Westminster Record October 2018 by RCWestminster

Westminster Record

October 2018 | 20p

Syria Summer Camp

World Meeting of Families 2018

Papal Knighthood for years of service

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Pages 8 & 9

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Let Us Adore by Fr Mark Vickers

It was my first time on Liverpool’s impressive waterfront. We had definitely left summer behind in London; it was a blustery, autumnal day by the Mersey. Yet immediately it felt like home. So many familiar faces, fellow clergy, parishioners past and present, among the 2,500 or so delegates present. The whole of the English and Welsh Church was showcased by the various exhibitors with stalls: Walsingham and Maryvale, ACN, Mary’s Meals and CAFOD, CTS and the Catholic Press, Catholic charities and organisations, and church suppliers. There was quite a buzz by the time the doors of the ACC Convention Centre opened at 9.30 am. The delegates spent the morning together in the Echo Arena. After prayer and welcomes extended by Bishop Robert Byrne and Archbishop Malcolm McMahon, we listened to our three keynote speakers. Canon Mervyn Tower, the Scripture scholar and Oxford parish priest, commenced proceedings with his talk on ‘The Holy Eucharist and the Holy Scriptures.’ Paraphrasing St Jerome, he suggested that ‘ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ and of the Holy Eucharist.’ The Eucharist fulfils every human need, but to understand this fully we must start with the great questions posed by the Old Testament as to the meaning of human existence. It is Adoration which provides for human growth, ensuring that we do not remain closed on self, but rather open ourselves to the other, to God.

Canon David Oakley, Rector of Oscott Seminary, then gave a powerful address on ‘The Eucharist as the Source and Summit of the Church’s Life.’ He provided us with a timely reminder that the Church is not dying, because she is an essential part of God’s plan. She is the Body of Christ, which people will treat as they treated him. We must recover a sense of Eucharistic worship as the primary theology where we come to know God with the heart rather than simply as academic knowledge. Confronted by spiritual forces, we must turn again to Jesus in the Eucharist. We should fast, for a spiritual purpose, and accompany it with Adoration. For it is there that despondency will be overcome by joy. The problems of the Church and the world do not all rest on our shoulders: He is our Saviour. The Augustinian Sr Margaret Atkins concluded the morning’s proceedings with a talk on ‘Teaching the Eucharist.’ She invited us to reflect on the fact that grace builds on nature and culture. We must be aware of the environment if we are to pass on effectively the content of our faith to children and catechumens. When we live in a fast food society, we must recover a deeper meaning of meal in terms of time, creation, gift of self, relationship to God and others. The afternoon was different. We divided for the three workshops for which we had opted.

Continued with additional coverage on pages 12 & 13

Editorial

Westminster Record | October 2018

Transformative Power of the Spirit

The Church must be untiring in proclaiming values of human dignity, respect for life, and the equal worth of all men and women. This month’s Westminster Record gives examples from our diocese of this imperative, in word and deed: from students working in Asia and Africa, others working with refugees in Calais, or with those who have been trafficked. We

speak of the right to life, and celebrate the importance of the family. This goes to the heart of what it is to proclaim Gospel values, what it is to be a Catholic. One of the many ways in which the abuse scandal damages the Church is to undermine its moral witness. We are conscious, as we proclaim our values of inclusion, respect, defence of the vulnerable, that the Church has been gravely weakened in its ability to speak on moral issues, compromised in its teaching by the sin of some of its members. Why should we listen to you, many are saying, when you live a lie? If, like me, you are confused, angry, anxious or depressed at this time, then there is something to remember, and something to

do. Firstly, remember that the Church is both human, and divine and spotless. These two aspects (what we mean by a sacrament) are interlinked, but not the same. The sins of the human members of the Church can obscure, but can never overcome, the presence of God at its heart. Secondly, ordinary Catholics must recognise that we have to create a different Church: to ask more questions, be more involved, hold authority to account. Our bishops are showing the way, but it is up to ordinary faithful to assist, support, and occasionally challenge, them. In times of crisis the Spirit reshapes the Church. Let us trust, in the transformative power of the Spirit upon us all.

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Remembering Cardinal Cormac On 1st September 2018, a memorial Mass was celebrated at Westminster Cathedral to commemorate the first anniversary of the death of Cardinal Cormac MurphyO’Connor, tenth Archbishop of Westminster. Cardinal Vincent Nichols was the principal celebrant. Concelebrants included the Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Edward Joseph Adams, Archbishop of Birmingham Bernard Longley, Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster Nicholas Hudson and Bishop Emeritus of Lancaster Michael Campbell OSA, along with a number of priests from around the diocese. Present among the congregation were members of Cardinal Cormac’s family. Preaching the homily, Mgr Martin Hayes, who was the third and last of Cardinal Cormac’s Private Secretaries during his time as Archbishop of Westminster, explained that remembering his life in the context of the Mass is right, as with Cardinal Cormac, it was always ‘the Mass that matters’. ‘Cardinal Cormac had a love for God’s word as given in the Bible’ and for him, ‘the word Page 2

Cardinal Cormac celebrating his Golden Jubilee Mass at Westminster Cathedral in 2006

leads to the Eucharist, and that is the path to maturity in the Christian life and it is the pattern of the celebration of every Mass.’

Describing Cardinal Cormac as an ‘evangelist,’ Mgr Martin explained that ‘he encouraged people to read and reflect on God’s word, especially in small groups, allowing God to speak to their hearts and enabling the sharing of God’s word and message among the participants’. Cardinal Cormac was ‘a man, priest and Bishop committed to living out his faith with joy and hope, and to leading the people of God entrusted to his care, through times of opportunity and challenge,’ said Mgr Martin. He ‘maintained his belief and trust in the Lord, and his belief in the essential goodness of people, despite our faults and failings.’ ‘Cardinal Cormac could bring light and laughter to any but the most distressing of situations,’ he added. After Mass, Cardinal Vincent, along with the clergy and members of Cardinal Cormac’s family, prayed at the late Cardinal’s tomb.

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.

The full text of Mgr Martin Hayes’ homily is available on the diocesan website rcdow.org.uk.

Westminster Record | October 2018

Cardinal expresses sorrow and shame Bishops announce independent review of safeguarding about abuse in the Church structures On 22nd August, Cardinal Vincent wrote to clergy of the diocese in response to the letter from Pope Francis on the abuse of children in the Church. In the letter, the Cardinal expresses sorrow and shame, and encourages clergy to share his letter and the Pope’s letter with parishioners.

From 23rd to 29th September, the Bishops of England and Wales were in Rome for their ad limina Apostolorum visit, an event which normally takes place every five years (although the last time it took place in 2010) when the bishops report on the state of their dioceses. At the start of this visit, they issued the following statement, in which they announce their intention to commission an independent review of safeguarding structures in these nations.

As a priest and bishop, I have found the last few weeks both shocking and distressing. I am sure that you will have, too. The plain and detailed disclosure of the extent of the abuse of children which has taken place in various parts of our Church, over so many years, has been so painful to follow and to take to heart. Yet to do so is absolutely necessary. The initial response of Pope Francis was that of 'sorrow and shame'. I fully share that response. I am so sorry for the hurt that has been caused, primarily to those whose lives have been radically damaged by childhood abuse, to their families, and to those who know personally a deep sense of trust that has been betrayed. I am utterly ashamed that this evil has, for so long, found a place in our house, our Church. This evil has particular abhorrence because not only is it a terrible abuse of power, but also because, in its evil, it both employs and destroys the very goodness of faith and trust in God. As a Father in this House, I bear this shame in a direct way, for it is the direct responsibility of a father to protect his household from harm, no matter how difficult and complex that might be. On Monday, Pope Francis, our Holy Father, addressed a letter to all members of the Church. I am sure you will have

As we gather in Rome for our visit ad limina Apostolorum, we have spent time together reflecting again on the impact of the recent reports containing stark revelations of child sexual abuse within the Catholic Church, including in England and Wales, and of evident failures of local leadership. These reports make it clear that both bishops and religious leaders, in various places, failed to protect the children in their care from those who have done them great harm. In particular, the failures of bishops to listen or give credence to those who have courageously spoken out about the profound damage they have suffered through childhood abuse, together with the steps some have taken in order to cover up or minimise the abuse that became known, are a great betrayal of the trust placed in them by the faithful and of the responsibilities that come with episcopal office. Throughout our ad limina visit here in Rome, the impact and consequences of the shame and sorrow we feel will constantly be in our hearts and in our prayers, especially as we come to pray at the tomb of St Peter and at the tomb of St Paul, key moments in our visit. These themes will also be part of our conversation with Pope Francis. Our visit, then, has a penitential heart, as in communion with bishops throughout the world, we seek forgiveness from the Lord and grace for our future ministry.

read it. Please urge your people to read it, too. It is available in many places and, in its entirety, on the website of the Diocese of Westminster. The Pope's letter begins with a quotation from St Paul: 'If one member suffers, all suffer together with it' (1 Cor 12.26). In doing so, he reflects on the ways in which we have paid insufficient attention to the suffering of those who have been abused, and on the ways in which we have to tackle this together, starting with the renewal of holiness which comes only with prayer and penitence. Let us read this letter over and over again. It has so much to give us. I share these thoughts with you as they have been constantly on my mind in these last weeks and days. Please be sure of my prayers for you. Please do share this letter, or these thoughts, with your people in the way you think best. Let us turn to the Lord in our sorrow and shame, remembering the words of the Prophet Isaiah from Tuesday's Office of Readings: 'If you do not stand by me, you will not stand at all' (Is 7.9). And let us pray for the renewal of family life through the World Meeting of Families, this weekend, so that all family life may find strength and joy in standing with the Lord!

We have also reflected on the practical steps we must take. We do so in the light of all that has been achieved since the Report of Lord Nolan in 2001. We have endeavoured to build a culture of safeguarding within the Church's parishes and religious communities in England and Wales, thereby providing a safe environment for all. In every parish there is a Parish Safeguarding Representative. In every diocese, there is a Safeguarding Coordinator and a Diocesan Safeguarding Commission, composed of experts in the main disciplines needed for effective safeguarding. It is these experts and independent commissions that take the lead in handling every allegation of abuse, whether from the distant past or the present day. They do so in accordance with our nationally agreed protocols, to be followed in all cases, including the steps to be taken if allegations of abusive behaviour were to be made against a bishop. We have established a National Catholic Safeguarding Commission (the NCSC), with a strong majority membership of experts, independent of the authority structures of the Catholic Church. Much has been achieved. Much is to be learned. These recent reports, shocking as they are, have caused us to reflect again on our own leadership and on the responsibilities we hold in England and Wales for ensuring

that safeguarding is embedded in every aspect of the life of the Church. Today we have decided to ask the National Catholic Safeguarding Commission to commission an entirely independent and comprehensive review of the safeguarding structures that currently operate within the Catholic Church in England and Wales. Importantly, we will seek to ensure that the voices of the victims and survivors of abuse, through the Survivors Advisory Panel established by the NCSC, fully inform the review and its recommendations. In calling for this review, we are taking an important step towards meeting the Holy Father’s recent injunction in his ‘Letter to the People of God’ in respect of sexual abuse: ‘no effort must be spared to create a culture able to prevent such situations from happening’ (20th August 2018). Each bishop has decided that he will take steps to set aside time for the purpose of meeting with victims and survivors of clerical abuse who live in his diocese. This will be done in cooperation with the Diocesan Safeguarding Coordinator, to assist the bishop in responding in the best possible way to those who speak to him, in his pastoral role as their bishop, of their pain, hurt and anger. May God guide us during this week and in this work, that the voice of Christ, crying out in those who have suffered, may be heard with compassion and discernment.

Voices of joy and voices of pain must both be heard, says Cardinal Cardinal Vincent reflected that both the voices of joy and the voices of anger in the Church must be heard, in a homily on the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows, 15th September. Recalling the World Meeting of Families, he noted that, unlike with any other papal visit where ‘negative voices give way to positive and warm expression of welcome, when Pope Francis arrived in Dublin, this did not happen. ‘The angry voice of survivors of childhood abuse and cruelty continued to be

heard. The media continued its concentration on past wrongs and the criticism of the Church, especially of us bishops, was sustained,’ he added. ‘Slowly one important truth became clear to me: I was wrong to hope that the voice of joy and welcome would overcome the voices of anger and condemnation. Both voices have to be heard. Both voices must find an echo in our hearts. Both voices are the voice of Jesus, crying out in his Church and in the world today. In a most remarkable way, Pope

Francis embraced both voices. Somehow, in his person, he held them together. His was a remarkable witness and a testimony to the deep peace of his soul which surely rests profoundly in the Lord.’ Speaking of the ‘voice of the suffering’ as the ‘voice of Jesus’, he explained: ‘If we shy away from this voice, then we are closing our hearts to the Lord himself. When that voice is truly heard within the family of the Church, we too begin to know that suffering, trying to grasp a little of its burden, and

now carrying ourselves the weight of our shame and sorrow.’ Invoking the experience of Mary, ‘our Mother of Sorrows’ standing at the foot of the cross, he added, ‘remarkably, it is in this place of such pain and suffering that the Church is born’. ‘Indeed, in Jesus we are one family and a family fashioned in pain, in the face of sin, in the overcoming of that evil, a family in which the voice of suffering is heard alongside, mingled with, the voice of joy and gladness.’ Follow us on Instagram at: @rcwestminster

He enjoined: ‘Let us remember all those in our communities, who cry out in pain, in anger and in frustration. The list is long. Their dismay intense. But it is neither too long nor too intense for Christ's work of salvation. ‘Today let us resolve to open our hearts not only to the joyful voice of the faithful but also to the pained anger of those who want us to hear, to listen; to hear again, to listen again, with great discernment; to heed and to learn.’ Page 3

Westminster Record | October 2018

Recognition for work Bishop John Sherrington: Everyone against human trafficking has a right to peaceful witness by Cardinal Vincent Nichols I was very pleased to receive the Hanno R Ellenbogen Citizenship Award on behalf of the Santa Marta Group (SMG) in Prague on 30th August. It is the 17th time the Prague Society has presented its award. The Society has its origins in the Resistance movement against the Communist occupation of Czechoslovakia. It represents a coalition of benefactors, ambassadors and officials who strive to ensure that, in this post-Communist era, Prague society is committed to the liberal principles of freedom and democracy, and is free of corruption. The Prague Society recognised in the work of SMG the important aspect of the fight against organised crime. On the same evening awards were made posthumously to Ján Kuciak and Martina Kušrínová, two journalists who strove to expose corruption within certain segments of business and public life. The event in Prague enabled me to visit again the Cathedral of St Vitus, very much in memory of Cardinal Tomášek, who was Archbishop of Prague from 1977 (although he had been appointed administrator from 1965) and once described as ‘the father of our nation’. I also visited the Convent of St Agnes of Prague, who established the first Poor Clare convent outside Italy and was a contemporary of St Clare of Assisi. Her story is very remarkable. I intend to donate the money from the award to Caritas Bakhita House in the Diocese of Westminster for their work to help victims of trafficking get back on their feet, whether they wish to return home or find stability in this country. At the heart of the work of the SMG is the effort to build trust, particularly between forces of law and order and the Catholic Church. A key ingredient of trust is honesty. At our last SMG meeting there was a very remarkable moment when Cardinal Bo from Page 4

Myanmar spoke of the terrible human trafficking from Myanmar into China. He said, ‘I have very little good news for you and I’m very sorry.’ And the bishop who was supervising that session said to him, ‘Cardinal, we’d rather have bad news that’s true than good news that’s false.’ This illustrates the growing level of openness and trust in addressing the issues facing us in this fight. We are now beginning to focus on specific projects around the world. Recently, we launched a major training exercise through the Apostleship of the Sea for seafarers and those who work in major ports around the world. We have also done a lot of work in Edo State in Nigeria in collaboration with the Dioceses of Benin and Uromi, developing agriculture and job opportunities through a project called GrowEdo. This is proving very successful in helping young people at risk of human trafficking develop livelihoods, skills and confidence. This project is significant in the fight against modern slavery, as 90% of people trafficked from Nigeria come from Edo State.

