The Parish of SS John Fisher and Thomas More in Burley in Wharfedale has responded to our appeals for news from across the parishes which together comprise the Diocese of Leeds, and has sent their (positively delicious!) Good News to communications@dioceseofleeds.org.uk!
Sue Rix, Chair of the Parish’s Pastoral Council, writes: ‘We have so much to celebrate! Sacraments, Golden Jubilee, a CAFOD ‘Live Simply‘ award, and welcoming new families to the Parish Family…!’
At noon, after Sunday Mass the SS John Fisher and Thomas More Parish Family gathered for their first barbecue following the Covid pandemic!
More than 100 parishioners filled the Parish gardens to feast on burgers, ‘sliders’ and hot dogs with cool drinks and a tap water station – but for ‘afters’ there was a whole series of very special cakes!
Cakes for the younger members of the Parish who had missed out on their party celebrations following the receiving of First Sacraments included a beautiful hand-decorated tray bake for Reconciliation; a traditional home-made and perfectly decorated First Holy Communion cake; and, a very popular rainbow cake decorated especially for the Confirmandi. Many children had celebrated two of their Sacraments during the last two years, thanks to the safe and careful planning of our Catechists and Father Michael Mahady’s guidance and dedication to looking after the younger members of the Parish Family and it was well worth the wait to see the young people helping Father Michael cut all the cakes.
The fourth cake was the long awaited Golden Jubilee cake lovingly made and skilfully decorated by a member of the Parish Family to complete the celebration of Fr Michael’s 50th Anniversary of Ordination in March 2021. The resounding cheers for our wonderful Parish Priest echoed everyone’s gratitude for his care, constancy, wisdom, inspiration and guidance!
Specially invited guests to the celebrations were Trish and Paul from CAFOD who brought along and presented the CAFOD Live Simply Award which the Parish was awarded in June of this year. Naturally, there was a cake for that, too – its recipe and decorations reflecting all the Parish strives to do in ‘Living Simply’: respecting creation, with special care and attention to the needs of all who share the planet God has entrusted to our stewardship.
It was great to welcome new members of the Parish Family to a social gathering, to hear the lively chatter and laughter and to witness the antics of the younger members of the Parish keeping cool with the water bombs they had filled ready for after-lunch fun!
Here’s to the next time and special thanks to all who planned and made it happen at just two weeks’ notice!
*** ALL press, media and online news depend on being contacted by the public and organisations with ‘human interest stories’ and photographs – and this Diocesan Website is no exception to that rule … So the best way by far to Evangelise by Example and Promote YOUR Parish or School to the widest possible ‘audience’ is to send an article (of any length), plus a photograph or two, to communications@dioceseofleeds.org.uk – for publication on this website, possibly in national Catholic press, and (if the story is of wide enough interest) in local press and local, or even national, media. To find out how Diocesan Communications can help YOUR parish, school or charity, with FREE Communications Training and publicity, please visit the Communications pages of this website, and select ‘How Communications can help you’. ***
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