Churches & Charities

Dorothy Alder R.I.P. (ILMODB)

I have a statue of Saint John Paul II in my bay window in the Presbytery at Brailes. It was gifted to me by Joan Manuel, the daughter of Dorothy Alder. My first appointment as parish priest was to St Anthony of Padua, Headington, way back in 1991. Those of you who are familiar with the John Radcliffe hospital will also be aware of the church in Headley Way which is situated at the entrance to the hospital grounds: That is St Anthony’s. As well as being appointed parish priest, I was also RC chaplain to the hospital, on call (with the dreaded bleep) six days and nights a week – (How times have changed!).
 
Dorothy was housebound when I arrived at St Anthony’s, so I would visit her on a regular basis with Holy Communion. I imagined that she was very active in the parish in her younger days: Indeed, her great faith and enthusiasm was passed on to her daughter Joan, who remained a great pillar of the parish over the decades.
 
Dorothy had a great love and devotion to Pope John Paul II, and I remember her proudly showing me the statue of him that she had bought. Knowing that the Pope used to enjoy hillwalking on his summer holidays, she used to write to him each year sending some Kendal Cake for his treks. She was greatly surprised and honoured one year to receive a letter from him, thanking her for her kind and regular gesture. Now I think Dorothy used to write in her letter about the Parish, because the Pope also wrote back in his letter that he would remember in his prayers the children and young people of St Anthony’s.
 
I remember vividly my first Mass at St Anthony’s and recalling that there were no children or sounds from children in the congregation. Coming from a busy, family-orientated parish in Birmingham as an assistant priest, it was certainly a sad memory. But over the next eight or nine years the parish had, what I can only describe, as a “baby boom” and families came flocking to the parish with babies in abundance being born. So much so, that over the years we had at least a dozen children happily going off to their children’s liturgy during Mass and the parish became well known for its vibrant and family community. One of these baby boomers was ordained to the priesthood this year, whilst another is a full-time nurse working in one of the poorer London hospital areas. Another founded “Empathy Week” in 2020, which has reached 1.8 million students in over 56 counties”. 
 
Now I have little doubt that the promise made by Pope John Paul II brought about this wonderful transformation in the parish. And I am certain that this came about through the faith, love and initiative of dear Dorothy Alder.
 
Saint Pope John Paul II feast day is on October twenty second. His story is remarkable, and his pontificate was memorable: Indeed, many have given him the title – “St Pope John Paul the Great”. We also have the feast of All Saints. This is celebrated annually on 1^st November, and on this day we are given the opportunity to remember those who do not have specific feast days in the liturgical calendar but, nevertheless, are now saints in heaven, praying for us all. I would like to think that Dorothy is numbered among these saints and her daughter Joan who passed away in 2024.
 
No doubt you will have known such people in your own lives, and it is my hope and prayer that through the power of the Holy Spirit your relationship with them continues. I also hope that one day we shall be numbered among the saints in heaven, where we shall meet the great saints, and the little saints, who help us even now through their prayers, their faith, and example.

God Bless, Fr David Tams

“The Hidden Gem” (ILMODB)

Visitors to Friars Lane in Brailes will see the Papal flag in the grounds of the chapel and presbytery. 
One of the main reason for it to be flying is that this year the chapel of St Peter and St Paul is celebrating its three hundredth year since its opening in 1726.

 Prior to the Reformation, the village and parish were under the care of the Augustinian Friars who looked after the large St George’s church, and resided at what is now the Old Rectory or Rectory Farm as it was once called. The present chapel is a converted Malt barn.
 Following the Dissolution in 1538, the property was taken over by the Bishop family and, remaining true to their Catholic faith, held secret Masses in the former Rectory, building two Priest hiding holes. The family must have been well liked and respected by the villagers as they were never reported to the authorities for this action. 

On Saturday 27^th June,  the Very Rev Archbishop of Birmingham, Bernard Longley, celebrated Mass in the chapel, appropriately on the Vigil of the Solemnity of St Peter and St Paul. The chapel is named after these great apostles: St Peter symbolising unity with Rome. And St Paul symbolising missionary endurance. As part of the celebration we had a book launch also of “The Catholic Chapel of St Peter and St Paul, Lower Brailes, 1726-2026”.

