THE LIGHT OF CHRIST

As we are well into 2015 wishing you a very happy 

new year and hoping you are at peace.

Since my Christmas break I started giving a 

number of talks in schools from London, Leicester, 

Stoke, Manchester and Lancashire. This was a two 

week tour with many thousands of the young 

people seeming to be very touched and brought to 

a personal experience of Jesus’ love for them.

One of the high points for me was a school in 

Manchester where after my talk they had priests 

available for confessions and I was told that the 

young people were still going to confession two 

hours after the school had finished, which

showed me the hunger of the 16 to 18 year old 

students to taste God’s mercy and forgiveness.

After this tour I went to Spain with a priest friend 

of mine and gave some talks in Gibraltar at a prison 

and parish which were kindly arranged by Fr Charlie 

who is a parish priest in Gibraltar who I got to know 

as my friend when I ran a youth retreat in the summer 

of last year.

Fr Charlie is a great witness of a priest who 

puts God in first place in his life and seems 

to work tirelessly to bring others to a deeper 

relationship with Jesus. My priest friend who 

travelled with me also gave some talks in 

Spain and Gibraltar.

It often seems strange to me that there has 

only ever been one diocesan priest canonised 

in the history of the Church (St John Vianney) 

I have the privilege of spending quite a lot of 

time staying with diocesan priests around

the world, and must say on the whole they 

are an inspiration to me of men trying to 

live radical lives for Jesus and his teachings.  

When I am travelling it gives me time to 

see the media’s influence on our world 

and I must say that sometimes it is hard 

to keep that hope in Christ’s victory. 

The darkness and evil that seems to be in 

so many countries and situations can bring 

you to a deep despair. However during 

this time of lent we are reminded of how 

much pain, hurt, rejection and fear that our 

Saviour suffered at the  hands of evil, even 

unto death. Only for the glorious light of the 

resurrection to take place and conquer death 

and evil forever.

So it is when I stay focused on the wonder 

of Christ and the hope in his victory that 

the darkness in our world seems to 

evaporate and the light comes pouring in.

Despair, fear and hopelessness knocked on 

the door, faith answered, and there was no 

one there!

We ran two parish missions when I got 

back to Ireland in Tallaght, Co Dublin and 

Allen in Co Kildare and even though it was 

freezing conditions the people came in 

great numbers, which showed me the thirst 

that people have to come closer to God.

I also travelled to Tullow to speak in a 

secondary school and while I was there I 

contacted a priest called Fr Michael kelly 

(who lives near there) He played a big 

part in my conversion over 20 years ago. 

He was the one of the first priests I spoke 

to after my initial encounter with God and 

he told me about the possibility of 

confession and guided me to a youth 

retreat which completely transformed my 

life! This was the first time I had seen him 

since then and it was a joy for me to spend 

some time and chat over a nice meal.

Next I ran a school retreat in the beautiful 

setting of the Franciscan friary at 

Rossknowlagh in Co Donegal. During

the day most of the young people took 

the opportunity to go to confession and I 

hope and pray that it lead them to a deeper 

relationship with Christ.

Please pray for me over the next few 

weeks as I will be travelling to Texas, Tampa, 

Chicago, Juarez, Mexico City, Bantry, 

Liverpool,London and Tonbridge to talk in 

Parishes, schools, youth groups and prisons.

You are very much in my heart and prayers.

God bless you in his deep love

John Pridmore