Bishop encourages NHS workers to "Rest in God’s love, care and compassion"

Recorded on 11 June 2020. Bishop encourages healthcare workers to "Rest in God’s love, care and compassion so you might feel refreshed" On 11 June, Nottingham Cathedral was the venue for a special Mass offered for the sick, their families, NHS workers and social care staff. It was the feast day of St Barnabas, the saint after whom the city’s Catholic Cathedral is named. The Right Reverend Patrick McKinney, Bishop of Nottingham, held up the witness of Saint Barnabas as a man who always desired to encourage and support people. In his homily, Bishop McKinney also shared a conversation he’d had with one of his diocesan deacons who works for a Hospital Trust. This gave a fascinating insight in the unprecedented challenges faced by the NHS and hospital staff as they battled to cope with the rapid spread of COVID-19. "I would guess that each of you is already very tired, physically, emotionally and spiritually; the lockdown has gone on for longer than most of us first thought and, while there are now signs of it being gradually relaxed, a new spike in the numbers of those affected by the virus remains a threat; your frontline work will continue to be needed... may I encourage you to rest awhile in God’s love, care and compassion for you, so that you might feel refreshed and renewed to begin again."