FRIENDS FROM HEAVEN!

Hello Everyone

I hope you are well and at peace.

A couple of weeks ago I flew over to Paris to take part
In a conference where Jean Vanier the founder of the the
L’Arche community was speaking. He had read my book and
a member of his community had invited me over to speak
at the conference. It was the first time we met, yet it
was like meeting an old friend. I had lunch with him and
as we chatted I just thought what an inspiration to meet
someone who had lived Jesus all his life and was still living
him today.

He shared many stories of situations he had encountered.
He told me of one boy called Eric who stayed with them in the
community, Eric was blind, he couldn’t hear or speak and he was
confined to a wheelchair. But the worst of his suffering was
that he was filled with anxiety and no matter what they did
no one could seem to help him. One day they took him into the
chapel where there was adoration of Jesus in the Blessed
Sacrament. After a few minutes with Jesus, for the first time
since they had known him, he seemed completely at peace. Jesus
had been able to show him at the deepest part of his being that
he was beloved by God. This really touched my heart also because I
know in my life the greatest healing I have received is in
silence before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.

Whilst in France I received an email from a good friend of mine
who is a Carmelite Nun, She told me she felt St Therese of
Lisieux was interceding for my ministry and wanted to call down
the fire of the Holy Spirit upon all those I speak to. So I
started to invoke her in the prayer I say at the beginning of
each talk. It was great because when I returned to Ireland to
speak at a parish mission in Carrigaline who should be right
behind the ambo where I was speaking from but a statue of
St Therese. I’ve always loved her, she has a great sense of
humour and is an incredibly powerful intercessor, she is a
good friend in heaven.The mission was very blessed with many
people being touched by God’s love. It was a particular pleasure
to meet three great priests, Fr Bertie, Fr Aidan and Fr Charlie.

My good friend Br Martin from the Franciscans in Moyross is going
back to America to join the seminary to become a priest, please
pray for him because I think he will be a very powerful priest.
We had the chance to spend a few days together doing talks in
schools in Cork and Dingle, it was one miracle after another
and I just thank God for giving me friends like him. One email
I received from a girl we had spoken to said her faith had come
back alive and that she and her friends were crying during the
talk because God was touching their hearts. It is a real blessing
to receive so many emails from the schools particularly and it just
fuels me to want to carry on doing this work for as long as God
allows me.

As the years go by I see more and more that it is really true what
Jesus said that whatever we give up for the sake of his kingdom he
will reward us one hundredfold even in this life and I think one
of the greatest gifts we can receive is that of true friendship.
I’ve recently finished writing my third book, it is entitled
‘Journey to Freedom’ it will be available in a few months time,
it is all about the gift of freedom that Jesus leads us into.
A few years ago I had a heart attack and I think that it was only
after that I really began to embrace the gift of life that up until
then I had taken for granted.

I had the joy to speak at a Youth2000 retreat taking place near Dublin,
I was very impressed by the grace filled atmosphere at the retreat and
seeing so many young people being moved by God. The organisers James
Mahon and Anne Quinn did a fantastic job. Youth 2000 in Ireland is
going from strength to strength and it was good to meet up with the
youth2000 Ireland leader Paul Rooney and his wife Yvonne and spend a
bit of time with them. Yvonne lived with us in community as did
James Mahon and it is great to see them both so happy and fulfilled in
their lives and serving God so powerfully.

In Holy week I led a mission in Newtownstewart, Co Tyrone and then spent
Easter in the house at Carrick-on-Shannon with my mum and the rest of
community.

Over the next couple of weeks I will be speaking at Parish missions in Donegal town and at Mountview in Blanchardstown near Dublin. You can find the details on the community website www.stpatrickscommunity.org

You are in my heart and in my prayers, please pray for me.

God bless you in his deep love
John Pridmore

YOUR REWARD WILL BE GREAT IN HEAVEN!

Hello Everyone

I hope you are well and peace.

I've just returned from a tour of schools in England
where I had the chance to speak to over 5000 young people.

One thing I really enjoy is going back to schools where
I have spoken before and to meet the teachers and see
how they are getting on. A teacher told me that after
a talk I did a couple of years ago, they couldn't find
a particular student, he was known to be a bit of a
troublemaker and had a reputation of being the toughest
kid in the school. They searched everywhere for him and
eventually they found him kneeling down in the Chapel with
one of his mates praying the Rosary using one of the packs
we had given them.

I got an email from one young lad who I gave a book to in
a school, he said he had been struggling in school feeling
a bit lonely and left out by some of the other students who always
seemed more popular, but when he received the book (and he
was the only one that got one) he knew in his heart that
God was saying he was very special to him and never forgotten.
After this he went to confession and experienced God's deep
love for him. He is now going to Mass regularly. It just
reminded me how each one of us needs to feel that we are special
to God and when we do it changes everything for us.

