Issue 23 - The Pilgrim - December 2013 - The newspaper of the Archdiocese of Southwark

Issue 23 December 2013/January 2014
How true are
the Bible
infancy stories?
Page 5
The struggle
of Bethlehem’s
Christians
Pages 6 & 11
Why RE
matters
Page 8
I have a dream
Greg Watts
Pope Francis has laid out his vision of a
more open and less centralised Church and
called for more social responsibility in
business and politics.
These are some of the ideas that lie at
the heart of his apostolic exhortation,
Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the
Gospel). The 224-page document provides
a detailed description of the kind of
Church he wants to see.
“I dream of a ‘missionary option’, that
is, a missionary impulse capable of
transforming everything, so that the
church’s customs, ways of doing things,
times and schedules, language and
structures can be suitably channelled for
the evangelization of today’s world, rather
than for her self-preservation,” he says.
He spoke of the need to renew the
papacy and give more power to local
Churches. “The papacy and the central
structures of the universal Church also
need to hear the call to pastoral
conversion. The Second Vatican Council
stated that, like the ancient patriarchal
Churches, episcopal conferences are in a
position ‘to contribute in many and fruitful
ways to the concrete realization of the
collegial spirit.’
“Yet this desire has not been fully
realized, since a juridical status of
episcopal conferences which would see
them as subjects of specific attributions,
including genuine doctrinal authority, has
not yet been sufficiently elaborated.
Excessive centralization, rather than
proving helpful, complicates the Church’s
life and her missionary outreach.”
Turning to the wider world, he said
business and politics must not be divorced
from the lives of ordinary people. “The
dignity of each human person and the
pursuit of the common good are concerns
which ought to shape all economic policies.
“At times, however, they seem to be a
mere addendum imported from without in
order to fill out a political discourse
lacking in perspectives or plans for true
and integral development.
“Business is a vocation, and a noble
vocation, provided that those engaged in it
see themselves challenged by a greater
meaning in life; this will enable them truly
to serve the common good by striving to
increase the goods of this world and to
make them more accessible to all.”
He criticized the role of the free market
in society, saying, “We can no longer trust
in the unseen forces and the invisible hand
of the market.” Economic growth will not
guarantee justice or bring about a better
distribution of income, more employment,
or concern for the needs of the poor.
Pope Francis suggested that Evangelii
Gaudium provides a blueprint for the future
direction of the Church. “I am aware that
nowadays documents do not arouse the
same interest as in the past and that they
are quickly forgotten. Nevertheless, I want
to emphasize that what I am trying to
express here has a programmatic
significance and important consequences.”
See Fr Tim Finigan’s analysis on page 2

Guest Editorial The Pilgrim December 2013/January 2014
the
2012Pilgrim
50p
December 2011/ January The newspaper of the Catholic Archdiocese of Southwark, covering s
The Archdiocese of Southwark
Archbishop Peter Smith
020 7928-2495
archbishop@rcsouthwark.co.uk
www.rcsouthwark.co.uk
Area bishops
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Bishop John Hine
01732 845486
jhine@absouthwark.org
South-West London
Bishop Paul Hendricks
020 8643 8007
bishop.hendricks@gmail.com
South-East London
Bishop Patrick Lynch
020 8297 9219
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Pope Francis’ blueprint
for the Church
Fr Tim Finigan
In Evangelii Gaudium, his
apostolic exhortation on the
joy of the gospel, Pope
Francis sets out a blueprint
for his pontificate: he says
that it has “programmatic
significance.”
His key concern is to call
the Church to a missionary
conversion, a real change
which recognises that mere
administration is not enough,
understands that the Church
is missionary by nature, and
that every Christian is has a
fundamentally missionary
vocation.
In a way that is now
familiar, the Pope calls us to
be outward-looking, seeking
to bring Christ to others, not
to be concerned only with the
inner workings of the Church.
Pope Francis insists that in
this missionary endeavour it
must always be Christ who is
central, not a programme. If
we accompany others in their
struggles, we must bring
Christ to them, not simply
therapy.
When we care for the poor,
we must bring the friendship
and blessing of Christ. He
insists that we proclaim the
transparent and beautiful
message of the Gospel and
not bury it under a pile of
excuses.
The missionary priority of
the Church is applied to many
areas of life with a particular
emphasis on the social impact
of the gospel. Pope Francis
asks pointedly who would lock
up in a Church the message of
St Francis of Assisi or of
Blessed Teresa of Calcutta.
He urges that the
missionary outreach of the
Church should work for
change in the financial
system so that money serves
and does not rule, that it
should tackle inequality
which can lead to violence,
and challenge secularisation
which tends to reduce the
faith to the private and the
personal.
In the course of the
document, he touches on
many details, sometimes with
warmth and at other times
with his characteristic
corrective fervour.
He writes of the beauty of
the liturgy, which both
celebrates evangelization and
acts as a source for it; he
encourages dialogue between
science and religion.
He also speaks warmly of
the value of the feminine
genius, and, as a true pastor,
defends popular piety
because it fosters those
relationships which he so
values: our relationship with
Christ, with Our Lady and the
saints, and with each other.
Again with a practical
pastoral concern, the Holy
Father gives considerable
time to reflecting and
advising priests on the
ministry of preaching. They
should speak simply, clearly
and positively so that the
people might be encouraged
in hope by being introduced
to Christ.
Personal love for Christ is
seen by Pope Francis as the
primary source of
evangalisation. As he says:
“What kind of love would not
feel the need to speak of the
beloved, to point him out, to
make him known?”
A recurring theme in
Evangelii Gaudium is that our
faith is not simply a private
matter but something we
must necessarily share with
others if that faith itself is to
be authentic.
The love of Pope Francis for
Our Lady was made evident
at the beginning of his
pontificate and is shown in
this latest document. In Mary,
he says, we see that humility
and tenderness are virtues
not of the weak, but of the
strong “who need not treat
others poorly in order to feel
important themselves.”
The Shop Around the Corner
Bishop Paul Hendricks
If I mention James Stewart and
Christmas, it’s very likely that
you’d think immediately of It’s a
Wonderful Life. I suppose that’s
because that film is often shown
on television around Christmas
and it ends with a seasonally
snowy and festive scene.
Maybe it’s also because the
story line says something about
how, amidst the ordinariness of
life, there can be something
extraordinary going on – a
message which in a way translates
the mystery of God-made-man to
a more everyday level.
Another Stewart film, though
with a different director, also
ends with a Christmas-time scene
and, in a more subtle way, says
something similar about our life.
I’m talking about The Shop
Around the Corner, which was
also the basis of the more recent
film, You’ve Got Mail.
Alfred and Klara work in the
same shop and find each other
very irritating. The irony is that
they each have a pen-friend
whom they romantically idealise,
not realising that their pen-friend
is the very colleague whom
they dislike.
Running through the film is a
contrast between ideal and
reality. Alfred says to one of his
friends, “She is the most
wonderful girl in the world. She
has such ideals and such a
viewpoint on things that she’s so
far above the girls you meet
today, there's no comparison.”