The Home Office has rejected calls to introduce national buffer zones around abortion clinics in September, with Home Secretary Sajid Javid explaining that ‘it would not be a proportionate response, considering the experiences of the majority of hospitals and clinics, and considering that the majority of activities are more passive in nature.’ Bishop John Sherrington has welcomed the decision, saying: ‘I welcome the Government’s rejection of calls for buffer zones to be introduced outside abortion clinics in England and Wales. ‘We believe that in a democratic society the freedom to protest and express one’s opinion is always to be considered in its relationship to the common good, a set of

relationships which enable individuals and groups to flourish in society. It should not be necessary to limit the freedom of individuals or groups to express opinions except when they could cause grave harm to others or a threat to public order. ‘The freedom to assemble and express concern for both the good of the mother and the unborn person is an aspect of the furthering of the common good which involves the care for the unborn, whom we believe must be protected from harm. ‘We recognise that there are members of the public, often associated with churches, who gather peacefully to pray outside abortion clinics and witness to the good of human life in a dignified way. It is an

unacceptable situation if any people harass or intimidate women visiting clinics, even if such situations are rare. It is clearly not the case that all action is of this nature, and the distinctions between persons and groups should be examined further. There is legislation by which those who coerce, threaten or intimidate others can be charged or prosecuted. ‘We agree with the Home Secretary that everyone has a right to peaceful witness. We are pleased that in a free society the government has sought a proportionate response to the problem as it was presented and trust that a balance will be found that protects both the rights of people to gather peaceably and the rights of others to be free from intimidation.’

Bishop Paul McAleenan welcomes #28for28 campaign to end indefinite detention Bishop Paul McAleenan, lead Catholic Bishop on Migration and Asylum, has welcomed the Refugee Tales #28for28 campaign, which publicises the stories of those held in detention. ‘These tales remind us that those held in detention are human beings whose Godgiven human dignity must be respected,’ he said. ‘Indefinite immigration detention is a clear violation of that dignity. I call upon the Government to end this inhumane system and introduce a 28-day time limit.’ In the #28for28 campaign, Refugee Tales is calling on the UK Government to end the practice of indefinite detention in the UK. The campaign is releasing 28 tales online over 28 days, beginning on 11th September and with the final tale being read in Parliament. Actors and writers, including Jeremy Irons, Shobu Kapoor, Maxine Peake, and Kamila Shamsie, have been filmed reading the tales of detainees and those who have worked to support them. Using the Canterbury Tales as its model, every year Refugee Tales organises a long Follow us on Twitter at: twitter.com/RCWestminster

walk, and shares the stories of people who have been held in indefinite detention along the way. 2018 marked the third walk in solidarity, going from St Albans to Westminster, stopping at Hertford, Waltham Abbey, Chingford, and Stoke

Newington. The Refugee Tales have been compiled into two books, which present the stories of those who have experienced indefinite detention. To view the videos visit https://www.28for28.org/

The care of the Parish of St Michael and St Martin, Hounslow, has been entrusted to the Spiritans (Holy Ghost Fathers). On 20th September, Fr Kenneth Okoli CSSp (centre), the Superior of the order, signed the agreement, along with Bishop John Wilson (left), who signed on behalf of the Diocese of Westminster. Also present at the signing was Vicar General Mgr Martin Hayes (right). Fr Augustin Nwosu CSSp is appointed Parish Priest and Fr Daniel Adayi is appointed Assistant Priest of the parish and Chaplain to Heathrow Airport.

Westminster Record | October 2018

Newman Catholic College hosts Syria Summer Camp

Bishop John Sherrington visiting the camp

For the third year, Newman Catholic College (NCC) has organised and hosted the Syria Summer Camp (SSC). The idea for the camp grew out of the recognition that many of the Syrian children who arrived at NCC had not only missed a significant part of their education but were incredibly aspirational and determined to make a success of what the UK school system could offer. Amanda Wooster, Director of the SSC, explains. Born out of a passion to make a difference to the wellbeing of locally arrived refugee children and their families, Syria Summer Camp is a Love in Action project supported both practically and financially by Caritas Westminster. Its aims are simple: to provide both a home of learning and a sanctuary of love. NCC funds its resident Refugee Project Leader and provides its site, including caretaking, free to Syria Summer Camp. A budget of close to £20,000 is raised through external fundraising to meet other salary costs, resources, trips, food and publicity. A small family contribution is encouraged from those registering for the camp.

A full leadership team is recruited and appointed, including specialist anchor teachers and, this year, both a Logistics Coordinator and Wellbeing Coordinator. Also new this summer was the employment of support staff from the local Syrian and Afghan refugee communities. Two of the mothers put themselves forward to be trained as Registration Security Officers and doubled as cleaners at the days' end. One father had catering experience and became our highly treasured resident chef. This sent a powerful message of inclusion and empowerment to the local communities and demonstrated our desire and joy in welcoming whole families to be part of Syria Summer Camp. Priority for a place at Syria Summer Camp (we have 70 places) is given to refugee children, primarily from the Middle East, who have fled their homeland due to war or persecution. This summer, four of the families who attended had only been in the UK for a matter of weeks, all arrived from Syria. Some of the children were introduced by other relatives already established locally. Some were referred to us by Brent Council.

The wellbeing of the children attending the camp was a real focus this year. Our theme, 'an act of kindness', was trialled by Syria Saturday Club attendees (an offshoot of last year's camp). An evaluation framework was built for the camp by the first and longest running children's charity and our lead mental health provider, Coram. Every child was given a wellbeing journal entitled 'I'm happy, I'm healthy, I'm hope-filled', and time set aside at start and close of day for reflections and evidence around the theme of kindness. In addition, investment was made this year in the wellbeing of staff and volunteers with a weekly reflection and self-care session, facilitated by a therapist from Coram Creative Therapies. As with last year, access to counselling and other therapeutic support was prioritised for the children, many of whom were dealing with the trauma of separation and loss. 'Time In' sessions were offered weekly with an art therapist or clinical psychologist from Coram, with the school's chapel being turned into the Relaxing Room (a name chosen by the children). Children were chuffed to be given a pass (similar to a cinema ticket) and became adept at rating their own wellbeing level, before and after a visit to the Relaxing Room, which became a safe place where they could learn to be still. Children gained insight into when they needed to calm down and booked their own 'Time In'. For ease of organisation and to keep our little children safe, trips came to the school in the form of a mobile petting zoo and two Kew gardeners. Animal Magic brought squeals of delight as tiny tots saw rabbits and guinea pigs for the first time in their lives. They were able to have their photo taken with a baby owl; it was difficult to tell who was the most terrified! Tortoises survived being trampled underfoot but the miniature hedgehogs hid from the clamour of a class of fouryear-olds! Learning to be kind to animals was clearly a work in progress. Suddenly one day the front of the school became a riot of colour and compost as the Kew gardener and his mate unloaded

ton loads of bedding plants, turf and pretty stones. Most of our children have experienced wide open spaces, shrub land, woods and abundant fresh air, although few have had a garden of their own in a traditional sense. Through the generosity of the Kew gardener, each child at camp was able to develop a unique garden to take home, their faces shining with pride. It was a healthy way to recapture memories of the nature of their Syrian homeland.

Newman Catholic College also hosted two other camps during the summer. Springboard Youth Academy works to develop English language acquisition and address the various psychological and social needs of young people aged 14 to 17 years who are newly arrived in the UK (see main story). It also helps them prepare for school and life in the UK. Young people tried their hand at spoken word and writing poetry, practicing yoga, beatboxing and more, and partook in sessions about navigating the British education and asylum system, eating healthily, budgeting their money and many other issues surrounding life in the UK. For more information about the academy visit www.springboardyouth.com.

This year Syria Summer Camp invited children between the ages of 4 and 14 to register. With the appointment of a primary anchor teacher we were able to open a Reception class for the first time. We welcomed whole families to learn, play and grow together. For some this meant as many as six siblings attended. For others, mum stayed where a child couldn't yet be separated and both learnt in contentment side by side for the four weeks. Previously we had embraced 14- to 18-year-olds, but this year we entered a partnership with Springboard Youth Academy to provide for our older age group instead. Ten places on the Springboard programme were made available to Newman students and Syria Summer Camp's site management and cleaning team were provided in return. To learn more about this marvellous project, visit the Newman Catholic College website at www.ncc.brent.sch.uk Follow us on Instagram at: @rcwestminster

The Metropolitan Police/NCC summer camp is offered at the school and run by the Met Police Safer Schools Officers, who are a regular presence at the school throughout the year. The aim of the camp is to offer activity and engagement to the 13- to 17-year-old boys who take part. As Headteacher Daniel Coyle explains: ‘The school identified a cohort of 50 children through a dialogue of teachers and inclusion staff on the basis of who we think might be most vulnerable over the summer months and therefore in need of support.’ The school provided £1,200 for food and trips. The officers use their own community links with local providers to source daily healthy food and their extensive network to organise interesting visits. It has been clear that the respect in which they are held locally helped the camp reach beyond the boundaries that its finances could otherwise deliver. This year also saw an additional dimension as every student received a free bike, training and maintenance skills as part of the ‘In Tandem’ project run by the Brent Police. For more information, please visit www.ncc.brent.sch.uk

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Westminster Record | October 2018

Students Partner across Continents by Ciaran Webb

On Tuesday 10th July, 22 St Columba’s Lower Sixth students gathered in the foyer of Terminal Two at London Heathrow, filled with eager anticipation of the long trip ahead. We had spent many months planning for this moment, through many successful fundraising drives including the 24-hour sponsored cycle, a 5K run and musical performances, and much more, not to mention the Catenian bursary. We were all filled with excitement, nerves and adrenaline, anticipating what was to come in the next three weeks. A full day and night of travelling, including an 11-hour flight to Johannesburg and connecting flight to Lusaka landed us in Zambia. We greeted Timmy our driver and made the 15-hour trek to St Francis, in the northern region of Zambia, near Kasama; this was the first section of our project. We spent 10 days renovating two science laboratories and a home economics room. Three days were spent sanding all the old paint off manually, and then plastering over all the various cracks and dings in the wall. All

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the rooms were painted in a light two-tone colour which really brightened each room. The teachers in charge of the rooms seemed enthused by the new paint schemes and the improvement to their teaching environment. St Francis also gave us students the opportunity to see what a Zambian education looks like. Every Columban student on the trip was given a day to shadow a St Francis student and to sit in a number of their lessons. We had the chance to compare their education and their routine to ours. There were a number of clear differences: they take a single, final exam called ‘O-levels’, a system which should ring many bells for those of an older generation in the UK. They take eight subjects compared to our three, and we found the nature of the education differs in that much of it is rote learning, whereas the UK education system has adopted an applied and analytical approach. But the overriding observation was that, despite our differences, we all felt that we had far more in common. We all listened to the same music, followed the same

football teams, and had the same interests. Many of us made friends here and look forward to keeping in contact longer term, through the use of social media. Another day in the cramped bus landed us back in Kabwe, a few hours’ ride out from the capital of Lusaka. We had lots of projects here, the primary focus being the boys at the Robert Shitima Hope School. Our first interaction with them was through watching one of their football matches against a rival school team, delayed by an hour due to the visiting team not having brought a ball with them. The little things, eh? Our group leader, Mrs De Vos swept in and saved the day by promising to buy both teams a football to alleviate their worry about damaging the ball. The following day was spent visiting the Makalulu slum, which is one of the largest shanty towns in Southern Africa. Here, we saw dilapidated homesteads crammed together, each struggling for space. In 2011 over 4,000 people were left in the cold when their houses collapsed, and the whole visit really brought home to us the fact that there is no security net whatsoever. We kept reflecting on the importance of friends and family to the Zambians. They are your backup. Only 60 families were provided with tents during these flash floods.

The highlight of the trip was saved to last. After feeling deflated at hearing that football was not coming home on the first night on our bus (which was incidentally also broken, further deflating our morale), we brought football home ourselves by winning the traditional match between Shitima and St Columba’s Sixth Formers. Never before in the two decades plus that the Project Respond trip has been running have St Columba’s come away victorious, but this year Shitima met their match! Guest stars Cillian Webb and Daniel from Shitima, who both scored goals must be given their fair dues! We later bought out the local Kabwe ShopRite and donated a jersey, top and toiletries to each boy and girl at Shitima. The rest of the time in Kabwe was spent attending the local Catholic cathedral and the Mother Theresa AIDS hospice where we shook hands with those young and old suffering from AIDS. I think we were all left inspired by the love, care and dedication these nuns give. Many of them come from farflung places around the world; we discovered that they are given around four weeks every decade to return to their homes and families. We were all certainly humbled by the experience.

At the end of the visit, 15 laptops were handed out to the university and medical students who had just finished Grade 12 at Shitima. These were greatly appreciated and essential to some courses. I met a lad who was enrolling in a Computer Science course, for which a computer was an absolute requirement and this donation greatly helped him achieve his ambitions. Our trip ended in a visit to the more ‘touristy’ part of Zambia, Livingstone. We visited one of the seven wonders of the world, Victoria Falls, went on a game drive, went rafting along the Zambezi and topped it off by riding elephants. Here we had a chance to reflect on the experiences we had encountered. Project Respond has been running since 1991 and offers an opportunity to work in partnership with students in both of our twinned schools in Zambia to provide contributions to their health, security and comfort. But in return they give us far more with their warm hospitality, love and friendship. The overriding message for me, certainly, from the project was to want-what-you’ve-got, and what you do with it, rather than want-what-everyoneelse-has-got.

Westminster Record | October 2018

Improving Livelihoods An ecumenical award for Pauline Books & Media in Cambodia

Through the International Citizen Service (ICS), Emily McGoohan, a young parishioner of Ss Alban and Stephen Parish in St Albans, volunteered with the charity Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) for 10 weeks in rural Cambodia, where she worked on a livelihoods project across three villages in Koas Krala district, Battambang Province. The project focused on three key areas: agriculture, business and careers, with the overall goal of improving living standards by providing local young people with greater knowledge and understanding, to mitigate youth migration from rural areas to the larger cities and neighbouring Thailand and Vietnam. Emily volunteered alongside eight UK and nine Khmer volunteers and was part of the agriculture sub-team. To improve local youth knowledge about agriculture, Emily was tasked with leading three weekly youth clubs on agriculture; she also created demo-plots, constructing irrigation systems and plant nurseries in multiple schools. There were improvements to community infrastructure too, with the building of three chicken coops, establishing home gardening plots and organising a weekend chicken training workshop for locals.

The volunteers were also involved in starting a community shop, working with local partners to advertise job opportunities, teaching English and planting trees to combat climate change. Sustainability was essential to the project, ensuring locals would be able to run the youth clubs themselves and continue accessing enough resources to be able to continue improving their quality of life. The programme allowed Emily to immerse herself fully in Cambodian culture, living with a local family and being accepted into the local community. Living with a family whose father had moved to South Korea to work also emphasised the importance of the work she and the other volunteers were doing to provide local opportunities so that families would not have to be separated in order for one of them to earn a living. Not only did the project benefit the local community, but both the UK and national volunteers were able to learn about each other’s cultures and work together to make a difference in a country that suffers from many injustices and inequalities. Emily was particularly grateful to the Catenians for their generous support, which enabled her to take part in this life-changing experience.

