Issue 31 - The Pilgrim - September 2014 - The newspaper of the Archdiocese of Southwark

Issue 31 September 2014 

Why pilgrims 

are flocking 

to Ramsgate 

Pages 6&7 

Choosing 

Owzat! Vatican 

a secondary 

cricketers take 

school 

on Anglicans 

Page 8 Page 10 

More help needed for victims, 

of trafficking, says Bishop Pat 

Greg Watts 

Bishop Pat has called for more to be done to help 

victims of human trafficking. 

He was speaking following the discovery on August 

16 of a group of Afghans, including 15 children, locked 

in a shipping container at Tilbury Docks in Essex. 

They were discovered after dock workers heard 

banging and screaming coming from one of the 

containers. One man was found to be dead and others 

were taken to hospital. 

The group arrived on a ship from Belgium and were 

said by police to be victims of people trafficking. 

“It is becoming increasingly apparent that vulnerable 

men, women and children are being exploited by 

criminals all over the world,” said Bishop Pat, chair of 

the office for migration policy at the Bishops’ 

Conference. 

“It is hard to comprehend the appalling conditions 

that they would have endured during their journey to 

the UK. 

Apostleship of the Sea port chaplain to Tilbury, 

Wojciech Holub, a parishioner of St Anne’s in Vauxhall, 

supported the distressed crew on the ship the Afghans 

had arrived on. 

“A team of chaplains said Mass and conducted a 

blessing on board following requests from the mainly 

Filipino crew,” he said. 

“It is becoming increasingly apparent that vulnerable 

men, women and children are being exploited by 

criminals all over the world and that we must respond 

compassionately to their cries for help,” said Bishop 

Pat. 

“We support the Home Secretary in her commitment 

to making Britain a hostile place for human traffickers, 

and hope that the criminals in this case are speedily 

brought to justice.” 

James’ cycling passion is boost for Cafod 

Concern: Bishop Pat 

Rochester cyclist James Gurney has raised over £900 in 

the 100-mile Prudential RideLondon to support Cafod’s 

work with communities around the world. 

“I’ve supported Cafod throughout my life, but with so 

much going wrong in the world at the moment it’s even 

more important to support people in the greatest need,” 

said James, an IT manager. 

“Cycling has always been a passion of mine, and I’ve got 

more involved since joining the San Fairy Ann Cycling Club 

in Kent a few years ago. 

“ Recently, I’ve cycled around Lake Geneva and 

northern France.”

Editorial The Pilgrim September 2014 

Behind these walls: how prison deacons 

bring the light to the darkest of places 

Michael Tucker, an inmate at HMP Swaleside in Kent, wrote to The Pilgrim 

to highlight the valuable work deacons do in prisons. 

I read an article recently, not in The Pilgrim I 

must add, which suggested that deacons wear 

nothing but a liturgical frill and, as one priest 

in Southwark suggested, are “glorified altar 

boys.” 

I have come to prison at a late stage of my 

life, and rightly so, for I was and am the 

guilty one. I was sent to Swaleside from 

another prison so I could be close to my 

family. 

In the previous prison I was in, there was 

only a Church of England minister there fulltime. 

The local Catholic priest could only 

come on Mondays for two hours. 

This was our only access to anything 

Catholic. 

But here at Swaleside we are most blessed, 

as we have Rev John Letley, a deacon, and his 

ministry within these walls. 

He is a man who serves not just us, but 

God. He not only assists at Mass and reads the 

gospel, and gives a weekly homily, but on 

Tuesday evenings he leads us in the rosary 

and Benediction. 

He is there out on the prison wings, talking 

to us and helping us, either in the seg or the 

healthcare unit. 

Nothing is too much trouble for Deacon 

John. He is the one who is there for us when 

a loved one dies. Candles are lit and prayers 

are said in the chapel. This is invaluable, 

because when you are locked up in prison you 

are powerless to offer help or consolation to 

the family or friends of a loved one. 

Without Deacon John we Catholics would 

be lost. He shows us God through his eyes. 

Deacons are not a liturgical frill or an added 

extra. The deacon’s ministry is so much more. 

You asked for a story from a parish and this 

is a parish behind walls. 

“ 

“ 

Nothing is too much trouble to Deacon John... without him we 

Catholics would be lost. He shows us God through his eyes... 

