Fr Paul Gooley reads from the Gospel of Luke (9: 23-26) in which Jesus says, ‘If anyone wants to be a follower of mine let them renounce themselves and take up their cross every day and follow me’. Afterwards, Fr Paul shares a little about St Agatha whose memorial we celebrated today.

Fr Paul says Agatha was martyred at Catania in Sicily, probably during the persecution of Decius (250-253). Devotion to her was widespread in the Church in the earliest times and she is mentioned in the Roman Canon of the Mass – that is Eucharistic Prayer 1.

On this day Fr Paul invites us to ask ‘St Agatha…Pray for us!’