Nowadays if we have valuables that need safe keeping, we can place them in a safe or lodge them in a strongbox somewhere; and if we have money to spare we can put it in a bank, building society or in an investment platform. In first century Palestine there were no such facilities so it…
Author: Fr. Michael Campion
It’s time to end male supremacy in the Catholic Church
By Roy Bourgeois in The National Catholic Reporter, 24 July 2020 In these challenging times, I am filled with hope to see so many people in our country speaking out about racism and white supremacy. It seems that an increased awareness of the need for equality is taking hold where before we saw apathy and…
The Vanity of White Guilt
From time to time I post articles of interest containing points of view with which I do not necessarily agree but which, I believe, deserve to be heard and robustly debated. (MJC) By Lionel Shriver in The Spectator, 9 July 2020 When I was about ten, on return home from church I ate a peach,…
Wearing a Mask is Pro-Life
By Fr James Martin S. J. in 'America' (The Jesuit Review), 21 July 2020 I am pro-life. What does that mean? Simply put, it means I believe that all life is sacred, inviolable and a gift from God. That reverence for life includes a desire to care for the unborn child in the womb, the elderly person…
The Re-Opening of Holy Name Church
The committee responsible for Health and Safety in our buildings met with the Parish Council Chair and me on Tuesday, 14 July to consider the possibility of re-opening our church. Here is their report of the meeting: The opening of the church, as you can imagine, is a very complex matter. The directions from the…
Homily, 16th Sunday of the Year (A) 2020
When I first began taking an interest in gardening, I had difficulty sometimes in distinguishing between what looked like a weed but turned out to be a flower, and vice versa. If you are an inexperienced gardener or have an untrained horticultural eye, you can get it badly wrong and rip out what would have…
Homily, 15th Sunday of the Year (A) 2020
Last week I was able to go walking in the beautiful Northumberland countryside. After spending over 100 days in isolation here in the city, albeit in leafy Jesmond, it was a delight to experience once more – but in a more heightened way this year - the world of nature in all its glory. In…
The Pandemic’s Invisible Victims
By Mary Wakefield in 'The Spectator', 4 July 2020 I sometimes pick up some food at Tesco for an 86-year-old pensioner who lives a few streets over. At the weekend, I brought him milk and cornflakes. He opened his front door; I put the bags down, retreated the required two metres, but when I looked…
Let’s be cautious about going back to church
Let's be cautious about going back to church By the Editorial Staff of The National Catholic Reporter (USA), 2 July 2020 An informal poll around NCR's virtual newsroom found that, as of the beginning of July, only a small number of our staffers had returned to in-person Mass. Perhaps we are a cautious bunch. Or,…
Homily, 14th Sunday of the Year (A) 2020
One of the significant legal changes to occur in the UK over the last thirty years has been the implementation of the Children Act that was passed by Parliament in 1989. It imposes duties on local authorities, courts, parents, and other agencies in the United Kingdom to ensure that children are safeguarded and their welfare…
