Leeds follows Council line
Catholic Herald Reporter "Flow do you do it?" letters are pouring into St. Patrick's parish, Leeds where the third in a series of new style parish missions has just ended. Called "The Cross and You", it brought. a special commendation from Bishop Dwyer for "doing exactly what the General Council of the Church wants you to do".
Key to this outstandingly successful parishionerinto-missioner campaign is in the inspiration of Fr. Michael Buckley, assistant priest at St. Patrick's. He has uncovered a well of enthusiasm which has : —Sent the laity, men and women, out two by two "as the apostles went", visiting each house in the parish to invite the lapsed and the weak back to a practice of their Faith, and to attract non-Catholics to attend special services.
— Seen children of 11 literally leading by the hand to confession fathers who have been away from the Church for 15 years or more.
CROWDED
— Brought hundreds out to Mass on weekday nights; — Kept three and sometimes five priests in their confessionals nightly for over two hours.
— Took 1,000 people to Mass and Holy Communion last Friday night.
— Brought from one parishioner the comment: "It was the Offertory Promise all over again, but this time we were raising Grace, not money".
— And from another: "You have no idea how moving it has been to see the number of people whom we know personally to have lapsed, and have been seen at the altar rail receiving Holy Communion".
— And from Fr. Buckley: "It was wonderful, I shall never forget it.
"Although priests from many parts of England have written for our plans, we have little in print as yet—we are working out details as we go along," Fr. Buckley told the CATHOLIC HERALD this week. He described the aims and working of the new-style mission as follows:
"The Weeks are called AND YOU weeks because we wish to involve the laity in working for the Church. They feel a personal involvement.
"The mission is confined to five days: Monday to Friday. The services do not last longer than 45 minutes, They are 'slick' and centre round the Mass whose main features are explained by a priest in the pulpit so that many non-Catholics attend our weeks.
"Special hymn sheets are printed; each night is different from the others so that parishioners can get quite excited about what is coming next.
The last night is always the highlight and brings the whole congregation to Holy Communion. Last Friday 1.000 received here at St. Patrick's."
The main strength of the campaign lies in organisation said Fr. Buckley. The AND YOU weeks
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