The book was compiled by four members of the parish and it gives an in depth tour of the present chapel, which will be a useful guide for any visitors in the future. The book is made up of six sections and as well as giving a tour of the chapel, gives a timeline of events in and around the chapel from 1500 to the present day.

It gives an explanation of the founding of the chapel and the challenges faced by its early congregation. It gives a description of what life was like as a Catholic in penal times when Catholic Mass was outlawed and it gives a biography of Dr William Bishop, one of the most significant figures in the chapel’s history. The book concludes with memories and comments from parishioners reflecting on the history of the chapel and the part it has played in their lives.

I do hope that if you have not already taken time to visit the chapel in Brailes, then you will do so in this jubilee year. I do hope that you might think about purchasing this book so that you can become more aware of this wonderful historical chapel-
“A hidden gem,” as one parishioner describes.

And I hope also that it might help you in your own faith journey- drawing on the inspiration of the two great Apostles and the enduring faith of the priests and people of the time when the practice and living of the faith could be punished by death.

We thank God for them and honour them this day.

St Peter and St Paul pray for us.

God Bless, Fr David Tams

St Carlo Acutis (ILMODB)

On September 7^th 2025 year Pope Leo canonised the first millennial saint, a teenager. This teenager is often depicted as wearing tennis shoes with a video recorder or computer in his arms. He is dressed in jeans and trendy top and is a famous web designer who’s site is visited by millions every year.

He was born in London on the third of May 1991. In September of that year, he moved with his Italian parents to Milan where he was raised and attended school. Although he was an average student he liked to read and pursued other academic areas independently, including computer science, so much so that his friends considered him a computer geek due to his passion for and skill with computers and the internet. Before he died, he created a website dedicated to cataloguing each reported Eucharistic miracles. It is well worth visiting as it gives an account of miracles taking place over the centuries in various parts of the world. It was launched in 2004 and unveiled on 4^th October 2006 only a few days before the soon to be a saint’s death.

Carlos Acutis died on 11^th October 2006 from leukemia. He was fifteen. During the sufferings he endured between his diagnosis and death he offered his sufferings for the Pope and the Church. His final words to his mother were: “Mom, don’t be afraid. Since Jesus became a man, death has become the passage towards life and we don’t need to flee it. Let us prepare ourselves to experience something extraordinary in the eternal life.” His witness had an extraordinary effect on his mother who went from being a lukewarm Catholic to a devout one; and who gained a master’s degree in theology after her son’s death.

Already then, we can begin to appreciate the extraordinary in this young saint’s life. Indeed, after receiving First Holy Communion at the age of seven he was a daily communicant, cajoling and encouraging the other family members to attend Mass with him.
                                                      
What was so wonderful and inspiring about Carlos was his real love and life-giving relationship with Our Blessed Lord. He saw, in cataloguing the Eucharistic miracles, the hope of leading others to discover that life-changing encounter with the Lord that he enjoyed in his short life: He left large portions of theological notes on his computer: The longest are on the Eucharist, the sacrament that Carlo called the Highway to Heaven. He wrote:

“And so the Eucharist, which is a second incarnation, truly becomes not so much a Sacrament in the ritual sense but rather a Sacrament in the supernatural sense. For this reason, when we take Communion, Jesus pauses among us for fifteen minutes; hidden in the form of bread and wine, substantially present, truly residing… He shares this day with us and continues, after the forms of bread and wine have decomposed, with His grace, His residence with us. So, we become his house, his home, and so Jesus, present, alive, and real, is not only a fact of faith, not only a fact of sacramentality, but a fact of Life!”

Blessed Carlos Acutis remember us and pray for us in heaven this day.

