Westminster Record - Autumn 2019 by RCWestminster

Westminster Record

Autumn 2019 | 20p

Newman: Saint for our times

Annual Report & Accounts

Lourdes Pilgrimage

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Pages 11-14

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Catholic Schools: A Lived Faith by JP Morrison, Director of Education This summer witnessed the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11’s Eagle Lunar Modular landing on the moon. Every aspect of this audacious achievement has been analysed and scrutinised for years; however, one extraordinary action that took place has received relatively little coverage, until now. Buzz Aldrin, part of the lunar team, was also an elder in his Webster Presbyterian Church and, before he went into space, he sought special permission to receive communion whilst on the moon. Aldrin, on the advice of NASA, was asked to keep his religious beliefs general as the world would be listening very carefully and when the time came, he said, ‘I’d like to request a few moments of silence. I’d like to take this opportunity to ask every person listening in, whoever and wherever they may be, to pause for a moment and contemplate the events of the past few hours, and to give thanks in his or her own way.’ In 1994, three Catholic astronauts took Holy Communion on board the Space Shuttle Endeavour. Sid Gutierrez, Kevin Chilton and Dr Thomas D Jones held a short Communion Service whilst orbiting the earth. As Dr Jones went on to explain, ‘The three of us thanked God for the views of his universe, for good companions, and for the success granted our crew so far. Then Kevin shared the Body of Christ with Sid and me, and we floated weightless

on the flight deck, silently reflecting on this moment of peace and true communion with Christ.’ There is something telling about these two events, both good examples of a lived faith. Indeed, the extraordinary achievement of the space programme has plenty of insights to give in regards to the value of Catholic education. When Pope Francis says ‘The world tells us to seek success, power and money; God tells us to seek humility, service and love,’ he is sharing something

the astronauts realised and educators can learn from. As our schools return from their well-earned holiday break, they seek to renew and refresh a compelling vision for the communities they serve and identify with, and as Catholics we have a duty to support them. Our schools cannot be merely seen as culturally Catholic; they should be sacred places serving a valuable civic purpose. They need to be pragmatic, strategic and have more emphasis on collegiality so as to collectively face the challenges of

recruitment and retention issues, falling numbers, tight finances and stretched resources. Our schools continue to equip pupils with the tools of understanding. They strive to present an authentic vision of the Church’s moral and social teaching, so that pupils can make a critique of the underlying trends of contemporary culture and society. Religious Education in Catholic schools is two-fold: it not only educates children in the practice of their own and other faiths but, most crucially,

provides the opportunity for formation in their personal faith. As Pope St John Paul II observed, if the Church’s institutions are genuinely Catholic they ‘need to be Catholic in the selfunderstanding and Catholic in their identity’. Catholic schools should be building on their primary mission by giving students the space to encounter the living God who in Jesus Christ reveals his transforming love and truth.

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Westminster Record | Autumn 2019

Striving for holiness in everyday life

This issue of Westminster Record goes to press shortly before the canonisation of Cardinal John Henry Newman (a native of Ealing, in our diocese, it is to be remembered!). One reason why Cardinal Newman is so greatly admired is his breadth of vision: his ability to see the Church in centuries, yet also to address

in detail very current issues. He was at home with the Church Fathers of the third and fourth centuries as he was with the concerns of nineteenth century England and the contemporary Catholic Church. That great sweep of time, which is made real in the present moment, could describe the life of our diocese. We are charged to hand on the truths of our faith and to give young people the tools to grow and flourish, something that deeply concerned Cardinal Newman and which gives this year’s Education Sunday a special meaning. In such a context it is also worth taking note of the Sycamore initiative for young people. Cardinal Newman wrote of Mary as ‘the second Eve’, and we highlight the role of Our Lady in several ways: through Lourdes, Fatima and Walsingham. He took

seriously the ‘care of souls’, which very much included their physical well-being; we feature some of the many agencies in our diocese who care for the afflicted and dying, both at home and abroad, testifying to this fundamental calling of the Church. Finally, Cardinal Newman taught his friends to strive for holiness, something he sought himself each day. The witness of priests and laity in our diocese, the vigour of our parishes, our witness to marriage and family life, examples of which appear in this issue, highlight this primary vocation for all Christians, which does not mean we are perfect, but that we have sought to hear God’s will, and in Newman’s words, to have ‘changed often’.

The candidates were presented by both Canon Roger Taylor, Rector of Allen Hall, where Deacon Julian studied, and Mgr Philip Whitmore, Rector of the Venerable English College, where Deacon Benjamin studied. The Cardinal said in his homily that ‘there was a deep sense of fulfilment about today, as that intention of God, pondered over so steadfastly in prayerful discernment, comes to this decisive moment.’ He thanked ‘all who have encouraged each of these men along this path and who love

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Two priests ordained for Westminster On Saturday 27th July, Revv Julian Davies (R) and Benjamin Woodley (L) were ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Westminster in the presence of family, friends and parishioners from a number of parishes where both men have served. The ordination Mass was celebrated by Cardinal Vincent at Westminster Cathedral. Among the concelebrants were Bishops John Sherrington, Nicholas Hudson and Michael Campbell OSA, priests from Westminster as well as a number of other dioceses of England and Wales.

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them so much in this moment of thankfulness’. Declaring that the Holy Spirit is ‘the decisive actor in this event’, he said: ‘Only by the gift of God can this change take place in the consecration of these two men as priests of the New Covenant.’ He added that this is also a beginning: ‘Shortly Julian and Benjamin will take their places among the priests of the diocese, as co-workers with the bishops, in service of the mission we all share.’ This mission, he said, ‘requires the work of the Holy Spirit to bring it about,’ noting that in society, ‘there is little or no shared vision around which to gather; our culture offers no reason or encouragement to offer forgiveness to those who do willful damage and harm.’ Offering the new life which flows from the cross of Christ, he said, ‘is our task, in word, sacrament and example.’ From September, Fr Julian is appointed Assistant Priest at the Parish of St Alban and St Stephen in St Albans and Fr Benjamin is appointed Assistant Priest at the Parish Our Lady in St John’s Wood. Please keep our two new priests in your prayers.

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Bishop Alan Hopes of East Anglia ordained Alexander Balzanella to the diaconate on Sunday 14th July at the Church of Our Lady of Snows Chapel in Palazolla. Deacon Alex joins the three transitional deacons ordained in June for the Diocese of Westminster. Bishop Alan said in his homily that deacons are called to be a sign of hope to a world where only success matters and where there is no room for failure. He called the diaconate ‘a noble and joyous vocation’. Deacon Alex (centre left) is pictured with Bishop Alan Hopes, Rector of the College Mgr Philip Whitmore, priests from the Diocese of Westminster who concelebrated the ordination Mass, and Deacon Ben Woodley who was ordained to the priesthood on 27th July (see left). Following a placement in Rickmansworth in September, Deacon Alex will return to the Venerable English College in Rome to continue his studies towards the priesthood. Please keep him and all new deacons in your prayers.

Westminster Record | Autumn 2019

Honouring our sick and retired priests by Helen Bright

Fr Pat Foley Retires by Annette Nugent On Saturday 13th July, St Helen's Church in Watford celebrated the retirement of the much-loved priest Fr Pat Foley, who is considered by his parishioners to be one of the finest and most dedicated priests of the diocese. Fr Pat, from Donoughmore, County Cork, Ireland, has been a priest for 48 years and has been the Parish Priest of St Helen's Church for 21 years. His first role as an Assistant Priest was at the Church of the Five Precious Wounds in Stonebridge, where he served from 1971 to 1976, and he became Parish Priest there from 1981 to 1988. He was also Parish Priest at Our Lady of Grace and St Edward from 1976 to 1980, St Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows from 1980 to 1981, and before he came to St Helen's he was at Our Lady and St Joseph in Hanwell, serving there from 1998 to 1997. Fr Pat has served the parish of St Helen's with undying faith, love, dedication, and humility. He is a true example of what it is to be a good shepherd leading his flock. His total selflessness has endeared him to every person he met along the path of his ministry and he will be sorely missed by all in the parish. He leaves behind a strong parish which he has built up in his time there. Thank you, Fr Pat, you have served us well. May God bestow many blessings on you and reward you for your selfless ministry in helping to build his Kingdom here on earth.

We were delighted to welcome 200 patrons, donors, and guests to this year’s Patrons’ Mass on 10th July in Westminster Cathedral, to honour the sick and retired priests of our diocese. Sixteen of our retired priests joined Cardinal Vincent in celebrating the Solemn Mass. After Mass, guests gathered in the cathedral hall for a reception. Tables were decked out in green and gold, guests were seated, drinks and canapés were circulating, and the Cardinal was about to give his speech of welcome when the unexpected happened and the fire alarm went off. It turned out this was no routine test, and we needed to evacuate the hall to Ambrosden Avenue outside. Fortunately, it was a warm sunny day, and the catering team brought out platters and drinks with them and continued

to serve. Guests were unfazed; an indoor sit-down reception had suddenly turned into a street party, and they were determined to enjoy it! When the alarm was over and we were back inside the hall, the programme continued with words of welcome from Canon Gerard King, Chairman of the Sick and Retired Priests’ Committee, and Cardinal Vincent. Reflecting on the 450th anniversary of the founding of the English College at Douai, the Cardinal spoke movingly about the way the subsequent history had shaped the experience and character of the priesthood in this country, from the most turbulent and challenging period of martyrdom and exile, up to the present day. Canon Gerard highlighted two important aspects of the work of the Sick and Retired Priests’ Committee:

pastoral care, and the provision of essential resources such as housing and finance. Guests joined in warm appreciation of the devoted and tireless work of Sr Clement, and in applauding the retired priests who had been with us on this day. We are immensely grateful to everybody who helped to make

this year’s Patrons’ Mass and reception such an enjoyable and successful event, not least our patrons, donors and supporters who give so generously to the Sick and Retired Priests’ Fund. For more information on the Patrons’ Programme, email supportercare@rcdow.org.uk or telephone 020 7798 9025.

Newman’s canonisation set for October

Pope Francis has announced that Blessed John Henry Newman will be canonised in Rome on Sunday 13th October in St Peter’s Square alongside four others. This will make Cardinal Newman the first English person who has lived since the 17th century officially recognised as a saint by the Roman Catholic Church. The canonisation was made possible by a second miracle attributed to his intercession in 2013, consisting in the medically inexplicable healing of a pregnant woman in Chicago with life-threatening complications due to her pregnancy. During the ceremony for his beatification in 2010, Pope Benedict said that Newman ‘tells us that our divine Master has assigned a specific task to each one of us, a “definite service”, committed uniquely to every single person.’ ‘The definite service to which Blessed John Henry was called,’ continued the Pope, ‘involved applying his keen intellect and his prolific pen to many of the most pressing “subjects of the day”. His insights into the relationship Follow us on Twitter at: twitter.com/RCWestminster

between faith and reason, into the vital place of revealed religion in civilised society, and into the need for a broadly-based and wideranging approach to education were not only of profound importance for Victorian England, but continue today to inspire and enlighten many all over the world.’ Fr Ignatius Harrison, Provost of the Birmingham Oratory which was founded by Newman in 1849, said that ‘Newman's lifelong success in bringing others to Christ shows us that the apostolate of Christian friendship achieves much more by attracting people to the Lord than by aggressive polemic. Newman's long and incremental spiritual pilgrimage shows us that God leads us to himself step by step, in ways that he customises to our individual needs and in his own good time.’ Information about Cardinal Newman including details of his life, of the miracle and the process of canonisation, links to his writings, and photos and videos can be found at www.newmancanonisation.com Page 3

Westminster Record | Autumn 2019

Joining the fight against knife crime A parish is taking the fight to knife crime with the installation of a knife surrender bin. Fr Michael Jarmulowicz of Our Lady of Lourdes and St Vincent de Paul Church in Harrow Road, officially opened the bin on Sunday 14th July. The project was launched with the support of Caritas Westminster. Fr Michael said, ‘We have had local crime here and some people may say what’s the point of the knife bin. But any knife taken off the streets is one knife less that can be used, so thankfully we will be doing some good. Despite the news, many people don’t understand the severity of the issue and this will bring attention to the knife problem in the area. This bin is along a thoroughfare and so it’s a good place to put it.’

Also attending the launch were representatives from, Word4Weapons, several councillors, Westminster North MP Karen Buck, and parishioners.

Karen Buck said, ‘It takes a village to raise a child; I believe that very strongly. Children don’t grow up by themselves; they grow up in a neighbourhood. All our communities including our churches are part of the community that brings up our children well and keeps them safe. The whole community knows about it and wants to come together for it.’ The bin is supplied and managed by Word4Weapons, a Christian organisation and weapons surrender charity. Since 2009 more than 35,000 weapons have been collected in their bins. This is the third knife bin in a parish that Caritas has supported. For more information about Caritas, visit caritaswestminster.org.uk

Benemerenti for devoted service

by Kenneth Palmer On Saturday 13th July Bishop John Sherrington celebrated Mass at Christ the King, Cockfosters, along with Parish Priest Fr Christophe Brunet.

During Mass a Benemerenti (a medal awarded by the Pope for services to the Church) was presented to parishioner Patrick McKeown for his longstanding, faithful service to the parish. He is an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion, leads the recitation of the daily Rosary on weekdays, and also carries out sacristan duties prior to the daily weekday Masses. Several members of Patrick’s family joined the congregation. An informal reception followed in the parish hall during which parishioners were able to express their personal thanks to Patrick for his loyal service.

‘Give me Bow, Give me Bow’ On 20th July 2019 Bishop Nicholas celebrated a Mass of thanksgiving at Our Lady Refuge of Sinners and St Catherine of Siena at Bow to mark 150 years exactly since Archbishop Manning laid the foundation stone. Special recognition was paid to Fr McQuoin who founded the first Catholic Centre in Stratford from where he served Catholics of the East End in the early 1850s. Fr McQuoin first established the school chapel of St Agnes in 1865, which was served from Stratford. Meanwhile Mother Margaret Hallahan, foundress of the Dominican Sisters of Stone, was praying to Our Lady, ‘Give me Bow, give me Bow’. She died before the convent of St Catherine was opened but her prayers for a parish church were answered shortly after her death when Archbishop Manning came to lay the foundation stone for the church of Our Lady Refuge of Sinners and St Catherine of Siena on 20th July 1869. Bishop Nicholas thanked the priests and people of Bow

parish for being a beacon of Catholic faith at the diocese’s easternmost outpost. The readings for the Sunday being all about hospitality, the hospitality of Abraham and the hospitality given to Jesus in the home of Martha and Mary, Bishop Nicholas said, ‘We see in Bow parish a radical commitment to St Paul’s plea to “Make hospitality your special care”. This they have shown through decades of welcome to the poor and needy, most especially in recent years to the foodbank which serves as a lifeline to countless people who would otherwise be without food and other essentials and which, being ecumenical, makes a profound statement of their desire to give a shared Christian witness.’ The tradition of hospitality was also evident in the generous reception offered in the parish hall and garden after the Mass. Bishop Nicholas congratulated Fr Javier Ruiz and the parishioners of Bow for bringing together so many people in this way to launch a year of centenary celebrations.

