Fr Clement sends his Greetings and Blessings to everyone.
Having served for eight years as pastor and priest in charge of Bourne and Deeping Catholic Parish in Lincolnshire, I have just arrived in Leicestershire to serve as parish priest for Syston and Sileby Catholic Parishes. As a new resident in Syston, I truly feel that every place and person is unique and different! The people who live over here are not exactly the same as the people who live in Bourne and Deeping where I have been working. Without taking anything and anyone for granted, I am very much aware how important it is to learn from and listen to people’s unique needs, experiences and priorities. Listening is a key message/mission that I feel I have been tasked to carry out in Syston and Sileby Catholic Parishes! To highlight this point, one of the Bourne and Deeping Parishioners gave me a statue depicting “a listening mouse” as my farewell gift. I was amazed and pleasantly surprised. To some creatures, “listening” is the most essential weapon they have to defend themselves against the aggressor. Extremely good listening skills lead them to make good judgements. This little statue is sitting in my lounge by the television. It is now my quiet room where I retire for silence and peace! I do not want the television to take over most of my time and life. I pray that the graces of the holy Advent and Christmas seasons will help us all to be good listeners.
On a friendly note, I would like to send my heartfelt and sincere greetings and good wishes to everyone who lives in this part of Leicestershire. If and when we meet, please say to me JAMBO (in Kenya, my country of origin, this means hello or greetings). I send Special Blessings to all Catholics who live within the Catholic Parishes of Syston and Sileby including those parishioners who, for some reason, have not been able to attend the Sunday Eucharistic Mass for some time. My heart and prayers go out for them, particularly for those who may be going through any form of struggle or difficulty. I would like to start visiting these our brothers and sisters as a sign that we have missed them and that we are praying for them. The aim of my visit is to personally give them my greetings and blessings as their new priest.
I am sincerely grateful to everyone for the warm and kind welcome I have received ever since I arrived. I am very touched by a number of parishioners who consistently turn up “to do good things” and support my pastoral work. As we begin to meet in or outside the Eucharistic services, may I assure everyone of my genuine openness to know you and serve you with love. There is always some change when people who do not know each other meet for a common mission. In this context, my meeting and encounter with you is to support our spiritual wellbeing especially our Christ-given task to spread and proclaim the Gospel within and beyond our boundaries.
I am well aware how much people loved Fr. Anthony Pateman and how it was hoped he were able to stay in Syston and Sileby parishes much longer. As a sign of our gratitude for his good work over the years, please let us remember him in our prayers so that he may have a happy and peaceful retirement.
I am deeply sorry to have left the people of Bourne and Deeping parish, my home for the last 8 years, and I will miss the people there. They made me feel very special and I felt very much loved. As they promised me, I trust the prayers of my former parishioners will come with me as I take on the task of looking after and supporting people’s spiritual needs in Syston and Sileby. I am already feeling at home over here and am truly grateful for the support and prayers of the people in both parishes.
All I ask of you, please, is that you may be able to remember me in your prayers. Thank you very much and may God richly bless you.
Having served for eight years as pastor and priest in charge of Bourne and Deeping Catholic Parish in Lincolnshire, I have just arrived in Leicestershire to serve as parish priest for Syston and Sileby Catholic Parishes. As a new resident in Syston, I truly feel that every place and person is unique and different! The people who live over here are not exactly the same as the people who live in Bourne and Deeping where I have been working. Without taking anything and anyone for granted, I am very much aware how important it is to learn from and listen to people’s unique needs, experiences and priorities. Listening is a key message/mission that I feel I have been tasked to carry out in Syston and Sileby Catholic Parishes! To highlight this point, one of the Bourne and Deeping Parishioners gave me a statue depicting “a listening mouse” as my farewell gift. I was amazed and pleasantly surprised. To some creatures, “listening” is the most essential weapon they have to defend themselves against the aggressor. Extremely good listening skills lead them to make good judgements. This little statue is sitting in my lounge by the television. It is now my quiet room where I retire for silence and peace! I do not want the television to take over most of my time and life. I pray that the graces of the holy Advent and Christmas seasons will help us all to be good listeners.
On a friendly note, I would like to send my heartfelt and sincere greetings and good wishes to everyone who lives in this part of Leicestershire. If and when we meet, please say to me JAMBO (in Kenya, my country of origin, this means hello or greetings). I send Special Blessings to all Catholics who live within the Catholic Parishes of Syston and Sileby including those parishioners who, for some reason, have not been able to attend the Sunday Eucharistic Mass for some time. My heart and prayers go out for them, particularly for those who may be going through any form of struggle or difficulty. I would like to start visiting these our brothers and sisters as a sign that we have missed them and that we are praying for them. The aim of my visit is to personally give them my greetings and blessings as their new priest.
I am sincerely grateful to everyone for the warm and kind welcome I have received ever since I arrived. I am very touched by a number of parishioners who consistently turn up “to do good things” and support my pastoral work. As we begin to meet in or outside the Eucharistic services, may I assure everyone of my genuine openness to know you and serve you with love. There is always some change when people who do not know each other meet for a common mission. In this context, my meeting and encounter with you is to support our spiritual wellbeing especially our Christ-given task to spread and proclaim the Gospel within and beyond our boundaries.
I am well aware how much people loved Fr. Anthony Pateman and how it was hoped he were able to stay in Syston and Sileby parishes much longer. As a sign of our gratitude for his good work over the years, please let us remember him in our prayers so that he may have a happy and peaceful retirement.
I am deeply sorry to have left the people of Bourne and Deeping parish, my home for the last 8 years, and I will miss the people there. They made me feel very special and I felt very much loved. As they promised me, I trust the prayers of my former parishioners will come with me as I take on the task of looking after and supporting people’s spiritual needs in Syston and Sileby. I am already feeling at home over here and am truly grateful for the support and prayers of the people in both parishes.
All I ask of you, please, is that you may be able to remember me in your prayers. Thank you very much and may God richly bless you.
