Dear parishioners and dear friends

Today, in the First Reading, we travel with St Peter to Caesarea in answer to a vision and a request from a non-Jew who wanted to know about Jesus. Caesarea is never mentioned in the Four Gospels. Orthodox Jews, such as the Pharisees would have avoided it. It was the seat of Roman Power at the time of Christ.

Luke, in the Acts of the Apostles mentions it, for instance in the departure for Rome of St Paul. It was a sea port on the Mediterranean built by Herod the Great. It is to this place St Peter goes with the Gospel to foreigners who are looking for the Truth. Pray for all who try to share the Good News of Jesus.

God Bless you.

Richard Harvey

You may view or download the Letter from Archbishops Vincent Nichols and Peter Smith on behalf of the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales. It is a statement of our Catholic faith about marriage and issued in the light of the forthcoming consultation by the Government on changing the legal definition of marriage. In the light of this letter, you are asked to consider signing the Coalition for Marriage's online petition which can be found at www.C4M.org.uk. It reads:

"I support the legal definition of marriage which is the voluntary union for life of one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others. I oppose any attempt to redefine it".

The Archbishops also say that after Easter there will be a more detailed leaflet on the Government's consultation itself, for distribution in parishes, to assist Catholics in making their own response to the consultation. [Copies of Letter at entrance to St. Thomas's Church]