Pastoral letter on the theme of sin and reconciliation.
Clark, Alan Charles Rev DD (1919-2002)[Letter found in the Encyclical]
"Dear Fr Peacock, The dog cart will do very well. I shall arrive on Saturday at 4.30. I am willing to dine on Sat. at Mrs Sander's [?] if the dinner do [sic] not interfere with confession work. I will hear confessions on Sat. 8 to 9. I will say the first Mass on Sunday at 8.30. You need not erect a throne. Yr in J.C. +Arthur B of Npton"
Bishop's heraldry on cover
Anglicans received into Catholic Church i East Anglia; approval of Holy See for some to become Catholic priests; married men and celibacy; not same situation as Catholic priests who left to be married - not accepted to become married after being ordained; be generous; pray for vocations
preparation for lent; Reconciliation sacrament - "New Rite of Penance". Archbishop Dwyer's message [not present] - giving to CAFOD; Priests' Education Fund - To train 5 or 6 priests at £1,000 per annum each man.
Clark, Alan Charles Rev DD (1919-2002)The good Shepherd knows his sheep. The Bishop declares that from 2nd Sunday after Easter ("Bonus Pastor Sunday") he will start a Visitation which will remain open until he declares it closed. "The Bishop will therefore diligently visit the Church, the Presbytery, the Schools, the Cemetery and everything therein contained, and will examine the sacred vessels and furniture, the Altars, tabernacles, and whatever belongs to the worship of God or the administration of the sacraments." Visitation will be announced and confirmations should be arranged for then.
To the clergy: have ready two sheets of foolscap containing - a return for 1958 of Marriages, Baptisms, Conversions, Easter Communions, Deaths; list of details of mass obligations; List of all documents relating to the Mission; Statement of Mission . School property; Account of all debts and liabilities; Mission 1958 income/expenditure balance sheet; same for Schools; exact inventory of Church, Sacristy, House and Schools.
Celebration of Faith at St John the Baptist involving leaders from Catholic, Anglican, United Reform Church, Salvation Army, Methodists. Bishop Clerk to preach.
Chapel, in the North Transept, to be dedicated as a place of prayer for Christian Unity.
Start of the Centenary Year of St John the Baptist Cathedral Church.
Our Cathedral celebrates 100 years; 2 to be ordained - the first nine years; 6 seminarians; need vocations from within the diocese; Jesus the Good Shepherd
Evans, Michael Charles Rev MTh (1951-2011)Pg 2-5: Pastoral Letter - Baptism; Christianity; darkness/evil in the world; St Christopher (American "Christophers") ; 39 students in seminaries
Pg 6-21: Ecclesiastical Fund, 1954 - table listing named donations within each parish
Pg 22: Notices
Pg 23: A Prayer for Priests; A Short Indulgenced Ejaculation
Ad Lima - an outline of an audience with the Pope; English College - students (Stephen Porter, Robin Hawes, Eugene Harkness, Robert le Tellier, John Hynd, Jonathan Cutting at Oscot, Dermot Fenlon's ordination; Students -All Hallows (Brendan Moffatt, David Finegan), Oscott (Paul Maddison), Innsbruck (Nicholas Kearney); The Year 1982; The Diocese; The Parishes; 1983 - Cathedral debt
Clark, Alan Charles Rev DD (1919-2002)Pg 2-6: Pastoral Letter - Need 6 priests per year, 36 in seminary, 21 in Colleges; Ordination; schisms; China - Peking; John XXIII
Pg 7: Notices
Pg 8-27: Ecclesiastical Fund, 1958 - table listing named donations within each parish
Pg 28: A Prayer for Priests; A Short Indulgenced Ejaculation
Meeting with the clergy gave the opportunity for the renewal of missionary faculties and withdrawal of those not granted in writing.
Difficult question of the Sacrament of Marriage and how many decrees relating to this are not widely known. Clandestine marriages were addressed through decree form the Council of Trent and has been promulgated many Catholic countries [lists them] and not others including England. There are problems in parishes where clandestine [mixed] marriages are now an impediment because of the decree. There follows a set of arguments quoting passages in Latin citing authorities dating back to at least 1683. Specific extract form the Bishop of Southwark to his clergy dated 1 November 1855.
Advises on the form or request for a dispensation in marriage, especially being satisfied that certain pre-conditions have been met.
Form 1 - Application for Dispensation for a mixed marriage [in Latin]
Form 2 - Application for a Dispensation in the case of diriment impediment, when both parties are Catholics [in Latin]
Form 3 - Application for a Dispensation in the case of diriment impediment, when one of the parties is not Catholic[in Latin]
pg 10 [60] includes manuscript notes.
Christmas; this year different - violence, longing for peace; surrounded by sin; awareness of the forgiveness of God; grace of Redemption; need for response, need to repent; Pope in Synod in Rome - "The dimension of penance is missing in Christian Communities"; Advent is the time to fill this void; witness to those in despair; become a "fasting people" - penance, sacrifice, forgive; Reconciliation & absolution
Clark, Alan Charles Rev DD (1919-2002)Bishop's heraldry on cover
Trees beginning the long wait for Spring; Advent a time of preparation; welcome by the dicocese; restore our dignity and sense of worth through the Sacrament of Reconcilitation
Feast of Christmas; Reconciliation; hope and work for peace; Synod of Rome recently
Clark, Alan Charles Rev DD (1919-2002)Bishop's heraldry on cover
Title is "I Love the Church"; 20 years since Second Vatican Council; Kipling verse - the what, why, when, how and who of the Church; seeking answers to those questions; training of ministers to enable both forms of communion
Pope Pius IX has extended Easter Communion to include Ash Wednesday and Low Sunday.
Two paragraphs on those who may be relieved of fasting/abstinence requirements.
Title: Powers granted to confessors of commuting the Opera Injuncta, of dispensing, Etc. during the present Jubilee.
Text: in Latin
signed manuscript: "+Gulielmus Epen. Northamptoniam"
Bishop Grant providing his visitation schedule for 1862. Asks for prayers for Canon Tierney who has just received Extreme Unction. B. Michael De Santis is to be canonised around Whitsun.
Grant, Thomas (1816-1870)Bishop Thomas Joseph Brown issued this instruction on mixed marriages as increasing numbers of Catholic-Protestant marriages were taking place in England and Wales. These caused concern to the Catholic clergy, as the Catholic partners may be influenced by their Protestant spouses and eventually abandon their faith.
This instruction provided guidance on how to handle mixed marriages. It emphasised the importance of preserving the Catholic faith in these marriages and urged Catholic partners to do all they could to ensure that their children were raised as Catholics.
The instruction also provided guidance on the proper way to celebrate mixed marriages, emphasizing the importance of obtaining a dispensation from the bishop and requiring the non-Catholic partner to sign a written agreement promising to respect the Catholic faith and to allow the Catholic partner to practice their religion.
Bishop's Officepreparing for His coming; Confession; transformation of Jean Vajean in Les Miserables (Diocesan Youth Council went to see the musical)
Evans, Michael Charles Rev MTh (1951-2011)