Autumn/Winter 2019
CALL TO ACTION: Acting on Laudato Si’ In the face of the plastic and toxic waste crisis that is devastating our oceans, lakes and rivers, all peoples of the world are called to eliminate any further damage to the Earth’s water resources and to clean up the damage already sustained.
• +14 BILLON pounds of trash end up in the ocean every year. • 70% of industrial waste is dumped into water. • 2 MILLION Tons of sewage, industrial and agricultural waste is discharged in the world’s water every day. ‘Every year more people die from unsafe water than from all forms of violence, including war.’
WHAT YOU CAN DO * Organise a plastic and waste clean-up at your nearest beach, waterfront, roadway or public space. * Organise an event to educate the public * Advocate for better landfill practices
Change your ways 1) Reduce your own use of plastic products 2) Re-use your plastic containers where possible 3) Recycle plastic you can no longer use 4) Ensure that plastics are not contaminated (i.e. with food waste) before recycling. Laudato Si’ is the Apostolic Letter of Pope Francis on ‘Care for our Common Home’
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Contents Page 2 A Call to Action Page 5 A Vocation Story from the Philippines Page 8 A Voyage of Discovery Page 11 Cambodia: Mill Hill’s New Mission Page 13 Holy Land: Meeting Peace Page 17 October: Extraordinary Month of Mission Page 19 St Cuthbert’s Way Page 22 Silver Circle Page 23 St Joseph and the Practice of Letting Go Page 24 Mill Hill News Page 26 Pakistan: Rights of Minorities Defended Page 28 India: Violence Against Christians Page 31 Obituaries
Acknowledgments Contributors: Fr Fons Eppink mhm Fr Gerard Hastie mhm Fr John Doran mhm Fr Brian Oswald mhm Fr Jimmy Lindero mhm Photo Credits: Fr Fons Eppink mhm Fr Jimmy Lindero mhm Cover photos: Front: Procession of seaside villagers, Turda. Back: Flowers for Our Lady, Pilippines.
St. Joseph’s Advocate
is the magazine of the Mill Hill Missionaries in Scotland, published from St. Joseph’s House, 30 Lourdes Avenue, Cardonald, Glasgow G52 3QU. Tel: 0141 883 0139. Email: tollanmhm@yahoo.co.uk Registered Charity Number: SCO39809 Produced by: Burns Print Management Ltd., Caledonia Business Centre, Thornliebank Industrial Estate, Glasgow G46 8JT Tel: 07799 645 420 Email: frank.burns@burnsprintmgt.co.uk
Editorial Fr. Bill Tollan, mhm, Editor
“Baptised and Sent: The Church of Christ on Mission to the World” World Mission Sunday this year is on October 20th, but Pope Francis has declared the whole of October to be celebrated as an ‘Extraordinary Month of Mission.’ The visit of the Relics of St Therese of Lisieux to Scotland in September can be seen as a prelude and a summons to a greater missionary commitment on the part of all of us. This issue of the Advocate provides further explanation of why Pope Francis has called for this celebration. In coming weeks we should learn more about what is being organized at a local level here in Scotland to ensure we continue to be a mission-conscious Church. Another big event in October is the Amazon Synod; its theme is ‘Amazonia: new paths for the Church and for an integral ecology.’ The vast region of the Amazon embraces Brazil, Ecuador, Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia. Brazil particularly has been in the news of late as the fires continue to rage and the equatorial forest destroyed to make way for agribusiness and mining. The Synod will be concerned primarily with the
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revitalization of the Church in this area. Its conclusions however, will be of relevance to the universal Church as we face up to the growing materialism and individualism of our times. We are all called to ‘ongoing conversion’ – and we must begin to hear the call to ‘ecological conversion’ which will necessitate radical changes to our lifestyle. Along with other Christian Churches we are asked to observe the ‘Season of Creation’ between September 1st (World Day of Prayer for the Environment)and the 4th of October, feast of St Francis of Assisi. Here in Cardonald the ‘Friends of Mill Hill’ organized a celebration of mission as we marked the Golden Jubilee of Ordination of Fr Matt Grier, and the Diamond Jubilee of Fr Bill Tollan. As we reach the final stretch of our missionary lives we rejoice greatly in the dynamism of the young African and Asian MHM’s who are increasingly leading our missionary efforts in many parts of the world. Our Filipino members include Fr Jimmy Lindero, a member of the General Council
based in Maidenhead. They have also reached out to a comparatively unevangelised area of their own country (Turda), and now to our new mission in Cambodia. Elsewhere our missionaries are caught up in ongoing and lifethreatening conflicts, not least in Cameroon. Tensions have increased in India with the landslide re-election of Prime Minister Modi, and his BJP Party. Christians in Pakistan have been given some hope that they will begin to be acknowledged in practice as full citizens of the land of their birth. Finally, our community here in Cardonald has been enlarged with the arrival of Fr John Doran. He introduces himself in his article on his recent renewal course at Kinnoull, and a second article describing his pilgrimage in the footsteps of the great missionary-monk, St Cuthbert. Our MH house in Durham is within sight of the glorious Cathedral that houses the shrine of St Cuthbert, and of the great St Bede of Jarrow.
