The Catholic Post - December 22

Christians and Muslims Working Together

Advent hope and peace in Nigeria

Sister Veronica is a Catholic missionary leading the Women’s Interfaith Council (WIC) in Kaduna, Nigeria. Communities in this area have been traumatised - for decades - by violence and brutality.

With support from Catholics of England and Wales, the Council enables women of different faith associations to work together to build peace and stability. Some of their challenges include the ongoing gender-based violence, which is a consequence of the prolonged conflict between farming and herder communities.

While the violence has decimated communities’ sources of income, women are disproportionately affected by its short and long-term consequences.

Sister Veronica shared: ‘The mission and the vision of the WIC is to create a forum where Muslims and Christians come together to discuss issues and participate in peace building. It’s my job to ensure this is achieved. The Council handles a wide range of problems in our society: health issues, environmental issues, political issues, education, economics. And, vitally, it sees that the rights of the women are respected’.

Through dialogue, understanding and respect, the brave women of the WIC – who come together across community divides – are bringing together communities which have been living in conflict for many years.

Sister Veronica expanded: ‘We are the support. The Council now is giving us a platform, to give women hope. Whenever we organise anything, we ensure that it is equal representation from both the Christian and the Muslim side to break the fear between the two.

‘Many people thought that Muslims and Christians cannot come under one roof. We taught them that, no, there is hope in life. And the woman is supposed to instigate and encourage that hope. For those whose husbands were killed, they have to take care of their children. And if they withdraw, they cannot do it alone. Life is about sharing, and God has created us in a way that we must live together whether we like it or not.

‘When we go back to our scriptures, they teach us about these kinds of situations. It is for us just to go back, understand them and know how to apply them. That’s the way we can live in peace’.

The Catholic Post is One Year old today

We are delighted to have reached our 12th edition of the paper. It was a bold decision to launch a new printed newspaper in the current climate – even more bold to make it carbon neutral but we believe that sharing Catholic news in this way helps to build the Catholic community.

So, on this, our first anniversary – here is a snapshot of our year in numbers:

Number of editions: 12!

Monthly subscriptions: 7,000

Copies printed: 285,500

Prayers: Innumerable Churches who have received copies: 3,009 Hours spent: 749

Estimated readership: 713,750

Increases in cost of printing: 45%

Commitment to producing the Catholic Post: 100%

Gratitude to our readers, contributors, subscribers and advertisers: Off the scale!

‘They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.’ Isaiah 2:4

No subjects were off-limits as these peace pioneers discussed subjects ranging from inter-religious marriages, women’s inability to inherit properties, child labour, forceful and

early marriages, gender-based violence and hate speech, amongst others.

Sister Veronica shared: ‘People live in fear and the cost of living has gone up and livelihood for the rural people is very challenging. We need your prayers…’ She added: ‘Thank you for the support of the people of England and Wales in putting smiles on the faces of the most vulnerable’.

“We are the support. The Council now is giving us a platform, to give women hope.”

by Claire Colleran and Michelle Slater (Missio)

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Advent: A Time of Waiting

BepatientuntiltheLordcomes.Seehowthe farmer is patient as he waits for his land to produce precious crops. He waits patiently for the autumn and spring rains. And you also must be patient! Keep your hopes high, forthedayoftheLord’scomingisnear. (James 5 v 7-8)

Advent is a time of waiting, a time of expectation. The word comes from the Latin advenire, meaning ‘to come to’. The purpose of the Advent wreath and the Advent calendar is to remind us that we are on a journey of preparation and of expectation, moving step by step from the darkness of anticipation towards the light of revelation. We’re waiting and preparing for the birth of Christ at Christmas and that’s what the season of Advent is all about.

It’s bad enough that the High Street has been doing its version of Christmas possibly since as early as September. Some of our neighbours’ houses will be decorated weeks before Christmas - one or two might be already. It’s hard not to get caught up in all of this preempting as if we are afraid we’ll miss out if we don’t. Thankfully Advent provides us with a few weeks’ grace to put the genie back in the bottle, the credit card back in our wallet, and to step back from the brink and think: this is our feast!

Advent also calls us to a time of very necessary spiritual preparation in order to remind ourselves that it is a spiritual celebration and that, as Christians, we don’t celebrate the birth of Our Lord until he is born any more than we would celebrate the birth of any baby before it is born. And so for us Christmas doesn’t begin until December 25th and it continues until the Epiphany, so don’t be persuaded by those around you who start taking down their decorations the minute they get back from the pub on Boxing Day, or by the High Street once the tills have stopped ringing and the Easter eggs are in stock.

As a society we seem to be pathologically incapable of not jumping the gun, of waiting

until occasions arrive before we start celebrating them. You will notice, for example, that news and other programme presenters on television start wearing poppies at least two weeks before Remembrance Sunday. It’s all to do with political correctness and each broadcaster not wanting to be seen to be less patriotic than their competitors.

Why were the supermarkets selling Christmas packaged mince pies (not to mention Christmas cakes and Christmas puddings) as early as October? Why would anyone buy them three months early and then keep them until Christmas? But the shops, and especially the supermarkets, are intent on convincing us that it’s almost Christmas even though it isn’t, putting up Christmas trees and decorations in November and brain-washing us with Christmas “muzak”.

Another example would be so-called “Black Friday”, the Friday following Thanksgiving in the U.S. and one of the busiest shopping days of the year, therefore one on which retailers went from being in the red to being in the black – hence the name. There is no reason for this American import other than it being an excuse to make even more money than the run-up to Christmas would anyway. In this country we traditionally had the January sales, but why wait until then if we can jump the gun and make even more money? Indeed for many retailers “Black Friday” is no longer a day but a week or even two of separating people from their money in the name of Christmas.

All this pre-empting of Christmas is the reason why I personally won’t get involved in carol concerts and carol services during Advent. By definition Christmas carols are songs of praise and joy celebrating the birth of Christ. On two counts, therefore, we shouldn’t be singing them before Christmas: firstly because the Church teaches that Advent is a penitential season not one of praise and joy, and, secondly, because Christ isn’t born yet and so Christmas carols are totally inappropriate when it’s still Advent.

Unless we actively lay claim to our celebration, the real reason for Christmas will gradually be lost. We don’t celebrate the birth until the baby is born, and if we join the world around us in celebrating aspects of Christmas while it’s still only Advent, we are losing sight of the spiritual purpose of the season and by the time our celebrations begin on Christmas Day we may find ourselves already suffering from “Christmas fatigue”. We can’t afford to allow our celebration to be compromised by what everyone else considers Christmas to be about, or, to put it another way, if we don’t fight our spiritual corner, then who is going to?

We need to be both patient and disciplined. It’s not as if, if we don’t jump on the bandwagon, we’re going to miss anything. Christmas, the real Christmas, won’t start without us and our journey getting there must first include Advent - a time of waiting, a time of anticipation, a time of preparation. And central to that is the fact that Advent as a penitential season – not as rigorous as Lent perhaps, but importantly penitential nevertheless. Hence the purple vestments, the three purple candles of the Advent wreath1, and the absence of flowers decorating our altars. Choosing to be more sombre, more penitential and reflective, hopefully provides a contrast with the celebration to follow come December 25th. On the other hand if we’ve been “doing” Christmassy things for weeks beforehand, some of that contrast will inevitably be lost on us.

Just to repeat the words of St James that we began with: Be patient until the Lord comes. Seehowthefarmerispatientashewaitsfor his land to produce precious crops. He waits patiently for the autumn and spring rains. And you also must be patient! Keep your hopeshigh,forthedayoftheLord’scoming is near.

(James 5 v 7-8)

1 (the fourth pink candle is lit on the Third Sunday of Advent, “Gaudete (rejoice) Sunday”, our one day-off from the otherwise four penitential weeks of preparation)

From the presbytery.............. by Fr Neil McNicholas

We’re waiting and preparing for the birth of Christ at Christmas and that’s what the season of Advent is all about

The heavens proclaim his righteousness, and all peoples see his glory

Parish garden project scoops prestigious North West in Bloom award

dioceseofsalford.org.uk

A parish garden project that strives to live out the teachings of Laudato Si’ has received a prestigious award.

The Bee Together Community Centre and Garden – based at The Parish of the Nativity in Failsworth and Limeside in the diocese of Salford – has received recognition from the RHS North West in Bloom competition for its pioneering project.

Located behind Holy Family RC Church in Hollinwood, Oldham, the Bee Together Community Centre and Garden has been a labour of love for dedicated volunteers over the past three years.

