These have been exciting times for the Catholic community in Pickering. On 20th September Bishop Drainey visited St Joseph’s Church to consecrate it and to celebrate its centenary. Usually a church is consecrated long before it reaches the age of a hundred, but this seems to have been omitted in the case of St Joseph’s. The reason why may be inferred from a remark of the first priest, Fr Bryan, in the parish magazine for 1913, expressing the hope that the church would be consecrated in the following year. Of course, in the following year the First World War broke out, and that no doubt turned people’s minds elsewhere.

A little shrine has been set up in the church honouring the Catholic martyr Fr Nicholas Postgate, who was put to death in 1679. It is hoped to put in a candle stand in due course, so that those who wish can light a candle for Fr Postgate.

Mr Kevin Macklam, the head of St Joseph’s school, has now moved to St Benedict’s Ampleforth, and Mrs Lisa Brown has been appointed as the new head. She was formerly Deputy Head at Norton Community Primary School.

Once again the Friends of St Joseph’s School set up a soup kitchen in the Church Hall in conjunction with the War Weekend. It proved to be a great success. As the Good Book puts it, ‘In those days, says the Lord, I shall raise up a great profit in the land.’

 Fr.Bill East.