westminster record march 2015

WestminsterRecord March 2015 | 20p

IraqiArchbishopPleads for hisPeoplePage 4 Page 5

HelpingTraffickedWomenRebuild

RememberingVictims of theHolocaust

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By Hannah Woolley

On 22 February 2014,Archbishop Vincent waselevated to the College ofCardinals alongside 18 othersby Pope Francis. One year on, Ispoke with Cardinal Vincent toreflect on his first year in red.

I began by asking what it islike to be made a Cardinal. ‘It isa great privilege but also a realexpectation, and I am veryconscious of having to try anduse that expectation creativelyand responsibly,’ he replied.

There was ‘an amazingresponse’ to his elevation thistime last year and he receivedmany messages ofcongratulations and assurancesof prayers from all strands ofBritish society, includingreligious leaders of other faithsand politicians. ‘There is a realsense in which being a Cardinalhas a certain cachet about it andbeing a Cardinal with PopeFrancis has that very clearly.People saw this as anopportunity to assist PopeFrancis in his remarkable role inthe world.’

The elevation to the Collegehas given the Cardinal aheightened profile in the UK andI asked whether this has enabledhim to make a greater impact in society.

‘I believe that there iscertainly a greater acceptanceand attention is given to thethings that I say because itmeans something to havesupport from a Cardinal,’ heexplained. ‘I think it is to do withthe closeness with the Papacy,the closeness with the role of theHoly Father in the Church and inthe world.’

Another way in which thiscloseness to the Pope isexpressed is in membership ofthe Congregation for Bishopswhich advises the Holy Fatheron appointments of new bishopsworldwide. The Congregationmeets fortnightly and membersare provided with a greatnumber of papers to read andmaster in preparation for theirmeeting. The workload‘astonished’ the Cardinal at firstbut it demonstrates the ‘hard andconcentrated work’ done by theCongregation and theresponsibility with which thiswork is carried out.

Cardinal Vincent speaksfondly of working with the Pope,describing him as ‘a remarkableman….but within thatwonderfully human and openpersonality, there is a real rod ofsteel. He is a man who knows hismind and knows what thepriorities are for the Church andis really strong in the leadershipthat he provides.’

He stressed the Holy Father’semphasis on the faith of ordinarypeople, saying that ‘this is wherethe real guts and strength of faithlie, and we must honour and payattention to that.’ This is reflectedin the pattern of the Pope’s visitsoverseas; he does not only visitplaces with a strong Catholicheritage, but rather those placeswhere ‘the Catholic world meetsup with others or where there areentrenched social injustices andproblems’. In doing so, the Popeinvites every single one of us andparticularly parishes to look tothe edges and threshold wherepeople are on ‘the edge of faithand pay attention to that withgreat generosity andcompassion’.

A Year in Red

Continued on pages 10 & 11

Editorial Westminster Record | March 2015

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Lent is also a time toproclaim salvation: a taskundertaken by, among others,Catholic agencies inWestminster – CAFOD, the SVP,and the Caritas hubs beingdeveloped across our diocese.Our faith should guide ourexistence; the way that wechoose to live is (or should be) initself an assertion that in Christ,salvation knows no boundariesor distinctions of wealth, class or race.

We must also pray for thepersecuted. Our newspaperrecords Holocaust memorials,events that become moreimportant as the immediatememory of such evil fades. Wealso remember two remarkablewomen who defied those whosought to enslave and destroythem: St Josephine Bakhita andBlessed Marie-ClementineAnuarite Nengapeta. We askthem to intercede for all thosepersecuted and deprived ofdignity.

Like a great cloth spread over atable, Lent covers March insombre reflection. But a sombreseason does not mean sitting onthe sofa staring moodily intospace. It is a good time to take toheart the words of Pope Francis:‘Praise God, proclaim salvation,pray for the persecuted.’

This month, we celebrate veryparticular praise of God offeredby those who live theconsecrated life. In the HolyFather’s words, the consecratedvocation is a call ‘to wake up theworld,’ a challenge to itspreconceptions by living theGospel to the full in a realexpression of love. Thewonderful witness of those inconsecrated life is a spur to us allto praise God through theparticular calling He has chosenfor us.

The Paul Goggins MemorialConcert took place on 30January at St John Smith’sSquare as a lasting legacy to hislife and work, and raised over£25,000 for the Cardinal HumeCentre. Goggins was Memberof Parliament for Wythenshaweand Sale East and was dedicatedto the work of the CardinalHume Centre. He was brieflyChairman of the Centre untilhis sudden and untimely deathin January last year aged just 60.

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Paul Goggins Concert a Resounding Success

Celebration and Commemoration

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For more news from aroundthe diocese throughout themonth, please seewww.rcdow.org.uk

Whilst he was Chairman, planswere underway for the firstcharity concert to be hosted bythe Centre, which has ultimatelycome to fruition in his memory.

The concert was opened withthe beautiful overture to theMarriage of Figaro, and wasfollowed by Beethoven’s PianoConcerto No.4, performed withgreat flair and sensitivity byAshley Wass, conducted byMaxim Rysanov andaccompanied by the Southbank

Sinfonia. In the second half, theSchola Cantorum from CardinalVaughan Memorial School gave arousing performance of Mozart’sRequiem, accompanied by theSouthbank Sinfonia andconducted by Scott Price.

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Westminster Record | March 2015 News

On 25 January, CongoleseCatholics from all over Londongathered at St Joan of ArcChurch in Highbury withCardinal Vincent for a Mass tocommemorate the 50thanniversary of the martyrdomof Blessed Marie-ClementineAnuarite Nengapeta.

In traditional Congolesefashion, the Mass was an

exuberant and joyouscelebration that included music,dance and liturgy in fourlanguages: English, French,Latin and Lingala.

Among the concelebrantswere the General Secretary ofthe Episcopal Conference ofCongo, Abbe Leonard SantediKinkupu, Congolese ChaplainFr Noel Mpati-Ne-Nzita and

Parish Priest of St Joan of Arc,Fr Gerard King.

In his homily, CardinalVincent recalled the history ofAnuarite who became Sr Marie-Clementine of the Sisters of theHoly Family, her courage andsteadfastness in the face ofthreats to her life, and, even asshe lay dying, her forgivenessfor her murderers’ actions.

Cardinal Condemns Sexual Violence in ConflictOn 9 February, CardinalVincent took part in the Inter-faith Consultation Conferenceat Lancaster House duringwhich he gave an addressabout 'mobilising faithcommunities in ending sexualviolence in conflict'. He calledthe use of sexual violence inwarfare a 'deliberate andordered tactic of oppression,domination, destruction'.

He said that 'war is noexcuse' and that 'a crime is acrime, whether committed inthe context of conflict or not.And sexual violence is alwaysa crime; it is always animmoral act.'

He explained that 'afundamental aspect of Catholicteaching about sex is thatsexual acts must always takeplace within the context of

The Cardinal reflected: ‘Thisis a wonderful story of love,suffering, forgiveness andfaithfulness in the face of suchanger and evil. It is a story tothrill our hearts and give us somuch encouragement.’

Born in 1939, the youngestof six daughters, Anuarite wasinspired by the life of the Sistersof the Holy Family who ran theschool that she attended in herhometown of Wamba. Shejoined the convent inBafwabaka in 1959, taking hervows on 5 August and becameSr Marie-Clementine.

During the Mulele Rebellionin 1964, Sr Marie-Clementinewas kidnapped, along with theother 45 nuns, by the rebelarmy. One of the colonelswanted to keep Sr Marie-Clementine as his wife, but sherefused, which led to her beingbeaten, stabbed and shot dead.She was martyred on 1December 1964. Even as shewas beaten, she said to herassailants, 'I forgive you for youknow not what you are doing.'

Cardinal Vincent went on tosay, ‘Her actions become a lightin our eyes, teaching us byexample how we are to treateach other, forgive each other,never hold grudges againsteach other, resist anger withpatience and love and continueto be generous even when weare not thanked or appreciated.

Only in these ways can we tooexpress in our lives the samelove of God that your BlessedAnuarite, your Blessed Marie-Clementine, showed in her life.’

After the Communion,Grace Sindula stepped forwardto address the Cardinal onbehalf of all the childrenpresent. Addressing him as‘Tata Cardinal’, she explainedthat it is a Congolese traditionto call him their father.

She said, ‘Your Eminence,Tata Cardinal, if winter bringsits cold outside, your presencebrings the warmth of ourChristian faith on the inside.Your presence encourages us toexpress our joy to be CatholicChristians. To say the least,your presence brings the spiritof Jesus Christ.’

She thanked the Cardinal forhis presence and continued,‘We, your children from theD.R. Congo, ask that you prayand bless us so that we mayexperience the joy of the gospel;we would like to know Jesusmore, to follow and serve him.’

After a presentation of a giftas a ‘gesture from your childrenas a souvenir of your pastoralvisit’, all the children in thecongregation were invited tocome forward for a photo withthe Cardinal as a reminder‘always to be present today andtomorrow in the Church ofJesus.’

authentic freedom'. It is onthese grounds that 'the Churchwholeheartedly backs everyinitiative to prevent sexualviolence being perpetratedagainst anyone, anywhere andunder any circumstances'.

Cardinal Vincent recognised'the work carried out by manyreligiously motivated people inthe fight against sexualviolence in warfare'.

He continued, 'I saluteespecially the work of religioussisters, in many countries, whofor decades have dedicatedthemselves to this work,without seeking reward orpraise. They do so as part oftheir commitment to justice inour world today. And we arericher for their efforts, alongwith the efforts of many others,too. This enterprising work

generates the kind of wealthwithout which our worldcannot survive. They are, inmy view, at the top of theworld's rich list!'

He also noted that withinour 'God-given dignity, theright to life itself and the rightto bodily integrity arefundamental, as first gifts ofthe Creator, as is the right toreligious freedom withinwhich we express and developour relationship with theCreator'.

The full text of CardinalVincent’s address can befound on the Diocesanwebsite athttp://rcdow.org.uk/cardinal/addresses/mobilising-faith-communities-in-ending-sexual-violence-in-conflict/

Life of Congolese Martyr Celebrated



Westminster Record September 2011News Westminster Record | March 2015

Archbishop of Erbil appeals for help in London

On 11 February CardinalVincent welcomed ArchbishopBashar Warda of Erbil as partof the latter’s visit to the UK toask for additionalhumanitarian help andprotection for Iraqi Christiansfleeing ISIL attacks. TheArchbishop was accompaniedon his visit by a delegationthat included Neville Kyrke-Smith, UK National Directorof Aid to the Church in Need(ACN), John Pontifex, ACNHead of Press andInformation, Dr Suha Russam,Trustee of Iraqi Christians inNeed, and Fr Nadheer Dako,the Chaldean CatholicChaplain in the Diocese.