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Westminster Record | Autumn 2019

On Thursday 26th September, a Mass will be offered to pray for and remember seafarers at Our Lady of the Assumption in Soho at 7pm. This Mass is being organised by Stella Maris (Apostleship of the Sea (AoS)), a part of the Bishops Conference of England & Wales which provides spiritual and practical support to seafarers calling at ports in the diocese and throughout Great Britain.

Recent events involving the capture and detention of ships in the Middle East have piled stress and anxiety on seafarers who are just going about doing their jobs. Such incidents not only affect the seafarers but also their families back home who are worried about the safety and wellbeing of their loved ones working at sea. Apostleship of the Sea’s port chaplains and ship visitors go on-board ships to meet

seafarers at their place of work and offer assistance, including organising Mass on-board, providing counselling, bringing Bibles and rosaries, and helping them keep in contact with their families back home. ‘It is vital that we continue to pray for seafarers and their families, and we ask for the intercession of Our Lady Star of the Sea, Stella Maris, for them and for the work of Apostleship of the Sea,’ says

John Green, AoS Development Director. In 2020, Apostleship of the Sea will celebrate its centenary and plans are underway for the hosting of the charity’s 25th World Congress in Glasgow next year. All are invited to come along to the Mass. Please contact Roland Hayes for further information at roland@apostleshipofthesea. org.uk or 078 8789 3763

Praying for the vital work of seafarers

Young people making a difference

Honouring the Immaculate Heart of Mary

A young volunteer ship visitor and a group of urban gardeners were just two of the winners at this year’s Celebrating Young People Awards, a glittering ceremony in central London on 3rd July. Cardinal Vincent presented the Pope Francis Award to 24year-old Hannah Forrest who is a volunteer ship visitor for Stella Maris (Apostleship of the Sea) in Plymouth. He congratulated her and the other young people present, telling them that he was so proud ‘to see and sense the vitality of the faith of our Church embodied in so many of the young people gathered tonight’. He added they ‘have so much generosity and verve for life.’ Also recognised for their contributions were our very own Nicholas Ting, 22, and Chris Aphonzo, 21, from St Paul's Parish Courtyard project in Wood Green, and Sharon Weerasuriya, 20, who was commended for her work with CAFOD's Holyland Step into the Gap (pictured below). The awards were powered by Million Minutes, an organisation that raises money and supports youth action and advocacy activities that give voice and support to young people to transform their lives and their world. Hundreds of young people were nominated in six

by Jerry Rivera

categories, each celebrating a different aspect of Catholic social teaching lived out in action. Danny Curtin, CEO of Million Minutes said the judging panels were ‘very impressed by all the young people nominated’. He explained: ‘Young people all too often get a bad name, but their selfless and sometimes unseen actions can inspire all of us. Million Minutes is all about giving a voice to those who are overlooked. We’re delighted to have held these awards for the fourth year to recognise young people from across England and Wales, and we want to celebrate all that they are and all that they give to our world.’ For more information about all of Million Minutes inspiring award recipients and those recognised as highly commended visit millionminutes.org/awards. The awards evening also announced the launch of a new campaign, Million Minutes of Change. Million Minutes will deliver a message to the young people of England and Wales, letting them know how valuable and important they are to the Church. Together, they are being invited to create a million minutes of social action to help change the world: millionminutes.org/change.

On 29th June 2019, Westminster and Southwark members of the World Apostolate of Fatima in England & Wales (WAF E&W) celebrated the feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The day began with Mass at Our Lady of Mount Carmel & St Simon Stock Church, Kensington. The Filipino choir headed by Rene Arabia lifted the congregation and added to the appreciation of worship during the Mass. Fr Richard Nesbitt, WAF Westminster spiritual director, spoke of the powerful experience of being enfolded and immersed in the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. It is estimated that one hundred people were enrolled and invested in the Brown Scapular on the day. The Missionaries of Charity looked after the centennial pilgrim statue of the

Immaculate Heart while it was in the Carmelite church. Then during the procession of reparation for the sins and offences committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary, along High Street Kensington to Our Lady of Victories Church, the National Pilgrim Virgin statue was carried by the Knights of St Columba, headed by Nestor Baniqued, the custodian and a grand knight himself. These are two different statues representing different aspects of the Fatima message. Mgr Jim Curry welcomed the congregation to Our Lady of Victories, where the relics of Ss Jacinta and Francisco were venerated, accompanied by the recitation of the litanies to the two saints and to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The event ended with the singing of Salve Regina, the angelic salutation and a final blessing from Mgr Jim.

It is hoped that this will now become an annual celebration on the feast of the Immaculate Heart, which is itself the central theme of the apparitions at Fatima in Portugal. During the June 1917 apparition at Fatima, the Blessed Virgin said that God wished to establish devotion to her Immaculate Heart throughout the world. She promised salvation to whoever embraces this devotion. May Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart be our refuge and the way that will lead us to God. To find out more please visit worldfatimaenglandwales.org.uk/ or email info@worldfatimaenglandwales.org.uk/

World Day of Migrants and Refugees 2019 The World Day of Migrants and Refugees will be celebrated on the last Sunday of September, 29th September 2019. The theme for this year is ‘It’s not just about migrants’. Pope Francis has chosen this theme to stimulate our prayer and action by reflecting on the ways in which migrants, refugees, internally displaced persons and victims of human trafficking are part of a wider concern for all marginalized people. Pope Francis commented, ‘The presence of migrants and refugees, and of vulnerable

people in general, is an invitation to recover some of those essential dimensions of our Christian existence and our humanity that risk being overlooked in a prosperous society. That is why it is not just about migrants. When we show concern for them, we also show concern for ourselves, for everyone; in taking care of them, we all grow; in listening to them, we also give voice to a part of ourselves that we may keep hidden because it is not well regarded nowadays.’ Reflections, information materials and multimedia aids Follow us on Instagram at: @rcwestminster

are available at https://migrants-refugees.va/ and include the Pope’s Message for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees, Gospel quotations, relevant documents, a downloadable toolkit, videos in five languages and many other resources. ‘Through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, Our Lady of the Way,’ we join Pope Francis in invoking, ‘God’s abundant blessing on all the world’s migrants and refugees and upon all those who accompany them on their journey.’ Page 5

Westminster Record | Autumn 2019

St Gregory’s proud of ‘Speak Out!’ Champion

by Gail Hovey Princilla Agyemang, age 15, from St Gregory’s Catholic Science College in Kenton, beat 20,507 pupils from across London and Essex to win the Grand Final of the Jack Petchey 'Speak Out!' Challenge on 1st July at the Cambridge Theatre, London. Princilla impressed a large and distinguished line-up of judges with her speech, which tackled homophobia and discrimination around the world. Asked how she felt when she was announced winner, Princilla said, ‘I didn’t expect to win, so when they called my name I felt shocked and then loads of happiness. I felt really, really proud. Performing in front of such a large crowd was very nerve-wracking. Before I went on stage I was scared and worried; but once you get out there and see all those people you just have to get on with it.’

Princilla’s aspirations for the future are to be a journalist who raises awareness of ‘issues which affect people on a daily basis, but which are not necessarily seen or talked about, or which are brushed under the carpet’. Princilla added, ‘I want to make a difference.’ Jack Petchey’s 'Speak Out!' Challenge is the world’s largest public speaking competition. There are 37 different Regional Champions, from which 15 are selected to take part in the Grand Final. Andrew Prindiville, St Gregory’s Headteacher said, ‘Our whole school community is immensely proud of Princilla. This is an amazing achievement and reflects Princilla’s hard work and passion to make a difference, actively supported by her parents and teachers.’ St Gregory’s has achieved success in this competition before. In 2016 a pupil from the school won the Brent Regional Final.

Flying the Green Flag for the environment by Gail Hovey St Gregory’s Catholic Science College, Kenton, has been recognised for its outstanding green credentials by achieving the Eco Schools Green Flag Award for the fourth consecutive year. St Gregory’s is one of only three state maintained secondary schools in London to hold the Eco Schools Green Flag Award and the only one to have achieved it four times. Eco Warriors at the school have organised community litter picks in their local park and built an award-winning Eco Garden in which the green-fingered gang grows an array of fruit and vegetables, as well as nurturing wildlife in the school’s Eco Pond and Bug Hotel. In addition to carrying out extensive recycling initiatives throughout the school, pupils have worked hard to reduce single-use plastics by banning plastic cutlery from the school canteen, using reusable water bottles and installing extra water refill stations across the school. Eco Schools Assessor, Francesca Busca, recently visited the school and said: ‘It is heart-warming to see how the enthusiasm, involvement, and commitment of both pupils and staff seem to have triggered environmental awareness and practices exponentially, reaching way beyond the school grounds.’

Headteacher Andrew Prindiville said, ‘Our whole school community is absolutely delighted to have achieved this award for the

St Dominic’s go the extra mile for charity

Staff and students of St Dominic’s Sixth Form College, Harrow have given their time over two consecutive weekends in June to raise funds for two great charity causes. Forty members of the college community, including staff, former students and friends of St Dominic’s, walked 5km around the beautiful local area in order to raise money for St Luke’s Hospice. It was a fun and, miraculously, dry event for all involved, raising over £1,355.50. A special mention to the many furry friends of St Page 6

fourth time, reflecting the sustained hard work, commitment, and support from pupils, staff and governors combined.’

Dominic’s who led the way in exchange for snacks. The following weekend, 25 staff and students took to Hampstead Heath to run the 2019 Race For Life in support of cancer charities. They were all dressed in pink and braved a 5km run over the hilliest route outside of the Himalayas. This is the 7th year St Dominic’s has taken part, and this year they raised around £2,500 for this amazing cause. A big thank you to Vice Principal Nicola Walsh for leading these events and many others for their unwavering enthusiasm.

Westminster Record | Autumn 2019

It is the role of our schools to strive to communicate Christ and to form Christ in the lives of others. As Pope Benedict XVI explains, ‘The witness never refers to himself but to something, or rather, to Someone greater than he, whom he has encountered and whose dependable goodness he has sampled. Thus, every educator and witness finds an unequalled model in Jesus Christ, the Father's great witness, who said nothing about himself but spoke as the Father had taught him.’ When Buzz Aldrin took communion on the moon he read from John 15:5; ‘As Jesus said: “I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me, and I in him, will bear much fruit; for you can do nothing without me.”’ As our schools return in September, we can take inspiration from the extraordinary achievements of the astronauts and all the men and women who supported them in getting to the moon and back. In their success, we can see and emulate the drive to contribute to a project that requires a level of teamwork far beyond the capacity of an individual’s efforts. So, each school cannot act in isolation for they are part of a greater community of social educators who seek to ensure the teachings and face of Christ are known to all. In a world lacking humility, it is refreshing to hear how these astronauts wanted to thank God and their faith for their achievements. For them it was about service and the appeal for the common good. As the new term begins we are grateful for all the men and women who serve in and for our schools. They demonstrate day in and day out a witness to faith and the resilience to cope with what is presented to them. As Buzz Aldrin said: ‘Resilience is what humans have and resilience is what humans need to take advantage of: their ability to explore and to understand and then to react positively and with motivation, not as a defeatist, to the constant flow of challenges. Negativity doesn’t get anybody anywhere. It takes reacting to all of life in a positive way to make the most out of what you’ve experienced and to make a better life and a better world.’

Lobbying for Climate Change Pupils and staff from St Augustine’s Priory, Ealing have taken their call for climate and environmental action to the heart of government. Along with thousands of other supporters, they converged on Westminster on 26th June to ask politicians to commit to ending the UK’s contribution to climate change by implementing net zero by 2045, further and faster than the government’s current commitment. Mrs McDermott, Head of Religious Education at St Augustine’s said: ‘As a Catholic school, we must put our faith into action and realise that our learning reaches far beyond the classroom. In Laudato Si' Pope Francis tells us that, "the world is a gift from God". We need to stop the destruction of this beautiful gift and act now! As a school, we already do so much for the environment but, by speaking to our MP Dr Rupa Huq, we, as a community, are asking politicians to act now.’ One of the pupils, Sennen, told Dr Huq about some of the initiatives in school, such as banning single-use plastics and asked what initiatives

there were in the Houses of Parliament. Other pupils, Marianne and Shani, told Dr Huq about the search engine Ecosia that the Eco-prefects are hoping the school will use instead of Google as it plants trees through donations to nonprofit organisations that focus on reforestation and conservationism. Marianne says, ‘It was great that I made a difference by speaking to our MP and I hope she remembered what I told her about Ecosia!’

Other members of the public from the school’s constituency spoke to Mrs McDermott on the lobby line about how impressed they were that the school had brought the girls to see democracy in action and to give them a voice for a cause that is so important to them. Monica Conmee, CAFOD’s Head of Education said, ‘Young people understand the urgent need for MPs to take action now and they’ve been asking for our government to go further, faster to

reach net zero by 2045. Climate change is already having an impact on some of the poorest communities in the world and some of CAFOD’s international staff have been sharing that experience with the young people who were lobbying their MPs today.’ The Government will be making important decisions about how to implement their net zero emissions target and legislating for stronger environmental laws later in the year.

Thanksgiving for 38 years of dedicated service Thirty-eight years teaching in one school! That was the achievement being celebrated in St Mellitus’s Church, Tollington Park, on 17th July as Miss Romy Hoster took her leave of Christ the King Primary School. Romy Hoster arrived at the school in 1981 as a newly-qualified teacher and left as Head of School. She certainly taught some of the children of her first pupils; and thinks she even taught some of their children’s children! Romy began life in a very international way. She was born in Cape Town of a German father and a Belgian mother. Her father was a diplomat. He was posted to Israel when Romy was just 13, which led her to attend a Church of Scotland school in Jerusalem. It was her father’s being posted to England which brought Romy to this country. After training in

Roehampton she arrived in Tollington Park. Presiding at a Mass of thanksgiving, Bishop Nicholas Hudson underlined Romy’s passion for Religious Education; and the diocese’s debt of gratitude to Romy for so many years’ dedicated service. In his homily, he suggested that Romy’s faithfulness to Christ the King gave eloquent testimony to her belief in the school and its mission. He asked all those present, children and adults alike, to think of the teacher who had most inspired them. He suggested it was the teachers who believed in us, believed in our potential, who had the greatest impact. He spoke of how much Our Blessed Lord must have been encouraged by Our Lady’s belief in him; and how that belief must have strengthened the Apostles also in their hour of grief.

