NOvEMBEr 2023
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Edition 23
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Junior Semi-Finalist For BBC Young Chorister Of The Year!
Cambridge priest to walk 82km for charity
Memorable Pilgrimage from Louth to Poland
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All Saints – 1st November Icon of All Saint of Kyiv
CAFOD launches Appeal for Crisis in Israel and occupied Palestinian territory and urges civilians to be put first cafod.org,uk
CAFOD joined 11 other major humanitarian agencies in calling for the UK to use its influence to help protect civilians caught up in the conflict and bring an end to the fighting The Catholic aid agency, CAFOD, has launched an Appeal following the escalation of violence in Israel and occupied Palestinian territory (oPt), and the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Gaza. People are being killed and thousands of homes are being destroyed – families will need urgent, practical help to recover. Funds raised will ensure life-saving aid can be transferred into Gaza, Israel and other parts of oPt as soon as access is available, and that local organisations have what they need to help those most affected. The situation in Gaza is increasingly desperate with an urgent need for water, electricity and fuel. It is reported that residents are consuming contaminated water from wells, which could lead to the spread of waterborne disease, and vital services are on the brink of collapse. Over 3,000 Palestinians and 1,300 Israelis have been killed since the violence escalated and 1 million people are estimated to have fled their homes and are living in dire conditions in central and Southern Gaza. CAFOD has worked for many years in both Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) and is in regular contact with partners as the situation develops. CAFOD’s local partner,
Caritas Jerusalem, has a number of staff in Gaza and commented: “Most of our employees have been forced to leave their homes. Some have sought refuge in the Holy Family Compound in Gaza City, others in UNWRA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees) schools, and some in the homes of relatives and friends. Several of our employees’ houses have been completely demolished. They’re in shock, confused, and perplexed. They don’t have electricity, and the internet is sporadic.” In a statement released on Saturday, CAFOD joined 11 other major humanitarian agencies in calling for the UK to use its influence to help protect civilians caught up in the conflict and bring an end to the fighting. CAFOD has also asked supporters to write to the UK Foreign Secretary, urging that the UK
plays its part in upholding international law, ensuring humanitarian aid can reach people in need, and working with other world leaders to secure a lasting peace for the region. Elizabeth Funnell, CAFOD’s Country Programmes Representative for the Middle East, said: “We condemn the horrific killings and kidnappings led by Hamas and the scale of the Israeli government’s violent retaliation, which is causing more civilian deaths and injuries. We urge all parties to end the violence and abide by international law. This means protecting civilians, releasing hostages and not punishing innocent civilians by stopping food, fuel and water reaching Gaza. “Right now, people are literally trying to stay alive. It’s virtually impossible for people to leave Gaza so there’s no way for civilians to escape the current Israeli bombardment.
Thousands of people have begun to move to the south of Gaza, but the lack of food, water or shelter will have disastrous humanitarian consequences. The attack on Al Ahli Arab hospital is a shocking reminder of how nowhere in Gaza is safe. “The situation for families in Gaza is extremely severe and our local experts in Gaza are already providing support where they can. The level of need is huge, and other partners will start to provide urgent help to people living there as soon as it is safe to do so.” Pope Francis has also urged people to take the side of peace, saying during his weekly General Audience on 18 October: “War does not solve any problem, it only sows death and destruction, increases hatred, multiplies revenge. War erases the future.”
Page 2. The Catholic Post. November 2023.
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The first casualties of the year-round rush to get there first From the presbytery.............. by Fr Neil McNicholas
What happened to having to wait for something really worthwhile? What happened to enjoying the delicious sense of anticipation which we used to have, as the year gradually unfolded? Yorkshire Post columnist Jayne Dowle once reflected on poppies being “the first casualties of the year-round rush to get there first” – a reference to television presenters and Members of Parliament sporting poppies in their lapels as early as the end of October, almost three weeks before Remembrance Day. It’s not just the Poppy Appeal (she wrote) but everywhere you turn. I’m sure I saw Christmas cards for sale on August Bank Holiday. What happened to having to wait for something really worthwhile? What happened to enjoying the delicious sense of anticipation which we used to have, as the year gradually unfolded?
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As a society we seem to be incapable of letting celebrations arrive in their own sweet time. Even when Easter, Halloween, or Christmas are still only specks on the horizon, experience shows that there isn’t a shopkeeper in the land prepared to take the risk of missing out on business by not joining the lemming-like commercial stampede. Principle and selfrestraint have gone out of the window and if there’s money to be made then the only principle that does operate is to be the first and thereby steal a march on the opposition. The paraphernalia of Halloween is on sale many weeks before October 31st, as are fireworks for Bonfire Night. It was still only September when my local supermarket started selling Christmas mince pies and Christmas puddings. In another store Christmas decorations are already on sale. And no sooner does the Christmas season end than supermarket shelves fill up with Easter eggs!
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We are constantly planning for the future. We move from one event to another, one activity to the next. What is wrong with us? Why do we revel in wishing our lives away? Why can’t we live for - and in - the present moment? Why is there this constant headlong rush to the
next big date on the calendar? It’s not as if it’s not going to arrive if we’re not ready for it weeks or even months in ahead of time. Are shopkeepers afraid we might forget if they didn’t put Christmas cards and decorations on sale in September? Obviously much of this “prematurity” is commercially driven. The high street simply cannot sit on its hands when there is money to be made. Once upon a time no one would have started selling Christmas cards before November, but as soon as someone started to, someone else had to start even earlier the next year so as not to lose out. The conundrum is whether the high street drives the calendar by catering to our impatience, or whether we, in our impatience, encourage the high street to be as predictably premature as it is? It wouldn’t be able to do what it does if we weren’t so eager to jump on the commercial bandwagon. The reason the build-up to seasons and celebrations seems to get everearlier is because we allow it to happen, but exactly why we do, and why we need to, is perhaps something we need to think about. Our annual summer holiday is usually something we have to start thinking about and planning for well ahead of time because of everything that is involved and all the various arrangements that have to come together in order to make it happen. But why do we need Easter eggs to be on sale in February if Easter isn’t until April? No advanced planning is needed on our part; all we have to do is go to the shops a week before Easter and buy the eggs we want. Halloween seems to have become the fastest growing commercial event on the calendar and that fact alone explains why the shops need three or four weeks leading up to October 31st to take every advantage of this imported American cash cow, otherwise how many days does anyone
need to buy a witch’s hat or a plastic pumpkin? You can buy mince pies in any cake shop or supermarket all the year round, and they are no different for being sold in Christmas design packs in October and so why is that necessary? The answer, of course, is that it isn’t and it wouldn’t happen if, on principle, we simply refused to buy them – but we don’t refuse! Hot cross buns originally had a religious significance related to Good Friday, but, having gone on sale earlier and earlier, they are now on the supermarket shelves all the year round. If I set my alarm clock for 8am because that’s when I need to get up, I don’t then set another one for seven, or even six, so that I can sit there waiting for the first one to go off at eight. Taken to the extreme, eventually we’d be getting up before we’ve gone to bed! Why, then, do TV presenters and MP’s need to display their Remembrance Day poppies a whole month before the day itself? Wearing a poppy is symbolic of what we recall on November 11th and on Remembrance Sunday; doing so three or four weeks beforehand reduces the impact of the symbol because people have been seeing it for weeks already. It’s the day itself that’s important, not all the other days of poppy-wearing leading up to it. Christmas is about the birth of Christ and we don’t celebrate a birth until it happens. Many of those prematurely getting ready for Christmas don’t even know who Jesus is despite taking his name in vain on a regular basis. We need to teach and show people what Christmas is actually all about, and the best way to do that is by keeping the feast properly - the way it should be kept and when it should be kept - and not the way the high street keeps it, nor for months beforehand. It’s our feast after all, not theirs! But is there the willpower and the principle, or is it easier just to go with the flow? Jayne Dowle again: “What happened to having to wait for something really worthwhile? What happened to enjoying the delicious sense of anticipation which we used to have? Can we all make a concerted effort to live in the moment, to respect each season and special event as it comes, when it comes, and not weeks or months ahead of itself?”