Alan Mordue, nominated the Pauline Books and Media for Retail Group of the Year at the Christian Resources Together Conference in Swanwick. To the sisters’ suprise, the nomination was greatly supported by members from the predominantly Evangelical /Anglican group and the sisters won! The award, sponsored by the Good Book Company, is to acknowledge a store within a group or chain that has demonstrated a commitment to retailing through bricks and mortar and other channels, which includes, among other things, good business practice expressed through: originality and creativity in presentation and marketing activity, ministry impact, customer care, community involvement, and staff development. The sisters are delighted with this award because of its ecumenical recognition of their ministry in supporting Christians of all denominations. Pauline Books & Media is a not-for-profit organisation, run by the Daughters of St Paul. Their main objective is to communicate the Good News of Jesus Christ to the world

Sr Lalaine Lilio, Manager of Pauline Books & Media, Kensington, with Sales Director of SPCK Alan Mordue and Sr Angela Grant, Superior of the Daughters of St Paul in the UK

with the media of social communication. The Daughters of St Paul, were founded in Italy in 1915, and came to the UK in 1955. There are just over 2,000 sisters in 52 countries. Their founder, Blessed James Alberione, was inspired by Pope Leo XIII’s encyclical Tametsi Futura, which concerned evangelising the world in the face of an uncertain future. In the century where the history of moving films was beginning, Fr Alberione decided to use all these new media for good, for the Gospel.

Today the sisters are known all over the world for their book and media centres, as they are here. In other parts of the world they are known for their work in publishing, radio and television, media education, and certainly now in social media. Their centre on High Street Kensington has recently been refurbished, and this award comes as a culmination of long years serving the people of Westminster and beyond, through the book centres and publications, and also in their daily prayer for the people of God.

Retreat Centre Manager £35,000 pa (+ accommodation) A non-residential option may be considered with a salary £45,000 Permanent full-time contract SPEC, the youth Retreat Centre for the Diocese of Westminster located in Pinner (Middlesex), wish to appoint a Retreat Centre Manager. This is an exciting opportunity for a practising Catholic with passion for and commitment to working with young people and their faith formation to shape their future and the future of the Church. The successful candidate will maintain and develop the mission of SPEC as a Diocesan Retreat Centre. In collaboration with the Diocesan Youth Chaplain she/he will be responsible for development of a stimulating youth retreat programme and a volunteer formation programme for live-in volunteers. In addition to marketing, financial and budgetary responsibilities the appointee will manage and develop the grounds and buildings to meet the requirements of a range of activities and functions. The role is subject to satisfactory references and an enhanced check by Disclosure and Baring Service. Hours of work: 35 hours per week residential over 5 days including evenings and weekends. Non-residential considered. Closing date: 9 am, 22 October 2018 Interviews date: Week commencing 5 November 2018 For a full job description of the role and application form, please visit the job vacancies section of our website at www.rcdow.org.uk

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Westminster Record | October 2018

A Clear Vision for Marriage

A Ripple of Joy from the World Meeting of Families

Marriage preparation is a journey, and should be approached as ‘an expression of welcome and solidarity’, said Cardinal Vincent in his keynote address at the World Meeting of Families in Dublin on 23rd August. Unfolding the vision of the Church for married couples, he said: ‘We strive to offer a warm welcome, and a clear vision, to those who seek to be married. That vision includes our teaching about marriage, how it is rooted in the love of God and is to be an expression of the faithfulness and fruitfulness of God’s love. We have a vision of marriage being intertwined with the love Christ has for his Church, a love which includes sacrifice, forgiveness and healing. Our teaching is a rich vision that informs all that we want to share with those who are starting out on married life.’ Acknowledging that ‘marriage has become a very “private” thing’ in many places, he said that ‘Catholic families, and as the Church, we want to embrace this moment, helping couples to see the wider richness of the step they are taking, and making clear our hopes and dreams for couples in their grace-filled calling to marriage and family life’. He went on to outline some of the characteristics of good marriage preparation, such as the role the parish can play ‘in our shared responsibility to welcome and accompany families, stressing the witness of other families, particularly for couples who come knocking at the presbytery door asking to be married’. He stressed the importance of prayer and humility: ‘we must remember that the Holy Spirit has been before us and will continue to accompany that couple in their lives.’ He emphasised that everyone ‘comes to a marriage bearing wounds, large and small from their past’ and that these and ‘many other sorrows can be soothed and transformed by this new and lasting relationship, supported by our love and prayer’. The Cardinal also highlighted the importance of communication for ‘keeping a

by Roger Carr-Jones, Marriage and Family Life Coordinator

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relationship open and healthy’, and to ‘reach the hearts of young people and appeal to their capacity for generosity, inviting them to take up the challenge of their vocation with enthusiasm, courage and heroism’. In helping them ‘discover the vocation they are receiving from God’, he asked: ‘Can we as companions help the couple discern the deeper reasons that will keep them together in married life?’ He explained that marriage preparation seeks ‘to balance the call to love each other with the innate call to welcome the gift of children, and there is a fruitfulness in both of these forms of generous love (cf AL151). What we can offer is a fuller vision, deepened through giving oneself and living for the other.’ The wedding liturgy provides another opportunity in the process of preparation, he explained. It ‘gathers together, expresses and blesses everything we believe about marriage: the commitment to a faithful, lifelong and fruitful union, utterly graced by God from beginning to end’. ‘Many couples have said that the preparation for the wedding ceremony was a powerful moment for them. We have a great opportunity here to help young couples to be alert to this experience of liturgy, to be able to touch and nourish them in years ahead. Looking again at the wedding photographs can renew those moments of grace, as well as raise a bemused smile or two!’

After the wedding, the couple’s ‘vocation is beginning and the role of pastoral accompaniment remains vital,’ added the Cardinal. In practice, he explained that this might include efforts to ensure the ‘parish is intentionally welcoming’, providing moments when marriage is celebrated, teaching couples to pray together and remembering that ‘marriage preparation, in the widest sense, begins at birth!’ He emphasised that ‘there is no such thing as an “average” or even “normal” marriage. Every one is different. And all will have within them times or areas of difficulty and difference. Sources of support for couples and families are often needed.’ He concluded by speaking of fragility and brokenness: ‘Many are tempted to ask: “Can I be broken, fragile, and holy?” Yes. We may indeed carry a deep sense of failure, guilt or shame. We may judge ourselves to be unworthy. This is what we bring to the Lord, for holiness is his business. We are recipients, receivers of his mercy and therefore of his holiness. Pope Francis affirms that all of family life can be a “shepherding in mercy” (AL322), and in that way powerfully reflects the truth of our loving Father. Today, this is often our biggest challenge.’ The full text of the Cardinal’s address is available on our website at http://bit.ly/WMFKeynote

One of the joys of being the Marriage and Family Life Coordinator is that, despite my not being physically able to join others at the World Meeting of Families (WMF), I can share in its joy and success. Together, we can experience its transformative effect through listening to the testimonies of those who were there and through making its messages our own. So, whether we were attendees, or looked on from afar, we are jointly commissioned in communicating the Church’s teaching on the Family: a ‘gift to the world’, as Archbishop Eamon Martin so beautifully said. Now that the venues in Dublin have been restored to normality, the fruits remain to be savoured and the real work begun. Each one of us, as family members of the Church, is now being called to proclaim The Gospel of the Family – Joy for the World! My prayer is that those who were lucky enough to attend from our diocese are already sharing with others the ways in which this occasion has been transformative to them on a personal level, and how they are now better able to understand their individual family unit in its wider context of the family of the Church. The more voices that are heard in the coming weeks the greater the transformative effect on ourselves and the lives of our parishes. To assist this process, I suggest that a useful image is to think about the effect of casting a single stone onto the surface of a pond: the resulting ripples change the nature and structure of the water. If a single stone has this effect on the nature of the pond, then each of our participants, in their different ways, will become a pebble in their local church, in the church-based organisations they belong to and in the wider world. Combined they will stir us all up just as the ripples of the World Meeting of Families are now lapping on many shores,

and making changes to many lives. In the same way we now need to do our bit. Pope Francis, as ever, put it very succinctly in his homily at Phoenix Park when he instructed his listeners, that mean you and me, to ‘share the Gospel of the family as joy for the world!’ This theme of encountering joy is wonderfully expressed in Bishop Nicholas’ personal account. For him, the pearl from the WMF was joy, which underpinned every single aspect of this occasion. This is a message worth sharing. Joy is a commodity much needed in our lives and in our world. Joy as we know from experience is best enjoyed when it is shared. The Joy of the Christian understanding of the family is therefore not something to keep silent about; we need to get out and celebrate it! The Church tells us that the family is ‘the principal cell or building block of human society’. It is our offering to the world and one that exposes the false notions of family being cultivated by those who fail to fully comprehend its depth and substance.

I was there on Saturday and Sunday and enjoyed the visit enormously and feel very privileged to live in an age when we can share these wonderful events worldwide. I was fortunate to see Pope Francis at Aras an Uachtarain in Phoenix Park and attend the concert at Croke Park. There are so many happy memories of the whole event. It was certainly very encouraging for the future.

Anne from St George’s Parish, Sudbury Follow us on Instagram at: @rcwestminster

Westminster Record | October 2018

My Pilgrimage to the World ‘The joy of love experienced by families is also the joy of the Church’ Meeting of Families by Bishop Nicholas Hudson

by Sr Clement Doran

‘The joy of love experienced by families is also the joy of the Church.’ So begins Amoris Laetitia. These are heartwarming words which seemed to find deeply eloquent expression in the World Meeting of Families in Dublin. It felt like three days of the best possible in-service in the Church’s vision of marriage and family life. Joy indeed underpinned the whole event, a joy which climaxed in the Pope’s arrival for the Festival of Families, a marvellous celebration of dance, music and, most powerful of all, the testimony of one family after another to the joy of love experienced in their Catholic families. It was also a marvellous antidote to the pain experienced by all Catholics this summer at continued revelations of abuse by clergy and others of the very gift of sexuality. One particularly powerful antidote came in the exposition by Cardinal Maradiaga on the ‘Revolution of Tenderness’ to which Pope Francis has called the Church from the start of his pontificate. The Cardinal reminded us that the Pope described the family, in Evangelii Gaudium, in fact, as ‘the place of tenderness’ (72). The Cardinal helped us to see the significance of this when we understand that the messianic call to reach out to those in need arises from nothing less than the tender love which is at the heart of God. In the family, we learn that tenderness is not weakness, therefore, but the strength to call things by their true name; and that means naming the different expressions of mercy which are required of us. It was painful but good to attend the workshop on ‘Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults’, to hear the testimony of survivors and of parents who are concerned for the safeguarding of their children from such abuse, and also to hear affirmed by Baroness Hollins the strides made in England and Wales with its guidelines for the

I am very happy to share with you some personal reflections on the World Meeting of Families, hosted by Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, in August. Thankfully, it coincided with my visit to our retired priests in Ireland and my holidays, and the fact that my sister was a volunteer at all the events was a bonus. These observations do not aim to set out a summary of this significant celebration or an assessment of the event, just some memories that will stay with me for a long time. The first thing that stood out for me was not so much a multitude of words about family life but above all else the witness of the many families I met in Dublin last month. They came from everywhere; they came in all shapes and sizes. We met in queues and in coffee shops. Across the road the Poor Clare Sisters opened their doors to everyone and families came and went in silence to their tiny Chapel. I went to pray but found myself distracted watching parents showing their children how to bless themselves and be silent in front of the Blessed Sacrament. At times I had to think about where I was, as there were so many Westminster people mulling around. Cardinal Vincent, Bishop Nicholas Hudson, Arbhbishop Bernard Longley from Birmingham, Bishop Mark O’Toole from Plymouth were also there with their groups, as were bishops and staff from the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, all engaging with families. It was such a joy to have personal encounters with parents, children and grandparents: just human sharing in the warm and safe environment of faith in Dublin. Cardinal Tagle of the Philippines, in his presentation captured in his own words the humanity of the event and the good humour of this graceful gathering. His talk managed to link issues with the lived experience of the families in their local communities in Ireland and

protection of children and vulnerable adults. We were seven bishops present from England; and I think we felt rather proud to see our own national Marriage and Family Life Team present a vision for ‘Marriage Preparation in the light of Amoris Laetitia’. One particular insight of Amoris Laetitia given there and which will stay with me is that ‘it is ... essential that couples be helped during the first years of their married life’ (217). In other words, a couple marrying in our parish church is a call to us as parish community to support them in their new commitment, because, after all, as one participant chose to put it, ‘I get married to you not because I love you but in order to marry you’! This workshop was beautifully complemented by Cardinal Vincent’s keynote address on ‘Support and Preparation for Marriage in the light of Amoris Laetitia’, a highlight for countless participants. We were proud as well to hear Archbishop Longley chair a discussion on ‘The Logic of Complementarity: why Mothers and Fathers matter in Amoris Laetitia’: to hear affirmed that ‘every child has the right to receive love from a mother and a father’ (172); and, very significantly, the truth that ‘the Church is good for the family and the family is good for the Church.’ (87). Each day concluded with a moving and impressive celebration of Mass in the huge arena. But the experience that

will stay with me the longest was a workshop on ‘Supporting Families with Special Needs’. This gave powerful articulation to the conviction of Amoris Laetitia that ‘people with disabilities are a gift for the family.’ (47). This truth was movingly affirmed by the presence on stage of a family of five, including their child Maeve, who is sixteen and has both physical and learning disabilities. The family recounted how leaving hospital with a child with learning disabilities felt like the beginning of a long, lonely journey; they wished someone would come from the Church to tell them what to do but no one did. They made that journey, however, from believing Maeve’s birth to be a disaster to realising she was the greatest gift they had ever received. And it was their Catholic faith, said Maeve’s mother, which helped them make that journey, ‘from passion and crucifixion to the resurrection and light.’ Then Maeve spoke for herself, using a voice-synthesiser to affirm her love for life. Maeve became a regular companion for me those days in Dublin. She and her family announced for me, more powerfully than anyone else there, the ‘Revolution of Tenderness’ which is at the heart of God and of his Kingdom and at the heart of Amoris Laetitia. ‘I will hold your people in my heart’, we like to sing. I certainly hold Maeve and her family in mine.

further afield. Each day the liturgies were celebrated beautifully, the music was reflective and uplifting, and the participation of the people inspiring. Bombay Archbishop Cardinal Gracias’ message was: ‘Families can learn much from the life of the Church and at the same time The Church has a lot to learn from families, about how to be welcoming and compassionate.’ Each day speakers reflected on the World Meeting of Families theme, ‘The Gospel of The Family, Joy for The World’, chosen by Pope Francis, with workshops, talks, testimonies and discussion programmes for young people and fun activities for the children. On Saturday 25th August the gathering moved to Croke Park for the Festival of Families in the presence of Pope Francis. It was breath-taking in its atmosphere and content. The Holy Father gave a powerful catechesis on family and faith. For one moment, it seemed that he was our local priest, a kindly priest sharing his wisdom and pastoral experiences with enthusiasm and joy. What none of us knew while listening to his address was that the Holy Father had come directly to the Festival of Families after ninety minutes with survivors and sexual abuse victims. The following day Pope Francis celebrated Mass in Phoenix Park bringing the World Meeting of Families to a close. A highlight for me was to see to see Bishop Pat O’Donoghue, a former Auxiliary Bishop of this diocese and Bishop Emeritus of Lancaster, whom I had visited in hospital the week before in Cork. He had recovered and travelled on a coach from Cork early that morning, sitting in his wheelchair in the front row. Another highlight was seeing my own Bishop Richard Moth from Arundel and Brighton with his group of pilgrims. The gathering of families was a tangible experience of ‘love in the heart of the Church’ and a reminder that, wherever our families gather in faith, the heart of the Church beats with love. Page 9