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‘Isn’t there something here, in Our Lady’s example,’ he suggested, ‘for every Catholic teacher to take into their own life? Something about communicating belief; communicating our belief in every child we have in our care; also communicating our belief in him, Jesus of Nazareth; showing we believe because, like Mary, we cannot help but Follow us on Instagram at: @rcwestminster

remind the children constantly and faithfully of all the things he said when he was among us.’ ‘I realise as I say this,’ Bishop Nicholas concluded, ‘that it was indeed the teachers who showed they believed in me and communicated a firm belief in Christ Jesus who are the ones I remember above all, remember most fondly and with the greatest respect.’ Page 7

Westminster Record | Autumn 2019

Sycamore: a very good place to start

The Sycamore Story by Fr Stephen Wang

by Deacon Adrian Cullen Evangelisation Coordinator

THE EARLY DAYS Sycamore is a programme of evangelisation and catechesis that re-launched this summer and which we hope will be used in parishes, chaplaincies and schools across the diocese. We are incredibly proud that the Sycamore story began at Newman House University Chaplaincy, at the heart of our diocese. I remember a meeting we had in June 2014 as if it were yesterday. I was sitting with six students in my office. We were planning our outreach to the new students and our evangelisation programme for the coming academic year. We had the idea of writing a new course. It would explain the basics of the Christian faith, from a Catholic perspective, to those who knew little or nothing about Christianity. It would help create a welcoming atmosphere where people could relax and feel at home, something that is so important for students living away from their families. And then someone said: ‘Well, if we are writing it, we might as well film it!’ Three months later, after a mad team effort and some help from a willing film-maker, we had the first set of films ready to share with people. The initial strapline was ‘Sycamore: Thinking about Life and Faith’. We put the films and training materials online and left the rest to God. Why the name ‘Sycamore’? In the Bible, Jesus comes to the town of Jericho. A man called Zacchaeus is so curious about Jesus that he climbs a sycamore tree to get a better view. When he finally meets him, they begin a conversation, and his life is changed forever. The sycamore tree seemed to be the perfect image of something that helps others to get a wider perspective on life and faith. NEW BEGINNINGS It soon became clear that many others were using the resources, not only those in university chaplaincy. Sycamore seemed to resonate not just with young adults but with people of every age. It was being used in parishes, chaplaincies and Page 8

schools across the UK and beyond. This came home to me when I was in Poland for World Youth Day in 2016. A random stranger came up to me and said, ‘Oh, you’re Fr Stephen, aren’t you? We have been using Sycamore in our parish in Australia!’ In 2018, in response to this wider demand, the Sycamore team decided to re-write the course and re-make the films, this time with much higher production values, and taking into account all the experience and feedback that had been shared from groups across the world. We widened the team to include catechists, teachers, priests, parents, theologians and people with expertise in media and communications. We set up a UK charity. We developed a new logo and a new strapline; ‘Sycamore: What do you believe?’ and we discovered an amazing film production company called Higham & Co. After some significant fundraising, the new resources and website were developed, and launched in June. We are grateful to the many groups and individuals who have helped fund this re-launch, including the Cardinal’s Appeal, the Assumption Legacy Fund, the Sisters of the Holy Cross Charitable Trust, and dioceses across the UK.

SYCAMORE TODAY Sycamore is an informal course about the Christian faith and its relevance for life today. It gives people space to meet others, share ideas, explore their beliefs, and think about questions that really matter. One of our student participants said, ‘I finally found an opportunity to think about my life!’ Each Sycamore session involves a short film and time for discussion. There’s no pressure and no commitment; people can be themselves without any fear of being judged. There’s a real sense of community, a spirit of friendship, some great conversation, and often some delicious food. Everyone is welcome. The high-quality films are engaging, thought-provoking, and accessible to those with little or no religious background. I am the main presenter on the films, and they also include Christian testimonies and street interviews about the challenges of believing today. The films explore the richness of the Christian tradition from a Catholic perspective, connecting the core Christian message with a vision of the sacramental and moral life. They will also appeal to people from different Christian traditions and backgrounds.

There are many other fantastic Christian resources around, and Sycamore wouldn’t exist without the inspiration received from programmes developed by CaFE, Word on Fire, Evangelium, and many more. HOW TO USE SYCAMORE Sycamore has been created for parishes, schools, university chaplaincies, prisons and beyond. It develops leaders, builds community, creates genuine friendships, and helps the wider Christian community to become more open and welcoming. Discussion questions are built into the films so that the sessions can be run very easily. The films, supplementary resources and training materials for group leaders are all available online. You can register, free of charge, as a leader, which gives you access to all the planning and training materials. You can then take out a subscription on behalf of your community which allows you to view and download the films and publicity materials. Please visit www.sycamore.fm to learn more and to view two sample sessions. We hope that many communities in the diocese will use Sycamore in their evangelisation and catechesis in the months ahead.

Where do you start when it’s time for parents to think about First Holy Communion for their children? The obvious thing to do is to give them a registration form, to start with the administration. But rather than a sign-up, at Sacred Heart and St Joseph, Ware, we decided to start by giving parents an opportunity to explore their own faith, so that they would be more confident in accompanying their children in that wonderful journey of getting to know Jesus Christ, for the first time, in the Sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist. What better place to start than to dip into the Sycamore programme? Rather than waiting for September, we invited the parents to come along to three Sycamore evenings in June and chose several of their new films: ‘God who speaks’, ‘Who is Jesus Christ?’ and ‘The gift of faith’. We set up the room in café style with a few light snacks and drinks, and showed the DVDs, stopping at the pauses for discussion. The discussion around the tables was lively and good humoured, but frequently became quiet and serious. We shared collectively a couple of points raised, then carried on with the next part of the video. Each session lasted just over an hour. Although other commitments meant that not everyone was able to attend each session, most parents came for the three evenings. And the feedback? Well, comments were all positive and included: ‘it was good to talk to our friends about our faith, something we haven’t done before’; ‘the questions were challenging, but in a good way’; ‘the presenter was very good, and kept us interested’; ‘we have really enjoyed the evenings, which will help us with our children as they prepare for First Holy Communion’. We are now looking to run the full Sycamore programme for a wider audience. It certainly does seem that when it comes to exploring our Catholic faith, Sycamore is a very good place to start.

Westminster Record | Autumn 2019

John Henry Newman: Saint for our times The God Who Speaks by Mgr Roderick Strange ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me’ (Mark 8:34). Jesus’ words are familiar and stark. The path of holiness is laid out before us all too clearly. We are invited to embrace the paschal mystery. And it may overwhelm us. Our own share in the Lord’s passion may not be dramatic, but we can experience it in a number of ways. There may be various dyings and risings that we have to endure, more than one, ill-health, disability, the collapse of cherished plans, failed relationships, and, often most keenly, the death of those who are dearest to us. Those experiences make life seem more like a living death. We feel annihilated. And yet, if we refuse to be smothered by these disasters, but press on, keeping our hearts open somehow, we’re not sure how, but open somehow to love and the light, we find the situation changes. We move on from what seemed annihilation to a new, a risen, life. Discipleship, the call to holiness, is a matter of following that path, embracing the paschal mystery as it unfolds for us. John Henry Newman, soon to be canonised, is meant to be a guide for us. Saints are models of Christian living. Yet he died peacefully in his bed in 1890, an old man and a Cardinal, honoured and respected. How can he help us when we are in distress? We need to consider his story again. Here was someone who had risen to great prominence. He was a priest of the established Church, the Church of England, and a fellow of Oriel College, at a time when that College was regarded as supreme among Oxford colleges. He was the Vicar of the University Church, a renowned preacher, and with his friends, Edward Pusey and John Keble, an influential leader of the Oxford Movement which was

seeking to restore within the Anglican Church the Catholic tradition that had been allowed to falter. All seemed set fair for success. And what happened next? To his surprise he was led by events and his own arguments to doubt the position in which he had felt so secure and, after careful study, in obedience to conscience, he left the Church of England to become a Catholic. It is difficult for us now to grasp the enormity of that act in the eyes of his contemporaries. He had abandoned a position of honour and prestige to join a small, despised minority. Many people regarded him with contempt. While some friendships endured, many cast him adrift. Even as dear and saintly a friend as John Keble made no contact with him for seventeen years. When he finally wrote to ask Newman’s pardon, his letter was moving. ‘I ought to have felt more than I did what a sore burthen you were bearing for conscience’s sake,’ Keble acknowledged. And Newman replied, ‘Never have I doubted for one moment your affection for me’ (Letters and Diaries 20, pp 501-03). Their friendship happily was resumed. But there had been many an anguished parting of ways. And did the Catholic community which he had joined make up for what he had lost? Largely, no. Catholics in many ways were bewildered to have so distinguished a man in their midst. Some were suspicious and those in authority were unsure how to make best use of him. They would invite him to undertake projects, but then fail to put at his disposal the resources he needed for those projects to succeed. He was invited to found a Catholic University in Dublin, to oversee a new translation of the Bible, and to resolve a situation that had arisen over the distinguished, but controversial, Catholic periodical, The Rambler, by becoming its new editor. On each occasion, when it was needed, the necessary support

was not provided. Other examples could be given. It was as though everything he turned his hand to ended in disaster. His Journal entry in January 1863 makes sobering reading. ‘O how forlorn & dreary has been my course since I have been a Catholic!’ he wrote, ‘here has been the contrast – as a Protestant, I felt my religion dreary, but not my life – but, as a Catholic, my life dreary, not my religion.’ He was grateful for the blessings he had received, but the depressive tone is evident: ‘Few indeed successes has it been his blessed will to give me through life.’ And he concludes, ‘since I have been a Catholic, I seem to myself to have had nothing but failure personally’ (Autobiographical Writings, pp 254-5). Soon afterwards, however, came the famous aside of Charles Kingsley, Anglican priest, Professor of Modern History at Cambridge, and novelist: ‘Truth, for its own sake, has never been a virtue with the Roman clergy. Father Newman informs us that it need not, and on the whole ought not to be’. This casual allegation that Newman was indifferent to truth gave him the opportunity he needed to explain himself. He knew it was what people had been thinking of him for many years, both as an Anglican and as a Catholic. In his Apologia pro Vita Sua he was able to set the record straight. And people’s perception of him began to change. Old friendships were renewed. All the same, his troubles didn’t end there. There were still further trials and controversies until in 1879 out of the blue, as it were, Pope Leo XIII decided to make him a Cardinal. And the final years were more tranquil. The peaceful deathbed is misleading. Newman’s life had been beset by trials and sufferings and offers us a powerful illustration of someone who indeed embraced the paschal mystery, who modelled his life on the

suffering, dying, and rising of Jesus, following faithfully the path of discipleship, wherever it might lead, at whatever cost. At the height of his fame in Oxford, he preached a sermon that contains a prophetic sentence that seems to reflect his own life quite remarkably. He declared: ‘The planting of Christ’s Cross in the heart is sharp and trying; but the stately tree rears itself aloft, and has fair branches and rich fruit, and is good to look upon’ (Parochial and Plain Sermons 4, p 262). We too, like Newman, have to plant the tree of Christ’s cross in our own hearts, letting it put down deep roots. When we have done so, we discover that that stately tree does indeed grow tall and bears fruit and catches the eye. By embracing the paschal mystery, we bear witness to the way disaster may be turned into triumph. Adapted from an earlier version with kind permission from Alive Publishing.

2020 has been designated by the Bishops’ Conference as ‘The God Who Speaks’ The Year of the Word, marking the 10th anniversary of Pope Benedict’s Apostolic Exhortation Verbum Domini and the 1600th anniversary of the death of St Jerome, who translated the Bible into Latin, the modern language of his day, proclaiming that, ‘ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ’. The God Who Speaks is an opportunity for Catholics to focus on ‘celebrating, living and sharing God’s word’. Cardinal Vincent, who will be launching the year on 30th September, the feast of St Jerome, invites us to pray: ‘That during this special year we may all be enriched and renewed by the living word of God. Then we shall be moved afresh to share the love of Christ to the ends of the earth’. During the year, which runs to the end of 2020, there will be a series of activities including a major Scripture Roadshow at Westminster Cathedral in January, and talks, workshops and other events. A brochure with information and ideas on how we can all make the ‘God Who Speaks’ a success will be distributed to parishes schools, and other communities. More information is available at https://rcdow.org.uk/faith/

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Autumn: a time of fruitfulness and thanksgiving by Deacon Roger Carr-Jones Marriage and Family Life Coordinator I was recently struck by the parallels between the need for prayer and the need for open communication in marriage and family life when rereading Fr Bernard Basset’s (SJ) little book Let’s Start Praying Again. Published in 1970, Fr Basset paints a picture of the life of the Church where the ability to, or the understanding of how and why we need to pray, seemed to have already been lost. What he touched upon was not so much our personal choice of prayer, formal, informal or extemporised, but rather the underlying attitude of prayer. If we love prayer, then our attitude should be open and joyful, with a desire to build a living relationship with the God who loves us, by opening up real communication with

him. Similarly, if we truly love each other then how we interact as a couple must have that same sense of freshness, honesty and joy. This reminds me that in marriage we often have conversations of various types, without taking the time and the effort either to say what it is that we are really feeling or what it is that we want to say. So, just as we have a natural craving to pray, we also have a natural desire to communicate with each other. Therefore, no matter how busy our lives might be, we should always make the time to talk, at a deeper level, with the one we united ourselves to through the grace of marriage. In married life, especially when we are managing the needs of a family or the demands of work, we can allow

