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This afternoon, I was in Lincoln Cathedral to give thanks to almighty God for the ministry of Rt Rev David Court as Bishop of Grimsby in The Diocese of Lincoln, and to be with him and Ann as Bishop David retires after thirty-or-so years of ordained ministry in the Church of England. I was very pleased to hear the Bishop of Lincoln, Rt Rev Stephen Conway, say that Bishop David will be becoming an honorary assistant bishop after his retirement.

In his sermon, Bishop David spoke of the encounter between the Risen Lord and St Peter on the shore of the Sea of Galilee after the Resurrection, which was proclaimed as the Second Reading during this aftetnoon’s liturgy and which we hear as the Gospel for the Vigil Mass of today’s Solemnity of Ss Peter and Paul, Apostles. Jesus’ last words to Peter were the same as his first: ‘Follow me.’ Bishop David has, like Peter and Paul, followed Jesus, and I would like to thank him on behalf of all of us in our parish and in the Northern Lincolnshire deanery for his Christian witness and ministry here in this beautiful part of God’s world!

I shall remember the three pieces of advice Bishop David gave a soon-to-be bishop as they are also pertinent for soon-to-be-newly-appointed parish priests - remember the privilege, avoid the traps and love the peopleDiocese of Nottingham Lincoln is patron of the Diocese of Nottingham as well as of the Diocese of Lincoln, I will still rely on his prayers once I have been appointment to Derby - and I am very grateful for the kind words which many of my Anglican confreres were kind enough to share with me about my ministry as parish priest. You always get a warm welcome in Lincoln Cathedral!

May today’s solemnity of Ss Peter and Paul impel us to pray and work hard for the unity of all Christians. I hope that one day the palliums on the shields of the Archbishops of Canterbury and York may again represent the palliums placed over their shoulders by the Bishop of Rome, the Successor of Saint Peter with full communion with the Church of Rome, which presides in charity over all other Churches - as it was when St Hugh of Lincoln built the magnificent cathedral in which we worshipped God this afternoon.

May Our Lady of Lincoln and St Hugh of Lincoln pray for us all! ... See MoreSee Less