tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5247335427293981935.post4770246319556497349..comments2023-02-26T12:37:00.769+00:00Comments on St Ann's Parish Blog, Banstead: Another interesting article in the Catholic papers this week ...St Ann's Parishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07873653335217251032noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5247335427293981935.post-8517134495126415582008-09-06T21:59:00.000+01:002008-09-06T21:59:00.000+01:00Upon looking through recent blog comments, Laypers...Upon looking through recent blog comments, Layperson's really struck a chord with me. As my husband and myself have just returned from holiday, and after going to the local Church we were approached by a nice lady organising things and asked to take up the offertory, she had never seen us before! It was like a breath of fresh air to be welcomed in this way. Just the small things make all the difference and thanks for hi-lighting this because we do tend to get stuck in our ways. <BR/>MARY.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5247335427293981935.post-63493679522068241802008-09-01T13:14:00.000+01:002008-09-01T13:14:00.000+01:00O fine, religious, decent folkIn virtues flaunting...O fine, religious, decent folk<BR/>In virtues flaunting gold and scarlet,<BR/>I sneer between two puffs of<BR/>smoke,<BR/>Give me the publican and the<BR/>harlot.<BR/><BR/>Ye dainty spoken, stiff severe<BR/>Seed of the migrated philistian<BR/>One whispered question in your <BR/>ear -<BR/>Pray, what was Christ if you be<BR/>Christian?<BR/>If Christ were only here just now,<BR/>Among the city's wynds and gables<BR/>Teaching the life he taught us, how<BR/>Would he be welcome at your tables?<BR/><BR/>Robert Louis StevensonAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5247335427293981935.post-53216584749223344372008-09-01T11:07:00.000+01:002008-09-01T11:07:00.000+01:00The youth are the future for theChurch, all the mo...The youth are the future for the<BR/>Church, all the more reason to<BR/>address the problems within it,<BR/>to make it as inclusive and<BR/>welcoming as we can so that they <BR/>will continue to attend of their own volition. We can't bury our<BR/>heads in the sand, yes, we do <BR/>have a responsibility to Jesus<BR/>Christ to keep His Church "alive"<BR/>to make it a place where people<BR/>(not just the youth) 'want' to be.<BR/>The Bishop has made some extremely<BR/>valid comments and we have been<BR/>invited to enter into the debate.<BR/>I wouldn't call that dwelling!<BR/>And we shouldn't be in denial.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5247335427293981935.post-16759489475124811592008-08-31T16:43:00.000+01:002008-08-31T16:43:00.000+01:00I do not find it helpful to dwell on a declining c...I do not find it helpful to dwell on a declining church. This gives our lapsed youth 'justification' in their eyes for their actions, the safety in numbers theory. <BR/>We are all part of the Church - priests, laity, male, female and we all have a responsibility to spread the good news of Christ's real presence in the Eucharist and to pray for the future of the Church. The rest we have to leave in God's hands. That is my simplistic view.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5247335427293981935.post-78263956550802069732008-08-30T23:48:00.000+01:002008-08-30T23:48:00.000+01:00May I draw attention to theDecree on the Apostolat...May I draw attention to the<BR/>Decree on the Apostolate of<BR/>Lay People - APOSTOLICAM<BR/>ACTUOSITATEM. <BR/>In the Introduction, especially<BR/>under the sub heading THE<BR/>SPIRITUALITY OF LAY PEOPLE, it<BR/>is a good reminder to the Lay<BR/>Faithful.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5247335427293981935.post-9568353737525577542008-08-30T17:27:00.000+01:002008-08-30T17:27:00.000+01:00Thank you Fr Miceal for bringingto our attention B...Thank you Fr Miceal for bringing<BR/>to our attention Bishop Patrick<BR/>O'Donoghue's views on how he<BR/>feels the English Church has <BR/>lost its way. As I don't subscribe<BR/>I probably would have missed it and<BR/>as I have not had time to read all<BR/>the contents as mentioned at the<BR/>moment, I would like to make a comment from a purely simplistic<BR/>overview of how I see why the<BR/>Church would be in decline, on <BR/>just a couple of points. I think<BR/>most of us would agree that women<BR/>attend to the vast majority of the<BR/>day to day running of the church<BR/>and yet women are often viewed <BR/>upon with suspicion, especially if they attend on their own, and I <BR/>have heard plenty of derogatory<BR/>comments to back this up, hope-<BR/>fully these comments are made by<BR/>the minority, but even so, insidious and damaging to the <BR/>Faith. And how easily we can <BR/>fall into an exclusive club<BR/>mentality, thus putting off<BR/>people who would like to become<BR/>more involved in even the most<BR/>simple of tasks, usually because<BR/>people of long standing in the<BR/>church have built up this invisible<BR/>wall around them. After all, as<BR/>baptised Catholics we are all <BR/>members of the Jesus Christ Club,<BR/>which leads to the one most<BR/>important problem I think we <BR/>have and that is communication.<BR/>These are the things that can<BR/>erode our confidence and yet if we <BR/>are in a position to encourage someone we should not be afraid of <BR/>rejection if they say "no thank<BR/>you", at least we have made an<BR/>effort and reached out to them.<BR/><BR/>As I say, a simplistic overview.<BR/>I will however be reading in more<BR/>detail the topics raised, especially Vatican II: Ignored.<BR/><BR/>Thank you for giving us a platform<BR/>to air our views.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com