Category Archives: Uncategorized

Dear friends  What extraordinary times we have lived through these past few months, unlike anything else we have witnessed in our lifetime. Covid-19 brought the day to day life of our country to a standstill. Our streets became silent and our roads virtually empty. Quite rightly, we were instructed to remain indoors. But an armyContinue reading “Mass for the Sick and their Families, NHS Front-Line Workers and those working in Social Care – 2 July 2020”

Dear friends  On the Feast of St Peter and St Paul last year I was in St Peter’s Basilica in Rome to receive the pallium which I wear today. Having been appointed the new Archbishop of Southwark only a couple of weeks earlier, I thought the pallium might be given in the future. But no.Continue reading “Ss Peter & Paul (A) 28 June 2020”

Dear friends  When I was a young boy, I learned a prayer which I still recite today. If you ever attend a meeting which I chair, you’re likely to hear it. Some of you will know it. It goes like this: Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whomContinue reading “12th Sunday (A) 21 June 2020”

A Message from your Bishops to the Young People in Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of Southwark Dear Young Friends The events surrounding the death of Mr George Floyd have caused outrage and anger, not only in the United States, but also in cities across the world, including London. Mr Floyd was an African AmericanContinue reading “No Place for Racism, 17 June 2020”

Dear friends, so much has been on our minds and in our hearts these past few months – uncertainties and fears, as well as hopes and dreams. We’ve witnessed a worldwide pandemic that has affected every household and, more recently, we’ve seen the tragedy of violence on our streets. There’s a longing for some kindContinue reading “The Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ (A) 14 June 2020”

‘Give the Lord glory and power, give the Lord the glory of His name. Adore the Lord in His holy court.’(Ps 29) Dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ The Covid-19 pandemic has changed our world, our country, and, in different ways, each of our lives. For some this has been devastating, with loss ofContinue reading “Pastoral Letter Concerning the Reopening of Catholic Churches for Individual Prayer, 11 June 2020”

Dear friends, biographers might recount stories that sound more legendary than factual, but the life of your patron, St Columba, was both daring and heroic. One account describes him meeting a sea creature in the River Ness, the first recorded mention of the Loch Ness Monster. Columba is said to have saved a swimmer fromContinue reading “Mass for the Knights of St Columba, 9 June 2020”

Dear friends, during these months of lockdown, we’ve become much more aware of the importance of our relationships with other people. Even before the pandemic, our interpersonal contact existed on difference levels and in different ways. But, since lockdown, we’ve discovered new ways to keep in touch. WhatsApp, FaceTime, Skype, Zoom, to name just aContinue reading “The Most Holy Trinity (A), 7 June 2020”

Dear friends, I read recently about some missionaries who were sent to the vast Yukon Territory in Canada. They soon realised they needed a translation of the bible in the native language of the Inuit peoples. But they encountered a problem. Remarkably, the local language had no word for ‘joy’ as we do in English.Continue reading “Pentecost (A) 31 May 2020”

Dear friends, I’ve long been a fan of the poet Francis Thompson. His life was far from straightforward, and for many years he slept rough by the banks of the river Thames, addicted to opium. Yet, Francis was a man of faith. His epic poem ‘The Hound of Heaven,’ describes God’s endless searching love forContinue reading “Easter 7A, 24 May 2020”