And yet we know that this is the
same girl with whom he constantly
quarrels at work. On the other side
of the coin, Alfred has painted a
picture of himself, which he knows
he can’t live up to.
That’s why he puts off any
suggestion that the two of them
might meet. He says, “I’m scared.
This girl thinks I’m the most
wonderful person in the world.
And after all, there is a chance
she might be disappointed!”
They do eventually arrange to
meet and, in a memorable scene,
Alfred looks in through a cafe
window and realises the true
identity of his pen-friend.
He goes up to Klara’s table,
where she is waiting for her date
to arrive. She is annoyed with him
because she thinks her friend
won’t arrive while Alfred is there.
She contrasts Alfred’s loutish
behaviour with the sympathy and
intelligence that she has found in
her friend’s letters.
Knowing that he himself has
actually written those
marvellous letters,
he suggests that
there may be more
to him than she
thinks, to which
Klara gives a very
cutting reply.
The Shop Around
the Corner paints
a picture of the
what you might
call the little
people of this
world, who
nevertheless
have a depth and a
richness to their life, despite its
apparent ordinariness.
This is done in a more subtle
way than in It’s a Wonderful Life,
where you can almost see the
emotional strings being pulled!
One of the characters has to put
up with being tyrannised by his
boss, because he has a large family
and can’t afford to lose his job.
At the same time it is touching
to see his love for his wife and
children, and how much they
mean to him. In the end, both
Klara and Alfred settle for reality,
despite
its limitations, rather
than the unrealistic ideal.
By the time the film ends, they
have learned that stripping off
the illusion doesn’t necessarily
lead to disappointment.
At Christmas we remember how
God entered the world in
circumstances that were (from a
human point of view) far from
ideal. God can touch us, too,
even in the messiness and
imperfection of our own families
and our daily lives.
Page 2

The Pilgrim December 2013/January 2014
News
Ramsgate church plans new centre
St Augustine’s church in Ramsgate has received an
£82,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund towards
setting up an education and visitor’s centre.
St Augustine’s is the burial place of A.W.Pugin, who
also designed it. Pugin designed many churches in the
nineteenth century, along with the clock tower of the
Houses of Parliament.
The proposed centre will cost £800,000. It will provide
facilities for visitors, schools and the local community to
learn about Pugin and St Augustine of England with
teaching and displays.
Two years ago, a local campaign was launched by the
parish to save St Augustine’s church, which has resulted
in grants and donations enabling the commencement of
repairs and restoration work to the Gothic style mid-19th
century church.
Fr Marcus Holden, parish priest and Rector of St
Augustine’s said, “We’re delighted that the Heritage
Lottery Fund has given us support. Just over two and half
years ago there was a danger that this famous church
would have to close.
“Now we are seeing ever increasing numbers of visitors
and schools coming to see this magnificent church and to
learn about Pugin and St Augustine of England.”
ITN newscaster Alastair Stewart, a patron of Friends of
Pugin’s church of St Augustine said, “This is a great
project and I am pleased to have come down to visit
Pugin’s church of St Augustine in Ramsgate and support
the work that is going on in the community to restore
this magnificent church to its former glory.
“It is personally important to me too, as I regularly
visited this wonderful church while I was at St
Augustine's Abbey School next door. Pugin’s church is an
important part of England’s Heritage.
Death of popular theologian
The funeral of theologian Canon John Redford, aged seventy-seven,
has been held at St George’s Cathedral.
Born in Blackheath, Canon Redford, a former Anglican, was ordained
at Our Lady of Grace in Charlton in 1967. Following studies in theology
and scripture in Rome, he taught at St John’s seminary in Wonersh.
Later he became director of the catechetical centre at Tooting Bec
before moving to the Maryvale Institute in Birmingham. He served as
director of its MA programmes in Catholic theology and apologetics.
During his career, he was a well-known contributor to Catholic
newspapers, especially The Universe. His books included Sex,
What the Catholic Church Teaches and Bad Mad or God – Proving the
Divinity of Christ from St John’s Gospel.
Canon John served as Southwark’s theological adviser and was in
demand to give talks and lectures in the diocese. In January he gave a
lecture as part of the Year Of Faith Series put on by the Centre for
Catholic Formation.
Hundreds of pilgrims came to St George’s Cathedral to venerate the relics
of St Anthony of Padua, one of the most popular saints of the Church.
Marriage and family
synod consultation
Catholics in the Southwark
archdiocese have submitted
responses to a survey about marriage
and family life for the Extraordinary
General Assembly of the Synod of
Bishops called by Pope Francis.
The title of the meeting is
“Pastoral Challenges of the Family in
the context of evangelization”, and
it will be held in Rome in October.
Archbishop Peter has asked deans
to hold meetings of the deanery
clergy to produce a synthesis of their
responses to the questions raised in
the preparatory document. He has
also asked religious congregations
and lay organisations to take part in
the consultation.
Justice and peace pledge
The National Justice and Peace Network (NJPN) has underlined
its mission to foster social justice, based on the Church’s
Social Teaching.
The pledge was made when representatives from dioceses
and religious orders met at Cafod’s head office in Westminster
Bridge Road.
“We are called to be a prophetic Church in the best way we
can,” said Sister Margaret Walsh SND, who facilitated the day.
Year of Faith ends
Archbishop Peter presided at a Mass at the Church of Our
Lady of Grace, Charlton, for the Greenwich deanery to
mark the end of the Year of Faith.
In his homily Archbishop Peter said, “A living faith, at its
heart, involves a personal relationship with the risen Christ
in which we experience God’s unconditional love for us.”
Altar servers
go to Rome
Father Stephen Boyle, the
diocesan director of the Guild of
Saint Stephen, has led the altar
servers' annual visit to Rome.
Eleven servers and four
parents from the parishes in
Tonbridge, Dartford, Surrey
Docks, Blackfen, Meopham and
Purley made the trip.
The trip included attendance
at the Pope Francis' General
Audience, Mass at the tomb of
Blessed John Paul II, visits to the
catacombs, the Scala Sancta and
other historical sites in Rome.
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Page 3

News The Pilgrim December 2013/January 2014
New course for catechists
A new course for catechists in Southwark
is being launched in January.
The course, run by the Catholic Centre
for Formation in collaboration with the
Maryvale Institute in Birmingham, takes
two years. It provides a solid foundation
in the key areas of the Catholic faith,
and includes practical aspects of
Children’s author
visits school
catechesis for those who wish to pass on
the faith to others.
Those interested can either study for a
certificate or a diploma. There are three
study days a year, plus one retreat day,
all on a Saturday at the Amigo Hall at St
George’s Cathedral.
In addition, participants study at home
Best-selling children’s author Jacqueline
Wilson urged pupils at St Matthew Academy in
Blackheath to read and keep a daily diary.
Ms Wilson was taking part in an event to
coincide with the publication of her latest
novel, Diamond.