Later that day, ArchbishopBashar concelebrated Mass at apacked Westminster Cathedral

Cardinal joins Maronites for Eucharistic Liturgy

with members of the IraqiChristian community inLondon and other supporterswho turned out in a show ofsolidarity with persecutedChristians.

In his homily theArchbishop spoke of Christiansfleeing the ISIL attacks: ‘Dayand night, all they experience isemptiness. Each of them can beforgiven if at times they feelthat theirs is a life without thebreath of God, the love of God.’

And yet, he emphasised,‘God continues to give us newhope, helping us to breathe Hisspirit in the world around us.Let us all pray that He willempower us to be Hisdisciples.’

After Mass, the Archbishopgave an address at CathedralHall about the situation of IraqiChristians since the summer.He explained that ‘thepopulation curve of Christiansdropped in a dramatic andalarming way’ and expressedhis fears that Christians and‘other ethnic communities willdisappear altogether’ from Iraq.

Sounding a sad note, hesaid: ‘Christians in Iraq havecome to an absolute convictionthat this country is not theirs,and that whatever they do, theywould still find no place amongothers. Christians have come tothink of two options:immigration or the creation of asafe haven under internationalprotection where they can livein peace and human dignity.’

Archbishop Bashar alsodetailed the work done byparish priests, religious ordersand other representatives of theCatholic Church to distributefood and provide shelter, healthservices and education.

Cardinal Vincent joined theMaronite community at OurLady of Sorrows Church inPaddington for the celebrationof their Eucharistic Liturgy onSunday 8 February, the Feastof St Maroun.

It was the first time that abishop of the diocese has beenpresent at a Maronite liturgywith the community in London.

Cardinal Vincent wasinvited to preach the homily, in which he spoke about themissionary nature of St Maroun’s testimony: ‘St Maroun, from the solitude ofthe mountain, showed his faith

GhanaianChaplaincy

Archbishop Bashar celebrates Mass in the presence of ecumenical guests in the Cathedral

At a meeting at Archbishop'sHouse on 13 February aMemorandum ofUnderstanding was signed toestablish the official presenceof the Ghanaian Chaplaincy inLondon. The Memorandumwas signed by BishopNicholas Hudson, Chair of theLondon Ethnic ChaplaincyGroup which representsWestminster, Southwark andBrentwood Dioceses, and FrJoseph Akono with membersof the Ghanaian community.

In order to address thegrowing pastoral needs ofGhanaian Catholics, who beganarriving half a decade ago, theGhanaian Catholic Chaplaincywas constituted in Britain byBishop Alan Hopes, then-Auxiliary Bishop ofWestminster, to providepastoral services such asliturgies, cultural programmesand preparation for thesacraments in Ghanaianlanguages. The signing of theofficial Memorandum ofUnderstanding furtherstrengthened these ties betweenthe Church in Westminster andGhanaian Catholics.

Bishop Nicholas welcomedthe occasion, expressing hisdelight at such an historicmoment.

by the daily actions of his life.And that is what we are calledto do, too: to be witnesses to thefaith remembering that everyChristian is called to live outhis or her faith in such a waythat it becomes visible toothers.’

Referring to the nationaltree of Lebanon, he called it ‘anational symbol and a symbolof true beauty and plenty.’Seeing the tree as symbolic ofour calling, he continued, ‘Thisis our calling: to be a source ofencouragement, nourishment,to all who are in distress, and,through our faith, to bring

some light and beauty into ourworld, the light of the Lordand the beauty of the saints.’

The Cardinal invited thecommunity to share therichness of the Maronitetradition with the rest of thediocese. ‘Please do tell yourstory to other Catholics whomyou meet, in whatevercircumstance. Please do feel athome here in this diocese andtake part, whenever you can,in some of our initiatives andcelebrations. Yours is such arich and resilient life of faiththat we can but be enriched byyour contribution.’ Cardinal Vincent leads worship with the Maronite chaplains



Westminster Record | March 2015

News

Hafsah Jalloh, a Year 13 Studentat Bishop Challoner Sixth Form,exhibited a series of black andwhite photographs takenduring a school trip toAuschwitz in September 2014 tomark Holocaust Memorial Day.

‘What I saw at Auschwitzhad such a profound effect onme,’ said Hafsah, ‘that I wanted

PACT OpensNew Offices

St Joan of Arc host Holocaust MemorialSt Joan of Arc School inRickmansworth was chosen tohost the annual HolocaustMemorial Day organised byHertfordshire SACRE(Standing Advisory Councilfor Religious Education) on 29 January. The theme for 2015was ‘Keep the Memory Alive’which was particularlysignificant as it marked the70th anniversary of theliberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau and the 20thanniversary of the genocide in Bosnia.

In recognition of these twoimportant anniversaries, theHolocaust Memorial Day Trustestablished the ‘70 Candles for70 Years’ project, asking anextra candle to be lit at selectedcommemorations across thecountry. The HertfordshireSACRE commemoration waschosen to host one of these 70 candles.

Twelve schools made up ofupper primary, middle andsecondary pupils took part.Senior students from St Joan of

Arc School and WestfieldAcademy reflected on theirexperience of visitingAuschwitz-Birkenau andwitnessing the scale of the liveslost, by stressing theimportance of individualstories, rather than facts andfigures. Performances of dance,drama and music wereparticularly emotive andshowed great depth ofreflection and understandingby the students that producedthem.

A painting created by artistCindy Lass for the Anne FrankHouse, entitled ‘Anne had notime to blossom’, appearedthroughout thecommemoration. The paintingdepicted a blossoming treeintended as a symbol of hopeas we pass on the memories ofthe Holocaust and recentgenocides.

Nelly Ben-Or Clynes, whowas imprisoned in a Polishghetto and escaped a traindestined for Auschwitz, wasthe guest speaker. Nelly, her

Bishop Challoner Photo Exhibition

to share what I could of theexperience with the rest of theschool. All Bishop Challonerstudents study the Holocaust aspart of the curriculum andimages like these are importantfor children of every age to see.’

The exhibition opened in thedrama studio on Friday 23 January and was timed to

Caption

mother and sister survived byassuming the identities ofPolish Catholics. In her speech,Nelly said that she particularlywanted to tell the youngpeople in the audience that weshould not be so easily affectedby prejudice. She believed thatultimately what was lost

On 16 February, PACT, thenational charity that supportsprisoners and their familiesthrough a pastoral services andresettlement projects,celebrated the opening of itsnew offices in Camberwell.They were joined by BishopRichard Moth, ArchbishopPeter Smith, and Fr RogerReader, the Bishops’Conference Prisons Advisor.

Occupying the site ofCamberwell work houses, thebuilding dates from 1904.Originally used as offices forthe Camberwell Board ofGuardians which administeredthe social care provided by thesurrounding parishes, after theBoard disbanded, the buildinghoused the psychiatric ward forSt Giles’ Hospital until 1983.Subsequently the building wasused by Southwark Counciluntil 2009 when it wasredeveloped. It is now occupiedby a number of charities.

coincide with HolocaustMemorial Day on 27 January. It ran for a week so that allstudents had the chance to seeand reflect on the images.

‘All of my photographs are inblack and white,’ explainedHafsah. ‘Effective black andwhite photography is all aboutcontrast, and I felt that using

black and white for this projectwould reflect the contrastbetween the horrifying worlddepicted in the images and theworld in the present day thatmany brave people fought towin. Photographs like theseprove how important it is tostudy history and learn from the past.’

during the Holocaust was theknowledge that we are allhuman beings and all deserveto respect our lives and thelives of others. Now aninternational concert pianistand a Professor at GuildhallSchool of Music and Drama, ascholarship has been

established in her name. It was particularly powerful

to see so many young peopleunited in remembering thelives of those affected by theHolocaust and othergenocides, and to ensure thatthe lessons of the past are notforgotten.



General Election Westminster Record | March 2015

Ahead of the general election, theBishops of England and Waleshave written a letter to all thefaithful. Here we print an abridgedversion. For the full text, please goto www.rcdow.org.uk.As Catholics, we are called towork for a world shaped bythe Gospel of Jesus Christ. TheGospel proclaims the mercy ofGod and invites us steadfastlyto love God and ourneighbour. Our relationshipwith God leads to the desire tobuild a world in which respect,dignity, equality, justice andpeace are our primaryconcerns.

At this General Election weare asked to think about thekind of society we want athome and abroad. Whom youvote for is a matter for youalone. Our aim is to suggesthow you might approach thisimportant question in May 2015and to suggest some key issuesfor your reflection as you makeyour own decision.

Voting in a general electionshould seldom, if ever, be basedon a single issue. Electionsinvolve a whole range of issues,some without doubt morecentral than others, particularlythose concerned with thedignity and value of human lifeand human flourishing. In thisletter, we highlight someimportant issues – but not theonly ones.

Bishops Encourage Faithful to Vote

Cardinal Vincent and Archbishop Peter invites Catholic voters to engage in the political process in May

Respecting lifeHuman beings are created in

the image and likeness of God.Each person matters and thefoundation of Catholic teachingis the respect of human lifefrom conception to naturaldeath. We support policies thatprotect the fundamental right tohuman life. The unborn child isvulnerable and defenceless and,tragically, in our society oftenthe innocent victim of abortion.We oppose calls to introduceassisted suicide or euthanasia.We urge better support forcarers and more high qualitypalliative care and a robustNHS on which we can all rely.

Supporting marriage andfamily life; alleviatingpoverty

The Christian understandingof marriage, founded on aloving and faithful relationshipbetween a man and a woman, isthe basic building block ofsociety. It provides stability forthe nurturing and education ofchildren. Today, families aremore diverse and fragile andthere are many families of allkinds where love andcommitment are found. Societyneeds good and strong familieswhich are dedicated to the well-being of their children. Acommitment to support thefamily should be at the heart ofsocial and political life.

There are many families whoare financially vulnerable andstruggle to make ends meet;housing and living costs arehigh. Many people do not havea living wage to support themand their families. Too manyhave to turn to the state foradditional income and toexternal voluntary support suchas food banks. Governmentpolicies should be assessed onthe ways in which they impactthose most in need, includingthose who are homeless orhungry, and how they supportand strengthen the family andits capacity to flourish.

Educating for the good of all

The provision of goodeducation is fundamental to thefuture of society. We wantoutstanding schools weresuccess if not just narrowlybased on league tables but onhow the full potential of everychild is developed. Catholicschools serve over 845,000children in England and Walesand are generally moreethnically diverse. They make apositive contribution to societyas they help pupils to becomegood citizens with clear moralprinciples to guide their livesand thereby help build up thenetwork of relationships insociety. Future governmentpolicy should ensure that thepoorest have access to high

quality education and thatCatholic parents have truechoice for educating theirchildren in Catholic schools.

