Shrewsbury: Bishop entrusts parish recovery to care of St Joseph

St Joseph

Source: Diocese of Shrewsbury

The Bishop of Shrewsbury has dedicated the recovery of the parishes and communities of the Diocese from the coronavirus pandemic to the care of St Joseph.

Bishop Mark Davies will also use his pastoral letter to express his deep gratitude to the Catholics of the Diocese for their Christian response during the crisis, including the care for the dying, the poor and the most isolated.

He will note that tens of thousands of people joined the Easter liturgies from their homes via live-streams from Shrewsbury Cathedral and parish churches, and will describe the efforts to reopen all of the churches of the Diocese in the summer as COVID-secure environments as "among the most remarkable achievements in the history of the Diocese".

Of the dedication of the clergy and numerous parish volunteers the Bishop will say: "Alongside key workers in our health and essential services, your generosity deserves to be long remembered."

Bishop Davies will announce his intentions in a pastoral letter to the people of the Diocese which will be read out at Mass in all churches and chapels over the weekend of Sunday September 27.

He will dedicate a "Year of Prayer" to St Joseph - the foster father of the child Jesus and patron of the Catholic Church (see notes) - to run from October until the Advent of 2021.

In his letter, Bishop Davies will say that he is conscious that times of trial and upheaval can lead people either "to deeper faith and commitment or tragically to fall away".

He holds up St Joseph as an example of a saint who "did all the Lord asked of him" through testing times, and as an encouragement and an inspiration for Catholics today to persevere amid the trials presented by COVID-19 as they strive to fulfil their religious duties and to protect the gift of their faith.

The Bishop will invite the Catholics of the Diocese to look to St Joseph "especially as a guide in the life of prayer, so we may be attentive to what the Lord asks of us".

Bishop Davies will say: "We have been warned to anticipate challenging months ahead and so will ask St Joseph's help to discern how best we can each respond to the challenges of our time. Pope Francis reminds us how St Joseph responded to his calling 'to be the protector of Mary, Jesus and the Church ... by being constantly attentive to God, open to the signs of God's presence and attentive to God's plans not simply his own'.

"In a similar way, says Pope Francis, we are invited to protect with love all that God has given us. This will be the happiest challenge of the year ahead, that will lead us to 'Go to Joseph' in order to ask his prayers and learn from his example.

"... In the Gospel, St Joseph would be entrusted with the care of Him who is the true Bread come down from Heaven and to guard the Holy Family on earth amid every danger. May St Joseph help us in testing times, to protect the gifts of faith and grace God has entrusted to us. In imitation of St Joseph's faithfulness, may we do what the Lord asks of us, above all, when we come together in the Mass to do what the Lord Jesus commanded us to do in His memory."

The pastoral letter of Bishop Davies follows:

On Testing Times and an Invitation to go to Saint Joseph

To be read at all Masses on Sunday 27th September 2020

My dear brothers and sisters,

As 2020 dawned, few of us could have imagined the testing times that lay ahead. Times unprecedented in the long story of this Diocese, when in response to public health measures the doors of our churches were closed. During those long weeks between March and June, we saw many initiatives to reach out to the most vulnerable and isolated: we did not forget the poor. i Amid many restrictions, priests devotedly ministered to the dying. We prayed for the souls of those who had died and for all who mourned the loss of loved ones. During those same months, many remained close to the Church in prayer, not least by the livestreaming of Masses. Some of our churches recorded the largest attendances in their history, albeit virtual attendances. At the Cathedral alone, tens of thousands would share via the internet in the celebration of Easter and Holy Week. Yet, we felt deeply, the loss of the public celebration of the Mass and being unable to fully participate in the Eucharist that is the living heart of our faith.

The long-awaited return came at the beginning of July, with the gradual re-opening of our churches dependent on each parish putting in place stringent, public safety measures. This was an enormous undertaking and must surely stand among the most remarkable achievements in the history of the Diocese. Today, I wish to record the gratitude of the whole Diocese for the work of clergy and parish volunteers together with diocesan officers that enabled us to return with joy to the Holy Eucharist. Alongside key workers in our health and essential services, your generosity deserves to be long remembered.

Times of trial and upheaval can lead people to deeper faith and commitment or tragically to fall away. Like the two sons described in the Gospel, our faith is proved not by sentiment, it is proved by what we do. This is the simple question Jesus asks at the end of Gospel: "Which did the father's will?". ii Faithfulness in carrying out our duties and protecting the gift of faith leads me to turn to the example of a man who, through testing times, did all the Lord asked of him. This man is Saint Joseph, to whom the Eternal Father entrusted the care of His only Begotten Son together with His Blessed Mother Mary through the most bitter trials of poverty and exile. To Saint Joseph the whole Church is now entrusted; and we look to him especially as a guide in the life of prayer, so we may be attentive to what the Lord asks of us.

Saint Teresa of Avila wrote, "If we cannot find a guide to teach us how to pray, let us take this glorious saint as a master and we will not go astray" . iii How much we need the prayer and example of Saint Joseph! Accordingly, it is to Saint Joseph that I want to entrust the recovery of all the communities of our Diocese from this testing time. Today, I wish to invite the whole Diocese to celebrate a year of prayer dedicated to Saint Joseph from October until the beginning of Advent next year.

The 1st October marks the beginning of the second decade of my service as Bishop of Shrewsbury. On 21st October we will be remembering the first anniversary of the death of Bishop Brian Noble who guided the Diocese through many challenges. We have been warned to anticipate challenging months ahead and so will ask Saint Joseph's help to discern how best we can each respond to the challenges of our time. Pope Francis reminds us how Saint Joseph responded to his calling "to be the protector of Mary, Jesus and the Church ... by being constantly attentive to God, open to the signs of God's presence and attentive to God's plans not simply his own". iv In a similar way, says Pope Francis, we are invited to protect with love all that God has given us. This will be the happiest challenge of the year ahead, that will lead us to "Go to Joseph" v in order to ask his prayers and learn from his example.

The Joseph of the Old Testament, whose story is recounted in the Book of Genesis, helped his people in time of famine with the earthly grain that Pharaoh had entrusted to him. In the Gospel, Saint Joseph would be entrusted with the care of Him who is the true Bread come down from Heaven vi and to guard the Holy Family on earth amid every danger. May Saint Joseph help us in testing times, to protect the gifts of faith and grace God has entrusted to us. In imitation of Saint Joseph's faithfulness, may we do what the Lord asks of us, above all, when we come together in the Mass to do what the Lord Jesus commanded us to do in His memory. vii

Entrusting each of you to the prayers of Saint Joseph,

+ Mark

Bishop of Shrewsbury

i Cf. Gal. 2: 10
ii Mt. 21: 31
iii Book of Her Life, Chapter 6
iv Homily at the Mass for the Inauguration of his Pontificate 19th March 2013 v Gen:41:49
vi Cf.Jn.6:42
vii Cf. I Cor. 11:25

LINKS

Twitter: @ShrewsRCnews and @ShrewsCathedral
Diocesan website: www.dioceseofshrewsbury.org