Beginning life in September 2019, the project began when parish priest Canon Michael Job approached parishioner Pauline Riley about embarking on a project that would respond to Pope Francis’ call to ecological conversion in his groundbreaking encyclical Laudato Si’.

At that time, Bishop John also announced plans to transform the grounds at his residence at Wardley Hall into the Laudato Si’ Centre – a flagship project to educate and inspire others to take effective action on climate change.

Pauline Riley, parishioner and project coordinator, visited the centre to help kickstart the parish project.

She said: “The Diocese of Salford had just commenced a Laudato Si’ garden project in the grounds of Bishop John’s abode at Wardley Hall. It was suggested I went to visit, there was lots of work in progress and I picked up ideas for our project and I was given lots of contacts, which proved very fruitful.

“The project coordinator also visited our garden in order for him to give us practical advice.”

From then on, work began to recruit volunteers and begin a fundraising initiative, the success of which transformed the patch of overgrown, neglected land into a haven of natural beauty and biodiversity.

Home to vegetable patches, fruit trees, wildflower areas, a magnificent willow structure, and hideaways for all kinds of wildlife, the Bee Community Garden has become a place of refuge and vibrant hub for the parish, local school, and wider community, hosting a number of events and gatherings, including a celebration for the platinum jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.

One key attraction is the garden’s beehives. Home to around 150,000 bees, the hives are thriving, producing 50 x 8oz jars of honey in both 2021 and 2022. The honey is then sold to wider community, helping to raise muchneeded funds for the project.

Pauline said: “All our garden produce is shared with the community, the taste is something special and of course the air miles are zero, helping to reduce our carbon footprint and thereby helping in the fight against climate change.”

Thanks to the support of dedicated volunteers, experienced advisers and generous funders (including Action Together Oldham, The Tree Council, The Tree Station, First Choice Homes, Oldham’s Green Dividend, The Forever Manchester, Awards for All), the Community Garden has continued to thrive and develop, leading volunteers to enter a prestigious competition.

Pauline said: “This year, we decided to enter the RHS Northwest in Bloom – the thought being to receive much needed advice on how we progress.

“To our delight and amazement we won recognition and were awarded the certificate

of Level 4 Thriving, (level 5 being the best as outstanding).”

Canon Michael Job, parish priest at the Parish of the Nativity, is eager to congratulate and thank all of the volunteers who have worked so hard on the project.

He said: “Without the volunteers, the dream I had would have remained just that, a dream. With their help however, we have been able to move from a concept to a reality and for this I am grateful to each and everyone that has contributed their quota to making our community a living example of what the Pope encouraged in his encyclical Laudato Si’.

“The journey towards responding to climate change is still a long one, but little steps are better than none at all.

“May the Lord continue to stay with us on our journey towards making our common home a better place.”

Time to Ponder

The following hand written, candid yet hope-filled prayer, was found in the pocket of a soldier who was killed in action in North Africa in 1944:

Look, God I have never spoken to you, And now I want to say “how do you do?”

You see, God, they told me you did not exist,

And like a fool I believed them.

Last night, from a shell-hole, I saw your sky, I figured they had told me a lie.

Had I taken time before to see the things you made

I’d sure have known they weren’t calling a spade a spade.

I wonder, God, if you would shake my poor hand?

Somehow I feel you’d understand. Strange I had to come to this hellish place Before I had time to see your face.

Well, I guess there isn’t much more to say, But I’m glad, God, that I met you today.

The zero hour will soon be here, But I’m not afraid now that I know you’re so near.

The signal has come; I shall soon have to go,

I like you lots, this I want you to know.

I’m sure this will be a horrible fight; Who knows? I may come to your house tonight.

Though I wasn’t friendly to you before, I wonder, God, if you’d wait at the door? Look, I’m shedding tears, me shedding tears!

Oh! I wish I’d known you these long, long years.

Well, I have to go now, dear God, Goodbye, But now that I’ve met you I’m not scared to die.

Our rosary cards are supplied to chaplains in many and varied situations, bringing hope and comfort to souls in prison, at sea, in hospital and wherever they will bring comfort.

www.crownofthorns.org.uk

Crown of Thorns

Mission of Hope

Promoting the Holy Rosary in the U.K. & throughout the world to bring hope, comfort and peace to the marginalised, the oppressed and the imprisoned, enabling wounded hearts to find healing and shattered lives to find breath and space to renew.

Supporting priests and chaplains in their ministry, outreach and welfare. Response from parish priests: “The rosary cards that you sent me have had a tremendous effect on the devotion and prayer life of the parish.”

www.crownofthorns.org.uk email: office@crownofthorns.org.uk Phone: 01342 870472

Registered charity no: 1042751

The Diocese of Salford had just commenced a Laudato Si’ garden project in the grounds of Bishop John’s abode at Wardley Hall

Canon Michael Job with parishioner Pauline Riley

Plymouth Cathedral: Remembrance Garden

We have been getting the Garden of Remembrance ready for the community of Plymouth - a quiet space where all can come and remember and light a candle or plant a Remembrance Cross if they so wish."

We have just come out of the month of November a time when we traditionally remember and pray for loved ones who have died and in the build up to Remembrance Sunday on 13 November, we remember all those who have died in the service of their country in the two world wars and later conflicts.

During this important month, the Dean of St Mary and St Boniface Cathedral, Canon Mark O'Keeffe, a former army chaplain, invited the

recently and not so recently bereaved to light a candle and/or plant a Remembrance Cross in the Remembrance Garden to remember loved ones who have died.

He says: "November 1 is All Saints Day and a holiday in many parts of Europe. It is a celebration of all Christian Saints - those known to us and those who remain unknown. November 2 is All Souls Day- a day when we traditionally visit the graveyard where our loved ones rest and pray for them.

The Remembrance Garden was open throughout the month of November from 9.30am to 3.30pm weekdays and 7.30am to 7pm on Sunday. There were Masses on All Saints Day - 1 November at 10am and 6pm and All Souls Day - 2 November at 10am and 6pm. All Saints' Day was formally started by Pope Boniface IV, who consecrated the Pantheon at Rome to the Virgin Mary and all the Martyrs on May 13 in 609 AD. Boniface IV also established All Souls' Day, which follows All Saints.

Parish Matters

The Council and the Parish

Corpus Christi Alumna meets young apprentice entrepreneurs!

Sixty years ago, on 8th December 1962, the first session of the Second Vatican Council closed. To many under the age of sixty, this may seem to mean very little but in fact it was ground breaking. At the time many considered this Council unnecessary and this session had been a waste, but to others it moved the Church forward by 300 years. A picture of Pope John XXIII being carried on the sedilia by colourfully uniformed highborn European aristocrats into St Peter’s at the opening, (no-one below the rank of Marquis permitted) seems ‘positively mediaeval.’ There was no ‘pope mobile’ in those days!

Cross’ and other more occasional services. The altar server was there to help in the preparation of the Altar and to tidy the sanctuary afterwards. Importantly, in the age of a silent and pliant congregation, the altar server was to make the responses on behalf of those gathered in prayer. Individual prayer was personal and not necessarily related to the celebration. The rosary beads in active use during Mass or other devotional booklets, probably outnumbered those who were attempting to follow using their own missal with the parallel Latin and English prayers and readings.

Compare this pre-Council experience with the present Sunday Eucharistic celebration.

Sian, whose swimwear design company was backed by Lord Sugar in 2018 was excited to be visiting her old school, meeting with some of her former teachers old teachers and reminiscing about her time at Corpus Christi. She reflected about her education and what she had learned about how to exceed expectations and become successful.

The students had a lot of questions and then spoke to BBC Radio Leeds about the talk.

Remembering the parish Sunday Mass before the Council, it is easy now to experience one of the great reforms. Even after the tentative liturgical reforms of the late fifties, Mass was ‘said’ by the priest and ‘heard’ by the congregation. All was recited in Latin, whether understood or not, but just in case, the epistle and gospel were read in English from the pulpit before a sermon that may or may not be related to the gospel of the day. The only active participants, apart from the priest were the altar servers or if it was a solemn high Mass, the choir would sing as though at a recital.

In the pre-Vatican II parish, the altar server had the only active role to play in the liturgy, not that such a term was ever used. There was ‘Mass’, ‘Benediction,’ ‘Evening Devotions,’ ‘Perpetual Novena’ and ‘Holy Hour’ together with the ‘Stations of the

There were qualification requirements before a new altar server was enrolled. These capabilities were essentially twofold, given that it was open to boys only. The aspirant altar server had to be able to recite in Latin all the responses during Mass and be big enough and strong enough to carry the missal from one side of the altar to the other. Of course, Mass was celebrated with the priest’s back to the congregation and the server carried the missal from the Epistle side to the Gospel side and back again during the celebration. This involved respectfully moving to the altar, collecting the missal, negotiating the steps backwards, genuflecting in the middle and carrying the missal up the steps of the altar to the other side. The scene of some disasters. Learning the Latin responses required a parrot-fashion recital of words which had little meaning. Even when cribbing from the English translation, the meaning of the words escaped any real understanding.