Building CommunitiesWe share a common

humanity and are members of asingle human family. We rightlyhave ties to our own familiesand communities, but arealways called by the Gospel to awider solidarity with others andto help build a society based onlove and justice, where decisionsare made at the mostappropriate level (whether local,national or international). Theprinciples of solidarity andsubsidiarity assist us in how tothink about the future ofEurope.

For some communities manyfactors make life more difficult,including rising inequality,increased loneliness for manyolder people, job insecurity andoverstretched communityservices. Building communitiesis something that can only bedone by active citizens. It cannotonly be left to politicians orgovernment.

The private sector also has avital role. Business should seeitself at the service of society,solving problems and meetingneeds. The market economyexists to serve humanity. Peopleare not merely economic units tobe exploited. The dignity ofwork should always berespected.

Violence and conflict haveled to the massive displacementof people, many of whom seekasylum or refuge. There are alsoworkers and students fromoverseas who contribute muchto the common good of ourcountry. Immigration is a highlyemotive issue and every countryneeds a policy to controlimmigration, as well as apositive commitment to policiesthat facilitate the integration ofmigrants to the mainstream ofsociety. There is a great dangerof blaming immigrants for theills of society. We supportpolicies which fairly regulateimmigration and uphold thehuman rights of all, recognisingthe rights, dignity andprotection of refugees andmigrants.

In recent years we havewitnessed a dramatic increaseboth in violent extremism and

in the persecution of people onthe basis of their religiousbelief. Catholics seek torecognise the signs of God’sgoodness everywhere, promotemutual understanding, defendthe fundamental rights andfreedoms of all, including theright to practice their religion,both in private and in public,and the duty to strive tocontribute to the common goodof all.

Caring for the worldGod has given us a good

world in which to live and anabundance of gifts of which weare the stewards. We are notowners of these goods but thecustodians of them and theyshould be for the benefit of allpeople. As members of onehuman family, the richernations such as ours have aduty to help the developmentof the poorer nations. We knowthat caring for the planetinvolves concern for theenvironment and protecting thelivelihood of the poorest peoplein the world.

ConclusionAs followers of Christ, we

work with him to renew theface of the earth. As hisdisciples, we search for mercy,compassion and justice in allwe say and do, and challengewhere these are absent in ourworld. Together with the stateand politicians, we areresponsible for the kind ofsociety we build.

Politics is a vital andnecessary vocation. It carriesresponsibility not only forpolicy decisions but also forshaping the hopes andaspirations of people.

We expect politicians to becommitted to the commongood. We also each have aresponsibility to be involved inthe democratic process. It isimportant that we vote. It is aduty which springs from theprivilege of living in ademocratic society. In decidinghow we vote the question foreach of one of us is then: How,in the light of the Gospel, canmy vote best serve thecommon good?



Parish ProfileWestminster Record | March 2015

This year witnesses a milestoneanniversary as the last fourcopies of the original MagnaCarta are reunited at the BritishLibrary. The famous document,which has become thecornerstone of British law, wassigned in 1215 at Runnymedeon the Thames in Surrey. Thismonth the Record visited thenearest parish to Runnymede inour diocese: Our Lady of theRosary in Staines.

We arrived at Staines on aWednesday morning after ashort hop from Waterloo stationand crossing the road to thechurch. There was a flurry ofactivity outside andpandemonium once inside as theMother and Toddler Group wasin full swing in the church hall.There were at least 30 toddlersrunning around playing, joinedby parents drinking tea andsocialising as their children andgrandchildren enjoyed thesecurity of the setting. In themiddle of it all was Parish PriestFr Philip Dyer-Perry whowelcomed and introduced us tosome of the mothers who servedus tea and tempted us with cake.It was evident in the first fewminutes of being there that thiswas very much a welcoming andopen parish.

Although a relatively smalltown with few residential areas,Staines is a fairly affluent andstable town, quite different to theplace that was infamouslyparodied by Ali G in the early2000s. Fr Philip describes thetown as a place that coupleschoose once they are marriedand want to settle; many will

Staines: A Parish for All Agesthen stay in the area for a longtime. This trend is reflected inthe parish statistics from 2014:there was only one marriage inthe parish but 27 Baptisms, 28 First HolyCommunion candidates and 28 Confirmandi.

The parish is very young atheart and ‘skewed to youngfamilies’. Heathrow Airportprovides employment for manyin the parish; whilst the nearbyM4 corridor offers goodconnections to jobs in centralLondon and nearby towns suchas Ashford and Basingstoke.Migration to the area has beenfairly low but there are smallgroups of Polish and Spanishparishioners and a smattering ofother nationalities.

To sum up the parish in aword: busy. There seems to be anendless stream of activities andgroups using the church hall orspaces and all ages are cateredfor. On Wednesday afternoons,the Mother and Toddler Groupgives way to the ‘WednesdayWord’, which is like ‘Sundayschool on a Wednesday’ forchildren of Reception age to Year6. The Youth Club meets once amonth and enjoys film nightsand days out together.

Recently a Young Adultsgroup has started meeting once amonth to discuss some serioustopical issues, such as theCharlie Hebdo attacks, and thensocialise in a local pub. TheAdult Group meets periodicallyduring the year and looks atsocial, moral and religious issueswith guest speakers and moretime to socialise.

The interior of Our Lady of the Rosary

Founded: 1890Mass Times: (Sat 6.30pm), 9, 11Address: 59 Gresham Road,Staines, TW18 2BDTelephone: 01784 452381Website: parish.rcdow.org.uk/staines

On Mondays the SeniorsGroup comes together tosocialise and enjoy tea and cake,sometimes in the local gardencentre for a change of scenery.During half term Fr Philiparranges a parish trip which isopen to all. The days out are agreat channel for Fr Philip’s loveof trains and there are manyphotos in the church of largegroups on trains and at stationsin anticipation of the day ahead.

It is evident that even thoughthe parish itself is relativelysmall, with a capacity in thechurch for 215 and an averageattendance just over 600, there isa lot going on all the time tokeep Fr Philip on his toes. Heseems to thrive in theatmosphere, describing himselfas ‘non-stop’ and a ‘bithyperactive’.

The church itself is moresquare than rectangular, withwhite and blue walls and someexposed brick work. It has nopews but rather individual seats,which means it is morecomfortable but it can be hard tosqueeze everyone in at busytimes. The church has a deep,white curved sanctuary with alarge gap between the altar andtabernacle. But even this has afunction. In a truly modern twiston the Mass, the back wall abovethe tabernacle doubles as ascreen for projecting hymns and

prayer responses. For those inthe wings who cannot see theprojection, two LCD TVs arefixed above the seats to serve thesame function. Fr Philip saidthere was originally someunease over this bookless formof Mass but everyone has comeround to it now. As long as youhave ‘a teenager behind thepillar pressing next slide onPowerPoint’ the system works well!

Although the parish iswelcoming and open to thosewho are members, Fr Phillip,never content, believes the futureof the parish should be outward-looking so that it serves thewider community and not justthe congregation itself. He isambitious and forward-thinkingand wants to ensure long termdevelopment for the projects that

By Chris O’Callaghan

the parish has begun. But thisyear is principally a time ofcelebration as the parish marksthe 125th year of its founding in1890. As well as an anniversaryMass with Cardinal Vincent on 5July, there will be a pilgrimage toLourdes and Paris in October, aflower festival in the gardenspace behind the church and ahistory exhibition to chroniclethe last 125 years. The future,much like the present, is lookingvery busy in Staines.

The original 1890 stained glass windows in the corner of the Church

Artwork produced by the young people from the Wednesday Word club




On Tuesday 10 February, BishopJohn visited the CardinalVaughan Memorial School tobless the school’s new CentenaryBuilding. The evening beganwith Mass celebrated by BishopJohn and school chaplain Fr Dominic Allain. The school’sacclaimed Schola Cantorumprovided music, singing worksby Palestrina, Bruckner andMawby. Following the Mass, thenearly two hundred guests wereinvited to follow Bishop John tothe Centenary Building for theblessing, and a tour of theschool’s impressive newfacilities.

The Centenary Building is athree-storey extension to theschool and houses a dedicatedsuite of accommodation for SEN(Special Educational Needs)students including learningresources, meeting rooms, andone-to-one tuition space. Thereare also new IT facilitiesincluding two specialist ITclassrooms, and three generalclassrooms.

CVMS Centenary Building OpenedThis academic year, the

Cardinal Vaughan MemorialSchool is celebrating thecentenary of its founding inSeptember 1914 as a nationalmemorial to Cardinal HerbertVaughan, the third Archbishopof Westminster. Following twolandmark celebrations atWestminster Cathedral and theRoyal Albert Hall last term, theschool continues to celebrate thismilestone anniversary with anumber of special eventsplanned for the remainder of theacademic year. The final event inthe School’s Centenary calendarwill be a black-tie dinner to beheld on Saturday 20 June at theConnaught Rooms.

Bishop John blesses the new Centenary Building at the Vaughan

Schools

Congratulations to students ofdiocesan schools who havereceived offers to attenduniversity in September. TheRecord has received muchcorrespondence from schoolsabout further educationsuccess and we congratulatestudents and teachers alike forbearing the fruit of theirlabours in such anencouraging way.

Congratulations inparticular to Princess Ashilokunand Rikesh Dayha from theCardinal Pole School, Hackney,Catrin Beetham and AidanFusco from St Benedict’s,Ealing, and Nermeen, Esther,Mila and Bruno from BishopChalloner School, all of whomhave received offers from eitherOxford or Cambridge.

We wish them, and all thosewho have secured a place atuniversity, every success in thecoming years.

University Offers

Full details and ticketinformation are available onthe school website(www.cvms.co.uk), with allfriends invited to this veryspecial occasion during thisvery significant year for theVaughan.


The Department for Educationhas announced funding for 12 schools in the diocese aspart of the Priority SchoolBuilding Programme (2).

The Programme will see oneor two buildings at each schoolrefurbished or rebuilt so thatthey can continue to be used toeducate the next generation.

Bishop John Sherrington,Chairman of the DiocesanEducation Commission,welcomed the news: ‘I am verypleased to hear that Catholicschools will benefit from someof this Government funding. Itensures that the good work ofCatholic education can continueand build on its currentstrength and new buildings willsafeguard the future of theseschools across the diocese.’

