It is with great sadness that we have received news of the death of our Catholic bishop of Christchurch, Bishop Barry Jones, peacefully at 3.30 this morning. This morning’s message from Vicar General Fr. Rick Loughnan is available at the diocesan website at this link.

In the words of the Collect of the Funeral Mass for a diocesan bishop let us pray:

Grant, we pray, almighty God,
that the soul of your departed servant Bishop Barry Jones
to whom you committed the care of your family,
may, with the manifold fruit of his labours,
enter into the eternal gladness of his Lord.
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.