On 15th November, clergy from the diocese gathered at Westminster Cathedral to celebrate a Requiem Mass for deceased clergy. Bishop John Sherrington was the principal celebrant, along with Bishops Nicholas Hudson, Paul McAleenan and John Wilson, the Chapter of Canons, and priests, both in active ministry and retired.
In his homily, Bishop John thanked God for the clergy being remembered and the gifts they had brought to the life of the diocese, saying that the ‘fruit of the seeds they sowed are known only to God’.
He also acknowledged the effect they had on their brother clergy: ‘our lives are marked by them…their witness as priests’.
Bishop John went on to say that it is the ‘hope of the resurrection that carries us all through the day’, even though times like these remind us of our fragility. He explained that this hope is especially important in these troubled times for the Church.
‘Only God can transform our lives into what he needs us to be’ ' he added. But to do this, we should be like Martha (John 17-37), accepting of Christ and our faith; only then can we ‘receive the gift of peace’.
The names of clergy who have died in the past year were read out during the Mass.
