We (parish) had a very productive meeting on Wednesday. Many important issues were discussed on ways forward for the parish. Powerful stories of personal experience and challenges were shared on reaching out to younger people in particular. We are indeed blessed in this Parish having such diverse intelligent parishioners who care deeply about the future of both parish and diocese. Mission. What is it? How to implement it? Do we focus on numbers too much and not on positives – even though the positives are not evident in church attendance. Can we ask the challenging question as to how we, as parishioners, may be the cause of others not attending church? This isn’t a criticism, but asks the gentle question. In an effort to discern how you, gentle parishioner, might think a brief questionnaire might be helpful to us all. We also discussed the challenges of responding to the needs of a growing international community coming to our churches and the exciting challenge of this as a welcoming community. The international meal is proving to be such a great event. But can we do more? Readers, Ministers of the Eucharist are opportunities. The marvellous diversity of those involved in our music. The Mexican Feast of Our Lady of Guadeloupe will be recognised at all Masses this Sunday. But, we do need more input from you. We need to be reminded of your national religious background.
The roles of our schools was seen as invaluable. Three primary schools feeding into St. Leonard’s with a Catholic ethos. It was clear to all that good religious formation was, and is, self-evident. Young people may not be attending church in the numbers we’d like, but that Catholic understanding with the values we cherish are still there. We also looked at the many groups working feverishly to make life less lonely, especially for our cherished seniors. Recognition locally was the recent Community Award to the Wednesday Lunch Club. Whilst we see so much to be grateful for, we cannot deceive ourselves, because the challenges into the future are big, very big. We might just be ready now to looking more closely at these challenges. We will try anyhow at our larger gathering early in the New Year.
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Turkeys are cool, turkeys are wicked and every turkey has a Mum. Be nice to yu turkeys dis Christmas. Don’t eat it, keep it alive. It could be yu mate, an not on your plate. Say Yo! Turkey I’m on your side. I got lots of friends who are turkeys. An all of dem fear Christmas time. They wanna enjoy it, dey say humans destroyed it. An humans are out of dere mind. Yeah, I got lots of friends who are turkeys. Dey all have a right to a life. Not be caged up an genetically made up by any farmer an his wife. Turkeys just wanna play reggae. Turkeys just wanna hip-hop. Can you imagine a nice young turkey saying ‘Oi cannot wait for de chop’ Turkeys like getting presents, dey wanna watch Christmas TV. Turkeys have brains and turkeys feel pain. In many ways like yu an me. I once knew a turkey called…. Turkey. He said “Benji explain to me please. Who put de turkey in Christmas an what happens to Christmas trees? I said “I’m not too sure turkey but its nothing to do with Christ Mass. Humans get greedy and waste more dan need be. An business men mek lodsa cash. Be nice to yu turkey dis Christmas. Invite dem indoors fe sum greens. Let dem eat cake an let dem partake in a plate of organic grown beans. Be nice to yu turkey dis Christmas an spare dem de cut of de knife. Join Turkeys United an dey’ll be delighted, an yu will mek new friends FOR LIFE.
Benjamin Zephaniah RIP