WE NEVER WALK ALONE!

Hello everyone
I hope that you have had a blessed Christmas and you are at peace.

For Christmas this year I went away for a few days with my mum. First we went to Paris where I visited the beautiful church of the Rue de Bac where our lady appeared to St Catherine Laboure and gave her the miraculous medal. She said anyone who wears this medal will receive many graces and protection from God. I've given out literally hundreds of thousands of these medals to young people and Our Lady says they are an outward sign of how much we are loved by her.

Next we went to Bruges in Belgium and we went to Sunday mass after which they were venerating the miracle of the precious blood. Many years ago there was a Priest who was having doubts about whether Jesus was truly present in the blessed sacrament and during the Mass the wine turned into real blood and he doubted no more. They keep that blood of Christ in the church unto this day. It just reminded me of the incredible gift that Jesus gives us each time we go to mass.

At the beginning of January I started a tour of schools in England. I talked to over 4000 young people over the course of two weeks sharing with them how God has changed my life and brought me to a greater freedom and peace than I'd ever dreamed was possible.

In the schools many of the young people came up to me and shared the painful situations that they were living and asking me if God can really help them. I prayed with one girl who said she didn't believe that God exists asking God to show her he is with her in her suffering, and many others were asking for prayers to help with very difficult situations at home. I think God's heart bleeds for these his beautiful children and he asks all of us to reach out to them.

Before the tour began I had arranged for a meeting with a good man who has helped us out financially to make these tours possible and where we were to meet him was a long distance from the two talks I was doing that day. Then, an old friend from Ireland, who is a teacher, called me and said she had started work in a new school and would it be possible for me to come and speak to the students? Sure enough her new school was right beside where we were meeting the man who helps us. I knew this was God, only he can arrange these things to the smallest detail.

The talk was really blessed and all the students were so open to God's love for them. After the talk I ended up praying with a few teachers, including the headmaster. He asked if it might be possble for myself and my community to come to his school and help run a retreat day for his staff. I felt so thankful to God to be part of his plan and to see him working his miracles!

I am never ceased to be amazed how when we try to serve God he looks after us in the smallest details. One day we had been very busy since the early morning. We were on our way to another talk when I turned to Will and Niall who were in the car with me and said it would be just nice to sit down and have a nice meal together for an hour or so. Soon after I took a wrong turn and right in front of me was a harvester restaurant. I thanked God for his goodness that he gives us everything we need and loves to see us happy. It is often in the little things that God can show us just how precious we are to him and I pray that our eyes would be always open to see these gifts of love.

One of the days we had finished quite early and I really wanted to go for a walk to get some exercise, but unfortunately it was pouring down with rain. The only indoor place where I could get a decent walk was the Bullring shopping centre in Birmingham which was a fairly long drive away, but off I went and while mooching round the shops I ended up giving my book to two girls who worked behind the counter and I know it was going to be a blessing for them. Also because I was in Birmingham I met up with My old Friend Fr Richard Aladics who was visiting from Australia at the Chaplaincy of the university of Birmingham. We had a great chat with some of the students and it was a truly blessed evening. If it hadn't been raining I wouldn't have been in Birmingham at all. I love the way God can use everything to guide us.


One of the vital things on these tours of schools is the satellite navigation system for the car which guides us to all the addresses which we otherwise would struggle to find. It is the same in our lives, without the gift of Gods Holy Spirit we will always struggle and often get lost. When we surrender our lives to him and let him guide us then miracles start to happen and life becomes an exciting adventure. Somebody once said that the word faith could stand for a Fantastic Adventure In Trusting Him!

You and those you love are in my prayers every day.
God bless you.
John Pridmore.

PREPARE OUR HEARTS FOR CHRISTMAS!

Hello everyone
I pray that the infant Jesus would fill you with his joy this Christmas.

The last couple of weeks I have been speaking at Parish missions and in schools. First of all I was in Mullagh in Co. Cavan. It was a truly blessed mission with many people being touched by the love of God. On the final night the Priest said he had more confessions during the week of the mission than he had in the previous 14 years.

After this I travelled down to Tullycross in Connemara for another mission and had the opportunity to speak in the local secondary school. The young people are so open and hungry for the truth of God's plan for their lives and it doesn't matter where you go in the world they are facing the same struggles and the answers are only to be found in God.

Next I travelled to Galway to meet a friend of mine Mike Short who runs a Christian cafe in the town. They do incredible work and it is always an inspiration to visit them. Mike had set up a number of talks in schools all of which where very blessed.

