Catholic Life
Address: St. Norbert’s Priory
Fieldside
Crowle
North Lincolnshire
DN17 4HL
Phone No. 01724 844895
Website: www.stnorbertscrowle.org.uk
Facebook: www.facebook.com/stnorbertscrowle
Bishop Patrick’s Spiritual Themes
In Bishop Patrick’s 2018 Pastoral Letter, he asked the entire Diocese of Nottingham to consider three themes:
ENCOUNTER, DISCIPLESHIP and MISSIONARY DISCIPLESHIP.
“First of all, ENCOUNTER: I would like to ensure that people of all ages in our parishes, schools, and chaplaincies are helped to discover, or discover more deeply, the importance of a personal ENCOUNTER with Christ; so that they can become convinced that they are each loved by God and are invited to grow in their relationship with him. In particular I would like to see the development of times of Eucharistic Adoration in our parishes, schools and chaplaincies.
Secondly, DISCIPLESHIP: because of that personal encounter with Christ, I would like to encourage each of us to hear and respond to his invitation to be his DISCIPLES, to follow him more closely, and to seek to serve him generously in our daily lives.
Thirdly, MISSIONARY DISCIPLESHIP: that, with a greater recognition of, and openness to, the help, guidance and inspiration of the Holy Spirit, we can all become MISSIONARY DISCIPLES; faith-filled, joyful and outward-looking Christians who are growing in confidence to speak humbly of the difference that knowing Christ makes to our lives, and who bear witness to His love in our service of our brothers and
sisters, especially those most in need. The service to which Christ calls us is always the action of the Holy Spirit working in us.”
Right Reverend Patrick Joseph McKinney, Bishop of Nottingham
From Advent 2023 the focus will be changed slightly to align with the 2025 Papal Jubilee.
Since the ‘Years’ don’t quite align with the calendar years, the three Spiritual Themes will begin and end to coincide with the Jubilee, so that:
Year of Preparation & Prayer – Encounter – First Sunday of Advent (3rd December 2023) – Christmas Eve morning (24th December 2024)
Year of Jubilee 2025 – Discipleship – Christmas Eve evening (24th December 2024) – Epiphany (6th January 2026)
Year of Thanksgiving – Missionary Discipleship – Post-Epiphany (7th January 2026) – end of ordinary time (28th November 2026)