It is such a blessing to see so many good teachers who are
willing to put great effort into getting the students together
for my talks. At one school a teacher brought every kid in the
school over to the local church for two separate talks because
the school simply didn't have a room big enough to take them
all. I'm sure this wasn't easy to arrange and probably didn't
make them very popular with some of the other staff. I have
great admiration for these people and it is a fantastic witness
to me of giving and not counting the cost to ourselves.

At another school, when we asked the headmaster if it would be
possible to put a few more students together, straight away he
went and rounded up students who were doing exams that week,
he knew this wouldn't go down well with some people, but he
said as far as he was concerned Faith was the most important
gift he could pass on to the children in his school. I thank
God for people like him and I believe their reward will be great
in heaven.

Mother Teresa used to say "give until it hurts" and I've witnessed
time and time again when people do that, it is then that God
works real miracles of his grace in and around those who are
prepared to put themselves out.

Some of the emails I have received from the young people I spoke
to have moved me deeply, your heart would go out to them when
you hear the situations some of them are dealing with, one young
lad had been smashed to bits by life and in the depths of this
darkness Jesus had come into his heart and was transforming all
his suffering into something beautiful. He felt a real peace
in his heart and the ability to love despite everything
that had happened to him. He now writes poetry and the poem he
sent to me brought tears to my eyes.

It was a joy to me to have my Godson Stuart with me for many of
the schools and prisons and I know that his testimony made deep a
impact on all who listened to him.

At one of my talks to a confirmation group in London I met a
friend of mine from the old days before I found God. He used
to be involved in football violence when I knew him and I was
amazed to discover that God had completely changed his life.
It was a real blessing for me discussing with him the
similarities of how God had worked in our lives and how God
seems to choose the most unlikely people to do his work.

This week I'm running a Parish mission at Annaduff in Co Leitrim,
Ireland and then I'll be travelling to Paris to speak at a
conference arranged by Jean Vannier the founder of the larch
community, I'm looking forward to meeting him as I've always
loved the work he does.

You are very much in my heart and prayers, please keep me in yours
also.

God bless you in his deep love
John Pridmore

"COME, FOLLOW ME!"

Hello Everyone

I hope you are well and at peace

At the moment I am taking a bit of a break for a couple of weeks and
I am travelling through San Francisco, Los Angeles, Mexico, Costa Rico
and Panama. It is the first proper rest I have taken for a long time
and I must say I feel rejuvenated.

Whilst I was in Los Angeles I met up with my friend Paul Kelmenson who
is a film producer in Hollywood and he is still eager the turn my book
"From Gangland to Promised land" into a film.

On my travels I have met some very interesting people, I met one man
from the Falls road in Belfast, a place very dear to my heart where
I have done quite a few talks over the years. I gave him a copy of
my book and I hope he is enjoying it.

I was on a boat for a few days when I was in the region of Costa Rica
and the entertainment director got wind of my life story and he asked
me to do a talk to 200 people. I knew only God could arrange such a
thing and it was my pleasure to say yes to his invitation and to speak
to those people of the love and power of God in my life.

God's plan for us is so awesome and I think he loves to be part of our
lives whether we are on holiday or whatever we are doing. I have found
that if my heart is open and I want to serve him, he sends me
opportunities and that is where his miracles happen. It has been such
a blessing for me to see the different cultures and peoples of the
countries I have visited, not only on this trip but on all the trips
that I have made since following God's call for my life. Millions of
people over the centuries have heard that same call from Jesus to "Follow
me" and like the poem footprints says, he never abandons us on our
journey and the reason why there is only one set of footprints in the
difficult times is because it is then that he carries us.

I will be returning to Ireland for a couple of days at the beginning
of next week where I will speak at a Parish Mission in Swinford Co. Mayo
in the Catholic Church at 7.30pm in the evening on monday 22nd February
and also the following evening at 7.30pm.

After this I will be heading to England for a tour of schools with my
Godson Stuart who will also be sharing his story. I am looking forward
to this as We will be speaking to well over five thousand young people
in schools in Manchester, Liverpool, Worcestershire, Cambridgeshire,
Hertfordshire, Kent, London and surrey. I would really appreciate if
you would keep this tour in your prayers.

May God bless you in his deep love
John Pridmore

THE SEEDS WILL GROW IN DUE SEASON!

Hello Everyone

I hope you are well and at peace.

I have just finished a tour of schools around England.
It was an amazing time with loads of little miracles
along the way. I always pray asking God to guide me
in every aspect of the tours including where I stay.
Many times people ask me what I do, and sometimes I give
them my book "From Gangland to Promised Land" I often
receive emails from them saying how God has touched
them through the book.

