Westminster Record - June 2017 by RCWestminster

Westminster Record

June 2017 | 20p

Standing Together in Barnet

Preparing for General Election

St Joseph’s Celebrates 40 Years

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Pages 10 & 11

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Flaming June: Come Holy Spirit

continue to grow in their faith? Maybe a parish event such as a picnic or barbecue preceded by Mass can be a fun way to bring children and families together in the summer months, and an opportunity to show how worship, family and community are all part of parish life. Looking further ahead, this month is an opportune time, before summer holidays take over, for Parish Evangelisation Teams to start preparing for the new school year, to consider how to welcome families with children starting school for the first time into parish life. One idea might be to welcome families to a coffee morning, with activities for the children, preceded by a short service with a blessing for parents, carers and children. Also, providing information on parish activities and in

particular children’s liturgies, will be a good start to bringing new families into parish life. The month of June is full of wonderful feast days that encourage us in our mission, including the Nativity of John the Baptist, who prepared the way for the Lord, and the Feast of St Peter and St Paul, whose

missions to the early Church brought us our faith today. Such great evangelisers! June is truly a month flaming with the power of the Holy Spirit, inflaming us as we proclaim the Good News! Deacon Adrian Cullen is Evangelisation Coordinator

people throughout their lives, so that their joy can be ever more joyful, and their challenges overcome. It is primarily through parents that the young person’s faith will be encouraged to grow, supported by the parish and the school, a partnership that will feed the faith of the young. As they grow and their lives are transformed, they too become evangelisers, bringing Jesus to those they meet. Indeed it is when adults see the openness of children and young people to the workings of the Holy Spirit that the call to follow Jesus, to be true disciples, is made stronger. As we prepare for summer, it is a good time to consider where our Proclaim work will take us over the coming months, to look ahead at the challenges and opportunities that may come our way, and to plan and prepare how we might respond. For example, for those children who will have recently made their First Holy Communion or who have been confirmed, how can our parish teams help them to

This year ‘Flaming June’ opens appropriately with the flames of the Solemnity of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended on the Apostles in tongues of fire. Although June isn’t always as hot as we might like, the power of the Holy Spirit is ever present. It is the power of the Spirit that motivates us in our evangelisation work. Whatever the weather, whatever the challenge, we can always turn to the Holy Spirit to strengthen us in our mission to bring the Gospel to others, so that they too may come to know Jesus Christ. At this time of year, many young people are ‘aflame’ in their faith as they receive the Holy Spirit through Confirmation; and for children making their First Holy Communion, they too are filled with the transforming power of the Holy Spirit, when their flames of faith are fed anew. These young flames must not be allowed to be extinguished by the daily pressures of modern life, but rather fanned into fires of faith that will last these young

by Deacon Adrian Cullen

Editorial

Westminster Record | June 2017

Confronting Challenges Together

Editor Mgr Mark Langham Archbishop’s House, Ambrosden Avenue SW1P 1QJ Managing Editor Marie Saba 020 7798 9031 Inhouse writers Martha Behan 020 7798 9030, Fr John Scott Photos Mazur/Catholicnews.org.uk Design Julian Game To order copies contact Andrea Black 0161 908 5327 or email andrea.black@thecatholicuniverse.com Print management and distribution by The Universe Media Group Ltd.

Editorial deadline: 9th June 2017 Listings email: communications@rcdow.org.uk News and stories call 020 7798 9030 Email: communications@rcdow.org.uk Advertising deadline: 16th June 2017 To advertise contact Carol Malpass 0161 908 5301 or email carol.malpass@thecatholicuniverse.com Produced by the Communications Office of the Diocese of Westminster. News and articles published in the Westminster Record do not necessarily represent the views of the Diocese of Westminster, unless specifically stated otherwise. Appearance of advertisements does not imply editorial endorsement.

and the events that follow it. In the same spirit, we report on the Cardinal’s talk at St Ethelburga’s Centre for Reconciliation and Peace on the importance of meaningful dialogue, and we include an item on the rich interfaith collaboration taking place in Barnet. We report on that annual celebration of the gifts that diverse communities exchange, the Migrants' Mass, and our record of the visit by the Archbishop of Bangladesh reminds us the world is smaller than we thought. It is together that we will confront the changes that face us, and by reaching out to others different to ourselves that we will affirm our common values and shared humanity.

Cardinal of Dhaka Visits London Cardinal Patrick D’Rozario, Archbishop of Dhaka, the most senior Catholic leader in Bangladesh, was in London in May, where he met with various Bishops, including Bishops Paul McAleenan, who leads the Migration subcommittee, and Declan Lang, chair of the International Affairs Department of the Bishops’ Conference. Cardinal D’Rozario met members of the Bangladeshi Catholic Community at St Anthony’s Church in Forest Gate, where he celebrated Mass and baptised several infants. The Cardinal leads 360,000 Catholics in Bangladesh, who constitute 0.2% of the population of 160 million. Although small in number, the Church is vibrant and thriving despite its minority status in a majority Muslim country. So much so, Pope Francis recognised the fact by appointing Archbishop Patrick D'Rozario the country's first Catholic Cardinal in November 2016. During his visit, Cardinal D’Rozario was given a tour of Westminster Cathedral by one of the members of the Guild of St John Southworth.

July publication dates

Each time we go to Mass, we pray to be delivered from anxiety: ‘graciously grant peace in our days, that, by the help of your mercy, we may be always free from sin and safe from all distress’. As summer breaks upon us, those words seem to ring out with a new insistence. The world today presents so many problems, questions,

changes. Whether here at home, or in other places, evil seems rampant: terrorist atrocities, famine, war, persecution. We face major decisions about our future that have political, economic and social consequences. It can all add up to a sense of anxiety, even pessimism. One of the worst effects of such unease is to divide us from each other: as nations, as a society, as individuals. In times of uncertainty, the instinct is to defend one’s turf, to withdraw from engagement; for other people become a rival, a threat, a concern. That is why our Bishops have urged us not to disengage, but to involve ourselves in a positive spirit in decisions that will affect our nation, the most specific example of this being the General Election

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Correction: In the last edition, due to a formatting error, we omitted our seminarian Alejandro Garcia’s first name from the Vocations page. We offer him our apologies. Page 2

Westminster Record | June 2017

Sure and Certain Hope

Cardinal Vincent Offers Prayers for Manchester Victims

“tolerance” that actually wants to privatise all that people hold dear, especially their faith, that reduces friendship to the lowest common denominator and pretends that something constructive is taking place. ‘I mean, rather, robust and reciprocal conversations, and the recognition of shared and urgent concerns. These include the questions of violence and religious faith, and violence and secular ideologies. They include pressing social needs such as low wages, the lack of affordable housing or living rents, the impact of war and the mass migration of people, an affirmation of the spiritual dimension of human flourishing and the centrality of charity. ‘This is the “meaningful dialogue between peoples” that we must seek. And because I see in many quarters a rising commitment to such committed and engaged dialogue, I see reason for hope and confidence for our shared future.’ He also recognised parishes and schools as places of ‘meetings of people from every walk of life’, explaining, ‘often, within a parish, 40 or more different languages are spoken, and people meet each other, share customs and tastes, bound together, of course, by a common Catholic faith. Such parishes are a true reflection of the wonderful diversity of this capital city and places where integration is constantly being built.

‘Our schools teach English to the parents of immigrant children; our liturgies include the traditions of other cultures; our social outreach, which does not look at faith belonging, crosses every boundary.’ He added: ‘It is human life gathered, consciously or otherwise, together, and in that I find cause for hope.’ Looking at the basis that undergirds this ‘meaningful dialogue between peoples, and the aspiration to sustain concrete collaborations between places,’ the Cardinal said it was ‘perseverance, a gift of the Holy Spirit, or in a more contemporary word: resilience’. ‘Such resilience depends upon more than determination and willpower. It draws on our sense of divine destiny and purpose, a fundamental conviction that human flourishing is about more than self-actualisation, individual aggrandisement, and that it is diminished when community and solidarity are denuded,’ he added. ‘We can be renewed in the sure and certain hope that within all that is best in the human spirit, especially when it bears joint witness with the Spirit of God, there is the capacity to persevere with true resilience in the work we do in the service of all people in this city and in our world today’. For the full text of the Cardinal’s address rcdow.org.uk/cardinal/addresses

Pope expresses ‘heartfelt solidarity with victims’ Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Sercretary of State, has sent a message from the Holy Father who expresses his 'heartfelt solidarity' with the victims of the Manchester attack: 'His Holiness Pope Francis was deeply saddened to learn of the injury and tragic loss of life caused by the barbaric attack in Manchester and he expresses his heartfelt solidarity with all those affected by this senseless act of violence. He commends the generous efforts of the emergency and security personnel, and offers the assurance of his prayers for the injured, and for all who have died. Mindful in a particular way of those children and young people who have lost their lives, and of their grieving families, Pope Francis invokes God’s blessings of peace, healing and strength upon the nation.' Writing on behalf of the Spanish Bishops’ Conference, Cardinal Ricardo Blazquez

During his first visit as patron to St Ethelburga’s Centre for Peace and Reconciliation on 10th May, Cardinal Vincent gave an address reflecting on how those ‘who are rooted in religious faith can contribute to the revitalisation of community through the reinvigoration of hope’. Speaking of his experience of the three cities of Liverpool, Birmingham and London, which have all faced conflict and violence he said: ‘It is precisely my experience of the resilient goodness of people in those challenging circumstances that encourages me to face the future with a true and certain hope.’ ‘Central to that hope is the importance, and presence, of heart-to-heart dialogue between peoples of great difference,’ he added. Among the examples of this dialogue, he spoke of the support from faith leaders reaching out to other faith communities in times of fear and uncertainty, the efforts at St Mary’s University to be ‘an open home to debates about the appropriate place of faith in our society’, the work of Blueprint for Better Business that ‘is prompting many in business to look again at their underlying purpose’, and the commitment shown by faith leaders to seek understanding and cooperation. The Cardinal added: ‘In describing all these efforts I am not upholding a bland

know, shared by all people of good will. I know too that Catholics and many others will be praying earnestly for those who have been killed, for the bereaved and for grieving loved ones. 'We pray in support of all those working so hard in response to this tragedy: the police and security forces, hospital staff, neighbours and friends and for all the people of Manchester. May God, in his mercy, strengthen and sustain us and keep us firmly united in the face of all evil.'

