by Mark Pattison, Catholic News Service in The National Catholic Reporter, 8 August 2019 WASHINGTON — A new study about the level of Catholic belief in the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist showed that a majority of Catholics do not believe that the bread and wine used at Mass become the body and blood of Christ. The…
Author: Fr. Michael Campion
From the people and of the people
From the Editor, THE TABLET, 8 August 2019 The victims and survivors of child sexual abuse committed by Catholic clergy are almost invariably Catholics themselves, at least at the time of the offence. And others in the household of the faith are wounded too – parents or siblings who are disgusted and angry with the…
Someday you’ll understand what I’m telling you
From the always wonderfully entertaining Garrison Keillor My birthday is this week, which I mention by way of saying, “Please. No gifts.” My love and I went through major downsizing in January and we are pretty much done with Things now, even a picture of a wilderness lake taken by you or an inspirational book…
Homily, 18th Sunday of the Year C, 2019
When the poet W B Yeats died in France in 1939, he was buried, as he requested, in a temporary grave before being repatriated to Ireland. The outbreak of the Second World War meant that repatriation was delayed until 1948. His remains now lie in the cemetery of the Protestant Church in Drumcliffe, County Sligo…
Let the bishops take on Boris: or are they ‘clerical fossils’?
By Andrew Pierce in THE TABLET, 24 July 2019 One enduring public image of Theresa May’s premiership will be her faded smile for photographers as she arrived at St Mary’s church in her Maidenhead constituency. The vicar’s daughter has never made any secret of her Christian faith. “I am a practising member of the Church…
Homily, 16th Sunday of the Year (C) 2019
In last Sunday’s Gospel about the Good Samaritan, we had Jesus’ teaching about the need to be actively involved in responding to the needs of others, whatever their race, culture, gender or ethnicity. That story of the Samaritan traveller is found only in St Luke’s Gospel as, indeed, is the story that immediately follows it…
The priesthood is being crucified on the cross of celibacy
By Fr Peter Daly in The National Catholic Reporter, 15 July 2019 We cannot bring about real reform of the Roman Catholic priesthood unless we do away with mandatory celibacy for diocesan priests in the Latin rite. Why would that improve the priesthood? It would make priests more honest about ourselves and sexuality. With real…
Homily, 15th Sunday (C), 2019
The story of one of the most famous stories in the Bible – the Parable of the Good Samaritan – shocked its hearers when Jesus told it. Fully understood, it should do the same to us. The Parable arises from Jesus being confronted by a scholar of the Jewish Law. He asks how one attains…
Now let an open debate begin
From The Editor, THE TABLET, 11 July 2019 In an article in The Tablet last month, the former Bishop of Middlesbrough, John Crowley, asked for “free and open discussion throughout the Church at every level” regarding the ordination of women. This is apparently in flat contradiction to the directive given 25 years ago by Pope John Paul…
Desperate Times – Boycott SJP
The following NUFC fan group collective statement appeared on Tuesday. ; Dear supporters of Newcastle United Football Club, If you go to the match this season you are not in the wrong; Mike Ashley is. If you boycott televised games you are not in the wrong; Mike Ashley is. If you boycott the Arsenal game…
Sunday Mass: Saturday 4pm, Sunday 10am 