Then again, I expect what Sue meant to report was that one thousand gathered FOR the celebration of mass.

Mind you in the post-Vatican II era where priestly con-celebration of mass is so commonplace, and laity and religious (and no doubt some priests also), ferret about the sacred space of the sanctuary mostly careless (perhaps, even unbelieving) of the Real Presence in the tabernacle, nothing surprises.

Is it any wonder parishes are in decline and priestly and religious vocations are but a fraction of what they were in the 1950’s and 1960’s.

Let’s not kid ourselves here: amalgamation is actually a tragic outcome of what we as Catholics have lost and/or abandoned over recent years. What we are presently witnessing/experiencing, therefore, is nothing short of a shameful process in contraction and reduction.

From the top down, it’s time we all (no-one is exempt from this challenge) re-connected with the essentials – the unchanging truths – of our Catholic faith and put them into practice at every opportunity. Nothing else matters.