The Mass now celebrated in English, makes it so much easier to listen, understand and meditate on the meaning. Lay readers, proclaim the scriptural readings from both the Old and New Testaments as well as the Psalms. The bidding prayers, a revival of a much older tradition, speak to us of present every-day concerns. The sign of peace and communion in the hand and under both kinds add to involvement. The congregation are encouraged to join the hymn singing, appropriate to the day. In short, Sunday Mass is a celebration for the community gathered to worship the Lord.

The loss of ‘the Latin Mass’ seems to be one of regret to those who speak of the beauty and rhythm of unchangeable language. For great Church occasions this might be so, but the reality of Sunday and daily worship was quite different. For anyone who attended an early morning daily Mass in a huge, dark, cavernous, cold and empty Church the reality was of lack of any involvement. The priest, with his back to the sparse congregation lacking any microphone or other aid to clarity, performed the rites almost unconcerned if there was a congregation or not. Thanks to the Council Fathers we now re-engage with Christ’s actions at the Last Supper and on the road to Emmaus with further understanding. Sixty years has made a great difference.

Peter Boylan KSG

A quiet space where all can come and remember and light a candle or plant a Remembrance Cross if they so wish

Sister Navya from Daughters of St Francis de Sales prepares candles

Year 9 Business Studies students at Corpus Christi Catholic College in Leeds are inspired to become entrepreneurs after a visit from former student and BBC The Apprentice winner Sian Gabbidon.

Standing in the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary in Fatima, Portugal on 13 May 2017, Pope Francis canonised these two shepherd children who saw Mary at Fatima, but more im portantly, he said, “they heeded the call to pray for sinners and trust in the Lord”.

“We declare and define Blessed Francisco Marto and Blessed Jacinta Marto as saints,” the pope proclaimed, as hundreds of thousands of pilgrims broke out in applause before he fin ished speaking.

Fatima came to us on Sunday 16 October at the Good Shepherd Church, Nottingham, when the World Apostolate visited with the Centennial Pilgrim Statue of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the relics of Saints Jacinta and Francisco Marto. Our “pilgrimage” began with a procession and a crowning of Our Lady’s statue followed by Holy Mass. Pilgrims sang the Fatima Ave and waved their white hankies to greet and honour Our Lady, as they do in Fatima, when her statue entered the Church.

After the Mass we prayed the Holy Rosary communally as people came to venerate the relics of the little saints. The Apostolate gave an interesting and informative talk about the message of Fatima, the Brown Scapular and the importance of the First Saturday’s Devotion.

In the afternoon, Canon Philipp Ziomek, our parish priest, enrolled many of the congregation in the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, after which we concluded with the Sacrament of Confession and a Holy Hour of Eucharistic Adoration.

Bishop Patrick McKinney, who celebrated the Mass, re-echoed in his homily the theme that Saints Jacinta and Francisco were made saints

not because of the apparitions but because of the way they responded to Our Lady and lived God centred, holy lives.

The fact that Our Lady chose these two little ones is significant. It is a reminder to us of how precious children are and to show us that holiness is not just for adults, but that children too are called to live holy lives.

We are called to follow the example of the “Little Shepherds”, particularly their constant prayer for sinners and their adoration of “the hidden Jesus” in the Tabernacle. Jacinta and Francisco had a great love for Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament in the Mass, and they spent many hours in adoration outside of the Mass to console and adore Jesus. In October 1918, Jacinta gave us a message which is both relevant and important for our turbulent times. She said: …. God wishes to establish in the world devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Tell everybody that God grants us graces through the Immaculate Heart of Mary; that people are to ask her for them; and that the Heart of Jesus wants the Immaculate Heart of Mary to be venerated at his side. Tell them also to pray to the Immaculate Heart of Mary for peace, since God has entrusted it to her. Saint Jacinta (October 1918)

When Pope St. John Paul II beatified Francisco and Jacinta, he said: “There will be saints among the children”. And there actually have been saints. But we can now add: “There will be apostles among the children. Let us pray so that this prediction, this auspice may come true ever more, as St. Pius X’s came true….. Father, to You I offer praise for all Your children, from the Virgin Mary, Your humble Servant, to the little shepherds, Francisco and Jacinta. May the message of their lives live on forever to light humanity’s way”. Saint John Paul II. (13 May 2000)

We are thankful to the World Apostolate of Fatima for this wonderful visit and pray that Our Lady will pour down many graces upon our parish and particularly upon our children and young people whose prayers and intercessions are very powerful. We also pray that all will respond to Our Lady’s request for the First Saturday’s Devotion and consecration to God through her Immaculate Heart.

Caroline Smith

How did these two little children – Jacinta age 9 and Francisco age 10 – end up being canonised and two of the youngest saints in the Catholic Church?

Research reveals York priest’s crucifix could be last Gunpowder Plot raids survivor?

middlesbrough-diocese.org.uk

“This is one of the most remarkable items in our possession and on display in the Bar Convent’s exhibition

The Bar Convent in York has revealed new research into the personal crucifix belonging to York priest Father Edward Oldcorne, who was hanged, drawn and quartered in the aftermath of the Gunpowder Plot.

Special collections manager Dr Hannah Thomas carried out the new research and discovered that the crucifix is the only item known to have survived the raids on the Catholic houses in the wake of the Gunpowder Plot in 1606.

Dr Thomas said: “This is one of the most remarkable items in our possession and on display in the Bar Convent’s exhibition.

“We have been working closely with experts such as Michael Hodgetts, who has painstakingly researched the history of all known priest’s hiding holes in England and Wales, and we are now confident in believing that this is the only item surviving from a series of raids which took place at the houses of known Catholic associates across the Midlands in 1606, following the discovery of the plot in November 1605.

“The search at Hindlip lasted an incredible 12 days, and for most of that time Father Oldcorne remained hidden in a tiny, concealed room, in fear for his life. This little object is now the only surviving witness to those terrifying days, which ended with the public executions of Oldcorne and his colleagues.”

The crucifix, dated from the late 16th or early 17th century, was discovered in the priest’s hole where Father Oldcorne had gone into hiding. He was suspected of involvement in the plot because he was a Catholic priest and a Jesuit.

There was no evidence to link Oldcorne to the Gunpowder Plot and so he was instead put to death for his Catholic faith on April 7 1606.

The label on the crucifix, which is thought to have been added in the 1950s, reads: “Missionary case and crucifix found in a priest’s hiding place at Henlip Castle [Hindlip Hall], Worcester, where Fr Oldcorne SJ ministered and was arrested.

“Born York. Racked 5 times. H.D.Q [Hanged, Drawn, Quartered] April 7th 1606. Worcester.”

The crucifix is on permanent display in the exhibition at the Bar Convent, the oldest living convent in England. The foundress of the order was Mary Ward – niece of Gunpowder Plotters John and Christopher Wright, and Thomas Percy.

Father

Way of St James

rcdow.org.uk

He had worked secretly as a Catholic chaplain at Hindlip Hall, Worcester, for 14 years. In December 1605, Father Henry Garnet and lay brother Nicholas Owen, who were also suspects, also sought refuge at Hindlip Hall, said to be the safest Catholic house in the country as it had so many concealed hiding places.

Along with Father Oldcorne’s servant, Ralph Ashley, all four men went into hiding in two separate priest’s holes and, although the house was raided several times, they were never discovered. However, conditions in the priest’s hole became unbearable and, after eight days, they surrendered.

Father Oldcorne was tortured, but despite there being no evidence to suggest he was involved in the Gunpowder Plot, he was still put to death as a Jesuit priest. He was hanged, drawn and quartered on April7 1606. Ralph Ashley, was executed alongside him. Both were beatified in 1929.

Nicholas Owen worked in the service of Father Henry Garnet and is said to have masterminded Father John Gerard’s escape from the Tower of London in 1597.

He spent 18 years of his life building priest’s holes in the homes of Catholic families, despite ill health and injury and without payment.

It is said that his work was so ingenious that many of his hiding places still remain undiscovered. He died while being tortured during the night of March 1 and 2 1606. He was declared a saint in 1970.

Father Henry Garnet had been told of the plot some months before, but in confession, so was forbidden by canon law to reveal it.

