First may I apologise to Stephen I am sorry that you came for prayer at Upholland and at Skelmersdale. I should have made it clear that the prayer at Skem starts on 24th October and will be on every Wednesday from 6pm - 9pm The 1st Friday prayer starts next month 2nd November at St Helen's Carmelite Monastery.
And so to the prayer............
Every Wednesday at St Richard's, Liverpool Road Skelmersdale,the church will be open for prayer for vocations before the Blessed Sacrament from 6.00pm -9.00pm
On 1st Fridays there will be prayer at one of the Carmelite Monasteries from 5.00pm to 8.00pm
Carmel Liverpool January April July October
Carmel St Helens February May August November
Carmel Upholland March June September December
If you can come to any of these prayer times for a short or long visit then you are most welcome......
I hope to see you there
God bless
Fr Steve
Wednesday, 17 October 2007
Tuesday, 2 October 2007
never expected that............
Hi
my last blog in September was supposed to begin a more regular blog of my new role as full time vocations director for the Archdiocese of Liverpool. Having bemoaned my computer for the glich which lost most of my last blog I did not expect that a week later my human computer would let me down...........let me explain
I moved into my new address and was making it homely, I had quite a few appeals/promotions lined up in parishes around the Archdiocese.......new posters had gone out advertising the regular prayer around the Archdiocese for vocations and I was present at our 4th Ordination of the summer on Sat 15th Sept. Jean Paul had been ordained and we where stood on the Sanctuary for the Eucharistic Prayer when I had a funny turn ( well not so funny actually ).
I managed to hang on to the priest next to me and did not fall down.........which was great given the amount of videos on show, I hope none of them captured the moment.
Anyway I was eventually helped back to the presbytery and an ambulance was called and I ended up in casualty in the Royal Hospital in Liverpool. I was there a few hours and saw the doctor who strongly suspected a mini stroke from the symptons I was displaying. They let me go home to my family and I have ben staying in Waterloo in one of the retired priests flats which is empty at the moment.
I am now in the process of investigation. A couple of scans, many blood tests and questions before seeing the consultant again on 25th October. Until I see him again I am not allowed to drive............don't we miss our cars when we are forced not to use them........fortunately I am blessed with a great family and friends who have taken me here and there when necessary.
Watch this space then for news of my recovery. I'll let you know how things turn out after I have seen the consultant later this month.
As you will agree it is not the start I was expecting but it has given me the opportunity to rest and reflect on what I am doing. What am I doing.........well as my friend in Ghana, Fr William always puts in his email " if the Lord does not build the house..........in vain do we labour "
It is true for all of us. We must remember that it is the Lord's work we are engaged in and it is to him that we must turn to for support in prayer. My first thought when going full time with this vocations work was to get people in the Archdiocese praying............from my contact with parishes I know that many have regular prayer for vocations with Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and Rosary. I also felt it would be good to enlist the support of the 3 Carmelite Monasteries we have in the Archdiocese and between them we will be having Exposition and Prayer from 5pm to 8pm on each 1st Friday. Every Wednesday there will also be Exposition and Prayer for Vocations here in St Richard's Skelmersdale from 6pm to 9pm. Perhaps the message from my recent experience is that vocations work is long haul and needs a firm and rooted foundation in Prayer...........get that right and the rest will follow.
If you are able you are very welcome to join in the Prayer at the Carmelite Monasteries or here at St Richard's. Each parish in the Archdiocese should have a poster with all the details.....if they haven't then ask the pp to put up the one he should have received or ask him to get in touch with me and I will send him another one.
I think I had better sign off for now before the wiring in my computer or my head goes wrong.
Please pray for me and if you are thinking about a vocation to the Priesthood do something about it........it is something you will never regret, Priesthood is a great life with many blessings.
God bless you
FR Steve
ps Monty is on good form although a bit confused by all the moving around he has had to do
my last blog in September was supposed to begin a more regular blog of my new role as full time vocations director for the Archdiocese of Liverpool. Having bemoaned my computer for the glich which lost most of my last blog I did not expect that a week later my human computer would let me down...........let me explain
I moved into my new address and was making it homely, I had quite a few appeals/promotions lined up in parishes around the Archdiocese.......new posters had gone out advertising the regular prayer around the Archdiocese for vocations and I was present at our 4th Ordination of the summer on Sat 15th Sept. Jean Paul had been ordained and we where stood on the Sanctuary for the Eucharistic Prayer when I had a funny turn ( well not so funny actually ).
I managed to hang on to the priest next to me and did not fall down.........which was great given the amount of videos on show, I hope none of them captured the moment.
Anyway I was eventually helped back to the presbytery and an ambulance was called and I ended up in casualty in the Royal Hospital in Liverpool. I was there a few hours and saw the doctor who strongly suspected a mini stroke from the symptons I was displaying. They let me go home to my family and I have ben staying in Waterloo in one of the retired priests flats which is empty at the moment.
I am now in the process of investigation. A couple of scans, many blood tests and questions before seeing the consultant again on 25th October. Until I see him again I am not allowed to drive............don't we miss our cars when we are forced not to use them........fortunately I am blessed with a great family and friends who have taken me here and there when necessary.
Watch this space then for news of my recovery. I'll let you know how things turn out after I have seen the consultant later this month.
As you will agree it is not the start I was expecting but it has given me the opportunity to rest and reflect on what I am doing. What am I doing.........well as my friend in Ghana, Fr William always puts in his email " if the Lord does not build the house..........in vain do we labour "
It is true for all of us. We must remember that it is the Lord's work we are engaged in and it is to him that we must turn to for support in prayer. My first thought when going full time with this vocations work was to get people in the Archdiocese praying............from my contact with parishes I know that many have regular prayer for vocations with Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and Rosary. I also felt it would be good to enlist the support of the 3 Carmelite Monasteries we have in the Archdiocese and between them we will be having Exposition and Prayer from 5pm to 8pm on each 1st Friday. Every Wednesday there will also be Exposition and Prayer for Vocations here in St Richard's Skelmersdale from 6pm to 9pm. Perhaps the message from my recent experience is that vocations work is long haul and needs a firm and rooted foundation in Prayer...........get that right and the rest will follow.
If you are able you are very welcome to join in the Prayer at the Carmelite Monasteries or here at St Richard's. Each parish in the Archdiocese should have a poster with all the details.....if they haven't then ask the pp to put up the one he should have received or ask him to get in touch with me and I will send him another one.
I think I had better sign off for now before the wiring in my computer or my head goes wrong.
Please pray for me and if you are thinking about a vocation to the Priesthood do something about it........it is something you will never regret, Priesthood is a great life with many blessings.
God bless you
FR Steve
ps Monty is on good form although a bit confused by all the moving around he has had to do
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