I asked Mike to say a prayer with me and while we were praying he got an image of a high powered electric cable which he thought represented the power of God, then he saw that to handle the powerful cable it had to be held in thick insulating material. This insulation represented the humilty which is absolutely necessary for the power of God to be manifested in our lives, because we can do nothing by just our own strength or wisdom, but we can do everything in him.

So if you sometimes feel weak and broken, that is no obstacle to God using you powerfully, in fact it is probably an advantage. As St Paul says "when I am weak, then I am strong". So when God does work miracles we don't think it is because of us.

Let us prepare our hearts to welcome our God who comes to us in the form of a helpless child this Christmas, so that we would not be afraid to draw near to him. May the prince of peace fill you with his deep peace and heal all the wounds of our lives so that we may bring his light into our world.

God bless you and all those you love,
John Pridmore

ONLY IN GOD IS MY SOUL AT REST

Hello Everyone

I hope you are at peace.
As always the last few weeks have flown by, the mission in Sligo was a great blessing, the Cathedral being full every night and many people coming back to their faith. I heard of one man who went back to confession for the first time in 59 years. What joy he must have brought to Gods heart.

After the mission I had the chance to spend a few days at home and I took the opportunity to tile the bathroom, which I really enjoyed because it is always nice when you finish a job to look at the work you have done. I'm sure the Lord loves to look at us and even though we are not the finished article, we are his creation and he rejoices in us.

Next I went to speak in several schools across Ireland. After the first school I spoke in I received an email from a girl Who had been really suffering from loneliness and was feeling at rock bottom, she was also self harming. She felt that no one loved her. Thank God that after hearing my talk and speaking to her by email she is feeling a lot better and I know that God has great plans for her life, so please pray for her that she would truly know the deep love that Jesus has for her and how he loves to be with her.

I went to speak in Blackrock College in Dublin and was deeply impressed by the RE department, the Chaplain and the Principle who are instilling a profound sense of the faith and how each boy can make an incredible difference in this world. There was a great response to my talk from the boys and many of them took books. I have so much hope for the future when there are still schools like this who put God at the centre of all they do.

After the schools were finished I headed for Donegal for a short break. The hotel I had booked had changed the original dates and had given me my stay for a discount, otherwise I probably would have gone somewhere else. But as always God had his plan. While I was eating in the restaurant the first night I got talking to a married couple and I ended up sharing my story with them and I gave them a copy of my book "from Gangland to Promised Land". The next day I saw the man sitting in the Lobby reading my book, so I asked him what he thought of it. He answered me "To be honest John I have been very emotional while reading it" I could see tears in his eyes and he told me that he hadn't been to mass in a long time. It reminded me once again that there is no such thing as a holiday from God, he wants to use us to reach his beloved children wherever we are and whatever we are doing, and that is what I live for.

Also in Donegal I met up with two of the Priests of the local church and went out for a meal with them, what a joy to make new friendships in the Lord. I have found that the promise Jesus made when he said whatever we give up for him, he will give us a hundredfold in return, is totally true and what greater gift could he give us than friendship, firstly with himself and then with so many others that he puts in our paths.

Finally I met up with my old friend Fr Eamonn Kelly from Letterkenny and spent some time with him. His mother has 19 children and is still going strong. when I met her this time she was praying her Rosary by the fireside in her house. She looked so content and peaceful and that is the gift that God imparts to us when we place him in the centre of our lives.

Please know that you are in my heart and in my prayers.
God bless you in his deep love
John

THE HARVEST IS RICH BUT THE LABOURERS ARE FEW.

Hello Everyone

May the Lord fill you and all who you love with his peace.

At the end of the week of the mission in Wigan a man told me a beautiful story. He had been to confession for the first time in 40 years and he had a deep experience of Gods love. After the mission he went into his local pub and was talking to one of his friends and telling him his experience, he gave him a prayer card and went off to speak to someone else. Ten minutes later he returned, the man had read the prayer card and tears were running down his cheeks, he then said that he wanted to know how to join the Church. It was inspiring for me to hear how quickly this man had begun to spread the blessing he himself had received. God wants to use all of us to bring his light and love to others in all places.

I spent a few days in York, a place I've always loved and where I've often felt very close to God. I got speaking to a priest in one of the Parishes and he asked me if I would like to come and speak to a group of people who were joining the Church. It was a very blessed talk and afterwards a man came up to me and told me his story. A couple of years ago someone had given a copy of my book (Gangland to promised land) to his wife. At first she didn't read it and put it down somewhere in the house. A few months later she saw me on television (EWTN) telling my life story. Then she picked up the book to read it and was very moved by it. She gave it to her husband (who wasn't a Catholic) to read, and God really spoke to him through it. He decided to become a Catholic and was doing the RCIA course where I turned up to speak. Only God could have arranged this run of events, it's a source of great peace to know he is in control of every situation when we hand over our lives to him.