However, he did protest the plan and attempted to deter the plotters. Despite this, he was found guilty of treason and was hanged, drawn and quartered on May 3 1606.

Following in the footsteps of St James, four men training to be priests for the Diocese of Westminster spent a week this summer with a group of 120 young Spanish pilgrims walking the Way of St James.

Having set off from the northern Spanish city of Ourense, Deacons Juan Sola and Domagoj Matokovic and seminarians Paolo Gambardella and I, walked roughly 20 kilometres a day, with time also given to receiving catechesis, praying together, and receiving the sacraments.

The Camino de Santiago, known in English as the Way of St James, is a network of pilgrims' ways leading to the shrine of the apostle Saint James the Great in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in north-western Spain, where tradition holds that the remains of the apostle are buried.

It is fair to say that most of us, perhaps first of all the deacons and seminarians, thought the pilgrimage would be something beautiful but also fairly gentle. However, we soon discovered that carrying everything that was needed for the week, including sleeping bag and mat, and subsequently sleeping on the floor for a week, took its toll and the pilgrimage became more physically demanding than expected.

The pilgrimage was organised by the pastoral team of the home parish of Deacon Juan Sola in Caravaca de la Cruz, a town in the south of Spain. Largely comprising young people from the Neocatechumenal Way, the pilgrimage was open to anyone in the town from the age of 18 to 35 and gave particular focus to discerning what the Lord’s vocation is for each person.

We spent the week as a community with these young people, simply as brothers and sisters in Christ, walking, talking and living together in a simple yet beautiful way. These young people came from a range of situations in their lives and journeys of faith: students and professionals, practising and lapsed Catholics, and those with no faith formation at all. Regardless of their situation it was obvious that each had their burdens and equally a deep yearning for a life that offered greater fulfilment than that which the world offers.

While the catechesis were important, we discovered that much more important was the experience of abandoning the usual comforts of home, and entering into some small sufferings.

It was in this that the Lord shone light on our lives. This pilgrimage, we discovered was not detached from our daily lives back home but was an experience of remaining in Christ through all that life offers. On top of the physical suffering was the experience of sharing the journey together; at times we discovered ourselves, and how we struggle to accept the others as they are. In the midst of spending a lot of time together and occasionally finding the other frustrating or different from us, the Lord led us to seek forgiveness and ultimately created a communion between us that wasn’t manmade.

Everyone had come from different places but over the course of the week our ideas of life had been refocused towards our Lord. At the end of the week we processed towards the Cathedral of St James, singing and giving glory to God. Not simply because we had been told to do so, but because through the week we had experienced God’s love and accompaniment in everything we had lived. We received the plenary indulgence while praying in front of the tomb of St James, and left the holy place nourished by God’s immense love for each of us.

Tom Blackburn, Seminarian

Oldcorne, who was friends with Gunpowder Plotters Guy Fawkes and brothers Christopher and John Wright at St Peter’s School, York, was under suspicion as a Catholic priest and a Jesuit.

Anthony Chappel Ross

It was in this that the Lord shone light on our lives

New Canons installed at Salford Cathedral

dioceseofsalford.org.uk

During midday Mass recently, at Salford Cathedral, Bishop John installed three new members of the Cathedral Chapter. Our most heartfelt congratulations go out to Rev Canons Michael Jones, Michael Job and Paul Daly. The new canons were joined in celebration by the whole Cathedral Chapter, their families and friends.

A society that erases women is impoverished

During his return flight to Rome from Bahrain, Pope Francis had a wide-ranging conversation with journalists. Carol Glatz, from CNS asked about women's rights. She said that during his trip to Bahrain the Pope had spoken about fundamental rights, including women's rights, their dignity, the right to have their space in the social and public sphere; and you encouraged young people to have courage, to make noise; to move forward toward a more just world. Given the situation close by, in Iran, with the protests sparked by some women and many young people who want more freedom, she asked: "Do you support this effort of women and men demanding to have the basic rights that are also found in the Document on Human Fraternity?"

today, at that time was so revolutionary that it was scandalous. He said the man should take care of the woman as his own flesh. This, at that moment, was a revolutionary thing. All women's rights come from this equality. And a society that is unable to give the woman her place does not move forward. We have the experience (of this). In the book I wrote, Torniamo a sognare, in the part about economics, for example, there are women economists currently in the world who have changed the economic vision and are able to carry it forward. Because they have a different gift. They know how to run things in another way, which is not inferior, it is complementary.

St Mary’s Parish Derby Organises STEM Education Day for Children

St Mary’s Parish Derby are investigating the feasibility of installing solar panels at the Parish Hall, Presbytery and its sister churches of Holy Family and Christ the King. The Laudato Si group who are looking into the project, organ ised a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) activity for children, parents and parishioners. They measured building di mensions, roof angles and orientation using lots of long tape measures and large protrac tors. They talked about the solar angles from the position of the sun in the sky, considered what happens in different seasons and looked at shading. It is hoped all the investigations will bear fruit in helping this part of Derby become greener!

The Pope answered: " We have to tell each other the truth. The struggle for women's rights is an ongoing struggle. Because in some places women have equality with men, but not in other places. No? I remember in the 1950s in my country, when there was the struggle for women's civil rights: for women to be able to vote. Because until about the '50s only men could do so. And I think of this same struggle in the US. But why, I ask myself, does the woman have to struggle like this to keep her rights? There is a... I don't know if it is a legend, a legend about the origin of women's jewelrymaybe it's a legend - that explains the cruelty of so many situations against women. It is said that women wear so much jewelry because in a country - I don't remember, perhaps it's a historical fact - there was a custom that when the husband got fed up with the woman, he would say to her, 'Get out!' and she couldn't go back in and take anything. She had to leave with what she had on her. And (that would be) why they would amass gold, to be able at least to take something away. They say this is the origin of jewelry. I don't know if it is true or not, but the image helps us.

Rights are fundamental. But how come in the world today we cannot stop the tragedy of young girls' infibulation? This is terrible. Today. The fact that this practice exists, that humanity cannot stop this crime, a criminal act! Women, according to two comments I heard, are either "disposable" material - that's bad - or they are 'a protected species.' But equality between men and women is still not universally found, and there are these instances, where women are second-class citizens or less. We have to keep fighting for that because women are a gift. God didn't create man and then give him a little dog for fun. He didn't. He created them equal, man and woman. And what Paul wrote in one of his letters about male-female relationships, which seems old-fashioned to us

I once had a conversation with a head of government, a great head of government, a mother with several children, who was very successful in solving difficult situations. And I said to her, 'Tell me, Ma'am, how did you solve such a difficult situation?' She began to move her hands like this, in silence. Then she said to me: '[This is] how [we] mothers do it.'

Women have their own way of solving problems, which is not man's way. And both ways must work together: the woman, equal to the man, works for the common good with that insight that women have. I have seen that in the Vatican, every time a woman comes in to do a job in the Vatican, things get better. For example, the vice governor of the Vatican is a woman, the vice governor is a woman, and things have changed for the best. In the Council for the Economy, there were six cardinals and six lay people, all male. I changed the lay people I put one male and five women. And this is a revolution because women know how to find the right way, they know how to move forward. And now I have put Marianna Mazzuccato in the Pontifical Academy for Life. She is a great economist from the United States, I put her there to give a little more humanity to it.

Women carry their own, they don't have to become like males. No! they are women, we need them. And a society that erases women from public life is a society that impoverishes itself. It impoverishes itself. Equality of rights, yes. But also equality of opportunity. Equality of opportunities in order to move forward, otherwise we become impoverished.

I think with that I have said what globally needs to be done. But we still have some way to go. Because there is this 'machismo'. I come from a people with machismo. Argentinians, we are masculinist, always. And that is bad, but then we turn to our mothers, who are the ones who solve the problems. This machismo kills humanity. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to say this, which is [something that] I carry in my heart. Let's fight not only for rights, but because we need to have women in society to help us change."

The Salford Cathedral Chapter was erected on 24th June 1852, and is made up of eleven priests, who act as a consultative body for the Bishop and assist him in the governance of the Diocese. In addition, their specific role in the Cathedral is to pray, through the Divine Liturgy of the Church, for the Bishop, priests and people of the diocese.

We thank those canons who have recently stepped down from the chapter, and we pray that God gives our new canons the strength to fulfil their important mission in the Diocese of Salford.