Following the terrorist attack at Manchester Arena after a concert on 22nd May, Cardinal Vincent has expressed his 'shock and dismay at the horrendous killing of young and innocent people'. The Cardinal has also offered his prayers for those who have died, the bereaved, and all who are working so hard to respond to the tragedy. The Cardinal's full statement reads: 'My shock and dismay at the horrendous killing of young and innocent people in the Manchester Arena, last night, is I

Perez also extended assurances of ‘thoughts and prayers for the victims of the brutal attack’ and ‘solidarity with the people of Britain’. Cardinal Richard Marx, on behalf of the German Bishops’ Conference, and the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Community, also offered ‘sympathy’ and ‘prayers’, adding: ‘More than ever we must stand together for peace, humanity and solidarity.’ Page 3

Westminster Record | June 2017

Coptic Vespers: ‘Unity of Spirit’

As part of the first pastoral visit of Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II, 118th Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of Saint Mark, an official vespers service was held in his honour at the Coptic Cathedral of Saint George in Hertfordshire on 6th May. In his welcome address, Bishop Angaelos, General Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the United Kingdom, thanked Pope Tawadros for his resilience and witness to ‘the life of Christ that is vibrant and alive in the midst of an oftenincreasing darkness’ amid suffering caused by terrorist attacks targeting Coptic churches in Egypt.

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Addressing the ecumenical guests, Pope Tawadros said: ‘It is a great honour for me to be here today and a blessing for us all to gather together. This is a fulfilment of our Christian calling, which is to keep the “unity of spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3).’ He added: ‘We were all blessed by the visit of Pope Francis to Egypt, and these visits, along with many others from sister Churches, make for continued good relations between our Churches, and also shed light on the rich history and ongoing role that Egypt has to play.’ Speaking more broadly on spiritual matters, he said that ‘the world today has become more hungry for love,’ as technology overshadows every aspect of humanity: ‘This dynamic has contributed to the increased violence and terrorism we experience in our world today. Together we must work to present the love of Christ for everyone, in any place, at any time. Therefore, we in Egypt depend on the words of St Paul, who instructs us that “Love never fails” (1 Corinthians 13:8). Our relations, whether inside or outside Egypt, must depend on the notion that “love never fails” and we must present love in action.’ Archbishop Kevin McDonald, Co-Chair of the Catholic-Oriental Orthodox Regional Forum, represented the

Catholic Bishops of England and Wales. He was accompanied by Bishop John Wilson who represented the Diocese of Westminster.

Celebration Barnet: Unity in the Community

Edwin Shuker of Board of Deputies of British Jews, Dr Sheik Ramzy and Bishop John Serrington

On Sunday, 14th May, more than 3,000 people attended the Unity Festival of Faith and Culture, organised by the Barnet Multi Faith Forum, at Burnt Oak Leisure Centre. Its aim was to provide an occasion where the huge diversity of faiths in Barnet could be celebrated. The festival featured music and dance from around the world, a football tournament, and stalls and kids’ activities. The highlight of the event occurred when many faith leaders stood together to recite the Barnet Pledge, a commitment ‘to work for the common good’ and to unite ‘to build a better soxciety’. Representing the Catholic Church was Bishop John Sherrington.

The Barnet Pledge We commit ourselves, as people of many faiths living in Barnet, To work together for the common good, uniting to build a better society in our Borough, in London and in the wider world, Grounded in values and ideals we share: Community, personal integrity, a sense of right and wrong, Learning, wisdom and love of truth, care and compassion, Justice and peace, respect for one another, for the earth and its creatures. We commit ourselves, in a spirit of friendship and cooperation, To work together alongside all who share our values and ideals in Barnet and beyond, To help bring about a better Borough, a better capital and a better world Now and for generations to come.

Canon Colin Davies and parishioners of the Annunciation, Burnt Oak, showed their support by participating in the day’s activities. Deacon Anthony Clark, who is a member of the Barnet Multi Faith Forum and was involved in the organisation of the event, said: ‘It was real privilege to us that Bishop John came and I was very proud of the way he made a point of talking to everybody.’ Esmond Rosen, Chair of Barnet Multi Faith Forum, added: ‘It provided a wonderful opportunity for us to stand together in harmony, unity and enjoyment against some of the hostile challenges we face of those attempting to sow discord Deacon Anthony Clark, Bishop John and division amongst us.’ and Canon Colin Davies

Westminster Record | June 2017

Bl John Sullivan: the Farm Street Connection

by Fr Dominic Robinson SJ

example of practising with perfection the ‘evangelical virtues’, that is, of the values of the Gospel, through the particular choice of life he made as a professed priest in a religious order, that was for him the Jesuits. The Cardinal stressed how this was for him a life of true humility, not seeking the limelight but living out the Gospel in simple ways and always seeking out those who were weak and lonely, be it in Clongowes Wood College itself or the local area. As such Blessed John is an example to all of us of how we can live out the Gospel more closely whatever we do, wherever we live. Please do visit the noticeboard in the Calvary Chapel at the back of Farm Street Church for more information on Bl John Sullivan and to pray through his intercession for favours. Bl John Sullivan, pray for us.

Easter Week of HCPT–The Pilgrimage Trust. They are pictured with Bishop Mark O’Toole of Plymouth after the annual Trust Mass in the Basilica of Pius X on 20th April.

The annual Migrants’ Mass took place on 20th May at St Anthony’s Church in Forest Gate. Bishop Alan Williams of Brentwood was the principal celebrant of the Mass in honour of St Joseph the Worker. This annual event is an opportunity for Catholics from Brentwood, Southwark and Westminster to come together to give thanks for the rich tapestry of languages and customs in our parishes and schools.

Chiswick HCPT Group 144, along with helpers from St Benedict’s School in Ealing, joined more than 200 groups from 14 countries for the 61st pilgrimage to Lourdes during

Photo: St George’s Holborn

Rather it was a turning his back on what was a brilliant legal career and London social life to a profound commitment to Gospel values, especially to a humble service of the sick and poor. In 1900 he entered the Irish Jesuit novitiate and spent the rest of his life committed to an untiring attention to the sick and the poor, for most of the time at Clongowes Wood College in County Kildare. So it was in an unprecedented ecumenical gesture that the request of Pope Francis to declare John Sullivan blessed was made jointly by the Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin Michael Jackson and the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin. The principal celebrant at the Beatification Mass, representing Pope Francis, was Cardinal Angelo Amato, Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. In his homily Cardinal Amato spoke of Fr John’s

It was a wonderful joy and privilege to be at St Francis Xavier, Gardiner St, the Jesuit church in the centre of Dublin on Saturday 13th May to see Fr John Sullivan SJ, who died in 1933, declared ‘blessed’ by Pope Francis. I was there representing Farm Street along with Br James Hodkinson SJ of the Mount Street Jesuit Community and Miss Felicity Ann Croft from the Parish. Bl John Sullivan, however, already has a much wider reach than Dublin or Ireland or the Catholic Church. Because it was at Farm Street that in 1896 Fr John Gavin SJ received Bl John into the Catholic Church. John Sullivan had been a barrister at Lincoln’s Inn and, during his time in London, had a conversion experience. This conversion, however, should not be regarded as turning his back on his Anglican roots, where he had learnt his Christian faith.

On the eve of the start of Thy Kingdom Come, the Christian prayer novena, Cardinal Vincent joined an ecumenical gathering at St George’s Church, Holborn for an evening of prayer and discussion. Fr David Barnes and parishioners of St Anselm and St Cecilia Church, Lincoln’s Inn Fields, also took part in the evening of ecumenical prayer. Follow us on Instagram at: @rcwestminster

Christians around the world from different denominations were invitied over several months to ‘Pledge to Pray’ the prayer novena, with pledges lighting up a map of the world. Thy Kingdom Come began on 25th May and continued until Pentecost Sunday, 4th June, with Christians invited to pray and meditate on a verse from Scripture each day. Page 5

Westminster Record | June 2017

Sharing Lunch with Neighbours

Hackney to Aylesford On Friday, 5th May 2017, a group of Year 10s and Sixth Formers from Our Lady’s Convent embarked on a pilgrimage to the historically rich Aylesford Priory in Kent. It was a welcome retreat from the stress of upcoming exams and gave the students much needed time to reflect. The students learnt the history of Aylesford from the friars, and attended Mass, where some of them took up offerings of petitions to the altar. The students also celebrated the rich diversity and Catholic ethos of the school by including a decade of the Rosary in Spanish, Albanian, Portuguese and English. The students would like to say a big thank you to all who made this prayerful day possible, and they hope to visit the idyllic pilgrimage destination again soon.

