westminster record - august 2015

WestminsterRecord August 2015 | 20p

CelebratingYoung PeopleAwards

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A First for St Mary’s,Twickenham

Chaplaincy onthe High Seas

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Have you ever stood in anairfield or on a beach andseen so many people aroundthat they seem to merge intothe horizon?

Have you ever been in acelebratory crowd of over amillion people?

Did you know that over amillion people gather everythree years in a different partof the world, bringing their

different languages, cultures,cuisines and flags but allunited by one simple constant:their faith in Jesus Christ?

In a secular world in whichthere is an assumption thatyoung people are turning theirbacks on religion, this carnivalof young Catholics, thesemillions of people, is whatWorld Youth Day offers.

As we enter the summer

Countdown to Krakow

months, our countdown toKrakow and World Youth Day2016 has begun. As we headtowards the Year of Mercy, it isappropriate that World YouthDay will be spent in the citywhich the great Pope andfounder of World Youth Day, St John Paul II, once called hishome. St John Paul preachedand wrote about mercythroughout his papacy and his

successor, Pope Francis, hasechoed this during the firsttwo years of his. Krakow istaking the theme: ‘Blessed arethe merciful’.

This edition of the Recordhas been guest edited by ourfriends at the Youth Ministry.In it they present testimoniesfrom pilgrims at previousWorld Youth Days, the excitingprogramme for 2016 and the

history of this great gathering.They invite the youth of the

Diocese to join them in Krakownext summer. And if you are aparent or grandparent, aunt oruncle, cousin or friend, we wantyou to tell a young personabout World Youth Day, so thatthey too can one day say: ‘I wasthere. I saw people stretching toand beyond the horizon’.

More on pages 12 -15

© Monika Rybczynska

Editorial Westminster Record | August 2015

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which will provide anunforgettable experience forWestminster participants. Doencourage young people tothink about embracing in thisexciting opportunity.

The Polish community inour Diocese is one of our mostvibrant and visible elements,and its deep-rooted faith andverve for celebration haveenlivened many a diocesanevent. We report from theChurch of Our Lady ofCzęstochowa and St Casimir,and we feature a saint dear tothe Polish community, St Maximilian Kolbe.

Our Diocese has indeedmany reasons to follow PopeFrancis’ advice to proclaim ourhappiness. At the priestlyordination of five men (itself acause for celebration) on 27 June, Cardinal Vincent spokeof the joy of priesthood andquoted a young priest who was‘overwhelmed at the deep loveand respect that our peoplehave for us priests.’ Somethingof the joy our faith affords mustcharacterise our lives asCatholics: as the Pope says, wecan never evangelise effectivelywith long faces!

Pope Francis, true to his ownpersonality, has called uponyoung people to ‘have thecourage to be happy’, notmerely in a short-lived senseof ‘enjoying the moment’, butrecognising that only Christcan fulfil their deepestyearning for happiness. Youngpeople must take the lead inrediscovering the true natureof love, which for the Popemeans being revolutionaries,challenging the culture ofcheap gratification, self-indulgence, and irresponsiblepleasure seeking.

This sets a joyful andchallenging tone for the nextyear’s World Youth Day inPoland, and members of ourWestminster Youth Ministryteam are already hard at workwith preparations, bothpractical and spiritual. Thismonth’s Record highlights thesuperb fortnight of events theyhave organised in the lovelycities of Łódź and Krakow,

Remembering the victims ofthe 7/7 bombings in London in2005 when 52 people died,Bishop Nicholas celebrated aRequiem Mass on 8 July inWestminster Cathedral.

Reflecting on his ownexperience on the day of thebombings, Bishop Nicholas

Bishop Nicholas Marks 7/7 Bombings

‘The Courage to Be Happy’

For more news fromaround the diocesethroughout themonth, please see

www.rcdow.org.uk

recalled being in Rome withCardinal Cormac where theyheard the news and theCardinal’s immediate decisionto return to London. He alsorecalled a prayer that he heardin the days following theattacks which asked God to‘stand beside these

victims…their children andloved ones and to comfort themin this darkest hour’.

Bishop Nicholasacknowledged all those affectedby the event, noting ‘thecourage of those who went tohold the dying and injured’,those who lost relatives andfriends and those who ‘weretraumatised through theirinvolvement that day’. Hementioned being ‘deeplytouched’ by the story of acommuter who held a dyingman in his arms and thankedGod he could be there tocomfort him as he died,believing that ‘no one shoulddie alone’.

Expressing how touched hewas by the man’s sense that‘God used him to help that day,he recalled St Teresa of Avila’swords: ‘Christ has no body nowon earth but yours’ forcontinuing His saving work.

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Westminster Record | August 2015 News

‘Let everything we do flowthrough Christ’, CardinalVincent told the assembledmedia at a press conferenceheld prior to the NationalEvangelisation Conference inBirmingham’s RepertoryTheatre on 11 July, as part ofProclaim ‘15.

The Cardinal said that theProclaim initiative should be‘rooted in our relationship withChrist’ and should ‘flow fromthe desire to share the gifts weare given’. Bishop Nicholasadded that Proclaim ‘15 is a‘national response to the Pope’scall to be creative and bold inour evangelisation’ and a way to‘develop this in the light ofEvangelii Gaudium’.

850 delegates attended theConference, representing eachdiocese in England and Wales.The Cardinal called this an‘historic meeting’ after two yearsof preparation, with the aim ofbuilding missionary parishesacross the country. Four keynotespeakers led the Conference and17 practitioners led 11workshops, each of whichlooked at fresh methods ofevangelisation, focusing on thequestion of how to evangelisedifferent groups of people invarying situations and howparishes might approach thisnew initiative.

Rooting his words in theLord's call to 'go out and makedisciples of all nations', CardinalVincent pointed out in hiskeynote address that the 'planfor the entire Second VaticanCouncil rested on the question

of how well the Church ismeasuring up to the call', sinceeach person, by virtue of theirbaptism, is called to bemissionary.

He explained that we canonly do this by entering into 'theheart of God, the very mysteryof the Holy Trinity’. It is withinthe 'Divine communio: thesharing within the mystery ofHis divine life, love, truth,goodness and beauty' that ourmission arises.

He proposed that we look at'three Cs':

'Our colleagues who have

Proclaim Conference Calls Delegates to Renewed Mission

© Mazur/catholicnews.org.uk

IOM Memorandum Builds on Church’s Trafficking WorkCardinal Vincent andAmbassador William Swing,Director of the InternationalOrganisation for Migration(IOM), have committedthemselves to strengtheningtheir joint work in preventinghuman slavery.

The Catholic Bishops’Conference of England andWales and the IOM begancollaborating four years agoand the Memorandum ofUnderstanding signed on 30June develops that partnershipby enhancing the project ontraining and raising awareness.

This programme, delivered by acombined CBCEW-IOM team,works with a wide range ofgroups and has already trainedseveral hundred people toidentify the signs of humantrafficking and advise on howto assist victims. Thatprogramme will now beexpanded significantly.

The IOM is an inter-governmental body founded in1951. It now has 157 memberstates and works 'to promotehumane responses to thegrowing migration challengesof today.’

lost their way… our fellowCatholics who are resting. Canwe lead them, step by step, toknow Jesus more clearly?

‘The curious: curiosity, evenif tinged with hostility, can be amarvellous opportunity if weare open ourselves andremember that within thatcuriosity may well lie theprompting of the Holy Spirit.

‘The cry of the human heart:a cry of confusion, pain, hunger,loneliness, need and anger.Whatever action we take inresponse to the cry of the worldaround us must bring together

the cry of prayer and the cry ofpain. Only then can it be themission of Jesus.'

A legacy document will bereleased for every parish inEngland and Wales on HomeMission Sunday, 20 September,containing all of the videos andkey speeches from theConference. A report with 60-100tips on how to evangelise willalso be made available. This willbe an ‘irresistible resource for allparishes to help them follow theProclaim ‘15 initiative’, BishopNicholas said.

By Daniel Stevens & Armelle Lee





Westminster Record September 2011News Westminster Record | August 2015

©Mazur/catholicnews.org.uk

Cardinal Marks 600 Years of Bridgettine Witness

Cardinal Calls forUrgent Action AgainstAssisted Suicide BillOn Friday 11 September the House of Commons will bedebating and voting on a Private Member’s Bill to legaliseassisted suicide. It would ‘enable competent adults who areterminally ill to choose to be provided with medicallysupervised assistance to end their own life’. This means it wouldlicence doctors to supply lethal drugs to terminally ill patients toenable them to commit suicide.

As a matter of urgency, Cardinal Vincent and the bishops of England and Wales are asking Catholics to write to their MP to oppose this dangerous bill.

Archbishop Peter Smith, chair of the Department of ChristianResponsibility and Citizenship, released the following statementon 7 July:

Very many people of all faiths and none will be concerned about a Bill tolegalise assisted suicide in England and Wales which will be debated inthe House of Commons on 11 September. This Private Members Bill,introduced by Rob Marris MP, will have a free vote and it is importantthat people make their views known to their own MP ahead of thisextremely important debate. Information about the issues, together withresources and guidance will be circulated to all parishes in the next weekor two.

There are excellent resources on the Bishops’ Conferencewebsite:www.catholicnews.org.uk/assisted-suicide and on thewebsite of the Anscombe Bioethics centre: www.bioethics.org.uk.

I strongly urge all Catholics to contact their own MP as soon as possibleto express their concern about the dangerous impact which such a Billwould have on the most vulnerable people. MPs do listen to their ownconstituents. What is needed is more and better palliative care, notassistance with suicide.

With this in mind, Catholics are asked to write to their MP assoon as possible as Parliament returns from its summer recess onMonday 7 September.

Resources, including a Q&A and a model letter for your MP, can befound online at: http://rcdow.org.uk/news/cardinal-vincent-asks-for-urgent-action-against-assisted-suicide-bill/

Cardinal Vincent gave thanksfor 600 years of Bridgettinewitness on 19 July at anecumenical service tocommemorate the anniversaryof the foundation of SyonAbbey in Syon Park.

Joined by the Christiancommunities in Isleworth andBrentford, Cardinal Vincentdelivered the homily in whichhe recalled the jointfoundations of the male andfemale monasteries on the site,ruled over by an abbess.Speaking of the turbulenthistory of Christianity in thiscountry and the faithfulwitness of the Abbey, Cardinal

Vincent said: 'That is thewonder of spiritual treasures:they survive materialdestruction! Our spiritualheritage is far more powerfulthan the material goods wemay leave behind.'

Paying tribute to theBridgettine nuns and monks,Cardinal Vincent spoke of their'enduring witness to thewonderful effect of lettingJesus’ love touch us'.

Looking at their example, hesaid: 'I hope we will all set outfrom here with a fresh sense ofmission: that we are called toinvite others to know the joyand freedom of our faith'.

The Cardinal also spoke ofthe example of St Bridget inshowing us the importance ofcontemplation to the missionto evangelise, observing that:'St Bridget would ask us to firststand at the foot of the Cross,with Mary, Mother of Jesus, towhom Bridget and theBridgettines have such tenderdevotion. With Mary we gazelovingly upon Our CrucifiedLord, only to grow in the utterconviction that He is risen; andso with Mary we rejoice in Godour Saviour. Filled with joy, wegladly go forth announcingJesus as the one Hope to whomall are called'. © Mazur/catholicnews.org.uk



Westminster Record | August 2015

News

Over £4,000 was raised at theKensington Friends of the HolyLand annual Garden Party heldat Our Lady of Victories Church,Kensington, in the beautiful‘Italian Garden’.

Bishop Nicholas thankedeveryone involved in organisingthe party and encouraged thosepresent to continue in theirefforts to support Christians inthe Holy Land.

Reflecting on his recent visitto Iraq, he said he was struck byhow the local ChaldeanArchbishop, when talking of theassistance being given, referredto them not as refugees, but asrelatives, part of our family. Itwas this spirit that impressedBishop Nicholas and was alsoapplicable to the Friends in thework of helping PalestinianChristians.

Kensington FriendsRaise Money forPalestinian ‘Relatives’

On 5 July Cardinal Vincentvisited Our Lady of the RosaryChurch, Staines, to celebrateMass for the 125thAnniversary of the parish.

On arrival he was greetedby the Brownies who processedin with him, alongside childrenwho had recently received theirFirst Holy Communion. Alsopresent was the current ParishPriest, Fr Phillip Dyer-Perry,and predecessors, Frs TomQuinn and Adrian Walker.

In his homily, the Cardinalspoke about the challenges ofbeing a Catholic in modern

society, and the importance ofthe witness of faith in our dailylives.

At the end of Mass theCardinal presented a diocesanaward and medal toparishioner John McNamarafor his service to the parishcommunity.

