Dear Parishioners,

The following brief report appeared in last week’s Tablet:

The number of British adults who identify as Christian has risen for the second year while the number who say they have no religion has declined.
Figures from NatCen’s British Social Attitudes survey showed that the number of Catholics rose from 8 per cent to 9 per cent last year, the level it was last at in 2002.
This caused the figure for Christians to rise from 43 per cent of the population to 44 per cent. This coincides with a slight fall in the number of those who identify themselves as having no religion, from 49 to 48 per cent. This is the second year it has fallen. The decline of these so-called “nones” is most pronounced among the under 45’s.
The percentage of adult members of religions other than Christian has remained at 8 per cent.

Ian Simpson, senior researcher at NatCen said: “It appears that the steady decline of religion in Britain has come to a halt, at least for the moment.”

But my quote of the week is from Pope Francis who, when addressing two million youth in Poland, advised them to speak to their grandparents to cultivate a ‘memory’ of their identity, of who they really are. How true! Up until a generation or so ago, Lancashire Catholics had a clear identity of who they were. Today most of our kids have little idea of who they are, their history and the faith their forebears suffered to preserve against all the odds.

This year’s RCIA course will begin after the holidays, next month. The RCIA is an introduction to Catholicism and is of interest to those wishing to learn more about the faith, or who may have missed making their First Communion, or those who wish to join the Church or are simply curious about what makes Catholic tick! If you have a friend who may be interested but possibly shy to come along, then do please consider inviting them and accompanying them to at least the initial session.

Fr John