Sunrise over Turda.
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Vocations to the priesthood and religious life have been on a steady decline in The Philippines for the past three decades or more. Explanations for this downturn include well rehashed observations such as smaller size families and a surge in economic opportunities for the young. Yet the youth are not disaffected: their religious commitment remains high. And a steady trickle of candidates continues knocking at the doors of seminaries and religious institutions. This year the Mill Hill Missionaries in The Philippines have been joyfully celebrating the ordination of three new members. Curious to hear the vocational journey of at least one of these ordinands I sat down one evening with Michael Gemanga (34). He will be ordained into the missionary priesthood on May 24th in his home parish of St Ann, Molo, by Archbishop José Romeo Lazo of Jaro. This is his story. Looking back over his life at some point during his theological studies Michael recognised with great clarity, somewhat to his own surprise, that the first stirrings of a vocation to the priesthood appeared in his early teens. A chance reading of the gospel of St Matthew which he picked up when cleaning the local library got him interested in the person of Jesus. A nascent desire to ‘want to follow, become a priest’ welled up in his heart. Coming from a devout Catholic family living in the Molo suburb of Iloilo, in St Ann’s parish, such a desire may have seemed normal. But it lay dormant during most of the following long years of secondary and then university studies. ‘I did apply to the diocesan
Philippines: The Story of a Vocation by Fons Eppink mhm
Fr Michael.
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seminary during my secondary studies in 1990, but failed to pass the exam and was turned down.’ That put paid to the thought for quite a while. The modest financial means of his family meant that he had to work hard both mornings and evenings, outside schooling hours, to pay for his studies. Not until he was at college did he get a limited scholarship to pursue his studies more freely. At the time he briefly played with the idea of becoming a sailor – two of his brothers were already at sea. ‘I like adventure’, he muses. But his siblings convinced him such a course would be too difficult for him. So, he chose commerce and business administration as his line of study. After graduation in 2007 he briefly worked in the accounting department of a real estate agent. He had a steady girlfriend but still was not sure about the direction his life should take. That is when he met Fr Rex Fedelicio mhm, the vocations director of the Mill Hill Missionaries at the time. Listening to his story Fr Rex advised him to continue with his job sensing that some additional life experience would help him to come to a mature decision about the direction he should take. After all, was he not involved in a stable relationship? ‘I joined the basic formation programme of the Mill Hill Missionaries in 2010 at age 25’. When I inquire about his motivation he speaks of the gentle influence and inspiration of a longstanding friend of Mill Hill, Ms Maricel Johnson. ‘Mokong’ (nickname) you can do it’, she would keep saying, undoubtedly undergirding her words with quiet prayer in the background.
‘And I like adventure!’, he admits. ‘Mill Hill missionaries travel far and wide’. And so, he entered the formation programme together with three others. One of his companions left after some time and is now happily married with a child. Michael continued. First three years philosophy in The Philippines and then the same number of years of theological training in Pune, India. That was followed by two years of ‘mission experience’ (MEP – a period
of testing allowing a candidate to get an on-the-ground taste of what missionary life involves before proceeding to ordination) in Mbikko, Uganda. Back in The Philippines now and preparing for his ordination he is also excited to explore the next stage on his missionary journey: Pakistan. This was the first choice on the shortlist of three he was requested to submit to the General Council prior to his appointment. The other two were: any country in Africa and migrants.
‘Edson Paguntalan mhm who is a young Mill Hill missionary in Pakistan inspired me to opt for our mission there’. So, in more than one way, Michael has come to a major intersection on his vocational journey. He has had some tough decisions to make along the way. When he was on retreat preparing to take his temporary oath (first step on the road to life commitment) he absconded for three days. ‘I went out to settle things with my (second) girlfriend’. ‘I have experienced the pain of breaking up a relationship. I know what it is to be deeply in love.’ ‘Formation is a continuous process’, Michael reflects, looking back over his past long vocational journey. ‘I have learnt a lot about mission and what it involves. I don’t know at all how effective I will be. I wasn’t brilliant at theology. My charism is relational: to smile, talk, walk with people and learn from them. As a priest you are part of the community, not apart from it or standing above it’… ‘In the end all is grace’. It is late in the evening when we conclude our conversation. I feel humbled by the uninhibited you-getwhat-you-see openness of Michael. No wonder someone once told him ‘You would be good as a receptionist at the front desk of a hotel!’ And his closing remark: ‘I prefer not to call you by your first name as is the custom among Millhillers. I’ll keep calling you ‘Father Fons’. That is our local custom, and, after all , you are like my ‘lolo’ – grandfather’.
Fr Michael at his Ordination Mass.