Subsequently the Cardinalblessed the new parish facilitiesin the church building andunveiled a commemorativeplaque. A barbeque andcelebrations followed in thenew parish courtyard.

Our Lady of theRosary ParishCelebrates 125 Years

Mgr Jim Curry, Chairman ofFriends Kensington group,commented: ‘This year hasbeen an extremely challengingone for all the peoples of theHoly Land. However, it has notbeen without hope, as in MayPope Francis canonised tworemarkable Palestinian women:St Marie Alphonsine Ghattasand the Carmelite nun StMariam Bawardi. They are thefirst saints of the region to becanonised since the days of theEarly Church in Palestine andIsrael.’

‘They remind us that it takesfaith to keep building a justand peaceful society. Christiansare an essential part of the richmosaic and diverse culture thatis the Holy Land. Christians

belong in the Holy Land.’Returning from a recent visit

to Gaza, Fr Mark Madden gave apoignant speech about the plightof Christians both there and inthe West Bank, outlining thedaily difficulties they faced. FrMadden suggested the ‘Four P’s’by which everyone can help,‘Prayer, Pilgrimage, Pay,Pressure.’

He explained, ‘Please prayfor our brothers and sisters in theland of Jesus. Make a pilgrimagethere to witness the hardshipsfaced by Palestinian Christians.Be generous. And fourthly, bearwitness to their plight.’

Bishop Nicholas will lead theDiocesan Pilgrimage to the HolyLand in November.



News Westminster Record | August 2015

Golders Green ParishCelebrates Centenary

On the weekend of 4/5 July the parish of St Edward theConfessor, Golders Green, celebrated the 100th anniversary ofthe building of the church with a flower festival.

Many of the neighbouring Christian churches, the nearbysynagogue and the horticultural society in Hampstead GardenSuburb all contributed displays, whilst Floral Enterprise studentsfrom Caritas St Joseph’s Centre in Hendon dressed the statue of St Joseph (below). A total of 28 arrangements made the church aremarkable place of colour and beauty. Visitors were offeredguided tours, a rolling photographic display of the history of theparish in the hall along with tea and cake, and the chance to talkto parishioners.

The building of the church began under the stewardship of Fr William Bendon, the first Parish Priest, in March 1914 and was

completed in October1915 when the firstMass was celebrated byCardinal Bourne on thefeast of St Edward theConfessor. Over theyears there have beenmany notable visitors,including Mgr RonaldKnox, who preached asermon on St Edwardthe Confessor which isnow included in theDivine Office of theChurch for his feastday.

The present ParishPriest, Fr Tony Convery,was delighted with thefestival and openchurch, offering warmcongratulations to thosewho organised it all.

By Deacon Anthony Clark

The first ever ceremony of theCelebrating Young PeopleAwards took place at the PrinceCharles Theatre in LeicesterSquare on 1 July.

The awards, sponsored byMillion Minutes, honour theachievements of remarkableyoung people from acrossEngland and Wales who servetheir communities in diverseways.

Centred on Catholic SocialTeaching, the awards recognisedindividual and groupachievements of young peoplein six categories, each reflectinga principle of how we shouldtreat each other and the worldaround us.

Over 200 were nominated fortheir contributions in variousareas of service to theircommunity. According toDirector of Million Minutes,Danny Curtin, these nomineesare just a few representatives ofthe extraordinarytransformation that ordinaryyoung people can and do effectin their communities.

He said: ‘Young people alltoo often get a bad name, butthey are amazing. MillionMinutes is all about giving avoice to the young people whoget overlooked. We’re delightedto have held these awards tocelebrate all that young peopleare and all that they give to ourworld.’

Cardinal Vincent was guest

Our Inspirational Young People

of honour. He presented thePope Francis Award for overallyouth achievement to RyanO’Neill for his tremendouscontribution to his alma mater,Bishop Hedley Catholic HighSchool in Merthyr Tydfil. TheCardinal paid tribute to thework of these outstandingyoung people and commendedthem for living out the callingof missionary discipleship, forbeing leaders of integrity andcourage, and for getting outthere and making thingshappen.

There were a number ofother awards presented on thenight. The winners of the St Josephine Bakhita Awardcelebrating human dignity wereAnna Sylvester, Emma Walley,Abbie Lee Rendell and BethMickleburgh, whilst the JosephCardijn Award, recognisingwork to protect the dignity ofworkers, went to Lucy Gardner,Ryan Earle, Scott Thomas andZoe Parker.

For promoting solidarity

and peace, the Jimmy MizenAward went to Oussama Kardi,Kate O’Donoghue, JamieHalliwell and Aysha Ahmad.The Barbara Ward Award forcaring for the environment wasgiven to Isabella Breslin, FisherMore CAFOD bloggers and StGregory’s Eco Committee, andthe Dorothy Day Award forfostering community andparticipation went to ReizelAngela Quaichon, DeborahKormi, Alton Mathew-Moghanand Harriet Allen. Finally theCardinal Hume Award,recognising those who live outthe option for the poor, wasgiven to Cheenie Fabro, Class 7Jand Tharaney Puvanachandran.

The celebratory atmospherewas further reinforced withmusic by the Gospel choir fromthe St Francis Xavier Sixth FormCollege, which performed atvarious intervals throughoutthe evening.

© Christine Jarvis

© Christine Jarvis



Parish ProfileWestminster Record | August 2015

The Record returns to Islingtonthis month following ourprofile of Copenhagen Streetparish in July’s edition.However, we do so with goodreason. With our friends atYouth Ministry taking aneditorial lead to look ahead toWorld Youth Day in Krakownext year, it seems apt to visitone of the three Polishparishes of the Diocese.

The Church of Our Lady ofCzęstochowa sits in a quietroad behind Islington HighStreet, just a stone’s throw fromthe parish church of St John theEvangelist. The church wasbuilt by the Swedenborgians, areligious sect who could nolonger support the building anda pastor by 1930; and so it wasbought by the small Polishcommunity of the area.Cardinal Bourne was presentwhen it was consecrated anddevoted to Our Lady and StCasimir, the patron saint ofLithuania, in October that year.

The simple ragstone front ofthe building hardly preparesyou for the beauty of itsinterior. Upon entry your eyesare immediately drawn to themain altar and the largereproduction of the icon of OurLady of Częstochowa, paintedby Marek Święcicki, whichhangs proudly as she surveysthe church and its people infront of her. The original icon ishoused in the Sanctuary ofJasna Góra in Częstochowa

The Polish Heart of Islingtonitself and has been associatedwith Poland for around 600years. Its history before then isshrouded in myth and legend,but it is known that the iconarrived in Poland in 1382.During a month-long siege ofthe Sanctuary by the Swedes in1656, the people inside prayedto the icon for protection andvictory; and against thesuperior numbers of theinvaders, the monks and localvolunteers defeated theSwedes. This led King John IICasimir Vasa to crown OurLady of Częstochowa as Queenof Poland in April 1656.

Surrounding the icon arevotive offerings, which includemedals donated by soldiersafter the Second World War,badges and lockets. The twomost interesting items are thesword below the icon, whichwas presented to the church byGeneral Władysław Sikorski,and a silver eagle above whichwas donated by WładysławRaczkiewicz, President of thePolish Government in Exilefrom 1939 to 1947.

Below the icon is a paintingof the Last Supper by AdamBunsch, who also designed theremarkable stained glassedwindows of the church. Bunsch,originally from Krakow, was anestablished artist who came toLondon after the war’s end. Hismemory and experience of thewar is etched into thesewindows depicting the Polish

Founded: 1930Mass Times: (Sat 6pm), 9, 11,12.30pm, 3.30pm, 7pmAddress: 2 Devonia Road,Islington, N1 8JJTelephone: 020 7226 9944Website: www.parafia-devonia.org.uk

involvement and victory overthe German aggressors. Duringthe war the church was the onlyfree Polish church in Europe andthe place of worship for theexiled government and thenumerous soldiers, sailors andairmen based in London.Bunsch’s work reflects the painthat the Polish nation andpeople suffered from 1939 to1945. Most strikingly this isshown in the window to the leftof the altar, which showssoldiers stabbing a man todeath. Similar depictions can beseen in the Stations of the Crossmade by J.Z. Henelt, where thesoldiers wear helmets similar tothose of the German Army.

Other interesting itemsaround the church include asmall statue of the great PolishPope, St John Paul II,incorporating a relic of hisblood; a votive candlestanddonated to the church in 1950 byPope Pius XII in memory of thecountries which could notexpress their Catholic faithfreely behind the Iron Curtain;plaques dedicated to formerRectors of the church, Polish warleaders and those who built thechurch; and the Sanctuary lampmarking Christ’s presence in theTabernacle, which was donatedby the airmen of 303 Squadronwho fought valiantly in theBattle of Britain.

The modern situation of theparish is a far cry from thewartime reminders on its walls.The church welcomes around1,000 people each weekend forMass, with a congregation ofolder Poles who survived thewar and stayed in London anda new, younger generation whohave come to the UK afterPoland’s entry into theEuropean Union in 2004.Marek, my host, tells me this isa ‘life church’, a second home tomany people and the centre ofthe community. Below thechurch is a hall for socialevents, with a bookstore and anindustrial kitchen which serves100 meals every weekend afterthe Masses.

As well as the church, thesite is also home to the PolishCatholic Mission in the UK,which oversees Polish priestsand churches nationally.Currently there are 125 Polishpriests in the UK working in 87parishes and offering Mass inan additional 215 churches. Atthe most recent count inOctober last year around 59,000people were attending Mass inPolish across the country.

This year sees the churchcelebrate 85 years of Catholicworship. In October there willbe a Mass to mark this occasioncelebrated by Bishop WiesławLechowicz, an Auxiliary from

the Diocese of Tarnów. The parish also joined incelebrations marking the1,050th anniversary of thebaptism of Poland on 6 June.

The church of Our Lady ofCzęstochowa is one of the mostinteresting, both historicallyand visually, in the diocese. Thewindows, the icon and theassorted other significant itemsmean that with every turn ofthe head there is something elseinteresting to ask about. As theparish history booksummarises: ‘It is a beautifulchurch with an interestinghistory and well worth a visit’. I certainly found it so.

The view from the pews with the icon of the Black Madonna and painting of the Last Supper within the reredos

One of Adam Bunsch’s stained glassed windows

Statue of Pope St John Paul II

By Chris O’Callaghan



Schools Westminster Record | August 2015

A New Building for Larmenier School

Pupils, staff and parents gathered in the playground ofLarmenier and Sacred Heart Primary School, Brook Green, on 2 July for a Mass of Thanksgiving to commemorate the openingof their new building, ‘The Curve’.

Bishop John celebrated the Mass and was joined by Fr RichardAndrew, Parish Priest of Brook Green, and Mgr Nizar Semaan,Syriac Chaplain. The school choir and orchestra accompanied themusic throughout the Mass and performed ‘I Will Sing in theSpirit’ by John Rutter as a motet.

During the Mass Bishop John blessed a crucifix to hang in thenew building, and the building itself, which will serve both as adining hall and multi-purpose studio with improved provision forsports and performing arts.

Douay Martyrs Bids Fond Farewell to Martin RainsfordPast and present staff andstudents gathered at DouayMartyrs School, Ickenham, on15 July for a Mass ofThanksgiving celebrated byBishop John on the occasion ofMartin Rainsford’s departurefrom the school. Martin is avalued member of the DiocesanEducation Commission and,although he is retiring from theheadship of Douay Martyrs, hewill continue to work ineducation.

In his homily, Bishop Johnsaid ‘Today we thank God forheadship of Martin and hiscommitment and dedication toeducation over his professionallife and the Catholic faith whichis at the heart of his life. In thesupreme act of thanksgiving, theMass, we express our gratitudeto God.’

He went on to explain howgenerosity is an important meansof evangelisation, and that weproclaim our Catholic faiththrough faithful daily service.

At the end of the Mass,Bishop John read a letter fromCardinal Vincent to Martin,thanking him for his work in thediocese and for contribution toCatholic education.

Tanzanian Exchange StudentsWelcomed to the DioceseStudents from the Tanzanianschool of St Ignatius Prep andPrimary paid a visit toWestminster Cathedral on 15July, where they met CardinalVincent as one of the highlightsof their first visit to London.

The relationship between theschool and St Ignatius College,Enfield, both run by Jesuits,dates back to 2008, when SixthForm students and staff fromEnfield began visiting Tanzaniaannually. Each year 20 Britishstudents spend a fortnight

teaching and another 10 daysvisiting parishes, orphanagesand other networked schools.

