The Catholic Diocese of Lancaster

APPOINTED TO BE READ AT ALLPUBLIC MASSES IN ALL CHURCHES AND CHAPELS IN THE DIOCESE OF LANCASTER ON THE WEEKEND OF  25th/26th APRIL 2026

Pastoral Letter Good Shepherd Sunday 2026

My dear people,

World Day of Prayer for Vocations

It is worthy of note that for us in this country Good Shepherd Sunday falls with good timing, right in the middle of the lambing season. This is a time when not only do we see lambs and sheep appearing in our fields, but we are also treated to an array of TV programmes on farming, veterinary practices and shepherding in particular. All this gives a good insight into the care that shepherds lavish upon their flocks. They are not just supervising the births, but they go on to make sure there is food and water; also protections from disease, the weather and even predators.

We know that Jesus was not a sheep farmer, though sheep, lambs and shepherds do appear from time to time in his teaching. What we heard in the Gospel was not about animal husbandry, but rather Jesus describing himself with the qualities of a Good Shepherd: one who provides care, nourishment, protection. And in using the image of a shepherd, our Lord is borrowing from the Old Testament, which is peppered with that image, especially applied to prophets and kings – and one king in particular, David. It was he who united the north and south into one kingdom and brought stability and peace. He was the recipient of God’s promise that one of his line would prove to be the long-awaited Messiah. We understand that is Jesus. So, to those nurturing qualities of the shepherd: care, nourishment and protection, we can add leadership, even authority.

Our Gospel ended with what some have called Jesus’ strapline: ‘I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.’ All this talk about being a Good Shepherd is about life, abundant life, life to the full. Everything that Jesus said and did was life-giving. Even when he was chastising the Scribes and Pharisees and others, it was so that they might change and truly live. That aspect of Jesus ministry of Good Shepherd, lives on in those he has called, and is calling to be priests, to be shepherds of the Lord’s flock. So it is not coincidental that today is designated as the World Day of Prayer for Vocations, it springs right out of the Gospel.

I would like now to address these words to those single men present among us:

St John Henry Newman affirms eloquently for all Christians that God has a plan for us: “God has created me to do him some definite service. He has committed some work to me, which he hasn’t committed to another. I have my mission.” Ask yourself: what is my ‘definite service’? What is my ‘mission’, committed to me by God?

Is God calling you to be a priest? Amid the noise of life, the designs and opportunities open to you, be courageous and reflect: What does God want from me? When the Apostles first encountered Jesus, He did not explain why he had chosen them, or what he had instore for them. He simply said, “Follow me!” and they did.

Perhaps, as you hear this, you are already thinking “No, this couldn’t possibly be for me”. As your Bishop, I can tell you: we all feel unworthy in our call from God. This is especially the case when we reflect that the Good Shepherd Himself may be asking us to share in his work as shepherds of His flock. Put yourself in God’s hands and let him lead you. Allow the question of becoming a priest be asked of you; meditate on it, give that process of discernment an opportunity to grow. When you come to the moment of receiving Holy Communion at Mass today – and every time you go to Mass – ask the Lord Jesus: what do you want from me?

If any of these words strike you, I invite you to join me at Lancaster Cathedral, along with others from across our diocese, at the next ‘Day for Discerning Vocation to the Priesthood’: Saturday 30 May beginning with Mass at 12.15pm. I look forward to joining you for lunch and the opportunity to talk and reflect together.

To all of you present I ask you: pray for vocations to the priesthood! And pray for your priests! This is so important. Also important is to promote a culture of vocations. We do this by talking positively about the priestly vocation, even suggesting it to someone whom God has placed in your path. We can be people who are full of encouragement. This year, please God, we shall have one ordination to the priesthood which will leave us with one student to complete his training. Some good news is that in September we shall have five men embarking on their journey of discernment, mostly at the English College in Spain. This news encourages us and prompts us to prayer.

On this Good Shepherd Sunday, it would not go amiss to offer a prayer of thanksgiving for those priests that God has sent your way both now and in the past.

With my blessing,

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Rt Rev Paul Swarbrick

Bishop of Lancaster

APPOINTED TO BE READ AT ALLPUBLIC MASSES IN ALL CHURCHES AND CHAPELS IN THE DIOCESE OF LANCASTER ON THEWEEKEND OF  21^st/22^ndFEBRUARY 2026

Pastoral Letter First Sunday of Lent 2026

My dear people,

the simple invitation of Jesus to each of us is, ‘Follow me’. But we dither and pause and fall behind and lose our way. We have given in to temptation and lost heart and spoilt life not only for ourselves but for others too, and we have lost our Guide and don’t know what to do. Each Lent Jesus tells us to rise up and follow Him. He has not given up on us; nor should we give up on ourselves or on each other, no matter what catastrophes have befallen us. He enters the wilderness in search of Adam and Eve who were expelled from Eden when they sinned, but with hope that they might be found and forgiven and restored.

Jesus also sends His disciples out to search for the fallen. In two weeks’ time we will hear the Gospel telling us about the woman Jesus met at the well. I would like us to reflect on that woman today, in advance. She is sent to us by Christ and is a helpful companion for us on our Lenten. There may be much in her story that we share.

It is usual for the girls and women to walk together to the well, normally in the cool of early morning or in the evening after the heat. Some suggest that this woman is out of favour with the others. Perhaps she has a bad reputation, given the tragic life she has suffered, and finds it easier to avoid the company of others. But there is another way of understanding her. She wants the best water she can find for her family and for herself. After all that has happened and all the failures, deep within her heart she still has the desire for something good. She wants the best water. It makes me think of prisoners who still hope for a better life, or people whose lives have been devastated by war, daring to hope for something better. I think of those who have been abused but will not let the memories rob them of a better future.