The Archdiocese of Southwark 

Archbishop Peter Smith 

020 7928-2495 

archbishop@rcsouthwark.co.uk 

www.rcsouthwark.co.uk 

Area bishops 

Episcopal vicar for Kent 

Father Paul Mason 

01732 845486 

episcopalvicarkent@gmail.com 

South-West London 

Bishop Paul Hendricks 

020 8643 8007 

bishop.hendricks@gmail.com 

South-East London 

Bishop Patrick Lynch 

020 8297 9219 

bishoplynch7@btinternet.com 

The Pilgrim, 

Archbishop’s House 

150 St George’s Road 

London SE1 6HX 

Editor: Greg Watts 

pilgrim@rcsouthwark.co.uk 

0208 776 9250 

Advertising: Carol Malpass 

0161 214 1244 

carol.malpass@thecatholicuniverse.com 

Distribution: Andrea Black 

0161 214 1216 

andrea.black@totalcatholic.net 

Print management, design and 

distribution by The Universe Media 

Group Ltd 

Page 2 

Are some things in life 

just fate? 

by Bishop Paul Hendricks 

Each summer takes me to Lourdes with the 

diocesan pilgrimage, and reminds me of my 

favourite French film, made in two parts as 

Jean de Florette and Manon des Sources. 

Part of its appeal lies in the rugged beauty 

of the hill farm country and the vivid 

portraits of the rural French characters. The 

music is cleverly based on Verdi’s opera, The 

Force of Destiny. This is appropriate, 

because much that happens in the story 

does seem to be fated. 

César and his nephew Ugolin know of a 

hidden spring on a neighbouring farm, which 

is crucial to its viability. When Jean, the son 

of César’s former sweetheart Florette, 

inherits the farm, he comes from the city, 

determined to “cultivate the authentic”. 

César and Ugolin secretly block up the 

spring, so that Jean’s project will fail and 

they can buy the land cheaply. 

Ugolin makes friends with Jean, while 

doing all he can to make sure he doesn’t 

succeed. The lack of water proves disastrous 

and Jean becomes desperate. 

Trying to force a new well-shaft through 

solid rock, he uses explosives and is killed by 

a falling rock. As his daughter Manon is 

leaving with her mother, she sees César and 

Ugolin rejoicing as they unblock the spring — 

and she realises that they are the cause of 

her father’s death. 

In the second part, Manon has grown into 

a beautiful young woman. She lives a halfwild 

life, looking after a herd of goats. 

Ugolin is infatuated with her, but she cannot 

forget what he and his uncle did. 

She overhears a conversation between two 

villagers and realises that they all knew 

about the spring, but said nothing. They 

were unwilling to help ‘outsiders’, not 

Life’s drama: 

The two classic 

films offer a 

great insight 

into French 

rural life – and 

beautifully 

exposes the 

weaknesses 

found in 

all of us 

realising that Jean was Florette’s son. 

Manon accidentally discovers the 

underground source of the spring and 

realises that this also supplies the water to 

the village. Angry with the villagers, she 

secretly blocks off the source. The resulting 

drought is seen as a sign from God that 

someone has committed a grave sin. 

Manon comes forward and accuses Ugolin 

and César. Ugolin realises that there is no 

hope of her ever loving him and, overcome 

with guilt, hangs himself. The villagers 

recognise that they share the guilt and they 

gather in a procession to pray for 

forgiveness. 

Unknown to them, Manon unblocks the 

source and their prayers are apparently 

answered. The film ends with César 

discovering that Florette wrote a letter to 

him, which he never received, telling him 

that she was pregnant with his child. 

When she received no reply, she married 

another man, but César now realises that 

Jean was in fact his own son. 

He dies, leaving all his property to Manon, 

expressing his sorrow and shame for what he 

and Ugolin did. 

This all sounds very bleak, but we’re left 

with a sense that things have been resolved, 

and that there is hope for the future. 

The villagers have recognised and 

repented their failures, and even César has 

done what he can to make restitution. 

Manon and her fiancée, a young teacher 

from the town, move forward in hope — and 

that is the predominant tone of the ending. 

The story is, I suppose, a tragedy in the 

traditional sense. Disaster happens because 

of the characteristic weaknesses of the 

people concerned. César’s pride, the 

villagers’ suspicion of outsiders — even 

Jean’s unrealistic optimism. 