The trips are intended toprovide a life-changingexperience for the Britishstudents, as they encounter adifferent culture, showing themhow fortunate they are and how,as Catholics, they are calledupon to use their own privilegedlives to improve the community,both locally and globally.

The relationship alsoprovides an opportunity to a

number of students in Tanzaniawho would otherwise receive noeducation, as they cannot affordschool fees. Fundraising inLondon provides scholarshipsfor students of far less affluentbackgrounds and also providesthe Tanzanian school with much-needed materials and teachingexpertise brought over by staffmembers.

For all, it is a bridge betweentwo very different groups,connected by their faith and theirlove for education.



SchoolsWestminster Record | August 2015

Diocesan Schools End Year Marking Milestones

On Tuesday 30 June StAugustine’s Priory celebratedits centenary with CardinalVincent. On 21 September1915 a community ofAugustinian CanonessesRegular of the Lateran movedtheir convent and school inParis to a new site of HillcrestRoad in Ealing.

At the opening of the Massfour pupils performed shortmonologues which provided asnapshot from the pastcentury; one representing 1915when the community firstmoved to the site, one for 1945,another for 1968 and finally,

the present day. Theydemonstrated that the schoolhas seen many years of change,but has been sustained andnourished by the continuity ofthe faith which is at the heartof its community.

In his homily CardinalVincent reflected that we mustdesire to be clothed incompassion, kindness,humility, gentleness, patienceand forgiveness.

After Mass he blessed thenew Prayer Garden, worked onby pupils of all ages. Abeautiful and colourful mosaicwas created to make One

Hundred Years of Faith, intowhich each pupil had laid atile.

On 1 July Bishop Johncelebrated Mass at St John’sCatholic Primary School inRickmansworth to mark the50th anniversary of theschool’s opening in 1965.Among the congregation werethe first headmistress, SrSheila, and her successor, MrsMaureen Glynn.

In his homily Bishop Johnasked the students to say whatwas needed to build a school.The pupils suggestedimportant features, such as

classrooms and computers,whilst one pupil said theChurch. It was on this pointthat Bishop John focused;telling them that Jesus is at theheart of a Catholic school andthat the crucifix on the wallbehind him is the reminder ofChrist’s love for us.

After Mass Bishop Johnblessed a new birdbath in theschool garden which had beendonated to the school by theparents of the Year 6 pupils.Before he blessed it, he told thestudents about the Pope’s newencyclical, Laudato Si’, whichspeaks of caring for the Earthas our common home and howwe should all be stewards ofGod’s creation.

On 2 July, under glorioussunshine in Stevenage,Cardinal Vincent ledcelebrations at St MargaretClitherow Primary School forits Golden Jubilee.

The Cardinal concelebratedMass with a number of clergyfrom the surrounding area.Also in attendance were JPMorrison, Director ofEducation for the Diocese,Stephen McPartland, therecently returned MP forStevenage, and former pupilsof St Margaret Clitherow whonow attend the John HenryNewman School.

In his homily the Cardinaltold the pupils that they canlearn from St John’s Gospelwhere Jesus tell us to ‘remainin my love. If you obey mycommands, you will remain inmy love, just as I have obeyed

my Father’s commandmentsand remain in His love’. Heasked the pupils to be inspiredby St Margaret, their patron, a‘special friend of Jesus’ whoalways stayed close to the Lordand is a wonderful role modelfor us all.

At the end of Mass hepresented diocesan medals toMrs Mary Cawley and MrsWendy Marley for service tothe Diocese and th the Church.Canon Daniel Cronin, ParishPriest of Knebworth, describedtheir steadfast work andcommitment and commendedthem for their service.

To mark the Jubilee of theschool a number ofcommemorations have alreadytaken place, including theperformance of a new schoolsong written by Nicky Footerwhich invokes events in theschool’s history. There is also anew memorial stone in thegrounds, an anniversary prayerwritten by the children, whilst50 varieties of flowers havebeen planted in the gardens.

As the academic year came to a close, three schools gathered their communities together tocelebrates milestone anniversaries with Cardinal Vincent and Bishop John Sherrington.

The new mosaic at St Augustine’s Priory, Ealing, to mark its centenary

Bishop John blesses the new birdbath in St John’s garden in Rickmansworth Pupils sign the hymns at St Margaret Clitherow, Stevenage

Painting of St Margaret Clitherow



Schools Westminster Record | August 2015

A ‘Homeless’ Day for St Vincent’s Pupils

On 3 July the majority of ourschools were represented atour annual Heads of ReligiousEducation Conference.

This year the focus was theimpending curriculum reformsin Religious Education. Eachexamination body was invitedto present its intentions for thenew GCSE and A Levelspecifications. Dr AnthonyTowey from St Mary'sUniversity and PhilipRobinson, the CatholicEducation Service’s REAdviser, were also invited topresent the particular GCSEspecification they are currentlywriting. Our group was veryexcited to learn of theinvolvement which members ofour Catholic community havehad in writing a specificationfor our schools. We were alsoincredibly fortunate to bejoined by Dr Margaret Carswellfrom the Australian CatholicUniversity in Melbourne, whoshared her wisdom andexperience on Higher OrderQuestioning.

The conference was awonderful opportunity toensure our Heads of ReligiousEducation remain informed,inspired and provided withopportunities to network andshare good practice. Our timetogether culminated in thecelebration of Mass in theCathedral Crypt by Fr MichaelDunne.

We are blessed to have suchdedicated and professionalspecialists working in ourschools. We value theircommitment and know thatthey will rise to the challengeof curriculum reform and buildon the opportunity it offers,whilst keeping the child at theheart of all that they do.

Newman Students Walk Camino

On 10 July eight students fromNewman Catholic College,Brent, departed from Sarria inSpain to walk part of theCamino, the pilgrimage routeto the shrine of the Apostle St James the Great.

Led by Head of Music, Mr Dan Playford, their 108kmjourney began in Sarria,reaching Santiago deCompostela on Thursday 16 July. Before they departed for

Spain they were blessed andcommissioned for the walk byFr Stephen Willis, Rector of theShrine of Our Lady ofWillesden. The pilgrims wereYear 7 student Milan Varsani;Year 8 student AthithiyanKanesh; Year 9 students DawidMika, Bartosz Sitkowski, PatrykMaciejewski and AkashRaguesh; and Year 10 studentsSathriyan Kanesh and MatthewChinn.

By Amanda Crowley

Schools Champion Receives Papal Award

On 30 June, Bishop JohnSherrington, on behalf of PopeFrancis, presented JohnO’Donnell with a Benemerentimedal at a Thanksgiving Massin the Cathedral crypt for histireless work on behalf of theChurch and Catholiceducation.

The citation recognised Johnas a ‘committed and dedicatedmember of the CatholicChurch’, who works for hisparish and local community aswell as at a national level. Hisextensive list of appointmentsincludes Chair of Governors at

Sion-Manning Girls’ School andVice Chair of both St CharlesCatholic Primary School andthe Cardinal VaughanMemorial School. He is also aCompany Director and Trusteeof the Catholic Children’sSociety.

Over the years he has alsorepresented the interests ofCatholic secondary education,serving in various capacitieswith local authorities andworking parties. He has ‘alwayssupported the Church in itsteaching, education of youngpeople and pastoral activities’.

LONDON PILGRIMAGESOur Lady of Assumption & St Gregory Church, Warwick Street, Piccadilly Circus,London, W1. Tube: Piccadilly Circus. Buses: 23, 12, 38, 22, 19.

A famous shrine where hundreds of miracles were worked. Grateful people donated many silver hearts in thanksgiving for cures.

The Church is run by the Ordinate, former Anglican vicars who became Catholicpriests.

Pilgrimage: Saturday – 8th August 3.00 – 3.30pm

Carmelite Church, Kensington Church Street, London, W8. Tube: Kensington High Street. Buses: 52, 452, 328, 70, 27, 28.

Venerable Herman Cohen was a Jewish convert who became a Carmelite priest atthis Church.

Pray for his speedy canonisation – a big boost for London!

Pilgrimage: Saturday – 15th August 12.15 Mass, Rosary

Our Lady of Muswell Church, 1 Colney Hatch Lane, London, N10 1PN. Tel. 020 8883 5607. Mass 11.45am, Rosary.

Famous Shrine for hundreds of years until Protestant ‘Reformation’ stopped it.

Pilgrimage: Sunday – 23rd August

Our Lady of Willesden Church, 1 Nicol Rd, London, NW10 9AX. Tel. 020 8965 4935. Mass 11.00am, Rosary.

Famous Shrine for hundreds of years until Protestant ‘Reformation’ stopped it.

Pilgrimage: Sunday – 30th August

Come and join usBe a public witness for ChristJesus said, “Could you not keep watch one hour?”

We pray for the people of Iraq, Syria, Ukraine, Nigeria and our own nation

On the last Friday of each month 11.30am-12.30pmIn the Piazza in front of Westminster Cathedral

Mass follows at 12.30pm

The pupils and staff of St Vincent’s Primary School, Acton, havepresented a cheque for £2,000 to Ian Breen from the DamienCentre for the Homeless in Acton.Pupils in Year 6 spent a day ‘homeless’ to understand the plight ofhomeless people in our communities and country. By fasting forthe day, the pupils explored the Lenten approach throughabstinence and service for others.The annual event is part of the school’s sponsorship of the workcarried out by the Damien Centre. They also support the Centrethrough collections at their annual Nativities, Holy Week Pageant,and Year Six Musical. In this way they are dedicating their effortsto support those in need in their locality. Their call ‘to serve’,following the plea from Pope Francis, supports their awarenessand understanding of Social Justice in their locality, nationally andglobally within their religious education curriculum.

For more news fromaround the diocesethroughout themonth, please see

www.rcdow.org.uk

where new storiesare posted daily.

Heads of RE Preparefor CurriculumReform



SchoolsWestminster Record | August 2015

St Benedict’s studentDimitri Coutya became theyoungest wheelchair fencer inGreat Britain ever to win aWorld Cup when he took theGold in the Epee Category Bevent in Montreal at thebeginning of May. Dimitri,who is studying for his A Levels, is now ranked 2nd inEpee and 5th in Foil in theParalympic Qualificationrankings for the Rio Olympics.

Dimitri made a great start inthe epee, powering his waythrough a 6 victory win in thepoule rounds. This gave him abye through the first round,before he recorded a 15-4victory over Joey Brinson of theUSA. His next fight held a real

challenge; Chik Sum Tam fromHong Kong, the silver medallistfrom the London ParalympicGames and the reason Dimitrilost out on medals in hisprevious competition. Dimitriwas nervous right up until thereferee called play on the firsthit but, after several closeexchanges, he emergedvictorious with a 15-12 score,having stayed ahead for thewhole fight.

Next he faced Hu Daoliang,the Chinese athlete who hadknocked him out of the Foilcompetition the previous day.Dimitri reports that: ‘I kept mycool, patiently waiting for anopening to present itself. In the

end, I scored five straight hits ina row to win 15-12 and progressto the finals, where I was to faceworld number 1 AlexanderKuzyukov of Russia. I wasready for it. I lost the first twopoints, then stormed through toa 15-8 victory!’

Denis Cranwell, Head ofFencing at St Benedict’s said:‘We are so proud of Dimitri. Hejoined the school at the age ofeleven, never having fencedbefore, and was taken on by ourfencing coach Jon Sloman. Whata fantastic journey so far! Weare continuing to support himthrough the provision oftraining facilities, coaching andfundraising for the RioOlympics in 2016.’

St Benedict’s Welcomes HomeFencing World Champion

A First for theSalvatorian CollegeOn 8 July Bishop John celebrated a Mass of Thanksgiving in theCathedral for Salvatorian College, Harrow, in its first visit to theCathedral as a school since its opening 89 years ago.

In his homily Bishop John spoke about the Salvatorian order,which seeks to bring people to knowledge and love of JesusChrist, the Divine Saviour. He quoted the prayer above the westentrance to the Cathedral, which reads ‘Domine Jesu, Rex etRedemptor, per sanguinem tuum salva nos’. This tells us of the loveand mercy of God poured out through Jesus Christ who offeredhimself so that our sins might be forgiven. He said that: ‘everytime we celebrate Mass, we unite ourselves with Christ’s sacrificeon the Cross’.

Reflecting on the Gospel where Jesus summoned the TwelveDisciples, Bishop John told the students that we are sent out to tellothers of Jesus Christ, His kingdom, and to offer hope and thepromise of God’s love and mercy. This is a great theme of PopeFrancis’ papacy; that each person is to be sent out as a missionarydisciple. We must use the gifts that we are given and develop atschool to make a difference for the good of others.

Referring to the Pope’s encyclical, Laudato Si’, Bishop John toldthe students that we can learn from his message aboutconsumerism, and that we need to appreciate the world aroundus, and this begins with ‘daily acts of love’ towards the world and others.

