Lent Pastoral Letter.

pg 1& 2: Pastoral Letter
pg 3: Letter to Clergy: Rev John Bell RIP; Application format for Mixed Marriages; Committee for the relief of Wives and Children of Soldiers going East.

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.

First paragraph details the trials and tribulations of communities in France following severe flooding. Our country being prominent in charitable work and the provision of funds collected will help cement the closeness of France and Great Britain. Every clergyman of all ranks is helping both through prayer and physical acts. Appeal for the relief of the suffering in France through a general collection supported by all of the Hierarchy.
signed on behalf of the Bishops by Bishop Plymouth
Signed and ordered to be read in the Diocese of Northampton by Bishop Wareing
Collections should be sent to "Catholic French Inundation Fund" at the London Joint Stock Bank in Pall Mall , London.
manuscript annotation: "Collected at St Walstan's Cossey 2-13-0"

Bishop Grant summarising the status and needs of various missions within his diocese.

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.

He has, this morning, been called to go to Rome to attend the Consistories (on 22nd & 24th). Canon Danell, VG, has full powers for all cases likely to arise. Expect to return before end of June. Pray for Fr Vernon, a young and edifying priest, of Guernsey who is lately deceased.
manuscript annotation [Bishop Grant's hand?]: "Your letter arrived i a box from Arundel today [?]. I cannot get it open before I start. You may wish to open the enclosed. Keep it till I return"

Dr William Wareing, first Bishop of Northampton, has received the last Sacraments - prayers for him.
Banns are to be published in the case of mixed marriages with no reference to the difference of religion
Consider the distress of the poor which occurs in Winter.
If asked to bless cattle, request a form of blessing recommended by Bendict XIV.

Proposes a date for his visit to the Bishop. Yarmouth air agrees with him very well and the people are friendly. On Wednesday and Sunday evenings in Lent he & Fr Riley are giving courses of sermons on Eternal Truths.
Manuscript annotation: "Asked for 22nd instead, in case I had to go to Plymouth for Bishop's Jubilee on the 20th. Asked for statistics form to be filled in, as owing to Fr Thompson's death it was not done. Enclosed a 1925 copy as a guide. Ap 9/27."

Cannot invite a consultant to attend a plenary session of the Bishops' Conference. Have a separate meeting at the Archbishop's House for an informal discussion. Cardinal suggested Bp Butler and Bp Clark arrange this meeting and then Bp Clark raise the point at the plenary session.

12 sets of dates from 17 March [1978] Westminster to 17 March [1979] Middlesborough each with contact names and telephone numbers

By Archbishops Hume (Westminster), Murphy (Cardiff), Dwyer (Birmingham), Worlock (Liverpool) & Bowen (Southwark).
The National Pastoral Congress in Liverpool last May; understanding of the Second Vatican Council; 2,000 delegates; three part message from the Archbishops being printed in response to the conference's reports; please study it.

News-cutting from The Universe by-line Paul Danon. Describes a Mass and Anglican communion service offered simultaneously during an ecumenical pilgrimage to Walsingham last Sunday. 400 Catholics led by Bishop Murphy-O'Connor with 250 Anglicans from the Diocese of Chichester and Bishop Kemp. This was marking the 1300th anniversary of the evangelisation of St Wilfrid of Sussex.

Correspondence between Bishop Murphy-O'Connor and Rome (Doctrine of Faith) regarding Eucharistic celebration at Walsingham. Suggests they might discuss when at the Bishop's meeting.

Referring to an article from the Universe (17 July 1981), brought to the attention of the Sacred Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith. They would know of the accuracy of this account. He describes the situation as contrary to principles establish in church doctrine. Would the Bishop send them the information requested?

He sets out the background to the event: joint prayers, penitential walk, separate celebration of the Eucharist. The latter was to be in the open air but a torrential downpour meant the celebration was transferred to the large Anglican Church. He addresses the points raised in the Apostolic Delegate's letter. Unusual circumstances forced this to occur, but at no point was there any misunderstanding concerning the degree of "unity and disunity"; the local Ordinary approved; the celebration was conformant with the principle no 59 in the Ecumenical Directory.

[undated; unattributed]
image: a procession from Notre Dame School in Surrey Street, Norwich
text: National Youth Sunday celebrated around England and Wales. In the diocese of East Anglia, Bishop Clark watched presentations by 400 youngsters at Notre Dame High School, Norwich; Bishop Emery of Portsmouth addressed 400 people at Portsmouth Cathedral.

Having returned from an episcopal funeral in Portsmouth, invited to another in Liverpool by Archbishop Worlock for +Anthony Hitchen. You now know why the visitation is cut short - proposes to leave for Liverpool after lunch and hence cannot attend the school on Monday but offer Wednesday instead.