'Fresh wind in our sails'
‘Fresh Wind in Our Sails’ is the inspirational theme for an event which takes place
on Sunday September 18th or Home Mission Sunday as it is celebrated in
Catholic Churches around England and Wales. Mid September is also the first anniversary
of Pope Benedict’s pastoral visit to the United Kingdom so Catholics there are being
invited to share their favourite memories, in the hope that they can rekindle the
same spirit of enthusiasm which followed the Pope’s historic journey. The title ‘Fresh
Wind in our sails’ echoes the words that the Holy Father himself is reported to have
said at the end of his successful four day visit to Edinburgh, Glasgow, London and
Birmingham. The anniversary of the visit will be celebrated from September 16th to 18th beginning with the re-establishment of the practise of Friday Penance on Friday 16th. On Sunday 18th there will be a national Mass of thanksgiving and collections in local parishes to support the work of evangelisation in England and Wales.
The Home Mission Sunday initiative is being launched in the summer to allow people plenty of time to prepare well ahead. If you have an inspirational story about the effects that papal visit had on you or someone you know, you’re asked to email it to the Home Mission Desk of the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales.
The bishop in charge of Mission in England and Wales is Kieran Conry, head of the diocese of Arundel and Brighton and chair of the department for Evangelisation and Catechesis. As this initiative was announced, he released a video urging Catholics to share their memories of the papal visit one year on, just as they undoubtedly shared photographs with friends and family at the time ….
Listen to Philippa Hitchen's report :
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