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Spirituality in our Parish
'Lord, teach us to pray.' - our Parish Retreat days focusing on The Lord's Prayer continue at Myddelton Grange on Saturday June 23rd. This is Day 2 ('Hallowed be thy name...') of a sequence to be spread over 2 years. Guest facilitators Paul Sutherland (Poet) and Afifa Ematullah (Poet, Artist & Calligrapher) will share with us their Sufi (Islamic) spiritual practice of praying the names of Allah. For further information click here or see leaflets available in each OLK church. Please book your place by May 14th or asap.
Places are limited to a maximum number, with a waiting list in case of cancellations. Everyone is very welcome at these Retreat days which offer time to be still - time apart to be with God. Material for reflection and creative prayer is provided by experienced Retreat guides and guest speakers/facilitators. Previous participants have described these Retreats as 'inspiring', 'peaceful', 'refreshing', and have enjoyed the fellowship with other people. Further dates for this sequence in 2012 are September 8th, November 17th.
Why Spirituality? click here
Fr Chris Angel's Talk
This was the latest event in the Ours lady of Kirkstall Parish Spirituality Programme and was well attended by about 45 parishioners from our 3 churches.
A special invitation had been given to those exercising the Ministry of Reader in our parish - many of whom attended, along with other parishioners who took up this opportunity to discover much more about the familiar Gospel story. Fr Chris gave a fascinating talk, which was deeply spiritual as well as being very informative, and held the wrapt attention of all present for the full two hours of the session. We hope that we will be able to have the benefit of his input again at some future date. Not to be missed!
Cubs at Curly Hill Camp.
The Cubs recently enjoyed a weekend away, with a weekend away at Curly Hill, Ilkley.
They enjoyed various activities over the weekend including a 3 mile Hike, Swimming and a visit to a Toy Museum.
The Cubs also attended Mass at Scared Heart Church on the Sunday morning as well as having some free time in the town and by the river in Ilkley.
The Devil Today
Click here to link to resources including the full text of Fr Pat's talk, and much other related material.
The second Gospel Night held at St.Mary's was another succesful and very enjoyable occasion of music and prayer. The congregation were treated to hymns, sung by representatives from our three schools, together with the music groups of St.Mary's and the Assumption. The evening was rounded off with gospel music from the Holy Name Gospel band.
Our Lady of Kirkstall - Parish of Sanctuary
October 8th has been designated as the Patronal Feast Day of the Parish of Our Lady of Kirkstall, established by Bishop Arthur on the Feast of the Assumption (August 15th) 2010.
The Feast was celebrated this year by a special event in the premises of the Holy Name of Jesus, one of the three churches constituting the new Parish – the others being the Assumption of Lady (Spen Lane), and St Mary’s (Horsforth). The celebration comprised a Service followed by a Social gathering to initiate the process of establishing Our Lady of Kirkstall as a ‘Parish of Sanctuary’.
The Sanctuary Movement is a national enterprise which seeks to build a culture of respect and hospitality in our cities for people who have come to the UK seeking safety and the opportunity to build their lives anew. Several cities are already participants in this movement and Leeds is in the process of becoming one. The aim is to create a network of organisations making our city more welcoming and fair for all. Schools and churches are among such organisations and on our Patronal Feast the parishioners of Our Lady of Kirkstall were invited to become involved.
The Service in the church comprised Scripture readings and prayers with musical contributions by pupils from the three primary schools of Holy Name, St Mary’s, and the Sacred Heart, and a visual sequence about the origins and development of the City of Sanctuary Movement. A drama - Asylum Dialogues – told the moving story of one individual asylum seeker - and thereby revealed the serious difficulties faced by many others who seek safety and new beginnings for themselves and their families in this country.
Asylum Dialogues was presented by actors from ‘Ice and Fire’, the outreach project of Actors for Human Rights, a network of more than 500 professional actors dedicated to drawing attention to contemporary human rights concerns.