Is it all due to fate? No, our choices are 

real. Things could have been different, and 

change can come about if we are open to 

that possibility.

The Pilgrim September 2014 

Evangelii Gaudium 

talk released 

News 

The Centre for Catholic Formation (CCF) has made 

available Archbishop Peter’s talk on the papal 

exhortation Evangelii Gaudium. 

It can be downloaded in pdf format from the CCF 

website. 

Additionally, a video of the talk at St Matthew 

Academy, Blackheath, can be downloaded free via 

its Vimeo website. 

A DVD of the Blackheath talk can also be obtained 

from the CCF. Please send £5 to cover production 

and postage. 

See www.ccftootingbec.org.uk for more details. 

Mass bring end to 75 years 

of faith at Westgate-on-Sea 

Mass has been celebrated for the last time at St 

Peter’s Church, Westgate-on-Sea. Fr Paul Mason, 

Episcopal Vicar for Kent, led the celebration, 

ending over 75 years of Catholic history on the 

site. 

The annual Thanet Catholic 

deanery Mass in honour of St 

Mildred, patron of Thanet, 

was held at the Anglican 

parish church of St Mary the 

Virgin, Minster, site of the 

original Minster Abbey. 

‘Simple’ Borough 

church is listed 

The Church of the Most 

Precious Blood in Borough has 

been given listed status by the 

Government as a building of 

special architectural interest. 

The listing, made by the 

Department for Culture, Media 

and Sport, also includes the 

rectory and grotto to Our Lady. 

Designed in neo-Romanesque 

style by Buckfast Abbey 

architect 

F A Walters, the church was 

built in 1891-2 on land in 

Redcross Way bought from the 

Church of England. 

The architect described the 

church as “an extremely 

simple style of Romanesque or 

Norman, somewhat like the 

earlier portions of the Abbey 

of St Albans”. 

The listing takes into 

account that the church seen 

today “was produced to a 

modest budget” of £7,000. 

Six years earlier Frederick 

Walters had designed 

Archbishop’s House and the 

clergy house for St George’s 

Cathedral, on the corner of St 

George’s Road and 

Westminster Bridge Road. 

The Church of the Most 

Precious Blood was formerly 

served by Salvatorian priests. 

Last year it was placed in 

the care of the Personal 

Ordinariate of Our Lady of 

Walsingham. 

The church also contains a 

shrine to Blessed John Henry 

Newman in a side chapel. As 

well as a portrait of Newman – 

a copy of the famous Millais 

portrait in the National 

Portrait Gallery – there is a 

candle-stand, and a prie-dieu 

with a prayer for Newman’s 

intercession. 

Special status: The church’s grotto to Our Lady - 

of ‘special architectural interest’ 

Maronite bishops 

oultine plight of 

Syria’s Christians 

Two Maronite bishops spoke to parishioners at St 

Catherine of Siena, Chessington and Hook, about the 

plight of Christians in Syria. 

Mgr Maroun Gemayel, Bishop of Europe, and Mgr 

Elias Slyeman, Bishop of Latakia in Syria, came at the 

invitation of Fr George Fares, dean of La Sagesse 

University in Beirut, who regularly covers for parish 

priest Fr Peter Jenner during the summer holidays. 

Home Mission Sunday 

Evangelisation in the heart of the family is the theme of 

this year’s Home Mission Sunday. 

Parishes will celebrate the day on September 21 when 

the bishops of England and Wales ask for prayer and 

support to develop new ways of reaching lapsed 

Catholics. 

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Page 3

News The Pilgrim September 2014 

Archbishop Peter to 

lead Sheppey event 

Catholics on the Isle of Sheppey will celebrate the 

150th anniversary of church of St Henry and St 

Elizabeth, this month. 

Archbishop Peter will join priests in the deanery 

for a special Mass to mark the anniversary. 

Parish priest Father Frank Moran has produced a 

history of the parish, which is being printed at 

Standford Hill Prison, where he is the Catholic 

chaplain. 

Bishop lifts LATCH 

on anniversary 

Bishop Pat joined the parishioners of St Joseph’s, 

Bromley, for a thanksgiving Mass for the 20th 

anniversary of LATCH (Living Amicably Together in a 

Caring Home). 

