Fr. Matthew Cashmore was licences by Bishop Jonathan Fulham on the 22nd July 2020. It was a joyous occasion despite COVID-19 restrictions. A copy of the live stream is available for you to watch below, you can also download the Order of Service to follow along.
Author: Fr. Matthew
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News for Sunday 28th June 2020: The Feast of Saint Peter and Saint Paul.
It may be a while ago now … but can you remember Easter morning? We had not long been in “lockdown” and we had struggled through the most bizarre of Holy Weeks, unable to attend the Triduum and trying to put the bravest of faces on our Joy of The Ressurection. Can you remember the account from John’s Gospel as Simon Peter runs to the tomb to discover the linen cloths and Our Lord “missing”; and Mary weeping in the garden as Jesus approaches her and says her name? Jesus calls each of us by our name as we rejoice at the opportunity to re-enter our church building and celebrate the Joy of The Ressurection on Sunday 5th July (and hopefully, for every day thereafter!)
We have waited a long time, but the time is drawing nearer when we will be able to celebrate Mass together. It won’t be anything like “normal” – as we will have to maintain strict social distancing, hygiene, refrain from singing, no physical sign of peace and we WILL be restricted on the numbers of people we can safely accommodate … but there is light at the end of a very long tunnel. Perhaps we will just re-kindle some of that Easter Joy! Alleluia!
Saint Peter was, as we know from Matthew’s Gospel, the disciple of whom Jesus said: “You are Peter and on this rock I will build my church.” So this Sunday we celebrate Saint Peter and Saint Paul, whose travels as a missionary, prolific letter writer and preacher following his conversion to Christianity places him very close to the foundations of our faith. Let us give thanks for these two great apostles, and hope that we can merely strive to follow their examples of sharing the Joy and the Good News of The Ressurection.
Margaret Davies has brought the following YouTube webinar to our attention, which was part of the recent Refugee Week.David Griffiths (St. Mary’s)
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News for Sunday 21st June
“Do not be afraid!” We haven’t heard these words very often during this recent pandemic. It’s been “Stay Alert” , “Don’t put others at risk” or “Save Lives”. Yet this Sunday’s Gospel from Saint Matthew begins:
Jesus instructed the Twelve as follows: “Do not be afraid.”
How reassuring the words of Jesus are – and we know that he is with us still, present in the Blessed Sacrament, but always with his loving hand upon our shoulder, whispering the words “Do not be afraid”. There is little doubt that many people will have been afraid at different times over the past few months. Perhaps when a close friend or relative has been taken unwell or in hospital, or for our national or global situation generally, with the constant threat of Covid-19 and its indescriminate character. Yet, whatever the severity and nature of our fears, Our Lord and Saviour stands alongside us and helps us through each moment when we may be at our lowest ebb. Do not be afraid!
Father Edward writes:
Beloved Friends, this is a difficult time as we say farewell to a priest who in a short time, has become so special to so many of us. With Catherine and Edmund, the Cashmore family soon became the St. Mary’s Family – and brought many gifts to us all. The gift of priestly care, friendship, consideration. The gifts of technical skill so that for the first time in years we have a proper sound system and the web-casting in harmony with it.
More than all of that each of you will have a special thanksgiving, memory and joy from this Ministry. As we say farewell, we look forward to a proper party after lockdown ends; and we also assure this little family of our gratitude, love and prayers for this new chapter in their lives and in Father Matthew’s ministry as a priest. THANK YOU!This Sunday is Father Matthew’s last Sunday as Assistant Curate at St. Mary’s and there will be a short presentation to him immediately after the 10.30am Mass. Tune in on Sunday morning via the web-cam to join in with the celebration of the Mass and to give thanks for all our blessings. Stay safe and well – and Do Not Be Afraid!
