Fr Andrew Burns on his work with Worldwide Marriage Encounter

 (This article was first published in the July 2019 edition of BE Alive, Bishop Eton's monthly magazine)

Someone said to me the other day, ‘You’re so busy coming and going that one day you’ll meet yourself coming back!’ Others say, ‘How long are you back for this time?’ And it is true. Last year I was in Belgium twice, in Italy, Hungary, Ireland, and Madrid five times and yet didn’t have a holiday. What’s all that about?

You should’ve picked up along the way that I am deeply involved In Worldwide Marriage Encounter, WWME, a Catholic movement that promotes and supports the Sacraments of Marriage and Priesthood. For the last two years, I have been the priest member of the leadership team for Europe. Marriage Encounter is present in 12 countries of Europe: England, Ireland, Holland, France, Germany, Austria, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Croatia, Hungary and twice in Belgium, in Flemish and French Belgium. Three times every year, the national leadership teams (a couple and a priest) meet together in each of these countries in turn. Together with the European Team, we try to respond to the challenges to married life and life in the church from the modern world. As you can imagine, these challenges are huge. Even in so-called Catholic countries, the spirit of the age militates against things we consider to be the bedrock of our society, the Church, marriage and family life.

Read more: Fr Andrew Burns on his work with Worldwide Marriage Encounter

Ven Bernard Łubienski CSsR...his family tell a story...

The Łubienski family tell part of their story...

Venerable Bernard Łubienski - Pray for us.

 Information about graces received through Venerable Bernard Łubienski's intercessions should be sent to: V Rev Fr Rector CSsR, Bishop Eton Monastery, Woolton Road, Liverpool, UK, L16 8NQ

Fr Reg Ahearn RIP...

We joined the Oceania Province of the Redemptorists in their sorrow at the passing of Fr Reginald Ahearn CSsR - as he was a blood brother of our dear Fr Bev Ahearn CSsR. In London we were united with our confreres in Syndey Australia as they celebrated the funeral mass.

"The Redemptorist community at Kogarah in Sydney gathered for the funeral Mass for Fr Reginald Patrick Ahearn CSsR on Tuesday May 28. Fr Reginald died last week aged 88.

Bishop of Ballarat Paul Bird CSsR was the main celebrant at the Mass which was held in the Redemptorist chapel in Kogarah. Relatives and friends joined the Redemptorist community at the Mass for Fr Reginald.

He will be greatly missed by all those who knew him, including his fellow Redemptorist priests and brothers. Born to parents Stephen and Mary in 1931, he had two brothers, Raymond and Beverley, also a Redemptorist, and a sister, Valerie.

Fr Reginald CSsR passed away at Calvary Hospital on Wednesday May 22, 2019. Fr Reginald was ordained to the priesthood on March 10, 1957 and for many years, his ministry included Australia and the Philippines.

May Fr Reginald remain in your prayers.

Lord, we thank you for giving us a confrere in the family of Saint Alphonsus. Thank you for his life and service to God. We pray for Fr Reginald to be welcomed in the Heavenly Kingdom. Amen."

To see the original article go here

FUNERAL OF FR BARRIE O’TOOLE, CSsR (82 YRS)...

BISHOP ETON, TUESDAY 21 MAY 2019 at NOON

HOMILY - preached by Fr Timothy Buckley CSsR - Parish Priest

I first met Fr Barrie O’Toole on the evening of Monday, October 18^th 1965. Andrew Burns and I were two of the seven newly professed students who had made their way from the novitiate in Perth to Hawkstone Hall, then our Redemptorist seminary. The tradition was that each of the new students was placed in the tender care of a senior student – his guardian angel. As luck would have it, Barrie had been deputed to look after me. I recall that even at the age of 29 his distinguished mop of hair was more white than grey. I do not recall much about this initiation process beyond the fact that on that first evening, when he had shown me to my room, he looked around and said something along the lines of: “you poor thing – I couldn’t possibly face starting here all over again!”

In fact Barrie was to prove a delightful confrère and life-long friend. He was ordained the following January and went to Rome to study Church History. A few years later he returned to teach at Hawkstone and I worked with him, catechising some of the children on the RAF station at Shawbury, where he was the chaplain. Until the last nine years that was the only time we were ever attached to the same community, but I enjoyed working with him on many occasions, including a memorable mission in Tudhoe and Spennymoor back in the spring of 1977.

Barrie enjoyed a rich and varied life as a Redemptorist priest. He coped with the transition of the students from Hawkstone to Canterbury in 1973 and was the first rector of that new student community. He moved from there to Hawkstone, where he built on the foundations laid by Jim McManus and helped to develop the Pastoral Centre into a place of international renown. During his fifty-three years of priesthood he had spells as a missioner and a retreat giver, two years in Brazil and three in Zimbabwe. He was part of two new experimental mission communities, one at Kiln Green near Reading and the other in Middlesbrough. His last years were spent here in Liverpool, where his cheerful and compassionate ministry was greatly appreciated.