LATCH was set up to help house single homeless 

young people in Bromley. Bishop Pat was thanked by 

the supporters and trustees of LATCH and the Mass 

was followed by a garden party at the Holy Ghost 

Fathers’ home nearby. 

Cambodian parish 

on the hunt for a 

twin in Southwark 

A Cambodian parish is looking to twin 

with a parish in Southwark. 

Canon Peter Stodart, parish priest St 

Augustine’s, Tunbridge Wells, is asking 

Southwark parishes to consider 

twinning with Kompong Chhnang 

parish, at the southern end of Tonle 

Sap Lake. 

It also serves the nearby town of 

Pursat as well as two groups of boatdwelling 

Vietnamese around the shores 

of the lake. 

“The parish plant in Kompong 

Chhnang is in good condition but the 

church in Pursat needs a lot of work. 

The maintenance of the ‘floating 

churches’ is a constant challenge and 

there are many outreach projects that 

could be undertaken if financial 

support were available,” he said. 

“The Church in Cambodia is tiny and 

the knowledge that an affluent parish 

in England is taking an interest in them 

would greatly affirm the faith and 

witness of the Catholics in Kompong 

Chhnang.” 

But the relationship would not just 

go one way, Canon Peter said. “There 

are benefits, too, for the Southwark 

parish as they develop ties of 

friendship and prayer with the 

Cambodian parish.” 

St Augustine’s has been twinned 

successfully with the Cambodian parish 

of Kompong Thom in Battambang in 

since 1997. 

The Tonle Sap Lake is at the heart 

of life in the Kompong Chhnang 

parish - could yours look to twin 

with the faithful in Cambodia? 

Success for Downham student 

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contact Carol Malpass. 

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email: 


Page 4 

Justice Ritchie from Bonus Pastor School in 

Downham has scooped top prize in the Lewisham 

Regional Final of Jack Petchey’s “Speak Out” 

Challenge. 

Justice impressed the judges with the honesty 

and thoughtfulness of his winning speech, which 

highlighted the challenges of growing up without a 

father figure in the family home. 

He won a £100 gift certificate and will now go 

forward to the grand final at the Piccadilly Theatre 

in the West End. 

Trudy Kilcullen, chief executive of the Jack 

Petchey Foundation, said “Justice is a credit to his 

school. 

“He really is a gentleman who challenges the 

stereotypical view of single parent families and 

highlights the power of love – his mum must be 

bursting with pride!”


Features 

Why do we have a collection at Mass? 

The fourth in a series of answers 

to questions about the Mass, by 

Fr David Gibbons, director of the 

diocesan Centre for Catholic 

Formation 

The question is often asked, why do we have 

a collection at Mass? The answer might seem 

obvious: to pay for church repairs, 

Communion hosts and wine, photocopying 

the newsletter, etc. But, no; there is much 

more to it. 

The second half of Mass – the Liturgy of the 

Eucharist – begins with the presentation of 

the gifts, because, as the Missal says, “it is 

desirable that the faithful express their 

participation by making an offering, bringing 

forward bread and wine for the celebration 

of the Eucharist and perhaps other gifts to 

relieve the needs of the Church and of the 

poor”. 

This is not just a practical interlude, but 

an important act of participation in which 

the people offer the very matter of the 

eucharist, bread and wine. 

Much scholarly ink has been used debating 

whether this act should be called the 

‘offertory’ (because the offering is that of 

Christ in the Eucharistic Prayer), but the 

term ‘offertory’ is widely used. In any case, 

we cannot receive the self-offering of Christ 

in the eucharist if we do not give of 

ourselves. 

As well as the bread and wine, we bring 

forward ‘other gifts’. In our culture this 

means money, but in many countries gifts of 

food and household items are brought to the 

altar, often with a quite elaborate and joyful 

procession. 

This does three things to us. First, it 

unites us in the sacrifice of the Mass. Christ, 

in his self-sacrificing love, died for us. Each 

Mass recalls or represents that sacrifice of 

Christ. In the offertory we participate in the 

sacrifice by giving sacrificially. 

Giving a small amount, or even just enough 

to maintain the parish, is not sacrificial; we 

should give as much as we can afford, like 

the widow and her mite. This is the sacrifice 

the priest refers to when he says “my 

sacrifice and yours”. 

