From Greg Hurst in THE TIMES, 2 September 2019 Living rough is inherently dangerous. People who sleep on the streets are physically vulnerable. They are also at the mercy of the elements and often lack easy access to healthcare: rough sleepers are much more likely to die of treatable conditions such as lung and heart…
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Homily for St Mary’s Cathedral 175th Anniversary Mass
Text of the homily given by Fr Michael Campion at St Mary's Cathedral, Newcastle on Monday 30 September 2019 When Newcastle’s first census was taken in 1801, the town had a population of just 28,000 people. Fifty years later, a few years after this church was built, it had trebled; and by the end of…
Bishops call for respect on all sides amid Brexit debate
The bishops of the Church of England have issued a call for respect on all sides amid growing acrimony over the debate on Britain’s withdrawal from the EU. A joint statement issued on behalf of the Church of England’s College of Bishops calls for a new tone of listening and respect in debates and describes…
Can atheists not get their head around the notion that God is the reason why there are teapots?
From Melanie McDonagh in THE TABLET, 19 September 2019 Our old friend, Richard Dawkins, is back in business, with a book called Outgrowing God, and at the age of 78, you can only salute his energy. It is intended, he says, especially to guard the young against the dangerous influence of religion. Lots of the…
The great thing about a death in Ireland is that people know what to do, how to behave
From Melanie McDonagh in THE TABLET, 5 September 2019 My mother died last night, a little before midnight. I am sitting beside her body. Last night I slept in the chair next to her. She died, to my annoyance, just as I was making tea in the kitchen, after she had been turned in her…
Homily, 23RD Sunday C 2019
According to the United Nations, up to 40 million people are currently caught up in the modern slave trade industry. It is a multibillion-dollar industry with estimates of up to $35 billion generated annually. Despite being illegal in every nation, slavery still exists in several modern forms – the most common ones being forced labour…
Grace, then and now
By Joh Perito in The National Catholic Reporter, 6 September 2019: When I was growing up in the 1930s and '40s, I received a very orthodox Catholic education. One of the most important teachings was that of sanctifying grace. Grace was that marvelous dwelling of God in our souls, often designated as the Holy Spirit.…
Listen to your uncle, for crying out loud
From the always amusing Garrison Keillor Each life is a work of art but these days I live a very small life, more an etching than a mural. My friends are thinking large thoughts about the EU and Hong Kong and the future of American democracy, and I am thinking about these organic blueberries I…
Boris Johnson and Dominic Cummings believe their plan can still work
From Jenni Russell in THE TIMES, 5 September 2019 The country is being played on a grand scale by the men in Downing Street. Nothing is as it seems. Boris Johnson wanted and intended to lose his historic vote. The headlines declaring he has lost control are only half right. Johnson and his chief strategist, Dominic Cummings, deliberately…
Homily, 22nd Sunday (C) 2019
Most of us here at Mass today will return to homes that have a fridge. There we store perishable foods – meat products, ready-to-eat salads etc - that if not stored at 5C or lower will quickly go off. Now in Jesus’ time and climate in Palestine there was no refrigeration, let alone refrigeration. So…
Sunday Mass: Saturday 4pm, Sunday 10am 