On 19 June Diocesan Inspectorsof Religious Educationgathered at Cathedral Hall tosay a warm thank you andfarewell to Sr Mary Jo Martin,the Diocese's Chief Inspector ofReligious Education.

Sr Mary Jo was appointed in2009 by the EducationCommission to review andstrengthen the inspection ofreligious education across thediocese. With her customaryenthusiasm and vision, shesuggested to the Commissionthat schools needed to knowwhat they were to be measuredagainst.

Thus began the preparationof the third edition of what isknown as the Red Book or, moreformally, Our Catholic Schools.Published in 2010, it offers, toquote Cardinal Vincent,‘support, challenges and a

Diocese Pays Tribute to RE Inspection PioneerBy Pamela Singh

measure by which our schoolsand colleges may be judged byall who, in their various ways,help us to maintain the valuedtradition of Catholic education inthis country and ourcommitment to the commongood of society’.

Following on from the RedBook, Sr Mary Jo tackled the all-important recruitment andtraining of inspectors. Alongsidethis, a Diocesan Framework forInspection was published withan Inspection Handbook and anoutline Self Evaluation Form forschools to complete prior toinspection.

Although she has been themain inspiration for, and theconsiderable driving forcebehind, the changes in diocesaninspections, she has alwaysrecognised the importance ofconsulting those responsible for

religious education and of theneed to take serious account ofwhat they say, whence therevisions of all the inspectionmaterials.

Sr Mary Jo has spearheaded arevolution in the inspection ofour religious education. Asignificant outcome of the nowwell-established inspectionregime has been a steady rise inthe quality of teaching andlearning in line with highexpectations of the inspectionprocess.

At her farewell in CathedralHall, Mrs Jane Goring made apresentation to Sr Mary Jo onbehalf of the inspectors. Jane,currently Deputy Headteacher atJohn Henry Newman SecondarySchool, will be taking over therole of Chief Inspector inSeptember.



It was in 1978, at the age of57, that this great man ofdestiny received the call fromGod, in the form of theConclave, to come to Rome andbecame that city’s first non-Italian bishop for 455 years. Athis installation, he implored theworld to ‘let Christ speak toman’ (22 October 1978).

Youth Westminster Record | August 2015 Youth

Page 13


Mission Week with Chemin Neuf

In August we celebrate theSolemnity of the Assumptionof Our Lady. The preface ofthat Mass, reflecting LumenGentium 68, describes theBlessed Virgin as a ‘sign ofhope and comfort to thepilgrim people of God’. In theglory she now possesses inbody and soul in heaven, Maryshines upon the earth as areassuring light, an eveningstar to guide God’s people ontheir journey through time andhistory.

During the summer monthsmany hundreds of youngpeople from our diocese willtake part in pilgrimages. Thesespecial journeys, which in theirown way symbolise our ownjourneys through life, remind usof the pilgrimage that God’speople make through time.Many of the young people willhave travelled to Lourdes,where Mary offers a great sourceof hope and consolation to theelderly and the sick. As wecelebrate her feast, let us fix ourvision and our hopes on her, thelight shining from heaven toilluminate our path through life.

After she appeared atGuadalupe in Mexico andcaused a great evangelisation ofthe New World, Mary wasknown as the ‘Star of the NewEvangelisation’. Perhaps we tooneed to refocus our vision onwhat Mary shows us fromheaven in the night of history.We are beginning a long journeytowards World Youth Day andbeyond. At the same time we areexploring the NewEvangelisation in our Dioceseand country with Proclaim ‘15and Proclaim Westminster. Let usentrust both these audaciousadventures to her, our star ofhope, who guides our way andbrings all things to Christ.

He knew that Jesus, who diedon the Cross, is thepersonification of God’s mercyfor the salvation of the world,the one who teaches us how tobe genuinely human. He beganhis remarkable pontificate witha series of encyclicals thatfocused our vision on God’s

Director’s Spotlight: The Countdown Begins

As you are reading this I ambeginning to flap; we are lessthan one year away fromWorld Youth Day and there isso much for the YouthMinistry team to do.

The first half of the YouthMinistry’s trip to Poland,known as Mission Week, willbe spent in Łódź for the‘Paradise in the City’ Festival,organised and hosted by theYouth Mission of theCommunity of Chemin Neuf.

The festival, which willwelcome 10,000 young people,is intended to provide anintense week of formationahead of WYD proper.

Home to 150,000 students,Łódź is a city of creativity andculture and the perfect locationfor this week before thejourney to Krakow.Conferences, concerts,

We face a complex challenge,given that we are charged withthe development and executionof an interesting, vibrant andfaithful pilgrimage programme,both during Mission Week inŁódź and especially duringWorld Youth Day week inKrakow. Expectations arerightly very high. We alsoassume the responsibility forthe safe journey of our pilgrimsto and from Poland and for theirwell-being.

One of my old bosses wouldsay that it’s NOT a challenge;it’s an opportunity.

Fr David Reilly and hisclergy team are our spiritual

guides for the duration of thepilgrimage and they have apivotal role to play.Remarkably, this is Fr David’ssixth WYD. He really doesn'tlook old enough!

Of course, this is a veryexciting project and aremarkable opportunity for usall to meet like-minded Catholicpilgrims from across the globe.In excess of one millionpilgrims will be based aroundKrakow for the duration of theevent and these numbers willswell to many millions for theSaturday evening Vigil. Thetime that we will have with theHoly Father, witnessing and

benefiting from his spiritualguidance, is all-important to us.

I have no doubts that the 250or so Westminster pilgrimsheading to Łódź and Krakow,led by Bishop John Sherrington,will have an incredibleexperience with memories thatthey will treasure for a lifetime.

It is important to reflect atthis point that we are to spendMission Week in the Diocese ofŁódź with our friends from theChemin Neuf Community. Weremain indebted to Fr Arnaudand Fr Sebastian for their help,patience and guidance. TheChemin Neuf Youth Festivalprogramme looks amazing and

Łódź is a beautiful city, whosecathedral was raised to thestatus of a Minor Basilica in1989 by St John Paul II. We arehoping to celebrate Mass thereduring our stay.

For this World Youth Daywe have re-introduced anoption for under-18s to join thepilgrimage. For those in full-time employment and facingholiday allowance challenges,there is also a one week option.

Poland is almost on ourdoorstep, so this is an idealopportunity to join us andspend a week in the companyof our Holy Father. Don’t missout!

Fr David Reilly,Diocesan YouthChaplain

Chaplain’sCorner

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: dowym.org.uk.





WYDAttendances

1986 - Rome, Italy300,0001987 - Buenos Aires, Argentina 1,000,0001989 - Santiago de Compostela,Spain 400,0001991 - Częstochowa, Poland1,600,0001993 - Denver, United States 500,0001995 - Manila, Philippines5,000,000 1997 - Paris, France1,200,0002000 - Rome, Italy 2,000,0002002 - Toronto, Canada800,0002005 - Cologne, Germany 1,200,0002008 - Sydney, Australia 400,0002011- Madrid, Spain1,500,0002013 - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil3,700,000

Since its inception in 1984,over 20 million people haveparticpated in World YouthDays in five of the world’scontinents.

encounters, sports and culturaland historical visits have allbeen planned to encourage andinspire the young people tomake an impact on the worldby enlarging their vision of lifeand their future. A full day willbe dedicated to the theme ofreconciliation and peace,enabling participants to havean experience of God’sforgiveness.

Chemin Neuf is acommunity with anecumenical vocation whichgrew out of a prayer group inLyon in 1973. It currently hasaround 2,000 members in over30 countries. Couples, families

and celibate men and womenhave chosen to serve theChurch and the world byfollowing the life of Christ asmembers living in community.

Their spirituality is rootedin the Ignatian tradition andin Charismatic Renewal, withthe practice of the SpiritualExercises and Ignatiandiscernment structuring theirprayer and way of living. Thespirituality of the Exercisesexpresses the certainty that‘God can communicatehimself directly to Hiscreatures’ and act effectivelyin people’s lives.

From the outset, in

answering the call to proclaimthe love of Christ to all, thecommunity has had themission to evangelise and toteach Christians,strengthening their faith andunderstanding.

In 2013 Cardinal Vincentinvited Chemin Neuf to serveCockfosters parish, its first inthe UK. Gathering peopletogether in prayer is anessential aspect of theirmission and charism; with arecent parish feast bringingtogether more than 200 peopleof all ages, a strong beginninghas been made, a sign of goodthings to come.

mercy, most notably RedemptorHominis (On the Redeemer ofMan) in 1979 and Dives inMisericordia (Rich in Mercy)in 1980.

St John Paul, with hisinstinctive sense for youth,entrusted to the young peopleof the world the Holy YearCross. This stood in Rome for

the Holy Year of theRedemption. It became knownas the WYD cross, with thefirst celebration of WorldYouth Day held in Rome in1986, nearly 30 years ago. Aftera pontificate of more than 27years, John Paul II died on thevigil of Divine Mercy Sunday.

To the young people outsidehis window he said: ‘I havesearched for you, and now youhave come to me.’ The greatapostle of God’s mercy hadgone to heaven.

Next year, on the 30thanniversary of the first WorldYouth Day, we will celebrateKrakow 2016. This city in theheart of reconciled Poland wasthe place from which John Paulwas called to Rome. We willalso celebrate in the midst ofPope Francis’ ‘Jubilee Year ofMercy’. Here, surely, is a clear

call from the Spirit for theworld to awaken once more tothe need for merciful living.The history of the last centuryand the witness of St John PaulII testify to the need for mercyand reconciliation in the face ofdestruction and division. Theyoung adults of our Dioceseare called by the same Spiritnot only to become disciples ofWorld Youth Day, but to opentheir hearts to the Gospel ofsalvation: to become, like St John Paul II, the apostles ofmercy in our own time andplace.

The History of World Youth Day

Karol Wojtyła, who would become Pope St John Paul II,

lived in the tumultuous heart of 20th century history.

As a Pole, he endured not only the Nazi occupation of

his homeland, but also the resulting terror of the war.

Liberation came, but the country quickly found itself in

the grip of another brutal regime. The Communists

were determined to wipe God and the historic Catholic

faith from the life and culture of Poland. Karol studied

in a clandestine seminary and became part of the

cultural resistance in the form of the ‘Rhapsodic

Theatre’. He was ordained secretly and later, as

Archbishop of Krakow, led the people of Nowa Huta to

assert their inherent dignity as the children of God. He

was a man who, through his deep experience of life and

leadership, knew the essential need to preach the

Gospel of mercy. At the same time, Poland witnessed

the spread of devotion to God’s mercy through the

message of St Faustina. Europe had become a continent

in need of reconciliation and faith.

It was in 1978, at the age of57, that this great man ofdestiny received the call fromGod, in the form of theConclave, to come to Rome andbecame that city’s first non-Italian bishop for 455 years. Athis installation, he implored theworld to ‘let Christ speak toman’ (22 October 1978).

Youth Westminster Record | August 2015 Youth


Page 12

Mission Week with Chemin Neuf

In August we celebrate theSolemnity of the Assumptionof Our Lady. The preface ofthat Mass, reflecting LumenGentium 68, describes theBlessed Virgin as a ‘sign ofhope and comfort to thepilgrim people of God’. In theglory she now possesses inbody and soul in heaven, Maryshines upon the earth as areassuring light, an eveningstar to guide God’s people ontheir journey through time andhistory.

During the summer monthsmany hundreds of youngpeople from our diocese willtake part in pilgrimages. Thesespecial journeys, which in theirown way symbolise our ownjourneys through life, remind usof the pilgrimage that God’speople make through time.Many of the young people willhave travelled to Lourdes,where Mary offers a great sourceof hope and consolation to theelderly and the sick. As wecelebrate her feast, let us fix ourvision and our hopes on her, thelight shining from heaven toilluminate our path through life.

After she appeared atGuadalupe in Mexico andcaused a great evangelisation ofthe New World, Mary wasknown as the ‘Star of the NewEvangelisation’. Perhaps we tooneed to refocus our vision onwhat Mary shows us fromheaven in the night of history.We are beginning a long journeytowards World Youth Day andbeyond. At the same time we areexploring the NewEvangelisation in our Dioceseand country with Proclaim ‘15and Proclaim Westminster. Let usentrust both these audaciousadventures to her, our star ofhope, who guides our way andbrings all things to Christ.

He knew that Jesus, who diedon the Cross, is thepersonification of God’s mercyfor the salvation of the world,the one who teaches us how tobe genuinely human. He beganhis remarkable pontificate witha series of encyclicals thatfocused our vision on God’s

Director’s Spotlight: The Countdown Begins

As you are reading this I ambeginning to flap; we are lessthan one year away fromWorld Youth Day and there isso much for the YouthMinistry team to do.