Let us picture the group of girls going for water at dawn. Chatting, laughing, gossiping, enjoying one another’s company. The chatter continues as buckets are thrown down the well, one after the other. They hit the sides of the well going down, knocking earth into the water. Hitting the water, the buckets stir up the sediment. Pulled up, one after the other, they knock against the sides of the well, and the water level drops because so many buckets have to be filled. A price is paid for following the crowd – dirty water.

Now let us notice this woman, approaching the well alone at the hottest time of the day. The dirt has had hours to settle. The aquifers have fed fresh water into the well, and the water level has risen. With care she can draw up the best water the well can offer. The loneliness and the heat are worth the trouble. This woman can be a model of encouragement for us. The efforts we see her make encourage each of us to search for the best life, the Life Jesus offers us. Our religious practice will often mean we live differently from those around us, but see the reward!

Let us turn now to the classic exercises of Lent, given to us by Christ Himself; these are Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving. I note how Jesus speaks to His disciples assuming they do these things. He says, ‘When you pray, when you fast, when you give alms. . .’ The first question I must ask myself is - If I wish to be counted as a disciple of Christ, do I pray, do I fast, do I give alms? Jesus Himself waits for my honest answer, not waiting to condemn me but telling me to choose these exercises if I want to be His disciple.

So, why do they matter? Prayer acknowledges that God is the source of all that is good. God is the life and love we long for and He offers us eternal life. Prayer engages the spirit, reminding us that we are spiritual beings, made in God’s image and likeness. Fasting acknowledges that we are also flesh, we have bodies and bodily appetites. Created by God, we must somehow find ways of showing who we belong to, body and soul, where we come from, and where our ultimate loyalty lies. Fasting also enables us to admit that we have done wrong and must do penance as an expression of our guilt, shame and sorrow for the hurt and damage caused. Almsgiving acknowledges that my life – even my spiritual life – is not just a private affair. I am part of a body of people, and part of the Body of Christ. I must have a concern for the well-being of others, both spiritually and materially. Almsgiving makes this real, and as well as being a matter of justice it is a clear expression of generosity inspired by my awareness of the Father’s generosity. Almsgiving prevents my prayer and fasting becoming selfish.

Practically I encourage us all to renew or refresh our prayer life, especially parents with young children. Establish habits of simple prayer. I commend the School of Prayer promoted through the parishes this Lent. May it give you more confidence in your prayer lives. Many of you may have your own favourite charities, but I encourage you to support the work of CAFOD, Aid to the Church in Need and MISSIO (the Pontifical Mission Societies). (I do understand many have limited budgets. You aren’t expected to give to everything!) I also encourage you to make a strong effort to pray the Stations of the Cross this Lent either at home or in your parishes. See what Christ has done for us and what He wants for us. I also ask you to pray for the many people who are preparing to be Baptized and received into Full Communion this coming Easter. Have a serious but joyful Lent!

With my blessing,

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With my blessing,

Rt Rev Paul Swarbrick

Bishop of Lancaster

APPOINTED TO BE READ AT ALLPUBLIC MASSES IN ALL CHURCHES AND CHAPELS IN THE DIOCESE OF LANCASTER ON THE WEEKEND OF 27th/28th DECEMBER 2025

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My dear people,

we should be slow to ‘pack Christmas away’, and we should be slow to ‘pack the Holy Year away’.

The Feast of the Holy Family is given to us as a gift of encouragement and hope for the time we still have. Let us consider this gift, what is it that you and I have received? The Holy Year of Hope was a season of many blessings and Graces. Those blessings draw us more confidently into the life and love of the Holy Family. Through Baptism we become adopted children of God. Through imitating Christ in charity, He recognizes us as His brothers and sisters. Through our veneration of Mary as Mother of the Faithful, we live as her own children, given to her by Jesus as He was dying on the Cross.

We are marking the conclusion of the Holy Year of Hope. Each of us has been prayed for. Our prayers have been heard and answered by the Lord. We have received blessings and Graces because the Lord wants us to be grafted onto and into the Holy Family. He wants us to carry His light into the new year, to chase away the darkness of fear and failure not just in our own lives, but also in the lives of others.

In due time, the angels returned to heaven, the shepherds went back to their flocks, the Magi returned to their homes, and the little Holy Family left the little town of Bethlehem, making for Egypt. They have become exiles, refugees fleeing persecution. Fear is a constant feature in the Gospels. Mary and Joseph are told there are people who want to destroy this child. It sounds far-fetched, but remember, we live in a world where infanticide exists. We know that children can be targeted in war with the intention of destroying an adversary’s future. The Christmas story has a dark side. With the coming of Jesus into the world sin reacts with threats and violence. A sleeping dog has been woken.

It won’t be long before we begin to see all the lights disappearing from the streets and houses around us. They went on in a flurry of excitement for the coming festivities Soon we will see Christmas packed away, as life returns to normal. But our family is different. We live by different beliefs and rules that will often put us out of step with our neighbours.  That is not to say we are better than others – God alone will be our judge. If we are to serve His purpose we must accept living differently, and being known as families who do so.

May God continue to bless your homes and families as we carry His light into 2026.

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With my blessing,

Rt Rev Paul Swarbrick

Bishop of Lancaster