Arundel Cathedral Chorister Is Junior Semi-Finalist For BBC Young Chorister Of The Year! “We are so proud of Amelia and all that she brings to our choir community and know she will sing beautifully in the competition”
The angels appear in the bible many times, giving guidance, protecting, bearing messages and bringing comfort. The angels are with us today, they are near us. They are companions for us on our travels through life and always with us. With the escalation of restless events in the East and knowing the great power of the angels to intercede, may we urge readers and parishes to pray even a decade of the rosary each day, for peace, and to ask the angels to protect, to guide and intercede.
"It is wonderful that Amelia has been selected from hundreds of entries to achieve a place in the semi finals of this competition, which is well established. It has recognised young singers working at a high level and has helped to establish careers, notably for Katherine Jenkins and Laura Wright.
Prayer to St. Michael Archangel
Arundel Cathedral Choir is directed by Dr Stratford and includes a number of child choristers, Choral Scholars, and adults who sing the principle liturgies at the Mother Church of the Diocese. It is not necessary to read music or to be a Catholic to join the choir - younger choristers are drawn from
Webinar focuses on women’s creativity and gifts Professor Tina Beattie will explore how women can express their creativity and share their gifts, in a webinar organised by the National Board of Catholic Women and the Women in the Church committee. The talk – Inspiring Women: Enabling women to flourish in the Church – will encourage and support women's many abilities and callings, celebrate their achievements and try to learn from frustrations and failings. Professor Beattie will also tell some of her
Angels are mentioned in the bible many times yet we tend to forget that they are there. This must be very sad for them as they are wonderful companions for us on our earthly journey, great protectors and renowned message carriers.
It was only after God allowed the loyal donkey to speak out, greatly protesting at being punished, that Balaam too saw the angel baring the route, a sword drawn in his hand!
Congratulations to Arundel Cathedral chorister Amelia who has been selected from many hundreds of entries as a junior semi-finalist for the BBC Young Chorister of the Year competition 2023. Amelia joined Arundel Cathedral Choir in 2022 and recently obtained the Archbishops' Chorister Medal with distinction from the Guild of Church Musicians. Speaking about the fantastic achievement, Dr Elizabeth Stratford, Organist and Master of the Choristers, said:
nbcw.co.uk
The Assistance of Angels
There is the wonderful account of Balaam traveling with his donkey (Numbers chapter 22:22). God sent an Angel to block Balaam’s route. Balaam himself could not see the angel, but his donkey did! Donkey took avoiding action, squeezing against the wall to get past. The Angel then re-positioned and stood in a place so narrow that there simply was no room to pass. The donkey, still urged on by Balaam, lay down.
abdiocese.org.uk
"We are so proud of Amelia and all that she brings to our choir community and know she will sing beautifully in the competition. She is incredibly musical when she performs and draws the listener in with her storytelling and musicianship. Our prayers are with her as she competes."
The Catholic Post. November 2023. Page 3.
own experiences as she went from being a Presbyterian typist with very little education to becoming feminist Professor of Catholic Studies at the University of Roehampton. The webinar is on Saturday November 25 from 11am to 12.45pm. Email nbcw@abdiocese.org.uk to register your interest. Visit tinabeattie.com to find out more about the speaker and email Margaret Clark at catholicwomenmdl@gmail.com to find out more about the NBCW.
approximately ten schools across Sussex and receive a comprehensive musical training which includes singing lessons. To find out more contact the Organist and Master of the Choristers elizabeth.stratford@abdiocese.org.uk
Holy Michael, Archangel, defend us in the day of battle; be our safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him we humbly pray; and do thou Prince of the Heavenly Hosts, by the power of God, thrust down to hell Satan and all the other evil spirits who wander through the world for the ruin of souls. www.crownofthorns.org.uk email:office@crownofthorns.org.uk
Page 4. The Catholic Post. November 2023.
US faith communities mobilise against Death Penalty ICN
“We are hearing a clear, unifying message that God has created every life sacred, and this makes capital punishment unacceptable in all cases” Faith communities across the United States joined hands to observe the annual World Day Against the Death Penalty on 10 October. Catholic Mobilising Network (CMN), a national organisation working to end the death penalty, has identified 16 faith-led events and counting, serving as a poignant reminder that people of faith are helping lead the national effort to abolish capital punishment. Krisanne Vaillancourt Murphy, CMN Executive Director, expressed her optimism, stating: "We are deeply encouraged to see people of faith as some of the leading voices opposing capital punishment this World Day Against the Death Penalty. From these diverse faith groups, we are hearing a clear, unifying message that God has created every life sacred, and this makes capital punishment unacceptable in all cases."
Among the planned events were several prayer vigils, one of which took taking place outside of the Louisiana Governor's Mansion in Baton Rouge. Co-sponsored by CMN, the Promise of Justice Initiative, the Jesuit Social Research Institute, Faith Leaders of Colour Coalition, Louisiana Interfaith Against Executions, and PREACH, the "Prayer Vigil to Commute Louisiana's Death Row," scheduled for 10am CT, aimed to support an ongoing effort to grant clemency to essentially all occupants of the state's death row. Confirmed speakers include Sr Helen Prejean, CSJ, renowned Catholic anti-death penalty advocate and Louisianan, and Most Rev Michael Duca, Bishop of Baton Rouge. A 24-hour vigil in Ohio bolstered support for the two bipartisan bills aiming to abolish capital punishment in the state. Advocates from diverse faith communities convened at the Ohio Statehouse at 5pm on Monday, October 9 for the 'Day of Prayer to End the Death Penalty,' and plan to continue their vigil until 5pm on Tuesday 6 October. Other events adopt a more educational approach, such as the 'United to End the Death Penalty Panel' scheduled for 7pm CT at the University of Incarnate Word (UIW) in San Antonio, Texas. Co-sponsored by UIW, CMN, Pax Christi Texas, and the Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, this panel will feature powerful testimonies and research
Faith-led events opposed to Death Penalty
from Monique Coleman, sister of a Texas death row exoneree; Mitesh Patel, a San Antonio resident who advocated against the execution of the man who murdered his father; and Dr. Doshie Piper, Associate Professor of Criminal Justice at UIW. Part of CMN's three-leg "Next Gen for Justice" Catholic College Speaking Tour, the panel will be preceded by a 12pm prayer vigil for Jedidiah Murphy, who is scheduled for execution in Texas on World Day Against the Death Penalty. "Falling squarely within Respect Life Month every year, World Day Against the Death
Penalty is an important chance for Catholics to affirm the Church's unconditionally pro-life teachings. Capital punishment is fundamentally incompatible with a culture of life. Ending the death penalty is possible, but it's going to take our consistent witness as people of faith to get abolition over the finish line," added Vaillancourt Murphy. To date, 23 states have formally abolished the death penalty. More than two-thirds of US states have either outlawed capital punishment or otherwise have not carried out an execution in at least 10 years.
Over 70,000 Catholics call for World Bank to protect farmers’ seed rights cafod.org.uk
“It was a very cordial meeting and we explained how much support our campaign has received across the country from ordinary parishioners” Catholic aid agency CAFOD has handed over a letter to the World Bank calling on it to help fix the broken global food system by upholding the rights of farmers to use their own seeds. The letter was signed by 18 Catholic Bishops and over 70,000 Catholics from 750 parishes across England and Wales. The letter from Salina, a farmer in Bangladesh, calls for the protection of the fundamental rights of small farmers like herself to use their own varieties of seeds – a right that is increasingly under threat as big seed companies have come to dominate the global seed market. Her letter – signed in solidarity by over 70,000 Catholics – was handed over to World Bank staff in London and at the annual World Bank meetings taking place this week in Marrakech, Morocco.
