Stand up for marriage

A new campaign has been launched: the Coalition for Marriage. The aim is to stop the Government redefining marriage to include same-sex relationships.

A nationwide petition can be signed here : paper copies will be available after Mass.

Ash Wednesday

Today Pope Benedict spoke on the meaning of the ashes that we have placed on our foreheads (in some places they are sprinkled on the top of the head). They are a symbol not only of the curse of sin and therefore our own death, but also of the resurrection which comes afterwards. So even on the first day of Lent we are looking forward to Easter.

What makes us truly Christian?

Listen to this Radio 4 Link

Famous atheist Richard Dawkins was made to look slightly silly by Vicar Giles Fraser when he could not correctly name Charles Darwins' book. (Dawkins had said many people in the 2001 Census could not have been real Christians since they could not correctly name the first book of the New Testament).

Even given the fact that modern biblical scholars greatly dispute which is actually the first book of the New Testament  (Matthew or Mark), ours is ultimately not a Religion of the Book, as Pope Benedict stresses in Verbum Domini,  but a Religion of the Word, who is a living person - Jesus Christ.

Bishop's Visitation

Last weekend, Bishop Christopher made his three-yearly pastoral visit to the parish, preaching at all three masses and meeting parishioners.
 He also kindly brought the Bene Merenti medal for Mary Lloyd.

Mary moved into the parish 53 years ago from Lancaster to run a boys' home with her husband George (RIP 1993). She has been extraordinarily efficient and generous in her work for the parish, helping run the SVP and CWL, organising hall bookings, parish fetes, the repository, church cleaners, flower arrangers, readers and extraordinary ministers. She has run a club for the housebound; monthly whist drives; sings in the choir; organises the parish lottery; is a member of the social committee and visits the housebound. And she still plays table tennis every week...

She has also been the (unpaid) housekeeper to at least 6 parish priests here. 

Altar Servers and Laser Guns

On Saturday 18 from the youth group and altar servers once again visited Bombadingas (run by a parishioner and her husband) to blast each other with laser guns for a couple of hours. It is great fun. It is also important for adults to be present with laser guns too - only for reasons of supervision of course...

Early Cornish Spring

This camellia between the presbytery and the school - planted by George Lloyd over thirty years ago - is a good month ahead this year.  

Hannah Haynes rest in peace

It seems there were almost as many people outside as inside the packed church in Redruth yesterday. Hannah had such a part at the heart of our parish (and for so many years at our school). She died two days after Christmas aged 24. 

Her rare condition left her eventually unable to move apart from her eyes. But that did not stop her personality shining through. Her parents Mary and Geoff showed her total love and devotion 24/7 even amidst their own health difficulties. They have set up a fund for all donations - towards an item of specialist equipment as chosen by Hannah's paediatrician.

Praise God! Our School plan has been approved!

Today Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Education, has announced that he is putting St Michael's School in Truro  forward to the next stage for conversion into one of the nation's first 79 Free Schools. It will be the first Catholic Free School.

So many of you have been praying for this over the past 8 weeks. Your generous prayers have been answered. Cornwall will now, please God, have its very own Catholic State Secondary school.

Especial praise must go to the steering committee who have worked with ferocious and unstinting enthusiasm to put all the paperwork together.

Now the hard work will begin in a new way....
Here is the building in Camborne where we hope to take up residence. It was once the Girls' Grammar school.

More here from:
BBC Cornwall
BBC Radio Cornwall (One hour 8 minutes into the programme)
The Politics show (30 minutes into the programme)
St Michael's School website

Prayer for Iranian Christian threatened with death

A young parishioner, our new Redruth rep. for the charity Aid to the Church in Need, has asked that this story be posted on the blog.

This Christian Pastor,Yusuf Nadarkhani, is 35 and married with two children. His 'crime' is that he converted to Christianity at the age of 19. The death threat will be lifted if he renounces his faith which he has repeatedly refused to do.

Christians in the West are being asked to support his cause, especially through prayer.

Full details are here.

Mary's Meals

This year we are supporting a new charity for our autumn fast day on Friday.

'Mary's Meals' provides daily meals in school for over 500,000 children in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe. As you can see, it was set up by two scottish catholic brothers in 2002. 
"Mary’s Meals is named after Mary, the mother of Jesus, who brought up her child in poverty".