Bishop Patrick’s Spiritual Themes
The pattern in which we usually focus on each of the three Bishop’s Themes has currently changed due to the upcoming Jubilee. You can find out more about these changes below.
Encounter:
Bishop Patrick McKinney invites us to find opportunities to encounter Christ in all that we do and to grow closer to Him through these connections.
Since Advent 2023, we have been journeying through a whole year of Encounter, to tie-in with the Year of Preparation focusing on Prayer in its many forms.
Discipleship:
A disciple of Christ is to become like Christ in all that we say and do. Being a disciple means we have to take the time to get to know Jesus through prayer, action, reaction and interaction. At Saint Mary’s, we spread and celebrate the word of God through our prayer and liturgies as well as through our actions and words.
We will focus on the theme of Discipleship during the Jubilee Year, beginning on Christmas Eve 2024 and lasting until the Feast of the Epiphany (6th January) 2026. The Jubilee Year 2025 will be a whole year of Discipleship, looking at some of the themes of the Year including care for creation, food poverty, forgiveness, and rest and worship.
Missionary Discipleship:
With a greater recognition of, and openness to, the help, guidance, and inspiration of the Holy Spirit, we can all become Missionary Disciples; faith-filled, joyful and outward-looking Christians. At saint Mary’s, we are Missionary Disciples when we bear witness to His love through our service of our brothers and sisters, especially those most in need. Our pupils are always incredibly generous, and we are delighted to be able to support a range of charities throughout the year.
The theme of Missionary Discipleship will be our focus from 7th January 2026 until the end of Ordinary Time (28th November 2026).