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Thirty-five older residents from across the local community in Haringey recently visited Our Lady’ Convent High School, Hackney to enjoy the school’s annual Spring Community Lunch, kindly put on by the school’s catering staff and RE team and hosted by the entire Year 12 Sixth Form class. Visitors included residents from a local Haringey care home, Peregrine House, and Friends of Woodberry Downs, which is a popular social group for the over 50’s in North Hackney. Ties between the school and these organisations were made through Our Lady’s Community Service programme, which assigns all Sixth Form students to community engagement placements across a variety of local groups and causes. The students make a two-hour visit to each project once a week over 14 academic weeks. The

engagement work with older people has been particularly successful and so the Spring Lunch is a way to celebrate the shared joy and stories that have emerged out of this intergenerational project. Tracey Boothe, the co-chair of Friends of Woodberry Downs said, ‘This occasion

means so much to our members. The simple act of sitting down to eat with young people of this age is so important and is unfortunately something we see very little of today. Our Lady’s is a very hospitable school that takes its mission very seriously indeed.’

Faith in Education The Diocese of Westminster is hosting an evening for Catholic teachers and leaders currently working in schools outside of Catholic education on 22nd June to engage and welcome these teachers. Director of Education, JP Morrison explains: ‘We wish to reach out the very best in education and we are conscious that some of our finest Catholic teachers have, for whatever reason, either left or never joined the Catholic school community. We would welcome the opportunity to meet them and share with them a new approach to Catholic teacher recruitment.’ The event on 22nd June is designed to welcome and encourage those teachers and leaders who are interested in reengaging with Catholic education or perhaps wish to explore working in a Catholic school for the first time. ‘So if you are keen to know more and understand the changes and opportunities within the Catholic sector, please come along and we look forward to welcoming you,’ he added. Please see accompanying poster for details. To register, please email EDUEMC@Rcdow.org.uk Follow us on Twitter at: twitter.com/RCWestminster

Westminster Record | June 2017

Room to Grow at St Richard Reynolds To celebrate start on the site of a new four-storey addition to St Richard Reynolds Catholic College in Twickenham, Bishop John Sherrington joined the school community in April to bless the foundation stone. The

existing College site, west of Twickenham town centre, is currently home to the College’s 180-place primary school and 1,050-place secondary school. The new four-storey 6,934 sq metre building will provide classrooms, halls, a kitchen and dining facility, specialist sports hall and changing rooms, along with ancillary accommodation, playgrounds and carparks to support the school’s expansion. The new facilities will also be shared with Strathmore School, a Special Educational Needs school, which will be moving to the site in September 2017.

Challoner Family Reunion

Spreading Mercy St Martha’s School in Hadley Wood recently received an interesting email from a gentleman called Andrew Topple. Whilst sailing on Ray Island, a nature reserve in the Blackwater Estuary, just off the coast of West Mersea, Nr Colchester, Essex he came across a label from one of their Year of Mercy balloons. It was one of 150 balloons released by the school in November 2016 during their closing ceremony for the Year of Mercy. Each pupil had been given a balloon which had a prayer attached to it. On the reverse was a picture of a Holy Door.

On Friday, 5th May a group of 160 former Bishop Challoner students were welcomed back to their old school for a reunion. The attendees, many of whom had not seen each other for over 35 years, were taken on tours of the school by current students. Alumnae and students compared school life then and now. The group sang the school song and joined together in prayer as a list of remembrance was read to call to mind those former classmates and teachers who are sadly no longer with us. Many of the alumnae did so in uniform and all had a chance to meet students from Bishop Challoner Boys’ School (male pupils did not join the school until 2001). Current students loved the chance to hear firsthand about the history of their school. The reunion then continued over the road in St Mary and St Michael Church Hall where old friends reminisced and danced into the evening. Follow us on Twitter at: twitter.com/RCWestminster

Caryl Harper, a former Bishop Challoner student and the organiser of the event explained that ‘the idea for the reunion came about because I wanted to know how my school friends were doing after over 35 years. Bringing the original Challoner family back together was key. The evening went off with a bang! The atmosphere was electric and now everyone wants this to be an annual event.’ Niamh Arnull, Executive Headteacher of Bishop Challoner Federation said: ‘We were delighted to welcome so many past students to our Federation. Current students and staff very much enjoyed meeting them, showing them our wonderful school facilities and having the opportunity to discuss how the boys’ and girls’ schools are evolving. We know that this will be the start of a series of such events and that our past students will play a significant role in our Federation’s ongoing development and success.’ Page 7

Westminster Record | June 2017

June 18th: Day for Life In October 2017 it will be 50 years since the 1967 Abortion Act was passed in England, Scotland and Wales. This year’s Day for Life, celebrated on Sunday 18th June, provides us with an opportunity to pray for and remember all lives lost before birth and to offer practical and emotional support to women and men who are worried and concerned about an unexpected pregnancy. Pope Francis has said that he is well aware of the pressures that lead women to believe that abortion is their only option. The Pope explained that he has met ‘so many women who bear in their heart the scar of this agonising and painful decision. What has happened is profoundly unjust; yet only understanding the truth of it can enable one not to lose hope’. Understanding the truth of such situations with mercy has led Pope Francis to remind people that abortion is a grave sin but that ‘there is no sin that God’s mercy cannot reach and wipe away when it finds a repentant heart seeking to be reconciled with the Father’. In his Angelus address on the Italian Day for Life in February this year, Pope Francis said to thousands gathered in St Peter’s Square, ‘May no one be left alone and may love defend the sense of life’. Citing the words of St Teresa of Calcutta, he continued: ‘Life is beauty, admire it. Life is

life, fight for it… Each life is sacred. Let’s pray together for those children who are in danger of interruption of pregnancy and for those who are nearing the end of life.’ These words can help us rediscover a spirit of awe towards the gift of human life and stir our hearts to the wonder of this gift. In the Sunday readings for the Day for Life, Moses reminds the people that God guides them through the vast and dreadful wilderness. In waterless places God can bring water from the hardest rock. There is always hope even in difficult situations and many mothers have spoken of the joy that an initially unwanted child has brought them. Moreover, our small acts of kindness can help change people’s lives. Pope Francis also points out that we have not done enough to support and accompany pregnant women in desperate circumstances. This anniversary year of the Abortion Act provides us with an opportunity to reflect, to pray and to offer practical and emotional support to those in need. We pray especially for those who have lost a child and for those who are concerned about their pregnancy. We also remember all unborn children. When Jesus speaks of his flesh as real food and his blood as real drink, his words suggest a close connection between the Eucharist and the Incarnation: the Word made flesh. Some nine months before his birth in Bethlehem, at the Incarnation, the new adventure of Jesus’s life on earth as a human being began. In his mother’s womb Jesus lived the invisible life of the tiny unborn child and so every human life from its very beginning is sanctified. Day for Life is the day in the Church’s year dedicated to raising awareness about the meaning and value of human life at every stage and in every condition. The Church teaches that life is to be nurtured from conception to natural death. A Vigil for Life will take place at Westminster Cathedral on Saturday 17th June, the eve of the Day for Life, with Mass at 6pm, celebrated by Bishop John Sherrington, and a prayer vigil at 7pm. All are welcome.

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Prayer to Mary, Mother of the Life Within O Mary, Mother of the Life Within, all life we entrust to you; the life of every expectant mother and the child within her womb: the life of every human body, the life of every human soul; the life of every newborn child and the life of all grown old. You held the Lord to your own heart and drew him so close in. So draw us now in all our needs, O Mother of the Life Within. Amen. Follow us on Twitter at: twitter.com/RCWestminster

Westminster Record | June 2017

Fr David Stewart SJ, Director in the UK of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, introduces the Holy Father’s plans for the renewed and relaunched Apostleship of Prayer and the UK branch’s new location here in the diocese. The Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network has grown in many innovative ways over the past two years. The ministry itself continues the work of the Apostleship of Prayer, founded in 1844; but there’s now a new name, a new energy and new methods of presenting the message. This does not mean that the previous work has been replaced; it has been developed, not least in the light of so much change and innovation in the world around us. And now, the Network’s UK Office is here in the Diocese of Westminster. The base is at the Jesuit residence at Copleston House, Hampstead. The Network is a service of the Holy See, entrusted to the Jesuits around the world. The Second Vatican Council (1962-65) called on the whole people of God, the Church, to ‘read the signs of the times’ carefully. One more recent fruit of that has been the New Evangelisation, so close to the heart of Pope St John Paul. The Gospel hasn’t changed; how could it? But our ways of

proposing it to the world have. So too has our work in this, the Pope’s own global prayer network. An important development from the beginning of 2017 has been that the monthly Intentions of the Holy Father that are announced in advance have decreased from two to one. Each month, he continues to share with the world, through us, his prayer network, the concerns that are in his own heart. On January 8th 2017, Pope Francis at his audience said: ‘I would also like to invite you all to join the World Network of the Pope’s Prayer Intentions, which even through social networks, spreads the prayer intentions that I propose every month to the whole Church. In this way, the apostolate of prayer continues to carry on and increases communion.’ Even here there’s a further innovation. Each month there’s also a second urgent action, concern or intention, which the Pope announces at the first Sunday Angelus of each month in St Peter’s Square, Rome. We won’t know what this is until just before he announces it, then we’ll make it known as widely as possible. Pope Francis has said that he wants to give us this extra, topical prayer-concern to help to ‘drag us out of the culture of indifference’ which he sees all around the world.

Becoming an Apostle of Prayer

That’s also his way of reminding us that, when we pray from the heart, our hearts will change and we can no longer be indifferent to so much pain and suffering in our world; our hearts are touched, and are moved to do something about it.