This last couple of weeks I have spoken to thousands
of young people in schools in Macclesfield, Lancaster,
Warrington, Preston, Workington, Whitehaven and Barrow-
in-Furness. Many of these emailed me telling me how
God has shown them that he is real and that he loves
them. Also some of their parents emailed me saying
how when the children got home thay couldn't stop
talking about what I'd said to them.

I think the outpouring of grace that happens on these
tours is because there are so many people praying for
them. All the contemplative religious orders in the
British Isles as well as many faithful souls around
the world including Australia, New Zealand and USA.
I thank God for their prayers and their love.

I spoke in the prison in Rochdale and the prisoners
were so open to God's love and all of them wanted to
chat afterwards, you could see the hope in their eyes.
The prison guards told me that when they saw the
group that had come to the talk (it was voluntary
for them to come) they were worried that there
was something afoot because some of them were
the most troublesome inmates in the prison, but the
only person who had brought them there was God, for
a meeting with his merciful heart.

Recently I received two emails that brought great joy
to my heart. One man told me that I came to his school
six years ago when he was a teenager and at the time
my story meant nothing to him, but he came to a period
in his life when he went through a lot of difficulty
and the words I had spoken about God's love came back
to him, and now he has started to pray and read the
bible. Another man said I had spoken in his school
years ago also and he had purchased my book, but he
only read the first part because he was interested in
the gangster lifestyle but he never read the second
part where God came into my life. The years passed, he
got married and had children and he started searching
for a deeper meaning in his life. He found my book and
read the second half and God touched him in a profound
way with his love.

When I read these emails it just reminded me that all
we are called to is to be faithful to what God asks us
to do. He watches over all the seeds that are planted
and brings them to friution.

You are very much in my heart and in my prayers.

God bless you in his deep love
John Pridmore

ST JUDE "THE PATRON SAINT OF HOPELESS CASES"!

Hello everyone
I hope you had a truly blessed Christmas and New year.

I had the grace to spend a lot of time with my mum during this period
and I thank God for the gift that she is to me. When I was a gangster
in the darkest period of my life, I never knew it but my mum used to
pray for me every day. Eventually she prayed a Novena to St Jude
(the patron Saint of hopeless cases) that Jesus would take me and
that I wouldn’t hurt myself or anyone else any more.

Soon after this, God stepped into my life in a powerful way and I ended
up going to a retreat at Aylesford priory in kent. I went to confession
and I had an incredible experience of Jesus when I received him in
Holy Communion that changed me forever, everything I had searched
for and had never found was with me in that moment, the one thing
that truly satisfies our wayward hearts, the love of God.

That took place eighteen years ago and just this week a friend of
mine called Michael was visiting from Australia, I stayed with him and
his family last year when I doing talks over there. I took him
to Aylesford to show him around, I brought him into one of the chapels
which I told him was one my favourites, it is the Chapel of
St Jude, and I became very emotional because I knew in a deep way that
it was his and my mum’s prayers that had led me to that place and to
Jesus, and I felt like he was saying to me that there is no such thing
as a hopeless case with God.

This week I have started a speaking tour in England, the first engagement
was at Westminster Cathedral hall. That evening the weather was truly
awful, there was a heavy snowfall all over London and the Southeast.
I was amazed to see so many people turn up in these conditions. I received
an email from one young man who told me he had been touched by God’s
love during the talk and particularly when I spoke about the fact that it
says in the bible three hundred and sixty six times “Do not be afraid” that’s
one for every day of the year even one for a leap year. He told me that he
made a decision in his heart at that moment to go ahead and make enquiries
about becoming a Priest (which he had been thinking about for some time
but kept putting it off) I will be keeping him in my prayers that God will
continue to bless and guide him.

That evening after the talk we travelled down to Brighton, even though the
roads were covered with deep snow, I really felt that God was asking me to
travel anyway. The school I was meant to be speaking at was closed because
of the weather but despite this I ended up meeting with Fr Graham Ricketts
and had a truly Blessed time with him and also Dominic Dring a teacher from
the school I had been due to speak in just happened to be at the Mass we had attended and I had a grace filled conversation with him also. After this I was filled a great joy because he showed me once again that his plans are so much
better than our plans if we can just be open to the guidance of his Holy Spirit.

Please keep this tour in your prayers I am due to speak to several thousand
Young people in schools across the country.

You are very much in my prayers.

God bless you in his deep love
John Pridmore

THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH AND DWELT AMONGST US!

Hello Everyone

I hope you are well and at peace.

