Bishop Bernard's Post Visitation (25/26th Oct 08) Letter

Dear Fr Christopher, Fr Nicholas, Fr Albert and Parishioners of Our Lady and St Joseph's,

I am writing to thank you for the way you welcomed me to the parish for the Pastoral Visitation on the weekend of 25/26th October 2008. I am especially grateful to Fr Christopher for making all the arrangements for the visitation and enabling me to meet so many parishioners over the weekend and for making me at home in the Presbytery.

I was very glad to have the opportunity to see something of your own life at home and to appreciate your priestly ministries within and beyond the parish. I was pleased to see how you reach into all parts of the parish, including and drawing people together into the unity of the parochial community. It was good to note the collaboration between yourselves and all the parishioners in building up parish life and carrying out your mission together. I also thank you for your support of Our Lady and St Joseph's School, Our Lady's Convent School and Cardinal Pole School in serving so many of the children and young people of your parish.

I am grateful to Sr Win and Fr Nicholas for taking me to visit some of the sick and housebound parishioners in their homes. It was also a good opportunity to see something of the local neighbourhood and to learn from some of the long-standing parishioners about the way parish life has developed over the years. I would like to record my gratitude to the Sisters and all those parishioners who regularly visit the sick and take them Holy Communion.

I noted among the great variety of groups their strong sense of belonging in the parish and an evident will to support the clergy in their ministry. I thank all those who came to meet me on Saturday afternoon and who enjoyed the delicious tea prepared by the Union of Catholic Mothers! It was good to hear the appreciate comments of so many parishioners about the clergy's care for the liturgy, preaching and concern to involve the young people in parish life. There is a very strong sense of communion among parishioners.

At the weekend Masses it was good to see the readers, the special ministers of the Eucharist and altar servers and the welcomers carrying out their tasks with care and reverence for the Scriptures, the Blessed Sacrament and the People of God. It was clear that people appreciate and make the fullest use of the church as a place of private devotion and that all the other parish facilities are well used.

I was greatly impressed by the young people of Our Lady and St Joseph's and I am grateful to the World Youth Day Pilgrims for waiting to meet me on Sunday morning. I was also impressed when meeting with the Young Catholics Group on Sunday evening after we had prayed Compline together. With both groups I was struck by their joyful faith and their enthusiasm to learn more, and I wish them well for their future meetings.

I make special mention of those whose work is behind the scenes and wish to thank them for what I witnessed - those who ensure that the church is clean, the regular flower-arrangers, those who make religious and devotional items available in the Repository, and the various Catechists - helping to build up a real sense of community among the parishioners - and all those involved in parish administration. Everyone I met expressed their commitment to the parish community and their will to work together for the progress of its mission.

I was particularly pleased to be able to visit Sr Anna and Sr Win of the Ursuline Sisters and Sr Una and Sr Sinead of the IBVM Sisters, who each made me very welcome in their homes. I want to acknowledge with gratitude the work of both communities and their witness as Religious Sisters within both parish and deanery.

Thank you all for your enthusiastic contribution to the life of the Church not only in your own parish but also in the Hackney Deanery, for your support of local and deanery initiatives and for your readiness to work together with neighbouring parishes for the building of God's Kingdom.

I was very pleased to visit Our Lady and St Joseph's School on 23rd October 2008 and to see the evident and strong link between the school and your parish. I wish to record my thanks to all those who volunteer their time and energy in support of the school and especially the School Governors.

If I seem to have overlooked anybody in these brief reflections on my Visitation I ask Fr Christopher to point out the omission and to pass on my apologies! Once again, accept my thanks for making the Visitation so instructive and enjoyable for me, and my prayers for the whole parish.