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A Voyage of Discovery: St Mary’s, Kinnoul, June 2019 by Fr John Doran mhm “Let the Englishman sing!” The last time I was called an Englishman was 50 years ago in a Dutch boxing club. Other people help to define who we are! Billy Connolly said he first realised he was a Catholic when his friend’s mother shouted down the stairs “I’ve told you not to play with those Catholics!” Here I am, courtesy of Mill Hill, on a seven-week course with the Redemptorists in Perth. My ‘classmates’ are Brothers, Priests, Lay-people, Sisters from Australia,
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New Zealand, Ireland, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Argentina, and the Philippines. Hence, “Let the Englishman sing” (there are no Scots.)
The Monastery.
The sessions, run by Redemptorists, lay-people, and a Franciscan, have been great. Have I discovered anything? Four things: i. This is the first time I’ve stopped to reflect for 32 years. In that time I’ve had five assignments on three continents. I’ve had holidays, but they usually have been busy. ii. The enormity and importance of God’s Mercy has been brought home to me. iii. I need to talk with God… saying prayers and listening to him is not enough. iv. Three, not two, are involved in the Great Commandment – “Love God and love your neighbour as yourself.” Unless we love ourselves we won’t know how to love our neighbour. Then there is the RRS Discovery, moored in Dundee, where she was built. She was the centre of huge adventures involving Sir Ernest Shackleton, Captain Scott, Captain Oates, Tom Crean, and many others. I visited Shackelton’s grave in South Georgia, and met his son, the Labour Peer, Lord Shackleton, in the Falklands. Chief Petty Officer Crean, R.N., was a relative of the late Fr Maurice Crean mhm, and described by Captain Scott as “Every Arctic explorer’s ideal companion.” That is some accolade! We had amazing trips to Iona, Glencoe, Killiekrankie, and Scalan. As you see, it wasn’t all prayers and studies. One evening we had Ms Patricia Roberts, the harpist, to sing and play for us. We were
RSS Discovery, now a museum ship berthed in Dundee, Scotland.
stunned. Fr Denis McBride told us how St Joseph’s life had been ‘interrupted’ six times…being redirected by the angel in his dreams. He suggested that rather than holding a lily, the statue of St Joseph could portray him tearingup a map! I picked up a few new proverbs or sayings; here are three of them: a.) “If you have an old person at home, go out and buy one, because you are going to need him/her.” b.) “If you plan for the year, plant rice. If you plan for the
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decade, plant trees. If you wish to plan for a lifetime, educate your child.” (Chinese proverb.) c.) “From breakfast to cocoa.” (Scottish saying) [Is it? Ed.] While here I heard of two ceremonies – one is a baptism-type initiation for babies into satanism – and being practised here in Britain. The other (from Ireland) is a ceremony to renounce your Baptism. Some people even contact the priest to have their names taken out of the Register. (This can’t be done, but probably the priest would make a note in the margin.) The old name for this was “apostasy”. So, my fellow-Christians, never doubt that there is plenty of work
to do, and plenty of battles to fight! After 13 years in Africa I’d forgotten how ‘dry’ the English sense of humour is…For those who missed it, I’ll quote from the start of the 10.00 pm News on Radio 4 last night (20th June.) “Here is the news, read by…. Tonight we hear from Boris Johnson, Jeremy Hunt, and a singing whale, two of whom hope to become the next Prime Minister…” I defy any non-English person (including Scots and Irish) to read that without laughing. On that note I disappear into the last few days of my renewal course. And I did sing!
Renewal Group Kinnoull. Fr John second row from back first left.
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CAMBODIA
A New Missionary Outreach for MHM by Jimmy Lindero mhm After several years of exploration and deliberation a new outreach of the Mill Mill Missionaries is taking off. Last week two young Mill Hill missionaries, Yacob Yellamanda Rao Chilka mhm (India) and Glenn Bibero Diaz mhm (Philippines), were accompanied to their new posting in the Apostolic Prefecture of Battambang, Cambodia, by General Councillor Jimmy Lindero, and a delegation from The Philipppines – Domingo Arnaiz and Abner Dimo.
As might be expected their first priority will be to learn the local language, getting to know the local small Christian community in the process. Acquainting themselves more fully with the prevailing Buddhist traditions, beliefs and practices will no doubt also be high on the agenda. With God’s help this will be the beginning of Mill Hill’s ‘loving and serving’ in this land of people with smiling faces despite their sad and tragic past.
Outside the Catholic Church at Battambang.
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Facts about Cambodia zzThis
SE Asian country is bordered to the West by Thailand, to the East by Vietnam, and to the North by Laos.
zzPopulation:
14,305,183: about 50% of the population is under the age of 20.
Meeting Peace in the Holy Land by Fr Gerard Hastie mhm
zzCapital
City: Phnomh Penh – with population of two million.
zzOfficial
language: Khmer
zzReligion:
- the traditional religion of the people is Buddhism, practised by 95% of the population. - 2.5% of the population are Moslems - 2% are Christians, of whom 0.15% are Catholics
zzThe
country is still recovering from the massacres perpetrated during the regime of the Khmer Rouge (1975-1979) under the leadership of Pol Pot: 1.7 million people were killed.
zzThe
Church’s pastoral strategy is to immerse itself in Khmer culture.
