Fr Ben Hilton

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The parish was blessed indeed to be able to host our new priest, Fr Ben Hilton, as he offered Mass in St Joseph’s on Monday evening.  He was joined by seminarians from Rome, his brother, Fr Josh, and many priests from diverse places such as Durham, Salford, Australia, HM Armed Forces and Castleford!  Our Parish Priest was the Master of Ceremonies, guiding Fr Ben through the rubrics of the Mass and keeping us all in order (i.e. bossing us around…again!)  After Mass, Fr Ben gave his ‘First Blessing’ and greeted people at the fabulous spread in the hall.  Thank you to all who worked so hard behind the scenes (in so many different ways) to make Monday evening yet another triumph!

 “Despite the apocalyptic downpour, last Sunday’s parish Party was a great success: all the food was eaten and all the children went home already bathed for bed! Thank you to all those people who worked so hard behind the scenes to make it a lovely occasion for all who attended. Fr Simon refutes the claim that his luck had run out (after 6 years of glorious party weather). He maintains: “Luck has nothing to do with it. I asked the Good Lord for sun and He sent it: before and after the feast! He has taught me to be a little more specific in my requests in future!! You live and learn.” - Fr Simon

"On the 4th Sunday of Easter, some of our beautiful young people were led by Jesus, the Good Shepherd, to the foot of the altar and were fed at the table of their Heavenly Father for the first time.  May they receive all the blessings of heaven and, in their turn, shepherd many a wandering soul to the threshold of heaven" - Fr Simon