DiocesanSchools tobenefit fromGovernmentInfrastructureFunding

The schools which have received the funding are:St Michael’s Catholic Grammar School, BarnetOur Lady of Lourdes RC Primary School, WillesdenSt Margaret Clitherow RC Primary School, NeasdenSt Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, Bishop’s StortfordSt Mary’s Catholic School, Bishop’s StortfordThe John Henry Newman Catholic School, StevenageSt Joan of Arc Catholic School, RickmansworthBotwell House Catholic Primary School, HayesThe Douay Martyrs Catholic School, IckenhamGunnersbury Catholic School, HounslowThe Cardinal Vaughan Memorial RC School, Kensington and ChelseaSt Richard Reynolds Catholic College, Richmond

The building projects willinclude refurbishing parts ofthe schools which are in needof some updating, replacingmobile classrooms withpermanent structures andrefurbishing parts of oldparish buildings to expandschool spaces.



Westminster Record | March 2015 Youth

See photos of youth events at: http://flickr.com/photos/catholicwestminster

Follow Westminster Youth Ministry on Facebook at:www.facebook.com/doywm

Follow Westminster YouthMinistry on Twitter at:twitter.com/dowym

To find out more about the YouthMinistry and experiences of our young people at: wym.rcdow.org.uk.

My team is very blessed rightnow. We seem to be workingseven days a week, developingand supporting a growing andtruly diverse range of projects.

Parish youth communitiesare springing into life across thediocese in great number and atthe moment it’s not unusual forthe team to be found at a parishmost days of the week andsometimes visiting more thanone parish on the same evening.We are grateful for theinvitations to help develop and

Director’s Spotlightsupport youth and young adultgroups: this is really the core ofour work.

We’re currently preparing forpilgrimages to Lourdes andTaizé in 2015, and World YouthDay 2016 in partnership with theChemin Neuf Community, aswell as providing strong supportfor the CYMFed pilgrimage toTurin in June.

Our Performing Arts Day istaking shape and we arehonoured to be partnering theFocolare Community in thisventure. We hope this wonderfulretreat in October will provideyoung people with theencouragement and skills tocreate interesting projects in theirhome parishes. Moreinformation will follow as eventposters are being sent to parishesso be on the lookout.

The Don Bosco BicentenaryExpo at the Centre for YouthMinistry and St Aloysius Church

in April will offer a celebration ofthe life of this patron saint ofyoung people. We’re expecting avery busy day that will include agreat talk from Fr Martin Coyle.

It’s not long before wesupport the Franciscan Friarswith their Ignite 2015Confirmation Retreat Day andsoon after we welcome RiseTheatre with their ‘White Rabbit’Lenten production in St AloysiusChurch.

We’re also in the midst ofsome interesting developmentswith Celebrate, Joel’s Bar and theSion Community, and not tomention some ecumenicalplanning in Hertfordshire withChurches Together and their Gofor Growth event.

Reading all this, and there isplenty more than there’s room tocapture here, has me feeling atad weary. My daughter recentlysaid to me, ‘Dad, I find that ifyou’re weary of youth ministry,

Many ancient cultures hadan idea that the higher a personclimbed up the mountain thecloser they moved to theheavens and the presence ofGod. In the Old Testament, weread that Moses met God at thetop of the mountain, and cameback down holding the twogreat tablets of the Law.Similarly, it was on themountaintop where Jesus wastransfigured, and where theFather’s voice was heard.Going up the hill, Jesuspronounced the law of theGospel when he preached theSermon on the Mount. It wasalso on a hill, outside the city,where Jesus was ‘lifted up fromthe earth’ (John 12:32).

Fr David Reilly, Diocesan Youth Chaplain

MARCH 2015

The season of Lent hassometimes been compared to amountain, and the experiencehas been described as a‘spiritual ascent’. It is like ajourney that takes us not justforwards, but upwards too. Theimage of the mountain, in itsrugged permanence, can seemoverwhelming and, like anyclimb, going up can at times betaxing, steep and precarious.However, the reward ofreaching the summit issatisfying and exciting. In aspiritual sense, through thejourney of Lent, we desire tomove up higher, to get closer tothe presence of God, and, likeMoses, Jesus and the Apostles,experience the voice andpresence of the Father.

Finally, the view from thesummit of the mountain ismuch clearer than what we areable to discern from below.Perhaps each one of us has adesire to perceive our realitymore clearly, to see as God inheaven sees. In Lent, we havethe opportunity, with Christ, tomove up the mountain towardsthe presence of God and theclearer vision of our ownexistence.

DOWYM OnlineGrowth

the best way to overcome thetiredness is just to do some moreyouth ministry.’ Wise wordsindeed! And it’s true. Walkwearily into a parish chock fullof young people and the energyand vibrancy just picks you upand away you go.

As you read this,preparations for Flame 2 atWembley will be almostcomplete. If you’re attending thefestival you’ll see us along withseveral hundred otherWestminster attendees in redshirts amidst over 8,000 Catholicyoung people from acrossEngland and Wales. See youthere and don’t forget to sayhello!

Finally, to find out whatwe’re up to, hit our Facebookwith likes and follow us onTwitter. Why not compose a blogfor our website. Get in touch andtell us your story; we’d love tohear it.

In 2014 the new Youth Ministrywebsite was launched(dowym.com). We started withnews, blogs and eventsinformation, but have sinceadded a new sub-website for ourretreat centre, SPEC, sections onformation topics likeRelationships, Catholicism andSaints, a ‘Daily YouCat’ segmentand a ‘Cardinal’s Corner’ on ourhomepage, featuring quotesfrom Cardinal Vincent.

As our numbers haveincreased on established socialmedia platforms like Facebookand Twitter, we’ve moved to newplatform like Instagram and Vine.We’re also starting to useanalytics to help us betterunderstand our audience andhow to connect better withyoung people.

With passionate hearts andgreat determination, 2015 will bea year in which we continue tomake great strides in how wecommunicate the love of JesusChrist and the Church to youngpeople.

‘A service that requires you to broaden your gaze and open your hearts’Westminster Record | March 2015 A Year in Red

Page 11


In February, the Cardinalattended his second consistoryin Rome where 20 newcardinals were created from allaround the world. For most ofus, a consistory is notsomething we are familiarwith and so I asked whathappens at this great meetingof cardinals.

A Year in Red

There are two types ofconsistory, he explained, both ofwhich took place in February.An extraordinary consistory,which was held on 12 and 13February, discussed particularissues to do with the Church,such as the reorganisation ofthe Roman Curia. This is anopportunity for the cardinals todiscuss and share ideas, and is

a source of perspectives fromall round the world for the HolyFather.

The public consistory tookplace on 14 February, when thenew cardinals each received thered biretta and a scroll bearingthe name of their titular church.The following day, the cardinalsgathered together for the solemncelebration of Mass with theHoly Father in St Peter’sBasilica.

When he was first elevated tothe College, the Cardinal’scomments about the state of thewelfare system and the removalof the safety net for those indesperate need garnered a greatdeal of attention in the nationalpress, so much so that the PrimeMinister publicly rebuffed theCardinal’s statements.

A year on, the Cardinalthinks there are still many issuesthat need to be dealt with,noting particularly that thereform of the welfare system is‘unfolding much more slowlythan it should.’ Among otherissues of concern, he mentionedthe alarming level of people inemployment who were stillliving in poverty.

Looking ahead to the comingyear, there is a great deal forCardinal Vincent to lookforward to as he begins hissecond year in red. There arealways events to attend, photosto be taken and a variety ofprojects to lead in the Diocese,especially the development ofCaritas Westminster which has‘got off to a good start’.

The development ofProclaim ’15 and the renewedemphasis on evangelisationwhich is being led by BishopNicholas is also something to beexcited about. The Cardinalbelieves that this is an importantpart of ‘our response to thePope’s invitation to let themessage of the Gospel beknown’. Nationally, the work ofthe Bakhita Initiative and thefuture meetings of the SantaMarta Group are also a greatsource of optimism. This workwill continue in the Diocese withthe launch of Bakhita Housewhich will open in the nearfuture (see page 15).

When the new group ofcardinals was named last year,Pope Francis told them thatbeing a cardinal ‘requiresbroader horizons and a largerheart’. It is clear that CardinalVincent has taken this very

February 2014: Greeting Pope Emeritus BenedictXVI at the Consistory

much to heart and has allowedit to shape his ministry.

Finally, I asked the Cardinalwhether there was anything hewanted to add about what hehad learnt in his first year as aCardinal. I will leave you withhis striking words of reflection:

‘One of the things aboutbeing a cardinal has reallyemphasised and deepened in

me a real sense ofunworthiness. It’s a greathonour and privilege to be inthis position, but deep down Iknow this has to be the Lord’sdoing. It can’t be my doingbecause I am very flawed and Isometimes feel quitevulnerable, and that’s finebecause that’s part of being adisciple. You have to put

yourself out a bit to placeswhere you are vulnerable. I canonly do this because it is not mychoice, but it is the Lord’schoice, working through theChurch. And therefore, I’ll justsay, I’ll do my best and I’ll do itwith a good heart, trusting inHim and trusting in thestrength and the prayers andthe love of those around me.’

Continued from front page

November 2014: Visiting an orphanage during histrip to war-torn Gaza

November 2014: Greeting Sisters outside of the Cathedral after Mass openingthe Year of Consecrated Life

April 2014: With Pope Francis at the first meetingof the Santa Marta Group in Rome

July 2014: Preaching at the Grotto in Lourdes onthe 25th Diocesan Pilgrimage

October 2014: Greeting parishioners outside Our Lady Help of Christians inKentish Town at the parish’s 150th anniversary Mass

November 2014: Renewing baptism on the banksof the Jordan River on the Holy Land pilgrimage

April 2014: Visiting the Rainbow Centre inFolkestone with Archbishop of Canterbury,Justin Welby

March 2014: Visiting Caritas St Joseph’s Centre inHendon for people with intellectual disabilities

Pope Francis’ letter to new Cardinals, January 2014





‘A service that requires you to broaden your gaze and open your hearts’Westminster Record | March 2015 A Year in Red


Page 10

In February, the Cardinalattended his second consistoryin Rome where 20 newcardinals were created from allaround the world. For most ofus, a consistory is notsomething we are familiarwith and so I asked whathappens at this great meetingof cardinals.

A Year in Red

There are two types ofconsistory, he explained, both ofwhich took place in February.An extraordinary consistory,which was held on 12 and 13February, discussed particularissues to do with the Church,such as the reorganisation ofthe Roman Curia. This is anopportunity for the cardinals todiscuss and share ideas, and is

a source of perspectives fromall round the world for the HolyFather.

The public consistory tookplace on 14 February, when thenew cardinals each received thered biretta and a scroll bearingthe name of their titular church.The following day, the cardinalsgathered together for the solemncelebration of Mass with theHoly Father in St Peter’sBasilica.