David Griffiths (St. Mary’s) -
News for Corpus Christi
This Sunday’s celebration of The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ is more commonly referred to as Corpus Christi (or to give it the full title Corpus et Sanguis Christi). It is the day on which we can give thanks for the gift of The Eucharist – the commemoration of The Last Supper, when Jesus broke bread and shared wine with his disciples. As Matthew’s Gospel recounts: “Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread , and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, ‘Take, eat; this is my body.’ And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them , saying, ‘Drink of it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” These are the Words of Institution (or Words of Consecration) that the priest says during the Mass; repeating the same words that Jesus used at The Last Supper. Perhaps, one may argue, that we don’t need to keep the Feast of Corpus Christi, since we remember this special gift every time we come to Mass! But it it such a special gift, that we can never say “thank you” enough. So having a special date on which to do it seems like a very good idea. As John’s Gospel reminds us on Sunday:
“Jesus replied: … For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me and I live in him.”
You may have heard on the news and in the media that there are some changes due to take place regarding access to churches. From Monday 15th June, it will be possible to St. Mary’s, Kenton, FOR INDIVIDUAL / PRIVATE PRAYER ONLY. St. Anselm will remain closed for the moment.
This is not a return to anything like “normal” and there will not be opportunites to join in collective worship. St Mary’s will be open at SET TIMES. These will be published on the web-site.
It is a START and we should give thanks for this small concession and pray for a gradual increase in access, until we can once again join together and celebrate the gift of The Eucharist as one body in Christ.
As a special treat for Corpus Christi, there will be Evening Prayer, Benediction and Te Deum at 4.00pm on Sunday afternoon. Please come and join us online.
David Griffiths (St. Mary’s) -
A letter from Fr. Alex Garner
Letter to S. Anselm’s, Hayes – 2nd June 2020
To all at S. Anselm’s,
I’m very grateful for Fr Cashmore’s invitation to write to you all. It’s difficult to believe that it has been over three months since my last visit! We have all, obviously, been living through unprecedented times since then; and I hope and pray that whatever joys and sorrows these last few months may have brought, they have not broken your spirit as individuals or as a church. ‘God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble’ (Psalm 46).
We’ve all been adjusting to new ways of living over the last two months. Sadly, much of my weekly round of school and care home visits has necessarily been suspended. This has been hard – it is during times of trial that one most wants to be present with a community, and when the Presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament is perhaps most valued by those who encounter It.
Nevertheless, a quieter diary has allowed more time to pray. I’ve never been a very good ‘pray-er’, which is one reason I value the daily Office and Mass so highly, for giving me the opportunity (and, as a priest, the obligation!) to turn to God several times each day, and offer the prayer of the Church on behalf of my parishioners. Being able to offer Mass on behalf of our communities, institutions, and individuals – living and departed – and receiving the Body and Blood of Christ regularly is such a privilege, especially at this time when so many Christians are denied It. I’m sure you are longing for that day when you can join together to celebrate the Eucharist again at S. Anselm’s – God willing, not too long now!
Another positive outcome of lockdown has been the time spent with Roisin and Oliver. It’s sobering to think that Oliver has been locked down for half of his life, and spent two months interacting exclusively with his mum and dad. Thank God for video calling, which has at least allowed his grandparents to see him regularly, even if this is nowhere near the same as holding and cuddling him, which I know they are longing to do again – they’ll be surprised how heavy he is! This time has not been without its challenges – Oliver is not a good sleeper, and I have had frequent resort to the prayers of our Lady and S. Joseph for patience and strength at around 3am many nights! After all, they know exactly what raising a new-born is like, and their prayers have definitely been effective.
Raising a baby makes the Incarnation all the more incredible and mind-bending. That God the Son, Jesus, by Whom all things were created (Colossians 1:16) became human as a real-life baby, utterly dependent and totally vulnerable, is amazing. Fully human, like Oliver, He too needed to learn how to eat, sleep and interact with the world. S. Paul writes poetically of the Son’s humility in Philippians 2 (look it up!), one of my favourite passages of Scripture. That God should stoop so low, becoming one of us in order to raise us up to be one with Him, is an amazing thing to consider. When I look at Oliver, as I am now, gurgling and playing, and imagine Jesus to have done the same, I am filled with gratitude, love, and awe.
