Padre Pio

Homily at St Martin today:

"Jesus sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal" (Luke 9.1-6)

Preaching and healing have always gone together in the celebration of the Christian gospel of God's love. (I don't really need to tell you that in this parish which had Fr Maurice Maddocks as a former parish priest).

When Fr Graham celebrates St Luke's Day at St Saviour at 7.00 p.m. on Monday 19th October it will take the form of a healing eucharist. Some of you may well want to attend and perhaps bring along, in person or in your heart, someone else in need of healing as well as yourself. This kind of service is part of the regular ministry of healing in the church but there has always been those blessed by God with particular gifts of healing beyond the ordinary.

We are commemorating St Padre Pio today. He was canonised on 16th June 2002. He has already become one of the saints whose intercession is most called upon for healing with amazing effect. He received the stigmata, worked many miracles and is said to have often bilocated. It was his holiness as a priest and his selfless ministry in the confessional which will be ever remembered among the saints.

I have an Anglican priest friend who claims that his ministry of healing is controlled by Padre Pio. He is not alone in this claim but in case this is too way out for you let me also tell you that Padre Pio's lasting memorial at San Giovanni in Italy is a Home cum Hospital for the Relief of Suffering which has all the latest medical equipment and a top team of dedicated staff with beds for more than 1200 patients.

St Pio himself was a sick and disabled man all his life. He was diagnosed as having chronic bronchitis with asthma. He had high temperatures not measurable on ordinary thermometers. He was excused military service on health grounds. In his final months he had to be transported everywhere in a wheelchair. A pope described him as 'a man of prayer and suffering'.He begins his description of how he received the stigmata(written under obedience) with these words: "What can I tell you regarding my crucifixion? My God! What embarrassment and humiliation I suffer by being obliged to explain what you have done to this wretched creature!"

A former Bishop of mine in the Bradford Diocese, Geoffrey Paul (ex Bishop of Hull and father in law to the present Archbishop of Canterbury) once said to me something about healing which I have never forgotten: ' the most important qualification for anyone engaged in the healing ministry is to keep your own wounds open'.

Swine Flu Spirituality

General prayers for the developing situation regarding swine flu

Heavenly Father,

giver of life and health:

comfort and restore those who are sick,

that they may be strengthened in their weakness

and have confidence in your unfailing love;

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Creator and Father of all,

we pray for those who are ill.

Bless them, and those who serve their needs,

that they may put their whole trust in you

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

An influenza (flu) pandemic happens in the UK, everyone will need to play a part in managing how it affects our society. At such a time, faith communities have an important role. Strong leadership from faith communities is vital when large scale incidents trigger concerns about social cohesion. Moreover, large scale fatalities raise specific issues for faith communities that need to be addressed.

Faith Communities and Pandemic Flu: Guidance for faith communities and local influenza pandemic committees provides valuable guidance on the faith dimension of a flu pandemic. It provides tools and a roadmap for good practice, and should be read alongside the more general emergency planning guidance Key Communities, Key Resources: Faith Communities and Civil Resilience. (June 2008)

The revised document (May 2009) updates previous guidance (issued June 2008) for faith communities on the same issue. It has been drawn up over several months and in consultation with other Government Departments, including Cabinet Office and the Department of Health, as well as the Faith Communities Consultative Council under the chair of Monsignor John Devine of the Catholic Bishops' Conference along with representatives of the Church of England, Methodist Church, British Muslim Forum, Hindu Council UK, Sikhs in England, Agency for Jewish Education and the Inter Faith Network for the UK.

Although the guidance has not been developed as a direct response to the present outbreak of Swine Flu in Mexico, it should serve as a useful source of reference to those involved at various levels in all faith communities when considering the impacts that a pandemic will have on society.

New Beginnings

A Weekend with Monsignor Michael Buckley. Experience the El Shaddai healing service and Mass at the

Scarborough Conference Centre Friday 22nd to Sunday 24th May

Monsignor Michael Buckley,  
born in Cork, Ireland in 1924 devotes his life to working for peace and Christian Unity.  He founded the El Shaddai Community for Inner Healing in 1983, and is one of the leading teachers in England on healing, not only for Christians but for everyone irrespective of whether or not they have any religious affiliation.  He was Director of the first Christian Unity and Pastoral Centre established in England in 1966, and was appointed as the English representative of the Vatican Secretariat for Christian Unity shortly after it was established by the Second Vatican Council in 1968.  He was a leading member of the Peace Movement for Northern Ireland in 1977 and Co-founder of the Maranatha Christian Movement which has Christian Unity and Peace in Northern Ireland among its principal aims.  His dedication to peace and unity is reflected in the El Shaddai Movement which has reached across the religious barriers to bring about closer understanding between people and churches.  In his pastoral centre in Yorkshire he convened the first National Conference of Catholic priests of England and Wales in 1970 which has become part of the Catholic dialogue between priests and bishops. 

