Joyful Anniversaries

I heard during my weekend in Helsinki about the recent centenary of the Act on the Freedom of Religion passed in Finland in 1923 after centuries of troubles for Catholics since the Sixteenth-Century Reformation.  This reminded me that we Catholics have in the UK a big anniversary coming up before too long – the bicentenary of Catholic Emancipation in 2029.  For all the troubles of our church in this country, we are so blessed to live in a time when we are free to practise our faith and to grow in Carmel, and we should never take that for granted.  We as Seculars here also have our important dates to remember – I see from a list of foundations provided by our National President that our oldest Secular community dates from the early 1950s in London.  So we are more than seventy years old now in our country. Growth was slow to take place for the Seculars in the UK but there has been a significant spurt in the new millennium.  Please God this will continue!

Intercessions

Pope Leo as he recovers from his operation for cancer.

Cancer: Brian Davis, Bernard (and wife Angela caring for him), Catherine, Alex (43 with five children), Theresa K, Elena, Marie

Ivy – sick child

Brian (recovering from Pneumonia)

Kevin (heart attack)

William Gove (in recovery)

Illness:  Katy Keeling, Noreen

David OCDS – housebound

Grace – troubling ailments, job difficulties, family (deceased mother and health of father)

Mark – brain infection

Michael, Kira – vulnerable youngsters

Defence of the unborn and the elderly