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Deacon Mark Paine

@deaconmarkpaine

Husband. Father. Permanent Deacon of the Archdiocese of Birmingham. SEND. Writer. Theologian. Autistic. deaconmarkblog.wordpress.com

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15.11.2024
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Latest posts by Deacon Mark Paine @deaconmarkpaine

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‘Here I Am Among You As One Who Serves’ In recent weeks I have found myself returning again and again to the question of what my vocation actually feels like from the inside. Not what it is supposed to look like, not what others may assu…

deaconmarkblog.wordpress.com/2026/03/13/h...

13.03.2026 08:44 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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The deacon I am v the deacon I have tried to be Over time I have come to recognise that many of the tensions I have experienced in my diaconal life do not arise from resistance, inadequacy, or reluctance, but from a deeper vocational misalignmen…

deaconmarkblog.wordpress.com/2026/03/12/t...

12.03.2026 15:22 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0
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The Church is not the ‘Bodies of Christ’. I have been reflecting on my ministry and my developing ‘pastoral theology of Autism’. It centres on a simple, fundamental truth – we are all perfect creations of God, we are all equally love…

deaconmarkblog.wordpress.com/2026/03/11/t...

11.03.2026 09:21 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Thank you, Caritas Salford, for inviting me to speak about my Autism resources for parishes and schools. Thank you too, to Dr Minna Moffat-Feldman for arranging it all.

I feel blessed to be doing this. #autism #catholic #inclusion

10.03.2026 19:05 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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Letters | ICN Letters either commenting on stories we have published, or raising issues relevant to Catholics.

www.indcatholicnews.com/news/letters #autism

10.03.2026 08:10 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

OK, 2. Point still stands.

08.03.2026 17:03 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0

Sum total of wars started by women = 0 (unless you think Helen of Troy was real).
Perhaps, if more women and fewer wannabe Alpha Male men were in power, we would not have pointless war after pointless war after pointless war.

08.03.2026 14:07 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 2 📌 0
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The Face of Christ Today I had the privilege of taking part in a production performed by adults with learning disabilities. It was tender, joyful, and profoundly human. It was also a revelation—because whenever the v…

deaconmarkblog.wordpress.com/2026/03/07/t...

07.03.2026 20:18 👍 0 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0

It was a privilege to take part in ‘Hossnna!’, a cantata for Easter performed by adults with learning disabilities. I was moved to tears. #disability

07.03.2026 16:33 👍 3 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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Autistic Catholics UK I was recently contacted by a group in the US called ‘Autistic Catholics’. Would anyone be interested in a UK version? If so, please contact me at: markpaine1970@gmail.com

deaconmarkblog.wordpress.com/2026/03/06/a...

06.03.2026 16:00 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

I was recently contacted by a group in the US called ‘Autistic Catholics’. Would anyone be interested in a UK version? If so, please contact me at markpaine1970@gmail.com #autism #autistic

06.03.2026 14:07 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

I don’t think he understands the concept of ‘principles’.

02.03.2026 13:23 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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Autistic Discernment If you have read some of my previous blog posts, you will be aware that for years, in fact decades, I have struggled with finding a spiritual home, that is a spirituality and charism that feels &#8…

deaconmarkblog.wordpress.com/2026/03/01/a... #autism

01.03.2026 21:10 👍 6 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Why are there so many more stars since we invented telescopes?
Also, why are so many people being diagnosed as neurodivergent these days? #autism #adhd #neurodivergent

26.02.2026 07:21 👍 6 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 1
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Become an oblate? This Lent, I am exploring whether I am called to be a Benedictine Oblate. An oblate is a lay or ordained person who makes a commitment to live according to the Rule of St Benedict (the rule which B…

deaconmarkblog.wordpress.com/2026/02/25/b...

25.02.2026 13:46 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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A talk given to the Midlands Region of the Handicapped Children’s Pilgrimage Trust 22/2/26 God does not make people disabled; society does. Imagine a planet where the majority of the population are 2 feet tall. Everything on that planet is built or made on the basis that everyone conform…

deaconmarkblog.wordpress.com/2026/02/22/a... #disability #autism

22.02.2026 15:29 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

On what has been a wonderful day, I must admit that ITV hyping up Henry Pollock as the Second Coming and calling Steve Borthwick a tactical genius has been hilarious. #6Nations #Ireland #Rugby

21.02.2026 17:56 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Personally, I enjoyed it. I look forward to many more England performances like that.

21.02.2026 17:04 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0

What a performance. Ireland dominated a scatty, mentally fried England who did almost nothing well

We'll take it. Ireland looked energized.

JGP, Crowley, McCloskey, Doris and Beirne superb.

21.02.2026 16:19 👍 88 🔁 6 💬 9 📌 1
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Me and MY God There is a lot of talk these days about Catholics developing an individual relationship with God. That a good thing. However, if it ALL becomes about a 1:1 relationship between you and God, you los…

deaconmarkblog.wordpress.com/2026/02/21/m...

21.02.2026 11:48 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Ádh mór ar fhoireann rugbaí na hÉireann inniu. Imrigí le misneach, bród agus paisean. Troidigí mar Fianna na seanlaethanta. Éire go Brách! 🏉☘️🇮🇪 #Ireland #6Nations #IrishRugby

21.02.2026 09:52 👍 3 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Book proposal and Chapter 1 of ‘The Autistic Experience of God’ completed and sent to several publishers.

Fingers crossed.
#autism #theology #catholic

18.02.2026 21:44 👍 6 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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Lent 2026 This Lent, I will be giving up giving things up. Spiritual discipline is about more than giving up chocolate or crisps for a few weeks. Jesus went into the desert to open Himself totally up to God,…

deaconmarkblog.wordpress.com/2026/02/17/l...

17.02.2026 20:00 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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14.02.2026 21:47 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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Meeting God in the Stillness When I allow God to consciously enter into my presence, I do so with a feeling of relief. Here is a relationship which is mediated by honesty, not social ease; where the focus is on reading the hea…

deaconmarkblog.wordpress.com/2026/02/13/m...

13.02.2026 19:24 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

2)
Perhaps, instead of snake oil involving stem cells, they could market more proven cures for difference, such as firing squads or hanging? #Autism #neurodivergence

11.02.2026 10:02 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

1) An advert for a cure for #Autism appeared on my social media feed.

‘Cure’ implies that there is something that needs ‘curing’. As Autism isn’t a disease; as it’s a blanket term to describe an uncommon neurological framework; as it was in my DNA from conception - what exactly requires a ‘cure’?

11.02.2026 10:00 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

It would be fair to say that ITV are sub-optimal when it comes to Rugby coverage. #6Nations #Rugby

05.02.2026 22:02 👍 3 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

I wasn’t aware that they had changed the rules of Rugby Union to allow forward passes. Thank you, Karl Dickson for informing us. #6Nations #Ireland

05.02.2026 20:56 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Tar ar aghaidh a Éirinn! ☘️🏉🇮🇪 #6Nations #Ireland #IrishRugby

05.02.2026 07:53 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0