Easter is a good time to be a priest. Chocolates pour through the presbytery door faster than either priest can eat them The church, which had spent Lent looking as if noone ever came rear it, now bursts into colour. We can sing 'alleluia' until we're blue in the face and best of all we can look back at the ceremonies of Holy Week, able to detect those moments when our faith in God and in each other was rekindled.

This year's masses and extra-liturgies were all very well-attended. I know of at least two families who had to drive home on Good Friday afternoon because there was nowhere left to park. Ours may only be a little church but we can justifiably be proud that it is not a church dying on its feet. What proved this more than anything was the "Way of the Cross" which occurred on Good Friday morning.

This new way of celebrating an old Catholic tradition was, I admit, a bit of a risk. I'd invited fourteen families to each lead one of the stations of the cross. They were told it was entirely up to them how they chose to do it. All I asked was that each family's contribution last no longer than three minutes. I did worry that people would ‘cry off’ but none did. Every single one of the contributions was prayerful, dignified and deeply moving. It was a memorable moment in the life of our parish. It made me proud to belong to this worshipping community and proud too of the richness of belief which was so visibly demonstrated. The comments afterwards from the other members of the congregation assured me that others felt the same.

Why write about it now? I do so because the experience of celebrating together on that Good Friday morning was a good one. Those who came will long remember it and that is as it should be. We need such memories. They help to lead us along the road of discipleship which can often be lonely and gloomy. They let us know too that our faith in God is one that others share and are capable of sharing with us. What I witnessed at that liturgy and thankfully throughout Holy Week was proof indeed that we are not a dying church. We are alive and reaching out with many united hands towards the Risen Lord. And that's good to know, isn't it? DG