Living Our Faith
Letter from Bishop Crispian distributed at Masses on 17th & 18th July 2010.
Dear Sisters and Brothers,
As we enjoy some wonderful summer weather, we are constantly reminded of God’s presence and the beauty He has created. I am sure many of you are considering long-awaited holidays and increased time with your beloved families. This season marks a unique moment for our Catholic Community when at the end of July all our hard work , efforts and sacrifices culminate in the very successful completion of Living our Faith. With £12.2 million raised to date, we have much of which to be proud and grateful, especially the abundance of the Lord’s blessings.We want to mark this extra-ordinary endeavour in a fitting way and celebrate the generosity and commitment of our faith family. On the occasion of the Holy Father’s visit in September, we wish to prepare a special booklet for presentation to include all donors to Living Our Faith. Over the coming weeks, I ask you to consider your involvement , if you have not already done so. As we compile the papal list, we hope every parish across the Diocese will be represented.
In my last communication, I issued a ‘call to action’. Hundreds of you answered that call, with over 5,000 families (to date) giving to Living Our Faith. This week alone, I sent nineteen congratulatory letters to parishes in surpassing thier financial goal! As the remaining parishes conclude their activity throughout July, please pray for their continued success.
Together we have accomplished much and secured significant funding for critical areas such as vocations, seminarians, formation of the laity and local parish projects. A heartfelt ‘thank you’ to those who have donated and to those reflecting on their participation.
I hope that you all have a wonderful summer and I offer you my prayers and my blessings.
Crispian Hollis
Bishop of Portsmouth