people that the normal practice was for people to come to Mass and give money rather than the other way round. John waited and told me that he wished he didn’t have to beg, that he was ashamed, he had been doing it for the last eighteen years. I suggested he give up smoking if he couldn’t afford it. “I can’t”, he said. I had to admit neither could I.
So we are back to the fiver a week, but John to save his dignity, told me that he would try and put a fiver through the letterbox, when he gets his “benefit” every week, then I could give it back to him at the weekend. His begging is irritating but at least it means that I can show him some kindness, which is, I suppose what the fiver is actually a token of. Maybe I am fortunate that he honours me by humiliating himself to ask alms from me, because he is quite heroic in his struggle to get life together.

Vandals, thieves, blackguards and rogues

I blogged a week ago about how good it was that we are able to keep the Church open, I tempted fate.

We have had a spate of minor acts of vandalism. We now have only one collection box in the Church, all the others have been stolen during the week, smashed off of the walls or wrenched off of votive candle stands. An opened syringe packet, along with cigarette ends were found in the Church and votive candles have been disappearing at a concerning rate. I do fear that something worse might happen.

Last week was horrible and wet and fewer people have been coming to pray and if a Church isn’t visited by the faithful, rogues, thieves and villains replace them.

It was a difficult decision to open the Church it had been closed for the last fifteen years, having made the decision I really am loathed to start locking it again during the day. My predecessors kept it locked because there are two centres for the homeless and benefit office within a few hundred yards of the Church.

We can’t afford elaborate security measures; we really rely on Archangels with fiery swords. I know that the only answer is to encourage people to come and pray, and to do so myself more often and maybe to encourage people like you to pray for this intention.

HOLY MICHAEL the archangel, defend us in the day of battle; be our safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God thrust down to hell Satan and all wicked spirits, who wander through the world for the ruin of souls. Amen.

More Catholic Women

I felt terribly embarassed yesterday the Catholic Woman of the Year Lunch just went on and on and on, speech after speech, I just had to leave early, I hate doing that. Every event of this type should have those lights that come on when speakers have had their five minutes.
Apart from that, it was as one of my parishioners, another Ann said a great honour to be with such impressive women. The truth is I think I could find another half dozen outstanding catholic women.
Ann Robert our Woman was represented by her daughter Claudette, Abigail Witchalls by her delightful mother-in-law.
Also honoured were:-
Gillian Babcock, Secretary General of the World Union of Catholic Woman's Organisations.
Mabel Henderson, who was nominated by a life prisoner she has visited.
Rachael O'Sullivan, who is doing her GCSE's, went to World Youth day and is heavily involved in parish life.
There was, what I thought was a very interesting speech by Professor Paul Williams, who lectures on Buddhist philosophy at Bristol University, who left Buddhism converting to the Church. Some women around me muttering, rhetorically but sometimes loudly about its relevance to the Catholic Women of the Year, they grew even louder after he spoken for more than ten minutes.

This years charity was the UK Cenacolo Community.
Someone said you can tell how these thing go by the mood of the queue either for the lavatory, or at the Taxi rank, I didn't experience the first, the latter outside the hotel was decidedly ratty, some of which could be put down to the weather.

Another nice thing I met Joanna Bogle, that modern St Joan who so often raises that which is mightier than the sword in defence of the faith. She is really bossing people on her site to write to the BBC.

Opening the Church

About three months ago our Bishop, Kieran Conry, came up to me and said he had been reading a book that spoke about the need for oasis’s and sanctuaries for people in cities, and that he wanted us to open our Church, as it is the most central in Brighton.

I was please, I felt the Church should be opened ever since I got here. I believe doing things under obedience is a good idea, it means that it is someone elses decision and therefore more likely to be God's will.We had tried having people there watching for a couple of hours each day, it hadn’t really worked, it just meant that there was someone there for beggars to intimidate to get money out of. In the past when it had been left open things were stolen, needles were found, at one time someone had even put dog faeces in the ciborium and there had been thefts as well.

What has happened since? Nothing, except for a collection box being wrenched of the wall and a few minor thefts. The burglar alarm is sometimes set off by people wandering onto the sanctuary (we must put some of those old security rails Catholic churches used to have).

A change has come over the Church, it feels warmer, it is not unusual to find, especially in the late afternoon early evening two or three people sitting and praying. I crept in one evening and found a group of five or six Korean women singing a hymn together in front of the Lady Altar, when people aren’t there praying then there is the glow of candles which say that someone a few minutes ago has been praying there.

I remember staying at a Methodist college in Bristol and being taken by one of the staff there to the then new Clifton Cathedral, he was a bit sniffy about it and asked, “Where are the nooks and crannies where a man may hide and weep before his Lord”, strange words from a Methodist, but quite important for us.

Well our Church offers nooks and crannies to the people of Brighton. Being open I hope it says somehow we “trust you”, “we are willing to risk this building because we think that prayer is that important”, "the Catholic Church thinks you are important enough to open the for you".

Evangelium

Fr Marcus Holden and Fr Andrew a newly ordained priest of our diocese have produce, what I think is a really excellent course on the Catholic faith, it is beautifully produced, a participents book and a powerpoint cd-rom, with headings and beautiful illustrations.

I would like to use it in parish for everything from baptism to marriage.

Todays newly weds: Paul and Maria Oldfield

Maria delighted:Paul blissful