“In the days of Thanksgiving one psalm let us offer, for the saints who before us have found their reward…

 These stones that have echoed their praises are holy and dear is the ground where their feet have once trod”

How the words of this hymn are at this time so appropriate for St Hilda’s, as on the 17th of this month we celebrate the anniversary of our Dedication.

In October 1904 Bishop Knox consecrated St Hilda’s and therefore  in 2021 we shall be celebrating  117 years of service in God’s Name to the people of Prestwich.

St Hilda’s has stood as a bastion of Faith through all those years and we continue today to provide a haven of Welcome and Worship.

The memory of the Dedication reminds us of the debt that we owe to all those parishioners who through the intervening years have helped to preserve and pass on this wonderful heritage. It is our duty to continue this and to ensure that it is always there for the generations still to come.

On Sunday 17th at the Solemn High Mass, along with Canon Denby, I shall be giving thanks for all the blessings that we have received and praying that St Hilda’s  will be always a Beacon of Light and Hope as it continues to serve the needs of our Parish, our Children and  the Community around us.

God Bless

Where has this year gone? Here we are at the start of the season of Autumn as days begin to shorten and we see nature losing its vibrant summer colours and starting to dress in glorious reds and browns.

This is a month when we think of angels, those beings who stand around the throne of God in constant praise and who have the role of messengers of the Almighty. Remember in Jacob’s dream of how he saw a ladder reaching up to heaven with angels carrying messages constantly ascending and descending between heaven and earth.

Chief among the angels are the Archangels, each with a special role. We remember in particular Michael the Warrior who drove Lucifer from heaven, Gabriel the Messenger who brought the wonderful Message to Mary, Raphael the angel of Healing and Uriel, not so well known, the angel of Light. 

In our Sunday Mass we agree to praise God along with the Angels and Archangels.

We each have been given a Guardian Angel, who has the task of protecting us and to whom we can and should turn for help when the problems of everyday life are getting us down.

Let us pray that all the school children and students  who this month  are making a fresh start in new schools, colleges and universities, are given the courage and wisdom to succeed in and enjoy whatever the future holds for them.

God Bless