Francis Hazel

Vatican News

The Pope had spoken about fundamental rights, including women's rights, their dignity, the right to have their space in the social and public sphere

God Is Not A Man In The Sky

Lizzy Peck has written the book we have all been waiting for. Those of us who have to do with the education of the young have heard all too often from them that religion... has been disproved by ‘science’. This is simply not the case; indeed Christianity, and especially Catholicism has played an immensely important role in the development of science; it was, of course, a Catholic priest who first drew our attention to the ‘Big Bang’, and the Church has always been in the forefront of scientific achievement, Galileo or not. This is a marvellous book, admirably directed at quite young children, with a really intelligent commentary for their long-suffering parents and teachers... it should be widely read by those who care about this extraordinary ‘disconnect’ in our society between science and religion.

Nicholas King SJ, Campion Hall, Oxford.

Promotion Code: Francis10

Please visit: www.franciscanpublishing.com

Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor

Mariana Mazzucato, an influential pro-abortion economist, has been appointed to the Pontifical Academy for Life for a term of five years after being nominated personally by Pope Francis. The Pontifical Academy for Life was created in 1994 for the “promotion and defence of life” according to “Christian morality and the directives of the Church’s Magisterium”. When the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade earlier this year, Mazzucato praised an anti-Catholic, proabortion tweet by commentator Ana Kasparian on Twitter. Mazzucato also retweeted several other pro-abortion posts on Twitter, including one by Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who tweeted that the overturning of Roe v. Wade was “one of the darkest days for women’s rights in my lifetime”.

Mazzucato also reshared a tweet by Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, stating that abortion “saves lives”. Pope Francis lifted the requirement for members of the Academy for Life to be pro-life in 2016. A year later, Nigel Biggar, a pro-abortion theologian, was appointed to the academy. Mariana Mazzucato’s appointment is incomprehensible. It is profoundly concerning that an academy dedicated to the defence of life has appointed a person so avowedly anti-life. The Academy’s mission, ethics and reputation have been seriously undermined. At a time when proabortion rhetoric is becoming more extreme it is more important than ever before that the Pope stands by the Church’s pro-life principles and not endorse the anti-life views of Mazzucato and others.

B. McKenna, Dumbarton

Dear Editor

Congratulations on the paper . I tried to stand at the church door giving them out but the shower of inserts made it impossible and seemed to discourage people picking it up.

A Farrelly Parishioner of St Elphege's Church Wallington

Editor’s note - Thank you so much for handing them out! Unfortunately, without the inserts the paper would cost 3 times as muchwhichwouldmakeittooexpensivefor many parishes. Our hope is that many parishes will do as you have done and hand the copies out ensuring parishioners get good Catholic news – and hopefully out of the 100 or so handed out each month, some parishioners will donate some money to the parish in thanks for the free paper. So it will raise money for the parish itself. Thank you forwhatyoudoeachweek!

Dear Editor

Last week, when I picked up a copy of the Catholic Post on the way out of Mass, I must shamefacedly admit it was the first time I had done so since its appearance eleven months ago. I would like to add that I am very impressed with the overall quality of the journalism and the wide range of topics discussed, though I have some reservations about the two leading front page articles. With regard to ‘spending cuts’ and the need to boost benefits, the Church hierarchy - C of E as well as Catholic – almost invariably go for the easy target of “wicked politicians”, and seem unaware that benefits have to be paid for out

of the earnings of tax payers – many of whom are themselves already on the breadline. The fallacy that enough money can be raised by taxing the rich is always assumed, despite the fact that increasing higher tax rates by more than a few pence invariably reduces, not increases net revenue (vide the Laffer Curve). Also, the forthcoming increase in Corporation tax proposed by Sunak will bankrupt tens of thousands of small businesses already on the brink as a result of the Covid epidemic – which will mean an even smaller pot available for benefit payments.

Does the ‘independence” of The Catholic Post extend to your being able to challenge the Bishops of England and Wales over their public personae? The dismal (and one might reasonably say cowardly) failure of the Catholic hierarchy in recent years to defend Christianity and our Judeo-Christian culture against the ravages of wokedom and atheistic globalism has been rather depressing.

Hugh Davis

Parish of St Francis Xavier, Hereford

Dear Editor

I thought I would share the conversation I just had with my parish priest who subscribed to The Catholic Post for 6 months to see what it was like. He said he won’t be renewing our subscription as he didn’t agree with some articles that were published, He mentioned the Gay pride article. Just thought you might be interested in this feedback!

J. Jones Northumberland

Willie Doyle SJ's canonisation cause opens

Irish Jesuits

by Mr Pat Kenny who have dedicated themselves to promoting Fr Doyle's cause.

Willie Doyle SJ was born in Dublin in 1873 to an affluent Catholic family and entered the Society of Jesus in 1891. He taught in two Jesuit schools, Clongowes Wood College and Belvedere College and was ordained in 1908. He volunteered as a chaplain in WW1.

Bishop Tom Deenihan, the Bishop of Meath, announced on Thursday 27 October 2022 that he is to open the cause for the beatification and canonisation of Fr Willie Doyle SJ.

Fr Doyle was renowned for his heroism as a military chaplain during World War I, and since his death on 16 August 1917, he has developed a reputation for sanctity and intercessory power. His cause was formally opened at a ceremony in the cathedral of Christ the King on Sunday 20 November 2022, attended by the Irish Jesuit Provincial, Fr Leonard Moloney SJ.

The Irish Province has been supporting a group (The Fr Willie Doyle SJ Association) led

Willie Doyle SJ has touched the lives of many people, especially those he ministered to in the hellish trenches of the First World War. He was renowned for his selfless care of the young soldiers in that war, for his heroism, and his deep penitential spirituality. Many draw attention to his sense of humour, positive attitude, and upbeat disposition which supported the soldiers to whom he was chaplain during dark and dangerous times in the trenches.

He was also known as a practical joker who from an early age displayed tender care for all those he came in contact with, and from an early age. he continues to fascinate people

today, one hundred years on from his death in the First World War.

Willie Doyle was commemorated in an exhibition at a number of events in Dublin in 2017 to mark the centenary of his death in the Battle of Passchendaele, Flanders. He died attempting to save injured soldiers from the battlefield. The cause for his canonisation has become increasingly popular in recent times and it is hoped that this espousal of that cause by the Bishop of Meath will help hasten the day when he will be declared ‘blessed, and saint.’

Fr Doyle was renowned for his heroism as a military chaplain during World War I

This new publishing company is providing books on Franciscan theology and spirituality, continuing the tradition of the charism in the UK.

Fr

Fr Willie Doyle

'Ten Million Lives Too Many...'

too many. Ten million of our brothers and sisters who did not see birth. Ten million women who chose to have an abortion, often in very difficult circumstances, but who now carry the scar and pain of their choice.

On Thursday 27th October, the 55th anniversary of the Abortion Act, a group of Catholics gathered in Parliament Square to pray and to remember the lives lost and the women forced into making difficult decisions.

Bishop John Sherrington, Lead Bishop for Life Issues, joined those who were gathered, offering the following reflection:

'Choose Life…

'Ten Million Too Many… recognises the tragedy of ten million lives lost by abortion since the passing of the Abortion Act in 1967. Ten million

Frank Goulding

One of my former Parish Priests realised that to emphasize the importance of Advent it was necessary to remind his congregation that “it is not Christmas yet”. For many years most readers will be familiar with the frequent expression that “Christmas starts too early.” Whilst this reflects on the retail trade surely Christmas never starts “too early”, but Advent is such a special time of waiting and longing. What we wait and long for is quite possibly dependent on our Christian Faith.The great Easter hymn, Thine be the Glory, incorporates the words “no more we doubt thee”, but we all know that to be a Christian is not easy. On the weekend before the feast of all Saints I learned of three people whose health is giving a new cause for concern and amidst all the pre-Christmas advertising the charitable appeals for the homeless continue. We will all have other instances that we know will make

'Ten Million Too Many… it is hard to grasp this huge number. Ten million faces who could have smiled and shed tears, who could have brought joy and gifts to others. We witness to those ten million lives which we commend to the mercy of the Father for we believe that every life is precious to the Almighty and that he knows each by his or her name and they rejoice in heaven.

'In Saturday’s paper there was a most moving account of three brothers, one of whom lived with Down’s Syndrome, on pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostella. Manni wrote of his brother Reuben, “We had assumed we were taking Reubs on a pilgrimage but it was becoming apparent that he was taking us on one. We were learning what it was really like to

have Down’s syndrome, walking at his pace and experiencing life through his eyes. It was a truly transformational travel experience, and the beginning of my understanding of Reuben’s reality.” Ten million too many including all those persons who would have lived with a disability and taught us about being human.

