| Letter from Fr Mark McManus 23rd September |
| Dear Parishioners of St Joseph's & St Charles, |
Commemoration of the Dead, Saturday, 13 November The period of national mourning and the many funerary events that eventually led to the burial of Queen Elizabeth II were a reminder, should we have needed it, of the importance of the rites and rituals that surround the final farewell of our loved ones. Given the cascade of spectacle and events that unfolded, it is difficult now to contemplate just how very different things might easily have been. After all, if the Queen had died during one of those periods when we were required to observe restrictions because of the pandemic, then much of what took place simply could not have happened. It would seem certain that, at the very least, the many hundreds of thousands of people who gathered and queued, and who lined the routes and filed past the coffin, would have been deprived of that unique and very personal moment to say their own 'Goodbye.' Alas, this deprivation is precisely what so many experienced from March 2020 onwards as regulations restricted - at times severely - the presence of people at funerals. When only five people could attend then even only one family could not always come together and, for Catholics, the lack of access to a church and a requiem Mass was particularly distressing. Many were hurt and bewildered, feeling the burden of an understandable but unwarranted guilt that they had somehow failed to uphold the final wishes of their dearly departed loved one. In the five years up to 2019 St Joseph's averaged ten funerals a year. In the thirty months since March 2020 I have presided at fifty-four. There is a lot of grief to go round and, even now, the wounds have not yet healed for some. Although HM Government lifted all restrictions earlier this year it does not mean that people are now unaffected. Within the past few weeks, for example, attendances here at both a wedding and at a funeral have had to be cancelled due to a positive Covid test. The scale may be different but the problem remains. Of course it was not just individuals and families that were affected. The wider community suffered too. Our parish was forced to offer a muted farewell to more than one well-known and long-standing member of our community. As Catholics we have long understood the importance of prayer for the dead and the healing touch that only the Lord can bring. With this in mind, I would like to offer a Mass of Commemoration of the Dead for those who have died from March 2020 onwards and their bereaved families and friends. In order to help commemorate people, I invite you to bring a photograph (preferably framed) or some other personal memento that can be displayed during this Mass. This commemoration is for anyone, not just members of our parishes or other Catholics. Many people could not, for example, attend the funerals of dear friends, due to the limit on numbers or the restrictions surrounding travel, especially abroad. If you would like the name of someone who has died during this period to be added to this Mass then please e-mail or hand it to me or our deacon, Simon, in writing before then. Our country observes its Remembrance weekend in the middle of November, the month when we Catholics particularly pray for the dead, and so our Mass will take place on Saturday, 13 November, at 10.00am. All are welcome. Finally, here are this week's newsletter and intentions. Our Lady of Walsingham, pray for us. St Joseph, pray for us. St Charles Borromeo, pray for us. With my prayers, Rev. Mark McManus Parish Priest |