She discussed her life as a writer and
answered questions about the process of
writing. The event was broadcast live to a number of other schools
in and around London.
Michael Barry, principal of St Matthew Academy, said, “Listening
to Jacqueline Wilson was a delight – she really understands how to
talk to children and she was so generous with her time and her
thoughts. All our children are great readers – now lots of them
want to be great writers as well.”
We’ve been caring for seafarers for nearly 100
years, please remember Apostleship
of the Sea in your Will.
using specially written distance-learning
course books. It is recommended that for
catechists and parish workers the parish
pays half and the individual pays half.
For more information and an
application form visit
www.ccftootingbec.org.uk or speak to
your parish priest or chaplain.
New book
to help couples
A new book of scriptural reflections to help
married couples has been published.
I Am With You – Year A takes readings from
Sundays and major feast days and provides short
reflections.
The book is the final part of a trilogy and has
been written by four couples in marriage and
family life ministry and retired Southwark priest
Father Frank O’Sullivan.
Wimbledon pupils
commissioned
Year 7 pupils at Ursuline High School in
Wimbledon have taken part in a commissioning
service to mark their transition from primary
school. The students made a vow to support
the ethos of the school and were each awarded
a badge with the school motto "Serviam" -
I will serve.
Chance to
win meal at
restaurant
Readers of The Pilgrim are being given
the chance to win £70 of vouchers for the
Spaghetti House restaurants in central
London.
Spaghetti House has donated the
vouchers to Apostleship of the Sea, which
supports seafarers visiting the River
Medway and ports along the Kent coast.
To enter, email your name, address
and contact number to
johngreen@apostleshipofthesea.org.uk
and put “Pilgrim competition” in the
subject line
A winner will be drawn on 31st January
2014 and contacted by Apostleship of
the Sea.
DVD to help teenagers
Southwark Catholic Youth Service is launching a
DVD programme for teenagers to explore the
foundations of the Catholic faith.
Life in Christ is aimed at those aged 15 and
over. It provides reflections from various Catholic
theologians and is made up of 43 sessions, each
engaging with prayer and scripture, together
with insights and catechetical introduction to
key areas.
The programme will be launched on December 7
at Amigo Hall, next to St George’s Cathedral.
www.apostleshipofthesea.org.uk
Registered charity in Scotland - number SC043085
Registered charity in England and Wales - number 1069833
Archdiocese of Southwark
Centre for Catholic Formation
Evangelization and Catechesis in the mission of the Church
FORMATION ADVISER
Salary: £31,280
Applications are invited from practising Catholics for two vacant posts.
These full-time posts are open to those with suitable experience
and qualifications in the fields of evangelization,
lay formation and parish catechesis.
The person appointed will work as a member of a Team and will
contribute to the ongoing work of the Centre for Catholic Formation
in its role as the diocesan agency for evangelization,
catechesis and adult faith formation.
Closing date for applications:
midnight on Sunday, 8th December 2013.
Interviews: Friday 13th December 2013.
Further details of the post, together with an application form,
are available from:
Fr David Gibbons, Director,
Centre for Catholic Formation,
21 Tooting Bec Road, London SW17 8BS
Telephone: 020 8672 7684
Email: dgibbons@ccftootingbec.org.uk
Students tackle Shakespeare
Students at Richard
Challoner School in New
Malden brought a modern
touch to their production of
Romeo and Juliet.
Using minimal staging and
naturalistic theatre
techniques, they performed
Shakespeare’s classic on
three nights. The play was
directed by Leigh Norton,
who teaches drama at the
school.
“I feel we can be
justifiably proud of the
exceptional talent we have
in the school. Many people
are extremely wary of
Shakespeare, so we wanted
to try and bring the script to
life and make it more
accessible to those who have
a limited experience of
Shakespeare, as well as
entertaining those who
know the language and his
plays,” he said.
In January a group of
students will travel to
Budapest for a production of
Sherlock Holmes written by
Neil Zoladkiewicz, head of
drama department.
Page 4

The Pilgrim December 2013 / January 2014
Features
How true are the Old Testament
stories about the birth of Jesus?
Fr David Gibbons, director of the diocesan Centre for
Catholic Formation, continues his look at the Old
Testament with a question very relevant for Advent
and Christmas.
Two of the Gospels – Matthew and Luke – give information
about the birth of Jesus, although they record different
events. Some scholars maintain that they have made up
the stories from the Old Testament, so as to be able to
“prove” that Jesus was the Messiah.
Clearly, the infancy narratives in Matthew and Luke
reflect themes and passages from the Old Testament, and
Matthew has a special emphasis on showing that Jesus is
the one who fulfils the Old Testament prophecies.
The evangelists were not merely writing simple history;
their theological intentions are quite clear (see for example
the very beginning of Luke). The genealogy of Jesus, with
which Matthew’s Gospel begins, is obviously rather
artificial, and the genealogy in Luke is not the same.
But does this mean the infancy stories were just made
up from Old Testament passages, or perhaps manipulated
to fit in with Old Testament texts?
One problem is that Matthew and Luke record different
events, with little overlap, while Mark has no infancy
narrative. Pope Benedict XVI, in his book Jesus of
Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives suggests that the full
story only became public after Mary’s death.
This would explain why the first part of Matthew
appears – from stylistic analysis – to have been written
later than the rest of the Gospel. The author of Mark may
not have known what happened at Jesus’ birth when he
wrote (if Mark is indeed the earliest Gospel).
Matthew and Luke do, however, agree on all the key
aspects of the Christmas story: the major characters, the
timing, the place and the main miracles. They narrate
different aspects of the story – choosing which parts to
tell in order to fit in with their perspective, their
understanding of what was important about Jesus – but
they never actually disagree or contradict each other.
And many scholars take the view that the divergences
between Matthew and Luke indicate that that they have
not falsified the stories, because the natural tendency
would be to harmonise their accounts.
Perhaps, some may object, Matthew and Luke have
faithfully reported what they were told, but they were
deliberately misled by Mary or others who had been
present. This is not impossible, but it is all getting rather
silly as a serious argument!
A third hurdle is the prevalence of miracles in the
infancy narratives, not least the birth of Jesus to a virgin.
Anyone who believes that miracles cannot happen will
thereby reject the infancy stories (and, therefore, the
whole of the Gospels): ‘the miracles are nonsense, so the
story must have been made up’. But if one believes in
God – the God of the Scriptures – there is no problem.
A fourth problem is the fact that there is no separate
historical verification for these events. But there simply
are no historical records of the time, so we cannot decide
one way or the other on this basis.
To return to the view that Matthew and Luke have
invented the infancy stories out of the Old Testament, one
strong argument against is that they didn’t make a very
good job of it. The prophecy Matthew quotes in 2:23 – “He
shall be called a Nazarene” – doesn’t appear anywhere in
the Old Testament.
If you start with the prophetic texts quoted by Matthew
and Luke, you wouldn’t end up with the Christmas story as
they narrate it. Why would they stress the virginal
Adoration of the Shepherds
by Gerard von Honthorst (1622)
conception and the other miracles, which only make the
story harder for people to accept?