The first half of the YouthMinistry’s trip to Poland,known as Mission Week, willbe spent in Łódź for the‘Paradise in the City’ Festival,organised and hosted by theYouth Mission of theCommunity of Chemin Neuf.

The festival, which willwelcome 10,000 young people,is intended to provide anintense week of formationahead of WYD proper.

Home to 150,000 students,Łódź is a city of creativity andculture and the perfect locationfor this week before thejourney to Krakow.Conferences, concerts,

We face a complex challenge,given that we are charged withthe development and executionof an interesting, vibrant andfaithful pilgrimage programme,both during Mission Week inŁódź and especially duringWorld Youth Day week inKrakow. Expectations arerightly very high. We alsoassume the responsibility forthe safe journey of our pilgrimsto and from Poland and for theirwell-being.

One of my old bosses wouldsay that it’s NOT a challenge;it’s an opportunity.

Fr David Reilly and hisclergy team are our spiritual

guides for the duration of thepilgrimage and they have apivotal role to play.Remarkably, this is Fr David’ssixth WYD. He really doesn'tlook old enough!

Of course, this is a veryexciting project and aremarkable opportunity for usall to meet like-minded Catholicpilgrims from across the globe.In excess of one millionpilgrims will be based aroundKrakow for the duration of theevent and these numbers willswell to many millions for theSaturday evening Vigil. Thetime that we will have with theHoly Father, witnessing and

benefiting from his spiritualguidance, is all-important to us.

I have no doubts that the 250or so Westminster pilgrimsheading to Łódź and Krakow,led by Bishop John Sherrington,will have an incredibleexperience with memories thatthey will treasure for a lifetime.

It is important to reflect atthis point that we are to spendMission Week in the Diocese ofŁódź with our friends from theChemin Neuf Community. Weremain indebted to Fr Arnaudand Fr Sebastian for their help,patience and guidance. TheChemin Neuf Youth Festivalprogramme looks amazing and

Łódź is a beautiful city, whosecathedral was raised to thestatus of a Minor Basilica in1989 by St John Paul II. We arehoping to celebrate Mass thereduring our stay.

For this World Youth Daywe have re-introduced anoption for under-18s to join thepilgrimage. For those in full-time employment and facingholiday allowance challenges,there is also a one week option.

Poland is almost on ourdoorstep, so this is an idealopportunity to join us andspend a week in the companyof our Holy Father. Don’t missout!

Fr David Reilly,Diocesan YouthChaplain

Chaplain’sCorner









WYDAttendances

1986 - Rome, Italy300,0001987 - Buenos Aires, Argentina 1,000,0001989 - Santiago de Compostela,Spain 400,0001991 - Częstochowa, Poland1,600,0001993 - Denver, United States 500,0001995 - Manila, Philippines5,000,000 1997 - Paris, France1,200,0002000 - Rome, Italy 2,000,0002002 - Toronto, Canada800,0002005 - Cologne, Germany 1,200,0002008 - Sydney, Australia 400,0002011- Madrid, Spain1,500,0002013 - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil3,700,000

Since its inception in 1984,over 20 million people haveparticpated in World YouthDays in five of the world’scontinents.

encounters, sports and culturaland historical visits have allbeen planned to encourage andinspire the young people tomake an impact on the worldby enlarging their vision of lifeand their future. A full day willbe dedicated to the theme ofreconciliation and peace,enabling participants to havean experience of God’sforgiveness.

Chemin Neuf is acommunity with anecumenical vocation whichgrew out of a prayer group inLyon in 1973. It currently hasaround 2,000 members in over30 countries. Couples, families

and celibate men and womenhave chosen to serve theChurch and the world byfollowing the life of Christ asmembers living in community.

Their spirituality is rootedin the Ignatian tradition andin Charismatic Renewal, withthe practice of the SpiritualExercises and Ignatiandiscernment structuring theirprayer and way of living. Thespirituality of the Exercisesexpresses the certainty that‘God can communicatehimself directly to Hiscreatures’ and act effectivelyin people’s lives.

From the outset, in

answering the call to proclaimthe love of Christ to all, thecommunity has had themission to evangelise and toteach Christians,strengthening their faith andunderstanding.

In 2013 Cardinal Vincentinvited Chemin Neuf to serveCockfosters parish, its first inthe UK. Gathering peopletogether in prayer is anessential aspect of theirmission and charism; with arecent parish feast bringingtogether more than 200 peopleof all ages, a strong beginninghas been made, a sign of goodthings to come.

mercy, most notably RedemptorHominis (On the Redeemer ofMan) in 1979 and Dives inMisericordia (Rich in Mercy)in 1980.

St John Paul, with hisinstinctive sense for youth,entrusted to the young peopleof the world the Holy YearCross. This stood in Rome for

the Holy Year of theRedemption. It became knownas the WYD cross, with thefirst celebration of WorldYouth Day held in Rome in1986, nearly 30 years ago. Aftera pontificate of more than 27years, John Paul II died on thevigil of Divine Mercy Sunday.

To the young people outsidehis window he said: ‘I havesearched for you, and now youhave come to me.’ The greatapostle of God’s mercy hadgone to heaven.

Next year, on the 30thanniversary of the first WorldYouth Day, we will celebrateKrakow 2016. This city in theheart of reconciled Poland wasthe place from which John Paulwas called to Rome. We willalso celebrate in the midst ofPope Francis’ ‘Jubilee Year ofMercy’. Here, surely, is a clear

call from the Spirit for theworld to awaken once more tothe need for merciful living.The history of the last centuryand the witness of St John PaulII testify to the need for mercyand reconciliation in the face ofdestruction and division. Theyoung adults of our Dioceseare called by the same Spiritnot only to become disciples ofWorld Youth Day, but to opentheir hearts to the Gospel ofsalvation: to become, like St John Paul II, the apostles ofmercy in our own time andplace.

The History of World Youth Day

Karol Wojtyła, who would become Pope St John Paul II,

lived in the tumultuous heart of 20th century history.

As a Pole, he endured not only the Nazi occupation of

his homeland, but also the resulting terror of the war.

Liberation came, but the country quickly found itself in

the grip of another brutal regime. The Communists

were determined to wipe God and the historic Catholic

faith from the life and culture of Poland. Karol studied

in a clandestine seminary and became part of the

cultural resistance in the form of the ‘Rhapsodic

Theatre’. He was ordained secretly and later, as

Archbishop of Krakow, led the people of Nowa Huta to

assert their inherent dignity as the children of God. He

was a man who, through his deep experience of life and

leadership, knew the essential need to preach the

Gospel of mercy. At the same time, Poland witnessed

the spread of devotion to God’s mercy through the

message of St Faustina. Europe had become a continent

in need of reconciliation and faith.

Youth Westminster Record | August 2015

After our mission week inŁódź, on Monday 25 July wehead south to Krakow forWorld Youth Day, staying instudent halls, a short distancefrom the main square.

Tuesday sees the openingceremony, with over a millionyoung people and the bishop ofthe host city, ArchbishopStanisław Dziwisz.

There will be tremendousvariety in banners, flags andmusic: a joyful and colourfulexperience.

From Wednesday to Friday,we’ll journey each morning to acatechesis session in English.We shall be mingling withAmericans, Canadians, Aussiesand other English-speakingpilgrims – this is always greatfun and an opportunity to showoff our British flags.

The afternoons offer anopportunity to visit a range of

The ProgrammeTuesday 26 JulyMorning: Official welcometo pilgrims Afternoon: OpeningceremonyEvening: Shows, music,prayer and reconciliationopportunitiesWednesday 27 JulyMorning: Catecheticalsessions with participatingbishopsAfternoon: Shows, music,prayer and reconciliationopportunitiesEvening: Shows, music,prayer and reconciliationopportunitiesThursday 28 JulyMorning: Catecheticalsessions with participatingbishopsAfternoon: Arrival of thePope and welcomingaddressEvening: Shows, music,prayer and reconciliationopportunitiesFriday 29 JulyMorning: Catecheticalsessions with participatingbishopsAfternoon: Shows, music,prayer and reconciliationopportunitiesEvening: Stations of theCrossSaturday 30 JulyMorning: Walkingpilgrimage to vigil siteAfternoon: Shows, music,prayer and reconciliationopportunitiesEvening: Evening vigilSunday 31 JulyMorning: Final Mass andclosing ceremony

spiritual, cultural and musicalevents across the city and towitness to our faith withpilgrims from around theworld.

On Thursday afternoonwe’ll welcome Pope Francis.The arrival of the Holy Father isan event in itself, broadcast onlarge screens tracking hisjourney to the sanctuary. Therewill be a growing sense ofanticipation among us and arealisation of the immensity ofthe event.

Friday brings Stations of theCross on a scale that is trulyhard to imagine. It’s awonderful experience and canhelp us contemplate and reflecton our journey thus far.

Now the very essence ofWorld Youth Day and our timewith the Lord is close at hand.The Vigil on Saturday eveningis a special time and the reason

that we have journeyed from allover the world.

From dedicated startingpoints across Krakow, we makeour way to the vigil on foot.Generally this is a pilgrimage ofaround ten kilometres, arrivingat the site with our sleepingbags, where many millions ofyoung people begin to fill thearea, a truly staggering sightwhich must be experienced inperson to be fully appreciated.

The vigil with the HolyFather begins at dusk, beforewe sleep in the open onSaturday night. As pilgrimsgradually fall asleep, a sense ofpeace descends; and, then a fewhours later with the sunrise, theenergy returns as everyonebegins to wake up.

On Sunday we have thefinal Mass with Pope Francis asWorld Youth Day comes to anend. He will provide us with

words to ponder, to take awayand to put into action as wereturn home.

Sunday afternoon sees usstart our journey back to ourfamilies, both charged up andtired out, refreshed in spirit andset to ‘make disciples of allnations!’

Krakow Awaits You

Pilgrimage Options: The fulltwo-week pilgrimage from 18 July to 31 July, includingmission week in Lodz, isoffered to young people 16 to35 years of age, at a cost of£750, which includes travel,accommodation, meals andall WYD passes. A one-weekoption from 25 July to 31 Julyfor pilgrims over 18 years ofage is offered at £675.For full details and bookingforms, please visitwww.dowym.com or [email protected]



YouthWestminster Record | August 2015

I went to World Youth Day in1991 in the shrine town ofCzęstochowa in Poland, StJohn Paul II’s home country. Re-visiting grainy video footage allthese years on made me realize

what an enormous impact ithad on me. I can remember thesmell of the damp grass onwhich we’d spent the night inour sleeping bags, bottles ofwater handed out on an August

morning and the overwhelmingsense of suddenly beingconnected to a Church whichstretched tens of thousands ofmiles from the doorstep of myown parish back in Leicester.

World Youth Day is anincredible opportunity tojourney to a different part of theworld and discover a differentpart of your identity.

I love pilgrimages. Afterhaving been on a few, I’ve notonly seen how unique each ofthem is, and how they can touchyou in a very different way, butthese experiences have helpedme see how World Youth Daycan surpass them all.

There is so much energyaround it. You feel that extradesire to share and be proud ofyour faith and the country youcome from or live in. There is thechance to learn about differentplaces by speaking with otheryoung people coming from allaround the world, to witnesshow in spite of the many culturaldifferences we may have, we are

all one, rejoicing in our faith inJesus Christ.

WYD starts from the momentyou decide to make thepilgrimage, but does not endwhen you return. It’s not just afew days’ journey; you continuethe celebration once you’re backhome. You get to share yourexperience with your family,friends, your new friends onsocial media, your parish and,more than anything, in yourrenewed relationship with God.

Rio 2013 was two years agoand I still feel in my heart themission that was entrusted tome, and to the other threemillion young people that weregathered on Copacabana beach,when Pope Francis said to us:‘This is just the beginning, goand make disciples of allnations!’





Revisiting Poland’s World Youth Day Legacy

By Julie Etchingham

I was sent to Poland at theage of 21 as a media officer formy parish and for the Diocese ofNottingham. We’d travelled bycoach across the bumpy roads ofEastern Europe, but the welcomewe received in the homes westayed in couldn’t have beenwarmer.

The trip was one ofextraordinary highs and lows.Apart from the final Mass itself,my most enduring memorieswere of the visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau. Its horrors were stillpart of the living memories in allof the Polish families: a room fullof shoes left from the industrialdestruction of Jewish children, aroom full of the human hairshorn from the victims of the gaschambers, a room full ofprosthetic limbs and crutchestorn from those deemed notworthy of life. All were kept insilent witness.