Second, if we are going to be and act in 

the image and likeness of God we have to be 

as generous as he is. The more generous we 

are, the more like God we are. 

Our only proper response to the gifts God 

has showered on us (though we don’t deserve 

them) is to give back generously of our 

treasure (as well as of our time and talents). 

Third, it changes us. We offer to the priest 

the bread and wine, to be transformed into 

the body and blood of Christ, which we then 

receive in order to transform us, to become 

more Christ-like. 

Giving sacrificially and generously changes 

our attitude, to our lives, our work, and our 

money and possessions. 

The offertory is, therefore, an important 

part of the ritual of Mass. The important 

thing is not – as sometimes appears to be the 

case in English parishes – that we sing a hymn 

and (hoping no-one is looking) put a few 

coins in the bag as it goes past. 

Rather, we acknowledge God’s gifts to us, 

and respond generously. In this way we 

participate in the sacrifice of the Mass. And 

note that the money collection should be 

brought to the priest along with the bread 

and wine, not whisked off straight in to the 

sacristy as if it were a necessary evil. 

One final point: how is the second 

collection taken in your parish? The diocesan 

Liturgy Commission is currently preparing 

guidelines for this, but it should not be a 

retiring collection. It is part of the Mass and 

often the money is used “to relieve the 

needs of the poor”. 

Page 5

Behind the scenes The Pilgrim September 2014 

Why pilgrims are flocking 

The Divine Retreat Centre in Ramsgate is the first retreat 

centre of the Divine-Potta ministry in Europe. Fr. Joseph 

Edattu explains why the Vincentian Congregation from 

India has established it. 

If you don’t believe in miracles, step into the 

flinty Gothic structure of the St Augustine’s 

Abbey in Kent and a miracle and an answer to 

prayer is what you will find. An answer to the 

fervent prayer of many devout Catholics, the 

mum of a local priest – and a group of devout 

nuns. 

People have worshipped at St Augustine’s 

Abbey since 597, making it one of Britain’s 

oldest monastic sites. In the late sixth 

century, Pope Gregory I dispatched a small 

group of monks led by St Augustine to bring 

back Christianity to southern England. King 

Ethelbert of Kent was easily converted and 

donated land to set up a monastery. 

Some 940 years of monastic life, scattering 

of treasures, a redesign by Augustus Welby 

Pugin and much restoration later, renewed 

activity has come back in 2014. 

The monastery has now gone but the abbey 

survives – albeit with its Whitby sandstone a 

little smudged. It was donated to the Church 

by the famous architect Pugin, who also built 

the nearby Grange and church. 

When the abbey was up for sale in 2013, the 

mother of the local parish priest, Fr Marcus 

Holden, prayed that it would not become the 

grounds for a pub or a hotel, but would be 

used for spiritual work. 

A group of nuns of Mother Teresa’s order 

saw the for sale board and went a step 

further. They threw a miraculous medal into 

the compound, fervently praying for a 

miracle. 

A miracle is what they got when Vincentians 

from India bought the abbey. It was blessed 

and renamed the Divine Retreat Centre UK on 

16 March. 

The centre is run by the Vincentian 

Congregation, who pioneered the charismatic 

renewal in India, based on the spiritual 

traditions bequeathed by St Vincent de Paul. 

The two main aims of the Vincentian 

Congregation are preaching the good news 

and caring for the poor and the afflicted. 

Since 1950, Indian Vincentian priests have 

been travelling worldwide, conducting and 

leading popular mission retreats in parishes 

and establishing retreat centres. 

The effect has been overwhelming. It has 

brought out a dynamic spiritual 

transformation in the lives of people all over 

the globe. 

Today, the Divine Retreat Centre in India is 

the largest Catholic retreat centre in the 

world. Retreats are held simultaneously in 

seven languages apart from English. Since 

1990, over 15 million pilgrims from all over 

the world have attended retreats at the 

centre. 

Large crowds flock to Vincentian centres 

around the world, from the USA to Australia, 

to various parts of Africa. The work brings 

solace to the sick, the brokenhearted, and 

those seeking spiritual deliverance from vices 

including alcohol and drug addictions. 

Vincentian priests establish and run homes for 

the aged, the sick, for the AIDS sufferers and 

the orphans. 