Westminster Record | October 2018

St Cuthbert Mayne: Protomartyr of Douai College by Fr Nicholas Schofield, Diocesan Archivist

Page 10

near Barnstaple (Devon) in 1544, the son of a farmer. He was educated at the local grammar school and then in Oxford, at St Alban’s Hall and St John’s College. Ordained as an Anglican minister, he served the living of Huntshaw (Devon), thanks to his uncle’s influence, and then returned to his college of St John’s as chaplain, where he was highly regarded by Catholics and Protestants alike. Here he was influenced by Catholic-minded fellows, in particular St Edmund Campion (the future martyr) and Gregory Martin (one of the translators of the Douai Bible). Mayne eventually embraced the Catholic faith, fled Oxford and boarded a boat that would take him to the newly-founded English College, Douai. Here he was ordained a Catholic priest on 7th February 1575. Like so many of the English Martyrs, his priestly ministry in England was tragically short. Employed as chaplain by Sir Francis Tregian, the nephew of Sir John Arundell (the leading Cornish Catholic), he lived at Golden Manor near Probus, five miles east of Truro. He celebrated Mass here and at Lanherne, the home of the Arundells, and visited the scattered Catholics in the area. In 1577 the Archbishop of Canterbury, Edmund Grindal, was asked by the queen to suppress Puritan religious exercises known as ‘prophesyings’, which were seen as politically subversive. Grindal had evangelical leanings and refused to follow the royal order, which eventually resulted in his house arrest. Instead, he commissioned a survey of recusants to show the queen that the real danger lay with Catholics who refused to attend church. It listed one and a half thousand names, including future martyrs such as St John Paine and St Margaret Clitherow, and it was around this time, as attitudes towards recusants hardened, that Mayne was arrested at Golden. The raid on this remote manor was an elaborate affair, involving at least eight JPs and a hundred armed men, but it was

not purely a religious matter. The new sheriff of the county was Sir Richard Grenville, described by historian AL Rowse as ‘hot-tempered, determined, energetic, harsh’, though often remembered as a swashbuckling seafarer and privateer, the captain of The Revenge. Grenville was actually searching for a fugitive, one Anthony Bourne, but was only too happy to have the opportunity to strike at Arundell and Tregian, both of whom had threatened his business interests by serving on a piracy commission. Rowse depicts this as a struggle of ‘men of inland interests against those of the sea’, religious faith being used as an extra means of attack. Mayne was discovered in a locked room and arrested, along with his employer and several others. On his person was found a waxen Agnus Dei, a devotional item that had been blessed by the pope, and among his papers a papal bull, a rather inoffensive one which, since it announced the indulgences of the Holy Year of 1575, had long expired. Nevertheless, it was a prohibited document in the eyes of English law. Mayne was held in chains at Launceston Castle for five months and charged with obtaining and publishing a papal bull, denying the Queen’s supremacy, possessing a ‘vain sign and superstitious thing called an Agnus Dei’ and celebrating Mass at Golden. He was condemned to death at the Michaelmas Assizes and on St Andrew’s Day 1577 dragged to the town square on market day, not far from the church of St Mary Magdalen. A modern plaque on the pavement stands on the site of the unusually high gallows, erected as a ‘terror to the papists’. When he was cut down to be quartered, he fell heavily onto the scaffold, causing (according to one account) one of his eyes to be dislodged, and thus was mercifully insensible to the torture of being disembowelled. His quarters were displayed at Barnstaple, Bodmin, Wadebridge and Tregony (near Golden), and his head impaled

over the castle gate. This was retrieved by sympathisers and kept as one of the great treasures of the Arundell family; it is now at Lanherne. St Cuthbert Mayne was the first of the seminary priests to be martyred. A few weeks later, in early 1578, he would be followed by two other alumni of Douai: Blessed John Nelson and Blessed Thomas Sherwood (the nephew of Tregian). Mayne is remembered in the Catholic church at Launceston. In 1921 the first pilgrimage in his honour was organized, with an impressive procession with the saint’s relic through the streets of Launceston to the place of his martyrdom. More recently this has been organized every three years, often with the involvement of other churches, but still known locally as ‘Catholic Sunday’. As St Cuthbert Mayne prayed beside the gallows, he must have hoped that the religious violence would end and that people’s hearts would be converted. The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.

Launceston, ‘the gateway to Cornwall, is a charming town situated two miles west of the river Tamar, the natural border that almost makes Cornwall into an island. Launceston was an important thoroughfare and base of power; dominated by the imposing Norman castle (now in ruins), it has been the location of a mint and (until 1835) the county town. The town is perhaps best known for one of the most astonishing of Cornish churches, St Mary Magdalen, just by the market square. At a distance it does not look particularly imposing but the outside walls of granite, one of the hardest of rocks, is intricately carved. John Betjemin thought it ‘looks, at first glance, almost like a Hindu temple in the elaboration of its decoration.’ The church was built between 1511 and 1524, just before the Reformation. Within the lifetime of its builders and masons, society would be torn apart by religious changes. Those who differed from the status quo found themselves the victims of persecution and the dungeons of Launceston Castle were inhabited by several notable religious prisoners. They covered the whole spectrum of belief. In 1555, during the reign of Mary I, Agnes Prest was incarcerated here for a time; she was found guilty of denying the Real Presence and taken to Exeter to be burnt at the stake. Exactly a century later it was the turn of George Fox, the Quaker founder. When he refused to pay a fine for not removing his hat in the presence of the judge, he was taken to the small cell at Launceston known as ‘Doomsdale’. He later wrote that this was ‘a nasty stinking place where they said few people came out alive; where they used to put witches and murderers before their execution; where the prisoner’s excrements had not been carried out for scores of years.’ It was here that our own St Cuthbert Mayne, ‘protomartyr of Douai college and all the seminaries’, was held before his execution in 1577. Mayne was a West Countryman, born at Youlston

This image of St Cuthbert Mayne is housed in the Ushaw College in Durham.

This article appeared originally in The Catholic Times on 7th July 2018 and is reprinted with kind permission.

Formation for Parish Ministry Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion and Ministers of the Word Ministers already commissioned or appointed in their parishes are invited to take part in two days of training course specific to their ministry, plus one day of prayer and reflection. This programme is available in two central locations. In addition, two initial taster sessions are offered for those who feel called or have been invited to exercise one these ministries, and/or who want to learn more about lay ministry. These sessions will take place at Vaughan House.

Speakers: Sr Anne Walsh OP and Sr Karen Marguerite d’Artois OP

For further information, dates, and to book, please visit rcdow.org.uk/faith or email livingfaith@rcdow.org.uk

Westminster Record | October 2018

Walking La Francigena

by Sue Girvan On Monday, 14th May, having flown in from Heathrow the previous day, 29 members of St Luke’s Parish, Pinner, including their Parish Priest Canon Robert Plourde and Father Hugh Preston SDB, left Montefiascone to walk 80+ miles aiming to reach St Peter’s Square in Rome six days later where another eight parishioners who had flown out for the weekend would be waiting to greet them. Walking distances ranged from 11 to 15 miles each day with the sun shining (all but one day when thunder storms were threatened) and various terrain was covered: rural landscapes with many steep hills, fields laden with scarlet poppies, vineyards, olive groves, hazelnut plantations were all part of the beauty experienced. The streams full of clear running water high up in the woods leading into Sutri on the third day could only be crossed by holding on to home-made railings which was a real team effort, whilst circumnavigating some of the large, deep puddles en route to

La Storta presented a dilemma between wet feet or a slightly longer walk. We reached the centre of St Peter’s Square as planned on 19th May, the day of the Royal Wedding. A much needed restful three days followed at the beautiful Villa Palazzola with wonderful views over Lake Albano from where the pilgrims were taken by coach to places of interest, including a guided tour around St Peter’s, a picnic in the Borghese Gardens followed by a visit to the Basilica of St Mary Major and Mass in Cardinal Vincent’s Titular Church of San Alfonso with the icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Every evening the pilgrimage Mass was celebrated by Canon Robert and Father Hugh in different churches and chapels in the villages and towns where the pilgrims were staying. In 2008 many parishioners walked the Camino de Santiago de Compostella. So, once recovered from La Francigena, the question at St Luke’s is: where in 2022?

Joining the 'stream of faith' in Walsingham Ahead of the Feast of Our Lady of Walsingham, Cardinal Vincent led the annual diocesan pilgrimage to the Catholic National Shrine of Walsingham on Saturday 22nd September. The theme for this year’s pilgrimage was the ‘Family as Joy for the World’, following on from the World Meeting of Families in Dublin and from the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage and Congress in Liverpool. Over 700 pilgrims from parishes around the diocese gathered for Mass at the Basilica of Our Lady, celebrated by the Cardinal, Bishop John Sherrington and priests representing all parts of the diocese. During his homily the Cardinal explained that going on pilgrimage to Walsingham joins us to a great 'stream of faith'. This flow of faith connects us all in the mercy of God. Just as St Bede writes about Jesus looking at Matthew with the eyes of mercy and choosing him, added the Cardinal, so God looks at us with the eyes of mercy and chooses us all to hear his word and put it into action. This stream of faith, of being chosen by God's mercy, is what connects us to St Matthew and to Our Lady who sits at the foot of the cross and invites us to look at the wounds of Christ. After Mass Cardinal Vincent led the procession from the Slipper Chapel along the Holy

Mile, with pilgrims singing hymns and reciting the Rosary. The procession made its way to the Abbey grounds, where the pilgrims gathered for Exposition and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, with

Bishop John conferring Benediction. The liturgy ended with the Cardinal bestowing a special blessing on all families invoking the intercession of Our Lady.

Archbishop Romero ro Trust in conjunction with the Catholic Bishops’ hops’ Confer Conference of England & Wales Wales

Saint Oscaar Romero National Thanksgivin ng Mass to celebrate the life, martyrdom and canonisation of Oscar Romero

on Saturday y November 3rd 3r at 12.30 in St George’ e’’ss Cathedral, Southwark, k, London SE1 7HY Celebrant: Arch hbishop Peter Smith Preacher: Archbishop bishop Bernard Ber Longley A celebratory drink rink in the Amigo Hall afterwar afterwards ALL ARE WELCOME COME

contact: romerotrust@gmail.com st@gmail.com website: www ww.romerotrust.org.uk

Archbishop Romero Trust registered charity no:1110069

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Westminster Record | October 2018

‘The Eucharist makes the Church fresh every day’ Cardinal Vincent gave the following reflection at Adoration and Benediction on the second day of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage and Congress at the Echo Arena in Liverpool.

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We are here in the presence of Jesus in this Most Blessed Sacrament. He is always I attended presentations on present to us. But here we can preparing children for the see, touch, even taste that sacraments of initiation, Presence in the Bread which is teaching children to pray before its sign and sacramental the Eucharist, and the ministry reality. Bread. Bread given, and practice of Extraordinary and received, so that we can Ministers of Holy Communion. have life. Others attended sessions on the This Sacrament is the historical, liturgical, musical presence of Jesus in the very act and ecumenical dimensions of of him giving himself totally for the Eucharist. us. Remember: Then he took Then we had to move pretty some bread and said ‘This is smartly up the hill to the My Body given for you’ (Lk Metropolitan Cathedral. Again, 22:19). And so it is, to this very a first for me. I find myself moment. surprisingly captivated by the He gave his body, his entire colour and the space, the glass self, so that we may live. It is and the light of this iconic the Bread of Life (John 6:34). building. Following Sung He gave himself, in death, so as Vespers, Bishop Byrne presided to absorb all the anger of our and preached at Mass. hearts, like a sponge soaks up It was 8.15pm by the time we water. He gave himself to take left the cathedral. It had been a away the sins of the world. My full day. Tucking into tapas, we sin, our sin. He alone can do were looking forward with this. He alone is not crushed by eager anticipation to what lay this reality of evil because he ahead. alone is truly God and truly Copies of the Adoremus also one of us. In his power of presentations can be found at catholicnews.org.uk/Home/Sp God he overcomes; in his humanity he takes us into that ecial-Events/AdoremusNational-Eucharistic-Pilgrimage victory. Today we come before him Or you can listen to the talks at knowing our failings, sensing http://www.shalomworldtv.or the anger in many hearts, g/adoremus#latest-episodes knowing the face of evil. I feel this with great keenness, and This is the first in a series of three sadness, for the failings of my articles. Fr Mark will continue his fellow bishops are there for all reflection on the Eucharistic to see. As bishops we are bound Pilgrimage and Congress in the to each other. As one of this next two editions. Page 12

proclaim the Gospel to all creation.’ (Mark 16:15). Every one of the gifts he gives us is to be shared. He caresses us with his mercy, so that we may be merciful to others; he heals, so that we may heal; strengthens so that we may strengthen others; fills us with his unique joy so that through us that joy infects the whole world. In this Eucharist, this Thanksgiving, lies the source of our mission. From this Adoration we run forth, wanting, longing to share with others this great secret outpouring of life and goodness which has been disclosed to us. There is no true mission in the Church that does not start here, in prayer, before the Lord. Tomorrow we will walk the streets of this city in our Procession of the Blessed Sacrament. We will carry this visible, sacramental reality of the life-giving death of Jesus into our world. There is not

one iota of triumphalism or pride in our steps. In many ways ours is a penitential procession for we are focused on Jesus whom we have crucified. Yet we walk with a humble joy for he takes our failure, cruelty and deceit and overcomes it all with his love and mercy. He is our salvation and it is our humble joy to let his face be seen, his face of tender compassion and hope for our broken world. Sweet Sacrament Divine -in thy far depths doth shine thy Godhead’s majesty Sweet Sacrament Divine -in thine ear all trustfully we tell our tale of misery Sweet Sacrament Divine -save us, lest we sink beneath the waves Sweet Sacrament Divine -earth’s life and jubilee We praise you, we thank you, we adore you.