The human and politicalscars left as its dreadful legacywere still raw, but the joyfulgathering of young people from

across the globe surely formeda small part of healing thepolitical divisions which hadmarred the 20th century. APolish friend of mine who nowlives in London tells me of herfriend who met his French wifeat the Mass in Częstochowa.That’s just one small exampleof how West embraced East onthat August day.

Over twenty years later,meeting a new generation ofmedia officers as they preparedfor World Youth Day, I realizethat they are living in anenviably different world. Theycan spread the word in aninstant: to capture anatmosphere, share a thought,chat to friends back home, allright from the heart of thecrowd. It’s a long way from thatblurred and juddering footageof 1991.

Julie Etchingham is a journalistand reporter for ITN News. Shecan be seen anchoring the News at10 on ITV 1 during the week.

By Anel Zuniga

In the Shadow of Christ the Redeemer: Memories of RioBy Simeon from Blackburn

In the year prior to WYD 2013, I had begun a journey ofdiscovery into the CatholicChurch, which has shown methe love of Jesus and the graceof God in the Sacraments andhas drawn me closer to Him. Infinding these foundations inJesus’ life and teaching I knewthat I had found my home.

As this journey of discoverywas unfolding I heard aboutWorld Youth Day less than twomonths before it started. I felt atremendous fear about venturinginto the unknown, but anunshakeable and compelling callfrom God to go; so I went toBrazil with the WestminsterYouth Ministry.

To celebrate the faith withlike-minded people with a realpassion for Christ was ablessing. It was at WYD that Irealised that, although you canfeel desperately alone in yourfaith as a young person,surrounded by prevailingsecularism, you are not in factalone. There are millions ofyoung people who share the joyof the faith. This was theencouragement I needed tocontinue on my own pilgrimageof faith.

The atmosphere was electric,filled with happiness,enthusiasm, friendship andunity in Christ despite culturaland linguistic differences. Myfondest memory is of prayingthe Our Father and Hail Marywith Pope Francis and over 3million people in differentearthly languages but onespiritual language. I knew Godwas with us in this moment.Previously when I had prayedthese prayers at home I felt aloneand questioned whether Godwas really hearing me; nowwhen I say these prayers I ambrought back to Copacabanabeach and hear the echoes of the3.8 million pilgrims praying andI am certain now, as I was then,of God hearing us.

To return from this ecstaticexperience to the UK wasinitially deflating and in theweeks that followed I felt sad.Phil Ross put me in contact withthe Salford Youth Group in myarea which I did not knowexisted until then. Ever since, Ihave developed new friendshipsand am actively involved in thegroup. I do not feel alone but feela great togetherness and morealive than ever before!

I am now preparing to go tothe next WYD in Poland 2016 asa leader. This is a blessing that Inever could have predicted.None of this would have beenpossible without the experienceof WYD 2013 and the help of myfriends in Westminster.

Roll on Poland 2016!

Julie meeting Pope Francis at the First Santa Marta Conference in Rome in 2014 ©Mazur/catholicnews.org.uk

Social Action Westminster Record | August 2015

Going on a cruise is theperfect holiday for somepeople. But for the chaplainswho serve on cruise ships, lifeon board can be just aschallenging and rewarding asin any parish.

Fr Peter Wilson, parishpriest of St Pius X church in StCharles Square, is one of ateam of 35 Apostleship of theSea cruise chaplains.

‘Being a cruise chaplain is aspecial experience. Peopleusually smile that knowingsmile if you tell them you havebeen chaplain on a cruise,thinking you have just been ona “jolly”,’ he says. ‘It iscertainly fun, but it is also hardwork. For the chaplain, thecrew is usually the mainpriority. They are incrediblyhardworking and usuallyforgotten about when peoplethink of a cruise.’ With shops,theatres, bars, restaurants andgyms, cruise ships usuallyrequire a crew of 1,000 or more.

The hours are demanding,Fr Peter adds. He wouldusually celebrate an earlymorning Mass for thepassengers, so they could getashore or enjoy their dayaboard ship. For the crew,Mass would have to becelebrated late at night afterthey had finished their shift.Many of the world's seafarersare Catholic and being away atsea for long periods meansthey miss the Sacraments.

‘On some ships, they onlyget to have a priest on boardoccasionally. Others are moreaccommodating and regularlyhave a priest travelling aschaplain. However, it meansevery crew has to get used to anew priest every couple ofweeks. So the ship’s own layleadership is important. Thedemands of being at sea areintense, especially for cruiseships where the passengersexpect to be constantlypampered.’

Chaplaincy on a Floating City

One of the ships Fr Peter has ministered on, the P&O Oceana, off the Italian coast

‘I was interviewed for theradio when the CostaConcordia sank in 2014, and allthe questions were about thepassengers. I tried very hard totalk about the crew, but theinterviewer was notinterested,’ Fr Peter says.

‘Their own homes, familiesand loved ones are always faraway, and out of necessity theymiss out on birthdays,anniversaries, deaths, births,and other important events.’But he is amazed at howcheerful, hard-working andcommitted to service the creware.

Ministering to passengers isdifferent. ‘Often one is alsodealing with people who arebereaved or going throughdifficult life situations. I usedto stand right at the back of theship, on the open deck, in theevenings. Invariably someonewould come up and start totalk, and open up about theirlives.’

On Monday 6 July I began mytwo-week work experiencewith Apostleship of the Sea(AoS), an environmentdiffering vastly from theroutine of Year 10 at theCardinal Vaughan MemorialSchool.

I soon realised that AoS isnot as small as I had firstthought, working diligently tohelp all those working at oraround the sea, be it seafarers

Experiencing the Nautical Missionor port workers. It seeks toensure that all are allowed theirbasic rights and are given theirbasic needs: food, water, salary,and protection from abuseand/or exploitation.

As well as this, AoS tries toprovide seafarers with theopportunity to attend Mass bysending port chaplains onboard ships: a comfort and areminder of home.

On my second day I was

taken to see the InternationalMaritime Organization (IMO),a highly-valued branch of theUnited Nations.

While this was interestingin itself, I soon discovered themagnitude of the scope of AoSin the affairs of the sea: rangingfrom piracy to the withholdingof the salaries of seafarers, thisagency of the Catholic Churchis also instrumental inresolving maritime issues,which was another surprise.

On a more personal level,these past two weeks haveopened up my understandingof my Catholic faith, whichpreviously consisted of goingto weekly Mass.

While I have always beenaware of the work of theCatholic Church in countriesaround the world, onlyrecently has the dependenceupon communities of faithcome into focus for me. AsChristians, it is our duty to aidthose less fortunate thanourselves, and I fully believethat AoS is a model of thisvocation. Max at the helm of the MV Arklow Raven in Ipswich

By Max Charlton



Social ActionWestminster Record | August 2015

Caritas Celebrates AllGifts Mass in Finchley

On Sunday 5 July CaritasWestminster celebrated thegifts of all people with aspecial Mass at St Mary’s, EastFinchley. This broughttogether the parishcongregation, friends from theSaturday Clubs, and familiesfrom Caritas St Joseph’s.

In his homily, Parish PriestFr Terry Tastard unveiled a newaltar cloth made both bymembers of the parish youthgroup and of the Saturday Clubin Arnos Grove. Participantshad decorated the cloth withtheir names and outlines oftheir hands.

Fr Terry reflected on theseimages of hands, noting that it

is with our hands that we helpeach other to recognise ouruniqueness, and how thegreatest hand of all, that ofChrist, offers the greatest helpwe can receive. After his homilyFr Terry invited people tospread the message with ahandshake: ‘Jesus says to youtoday, be strong in me’.

After the Mass allparishioners were invited toadd the outlines of their handsto the new altar cloth, so thateveryone in the parish isincluded in the new artwork,providing a fuller expression ofthe parish’s character.

On 7 July Caritas Westminsterhosted an end-of-term teaparty to celebrate the hardwork local primary schoolstaff have put in to make ourbreakfast clubs so successful.

Together with MagicBreakfast, Caritas has beensupporting clubs in fiveprimary schools in the Diocesesince 2012. Magic Breakfastwas set up to address thegrowing problem of childrenarriving at school too hungryto learn. To make sure they getthe best out of their education,the charity aims to provide freeand healthy breakfasts inschools where over 35% ofpupils are on free school meals.

Caritas and Magic BreakfastThank Primary Schools

London: The Scandal of the Capital’s HungerBuilding on their ongoing relationship in the East London Hub,Caritas Westminster and the Hurtado Jesuit Centre hosted aroundtable discussion as to why London, a global, economicpowerhouse, is a city where people still can go hungry.

Professor John May from the University of London opened theevening and spoke about the ongoing research into reasons for thegrowing number of foodbank users, the most prevalent beingdelays or changes to people’s benefits. Knowing the reason behindtheir use, Professor May stressed, is key as their root causes maylie beyond addressing hunger.

With focus on a local level, Fr Michael Dunne described hisexperience of the Bow Foodbank, highlighting the strength of theinterfaith community group that runs it and their warm welcometo those who use it. When it opened in March 2014, 20 peoplewere coming weekly. Now they see 90 to 100 per week, showingthe acute need in the community.

The need for Catholics to address the issue facing London wasreflected on by Fr John Moffatt, who explained how the ‘UniversalDestination of Goods’ in Catholic Social Thinking is a powerfulreminder against indifference to global injustices and inequalitieswhere some do not have enough to eat.

Thus far, the charity hasensured that 223 primaryschool children nationwide arereceiving a nourishing start tothe day.

The clubs would not bepossible without the hard workand dedication of the staff ateach primary school thatCaritas works with. The teaparty was an opportunity forCaritas and Magic Breakfasttogether to say a personalthank you to all the staff andvolunteers.



Social Action Westminster Record | August 2015

CAFOD Thanks Supporters for Nepal ReliefThe earthquakes which struckNepal on 25 April and 12 May,of 7.8 and 7.3 magnituderespectively, were the worst tohit the country in some years,damaging both major cities andrural areas and causing at least8,700 deaths. The earthquakeswere followed by monsoonrains, making the provision ofrelief to the most affected areaseven more difficult.

CAFOD has been workingalongside the rest of the CaritasInternational network to supportCaritas Nepal. Together theyhave helped deliver aid to over290,000 people in the form offood, shelter kits and emergencysupplies, as well as providingassessment and expertise onwater, sanitation and hygienemanagement. All of this has beenmade possible by the generosityof Catholics in England andWales who have donated over£3.3 million to the appeal.CAFOD is also working with 12other British aid agencies as partof the Disasters EmergencyCommittee (DEC) which haslaunched a joint appeal andraised over £73 million.

Thank you so much toeveryone who has donated thusfar, with particular thanks tothe students of Douay MartyrsSchool in Uxbridge who raised£2,120. If you would like to findout more about the situationand how you can help, pleasevisit www.cafod.org.uk.

St Benedict’s students inEaling have also beenfundraising, raising £1,345 forKidasha, a development charitydedicated to helping vulnerableand disadvantaged childrenand young people in Nepal.They created a ‘Tree of Money’which was filled with coins onthe floor of the Cloisters Hall.

Holy Rood Parish WatfordEmbraces Love in ActionThroughout June and July,Caritas Westminster embarkedon a trial of a new social actioninitiative, Love in Action. HolyRood Parish, Watford, is thefirst to run the project,designed to give parishioners adeeper understanding ofCatholic Social Teaching (CST)and to demonstrate theimportance of social action atthe parish level. St Anthony’sand Holy Rood Primary schoolshave also been taking part inthis new initiative.

Danny Curtin, a co-author ofthe project’s materials, explains:‘Love in Action brings togetherthe experience and generosity ofso many different people andorganisations within the Church.It has been a long time in themaking, but now is a great timeto be running it. The call of PopeFrancis to step forward in loveas a Catholic community is atthe heart of Love in Action. Theproject will help parishes andschools to discover some of theoften hidden treasures of theChurch’s teaching. It can inspire,equip and support our social

action, helping us to live ourfaith in the world and to beChrist’s presence in our localcommunities.’

Holy Rood Parish beganLove in Action on Pentecost,when parishioners wereintroduced to the aims of theproject. Over the following sixweeks parishioners explored sixthemes of CST. These themeswere taken up in the liturgy,parish groups, and materials forprivate or familycontemplation. Parishionerswere asked to think about howthese principles reflected theirown experiences, and in whatways social barriers might bechallenged through the parish.In the primary schools, childrenalso explored the themesthrough assemblies, RE classesand school displays. Materialswere provided by CaritasWestminster, but the project isbeing delivered by a dedicatedteam within the parish itselfand through staff at bothschools.