After the Service everyone moved across to the church hall where a cold buffet of food and drinks had been prepared by those of our parishioners who have come from different parts of the world to live in this locality. Everyone was startled to discover from how many countries our parishioners have come (35!), and all enjoyed meeting each other and sampling the great variety of dishes on offer!
To facilitate the holding of the special Service in the church, arrangements were made to hold the regular Vigil Mass in Holy Name Primary School over the road, and a good number who attended that Mass came across afterwards to join the social event in the hall.
Our thanks go to the pupils and staff of the three schools, to Ice and Fire, and to all who planned and took part in this happy event - which increased our awareness of the composition of our local Catholic community and reminded us of the Gospel challenge to welcome the stranger and respond generously to the needs of the poorest among us.
Jews and Christians gather to remember the victims of the Holocaust
Singing that raised the roof?
The OLK parish celebrate the first mass for 400 years in Kirkstall Abbey.
Our three churches, together with Bishop Arthur, celebrated an historic event on Sunday when Mass was held for the first time in the Abbey for centuries. Spirits weren't dampened by the odd spot of rain on this joyous occasion as all sections of the parish came together in this celebration, with parades by the uniformed organisation and confirmation group. Music was performed and sung by musicians from all three churches, the event finishing with many picnicking together in the grounds of the Abbey.
To download the Bishops Homily Click Here (pfd) (Word)
To see more photos of the Kirkstall Abbey event on the Catholic Post website click here
The Adel Ladies and SM Ladies Group get together
The two ladies groups in the Parish from Adel and St. Mary's had a first get together evening and everyone seemed to have an enjoyable evening.
NEED HELP WITH YOUR SHOPPING?
A mini bus will pick up anywhere in Horsforth, take you to Morrisons, leave you to shop then return you to your home, every Friday morning. Round trip only £2. Ring John Hardcastle on 2587451.
To find out more about the imagery in the new stained glass windows on the sanctuary of the parish church (Holy Name) click here.
Our Lady of Kirkstall - A prayer for the Parish Formation (click here)
Safeguarding
Bishops Letter on Safeguarding can be downloaded here
The masthead is based on this view of the parish......
Thomas Girtin, Kirkstall Abbey, a watercolour
Yorkshire, England, AD 1800
This watercolour is signed and dated 1800, late in Girtin's career. A ruined abbey is set in a wide valley through which the River Aire meanders. In the background are hills and clumps of trees crowned by a typical English summer sky of moody clouds. In the foreground, a few farmers go about their work. Individual elements often regarded as 'picturesque' are treated with unexpected grandeur and seriousness.
The landscape appears unconfined, with the suggestion of great distances extending both to the sides and to the far horizon. Yet the viewer is drawn to focus on the white stones of the ruined abbey and the river which bends at this point, its water lit, the left bank in shadow. This effect of light and shade (chiaroscuro) is reinforced by the clouds which are dark and light, broken up by the clear blue sky and sunlight.
Thomas Girtin (1775-1802) and J.M.W.Turner, born in the same year, knew each other well. Both artists painted fine watercolours of English cathedrals and antiquities. Between 1793 and 1795 they worked side by side, copying watercolours by John Robert Cozens, learning from his subtleties of mood and technique. Girtin toured England on sketching trips, the tones of his watercolours developing from the cool grey blues of Cozens to his won warm browns and reds. He dies at the early age of twenty-seven, described by his contemporary, Joseph Farington (1747-1821) as 'a genius'.
J. Rowlands, Master drawings and watercolou (London, The British Museum Press, 1984)
L. Stainton, British landscape watercolours (London, The British Museum Press, 1985)
D. Hill, Thomas Girtin: genius in the N (Harewood House, Leeds, 1999)
(There is no sign of Cookridge tower on top of the hill! But interestingly it depicts the area of the new parish of Our Lady of Kirkstall rising up from the Aire valley - it hasn't changed a bit!).