Next I headed to Amsterdam to speak at an event arranged for young people. At the hotel I was staying I met a man from Limerick in Ireland. I told him a bit of my story and what I did, then gave him a copy of my book. Afterwards he told me he told me he was inspired to hear of an Englishman who loved the Catholic faith and that he was going to take his faith more seriously from that moment on.

At the event for young people, I met a woman called Stephanie who had arranged for me to come and speak to the young people. She was on fire for God, and in a country (Holland) where there seems to be a lot of confusion in the Church, She showed me once again that anyone who truly gives their life over to God and spreads his love and truth will make an immense difference. I thank God for people like her because the harvest is rich but the labourers are few.
Mother Teresa said "If you give young people the truth they have the chance to choose the truth". I have always seen that people, young and old, are thirsty for the truth and recognise it when they hear it.

Just to say that you are all in my prayers and please pray for me because I will be doing a lot a talks in schools over the next couple of weeks.

God bless you all in his deep love
John

MANY ARE CALLED BUT FEW ARE CHOSEN

I hope you and your families are well and at peace.

Since the last update, I have led two parish missions, one in Tullamore, Co. Offaly, and the second in Ashton-in-Makerfield, in Wigan.


During the week in Tullamore, more than 1,500 people came to the church each evening to take part in the mission, and about 500 were there for the 7 and 10 am morning mass each day. A friend of mine, Fr. Marius from the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, flew from New Jersey to help hear many of the confessions that week. Some of the days, he would hear confessions for more than four hours as well as counselling those who came to him with their various problems. There were 25 priests on hand to hear confessions on the Tuesday night, where for more than two hours people continued to go to Jesus and find His loving embrace, and share their hearts and pain with Him. It never ceases to amaze me how God touches the deepest parts of our hearts and draws us to Himself. I thank God everyday for the gift of confession, and how it renews me and gives me the strength to continue to try and live like Jesus.
Each day during the week I was in three different secondary schools speaking to the young people, sharing with them my conversion, and letting them know about the love of God for them. Many of the students from those schools came along to the evening sessions and attended the early morning mass before they went off for classes.
There are so many distractions in our world today, and with the constant buzz of television, mobile phones, and computers, it is hard for us to hear the voice of God, who speaks to us in silence. I would always encourage people to make time for prayer, because it is through prayer that we come to know the one who created us, and loves us unconditionally. As soon as we take something to prayer, it begins to change. Whether we are coming to Him with our problems, our various needs, or just to say thanks, Jesus loves to hear from us.

Early on in the mission one of the priests mentioned to me that there was a gang of youths who would hang around the church at random times and had been causing trouble and making life difficult for some of the elderly of the parish. I came across them one afternoon, and after speaking to them for a few minutes, I asked them a bit about themselves, and they began to open up and share what their lives were like. Some of them said how they had dropped out of school early, others had family members in prison, and how life was difficult at home. Each of them came along to the evening sessions, and I am sure God was sowing many seeds of His love in their hearts.

Last Sunday morning I went to speak in HMP Liverpool Prison, to over 130 inmates there. Even though there can be a heavy feeling of intimidation and bravado that the prisoners try to put over, underneath it all they are like children to God, in need of the same love as each one of us. After the talk, I went up to one man and said to him
‘I have a book for you’
He looked somewhat surprised as I handed it to him, and he said,
‘Why did you pick me out from all of the others?’
I said, ‘I felt inspired by the Holy Spirit to give it to you.’
By the tears in his eyes I could see that this really touched him and he went on to say,
‘Do you know this is the second time this has happened to me. Just last week there was another person in here speaking to us, and they picked me out too.’
‘That is God showing you how special you are to Him, and that He has great plans for you.' I added.
God knows each one of us in an intimate and personal way. None of us are numbers to Him, He carries each of us in His heart as if we were His only child. Scripture says ‘even the hairs of our head are counted’ and that God ‘has carved us on the palm of His hand’. It meant so much for this man to know that God understood him, accepted him, and had a plan for his life. We all need to know the gift of His love, it is something we can not earn, but we can receive it freely any time we ask for it. I know for myself, that without God’s love, life is meaningless, but with His love, every day is a miracle and my eyes can be opened to the wonder of the world He created.