When he was first elevated tothe College, the Cardinal’scomments about the state of thewelfare system and the removalof the safety net for those indesperate need garnered a greatdeal of attention in the nationalpress, so much so that the PrimeMinister publicly rebuffed theCardinal’s statements.

A year on, the Cardinalthinks there are still many issuesthat need to be dealt with,noting particularly that thereform of the welfare system is‘unfolding much more slowlythan it should.’ Among otherissues of concern, he mentionedthe alarming level of people inemployment who were stillliving in poverty.

Looking ahead to the comingyear, there is a great deal forCardinal Vincent to lookforward to as he begins hissecond year in red. There arealways events to attend, photosto be taken and a variety ofprojects to lead in the Diocese,especially the development ofCaritas Westminster which has‘got off to a good start’.

The development ofProclaim ’15 and the renewedemphasis on evangelisationwhich is being led by BishopNicholas is also something to beexcited about. The Cardinalbelieves that this is an importantpart of ‘our response to thePope’s invitation to let themessage of the Gospel beknown’. Nationally, the work ofthe Bakhita Initiative and thefuture meetings of the SantaMarta Group are also a greatsource of optimism. This workwill continue in the Diocese withthe launch of Bakhita Housewhich will open in the nearfuture (see page 15).

When the new group ofcardinals was named last year,Pope Francis told them thatbeing a cardinal ‘requiresbroader horizons and a largerheart’. It is clear that CardinalVincent has taken this very

February 2014: Greeting Pope Emeritus BenedictXVI at the Consistory

much to heart and has allowedit to shape his ministry.

Finally, I asked the Cardinalwhether there was anything hewanted to add about what hehad learnt in his first year as aCardinal. I will leave you withhis striking words of reflection:

‘One of the things aboutbeing a cardinal has reallyemphasised and deepened in

me a real sense ofunworthiness. It’s a greathonour and privilege to be inthis position, but deep down Iknow this has to be the Lord’sdoing. It can’t be my doingbecause I am very flawed and Isometimes feel quitevulnerable, and that’s finebecause that’s part of being adisciple. You have to put

yourself out a bit to placeswhere you are vulnerable. I canonly do this because it is not mychoice, but it is the Lord’schoice, working through theChurch. And therefore, I’ll justsay, I’ll do my best and I’ll do itwith a good heart, trusting inHim and trusting in thestrength and the prayers andthe love of those around me.’

Continued from front page

November 2014: Visiting an orphanage during histrip to war-torn Gaza

November 2014: Greeting Sisters outside of the Cathedral after Mass openingthe Year of Consecrated Life

April 2014: With Pope Francis at the first meetingof the Santa Marta Group in Rome

July 2014: Preaching at the Grotto in Lourdes onthe 25th Diocesan Pilgrimage

October 2014: Greeting parishioners outside Our Lady Help of Christians inKentish Town at the parish’s 150th anniversary Mass

November 2014: Renewing baptism on the banksof the Jordan River on the Holy Land pilgrimage

April 2014: Visiting the Rainbow Centre inFolkestone with Archbishop of Canterbury,Justin Welby

March 2014: Visiting Caritas St Joseph’s Centre inHendon for people with intellectual disabilities

Pope Francis’ letter to new Cardinals, January 2014






Vocations

On a chilly Saturday morningon 31 January, 28 studentsgathered at Newman House tobegin a pilgrimage aroundLondon visiting members ofreligious communities in thediocese.

The first stop was a visit tothe Carmelites in Notting Hillwhere we were welcomed by Sr Mary of St Philip who spoketo us about St Teresa of Avila andthe foundation of the Carmelites.The day of a Carmelite is spentpredominantly in silence tomaintain an atmosphere ofprayer and contemplation. Inthis way, the Carmelites seethemselves as an ‘engine room’of prayer which supports theChurch and people throughoutthe world. Our meeting with theCarmelites closed with Mass intheir chapel, celebrated by FrStephen Wang, Senior University

‘We are His choice’, Cardinaltells the Consecrated

Cardinal Vincent was theprincipal celebrant at theSolemn Mass for the World Dayof Celebration for ConsecratedLife at the Cathedral on 2 February, the Feast of thePresentation of the Lord.

Bishops John and Nicholas,along with several priestsrepresenting various religiousorders, concelebrated the Masswith the Cardinal.

Mass was attended byrepresentatives of religiouscongregations and members ofother consecrated orders in theDiocese. Of those in attendance,62 were celebrating 25th, 40th,50th and 60th jubileeanniversaries.

Cardinal Vincent began hishomily by welcoming all,extending a special welcome tothe jubilarians, those newlypresent in the diocese, and SrMartina Teresa who had madeher final profession into thePoor Clare Monastery atArkley the previous day.

He acknowledged that, ‘Atthe heart of our lives lies onekey characteristic: we havechosen to place Jesus, theChrist, at the centre of ourlives, both privately andpublicly. He is our choice. Or rather, as we well knowwith great and enduringthankfulness, we are Hischoice.’

Nun Run

The Cardinal called thosein consecrated life ‘publicsignposts to Christ’. Hereminded them that they too,like Simeon and Anna in theTemple, are called to ‘enablethe world’ to ‘meet Jesus; tolook upon Him in all Hisloving compassion; to knowHe longs for his Father’s willto be fulfilled - for ourhappiness!’

Likening them to Mary andJoseph, he went on to say, ‘Inthe pattern of your professionor consecration, seek topresent Him to our world,bearing Him wherever you go,with joy in your hearts,offering Him to all.'

Chaplain. It was a real privilegeto be able to join the Carmelitesin their daily worship andprayer.

After a short bus ride, thegroup arrived at the Convent ofthe Assumption in Kensingtonwhere we were joined by Fr Paul Fletcher SJ, the chaplainto Heythrop College, and Sr Frances from the Sisters ofNazareth. Fr Paul gave aninspiring talk on his journey ofdiscernment and the challengeshe faced along the way. This

was by no means an easy pathfor him, and even once he haddiscerned a calling to thepriesthood, he was unclearwhether this was as a diocesanpriest or a Jesuit. Sr Francesspoke of her love of nursing,which is the charism of theSisters of Nazareth. Herconvent, Nazareth House, isattached to a nursing homewhich enables Sr Frances tomaintain a structured prayerlife whilst performingimportant work in the nursing

A Poor Clare’s JourneyOn Sunday 1 February, Sr Martina Teresa of Our LadyQueen of Peace made herSolemn Profession at the PoorClare Monastery in Arkley,Barnet. The ceremony tookplace during Mass celebratedby Cardinal Vincent and in thepresence of her community,family and friends. In thefollowing piece, Sr Martinawrites about her journey thatled her to discern a vocation tothe contemplative religiouslife as a Poor Clare:

The inspiration to become aSister came to me verysuddenly when I was goingthrough a short time of innerdarkness. Gradually itdeveloped into a light deepwithin me. I entered thecongregation of the FranciscanSisters of the ImmaculateConception in Scotland on 19March 1991. In September 1993I took simple vows and wastransferred to a parish inDublin, where I remained for

seven years as a parish sister.This was a blessed andprivileged time, sharing in thejoys and sorrows of the peopleand making some wonderfulfriendships. However, duringthis time, I felt a pull to a morecontemplative way of living.

In November 2000, I wastransferred to work in Kenya. Iwas truly blessed to have greatsupport from my family,friends, neighbours and all thefriends I had made in Dublin.Working with the people ofKenya was a blessing and avery humbling experience; but,even so, something was notcompletely at peace within me.

In October 2009 I was askedto help out temporarily in theScots College in Rome, whereour congregation had justopened a new convent. It was atotal change of work, but Iadjusted to it very quickly andenjoyed the new experience.Still there was the feeling of notbeing completely at peace andfulfilled.

I was asked to return toScotland and, by November2010, was working in a PortGlasgow parish. Again, it was ablessed and wonderfulexperience. Yet I still felt ayearning for a different way of life.

In June 2011 circumstancesbrought me to London. Iwanted to celebrate the feast ofSt Francis on 4 October in aFranciscan setting and themonastery of the Poor Clares inArkley was suggested. Here Ireceived a very warm welcomeand it was during this time thatnew life and a new energybegan to grow within me. Iknew I had to come back to thisplace; my life had changed andI had found the peace, joy andfulfilment I had always beenlonging for. I entered the PoorClares on 31 January 2012, and,after a period of discernmentand readjustment, made mySolemn Vows as a Poor Clare on1 February 2015.

home which brings her greatjoy and fulfilment.

The day ended with a visitto Allen Hall seminary wherethe group heard from threeseminarians about theirexperience of discernment andformation for the priesthood.All the people we met hadsuch a strong sense of purposein their lives, but also radiatedjoy and a great love for God inall that they did. It is safe tosay that all came away trulyinspired.



Westminster Record | March 2015 Vocations

The phrase ‘called to serve’ isused so often in the Church inso many aspects of its life, andrightly so. Jesus’ invitation isto serve. It is especiallyapplicable to deacons as theword ‘deacon’ comes from theGreek word ‘diakonos’ – aservant.

The photograph shows theCardinal wearing a dalmatic,the vestment of the deacon,

For more information on vocations please contact Fr Richard Nesbitt [email protected] or 020 7349 5624

If you have a story or an event you would like to have featuredon this page, please contact [email protected] 020 7798 9030

There have been Religiousliving and working in theparish of St Aloysius, SomersTown, for most of its longhistory. The FaithfulCompanions of Jesus were thefirst to arrive in 1830, whentheir foundress, Madamed’Houet, took over the care ofthe parish school. Thus beganthe FCJ’s long association withwhat are now the St AloysiusInfant and Junior Schools andthe Maria Fidelis School. ThePoor Servants of the Mother ofGod have also been longassociated with the parish andcarry out a wide range ofministries, including socialcare, health care, education,pastoral care and spiritualdevelopment. More recentlythey have been joined by theSisters of Mercy who work withvulnerable women through thewomen@thewell, a woman-onlyday centre in Kings Cross

Called to Serve

Guild of St Stephen Mass

Over 1000 altar servers from around the country gathered in theCathedral on 14 February to celebrate the annual Mass for AltarServers organised by the Archconfraternity of St Stephen. TheMass was celebrated by the Rt Rev Alan Williams, the Bishop ofBrentwood, who commended the service and courage of servers.

washing the feet of a Chelseapensioner at the MaundyThursday Mass of the LastSupper. Every priest andbishop is first ordained adeacon and, in that sense, allthe clergy, bishops, priests anddeacons, are especially at theservice of the Church and theworld.