Angkor Wat temple complex, World Heritage Site.
Top: The new missionaries with their Filipino colleagues. Centre left: Some of the thousands slaughtered under the regime of Pol Pot. Centre right: General Councillor Fr Jimmy with the pioneer MHMs. Bottom: MHMs visit remains of rich cultural heritage of Cambodia.
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It is difficult for me to describe in a few words the experience of visiting the Holy Land and seeing with my own eyes some of the places whose names are so familiar through reading and hearing the stories from the New and Old Testaments: Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Hebron, Nazareth, Caesarea Philippi, Capernaum and Magdala. Or to describe the joy I felt standing on the shores of the Sea of Galilee where Jesus called his first disciples, looking at the surrounding hills and
knowing that he would have seen these same hills. Or walking along the path which, from ancient times, travellers would have trekked along in their journeys from Jerusalem to Jericho and which forms the backdrop to the parable of the Good Samaritan. It was a real privilege to participate in a six-week programme for Scripture studies at the Tantur Ecumenical Institute near Jerusalem. Our lecturers and guides reflected the diversity of the peoples that live
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on this land; Israeli Jews, and Palestinian Christians and Muslims, and their inputs and stories helped to uncover for me new ways of understanding and savouring the gift of God revealed in Scripture as well as developing a deeper appreciation of the history of the Land and the richness of the people that call Israel and Palestine home. On this Land that is Holy, however, it was difficult not to see the divisions within this home and not to feel the fear, prejudice, hurt and anger that fuels the
Fr Gerry Hastie.
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Wall art can be found all around Bethlehem.
divisions. The divisions are clearly visible. To walk the few kilometres from Tantur to Bethlehem we had to pass through the 70 feet tall concrete ‘security’ wall that separates Israel from Palestine. The horrors of history and the very real fear of history repeating itself makes security a number one priority. Violence and the threat of violence keeps fear alive. Wherever we travelled in the Holy Land we met with the people that call it their home. We were made welcome and people shared their stories. The stories of the people reflected both their hopes and dreams as well as their pain and brokenness. The Holy Land is a place of
stories. Where old stories are being retold and reinterpreted and new stories written. The stories of division and fear often seem to dominate and be most heard, but other stories, which see beyond the divisions, are being written and lived. As part of the course we visited a village called Wahat al-Salam (in Arabic) and Neve Shalom (in Hebrew), which translate as ‘Oasis of Peace’. This community evolved from an initiative started in the 1970s and led by a Dominican priest, Bruno Hussar, that saw Jewish and Palestinian (Muslims and Christian) citizens of Israel coming together to share their common concerns and hopes as fellow citizens. Initially they simply met regularly together to talk, but eventually they chose to go one step further and to live together as neighbours in the same village and to educate their children together in an environment that fostered respect and understanding of one another. Forty years on and over 70 Jewish and Palestinian families now live in this village. They have a primary school where their children learn together and are taught by Jewish and Palestinian teachers and some parents from surrounding towns also send their children to this school to be educated and formed in this inclusive environment. The people of this village have become a visible and concrete sign
“... every seed of true love will give - today, tomorrow or the day after tomorrow - the fruit of love.”
Bruno Hussar - Founder of Wahat al-Salam - Neve Shalom.
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of hope for all the people of the land of Palestine and Israel. They have chosen not to be bound by the fear and prejudice that views the Other as enemy, and to recognise the Other in his or her difference as friend, as neighbour and as brother or sister. They have chosen not to let hurt and anger imprison them and to seek a world in which all those who are hurt and all those who have been broken can live in an environment that seeks healing and reconciliation. They recognise that the land of Israel and Palestine is Holy and Home to the different peoples that populate the land and each of their stories are sacred. Underlying their community is the recognition of the gift and the dignity of every human being: which is held to be true in the three religions of the Book; Islam, Judaism and Christianity, that every human being is created in the image and likeness of God. This ‘Oasis of Peace’ is not just a sign of hope for Israel
and Palestine but also for every part of the world where there is brokenness and division and where fear and prejudice are used to stoke divisions and justify hatred (including here in the UK). Having witnessed some of the divisions in the Holy Land and the suffering these divisions inflict on people on both sides of the wall, I left the village of Wahat al-Salam and Neve Shalom with a feeling of hope: walls can come down and divisions healed. I also, however, felt challenged by what I witnessed by the people there to take responsibility for the way in which I have built walls and chosen to see the Other as enemy: the many times when I have allowed fear, bitterness, hurt, lack of forgiveness, jealousy or prejudice to blind me from seeing God’s image in the Other. The people of this village have actively chosen to see God in the Other, even in those of us where God can appear at times to be well hidden.