As Christmas day draws near and we await the
celebration of the birth of Jesus into a stable
at Bethlehem I know that the Lord has been
preparing all our hearts so that we can receive
him with great joy on that day. I am still
amazed by his love that he would come to us and
not despise to dwell in our hearts as our intimate
friend and saviour.

We just finished a mission at Letterkenny Cathedral
it was the second time we had done a mission there
and one of the nights was about the power of the Angels.
I shared with them an experience I had a couple of years
before my conversion when I was still a gangster, I was
on my way to collect a debt from someone who lived in
a block of flats, I must have looked incredibly menacing,
my hair was gelled back and I was carrying a machete in my
pocket in case there was any trouble. I got into the
lift to get to the floor where the man lived who I was
to collect the debt from, and into the lift came a young
lad maybe 13 years of age. All of a sudden this lad looked
me right in the eye without any fear and he said "Jesus
loves you man" and then he left. I was stunned and I just
replied "I'm glad someone does". After this I didn't go
and collect the debt, it just didn't seem important.

Now I don't know who that boy was, but he was an angel to
me (after all an angel is a messenger from God) what courage
it must have taken to say that to me. I am sure it had a
big effect on me and prepared my heart for what God was
planning in the future.I always try to remember things
like that, a simple word of truth or encouragement
can genuinely change someones life if it is the Holy Spirit
who inspires it.

The mission in Letterkenny was truly blessed, on the wednesday
night we had more than twenty priests hearing confessions
for two hours and every night the Cathedral was full. It was
great to spend some time with my old friend Fr Eamon Kelly
who is the administrator of the Cathedral, his gift of joy
and his heart of love for his people are a fantastic witness
to me.

The final mission of the year was in Kentstown, Co Meath, one
man from Poland was very touched by Gods love for him and
he said with tears in his eyes that this was going to be his
best Christmas ever because he knew deep in his heart Jesus'
love for him and his family. That is what it is all about
as far as I'm concerned, we all need to know that love which
brings meaning and purpose to our lives.

I am spending Christmas with my mum and just trying to take
a bit of quiet time and prepare for a tour of schools in
England in the new year, I am really looking forward to that!

I will be sharing my story at Westmister Cathedral hall on
Wednesday 6th January at 7.30pm for anyone who is able to come.
I'd love to see you there.

You are in my heart and prayers please keep me in yours.

God bless you in his deep love
John Pridmore

GOD'S TENDER LOVE AND MERCY!

I hope you are well and at peace.

Since coming back from my travels it has been
nice to spend a couple of weeks in Ireland.
I had been looking forward to going to Malta to
do some talks but unfortunately I got a serious
dose of the flu and that wiped me out for about
10 days and I wasn’t able to travel.

Last week I spoke at a parish mission in Charlestown
Co. Mayo, the Church was packed and it was very
heartening to see many young people coming to the
mission and this week I have been running a mission
in Oldcastle Co. Meath. At both of these missions
we had reconciliation services where everyone had a
chance to go to confession, we had about 12 priests
available both nights. It was amazing to see hundreds
of people going to say sorry to God and receive his
healing and peace in that beautiful sacrament.

One girl told me how she had been no longer going to
Mass, but she came to the mission and went to
confession for the first time in over 15 years and she
said she felt so happy and had a great warmth in her
heart which she knew was Gods love. Another man told
me how when he was a young boy he had been sexually
abused and also badly beaten and as he had got older
he turned to drink to try to mask the terrible pain
he was in. He had gone to confession for the first
time in many years and he said that God had done
something special in his heart because the hardness
and coldness he had felt for so long was starting
to melt away, he also said he felt Our Lady very
close to him and she was going to teach him how to
love again.

The greatest joy in my life is to be able to speak
to the young people in schools and to tell them
truth about Gods love for them. I think God wants
to work through everyone and all it takes is for
someone to be open for a miracle to happen. A few
months ago I did a interview for an Irish Television
show called Nationwide with a woman called Mary Fanning.
Mary went away and arranged for me to speak to the
young men at Clongowes College in Co. Kildare. It was a
really blessed talk and the boys responded so well,
many of them purchased my book with their own money
and told me how God had inspired them through my story,
one of the boys was Mary’s son. Because of her openness
many lives were touched. That was a great witness to me
of following the promptings of the Holy Spirit and if
only good can come of it just go ahead and do it!

I also spoke at another school in Maynooth and the
students were equally touched. I have often heard it
said that religion isn’t cool these days, but I have
found that if you really give young people the truth
they are hungry for it. I receive hundreds of emails
after giving talks in schools and when I hear some of
the situations the young people are dealing with it
would break your heart.

I thank God for his heart of compassion which is always
seeking out those who feel lost and abandoned and
showing us his tender love and Mercy.

You are in my heart and in my prayers, please keep me in yours!

God bless you in his deep love
John Pridmore