Middlesbrough Diocese: A Crisis of Spiritual Deafness

Ella and James Preece are a Catholic couple living in Kingston Upon Hull in Yorkshire in the UK. This is our blog.

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Middlesbrough Diocese: A Crisis of Spiritual Deafness

Blogged by James Preece on 6th May 2009

Last Sunday was the "World Day of Prayer for Vocations to Priesthood and to the Consecrated Life" and our Bishop sent out a pastoral letter to mark the occasion. Yes, that's right. It was Bishop Terence Drainey who wrote:

I would say that the secular and spiritual climate generated by our culture is not favourable to these vocations, nor do they nurture a free and mature response to the call. Here I am not just talking about the wider society; I am talking about the Church, and the particular Church in this diocese of Middlesbrough.

Damning words, but he didn't stop there. He also wrote...

why are we talking about a vocation’s crisis?

...

The crisis, if there is one, is of lack of response, spiritual deafness, lack of trust in God’s providence and an inability to recognise the values of the Kingdom of God in our world.

Ouch!

Combine those two statements and you have stunning indictment of our diocese. A crisis of spiritual deafness, of lack of trust, of an inability to recognise the values of the Kingdom of God. A culture that is not favourable to vocations. Not the secular culture of the world we live in, but the culture in this diocese.

If this was your house, you would have to sell it as an "investment opportunity". Somebody would need to rip out all the floors, re-wire the electrics and re-plaster the walls. Whole thing will have to be redone. It would certainly require drastic action.

I wonder what he will do?

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Reader Comments

kate said...

Sounds like Bishop Drainey has taken a good hard and honest look at things; maybe he will take a leaf out of PO'D's book and produce a 'Fit for Mission: Vocations to the Priesthood and Religious Life.'

Ttony said...

Ouch!

I've been following the calendar - prayers have started!

Ella said...

"Feeling ultra snuggly"... that is not quite how I would phrase it!

paul green said...

Well James I am sure you are just the man to sort it all out.

Go on, get blogging.

James said...

It's the culture unfavourable to vocations in action! Thanks for the demonstration Paul.

You are absolutely correct, wherever there is some challenging task to be done in the world God will definitely not call people to do it and He will certainly never choose the weak to shame the strong or fools to shame the wise. Nope. You have it spot on.

Little people such as myself should know our place, God only works through Bishops and Kings. I should go back to my Super Mario.

Thanks for the advice!

Mark Dobson said...

Now that is a tidy little retort.

-1

paul green said...

So you have been 'called' to sort out the diocese, yeah? To 'shame' them?

James we have met before and you seem like a nice guy. But you are just a guy who has made a blog. A well made blog certainly, but it's just a blog.

I apologise if my posts of late have been angry. I haven't made myself that clear. Instead I resorted to sarcasm which is never productive.

What I have been trying to communicate is that you seem to think you have a divine calling to be far more than just a guy who knows how to design a website and then complain from behind the safety of his broadband connection.

I know the diocese have long since stopped seeing your blog as anything more than amusing. It has caused concern in the past but it doesn't anymore.

I am positive you have a calling in life, but I doubt that this is it. There are better ways to change the world. I don't know what I'm suggesting to you. That's for you to decide. But 'called' to 'shame' them? James, come on!

Mark Dobson said...

I'm pretty sure the Church teaches that everyone has a divine calling far superior to website design, and that, in a sense, we are all called to "sort out" the diocese as part of the universal vocation to holiness.

Of course, you are certainly entitled to suggest better ways of doing this, though I'm not sure what your criticism achieves.

kate said...

Paul: you are missing the point; it is the Bishop of this diocese who has commented about the culture of vocations within his own diocese. James has just reported the Bishop's comments.

To the Blessed Virgin Prayer for England

O Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God and our most gentle Queen and Mother, look down in mercy upon England thy "Dowry" and upon us all who greatly hope and trust in thee.

By thee it was that Jesus our Saviour and our hope was given unto the world; and He has given thee to us that we might hope still more.

Plead for us thy children, whom thou didst receive and accept at the foot of the cross.

O sorrowful Mother! intercede for our separated brethren, that with us in the one true fold they may be united to the supreme Shepherd, the Vicar of thy Son.

Pray for us all, dear Mother, that by faith fruitful in good works we may all deserve to see and praise God, together with thee, in our heavenly home.

Amen.

Couple's Prayer

O God, our heavenly Father, protect and bless us. Deepen and strengthen our love for each other day by day.

Grant that by thy mercy, neither of us may ever say one unkind word to the other. Forgive and correct our faults, and make us constantly to forgive one another should one of us unconsciously hurt the other.

Make us and keep us sound and well in body, alert in mind, tender in heart, and devout in spirit. O Lord, grant us each to rise to the other's best. Then, we pray thee, add to our common life such virtues as only thou canst give.

And so, O Father, consecrate our life and love completely to thy worship, and to the service of all about us, especially those whom thou hast appointed us to serve, that we may always stand before thee in happiness and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

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