Fix the Food System’, CAFOD's food campaign, is urging the UK government and institutions including the World Bank to protect the right of farmers around the world to save, use, exchange and sell their own seeds. In some countries, new seed laws have been insisted on by the World Bank in exchange for financial support, yet these laws prevent farmers from sharing seeds as they have done for generations and instead force them to buy seeds from big agribusinesses. CAFOD’s Campaigns and Outreach Manager, Helen Moseley, said: “We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who signed Salina’s letter. Her message to the World Bank has been heard loud and clear: unfair rules putting pressure on small farmers to buy commercial seeds aren’t acceptable. They can push farmers and the communities they feed
into poverty, food insecurity and reduce their resilience to climate change.”
was one of the 750 parishes who supported the campaign.
CAFOD campaigners handing in Salina’s letter were received by senior World Bank staff who agreed to meet and discuss the issue.
Bishop Tom Neylon from Liverpool Archdiocese said: “I support CAFOD’s Fix the Food System campaign because it’s highlighting the situation that small-scale farmers around the world are increasingly finding themselves in. Caught in a huge power imbalance with large agribusiness, even their rights to their own seeds passed down from generation to generation are being threatened.”
“It was a very cordial meeting and we explained how much support our campaign has received across the country from ordinary parishioners,” said Father Rob Esdaile, who handed over the letter to World Bank staff and whose own parish, St Dunstan's in Woking,
The Catholic Post. November 2023. Page 5.
Eighty two year-old Cambridge priest to walk 82km for charity rcdea.org.uk
All the money raised from Fr Colin’s walk will go directly to supporting the patients and families living at Mutemwa Cambridge priest Fr Colin Carr OP, marking his 82nd birthday, will embark on an 82-km sponsored walk to raise crucial funds for Zimbabwe’s Mutemwa Leprosy Care Centre, supported by the John Bradburne Memorial Society, whose Secretary Kate Macpherson reports. The John Bradburne Memorial Society was founded in 1995 to support the residents of the Mutemwa Leprosy Care Centre in Zimbabwe. This society was established in memory of John Bradburne, who has been nominated for canonisation to become Zimbabwe’s first saint. John dedicated his life to caring for society’s most vulnerable individuals, including those with leprosy, providing ten years of selfless physical and spiritual care. He was murdered in 1979. The society raises funds for the leprosy care centre and educates the public about Bradburne’s saintly life and his extensive poetic writings. This October, one of our JBMS supporters, Fr Colin Carr OP, who resides in Blackfriars, Cambridge, will celebrate his 82nd birthday by
undertaking a sponsored walk of 82 km to raise funds for the people at the Mutemwa Leprosy Care Centre in Zimbabwe. The Mutemwa Care Centre has become a beacon of hope and healing for countless individuals affected by leprosy and other diseases, providing essential medical care, rehabilitation, and support. JBMS continues to aid them through donations. Fr Colin has had a long-standing association with Zimbabwe; he taught at St Ignatius College and, during a visit to Silveira House, met John Bradburne and observed the swarms of bees in his room. All the money raised from Fr Colin’s walk will go directly to supporting the patients and families living at Mutemwa, whom JBMS assists through housing, medication, and food, aiming to improve their quality of life. The donation page for people wishing to support Fr Colin is available by going to justgiving.com and searching for 'JBMS Walk at 82 Joshua Clovis
Catholic Listeners ICN Catholic Listeners is a new confidential helpline service. A Diocese of Westminster initiative, it has been set up for those who want to return to the faith and are in need of a safe space to be heard.
This Christmas, give the gift of faith to suffering Christians around the world War and persecution are leaving Christians suffering and in need. With your help, ACN can provide aid and pastoral assistance. Your gift of faith this Christmas can offer a much-needed lifeline to displaced Christian families in Nigeria and around the world in desperate need, helping keep the Faith alive.
The helpline is all about listening to others, listening to those who might have become isolated due to the pandemic. This service is based on the LANDINGS ethos of compassionate listening. Although not a counselling service, the helpline is staffed by a team of volunteers who are trained to signpost callers to other agencies and services.
Simply talking about a problem can ease a burden. If you or someone you know needs to talk Catholic Listeners are here to listen.
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Pope makes church first co-cathedral in history of British Isles
Page 6. The Catholic Post. November 2023.
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St. Mary’s will also “serve as a reminder to the people of the island that the archbishop of Liverpool is their archbishop, too.” Pope Francis has awarded a U.K. church “cocathedral status,” making it the first of its kind in the history of the British Isles. The Church of St. Mary of the Isle, located in Douglas on the Isle of Man, has achieved this rare status after Douglas was formally recognized as a city during the late Queen Elizabeth II’s platinum jubilee celebrations in June 2022. St. Mary of the Isle will be co-cathedral along with Liverpool’s Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King. The two cathedrals are 80 miles apart and are separated by the Irish Sea, but both fall within the Archdiocese of Liverpool. Co-cathedrals are a rarity in the Catholic Church and often exist when two dioceses, each with its own cathedral, are merged, or when one diocese spans two different civil jurisdictions, as in the case of the Archdiocese of Liverpool. Monsignor John Devine, who is parish priest of St. Mary of the Isle, said the process of being granted co-cathedral recognition had lasted a whole year but expressed his delight that it had finally happened. In a statement released by the Catholic Bishops Conference for England and Wales on Sept. 22, he said: “I am delighted that St. Mary of the Isle has been granted cathedral status; it is wonderful news for Catholics across the island.” Devine said he was first approached by Douglas Borough Council, who pointed out that cities have cathedrals and the island already has an Anglican cathedral on the west coast. They enquired whether it would be possible to elevate the Church of St. Mary of the Isle in Douglas to the status of a cathedral.
The Church of St. Mary of the Isle, located in Douglas on the Isle of Man in the British Isles. Credit: St Mary's Roman Catholic Church, Douglas, by Andrew Abbott, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons “The archbishop of Liverpool, the Most Reverend Malcolm McMahon, on the advice of canon lawyers, petitioned the Holy Father, a request supported by both the Anglican bishop of Sodor and Man, the chief executive of Douglas Council, and the president of Tynwald,” Devine explained. In the same press statement, McMahon said: “It’s with great joy that St. Mary of the Isle has been granted cathedral status. The Isle of Man is a significant part of our archdiocese; it constitutes one-third of its land mass and the island’s Catholic community has increasing diversity with parishioners coming from many different parts of the world. It is fantastic that
we can acknowledge this with the announcement of a co-cathedral — a status that is rare in the Catholic Church. It is something that everyone on the island will take great pride in.”
the island’s Catholics identify with Liverpool. However, rather than separating them further, the granting of co-cathedral status to St. Mary’s will raise consciousness in Liverpool to the riches of the Manx church.”
In the Sept. 22 statement, Devine also observed that the Isle of Man had a “unique faith story.”
Devine said the permanent presence of the archbishop’s seat at St. Mary’s will also “serve as a reminder to the people of the island that the archbishop of Liverpool is their archbishop, too.”
“Christianity in the Isle of Man traces its roots to the time of St. Patrick and St. Maughold in the fifth century. But there is limited appreciation of the unique history and traditions of the Manx Church in the rest of the archdiocese,” he said, adding: “Similarly, few of
The Isle of Man is a self-governing British Crown dependency situated between Great Britain and Ireland with a population of about 84,000 people.