God Bless, Fr David Tams

Celebrations (ILMODB)

At the beginning of the year Pope Leo XIV declared this year to be a Jubilee year of St Francis of Assisi: This was to honour the 800^th anniversary of the saint’s death. Coincidentally, my parish in Kineton which is named in honour of St Francis, celebrated the jubilee of its opening fifty years ago. This was marked officially, by a service of opening and dedication by the then Archbishop of Birmingham, George Patrick Dwyer, on 8^th April 1976; even though the church had been in use from October 1975. Twenty-five years later, in October 2000, the church was consecrated by Archbishop Vincent Nichols. The consecration normally takes place once the debts of the church have been paid off, and it was wonderful that parishioners from both these celebrations were present when we had the Golden Jubilee celebration on the 15^th May. Hymns and readings for the Mass were taken from the 1976 service, with hymns dedicated to the saint, and with prayers from the feast of St Francis of Assisi which is on 4^th October. The Rt Rev Mgr. Canon Danny McHugh was the main celebrant, with parishioners and friends from the village attending. It was a wonderful Mass with the celebrations continuing in the village hall afterwards.

Closer to home, at my other parish, which incorporates Shipston and Brailes, we are preparing to celebrate the tricentennial of the opening of the Brailes chapel of St Peter and Paul in 1726. You may have discovered this from a recent article in the Stratford- upon- Avon Herald in February where the remarkable story of the chapel and its functioning was reported. As part of the celebrations we are hoping that the present Archbishop of Birmingham, the Most Rev Bernard Longley, will be the main celebrant for our celebratory Mass to coincide with the feast of St Peter and St Paul in June. Part of the tricentennial celebration is to provide an updated book which will continue to reveal more details about this remarkable place of prayer and worship. It is hoped that this book will also provide a useful guide for the many pilgrims and visitors the chapel attracts throughout the year.

Below the chapel building is the croft, formerly the kitchen for the Old Rectory. Last year, when the chapel was being redecorated, we celebrated Mass there. Hopefully, at some point, we shall be able to put on display our 17^th century vestments, together with some historical documents about the chapel, and also the life of the villagers over the past three hundred years. If you have not yet been to visit the chapel, it is well worth doing so and I hope that you will have the opportunity to do so during this jubilee year. I shall keep you informed of any celebratory tricentennial developments. Best wishes for the month ahead.

God Bless, Fr David Tams

Happy Easter! (ILMODB)

By the time of publication Easter will be over five weeks long. But I am writing this at the start of the season during what is known as the Easter Octave (the first eight days of Easter). The season lasts fifty days from Easter Sunday to Pentecost Sunday on 24^th May. On the fortieth day after Easter Sunday the Ascension of the Lord is celebrated on Thursday 14^th May.

Our Lenten season finished on Thursday of Holy Week (Maundy Thursday) when the Church began what is known as the Sacred Triduum: “Three Days” that spans from the Evening Mass of the Lord’s supper on Holy Thursday to the evening prayer on Easter Sunday representing one continuous liturgy.

On Maundy Thursday evening we celebrated the institution of the Eucharist by Our Lord in the Upper Room at the Last Supper. At the Mass we had the washing of the feet, also with the reminder that those who were having their feet washed represented the twelve disciples. We celebrated also the institution of the priesthood praying especially for priests entrusted with the privilege of celebrating Mass. The Mass was a joyful celebration. But then after Holy Communion the atmosphere changed as the Blessed Sacrament was removed from the tabernacle and taken to the altar of repose. It was as if we joined Our Lord as he left the Upper room to go to the Garden of Gethsemane where he suffered his agony before his arrest and trial. We watched and prayed with the Lord.

On Good Friday we returned to church at 3 o clock in the afternoon, the traditional hour (the ninth hour) when the Lord died on the Cross. We commemorated Our Lord’s Passion and death on the Cross, listening to the Passion account in St John’s gospel in which the divinity of Christ is emphasised. The covered Cross was then taken into the church and gradually unveiled, allowing the congregation to come forward in silence to venerate it. The service concluded with Holy Communion with the sacred hosts consecrated at the Maundy Thursday Mass. The liturgy was simple and austere.