I am very much looking forward to my next visit to S. Anselm’s, whether it’s for Fr Matthew’s licensing in July, or whenever. I have always enjoyed and looked forward to my visits, and I have been very grateful for your prayers and generosity since getting to know you over the last year. I will continue to keep you all in my prayers regularly, as you prepare for a new stage in your mission to the people of Hayes.
With love and best wishes,
Fr Alex, Roisin & Oliver
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News for Trinity Sunday 7th June
Why do we (and many others) spend so much time trying to understand the mystery of The Holy Trinity? God in three persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Do we spend as much time contemplating the mystery of The Incarnation, or The Transfiguration or Our Lady’s Assumption? They are all mysteries of our faith and we accept them wholeheartedly. As the Archangel Gabriel explained to Mary at The Annunciation:
“For with God nothing will be impossible.”
So we profess our belief in The Most Holy Trinity every time we say the Creed:
“I believe in one God, the Father almighty…”
LUKE 1:37
“I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ …”
“I believe in the Holy Spirit….”and in the belief and understanding that nothing is impossible for God! So instead of trying to explain it, or understand it, let us just use this Sunday to give thanks for God in the three persons of The Most Holy Trinity and for the merciful love which he shows to each one of us.
Just as we are getting used to different ways of coping with this pandemic, changes are afoot! We are being obliged to wear masks on public transport and there are signs of more shops and shopping centres opening their doors from Monday. Some children have returned to school – with all manner of social distancing measures in place … but no signs yet of a return for worshipping communities. The House of Bishops met on Monday to discuss issues related to the phased re-opening of churches and it could be a long time before we are back to anything that we would perceive as “normal”, particularly with regard to singing of hymns etc. (as there is evidently greater chance of spreading any potential infection). Meanwhile, we must prepare to say goodbye to Father Matthew, as he in turn gets ready for his move to St. Anselm’s, Hayes later this month. We have been in “lockdown” for the best part of 10 weeks and it is very frustrating and we have had to draw on our faith and inner strength. Imagine how much more of a challenge it has been for ACAT (Harrow)’s Prayer Case of the Month, Aklilu Desbele, who has been imprisoned in Eritrea for 12 years for sharing his Christian faith. Please pray for him, as you feel led.
Most of all, keep safe and well and let us pray that it won’t be long until we can all meet together again. At the end of some of our gatherings, we often say “The Grace” together which comes from Sunday’s Second Reading in St. Paul’s Letter to The Corinthians: “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all, evermore. Amen.”
David Griffiths (St. Mary’s) -
News & Pew Sheet for Sunday 31st May
Thank goodness there was no coronavirus pandemic on that first day of Pentecost some 2000 years ago. The disciples would have only been able to meet in groups of six, and they certainly wouldn’t have been able to gather in the upper room! This weekend we celebrate “the birthday of the church” and it has been customary at St Mary’s for several years that we all wear something RED to re-create that symbol of tongues of fire appearing on the heads of the disciples as the Holy Spirit was sent to them.
From the Acts of the Apostles we read:
When Pentecost day came round, the apostles had all met in one room, when suddenly they heard what sounded like a powerful wind from heaven, the noise of which filled the entire house in which they were sitting; and something appeared to them that seemed like tongues of fire; these separated and came to rest on the head of each of them. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak foreign languages as the Spirit gave them the gift of speech.
We won’t be able to gather in church in a “Mass” of red clothing, but we can still wear our red garments at home and join together by watching the Mass from St Mary’s at 10.30am on Pentecost Sunday.
Father Edward writes:
We call upon the Holy Spirit to come and renew us, refresh us, and transform us – even in “lockdown”!! The Spirit hovered over the Earth at Creation, hovered over Our Blessed Lady as she said her “Fiat”, her “Yes” to God. After the Ascension Jesus promises the gift of the Spirit, and so the Spirit descends on the disciples, the Apostolic College, on Our Blessed Lady and others gathered in that room. Immediately the work of the Church begins and people began to hear the Good News of Jesus. And led by that Spirit, that work has continued to our day – and will go on until the Lord returns.