The Catholic Post. November 2023. Page 7.
Celebrating the commitment of our altar servers birminghamdiocese.org.uk
Altar servers aged from seven to in their 80s attended Saturday’s event. The hard work, dedication and commitment of altar servers across the Archdiocese has been celebrated at St Chad’s Cathedral, the Diocesan Mother Church. The annual Mass of Thanksgiving for the Guild of St Stephen was celebrated by Bishop David Evans on Saturday 7 October and included the renewal of servers’ promises. Around 300 people, made up of altar servers and their families, gathered for the occasion. The Guild of St Stephen is an international organisation of Altar Servers founded in England in 1904 by Father Hamilton McDonald when he formed a Society of Altar Servers at the Convent of the Sacred Heart in London. The objectives of the Guild are: • To encourage, positively and practically, the highest standards of serving at the Church's liturgy and so contribute to the whole community's participation in a more fruitful worship of God. • To provide altar servers with a greater understanding of what they are doing so that
they may serve with increasing reverence and prayerfulness and thereby be led to a deepening response to their vocation in life. • To unite servers of different parishes and dioceses for their mutual support and encouragement. Altar servers aged from seven to in their 80s attended Saturday’s event. Serving on the Sanctuary were altar servers from Our Lady of the Angels, Nuneaton, and the largest group of altar servers (20) represented SS Mary and Benedict, Coventry. The name Stephen means “crown”, and St Stephen was the first disciple of Jesus to receive the martyr’s crown. Stephen was a deacon in the early Christian Church. The Apostles had found that they needed helpers to look after the care of the widows and the poor. So they ordained seven deacons, and Stephen is the most famous of these.
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Edition 22 Please donate £1 to support your parish
Given a new lease of life on TV’s "The Repair Shop"
These Walls Have Spoken
"You're not a priest, what do you do?"
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Saint John Paul II 22 October
Emmaus - A Unique Partnership Children are at the centre of the project with tanks built in three schools already and big plans for more The Emmaus Project is the result of a commitment made by a number of schools in the Diocese of Clifton to support a unique initiative that originated in a decision by the International Tree Foundation (ITF) in Africa to work with an agro-forestry NGO in Uganda’s Masaka province, the Masaka and District Land Care Chapter (MADLACC). ITF and MADLACC elected to plant tree nurseries in selected schools across the district, training pupils in tree planting and management with a view to creating sustainable economies in which children played the formative role in breaking the cycle of poverty. Children will then pass onto their peers, teachers and local farmers the essence of what they have learned. We, in Emmaus, committed ourselves to providing the water resources they needed. In partnership with WaterHarvest, a water harvesting charity based in Winchester and the Kisoboka Trust, a charity in Southammpton, we decided to employ Mr Dan Kilimani, an engineer, to produce a detailed report for the chosen 23 schools, outlining precisely their
current water resources and estimating the number of 20,000 litre water tanks they would each need to achieve the amount of water needed for the school’s community to be able to have sufficient clean drinking water along with water for all washing, cooking and irrigation needs. Having established a priority list for the 23 schools, WaterHarvest elected to complete work at the St Jude’s RC Primary School, whilst the Emmaus schools in the UK began fund raising. This was our pilot project. St Jude’s was successfully completed at the end of the summer term 2023. Within days of completion, the Headteacher reported a significant rise in the nominal role and a genuine joy in the whole community. We have since received reports from Dan Kilimani that the local community were able to use the full water tanks during the recent dry season, whilst pupils were on their summer holiday. The project has transformed the lives of a large number of people. That was the start!
Pupils sit in front of their new tank at St Jude's
Dan Kilimani (Engineer) with some of the pupils at St Jude’s Our school, St Edward’s, in a generous matchfunding arrangement with WaterHarvest have since completed works at the Lubanda Islamic School as an indication of the multi-faith aspect of the project. St Francis School in Nailsea, Bristol, completed similar works at the Kiwangala Primary, again with WaterHarvest’s help. We are now actively planning to complete the next 4 schools before the end of the financial
year with the Trowbridge Catholic schools hub fund raising for the next school on the list. During a period of time in which we have suffered both a global pandemic and an economic crisis, The Emmaus Partnership is proud to have completed 3 schools already, with plans for up to 5 more…a significant achievement.
The completed tank at the Lubanda Islamic School
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Page 8. The Catholic Post. November 2023.
Amazon Day in Brazil: Fighting for the future of indigenous peoples cafod.org.uk
Over 1,000 indigenous people continue to protest peacefully outside the court in Brasilia, at great personal cost On Wednesday 25 August, Brazil's supreme court (STF) was expected to rule on a landmark case regarding the Xokleng indigenous people’s right to their ancestral land. The government of Santa Catarina state and a logging company have filed a repossession lawsuit. They claim that the Xokleng only lived on limited parts of the territory on 5 October 1988 – the date Brazil’s current constitution was enacted – and that they have no right to their ancestral land. We believe this is wrong. CAFOD has worked alongside indigenous people in the Amazon for many years, and has witnessed time and time again how they are threatened, expelled and forced from their land. Brazil’s president Jair Bolsonaro and political parties that support his policies are dismantling any government agency responsible for protecting indigenous rights, and working to remove all indigenous rights from the constitution. The marco temporal, or “time limit trick”, violates international law, including the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention (ILO 169), which clearly states that indigenous
Indigenous peoples are the best conservationists and guardians of the natural world APIB Photo Latin America and Brazil peoples have the right to their ancestral lands, and which Brazil ratified in 2002. Indigenous grassroots organisations we work alongside, as part of a network of indigenous organisations (APIB), have been participating in protests in the capital, Brasilia, since 23 August. They believe that, against the backdrop of slashed environmental protections, illegal mining, deforestation and increased fires, a ruling against the Xokleng indigenous people’s right to their land will all
amount to an intention of totally or partially destroying a national, ethnic, racial or religious group – which is genocide under international law.
Why is the court ruling in Brazil so important? The consequences for many other indigenous peoples could be devastating because, if the time limit trick is approved, it would form a legal basis enabling the theft of land that is rightfully owned by hundreds of thousands of tribal and indigenous people in Brazil – also setting the stage for environmental catastrophe. Indigenous peoples are the best conservationists and guardians of the natural world. They manage their environment and its wildlife better than anyone else.
What is the situation now? Over 1,000 indigenous people continue to protest peacefully outside the court in Brasilia, at great personal cost. Through local and international solidarity, some food is being provided to them – they represent over 900,000 indigenous voices showing incredible resilience.
CAFOD supporters and staff protest outside the Brazilian Embassy in London on 25 August 2021 in support of the rights of indigenous peoples in Brazil.
In London, a demonstration organised by CAFOD, Amazon Rebellion, Brazil Matters, Greenpeace, Parents for the Future and Survival International, in solidarity with the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples in Brazil
(APIB), took place to oppose the ruling and call for indigenous rights to be guaranteed. On 2 September, arguments were heard by those opposing the land repossession and, in a surprising turn of events, the Attorney General made a speech in which he appeared to oppose the marco temporal. Whilst APIB lawyers still need to evaluate the content of that speech, it seems, for now, to be a first victory of the indigenous peoples.
What can I do to support Brazil’s indigenous peoples? As Cardinal Cláudio Hummes, president of the Amazonian Bishops Conference, says: “The crucifixion of the Amazon unleashes suffering for many sons and daughters of God… but we must be realistic and hopeful. Our faith gives us the certainty that it was in the middle of the darkest night that the light of resurrection imposed itself.” Use our Novena to St Francis to pray for the Amazon visit cafod.org.uk and search for Novena to Saint Francis'
The Catholic Post. November 2023. Page 9.