Each of us is invited to become an apostle of prayer by joining our hearts to these intentions, spread by the Pope’s Network. Pray, as apostles of prayer have done for so many years, from your heart to the Heart of Christ, which is a heart of compassion for all of creation. We can train our hearts to become more like his heart, and so grow as those missionary disciples that Pope Francis has urged us to become. We’ve developed the new and popular Daily Prayer Pathway which gives us a new way to pray the traditional Morning Offering, together with the Pope’s Intentions, then ending the day with a prayerful review, just like St Ignatius of Loyola always recommended. We’re renewing our ways of sharing our prayer, online. And we’ll soon launch a fresh way of devoting ourselves to the Heart of Christ as we launch our Way of the Heart invitation to prayer. There’s nothing to join, no membership to pay: just look for the monthly prayer intentions each month, make a morning offering each new day Follow us on Instagram at: @rcwestminster

to the Heart of Jesus, of your day, united to the Pope’s intention and to the intentions of apostles of prayer all around the world. The morning prayer or daily offering is suggested each day on our website www.popesglobalprayer.net; a three-time prayer for the day can be found on www.clicktopray.org which offers a free downloadable App for your smartphone or tablet and is a website of the Worldwide Prayer Network. Use your smartphone to pray every day and make every day a prayer! Another popular online innovation, the Pope’s video for each month, appears on the first Friday of every month on all our sites, including www.jesuits.org.uk and on www.facebook.com/praywithp ope. There, too, you’ll find his ‘Urgent Action’ intention as soon as we receive it from Rome. Together, as St Ignatius loved to say, let us set the world on fire with God’s love, justice and mercy! Page 9

Westminster Record | June 2017

Seeking Guidance from Scripture

Bishops’ Letter on the General Election The Catholic Bishops of England and Wales have issued the following letter to Catholics on the forthcoming General Election. As we approach the General Election on 8th June, we offer you these considerations. As Catholics and citizens of the UK, our lives are shaped by the vision inspired by our faith. Pope Francis says: ‘An authentic faith . . . always involves a deep desire to change the world, to transmit values, to leave this earth somehow better than we found it. We love this magnificent planet on which God has put us, and we love the human family which dwells here, with all its tragedies and struggles, its hopes and aspirations, its strengths and weaknesses. The earth is our common home and all of us are brothers and sisters.’ (Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium §183) These words encourage us to approach this General Election

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with a positive determination to consider carefully all that is at stake. An important duty of every UK citizen with the right to vote is to take part in this General Election. Please make sure that you are registered. Please do vote. Your vote is a matter of conscience. It is your judgement about all that God wants of us, both personally and as a society. Pope Francis reminds us of key principles to guide our thinking: ‘…a deep desire to change this world and leave this earth a better place than we found it’To do this we must name and face every injustice and exploitation which scars our society and world. ‘We love this human family with all its tragedies and struggles’ The family is the basic model by which we think of humanity, for the family is indeed the fundamental unit of the human race and therefore to

be protected and nurtured. The practical expression of this love is mercy and compassion, extended especially at times of illness, homelessness, bereavement, violence and desolation. ‘The earth is our common home’ We cannot be indifferent to the struggles and disasters of people who live far away from us, and must strive to assist and protect them. We cannot be indifferent to the environmental impact of how we live and organise our creation of wealth and well-being. ‘We are all brothers and sisters’ Here we insist that every person has a shared dignity that should never be denied or ignored. We are made in God’s image and likeness, precious to him and each other, and this must be respected and valued. These broad principles impact directly on many of the practical issues being debated at this time. Indeed, this General Election takes place at a pivotal moment in the life of our nations as we prepare to leave the European Union. To a great extent the outcome of this election will determine the approach taken on how this is achieved, the priorities we pursue and the values we wish to treasure as our own in the UK and as partners with countries around the world. It will determine how we can heal divisions in our society, care for the vulnerable, how our public services are run and whether we can remain a United Kingdom. These principles shape our thinking about the issues that are being debated at this time. Here are some questions you might consider yourselves and raise with candidates or those who seek your support. Leaving the European Union There are over three million EU citizens living in the UK and about a million British citizens living elsewhere in the EU. They face an uncertain future. Where do your candidates stand on the future of EU citizens in the UK and reciprocal rights for UK citizens in the EU? As our formal leaving of the EU approaches, new trade deals

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will be negotiated. It is important that in them human and workers’ rights, the environment, and the development of the world’s poorest countries are taken into account. What issues do your candidates think should be the top priority when forming new international partnerships? Issues on Family and Life In 2015 Parliament voted overwhelmingly to protect society’s most vulnerable people, by preventing the legalisation of assisted dying. Will your candidates uphold this decision? Will they support measures to promote the intrinsic value of life at every stage? The family is at the heart of the health and well-being of society, above all the well-being of children. What policies do your candidates propose for the flourishing of family life? Criminal Justice In a civilised society prisons should be places of redemption and rehabilitation. Our prison system faces unprecedented levels of violence and suicide. Do your candidates support urgent prison reform and better resourcing? Migration The UK has long been a place of welcome for people from other countries. There needs to be a clear policy on migration, which works for the economy and is respectful of the unity of marriage and family life. How will your candidates ensure that we operate a fair migration system for people wanting to enter and work in the UK? Refugees and Asylum Seekers The UK is currently committed to resettling at least 20,000 of the most vulnerable Syrian refugees by 2020. Will your candidates work to ensure that this commitment is kept and options to expand the scheme are considered? Will they promote a welcoming society and stand against hate crime? Freedom of Religion and Belief Across the world millions of people are persecuted because of their beliefs. How do your candidates intend to promote freedom of religion or belief for Follow Westminster Youth Ministry on Twitter at: twitter.com/dowym

all, and what steps could be taken as a priority in UK foreign policy to protect religious minorities, including Christian minorities? Helping the World’s Poorest Aid provided by the UK saves lives and helps people out of poverty. Will your candidates commit to protecting and enhancing the international development budget? Caring for the Vulnerable There are many in our communities who are financially vulnerable and struggle to make ends meet or in need of decent housing. Where do your candidates stand on helping the poorest, in terms of health, social care and housing? How will they support people with mental health problems? How will they finance these services? Education Catholic schools make a positive contribution to society, serving over 845,000 children in England and Wales. Will your candidates support parental choice for the education of their children? Will they support Catholic schools as part of this choice for faith-based education? Modern Slavery Modern slavery is a gross violation of human dignity affecting at least 14,000 people in the UK and millions more around the world. How will your candidate give political support to the fight against modern slavery and better assistance for its victims? There are many other issues you will be considering. In all of them please bear in mind not only their impact on you and your family but also their impact on our wider world. The UK has a long and worthy tradition of generosity and justice. The values contained in these questions are fundamental to our way of life and the good of our society. Lord grant us wisdom to act always with integrity, seeking the protection and flourishing of all, and building a society based on justice and peace.

This month, British voters make another trip to the polling station to cast their ballots in a General Election. Deciding who deserves our vote is never an easy matter and many people are finding it more difficult than ever to decide which party’s path leads towards the common good, Fr Nicholas King SJ included. He explains why a new book might be the perfect tool to help ‘people of goodwill’ decide how to cast their vote. So they have called another election, and the reaction of British voters may suggest that they are meditating another shock for those in power. At the same time, some people are asking, with a hint of impatience, ‘What is the Church telling us about the election?’ This may be an unreasonable request; this time round, it seems very hard to get it right and, speaking personally, I can never remember being as undecided as I am for this election, although I am determined to cast my vote. Perhaps then, we should ask instead, ‘How does God want us to vote?’ That is of course not much easier, but it is possible intelligently to enquire, ‘What does the Bible Follow Westminster Youth Ministry on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/doywm

have to say on the matter?’, on the grounds that God’s voice can be detected just below the surface of the text of the sacred page. And if you think that is a tall order, then a book[i] has just appeared that you might read. It will not tell you where to place your X, but it may assist your reflection. By a providential coincidence it has come out in the run up to a General Election, although that was not part of our plan. The book is very short indeed, and designed to help thoughtful Christians to consider the ‘common good’ rather than the pursuit of the individual’s own selfish interests, which is an excellent idea during an election campaign and indeed at any time. It offers six short passages from the Bible, from Acts and Genesis, Amos and John, 1 Peter and the Book of Revelation, and with carefully selected questions it intends to prompt ‘reflection, discussion and action’. The texts are probably best used by groups rather than by individuals in solitary reflection; and they invite the reader to look at the ‘common good’, understood as the conditions necessary for everyone to thrive. Shrewd observers will see a profound

similarity here to the principles of Catholic social teaching, which politicians of all persuasions are beginning to see as a way ahead. Each text has a carefully chosen image, with which the reader might begin. Then the biblical passage can be read reflectively, leading into discussion (an hour or so is suggested as a good time) and then a closing prayer. We chose to start with Acts 2:42-47, Luke’s attractive summary which paints that memorable picture of the early Church, coming together from all backgrounds and yet guided by the Holy Spirit to share generously and look after each other. This was a new way of life, one for which our generation is perhaps crying out. Then we thought that the story of the Tower of Babel might have a good deal to say in our multi-cultural society about the ‘common good’, which is sometimes attained despite our bad decisions and misguided choices; God is always at work to make things better, even when we pursue our own selfish interests. The trick for us is to see where the divine invitation is beckoning us, today. After that we could hardly avoid using something from Amos, that robustly challenging prophet, who came from the South to wake up the Northerners to the call of God in a society that was alarmingly like our own. Our fourth text was from the great prayer in Jesus’s Last Supper discourse, asking the Father for the gift of unity. As we prepare to make our electoral choices that will be a precious asset in feeling our way towards what God wants of us, challenging us to pay attention to the ‘invisible’ people in our community. Without that alertness to those who are on the margins of society we cannot claim to be listening to what God wants. The next passage, from 1 Peter, invites a meditation on