'To build a stronger culture of life leads to other necessary changes in society. The many painful situations which lead to abortion are reflected in these shocking statistics and call for better legal and social protections for women and the unborn child. They call for much more reflection on what is needed for relationships and sex education that is rooted in respect and self-restraint, support for the family and single mothers. Today we pray for the building of a culture of life and welcome where all are recognised and treated as a gift. Be courageous…

Advent a difficult time this year for many families. It was not exactly an easy time for The Holy Family as we learn from that first Christmas. The familiar revelation of the Nativity will, I hope, still continue to be reflected in many plays in our primary schools. Our children will quickly grow up in what some call a post-Christian society, perhaps we can assist their young lives this Advent by our own example.

When historians write up 2022 it will not be an easy year to recall. Whilst the more powerful nations have dominated the world, the need for compassion has never been greater especially to those who are suffering the most.

Much of our conflicts and poverty have been under the control of male political leaders. In our country the third woman to be Prime Minister

lasted just 45 days. Sympathy for politicians is not likely at this time but at least the male spouses of these politicians did loyally support their wives.

With interest rates now at 3% and as the country enters a period of recession it is surely time for all families to not only pull together this Advent, but for all leaders to reflect on the special role of Saint Joseph. The obedience and humility recorded in Scripture he displayed was surely accompanied by the wisdom the world needs at this time.

'Ten Million Lives Too Many...' - Diocese of Westminster

rcdow.org.uk

Ten million faces who could have smiled and shed tears, who could have brought joy and gifts to others

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Pupils at Mount St Mary's College are encouraged to strive for the Magis

At Mount St Mary’s College, we see your child’s potential, developing a love of learning from the moment they join us, with the ethos of a Jesuit Education at the heart of everything we do.

Pupils at Mount St Mary's College are encouraged to strive for the Magis - to be more and to do more for God's greater glory. This extends to the way pupils dress, their conduct, how they represent the school and how they interact with peers, staff and visitors. Indeed the pursuit of excellence becomes a way of life for our students.

Whilst we offer many extra-curricular activities, academia has always been a key focus for the School. We offer a broad curriculum, from traditional subjects such as Latin and Ancient Civilisations, to modern courses, such as

business, and sports science. Our GCSE results are 15% above the national average. Our A level curriculum is extensive, placing us in the top 5% in the country, and this year, we have had a student gain a 100% scholarship to study at Cambridge.

Discover more about Mount St Mary’s at our Virtual Open Evening in January. Meet our Headmaster, take a virtual tour of the school, and ask any questions you may have through our live chat. You can register your interest for the event on our website: www.msmcollege.com.

We very much look forward to welcoming you at Mount St Mary’s, a place truly inspiring young hearts and minds to go forth and set the world on fire.

Working towards being the most sustainable Cathedral in the UK

The first phase of Salford Cathedral’s Restoration Project has begun – contractors from Simpsons of York are on site and external repairs are being carried out. We will be providing monthly updates on its progress. Keep an eye on our news page to stay up to date!

Our Commitment to Sustainability

In line with our diocesan commitment to the environment, we aim to make Salford Cathedral the most sustainable cathedral in the UK. This will involve the use of the most up to date technology and providing long term solutions to increasingly unpredictable and extreme patterns of weather associated with the climate emergency.

was built at a time when energy was cheap, materials were readily available and sustainable development and construction were unknown. The building is therefore poorly insulated, allows air (hot and cold) to move freely in and out and does not properly represent the sustainable aspirations of our diocese and the wider Catholic community.

Sustainable initiatives being explored by the design team include the installation of insulation across the whole roof, the installation of an insulated floor slab and underfloor heating, the installation of secondary conservation glazing, the potential for ground source heating (vertical bore holes) and the use of sustainably sourced and durable materials.

WCC moderator: 'World's grave challenges are not God's last

word'

In his first report to the newly-elected World Council of Churches (WCC) executive commit tee, WCC moderator Bishop Dr Heinrich Bed ford-Strohm reflected on why the world's grave challenges are not God's last word.

"We trust that God's ways for us will not lead into darkness but into a new heaven and a new earth," said Bedford-Strohm. "Christ has risen."

At the WCC 11th Assembly, the fellowship experienced that this confession is not just empty words, Bedford-Strohm reflected. "In our prayer services we have felt how the Holy Spirit has brought us together as people with completely different backgrounds and yet united as brothers and sisters in Christ.. This first meeting will give us the opportunity to get to know each other better."

The executive committee, convened during some of the same days as COP27, discussed numerous challenging topics, including the sustainability of the WCC's budget and future programmatic work.

"Let us be grateful for all the denominational traditions that we come from," he said. "And if we are in relationship with Christ, in prayer, in reflection and in action, we will always be in relationship with our fellow human beings and, in a special way, with our sisters and brothers in Christ all over the world."

It is intolerable that those who call themselves "sisters and brothers in Christ" put each other down, spread hate against each other, or even kill each other, he emphasized.

"We can only live the mission of God when we do not only speak of the love of Jesus Christ but also radiate it with our own lives," he said. "Therefore, we as Christ's followers will never accept the divisions amongst ourselves."

The WCC will give a witness of unity to the world-and thereby help the world to move toward more unity, Bedford-Strohm proposed.

"This is the calling of WCC," he said. "What can we do to encourage our governments to support a path that will allow us to limit global warming to a tolerable level?"

The executive committee also addressed what the pilgrimage of justice, reconciliation and unity means for our efforts to stop the killing in Ukraine, suggested Bedford-Strohm. "If we as a community of brothers and sisters from different sides of the war cannot be helpful in this, who else can be?" he asked. "Let us use this opportunity for exchange in this precious community and give the Holy Spirit a chance to move us, and maybe through us, move the world towards a just peace."

Bedford-Strohm concluded that he greatly looks forward to his task as moderator in the coming eight years. "It is a source of hope for me," he said. "It might be stubborn hope, sometimes even a desperate hope. But it lives from the deep conviction that God's commitment after the flood, expressed in the rainbow, to never destroy the earth anymore and keep the eternal covenant of peace is firm and certain."

dioceseofsalford.org.uk

Salford Cathedral

In line with our diocesan commitment to the environment, we aim to make Salford Cathedral the most sustainable cathedral in the UK

WCC

Bishop Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, Evangelical Church in Germany

Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC

"We trust that God's ways for us will not lead into darkness but into a new heaven and a new earth."

Fr Alexander Smerechynskyy, national director of Catholic charity Stella Maris Ukraine, and port chaplain to Odessa, explains how the war with Russia has affected seafarers.

As the war and suffering in Ukraine continues, there are around 80 ships and 400 seafarers stuck in Odessa, Illychyvsk, Yuzhny, and other ports on the Black Sea coast. This is a very difficult situation not just for the seafarers, who come from all over the world, but also for their families.

I have been on board ships and spoken to seafarers from China, India, Indonesia, and many other countries. I met several Russian seafarers who told me they were afraid to be evacuated because of the fighting. Stella Maris Ukraine has been trying to provide whatever help it can to seafarers and their families since the start of the war.

Ukrainian seafarers can’t leave Ukraine to join ships elsewhere because of martial law, which is imposed on men between 18 and 60. Some have been without work for a year. The situation is really hard for them. They can’t earn money and support their families.

So far, Stella Maris has provided €150,000 to 300 families of seafarers. We would like to provide more financial help, but our resources are limited.

We helped implement a mother and child social programme and arranged for a large group of seafarers’ families to go to Romania for a summer vacation.

Russia’s blockade of the Black Sea has highlighted the vital role seafarers play a vital role in the global supply chain. In Odessa everyone knows someone who is involved in some way with seafaring.

When we were first attacked by missiles and bombs, we were all afraid. But now it has become part of everyday life, unfortunately. I would estimate that about 90% of people have mental health problems. The war has damaged many people psychologically.

This is why, with the help of Stella Maris in the UK, we have launched the Stella Maris Seafarers Support Service, which will provide medium to long term support from professional psychologists in Ukraine. There is an urgent need for this. We hope that counselling will help them to rebuild their lives.

Odessa is still being attacked by missiles and bombs. We don’t know when the war might end. We live one day at a time. But Stella Maris Ukraine will continue to provide whatever help we can to seafarers and their families. And we will continue to pray for an end to this terrible violence that has destroyed so many lives.