God’s compassionate love poured out in 

abundance has healed many. “When I entered 

the abbey, I felt it was holy; even the ground 

felt holy”, said retreatant Julie Charles. “I 

felt the spirit of God was here and He 

reminded us of our commitment to Him”, said 

Lanre Onibiyo. 

Archbishop Peter Smith, while blessing and 

inaugurating the spiritual renewal centre in 

the presence of nearly 2,000 people, 

emphasised his belief that the Vincentian 

“ 

I came here overwhelmed, 

fed up from the load I had 

to carry and deep down I was 

secretly wanting to let go. But at 

last, reassurance and greater 

understanding was what I received 

here. Now I can’t wait to run for my 

God. No matter the cost. I feel like 

a newly revived, consoled, forgiven 

child of my heavenly Father 

” 

Daphne Fohlung, a retreatant 

Page 6 

“ 

Once again St Augustine’s 

Abbey is a centre where Jesus 

brings his disciples to manifest his glory 

and power. Unfortunately God has 

disappeared from the lives of the 

people today... the delight of life has 

vanished from their hearts. People are 

not able to relish the beauty of 

Christian faith and living. I wish that 

this centre will bring the 

” 

presence of God to those 

who come here.” 

Archbishop Peter


Behind the scenes 

to Ramsgate 

Spiritual centre: Ramsgate is now on the retreat centre map 

The inauguration of the new spiritual centre by Archbishop Peter 

Kent: spiritual heart of the archdiocese 

Kent could be described as the spiritual heart of the archdiocese of 

Southwark. 

Apart from the Divine Mercy Retreat Centre, it is home to the shrine of St 

Augustine, also in Ramsgate, the national shrine of St Jude at Faversham and 

The Friars at Aylesford. 

In addition, the only contemplative order of nuns in Southwark, a 

Benedictine community, is to be found at St Mildred’s Priory in Minster. 

Congregation would bring a new spiritual 

wave into his people. 

The centre aims to reach the Gospel of 

Jesus Christ to every individual, religion, 

denomination, nationality, family, and 

community. Based on the Bible and the 

catechism of the Catholic Church, threeday 

retreats are held at the centre, which 

include talks, Holy Mass, Eucharistic 

adoration, healing services, confessions, 

praise and anointed worship. 

It houses two priests full-time and holds 

retreats every month. The centre’s work 

promises to be a boost to some of the 

UK’s established Christian faith 

communities 

The centre is headed by Fr George 

Panackal, a stalwart in the Vincentian 

community. 

The Vincentian priests hope that the 

Divine Retreat Centre will become yet 

another channel through which Christ’s 

endless love is preached and exhibited in 

daily life; a home where spirituality 

enables a genuine encounter with Christ 

and real transformation. 

Fr Marcus Holden made a prophetic 

declaration when the centre was 

inaugurated. “The first springtime of the 

salvation of Canterbury was when St 

Augustine set foot on the shores of Kent 

and proclaimed the good news of 

salvation. 

“The second springtime set in when in 

1860 the Benedictine monastery was 

established and the monks took charge of 

the evangelisation of the area. 

“Now the third springtime has come in, 

with the Vincentian Fathers taking up St 

Augustine’s Abbey to start the 

proclamation of God’s word with the 

Divine Retreat Centre.” 

How to book 

for a retreat 

Accommodation at the Divine 

Mercy Centre is available for a 

maximum of 120 people. Prior 

booking must be made, giving 

names and dates Email 

josephedattuvc@gmail.com, or 

phone 075483 03824. 

Page 7

Features The Pilgrim September 2014 

Choosing a Catholic secondary 

school: what you need to know 

Keith Burleton, the admissions and place planning 

officer at the Education Commission, explains how 

parents should choose a Catholic secondary school 

Although for many of us September 

2015 seems a long way off, for 

those parents who have a child due 

to transfer to a secondary school 

then, this autumn term is the start 

of what for many is an anxious 

time. 

What school do they choose for 

their child? At which school will 

their child be happy and 

successful? Where will the 

educational or pastoral needs of 

my child be catered for in a 

disciplined and caring 

environment? 

These and many other questions 

will go through the minds of both 

parents and their year 6 children. 

