Bishop David celebrated Mass with the Cathedral Chapter on Tuesday lunchtime in our Cathedral to remember and pray for the souls of deceased members of the clergy especially those who had died in the previous twelve months: Frs Patrick Bailey, Bernard Hughes, Edmund Worthy, Brian Leatherland, Ken Payne and Tony McDermott. The last two whose funeral Masses will take place later this month.
“Who we are is more important than what we do”, the Bishop Said “When we go to a priest’s funeral and listen to the homily it should not be an end of term report”. He encouraged the priests to keep struggling so that the Master will say at the end of their lives “Well done, good and faithful servant”.
The readings were chosen as they are the readings for the feast of St Cecilia, reflecting the need to keep “oil in the lamp” for the Lord and Bishop David warned against the temptation to become moaning old people “ half full of life” and always rejoice in the Lord as Cecilia did.