Greg Watts

Please consider supporting seafarers and families impacted by the war in Ukraine, thank you. www.stellamaris.org.uk/ukraine-response/

Final journey for Polish Presidents-in-Exile

Laurance Goff, a parishioner of Newark Holy Trinity Church, and Town Mayor of Newark was honored to accompany the coffins containing the bodies of three Polish presidents in exile —Władysław Raczkiewicz, August Zaleski, and Stanisław Ostrowski back to their homeland. The three men and others like them were the heads of a free Polish government in exile in Britain during the years when Poland was ruled by the Nazis and then the Soviets. Sadly none of the three lived to see their homeland free. Their bodies were exhumed on 3rd November from Newark Cemetery in an historical moment for Poland. Holy Mass at St Mary Magdalene Church Newark was celebrated on 6th November by three Polish bishops to mark their repatriation. Representatives of the Polish Government and military, the Royal Family, UK parliament and military, local authorities, and the Presidents' relatives were present in the packed Newark parish church.

Town Mayor Goff told our reporter “On behalf of Newark, I extend my very warmest regards to the people of Poland as they mark the return of the three presidents to their homeland. I also look forward to continuing to celebrate Newark’s respect and appreciation for our Polish links as we plan for the creation and installation of a statue of General Sikorski in Newark Cemetery which is expected to be officially unveiled next year.”

The Polish government-in-exile was the legitimate state representation of Poland from the authorities’ evacuation in 1939 until 1990. Reconstructed first in Paris, and from 1940 residing in London, it led the Polish war effort throughout the second world war.

The office of president was held by: Władysław Raczkiewicz (1939-1947), August Zaleski (1947-1972), Stanisław Ostrowski (1972-1979), Edward Raczyński (1979-1986), Kazimierz Sabbat (1986-1989), and Ryszard Kaczorowski (1989-1990).

The Polish War Graves Section of Newark Cemetery is the largest Polish plot of any cemetery in the UK. Commanderin-Chief and Prime Minister Gen Władysław Sikorski, who opened it in 1941 and was laid to rest there. His body was also exhumed and repatriated home.

Bringing God’s love to seafarers and fishers. This Christmas, the port chaplains and ship visitors of Catholic charity Stella Maris will welcome many seafarers and fishers in ports around the UK, bringing them gifts, and ensuring Mass is organised for them, where possible, at this special time.

Your donation will help us to perform these acts of kindness that send a powerful message to seafarers and fishers: you’re not alone, we care for you, God loves you. To donate go to www.stellamaris.org.uk/donate

Meanwhile, a statue of Polish Righteous Among the Nations Irena Sendler, who saved hundreds of Jewish children during the war, stands in Newark's Fountain Gardens.

During the Second World War, the Royal Air Force welcomed into its ranks thousands of exiles from Germanoccupied Poland. Polish personnel served in all RAF commands and earned a reputation for exceptional courage and devotion to duty. Tragically, though the Poles fought so hard to liberate Europe from tyranny. It would take another 50 years before Poland could have their own country and freedom back once again.

Laurance Goff

The three men and others like them were the heads of a free Polish government in exile in Britain during the years when Poland was ruled by the Nazis

After exhuming the coffins at Newark cemetery

What to do when God says ‘no’ to your prayer

Fr Alvan

From time to time, we find ourselves asking God for one thing or the other. Whenever we ask, the only thing that will make us happy is getting a positive response, a “Yes” to our re quest.

No matter your age, you will always want your request granted whenever you make it. Some of us do actually shy away from asking, because we don’t like getting a “No” for an answer, so we will prefer dying in silence to asking and never getting what we asked for.

This itself is still not the best thing to do. The scripture says “for everyone who asks receives, he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks, the door will be opened” (Matthew 7:8). This has come from Jesus Himself in the scripture and He also confirms that by saying, “And whatsoever you ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father will be glorified in the son. If you shall ask anything in my name, I will do it” (John 14: 13-14). In 1 John 5:14, the scripture says, “And this is the confidence that we have in him,

that, if we ask anything according to His will, he hears us”.

So basically, we all feel great when our prayers for whatever reason, are answered. We rejoice and give praise to God for His goodness endures forever. We see ourselves as loved specially by God and are one of the luckiest people on earth. You can imagine receiving a “Yes” answer to whatever requests you make to God in prayer. That sounds great right? I believe we will all want to live in that world. But unfortunately, it never happens that way.

Now the question is, ‘What will you do, when God says ‘no’ to your prayer. What will you do, after you prayed and believed so much for something, and that thing never happened or came through, meaning it was a ‘no’ answer from God?

What will you do if you prayed so fervently and passionately for the healing of someone so dear to you, who has been on their sick bed for

long. You prayed all the prayers you know how to pray; you did all the Novenas for healing that you came across, you became a regular Mass attender, booking Mass every day for this person. You asked different prayer groups and prayer warriors to be praying for this person in question, you believed so much in your heart that God must answer all these prayers. But unfortunately, one day, the news came that your cherished has sadly passed away. This I know can be so heart-breaking and very painful to bear.

There can be other instances where we may have prayed for something important to us, believing our prayer will be answered, but we got a “No” for an answer. It felt like God completely ignored us and whatever we asked for. At such moments, we may find ourselves getting upset and asking God questions; “O Lord, how long shall I cry for help and you will

not hear? Or cry out to you of violence and you will not save? (Habakkuk 1:2).

One hard truth about our Christian faith is that, there is no assurance that we will always get a “Yes” answer to all our prayers. Sometimes, God will have to give us a “No” but one thing is certain, ‘His “No” is always for a reason. When He says No, it means He has a better plan for Us (Jeremiah 29:11).

When God says No, we should be aware that He is not trying to be mean or to hurt us. There are lessons to be learned when He says “No”. ‘At times, God’s answer to our desperate cries is “no”! But then we should understand that ‘God knows better than we do, and His “no” is always merciful, even when it hurts'(Mary Lynn Johnson). So what exactly do you or will you do when God says “No”!

Holy Family School welcomes artist Chris Mould

Staff and students at The Holy Family School in Keighley welcomed illustrator and author Chris Mould to lead workshops with Year 9 on characterisation, symbolism and imagery.

Their visitor is a local lad, born in Bradford and currently working from a studio in Dean Clough, Halifax. He worked as a freelance illustrator for several years and has many books to his credit, with 20 currently in print

Initially he spoke to the students about his own career, showed off some prints from his studio that he had brought in. Chris also did a show-and-tell of pictures that inspired him throughout his life and then went on to talking about illustrations for Animal Farm which is the text that his listeners are studying this year. He concluded with an overview of careers in the literature and arts industry, such as being a writer,

illustrator, editor, graphic designer, web designer, printer etc.

In the latter part of the day Chris reiterated the intentions he had when he illustrated and published Animal Farm and then he started recreating the illustrations with the students following him step by step.

The session culminated in participants creating their own illustrations, many of which turned out brilliantly.

Fr Alvan Ibeh asks what will you do, when God says ‘no’ to your prayer.

“For everyone who asks receives, he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks, the door will be opened” (Matthew 7:8)

Holy Family School, Keighley

Chris shared pictures that had inspired him and showed his illustrations for Animal Farm - the text that the pupils are studying this year

Our Global Community

Korea: Archbishop mourns victims of Halloween

crush

Archdiocese of Seoul, Vatican News

The representatives of the country's seven main religious orders paid tribute to the victims at a joint memorial altar set up at the public plaza in front of Seoul City Hall

Archbishop Peter Chung Soon-taick, the Archbishop of Seoul, expressed his condolences and prayed for all the victims and their family members.

In his message, the prelate expressed "sincere condolences to all the victims and pray that the Lord's grace and comfort are with those who are suffering from the sudden loss of loved ones and family members." Archbishop Chung also prayed for the "authorities involved in the accident and all those who are working on rescue operations at the scene." He lastly expressed hope that "such a tragedy will not be repeated anymore."

Meanwhile, religious leaders in South Korea on Tuesday visited a mourning altar for those

killed in the country's worst crowd crush in history. The representatives of the country's seven main religious orders paid tribute to the victims at a joint memorial altar set up at the public plaza in front of Seoul City Hall.

More than 150 people were killed and more than 80 were injured in the crush. Speaking during the Sunday Angelus Pope Francis said: "Let us pray to the Risen Lord for all thosemostly young people-who died last night in Seoul from the tragic consequences of a sudden crowd stampede."

It is unclear why the crush occurred, but eyewitnesses said there was little or no crowd control. Revellers kept arriving and pushing into streets that were already full.

Canada: Bishops issue Pastoral Letter to Young People

South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol called it a "tragedy that should not have happened." He said South Koreans will mark a week of mourning.

In a written statement, the Catholic Bishops Conference of Korea said South Koreans must "break the cycle of injustice and irresponsibility that has become a common practice in this society... To do that, we must first be faithful to our respective roles," the Bishops said. "Authorities must thoroughly examine the cause and process of this tragedy, and ensure that irresponsibility and oblivion are not repeated."

The bishops added that it is important to ensure there are "no further sacrifices" from people, especially young people.

