29
Ven, Mar

UK Bookcentre YorkThe Bishop of Middlesbrough Diocese, Most Rev Terence Drainey, blessed the new St Pauls Books and Gifts Centre in York, UK on Wednesday 9 July 2014. Director of St Pauls, Fr Francis Kochupaliyathil, welcomed Bishop Terence and conveyed the personal greetings of the Superior General Fr Silvio Sassi expressing his great appreciation of his pastoral vision and for including St Pauls in the pastoral plan of the Diocese by supporting the various apostolic initiatives of the Congregation in the Diocese.

In his welcome message, Fr Francis said: "It is a reality today that retail book centres are fast disappearing because of high operational costs and the digital revolution which has brought about a shift from the traditional way of operating retail book centres. For us the spirit and the spiritual background of our book centres was clearly set out by our founder Blessed James Alberione when he said that our book centres are centres of Apostolate - 'Our Book Centres are not shops but a service to the faithful. They do not have customers but co-operators. They are not businesses, they are centres of light and fervour in Jesus Christ. The aim is not profit but to serve the Church and people. What the faithful and the clergy have to find in our centres are help, enlightenment and direction for their life and ministry.'"

Bishop Terence, in his message, stressed the great need for practical resources for living and learning our faith, and formation of our people in their families, parishes, youth groups and schools, and thanked St Pauls for providing such reasources through their Book Centre in York City where people have easy access to such resources.

It is the hard work of Fr Vincenzo Santarcangelo, managing director of St Pauls publishing, David Cropper, manager of St Pauls Book Centre, York and David Waterhouse, estate agent, that we could find a good location for the centre closer to other retail book centres in the city of York

The function was attended by priests, teachers, benefactors and friends from different Christian denominations and David Cropper thanked them for their presence and continued support.

 

Où sommes-nous