Postcard Disciples by Deacon Adrian Cullen Evangelisation Coordinator With the advent of electronic social media, the sending of postcards with stamps is not what it used to be. Research suggests that only about a quarter of people send postcards when they have been on holiday, most likely because an ‘electronic postcard’ can reach a greater number of people instantly! However, like all electronic messages, these can be easily filed and quickly forgotten, with that special moment lost as the next email comes whizzing in to replace it. To receive an actual Page 10

postcard, carefully chosen, written and sent across the world in its own good time can be a special moment, and a treasure to be kept on the fridge (held up by last year’s fridge magnet) as a frequent reminder to all who pass by. The postcard reaches out with a special message, to those we love and those who love us. During the First World War when the writing of postcards was normal, the messages of love and hope for a better future were what kept many soldiers going. In the same way, in our vocation as

our primary vocation to get put on the backburner. It is not that we do not care but, a little like prayer, we think that it is something that we can easily go back to without much effort. However, when we lack the time to talk about things at a deeper level, to share our feelings and emotions, then we can become disconnected and quite often misunderstood. Prayer, like communication, must be discovered afresh every day. You cannot simply store it in a bucket with the idea that you dip into it now and again. Therefore, in marriage, setting aside a special time for one another, whether this is once a week or once a month, really does matter. This should not be a time to discuss the practicalities of family life, finances, or holidays; that can be achieved in missionary disciples, we are called to spread that message of love and hope through our faith in God. Rather than sending postcards, Jesus sends his ‘postcard disciples’ to the whole of humanity. The message is always the same: that he loves each one of us, and wants to lead us to the Father’s mercy. We must continue to strive to be Jesus’ postcard disciples and carry the message to all whom he loves. Over the next few months, we are invited to do this in a special way: September is Home Mission month when the Church reaches out specifically to those who once knew the message, but have forgotten or ignored it. To the many people across the world and on our doorstep who have not yet heard the good news of the Gospel, October is the month when the Church reaches out globally through organisations such as Missio. Pope Francis has designated it as an Extraordinary Missionary Month, declaring that all Catholics are ‘Baptised and Sent’, re-energising us in our mission as postcard disciples.

a different way. When we first fell in love and started dating, we were eager to know everything about the other person, no matter how small. That need and desire to know really does continue throughout married life as we change and grow as a couple. Why not begin this special time together with a simple prayer of gratitude for the gift of one another? Gratitude is a good place to start as it reminds us of why we both said, ‘I do’ and promised to share our lives together. Married life, like prayer life, is not always perfect, but we are provided with the daily opportunity to renew the joy of our marriage vows and to reconnect to God through prayer. In the busyness of life, we can overlook our need to communicate with one another and to provide simple expressions of love. One word can create a thousand smiles. Marriage, like prayer from the heart, does not always require many words, but it does require open communication, a willingness to

share and sometimes to compromise. How do you feel when your spouse tells you that they love you, or appreciate some small thing that you have done? Autumn is a time of fruitfulness. So, why not reflect for moment on the ways in which your marriage has ripened as you have grown together? Reflect for a brief moment on the ways in which you experience fun together, how your marriage gives you a moral compass, and what being together means to you every single day?

Beginning Experience Weekend A healing weekend for men and women who are separated, divorced or widowed will be held from 18th to 20th October 2019 at the Domus Mariae Centre, Chigwell, Essex. For more information please contact Freda 01322-838415 or Maura 01322-551503 or email johnabrotherton@hotmail.co.uk

For information on the Extraordinary Missionary Month go to https://rcdow.org.uk/faith adriancullen@rcdow.org.uk Follow us on Twitter at: twitter.com/RCWestminster

ÂŠ Mazur/catholicnews.org

Westminster Record | Autumn 2019

2018 Annual Report and Accounts The grace of Christ builds on all that is good in our nature. If we are to be effective in serving our neighbours, then our actions must take root from him. A cathedral rose window is an apt image of this relationship. With their symmetrical motif of petals surrounding the central image of Christ, they radiate harmony and help us keep focused on what he calls us to do. Each petal depicts images of the work that we must do to serve and support each other, for in this way we achieve our salvation. A less exalted rose window, but one that is also inspiring, was assembled in front of our Cathedral in recent times. It was made up of discarded plastic bottles, demonstrating that what might be discarded can create a thing of beauty. As individuals, we may at times feel tired, or even like something discarded, yet even then we can contribute to a work of beauty. As members of the public pedalled stationary bicycles, the window was illuminated and shone brightly. So too, when we work for each other, we can make each other sparkle. That is what we strive to do in all our work in the diocese, supporting our parishes and schools, and the wider communities in which they are rooted. It is also at the heart of what we do to serve the most vulnerable in our society, whether it is by standing up for their rights, offering practical support, or extending a hand in friendship and solidarity. It is through upholding the dignity of every individual, no matter their abilities or shortcomings, and by focusing on Christ that together we can create a work of art that sparkles. In the pages of this Annual Review are the stories of individuals, groups and communities who strive daily to illuminate our world by their actions. I commend them to you. I am most grateful to them for shining unto our society their much-needed light. I extend my gratitude, too, to those who compiled this Review and the Annual Accounts.

His Eminence Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster

The architectural feature of the rose window has a long history. In Gothic architecture these round windows expanded to an enormous scale, illuminating the sanctuary with a natural light hitherto impossible to bring inside a building. Delicate stone tracery formed a pattern of petals or leaves blossoming from a centre oculus, and the sublime artistry of the Gothic glaziers filled the spaces created with images and symbols from scripture and tradition. At Adoremus, the National Eucharistic Congress in Liverpool in September 2018, the keynote speaker, Bishop Robert Barron, Auxiliary Bishop of Los Angeles, described his fascination with the rose window in Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. All paths, whether of glass petals or stone tracery, arrive at the centre; and at the centre of a rose window is Christ. Bishop Barron uses the rose window as a metaphor for the soul, urging us not to remain at the edges, but to travel towards Christ and make him the centre of our lives; but a rose window is also a beautiful image of the Church. The Church as a whole, and the Diocese of Westminster as a microcosm of the universal Church, engages in many different ministries and activities: sacramental ministry, faith formation, education,

social justice initiatives, community engagement, support of families, ministry to isolated or marginalised persons, and many more besides. Like the different panes of a rose window each of these shines with a different image of the Catholic faith, but each one stems from the same centre: Christ. At the heart of all the Churchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s activities is the desire to make the beauty of the Gospel visible in modern society

in a unique and compelling way, just as the medieval glaziers illuminated Gothic cathedrals with eye-catching images. By witnessing the Gospel message in all we do the Diocese of Westminster and the Diocesan Trustees hope that more people will be inspired to make the journey away from peripheral concerns and life on the narrow edge to find Christ at the heart of their lives, and indeed at the centre of all creation.

ÂŠ Fr Lawrence Lew OP

The South Rose Window of Notre Dame Cathedral, depicting Christ at the centre, surrounded by his witnesses on earth. It is especially poignant to feature this particular example to demonstrate solidarity with the Church and people of Paris, following the fire that devastated this great cathedral in April 2019. Follow us on Instagram at: @rcwestminster

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Parishes: Family Cohesion Families figure prominently in the life of the Catholic Church. Studies now show how strong marriages improve the health and wellbeing of both spouses, and how faith and morals learned in the home from parents or grandparents have a lasting beneficial effect on children, but even before this ‘proof’ of the value of the family the Church has been a place where family life is nurtured and supported. Because the parish is the centre of religious practice for most Catholics, many of the ways in which families are supported by the Church can be found in parishes. A variety of assistance and support is offered, starting with marriage preparation for engaged couples. The sacrament of Holy Matrimony itself is often celebrated in the parish church. While the story put forward in the mainstream media is often that marriage is on the decline in British society, 2018 saw an increase in marriages in the Diocese of Westminster, suggesting that their connection with the Church and a parish may be giving some couples the support and confidence to make their marriage vows.

Over 1,100 marriages took place in the diocese, with a further 1,459 couples prepared for marriage by their parish with their wedding taking place overseas. After the wedding, the Church continues to offer programmes, such as Retrouvaille and Encounter, to support and accompany couples who are experiencing difficulties or wish to strengthen their marriage. In 2018 the diocese also rolled out a new online audio programme aimed at feeding, enriching, and healing relationships between married couples and within families. Developed in collaboration with Jesuit Ministries, it consists of audio reflections, beginning with a series of meditations on the Holy Family. The diocese also celebrates the commitment of married couples every year at the Mass for Matrimony. In 2018 the Mass was attended by 640 couples celebrating their 5th, 10th, 25th, 40th, 50th or 60th+ wedding anniversaries. These couples join the 5,500 couples who have celebrated significant anniversaries at the Mass for Matrimony since 2008.

Caritas: Nurturing the Whole Community When children enlarge a family, the Church continues to walk with families in its catechetical programmes. Parents are offered baptismal preparation sessions that aim to prepare them for the responsibility of raising Catholic children, and also to show them the ways in which the practice of the Catholic faith strengthens the family. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that parents are the first educators of their children in the faith, and baptismal preparation is one of the ways the Church supports them in this role. There is also a growing trend towards family catechesis in the broader Church, and within the diocese. Family catechesis is faith education given to different generations of the family together. Most commonly this is undertaken in connection with the sacramental preparation of a child. This is in part in response to the lack of confidence expressed by many parents concerning their ability to transmit the substance of the Catholic faith to their children, but the enthusiasm with which families approach these courses speaks of the value they place on Catholic family life.

St Joseph’s Pastoral Centre Caritas St Joseph’s, a pastoral centre located in Hendon, ministers to a very special part of the community: adults with intellectual disabilities and their families. The centre describes itself as ‘a safe place for adults with intellectual disabilities to learn: We recognise their gifts and talents and value their unique place in the world, and encourage them to participate fully in the life of their community and church.’ By offering a broad mix of courses tailored to a variety of ability levels, skills and desires for learning and life experience, the centre provides lifelong learning opportunities and a celebration of the God-given gifts of all people. Each week, more than 200 students with intellectual disabilities are able to develop their skills and potential, and to socialise in a warm and welcoming community where they are loved and valued. The three different types of courses offered, vocational, leisure and therapeutic, are supplemented by a range of supporting facilities. Additionally, students at the centre are able to use their vocational skills to participate in enterprise: to learn to work as a team and to create a business by selling the products they produce. The staff and volunteers are also attentive to the students’ personal growth and

Schools: At the Heart of the Community Newman Catholic College (NCC) in Harlesden, London is a boys’ secondary school with a mixed-sex sixth form with an outstanding record of outreach to other schools and the broader community. In 2018 NCC celebrated its 60th anniversary with a Mass at Westminster Cathedral for over 1,000 students and staff, as well as many Old Boys, representatives from the diocese and the local authority, the Metropolitan Police, and the local MP. The students at NCC are a diverse mix: 95% are from ethnic minority groups; 78% speak English as an additional language (EAL), and amongst the students 64 languages are spoken; 5% of the students have refugee status. There are significant challenges involved in educating such a student Page 12

body, especially as a large number of students arrive at the school at a non-standard point in the year; many join the school without developed skills in English, and some arrive without any prior experience of formal education. However, NCC’s most recent Ofsted report particularly noted how the active commitment of the governors and staff to Catholic moral values has led to a successful and inclusive educational environment, in which all students are welcomed, supported, valued, and enabled to make good progress. The excellent environment at the school has led to NCC receiving a UNICEF Gold Award as a Rights Respecting school. The inspectors summarised the ethos at the school as:

‘Everyone counts, everyone contributes, everyone succeeds.’ Outside normal school hours and terms, NCC continues to demonstrate its commitment to the welcome and integration of a diverse community. For the past three summers it has hosted the Syria Summer Camp, which offers 70 places to refugee and displaced children aged four to fourteen. The camp offers fun activities to develop language skills, confidence, and promote community integration. The well-being of the children, some of whom are coping with significant trauma, separation, or loss, is at the centre of the programme. The Syria Summer Camp is a triumph of community outreach: it is practically and financially supported by Caritas

development. If necessary, the projects are altered to suit the abilities of the students. A young man with a high level of additional needs was already working in the carpentry shop, and, although he had basic woodworking skills, he lacked confidence because he struggled to produce high-quality items. However, once staff at the centre were able to alter the design of the items the young man made to better suit his skills, he learnt that he can make an excellent product. This success then gave him the confidence to join the centre’s gardening enterprise. In 2018, after four years of working on his carpentry and gardening, this very shy young man developed the confidence to apply for a Mencap apprenticeship, and was accepted. This achievement will have a lasting impact on his quality of life and opportunities going forward. St Joseph’s has an active outreach service to make sure that those who could benefit from their offerings have that opportunity. One student, who arrived at the centre through the outreach service, expressed an interest in both gardening and carpentry. Although he was unable to afford these courses, the staff at St Joseph’s worked with him to secure a bursary, and when the funding ran out they invited him to volunteer in the gardening enterprise in

exchange for his carpentry classes. This arrangement showed the student what value the centre placed on his work and reinforced the truth that his disabilities do not prevent him from contributing to society or having something of himself to offer. When an old tree on the site had to be taken down, the student had the confidence to ask to use his woodworking skills to turn it into a gift for the religious sisters at the centre. With the help of a modified design from staff he made a table, doing all the work himself from start to finish. Deaf Service The Caritas Deaf Service supports the deaf population in the Diocese of Westminster by offering a signed Mass at least once a month, and the opportunity for the sacrament of confession. In addition to these essential sacramental services, the Deaf Service offers support to deaf families to allow them to participate more fully in parish community life, for example, in the sacramental ceremonies of their children like Baptism and First Holy Communion, and through Bible study and faith sharing groups. It also offers essential support through a counselling service for deaf persons at risk of suicide or self-harm, and those who have been the victims of domestic violence.

Volunteers: Selfless Dedication Westminster, and staffed by volunteers from the community. NCC is committed to collaboration with other schools in its community. It has formed an ongoing partnership with Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School, allowing the two schools to share staff training and development, and to work together for accountability and continuous improvement in education. Follow us on Twitter at: twitter.com/RCWestminster

Extraordinarily, when St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School was forced from its building by a fire in 2015, NCC accommodated the students in its own facilities for several weeks until more permanent arrangements could be made for St Joseph’s students while their school was rebuilt. NCC is proud of its successes and the contribution it makes to the wider community, and the wider Follow us on Instagram at: @rcwestminster

community is also proud to be associated with NCC. In 2018 headteacher Daniel Coyle was awarded a commendation by the Metropolitan Police Service for ‘Commitment, Professionalism and Dedication to the Community’. The award highlighted the proactive approach to safeguarding student wellbeing at NCC, as well as the involvement of the Safer Schools officer in assemblies

and pastoral work, the excellent summer school, and the student bike scheme. The success of these community partnerships paired with the strong Catholic ethos and values of NCC is shaping the young men and women who attend NCC into well-developed, conscientious and productive members of their community. This is all part of the ethos that the Trustees want to promote across diocesan schools.

Ron Palmer admits he doesn’t like change. At 100 years old he has seen plenty of it, both in the world and at the St Joseph’s Pastoral Centre, where he has volunteered five days a week as a bookkeeper since 1984. In those 35 years he has seen directors and staff come and go. Indeed, he pays tribute to all who have helped St Joseph’s Centre grow into a place where students and their carers enjoy coming.