Mary McAleese calls on Catholic Church to 'reform out-dated teachings' and ensure equality thejournal.ie
‘We believe that the Catholic Church, which should be and could be an exemplar of equality and respect for human rights, is not,’ said McAleese. Former President of Ireland Mary McAleese has called on the Catholic Church to create a “discipleship of equals” and to “reform” its “outdated teaching and laws”. McAleese was speaking in Rome at an event organised by Spirit Unbounded, a global network of Catholic reform groups that work to include marginalised groups in the Church. The Vatican opened a historic Synod on 4 October and the first phase of this will run until 29 October. The word “synod” means “assembly” and Pope Francis describes the current Synod as “journeying together” and listening to one another to discern the best path forward for the Church. Pope Francis initiated the Synod because he said he wanted to hear from the entire Church and to ask what the Church can do to make parishes better.
In her speech, McAleese said the Vatican’s Synod was “prompted by the rapidly escalating disillusionment of the faithful, for many reasons including the persistence of stark internal inequality and lack of respect for the human rights of Church members within the Church”. The topics to be addressed in the Vatican’s Synod include the place of LGBT+ people within the Church, whether women should be ordained, and whether married men can serve as priests in regions with insufficient clergy, among others. Of the 365 voting members of the Synod, 56 will be women, and McAleese described this figure as a “token number”. “Ironically the inclusion of a small cohort of women merely highlights the extent of the continuing gender imbalance at the core of Church governance,” said McAleese.
For the first time, women and laypeople will have a vote in the Synod.
She also expressed hope that the Synod will create a “refreshed landscape where the vanities of an imperial hierarchical history are washed away”.
Spirit Unbounded is running an alternative Synod in Rome and McAleese delivered a speech at one of their events.
McAleese also welcomed an apparent reversal of a position adopted by Pope Francis in 2021, which upheld a ban on blessing same-sex
unions. Priests in Belgium and Germany have been blessing same-sex unions for several years without any apparent censor from the Vatican. In a letter published last week, Pope Francis said “pastoral charity” requires patience and understanding and that priests cannot become judges “who only deny, reject and exclude”. “For this reason, pastoral prudence must adequately discern whether there are forms of benediction, requested by one or more persons, that do not transmit a mistaken conception of marriage,” he wrote. “Because when a benediction is requested, it is expressing a request for help from God, a plea to be able to live better, a trust in a father who can help us to live better.” McAleese also questioned the ban on women being ordained as priests, something which is up for discussion at the Synod. Pope Francis previously remarked that the issue “cannot be publicly contradicted but it can be studied”. “We have studied it deeply and as a result are here to publicly contradict what our studies tell us is sexist codology dressed up as what is threadbare theology,” McAleese said this evening. The Church points to Jesus’ appointment of 12 male apostles as its reasoning for only ordaining men as priests.
Pope Francis participating in the current Synod in the Vatican.
But McAleese pointed to Matthew’s Gospel,
which contains the verse: “Go make disciples of all nations. Teach them what I have commanded you.” McAleese described this verse as “a clear and unqualified call to a discipleship of equals”. “A discipleship of all genders, all peoples, powered by a divine grace,” she added. She further stated that the “Church is plummeting erratically on one wing when it could be soaring steadily on two”. “We believe that the Catholic Church, which should be and could be an exemplar of equality and respect for human rights, is not,” said McAleese. “Instead, the biggest Christian Church in the world, the biggest NGO in the world, the only faith system to have representative status at the United Nations, a key influencer of laws, is languishing in a deepening credibility crisis precisely because it has failed to reform an outdated internal structure of governance, teachings and laws in which inequality is embedded.” McAleese added that the “active dismantling” of “dysfunctional” Church teaching and governance by Catholics in the West is forcing a Church that “previously only talked down to us” to “listen to us”. The former president also has a doctorate in Catholic canon law, which is a system of laws that govern the Church. In her speech, she said the canon law places Catholics in a “fundamental relationship of obedience, not to God, but to the all too human and flawed” hierarchy of the Church.
Page 10. The Catholic Post. November 2023.
View from the Pew
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Mother, Mum, Madre, Mère, Mutti, Mamma, Moeder, Mare, Maman, Mutter, Mater … It’s interesting that languages of Indo European stock have such similar terms for that one parent. Ok, but we mustn’t fall foul of immediately assuming that those societies, in whatever number and for which Proto Indo European has been considered the mother tongue, could be deemed matriarchal rather than patriarchal. I think we’d all have trouble identifying a matriarchal society, apart from the Amazons of the ancient Greek myth. However, the indication must surely be that the role of mother, motherhood, is a constant which remains revered and respected across cultures for the nurturing, caring and sharing within the close-knit community of a family where the feminine principles of cooperative living hold firm. Advent (Sunday 3 Dec 2023 – Sun 24 December 2023) will soon be upon us. Advent is a season observed in most Christian denominations as a time of pending arrival as the faithful wait and prepare for both the celebration of the Nativity of Christ at Christmas and the return of Christ at the Second Coming. Advent marks the start of the liturgical year in Western Christianity and spans the time during which we wait with Mary for her to give birth to the infant Jesus.
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Mary's motherhood of God (Deipara in Latin) is a long-established dogma within the Catholic Church. The term ‘Mother of God’ appears in the oldest known prayer to Mary, the Sub tuum praesidium dating from around 250 AD: ‘Under thy protection we seek refuge, Holy Mother of God’. Mary, as the mother of God, is there to protect all members of the wider family. This was the first specifically Marian doctrine to be formally defined by the church, formally
affirmed in 431 at the Third Ecumenical Council held in Ephesus, in modern-day Turkey but formerly in Ancient Greece. I am not alone in often feeling uncomfortable, challenged or otherwise under threat during these days of social unrest and upheaval, particularly in my attempts to reconcile the established concept of motherhood with modern-day feminism. That challenge is no more keenly felt than when women – I use the term ‘women’ as I would to describe my mother or my wife or our daughter – refer to themselves as authors or actors, effectively surrendering a female identity (authoresses, actresses) which others strove so earnestly to secure. When it comes to feminism, many consider feminist campaigns, originating as they did in late 18th-century Europe, to be a prominent if not leading force behind a whole raft of major historical societal changes for women's rights, particularly in the West. Gender-neutral language, such as in the non-gender specific use of ‘author’ and ‘actor’, has been hailed as almost universally attributed with full approbation to feminist socio-political movements and ideologies. I understand and applaud the fact that the aim of those movements and ideologies is to define and establish the political, economic, personal and social equality of the sexes. Excellent! But how can those movements and ideologies hold firm against the full spectrum of society and yet continue to bring specific identity to women? Don’t get me wrong, I fully share the view with feminism that societies do and often prioritise the male point of view and that women are treated unjustly in such societies but … Since the 1960s, the development of (1) liberal, (2) socialist and (3) radical feminism have been referred to as the ‘Big Three’ schools of feminist thought and endeavour. Since the late 20th century, many newer forms of feminism have emerged. These include: white feminism (often condemned for embracing only the white, middle class, college-educated, heterosexual or cisgender); ethnically specific or multicultural feminism (such as black feminism and intersectional feminism).
Some feminists have argued that feminism, rather than defeating misogyny, often promotes misandry in the celebration of womanhood and that the elevation of women's interests above men's is thereby harmful to both men and women, to the wider family, to society at large. So, when it comes to our modern increasingly divisive society, are we really making omelettes or just simply breaking egg after egg after egg ...? That’s my question. Acknowledgements
and
Attribution:
Texts/References adapted and/or adopted from http://en.wikipedia.org under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 4.0: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/bysa/4.0/; Photograph © Grant Whitty (Unsplash): Madonna and Child (Benedictine University of Mary, Bismarck, ND, USA); Photograph © J L Kettle-Williams: Mater Dolorosa (Polychrome wood 19 x 16 x 9 cm by Andrea de Mena, Granada, Spain 1654 – Málaga, Spain 1734)
Dr J L Kettle-Williams is an experienced business communications consultant and wordsmith (tutor, writer, translator).
