SPIRITED THINKING SINCE 1888
Fr Matthew Pittam

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Christ the King: The battle is already won
November 22, 2020
"[T]he battle is already won in Jesus," writes Fr Matthew Pittam, "but the war has not drawn to its conclusion until he comes again."
Making the most of isolation: How to find spiritual purpose – and structure
March 26, 2020
Over the next few weeks, and very possibly months, we will have to get used to a new way of living. So how do we adjust to a Church without public Masses? How can we help the most vulnerable? And might there be opportunities to live better lives than we did before? This week, six
The many blessings of a mini-pilgrimage
August 29, 2019
Over the summer many Catholics will have made their way to pilgrimage sites all over the world. Pilgrimage is as important as ever, with the revival of many ancient pilgrim routes and sites taking place over the last couple of decades. However, it is not always necessary to travel long distances at great expense to
‘Away again, Father?’: Why your priest really does need a break
August 22, 2019
It is that time of year when many clergy take their annual holiday. Amid the busyness of preparing to leave the parish for a week or two, priests are nearly always guaranteed to hear the words “Away again, Father?” from some quarters of the parish. For some reason there are those who seem to resent
Why we need good hymns
August 15, 2019
One of the legacies of my Anglican background is a love of hymns. I am grateful for the rich tradition of hymn-writing and singing, which has shaped worship and enlivened liturgy. Hymns have had a huge impact on my own spirituality and prayer life, as composers throughout time have presented theological truth in poetic form.
What I learned from celebrating Mass in the Ordinariate Use
August 08, 2019
I am a priest of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham, having been part of the first group of former Anglican clergy to be ordained in 2012. Since then I have received great blessings through this wonderful journey into the full communion of the Catholic Church. I grew up and later ministered in
This summer, don’t take a holiday from God
August 01, 2019
Every summer I put a short announcement in my parish newsletter with the aim of encouraging parishioners to make the effort to find a church to attend when they are on holiday. Thanks to the internet it is now easier than ever to locate Mass times and parishes near to where one may be staying.
Catholic leadership beyond the market
October 04, 2018
Contemporary Perspectives on Catholic Education edited by John Lydon, Gracewing, 190pp, £20 One of the regular struggles of parish clergy today is trying to recruit practising Catholics to undertake roles in school governance. Expectations and levels of accountability are higher than ever before and many good people simply feel that it is too daunting a
September education feature: Teaching the teachers
September 06, 2018
Catholic schools form the soul as well as the mind – so it’s not just the students who need mentoring At this time of year most schools will be welcoming newly qualified teachers who are embarking upon a career. Theirs will, one hopes, be a lifelong vocation which will benefit the lives of many thousands
Appreciating the stillness of August
August 30, 2018
I love the stillness of August. So many of the activities of a priest are in abeyance during this fallow month, as schools are closed and parish groups enjoy a break for the summer. It is time to catch our breath, pray, read and undertake many of the things that our usually hectic schedules cannot
Fr Matthew Pittam: Don’t let the vandals win
August 23, 2018
The village of Monks Kirby is dominated by the mighty sandstone tower of St Edith’s Church. Founded in 1077, this majestic, almost cathedral-like church is today the Anglican parish church. Our little church of St Joseph’s nestles humbly at the other end of the village. It has impressed me since I arrived in the parish
Fr Matthew Pittam: Serving in the hours of darkness
August 16, 2018
A call in the middle of the night is never going to be a good thing in a presbytery. Tonight’s call was to ask me to attend the nursing home to anoint someone who was dying. I grabbed my sick bag, which I keep in a cupboard in the hall, and left the house as
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