The parish of St Mary of the Angels, Batley, hold their annual Torchlight Procession on the first Monday in October and it is always an awe-inspiring occasion. This was the first for Father Patrick Mungovin as parish priest and perhaps he felt as privileged as I did to participate in this marvellous spiritually uplifting occasion.
Myself, our MP Mike Wood and the Mayor of Kirklees were not only acknowledged by Bishop Arthur when he began the service, we also had the privilege of leading the procession just behind the bishop and sitting on the front row in church for benediction.
Seeing the long winding procession of torches, hearing the Lourdes Hymn echoing out in the night and saying the rosary, is incredibly moving and makes me realise how lucky I am to be a Catholic in Batley. It was as always, tremendously spiritually uplifting for me and allows me to really feel like a pilgrim. I think it is a great act of witness of faith and also a marvellous community event. Not only were we uplifted by the prayers and hymns, we also enjoyed the refreshments and socialising in St Mary's Parochial Hall afterwards.
A lot of hard work goes into organising this marvellous event, so to Annette, the Torchlight Committee and everyone else who made it possible, I would like to say thank you and well done for all your good work .
Well done and God Bless to all who participated, young and old and lets keep coming back each year in greater numbers. This is one of Batley's greatest treasures and we must cherish it!
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