Could you befriend refugees starting a new life?
The Catholic Post. November 2023. Page 11.
dioceseofbrentwood.net
OUR LADY QUEEN OF HEAVEN CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL
Many refugees are wasting their lives in detention or hotels, not learning the single biggest thing they need. When they are allowed to work, they can’t because they don’t speak English Calais Light head Mary Stretch is appealing for volunteers in north-east Essex to support refugees struggling to start their new life in the UK. “We are setting up a befriending arm and have partnered with Refugee and Migrant Action (RAMA) who have 3,500 refugee clients in Essex. Those refugees need help with their second journey – establishing new lives successfully in the UK.” So far, Calais Light has eight official volunteers currently helping refugees in two bridging hotels in Colchester and Clacton. They befriend refugees through a number of activities including gardening projects, social integration and English lessons – but the charity needs many more volunteers. Mary is passionate about the need for language. “Many refugees are wasting their lives in detention or hotels, not learning the single biggest thing they need. When they are allowed to work, they can’t because they don’t speak English. Every refugee in Sweden immediately starts language lessons. That is
Hare Lane, Langley Green, Crawley RH11 7PZ Headteacher Tobias Melia Telephone 01293 526057
not what happens here – but it is vital for integration and social harmony.” Calais Light’s volunteers are ordinary people who want to help refugees to take their place in society, to show them what English people are like and that they are welcome, says Mary. “These refugees have come for social integration not to set up ghettos. This is a forward-thinking, long-term early intervention by Calais Light. Because we know what refugees go through, we want to broaden the focus to social integration in the UK.” From its initial work in north-east Essex, the charity is hoping to set up ‘befriending hubs’ in areas where it has partners who can give it access to refugees. “Ultimately we hope to expand into London, Kent and Surrey but for the time being we want volunteers who are local to Colchester and Clacton.” Mary is looking for people with ‘a heart for refugees’, who can give a regular commitment
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Frank Goulding Evangelism mixed with evolution If anyone was in doubt that we live in changing times perhaps the definition of the word “evolution” needs a simple explanation. Evolution is described as “general change” in the characteristics of living things over successive generations. Assuming this is correct the responsibilty is of our world leaders and the media to inform us in a trustworthy manner. The Prime Minister recently said “politics does not work the way it should,” he further commented “change is difficult”. I think most of us would agree with this but sadly trust in our politicians seems to me at al all time low. At the last count 23 current MPs had been suspended and 6 have resigned due to personal circumstances resulting in by-elections. This still leaves over 600 elected representatives at Westminster who might act differently (and better) if they remembered who elected them.
There is a further recent example of our changing times. The now former high street chain “Wilko” is no longer with us and sadly around `2,500 job were lost. For a long time this company with a family background was highly successful and was operated on a real basis of trust. I am not sure what happened just a few weeks ago but this loss to our towns will be greatly missed by many. When the Prime Minister said that change is difficult I do wonder how he expects the issues of loneliness, homelessness, increasing utility bills and many other areas of concern to the most needy, how will the least fortunate cope with all this change? Recent current affairs, not least in Israel, encourage us to look at our great saints who have given us all the good examples we need.
Saint Francis chose to be poor and Saint Paul said without love we are nothng. Since the publication of the 2021 Census much has been said of the future of Christianity. The more we are told that we are in an increasingly secular society, the more that Christianity will become marginalised. We know that many in our media admit to being non-believers. We also recognise that social media is fully available to our children. Evangelism mixed with evolution is surely our way forward but we cannot just leave it to others. I just hope after Synod 2021-23 we will follow the words of St Paul. This article was written before the recent conflicts in Israel.
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Page 12. The Catholic Post. November 2023.
Laudate Deum
cafod.org.uk
Pope Francis speaks to all people of goodwill on the climate crisis The Vatican released the new Apostolic Exhortation by Pope Francis, Laudate Deum, to all people of good will on the climate crisis, on 4 October 2023. It is a document intended to follow up on his 2015 encyclical , Laudato Si’, On Care for Our Common Home. This Q&A explains some of the context and the key messages of the document.
What is an Apostolic Exhortation? An apostolic exhortation is a teaching document from the pope, which often aims to exhort (encourage) a particular virtue or activity. Like many papal encyclicals, apostolic exhortations have often developed themes of the Church’s social teaching. Besides Laudate Deum, Pope Francis has written five exhortations so far in his papacy, on the joy of the Gospel, love in the family, everyday holiness, on young people and the Church in the Pan-Amazonia. Three of these exhortations were written in response to Church Synods.
Why has it been released on 4 October? The ecumenical Season of Creation closes on 4 October, the Feast of St Francis of Assisi. Pope Francis has taken inspiration from this saint throughout his papacy, being the first to adopt Francis as a papal name. The titles of his two encyclicals, Laudato Si' and Fratelli Tutti, are both taken from St Francis' writings, singing praise to the Creator for his works and encouraging the Franciscan brothers and sisters in love for each other and for all living creatures. St Francis' life and vision for his followers epitomises the humble care for sister earth
and passionate concern for outcasts that Pope Francis believes is required to rise to the challenges afflicting our world today. The next stage of the Synod on Synodality also began on 4 October 2023, with participants gathering at the 16th ordinary general assembly of the Synod of Bishops. As the process of reflecting on what emerged from the synodal listening process in the global Church begins, Laudate Deum once again highlights our current global context - one of senseless war on nature and our failure to address the human roots of the social and ecological crisis.
What does Laudate Deum mean? Laudate Deum means "Praise God". This exhortation has been called a follow up to Laudato Si’ and the title reflects this. Like Laudato Si' this new document reminds us of the words of St Francis' prayer-poem, the Canticle of the Creatures, which praises God by praising God's creation.
Pope Francis states specifically that the title of this letter is “Praise God” because “when human beings claim to take God’s place, they become their own worst enemies.” (#73) By this he means that when we seek power for its own sake we damage both ourselves and the planet. Power should be used to create a better world for all.
What was Laudato Si' about? In Laudato Si' - On Care for our Common Home, Pope Francis urged society to move away from the myth of perennial progress at the expense of the earth's resources. Instead, we need a new definition of progress rooted in “integral ecology”, recognising that “everything is connected” and hearing both “the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor.” Laudato Si’ calls for all people to dialogue in society about how best to tackle the global issues we face.
What has changed since Laudato Si' was published? The global pandemic was a trauma and shock to world order that, in Pope Francis’ words at the beginning of Fratelli Tutti, “exposed our false securities”. Yet, with the direct health threat under control, politics and economics defaulted to business as usual. As the pope highlights in Laudate Deum (4452), representatives from 190 countries have met annually since Laudato Si’ was published to address the issue of climate change. While there has been some progress, the principles agreed on have not yet been implemented, and national interests are too often placed before the common good.
What are the key messages of Laudate Deum? Laudate Deum is an urgent call to tackle the climate crisis, recognising that time is running out. And irreversible damage has already been done.