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what it means to be ‘God’s people’. Peter picks up a line from Exodus 19, seeing Israel as the people whom, as a very special gift, God has made his own and rescued from slavery, turning them into: ‘chosen race, royal priesthood, holy nation, God’s own people…called out of darkness into God’s marvellous light’. It is the action of God in our community that leads us to work for the ‘common good’ and to show by the way we live that it is what we are after. The final image is from Revelation, the invitation to, ‘fear God and give God glory’. Without that basic aim, all our political action will be threadbare. Our task is to build the kingdom that God has always had in mind, God making up for our selfish errors. For, in the end, our common good is nothing other than God; and working for it gives us a glimpse of what God’s kingdom might be like. That will involve legal processes that work justly for the poor; it will come down to the creation of social justice where there is none; it will mean looking after creation and giving economic opportunity to those who need it. It will be a matter of listening to those who are at the ‘bottom of the pile’, to hear what they desire and need. And as election day draws near, it will involve each of us discerning in all the noise, the venomous abuse of politicians by their opponents, the gentle whisper of God who has a plan

for each of us, how to help build the kingdom. It may be difficult to define, but once you have seen it, the vision is unmistakable. It will always involve creating the conditions in which every member of the community, especially the poorest, can flourish. It will involve asserting the equality and dignity of every human being. It will let relationships flourish through reconciliation where there is estrangement; it will involve the key principles of subsidiarity, solidarity and participation. It will remind us of our God-given duty of stewardship. And, finally, it will mean, ‘here comes everybody’. No one, in this new world that God is preparing for us, will be left behind. That means opting for the poor, the vulnerable and the marginalised, as a priority. You might like to get hold of a copy of this book and reflect on how God is inviting you to exercise your democratic duty. Fr Nicholas King SJ is Head of Biblical Studies at Heythrop College, University of London. This article originally appeared on ThinkingFaith.org Calling People of Goodwill: The Bible and the Common Good is published by the Bible Society and is available for £3.99 from: biblesociety.org.uk/ commongood [i] Calling People of Good Will: The Bible and the Common Good (Bible Society, 2017) Jonathan Rowe and Nicholas King SJ.

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Westminster Record | June 2017

Seeking Guidance from Scripture

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Westminster Record | June 2017

Inside the Hospice: ‘My Other House’ by Fr Peter-Michael Scott

Geoffrey loved his family, his garden and his home. He made a number of requests about dying. First of all, he wanted to do so in the hospice. Geoffrey had received care at home from the local district nurses and the St Joseph’s community team, but he felt the responsibility of caring for him at the end of his life would be too much for his family, so when asked about his preferred place of death, he said the hospice. When he arrived, Geoffrey talked with the team about pain management and how he wanted his death to be

peaceful. He was very keen that we knew he was not afraid. The consultant based at St Joseph’s and the team of doctors and nurses reassured him that his medication would be a joint decision, and they would consistently ask him about dosage and its effectiveness. I got to know Geoffrey after he came to our midday Mass. He attended in a wheelchair, listened intently to my short homily, and then afterwards asked if I would visit him on the ward. His room was covered with pictures of flowers and insects drawn by his grandchildren. We talked

about his family, his life, his beloved garden, and, after a few more visits, he asked to be anointed. Shortly before he died, Geoffrey asked if I would celebrate Mass with his family in his hospice room, which I duly did. We used flowers from his garden to decorate the makeshift altar. Geoffrey loved the hospice, he called it his ‘other house’, and he saw us as fellow guests. When he began to die, his last request was that he could breathe ‘Hackney air as if I am in my garden’, so we kept his window open. As his breathing became more irregular and shallower, a few bumble bees wafted in and out of his room. Geoffrey died surrounded by his family, in a room garlanded with flowers and children’s pictures. For this article I have changed Geoffrey’s name. His family wanted me to write something, because, while they miss him, they want others to know that dying, with support and care, can be peaceful. Please pray for the patients, staff and volunteers of St Joseph’s Hospice.

Reflections from a Mental Health Chaplain by Margaret McGettrick

Chaplains are employed by the NHS to provide spiritual care to patients. We accompany patients at all stages of their hospital journey. In mental healthcare recovery is the goal of care and it means living well with your symptoms. Spiritual care has many meanings. Our patients understand spirituality in secular terms and express it as having meaning, purpose and hope in life, having a positive sense of self, and of knowing a transcendent other, such as God. As a spiritual caregiver, I work in the area of spiritual pain. Pope Francis has spoken of the Samaritan Church, a church that ‘heals the wounds’ of life. As a representative of this church, I stop and notice wounds. I see in patients the Page 12

wounds of Christ. I reach out to them, listen to their story, bind up their wounds, take them on my shoulders and do what I can to love them back to life. I do this mainly through the power of prayer. As an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion, I hold a liturgy of the Word by the bedside. As we come into the presence of the Lord together, we listen to his word and together reflect on what it might be saying to the patient’s situation now (a form of the ancient tradition of Lectio Divina). We discern together the will of God by noticing what brings the patient consolation and peace. I present to them a God who wants them to know that they are precious, special and unique in his eyes; that he loves them, feels their

pain and wants to heal them. I help them to find their Godgiven gifts and talents and to discern God’s purpose for their lives. After receiving communion, I pray for a refreshing of the Holy Spirit and ask God to heal them to wholeness in body mind and spirit. The beautiful thing is that when we pray, he comes. His coming is tangible and he fills them with his love, peace and joy. In that moment God surprises them with his presence and restores their faith, hope and dignity as children of God. It is a great privilege to accompany patients on the pilgrimage of life when they are at their most vulnerable. The most important thing is that, when we pray, God comes, and in that coming there is healing. Follow us on Twitter at: twitter.com/RCWestminster

Westminster Record | June 2017

On Pilgrimage in Fatima Our Lady’s Message in Willesden Cardinal Vincent led a group from the diocese on pilgrimage to Fatima from 24th to 27th April, ahead of the Pope’s visit when he canonised St Jacinta and St Francisco Marto, two of the children to whom Our Lady appeared. The pilgrims celebrated Mass and prayed at the Shrine in Fatima, and visited the birthplace of St Anthony in Lisbon where they were able to venerate his relics. Celebrating Mass in the Chapel of Apparitions on the site where Our Lady appeared to the three children a century ago, the Cardinal said Mary’s message ‘addresses directly our quest for peace’, especially ‘peace in our troubled world’. He explained that Our Lady asks us to pray constantly for peace and ‘unite ourselves to her Immaculate Heart’, adding: ‘as we pray, we think especially of all those who are persecuted for their faith, who are killed because of their faith in the love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a faith which they treasure more than life itself’. Drawing on the lessons from the children’s lives, the Cardinal explained that God chooses us for the gift of faith because of ‘the simplicity and openness of our hearts’; that choosing to follow him we can expect, like the children, to enter into ‘a pathway of suffering’; that we learn from the children the best response to God’s gift of faith ‘is to be that of prayer, penance and self-offering’; that, like the children, we are to have ‘a

longing for our heavenly home’ and to trust that ‘Mary is with us always, guiding us home’. The Cardinal led the pilgrims in the act of consecration to Our Lady for the diocese and for all ‘individuals and nations which particularly need to be entrusted and consecrated’ to her Immaculate Heart. The act of consecration was the same one which Pope St John Paul II first used on his pilgrimage to Fatima on 13th May 1982: O Mother of individuals and peoples, you who ‘know all their sufferings and their hopes’, you who have a mother's knowledge of all the struggles between good and evil, between light and darkness, which afflict the modern world, accept the cry which we, as though moved by the Holy Spirit, address directly to your Heart. Embrace, with the love of the Mother and Handmaid, this human world of ours, which we entrust and consecrate to you, for we are full of disquiet for the earthly and eternal destiny of individuals and peoples. In a special way we entrust and consecrate to you those individuals and nations which particularly need to be entrusted and consecrated. We have recourse to your protection, holy Mother of God: reject not the prayers we send up to you in our need. Reject them not. Accept our humble trust and our act of entrusting.

