From Your Parish Priest – 5th September 2026

Since arriving in the parish, as you can imagine, I have been getting used to a new rhythm and routine of life: living in an unfamiliar area, settling into a new house and adapting my daily routine.

Of course, no two days are quite the same, but certain routines are beginning to emerge. My mornings include checking emails and attending to the less exciting aspects of priestly life before celebrating Mass. Friday morning is bulletin day, and so on. Most importantly, I have unpacked my coffee machine, and every day begins with a double espresso.

I have therefore found myself thinking about routines and how important they are. They bring order and structure to our days, helping us to complete our tasks and preventing life from descending into chaos. Routines are not merely useful for managing our homes or our work. As Catholics, our life of faith is probably the most structured part of our lives. Think about it: Mass on Sunday, abstinence on Friday— which is a rather grand and holy way of saying that I am having fish and chips—morning and night prayers, and so on.

While a structured routine is an excellent habit, it can sometimes cause us to forget what we are doing or why we are doing it. This is particularly dangerous when it comes to our faith. Funnily enough, one of the most common Catholic practices is also one of the things I am most frequently asked about: lighting candles.

For many Catholics, the first thing they do upon entering a church—after genuflecting before Our Lord, of course—is to light a candle at a particular shrine. It is a beautiful act of devotion, but I am sometimes asked, ‘Father, why do we light candles?’ Many of our practices become second nature to us and, while we may know deep down why we perform them, it is sometimes good to remind ourselves.

Candles have been used in Christian worship since the earliest centuries. At first, they served the practical purpose of providing light in dark places of worship, but they also came to have a much deeper meaning. Their flame reminds us of Christ, who said, ‘I am the light of the world.’

The early Christians lit candles at the tombs of the martyrs, honouring those who had given their lives for Christ and now lived with him in heaven. We continue this ancient tradition whenever we light a candle before a relic, statue or sacred image. It reminds us that we belong to the communion of saints and that those in heaven continue to pray with us and for us.

Lighting a candle is also a simple way of placing a prayer or intention before God. As it continues to burn after we have left the church, it represents the prayer we have offered and our trust that God continues to hear it. It is therefore a small offering, a sign of our prayer and an expression of our faith in Christ, the Light of the World.

When we light a candle, we offer not only our prayer but also a small sacrifice. By making an offering for the candle, we give something of ourselves and help to support the parish and Church. In this way, our offering helps to ensure that we continue to have a place in which to worship God and to light our candles in prayer and devotion.

God bless, Fr Hilton