HAPPY NEW YEAR! Thank you so much to all the lovely well-wishers who have sent messages of greeting and encouragement in the past week or so. Each is very greatly appreciated. I do believe that there is a great “fellowship of the web” and that there’s huge goodwill and goodness generated by countless people of goodwill who, in sharing experiences and reflection, some similar to mine and some vastly different, are pushing at the boundaries of what humankind can achieve together.

That people in Africa, Australia, Canada, China, all over Europe, New Zealand and the USA express regular interest and words of encouragement to an ordinary parish priest about his day to day celebration of life here in the North West of England is something that touches me deeply. I wish for family and friends far and near a happy, healthy and blessed new year. May there be many things that “lighten our darkness, we beseech thee, O Lord”. And may our hopes and aspirations include love and peace for all humankind. Again, thanks be to God, thank you to family and friends, and happy new year.