by Kalina Boulter This year the May procession of Our Lady of Willesden took place a day after the official celebration of the centenary of the first Apparition of Our Lady in Fatima, marked by the canonisation by the Holy Father of two of the young seers, Francisco and Jacinta Marto. Although one was a global event and the other the annual celebration at our diocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Willesden, both are important for Newman Catholic College’s young students. What happened a century ago in Fatima can still intrigue young people today. The story and Our Lady’s message have a meaning which resonates for those who seek to encounter Our Lord and his plan for their lives. The May procession this year therefore represented for the young people of Newman a real opportunity of witnessing to the Gospel, bringing to the streets of Harlesden the call for conversion, penance, prayer, and increase in love, faith and charity. What Our Lady of Willesden can represent for the boys is exactly what the shepherd children in Fatima saw in the Mother of God: goodness and kindness, and the hope that good will eventually prevail. This realisation fills people with joy and gratitude, which were evident in the smiles and warmth of the atmosphere on the day. The procession is also an encouragement for the local Catholic community, who are reminded what Our Lady asks

of us: to receive the sacraments of Confession and Holy Eucharist worthily and often; to recite the Rosary daily; to wear the brown scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel; to pray for sinners and to make sacrifices in reparation for the sins that offend the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary; and to perform our daily duty, which is our personal vocation and all that it entails. To encourage and inspire young people to enter into this requires effort and courage. And yet never before has the message

of Fatima sounded so contemporary. We tire easily; children seem to have short attention spans; our mood can change quickly; boys can have a lot of anger in them; and we all become distracted. Despite these real challenges, it is of a primary importance to apply our will and to teach students to do so too, and pray that, with the help of the Holy Spirit, we may overcome obstacles and respond openheartedly to Mary’s call. The response begins at home with families and expands through schools and parishes in many different ways: by taking part in a procession like the one honouring Our Lady of Willesden; by reciting the Rosary at home with our family and at school; by practising and encouraging others to practise the First Saturday Devotion; and by visiting shrines like Fatima, Lourdes, or our national Shrine in Walsingham. The message of our Lady of Fatima which echoed on the streets of Harlesden on Sunday 14th May through the witness of the young people of Newman both reminds and urges us to embrace the Gospel and to help others to do so. Kalina Boulter is Lay Chaplain at Newman Catholic College

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Westminster Record | June 2017

Director’s Spotlight

Phil Ross, Youth Ministry Director

Just of late it’s been very kindly mentioned in certain quarters that the youth service seems to be on its A game, energetic and engaged and making faith live fully in the lives of many young people. This is wonderful to hear and we are blessed to work with many amazing people across the diocese and to be supported in our mission. Affirming comments gives you a warm glow and acts as real and tangible encouragement. It’s not unusual for the compliments to be directed towards me and, whilst that lovely, I’m the first to admit that I have just an amazing team. And, to be perfectly honest, my hardworking, creative, personable and beautiful group

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SPEC: Exciting Journey Chaplain’s

of colleagues are the difference, looking to engage and make a difference. Every day. Whether it be heading to the four corners of the diocese, at every hour of the day, to support a parish on their youth initiatives, the team remains committed, encouraging and full of joy. A cold Sunday evening miles from home, when it’s raining, is one of our gigs but we recognise the important work we do so keep on smiling! Need our help, give us a call. We are proud of our amazing website and social media activity as we endeavour to bring Jesus to our young through their chosen vehicles. We try to be wherever our young people are. It’s a full-time work-in-progress and we always welcome contributions or suggestions, so do get in touch. Our team in Pinner work tirelessly with our schools and parishes and their commitment, drive and energy ensures that the visiting students get just the most from there time with us. One recent school group that included Catholic and non-Catholic schools that visited SPEC for a retreat day wrote to tell us that it was a ‘very special’ day for them, with highlights that included lessons they took away from their reflection on scriptures and group discussions, enjoying the beautiful grounds of Waxwell Farm, and most importantly the sacred time spent in Eucharistic Adoration. I count my blessings each and every day and am so proud of the team around me; they make the difference, reflect Catholic life perfectly, make my life very, very easy, and give our faith life every day.

Corner

Fr David Reilly, Diocesan Youth Chaplain

These are exciting times at SPEC as the complex building programme begins to wind down and the months of effort translate into the new vision. The SPEC Campus has been in development for over three years and there has been over one year of hard work on the building site with many people contributing significantly to the amazing outcome. The seven-acre site, having been under the custodianship of the Gail Community since 1947, has undergone a significant make over and it’s being returned to its former glory. Tucked well into the site we have the new and impressive residential building, a testimony to creative design and a strong attention to detail. Amusingly referred to as the Stadium by the builders or more appropriately the Ark by the SPEC team, our oval-shaped complex will be open to welcome residents from late July. The new complex has been developed to help us support the students arriving from schools and parishes of our diocese and we normally host these groups for 33 weeks of each academic year. Of course, it was important to remain mindful that there are up to 19 weeks each year when our principal mission to diocesan students takes a break, and to ask ourselves how we can continue to draw groups to our home to ensure greater use. The internal fit out is very much geared to our student visitors but remains neutral in

many areas to keep us an attractive option for third-party hires. Whilst residential booking from schools and parishes are already being taken, it’s especially encouraging to see third-party non-term-time bookings being made. These start this summer as we welcome a Catholic community from France. This amazing and flexible new building is only one part of the wider picture as we now also have a wonderful round conference building, the Rotunda, which can seat over 100 people and will be our largest gathering space. The Rotunda will be used for our retreats, for local community events and on-going regular third-party hires. In the extensive grounds we have many wooden cabins, one of which has been totally refurbished. This particular poustinia will be our Art and Music home and, sat in a sanctuary area, will hopefully provide students with an alternative experience to the high tech environment in place in our Ark building. Add to these developments our campfire area, the large sports field, a terrific, winding nature trail, and we hope that time at the SPEC Campus will live long in out visitors’ memory. The legacy of SPEC, supporting schools and parishes of the diocese for over 25 years, remains very much at the heart of our mission and we’ve now started a new and exciting journey. A new page has been turned. Follow us on Instagram at: @rcwestminster

This year we are celebrating the centenary of the apparitions of Our Lady at Fatima, Portugal. Cardinal Vincent recently welcomed the National Pilgrim Statue of Our Lady of Fatima to London and led a diocesan pilgrimage to the shrine at Fatima. In May, on the anniversary of the first apparition, Pope Francis visited Fatima and canonised two of the seers, St Francisco and St Jacinta. They were only children when they saw Our Lady and received her messages. They were poor, worked in the fields as little shepherds and died very young from influenza. Yet again, we see that Our Lady chooses the humble and pure in heart to act as great apostles of her messages to the whole world. This echoes her song in praise of God that we read in the Gospel, ‘He pulls down princes from their thrones and raises the lowly’ (Luke 1:52). For a hundred years, the message of Fatima has resounded throughout the world. It is a simple message in complete accordance with the Gospel: prayer, penance and peace. It represents an invitation for each of us, even those who are powerful, to humble ourselves before Jesus and Mary, and to become messengers of prayer, penance and peace for the world, beginning at home and in our immediate surroundings. In the days leading up to the next World Youth Day, Pope Francis has asked young people to look to Mary and reflect upon her mission in the Gospel and the world. Let us imitate her Immaculate Heart in its humility and purity, becoming apostles of mercy and peace today. To find out more about the Youth Ministry and experiences of our young people at: dowym.org.uk.

Westminster Record | June 2017

Justice and Peace News

by Fr Joe Ryan

We are getting nearer to achieving Fair Trade status for the diocese. The quota necessary is 108 parishes out of a total of 214 signed up as Fair Trade parishes. We are just 10

parishes short. If you are not already designated, I appeal to you to consider the process. By this means, we can help our brothers and sisters in developing countries get a fair

deal for the goods they produce. All it takes to achieve the designation is to serve Fair Trade tea/coffee at parish functions, hold an awareness raising event during Fair Trade Fortnight each year, place notices to that effect in the parish, and apply to CAFOD for the certificate to show that as a parish you fulfil the criteria. Simple, but with profound effects. Many parishes will have hosted the Lampedusa Cross, made from a shipwrecked migrant boat full of refugees seeking the safety of Europe. It is such a moving symbol telling the story of our brothers and sisters in horrendous situations. There is a special service in the Cathedral Crypt on Friday 23rd June at 6:00pm followed by a talk on the subject. As Chair of the Westminster Justice and Peace Commission, I would like to thank and congratulate all who work for peace in our world is so many different ways. Keep up the good work!

‘The glory of God is man fully alive’ by Rebekah Curran We’re partnering with Dumb Ox Ministries (based in Louisiana, USA) to offer a week long retreat for young adults, diving into the teachings of John Paul II, which explore the beauty and depth of God’s plan for our lives. We start with a weekend just for the young adults – those aged 18-30 who want to come and know more. They join us and we begin this adventure into what it is to be human, and how we find happiness, and what God has to do with it all. Then come Monday, we welcome the Sixth Formers into our community, to be a part of this journey. Our young adults are given the opportunity to put into practice what they have been learning, “that man truly finds himself through making a

sincere gift of himself” by serving on various teams for the rest of the retreat. For me, the great thing about this retreat is that, at its heart, is about bringing together people who want to know truth and who are trying to live it out in their own life, and experiencing what the Church can look like fully alive. There is a particular focus on translating this teaching into real life; we spend time building community, playing sports, doing crafts and art. There is lots of live music, games and opportunities for prayer and questions. There are plenty of opportunities to discover who you are, and who you were created to be. To find out more, click here, or call or email Rebekah on 0207 529 8633 or rebekahcurran@rcdow.org.uk.