Ron has seen his work go from using a pen and ledger to an automated online system. He describes the new system as slick, so perhaps not all change is bad. Ron takes a keen interest in the financial welfare of the centre: he always disliked recording the outgoings, he says; income was more pleasant. When he gave up driving recently, St Joseph’s Centre funded a taxi to collect him and return him home, but

he worries about the cost, pointing out donations are harder to come by than they used to be. There are few people, however, no matter how generous they are, who can claim to have given as much to the St Joseph’s Pastoral Centre as Ron, who after three-and-ahalf decades of dedicated service still says, with characteristic and genuine modesty, that he has done very little. Page 13

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Consolidated income and expenditure

Curia income and expenditure

Reserves

Parish income and expenditure

These pages present an abridged version of the stories in the Annual Report and Accounts, as well as summary tables of financial results. For the full text, as well as the expanded review and complete accounts, see http://bit.ly/Accounts2018

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‘It is good to be here!’

Each year, hundreds of Westminster pilgrims depart for the south of France: destination, Lourdes. This year was no exception. It was an opportunity to join the procession of pilgrims who come from all over the world and share in the prayers of Mary. For pilgrims who arrived on Saturday 20th July Cardinal Vincent celebrated Mass. It was a delightful way to settle into the experience of Lourdes and offered pilgrims the chance to open themselves up to the gifts that they were about to receive. The first full day of the pilgrimage, Sunday, began with the Stations of the Cross; the braver souls followed the upper Stations, while those for whom the steep incline was too difficult to manage, followed the lower Stations on the plain. In the afternoon, the Cardinal celebrated the opening Mass of the pilgrimage; the Gospel reading recounted Jesus’ visit to the home of Martha and Mary. Bishop John Sherrington explained that ‘in Mary we see our prayer and around us today we see the

many prayers being offered by all the Marys at the shrine.’ And ‘looking around at all the helpers, the generosity of the medical staff, our Redcaps, we see Martha in action. Serving, helping and enabling the sick to experience this holy place.’ In the evening, Westminster led the Torchlight procession, as pilgrims recited the Rosary in a number of languages and sang in one voice Ave Maria. Day two was a day of ‘Prayer, Praise and Petition’, beginning with the Anointing of the Sick, led by Bishop John, who said, ‘the power of God is in this place’ and ‘here in this holy place, we help each other to bear the cross and carry the yoke together’. In the afternoon, the pilgrimage moved to the Cathedral of the Trees in the Cité Saint Pierre for Mass. An uphill climb, the Redcaps put in a great effort to push wheelchairs and assist those who were less mobile in their ascent, but even with the exertion, there were many uplifted voices joining in with the acclamation of ‘Our God Reigns’. Bishop Nicholas Hudson began Mass by exclaiming ‘It is good to be here!’ and indeed it was. In the evening, there was the opportunity to experience God's healing mercy during the Reconciliation Service in the Underground Basilica, as our priests heard confessions and offered God's absolution. In the same way it is the source and summit for our lives as Catholics, so the Eucharist is the heart of Lourdes and so on

Reds and their families joined Bishop Nicholas in St Joseph’s Chapel for a special Mass. At the same time, other pilgrims joined Cardinal Vincent who presided at the International Mass, at which persecuted Christians and the martyrs of the Church took central place in the prayers. Wednesday was otherwise a day for rest and relaxation, and an opportunity to escape to the picturesque mountains.

the third day, the Blessed Sacrament procession was led by Westminster. Earlier in the day, Canon Bernard Scholes presided at Mass and Fr Dominic Robinson SJ preached on the Beatitudes, the blueprint for Christian living which Jesus gives to us. The first beatitude is 'Blessed are the poor', which reminds us that God calls us to serve the weakest among us. It is also a call to recognise that the Lord accompanies us in our own weakness. In the evening, Bishop Nicholas and the Youth Ministry team led a special prayer service for the Redcaps at the Grotto under the watchful gaze of Our Lady. The Redcaps work very hard most of the day to ensure that the pilgrims assigned to them are able to participate in all that the pilgrimage has to offer. Nourishing their own spiritual needs, during these prayer times, is just as important. On Wednesday, the pilgrims who came with St Joseph’s Pastoral Centre and some of the

On the final day, Bishop John celebrated a Mass of thanksgiving at Grotto. The Gospel reading was the wedding feast of Cana. Bishop John pointed to Mary’s attentiveness to the needs of the couple, asking her Son to intervene. In the same way, she is attentive to our prayers and petitions now. At the closing ceremony that afternoon, the Redcaps led the recitation of the Mysteries of Light, which remind us that Jesus is the Light of the world and that we too, are to share that light with those we meet. After the closing prayer, the pilgrims processed singing hymns and reciting prayers, to the Chapelle de Lumière where Bishop John lit the diocesan Follow us on Instagram at: @rcwestminster

candle, bearing the prayers of the pilgrimage and all in our diocese. With prayers left behind, the blessings and graces received were brought home. Sincere thanks and appreciation to all Redcaps and leaders, St Frai helpers, the doctors and nurses who looked after assisted pilgrims, and the rest of the army of volunteers who made the pilgrimage possible. As one pilgrim wrote in a letter of thanks: 'They go not the extra mile, but extra endless miles to help people!'

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‘A great way to live our faith’ by Elke Springett Marking the end of the annual Volunteers Week, which aims to celebrate the fantastic contribution volunteers make to our communities, the Caritas Westminster’s Volunteer Fair brought together a range of charities and social action projects from across the diocese with people looking to volunteer. ‘It was such a well-planned and structured event and a great balance between the great presentations and time for people to mingle. As a result, we had two people start with us, visiting Irish seniors, so a big thank you!’ Comments like these from the Irish Chaplaincy’s Paul Raymond captured the spirit on 8th June. There was a real buzz in St Aloysius’ church hall with bunting and free cakes supplied by the Felix Project, and children’s activities at Syria Summer Camp’s colourful stall all adding to

the happy atmosphere. For those who want to help the homeless, the hungry, the sick or prisoners, or to make a difference to the lives of children, the elderly or refugees, there was no lack of opportunity in the room. ‘It was great getting information from people directly involved’ enthused a visitor at the end. Other opportunities which were showcased included volunteering for the diocesan pilgrimage to Lourdes, becoming a foundation governor for Catholic schools, a Safeguarding Representative, or a fundraiser or volunteer at Westminster Cathedral. Rounding off the event were informative talks and inspirational testimonies illustrating how volunteering can be a great way to live out our faith. After all, as Christians we are called to ‘serve one another in love’ (Gal 5:13) and it seems most people agree: ‘It’s part of my

religious belief to help people’ was selected by almost 1 in 6 volunteers who took the Community Life Survey 2017-18. Speakers from the SVP, the Irish Chaplaincy, and Caritas Westminster emphasised the impact beneficiaries of their services receive which would be impossible to provide without volunteers. The St Vincent de Paul Society provided 1,500 children with a holiday in England and Wales at their annual summer camps and will hand out Vinnie Packs containing a warm hat, socks, gloves and toiletries to the homeless during winter. Volunteers joining the new Caritas Food Collective project will help fight food poverty in our diocese by expanding direct relief, skills training and advocacy. The engaging talk by SPEC’s volunteer missionary, Ariana Strmota, left one listener ‘wishing I could be involved in SPEC, but I’m past the age for it now! I may consider volunteering for the Food Bank.’ Thank you to all who contributed to the success of the day: the stallholders (including Chain of Hope, Copenhagen Street Foodbank, Housing Justice, Hope for Southall Street Homeless, Irish Chaplaincy, Mary’s Meals, Prison Advice and Care Trust, Religious of Mary Immaculate, St John’s Ambulance and The Felix Project) and the speakers (Siobhan Garibaldi, Simon Matthews, Joe Myrtetus, Ariana Strmota and Jackie Tominey). Special thanks go out to the visitors and, of course, the volunteers who make such a great difference in the lives of others. If you are interested but missed the fair, visit http://bit.ly/rcdowvolunteer to explore a whole range of volunteering opportunities. Or join us on 25th September at a free session titled ‘Volunteering in the Community: Getting Started’. To reserve a space, contact caritaswestminster@ rcdow.org.uk or search for the title on Eventbrite.

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Family Fast Day 2019 CAFOD’s Family Fast Day has a long tradition of supporting communities around the world. This year on Friday 4th October they’re inviting you to eat a simple meal for lunch or dinner, and give the money saved to help people in poverty. The idea of a Family Fast Day began in 1960 when a group of Catholic women heard about a mother and baby clinic in Dominica that needed support. The group asked congregations to give up one meal and donate what they saved to charity. They received overwhelming support. From this, CAFOD was born. Elspeth Orchard, one of CAFOD’s founders, explained, ‘We weren’t doing anything special, we were just doing what we thought we ought to do, remembering that we are all God’s children.’ This is a message CAFOD has carried through the annual Family Fast Days, as no one should be beyond reach of the love and support they need to thrive. One example is Fabiano, whose village in rural Uganda had been devastated by drought. Every day, children would trek miles for water, risking their education, and Follow us on Instagram at: @rcwestminster

safety. Donations from parishioners across England and Wales helped install a solar-powered water pump in his village. Now Fabiano and his friends can collect water quickly and safely. You can make the Fast Day an event by inviting family, friends and fellow parishioners to join you in having a simple soup lunch or supper. All you need to do is: 1. Choose a venue. Make sure it has enough space, plenty of bowls and spoons, and somewhere to heat the soup. 2. Recruit helpers. Ask friends to make soups, ideally with home grown or Fairtrade ingredients, and to help serve. 3. Invite friends and neighbours, by placing a notice in the parish newsletter and posters around the church or community centre. Download a poster to personalise at www.cafod.org.uk/fastday . A way to make your donation go even further is through Gift Aid. Last year, Gift Aid donations raised nearly £3 million. CAFOD extends its thanks to all for their fasting, prayer and generosity for our global family. Find out more at www.cafod.org.uk/fastday

Westminster Record | Autumn 2019

Sharing in the Church’s universal mission Bishops renew commitment to sustainable lifestyle

World Mission Sunday is the one day in the year when the entire Church comes together to pray for and offer practical support for mission. This year it takes place on 20th October and is accompanied by another global event. Pope Francis has declared October 2019 to be a special month of prayer and action, to strengthen and grow God’s mission through the Church. The Extraordinary Month of Mission (EMM2019) marks the 100th anniversary of Pope Benedict XV’s Apostolic Letter Maximum Illud, which Pope Francis describes as ‘a milestone in the evolution of the Church’s missionary work’. A century later, the call is as urgent as ever. This is an opportunity for all of us to reflect on and pray for the Church’s mission, and for the whole Church to realise that in our rapidly changing world the Gospel is needed now more than ever. As the Pope’s official charity for world mission, Missio enables Catholics in England and Wales to live out the call received at baptism to share in the Church’s universal mission.

As Fr Anthony Chantry, Missio’s National Director, explains: ‘All of us who believe in Jesus Christ as Son of God and Saviour received our faith from God through those missionaries, who long ago left their homes and families to share their faith with those in foreign lands. Their sharing usually took place in the context of serving those in need, especially the poor and oppressed, thus demonstrating the character and power of God’s love in our world. ‘I have seen the fruit of that work in many countries in Africa and Asia, where there is a host of young and dynamic Catholic communities committed to following Jesus Christ. Yet we must not make the mistake of assuming that mission abroad has no place in our modern world.

‘The Holy Father challenges us to be in a permanent state of mission, for “each of us is a mission to the world, for each of us is the fruit of God’s love” (Message for World Mission Sunday 2019). ‘I hope that this month will help us all the look back in thanksgiving for all that has been achieved by the missionary work of the Church and look forward with hope to a future when all peoples will know the saving and liberating love of Jesus Christ.’ Missio invites everyone to get involved in EMM2019, joining our sisters and brothers around the world in faith and renewal. Find out more at https://missio.org.uk/emm/ and see how you can get involved in this special celebration of mission.

Inside the Hospice... and onto the Parish by Fr Peter-Michael Scott I am in ‘middle time’; I have finished at the hospice and now await the beginning of my new appointment as Parish Priest. This has provided me with the opportunity to write a few Post-it notes to myself. The first is fairly obvious: to relish and celebrate each and every day (Psalm 90:12). This ageless wisdom is not something I have learned for myself; rather I have heard it from numerous people in the hospice. I will always treasure the memory of a terminal patient who reached out her hand and held mine, saying ‘even if your day is stressful, it’s raining, cold, and your house is empty, know that you are alive and make use of every precious minute and enjoy it’. Lord, may I appreciate every new day you give me. The second piece of advice is to remember the pressures of

people’s lives. In the hospice, staff sign up to do shift work, and, when money is short and payments need to be made, they have to do extra. As a result, attendance at Mass can become understandably erratic. As a Parish Priest, Lord, may I never add a burden of guilt onto anyone whose commitment to Mass is inconsistent. The final Post-it note is to remind myself that I have been ordained to be a conduit of God’s love. The role of a priest necessitates much administration and this can prevent clergy from leaving the parish office. Admin is essential for safety and the smooth running of the church, but I do not want it to get in the way of celebrating Mass, visiting the sick, or for it to delay the grace of mercy and forgiveness in reconciliation.

