A group of parishioners from Our Lady & St Cuthbert’s church in Berwick-upon-Tweed kindly shared some of their messages of Hope for this Jubilee Year.
Messages of Hope:
“A welcoming, but authentically Christian church that is looking outwards towards our town community. A church that is based around discipleship in Christ.” (David)
“In this Year of Jubilee, I pray and hope that people see each other as worthy of respect and a dignity that is of higher value than land, money, power and ego, that the Children of God come to know each other as one family.” (Fr Shaun)
“Week-long Missions run by Redemptorists attracted lapsed Catholics who came back to church. A very worthwhile week.” (Margaret)
“A hope and prayer for a better awareness of the poverty and pain suffered by so many people. There are many levels of pain and unhappiness, and we should all be aware of this. Perhaps we could find more ways to reach out to others.” (anon)
“My hope would be that every person in the church will know the absolute joy of really knowing that God loves them personally. That the parish churches would be known as places of kindness and welcome to every person no matter whom. That there will be more priests to help shepherd the flock – maybe even married priests and women priests!” (anon)
“For the Diocese to be more inclusive, particularly to outlying churches in the diocese of Berwick for such as EWM days, etc. We have amazing IT opportunities now.” (Wendy)
“There is a story that Berwick was left in a state of war with Russia because it was left off the peace treaty to end the Crimean war in 1854. Although that story has been debunked, it put Berwick in the news in the 1960s in the US and in Russia; and it was a major part of the reason I moved to Berwick. May a just and lasting peace be established this year, please God!” (James)