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Westminster Record | June 2017

A week is a long time in the life of a Vocations Promoter It’s no good being a Vocations Promoter if you don’t like working with the internet. Our publicity card gives details of phone contacts, ‘snail’ mail addresses and email. I suppose you have already guessed that the one that receives most ‘hits’ is the email. I would say over three-quarters of my work is done with email: first contacts, follow-up, fixing dates to meet up are usually done at the press of the send key. There is no time allotted in my diary for this daily work but it nevertheless takes up a good deal of time. However, nothing replaces the face-to-face meeting. When a man gets in touch asking to meet to talk about the call to priesthood there is always a thought about what will the person be like when you actually meet. I can honestly say that 99% of my meetings with seekers (men seeking to serve as priests in the church) are worthwhile. No two men are the same. Ages vary from 18 to 50plus. A man might have a string of degrees or have worked in industry all his days. Some will have good links with a parish community and its priest but many will not. This week I have booked four appointments in my diary to see men for a first meeting. When men begin the journey to priesthood, we try to support them by inviting them to what I call a discernment group. Through the kindness of Allen Hall Seminary (which as Spiritual Director is my workplace as well as my home) I am able to invite seekers to come once a month and join the

seminary community for Mass and supper. After supper we meet together as a seekers group and look at all sorts of issues surrounding the call to priesthood. It is a valuable time. My diary recorded one of our meetings this last week. Vocations promotion is of course about promotion. My task is to find the men that God might be calling to priesthood. I have a great promotions team made up of seminarians who come with me to tell their stories about how God is calling them: an ex-policeman, a former City worker, an ex-youth worker, a former teacher, and a former university student all tell excellent stories about where they have come from and where they are now. Last Sunday we were in Holy Rood Parish in Watford talking to the parish and members of Watford Deanery. We celebrated Mass and then we invited anyone interested to join us for a discussion. During the evening we met five men exploring the call to priesthood. Who knows how things will unfold but on going to sleep I was able to bless God for adding them to our list. The parish visits are a mainstay in my diary. One of the important structures in diocesan life is the deanery. I am asked to talk to deaneries and tell them about vocations work. It is a complex subject and it is good to share it. This week two deaneries (Kensington and Chelsea and North Kensington) joined us in the seminary. It was great to be with my brother priests and I hope they were encouraged. The signs for the future are looking

good. So that was a good part of Tuesday in my diary but really worthwhile. I get a lot of support from the seminary, and I must also support it. one of my tasks is to organise a weekly meeting that we call a conference. This is a chance for the seminary community to be together and think prayerfully about things. Often I am the speaker but occasionally there are other people who come to see us. Fr Denis Odongo, a priest from Lodwa Diocese in Kenya, brought with him a seminarian called Anthony. Anthony’s story was fascinating. He told us about the challenges of being a seminarian in a remote mission parish. We listened with interest about his training, and especially about how much of it has to be done by correspondence rather than living in the seminary. Two of our seekers had been invited by the seminarians to come and listen. They were fascinated. It caused a lively debate over supper. So that was the last event in my diary this week! Of course it not recorded in my diary, but there is also day by day the lifting up in prayer to the Lord all this work and all the men whom I see. Every morning and every evening prayer is made that God will continue to bless our work. Our Good Shepherd prayer card says it so well: May Jesus, the Good Shepherd, guide those being called to the priesthood and give the strength to say ‘yes’. I say Amen to that!

Please pray for the following Westminster men who are to be ordained this spring: Deacon: Mark Dunglinson, Antonio Pineda, Jon Stogdon, Daniel Herrero, Patrick Allsop, Rajiv Michael and Allan Alvarado Priest: Michael Maguire, Carlos Quito, Joseph Okoro, John Warnaby, Andrew Bowden, Michael Jarmulowicz, Julio Albornoz and Brian McMahon

Canon Stuart Wilson is Vocations Promoter. Follow us on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/diocese.westminster

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Westminster Record | June 2017

13th June: St Anthony of Padua

In Memoriam: June

We hear of Anthony having a copy of the Psalms with his own notes and annotations, which was stolen from him by a novice who left the Community. The saint’s prayer for its return was answered twofold, in the return both of the book and the novice; and so Anthony becomes the patron of those who seek lost objects. The mosaic of St Anthony in Westminster Cathedral depicts the story of his preaching to the fish, when heretics refused to listen to him. However, his St Anthony began life in more normal teaching took Lisbon (not then the capital of place in universities in Portugal) in 1195 under the Southern France and gained baptismal name of Fernando. him such a reputation that his Of his early and teenage years little is recorded, save that at the canonisation took place in 1232, just a year after his death age of 15 he moved to Coimbra at the age of 36. So quickly can (the capital city, still home to a the Church act; and after 714 famous University) where he years’ consideration, in 1946, began his studies for the Pope Pius XII went a step priesthood at the Abbey of the further and declared St Holy Cross. As a priest he Anthony a Doctor of the served as Guestmaster there, Church. Perhaps his file had but the arrival in the area of Franciscan Friars seems to have been temporarily lost? stirred up his spirit, to the extent that he received permission to join them in their new hermitage dedicated to the hermit monk St Anthony of Egypt. At this point Fernando becomes Anthony. True to the mission of the Friars, Anthony is next found going on mission to Morocco, where everything appears to go wrong. He is taken seriously ill and put on board ship to return for convalescence in Portugal. However, the Mediterranean winds ensure that the ship is blown off course to Sicily, whence Anthony and his companions set off and arrive in Tuscany, settling in the hermitage of San Paolo. The accounts tell of an occasion when Dominican Friars came to see the Franciscans and confusion ensued over who would preach. In the end Anthony was nominated and did so successfully, to the satisfaction of all parties. We then find him coming to the attention of St Francis himself, who was ever concerned to ensure the Friars’ full commitment to the vow of poverty. Anthony must have gained Francis’ trust, since the latter entrusted him in 1224 with the direction of the Friars’ studies.

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4 7 8 9 10 11 13 14 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 26 27 28 29 30

Fr Philip Carpenter (1992) Bishop Victor Guazzelli (2004) Fr Stephen Finnegan (1993) Fr Damien McManus (1997) Fr Joseph Rees (2007) Fr William McConalogue (2009) Fr John O’Connell (1970) Fr Harold Hamill (2016) Mgr David Norris (2010) Fr John Harrington (2007) Fr Vincent McCarthy (1974) Fr Francis Davis (2003) Canon Alfonso de Zulueta (1980) Fr George Lee (1987) Fr Michael Pinot de Moira (2013) Cardinal Basil Hume OSB (1999) Fr Michael Connor (2007) Cardinal Herbert Vaughan (1903) Fr Thomas Kiernan (2013) Fr J Brian Campbell (1983) Fr Anthony Turbett (2000) Fr John Moran (1988) Mgr Canon Roderick More O’Ferrall (1991) Fr Raleigh Addington (1980) Fr Cuthbert Boddy (1970) Canon Denis Crowley (1980) Fr Richard Fitzgibbon (2006) Fr Edmund R J Henry (1971) Fr William Anderson (1972) Fr Christopher Bedford (2008)

Free Catholic Tours in the City of London Qualified Catholic tour guide leads 'Saints and Scholars' walk first Sunday of the month including Mass. Contact Peter FFI on 07913904997 or circlingthesquaretours@hotmail.co.uk

St Francis of Assisi Catholic Ramblers’ Club meets every Sunday for walks around London and the Home Counties. Contact by email: antoinette_adkins2000@yahoo .co.uk, call 020 8769 3643 or check out the website: www.stfrancisramblers. ukwalkers.com

Summer Accommodation in London Allen Hall Seminary in Chelsea offers comfortable rooms in central London in July and August. Beautiful gardens and chapel. Rooms from £50 per night (including breakfast). Website: www.allenhall.org.uk Email: allenhall@rcdow.org.uk Telephone: 020 7349 5600 (option 0) Follow us on Twitter at: twitter.com/RCWestminster

Events & Calendar

REGULAR EVENTS Westminster Record | June 2017

Liturgical Calendar - June

If you have an event, please email: communications@rcdow.org.uk

Prayer Groups SUNDAYS

Taizé at St James, Piccadilly W1J 9LL every third Sunday 5pm. Call 020 7503 5128 for details.

Tyburn Benedictines Monastic afternoon Every first Sunday 2-5pm Martyrs’ Crypt, Tyburn Convent, 8 Hyde Park Place W2 2LJ. Westminster Cathedral Young Adults meet socially after the 7pm Mass on Sundays and then at the nearby Windsor Castle pub. For further details please contact: westminsteryoungadults@gmail.com

MONDAYS

Mothers’ Prayers at St Dominic’s Priory, Haverstock Hill NW5 4LB Mondays 2.30-3.30pm in the Lourdes Chapel. All are welcome.

TUESDAYS

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament Tuesdays 6-9pm concluding with Benediction at Newman House, 111 Gower Street WC1E 6AR. Details 020 7387 6370.

Prayers for London at the Shrine of Our Lady of Willesden Tuesdays 7.30pm. Organised by the Guild of Our Lady of Willesden, Nicoll Road NW10 9AX. Our Lady of Walsingham Prayer Group First Tuesday of the month 2.30pm to 4.15pm in the Chapel of St George and the English Martyrs in Westminster Cathedral. Details: antonia@walsingham.org.uk

Vocations Prayer Group Second Tuesday of the month 8pm at 47C Gaisford Street NW5 2EB.

Taizé at St James’, Spanish Place, W1U 3UY every first Tuesday of the month at 7pm. Email: penny28hb@aol.com or just come along.

WEDNESDAYS

Wednesdays on the Wall (WOTW) Every first Wednesday of the month. 6pm at All Hallows on the Wall, 83 London Wall EC2M 5ND. A short service of prayer and reflection at 6pm, coffee at 6.45pm followed by discussion. Corpus Christi Contemplative Prayer Group for Young Adults Wednesdays from 7pm at Corpus Christi, Maiden Lane WC2E 7NB. For further details please contact corpuschristipg@yahoogroups. co.uk.