The virginal conception is not as fundamental a part of
Christian belief as, say, Christ’s resurrection. It is far more
likely that, in hearing and trying to make sense of the
events of Christ’s birth, the evangelists recalled various
snatches of Old Testament prophecies, which now
appeared to them to have come true in Jesus.
In summary, we can take the Gospel accounts of Christ’s
birth as history. But it is clear that they present the
theological significance of what happened. And the real
importance lies in our response: what does this mean to
me and for me in my life?
Page 5

Behind the scenes The Pilgrim December 2013/January 2014
Persecution of Christ
Syrian refugees
Winter Relief Program
Priests with parishioners after an attack
on a church in Bauchi State, Nigeria
John Pontifex, head of press and
information at Aid to the Church
in Need (ACN), says that many
Christians around the world are
being persecuted for their faith.
Christianity is the most
persecuted religion in the world
today – one study states around
75% of all religious hatred is
directed against Christians.
According to one estimate, one
Christian is killed for their faith in
the world every five minutes.
Hundreds of young Christian
women have been abducted from
their families in countries such as
Egypt, Nigeria and Pakistan over
the last five years.
In China around 40 Catholic
clerics remain imprisoned,
detained, or their whereabouts
are unknown after they were
forcibly seized.
Around 100 years ago 20
percent of the Middle East was
Christian, today that figure has
fallen to just 5 percent.
Persecution comes in a variety
of different shapes and forms –
from having your house burnt
down to being fired from your job
because you won’t recant your
Christian faith.
Nigeria
In Nigeria, militant Islamist group
Boko Haram has carried out a
number of terrorist attacks across
the country, as they try to bring it
under Islamic Sharia law. Although
attacks have been at their most
Christians struggling to survive
where Christ’s was born
When the 200 packed tourist buses that arrived
in Bethlehem every day dwindled to barely a
dozen, it sparked a mass exodus of Christians.
Prompted by rocket attacks by Hamas, the
Israeli government constructed a massive
barrier inside the West Bank, but it cut off
Bethlehem from foreign tourists, which were
the life blood of the town’s economy.
When ACN staff visited the town in 2005 they
found that its Christians – many of whom were
woodcarvers who relied on tourists for their
livelihood – were living in penury.
The average number of tourists entering
Bethlehem each month slumped from nearly
100,000 in 2004 to fewer than 10,000 in 2006 –
meaning fewer customers for woodcarvers
relying on tourist trade to feed their families.
Unable to support themselves many
Christians emigrated.
Bethlehem resident, Peter, told ACN: “All my
family left this country, they are living in the
States now.” So many places have been closed
for many years. We are near the Church of the
Nativity and no one can believe that these stores
are closed,” he said pointing to the long line of
shuttered shops leading down to the shrine.
Marie-Ange Siebrecht, who led the 2005 ACN
project trip to Bethlehem, said: “If the Holy
Land looses all its Christians it won’t be a holy
land anymore – they have to be helped to stay.
We have to be with them. We have to pray for
them. We have to help them financially.”
In response, ACN set up an initiative to help
families, who lived by carving olive-wood
crosses, cribs, rosaries and other devotional
items, by selling their goods to the charity’s
benefactors around the world.
The scheme gave the olive wood workers a
lifeline. One 45-year-old widower, Jalal, who
has three children, was delighted when ACN
asked him to carve Christmas cribs.
Orders flooded in so fast that Jalal had to
enlist the help of five neighbouring families to
complete the work.
He said: “You are saints at ACN. I don’t know
how to thank you. What ACN has done is a
miracle from God.”
Now eight years on things have gradually
improved. Tourist numbers have slowly
recovered, and in 2012 monthly visitor
numbers were approaching the level from
before the West Bank Barrier was built
(c. 98,000).
But ACN is still committed to helping Christian
families like Jalal’s – and it has increased the
range of Holy Land goods it sells so that they
are able to remain in the place they call home –
the town where Jesus was born. See page 11.
savage in Boko Haram’s home
region of north-east Nigeria –
where half of the Catholic
churches had been destroyed by
the summer of 2013 – elsewhere
in the country communities have
also endured bombings.
In the central state of Kaduna
suicide bombers hit three Christian
churches, including the Catholic
Cathedral of Christ the King, in
June 2012. Bishop George Dodo of
Zaria described the incident: “I
was preaching during the second
morning Mass, when around nine,
we heard a loud explosion. The car
bomb created a crater two feet
deep, all around there was broken
glass, rubble and burning cars.” 16
parishioners were killed.
Yet despite such devastation the
community was determined to
rebuild. By continuing to meet
and celebrate Mass they are giving
witness to the power of the risen
and living Lord Jesus in their lives.
But repairs to the Cathedral
were beyond the means of Bishop
Dodo’s impoverished flock – so he
made an urgent appeal to Aid to
A priest distributes
ACN aid in Syria
the Church in Need, asking for
help to repair the damage to the
Cathedral. Earlier this year a
grant was paid out from ACN’s UK
office to help them rebuild.
India
Around 54,000 Christians were
made homeless during the 2008
pogroms in rural Kandhamal,
India, and the attacks still cast a
shadow over the community
today. The rampage by Hindutva
radicals – a right-wing movement
which sees India as an exclusively
Hindu country – destroyed 4,640
houses, 252 churches and 13
educational institutions.
At least 70 people were killed
during the attacks, but many are
still missing and the Indian
Communist Party calculated that
up to 500 people were killed
during the attacks. These were
the worst attacks on India’s
Christians in modern times.
More than two years after the
events, many people were still in
displacement camps, fearing
renewed violence if they returned
Page 6

The Pilgrim December 2013/January 2014
Behind the scenes
ians on the increase
to their villages. Help for the
Christian community to rebuild
was absolutely essential – and
rebuilding relationships had to be
at the heart of the work.
With Christians scared to go
home ACN sponsored a series of
bridge-building programmes
designed to build community
relations with those from other
faiths. These were a success and
many refugees returned home.
Today ACN is still helping with a
number of measures – including
supporting priests with
benefactors’ Mass stipends. This
may seem like a small thing but it
provides an essential income for
priests ministering to a flock still
apprehensive about its future –
worries which have been made
worse as many of the militants
have not been convicted.
Fr Ajay Singh described the
problems still facing the
community: “Insecurity and fear
still prevail among the Christian
community here due to the rise in
the number of acquittals of
criminals [who carried out the
2008 attacks]. Justice delivery
systems have failed and are costly.
The people cannot afford it.
“Besides the insecurity and
fear, frustration is also rampant.
90% of victims are struggling for
their own livelihood… The history
of the Kandhamal situation shows
us that every time we spoke
about peace without fighting for
justice, violence continued to
take place.”
Syria
All of Syria’s people are suffering
from the terrible conflict afflicting
the country, but extremists have
targeted Christians and minority
Muslim groups. Residents of the
largely Christian town of Maalula
were forced to flee their homes
after Islamist rebel fighters
descended on the town on 7th
September 2013.