The Second Vatican Councilrestored the permanent

diaconate, the ordination ofmen as deacons who do not goon to the further orders.Whether single or married,they serve in the diocese underobedience to the Cardinal intheir parishes, their deaneriesand in society. Their three-foldministry of serving at the altar,in the spreading of the Wordand in the work of charitableservice finds them in manyaspects of the life of theChurch. Deacons help in theirparishes in presiding atbaptisms, marriages andfunerals, in proclaiming theGospel at Mass and sometimespreaching, and in visitingprisoners and patients inhospitals as chaplains.

There are almost twentydeacons in the diocese andmore in formation. It takes fouryears to be formed as a deacon,combining growth in spirituallife, reaching out to others inservice and theological studies.If you think you would like toknow more about thediaconate, come to one of three‘Come and See’ sessions thatare being arranged over thecoming three months. Menbetween 35 and 60 are invited;their wives are very welcometoo. In each case the sessionstarts at 10am and ends aboutmidday.

Saturday 7 March at St Edward the Confessor, 700 Finchley Rd, London NW11 7NE

Saturday 18 April at EalingAbbey, Charlbury Grove,London W5 2DY

Saturday 16 May at SacredHeart, 1 King Edwards Rd,Ware SG12 7EJ

No prior booking is required;just turn up. For furtherinformation contact DeaconAnthony Clark [email protected]

By Fr Jeremy Trood

dedicated to supporting womenwith a complex range of needs.

Recently Sisters from thethree religious congregationshave spoken at Mass about theirwork and witness and havehosted a pot-luck lunch forparishioners. Other events areplanned for later in the year. ‘It isa wonderful opportunity for usto come together as acommunity and share ourexperiences and our work’, saysSr Gloria FCJ.

In this Year for ConsecratedLife Pope Francis challengedReligious men and women tobe a light so that they may‘wake up the world’ with theirfaith, holiness and hope. For thelast 185 years their witness hasbeen that light and SomersTown has been awake withtheir faith, holiness and hope.That light continues to shinebrightly today.

185 Years of Witnessin Somers Town



Human Trafficking Westminster Record | March 2015

Bakhita House: Helping Trafficked Women RebuildRegular readers of the Recordwill have noticed in the lastyear an increasing number ofstories concerning humantrafficking and the effortsbeing made by the Church ledby the Cardinal and otherorganisations, principallyCaritas Westminster, incombatting what Pope Franciscalled ‘an open wound on theBody of Christ’. Humantrafficking is the second mostprofitable criminal enterpriseand the main commodity ofthis crime is people.

As part of the efforts to helpthose who have suffered at thehands of traffickers, CaritasWestminster has recentlyacquired a property which willbecome a safe house fortrafficking victims to help themrehabilitate, reintegrate andemerge from a dark period oftheir life with hope andopportunities to live and workin society. Named BakhitaHouse after St JosephineBakhita, a former slave whowas freed and devoted the restof her life to God as a nun, itwill open in the comingmonths.

Designed to be the first stepon the road to recovery, thehouse will provide assistance tothe most vulnerable andtraumatised individuals whohave been trafficked,particularly those who havefallen outside of the existingstructures of support. Thesafety and security of the househas been guaranteed by theMetropolitan Police who havebeen working closely withCaritas and the Church as partof the Santa Marta Group, aninternational group of bishopsand police chiefs who work tocombat the scourge oftrafficking. As well as having apan-London role, the house willbe a national resource as it willtake victim referrals from acrossthe UK and will work withother organisations to offer themost effective support.

In addition to providing safeand comfortableaccommodation for guests whohave been trafficked, there willalso be space for an emergencyguest if the Police find someonein desperate need during thenight. Workers at the house willprovide professional andquality support based on theindividual’s needs, andcounselling and skills

development will help gueststowards independent and safeliving after leaving the house.Pastoral and spiritual care willbe given by the local parishpriest and other clergy who areinvolved in the programme.An order of nuns withexperience of working withvictims of trafficking will aidthe clergy but will not pushreligion or faith. The Sisterswill also create a quiet orreflection room for guests to use.

To support the guests oncethey have left the house, legalassistance and access tohealthcare will be given, withthe opportunity forrepatriation to countries oforigin also being offered in theright circumstances. Inpartnership with St Mary’sUniversity, Twickenham,education will be provided forguests to improve theirchances of gaining full-time

employment and furtheringtheir education.

The house itself isbeautifully furnished. It hasmore than enough space, bothpersonal and communal, withliving rooms, kitchens, diningroom and a large gardenoffering space for handiworkand a tranquil retreat. A victimof trafficking was taken to lookaround a few months ago anddescribed it as an ideal space torehabilitate.

Bakhita House is a practicalsign of the Church’scommitment to supportingthose who are victims of humantrafficking in a compassionateway. Great sensitivity has beenused in arranging the care andsupport for guests, and makingit a safe and welcomingenvironment where people cantake steps to move forwardwith their lives.

Remembering St Josephine BakhitaOn 9 February, Year 8 students at Cardinal Pole CatholicSecondary School, Hackney, gathered to celebrate Mass inhonour of St Josephine Bakhita, Patron Saint of their year. Herfeast day is celebrated on 8 February, and this year was markedfor the first time by the ‘International Day of Prayer andAwareness against Human Trafficking’.

Mass was celebrated by Fr Benedict Fadoju, the school’schaplain, who spoke about human trafficking as a ‘crime againstGod and humanity’ and how we can learn from the life of StJosephine Bakhita in his homily. Human trafficking was the themefor the week at Cardinal Pole School and was discussed in PSHEperiod throughout all years. Presentations and reflections onhuman trafficking were also circulated in the school newspaper toraise awareness about this growing issue.




Lent 2015: Life after the Storm

CAFOD’s Fast Day appeals areat the heart of the charity’s longterm development work and itis these donations which enablethem to make a tremendousdifference to the world’spoorest communities.

This year, CAFOD’s Lentcampaign follows the story ofKyin Nu who lives in a villagecalled Hpan Kone in Myanmar(formally Burma). In 2008

Cyclone Nargis, the strongestcyclone ever to hit Myanmar,struck, killing over 150,000people and affectingapproximately 2.4 millionpeople, with the poorest peoplesuffering most. Kyin lost all butone of her children and was lefthomeless with no way tosupport herself.

Working with their partnerCaritas Myanmar CAFOD

SVP ResourceSocial Action

The St Vincent de PaulSociety (SVP) has released‘Changing Lives’, animportant book of true storiesshowing how their volunteershave made a difference tovulnerable people andfamilies.

Assembled over two yearsusing stories from some of theSVP’s 10,000 members, thebook contains over 100 casestudies demonstrating howthe charity has broughtpractical and emotionalassistance to people in variouscircumstances of need. The case studies cover thespectrum of poverty anddisadvantage and arestructured within themes ofisolation, deprivation, foodpoverty, crime, asylum,homelessness and addiction,amongst others.

Changing Lives is availablefor a suggested donation of £5plus postage and packaging.All proceeds will go towardsthe valuable charitable workof the SVP, helping alleviatethe suffering of people inneed. For information, seewww.svp.org.uk

helped her community planttrees, provided animals andemployed people to rebuild roadsand protective embankments.

Kyin explained: ‘CaritasMyanmar provided not only foodbut a way to make a living so wecan take care of ourselves.’

The UK government hasagreed to match donations to thisyear’s Lent appeal up to £5million between Ash Wednesday(18 February) and Sunday 17 May. Donations made throughdirect debit will be matched forthe first three months. Thoseplanning a sponsored event areasked to set up a JustGiving pageto ensure that all the moneyraised is eligible for MatchFunding. To learn more aboutCAFOD’s Lent campaign visitcafod.org.uk/lent

Climate changeClimate change is the biggest

threat to reducing poverty thatexists today. The One Climate, OneWorld campaign is calling onparty leaders to secure anambitious global deal to cutcarbon emissions and to move

towards sustainable energy foreveryone.

CAFOD invites everyone toask elected officials to maketackling climate change anurgent priority before and afterthe general election byorganising a card signing in theirparish, or by emailing partyleaders. For more ideas visitcafod.org.uk/climate

Dates for your diaryLent Day of Reflection: 28 March. A day of prayer andreflection with a community ofCAFOD volunteers will be heldat the Cockfosters Centre forSpirituality. For moreinformation: 0208 449 6970 [email protected]. Brighton Marathon: 12 April.Contact Rachel in thefundraising team([email protected]) for moreinformation. Pedal Against Poverty: 7 June.Join us for our annual sponsoredcycle ride through Lee ValleyCountry Park. For moreinformation: 0208 449 6970 [email protected].

©Ben

Whit

e/CAF

OD



Westminster Record | March 2015Marriage & Family LifeBishop John Disappointed by Three Parent Babies Vote

On 3 February, MPs voted toamend the HumanFertilisation and EmbryologyAct 2008 to allow the creationof human embryos using theDNA of three people. TheCatholic Church and theChurch of England hadpreviously voiced theirconcerns over the safety andethics of the proposals andMPs had been lobbied toargue against the amendmentto the Act.

Following the vote in theCommons which passed by

An assembly ofthe PontificalCouncil for theFamily (PCF),with some 80movements and

associations, met in Rome from22 to 24 January. Kerry Urdzik,representing the NationalAssociation of CatholicFamilies, attended the meetingwhich was led by the head ofthe PCF, Archbishop VincenzoPaglia. ‘The family is the firstsubject of the newevangelisation’, he said. ‘Whomight be able to communicatethe gospel of the family betterthan families themselves?’

Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri,Secretary General of the Synod ofBishops, encouraged participantsto reflect on the report issued bythe Extraordinary Synod lastyear. Citing marriage as the mostpowerful antidote toindividualism, he said that thefundamental elements offaithfulness, indissolubility andopenness to life must be restatedwhile at the same timeaccompanying wounded familieswith love and patience.

Delegates were invited todiscuss the issues in groups; theirinput was consolidated into asingle report to be submitted tothe synod. Kerry explained, ‘Itwas generally agreed that thebeauty of marriage and familymust be reaffirmed, with

382 to 128, Bishop JohnSherrington, speaking onbehalf of the Bishops’Conference Department forChristian Responsibility andCitizenship, issued thefollowing statement:

Despite the genuine andconsiderable concerns of manypeople, the decision ofParliament is clear on thisissue. Whilst the Churchrecognises the suffering thatmitochondrial diseases bringand hopes that alternativemethods of treatment can be

found, it remains opposed onprinciple to these procedureswhere the destruction ofhuman embryos is part of theprocess. This is about a humanlife with potential, arisingfrom a father and a mother,being used as disposablematerial. The human embryois a new human life withpotential; it should berespected and protected fromthe moment of conception andnot used as disposablematerial.

