A statement from the Northern Bishops of The Society of Saint Wilfrid and Saint Hilda
As the three Society Bishops based in the Province of York, we welcome the Time to Sow in the North report produced by St John’s College, Nottingham.
As the Bishop of Burnley states in the report’s Foreword, “it is not hard to find Catholic parishes where Church life is vibrant and alive, and the identification of common features associated with such growth is important if parishes in this tradition are to grow in evangelistic confidence.”
We look forward to discussing how the Church’s resources can be targeted at our most deprived communities, where many such Catholic parishes are to be found and where additional resources will, among other factors, help to achieve a growth in Church life.
The Society’s mission strategy, ‘Forming Missionary Disciples’, will also play an integral role in achieving that growth.
We are grateful to St John’s College, Nottingham, especially Fr John Tomlinson, for producing the Time to Sow in the North report and we commend its contents to a wide readership.
The Rt Revd Tony Robinson, Bishop of Wakefield, Chairman of The Society’s Council of Bishops
The Rt Revd Glyn Webster, Bishop of Beverley
The Rt Revd Philip North, Bishop of Burnley
The report can be found at: https://stjohns-nottm.ac.uk/resources/time-to-sow-in-the-north/
The Society’s Mission strategy can be found here: https://www.sswsh.com/uploads/Mission_Strategy.pdf