RC Diocese of Argyll & the Isles

When in Lourdes last week one night at the Candle-Light Procession one of the special prayer intentions was for Vocations to the Priesthood. This caught my attention and encouraged  me to pray for Vocations in our Diocese and also to make sure that I commended this intention again to the priests and people of the Diocese when I came back home.

The priests of the Diocese have had some discussions among themselves and with me in recent times on the conduct of funerals in our parishes. One of the concerns raised is in regard to the taking up of collections at funerals. I would, therefore, like to make some comment on that matter and then go on to mention some other points in regard to the celebration of the Funeral Liturgy......

One of the great privileges we have as Catholics is to receive the Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ in Holy Communion. This encounter with the living Lord is the high point of our spiritual lives and the moment in which we experience the Lord´s presence and love in its fullest and deepest way.  Being so richly blessed, we are invited by the Lord to carry his  love into the whole of our lives. It is always, therefore, a very precious moment but also one which asks for our loving response to the Lord´s goodness

As Bishop I am very aware of the number of priests available in the Diocese of Argyll and the isles, and often think of where best to locate our priests in the future....

In wishing you a very Happy New Year, I pray that the Lord may be with us all and guide us in our lives of faith through the year ahead, both as individuals and as a believing community.

This coming Sunday we celebrate the Epiphany of Our Lord, recalling the arrival of the Wise Men at the stable in Bethlehem and their acts of homage before the child in the manger......

Bishop Joseph writes about next year's 'Year of Faith' to mark the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council and the 20th anniversary of the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Lent is a time when we are asked to turn again to the Lord and be converted by his grace - each Mass we attend offers us this opportunity, as we listen to his Word, pray for our every need, unite ourselves with the renewal of the Lord's Sacrifice, and are offered the possibility of receiving his Body and Blood in Holy Communion. I would encourage all of you to come to Mass as frequently as you can this Lent, not just on Sundays but on weekdays as well. If you have grown careless in attending Sunday Mass, now is the time for change and to turn again to the Lord and seek his mercy and goodness in your life.