The latest from Bishop Mark O’Toole

Our Church and our diocesan family, faces, together with the whole world, a huge challenge.  We have become more conscious that we are not masters of the universe.  We are more vulnerable than perhaps we have dared to believe.  We are more aware than ever of our own mortality.

In the face of the darkness and uncertainty of these days, we must turn more urgently to God, who is our only and sure hope, and who gives us light and strength beyond our human capacities.

Mass can now be celebrated  in our churches by our priests, but with restrictions on the size of the congregation.  So many of our brothers and sisters around the world will continue to be deprived of the opportunity to celebrate the Holy Eucharist, for many reasons.  Due to this pandemic we also will now experience their suffering.  Many of us will be unable to attend Mass as often as we would like. The sacrifices we must make, will, I am sure, help us to cherish more profoundly the great gift of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.   It will certainly intensify our hunger for Jesus, our Eucharistic Lord.

Prayer is the most important thing we can do at this time – prayer for the sick, for the dying, for the bereaved, for our health care professionals and for those seeking a vaccine.   Let us remember that the mercies of the Lord are everlasting.  He renews them in us each day.

Bishop Mark O’Toole