The tradition of school children in the Diocese supporting Father Hudson’s Society during Lent started almost 100 years ago. Historically one of the Society’s most successful fundraising sources was the collection of pennies from the school children of the Diocese during Lent, which was handed over at Coleshill on Good Shepherd Sunday. By the Second World War this collection was bringing in more than three times as much as the Annual Collection in parishes.
Traditionally the collections were handed over at Coleshill on Good Shepherd Sunday. In recent years Masses have been held during the week at churches around the Diocese. This has enabled far more schools to participate. This year the Masses took place at Blessed Dominic Barberi, Oxford, Holy Family Coventry, St. Michael’s Wolverhampton, St. George’s Worcester, Our Lady of the Angels and St. Peter in Chains Stoke – on Trent with two Masses in St. Chad’s Cathedral as the number wanting to attend the Birmingham Mass now vastly exceeds the maximum capacity of the Cathedral. Father Hudson’s Society is extremely grateful to the Parish Priests and their parishioners and to Canon Pat Browne and the Cathedral staff for their hospitality and much valued help with the Masses. They received a wonderful welcome at all the Masses. The increased number of Good Shepherd Masses has placed extra demands on our Bishops and Father Hudson’s Society is extremely grateful to them for their support. They expressed particular thanks to Fr. Brendan Carrick, Dean of Wolverhampton who kindly stood in as Celebrant for Bishop David Mc Gough at the Wolverhampton Mass when all the Bishops were at Westminster for Archbishop Vincent Nichol’s Installation. Also to Bishop Phillip Pargeter who stood in for Archbishop Nichols as Celebrant at Worcester despite being celebrant at the two Birmingham Masses the following day.
The music provided by the schools was of an extremely high standard at every Mass. It is wonderful to witness the musical talent of the children in our schools and the dedication of their teachers for training them to reach such a high standard. The beauty of the music certainly enhanced the Masses.
We look forward to the success of the 2009 Good Shepherd Masses being emulated in 2010