The Bishops of England and Wales renewed their commitment to the principles of Laudato Si’ concerning care for creation. They have called for the development of a ‘Christian spirituality of ecology’ which begins in the ‘personal’ and ‘family life’. In outlining the depths of the crisis, they invite Catholics ‘to engage in this urgent challenge, so that together we show leadership by our actions.’ According to British Gas Business, more than 4,500 Catholic churches and schools (including around 200 parishes in our diocese) have switched to renewable gas and electricity, making the Church one of the largest single consumers of green gas certificates based on annual volume in the UK. The Church’s energy procurement group, Inter-diocesan Fuel Management, was instrumental in securing the green gas deal having provided renewable electricity for over 25 years to the dioceses that it serves. In 2011, CAFOD launched the LiveSimply Award which aims to highlight communities who have demonstrated a commitment to living simply, in solidarity with people in

St Joseph’s Hospice opens its first charity shop

After the incredible success of the pop-up shops in Well Street, St Joseph’s Hospice is As Pope Francis said to priests opening a permanent charity in 2013, ‘be shepherds with the shop at 77 Mare Street, Hackney. smell of sheep’. Lord, I hope Named the Five Sisters that I will be a smelly Parish Charity Shop, it’s a tribute to the Priest who reeks as much as five pioneering Sisters of Charity my colleagues. who arrived in Hackney in 1900 Perhaps one last fluorescent to help the poor and dying of sticker to add, is a quote from a East London, opening the doors recent letter to priests from the to the hospice in 1905. Holy Father: ‘Jesus, more than St Joseph’s Hospice has a anyone, is aware of our efforts long tradition of selling preand our accomplishments, our loved goods, and has held failures and our mistakes. He jumble sales four times a year is the first to tell us: “Come to for the past 30 years. As well as me, all you who are weary and bringing in much needed are carrying heavy burdens, income to help care for patients and I will give you rest. Take at the hospice, the sales also help my yoke upon you and learn to build the community and from me, for I am gentle and bring it together. humble in heart, and you will Tony McLean, Chief find rest for your souls.”’ Executive, St Joseph’s Hospice Please pray for Fr Gerard O’Brien said, ‘After dipping our toes in the retail market with a pop up the new Chaplain at St Joseph’s shop, we knew that we needed a Hospice and for the people of St Mary’s in East Finchley who will permanent charity shop close to the hospice. What many people have me as their Parish Priest.

poverty and sustainably with creation. So far, 50 parishes, seven schools and one university have received an award, with 120 parishes and schools registered for the scheme. CAFOD also support the Salford B.O.B Box project, a scheme that sells bird-nesting or bat-roosting boxes, giving local populations somewhere secure to live and breed, with three-quarters of the money raised going to support overseas work. Launching in September, to complement this commitment, is the Laudato Si’ Research Institute, run by the Jesuits at Campion Hall, Oxford. It will also be possible to take an MA in Theology, Ecology and Ethics at Roehampton University. The Bishops’ Conference also encourages people to take part on social media, during the global ecumenical celebration of prayer and action which begins on 1st September each year and finishes on the feast of St Francis, 4th October, using #seasonofcreation. The theme for this year is ‘the web of life’. More information is available at https://www.cbcew.org.uk/ home/our-work/environment/

don’t know is that we only get 56% of the funding we need to run the hospice from the NHS, leaving us to raise £4 million each year; so without events like the jumble sales, legacies and donations, the core work of the hospice just wouldn’t happen. ‘We hope that the charity shop will become an equally essential part of the fabric of East London as the jumble sales, and for many working families, retirees or those on fixed or limited income, an invaluable service. We will be using the Five Sisters branding in some of our other ventures too to continue to celebrate our rich heritage here in East London.’ The Five Sisters Charity Shop will be open six days a week from 10am to 6pm and will be staffed by volunteers. If you have pre-loved goods to donate in good condition, or would like to volunteer at the shop please contact Fundraising@stjh.org.uk or call 020 8525 3200.

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Walsingham: Mary at the centre of our lives by Mgr Mark Langham As we prepare for our diocesan pilgrimage to Walsingham in September, it is good to recall the significance of Our Lady’s shrine in pre-Reformation times. Last May, at an Anglican celebration in honour of Our Lady of Walsingham, the statue of Our Lady of Walsingham was processed into Westminster Abbey and, in a striking gesture, placed on the spot of the coronation chair. The Anglican Bishop of Burnley, began his powerful sermon with the words: ‘What have we just done? Into this great Abbey church - the Shrine of St Edward the Confessor, the burial site of kings, the place of coronations and regal power we have just carried a penniless peasant girl from Nazareth.’ At the symbolic centre of the nation’s political life, was enthroned not a mighty king enrobed in gold, but the Mother of God. The Bishop’s point was that the role of Our Lady in the medieval world was not incidental, a pious ornament in a religious life crowded with saints and ceremonies. Rather, Mary was central to the life of the nation, and that, in bringing her image into the symbolic centre of our national life, we recognise her challenge to us to be a nation that, like her, centred on Christ; a nation that is holy and that is dedicated to justice.

On that same occasion, Archbishop Rino Fisichella, President of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelisation, spoke forcefully of Our Lady as one who ‘pierces the barriers we have constructed to defend ourselves’. No mere bystander, but one who acts to bring us into a correct relationship to the Gospel. Thus, one of the elements we proclaim in visiting Walsingham is of Mary as protagonist, active in the cause of uniting us with her Son that we may live justly and healthily. This is paradox of the shrine throughout its history: Walsingham is dedicated to one who was in many ways a victim and who knew certainly poverty and political oppression; yet to her have come in pilgrimage kings and princes, kneeling before her in homage. Even a partial list shows the enormous importance attached to the shrine; among kingly pilgrims were Henry III (1241), Edward I (1280 and 1296), Edward II (1315) and Edward III (1361) who in 1364 gave safe conduct to King David of Scotland and 20 knights to make a pilgrimage to Walsingham. This was more than simple piety, certainly more than superstition. These monarchs recognised our Lady as essential and central to the nation, and to its holiness, which was also its health.

Beyond mere devotion, this was a statement that at the heart of this nation, and grounding its values, was Mary directing us to her Son, exhorting us to keep a sense of direction, of wholeness, of a community founded in Christ. These monarchs saw Mary as one who would contribute health and success to their reign, by recalling to them the Gospel values of her Son who would enable them to govern in justice, charity and wisdom. It was not just monarchs who sought from Walsingham the active help of Our Lady to be whole and healthy. The famed scholar Erasmus, resident at Cambridge, visited the shrine in 1511 and wrote a poem lamenting that he could not bring gold and jewels as a gift, but was instead ‘bringing his verses only, all he has.’ It was an act of piety, for sure, but for the normally cynical Erasmus something more: a recognition that Our Lady orients him in the right direction, enables him to realise his fullness, his potential, as a scholar. In her own selflessness, Mary grants Erasmus the ability to turn away from selfabsorption, to flourish through that generosity of spirit and sense of wonder of heart that are essential to any scholar. Walsingham, then, is a place that challenges us all to put Mary at the centre of our lives, personally and as a community,

in order that we may be whole and healthy. She reminds us that we cannot determine our destiny without reference to Christ. She challenges us to form a society that is vital, caring, creative by holding the Christ-child in our

heart. In this light, what better preparation could there be for the 2020 re-dedication of England as Dowry of Mary, than to affirm her active role in promoting our health and wholeness as a society, at Walsingham?

Marking the hours at St Augustine’s Priory St Augustine’s Priory, Ealing, and its extensive grounds overlook the Surrey Hills and are therefore a perfect spot for the location of the new sundial at the school. On Monday 1st July pupils assisted in the laying of the stones of the sundial, made of Forest of Dean sandstone. The pupils and staff can now enjoy the benefits of their very own analemmatic sundial, a horizontal sundial and uses humans casting shadows to tell the time. This has been a crosscurricular project since the start involving maths, science, history, classics, and RE. Linking the world of the twenty-first century to the ancient world, the use of sundials reaches back to Page 18

ancient Greece, Rome, and to the shadow clocks of ancient Babylon. Miss Daya, Prep and Junior teacher, masterminded its design and installation: ‘I was inspired by the analemmatic sundial near where I live. Every time I walk past it I can’t help but go and have a look to see where my shadow falls!’ This project has been a year in the planning; the sundial was made to a bespoke design by David Brown Sundials and pupils have been involved in its design. Funded by the St Augustine’s Priory Parents’ Committee, the sundial project has received wholehearted and enthusiastic support from everyone.

Westminster Record | Autumn 2019

Holy Father’s Prayer Intention by Fr David Stewart SJ As the Holy Father’s own prayer group, we in the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network are entrusted with his monthly prayer intention. Our mission is to share it widely among the people of God, in our parishes and chaplaincies, communities and families. With the Pope, we want to change our hearts, to be more ready to carry out Christ’s mission in the world. Together with this month’s Intention, we shall also be preparing to receive the Intention for October. We’ll prepare to unite our prayer with the Pope’s in the special Extraordinary Month of Mission, October 2019. There is a close link between the two months. THE WORLD’S SEAS AND OCEANS First, the September Intention; it’s topical, urgent and gives us both an opportunity and a challenge. It asks us to consider the environment, our God-given common home, as the Pope called our world in his great letter, Laudato Si’, published just over four years ago. His intention for September is for the protection of the oceans: ‘That politicians, scientists and economists work together to protect the world’s seas and oceans’. This urgent request for our prayers and action comes when awareness is growing of just how pressing this question is. At last, we’re waking up and opening our eyes to a disaster that has already begun. More and more of us are taking seriously how little time is left to act, to avert the catastrophe. THE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE Responsible scientific research constantly reveals ever more frightening facts about the degradation of the oceans and seas. The dangerous incidence of waste plastic in our oceans, highlighted by recent television programmes, is now better known. We have also been hearing about large

quantities of minute plastic particles found in snow, an immediate threat to both animal and human life. We read, daily, of heatwave conditions in the Arctic causing accelerated loss of glaciers which, in turn, will quicken the rise of sea levels and further affect climate patterns. Most of us know that scientists predict a global temperature rise of 1.5-2ºC which requires urgent, largescale preventative action in only a few years. Governments are not yet responding with urgency; individuals are not yet changing behaviour as we really need to. THE FAITH PERSPECTIVE In our booklet Living Prayer 2019 (details below), naturalist and campaigner Mary Colwell writes in the September reflection: ‘The vastness of an ocean draws us to God. To stand at the edge of such an unknowable, deep and mysterious part of the earth pierces our soul with yearning. The surface of the sea can be implacable and soothing, or it can rage in a broiling turmoil that instils a fear that is unmatched.’ God draws us in through creation; who cannot be moved by the vast majesty of the ocean, the sheer wonder of our earth, be it sea, mountain or forest? Colwell reminds us: ‘Below the waves are landforms we can only imagine – mountain ranges, canyons, trenches and vast plains. They are inhabited by creatures that have no equivalent on land, alien life that glows and pulsates in utter blackness. Discovering this strange world reminds us that God has plans that range far beyond our human lives.’ Our prayer this month, with the Pope, is to be open to that vastness: of the ocean, of God’s never-ending creative dream, and of our human responsibility for its tarnishing and even destruction. If we let our prayer change our hearts, we will discover what each of us is called to do.

EXTRAORDINARY MONTH OF MISSION At the Holy Father’s invitation, as we grapple with the urgency of the environmental task before us, we hear a specific call to mission. Each of us has a personal mission, of course, by virtue of our baptism, which is when we first hear that call. Next month’s Intention takes us directly to that missionary call, as does the special Month of Mission. The intention for October is for ‘A Missionary “Spring” in the Church: That the breath of the Holy Spirit engender a new missionary “spring” in the Church’. Pope Francis declared, early in his pontificate, in his letter Evangelii Gaudium, that ‘in virtue of their baptism, all the members of the People of God have become missionary disciples … Every Christian is a missionary to the extent that he or she has encountered the love of God in Christ Jesus: we no longer say that we are “disciples” and “missionaries”, but rather that we are always “missionary disciples”.’

call us all to renew our missionary commitment. For the four weeks of October 2019, the Holy Father has approved four themes: - A personal encounter with Jesus Christ living in his Church - The witness of missionary saints and martyrs - Missionary charity: a commitment to support the Church’s missionary activity especially in supporting poor communities - Biblical, catechetical, spiritual and theological formation for mission In these ways, one for each week, the Holy Father invites us to renew and reawaken our commitment to mission. More details will start to appear throughout September on various websites and publications about how to embrace this Mission Month. Start now, in preparation! IT ALL STARTS WITH PRAYER Without prayer we may lose motivation or our charity risks being empty activism.

Pray with the Pope in September about the environmental threat to our planet and our future, and already you’re preparing for October’s Mission Month. Ponder your and your family’s use of the earth’s resources. Ask, for example, food suppliers to use more sustainable packaging. But consider this final thought from Mary Colwell about the ocean: ‘This great mass of water also brings us life.’ In this month of prayer for the oceans let us be still and open ourselves to their mystery, and pray that all of us, politicians, scientists, citizens, and industry treat this realm of wonder with respect. Living Prayer 2020, available for delivery in late October. Order now from the London office via prayernetwork@jesuit.org.uk or leave address details on voicemail 074 3259 1117 or 020 8442 5232. Suggested donation £2.70 including postage; pay online (we cannot accept cheques).

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE Our missionary discipleship can take many forms, from a simple act of kindness to a big involvement in a campaign for justice, such as is called forth by the environmental emergency. The prayer and action of the Missionary Month, and the Pope’s Intention for October,

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Westminster Record | Autumn 2019

Adrian IV: English Pope and Son of Westminster

by Fr Nicholas Schofield, Diocesan Archivist As I drive in the hearse to the local crematorium, a pub sign always intrigues me. It shows a man with a long white beard raising his hand in benediction. The pub is called the Breakspear Arms and the venerable cleric is one Nicholas Breakspear, or Adrian IV, the only English-born Pope, who died 860 years ago. The crematorium in Ruislip also bears his family name. His birthplace is normally given as Breakspear Farm in Bedmond near Abbots Langley, Hertfordshire. However, a rival claimant is Harefield, although there is little more than local tradition to associate the future Pope with this corner of rural Middlesex, although members of his family certainly lived there in the late fourteenth century. The future Pope was the son of Richard (or Robert), possibly a married priest who later became a monk at nearby St Albans. Tradition has it that young Nicholas also tried to join the Abbey but was turned away. In later life, as Pope, he is said to have pointedly refused the rich gifts of the Abbot of St Albans while accepting a homemade mitre and sandals from the Hertfordshire recluse, Christina of Markyate. Breakspear may have studied at the newly-founded Augustinian Priory of Merton, Surrey, whose alumni also included St Thomas Becket, and went on to France, where he eventually joined the Augustinian Canons of St Ruf. By 1147 he had become their Abbot, although complaints were later sent to Rome about his strict reformist tendencies. Page 20