EXTRAORDINARY MONTH OF MISSION: OCTOBER 2019
Baptised and Sent
What is the Extraordinary Month of Mission? The extraordinary month of Mission (EMM) is a special moment of prayer and action called by Pope Francis to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Apostolic Letter of Pope Benedict XV on the mission of the Church to the nations.
What are the aims of the EMM? • To respond to the ongoing urgent call to bear witness to Jesus Christ to all the nations. • To bring Catholics to a new awareness of their responsibility to evangelise to the ends of the earth. • To renew missionary commitment throughout the
The logo for ‘Oasis of Peace’.
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Church, which is sent by Christ to reveal the love of God to all nations. • To re-found and reshape the Pontifical Mission Societies (including ‘Missio Scotland’.) Evangelisation is first and foremost about sharing the Gospel with those who do not know Jesus Christ or who have always rejected him. All of them have the right to receive the Gospel (Evangelii Gaudium 15). One hundred years ago, Pope Benedict XV wrote, “There still remain in the world immense multitudes of people who dwell in darkness and in the shadow of death.” Today, the Church, sent by Christ to reveal and to communicate the love of God to all nations, is aware that there still remains an enormous task for her to accomplish. (Ad Gentes 10)
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Mission is to bear witness to the Risen Jesus and his Gospel. There can be no true evangelisation without the explicit proclamation of Jesus as Lord. (Evangelii Gaudium 110.) God became one of us, sharing our joys and sorrows. He calls on us to act with humility and respect for the dignity of each and every person, to be at the service of the poor and the marginalised, to be responsible stewards of creation, and to build a world of peace and justice. God calls us into communities of faith and action. Everyone has a right to hear the Gospel: the Good News that God loves them and that love is stronger than death. (Evangelii Gaudium 15) Our preferential option for the poor must mainly translate into a privileged and preferential religious care. (Evangelii Gaudium 200)
St. Cuthbert’s Way a Pilgrim’s Progress by John F. Doran mhm The week before Palm Sunday I set off to walk from Melrose – one of the four great “Border Abbeys” – to Lindisfarne (Holy Island). This is a path inspired by the journey of St. Cuthbert from this monastery to Holy Island, where he became Bishop – and also a hermit!? At 71, and after 13 years in South Africa, I thought a 100-mile hike, in Lent, would be a test, and also do me good. I had a bed every night, from Cardonald, via a priest’s house, three B & Bs, a
hotel, and a “bunkhouse” to the flat beside the church on Lindisfarne. In Jedburgh I asked two women the way to the Catholic church. One said she had no idea – one church looked very much the same as another. She was corrected by the other – her daughter – that the Catholic church was the one, “where Jesus lives in the church.” The mother accepted this, and the daughter walked me to the church – she’d been there once, to a funeral.
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The path runs along the Border, through the early spring landscape. I averaged 15 miles a day, with my 20 lb pack. I washed my clothes along the way, rather than carry too much. The way took in hills, woods, riverside paths, parkland, moors, rocky outcrops, marshy
ground, old villages, forts, kirks, battlefields and a Roman road. Most days, the snow-spattered Cheviots stood to my right. It was cool, with a little rain on two days… good weather to hike. Some say Scotland was invented by Sir Walter Scott. Others refer to the Declaration of Arbroath and the bloody conflicts of centuries as proof of identity. I suspect the Romans. Their walls made a border when they tried to seal off the north from the more peaceful and manageable south. After three centuries of shared history the border is again an issue for some people. Even some people who campaign against a border in Ireland campaign to establish one in Britain?! Very few people were walking. We were the first “of the season.” Like all pilgrims, we swapped our tales. In Wooler I got lost for an hour. I also said Mass there. The priest opened the church and served the Mass. Fr John Doran.
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“Gentle Aidan,” the Irish missionary from Iona, is buried at Bambrough, the stronghold of the King of Northumbria, who was his translator – Irish into Saxon. St. Cuthbert’s body was taken from Holy Island by the monks, to escape the Viking raids, and is now buried in Durham Cathedral. The island was hit hard, and 500 years later the so-called “Reformers” had their turn. Much was destroyed. But the island retains an atmosphere of peace, and prayer. People of many religions, and none, come there. I joined the palm procession from the “free church” to the Anglican one, before going to prepare the Palm Sunday liturgy at St. Aidan’s. The small Catholic community
don’t get Mass every Sunday. They made me welcome, and we were joined by visitors to the island. Did I learn anything? • I know less Borders history and geography than I thought; • The Borders are steeped in blood. They are also steeped in Faith. The few Catholic people and priests there deserve our prayers and gratitude for keeping the flame of Faith alive; • The two most memorable soccer games, ever, in the Borders, are the Scots’ 1967 victory over the World Cup Champions of 1966 – England; and Glasgow Rangers’ defeat by Berwick Rangers in a Scottish Cup game; • I am a convert to the adjustable and shock-absorbent walking-stick; • The one thing I forgot and could
Priory Ruins and St Mary’s Church.
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A Page from the Lindisfarne Gospels depicting Matthew the Evangelist.