College of bishops, I come before the Lord with little to offer; only to ask for a share in his new life. I come as a beggar, seeking forgiveness, laying the load of the hurt, damage and mistrust we have caused at the foot of the cross. Please join me in this, for me, for the Church, for yourselves, too. The Lord is here, waiting for us to come, so that he may embrace, comfort and restore us. His presence here, in this Blessed Sacrament, is the work of God’s Holy Spirit, poured out by the will of the Father, in response to our pleading, a pleading uttered by the Church through the words and actions of the priest. In many places an image of the Holy Spirit is to be seen above the altar, for it is through the creative action of the Holy Spirit that this Sacrament of the Altar is brought about. This is the ‘creator Spirit’, the Spirit who hovered over the original chaos and brought forth an ordered world: the cosmos (Genesis 1:2). This is the Holy Spirit who recreates with a fountain of new life flowing from the Risen Christ. This Spirit works within our lives to bring about the holiness which is the Father’s plan for each of us. Because of this work of recreation by the Holy Spirit we can say that at every celebration of Mass, the Church is made new again. Yes, the Eucharist makes the Church afresh, each day! And as we stand so much in need of renewal, here, in this Sacrament, we come to its source. Lord, create in us a new heart. Give us a new spirit in which to know you more clearly and love you more dearly. Recreate your Church, the visible Body of your Son, so that we may bring joy not grief, trust not betrayal, love not anger in the hearts of all people, especially your poor and little ones. In our silence and prayer we ask the Lord to gather us in, to heal our wounds, to bind us to himself. Yes, Yes, he says. But he also whispers to us, firmly, ‘Go out to the whole world;

Westminster Record | October 2018

‘The Lord is calling you to go out and bear witness’

On the second day of Adoremus, Archbishop Edward Joseph Adams, Apostolic Nuncio to Great Britain, conveyed the Pope’s message of greeting and blessing to all gathered at the Echo Arena. Here is the message in full: I send warm greetings to all of you taking part in the National Pilgrimage and Eucharistic Congress in Liverpool, assuring you of my affection and communion in prayer as you assemble in prayer for this gathering, the first such event in over a century. The history of the Church in your lands is marked in no small part by the central place that countless saints have given to the sacrifice of the Mass. These holy men and women, sometimes even to the point of shedding their blood, have given steadfast and eloquent witness in devotion to the Blessed Eucharist, your martyr forebears in particular, whose sufferings speak not so much of human cruelty as of the serenity and strength of God’s grace given in the face of trials. They are rightly to be venerated and the Church in England and Wales must never lose sight of their precious memory. Remaining faithful to that spiritual legacy requires more than an act of remembrance. You must continue to bear witness to the same Lord and same precious gift of the Eucharist today, for past glories are always a beginning, not an end. The Lord is calling you still to go out and bear witness. I pray that, through a greater participation in the sacrificial gift of Jesus in the form of bread and wine, you may all be sustained in faith and renewed in joyful missionary discipleship. Indeed, to be a

joyful disciple takes root in the knowledge that we are loved by God. The Eucharist is a privileged place where this divine love flows abundantly to soothe and refresh the souls of the faithful. The disciple’s joy also entails a responsibility, a vocation, to follow the Lord in service to the poor, for a Christian cannot think of his or her mission on earth without seeing it as a path of holiness. By virtue of our baptism, each of us is called to care for the vulnerable of the earth. As you meditate on this link of faith affirmed by Adoration of the Eucharist and love for others, I encourage all of you to open your hearts with generosity. With a deeper awareness of the Real Presence of Christ among us, may each of you hear afresh the summons of the Lord to share this saving joy in practical concern for the material and spiritual needs of the poorest of our brothers and sisters. Aware that the life of Christian discipleship brings with it unique challenges and calls for great selflessness, especially in humble service to those most in need, I invite all of you to trust in the power of the Holy Sacrifice, for Christ’s Passover is the definitive victory over death. If we receive him with faith, we, too, can truly love God and neighbour. We can love as he loved, as he loved us, by giving our life to others. I pray that the bishops, clergy, religious and lay faithful, as they come to adore the Lord who is the Bread of Life, will be inspired to enter more deeply into the mystery of Christ and his saving death and Resurrection made manifest in the Eucharist, and become ever more aware of God’s love proclaimed in the celebration of Holy Mass. On this special occasion, I entrust all taking part in the Congress and their families to the maternal intercession of Our Lady of Walsingham, and I cordially impart my apostolic blessing as a pledge of peace and joy in Christ the Lord.

London’s very own Adoremus

by Alex Dimminger, Shrine Administrator, Corpus Christi Shrine Adoremus: the Eucharistic Congress marked a beginning in the revitalisation of Eucharistic devotion in this country. How beautiful it was to see hundreds of people processing through the streets of Liverpool behind Our Blessed Lord, truly present in the most Blessed Sacrament! For those unable to travel to Liverpool, there was a day of Adoration here at Corpus Christi, Maiden Lane which is also the Diocesan Shrine of the

Blessed Sacrament on Saturday 8th September. It was a particularly beautiful surprise to see a group of people standing outside, waiting for the doors to open at 7am. The church was filled with people coming and going, spending either a few minutes in silent Adoration, or even several hours. Fortuitously, the day coincided with the Nativity of our Blessed Mother and so we were able to celebrate this feast as well, with Mass at noon,

celebrated by Dom Hugh Somerville-Knapman OSB, a Benedictine monk of Douai Abbey. The church was overflowing with people and Dom Hugh reminded us in his homily that it is ‘in Mary’s flesh the Word becomes flesh’ and that ‘Mary [was] the first tabernacle of Christ’s Body and Blood’. It is part of the Shrine’s vocation to encourage a greater devotion and love of Christ. Beside the daily Holy Hour here, we have founded the Sodality of the Blessed Sacrament. This confraternity now has several hundred members from all over the world, from New Zealand to Colombia. The sodality meets on the first Thursday of each month at 6.30pm for Mass and Adoration. The Masses are offered for the intentions of members and there is a different guest preacher who offers some reflections on different aspects of the Blessed Sacrament. For those unable to attend the Masses, there is a monthly newsletter which has the homilies in full, as well as other articles on the Mass and the Eucharist. What better way to honour our Lord, than by praying with hundreds of other Catholics around the world in quiet devotion of this, his greatest gift to us? You can find out more about the sodality and join online at www.sodality.co.uk.

Adoremus in Harrow Years 4, 5 and 6 pupils from St John Fisher Primary School, Pinner, took part in a Blessed Sacrament Procession led by Fr Graham Stokes from St John Fisher Church, North Harrow. It encouraged pupils to develop a deeper understanding of the place of the Eucharist in the life of the Church. Pupils are learning to show devotion towards the Presence of the Lord Jesus in the Eucharist. Our altar servers and Catholic Life Ambassadors helped prepare four altars to represent earth, wind, fire and water and readings were done at each altar.

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Westminster Record | October 2018

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Westminster Record | October 2018

‘The Lord is calling you to go out and bear witness’

London’s very own Adoremus

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Westminster Record | October 2018

The Life and Times of a Prison Chaplain by Fr Stephen Coker

For the last 11 years I have been a full time Prison Chaplain, five years spent at HMP Highdown (Banstead, Surrey) and subsequently six years at HMP Pentonville which is near Kings Cross and has just passed its 175th anniversary. When I was first ordained in 1996, I worked with people with mental health difficulties which later helped me with my work in prisons. Attached to Feltham parish, I began ministry in prisons by helping out at Feltham Young Offenders. I’ll never forget the first time I went into prison and the electronic doors slid shut behind me. The thought flashed through my mind, am I ever going to get out of here? Eventually, my time in a mental health project came to an end and I felt I had a calling to the prison ministry. I started at HMP Highdown. Like Pentonville, Highdown was a category B local prison which, unlike Pentonville, was a modern, purpose-built prison for those on remand and those serving short sentences. Prison is a very different sort of ministry. Chaplains are employed by the Civil Service with permission of the Bishop so are subject to line management and work in a multi-faith chaplaincy team. Chaplains of all faiths work very closely together. I have been very fortunate to work in excellent teams with very supportive colleagues. What do chaplains do all day apart from drinking lots of Page 14

tea and coffee? My day usually started early and, by 8am, I was catching up on e-mail and answering phone messages before attending the Governor’s morning meeting at 9am for senior staff/department heads. This was an opportunity to receive the report of the previous days incidents from the duty managers on staffing levels and events for the coming day. It gave me a feel for the mood of the prison and what was going on as well as a chance to see colleagues from all over the prison. Chaplains have to do statutory duties; all new prisoners, all those in healthcare and those who have been segregated (either for their own protection or for breaking the rules) have to be visited daily by a chaplain. These tasks are divided out between the chaplains on duty. After that there is time for other work, such as visiting prisoners who had requested to see me, hearing Confessions and some administrative work. Additionally, those on suicide/self-harm watch are visited by their faith chaplain weekly. There are various meetings to attend, such as suicide and self-harm prevention, reviewing those prisoners who had been segregated and meetings with outside agencies, e.g., Irish Chaplaincy. The work was never boring and I was never quite sure when a Catholic prisoner asked to see a chaplain (usually spelt wrongly) what it would be about. I have had everything, from someone wanting to kill themselves through to someone wanting to know what to do with their washing and everything in between. Part of the job is knowing what you can and can’t deal with. For example, I never got involved in legal matters as I had no expertise. A chaplain was usually in the office answering the phone, often from concerned relatives and also from staff requesting we visit prisoners.

As a Catholic team what do we offer? Turnover of prisoners in both prisons where I ministered was on average only eight weeks, although some were there a lot longer; it is like an everchanging congregation. I offered the sacraments including a well-attended Sunday Mass, plenty of Confessions and a weekly Eucharistic service for vulnerable prisoners who were separated, usually by the nature of their offence or sometimes for their own safety, and didn’t feel able to attend Sunday Mass. We also had a Catholic group during which we studied a Catholic catechetical course called Faith Inside. The group also celebrated Lent with Stations of the Cross, when possible Eucharistic Exposition, and we used the opportunity to introduce the Rosary by saying a decade. I also blest many cells for those feeling ‘spooked’ by something, blest people, rosaries and religious objects which are extremely popular. Perhaps one of the saddest things we have to do as chaplains is to deal with death and serious illness. We had to verify the death of a prisoner’s relative for accuracy. If the family wished we would then inform the prisoner. Prisoners are only allowed to attend the funerals of close relatives; if they couldn’t or didn’t want to attend we would offer them prayers in the chapel as near the day of the funeral as possible. This is a difficult time for both prisoners and their families on the outside as it enforces the separation. We prepare the paperwork for prisoners attending a funeral or visiting a dying relative. Needless to say, other family and relationship difficulties were often discussed with us. I always regarded my ministry to staff as being very important, especially as the prison service has had difficulties over the past few years with the endless battle with drugs and gang culture. This varied from talking to

duty managers about how the weekend was going, to sitting in an office being available and listening to personal difficulties. Prison staff also have a good sense of humour on the whole, so much laughter is heard around the prison. How can you help with prison ministry? Firstly, pray for prisons, prisoners, staff and chaplains. If you have time or opportunity, write to the Catholic chaplain at your local prison and see if they need volunteers. I had excellent volunteers who came in to help at Sunday Mass. We are grateful for funds. I bought vestments, books and prayer books with money that had been donated. Satisfying the demand for religious objects and pictures is an on-going problem, given the everchanging population. Rosaries are particularly popular but only the plastic type fastened by string are allowed in prison (i.e., nothing with metal). The Catenians were generous in supplying not only rosaries but also cards on how to say the Rosary and Rosary prayers. Other gifts of rosaries and miraculous medals were also gratefully received from other sources. Try also to welcome any ex-prisoners you meet, especially any who come to Mass in your parish. Pope Francis commented to a reporter from a newspaper in Argentina about how everyone makes mistakes, everyone sins, and, if one’s personal history and circumstances were different, he or she could be that convict. When visiting a prison, Pope Francis said, ‘I think to myself, “I, too, could be here.” That is, none of us can be sure that we would never commit a crime, something for which we’d be put in prison.’ He went on to say about prisoners ‘They haven’t had the opportunities that I have had of not doing something stupid and ending up in prison. This makes me cry inside. It is deeply moving.’ After 11 years I applied for parole and have been released

from full-time chaplaincy to seek different challenges. I enjoyed my time inside where there was never a dull moment, I was never bored. I thank God for wonderful colleagues and some good people among the prisoners whom I have met and had the privilege to minister to. Sunday 11th October marks Prisoner’s Sunday in the Catholic Church of England and Wales. On this occasion, prayers are requested for prisoner’s, their families and the many prison staff and chaplains for their work and support.

On Sunday 14th October, the Church celebrates Prisoners’ Sunday, beginning a week of prayer for prisoners and their families. Prison Advice and Care Trust (PACT), the national Catholic charity working with prisoners and their families, celebrates its 120th anniversary this year. PACT invites Catholics to get involved in its work through volunteering activities. For details, visit www.prisonadvice.org.uk

This year’s Malta Day Mass, celebrating Maltese faith and culture, took place on Saturday 8th September at Westminster Cathedral. Held annually for the past 15 years, in veneration of ‘Il-Bambina’, Our Lady of Victories, it commemorates Our Lady’s intercession helping the Maltese to overcome the Great Siege of Malta and to repel the forces of the Ottoman Empire in 1565.

Westminster Record | October 2018

Not just for Sunday For the missionary pilgrims who journeyed to Liverpool to attend Adoremus, the National Eucharistic Congress and Pilgrimage, the celebration of Mass at the Cathedral of Christ the King could not have been a more fitting place. This most beautiful of cathedrals with its richly coloured, stained-glass windows, which bathe visiting pilgrims in a light that brings a sense of God’s presence, is an icon of missionary faith for the city and beyond. Its nickname of ‘Paddy’s Wigwam’ reflects the strong Irish roots of the city where refugees, mainly Catholic, fled from famine in mid-19th century Ireland to Liverpool. Many settled in the city, while others continued their journey of hope to a new world, embarking on ships to North America. The cathedral is tent-like in its appearance, with guy ropes to hold it up, hence the wigwam. This nickname is more appropriate than one might at first think; as the cathedral is built as a reminder of the tents of the Chosen People of Israel who journeyed for 40 years in the wilderness towards the Promised Land. Indeed, the idea of a cathedral that can be rolled up like a tent and moved to a new location, to where people can be fed and watered anew, as the travellers in the desert had done, is a powerful image for us as missionary disciples: we are to take Christ to where the people are in need, to where the Word has not been heard; and in doing so we continue to grow as individual disciples, and as the pilgrim body of Christ.

by Francis Thomas, Seminarian at Allen Hall

If one climbs the steps to the high galleries of the cathedral, reserved for the use of television cameras on special occasions, one looks down on the whole circle of the cathedral and the people gathered to celebrate the Eucharist, an image of ‘the unity of all believers who form one body in Christ’ (Lumen Gentium). Yet, in view at all times, hanging above the altar, is the ‘crown of thorns’, a reminder perhaps of the pain experienced by victims of abuse in the Church in recent times, and reflected in the words of Cardinal Vincent at Adoremus, as he called for the Eucharistic Procession through the streets of Liverpool to be a ‘penitential procession for we are focused on Jesus whom we have crucified’. At the very centre of the cathedral is the altar, where daily the Eucharist is celebrated. The large, white marble altar is visible from every part of the cathedral; indeed it shines out through the glass entrance doors of the cathedral to the wider world, to where we are to continue the mission of Christ, to bring God’s mercy to all we meet in our procession through life. For the missionary disciples who came to Adoremus, and now returned to their own streets and towns, the image of the wigwam is not a bad image to carry with us on our mission, for wherever we are, whatever the day of the week it is, the Eucharist is to be always at the centre of a refreshed and reenergised mission, to bring the healing and love of Jesus to all we meet.

become a priest. My response was: ‘I’m just thinking about it!’ This sudden fame resulted in lots of questions by friends; for example: Do you really believe what the Church teaches on this and that? What about not getting married? It led me to ask myself some serious questions of our faith and ultimately what is truth, starting with whether God exists, whether Jesus rose from the dead and ultimately questions about his Church and what it teaches. I will be eternally grateful to www.CatholicAnswers.com for all the answers I received. However, alongside this intellectual journey and intense questioning, I was beginning to have a deeper, personal relationship with Jesus Christ through times of prayer before the exposed Blessed Sacrament and opportunities for the Sacrament of Confession. In these times I began to pray and listen, to understand that firstly, I am loved by God unconditionally, and secondly, because of that, God has a plan for my life. Things continued to develop at university in Leeds, where I read Religious Studies, and started to meet monthly with a spiritual director and attend weekday Mass. I did not know what to do after university, but I wanted something Catholic but also full-time work and by God’s goodness and providence, I ended up at Westminster Cathedral for two years, living

by Deacon Adrian Cullen, Evangelisation Coordinator

‘Will you be the next Mary Lee?’

