Thought from Fr. Colm - 18th January 2026

Peace is...

Peace is the resulting action on an agreement to end a war.

Peace is the mutual laying down of weapons.

Peace is the worldwide cessation of armament production.

Peace is the reconciliation between adversaries.

Peace is the change of hearts and minds of people who wage war.

Peace is the smile of the refugee housed following exile from home.

Peace is the satisfaction in the face of a hungry child just fed.

Peace is the return to boyhood of a child soldier.

Peace is the respect for women and their equal rights as human beings.

Peace is the just, merciful and compassionate use of power by the powerful.

Peace is the empowerment of disadvantaged and marginalised people.

Peace is the healing arrived at through truth and reconciliation commissions.

Peace is the mutual respect of people of all faiths and none.

Help us, Lord, to continue to strive for peace in all of its forms.

Amen.

Trevor Stockton/CAFOD

Thought from Fr. Colm - 11th January 2026

We begin our new year in a spirit of hope, despite the unpredictability of world events.

“Even if the hopes you started out with are dashed, hope has to be maintained.”

Seamus Heaney.    

The wonder of parish/community existence is the small expressions of hope. Criticism of church often misses the real strength of what church is at a local level. The numerous groups that help alleviate loneliness and isolation, be it those living alone, those coping with dementia, the newly arrived student, the vibrancy of teenagers. This is life. Sadly, many who just tip the fringes at occasional encounters of Baptism, Holy Communion, marriages and funerals, don’t experience the enormous gifts of parish life. The Christmas services were very well attended and that was great, but it can be a sentimental part of a festive package that, good as it is, misses the true miracle of what the vulnerability of the God/child brings on a daily basis, and most importantly is experienced daily especially in the Eucharistic gathering ie Mass.

“People use drugs, legal and illegal, because their lives are intolerably painful or dull. They hate their work and find no rest in their leisure. They are estranged from their families and their neighbours. It should tell us something that in healthy societies drug use is celebrative, convivial, and occasional, whereas among us it is lonely, shameful, and addictive. We need drugs, apparently, because we have lost each other.”

Wendell Berry. 

This year we hope to continue extending our parish reach out beyond the confines of the familiar to the unfamiliarity of what we can do by way of supporting local projects. Great strides have been made, but so much more is possible.

The younger generation parishioners are stepping up to the challenge, especially by responding to Bishop Stephen’s last pastoral letter. A healthy productive dialogue with the bishop has already begun in response to his letter. This is our future, and we are seriously blessed with highly motivated and energetic young people who will carry the parish into the future building on the established foundations of so many loyal parishioners, both past and present.

 Sadly, we lost Canon Bob Spence this week after a long illness. Canon Bob was always the essence of kindness and good humour, which veiled a very sharp intellect. Always challenging, but never judgmental, he combined pastoral care with academic pursuit. All done in a spirit of creating open conversation with a deep love of church. May he rest in peace.

Finally a big thank you to you for your support and generosity to me at Christmas.

Thought from Fr. Colm -21st December 2025

And So This is Christmas….and what have you done? The challenge of John Lennon earths us away from the glitz and sentimentality that can be a feature of this time of year. As a parish, dare I suggest that actually we have done a quite lot. Sure, there is, and always will be, much more to be done.

Besides the numerous parish groups of selfless decency, we had some very special events that stick out. Our quarterly International Meals are always a stand out. It continues to bear witness that so many from different backgrounds and cultures (and different religions, we hope soon) can  sit together and enjoy our differences.

“Look around at those you love, slow down, and remember to chew.”

The Parish Fayre Day was a great success. Outreach to the local communities has become the norm for this annual (we hope) event. The annual parish retreat in Keswick continues to nourish and we look forward to the next in February. I’m highlighting special events, but these gatherings, plus our daily worship and Sunday assemblies are a sign that the latest statistics indicating a revival of church attendance would seem to be true. So parents and grandparents among you take heart if your kids don’t come. ‘Come and see”, is all we can say.

We will indeed welcome back so many of our friends and relatives at Christmas.

Can I add here that I’m both amazed and heartened by how many of you have said how much you miss Christmas at St Leonard’s.

And on the subject of schools, can I wish all our schools staff a peaceful and well deserved break. Changing times for them as academic achievement and some parental expectations which border on the hallucinatory, add to pressure that I hope you all get relief from at this time. Still on the subject of schools I’m presuming, hoping, you all received the cake hampers from our parish BOP Group (Young parents and friends) as an acknowledgment of all your efforts ?