St. Joseph - the Practice of
not improvise was a spoon! Try eating yoghurt on a windy hillside with your fingers! Never forget a spoon! I returned to Freshfield, near Liverpool, by bus from Durham, to find that I am assigned to Cardonald to join the MHMs and crew there, in August, which I look forward to. My granddad was Ulster Scots (and Scotch Presbyterian), and was “Orr.” The Orrs are attached to the Campbells and MacGregors and can wear their tartans. They seemed to have worked for them – I’m not sure in what capacity – cutting logs, stealing cattle, or pushing people off cliffs?! If I was younger, I might have donned the kilt for big occasions… but my knees are old, and I couldn’t do with a rubber “skean dubh” in my sock. But maybe I can’t resist the chance to dress up!? We will see…
Letting Go by Fr Brian Oswald mhm Until the beginning of last year, I spent 6 years in India. I had the good fortune of spending the last few months of my stay there in an ashram in South India, as part of a short sabbatical. My spiritual director was a wise old Jesuit priest, Fr Ama Samy, who guided me each day for 3 months in the practice of meditation. One key aspect of this form of meditation was learning how to let go: in focusing on the out breath, we were taught how to gradually let go of……one’s very self! As Jesus himself says in the Gospel of Luke:
Silver Circle Winners March
128 Pam Douglas
£25
20 George McGuire £15 09 Jackie Williams £10
April
21 J. Devenny
£25
02 J. English
£15 61 H. O’Donnell
£10
May
144 Gallagher
£25
10 Lynne
£15 59 I. Hastie
£10
June
362 Jean McEwan
£25
79 Tony Gallacher £15 103 Kieran McIlhenny £10
Annual Prize Draw Winners
First Prize: Angela Gallagher £200
Second Prize: Mrs M. Connor £100
Third Prize: Kathleen Beers £50
Congratulations to them all. Many thanks to all who support the Silver Circle. Your help is greatly appreciated, and contributes to supporting our missionary work.
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“If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.” Do we ever stop to consider what losing one’s life really means; and what is the self you must deny? These are important questions, and ones that are addressed in the guidance given by Fr Ama Samy. No easy practice, especially as it requires plenty of patience and a certain amount of humility. But when you learn how to let go in meditation, indeed in prayer, you reach a point when you are no longer in control of
what is happening. A good place to be in prayer, indeed in one’s spiritual life. This brings us to the person and life of St Joseph. There were at least 2 key occasions in the Gospels where he is asked to let go of his own plans: the first is when he is asked by the Angel Gabriel in a dream to take Mary home as his wife. In this event, Joseph learns to let go of the decision he had already made to divorce Mary informally. When he agrees to take Mary home as his wife, he is going against his original decision. He is no longer in control of his life, because he allows the will of God to enter fully into his life. In the second event, he is asked to take Mary and Jesus with him and flee into Egypt. Not only is this request and his response to this request a disruption of his daily life, it is a letting go into the unknown: what sort of life is he being asked to lead in Egypt? What will he do there? I am not sure he knew the answer to these questions! He is being led, in both events, into a place of confusion and uncertainty. Once again, a good place to be in prayer and in one’s spiritual life!
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MILL HILL
NEWS
Jubilees: The ‘Friends of Mill Hill’ arranged a celebration on June 14th for the Golden Jubilee of Fr Matt Grier, and the Diamond Jubilee of Fr Bill Tollan. Fr Matt Grier hails from Co. Leitrim and was appointed after ordination to Uganda. There he served for ten years, first in a parish then in Tororo College. He lived through the difficult years of the dictator Idi Amin. In 1980 he was appointed to our College at Lochwinnoch, where he worked until the College closed in 1984. After further studies at Trinity College Dublin he was appointed to USA where he spent the next 20 years in a variety of roles: hospital chaplain, parish assistant, bursar, rector. In 2011 he joined the team at Cardonald and is still ‘on the road’ doing parish supplies and making mission appeals throughout Scotland. Fr Bill McAvoy (from Bathgate) celebrated his 90th birthday in San Jose, Antique, the Philippines. Present were many of the ‘Mensa Domini’ Sisters with whom Bill has been associated for many years. Also present was a dear friend, Anne McCarthy from Bathgate.
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Fr Matt, centre, and Fr Bill, right, share some humour with Fr Bernard.
Fr Matt Grier with family members.
Fr Bill McAvoy with Mensa Domini Srs and friend Anne McCarthy visiting from Bathgate.
Fr Mark Connolly (from Partick) after 12 years faithful service in India has been appointed the new rector of Herbert House, our MHM Retirement House in Freshfield, Merseyside.
Fr Mark Connolly.
Fr Paul Mooney (from Rutherglen) having completed his term of office as Rector of Herbert House, has been appointed Secretary General Fr Paul of the Society. Mooney. From October he will be based at our headquarters in Maidenhead. Fr Gerard Hastie, after his sabbatical in the Holy Land (see his article on page 13 of this issue), has taken up his post at Maidenhead as Financial Secretary of the Society. Fr John McAulay (from Clydebank) has been on leave from his mission in Sarawak where he is based in a parish deep in the equatorial forest and many miles up the Baram River.