He studied for the priesthood at the Venerable English College in Rome and was ordained a priest in 1950.  He was appointed Tutor in Philosophy at the College in 1954 and in 1957 became Professor of Philosophy at the Pontifical Beda College in Rome.  In 1954 he received a Doctorate in Pastoral Theology at the Gregorian University which gave him special insights into the working of the human person in the modern world.  He has written many books which are mentioned in this website, but there are many more which are not available at present but will be reprinted.  He writes a weekly page in The Universe, England's largest Catholic newspaper in which he answers people's problems whether sacred or secular.  He was Religious Advisor to Yorkshire Television from 1968 to 1977 and frequently gave morning reflections on the British Broadcasting Corporation Television and Radio.   

He writes an El Shaddai Newsletter twice yearly on topical religious and secular issues to over two thousand members of El Shaddai.  This will be available to you if you contact our website or our address 'El Shaddai'  9 West Ridings, East Preston, West Sussex, BN16 2TD, England.  His development of the meaning of healing the person has grown from his close involvement with thousands of people who come to his ministry for healing in which he encourages them to become more human and fulfilled.  This is the ultimate aim of the El Shaddai Healing Movement.

Fr Michael Buckley

Fr Michael impinged on my consciousness early in my ministry, and in his, when he came to a clergy fraternal at the Methodist Manse we occupied in Barras Garth, Leeds during a 'Week of Prayer for Christian Unity' and used the first 15 minutes of his address apologising profusely for what catholics had done to protestants over the years. I was to keep in touch with him when he created the Woodhall Ecumenical Centre near Tadcaster. Now I have an opportunity to see what the years have done to him as he leads a healing conference at Scarborough Spa this weekend.He is now 84.

4 pm 24th October  - 4 pm  26th October 2008

    SCARBOROUGH CONFERENCE
Spa Conference Centre

We are reviving the annual weekend Conference.  This will be held at South Bay, Scarborough.
The Conference will include at least four teachings, three healing services,  and a Saturday evening Social.  We shall have the exclusive use of the Grand Hall with all its excellent facilities. 
 To meet  the expenses involved, tickets will be £10 or  £15 per couple and will be available from
Mrs Rosie Wainwright
'El Shaddai'
9 West Ridings
East Preston
West Sussex
BN16 2TD

Telephone: 01903 772048


for further information
e-mail rosie.wainwright@googlemail.com

This Conference is the highlight of the 'El Shaddai' year.  Upon booking for the Conference, details will be sent to you. Cheques should be made payable to 'El Shaddai'
We look forward to hearing from you.
Blessings and love
FR MICHAEL


ooOoo

Monsignor Michael Buckley,  
born in Cork, Ireland in 1924 devotes his life to working for peace and Christian Unity.  He founded the El Shaddai Community for Inner Healing in 1983, and is one of the leading teachers in England on healing, not only for Christians but for everyone irrespective of whether or not they have any religious affiliation.  He was Director of the first Christian Unity and Pastoral Centre established in England in 1966, and was appointed as the English representative of the Vatican Secretariat for Christian Unity shortly after it was established by the Second Vatican Council in 1968.  He was a leading member of the Peace Movement for Northern Ireland in 1977 and Co-founder of the Maranatha Christian Movement which has Christian Unity and Peace in Northern Ireland among its principal aims.  His dedication to peace and unity is reflected in the El Shaddai Movement which has reached across the religious barriers to bring about closer understanding between people and churches.  In his pastoral centre in Yorkshire he convened the first National Conference of Catholic priests of England and Wales in 1970 which has become part of the Catholic dialogue between priests and bishops. 

He studied for the priesthood at the Venerable English College in Rome and was ordained a priest in 1950.  He was appointed Tutor in Philosophy at the College in 1954 and in 1957 became Professor of Philosophy at the Pontifical Beda College in Rome.  In 1954 he received a Doctorate in Pastoral Theology at the Gregorian University which gave him special insights into the working of the human person in the modern world.  He has written many books which are mentioned in this website, but there are many more which are not available at present but will be reprinted.  He writes a weekly page in The Universe, England's largest Catholic newspaper in which he answers people's problems whether sacred or secular.  He was Religious Advisor to Yorkshire Television from 1968 to 1977 and frequently gave morning reflections on the British Broadcasting Corporation Television and Radio.   

He writes an El Shaddai Newsletter twice yearly on topical religious and secular issues to over two thousand members of El Shaddai.  This will be available to you if you contact our website or our address 'El Shaddai'  9 West Ridings, East Preston, West Sussex, BN16 2TD, England.  His development of the meaning of healing the person has grown from his close involvement with thousands of people who come to his ministry for healing in which he encourages them to become more human and fulfilled.  This is the ultimate aim of the El Shaddai Healing Movement.

Luke the Doctor

The parish church adjacent to Scarborough Hospital is dedicated to St Luke to emphasise the historic link between the church and medicine, salvation and healing.

To its credit the NHS has always considered chaplaincy an important part of its provision but 'the times they are a changing'.

THE chief executive of the C of E’s Hospital Chaplaincies Council has called on churchgoers across the country to lobby their MPs about the cut in healthcare chaplains.

