February 2021

10 Buckden Roundabout February 2021 Church News Weekly Prayer Roster Each week during the year the Churches, in their prayers, remember the residents of particular streets in the village, those who work in the parish and village organisations. Those to be remembered this month are: 7th February Hunts End, Copes Close, Monks Cottages, Hunts End Court 14th February Manor Gardens, Manor Close, Glebe Lane, The Grove 21st February Park Road, Falcon Way, The Marinas, and those who live and work there 28th February Field Close, Lincoln Close, Silver Street, Beaufort Drive, St Hugh ’ s Road Thought for the Month How good and how pleasant it is, brothers dwelling in unity! It is like precious oil upon the head running down upon the beard, running down upon Aaron ’ s beard, upon the collars of his robes. It is like the dew of Hermon which falls On the heights of Sion. For there the Lord gives his blessing, life for ever. Ps 132 (133) True, a worldwide tragedy like the Covid - 19 pandemic momentarily revived the sense that we are a global com- munity, all in the same boat, where one person ’ s prob- lems are the problems of all. Once more we realized that no one is saved alone; we can only be saved together. As I said in those days, “ the storm has exposed our vulnera- bility and uncovered those false and superfluous certain- ties around which we constructed our daily schedules, our projects, our habits and priorities … Amid this storm, the façade of those stereotypes with which we camouflaged our egos, always worrying about appearances, has fallen away, revealing once more the ineluctable and blessed awareness that we are part of one another, that we are brothers and sisters of one another ”. (Pope Francis, Fra- telli tutti 32) In the beginning of the first lockdown, I saw a picture of the Mass celebrated by an Italian priest in the empty church. But he asked his parishioners for their photos and decided to place them in the benches where they usually were sitting. It was a sign of their mutual close- ness and connection. Probably similar feelings are also in the hearts of your ministers. Some of you expressed compassion towards them that because of corona crisis you are separated from each other and you cannot meet each other as earlier. Yes, it is strange to be minister during the pandemic. But it is an opportunity to discover deeper bonds between us. And these bonds are … in Christ. We are united by Jesus, in the Holy Spirit, because he is our brother in his humanity (with its fragility) and share it with us all: men and wom- en, old and young, sick and in good health etc. Maybe we are not so good in new technologies but many of us can communicate by phone, email or social media. By these flashes you can discover what plays in other minds and hearts. And some of you contact your minis- ters and allow them to discover your personal stories (at least partially). It is amazing! And it is a way of expressing your faith with all its richness. It is an impulse for the faith of others. You share your challenges, and your min- isters accompany you in their prayers. They are witness- es of your hopes, too. And again, they support you in their prayers. Because we are deprived of many things, this time can be depressive for us but, with God ’ s help, we are able to transform it into something positive. And I see you can do it in many cases. May God bless our efforts! Fr Krzysztof Stawicki St Hugh ’ s Catholic church, Buckden