Monday 31 December 2018

New Year 2019 - Greetings

No excuses for my long "silence" on the blog. Apologies to regular readers.
On New Year's Eve this year I am in Sri Lanka where I celebrated a Wedding on Saturday with two parishioners from Paris with their families and friends. It was a wonderful experience filled with joy and happiness. The local priest could not have been kinder or more welcoming to me. We concelebrated the Nuptial Mass with a beautiful mixture of languages - Sinhalese and English (me). The decorations of flowers and materials in the church were beautiful.

In the coming days I hope to have opportunity to see some of the beauty, and especially the wildlife of Sri Lanka.

Like all else, this too will end. I return to Paris and St Joseph's early next week.

Christmas Masses and celebrations at St Joseph's Church, Paris, were a joy with overflowing numbers at each of our four Masses.

'Home alone' in the Passionist community of St Joseph's this year, I had the privilege of speaking to all who joined in Christmas worship. The disadvantage for parishioners was that they could not avoid me irrespective of which Mass they came to! It was a delight to see the beauty of God in the eyes of the children.

A feature I noticed particularly this year was the great number of visitors to Paris who joined us at Christmas. Many phone calls came to St Joseph's from hotels asking for Mass times for their guests.

A blessed and peaceful New Year of Our Lord 2019 to one and all.               AT