In this letter Pope Francis states that the climate crisis is real and cannot be denied. It is caused by human activity. But the pope cautions against seeking only technological solutions, noting that although we have more and more tools to manipulate the world, we are still failing to protect the environment from destruction. The more we seek to increase power for its own sake, the less we use our power to protect life. As he states, “Not every increase in power represents progress for humanity.” (#24) At the same time, he says, economic powers are not interested in solving the problem, because they want “the greatest profit possible at minimum cost” (13). This pursuit of the greatest profit possible at minimum cost makes caring for our common home impossible. We need political change on a national and international level. While Pope Francis states that individual actions and efforts to minimise waste are important, he also recognises that they are not enough. We are called to continue to transform society through our individual, family and community actions, but also to call on those in power to take urgent action. Pope Francis is clear that we all have a role to play, pressurising the sources of power and demanding change. He calls us all to be involved and particularly urges that COP28, the next round of important UN negotiations on climate change, needs to be a historic event, with binding forms of energy transition. For the sake of the future of our children we must take action. Despite the gravity and urgency of the situation we face, Pope Francis reminds us that we must continue to hope, because to “‘say there is nothing to hope for... would mean exposing humanity, especially the poorest, to the worst impacts of climate change." (#54)
The Catholic Post. November 2023. Page 13.
Memorable Pilgrimage from Louth to Poland
Fr Jonathan Cotton
New fund helps young adults to experience ecumenism outside England cte.org.uk
Grants from the Bill Snelson Young Ecumenists Fund can be used to facilitate any ecumenical experience outside of England Mrs Miranda Boon and Fr Jonathan Cotton Bill Snelson served as the second General Secretary of Churches Together in England from 1997 to 2008, and was passionate about strengthening and expanding the role of ecumenism throughout the Church. Bill sadly passed away in 2020 after illness, and in his name, a financial gift was made to Churches Together in England (CTE). CTE and the Snelson family have used this gift to help start a small grants fund in memory of Bill, with aim of giving young ecumenists the possibility to experience and study ecumenism abroad. Grants from the Bill Snelson Young Ecumenists Fund can be used to facilitate any ecumenical experience outside of England. These could be but are not confined to study, pilgrimage, work, prayer, retreat or reconciliation. The criteria for receiving an award includes (amongst others), age, that your church be affiliated to Churches Together in England and that the ecumenical experience must be outside of England. Here are some examples of the ecumenical experiences for which a grant could be sought:
Catholic Centro Pro Unione in Rome Three-week summer school designed to introduce participants to the ecumenical and interreligious movements from a Roman Catholic perspective; especially aimed at people in preparation for ministry or a role as an ecumenical officer.
Christians Abroad As well as more practical programmes, Christians Abroad also runs ‘Monotheistic forums’ in Ajloun, North Jordan for theological students and reflective Christians who wish to learn about Christian / Muslim faith community co-existence and dialogue, along with Middle Eastern Church ecumenicalism and reconciliation (between Orthodoxy/Catholicism and Reformed Church in Jordan) in a theological context
Mrs Miranda Boon from St Mary’s in Louth once again teamed-up with All Saints Travel to lead a pilgrimage for parishioners and others from around the country to the Archdiocese of Krakow, Poland. She was joined by Canon Jonathan Cotton as Chaplain for the pilgrims, and who led prayers and celebrated Mass each day, often at the daily pilgrimage site. The fourteen pilgrims, who gradually grew together in friendship, spent the first week in September visiting the Divine Mercy Shrine, the miraculous Icon at Czestochowa of the Black Madonna, Queen of Poland, the birthplace of St John Paul II in Wadowice, and the nearby seventeenth century Calvary at Zebrzydowska, and the Wieliczka Salt Mine. It was the visit to the
Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp that was probably the most challenging which included seeing the cell where St Maximillian Kolbe died after giving up his life to save another. The memory of the horror & evil of these concentration camps still seems not to prevent man’s inhumanity to man as evidenced by the wars, conflicts and atrocities being waged today around our common home of earth. On a plaque we read, “Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” [George Santayana, the SpanishAmerican philosopher.] Let us ask Our Lady, Queen of Poland and the Saints of Poland, to pray for us.
Chevetogne, Belgium An ecumenically-inspired monastery, which follows both Roman Catholic and Orthodox liturgies; celebrated mainly in Slavonic, and sometimes in Greek. Chevtogne welcomes individuals and groups for short visits and prayer retreats.
Taizé Bridging Gaps A three-month (September – November) programme at the Faculty of Religion and Theology at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU) and the Protestant Theological University (PThU) which offers intercultural exchange in order to enrich theology. Students come from Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Central and Eastern Europe, and Latin America.
Taizé is an ecumenical Christian monastic fraternity in Burgundy, France. Every summer there is a ‘reflection’ week for 18– 35-year-olds, with workshops on a wide range of topics; the next one will be in August 2024 There are two rounds of funding each year with deadlines of 31 October and 31 March. For more information and a full list of criteria, visit cte.org.uk The pilgrimage group at the Divine Mercy Shrine
Page 14. The Catholic Post. November 2023.
A personal reflection on Ken Loach film The Old Oak ICN
'It is challenging to Catholic communities as to how we make use of the spaces we own. Are they used for encounters of differences or just meetings of the 'Catholic tribe'? I am not a film critic. Even if I was, I would not be in a good position to offer an objective viewpoint on this film. A number of us involved in Tyne and Wear Citizens met with Ken Loach's long term collaborator and script writer Paul Laverty, as he was wondering if they could make into a trilogy, of films set in the North-East of England. Films that brought into the open, grave injustices and unheard human misery, following on from their examinations of the dehumanising processes that lie at the heart of applying for welfare benefits in 'I, Daniel Blake' and the cost and the loss of humanity caused by the gig-economy and low pay in 'Sorry We Missed You'. Having met Paul, I am aware he is an attentive listener with his creative mind always looking for a story that reveals uncovered trauma and tragedy, but showing the worst and best in humanity in responding to these oftenunspoken realities. It was listening to members of an Anglican parish in County Durham, how they related how Syrian Refugees tried to make a new life in communities that had never recovered from the closing of the mines - how tensions existed between them, even though both groups were victims of grave structural injustice and violence. This narrative gave Paul the kernel of an idea that eventually flourished into The Old Oak, released on September 29th. The film was recorded last summer and is set in the summer of 2016, which is of course the summer of the Brexit Referendum. Brexit is never mentioned but it still sets a context. The film has many of the Ken Loach traits we are used to seeing. He uses local people, including some of my colleagues on the leadership group of Tyne and Wear Citizens. Many of the Syrians in the film are actual refugees who had to escape their homeland. Filmed on location in County Durham, the raw urban decay and sense of impoverishment that these communities still experience is brutally but not gratuitously laid bare. Such urban decay is highlighted in the Old Oak pub, the only pub, and indeed public space, left in this nameless but typical ex-Durham mining village. The landlord, TJ Ballantyne (Dave
Turner) is desperately hanging on to the pub, which is looking very sad, a ghost of its glory days when the community was thriving and standing together during the miners' strike. I will try not to give too much away of the plot but in a chance meeting of young Syrian woman, Yara (Ebla Mari) with a passion for photography, we have a beginning of a thread which explores how two alienated groups can discover a shared humanity and a common acknowledgment of human dignity, though forces that seek to maintain the division and mistrust are never far away. I know some have commented on the strong language and whether that just reinforces lazy stereotypes of the north-east. I am informed that the accents are more Tyneside than County Durham but the film for me does make an important statement of essential values that are relevant for society and the Church. The first set of values is how vital and affective solidarity, gestures of hospitality and genuine empathy and compassion are in discovering a shared humanity and transcending differences. Yara states that a friend told her that 'hope is obscene' and yet in broken communities the film shows that hope can be a tender plant if these values can allow human relationships in different and alienated groups to develop and grow. The second lesson is the desperate need for shared spaces for such human encounters of difference to take place. We are told in the film that the local church hall recently closed, so there are no available public spaces for people to meet. The hub of the main story line is how landlord faces rival claims to re-open a once well-used meeting room that has become dilapidated and a health and safety hazard. It is challenging to Catholic communities as to how we make use of such spaces we own. Are they used for such encounters or just meetings of the 'Catholic tribe'? Of course, such spaces are not just physical ones. I long realised in my ministry that we crucially need places for encounters of differences, for a shared humanity and an appreciation of our common God-given dignity to be discovered. The reason why my
introduction into community organising through Tyne and Wear Citizens, as a newly forming chapter of the Citizens UK in 2015 was so crucial, was that here was emerging a space for people across civic society to meet and to work together. Now Tyne and Wear Citizens is an alliance of about 35 institutions including mosques, schools, charities, community groups, universities, churches and trade unions, that allow shared concerns and hope to be located across diverse groups of people. Community Organising does not have a monopoly on such spaces but it is so easy for groups in civic society to be in their own narrow furrow, so more of these interrelational spaces are so needed. The final reflection is that film teaches us about the need to be a synodal people! The film starts with Syrians reaching their final destination from violence ruptured land with the final image being one of a group procession. A tributary of humanity flowing into a deeper river of people in solidarity and hope. This is a film that is about peoples' transforming journey 'on the way', which is what synodality is all about!
