Dear sisters and brothers

The Solemnity of St Peter and St Paul celebrates the two apostolic pillars on which the Church of the Diocese of Rome, and therefore the ministry of its Bishop, the Pope, is founded and built. These two apostles, so different in background, personality, talent and mission-call, come together in unity in the mission and ministry of the Bishop of Rome and, in full communion with him, in the mission and ministry of every bishop and diocese around the world. This year we have the joy of celebrating this feast in communion with Pope Leo, the recently-installed Bishop of Rome. We pray that his apostolic ministry will be blessed and will speak to the hearts of the people of our own day, leading them to come to know Christ either for the first time or at a new and deeper level. The annual collection, traditionally called “Peter’s Pence” in this country, as a way each of us can make a contribution to support the Pope’s ministry, always takes place on the Solemnity of St Peter and St Paul. Please be as generous as you are able. Conscious of the importance for us Catholics of the apostolic foundation to our own local Church, we should also take this opportunity to pray that the Holy Father will soon discern the appointment of a new bishop for us in the Diocese of Plymouth.

Thank you to those who have already returned their completed census forms. However, there are still many who have yet to do so. I do appreciate that this is yet another administrative task to add to already busy lives, but it is really important that the forms are completed and returned, otherwise I will not be able to include your details in the updated parish database and that can have a number of consequences such as not being able to contact you, send this newsletter or know where you are in the event I need to visit you in an emergency. I am conscious that, for various reasons, some of our parishioners are not able to come to Mass every weekend, so there are still census forms available at church to those individuals too.

Next week we have the great joy of celebrating the First Holy Communion of 23 of our children and young people. What a blessing this is for our parish community! The months of preparation, including the celebration of the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation, have led up to this important weekend. Due to the number of First Communicants, and the need to accommodate the family and friends who will be there to support them, both the 6pm Vigil Mass on Saturday 5 July and the 11.30am Mass on Sunday 6 July will be First Communion Masses. Even so, it is going to be a squeeze to fit everyone in at St Andrew’s and, certainly on Sunday, it will be very likely that not everyone will be able to get a seat. Although requiring some thought and planning, it is a blessing for us to have such a challenge of having too many people to accommodate in church!

Our parish Jubilee Pilgrimage Walk of Hope took place last Tuesday. A group of parishioners, both two-legged and four-legged, gathered at St Andrew’s at 7.00am for some prayers and a blessing before they set off on foot on the first stage of the 19 mile walk to the Shrine of St Boniface in Crediton, where we celebrated Mass at 6.00pm. Other walkers came and went during the course of the day over the five stages of the walk. Despite the odd downpour, the walkers were blessed with good walking weather. The Laudato Si’ Group have produced a summary of the Pilgrimage Walk which is attached to the Newsletter. They also intend to produce a guide to the Pilgrimage Walk which will be made available to anyone who might want to do the walk themselves at another time.

Having celebrated the marriage of Lisa Bisset and Ben Samuel recently, our congratulations go to Shine and Sharu, who celebrated their 5th Wedding Anniversary on Wednesday, and to Peter and Sally Ward-Enticott, who are celebrating their 30th Wedding Anniversary this Sunday. We wish them all many blessings.

Deacon Peter also celebrated the anniversary of his ordination as a deacon last Thursday, so we congratulate him too and thank God for the many years of diaconal service that he has given not only to our parish, but also in previous appointments.

Alongside the Newsletter this week, I attach:
Monika Manser’s guide to a prayerful reflection on the Sunday Gospel
the latest edition of Inspire from Deacon Peter
A “pilgrimage edition” of the Laudato Si’ Group Newsletter

In union with our brothers and sisters around the world, we continue to pray for the de-escalation of tensions, the cessation of war, the respect for human life and the blessing of peace, especially in Ukraine and in the Middle East, but also in all the other troubled areas across the globe.

As we come to the end of the month of June, dedicated to the renewal of our devotion of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, I pray that each one of you, and especially those who are sick and in great need in our community, will feel enfolded and held in the all-encompassing, unconditional and unmerited love that flows from the Heart of Christ, broken for us and for all people.

Canon Kristian

Canon Kristian Paver
Parish Priest
Parish of St Boniface and St James Mid Devon
40 Old Road Tiverton EX16 4HJ
(01884) 252292