Our Lady, Untier of Knots, Prayer Group of Intercession meets every

1 Thu

St Justin, Martyr

2 Fri

Easter Feria or Sts Marcellinus and Peter, Martyrs Friday abstinence

3 Sat

St Charles Lwanga and Companions, Martyrs

4 Sun

+ PENTECOST SUNDAY

5 Mon

St Boniface, Baihop and Martyr

6 Tue

Feria, Ninth Week of Year l or St Norbert, Bishop

7 Wed

Feria

8 Thurs

Feria

JCFL Jesus Christ the Fullness of Life (JCFL) provides a space for Christians of different traditions to join together in prayer and friendship. For further details please visit www.jcfl.org.uk.

9 Fri

Feria or St Ephrem, Deacon & Doctor or St Columba, Abbot Friday abstinence

10 Sat

Feria or Blessed Virgin Mary on Saturday

11 Sun

+ THE MOST HOLY TRINITY

12 Mon

Feria, Tenth Week of Year l

13 Tue

St Anthony of Padua, Priest & Doctor

NFG Prayer Group meet weekly at 8pm for praise and worship followed by a social. Monthly a DVD is watched followed by a time of sharing. Held in St Mark’s Room, Christ the King Church N14 4HE. Contact Fr Christophe: christophe.brunet@cheminneuf.org.

14 Wed

Feria

third Wednesday at St Anselm & St Cecilia, Lincoln’s Inn Fields. Parish Mass at 6pm followed by Prayer Group until 8.45pm. Rosary, Adoration, Silent prayer and Divine Mercy Chaplet. Email: Antonia antonia4161@gmail.com.

THURSDAYS

Soul Food A Catholic charismatic prayer group for young adults meets Thursdays 7-9pm at St Charles Borromeo, Ogle Street W1W 6HS. Details at www.soulfoodgroup.org.

St John Paul II Prayer Group Every second Thursday of the month 7-8pm, Mass, Adoration and Prayer at Corpus Christi, Maiden Lane WC2E 7NB.

FRIDAYS

Divine Mercy Prayers and Mass Every first Friday 2.30-4.30pm at Our Lady, Mother of the Church, 2 Windsor Road W5 5PD.

Westminster Cathedral Charismatic Prayer Group meet every Friday 7.30pm Prayer, Praise and Teaching. First Friday is a healing Mass. For details, please call 020 8748 2632.

15 Thurs Feria 16 Fri

Feria of St Richard of Chichester, Bishop Friday abstinence

17 Sat

Feria or Blessed Virgin Mary on Saturday

18 Sun

+ MOST HOLY BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRST (Corpus Christi)

19 Mon

Feria, Eleventh Week of Year 1 or St Romuald, Abbott

20 Tue

St Alban, Martyr

21 Wed

St Aloysius Gonzaga, Religious

22 Thurs STS JOHN FISHER AND THOMAS MORE, Bishop and Martyrs 23 Fri

THE MOST SACRED HEART OF JESUS No Friday abstinence

24 Sat

THE NATIVITY OF ST JOHN THE BAPTIST;

25 Sun

+ 13th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

26 Mon

Feria, Twelth Week of Year l

27 Tue

St John Southworth, Priest & Martyr

28 Wed

St Irenaeus, Bishop & Martyr

29 Thu

+ STS PETER AND PAUL, Apostles

30 Fri

Feria or The First Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church, Friday abstinence

Young Adults Mass with an Ignatian twist

Every Sunday at 7pm. Church of the Immaculate Conception, 114 Mount Street W1K 3AH. Contact: yam@mountstreet.info or visit www.pathwaystogood.org Mass at Canary Wharf Held on Tuesdays at 12.30pm at 2 Churchill Place E14 5RB. Organised by Mgr Vladimir Felzmann, Chaplain to Canary Wharf Communities. Details www.cwcc.org.uk.

St Albans Abbey Fridays at 12 noon. Mass in the Lady Chapel of St Albans Abbey AL1 1BY. Members of the Westminster LGBT Catholic Community are specially welcomed at the following Sunday Mass at the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Farm Street, and invited to our parish hall afterwards for tea/coffee, when there is also an opportunity to learn of pastoral help available: 2nd and 4th Sundays of the month, 5.30pm. EXTRAORDINARY FORM MASSES

Sundays: Low Mass 9.30am, St James Spanish Place W1U 3QY. Low Mass 9am, The Oratory, Brompton Road SW7 2RP. Low Mass 5pm, St Bartholomew, St Albans AL1 2PE. Low Mass 5.30pm, Shrine of Our Lady of Willesden, NW10 9AX.

Mondays: Low Mass 8am The Oratory, Brompton Road SW7 2RP Mass 6.30pm Corpus Christi, Maiden Lane WC2E 7NB.

Fridays:

Low Mass 8am The Oratory, Brompton Road SW7 2RP. Low Mass 6pm St Etheldreda, Ely Place EC1N 6RY. First Friday only.

SATURDAYS

Taizé at Notre Dame de France 5 Leicester Place WC2H 7BX at 7.15pm. Call 020 7437 9363.

Low Mass 6pm St John the Baptist Church, King Edward's Road E9 7SF. First Friday only. Low Mass 6.30pm Corpus Christi, Maiden Lane WC2E 7NB. Second Friday only. Saturdays: Low Mass 12.15pm, St Wilfrid’s Chapel, The Oratory, Brompton Road SW7 2RP.

Praying with Pope Francis: June 2017 National Leaders: That national leaders may firmly commit themselves to ending the arms trade, which victimises so many innocent people.

Deaf Community Mass First Sunday of the month 4.30pm at Westminster Cathedral Hall, Ambrosden Avenue SW1P 1QW.

Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays: Low Mass, 8am The Oratory, Brompton Road SW7 2RP.

Queen of Peace Prayer Group at Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Acton. Every Friday evening after 7pm Mass. Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, a homily, recitation of the Holy Rosary and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. All welcome

Other regular Masses

Low Mass 4.30pm, Side Chapel, Westminster Cathedral SW1P 1QW. Second Saturday only.

Page 19

Westminster Record | June 2017

St Joseph’s: ‘This place is your home.’ by Martha Behan

What does it take to make somewhere feel like home? Is it when we can find our way around the house? When we can make a cup of tea, or help with the washing up? Or is it something more internal? Home is somewhere we feel safe and loved, no matter what state we are in. It is somewhere we can kick off our shoes, both figuratively and literally, saying ‘I can relax now’. This is why we should all feel at home in God’s love. He invites us to relax, to feel safe wrapped in his eternal love and gentle care. Some find little love and safety in the world. What should be places that accept us as we

Page 20

are, may not always offer the same welcome to everyone. Many people with intellectual disabilities do not find acceptance in traditional environments of learning or worship that others rely on for comfort and familiarity.

Caritas St Joseph’s is one place, however, that offers unconditional love and welcome to all. It was set up in 1977 to promote a method of faith development and learning appropriate for children with special needs. The heart of this project is putting each individual’s values, gifts and needs first, creating a home for each person where they know they are safe and loved. This year, Caritas St Joseph’s celebrates 40 years of promoting faith and vocational development that enable people with learning difficulties to grow and flourish. Bishop Paul McAleenan celebrated Mass on 13th May, both in word and British Sign Language, to mark the anniversary. The Mass was also sign-interpreted by Westminster Deaf Service’s Sarah Metcalfe. Bishop Paul learnt to sign when he was a parish priest and had a deaf family in his parish, demonstrating the kind of practical love and understanding that is the foundation of St Joseph’s. There were many moving moments during the Mass: a mother reaching over to make the sign of the Cross on her disabled son’s forehead, lips and heart at the beginning of the Gospel reading; the altar server shining with joy at being able to take part; and the many volunteers there who shyly stood up to receive a blessing at the end of Mass in thanksgiving for the incredible work they do. All present gave expression to their faith in different ways. Movement and sound were used in worship to express joy at the word of God and to share it with friends and family. Often we may be guilty of mumbling at Mass; we could learn much from this congregation, who all joined in the Our Father, filling the marquee with the sounds of the Lord’s Prayer being said in a way that left no doubt about the strength of feeling behind it. In his homily Bishop Paul said that here, at St Joseph’s, a community has been created in the likeness of heaven: a place where all are accepted,

welcomed, and encouraged to thrive and grow. As in heaven, everyone belongs. Alluding to the response to the Psalm: ‘How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord God of Hosts’, he added that it is clear that Jesus dwells in Caritas St Joseph’s. ‘He lives through the families and the individuals who come to St Josephs,’ Bishop Paul continued. He explained that the story of humanity starts with one man, Adam, but reaches fulfilment with the community of saints in heaven. This community, he said, can be seen in the community of Caritas St Joseph’s. Our final words go to the last verse of the recessional hymn ‘Go the mass is ended’, which best sum up what St Joseph’s is all about:

Spread the joy of Christ around you. Go the Mass is ended, take God’s peace to all. This day is yours to change the world to make God known and loved.

1971 A group of parents with disabled children approached Cardinal Heenan and asked for a designated priest. 1974 Fr David Wilson was appointed. He worked in Victoria before being offered a site in Hendon. 1977 Cardinal Basil Hume opened St Joseph’s Pastoral Centre. Fr David, along with St Xavier and Sr Stephanie were responsible for families with special needs throughout the diocese. 1982 Rosemary McCloskey was appointed Director. 1996 Silver Jubilee 2002 The Arts and Technology Centre was officially opened by Bishop Arthur Roche. 2005 Helen O’Brien was appointed Director. The Activities Centre expanded to include vocational, spiritual and accreditation courses. A sensory room was built. 2010 John Coleby was appointed Director, and St Joseph’s Pastoral Centre became part of Caritas Westminster, and known as Caritas St Joseph’s. 2013 Gail Williams is appointed Director. Enterprise initiatives are expanded. 2017 Ruby Jubilee