CAMEROON: this year saw two more Cameroonians ordained as MHM’s. Fr Linus Kang has been appointed to our mission in South Sudan, and Fr Philip Shube Bawe to further studies in Ireland. Somehow our MH Formation programme keeps going, and our members continue with their missionary work in spite of the continuing violence in the English-speaking part of the country. Meanwhile a new initiative has begun in the big commercial and port city of Douala where two of our men have been installed in a parish in the Bonaberi section of the city. The Bishops have spoken out against the atrocities being committed in the two Anglophone Provinces, and appealed for the schools to be allowed to reopen. 600,000 children have been deprived of their education for the last three years. Cardinal Christian Tumi, emeritus Archbishop of Douala, has appealed for the restoration of the Federal System of Government to allow the promised autonomy of the Anglophones.
Fr Gerry Hastie.
Fr John McAulay.
Church choir Douala.
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Rights for religious minorities in Pakistan On the 8th of May 2019, Asia Bibi, a Catholic Christian, was at last told she was free to leave her native country of Pakistan. Falsely-accused of the crime of ‘blasphemy’, she had been imprisoned for ten years and faced the death sentence. After many appeals the Pakistan Supreme Court had acquitted her in early November 2018, but it took a further three months before the acquittal was implemented. Her life still being in danger she had gone into hiding while awaiting to leave the country. The UK declined to receive her; Canada agreed to accept her. It took four months before she could be safely smuggled out to safety, and to resume her family life. Throughout her long ordeal she had been sustained by her strong Catholic faith. She is just one of many Pakistani Christians falsely accused and imprisoned for the crime of
Hilary Awiti mhm Rawalpindi.
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‘blasphemy’. Such accusations are often the means of settling scores with Christian neighbours. Police and judges fail to defend those accused, and pressure is put on Christians to convert to Islam. “We cannot force anyone to accept Islam.” So declared Prime Minister Imran Khan in a speech on July 29th in advance of the annual ‘Minorities Day’ celebrations on August 11th. He went on to denounce the kidnapping and forcible conversion of women from the minorities. He reassured members of the minorities that it was the Government’s responsibility to ensure their protection, and that they were regarded as equal citizens of the country. “I assure you that our Government will not only protest you, but will also take care of the development of your places of worship.” The Prime Minister declared that Pakistan belonged to all its communities, regardless of their religion, which makes a beautiful bouquet of inter-faith harmony.” Bishop Samson Shukardin OFM of the Diocese of Hyderabad welcomed the Prime Minister’s remarks. “We were born and brought up in Pakistan, but we still do not get equal rights.” Fr Saleh Diego, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Karachi, stated: “We are 100% sons and daughters of this land; we should not be treated as second-class citizens.”
The pleas of Christians and members of other minority religions are supported by many prominent Pakistanis. Majida Rizvi, first female judge of the High Court recalled the aims of the Founding Father of Pakistan, Mohammad Ali Jinnah that the new country would guarantee equal rights, freedom and justice for religious minorities. Leading human rights activist Sheema Kirmani declared, “All Pakistani citizens are equal…There should be no religious divisions or discrimination.” These developments are particularly welcomed by our MHM’s who work in two areas of Pakistan – in the northern Diocese of Rawalpindi, and in the Province of Sindh. The KachiKohli community in the parish of Tando Allahyar in Sindh welcomed Fr Zachaeus Okoth who had been
New-arrivals welcomed at Mass.
appointed to work among them. Fr Zachaeus had previously spent two years in the area as part of his formation; he was ordained priest earlier this year. He was accompanied by student Elvost Lunchi from Malaysia who was likewise appointed to this mission as part of his formation programme. Soon two other recently-ordained Filipino MHM’s will further strengthen the Mill Hill team in Pakistan.
Coming Events: Dates for your Diary at St. Joseph’s House, Cardonald • Season of Creation: September 1st to October 4th, Feast of St Francis of Assisi – time to reflect on the wonder of Creation, and do something practical to help save “Our Common Home”. A start would be to read the Apostolic Letter of Pope Francis, Laudato Si’. • Extraordinary Month of Mission: October 2019: see article in this issue. • World Mission Sunday: October 20th 2019 • World Day of the Poor: November 17th 2019 • Tree of Life Mass: Feast of Christ the King, November 24th 2019: 3.00 pm Nazareth House Chapel • Meditation Group: meets in St Joseph’s House, Tuesdays at 11.00 a.m. • Wednesday Talks: 7.00 – 8.00 p.m. Come and deepen your Catholic Faith Usually there is a video or power-point presentation, and time for sharing and discussion. • First Fridays: Mass for the Sick with the Sacrament of the sick: 9.00 a.m. 27
Violence against christians in India • India has a population of 1.3 billion. • 966 million Indians, 80% of the population, are Hindus. • 172 million Indians, 14% of the population, are Muslims. • 29 million Indians, 2.3% of the population, are Christians. • 19.9 million Indians, 1.55% of the population are Catholics • The Catholic Church in India is the largest Christian Church, with 174 dioceses. • 132 dioceses are of the Latin rite; 31 of the Syro-Malabar rite; 11 of the Syro-Malankara rite.