My story beings with a lady, called Mary, not the Mother of Jesus, but a sick and housebound parishioner called Mary Lee from my home parish of St Mary Magdalen’s, Willesden Green in NorthWest London. As a youth group we went visiting on a Saturday afternoon, and one week we visited Mary and she asked my friend and me what we wanted to be when we were older. It is a dreaded question for any young person. My friend said she wanted to be a French teacher and I, being 16 at the time, said I had no idea. So, in her wonderful Irish accent she said: ‘Oh, go on, become a priest!’ We all laughed but it was the first time I had ever considered it, despite being baptised, receiving my first Holy Communion, Confirmation and coming to Mass every Sunday. The idea of ‘Fr Francis’ took hold and stuck in the group and when I returned to school on Monday I told my best friend what had happened. His surprise and excitement led him to tell the whole school, so before long I had lots of boys coming up to me asking if I was going to

Thursday 20th September marked the centenary of St Pio of Pietrelcina, popularly known as Padre Pio, receiving the visible stigmata. To commemorate this anniversary, a solemn sung Mass was celebrated at Corpus Christi, Maiden Lane, followed by Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. There was an opportunity to venerate a relic of St Padre Pio, one of his famous mittens, with Fr Alan Robinson, Parish Priest, exposing the relic. Fr Stephen Morrison, O Praem, Sub-Prior of the Norbertines of St Westminster men in formation for the priesthood at all the semnaries with Bishop John Wilson (centre front), Philip's Priory, Chelmsford, preached Vocations Director Canon John O’Leary (directly behind Bishop John, left) and Canon Stuart Wilson (right centre) at their annual gathering in the chapel of Allen Hall Seminary ahead of the start of the new term. Please with music provided by the Schola Corpus Christi. keep them in your prayers. Follow us on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/diocese.westminster

and working in Clergy House with eight priests! I knew then that living with them, seeing what they do, the ups and downs would either attract me to apply to seminary or make me run a mile in the opposite direction. I would highly recommend any young man considering a vocation to get such an insight. I started in Allen Hall one year ago and I am very happy so far. We study philosophy and scripture, have times of prayer, go to the pub, play table tennis, and do plenty of pastoral work in schools, prisons and parishes. I am continuing to ask the questions: What does God want from me? How can I be a better Christian and more closely like Christ? So, please pray for me and my brothers, for all priests and daily for vocations, not just to the priesthood but to consecrated, religious and most importantly to married life. We need couples to get married, be faithful to their spouse, bring up their children in the faith, and come to meet Jesus in the Mass each week. Because priests do not grow on trees, they all come from families. Finally, I wish to ask you a question, bringing us back to where I started, and the question is this: Will you be the next Mary Lee? To inspire and encourage a vocation, from your own family, from your parish, for this diocese, for this country and ultimately for Jesus Christ and his Church?

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The Human Face of Human Rights in Calais

Westminster Record | October 2018

by Barbara Kentish, Justice and Peace

Mariam Guérey (pictured) have forgotten the migrants of all, she wants people to value might be called a ‘human face and enjoy the richness of one Calais. Just as the tide comes of human rights’ in Calais, another’s difference. Her latest in and out of Calais’s harbour, where she has been with so migrants will come and go initiative at Secours Secours Catholique-Caritas in Calais, Mariam observed. Catholique is the ‘Project of France for 15 years. There are Brotherly Love’, which creates The human rights witness many more who deserve a must go on, on both sides of sponsorship between local mention, but her story is the border. For as a recent Calaisians and migrants with striking. An exilée now Catholic Worker banner papers on a one-to-one basis. helping others, she left her proclaimed, ‘God knows no The project’s strapline is ‘I am home in Morocco in the late borders’. rich in my friends’. 1990s to avoid a forced (Justice and Peace has raised a Her time at Secours marriage, and had to wait for further £4,000 for the Catholic Catholique falls into three eight years to obtain her Worker House in Calais since stages, she feels: the invisible, papers for French residence. Easter this year. It helps to offer including the post-Sangatte Naturally she did not see her hospitality to young migrants, time; the visible, that is, the future consisting of life in a mainly at this moment from Jungle time; and once more, Moroccan enclave, so was Eritrea). the invisible, when people horrified when a housing official introduced her to her new council home on an estate settled mostly by people of North African origin with the underpinning’, which shape the A report into the first three remark, ‘Look, here are all years of Caritas Bakhita House success of Bakhita House. your cousins: you will be at Between June 2015 and May has said that it is a ‘highly home here!’ 2018 Bakhita House supported distinctive, unique and highThis was not the new 86 female survivors of trafficking quality service.’ independent life she had The report was produced by and modern slavery with the sought, leaving Morocco, so she the Centre for the Study of youngest woman supported has spent her time ever since being 17 and the oldest 68. The Modern Slavery, an working for a more integrated top five countries represented independent research centre society. At Secours Catholique based at St Mary’s University in over this three-year period, in she has been on the streets with Twickenham, found that not order are Romania, Albania, the exilés, whether Iraqi, Syrian Nigeria, Vietnam and Ethiopia. only is Bakhita House ‘truly or Afghan, fighting for their The women come from many distinctive’ but gives women rights. Driving along in Calais different places but the majority ‘the best possible chance to this August with her on my first continue to grow in confidence (58%) of the women from 2015maraude (soup run), the Eritrean and independence when they 2018 were trafficked into the UK pop music blaring, and her move on.’ for prostitution and sexual friendly waves bringing a smile The report identifies three exploitation. to the faces of all the migrants key attributes that make Caritas The report draws attention to we passed, one couldn’t help Bakhita House ‘a uniquely day-to-day life at the house and but believe that a better, more supportive environment’: the the many ways in which staff integrated, world existed! House is a home, committed and volunteers help guests to On her own admission, she and knowledgeable staff, and recover mentally and physically gets a huge ‘buzz’ out of through shared meal times, the programme of in-house solving people’s problems. I exercise and trips around activities. It is these qualities was highly amused to watch London. along with a ‘clear spiritual her address the dilemmas of two young men in her office at one and the same time. One needed money to pay a fine, while the other wanted help with immigration paperwork. She offered help to the latter if he would lend money to the former! Both went away satisfied, if mystified, as to how it had worked out. She believes in human beings, and not in any one religion; yet with her, I felt a good deal of what Pope Newman Catholic College Headteacher Daniel Patrick Coyle received an Francis calls ‘Joy of the award from Police Borough Commander Simon Rose which was a Gospel’ in action. She loves commendation for ‘commitment, professionalism and dedication to the problem-solving, but most of community’.

Caritas Bakhita House gives trafficked women ‘best possible chance’

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Caritas Westminster opened Bakhita House on 30th June 2015. The House provides support for female victims of trafficking and modern slavery, working in conjunction with the Metropolitan Police, the wider Diocese of Westminster, religious orders, the Santa

Marta Group and law enforcement agencies across the UK. At the time of the review, the House had eight full-time and six part-time members of staff and fifty-eight volunteers, of which thirty-one are active. The review was conducted between March and June 2018.

Westminster Record | October 2018

Mary’s Meals: A sign of hope by Paola Greco

For those unfamiliar with the name, Mary’s Meals is a charity that provides meals in schools for poor, sick and malnourished children all over the world. These children would not have the chance to receive an education if Mary’s Meals was not present in their village/town; some are so weak that, without proper food, they would not be able to walk to school, which in some cases is miles away from their home! Mary’s Meals is now active in seventeen countries. They call this initiative ‘the simple solution to world hunger’. Indeed, it seems a simple solution. However, the work of founder Magnus MacFarlaneBarrow and of all those involved in this project, is impressive. On Sunday, 16th September, Mary’s Meals held an event at the Irish Cultural Centre in Hammersmith. We had the opportunity to listen to the

Executive Director Daniel Adams, founder and Global Chief Executive Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow, and representatives of Mary’s Meals in Kenya and South Sudan. Their speeches were full of hope, even though the battle against hunger is made more difficult by factors such as wars, epidemics, weather conditions, tribal feuds, and other challenges. In many cases, parents prefer to keep their children at home to help with cattle and in the fields so to be able to produce a little bit more food. The introduction by Mary’s Meals of a daily meal, has provided the incentive for these parents to send their children to school. Many parents help now in the kitchen and with other chores. The hall was packed and the many attendees enjoyed an afternoon of news, stories and music. There were performances by Acapella Trio

Porter, by the excellent opera singer Christina Federici and by the London International Gospel Choir. The afternoon included some films, which were sad but uplifting at the same time as they conveyed the battles, drawbacks and joys of all those directly involved in this incredible project. The message in the end is one of hope. From a shed in his garden, Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow worked, and still works, to give hope to the poorest children in the world. He started with around 100 children a few years ago; Mary’s Meals now feeds 1,361,586 in most of the poorest countries of the world. Its ambition is one day to be able to give at least one meal a day to every single child on the planet who suffers from hunger. To find out more about Mary’s Meals, please visit www.marysmeals.org.uk.

Faith Sharing: Autumn 2018 The Agency for Evangelisation works to support Small Groups who meet throughout the year, particularly in Lent and the autumn, to explore Scripture, the teaching of the Church, and their experiences, gaining new insights into their role as missionary disciples. The theme for the World Meeting of Families in Ireland in August was The Gospel of the Family means Joy for the World. The new faith-sharing resource for autumn 2018, HOLY FAMILIES: The Joy of Love, is a proclamation of this same truth. Exploring themes from the Holy Father’s 2016 Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia, it seeks over six sessions to explore the beauty and blessing, the joys and challenges of marriage and

family life. The sessions have been written by Dr Pia Matthews (wife, mother, theologian), and Bishops John Sherrington and John Wilson. To order, please e-mail to smallgroups@rcdow.org.uk

St Dominic’s Sixth Form College first year students recently completed a sponsored walk around Harrow on the Hill. This was partly to raise funds for a primary school in Africa, but it was also an act of solidarity with people in the world who do not have access to food, clean water, education and a public health service. The College sponsors the Chilingani 2 Primary School in Malawi, enabling 500 children to have a hot meal in school every day for a year. College Principal Andrew Parkin, who accompanied the students on the walk, commented that ‘through our partners Mary’s Meals, we are able to make sure these children go to school and get an education, along with a nutritious hot meal. It’s very moving to think that our efforts here will have such a huge impact on so many youngsters in Malawi. A good education is crucial and it’s nice to see our students helping to make this a reality for children in our partner school.’ The College hopes to raise over £4,000.

A Mass commemorating the 150th anniversary of St Catherine’s Catholic Primary School, West Drayton was celebrated on Tuesday 26th June by Cardinal Vincent. Past pupils, teachers and four headteachers attended the event with the oldest being a headteacher from 1960s. The children sang a specially-composed hymn for the occasion, 'Hail Glorious St Catherine'. Follow us on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/diocese.westminster

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Westminster Record | October 2018

by Fr Peter Michael Scott

In his recent visit to Ireland, Pope Francis said that, while technology had merit and could bring people together if used with ‘moderation and prudence’, it could also be guilty of ‘imprisoning us in a virtual reality and isolating us from the very relationships that challenge us to grow to our full potential in communion with others’. He suggested that when people use their phones while at the family dinner table, they ‘sort of go into an orbit’ which takes them away ‘from a concrete reality to a sort of fuzzy drink area without substance’ and he encouraged everyone to ‘be careful’. Wise words indeed. A while ago I visited a patient who had hitched up a laptop in his room with all sorts of attachments and gizmos. It was very striking and I asked him what they were for.

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‘Father,’ he said, ‘you are going to like them.’ With appliances and contraptions, he explained that he was able to record his favourite television programmes, tune into the Grotto at Lourdes, download daily Mass from a friend’s parish in the United States, and leave a recorded video message for those trying to FaceTime him if he was busy. I assumed that when he meant ‘busy’ it would be to do with visits from hospice staff or relatives. I was wrong. His notion of ‘busy’ was when he was praying. He explained that in the old days he had no power over television or the telephone. He would use scheduled programmes as an excuse and distraction from praying, or he would hope that the telephone would interrupt him when he was. Now, with all this modern technology, he was able to record programmes and come back to them after prayer, to see Mass from his bedside at any time, and have access to Our Lady’s Shrine in Lourdes. He has used technology to help him create time to pray, not to let it control or interrupt him. He has used it with ‘moderation and prudence’. I think Pope Francis would be very impressed. Please pray for the patients, staff, volunteers and sisters of St Joseph’s Hospice.

Papal Knighthood for President of Lourdes Pilgrimage Team ‘Surprised, overwhelmed, very emotional and a great honour’ is how Bernard Lavery described the feeling when he was made a Knight of St Gregory. Bernard has been successfully coordinating logistics for the Lourdes pilgrims, abled and less abled, from the various parishes of the diocese every summer, with an enterprising core team of 40 support and 10 executive members in addition to the large groups of Redcaps and student volunteers that assist. It all began when his mother visited Lourdes for the very first time in 1952. On her return, sharing her experience fascinated Bernard. Nineteen years later, on his first visit to Lourdes with the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle, he says: ‘It didn’t disappoint, it was everything I imagined.’ Drawing inspiration from his profession of freight forwarding, he humorously comments: ‘By profession I move boxes around the world, and in Lourdes we help move people from around the world.’ It was in Archbishop’s House where the idea for the pilgrimage was first discussed, with Cardinal Basil Hume leading the pilgrimage and Fr Vladimir Felzmann, the then Pilgrimage Director. What has kept him going in the last 30 years is the fact that he enjoys what he does. His precious moment at the Grotto came when Bernard helped carry the ombrellino during the Blessed Sacrament Procession assisting Cardinal Hume to the Blessed Sacrament chapel; he experienced an intimate moment with the divine as Benediction was given to the sick. Bernard joined the Redcaps as a Team Leader working extensively on the ceremonies team and then moved to being the Youth Director for following six years before taking over as President of the pilgrimage team. The work involved ranges from chairing the executive committee of the St Frai team (St Frai is a medical home in Lourdes for the sick, elderly and disabled pilgrims with medical facilities and medical staff on duty

Inside the Hospice: New Technology

24/7), attending meetings with Pilgrimage Directors from the all over the UK to working with the domain of planification of the Lourdes Shrine to make arrangements for pilgrims. Amidst all this, Bernard credits his wife and immediate family, who form the backbone of his good work. His wife, Pirlanta, developed the idea of the Reds, the same year when Bernard took over as Youth Director (Reds are a group of 12 to 14 year olds, who follow a programme of spiritual teaching and assist in the St Frai during the week). A lot of thought and care is put in assisting pilgrims with medical needs, from identifying resources required like pressure mattresses, dialysis unit etc, to trying to source some of these locally, especially those that pose a logistic challenge. It’s a whole year’s planning and prepping with the exception of December/January. His support team works very hard to make all of this possible. There are years when the volunteering numbers of medical staff, school students and helpers are down but eventually it all comes together beautifully into what we know as the yearly diocesan pilgrimage. The schools that join the pilgrimage carry out fundraising activities all throughout the year: cake sales, raffle sales etc. There is a known trend of ‘reverse evangelization’ that takes place at the end of the pilgrimage with school students

enthusiastically returning home with the zeal of Our Lady’s love in their hearts that draws their parents to the Grotto the next year. Bernard was made a Knight of St Gregory at the closing Mass at the Grotto on the final day of the pilgrimage; there could not have been a better location. With the Mass being televised live on Lourdes Sanctuaire TV, his sister coincidentally happened to be watching the Mass from her home in Yorkshire and was as surprised and ecstatic as was he on receiving it. Bernard speaks of the challenges that lie ahead for the pilgrimage in the next 30 years, which are, ‘how to keep the pilgrims engaged with Lourdes not as a place of historical interest, rather for its spiritual significance; and motivating pilgrims to travel as a diocesan family than independently.’ When Bernard started off, he did not aspire for any award, rather doing what made him happy. His experience with Our Lady at the Grotto worked as motivation to bring more people to Lourdes and this effort was recognized. He adds: ‘My heartfelt thanks for all the congratulatory cards and letters received. It has been a fulfilling experience.’ The Order of St Gregory the Great is one of the five Orders of Knighthood of the Holy See. The honour is bestowed upon men and women in recognition of their personal service to the Holy See and the Roman Catholic Church.