In Holy Rood Parish, the sixweeks of CST culminated in

two well-attended parishworkshops, where theprinciples were explored inmore depth. Parishionersformed groups to discussprinciples of charity and justice,and made many suggestions asto how a parish could respondin the community. These ideaswill be taken forward to aparish planning session inSeptember, which will followan exhibition to raise awarenessof existing social actioninitiatives within the parish.

Edward de Quay, theDevelopment Worker forCaritas Westminster’sHertfordshire hub, said: ‘We’rethrilled by how warmlyreceived Love in Action has beenboth in the parish and in theschools. The enthusiasm andpositivity of everyone involvedhas been great to see, and I lookforward to supporting thisproject going forward.’

For more information abouthow to use Love in Action or runthe programme in your parish,please contact via email:[email protected].

© CAFOD




Following the launch of PopeFrancis’ encyclical Laudato Si’,around 60 individuals fromparishes across Hertfordshiregathered at Our Lady, Queenof Apostles Church, WelwynGarden City, on 1 July for theFast for the Climate event.

Parish priest Fr NorbertFernandes, pictured above,

opened the event, questioningparticipants who wererepresenting different countrieson how climate change affectstheir country. Cesar MarmolejoMorales spoke about hisMexican hometown ofMichoacan, the ‘world centrefor avocados’. The town is avictim of its own success afterforests were cut down to makeway for the crops following anincrease in demand. However,the consequences proved to bebitter when rainwater was notretained and temperaturesrapidly increased.

Head girl at Loreto College,Ama Owusu Afriyeh, picturedright, represented Africa andexpressed a deep concern atthe lack of rainfall in the Saheland the devastatingconsequences this brings tosurrounding countries.

The group also heard from

Social Action

Anne Chappell who spokeabout North America, whichonce was the biggestcontributor to greenhouse gasemissions, but has made thebiggest effort to cut downemissions. China is nowconsidered the biggest culpritfor a rise in greenhouse gases.The Focolare group then wenton to state that Europe wasadditionally a great contributorto the problem with 25% oftoxic gases coming from homeemissions and 23% fromtransport, suggesting thisproblem needed to beaddressed on all levels:personal, national andinternational.

Mike Cade, who representedNew Zealand and Australia,revealed how many in his partof the world deny responsibilityfor climate change, claimingtheir small population does notcause great consequences.

However, both New Zealandand Australia are hugeproducers of methane gas,which has proved to be moretoxic and powerful than CO2by a factor of 28, showing thateven countries with smallpopulations are capable ofcausing an effect.

The event was followed by acelebratory meal with foodfrom around the world andmusic from Sister Gill of theDaughters of the Cross of Liegefrom Much Hadham.

Welwyn GC Fasts for the Climate

© CAFOD © CAFOD

ForthcomingJ&P Events29-31 August: Cycling Pilgrimageto Paris Stage 1; Cycle from London(Westminster Cathedral) toNewhaven, stopping at parishes onthe way to raise awareness of theurgent need for action on ClimateChange ahead of the UN ParisClimate talks.

7 November: Annual Justiceand Peace Day. Why are theParis Talks Important? A StudyDay on Climate Change withColumban theologian Fr SeanMcDonagh.

For more information on anyJustice and Peace events, pleaseemail: [email protected]



Westminster Record | August 2015Vocations

On 27 June, the feast of StJohn Southworth, Frs BillBowder, David Burke, CyrilChiaha, Daniel Humphreysand David Lucuy wereordained Priests for theDiocese by Cardinal Vincent.

Also assisting wereCardinal Cormac, BishopsNicholas Hudson and MarkJabalé OSB (Emeritus ofMenevia), Fr Roger Taylor,Rector of Allen Hall Seminary,Mgr Roderick Strange, Rectorof the Beda College in Rome,and over 100 Priests of theDiocese.

Cardinal Vincent began hishomily by noting that it was aday rich in gifts, given andreceived. He spoke of the giftof the priesthood to each of themen saying: 'Through this giftwe are kept bound to Christ, inbonds of love which alone canbring us to the fulfilment oflife, our salvation, for whichwe have been created.’

Recalling the gift of thelives of Cardinals Wisemanand Manning and of St JohnSouthworth, he remarked thatall were men who incurredgreat loss in fulfilling theirministry and are shiningexamples of 'what it is to be amissionary priest'.

In contrast, he also spoke ofthe joys of priesthood, quotinga young priest recentlyordained who reported that hewas 'overwhelmed at times bythe deep love and respect thatour people have for us aspriests'.

Cardinal Vincent explainedit thus: 'We are loved, we arecriticised, because, like thosewho have gone before, we areCatholic priests. We wear thevestments and the collar withpride in Christ Jesus, whoseheralds we are.'

He enjoined the men beingordained always to 'be readywith open hearts; to giveyourselves entirely to theLord; to receive these greatgifts of Sacred Priesthood fromthe Lord Himself; to see thepath ahead as one of trueservice, bearing all for love of

Five Men Ordained to the Priesthood

©Mazur/catholicnews.org.uk

Mgr Miles Marks 65Years of Priesthood

Him, striving always to do Hiswork, through Word,Sacrament and mercifulpastoral care and therebyrejoicing always in this callingwhich is your hearts' desireand your greatest joy'.

Fr Bill Bowder will serve asAssistant Priest in Highbury;Fr David Burke will serve asAssistant Priest in Burnt Oak;Fr Cyril Chiaha will serve asAssistant Priest in Enfield; FrDaniel Humphreys will serveas Assistant Priest at Our Ladyof Victories, Kensington; andFr David Lucuy will serve asAssistant Priest in Islington.

Please pray for all thesemen as they take up theirministry.

Mgr Freddie Miles celebrated65 years of Priesthood on thefeast of Our Lady of MountCarmel, 16 July.

Cardinal Vincent was theprincipal celebrant at theThanksgiving Mass for MgrFreddie in the Chapel at StPeter’s Residence in Vauxhall.Reflecting in his homily on themomentous occasion of this BlueSapphire Jubilee, the Cardinalsaid that only one event wasmore important in the history ofthe Residence: Pope Benedict’shistoric visit in 2010!

At the end of Mass, in

recognition of this significantJubilee, Mgr Freddie waspresented with a Papal Blessing.

Ordained in 1950 by CardinalGriffin at St Edmund’s College,Ware, Mgr Freddie has servedunder six Cardinals, includingserving as Private Secretary toCardinals Heenan and Humebetween 1966-1977. For 22 yearssubsequently he was Rector of StJames Church, Spanish Place.Such is the affection and esteemin which he is held that manypriests, former parishioners,friends and family joined thecelebration.

Peace and Joy ForDeacon Guido AmariOn 12 July at the Church of Our Lady of Snows in Palazzola, Italy,Guido Amari was ordained to the Diaconate along with five of otherseminarians from the Venerable English College in Rome. He writes:‘The Ordination was a powerful experience after all these years offormation. It was a great joy that the Mass was celebrated by thenew Bishop of Salford, and our former Westminster Auxiliary,Bishop John Arnold. One moment which particularly struck mewas when, immediately after ordaining us, the Bishop gave thenewly-ordained Deacons the Kiss of Peace and then the otherDeacons did the same. This is a simple sign at the beginning ofone’s ordained life, an affirmation that, as an ordained minister,one will be sustained and supported by the brethren of the dioceseand the people of God whom we shall strive to serve. The Kiss ofPeace is a sign that we must always seek to encourage each otherand, through the help of God, play our part together in buildingthe Kingdom of God. It was a beautiful moment which I will always treasure.’



VocationsWestminster Record | August 2015

Hemel Dominicans CelebratedOn 27 June parishioners fromthe Hemel Hempstead parishescame together in the Church ofSt Mary and St Joseph tocelebrate the work of the localDominican Sisters through 60years of their presence in theirconvent at Boxmoor.

Parishioners were joined bymore than 20 of the Sisters forthe Mass celebrated by BishopJohn Sherrington. Both BishopJohn and Parish Priest, Fr JohnByrne, paid tribute to theoutstanding work of the Sistersin our Catholic Schools, in parishpastoral work and in thehospitality extended by theconvent as a venue for so manyactivities.

Sr Ann, the Congregation’sPrioress, responded saying howvery difficult, though necessary,the decision to close the conventhad been, and acknowledged thegreat resulting sadness felt byboth Sisters and parishioners.However, she added that boththe Sisters as well asparishioners had gained somuch during this period andwas sure that the many stronglinks and friendships wouldcontinue for years to come.

The Sisters then joinedparishioners in a very packedparish centre for refreshmentsand a chance to catch up withnews. It was wonderful to seethe hall so alive withconversation and laughter.

Diaconate Vows Renewed and Lectorate Conferred

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

Benedictine Ordinationat Ealing Abbey

On 4 July Cardinal Vincentordained Dom AmbroseMcCambridge OSB to thePriesthood at Ealing Abbey.

In his homily CardinalVincent said to Dom Ambrosethat he is 'called to continue thisgreat tradition of monasticevangelisation, to contributerichly to the missionaryoutreach of this parish'.

Recalling the Lord'sthreefold question to St Peter,the Cardinal said that Jesusasked the question of him, DomAmbrose, 'because He wishes togrant you countlessopportunities to profess yourdeepest love for Him, eventhough you may be painfully

aware of many moments ofbetrayal. By letting you exclaimyour love for Him, yourwillingness to hand yourselfover to Him unreservedly, Jesusopens wide your heart to themission He gives you as Hispriest: "Feed my sheep".'

Continuing his address, henoted that: 'it will now fall toyou to feed the Lord’s sheep byyour prayer, by your preachingand by the Sacraments youcelebrate. Celebrate them withthat special Benedictinesensitivity to the SacredLiturgy’s power to proclaim thepresence of the Risen Lord andto draw us into a relationshipwith Him.’

Each year Cardinal Vincentinvites the Permanent Deaconsof the Diocese to meet him andto share our top threepriorities.

After the meeting on 18 July,the Cardinal celebrated theMass of Renewal in theCathedral, during which heasked the Deacons a number ofquestions adapted from the Rite

for Diaconal Ordination. Inresponse, we reaffirmed ourcommitment ‘to be faithfulministers of the mysteries ofGod, to assist at the Eucharistand other liturgical serviceswith sincere devotion’, and ‘toproclaim the Gospel of Christ’.

In his homily the Cardinalspoke about the Deacons’witness to a culture of service

and the need to ask: ‘What canI give, as opposed to theprevalent culture of rightswhich asks, what can I get?’There are currently 18ordained Permanent Deaconsin Westminster, with a furthereight men now in formation.

Three of these men receivedthe Ministry of Lector at aMass at Our Lady and

St Michael’s, Garston, on 12 July celebrated by BishopJohn Sherrington with Fr David Barrow, the ParishPriest.

Of the newly-institutedLectors, Paul Quinn fromGarston is a school governor,Liam Lynch is school chaplainat St Joan of Arc,Rickmansworth, whilst

Jeremy Yates from Mile Endparish is an astrophysicist.

The Ministry of Lector isconferred when a man hascompleted his first year offormation for the PermanentDiaconate. He will receive theMinistry of Acolyte at the endof the second year and then beordained deacon at the end ofthe third year.

By Deacon Anthony Clark




Saints & Obituaries Westminster Record | August 2015

St Maximilian Kolbe: 14 AugustSt Maximilian has an unusualdistinction, in having beenbeatified as a Confessor of theFaith, but then canonized as aMartyr. This stems from thewell-known story of his deathin 1941 in the concentrationcamp at Auschwitz. After someprisoners had escaped and todeter future attempts, ten menwere taken at random andcondemned to be starved todeath. When one of them,Franciszek Gajowniczek,begged mercy on account ofhis wife and children, Fr Maximilian offered to takehis place and the campauthorities accepted him as areplacement. We understandthat the deprivation of foodand drink continued for afortnight, until only the saintwas left alive, at which pointhe was given a lethal injection.

Blessed Pope Paul VIpresided over St Maximilian’sbeatification in 1971, when hereferred to him as a Confessorand a ‘martyr of charity’, sincehis death was not broughtabout primarily out of hatredfor the Christian faith. Elevenyears later, though, Pope St John Paul II canonized St Maximilian expressly as aMartyr, since he understoodthat the Nazi ideology, with itsintention to exterminate wholeethnic and social groups, wasinherently anti-religious and inopposition to the worth ofevery human being in the eyesof God.