Events at Ealing Abbey2-5 April: A Monastic Experience of Holy Week for Young MenIf you would like to know about monastic vocation, or to stay atthe monastery with a view to discerning your vocation, pleasecontact Abbot Martin Shipperlee by calling: 020 8862 2010 oremailing: [email protected]

20-27 April: Forgiveness Project Exhibition in Ealing Abbey Church6 May: Fr Luigi Gioia OSB will give a presentation on ‘The Rule ofSt Benedict's Contribution to Management’ at 5pm and 8pm inEaling Abbey Church.

confidence and conviction.Marriage preparation should bethorough; children must bewelcomed as a gift; and familiesmust be supported in their roleas the primary educators of theirchildren.’

The ten-point draft reportrecognised that we are in themidst of an unprecedentedanthropological crisis. For thefirst time in history, God,marriage and the family arebeing deconstructed, withdramatic consequences.

Among the findings, thereport said that marriage mustbe tended daily with scripturereading and the Eucharist since‘without the Mass we canunderstand nothing about God.’Marriage should reflect thebeauty of love between a manand a woman and be open to life.

The link between the familyas the domestic church and theChristian community washighlighted, and bettercommunication between thefamily and the priesthoodencouraged, since each is betterunderstood in the light of theother.

The report also recognisedthe witness of divorced personswho have not remarried to theindissolubility of marriage, andemphasised the need to improvepastoral care of the familygenerally.

The Gift of Marriage



News in BriefWestminster Record | March 2015

Bishop John Sherrington celebrated Mass at the Church of St Richard of Chichester, Buntingford, on 25 January to mark theparish’s centenary. The Mass was concelebrated by parish priestFr John White.

Fr Peter Harris presented theGold Medal (50 Years) of theArchconfratenity of St Stephento Mike Mason (centre) andChristopher Deane-Bowers(right) on 11 January at Bishop’sStortford parish.

Cardinal Vincent hosted Barry and Margaret Mizen at Archbishop’sHouse in February. They continue to build a legacy of peace in thename of their son Jimmy, who was murdered in 2008.

Cardinal Vincent hosted SadhuSatyavrat Swami, the head ofUK and European BuddhistTemples, in Archbishop’sHouse on 29 January. Theydiscussed inter-faith dialoguein the UK and exchanged gifts.

The Mass in honour of OurLady of Lourdes took place atthe Cathedral on 7 February, theDay of Prayer for the Sick.Cardinal Vincent was theprincipal celebrant and wasjoined by Auxiliary BishopsJohn and Nicholas, as well asthe Bishop of the Forces, the RtRev Richard Moth. Priests whoconcelebrated the Massincluded Fr Dennis Touw,Director of the LourdesPilgrimage, Fr David Reilly,Youth Chaplain, Fr RichardNesbitt, Vocations Director andFr Giles Pinnock representingHospital Chaplains. Theprocession was led by thestatue of Our Lady of Lourdes,carried by the Red Caps whoalso processed in with bannersand torches.

Usually heard at theDismissal, the Mass had as itstheme this year the phrase, ‘Goin peace glorifying the Lord byyour life’. Reflecting on thesewords, Cardinal Vincentexplained in his introduction:‘There is a wonderfulexchange: when we give ofourselves in loving service toour sick brothers and sisters,recognising in them the beautyof Christ, we receive fromthem, from Christ present intheir suffering, the gift ofbecoming more like Christourselves! Our sick brothersand sisters are not, then, aburden to be avoided, rather avaluable gift to be welcomed.The Sacrament of Anointing ofthe Sick was given by thecelebrants during the Mass.

The Lourdes Pilgrimage Executive Committee travelled to theshrine in February to present a digital badge making machine tothe Director of the Lourdes Medical Bureau, Dr Alessandro diFranciscis. The machine cost £2,000 and was paid for bysubscription by members of the Committee. It will enable theproduction of ID badges for medical professionals in Lourdes andis linked to a registration database to provide monitoring againstfraudulent representation of medical qualifications.

Bishop Nicholas attended aconference from 27 to 29 Januaryin Rome on evangelisationhosted by the Pontifical Councilfor the Promotion of the NewEvangelisation. BishopNicholas was representing theBishops’ ConferenceDepartment for Evangelisationand Catechesis.

The Caritas Deaf Service led aretreat to Canterbury from 11 to13 February under the theme‘Preparing for Lent with St Augustine of Canterbury’. The retreat was attended by 10 members of the DeafCommunity and included a tourof Canterbury Cathedral andtalks on St Augustine, St Thomasà Becket, and Oscar Romero.



Saints & Obituaries Westminster Record | March 2015

St David: 1 MarchThe Catholic Church is farmore diverse than the worldwould have us believe. It is aChurch of exotic rites and uses,of a multitude of cultures andlanguages, and manifold waysof life.

David the Briton – theancient Britons, now commonlycalled ‘the Welsh’, that is –belonged to an expression ofthe Church that was both‘British’ (or ‘Celtic’) and‘Roman’. It predatedAugustine’s mission to thepagan Saxons, and had formedorganically as an evangelisedfruit of a British soil that hadbeen fertilised by Romanculture. Little wonder hisbiographer, Rhigyfarch,suggests he should be known asthe patron saint of the ‘Britons’.

David, also called ‘theWaterman’ (no strong liquor forhim!), sprang from the culturalwells of his own people toreinvigorate an ancient, localChurch. This Church had beenpersecuted by pagan invadersand had given in to thetemptations of old age. Leaderswere corrupt, and the peopleweren’t much better. So youngmen and women attached topenance and burning with azeal for orthodoxy, decided toinitiate a ‘new evangelisation’ –leading by example. David wasone of these youthfulenthusiasts: dedicating his lifeto living the Gospel among apeople grown tired of it.

The patron saint of theBritons also spearheaded acrusade of grace. Many in theBritish Church had given in to aheresy called Pelegianism,believing that they could earntheir way to heaven by sheer willpower. But the Church believesin ‘grace’ which provides andsustains our faith and deeds.This orthodoxy of grace wasDavid’s gospel. During twoimportant Synods, both heldwell before St Augustine set footon these shores, David restored awholesome creed to the BritishChurch, preaching, like PopeFrancis in our own day, thecheerfulness of grace.

St David was also a founder.He established monasteries:places of toil, sweat and prayer.Communities of believers undera common rule of love, workingand praying together, but not in

the refined manner of latermonks – these were no warm-soled brothers. Britishmonasticism was spontaneousand, although physically harshand cold, never rigid. Like thenew ecclesial movements in ourown day, David’s communitieswere flexible places thatwelcomed laypeople to comeand seek salvation by doing ‘thelittle things’: work, rest and play.

The Sunday before his death,St David celebrated Mass. Hispeople knew he was dying. Theycame to hear their prophet. Hetold them to ‘be cheerful, keepthe faith and creed, and do thelittle things that you saw me do.’Looking at his life, these wordsmay be paraphrased: ‘Be peopleof grace, never grow tired of theGospel, seek your salvation bydoing your daily tasks well, andif you want to preach, lead byexample.’ St David of the Britons, gweddiadrosom ni.

In Memoriam: March6 Mgr Frederick Row (1974)

Mgr Canon Clement Parsons(1980)Fr Geoffrey Webb (2014)

7 Fr Henry Dodd (1992)Fr Harold Riley (2003)

8 Fr Thomas Nobbs (1977)9 Fr Paul Lenihan (1992)13 Fr Patrick English (1971)14 Bishop David Cashman (1971)

Canon Jeremiah Galvin (1973)Fr Reginald Watt (1975)

15 Bishop George Craven (1967)Fr Walter Donovan (1981)

17 Cardinal Arthur Hinsley (1943)Fr Michael Buckley (1993)Fr Lionel Keane (1997)Fr Charles Connor (2005)

20 Canon Desmond Swan (1995)Fr Edward Bushey (1996)

21 Fr James de Felice (1978)22 Fr Edward Higgs (1988)23 Fr Peter Day (2006)24 Fr John Gill (1985)

Fr Pat Heekin (2006)25 Mgr Richard Kenefeck (1982)27 Fr Cormac Rigby (2007)

Fr James Brand (2013)30 Fr William Hutchinson (1984)

Mosaic of St David in Westminster Cathedral

Faith Matters Lent 2015

The Faith Matters lecture seriesrecommences in Lent and is ajoint project of the Agency forEvangelisation with theDominican Priory in HaverstockHill. The talks are as follows:

3rd March - Fr John Farrell OPon ‘The Church and theChristian Life.’10th March - Fr Aidan NicholsOP on ‘How to write theology.’17th March - Fr TimothyRadcliffe OP on ‘Tolerant andFree despite being Catholic?’

The talks will be held atVaughan House, 46 FrancisStreet, SW1P 1QN beginning at7.00pm and ending around8.30pm after Q&A. Booking isrequired as places are limitedand turn out to see thesespeakers is expected to be high.Register at rcdow.org.uk/events,email [email protected] call 020 7931 6078 to leaveyour details. The suggesteddonation is £3 per talk.

By Dylan Parry


Free Catholic Tours. ‘Saintsand Scholars’ walk firstSunday of the month,including Mass. Contact Peteron 07913 904997 [email protected]

St Francis of Assisi CatholicRamblers’ Club meets onevery Sunday for walksaround London and the HomeCounties. Contact by email:[email protected], call 020 8769 3643 orcheck out the website:www.stfrancisramblers.ukwalkers.com



SUNDAYSTaizé at St James, Piccadilly W1J9LL every third Sunday 5pm.Call 020 7503 5128 for details. Tyburn Benedictines MonasticafternoonEvery first Sunday 2-5pmMartyrs’ Crypt, TyburnConvent, 8 Hyde Park Place W2 2LJ. Westminster Cathedral YoungAdults meet socially after the7pm Mass on Sundays and thenat the nearby Windsor Castlepub. For further details pleasecontact:[email protected]’ Prayers at St Dominic’s Priory, HaverstockHill NW5 4LB Mondays 2.30-3.30pm in the Lourdes Chapel.All are welcome.TUESDAYSAdoration of the BlessedSacrament Tuesdays 6-9pmconcluding with Benediction atNewman House, 111 GowerStreet WC1E 6AR. Details 0207387 6370.Prayers for London at theShrine of Our Lady ofWillesden Tuesdays 7.30pm.Organised by the Guild of OurLady of Willesden, Nicoll Road NW10 9AX.Vocations Prayer GroupSecond Tuesday of the month8pm at 47C Gaisford Street NW52EB.Taizé at St. James’, SpanishPlace, W1U 3UY. Every 1stTuesday of the month. Email:[email protected] or justcome along. WEDNESDAYSWednesdays on the Wall(WOTW) Every first Wednesday

REGULAR EVENTSIf you have an event, please email:[email protected]

Westminster Record | March 2015 Events & Calendar

Prayer Groups

Print subscription (six issues) Price: £21.00 includes P&P. Single issue price £3.50 + £1 P&P.

