PassionistsGlasgow
  • Welcome To Saint Mungo's
  • Parish Newsletter
  • Parish Office / Visiting Saint Mungo's
  • Passionists Young Team
  • Universalis Mass Readings for Today
  • Website Links
  • St.Paul of the Cross
  • St. Paul of the Cross for Children
  • St.Charles of Mount Argus
  • St Mungo Patron Saint of Glasgow
  • St. Mungo's Parish
  • Safeguarding (Updated Oct 24)
  • Photo Album
  • Archdiocese Privacy Notice
  • Father Franks Log
  • Fr Justinian CP (RIP)
  • Synodal Path
  • Pope Francis
  • Welcome To Saint Mungo's
  • Parish Newsletter
  • Parish Office / Visiting Saint Mungo's
  • Passionists Young Team
  • Universalis Mass Readings for Today
  • Website Links
  • St.Paul of the Cross
  • St. Paul of the Cross for Children
  • St.Charles of Mount Argus
  • St Mungo Patron Saint of Glasgow
  • St. Mungo's Parish
  • Safeguarding (Updated Oct 24)
  • Photo Album
  • Archdiocese Privacy Notice
  • Father Franks Log
  • Fr Justinian CP (RIP)
  • Synodal Path
  • Pope Francis
  PassionistsGlasgow

Father Frank's Log...

25/2/2021

0 Comments

 
FATHER FRANK’S LOG: 21st – 28th FEBRUARY
​

Well, it looks like we are in for at least another 6 weeks of lockdown without public worship. Whether we return in time for Easter or after Easter remains to be seen, although, if returning for Easter means we are restricted to 20 people, that would, in itself, be difficult. As always, it’s in the hands of God, and God is always there, wherever we are, and not just in church. On Wednesday of this week, I watched a short video of an Anglican bishop walking through an ancient wood near Canterbury and, as he weaved his way, staff in hand, through age-old trees, treading his way carefully along an overgrown path, he said that, in these times of turbulence, it’s good to get close to something rooted. I was reminded of my 3 years spent in Minsteracres, the Passionist Retreat Centre in Northumberland, where I was enamoured by the ancient redwood trees that lined the avenues, privileged to be walking among them every day, feeling small, yet blessed. I also remembered St. Anne’s Park in Dublin, during a 30-day retreat in nearby Manressa in 1987, hosting really ancient trees with roots visible on the river banks. The famous words of St. Augustine came to me as, pondering his tardy conversion, he said “Late have I loved Thee, O Beauty, ever ancient, ever new.” Getting close to something rooted, something ever ancient, ever new, it seems to me, is also about getting closer to God, and how truly and urgently we need to get closer to God in these turbulent times.
 
We had cause in our community recently, with the upcoming Passionist Provincial Chapter in mind, to reflect on how we had been affected by the pandemic, both individually and as a group. Without breaking the confidence of our deeper conversations, when we began to talk about the experience of these past months, it was certainly turbulent. On March 18th last year Fr. Lawrence died. On March 19th the churches closed after the Morning Masses. (We had been scheduled to have Confirmations that same night - the children were prepared, Archbishop Tartaglia, sadly now deceased, was in waiting, but it didn’t happen). On March 20th Fr. Gareth was walking in town when he received a phone call from his mum which prompted him to make his way to Central Station and catch the first train to Cardiff, just in the clothes he was standing up in. It would be more than 6 months before we would see him again. That, for us, was the triduum that set the tone for the months ahead. Fr. Lawrence was buried on March 27th with only 10 people in attendance, 8 family members, plus myself and Fr. Antony. We still await the chance to celebrate his life and ministry more appropriately for the many who would have wished to attend. Back at home, Fr. Antony, only 3 months ordained, converted Fr. Lawrence’s room into an oratory, our existing oratory being far too small for purpose, and set up the streaming service that has sustained us, and many others, to this day, even during the periods of limited return to public worship in church. His daily lockdown walks took him past the nearby home of his mother where he would talk to her from the garden and assure himself that she was okay. In mid-July he became an uncle again and his joy affected all of us. Prior to this, in late May, Fr Justinian had been taken into hospital, just a few days after my brother had been taken in, for the 6th time in less than a year, and, in both instances, there was the sadness of not being able to visit because of Covid-19. Fr Justinian was the first of us to require a Covid-19 test during his hospital stay, and, since coming home, the daily visits from his carers have become a normal part of our community routine. Since then, Fr. Antony has required a number of Covid-19 tests as he undertook a new ministry, in collaboration with Deacon Joe and the Apostleship of the Sea, to celebrate Mass on board ships that were docked in various ports on the Clyde, unable to set sail, and so to provide some much-needed pastoral care for Catholic crew members. Since Fr Gareth’s return, larger than life, in early October, he and Fr Antony have replaced, what used to be their nightly swims, with nightly walks, brothers in arms. That just scratches the surface, but it may give a flavour, and I think you know enough about my experience through these logs. So, as always, protect yourselves, protect your loved ones and others, and protect Christ in your lives.

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    FATHER FRANK KEEVINS C.P.

    Archives

    June 2025
    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.