This week I have been in Wigan leading a week of mission in Our Lady Immaculate Church. Each day of the week I went into St. Edmund Arrowsmith Secondary school and spoke at an assembly, to more than 1,100 students. The school was named after a local martyr who laid down his life in witness to the faith.
It was through the same blood of the martyrs in the early church that Christianity began to spread so rapidly in the Middle East and in Europe. From the 12 apostles to those who still risk their lives to proclaim the good news, our faith has been passed down by their example and sacrifice. We can pray to have the same desire and passion to love Jesus as they did and in the words of St. Teresa of Avila ‘We will set the world ablaze'

I will be sharing my story in St. Anthony’s church, in Bradford on Monday October 20th at 7:30, and will prepare to travel to Holland to speak at a youth conference there before returning to Ireland for a mission in Sligo Cathedral November 3rd- 7th at 7:30 p.m.

I thank you all for you prayers and emails, and you are in my heart and prayers.

May God bless you in His deep love, and may Mary our Mother enwrap you with her peace.


God Bless

John

THE GIFT OF GODS LOVE

I hope you and your families are well and at peace.

Since coming back from speaking at a Marian Conference in Arizona, in the United States, I have led two week long missions in Ireland. The first one was in Kilcloon, Co. Meath, and the second was in the Cathedral in Cavan Town, Co. Cavan.

Throughout the mission in Kilcloon, I was giving my testimony in secondary schools during the day, before the evening sessions which began at 8:00 in St. Oliver Plunkett’s Church. On the Tuesday morning of the mission I was invited in to speak to about 200 students in a school in Kilcock. After speaking to the principal for a few minutes and encouraging him to put in as many students as possible, he began to organize for me to speak to the entire school in the gymnasium for a hour. Because of his openness to the Holy Spirit, I was able to speak to the whole school which numbered over 750 young people and share with them the hope and love that Jesus offers them in their lives.
I went on to tell them how it was through the sacrifice of their ancestors, and the blood they had spilled during the penal times that there is a Catholic faith in Ireland. And how not so long ago that their own family members in previous generations made incredible sacrifices, even to the point of risking their lives, to even be able to go to mass and receive Jesus. I reminded them that if they wanted to find out the answers in regards to their faith, they would have to be willing to ask the questions. Finally, I encouraged them to pray everyday, because it is only through prayer that we can come to know Jesus and recognise His voice in our hearts.

On the Tuesday night of the mission, I gave a talk on the gift of God’s Mercy. It was through the grace of making an honest and open confession that I came to experience the great gift of God’s forgiveness in my life, more than 17 years ago. It is always a privilege to have the opportunity to try and lead others to that same gift that I received. After sharing about my own experience in confession, and why it is so important for us to make a new start with God in this sacrament, more than 10 priests took their places around the church to hear the confessions of the more than 600 parishioners who came. It was beautiful to witness people coming back to Jesus as the prodigal son came back to the Father, (Luke Ch. 14 Verse 11) and seeing first-hand the love and forgiveness of God who has always been waiting to embrace his children and shower them with his love.

Later in the week I returned to speak in the secondary school in Maynooth, speaking to the fifth and sixth year classes.
I talked to them about how each of us have a part of our heart that can only be filled and made complete by the love of Jesus, and that in my own life I looked everywhere but Jesus to find something things to fill it. No matter how much money I made as a gangster, how many drugs I took, or how much power I got, I never found satisfaction or fulfilment in my life. There was always emptiness, and if we don’t look to Jesus to fill that void in our hearts, we will never know the joy of what it is to really live and love. At the end of the talk one young lady came up to me and thanked me for what I had said, and went on to say how much she really needed to hear that. I know that if the whole talk was just for her to come to understand that love of God for her, it was all worth it.

The following week, I led the mission that was held in the Cathedral in Cavan town. When I gave my testimony on the Monday night, the church was full up with more than 1,500 people in attendance. Even at the 7 am mass in the morning there was over 250 people who came to support the mission. On the Tuesday night there were 26 priests who heard confessions, for more than two hours. I saw many leaving that sacrament with tears in their eyes and smiles on their faces, as they left their burdens and pain with the Lord, and received the grace of His complete forgiveness for them.

On the Wednesday morning I went to St. Patrick’s College and spoke to the 500 students there, sharing my story and encouraging them to come along to the evening session in the Cathedral. More than 100 students come along to experience the Eucharistic healing service held that night.

The next day after the 10 a.m. mass as people were leaving the church one woman came up to me and shared how much she was enjoying the mission. As she continued to speak, tears formed in her eyes, and she thanked me for what she had received during the week. I could see that she had been touched by God, and from her response of shedding tears, I knew a miracle had happened in her heart.