Entering one house, the
opposition soldiers demanded
that four members of a Catholic
family – three men and one
woman –convert to Islam or face
death. One of them, Sarkis el
Zakhm, bravely refused to forsake
the faith he believed in.
He said, “I am a Christian and if
you want to kill me because I am a
Christian, do it.” The soldiers shot
Sarkis and the two other men dead.
The woman survived and was taken
to a hospital in Damascus to be
treated for her injuries.
ACN began by helping refugees
and today it is still stretching out
the love of Christ to those who
have had to flee their homes.
Refugees are being helped through
a number of Church-run projects.
Among the projects paid out by
ACN (UK) in the last few months
is medical care for 250 refugees
at Amman Hospital in Jordan, and
more than £40,000 in emergency
aid for 2,000 Christian families
who have fled to Marmita and the
Valley of the Christians in the
west of Syria.
Aid to the Church in Need’s new
online report on Christians
oppressed for their faith,
Persecuted and Forgotten? is
available on line at
www.acnuk.org/persecution –
covering the period 2011-2013.
Staff at Aid to the
Church in Need’s
offices in Sutton
Aid to the Church in Need
• On Christmas Day 1947, Dutch Norbertine priest, Fr Werenfried van Straaten founded Aid to the
Church in Need (ACN) to help 14 million refugees who had fled to Germany to escape Communism.
• From its earliest days ACN provided spiritual as well as material aid: while “rucksack priests”
went from camp to camp ministering to refugees, Fr Werenfried’s appeal to farmers for meat to
feed them earned him the nickname “the bacon priest.”
• The charity expanded its work at the request of successive popes and is now at work in more
than 130 countries throughout the world, undertaking thousands of projects every year helping
Christians who are persecuted, suffering, or in serious pastoral need.
Page 7

Features The Pilgrim December 2013/January 2014
Religious education in secondary schools
is worth fighting for
Michael Cullinane
“Why do I have to do RE, Sir, it won’t get me a job, will
it?” How often I got this question from 15 or 16 year-old
who thought their time would be better used doing extra
English or maths.
My prepared answer might have been “No, not unless
you want to be a lawyer, interpreter, mediator, social
worker, civil servant, police officer, doctor, dietician,
architect, trade union official, charity worker, teacher,
lecturer, community worker blah, blah, blah.... and oh,
yes, a priest or nun.”
The truth is, of course, that teaching religious
education, or any other subject for that matter, is not
about getting jobs. It’s about the formation of the whole
person, helping to develop them spiritually, improving
their religious literacy and supporting them to be active
and committed members of the Church.
In 30 years teaching religious education in secondary
schools, some of the best lessons I ever taught were
answering that question.
A recent report from the education watchdog Ofsted
Religious Education – Realising the Potential – October
2013 was quite scathing about the provision and quality of
the subject in schools. The report stated that in secondary
schools the subject is very vulnerable and does not get
the same consideration as other subjects.
Students in our Catholic secondary schools and colleges
take religious education seriously. This is evidenced by the
entry to GCSE examinations, which is on par with entries
to English, Maths and Science.
The results are similar. In the 2013 GCSE examinations
almost all students entered for the examination gained a
pass grade with 74% being awarded a higher grade in the
A* - C range. This is a great testimony to the quality of
teaching in our schools.
Our schools and colleges ensure that religious education
is a “core” subject and the majority adhere to the
Catholic Bishops’ Conference requirement that 10% of
taught curriculum time is to be given to religious
education up to age 16 and 5% for non-examination
religious studies in the sixth form.
Schools can develop their own teaching programmes
providing that they comply with the Catholic Bishops’
Religious Education Curriculum Directory which ensures
that study of the sacred scriptures is included for each
year group as is the teachings and traditions of the
Church. These are taught in an age related way
engendering discussion, debate and dialogue as well as
reflection and prayer
Many schools opt for a GCSE syllabus, which allows
students to study contemporary issues within the Roman
Catholic tradition. This will cover the sacraments and
related areas including marriage and family life, respect
for human life, Christian vocation, helping the poor and
marginalised, prejudice and discrimination, war and
peace, crime and punishment, reconciliation, sickness and
death.
These topics are addressed within the teachings of the
Church and require the student to demonstrate
knowledge, understanding and evaluation skills. This
means they have sufficient and appropriate information to
put these areas into context of the mission of the Church
today and are able to give an informed argument taking
into account different viewpoints.
I have the privilege of reading all the Section 48
Inspection reports, which give judgements on the Catholic
life of the school and the quality of religious education.
It is so affirming to see that so many students enjoy and
participate enthusiastically in their lessons. Religious
education is a pillar of the educational experience for
students in the secondary school.
In one school an inspector asked a student about his
religious education lessons. He said, “I’m not sure RE
provides all the answers, but it certainly makes me ask
questions that no other subject does.”
Michael Cullinane is deputy director of education at
The diocesan Education Commission and co-ordinator of
religious education.
Page 8

The Pilgrim December 2013/January 2014
Features
Forgiveness leads to freedom
John Pridmore
While running a parish mission in Scotland recently, I was
very touched by a man who told me that during it he felt
moved by the Holy Spirit to speak to his neighbour with
whom he had fallen out with several years before.
He plucked up the courage to knock on her door. When
she opened it, he said to her that life was too short to
carry on with their feud, and would she forgive him for any
hurt he had caused? Straightaway she embraced him and
said, yes, she would forgive him.
This reminded me of a time a few years ago when I was
challenged by a priest to forgive those who had hurt me in
my life and to pray for them. There was one particular person
who had caused me immense pain and I will be honest I
didn’t feel like either praying for them or forgiving them.
But in obedience to what the priest had said I started to
pray and at first my prayer was “Bless this person, but
make sure they suffer!”
As the months went by, however, I God gradually
softened my heart until eventually I genuinely wanted this
person to be blessed.
Little by little and by the grace of God I realized that I had
forgiven. Years later I was astonished to hear that this person
had become a Catholic, made their first Holy Communion
and Confirmation and was now attending Mass each day.
Maybe it was part of my forgiveness that played some
part in their conversion.
One of the most moving stories of forgiveness is in the
movie The Fisher King, where a loud talk show host sinks
into a deep depression after his comments prompt a caller
to gun down diners in a restaurant.
One day he meets a homeless man who was once a
professor and is now on a mission to find the Holy Grail.
When the talk show host discovers that the man’s wife was
one of those killed in he restaurant he is overcome by guilt
and offers him money.
The homeless man refuses and instead asks him to join
him on the search for the Holy Grail. He reluctantly
agrees. Their search leads to the talk show host finding
forgiveness and redemption. It’s a powerful story.
I was also recently in Toronto, Canada where I spoke at a
business breakfast hosted by Cardinal Thomas Collins. The
cardinal said to the businessmen “It is in the little events
of everyday life that we glorify God, by being honest and
having integrity in our dealings and by showing kindness
and patience to those we meet”
This was especially appropriate as it was the feast day of
St Therese of Lisieux who wrote of her little way in much
the same terms. I knew it was God reminding me that the
little things are important to him and not to miss the
opportunities that he sends moment by moment.