"Human life and dignity are the most precious values, and nothing in our society can take precedence over it."

The death toll is the worst in South Korea since the sinking of an overloaded ferry eight years ago. In that disaster, 304 people died, many of them school children. But it led to a tightening of maritime transport regulations.

New York: Holy See addresses UN on racism

ICN News

The Most Rev. Raymond Poisson, President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), has issued a Pastoral Letter to Young People, dated in honour of the anniversary of the death of Blessed Carlo Acutis, the first beatified millennial. This Letter is meant to inspire young Catholics to live their faith in an extraordinary way, encouraging them to strive toward holiness, and assuring them of the steadfast support and accompaniment of their Bishops along their individual journeys of faith.

This Pastoral Letter responds to the CCCB's virtual conversations with over 200 young people from across Canada, between the ages 12 to 25, held in the fall of 2020. The Pastoral Letter was drafted by the Office for Evangelization and Catechesis and the Office for Family and Life, at the request of the Executive Committee. It received input from

youth ministry specialists, the Episcopal Commission for Evangelization and Catechesis, the Episcopal Commission for Doctrine, and the Standing Committee for Family and Life. The Permanent Council approved the Pastoral Letter at its June 2022 meeting.

The Letter is addressed to young Catholics. It can be used for individual reflection, as well as in group settings, such as parish or diocesan/eparchial youth groups, schools, families, ecclesial movements and associations, and faith-based communities.

The Pastoral Letter may also serve as a tool and resource for pastoral coordinators, youth group leaders, teachers, and anyone who accompanies young people in the faith. The Letter is now available on the CCCB website, along with a video and other resources.

Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, recently delivered a statement to the Third Committee, which deals with social, humanitarian, and cultural issues. The topic under discussion was Agenda Item 66: Elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerance.

Archbishop Caccia began his remarks by sharing the words of Pope Francis that: "Feelings of suspicion, fear, contempt and even hatred towards other individuals or groups judged to be different on the basis of their ethnicity, nationality or religion… too often inspire real acts of intolerance, discrimination, or exclusion." Racism takes a reductionist view of people by emphasizing one or another characteristic, elevating some while denigrating others. This contradicts the

fundamental principle that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights, as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. He also drew a contrast between overt racism, which is easily identified, and racial prejudice, which often takes subtler forms. Archbishop Caccia drew particular attention to the plight of migrants, who continue to be the subject of racist and xenophobic attitudes.

“Racism is a radical evil which denies human dignity, divides the human family, and hampers the establishment of a just and equal society," Archbishop Caccia said. Responses to the evil of racism should begin with the family and be fostered by school and society as a whole, and must be rooted in truth and the dignity of the human person.

Archbishop Peter Chung and Bishop Matthias RI prayed at a memorial altar in front of Seoul City Hall for victims of the disaster

ICN News

This Letter is meant to inspire young Catholics to live their faith in an extraordinary way

Racism is a radical evil which denies human dignity, divides the human family, and hampers the establishment of a just and equal society

Book Reviews Book Reviews

Divine Renovation: From a Maintenance to a Missional Parish

Fr James Mallon £35.60

ISBN 13: 9781627850384 amazon.co.uk

This book comes with a recommendation from the Cardinal Archbishop of Quebec, 'Truly inspiring, practical and challenging. I believe that this is where the Lord is leading the Church.'

He looks at the declining Mass attendance and the closure of parishes in his own country, Canada, and acknowledges that in the past being a Catholic was often a matter of identity as members of a particular community, and that this sense has been lost. He reflects that many Catholics cannot find their way round a Bible, and that their personal prayer may be only what they learned as children. Fr Mallon's proposal is that in our Parish we first make disciples of ourselves and each other. Only then can we become apostles to spread the good news, succinctly defined by one of his sources as:- 'one beggar telling another beggar where to find food!'

Chapter two looks at the research as to why Catholics have left to join Evangelical Churches, for 'a personal encounter with Jesus Christ;' 'for community where people are accepted and feel valued;' 'Biblical and doctrinal formation for spiritual personal and community growth'; and 'Missionary commitment to bring people to the family of God.' Yet these characteristics which ex Catholics find in other churches are exactly those which should enliven our own communities.

A thought provoking analysis of Clericalism defines it perhaps differently to what we thought it was. (pp 72-5,) He sees it as a division between clergy, religious and clericalised lay people, the 'super Christians' who are expected to be perfect, and the rest of the community, of whom nothing much can be asked, yet we are all called by our baptism, and all equally called to holiness. And if clergy have to be perfect, then their faults have to be concealed, until horrific stories emerge decades later.

The core programme of what we should do is a ten step process examined in Chapter 5. Step 5 is 'Meaningful Community.' Fr James reminds us that people do not usually select a church to go to from the validity of its teaching, but whether they feel welcomed and included. Perhaps an especially neglected step is the formation of small communities, a general characteristic of our parishes in Africa where it is forced upon them by the size and scattered nature of parishes. In the initial proclamation of the Good News he has made great use of the Alpha programme, first developed in this country by Anglican Christians. He explains the development of his ideas, that some initiatives didn't work at first, and that he'd at first trodden on toes. However he's written an excellent parish manual, and his ideas are not to be dismissed.

Nature Praising God

Towards a Theology of the Natural World Dermot A Lane £12.95

Messenger Publications

This is an awfully good book, written with verve, challenge, coherence, clarity and zeal. Seven chapters, beginning with a sample of texts of nature praising God, and a note on the personification of nature, are followed

by a brief summary, which encapsulates beautifully the key themes. The author is very well read on the subject, so vital in an age where dominion has turned to domination of humankind over creation, and where often reverence and respect for the natural world has been forgotten. The select bibliography and index are profoundly thorough.

There’s a deeply embedded foundation of the work of Teilhard de Chardin and Karl Rahner, alongside more modern biblical and theological commentators. Nature is shown as a living community, grace-filled and sacramental. The key role of the Spirit is highlighted in nature-based pneumatology, rooted in Old Testament as well as New. [Ruach – Hebrew for spirit, wind, breath, can also mean atmosphere, or the first sacred thing. It is mentioned in the Old testament 378 times, far more than covenant (289) or mercy (251).]

Fascinating developments in a nature-based Christology are adduced, moving from the quest for the historical Jesus to the quest for the cosmic Christ. An overview of the Incarnation moves from incarnation to deep incarnation, and to a new theology of nature as subject and agent. The author goes on to integrate a theology of creation in the service of the liturgy, retrieving the theology of creation out of nothing, through continuous creation, to the promise of a new creation. Then the epilogue gathers up the fragments towards a theology of creation praising God.

Here we meet a true professional, who unknits profound theology for anyone who is willing to take up the fascinating challenge of this volume. It will be music to the ears of Pope Francis, as his Encyclical Laudato Si is central to this fresh take on the theology of the natural world.

Fr Denis Blackledge SJ

Congratulations to Ratclffe College Leicester U16 Rugby Team

What a great night for Our Lady of the Wayside, Solihull

CRYPTIC Across 4 One of the twins seen tucking into Lincolnshire sausages (4) 5 British sect's on edge (6)

Number, including the Queen, he fiddled, so some say (4)

Subordinate created with care, it's said (8)

Complex soggy eagle, or a great seabird... (7,5)

...low mental age resorting to a noble pastime (4,4,4)

Headgear of Oregon revolutionary angry medic donned earlier (8) 15 Menaham's dad soldier imprisoned today (4) 17 Party members after allegations, lose face (6)

Yeats's land in Ulster, knowledge of the Scriptures will bring it all back (4)

CRYPTIC Down 1 Nothing in vehicle list is of the age of the new king (8) 2 Philistines prevailed here, but Mongolia is free (5,6) 3 First family: one on bridge,... (4) 4 ...for the other, it's the brink, mate (3) 6 Publish again in the matter of offspring (7) 7 Neal's Harems: massages for old Assyrian kings (11) 10 Push off and lose one's way (3,4) 11 Fruit in here has variety enclosed by old railway (8) 14 One pub promoted Italian port (4) 16 One of twelve in Israel to get higher than black belt (3)

QUICK Across 4 Isaac's firstborn (4) 5 Rim;frontier(6) 8 Roman emperor between 37 and 68 AD (4)

Congratulations to the Ratclffe College Leicester U16 Rugby Team on their 57-7 victory in the postponed U15 Leicestershire Rugby County Plate Final versus Brookvale Groby, delayed from the 2021-2022 season. Excellent performances from the whole team!

What a great night for Our Lady of the Wayside in Solihull girls football team! Winning both their first matches in their @SSolihullSSP league