These are very strange times and it is easy to feel “alone” – even if we have family around us and are in touch with family and friends on the telephone, social media or online video messaging. Amongst all the loneliness and the “doom and gloom” there is the reassurance and comfort of the Holy Spirit who was sent by God to be with us. Let us rejoice at this time of Pentecost and pray for an end to the pandemic; that we may soon be able to come together in fellowship, just as the disciples did all those many years ago.
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful people and kindle in them the fire of your love. Amen.
David Griffiths
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Letter from Fr. Kevin Smith
Walsingham
26th May 2020Dear people of St. Anselm’s,
Fr. Kevin Smith, Priest Administrator, Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham I am delighted to have this opportunity to write to you at Fr Matthew’s invitation, and to send you greetings from the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham.
At this time of the year the Shrine would usually be a very busy place with groups of pilgrims, visitors and tourists enjoying the spiritual and physical beauty of this holy place. The Shrine Shop would be filled with people wanting to purchase a souvenir, a book, a statue, a rosary or perhaps even some Norfolk Lavender Talc! Norton’s Café in the Shrine Grounds would be buzzing with those enjoying a coffee and a Nelson’s Slice (one of our speciality cakes), or perhaps a bottle of our recently launched Pilgrim Pale Ale. Most importantly, the Shrine Church would be open for all to enter for prayer and worship, to light a candle or to be sprinkled with water from the Well, following in the footsteps of countless pilgrims down the ages.
However, due to the coronavirus pandemic the gates and doors of the Shrine have been firmly and very sadly closed. The stillness and silence both in the Shrine and in the village has been strange and at times eerie. This was particularly so yesterday (Monday 25th May) which would have been the day of the annual National Pilgrimage. The cancellation of the National was a huge disappointment to the thousands who love to attend. For once the weather was absolutely perfect which somehow made the fact that it wasn’t happening all the more difficult to comprehend.
Everyone in the country has been affected in some way by Covid-19 and the restrictions accompanying it, many in very serious and tragic ways.
The situation has been the focus of prayer for millions of Christians who, though unable to worship in their churches, have been faithfully offering their prayers at home.
Here at the Shrine too, the work of prayer has continued. A Mass has been offered daily and every evening at 6pm Shrine Prayers has taken place in the Holy House. This has been particularly significant as Shrine Prayers have been offered daily without interruption since they were introduced by Fr Hope Patten , the restorer of the Shrine, in 1922. Throughout every war, every crisis, every major political and historical moment in our nation, this chain of prayer has remained unbroken. An additional blessing in recent months has been the ability for us to live-stream Shrine Prayers. This has enabled pilgrims all over the world to see on the screens of their devices the much-venerated Image of Our Lady of Walsingham in the Holy House and to join in the prayers with myself or Fr Andreas, the Shrine Priest, leading them.
History was made yesterday as the National Pilgrimage Mass was also live-streamed from the Shrine Church. The latest viewing figures suggest that over 10,000 pilgrims joined in the celebration.
None of these benefits, though, can ever substitute being physically present in England’s Nazareth. The closure of churches and places of pilgrimages has been a bereavement experience for millions of Christians, an experience shared by those of other faiths around the world. It has touched on the very real need we have for places that are set apart for worship and prayer, for holy ground, for sacred space. Our church buildings are visible signs of our faith and of our belief in the mystery of the incarnation. “The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). Shrines and places of holiness powerfully remind us of the purpose of life and the destination of our earthly pilgrimage. Our churches remind us and our communities of the presence of God who dwells among us, and who has let his glory be seen in the face of Jesus Christ, born of Mary.