The saint’s remains werecremated on the following day,the Solemnity of Our Lady’sAssumption. There is awonderful appropriateness in

In Memoriam: August1 Fr Richard Johnson (1992)

Fr Ignatius Tonna (1993)2 Fr Thomas Stack (1984)

Fr Michael Archer (2014)3 Mgr Canon John Mostyn (1981)5 Fr William Lynagh (1977)

Fr Alan Fudge (2011)9 Fr John Greene (1980)11 Fr Laurence Allan (1981)

Fr Guy Martin Heal (2009)12 Fr Roderick Cuming (1981)

Fr Wilfrid Soggee (1990)Fr Joseph Finnegan (2002)Fr John Milne (2001)Fr John D’Arcy Dutton (2013)

14 Fr Philip Dwerryhouse (1986)15 Fr John Adam (1979)

Fr Bernard Mortimore (1980)16 Canon Denis O’Sullivan (1983)

Fr Peter Latham (2005)19 Canon George Davey (1986)

Fr Leslie Cole (1997)20 Cardinal Bernard Griffin (1956)

Fr Joseph McVeigh (1977)Fr Desmond Mullin (1988)

21 Fr Percival Fielden (1990)Fr Edward Houghton (2009)

24 Fr Patrick Cassidy (2007)25 Fr James Gunston (1972)

Mgr Canon Herbert Haines(2004)

26 Fr Thomas Kilcoyne (1972)Fr Peter Keenan (1984)

27 Mgr John Coonan (1979)29 Fr Edward Fowler (1973)

Fr Michael Lynam (1984)31 Fr William Rees (1984)

Canon Maurice O’Leary (1997)

Pilgrimage of Reparation andPrayer for the Sanctity of LifeBishop Philip Egan will lead the pilgrimage in Walsingham onSunday 27 September commencing at 12 noon with PilgrimMass in the Chapel of Reconciliation celebrated by Fr JeremyDavies. For more information please visitwww.prolifepilgrimage.org or call 01858 571242.

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

this, since St Maximilian’sapostolate had lain largely inpromoting devotion to theImmaculate Heart of Mary.From the age of 12 he haddeveloped a deep venerationfor the Mother of God. Born in1894, both he and his elderbrother joined the ConventualFranciscans and Maximiliantook the additional name ofMaria when he made his finalprofession as a Friar in 1914.After ordination to thepriesthood in 1918 he served invarious teaching capacities,whilst also engaged inpublishing and in founding anew monastery. The years from1930 onwards saw him in EastAsia, where his efforts met withvaried success; time spent inChina apparently bore littlefruit, whilst he succeeded infounding a monastery whichstill thrives in Japan. India sawanother monastic foundation,which did not last. Publicationsand then broadcasting didcontinue, however, when ill-health forced his return toPoland in 1936.

The outbreak of war led tothe Franciscans offering aid tothe needy and they were able toprovide shelter to a significantnumber of Jews. St Maximilianhimself was offered specialprivileges, as his father wasethnically German, but herefused these. In his youngeryears as a Friar he had feltcompelled to fight forcefully forthe rights of the Church againstthose perceived to be herenemies, Freemasons andCommunists prominent amongthem; now his understandingseems to have evolved into a

Free Catholic Tours‘Saints and Scholars’ walkfirst Sunday of the month,including Mass.

Contact Peter on 07913 904997

or circlingthesquaretours@

hotmail.co.uk.

more profound appreciation ofthe need for human solidarityin the face of the evil revealedin the war. It was thatrecognition of the face of Christin others that led to his offering

of himself for the life of another.We praise God rightly for St Maximilian’s witness and askthe prayers of ‘the patron saintof our difficult century’ (St JohnPaul II).



SUNDAYSTaizé at St James, Piccadilly W1J 9LLevery third Sunday 5pm. Call 020 7503 5128 for details. Tyburn Benedictines MonasticafternoonEvery first Sunday 2-5pm Martyrs’Crypt, Tyburn Convent, 8 Hyde Park Place W2 2LJ. Westminster Cathedral YoungAdults meet socially after the 7pmMass on Sundays and then at thenearby Windsor Castle pub. For further details please contact:[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 Gower StreetWC1E 6AR. Details 020 7387 6370.Prayers for London at the Shrine ofOur Lady of Willesden Tuesdays7.30pm. Organised by the Guild ofOur Lady of Willesden, Nicoll RoadNW10 9AX.Vocations Prayer GroupSecond Tuesday of the month 8pmat 47C Gaisford Street NW5 2EB.Taizé at St James’, Spanish Place,W1U 3UY every first Tuesday of themonth at 7pm. Email:[email protected] or just comealong. WEDNESDAYSWednesdays on the Wall (WOTW)Every first Wednesday 6pm at AllHallows on the Wall, 83 London Wall EC2M 5ND. A short service of prayer andreflection at 6pm, coffee at 6.45pmfollowed by discussion.Corpus Christi ContemplativePrayer Group for Young AdultsWednesdays from 7pm at CorpusChristi, Maiden Lane WC2E 7NB.For further details please [email protected].

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

Westminster Record | August 2015 Events & Calendar

Prayer Groups

Praying with Pope Francis - August 2015Universal Intention: Volunteers - That volunteers may givethemselves generously to the service of the needy.For Evangelisation: Outreach to the marginalised - That settingaside our very selves we may learn to be neighbours to thosewho find themselves on the margins of human life and society.

Evangelisation Prayer Group foryoung adults meets from 7pm onWednesdays at Notre Dame deFrance, 5 Leicester Place WC2H 7BX.For further details please contactArmel at [email protected] Lady, Untier of Knots, PrayerGroup of Intercession meets everythird Wednesday at St Anselm & St Cecilia, Lincoln’s Inn Fields.Parish Mass at 6pm followed byPrayer Group until 8.45pm. Rosary,Adoration, Silent prayer and DivineMercy Chaplet. Email: Antonia [email protected].

THURSDAYSJesus Christ the Fullness of LifeEvery first Thursday of the month.Young adults from all Christiandenominations pray and share ameal. Details www.jcfl.org.uk.Soul Food A Catholic charismaticprayer group for young adultsmeets Thursdays 7-9pm at St Charles Borromeo, Ogle Street W1W 6HS. Details atwww.soulfoodgroup.org.St John Paul II Prayer Group Everysecond Thursday of the month 7-8pm, Mass, Adoration and Prayerat Corpus Christi, Maiden LaneWC2E 7NB.

FRIDAYSAssociation of Divorced and Separated CatholicsEvery third Friday of the month. All divorced and separatedCatholics are welcome. Call Frank or Christine on 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 Cathedral CharismaticPrayer Group meet every Friday7.30pm Prayer, Praise and Teaching.First Friday is a healing Mass. Fordetails, please call 020 8748 2632.

SATURDAYSTaizé at Notre Dame de France5 Leicester Place WC2H 7BX at7.15pm. Call 020 7437 9363.

Liturgical Calendar - August1 Sat St Alphonsus Liguori, Bishop & Doctor

2 Sun + 18th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME3 Mon feria, Eighteenth Week of Year 1

4 Tue St John Vianney, Priest

5 Wed feria or The Dedication of the Basilica of St Mary Major

6 Thu THE TRANSFIGURATION OF THE LORD

7 Fri feria or St Sixtus II, Pope, and Companions, Martyrs or St Cajetan, Priest; Friday abstinence

8 Sat St Dominic, Priest

9 Sun + 19th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME10 Mon ST LAWRENCE, Deacon & Martyr11 Tue St Clare, Virgin12 Wed feria, Nineteenth Week of Year 1 or St Jane Frances de

Chantal, Religious

13 Thu feria or Sts Pontian, Pope, and Hippolytus, Priest, Martyrs

14 Fri St Maximilian Mary Koble, Priest & Martyr; Friday abstinence

15 Sat feria or Blessed Virgin Mary on Saturday16 Sun + THE ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

17 Mon feria, Twentieth Week of Year 1

18 Tue feria19 Wed feria or St John Eudes, Priest20 Thu St Bernard, Abbot & Doctor21 Fri St Pius X, Pope; Friday abstinence

22 Sat The Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary

23 Sun + 21st SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

24 Mon ST BARTHOLOMEW, Apostle

25 Tue feria, Twenty-First Week of Year 1 or St Louis or St Joseph Calasanz, Priest

26 Wed feria or Blessed Dominic of the Mother of God, Priest

27 Thu St Monica

28 Fri St Augustine, Bishop & Doctor; Friday abstinence

29 Sat The Passion of St John the Baptist

30 Sun + 22nd SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

31 Mon feria, Twenty-Second Week of Year 1 or St Aidan, Bishop, and the Saints of Lindisfarne

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 Fridayonly. 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.

For more events from around the diocese throughoutthe month, please see www.rcdow.org.uk

Available from the first Sunday bi-monthly, the magazine is designed tobe read by Catholics of all ages who want to immerse themselves intothe history and present culture of their religion. The August/September edition is now on sale in your parish church.

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PRINTED Subscription.Six issues - Price £21.00 includes P&P.Single issues £3.50 + £1 P&P.To subscribe or to order single issues telephone 0161 908 5301.You can also order back issues at discounted prices.

Sing Well and Pray Twice A day of music and prayer withinternational composer Christopher Walker on 29 August from10am until 4pm at St Augustine’s Church, Hammersmith.Workshop, Celebration of Mass & Lunch. Individuals & Parishgroups welcome. Advance booking is required: 020 8748 3788.



Tradition

A century and a half ago, on 25August 1865, Arthur Hinsley wasborn at Carlton, near Selby inYorkshire. He would laterbecome the fifth Archbishop ofWestminster and a much-lovedreligious leader.

At the time of his birth HenryEdward Manning had recentlybeen appointed as Archbishop ofWestminster and Hinsley’s ownparish priest, Canon GeorgeHeptonstall, had been acontemporary of CardinalWiseman’s as a seminarian. Thislittle baby would lead the Churchin very different times, whenGerman planes bombed London.

It was to the English College,Rome, that Hinsley went to studyfor the Priesthood. Ordained in1893, he taught at Ushaw andfounded St Bede’s GrammarSchool, Leeds (now St Bede’s andSt Joseph’s Catholic College).However, it seems that variousdisagreements led him to seekincardination within the Dioceseof Southwark, where he became aclose associate of Bishop PeterAmigo.

Hinsley became Rector of theVenerable English College, Rome,in 1917, doing much to solve itsfinancial problems and inspirehigh standards among thestudents. It led to the oft-repeatedquip that to become an Englishbishop you had to be male,celibate and an old boy of theCollege – the first two could bedispensed with, but not the third.

Hinsley was consecrated abishop in Rome in 1926 and

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.


On 20 and 21 July St Mary’sUniversity, Twickenham,hosted its first graduationceremony as a university inWestminster Cathedral, withover 1,000 students beingawarded degrees in Education,Humanities, Arts and Sciencesamongst other subjects. Theceremony included speechesby Cardinal Vincent Nicholsand Bishop John Sherringtonas well as Francis Campbell,Vice-Chancellor of St Mary’s.

The graduation ceremonyprovided a wonderfulopportunity to demonstrate therichness and fullness ofCatholic education. Bishop Johnfocused on this in his address tothe Education graduandssaying: ‘Catholic educationhelps students not only to beexperts in their subjects, butalso to develop amultidimensionalunderstanding of the human

Hinsley at 150

By Fr Nicholas Schofield

started work as Visitor Apostolic(and then Apostolic Delegate) toBritish Africa. His area ofresponsibility was huge, coveringabout nine million square miles,and the Church in many placeswas still in its embryonic stage.

His health declined and hereturned to Rome in 1934 to beginwhat he thought would be apeaceful and honourableretirement as a Canon of St Peter’s.Much to everyone’s surprise,however, not least his own, he wasnamed Archbishop of Westminsterin 1935 in succession to CardinalBourne. It was an astuteappointment, however, especiallygiven his long experience ofdealing with both the Vatican andthe British Government.

This proved to be invaluableduring the Second World War.Hinsley became a popular radiobroadcaster and, unusually for thetimes, worked closely with theChurch of England in crusadingagainst totalitarianism in all itsforms, perhaps most famouslythrough the ‘Sword of the Spirit’movement. Such were hiscriticisms of the Nazi regime thathe was branded a ‘Bolshevik’ and‘lover of the Jews’. As he lay dyingin 1943, his final public statementwas produced for the WorldJewish Congress in New York: ‘Idenounce with utmost vigour thepersecution of the Jews by theNazi oppressors.’

On his 150th birthday, ourdiocese honours him as a braveleader and a warm-hearted pastor.May he rest in peace. Amen.

A First for St Mary’s

person and variety of gifts.’Cardinal Vincent, who spoke

at the Arts and Humanitiesgraduation, also remindedthose present that Arts andHumanities centred on trainingcritical minds and developingcreative expression, which areessential freedoms

underpinning the dignity of thehuman person.

On this foundation, theCardinal said, the lives of eachgraduate would yield muchfruit in their own lives and inthose around them for the gloryof God.



westminster record - august 2015

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