Recently I have really felt God impressing on my heart
that the more we can forgive the more freedom we
receive in our own hearts.
And that we should never get too busy, but to embrace
the present moment because that is where we find God,
and finally to make sure that our hearts are fixed on the
things that truly matter because at the end of our lives it is
what we have done for God that will be our true treasure.
TV adverts don’t capture the
wonder of Christmas
Nana Anto-Awuakye
Well before December the commercial
advertising world propels us into Christmas,
before we’ve had time to put away the
summer clutter of swimwear and buckets
and spades.
I will confess for many a year I was a bit of
a “bah-humbug” about Christmas and
refused to let a twinkly light drag me into
the ‘spirit of Christmas’.
My “Joy to the world” was crushed in late
childhood, when I flicked through that thick
Argos catalogue and wished and wished for
that Cindy doll which never materialised
under the Christmas tree.
But time, age and the circumstances that life has thrown at me
has turned me away from humbugging and I will happily daydream
about crimbo lights as soon as Halloween is out of the way.
This week I took a photo of Ladywell’s first crimbo light and
excitedly tweeted it @lovingladywell. My dear friend on Arthurdon
has a small poinsettia plant on their kitchen window still and my
husband Mike got very enthusiastic about discussing where we
would buy our Christmas tree and what size it should be.
I’m favouring a smaller tree in the hope that I won’t still be
picking pine needles off the carpet come Easter.
And of course my eight-year-old son has a morning, noon and
night mantra of what he would like for Christmas. Well actually he’s
only asked for two things, so the TV ads haven't completely
brainwashed him.
I have brought him a Ninja Turtle advent calendar for December
1st, I’m sure that will bring a big beaming smile to his face.
But you know when the festive season is truly here when John
Lewis releases its Christmas ad, it has become a part of the
Christmas tradition - will it be heartfelt like the ones from
Christmas past - will I shed a small tear?
This year the ad features had drawn animation of two friends, a
bear and a hare, playing together in the warmer months. As winter
draws in the bear becomes increasingly tired, until eventually it
withdraws to its cave to hibernate.
The hare leaves a present outside the cave for his friend. It is an
alarm clock to wake him from hibernation on Christmas day - as
bear has never seen Christmas. And end’s with the strap line:
“Witness the magic of Christmas.”
Most of the ads on our small screens celebrate the art of giving
rather than receiving - encapsulating this as the spirit of Christmas.
Underneath the “magic” sentimentality or celebrity fun of these
ads is the message to you and me to buy stuff - we’ve got to give to
receive so we lurch into a shopping frenzy in search of perfect gifts
for friends and family.
The true spirit of Christmas will mean many things to many
people. We know for Scrooge the Christmas spirit was a ghost; for
some families Christmas spirit is the truce that takes place whereby
nobody brings up issues or quarrels; for others its the simple
contentment of the act of giving or receiving.
For me, no sparkly, twinkly, Christmas wrapped television ad can
replace the awe and wonder of the Christmas Spirit that is the
Christmas story - the birth of Jesus.
What Christmas says about
social justice
Fr Ashley Beck, assistant priest at St Edmund of Canterbury in
Beckenham and lecturer in pastoral ministry at St Mary’s
University College, Twickenham, ends his series exploring Catholic
social teaching.
This is the final piece in the series of articles I was asked to write
about Catholic Social Teaching for the special Year of Faith which has
now drawn to a close. Both the events which the year was set up to
commemorate, the Second Vatican Council and the publication of the
Catechism, have done a great deal to develop this branch of Catholic
moral theology and widen people’s awareness of it.
I have tried to cover as wide a selection of issues as possible, such as the rights of workers,
war and peace, treatment of refugees and asylum seekers, the sanctity of life, Europe,
racism, the role of women and our relationship with the State.
One of the aims of the Year of Faith has been simply to deepen our faith, so hope that you
have found these reflections helpful.
The seasons of Advent and Christmas this month are a good way of enabling us to sum up
the whole of our teaching about social justice and to ensure that is rooted in the worshipping
life of the Church at this time of year.
At Christmas we celebrate the doctrine of the Incarnation, our belief that in the stable at
Bethlehem when Jesus was born God and humanity were joined in a new and special way.
Jesus is the Word made Flesh, God made man, one person with two real natures, one human
and one divine.
In the earliest centuries of the Church’s life, this belief took a long time to be articulated in
the form with which we are familiar in the Creed we say on Sundays – and many people had a
problem with it.
For many the idea seemed to threaten the absolute holiness, unity and transcendence of
God; surely he couldn’t be joined to sinful, damaged humanity and human flesh?
The truth was asserted and hammered out in the fourth and fifth centuries in the councils
of the Church and by great theologians and bishops like Athanasius, Gregory Nazianzen, John
Chrysostom and Cyril of Alexandria.
For humanity to be saved and redeemed by the death of Jesus on the Cross, he had to be
both God and a human being – for his death to be sufficient, and for his death to be real.
These Church Fathers also saw that our view of God affects how we treat one another.
Those who denied the doctrine of the Incarnation often had the support of the Roman
Emperor and the rich and powerful in the Empire.
If God is remote and cut off from us, those who claim to rule in his name are stronger: by
contrast the Incarnation joins God to the material world which he has created, so the whole
of the material order has been sanctified, and is important.
At Christmas Jesus was born into material poverty, not in a royal palace: so it follows that
what we teach about social justice stems from the Incarnation, what we celebrate at
Christmas.
Christians who are indifferent about the sufferings of the poor or about injustice to
them usually have an undeveloped, lip-service belief in the doctrine of the Incarnation:
their religious beliefs are kept in a watertight container removed from the rest of their
lives.
If we reflect on the real meaning of Christmas and the Incarnation we are enabled to see
that when we look at the world in which we live “nothing is beyond the scope of faith”, as the
Bishops of England and Wales put it in their ground-breaking 1996 document on Catholic social
teaching, The Common Good.
This is why social teaching is so important – discovering more about is exciting and enriches
the whole of our Christian faith. It is also for all Catholics: it is not an optional extra or the
preserve of deacons and others who are expected to be specialists in it.
I hope you have found this series of articles helpful. In the February edition I will be
beginning a new series on saints and heroes of the faith.
I wish you all a very happy Christmas.
Page 9

Features The Pilgrim December 2013/January 2014
1 2 3
Ten inexpensive places to visit
Greg Watts offers ten
suggestions for inexpensive days
out in south London and Kent
during the Christmas and New
Year period.
Chislehurst Caves
Chislehurst Caves are a disused
chalk mine with 22 miles of
passageways. During the Blitz the
caves played provided shelter and
safety for thousands of families.
4
Guided tours run from Sunday to
Wednesday and on bank holidays.
Old Hill, Chislehurst
chislehurst-caves.co.uk.
