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St Gerard's Relics 300th...June Diocese of Clifton...

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JUNE

MONDAY 1ST: YEOVIL, HOLY GHOST: 6PM MASS

TUESDAY 2ND: GLOUCESTER, ST PETER: 7PM MASS

WEDNESDAY 3RD: SWINDON, ST MARY: 6PM MASS

FRIDAY 5TH: SALISBURY, ST OSMUND: 6PM MASS

SATURDAY 6TH: BRISTOL, ST GERARD: 12 NOON MASS (WITH BISHOP BOSCO)

Mission in St Mary's the Mount in Walsall...

Fr Peter Morris CSsR reports on a recent mission,

"It was a privilege to preach a Parish Mission in St Mary's the Mount in Walsall, to prepare the parish for their 200 year Jubilee celebration.

I was accompanied by Fr Kieran Brady, CSsR and Fr Gideon Sidinga, CSsR.

Parish Priest Fr Jobin Kollapallil, SDV was delighted with the week's activities.

We were hosted by the Vocationist community (2nd picture L to R):

Fr Roberto Ciardo, Fr Jobin Kollapallil, Fr Christogonus Ugwuakposim, Fr Fabien Ramiandrisoa, Br Fixer"

cssr mission st marys the mount in walsall

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ARCHBISHOP SHERRINGTON'S HOMILY...

AT THE VOTIVE MASS OF ST GERARD MAJELLA C.SS.R

Thank you to Archbishop Sherrington for allowing us to reproduce the homily he gave on 25th April as part of the votive Mass of St Gerard.

VOTIVE MASS OF ST GERARD MAJELLA

25 April 2026

Bishop Eton, Liverpool

DayinhonourofSGerard 43 My brother’s name is Michael Gerard, his name comes from the prayers offered by my grandmother because my mother had difficult pregnancies. I am sure this resonates with many gathered here today and the many prayers have been offered for difficult pregnancies. St Gerard is a popular saint. The incident from St Gerard’s short life that led to this devotion was the occasion when a young girl noticed he had dropped his handkerchief. When she handed him the handkerchief, he told her to keep it, in case she needed it one day. Years later she was enduring a painful pregnancy and both she and the child were in danger of death. She remembered the handkerchief and prayed to St Gerard and immediately she recovered and gave birth to a healthy child. His cult began to spread rapidly and continues today.

The first lesson from our saint’s life is the mystery of intercession of the saints in heaven for us because we are all part of the Body of Christ. We can connect in prayer, on earth, with the souls in purgatory on their way to heaven, and with the saints in heaven. The saints are our intercessors.

Today we celebrate the 300^th anniversary of the birth of St Gerard Majella, born on 6^th April 1726. He was born in southern Italy into poverty, the youngest of five children. When he was only 12, his father died, and so even at that young age he became the family breadwinner, supporting his mother, Benedetta, and his three sisters and brother. He was apprenticed to a tailor and worked with him for four years although he was bullied by the foreman. After four years he then took the job of servant to the Bishop of Lacedonia, who it is reported was also a bully! When he died, Gerard, at the age of 19, went back to Muro and set himself up as a tailor, but by now he was beginning to think seriously about a religious vocation. He was a man of deep faith and showed love of the Lord and Our Lady. He cared for others and was generous towards others, therefore never making much money.

At the age of 21, during Lent, he resolved to imitate Christ as closely as possible. He then offered himself to the Capuchins, who turned him down. Soon a Redemptorist Mission came to Muro and he pleaded with the superior of the mission to accept him. He too tried to turn him down on account of his poor health, but his determination was such that although his mother locked him in the house, he tied some sheets together and escaped, chasing after the missionary priests and being accepted. Fr Cafaro sent him to the community at Deliceto with the famous letter: “I’m sending you another brother, who will be useless as far as work is concerned…” How wrong he was!

Two years later he took his first vows and became a much loved and wonderful worker in the communities where he was sent. He died of tuberculosis only three years later at the age of 29.

Bishop Eton marks St Gerard's 300th Anniversary of birth...


Leaflets, postcards and prayer cards available on the day.	View from our streaming camera of the sanctuary	St Joseph's altar

The 'viral' painting of St Gerard, his relics, Fr Tim, St Alphonsus and the lady chapel	One of the roller banners accompanying the relics on their UK tour.	St Gerard's shrine

Adoration image from our streaming camera.	The relics, 'viral' painting and a second roller banner	Flowers in St Gerard's shrine

St Gerard's shrine was resplendant with flowers lovingly arranged by our Lay Associates The Icon with the handkerchief was written by a parishioner, memorialising one of the miracles attributed to St Gerard.

Postcards and prayer cards	Fr Tim with the relics, 'viral' painting and the medals he was to bless being watched over by St Alphonsus

The stole Fr Tim is wearing - has an embroidered image of St Gerard - which was commissioned for this year

Chapter 5 Autumn Memoirs of St Alphonsus...

Follow Alphonsus' adventure as 'he' recounts his memoirs...

Secretariat for New Missionary Initiatives in Europe...

The newly established Secretariat for New Missionary Initiatives in Europe gathered for the first time in Kaunas, Lithuania, from Wednesday 22nd to Friday 24th April, hosted warmly by the local Redemptorist community.

The secretariat is comprised of four priests drawn from across Europe: Fr. Laureano del Otero Sevillano (from Spain, based in Ciorani, Italy), Fr. Pedro Lopez (from Spain, based in Porto, Portugal), Fr. Rastislav Dluhý (from Slovakia, based in Kaunas, Lithuania), and Fr. Peter Morris (from Scotland, based in London, England).

300 Years of Gerard Majella...

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To celebrate the 300th anniversary of St Gerard Majella, a nationwide tour of his relics has been organised across England and Wales by Fr. Royston Price, CSsR., of the London Province throughout 2026. This significant celebration brings the saint’s presence to multiple dioceses, offering the faithful an opportunity for prayer, reflection, and devotion. Highlights of the tour, including photos, videos, and recorded testimonies, are being shared on Instagram via @stgerard300.

The relics are visiting 11 dioceses, with the involvement of several diocesan bishops. Among the confirmed stages of the tour are stops in the dioceses of Brentwood, Leeds, Middlesbrough, and Plymouth between 19 January and 13 February 2026.

Gerard, Saint of Holy Meekness...

Here in the London Province we have a new hymn dedicated to St Gerard as we celebrate his 300th birthday!

The hymn is the work of Fr Edward Hauschild, a Priest of the Portsmouth Diocese.

It is sung to any 8787D hymn metre.

Ch 4 Autumn Memoirs of St Alphonsus...

Weekend reading with St Alphonsus Liguori - his Autumn Memoirs!

Fr James Casey CSsR RIP Requiem 30iv2026...

j casey funeral mass

The Requiem Mass for Fr James Casey CSsR RIP

was streamed yesterday and can seen at the link.

fr j casey cssr rip

Homily

Rev’d Fr James Casey CSsR RIP

I can’t believe that I am here preaching at this funeral. I know he was 92 years old and I could see him becoming frailer on each visit but somehow I thought we’d always have Fr Jim Casey CSsR always by our side.

The news of his death has gone worldwide - I know his family are spread in various places around the World - but he was a former Secretary General who served for a long time in Rome. The news literally went world wide as confreres in our 82 countries learnt of Fr Jim’s departure from this life to the Father’s house. When we Redemptorists die, our name is written on a piece of paper called the Officilia and that is sent to every province in the world, a thing that Fr Jim did for hundreds of Redemptorists, but if you are a well known figure you get your picture and story on the internet. I am saying all of this on purpose as some of you may not know the grandness of the man we are celebrating today!