The Pope removed him to keep the peace but it was clear that his talents had been noted. In 1149 Pope Eugenius III created him Cardinal Bishop of Albano. If Breakspear had not become the first English Pope, it is likely that he would have been chiefly remembered for his energetic apostolate in Scandinavia, where he acted as Legate in the early 1150s. He facilitated the payment of Peter’s Pence by Sweden and Norway and created the bishopric of Nidaros (today’s Trondheim), a huge see embracing Norway, Iceland, Greenland, the Faroes, Shetland, the Orkneys and Sudreys (including the Isle of Man). He also reorganised the Swedish Church under the primacy of the Archbishop of Lund, thus ending its previous German dependence. The Cardinal is supposed to have written catechisms for the Swedes and Norwegians and a history of his Scandinavian mission, although none of these have survived. Returning from Scandinavia, Breakspear soon found himself in conclave and he was elected as Pope Adrian IV on 4th December 1154. According to John of Salisbury, he found that the pallium was full of thorns and the mitre seared his head, preferring to remain a simple Canon of St Ruf. Little wonder because Rome was as challenging a place as Scandinavia: the city was in the control of a hostile commune, who killed one cardinal as he was on his way to visit the new Pope, and the Papal States were under attack from William I of Sicily. Adrian took immediate action, placing Rome under interdict and expelling and executing one of the commune leaders. The Pope tried to win the support of the German Emperor, Frederick Barbarossa, against the Roman mobs and the king of Sicily. But things started badly and got worse. When the two men first met at Nepi, Frederick refused to follow the custom of holding the Pope’s stirrup as he dismounted and Adrian declined to give the kiss of peace. However, the pope renewed a treaty with Frederick, which meant that both parties recognised the other’s sovereign rights, and crowned him as

Emperor at St Peter’s in June 1155. The Emperor did not offer much support against the Pope’s enemies and was offended when Adrian made peace with William of Sicily, recognising him as King over much of southern Italy, with special rights over the Church in his domains. Relations between Pope and Emperor grew increasingly strained. Adrian eventually fled to Anagni for safety and considered excommunicating the Emperor. He died at Anagni on 1st September 1159 before he could do so and was buried in an ancient red granite sarcophagus at St Peter’s. When his tomb was opened in 1607 he was found to be ‘an undersized man wearing slippers of Turkish make, and a ring with a large emerald’. Adrian’s most famous (some might say infamous) involvement in English affairs was his bull, Laudabiliter (1155), supposedly granting Ireland to Henry II. Historians have argued over the document’s authenticity: the original document has not survived and we rely on Gerald of Wales, one of King Henry’s men, for the text. Even if Laudabiliter was the result of Angevin spin, it is clear that an English invasion of Ireland fitted in with the Pope’s aims of promoting ecclesiastical reform. The Irish Church, despite its key role in the evangelisation of northern Europe, was still largely ‘tribalised’ and based around the authority of powerful abbots (often hereditary) rather than diocesan bishops. Pope Adrian would have been keen to standardise its structure according to the Roman model. Henry eventually landed in Ireland in October 1171. English monarchs up until the Reformation based their title of ‘Lord of Ireland’ on the pope’s bull. If some think Adrian was responsible for eight centuries of English domination in Ireland, we can be grateful for his strenuous efforts in the face of difficult circumstances as legate in Scandinavia and as the only English representative on the Fisherman’s Throne. And, best of all, he was a son of our diocese!

Fr Thomas John Quinn RIP Fr Tom Quinn was born on 20th March 1943 in Ashtonunder-Lyne. After some years of employment as a wages clerk, and as a watchmaker and jeweller, he felt called to the priesthood and was accepted for formation by the Blessed Sacrament Fathers in 1968. Tom’s novitiate was in Leicester. He went on to study at Allen Hall in Ware and was ordained to the priesthood on 10th May 1975 in Liverpool. He was a sought-after Confessor and ministered to a wide range of people in the city, including Travellers. He became known as the ‘Gypsy Priest’. He also ministered in Glasgow and Dublin. Within a few years, he decided to take some time out from active ministry. Fr Tom’s desire to resume priestly life and ministry was recognised and supported by the Diocese of Westminster. He went to live in parish accommodation at Cockfosters. He then assisted in the parish of St Peter’s, South Hatfield for eighteen months. In September 1990 Cardinal Hume wrote to Fr Tom to confirm his appointment as Assistant Priest at St Anselm’s, Southall. Fr Tom’s gentle, open and sympathetic manner earned him an excellent reputation in his pastoral work. He had great empathy with people who had personal difficulties. Priests with whom Fr Tom lived and worked saw in him a kind and thoughtful colleague, with a deep spiritual life and easy to get on with. In 1994 he was appointed Parish Priest at Our Lady of the Rosary, Staines, and in 1997 he was appointed Parish Priest at Ss Peter and Paul, Northfields.

Fr Tom’s next appointment was to St Mary and St Michael, Commercial Road in 2010 where he remained until 2013 when he was appointed Parish Priest at St John Fisher, Shepperton. When Fr Tom arrived in Shepperton to take up residence and to begin his ministry there he arrived with just three carrier bags of personal belongings. He was asked by a parishioner if he needed help to bring the rest of his possessions. Responding with a smile he said ‘I have everything here.’ Fr Tom was a man and priest who lived simply, without extravagance in any form. Parishioners of the parishes where Fr Tom served will remember him for his warmth, kindness and, approachability. He gave people the gift of his time, generously. In his ministry, he gave priority to the sick and suffering, the dying and bereaved. He had an easy rapport with young people and served as their Chaplain on the diocesan pilgrimages to Lourdes. Visits to HMP Bronzefield were a feature of Fr Tom’s weekly schedule, as was a game of golf before the decline of his health. He became an easily recognisable figure and well known to parishioners and the wider community in Shepperton. Fr Tom retired in 2018 and went to live at Nazareth House. He died on 2nd August. As Fr Tom said with warmth and kindness at the conclusion of many conversations, we now say to him, ‘Wish you well’, as we pray in thanksgiving for his life and ministry and now for the repose of his soul. May he rest in peace.

Fr Christopher Gawecki RIP Fr Christopher was born in 1939 in Poland. He was ordained in February 1968 and began his ministry in Gdansk, Poland as assistant priest before moving to Tadcaster, Yorkshire in 1972. In 1975 Fr Christopher began serving as Assistant Priest in Sittingbourne, Kent, and in 1977 he became Master of Ceremonies at Ayslesford Priory. In 1979 Fr Christopher moved to the Diocese of Westminster and was appointed Assistant Priest at St Pius X, St Charles Square. In 1981 he moved to Sacred Heart, Ruislip. In 1988 Fr Christopher was appointed Assistant Priest at St James, Spanish Place where he Follow us on Instagram at: @rcwestminster

served until 1994. In 1994 he moved to St Bernadette, Hillingdon where he served as Assistant Priest and chaplain to Hillingdon Hospital. In 2002 Fr Christopher moved to St Margaret of Scotland, St Margarets-on-Thames where he served as Assistant Priest and continued to serve as hospital chaplain to Hillingdon hospital. He retired from active ministry in 2008, and in recent years had been living in Putney. He died on 4th August. He was with his sister, and supported by members of his family and the Parish Priest of Putney at the time of his death. May he rest in peace.

Westminster Record | Autumn 2019

Chaplain’s Corner

Fr Mark Walker, Youth Chaplain One of the benefits of being the Diocesan Youth Chaplain is that every year I have the opportunity to serve as Redcap chaplain on the diocesan pilgrimage to Lourdes. The Redcaps are the young people, about 160 or so this year, who volunteer to support those pilgrims who may have particular needs because of infirmity, age or illness. The week is a very busy one for the Redcaps. They are more or less constantly on the move, helping the assisted pilgrims from location to location and making sure they’re looked after. Amid the busyness, it can sometimes be easy to forget why they do all this wonderful service in Lourdes, that it’s our experience of the love of Jesus Christ that fuels our love and service of others. The job of the Redcap chaplain and the chaplaincy team is to help make the spiritual connection between faith and service in the minds and hearts of the Redcaps, as well as being there to answer questions about the faith and as a friendly and supportive presence. It’s always a joy to be with the Redcaps and share their sense of fun and energy. An issue in youth ministry is keeping momentum going. After a spiritual high like Lourdes, there can then be a sense of ‘what next?’ Fortunately, Westminster Youth Ministry is organising some exciting events over the next couple of months. On Friday 18th October at Westminster Cathedral, we are hosting a Summit event for all young people in the diocese, which will be an evening of inspiring talks, contemporary worship music and exposition of the Blessed Sacrament.

We’ve been running successful Summit events in parishes and on a deanery level for a few years, so we hope that the cathedral event will be a great celebration of our faith in the Blessed Sacrament and our love for the Lord, as well as being an inspiring evening and a boost to the faith of the many young people we hope will attend. Just before that event, we’ll be travelling to Rome with a group of 25 young adults for the canonisation of John Henry Newman, the first canonisation of an English saint in almost fifty years. Newman experienced many trials in his life and only gradually came to the fullness of faith, journeying from being a sceptical teenager to an evangelical Protestant, an Anglican minister and finally Catholic, a conversion that cost him much in terms of friendship and status. As such, he makes a good patron for our young people, who themselves often struggle in coming to faith and for whom the practice of faith makes them stand out in a way which is an uncomfortable trial. May Blessed John Henry Newman obtain for us the grace to persevere in faith amid the trials we encounter.

Director’s Spotlight

Andrzej Wdowiak Director of Youth Ministry At Westminster Youth Ministry, summer involved finishing one academic year and preparing for the next. In July we joined the diocesan pilgrimage to Lourdes, where we provided chaplaincy support for the Redcaps, and in August we celebrated the first Youth Ministry Mass for young adults in the cathedral’s crypt, with the next planned for 21st November. We have a number of events planned for the new academic year. For the first time, the Youth Ministry will take a group of young adults on the diocesan pilgrimage to Walsingham on 21st September. There is also a pilgrimage to Rome for the

celebration of Blessed John Henry Newman’s canonisation, from 11th to the 14th October. In September we resume deanery Summits, with the first in Tower Hamlets on 27th September and the first ever diocesan Summit at Westminster Cathedral on 18th October, which will include a time of Adoration led by Cardinal Vincent. We hope to fill the cathedral for this great celebration of faith. These events reflect well the dynamism of young people and the energy they put in engaging with others and with their faith. The Youth Ministry Outreach Team works to assist group initiatives in supporting young people in their faith journey; the team is also looking into ways of doing the same with parish youth workers and youth leaders in the valuable ministry they offer. A rather hectic July at SPEC Retreat Centre saw 378 young people attending retreats. A new group of seven volunteers have joined the SPEC community and they are eagerly awaiting their first group of young retreatants in mid-September. Indeed, although we have already started, it is still not too late for a young person of 18 to 24, to commit to a year at the

Retreat Centre: deepening their faith, learning about retreats, and sharing faith with their peers. As part of the volunteer formation programme, SPEC community will be attending a series of workshops at the London Jesuit Centre. We are excited about the ways this new partnership can offer additional support to our young Church leaders. For a while we have been looking into a way of giving young people (sixth form and above) the opportunity to support our retreats as nonresidential volunteers. We understand that not everyone is able to make a full year commitment to community life but nonetheless would like to learn more about retreats and explore their faith. In September we are launching a new scheme for young people aged 16 and over, which will offer mentoring, support and essential training. In return, we are looking for a commitment of supporting one retreat per week over a minimum of 26 weeks. The new academic year is promising to be very busy indeed and the Youth Ministry needs your prayer and support in carrying out this mission of the Church.

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Westminster Record | Autumn 2019

In Memoriam: September 1 Cardinal Cormac MurphyO’Connor (2017) 2 Fr Gerard Strain (1980) 3 Deacon Timothy Marsh (2013) 4 Fr John O’Neil (1971) 6 Canon Michael Roberts (2004) 7 Canon John F Marriott (1977) 10 Fr Thomas Burke (2018) 11 Fr William Erby (1974) Mgr Canon Cuthbert Collingwood (1980) Fr James Whitehead (1983) 12 Fr Leslie Wood (1984) 14 Fr William Ruhman (1978) Fr Leonard Collingwood (1985) 15 Fr Brian Connaughton (1979) Fr Robert Gates (2014) 16 Canon Nicholas Kelly (1988) Fr Patrick David O’Driscoll (2016) 17 Fr Frederick Thomas (1986) Fr John Pakenham (1987) 18 Canon John L Wright (1978) 19 Fr Alan Ashton (2014) Fr Patrick Lyons (2015) 20 Fr Des O’Neill (2008) Fr Austin Hart (2013) 21 Fr George Ingram (1992) 23 Fr Godfrey Wilson (1998) 24 Mgr Peter Anglim (2016) 26 Fr James Loughnane (1993) Fr Bernard Lang (2005) Fr Lance Joseph Boward (2011) Mgr Augustine Hoey (2017) 28 Fr Robert Newbery (1981) Fr Gerard Barry (1998) 30 Fr Michael O’Dwyer (1977) Fr Joseph Murray (1989) Fr John B Elliott (2017)

October 2 Canon Des Sheehan (2004) 5 Fr John Fleming (1974) Fr Walter Meyjes (1987) 6 Fr Denis Murphy (1999) Fr George Dangerfield (2018) 7 Fr Thomas Daniel (1984) Canon Peter Phillips (2014) 8 Fr Thomas Allan (1982) 10 Fr Norman Fergusson (1986) Fr Arthur Moraes (2008) 11 Fr Joseph Davey (1970) 12 Fr James Finn (1977) Canon John P Murphy (1989) 13 Fr Norman Brown (2017) 14 Fr Henry Bryant (1972) Fr John Woods (2002) Fr Barry Carpenter (2012) 16 Mgr Canon Terence Keenan (1984)

18 Fr John Eveleigh Woodruff (1976) Fr John Murphy (2005) 19 Fr John Farrell (1983) 21 Fr Richard Berry (1989) 22 Fr David Cullen (1974) Fr Herbert Keldany (1988) Fr Ben Morgan (2005) 23 Fr Joseph O’Hear (1970) Fr Joe Gibbons (2002) Fr Dermot McGrath (2012) 24 Fr John Halvey (1990) Fr Ken Dain (2010) 25 Fr Andrew Moore (1994) Fr John Kearney (2007) 26 Fr John Clayton (1992) Fr George Talbot (2004) 27 Fr Colin Kilby (1985) 29 Canon Leo Ward (1970) Fr Joseph Eldridge (1993) 30 Canon William Gordon (1976) 31 Fr William Dempsey (2008)

November 1 Fr Horace Tennant (2000) 2 Mgr Canon George Tomlinson (1985) Fr Terence Brady (1989) 5 Fr Eric Chadwick (1993) 6 Fr Peter Geraerts (1980) 7 Cardinal John Carmel Heenan (1975) Canon Charles Carr (1985) Fr Raymond Geraerts (1995) 8 Fr Jeremiah Ryan (2001) 9 Fr George Barringer (1978) Fr James Ethrington (1981) 10 Fr Richard M Sutherland (1974) Fr John Spencer (1980) 11 Fr Gerard Freely (2013) 12 Fr James R Coughlan (1974) Fr Peter Johnson (2000) 14 Fr Maurice Ryan (1983) Canon Louis Marteau (2002) 15 Fr James Stephenson (1970) 16 Fr Ian Dommerson (1996) 17 Fr Samuel Steer (1996) 20 Canon Louis Thomas (2017) 22 Mgr Reginald Butcher (1976) Fr Christopher Fullerton (1980) 24 Canon Edmund Hadfield (1982) 25 Fr Joseph Doyle (1978) Canon Joseph Geraerts (1979) Fr John Galvin (2010) Fr John Formby (2015) 26 Fr James Woodward (1976) Fr William Wood (1986) Fr Anthony John Cooke (2007) 27 Fr Joseph Scally (1995) Fr Peter O’Reilly (2005) 29 Fr Christopher HamiltonGray (2012) Fr Brian Nash (2014) 30 Canon Arthur Welland (1978)

Divine Mercy Day of Prayer Westminster Cathedral Saturday 28th September 2019 from 9.30am to 4.30pm For details email antonia@walsingham.org.uk Page 22

Catholic Women Praying Together Last year, Catholic Women of the Year Lunch celebrated 50 years, so now is the time to change the approach. We wished to continue to meet as Catholic women so will be Catholic Women Praying Together. With so many young people losing their lives and happiness through violence, social media addiction, and drugs, the Mass will be offered for the young. MASS 6th November 2019 Farm Street Church, London W1K 3AF with the Choir of Coloma School, Croydon Theme: Praying for our young people Mass open to all. Followed by buffet lunch, ticket only. Tickets £25 from: CWPT, 8 Duloe Road St Neots, Cambs. PE19 8FQ contact: catholicwomenprayingtoget her@gmail.com

reGuLar eVeNTs 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. 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.