On the Friday, which was the final night of the mission, dedicated to the Holy Spirit, I went before Jesus in the tabernacle to pray before my talk. As soon as I knelt down, I felt the incredible love of God for me, and I began to cry, as I felt overwhelmed by His love and care. I said to Jesus that I would not be able to speak if he kept filling my heart with his love because it was too much to take. I saw in a new way from that experience that no matter how many years we spend trying to get to know God’s love for us, we will never come to a full understanding of it until we are united with Him in heaven. That is the joy we can carry in our hearts in this life, that when we do meet Him, that love which we can never completely know on earth is ours for eternity. Coming to know the love of God for us, is the most important thing we will ever need to learn in our lives. When we open our hearts to Him, He takes away all fear and anxiety and grants us His peace, and if we listen carefully we can hear His voice, ‘My beautiful child, in whom I am well pleased.’




I will be in Tullamore, Co. Offaly, in the Church of the Assumption from Monday September 29th to October 3rd giving my testimony and talks in the evening at 7:30, and at the morning masses at 7a.m. and 10 a.m. It would be great to see you if you there if you can make it.

I remember you all in my prayers and I thank you for yours.



May God Bless you in His deep love

John

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INTO THE WILD WEST!

Hello everyone, I hope you are well and at peace.

The last few weeks of the summer have been spent traveling home from Australia via New Zealand and the United States. It was a great joy for me to go into a school in Auckland to speak to the young people about Gods love for them. At that school there was a brilliant teacher who seemed to really love the students. He invited me to come and speak to some of the older lads from the school who met together on a Friday evening. Whilst speaking to them I felt very moved by the Holy Spirit because each one of them was so important to him and that these were young men who would stand up and witness to their faith in a powerful way in their lives. I noticed that many of them had tears in their eyes and that they felt the same passion to do Gods work I as did.

Often we hear about the darkness in our world but with young people like these and lots of others that I’ve met, we need not fear the future but look forward with hope to whatever God is preparing.

Many months previous to even having planned to visit New Zealand, God had given me a friendship with a Carmelite nun from Christchurch who had read my book. She said it would be great if I could come and speak to young people in New Zealand. It seemed a very unlikely prospect at that time, but you can never underestimate what God will do once these sisters start to pray for something.

The moment I stepped off the plane I felt Gods peace and I knew that I was right where he wanted me to be. All the talks were really blessed and the entire week we were there it seemed the Lord was guiding everything we did.

We decided to head North to the Bay of Islands for the weekend, on the journey it began to rain heavily and I saw a girl hitchhiking and stopped to pick her up, sure enough she was heading to the exact same destination as us. She asked me what
I did, so I told her my story and how Gods love had transformed my life. I mentioned about how one of the turning points in my life had come when I felt the Holy Spirit for first time. She explained that she had been raised in communist East Germany and she seemed to be searching for answers in her life. After a few minutes she asked
a beautiful question “Tell me more about this Holy Spirit?” We had a great chat and she really understood the need for the forgiveness and healing of Jesus in our lives. She was so open to God and I know he will guide her to a deep knowledge of him. There were so many incidents like this that I could write a book for them alone
and I thank God for the prayers of the Carmelites and all those who pray for me.

The next stop was Los Angeles where I met a friend who is a film producer. An incredible Man of faith who wants to try and make as many films with a Christian message as possible. He showed us round the city and took us to places where tourists
would seldom see. Wherever I went I carried Miraculous medals with me and I gave these to the people we met. One old woman in a shop gave me a massive hug when she received a medal and another woman was moved to tears when I gave her a medal for her child. Our Lady said in one of her apparitions “If you knew how much I love
you, you would weep for joy”.

We drove across the desert into the wild west, from Los Angeles to Phoenix and I received a totally unexpected grace. I was aware of the prayers and presence of my Dad who had died a few years previously. He had always been a massive Western fan (John Wayne was his and my favourite) I felt he was with me and that he was proud of me. I was so thankful to God and it filled my heart with joy.

When we arrived in Phoenix a lovely Lady called Ann had arranged for us to visit the grand canyon, it was a truly awesome experience. Only God could create something so beautiful. I'm always amazed at the places God takes us when we say yes to him in our lives. I can honestly say I have never been so fulfilled. Somebody once said that the word faith could stand for a "Fantastic Adventure In Trusting Him".

The last appointment of my summer travels was for a big conference in Phoenix, but I also had the grace to be able to speak to two large groups of students at a local high school. Sometimes I don't get the chance to speak to all the people I would like to at the talks because there are often time constraints, but I thank God for the gift of the email contact I have with people, many of whom share deeply their struggles and also joys.

please know that you and those you love are in my heart and prayers.
God bless you
John Pridmore.