Crystal Palace Park
At the top of the park is the site
where the large glass Crystal
Palace exhibition building stood
between 1854 and 1935. Amongst
the attractions of the park are
33 life size dinosaurs, woodland,
a boating lake, children’s farm
and café.
Thicket Road, SE19.
Dulwich Picture Gallery (1)
Founded in 1811, Dulwich Picture
Gallery is Britain’s first public art
gallery. It contains works by some
of the great European masters,
including Rembrandt, Poussin,
Canaletto and Gainsborough.
College Road, SE21.
www.dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk.
Greenwich (2)
There is so much to see and do in
Greenwich. You can browse in the
covered market, stroll in the
park, walk along the Thames, or
visit the National Maritime
Museum, Queen’s House Gallery,
Old Royal Naval College, all of
which are free. There is a charge,
however, if you want to visit the
Royal Observatory.
www.visitgreenwich.org.uk.
Horniman Museum and Gardens
Established by Frederick John
Horniman, the museum contains
collections of anthropology,
natural history and musical
instruments, along with an
aquarium. You can also enjoy the
16-acre gardens.
London Road, Forest Hill, SE23.
www.horniman.ac.uk.
Petts Wood and Hawk Wood,
Petts Wood
If you fancy some tranquillity and
tramping through woodland, then
this is an ideal place to spend a
few hours (but bring your boots or
wellingtons).
Hazelmere Road, Petts Wood.
www.nationaltrust.org.uk.
Richmond Park, Richmond (3)
This is the largest Royal Park in
London. Its attractions include
exotic plants, 650 deer,
woodlands, hills, ponds and two
children’s playgrounds.
There are numerous entrances
around the park.
www.royalparks.org.uk.
Rochester Castle, Rochester (4)
Guarding an important crossing of
the River Medway, this imposing
fortress has a complex history of
destruction and rebuilding. Its
Norman tower-keep was built in
the 12th century. Rebuilt under
Henry III and Edward I, the castle
remained as a viable fortress until
the sixteenth century.
Castle Hill, Rochester.
www.english-heritage.org.uk.
Rochester Cathedral, Rochester
The present cathedral dates back
to the 11th century, although it
was founded in the seventh
century. It has been a popular
pilgrimage centre since the
13th century.
Boley Hill, Rochester.
www.rochestercathedral.org.
St Augustine’s Church, Ramsgate
The church is the burial place of
Victorian architect A.W.Pugin,
and now contains a shrine to
St Augustine of Canterbury.
Afterwards, of course, you can
take in the sea air.
St Augustine, Road, Ramsgate
www.augustinefriends.co.uk.
School days: Joanna Bogle
Home? New Malden. I grew up in Wallington, not far away.
Job? Author and broadcaster.
School? St Philomena’s, Carshalton.
Favourite subject? English.
Worst subject? Maths. And any kind of sport.
Favourite teacher? Probably Miss Brierly, who taught English. But also
Miss Murphy, who ran the school play Pride and Prejudice in my sixth
form year. And I came to respect Sister Mary Damian, who taught Latin
and seemed very fearsome, but who went on to become an excellent
head teacher later on.
Favourite school dinner? Sausages, which we had very rarely indeed: in fact I think just twice in
all the years I was there. The meals were provided by the local authority and were mostly horrid.
Guilty secret? No secret: I carved my name into the brickwork of the swimming-bath building,
which was a rather fine small Victorian building in the school grounds. You can still see it there -
J. Nash, carved into the brick on the left hand side of the steps that lead up to the main door,
just near the overflow pipe.
What lessons about life did you learn? That teamwork and co-operation can be fun. That God is
real and it is normal and natural to pray. That we should use our talents and try to do good and
great things.
What do you wish you had been told? That I should not allow my sense of self-importance to
flourish. In fact, I think I was told this often, but didn’t listen.
What did you do immediately after school? Got a job on a local newspaper as a trainee reporter,
and loved it.
What career advice would you give to a young person? Look at the whole of your life, not just
the immediate prospects. Family life is very important and will matter more and more as the
years go by. And keep a sense of humour.
Diary – December/
January
If you have an event, please e-mail details to
us at pilgrim@rcsouthwark.co.uk
1: World Aids Day Mass, 5 pm, Our Lady of the Assumption and
St Gregory, Warwick Street, W1. Preacher: Fr Timothy Radcliffe.
2: Professor John O'Malley SJ of Georgetown University, Washington DC
will give a lecture entitled Vatican II Revisited (The Francis Factor)
at Heythrop College, University of London, Kensington Square,
London W8 at 7 pm.
7: The launch of Life in Christ DVD by Southwark Catholic Youth
Service, Amigo Hall, next to St George’s Cathedral, 2 pm – 4 pm.
Refreshments followed by a taster session.
12: St George's Cathedral parish Advent service, 7.30 pm.
24: Christmas Eve: St George’s Cathedral Christmas carols and
readings at 11.30 pm followed by Midnight Mass, celebrated by
Archbishop Peter.
25: Christmas Day: St George’s Cathedral Christmas day family Mass at
10 am, celebrated by Archbishop Peter.
31: New Year’s Eve: St George’s Cathedral Mass at 11 pm to thank God
for His gifts during the past year and to pray for His blessings on the
coming year.
January 2014
11: I Belong Special training day, a resource for children with
intellectual disabilities, 10.15 am – 3.30 pm, with Cristina Gangemi
and Fr Denis McBride, Amigo Hall, next to St George’s Cathedral.
Page 10

The Pilgrim December 2013/January 2014
Feature
How olive trees can help
Christians in Bethlehem
Maureen Mullally-Clarke
I have been privileged to visit the Holy Land on pilgrimage
many times since I became a member of the Equestrian
Order of the Holy Sepulchre more than thirty years ago.
In those far-off days Israelis and Palestinians were
contriving to live together in reasonable peace;
unfortunately, since that time the political situation
has deteriorated.
Members of the order have been entrusted with the
support of Christians in the Holy Land. Our commitment is
threefold: we promise our prayers and undertake financial
contributions, primarily for schools and parishes. Our third
commitment is to go there on pilgrimage, demonstrating
our continuing love for the members of a beleaguered
community, many of who have become friends of ours
over the years.
One of the most devastating developments for the
Palestinians has been the erection of the impenetrable
concrete wall which now encircles Jerusalem. This ugly
edifice towers over the surrounding countryside.
Anyone who wishes to travel the short distance from
Jerusalem to Bethlehem in either direction, for example,
must pass through a checkpoint manned by Israeli soldiers
armed with rifles. Cars with Israeli number plates will be
waved through.
For pilgrims the delay is usually brief nowadays – an
improvement from a few years ago when coaches carrying
pilgrims could be forced to wait for several hours, without
explanation, until permission was given to pass through.
For Palestinians it is a very different experience. Long
queues of cars and pedestrians wait patiently in hot sun or
cold rain, many to be turned away even after spending
many hours there.
One of the very worst effects of the wall has been
economic – many Palestinians living outside it have lost
the jobs they had in Jerusalem and been unable to find
any means of making a living to replace them.