The Latin motto of the Shrine is “Domus Dei. Porta Coeli” which translated means House of God, Gate of Heaven. It is a motto which expresses in very few words how places like Walsingham touch the hearts of so many. They are words which can also apply to our own more local places of pilgrimages, not least our parish churches, houses of God set apart in our communities for his glory and praise and to inspire us to serve him more faithfully in our daily lives.
It is interesting to learn from Fr Matthew that Walsingham has a special place in the memory of St Anselm’s. I’m told you have a number of statues of Our Lady of Walsingham and many stories of great pilgrimages in the past. You also have in Fr Matthew a priest who is himself a regular pilgrim and so I very much look forward to welcoming St Anselm’s to Walsingham on many more pilgrimages in the future.
It is a unique and special place, a real gift to us all, and you can be sure of a warm welcome from all who have the great privilege of working at the Shrine.
May God bless you in your witness to the Gospel, in your lives of faith and prayer, and may Our Lady of Walsingham pray for you.
Fr Kevin Smith
Priest Administrator
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Virtual Walsingham National
This year I was planning on taking a coach to the National Pilgrimage at Walsingham. Sadly, that plan has had to be put on hold as we pray for the end of this virus and the impact it is having on our lives. However, the amazing people at Walsingham were not going to let the bank holiday pass without offering us an opportunity to pray together – albeit in a slight different way.
From the Walsingham Shrine website:
The National is always a great day of celebration at the Shrine and this year’s National Pilgrimage at Home will be no exception. While we are unable to come together and celebrate in person on 25 May, we have moved into digital realms and will be streaming Sung Mass live from the Shrine Church. The National Pilgrimage homily by The Revd Tim Pike, CMP will follow as a special broadcast. We warmly invite you to join us to celebrate this special day from your homes.
During the day services will be streamed live from Walsingham for us all to enjoy. The timetable looks like this:
- 11.45am – Live stream starts
- 11.55am – Fr Kevin Smith, Priest Administrator, greets pilgrims from the Holy House (live)
- 12 noon – Sung Mass starts in the Nave (live). The theme for the season is Mary, Queen of All Creation.
- 12.50pm – Homily by The Revd Tim Pike, CMP
- 6pm – Shrine Prayers live from the Holy House (live)
I’ll be posting reminders throughout the day on the WhatsApp Group – if you’re not a member of that sign up now.
Do try to join in with the virtual pilgrimage. Create a little space in your day to call on Our Mother to help us find Her Son.
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News for Sunday 24th May
TODAY (Thursday 21st May) is ASCENSION DAY (or more formally, The Ascension of The Lord). Forty Days after Easter, Our Lord is taken up to Heaven, but he makes a promise to his disciples: I will send an Advocate to be with you – and as we know, just a short while afterwards, the Holy Spirit comes to be with them, and us, for all time. Mass for Ascension Day is celebrated at 10.00am this morning.
For the past few years, the period between Ascension Day and Pentecost (Sunday 31st May) has been a time of prayer. The Church has used the theme “Thy Kingdom Come”, which quite aptly reinforces Jesus’ promise to his disciples. There are several different resources that can be found on an internet search, but the most important aspect is prayer. When “Thy Kingdom Come” was initiated, there were some key objectives:During the 11 days of Thy Kingdom Come, it is hoped that everyone who takes part will:
- Deepen their own relationship with Jesus Christ
- Pray for 5 friends or family to come to faith in Jesus
- Pray for the empowerment of the Spirit that we would be effective in our witness
We may not be able to get to church during this period of “lockdown”, but if there is one thing that we do have is some additional time, time to pray. So please spend the next 11 days with particular focus on prayer – and of course, at this time, we can add an additional prayer focus for those with Coronavirus, for those key workers who are helping us all through the pandemic, for those who have died and for those who have been bereaved.
With so much going on, this Sunday – the Seventh Sunday of Easter – prepares us for the great gift of Pentecost which will soon be with us. However, it is appropriate that the Gospel reading also focuses on the importance and power of prayer, as Jesus himself raises his eyes to heaven and prays.
Stay safe and well.
David Griffiths.
(St. Mary’s)