The Revd Edward Lewis responded this week to findings of the public-theology think tank Theos, which revealed a reduction in hours equivalent to the loss of about 23 chaplains.

“It is easy to set chaplaincy against doctors or nurses in order to try and ‘justify’ cuts, but the reality is a service that walks along with people at the deepest points in their lives,” he said. “I would appeal to every Christian to write to their MP saying that adequate chaplaincy provision is a vital and necessary part of the NHS.”

Leader: Chaplaincy in jeopardy (Church Times)

THERE ARE many reasons for the reduction in chaplaincy provision, outlined in the Theos report this week, but budget cuts by administrators hostile to religion are not chief among them. The most likely is the gradual shift of all but the most acute care out of hospitals. The trend is to cut stays in hospital to a day or two, if that. A new class of polyclinics is being planned, which bridge the gap between GPs’ surgeries and hospitals; and general practices are being encouraged to undertake more clinical work.

The problem is that this flow of care from hospitals can leave chaplaincy stranded in the past. Over the years, the Church has been successful in retaining reasonable provision of chaplains in hospitals. The advent of hospital trusts produced another layer of people who had to be convinced of the need for chaplains, and, by and large, they were. Their image, however, has been all too often that of a parish priest for their hospitals, ministering to patients who are unable to get to church. This imagined role becomes obsolete as patient visits become shorter. Since patients are not being removed from their communities (the argument goes), why should the NHS provide for pastoral care?

There are several presuppositions here. The first is that patients as a rule come from close, supportive communities. Many do not. Second, that day-patients can have no need of a chaplain, unlike resident patients, as if length of stay determines spiritual need. The biggest misconception, though, concerns the benefits that chaplains bring. When the NHS says that it is committed to holistic treatment, it is alarming that many trusts appear to take a mechanistic view of human beings, planning a future in which their responsibility will be merely to deal with physical symptoms, leaving “the community” with the task of making people whole.

The object of professional pastoral care is to improve clinical outcomes. Wise physicians recognise that spiritual care is invaluable in the process of healing. The advent of illness commonly triggers a spiritual crisis, as the sufferer is forced to assimilate new, unlooked-for experiences into a world-view that had not allowed for them. The pressing need at this point is ready access to an able and experienced priest, someone who can provide pastoral help or sacramental assurance, as appropriate. A chaplain provides not only this, often with colleagues of other faiths, but also works to support and educate the rest of the medical staff in dealing with the spiritual and psychological challenges that contribute to ill health.

Chaplains have been forced increasingly to fulfil inappropriate monitoring exercises, have had access to patients restricted, or have even been made redundant. As new plans for NHS care are being formulated, the Church must promote a radical celebration of the healing that chaplains bring to people at their most vulnerable.

St Blaise, Bishop and Martyr

A relative of mine is due to have a throat operation shortly so today's saint has strong significance for me as he is said to specialise in throat problems.


St. Blaise
Feastday: February 3
Patron of Throat Illnesses
Many Catholics might remember Saint Blaise's feast day because of the Blessing of the Throats that took place on this day. Two candles are blessed, held slightly open, and pressed against the throat as the blessing is said. Saint Blaise's protection of those with throat troubles apparently comes from a legend that a boy was brought to him who had a fishbone stuck in his throat. The boy was about to die when Saint Blaise healed him.
Very few facts are known about Saint Blaise. We believe he was a bishop of Sebastea in Armenia who was martyred under the reign of Licinius in the early fourth century.
The legend of his life that sprang up in the eighth century tell us that he was born in to a rich and noble family who raised him as a Christian. After becoming a bishop, a new persecution of Christians began. He received a message from God to go into the hills to escape persecution. Men hunting in the mountains discovered a cave surrounded by wild animals who were sick. Among them Blaise walked unafraid, curing them of their illnesses. Recognizing Blaise as a bishop, they captured him to take him back for trial. On the way back, he talked a wolf into releasing a pig that belonged to a poor woman. When Blaise was sentenced to be starved to death, the woman, in gratitude, sneaked into the prison with food and candles. Finally Blaise was killed by the governor.

Prayer:
Saint Blaise, pray for us that we may not suffer from illnesses of the throat and pray that all who are suffering be healed by God's love. Amen

In the Croatian city of Dubrovnik St Blaise is the local Patron Saint (As he is in Bradford, my former city of residence. This is as patron saint of woolcombers.) His image is seen all over the city as protector. Today the people will be out on the streets there for some colour, spectacle and tradition, with marching bands, religious processions and a heady cocktail of piety and carnival spirit. His big moment in Dubrovnik was seven centuries after his death when he appeared in a dream to a local priest warning of a Venetian attack which was then repulsed. His relics were later transferred there from the authorities in Byzantium. Today those relics will be part of the procession. Pilgrims will be allowed to touch his skull kept in a jewel encrusted gold casket in the form of a Byzantine crown of the 11th century. His right arm will be lifted high and waved in blessing over the crowds.

The cynical and the sceptic may mock but the common people will continue to act instinctively in their desire to make contact with the mystery of God.