Westminster Record | October 2018

Now is the time to be a Catenian

John Mulligan, Provincial President, Province 14 in Bulawayo Zimbabwe

With the Church being criticised from all sides, belonging to a group of strongly-supportive Catholics has never been more important. John Mulligan, President of Province 14 explains: ‘The Catenians are an association of Catholic laymen who are committed to their faith, their families, to those in need and to each other. Our primary purpose is to establish a network of friends, which enhances their family life, strengthens their faith and sustains them in difficult times. We support each other, the Catholic Church, young people and those in need.’ ‘Catenians have a strong presence as active members of many parishes in the diocese, support our parish priests in numerous ways and are major supporters of the National Office for Vocations,’ said Denis Murphy, Director of Province 14 and Board Member of the National Council.

Describing some of the work that the Catenians undertake, Dennis notes: ‘In response to a suggestion from Bishop John Arnold, we have developed the “Catenian Catechist Initiative” which supports the wishes of Pope Francis that we should become missionary disciples. We support our young people through the Bursary Fund, Helping Young Catholics Make a Difference, by sponsoring their activities through the Individual Project Awards in such places as Zambia, Mantanani Island, Zimbabwe, Malawi and, closer to home, the Lourdes Award. To date over £1,000,000 has been donated. The Association is the main sponsors of “Flame” and organises the annual public speaking competition for Sixth Form students, which attracts Catholic youth from all over the country. In addition, each circle organises its own local charitable projects, collectively raising significant sums each year.’

Newman Catholic College was awarded the prestigious Unicef UK Gold Rights Respecting Schools Award. They are the only secondary school in Brent involved in this project and the only school in the borough to receive the Gold Award. Follow us on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/diocese.westminster

Speaking of the significance of the association to the members, he adds: ‘Our friendships are developed through meeting together locally once a month and enjoying a varied programme of social events together with our families and the widows of past members. ‘The Catenian Golf Society and the Caravan and Camping Fellowship cater for these special interests. The Rosary Group members commit to one decade of the Rosary daily and have so far recycled 175,000 rosaries to other countries. In alternate years, there is an official pilgrimage to Rome or the Holy Land and we support pilgrimages to national and local shrines.’ Sean Duff, Membership Officer for Province 14, said that many Catholic men are not members of any Catholic groups: ‘Among our Catenian circles, we can openly discuss our faith with like-minded and supportive people. It helps keeps us both individually and collectively strong, especially when our faith is under fire from outside.’ Membership is open to Catholic men aged 18 and over and, through them, to their families. To find out how to become a Catenian contact Sean Duff, Membership Officer, Province 14 (which includes the Diocese of Westminster) at seanduff@hotmail.com. The Catenain Association is active in the UK, Australia, Ireland, Malta, Nazareth, Southern Africa and is growing rapidly in India. For more information visit www.thecatenians.com.

Director of Province 14, Denis Murphy presents the 40-year membership scroll to Ralph Steel and his wife, Rosanna, of Bishop Stortford Circle.

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Westminster Record | October 2018

Youth Director’s Spotlight

Andrezj Wdowiak Director of Youth Ministry This year for the first time I had the opportunity to welcome the group of young people who commit to a year at SPEC where they can deepen their faith, enhance their relationship with God and learn about leading retreats and about various ways they can be involved in the life of the Church. The group of five new and two existing community members have now started their year of formation here at SPEC, and, as part of their induction, they participated in community and team building activities. On a sunny early morning in late August I found myself going with them and the retreat staff to the Snowdonia Centre for a four-night stay at the hostel accommodation. There is no employed staff present there so those who reside there do all the cooking and cleaning. This set up gives freedom to arrange days in the way we like, and, in our case, it meant workshops, prayer and of course climbing Mount Snowdown. I was entrusted with leading the group to the summit and getting everyone safely back home. I am fairly familiar with mountain walking; however, I have never been to Snowdonia and have never climbed Snowdown before; hence I had done a vigorous preparation, learning about the routes, the weather conditions and the summit itself. By the end of it I felt I walked the mountain quite a few times. The climb with the group was fairly straightforward, the weather was reasonable (although quite cold), the route on the way up was not too Page 20

difficult and the paths were congested with other walkers so it was impossible to be lost. Although it was raining at the summit it eventually cleared and on the way back we enjoyed clear skies and wonderful views. We returned to our base tired but with a sense of achievement. The climb somewhat inspired me to make a second climb, but this time on my own as a way of my own retreat. On this occasion the route was slightly more difficult, and the rain and fog made it a different experience from the first climb. There were fewer walkers and very few interactions with others, but, when encountered, other people tried to help each other with finding the path or identifying the best passage. Perhaps the most interesting experience was being in a dense fog. It felt very comfortable, peaceful and quiet. There was almost a temptation to stop and remain there wrapped up in the blanket of mental and spiritual comfort as opposed to being exposed to the challenging surroundings. At the summit, while taking some rest, I have noticed a sentence about Mount Snowdown: ‘It is all about the journey.’ At this point it all started to make sense that indeed our life, including our own faith, is a journey. For many involved in the SPEC community it is a continuation of their faith journey. They will encounter God and others, and indeed the variety of conditions and situations: some comfortable and cosy, some more challenging. In many ways our own journey of faith is not different from climbing and descending a mountain and once on the path we need to put some effort into this journey; otherwise we won’t be able to reach the final destination. We always look for new SPEC community members and would welcome any young person who would want to join us. We would be happy to assist in their own journey of faith so that they can assist others. Please visit our website if you want to learn more about the SPEC community (http://dowym.com/spec/) or drop by at our retreat centre in Pinner.

Youth Chaplain’s Corner plan of life and achieve happiness. Keep their hearts open to dreaming great dreams and make them concerned for the good of others. Like the Beloved Disciple, may they stand at the foot of

the Cross, to receive your Mother as a gift from you. May they be witnesses to your Resurrection and be aware that you are at their side as they joyously proclaim you as Lord. Amen.

Fr Mark Walker, Youth Chaplain

This month, the Fifteenth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops takes place to discuss the theme of ‘Young People, the Faith and Vocational Discernment’. According to the synod’s agenda, the Instrumentum Laboris, it will examine the situation of young people in the world today: the vocational calls that every person experiences in life and how, through faith, these calls are manifested in the lives of young people; and how the Church can better assist young people in discerning their vocational call in the context of the world today. There will therefore be plenty to discuss over the weeks of the synod! Of course, synods tend to take on a life of their own once they get started and who knows where its deliberations might lead. I’m sure, nevertheless, that the synod will provide plenty for us, who work in diocesan youth service, to reflect on as we seek to respond more effectively to the questions and needs of our young people. Our challenge will be to take the synod reflections and make them something meaningful and practical for our young people, so that the synod isn’t simply a distant hierarchical exercise but an instrument by which the Holy Spirit can provide genuine promptings for grace in the lives of our young people and help them better see that it is indeed Jesus Christ who reveals to us who we are meant to be and what we are meant to do with the life he has given us. I offer you the prayer for the synod from the Instrumentum Laboris: Lord Jesus, in journeying towards the Synod, your Church turns her attention to all the young people in the world. We pray that they might boldly take charge of their lives, aim for the most beautiful and profound things of life and always keep their hearts unencumbered. Accompanied by wise and generous guides, help them respond to the call you make to each of them, to realise a proper Follow us on Twitter at: twitter.com/RCWestminster

Westminster Record | October 2018

Pope’s Prayer Intention: October by Fr David Stewart SJ Recently, at the National Adoremus Eucharistic Congress, large numbers of the faithful visited the Pope’s Prayer Network exhibition stall and that of our colleagues from Dublin, the Sacred Heart Messenger, the Jesuit-run publishing house that promotes the Pope’s Network across Ireland. Many thanks if you came to see us! We have had many enquiries here at the London office after our National Promoter gave a presentation to the Congress about our Network. It’s really pleasing, therefore, to know that thousands more of the faithful, here in England and Wales, are beginning to pray with the Pope for the monthly intention he presents to the whole People of God. It’s good news too that many more are praying our Prayer Pathway each day, some using our Click-to-Pray app on their smartphones, joining tens of thousands around the world who offer each day to the Heart of Christ for Christ’s mission, making each day different, and more Eucharistic! The intention offered to us all this month is for the Mission of Religious. Pope Francis invites us all to pray that ‘consecrated men and women religious may bestir themselves and be present among the poor, the marginalised and those who have no voice’. The Pope is, of course, a religious, meaning that he is a member of a religious order, the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits). Strictly speaking, he’s no longer a Jesuit, having been elected to the papacy and to the See of Buenos Aires before that, but he often makes it clear that he still counts himself as one, spiritually if not canonically. He knows as well as anyone about the particular mission given to religious among the people of God, very often rooted in the mission and original inspiration of their holy founders, known as their ‘founder’s charism’. All these varied charisms are to contribute to the single mission of the Church in the world, that is evangelisation, in multiple voices, taking many and varied forms.

The Second Vatican Council called all religious orders in the Church to renewal, to a rediscovery of their ‘founder’s charism’, their original inspiration. The most basic renewal is surely one that combines apostolic energy and love of the Church, that is, lives consecrated for the people of God, all of us. Arguably, we are still some way from fulfilling another key insight of the Council, that the Church is the people of God, all of us. It follows, then, that love of the Church is for all of us, not just the institutional bit! It is from within that ecclesial context that religious orders go out into the world, each in their particular way but never apart from the Church whence they come. Some minister in a more sacerdotal way, often directly supporting the priestly ministry of the bishop and the diocesan clergy while others serve as religious sisters and brothers, or in the other forms of consecrated life. In the various ‘religious families’ of Orders and Congregations, the ‘evangelical counsels’, the vows, are always for mission, allowing the members to seek the greatest possible freedom, in Christ and in his people, for the sake of the work they are sent to do. This extends both to those whose charism is primarily apostolic and those who are monastic, maintaining a spiritual powerhouse of the prayer not for themselves but for the Gospel mission. All are, in diverse ways, missionary. Pope Francis, this month, wants all to pray for religious and specifically that all religious may ‘bestir themselves’, resisting any loss of fervour in difficult times and remembering where they really must be present and among whom. The poor, the marginalised and voiceless are specifically identified. That’s where religious need to be. They will find God there. As our reflection for this month’s page of our Living Prayer booklet (see below), puts it, ‘Pope Francis knows what the poor suffer and he recognises that their marginalisation and exclusion is a product of our

time and lifestyle. He is also aware of the prophetic and powerful role of religious involvement’. On his recent visit to Ireland, for the World Meeting of Families, he had a brief fraternal meeting with his brother Jesuits. There he requested a specific service of those Jesuits, that they help him to ‘put an end’ to the scandal of abuse, about which he had heard, first-hand and moments before, from eight survivors. ‘This is a special mission for you: clean this up, change consciences, do not be afraid to call things by their name,’ he told those Jesuit Fathers and Brothers. Part of our prayer with the Pope this month could well be for God’s blessing on those religious in particular as, in obedience, they respond to the Pope’s request. THREE CHALLENGES FOR THE MONTH: • Find information about the specific mission of some religious orders among ‘the poor, the marginalised and those who have no voice’ and in places that are not always reported in the news. • Visit, this month, a religious missionary community, close to where you live, better to understand their charism and mission; discern where and how you might offer your service, skills and ability to support them. Or invite one of them to visit you!

• Organise a time of prayer in your community for an increase in vocations to those religious orders and congregations who consecrate themselves to the service of others and for the people they serve. PRAYER MOMENTS: Following great advice from St Ignatius Loyola, it’s always a good idea to take a few moments, as we begin even a short prayer, to remember that God is gazing upon us as we go to prayer. Just pause wordlessly for these few moments, recognising that you’re already in God’s presence and the loving gaze of the Trinity longing for you to be the best you that you can be. A suggested Morning Offering, from our Living Prayer 2018 booklet: Father of goodness, at the beginning of this new day, I thank you for the beauty of the little things that you give me. By the action of your Spirit in me, make me alert and sensitive to the world in which I live. I offer you my day for the Church and the Pope’s intention for this month … At any point during the day, perhaps especially at a moment when you’re feeling a bit stressed or too busy … Jesus Christ, Good Shepherd, in your Follow us on Instagram at: @rcwestminster

immense kindness, you wanted to come to us to announce the closeness of the Kingdom to the little ones, the excluded, the marginalised and the sick. Today, your Church continues in the world this preferential option for the poor, serving them in their needs in so many places and situations. I pray for consecrated men and women who are in the world, a sign of your presence and your love. May their example of generosity move our hearts towards the needs of others. During this month, I also pray for the Synod of Bishops on Young People. Our Father … LIVING PRAYER 2019 BOOKLETS, SACRED HEART CALENDARS FOR 2019, each illustrated with beautiful pictures from the Holy Land, will be in stock from early this month and ready for delivery. Cost this year £1.75 for the booklet and £2.20 for the calendar; £1 per item P&P. Early-bird offer: Bumper Pack of calendar, LP booklet and a selection of our prayer-cards for only £3 + £1.50 P&P (UK only); limited stocks. Buy now as a Christmas present? Page 21

Westminster Record | October 2018

Saint of the Month: St Anthony Mary Claret

St Anthony Mary Claret was born in 1807 in Catalonia to Juan and Josephina Claret, the fifth of eleven children. As a child he was known for his piety, modesty and obedience. He was a good student at school and wanted to be a priest from a very young age, but seeing his ability for design and mechanics his father wanted him to join the family business of weaving. It was at age five, one night on his bed, Anthony was recalling the teaching about saving souls from eternal damnation that he learnt at Catechism class the previous day, which had stirred his heart. This thirst only grew with age; he joined the seminary in 1829, living an exemplary life there and was ordained a priest on 13th June 1835. Despite his piety, there were two temptations that haunted Anthony’s life early on: one, against chastity and the other, an urge to be rebellious against his mother. Through the maternal intercession of Our Lady to whom he had a strong devotion, he overcame both. He saw Our Lady several times throughout his life, especially in times of need, taking her name as part of his name. His first appointment was as assistant to the pastor in his hometown of Sallent. His work there was fruitful but he felt an inner calling for foreign missions. He almost joined the Jesuits to pursue his missionary dream but felt drawn by Our Lady to another path, returning to Spain. He took a special interest in producing spiritual books instructing adults and children in their faith. He wanted even the youngest person to understand their faith completely. Due to political unrest in Spain, he moved to the Canary Islands where, by invitation of the local bishop, he Page 22

practiced his priestly ministry, before returning to Spain. Anthony preached zealously, some days preaching seven sermons and listening to confession for ten hours. He set out to pursue his dream of organising an Order of Missionaries to share his work. With this intention he gathered a group of priests, founding the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, known as Claretian Missionaries. Days later on 6th October 1850, he was named the Archbishop of Santiago de Cuba. Early one morning, just as he was about to leave Spain to begin his ministry in Cuba, the local priests of the town urged him to come to their aid as four criminals were to be executed that morning. All four had refused to confess and receive Communion. On hearing this, Anthony rushed to meet the criminals in prison. His pleas melted the hearts of three criminals, two confessed and the third said he will never be able to forgive his mother. Anthony kissed this criminal’s feet, requesting him again to forgive his mother. Just as the third criminal was to be put to death, he screamed out: ‘I forgive my mother from my heart, pray for me.’ Seeing this criminal profess, the fourth criminal had a change of heart too and requested a confessor. God revealed to St Anthony the judgement the four had received and, in a public conference, Anthony stated: ‘The four criminals of Villafranca were saved.’ He began his episcopal ministry in Cuba with a visit to the church where Our Lady of Charity, the patroness of Cuba, was venerated. Here he helped set up another religious community, trade and vocational schools for disadvantaged children, credit unions for the poor, among others. Persecution followed

soon after when, while preaching in a town, a man stabbed his cheek with a knife in an attempt to kill him. This only made him joyous as he said: ‘I… reached the long desired goal of shedding my blood for the love of Jesus and Mary … sealing the truths of the gospel with the very blood of my veins.’ During his six years of serving the diocese, records show he confirmed 100,000 people and officiated at 9,000 marriages. Anthony was chosen as a private confessor to the Queen of Spain, Isabella II, in 1857 by Pope Pius IX. Much against his wish, he accepted in obedience and spent eleven years in the Queen’s court until the Queen and her family were exiled in 1868. He travelled with the Queen to France, seizing it as an opportunity to preach in Paris. In 1869, he travelled to Rome to participate in the first Vatican Council as one of the Council Fathers. He defended papal infallibility which was under discussion at the Council. The Italian revolution interrupted the process of the Council. Due to ill health, he returned to France and joined his missionaries who were also in exile, going into hiding in a Cistercian monastery. He died there on 24th October 1870, aged 63. In 1899, he was declared venerable, in 1934 was pronounced blessed, and, on 7th May 1950, was canonised by Pope Pius XII.

