A coachload of parishioners set out for Hyning Hall early on the Feast of the English Martyrs (4th May), propitious, since the day had a focus on discipleship: what it means to be one and how we can make more. 

Led by our Parish Priest, Fr Philip, we prayed the Rosary on the coach, placing the day under the patronage of Mary who, as Pope St. Paul VI taught, is the first and most perfect of Christ’s disciples. The day included presentations by Fr Philip and a team of lay speakers drawn from our parish; testimonies from several lay people, including two received into the Church this Easter; group discussion and time for prayer and worship. Powerful points were made by our speakers. Discipleship is a calling, the baseline and core substance of all Christian vocation. It also brings the joy and privilege of being called friends by Jesus (John 15:15). We were shown an image of Noah’s ark which had been drawn by Fr Philip for a previous parish vision-setting session. It showed stylised figures, drawn so that they could be flowing either into or out of the ark, reminding us that the Church exists for all and is called to go and make all nations Christ’s disciples. One speaker reminded us of the scale of the challenge we face in making disciples in the West: ours, he said, is not so much an age of change as a change of age. We are confronted by a secular culture, where many have long since lost the language and memory of faith. The testimonies lifted our spirits and were deeply moving. Several spoke of finding faith despite its total absence in their family background and upbringing, reminding us that with God all is possible and that we should trust in Christ’s promised gift of the Holy Spirit.

The day concluded with prayer, the laying on of hands and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. The sense of the Holy Spirit at work was evident throughout the day. We saw signs of His presence all around: in lives wonderfully changed, in longstanding Christians eager to learn more about their faith and to share their journey with others; above all in the visible manifestation of growth and renewal in our parish community.