WedNesdays Corpus Christi Contemplative Prayer Group for young adults Wednesdays from 7pm at Corpus Christi, Maiden Lane WC2E 7NB. Contact ccpguk@gmail.com 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 Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament for young professionals at St Thomas More, Swiss Cottage. Begins at 7.30pm, with Confession from 7pm to 8.30pm. The next date is 24th January. 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. 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 Friday 7.30pm Prayer, praise and teaching. First Friday is a healing 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. holy Cross, Parsons Green first Saturday of every month. Mass at 9.30am followed by Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament for one hour concluding with Benediction.

Events & Calendar

Westminster Record | Autumn 2019

Liturgical Calendar – September, October and November SEPTEMBER 1 Sun

+ 22nd SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation 2 Mon Feria, 22nd Week of Year 1 3 Tue ST GREGORY THE GREAT, Pope & Doctor 4 Wed Feria or St Cuthbert, Bishop 5 Thu Feria 6 Fri Feria Friday abstinence 7 Sat Feria or Blessed Virgin Mary 8 Sun + 23RD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, Education Sunday 9 Mon Feria, 23rd week of Year 1 or St Peter Claver 10 Tue Feria 11 Wed Feria 12 Thu Feria or The Most Holy Name of Mary 13 Fri St John Chrysostom, Bishop & Doctor Friday abstinence 14 Sat THE EXALTATION OF THE HOLY CROSS 15 Sun +24TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, Home Mission Sunday 16 Mon Ss Cornelius, Pope, and Cyprian, Bishop, Martyrs 17 Tue Feria, 24th Week of Year 1 or St Robert Bellarmine, Bishop & Doctor 18 Wed Feria 19 Thu Feria or St Januarius, Bishop and Martyr 20 Fri Ss Andrew Kim Tae- gŏn, Priest, Paul Chŏng Ha-sang, and Companions, Martyrs Friday abstinence 21 Sat ST MATTHEW, Apostle & Evangelist 22 Sun +25th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, The Harvest 23 Mon St Pius of Pietrelcina, Priest 24 Tue Our Lady of Walsingham 25 Wed Feria, 25th Week of Year 1 26 Thu Feria or Ss Cosmas and Damian, Martyrs 27 Fri St Vincent de Paul, Priest Friday abstinence 28 Sat Feria or St Wenceslaus, Martyr or St Lawrence Ruiz and Companions, Martyrs or Blessed Virgin Mary 29 Sun +26TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME 30 Mon St Jerome, Priest & Doctor

27 Sun 28 Mon 29 Tue 30 Wed 31 Thu

St Thérèse of the Child Jesus, Virgin & Doctor The Holy Guardian Angels Feria, 26th Week of Year 1 St Francis of Assisi, Harvest Fast Day Friday abstinence Feria or Blessed Virgin Mary +27TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Our Lady of the Rosary Feria, 27th Week of Year 1 Feria or St Denis, Bishop, and Companions, Martyrs or St John Leonardi, Priest or Blessed John Henry Newman, Priest 10 Thu Feria or St Paulinus of York, Bishop 11 Fri Feria or St John XXIII, Pope Friday abstinence 12 Sat Feria or St Wilfrid, Bishop or Blessed Virgin Mary 13 Sun +28TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, St Edward the Confessor, Week of Prayer for Prisoners and their Families 14 Mon Feria, 28th Week of Year 1 or St Callistus I, Pope & Martyr 15 Tue St Teresa of Jesus, Virgin & Doctor 16 Wed Feria or St Hedwig, Religious or St Margaret Mary Alacoque, Virgin 17 Thu St Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop & Martyr 18 Fri ST LUKE, Evangelist Friday abstinence 19 Sat Feria or Ss John de Brébeuf and Isaac Jogues, Priests, and Companions, Martyrs or St Paul of the Cross, Priest or Blessed Virign Mary 20 Sun +29TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, World Mission Day 21 Mon Feria, 29th Week of Year 1 22 Tue Feria or St John Paul II, Pope 23 Wed Feria or St John of Capistrano, Priest 24 Thur Feria or St Anthony Mary Claret, Bishop 25 Fri Feria Friday abstinence 26 Sat Feria or Ss Chad and Cedd, Bishops or Blessed Virgin Mary Follow us on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/diocese.westminster

+30TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Ss SIMON and JUDE, Apostles Blessed Martyrs of Douai College Feria, 13th Week of Year 1 Feria

NOVEMBER 1 Fri 2 Sat 3 Sun 4 Mon 5 Tue 6 Wed 7 Thu 8 Fri 9 Sat 10 Sun 11 Mon 12 Tue 13 Wed 14 Thu 15 Fri 16 Sat 17 Sun 18 Mon 19 Tue 20 Wed 21 Thu 22 Fr 23 Sat 24 Sun

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

Other regular Masses

25 Mon 26 Tue 27 Wed 28 Thu 29 Fri 30 Sat

+ALL SAINTS THE COMMEMORATION OF ALL THE FAITHFUL DEPARTED (ALL SOULS’ DAY) +31ST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME St Charles Borromeo, Bishop Feria, 31st Week of Year 1 Feria Feria or St Willibrord, Bishop Feria Friday abstinence THE DEDICATION OF THE LATERAN BASILICA +32ND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, Rememberence Sunday St Martin of Tours, Bishop St Josaphat, Bishop & Martyr Feria, 32nd Week of Year 1 Feria Feria or St Albert the Great, Bishop & Doctor Friday abstinence St Edmund of Abingdon, Bishop +33RD SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME, World Day of the Poor Feria, 33rd Week of year 1 or The Dedication of the Basilicas of Ss Peter and Paul, Apostles Feria Feria The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary St Cecilia, Virgin & Martyr Friday abstinence Feria or St Celement I, Pope & Martyr or St Columban, Abbot or Blessed Virgin Mary +OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, King of the Universe, Youth Day Feria, 34th Week of Year 1 or St Catherine of Alexandria, Virgin & Martyr Feria Feria Feria Feria ST ANDREW, Apostle, Patron of Scotland

Deaf Community Mass First Sunday of the month 4.30pm at Westminster Cathedral Hall, Ambrosden Avenue 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. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays: Low Mass, 8am The Oratory, Brompton Road SW7 2RP. Fridays: Low Mass 8am The Oratory, Brompton Road SW7 2RP. Low Mass 6pm St Etheldreda, Ely Place EC1N 6RY. First Fri only. Low Mass 6pm St John the Baptist Church, King Edward's Road E9 7SF. First Friday only. Low Mass 6.30pm Corpus Christi, Maiden Lane WC2E 7NB. Second Friday only. Saturdays: Low Mass 12.15pm, St Wilfrid’s Chapel, The Oratory, Brompton Road SW7 2RP. Low Mass 4pm, Lady Chapel, Westminster Cathedral SW1P 1QW. Second Saturday only.

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Westminster Record | Autumn 2019

John Henry Newman and Newman Catholic College Daniel Coyle, Headteacher of Newman Catholic College (NCC), Harlesden, offers a personal perspective on the continued relevance of John Henry Newman nearly 130 years after his death and ahead of his canonisation in October. There are, it seems to me, two subsequent steady decline. principal reasons why Blessed Crucially he also lived through John Henry Newman resonates the massive impact of the Irish today. Famine with the arrival of Firstly, Newman embraced nearly one million Catholic change. He famously declared Irish refugees to Britain's cities ‘To live is to change, and to be from the mid-1840s onwards. perfect is to have changed often’. Let us not forget, this was an An examination of Newman’s age of rampant prejudice and life and times definitely supports hostility towards Catholics. the view that he was familiar Catholic Emancipation had with transformation on a number only occurred in 1829 and the of levels. It is significant that he hierarchy restored for the first responded with dignity to those time since the Protestant who would traduce him for his Reformation in 1834. adherence to this position. As a I do not believe that I school leader, the capacity to exaggerate when drawing manage change with compassion comparisons between Newman’s and integrity allied to vision and era and that of our own. We are courage is arguably the greatest always surrounded by change of skill one can acquire. course, but both periods seem to The second reason is share a common anxiety and Newman’s powerful evocation of uncertainty. Moreover, the social love through, ‘Cor ad cor loquitur, issues of 2019 and of Newman’s heart speaks unto heart.’ Indeed, day, whilst different, have clear I would suggest that the parallels. It was his response to common humanity that this the context of his day that can phrase evokes has seldom been shine a light for own in greater need. Much of what development. Furthermore, as follows in this regard is a school leaders we are constantly synthesis of what students at faced with the challenges that NCC see and hear on a daily change brings. We have to be basis. Indeed, the school is wise, knowledgeable and characterised by our sui generis courteous but equally and ubiquitous Newman Values. courageous and bold. I take for When considering the issue of good coin the view that change it is important to begin Newman’s clear-eyed with some historical context. determination offers a guide to Notably Newman’s life spanned how we should manage our the majority of the nineteenth schools and ourselves in modern century. He was 89 years old Britain. when he died on 11th August ‘Cor ad cor loquitur, heart speaks unto heart’ defines our 1890, and therefore had lived Harlesden community and through some of the most provides us with a lodestone that turbulent and transformative is central to our vision and decades in English history. values. I have tried over the years Newman was a well-known to explain why this phrase is so Anglican reforming priest in the powerful and pertinent to our 1830s and 1840s as large parts of school and to what we try to England were consumed by the achieve every day. My message is upheaval and ravages of the firmly rooted in our context. Industrial Revolution. His On the surface we are all conversion to Catholicism was different. I stand in assembly contemporaneous with the every day and look out at highpoint of Chartist demands hundreds of young people of for suffrage. Prior to that he had different ethnic groups, gender, been a leading figure in both the religions, languages, sexuality Tractarian and Oxford and values. In recent years the movements which sought to restore pre-Reformation elements school has been blessed with the advantages of immigration. We of the Catholic Church to have developed a sophisticated Anglicanism. The later decades and highly successful assessment of his life saw the apogee of British imperial grandeur and its system, induction programme Page 24

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Headteacher Daniel Coyle with NCC pupils

and curriculum pathway to ensure that these students can make rapid progress and gain access to the powerful knowledge that they need to flourish in our society. The school was established as Cardinal Hinsley in 1958 to serve an overwhelmingly Irish, West African and Caribbean working class community. It now has a 55% Catholic cohort and a growing number of Hindu and Muslim students. With a high level of inclusivity come complex and unique challenges. It is often difficult, for example, to ensure that all children engage with Mass and we have frequent discussions about mutual respect, tolerance and the shared benefits of celebrating together. We have had difficult discussions with some of our Muslim students about the action of priests when blessing them during the Eucharist. There are times when I would love to be headteacher of a 100% Catholic school, where everyone knows all the words and engagement is a given. However, I believe that in this dialogue there is a worthiness and a benefit for the common good. ‘Heart speaks unto heart’ is a constant reminder that we share a common humanity, that there is more that unites than divides us. It proclaims that whatever our background or circumstances, we stand

shoulder to shoulder, student to student, and heart to heart with one another. Our students wear a badge on their green blazers with three hearts on them; The key of ‘heart speaks unto heart’ is that it allows us to engage in a dialogue of love. I have worked in London Catholic schools since 1989 and never thought I would hear the word love used so frequently as I do at NCC. The three hearts represent not merely our universal humanity but also our closeness and devotion to God (the third heart at the bottom of the badge is the largest of the three). This message is a common refrain at our daily school assembly and is reinforced by our Newman Values. There is not enough space in this article to focus on Newman’s role in the development of Catholic education, by his establishment of the Oratory in Birmingham and the Catholic University of Ireland (now University College Dublin). Rather, I have chosen to focus on his understanding of change as evidence of a perfect life and his promotion of egalitarianism and love through the notion of ‘heart speaks unto heart’. I have always been drawn to his prayer for St Monica where he states that we must be ‘zealous for all the better gifts’ as a beautifully eloquent manifestation of what we want for our students and what they themselves should aspire towards. Follow us on Twitter at: twitter.com/RCWestminster

As I write this piece during the summer holidays I am conscious of two summer schools running concurrently at NCC for the fourth year. The Syrian Summer camp, supported by Caritas Westminster, the US Charitable Trust, Children in Need and Sport England has supported hundreds of refugee children since 2015. The police camp engages Harlesden children in a series of astonishing educational and fun activities throughout the summer weeks. (http://bit.ly/NCCSummerCamps) Newman Catholic College will mark the canonisation of Cardinal Newman with a Mass celebrated by Bishop John Sherrington on 30th October. The school is also organising a competition for a new badge to commemorate the historic events in Rome. More significantly, however, we recognise our responsibility as Catholic teachers in twenty-first century Britain. The Congregation for Catholic Education published a document called ‘The Catholic School on the Threshold of the New Millenium’ which affirms this, saying, ‘Teaching has an extraordinary moral depth and is one of our most excellent and creative activities. For the teacher does nor write on inanimate material but on the very spirit of the human being’. In our endeavours to fulfil these obligations we can do no better than to learn from the life and work of Blessed John Henry Newman. Follow us on Instagram at: @rcwestminster