Chanting in the Church Car Park

As I sat in the Presbytery on Friday afternoon I could hear singing - chanting - coming from somewhere. Near the Church. In the Car Park ...




... it proved to be six members of trhe Ethiopean Orthodox Church which meet in our Church each Sunday afternoon. All in their early twenties, thousands of miles from home, singing in the car park of a English Catholic Parish Church in the City Centre of Stoke-on-Trent, a former mining and pottery city, struggling with the many problems of urban life.

How remarkable. How wonderful!

You Raise me up (Hymn to the Sacred Heart)

When I am down, and O my soul so weary
When troubles come and my heart burdened be
Then I am still and wait here in the silence
Until you come and sit awhile with me.

You raise me up so I can stand on mountains
You raise me up to walk on stormy seas
I am strong when I am on your shoulders
You raise me up: to more than I can be.

There is no life, no life without its hunger;
each restless heart beats so imperfectly;
but when I kneel and gaze on you with wonder,
its then I know eternity's with me.

There is much sadness in the world around me
so many suffer and yearn to be free
your Sacred Heart bleeds for all those who need thee
and looks with mercy on their misery

So many questions longing for an answer
so many prayers are uttered silently
your Sacred Heart will carry all my burdens
as they were borne upon the cross for me

I know my handwriting is bad, but ...

... I received this morning a notification from TV Licensing of a Direct Debit Instruction, for Mr S H Hamey, or in full, Mr Sared Heard Hamey - not - as it should have been - Sacred Heart Hanley.