I would imagine that it was a coincidence that the film was released just a few days before the International Synod was to start. But if you want an example of how division and tensions can be overcome by a willingness to be attentive to each other and listen to experiences of trauma, hurt and tragedy, then the Old Oak certainly fits the bill. Therefore, if the delegates are having a difficult day at the synod, I would thoroughly recommend them to watch this powerful yet beautifully portrayed example of how synodal communities can, even in bleak situations, discover together truth, beauty and goodness. They can share in our God-given dignity that is so easily obscured and ignored. The delegates though may need some help with translation, that is from the Geordie! I am happy to help! Watch the official trailer by searching for 'The Old Oak official trailer' online
Fr Chris Hughes is parish priest of St Cuthbert's & St Joseph's, North Shields.
For all your advertising requirements please contact Charlotte on 01440 730399 charlotter@cathcom.org
The Catholic Post. November 2023. Page 15.
Catholic Union urges people to have their say in Covid Inquiry catholicunion.org.uk
For people of faith, there was the added pain of being unable to go to their church either to pray alone or to participate in worship Take part in our survey The Catholic Union has launched a new survey on people’s experiences and attitudes towards the closure of places of worship during the pandemic.
it was “vitally important” that the inquiry considers the decision to close places of worship as part of its investigations. The Catholic Union played a leading role in getting churches reopened in the later stages of the pandemic. A letter organised by the Catholic Union, and signed by over 100 MPs and peers, spared churches in England being closed over Christmas in 2020. While in Scotland, the prolonged closure of places of worship was ultimately found to be unlawful in a judgment by the Court of Session in March 2021.
The survey results will shape the Catholic Union’s submission to the UK Covid-19 public inquiry, which is currently considering the political decisions taken during the pandemic.
The Catholic Union hopes that this survey and the work of the Inquiry will result in better decision making in the event of another pandemic, including agreement on a presumption against closing places of worship by law.
Catholic Union Vice President, and professional psychiatrist, Baroness Hollins said
People can take part in the survey by going to catholicunion.org.uk
C R O S S WO R D
Catholic Union Vice President, Baroness Hollins, comments: “The pandemic touched all of our lives in different ways. The full impact is perhaps still to be realised in terms of treatment that was delayed, relationships that were strained, as well as those still suffering with or from Covid today. For people of faith, there was the added pain of being unable to go to their church either to pray alone or to participate in worship. At a time when our churches were most needed, their doors were locked. I know many people found this extremely difficult. It is vitally important that this public inquiry considers the full range of impacts caused by the pandemic, including the decision to close places of worship so that we can learn valuable lessons for the future.”
2-in-1 Crossw
Catholic Union Director, Nigel Parker, comments: “Before Covid, few of us could have imagined our churches being forced to close by law. Yet that is the situation we faced at times during the dark days of the pandemic. Any inquiry into the UK’s response to the pandemic needs to consider the decisions around the closure and reopening of places of worship, which had such a huge impact on so many people. The Catholic Union led the charge in getting our churches open again, and we’re now committed to making sure they are never forced to close again. I encourage everyone to take part in our survey to make sure the voices of Catholic are heard as part of this Inquiry.”
ord by Axe
You can use both sets of clues to solve the puzzle: the solutions are the same.
CRYPTIC Down 1 Esau's people's place, where style's in ascendant (4) 2 First of Issachar's successors really annexed extra land here (6) 3 Exist, being raised in African surroundings, to name brother of 2 (7) 4 Passage from article is on the Spanish uprising (5) 5 Missionary's desirable little home in Darjeeling? (6) 6 Drugs prisoner detained by the Pope is ascetic (8) 11 Get trees from 11 or 16 by the thousand, to rebuild lone Philistine city... (8) 13 ...and cedars from here to build Jerusalem, the French and British find later (7) 15 Queensland site's stop-start finish confused CIA and the Navy (6) 17 God's pupil is confronted by a very large introduction (6) 18 Is she, looking up, last one raising any cash at
21
Christmas? (5) First family's home study is situated below, note (4)
QUICK Across 7 Latin hymn translated into a popular carol by a canon of Westminster Cathedral (6,7) 8 Christ or the Messiah, as named from a reference in Isaiah (8) 9 Where Moses commanded Joshua to build an altar (4) 10 White vestment like a double-Y embroidered with crosses, worn by the Pope (7) 12 Dynast and hymnodist from humble origins, integral to both Testaments (5) 14 Young bird, especially of domestic fowl (5) 16 Kings of Israel and Judah sharing the same name (7) 19 Son of Jacob cursed by his father for attacking Shechem (4) 20 Early Christians who aimed to return to man's primitive innocence (8) 22 Hill overlooking Jerusalem where Solomon built an altar (5,2,6) QUICK Down 1 Mountainous region south of the Dead Sea in OT times, also called Seir (4) 2 Name God gave to Jacob... (6) 3 ...and one of Jacob's twelve sons (7) 4 Extension of the nave in a church (5) 5 Nun and missionary dedicated to helping the poor in India
6 11 13 15 17 18 21
(1910-1997) (6) Ascetic 5th century British theologian (8) One of the five Philistine cities (8) Area north of biblical Israel famous for its cedar trees (7) Queensland resort city facing the Great Barrier Reef (6) Greatest of all the gods of ancient Egypt (6) Joyful religious song celebrating the birth of Christ (5) Land west of Nod (4)
SOLUTION
Across: 7 Adeste fideles, 8 Immanuel, 9 Ebal, 10 Pallium, 12 David, 14 Chick, 16 Jehoash, 19 Levi, 20 Adamites, 22 Mount of Olives Down: 1 Edom, 2 Israel, 3 Zebulun, 4 Aisle, 5 Teresa, 6 Pelagius, 11 Ashkelon, 13 Lebanon, 15 Cairns, 17 Osiris, 18 Carol, 21 Eden.
CRYPTIC Across 7 Dead set, if else fails, to make 18 when in Rome (6,7) 8 I am the Spanish waiter in Messiah! (8) 9 Mountain in Joshua can be seen in section of Horeb, altitudinally (4) 10 Friend from Troy, one leaving an ecclesiastic band (7) 12 Drama queen's back to support the lead in Dallas – the Dynasty chap? (5) 14 Youngster gets sophisticated in front of the king... (5) 16 ...one in Judah has Henry bound by kinky Joe to tree (7) 19 It's the first name in jeans for Matthew! (4) 20 Early Christian sect which barely made it out of 21? (8) 22 To which place did Jesus ride a girl's horse? (5,2,6)
Page 16. The Catholic Post. November 2023.