Fr Thomas Patrick Burke RIP Fr Thomas Patrick Burke was born on 5th May 1923 in Balla, County Mayo in the west of Ireland. He was ordained to priesthood by Cardinal Godfrey in Westminster Cathedral on 11th June 1960. In his priestly ministry, he served at St Thomas of Canterbury, Fulham. In 1967, when he became ill, he returned to Ireland for treatment. In 1968, he returned to Westminster and was appointed Assistant Priest in Willesden Green and then Northfields. In 1970, he requested sabbatical leave due to illness, returning to Ireland and working locally in supply ministry in counties Westmeath and Offaly. Once well enough, he chose to return to Westminster, and was appointed Assistant Priest in East Acton in 1978. Soon after, due to illness, he returned to Ireland for treatment. In Ireland he was involved in the work of Knock Shrine in County Mayo, serving as a Chaplain, living at St Francis, Churchfield, Knock. In recent months he lived at Ave Maria nursing home in Ballyhaunis, County Mayo before dying peacefully on 10th September 2018 aged 95 having served as a priest, predominantly in Ireland, for 58 years. May he rest in peace.

In Memoriam: October 2 5 6 7 8 10 11 12 13 14 16 18 19 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 29 30 31

Canon Des Sheehan (2004) Fr John Fleming (1974) Fr Walter Meyjes (1987) Fr Denis Murphy (1999) Fr Thomas Daniel (1984) Canon Peter Phillips (2014) Fr Thomas Allan (1982) Fr Norman Fergusson (1986) Fr Arthur Moraes (2008) Fr Joseph Davey (1970) Fr James Finn (1977) Canon John P Murphy (1989) Fr Norman Brown (2017) Fr Henry Bryant (1972) Fr John Woods (2002) Fr Barry Carpenter (2012) Mgr Canon Terence Keenan (1984) Fr John Eveleigh Woodruff (1976) Fr John Murphy (2005) Fr John Farrell (1983) Fr Richard Berry (1989) Fr David Cullen (1974) Fr Herbert Keldany (1988) Fr Ben Morgan (2005) Fr Joseph O’Hear (1970) Fr Joe Gibbons (2002) Fr Dermot McGrath (2012) Fr John Halvey (1990) Fr Ken Dain (2010) Fr Andrew Moore (1994) Fr John Kearney (2007) Fr John Clayton (1992) Fr George Talbot (2004) Fr Colin Kilby (1985) Canon Leo Ward (1970) Fr Joseph Eldridge (1993) Canon William Gordon (1976) Fr William Dempsey (2008)

Diocesan Youth Ministry Development Worker £24,000 pa Full-time Permanent Contract The Diocese of Westminster Youth Ministry wish to appoint a Youth Ministry Development Worker The successful candidate will play a key role in enabling parishes in developing their youth ministry, supporting youth leaders, and in integrating young people into the life of the Diocesan youth network through retreats, programmes and events designed to support evangelisation and discipleship. The successful candidate will: • Be a practising Roman Catholic in good standing with Church • Have a passion for youth ministry and evangelisation • Have experience of working with young people, young adults and/or youth leaders • Support and help guide the spiritual journey of the school, parish and young adults’ communities. This is an exciting opportunity to get involved in shaping the future Church leaders. Based at Centre for Youth Ministry in Pinner, the Youth Worker will assist parish communities in faith and leadership formation of young people and young adults across the Diocese of Westminster. Hours of work: 35 hours per week, five days per week including evenings and weekends. Close Date: 15 October 2018, 5 pm. Interview date: Week commencing 22 October 2018 This post is subject to an enhanced check by the Disclosure and Barring Service. For a full job description of the role and application form, please visit the job vacancies section of our website at www.rcdow.org.uk

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Westminster Record | October 2018

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 W1V 3QY every first Tuesday of the month at 7pm. Email: penny28hb@aol.com or just come along.

WEDNESDAYS

Corpus Christi Contemplative Prayer Group for Young Adults Wednesdays from 7pm at Corpus Christi, Maiden Lane WC2E 7NB. Contact corpuschristipg@yahoogroups. co.uk Our Lady, Untier of Knots, Prayer Group of Intercession every third Wednesday at St Anselm & St Cecilia, Lincoln’s Inn Fields WC2A 3JA. Mass at 6pm followed by Prayer Group. Rosary, Adoration, silent prayer and Divine Mercy Chaplet. Email Antonia antonia4161@gmail.com. Gregorian Chant Explore the riches of the Gregorian chant tradition every Wednesday 6.30pm to 8pm, Bulbeck room, Ealing Abbey parish centre. New members welcome. For details, email gregorianchantealing@gmail.com

THURSDAYS

Sodality of the Blessed Sacrament first Thursday of the month, Mass 6:30pm at Corpus Christi, Maiden Lane WC2E 7NB followed by Adoration and Benediction. www.sodality.co.uk

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. NFG Prayer Group weekly at 8pm for praise & worship followed by a social. Held in St Mark’s Room, Christ the King Church, Cockfosters N14 4HE. Contact Fr Christophe: christophe.brunet@cheminneuf.org. Soul Food A Catholic charismatic prayer group for young adults Thursdays 7-9pm at St Charles Borromeo, Ogle Street W1W 6HS. Details 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 every Friday 7.30pm Prayer, Praise and Teaching. First Friday is a healing Mass. For details, call 020 8748 2632. Queen of Peace Prayer Group at Our Lady of Lourdes, Acton W3 8AA. After 7pm Mass, Exposition, a homily, Holy Rosary and Chaplet of Divine Mercy. Friday prayer meeting 1:30pm to 3pm with Adoration in St Matthew's Hall, Northwood, Middx HA6 1DW except 1st Friday. Summer break- August. Contact Patricia 07918128248

SATURDAYS

Taizé at Notre Dame de France 5 Leicester Place WC2H 7BX at 7.15pm. Call 020 7437 9363. Carmelite Spirituality Group meet first Saturday at St Joseph’s Church, Bunhill Row EC1Y 8LE. 11.30-15.30 for prayer and reflection. Enquiries: Sylvia Lucas 07889436165.

1 Mon 2 Tue 3 Wed 4 Thu 5 Fri 6 Sat 7 Sun 8 Mon 9 Tue

St Thérèse of Child Jesus The Holy Guardian Angels Feria, Twenty-Sixth Week of Year 2 St Francis of Assisi Feria; Harvest Fast Day; Friday abstinence Feria or St Bruno, Priest or Blessed Virgin Mary +27th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Twenty-Seventh Week of Year 2 Feria, or St Denis, Bishop and Companions or St John Leonardi, Priest or Blessed John Henry Newman, Priest 10 Wed Feria, or St Paulinus of York, Bishop 11 Thu Feria or St John XXIII, Pope 12 Fri Feria or St Wilfrid, Bishop; Fridayy abstinence 13 Sat ST EDWARD THE CONFESSOR 14 Sun +28th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME 15 Mon St Teresa of Jesus 16 Tue Feria, Twenty-Eighth Week of Year 2 or St Hedwig, Religious or St Margaret Mary Alacoque, Virgin 17 Wed 18 Thu 19 Fri

20 Sat 21 Sun 22 Mon 23 Tue 24 Wed 25 Thu 26 Fri 27 Sat 28 Sun 29 Mon 30 Mon 31 Tue

St Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop & Martyr ST LUKE, Evangelist Feria or Ss John de Brebeuf and Isaac Jogues, Priests, and Companions, Martyrs or St Paul of the Cross, Priest; Friday abstinence Feria or Blessed Virgin Mary +29th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Feria, Twenty-Ninth Week of Year 2 or St John Paul II, Pope Feria or St John of Capestrano, Priest Feria or St Anthony Mary Claret, Bishop Feria Feria or Ss Chad and Cedd, Bishops; Friday abstinence Feria or Blessed Virgin Mary +30th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Blessed Martyrs of Douai College Feria, Thirtieth Week of Year 2 Feria

October Rosary Campaign The World Apostolate of Fatima (WAF) in England and Wales are organising an October Rosary Campaign, inviting parishes and families in England and Wales to pray the Rosary from your homes, parishes etc. For details, contact info@worldfatima-englandwales.org.uk

Pope’s Prayer intention for October: The Mission of Religious: That consecrated religious men and women may bestir themselves, and be present among the poor, the marginalized, and those who have no voice.

Young Adults Mass with an Ignatian twist

Every Sunday at 7pm. Church of the Immaculate Conception, Farm Street Contact: yam@mountstreet.info or visit www.pathwaystogood.org

Mass at Canary Wharf Held Tuesdays at 12.30pm at 2 Churchill Place E14 5RB. Organised by Mgr Vladimir Felzmann, Chaplain to Canary Wharf Communities. Details at www.cwcc.org.uk.

St Alban’s 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 on 2nd and 4th Sunday of the month for Mass at the Immaculate Conception Church, Farm Street at 5.30pm, and invited to the parish hall afterwards for tea/coffee, where there is anopportunity to learn of pastoral help available. 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. Low Mass 6pm St John the Baptist Church, King Edward's Road E9 7SF. First Friday only.

All are invited to pray in their parishes or chosen venues at 3pm the Sorrowful Mysteries in penance and reparation for the sins committed within the Church and the nation against faith, life and love.

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.

To sign up, visit www.rosaryonthecoast.co.uk or email admin@rosaryonthecoast.co.uk Follow us on Twitter at: twitter.com/RCWestminster

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

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

Rosary under the Cross for Faith, Life and Peace in the British Isles: a call to prayer and penance on Sunday 7th October, Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.

Other regular Masses

Low Mass 4pm, Lady Chapel, Westminster Cathedral SW1P 1QW. Second Saturday only.

Page 23

Westminster Record | October 2018

Madonna of San Sisto: Oldest Painted Image of Mary

Almost a decade ago, when I was in Rome for a General Chapter of the Dominican Order, I was invited to visit the Dominican nuns in their monastery on Monte Mario, close to the Vatican. I had little idea of the treasures safeguarded by the nuns in their monastery, nor did I realise that a precious icon was venerated in their church. I had gone as a matter of curiosity because I had never met Dominican cloistered nuns, and the immediate excuse for this visit was to accompany a major relic of St Dominic that we needed to return to the nuns’ monastery. When we had returned the relic, the nuns invited us to see the recently-restored icon of the Madonna of San Sisto, who was also called the Advocata, although the Russian Orthodox called her the Lyddan Madonna. The icon itself is radiantly beautiful, with Mary’s cheeks aglow with a gentle pink blush, as though it were a living image. Page 24

by Fr Lawrence Lew OP

But what captures one’s attention, and gazes with motherly tenderness into the depths of one’s soul, are the eyes. Immediately, I recalled the words of the Salve Regina: ‘turn them, most gracious Advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us’. I photographed the icon as best as I could, and when I had returned to my room I did some research into the sacred image. I was amazed to discover that this icon was the miraculous image that St Dominic had picked up and moved in 1221. At that time, the Benedictine nuns who had guarded the icon in their monastery in Rome (at Santa Maria in Tempulo, in Trastevere) decided to become Dominican nuns. They were told to join the Dominican nuns in their existing convent, across the Tiber, in San Sisto, not far from the Colosseum. However, the nuns would not leave their monastery in Trastevere without their beloved icon. A few hundred years before, in the early 900s, Pope Sergius III had

had defined the dogma of Mary as Theotokos, God-bearer or Mother of God. Henceforth icons of Mary would be painted with Our Lady bearing the infant Jesus in her arms. The Advocata, rather unusually, depicts Mary by herself. Thus, it seems to be earlier than the Council of Ephesus. Thirdly, art historians note that although the technique of the icon is Egyptian, the style of the painting with its rounded face and large round eyes is distinctively Syrian. Radiocarbon tests carried out in the 1960s then established that the icon dates to the first century AD. Perhaps it is a leap of credibility too great for some, but Hesemann explains the historical plausibility that St Luke, a Syrian himself, could well have painted the Advocata icon near a town called Lydda. After all, legends persist that St Luke had painted an image of Mary, and this precious icon, verified by science to be the oldest painted image of Mary, could well be the one. As I contemplated this possibility, I recalled the many precious relics that the Dominican nuns quietly safeguarded on Monte Mario. There is a fittingness to this for the Salve Regina, which seems to refer so specifically to this icon, is recited at the close of the Rosary, itself another great devotion specially entrusted to

transferred the icon to his cathedral on the Lateran hill, but, to the astonishment of all, the icon returned to Santa Maria in Tempulo the next day! The nuns were understandably concerned that even if they went to San Sisto, the icon would remain behind. So, St Dominic took matters into his own hands, and picking up the icon, he led the nuns in procession to San Sisto, and there it remained until the Dominican nuns moved to the Quirinal Hill in 1575, and finally in 1931 to its current home on the hill of Monte Mario. However, I recently came across a book that detailed the even more wonderful provenance of this icon. Michael Hesemann in Mary of Nazareth (Ignatius Press, 2016) explains that the icon is painted in the encaustic method that was developed in ancient Egypt. This involves suspending pigments in a mixture of molten wax and mastic (an aromatic resin) and this is used while it is still hot to paint the image. Very few encaustic icons have survived, and all of them predate the 6th century because the technique was subsequently lost and many such icons were destroyed in the 8th-century during the Byzantine iconoclastic controversy. This suggests that the Advocata icon has an early, pre-medieval dating. Hesemann suggests that the icon in fact predates 431. In that year, the Council of Ephesus

the Dominican Order for the edification of the Church. As Preachers of Word who bear the light of the Gospel into the world, it seems that Providence willed to give to the Dominicans not only a marvellous means of meditating on the mysteries of salvation in the Rosary, but also an image of the one who is the pre-eminent bearer and preacher of the Word, painted even by an Evangelist, one of the original preachers of the Word! Thus equipped, the sons and daughters of St Dominic cannot but contemplate the truth of the Gospel, and then hand on to others the fruit of their contemplation, as a Dominican motto says.