Read more: Homily at Funeral for Fr Barrie O'Toole RIP

Celebrating Fr Barrie O'Toole CSsR Life...

A life well lived - many people have been ministered to by

Fr Barrie all around the world.

His life was celebrated in Bishop Eton Monastery Church, Liverpool.

Read more: Celebrating Fr Barrie O'Toole CSsR Life...

Novena Approaching...

In June the Novena to

Our Mother of Perpetual Succour

will be celebrated in all our monasteries and churches around the world. This leaflet is advertising the one in

St Mary's Redemptorist Church, London.

Visit the parish website...

www.stmarys-clapham.org.uk

Our OSsR Nuns in Dublin...

Our #OSsR #Nuns in Dublin sharing something of their spirituality and life. 

#CSsR #Redemptorists #Redemptoristines #Vocations

Visit the Nuns here...

The Province Communities this Quadrennium 2019 - 2023...

Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer:

London Province Community Lists 2019

The Ordinary Provincial Council  

Fr Ronald McAinsh CSsR - Provincial  

 Fr Richard Reid CSsR - Vicar Provincial      

Fr Andrew Burns CSsR - 2^nd Consultor

St Mary’s Monastery - Kinnoull Perth, Scotland                    

Fr Ronald McAinsh CSsR – Provincial

Fr Charles Corrigan CSsR – Rector Prefect of Students pro tem       

Fr James McManus CSsR – Missioner (Scotland)

Fr Gerard Mulligan CSsR

Fr Joseph Doherty CSsR

Fr Thomas MacCarte CSsR - Missioner (Scotland) &

Provincial Librarian

Fr Charles Randall CSsR - (Retreat House Director and Missioner) 

Fr. Thomas Molloy CSsR (Edinburgh Chaplaincy) 

Philip Jones CSsR - (Dysart Chaplaincy)

Bishop Eton Monastery - Liverpool

Fr Andrew Burns CSsR – Rector, & Provincial Bursar 

Fr Kevin Callaghan CSsR

Fr James Casey CSsR

Fr Anthony Johnson CSsR

Fr Brian Russell CSsR

Fr Michael Henesy CSsR

Fr Anthony Hunt CSsR

Fr James Smale CSsR

Fr Timothy Buckley CSsR - Parish Priest    

Fr Gabriel Maguire CSsR 

Fr Martin Gay CSsR

Br William McDermott CSsR - Prison Ministry 

Br Michael Duxbury  CSsR - Prison Ministry & Asylum seekers       

St Mary's Monastery - Clapham, London

Fr Richard Reid CSsR - Rector, Parish Priest, Vocations Director & Web           

Fr Beverley Ahearn CSsR

Fr Jack Clancy CSsR  

Fr George Webster CSsR

Fr Michael Creech CSsR    

Fr Michael McGreevy CSsR

Br Thomas Lavery CSsR - Little Sisters, Oval

Fr Maurice O’Mahony CSsR – Retreats, RP. Mission Proc, Associates              

Fr Caspar Mukabva CSsR - Parish      

Fr Peter Morris CSsR - Missioner (South), Ass. Vocations’ Director

Br Michael Taylor CSsR - Professed Student, Company Sec. Ace of Clubs

Br Royston Price CSsR - Professed Student, Ass. Vocations’ Director

The Abbey, Erdington, Birmingham

Fr Andrew Burns CSsR – Superior, resident in Liverpool]

Fr Francis Dickinson CSsR - Parish

Fr Kieran Brady CSsR - Province Mission Coordinator (Missions, Midlands)

Fr Elias Gweme CSsR (Parish Priest) 

St. Clement’s – Redemptorist Publications

Fr Denis Mc Bride CSsR - Superior & Director RP

Fr Terry Creech CSsR – Westlands House

Zimbabwe

Br Benjamin Posvo CSsR  - Regional Leader

Fr Joseph Musendami CSsR - Regional Vicar

Fr Tryvis Moyo CSsR - Regional Consultor

The Zimbabwe communities will follow...

Please pray for all our men 

- especially those who are moving to take up new ministry.

Fr Barrie O'Toole RIP... Funeral arrangements...

Fr Barrie O'Toole CSsR - Gone to the Father...

Fr Barrie O’Toole RIP

Our confrere, Fr. Barrie O’Toole went to God to 4.40am today, 7th May, 2019 in the presence of his sister Pat and his niece, Kathleen.

Fr. Tim Buckley was with him yesterday afternoon and fortified him with the Rites of the Church.

I was blessed to be with Fr Barrie 10 days ago. May he rest in peace.

Funeral arrangements at Bishop Eton will follow.

More news as it is available.