Catholic Life is available from the first Sunday bi-monthly. The magazine is designed to be read by Catholics of all ages who want to immerse themselves into the history and present culture of their religion. A4 - 64 pages.

The February/March 2015 edition is now on sale in your parish church or telephone 0161 214 1215 to order your copy. You can also order back issues at discounted prices.

@Catholic_LifeUK

The digital edition has an exclusive early release and aspecial online price, so why not subscribe today?www.exacteditions.com/read/catholiclifeOne year subsciption (6 issues) £11.99 or searchfor Catholic Life on iTunes,single issue £1.99. Available to read: • Online • iPad • iPhone •Android • Tablet • Smartphone

Praying with Pope Francis - March 2015Universal Intention: Scientists - That those involved in scientificresearch may serve the well-being of the whole human person.For Evangelisation: Contribution of women - That the uniquecontribution of women to the life of the Church may berecognised always.

6pm at All Hallows on the Wall, 83 London Wall EC2M 5ND. A short service of prayer andreflection at 6pm, coffee at6.45pm followed by discussion.Corpus Christi ContemplativePrayer Group for Young AdultsWednesdays from 7pm atCorpus Christi, Maiden LaneWC2E 7NB. For further detailsplease [email protected] Prayer Groupfor young adults meets from7pm on Wednesdays at NotreDame de France, 5 LeicesterPlace WC2H 7BX. For furtherdetails please contact Armel [email protected] Christ the Fullness of LifeEvery first Thursday of themonth. Young adults from allChristian denominations prayand share a meal. Detailswww.jcfl.org.uk.Soul Food A Catholiccharismatic prayer group foryoung adults meets Thursdays7-9pm at St Charles Borromeo,Ogle Street W1W 6HS. Details atwww.soulfoodgroup.org.St John Paul II Prayer GroupEvery second Thursday of themonth 7-8pm, Mass, Adorationand Prayer at Corpus Christi,Maiden Lane WC2E 7NB.FRIDAYSAssociation of Divorced and Separated CatholicsEvery third Friday of the month. All divorced and separatedCatholics are welcome. CallFrank or Christine 020 8422 1591.Divine Mercy Prayers and MassEvery first Friday 2.30-4.30pm atOur Lady, Mother of the Church,2 Windsor Road W5 5PD. Westminster CathedralCharismatic Prayer GroupEvery Friday 7.30pm Prayer,Praise and Teaching. First Fridayis a healing Mass. Details: 0208748 2632.SATURDAYSTaizé at Notre Dame de France5 Leicester Place WC2H 7BX at7.15pm. Call 020 7437 9363

Liturgical Calendar - March1 Sun + 2nd SUNDAY OF LENT; Candidates for the Sacraments;

Collect Lent Fast Day Offerings for CAFOD2 Mon Lent feria3 Tue Lent feria4 Wed Lent feria (St Casimir)5 Thu Lent feria6 Fri Lent feria; Women’s World Day of Prayer; Friday abstinence7 Sat Lent feria (Sts Perpetua and Felicity, Martyrs)8 Sun + 3rd SUNDAY OF LENT; Candidates for the Sacraments9 Mon Lent feria, (St Agnes of Rome, Religious)10 Tue Lent feria11 Wed Lent feria12 Thu Lent feria13 Fri Lent feria; Anniversary of the election of Pope Francis

(2013); Friday abstinence14 Sat Lent feria15 Sun + 4th SUNDAY OF LENT (Laetare Sunday); Candidates for

the Sacraments16 Mon Lent feria

17 Tue ST PATRICK, Bishop, Patron of Ireland18 Wed Lent feria, (St Cyril of Jerusalem, Bishop & Doctor)19 Thu ST JOSEPH, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Patron of

the Diocese20 Fri Lent feria; Friday abstinence21 Sat Lent feria22 Sun + 5th SUNDAY OF LENT; Candidates for the Sacraments23 Mon Lent feria, (St Turibius of Mogrovejo, Bishop)24 Tue Lent feria25 Wed THE ANNUNCIATION OF THE LORD26 Thu Lent feria27 Fri Lent feria; Friday abstinence28 Sat Lent feria29 Sun + PALM SUNDAY OF THE PASSION OF THE LORD;

Candidates for the Sacraments, Announce Good Friday, Dayof Fast & Abstinence; Announce Good Friday collection

30 Mon MONDAY OF HOLY WEEK31 Tue TUESDAY OF HOLY WEEK; Chrism Mass in the Cathedral

Other regular MassesDeaf Community Mass First Sunday of the month 4.30pm at Westminster CathedralHall, Ambrosden Avenue SW1P 1QW.Young Adults MassHeld every Sunday at Church ofthe Immaculate Conception, 114Mount Street W1K 3AH. Quietprayer 7.15pm, Mass 7.30pm.Social gathering afterwards.Contact: [email protected] or visitwww.fsplus.info.Mass at Canary Wharf Held on Tuesdays at 12.30pm at 2 Churchill Place E14 5RB.Organised by Mgr VladimirFelzmann, Chaplain to CanaryWharf Communities. Detailswww.cwcc.org.uk.St Albans AbbeyFridays at 12 noon. Mass in theLady Chapel of St Albans AbbeyAL1 1BY.LGBT Catholics WestminsterMass 2nd & 4th Sundays 6.15pm,Church of the ImmaculateConception, 114 Mount Street,W1K 3AH. Contact:[email protected]

EXTRAORDINARY FORMMASSESSundays: 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 OurLady of Willesden, NW10 9AX.Mondays: Low Mass 8am The Oratory, Brompton Road SW7 2RP Mass 6.30pm CorpusChristi, Maiden Lane, WC2E 7NB. Tuesdays, Wednesdays andThursdays: Low Mass, 8am The Oratory, Brompton Road SW7 2RP. Fridays: Low Mass 7.45am St Mary Moorfields, 4/5 EldonStreet EC2N 7LS. Low Mass 8am The Oratory,Brompton Road SW7 2RP.Low Mass 6pm St Etheldreda, Ely Place EC1N 6RY. First Friday. Low Mass 6pm St John the BaptistChurch, King Edward's Road E9 7SF. First Friday only.Low Mass 6.30pm Corpus Christi,Maiden Lane WC2E 7NB. SecondFriday only. Saturdays: Low Mass 12.15pm, St Wilfrid’s Chapel, The Oratory, Brompton Road SW7 2RP.Low Mass 4.30pm, Side Chapel,Westminster Cathedral SW1P 1QW. Second Saturday only.

A Day for the Lord - St Patrick’s Church, Soho, will be hosting 24-hour Vigils of Eucharistic Adoration throughout the year withpriests available for confessions all night. The next one will takeplace from 12noon Friday 20 to 12noon Saturday 21 March. All are invited to take time to pray before the Lord.



Lent Reflection

in our hearts, our minds andour feet. And so, whether wego to the Holy Land or simplyimagine it, we remember thatwe are a pilgrim people,following the living Lord whowalks beside us on our journeythrough life.

Published by The Diocese of Westminster, Archbishop’s House, Ambrosden Avenue, London SW1P 1QJ.Printed by Trinity Mirror, Hollinwood Avenue, Chadderton, Oldham OL9 8EP. All rights reserved.


The Gospel readings in Lenttake us on a journey. Theytrace the footsteps of Jesus asHe moves from Galilee toJerusalem; from the 40 days inthe Judean desert to theMoment at Tabor; from thebeautiful view on the Mountof Olives to the ugly scenes atCalvary. And we hear whatthat journey was like. It wasn’tin a straight line: there werewinding paths and detours,there were dangers andstruggles, with the heat of theday and the cold in the desertnight, temptations to give inand go back, as well asconsolations and confirmationthat He was on the right trackand heading in the rightdirection.

And Jesus didn’t make thatjourney on His own. We hearhow we was accompanied byHis friends, men and womenwho had encountered in himthe Living God who wouldbring salvation to the wholeworld. Together they walkedalong the Jordan Valley;together they gatheredaround Him at Jacob’s well inSamaria, at the Pools ofSiloam and at the Wake atBethany; together theytravelled the road followingthe Master, seeing what Hesaw, eating what He ate,sleeping where He lay andcrying when He wept. Thecompanions kept goingbecause He kept going. Butfor some the journey was toomuch; the final destinationwasn’t where they thought itwould be and they fell at thefinal bend: one denied Him,the other betrayed Him with a kiss.

The journey of Jesus waslike a pilgrimage. It was asacred journey which withevery step brought Jesus andHis companions ever closer tothe Glory of God which burstopen from the tomb on Eastermorning. It wasn’t apilgrimage to a holy place likea church or a temple, becauseJesus himself was the Temple,His companions were theChurch.

In the Footsteps of the Lord

Jesus’ Lenten journeyacross the mountains and thevalleys of His homeland madethe land holy and even todaythe stones of the earth and theliving stones of believers cryout in praise of God.

Every Lent, we make apilgrimage of 40 days and 40nights following the footstepsof the Lord. We join Him onthe journey through prayer,fasting and almsgiving, neveralone but always in thecommunity of our parish anddiocese, so that even today wecan encounter Him whojourneys with us. Lent is atime when, in prayer and ourreading of the Scriptures, wecan imagine ourselves on thatroad from Galilee to Jerusalem:figuring out our mission inlife, discerning God’s will forus, taking our place in theband of disciples we call theChurch. It is a time when wecan refresh our faith that Jesusis with us on our journey oflife and our journey of faithwhere there will be ups anddowns, winding roads anddead ends, angels anddemons, friends and foes,doubts and certainties. Jesus iswith us. The journey of Lentoffers us the chance to uniteour sufferings and the pain ofthe whole world with thesuffering and Passion ofChrist, certain that beyond the

Cross lies the empty tomb,beyond Jerusalem is Emmauswhere they recognised Him atthe breaking of the bread.

Every year we can makethis journey with the Lord inprayerful imagination andScriptural reflection. Andevery year we can make thejourney in person, by joiningour fellow pilgrims on thediocesan pilgrimage to theHoly Land where the Gospelsof Lent come alive for us andthe Easter message takes root

By Fr Paul McDermott

Fr Paul reads the Gospel in the desert on the 2014 Holy Land pilgrimage

Cardinal Vincent with Ashes

Fr Paul McDermott is theDirector of the DiocesanPilgrimage to the Holy Land.For more information on theHoly Land, seercdow.org.uk/diocese/pilgrimages



westminster record march 2015

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