Welcome
Welcome to St Bede Catholic Church
The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ
And the love of God
And the communion of The Holy Spirit
Be with you all
“Love one another...”
Last Sunday we celebrated Vocation Sunday and reflected on the call to imitate Jesus, the Good
Shepherd who laid his life for his sheep. This Sunday we are invited to reflect on the fundamental
vocation that underpins and unites all vocations in the service of the Lord: to vocation to love. In today’s gospel reading Jesus commands his disciples to ‘love one another as I have loved you’. It is clear that the early Christian community took Jesus’ words to heart. They loved one another in truth.
The great Church historian, Adolph von Horneck wrote about the extraordinary witness of the early Christians: “The new language on the lips of Christians was the language of love. But it was more than a language, it was a thing of power and action.” In other words, their love was not mere words or pious gestures, but a practical love, expressed in deeds of caring service, especially service to the poor.
True love summons us to leave our comfort zones, to give our time, our energy, our talents, and indeed our very selves, to others. And to do this not just when we feel in good form or for a short time, but to do it in season and out of season, in good times and bad, until our life has been ‘poured out like a libation’ (2 Tim 4:6) This kind of selfless, enduring love demands the best of us and brings out the best in us. It is our fundamental vocation. Let us ask the Lord to teach us how to love one another as He loves us.
God bless you all. Fr. Henry
IN THE NEWS...
Pope to Diplomatic Corps: Build peace with justice, truth, and hope
Pope Leo XIV addressed members of the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See on Friday morning, just one week after his election to the See of Peter.
Marking his first address to the diplomatic community, Pope Leo XIV paid tribute to Ambassador George Poulides of Cyprus, the outgoing Dean of the Corps, praising his years of “energy, commitment and kindness,” as well as the esteem he earned from Pope Francis and previous Popes.
Turning then to the diplomatic representatives, the Pope reaffirmed the Church’s commitment to serve all humanity, describing the diplomatic community as a family “that shares the joys and sorrows of life” and is grounded in human and spiritual values. The Pope went on to note that in this family the Church does not seek priviliges but rather opportunities to build bridges, particularly through its distinctive form of diplomacy rooted in pastoral concern.
Pope to Christian Brothers: Inspire joyful and fruitful paths of holiness
"I hope that vocations to Lasallian religious consecration may grow, that they be encouraged and promoted—within your schools and beyond—and that, in synergy with all the other formative components, they may contribute to inspiring joyful and fruitful paths of holiness among the young who attend them."
Pope Leo XIV gave this encouragement to Christian Brothers when receiving them in the Vatican on Thursday.
Frequently referred to as Christian Brothers, the Lasallian Brothers are named after their founder, St. John Baptist de La Salle, who founded the mission to provide a human and Christian education to the young, especially the poor. The Brothers, lay religious men dedicated exclusively to education, are known for their global education efforts.
Chinese Catholics celebrate the opening of two new churches
Chinese Catholics celebrate the opening of two new churches
The growth and perseverance of Catholic communities in the People's Republic of China have been marked by the recent opening of two new churches, tangible expressions of enduring faith amidst changing historical contexts.
Church of Christ the King
According to Fides News Agency, on May 10, Bishop Francis Cui Qingqi, OFM, of Hankou/Wuhan presided over the solemn inauguration of the new Church of Christ the King in Xiaogan, Hubei Province. During his homily, Bishop Cui described the 33-meter-high bell tower as a symbol directing the faithful's gaze toward the Kingdom of Heaven, while also serving as a call to ground Christian life in the richness of Chinese tradition.
ABOUT SAINT BEDE...
St Bede 673-735AD
Bede was born in 673 AD in the northeast of England. From the age of seven, he received a Benedictine education at the Northumbrian monastery of Saint Peter at Wearmouth, today part of Sunderland. Bede spent his whole life within the twin monasteries of St Peter at Wearmouth and St Paul in Jarrow, where he became a Benedictine monk and continued his studies using the fine libraries established by the monastery's founder, St Benedict Biscop, Bede's first teacher, and under the guidance of Abbot Ceolfrith (Ceolwulf).
Bede wrote on many topics. His most famous work, Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum (the Ecclesiastical History of the English People), earned Bede the title "The Father of English History". His works revealed not only Bede's qualities as a scholar and historian but also the qualities of modesty and humility which make his works so memorable. However, Bede's work shows that he had at his command all the learning of his time. Bede's writings included papers and articles on scientific, historical, theological, and mathematical matters, as well as poetry and literature. St Bede is widely regarded as the greatest of all the Anglo-Saxon scholars. His sainthood was generally recognized around fifty years after his death on 25th May 735 AD. His bones were later elevated from St Paul's in Jarrow to Durham, where they lie in the Galilee Chapel at Durham Cathedral. Bede's scholarship and importance to Catholicism were recognized on 13th November 1899 when Pope Leo XIII decreed the title of Doctor Ecclesiae to St Bede the Venerable, making him the only English Doctor of the Church.
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