In the first six months of 2019 there have been 158 incidents of violence against Christians in 23 States of India. Practising one’s Christian faith in public has become dangerous declared the United Christian Forum (UCF). Attacks against Christians are carried out with impunity, often with the collaboration of the police. The UCF has noted a steadily increasing number of attacks since 2014, from150 to 300 in 2018. Hatred of Christians has been promoted through the web and social media, and through extremists in the Hindu Nationalist Party of Prime Minister Narenda Modi. Modi was elected for a second term this year with a landslide majority. The UCF describes how the attacks are carried out. A mob, accompanied by the police, arrives at the Christian place of worship,, shouts slogans, beats up the congregation; pastors are then arrested or detained by the police, and accused of forcibly converting people to Christianity.
India Gate, Delhi.
Gandhi Memorial, Delhi.
“Sadly, these incidents become so common nobody has time to condemn them, including political, civil society, and religious leaders.”
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Cathedral, Hyderabad.
Christians have expressed alarm and concern at a proposed new national education policy. The proposals have ignored the rights and contribution of Christians to education. The Catholic Church alone runs some 30,000 educational institution, including schools, universities, colleges, and medical schools. The proposed new policy seems to push the pro-Hindu ideology of one religion and one language (Hindi) for the whole of India. The Modi government has been slated for tacitly supporting a hard-line Hindu agenda in which religious minorities and socially poor lower-caste and tribal people could become second-class citizens. The Catholic Bishops expressed their concern that education policy should include opposition to the caste system, and provision for the marginalized – the tribal people, and the Dalits (formerly known as the ‘untouchables’.)
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Obituaries LET US PRAY FOR OUR DEAD
ordination and studies in Rome he taught Theology at Mill Hill and at the Fr Hans Stampfer: worked in the Missionary Institute. He was elected Philippines; Hans was a member of the Superior General and served as such for General Council (1982-1994), and then twelve years. He then worked in Sarawak, Malaysia, for 16 years, before Rector of the MHM house in Rome. taking up chaplaincy work in Knock. Bro Josef Priller: worked in our He died aged 90 after a long illness. house in Albany, USA, in charge of the Fr David Whelan: worked in farm. He then spent many years in Kenya and USA before being appointed Cameroon in a variety of roles, to our Maori mission in New Zealand including Secretary to the Bishop of where he served for forty years. During Buea. the nine years of serious illness in our Fr John Melhuish: worked in Retirement House David showed Kenya, then since 2005 in South Africa; remarkable cheerfulness. He left a John was tragically killed in a traffic moving message of goodbye to the accident. He was 69 years old. people he had lived among and served. Fr Anton Timmerman: ordained He died aged 89. in 1945 he spent his long missionary Fr John Joe Courtney: ordained life among the Maoris in New Zealand; in 1971 he worked in Kenya for over he celebrated his 100th birthday in forty years before returning to his January this year. native Ireland with ill health. He died Fr John Ball: attended St Aloysius on August 23d aged 73. College in Glasgow before joining the MHM’s. With a degree from Cambridge Recently Deceased Friends and he spent many years in education. He Benefactors also worked in the Philippines before Thomas Walls (Erskine) further studies in Louvain, after which Mgr John Sheridan he taught at the London Missionary Fr Peter McKelvie Institute; he was a school chaplain, and Eamon Hughes (father of Fr Kevin chaplain to the Poor Clare Nuns in Hughes mhm) Arkley. He died aged 87. Donald MacDonald (South Uist) Fr Matthew Dunne: he worked in Brian Crombie (Cardonald) Sarawak, Malaysia, and then for many Margaret Lafferty (Greenock) years in mission promotion in Ireland. Margaret Gordon (Milngavie) He died aged 93. Anne Clare Gillespie (Baillieston) Fr William Mone (Glasgow) Fr Noel Hanrahan: after Recently deceased Mill Hill Missionaries
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Tree of Life Mass
on Sunday, November 24th at 3.00pm in Nazareth House Chapel. We pray for all our deceased loved ones whose names are recorded on our Tree of Life in St Joseph’s House.
Invitation Enclosed • ALL ARE WELCOME
A day of reflection, prayer and quiet for advent Saturday December 14th (tbc) 10.00am to 4.30pm - ending with Vigil Mass Led by Sr Sally Hyland and Fr Bernard Fox mhm
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St. Joseph’s House, 30 Lourdes Avenue, Cardonald, Glasgow G52 3QU. Tel: 0141 883 0139. Email: tollanmhm@yahoo.co.uk Registered Charity Number: SCO39809
Visit our website to learn more about the work of the MHM’s
www.millhillmissionaries.co.uk