The only way for them to make a little money is from
olive trees. For generations Palestinians have cultivated
their olives in order to sell the precious oil.
Tragically, however, half a million of their trees have
now been deliberately bulldozed to destruction in order to
clear land for illegal Jewish settlements.
It was to remedy this wrong that the Olive Aid charity
was set up in association with the Friends of Bethlehem
University, a college run by the Christian Brothers for
Palestinian Christian and Muslim students.
The numbers of Christians in the Holy Land has been
shrinking rapidly; all the schools supported by the Order
welcome the children of Muslim Palestinians and olive
trees are given to them also.
The concept is a simple one – anyone wishing to donate
can purchase an olive tree plant for £25. The grateful
recipients are able to cultivate their produce again.
A recent example of the work of the charity has been at
the Jab’a School for Boys, located in the village of Jab’a
12.5 kilometers to the southwest of Bethlehem city, on an
area of 3000 square meters. The school has 74 pupils from
fifth to tenth grades.
In 2011 the Olive Aid team, with the participation of
students, teachers and the Principal, planted their school
grove with 80 olive trees, installed a dripping irrigation
system and erected a fence to shelter the grove.
Each student has been given his individually named tree
for which he is responsible. The students are proud of
their trees - they believe them to be symbols of peace
which effectively protect their rights to the land and keep
Palestine green.
As a result of the care they had taken, they were able
to harvest and sell olives in 2012; the proceeds of the sale
were used to purchase stationery for the use of the
whole school.
Since its inception in November 2008, the Olive Aid
project has had many outstanding successes, of which
Jab’a is only one. Ahmed Naim Hamdan, a grade ten
student, explained: “We planted the olive tree because it
yields fruits, greening and beautifying the environment –
it’s a great tree and we are farmers and belong to
farming. I am always taking care of my tree.”
Trees can be purchased for £25 each, on line or by
cheque to Olive Aid, Friends of Bethlehem University in
England and Wales, 72 Beaumont Road, Purley, Surrey
CR8 2EG.
Just 20 olive trees can mean that a family of four can
escape the poverty trap caused by years of conflict.
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The Pilgrim December 2013/January 2014
Focus on faith
Disabled people also
belong in the Church
To advertise in this newspaper
contact Carol Malpass. Tel: 0161 214 1244 or
email: carol.malpass@thecatholicuniverse.com
Archdiocese of Southwark
Centre for Catholic Formation
Evangelization and catechesis in the mission of the Church
The CCF is a resource agency for the
Diocese. The focus of our work is the
promotion and provision of adult faith
formation.
Your diocesan advisers are equipped to support Parish
and Deanery initiatives in Catechesis and Sacramental
Preparation, Discipleship and Stewardship, Inclusion
and Accessibility, Liturgy, Lay Ministries, RCIA, Mission
For details of our courses or other information contact
us or visit our website at: www.ccftootingbec.org.uk
Tel: 020 8672 7684 Email: office@ccftootingbec.org.uk
Introducing the first issue of the
BEC REVIEW
Each term, bringing
you reviews of new
books, CDs, DVDs and
websites in the areas
of evangelization,
catechesis and faith
formation.
BEC REVIEW is now
available as a
download from our
website or by
contacting us for
your copy.
Cristina Gangemi
During my twelve years
as a disability adviser to
the diocese of
Southwark I was always
both amazed and
blessed by the lives and
stories of disabled
people and their
families.
My days were always
filled with requests
from parishes and
catechists who wished
to prepare disabled people for the sacraments but
were not quite sure how to do it.
As the years went by I enjoyed teaching
hundreds of catechists and parishes about the very
possible way to provide special catechesis. As a
result many disabled children have been enabled
to receive a witness and creative understanding of
faith, in a way that is tactile, symbolic and
adapted to whom they are born to be.
My own experience of sharing with people who
have an intellectual disability is that, their call to
Christ in the Eucharist is no different to anyone
else and often witnesses to the promise of
belonging.
Let me explain further. A young boy on the
autistic spectrum was twelve before being
“allowed” to receive Communion. This was not due
to discrimination but because the catechists
needed formation in how to make faith accessible
for him.
Each week, louder than everyone, he would
recite the Mass, word for word. Indeed he often
led the whole community.
One Sunday, the new parish priest, himself with
onset disability, invited me to prepare the
catechists so that he might receive the Eucharist.
With the catechists, we then explored how to use
“symbolic catechesis”, a creative way of using
symbols, pictures and structure to assist
communication and learning.
Finally, the day came for him to receive Christ in
the Eucharist. As he went up to the sanctuary, he
held his hands out to his priest, who commented
that he had never seen such longing.
The priest offered the Eucharist and the words.
“This is the Body of Christ”, to which he replied, in
his usual enthusiastic tone, “Thank goodness, no
more pretending.”
Could it be, I ask myself, that for years he had
watched his fellow, baptised peers, pretending
that he too might receive Communion and that this
final acclamation meant that he too, was with
them in Christ?
It was a powerful moment for us all and one that
has changed the way we approach the handing on
of faith to all of our children.
The Church teaches that baptism is the gateway
to the sacraments and that through our baptism we
all belong to God. Within this promise of
belonging, every single child, no matter their
perceived ability, must be given the opportunity to
get to know Jesus and understand their faith.
Yet, until now there has been a very ad-hoc
approach to ensuring that children, of all abilities,
can be catechised alongside one another in a way
that is right for them.
Two years ago I was really blessed to have been
asked by the Redemptorist Press to revamp and
develop an accessible, adapted version of their
programme I Belong, named I Belong Special.
Both the workbook and the leader's book present
the visual and accessible processes and
catechetical techniques that I developed during my
time in Southwark.
The program accompanies people with
intellectual disabilities as they prepare for the
Eucharist alongside their parish peers. Each page
enables the catechist to communicate and
explore faith journeys by using creative images,
activities and symbolic ways of echoing down
faith.
As my work in this field began in Southwark, I am
really happy to share that, alongside Fr Denis
McBride, we will be holding the first ever I Belong
Special training day, in the Amigo Hall, next to St
George’s Cathedral.
This will take place on January 11 at which, I will
explain how to use the resource within your own
parish programmes. The cost of the day will be
£40.00 per person and this will include a free copy
of the book and leaders guide.
I hope that you will come along and join us as we
make the promise of God accessible to all, for
“I will be your God and you will be my people”, is
indeed a very special message of belonging for all.
I really look forward to sharing this day with you,
in Southwark, once again.
Centre for Catholic Formation Bookshop
Catechesis, Church Documents, Religious Education,
Disability and Inclusion & Music and Liturgy.
Open: Mon-Fri 1.30pm - 4.30pm
or by appointment.
Visit our website:
www.ccftootingbec.org.uk
Phone orders welcome.
Email: bookshop@ccftootingbec.org.uk
21 Tooting Bec Road, London SW17 8BS
(100m from Tooting Bec Underground Station. Parking available)
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