Address given at the reception for the Patrons and Friends of the Sick and Retired Priests in Westminster Cathedral Hall on Thursday 8th June, 2023.
Brothers and sisters, ladies and gentlemen, I have here seven pages. But I’m not going to take much notice of them, because I would much rather speak to you from the heart. First of all, thank you so much.
Just look around the room. When I walked in, I thought ‘this is a bingo hall’, but it's much, much more precious. This is the treasure of the Church: You. And I just want to thank you so much for your love of the Church, your love of your priests, and your practical expression of this love in your generosity. So let's have a big round of applause for the Patrons and Friends of the Sick and Retired Priests.
Now, some of you will have been here last year, and that was our first meeting after the closures and lockdown. You might have been reminded that, on this evening last year, I tested positive for COVID. I spoke from the distance of the stage and said ‘don't come near me, don't come near me.’ But that's not necessary this evening and thank God that's behind us.
I really would like to thank everybody who worked hard to get our parish communities through those difficult times. What we're seeing at the moment, is in some places a slow return, in some places a full return, and in some places, parishes where new people have come in, and especially families with their children.
It just strikes me that during that pandemic and the lockdown, we discovered again how much we need each other, and how much we need our companionship before the Lord, of being the community of the church. A good friend of mine who lives in Liverpool said to me ‘I've started going to church again’. I said ‘why?’ She said, ‘Because I learned I need to, not because I must, not because of a sense of duty. I've learned that I need to.’
I think, with God's grace that's one of the things that we might have been given through the distress, the dismay of that period of the pandemic.
I would like to thank you and many people in our parishes, especially forgotten people like parish secretaries and people who just keep the show on the road when it is difficult. And of course, our priests who struggled with being alone as much as anybody else too. Here's a quote from Pope Francis:
We can enter into the joyful and superabundant mystery of giving back with gratitude, and we show our thanks to God by turning towards our brothers and sisters who are in need, who require our help so that they regain their dignity as sons and daughters redeemed “not with perishable things, but with the precious body and blood of our Lord”. (1 Peter 1:18-19)
So, these have been a really interesting and difficult couple of years. But here we are, refreshed, encouraged by good weather, and able to express again our sense of solidarity, of being together, which, as I said in the cathedral, is very much why I want us to be dedicated to Mary, Mother of the Church, Mother of us as a great group of people who maybe don't have much in common otherwise. It’s not just that we have individually a Mother in our Blessed Lady, but she's got us all under her mantle as the Church. And so much, so much love that expresses itself in very, very practical ways. You are a living charity, and charity is the deepest nature of God. So, in your living charity, you may agree, is the great mystery of God in our lives, in the world today.
Now, there's a roll call of names behind me on the screen. I asked, ‘couldn’t we replace it with a series of football scores?’, but they told me no. These are important names. These are the names of some of our sick and retired priests. And please keep them in your prayers, please keep them within the embrace of your charity. Some of them are here in person, so let's have a little roll call. And these are men who have given their lives and their health to the service of the Lord in the ministry of the Church.
The Patrons programme started 16 years ago and 700 people enrolled in it. It's now grown to over 2,000 people. Thank God they didn’t all come this evening! 2,000 people: Dedicated supporters who provide regular financial support for these priests of the diocese. And this is a great growth and, I think, a character of the diocese. It's the character of the Church that we're ready to care for each other. And you help me to take seriously my obligations to provide for it, for my retired clergy and for those who are no longer able to sustain themselves.
On Saturday in the Cathedral, there's the ordination of new deacons, two of whom are for the diocese. And, later in the month, we have the ordination of new priests. Five of whom will be ordained for this diocese. We've got a great future ahead of us, not without its difficulties. But with these men, as the foundation on which we build, we shall do so with great confidence.
Thank you again for attending this evening's event. Thank you for your support and prayers and thanks to our older priests for the witness that they continue to give. Thank you all very much indeed.
✠ Cardinal Vincent Nichols
Archbishop of Westminster