On Holy Saturday evening we gathered in the darkness to celebrate the first Mass of Easter, known as the Easter Vigil. The newly blessed Paschal Candle was lit and brought into the church, symbolising Christ risen from the dead. And the Church was gradually illumined by the individual candles lit from the Easter flame, reminding us that Christ is the Light of the world, and that we share in that life and light through our baptism. We listened to the Word of God in which we were reminded of God’s unfailing love and faithfulness throughout the ages, culminating in the new and eternal covenant given to us by Our Blessed Lord. It was appropriate at this Mass to renew our baptismal promises and to be reminded of the saving waters of baptism as we were blessed by it. The first Mass of Easter concluded with the reception of Holy Communion and the most powerful reminder that we continue to be nourished and fed by God through the Eucharist. It was lovely to celebrate with so many the Lord’s resurrection and the first Mass of Easter.

Likewise, on Easter Sunday also when the church was full to capacity. It was a reassurance of people’s faith and trust in Our Lord as the Way, the Truth and the Life. It was a lovely way to enter in to the Easter season. I do hope that the Easter season brings you many graces and blessings and that we continue to celebrate and remember with joy our Christian faith and calling. God bless. Fr David

God Bless, Fr David Tams

A few of My Favourite Authors (ILMODB)

Looking back on nearly forty years of priestly ministry, perhaps the most influential person that has helped me in my preaching and ministry is Bishop Fulton Sheen. He is widely regarded as being a pioneer for the church in radio and television, dating back to the 1930s-50s when he had a regular radio programme, and then in the 1950s and 60s when he had a regular television programme that attracted many millions of viewers earning him an Emmy award.

An American Bishop, and then Archbishop, Fulton Sheen was born on May 8 1895 in El Paso, Illinois and was ordained priest for the Diocese of Peoria on 20^th September 1919. After his ordination he was assigned as curate at St Patrick’s Parish in Peoria before embarking upon a university chaplaincy and teaching role. His autobiography “Treasure in Clay” is well worth reading no matter what your beliefs.

I think I first came upon his works when EWTN  (Global Catholic Television Network) started to show his television programme “Life is Worth Living” from the 1960s. It was amazing how this “caped crusader” could captivate his audience with his monologue and blackboard for so many years. Some of his programmes are still available on You Tube and his “Miracle in Lourdes story” is an incredible tale, revealing a great faith and trust in God as well as a great devotion to Mary, the Mother of God.

Bishop Sheen spent one hour in prayer before the Blessed sacrament every day of his priestly ministry and went on to write some 73 books as well as leading retreats and preaching throughout the world. His work with the Missionary Church (Association for the Propagation of the Faith) raised millions of dollars and his continuing royalties are given to the APF, since his death in 1979.

He has remained an inspiration and help to me in my priestly life and I hope one day he will be canonised as a saint in the Church. I shall always be thankful to him for his recommendation of William Barclay (a Methodist) for his scripture commentaries. And even though there are some areas of theological differences, Barclay’s books remain a great source of reference and elucidation.

Two more contemporary scriptural authors who are well worth looking up are Scott Hahn and  Brant Pitre. Their scripture insight into the Last Supper is truly amazing and life changing if you are a follower of Christ. I have already mentioned Jeff Calvins in my last VFTP and his great biblical knowledge and teaching skills continue to help millions of Christians deepen their faith and understanding of God. 

Another contemporary theological author I would really recommend is Ronald Rolheiser who as well as writing a weekly column for many years with the Catholic Herald newspaper, has written some wonderful books including “Forgotten Among the Lilies”, “The Restless Heart” and “The Sacred Fire”. Rolheiser continues to be a source of help and inspiration for my homilies and again, is well worth reading to help you with any spiritual direction. It was Rolheiser who put me in touch with my final author of choice, Christopher de Vinck who was described in the Library Journal as “Having the knack of taking ordinary occurrences of life and showing how they reveal what is really important”. A committed Christian and family man, his books are a gentle and heart-warming read that give a wonderful insight into the human condition; drawing on his many experiences as a teacher, author, son, husband, brother and father.

I hope that you have the time to look up and read some of the above mentioned. I am deeply thankful to them for helping me on my journey of faith. I hope that you also have people in your life, whose words, faith and example help you and inspire you to be the person God created you to be. I pray that you receive many graces and blessings in the month ahead. 

God Bless, Fr David Tams