Most Catholic families will focus on 

the Catholic secondary schools in 

their area. Catholic schools exist 

to assist parents in handing on the 

Catholic faith to their children. 

There are 33 Catholic 

maintained secondary schools in 

Southwark diocese, all providing 

for a good quality comprehensive 

education. The majority of the 

schools admit both girls and boys, 

and in the London boroughs there 

are some separate schools for girls 

and for boys. 

How do I choose the right school 

for my child and why should I 

choose a Catholic school? These 

questions are probably in the 

wrong order, as there is a duty on 

Catholic parents to seek an 

education for their children in a 

Catholic setting. 

The Catholic Bishops’ 

Conference of England and Wales 

in September 2007 wrote in a 

pastoral letter on Catholic schools, 

“We urge all members of the 

Catholic community to value our 

schools. So we encourage Catholic 

parents to send their children to 

the local Catholic school and to be 

actively involved in its life. 

“We encourage people to work 

in our schools as Catholic 

headteachers, teachers, classroom 

assistants or in other roles. We 

encourage people to serve as 

foundation governors to continue 

supporting and promoting the 

vision of education on which our 

schools are founded.” 

Before choosing a school parents 

and their children are encouraged 

to visit all of the Catholic schools 

in their area. Schools welcome 

visits from children and parents 

and staff will answer your 

questions. Both the school’s 

prospectus and the website will 

give a good overview of the school 

but only by visiting the school will 

you get a feeling for the ethos and 

how the teaching and learning 

environment will benefit your 

child. 

All secondary schools organise 

open days for parents and their 

children to see the school in 

action, where they will encourage 

children to take part in learning 

and other activities. Information 

about the dates of the ‘open’ 

sessions can be obtained direct 

from the schools. The prospectus 

contains details of the admission 

arrangements for the school and it 

will explain the criteria used to 

allocate places if the school is 

oversubscribed. 

It is important to remember that 

there may be differences between 

the admission arrangements for 

each school you may wish to apply 

for. It is important that parents 

read the admissions policies 

carefully and seek clarification 

direct from the school if they are 

unsure about any part of the 

policy. 

Do not assume that because one 

of your children has attended your 

preferred school in a previous year 

that the same admission arrangements 

will apply to the current 

year. Check that you have the 

current document. 

Archbishop Peter expects 

Catholic schools to give priority to 

Catholic children who want a place 

at a Catholic school. However, in 

some areas where there may not 

be enough places for all baptised 

Catholic children, governing bodies 

may decide to give a higher 

priority to children from practising 

Catholic families. The governing 

body will require confirmation of 

practice from a priest. 

Support from a priest is not a 

guarantee of a place in a 

particular school. 

Governing bodies will 

take into account the 

information given 

by the priest 

and use it to 

prioritise 

applications using 

their published 

admission criteria. It is the 

governing body of the school, and 

not the priest, that makes 

decisions on who will be offered a 

place. 

Where a school is oversubscribed 

(when there are more applications 

than places available) with 

baptised Catholic applicants, the 

governing body may apply criteria 

where a higher priority of 

admission will be given to those 

who attend Sunday Mass more 

frequently. 

Governing bodies may also use 

other criteria, such as giving 

priority to applicants who have a 

brother or sister in the school at 

the time of admission, living near 

the school, or who have social, 

pastoral or medical needs. 

Parents must complete the local 

authority’s common application 

form, which is the legal 

application form for all schools. 

Parents or carers who want their 

child to attend a Catholic school 

must list all the Catholic schools in 

their area in order of preference. 

A supplementary information 

form, available from each of the 

Catholic schools that parents want 

to apply for, must also be 

completed. The form asks parents 

to provide information regarding 

baptism and, where required in 

the school’s admission policy, 

information about attendance at 

Sunday Mass. 

A leaflet giving advice for 

parents on how to apply for a 

Catholic school place for their 

child has been prepared by the 

Diocesan Education Commission. 

The leaflet gives details of the 

admission process and takes 

parents through the application 

process step-by-step. 

The leaflet can be viewed and 

downloaded from the Education 

Commission web site at 

www.educationcommission.org.uk, 

by simply clicking on the resources 

section and searching 

admissions 

guidance. 

Banks are also about community 

by Nana Anto-Awuakye 

When I was 15, my dad took me up to 

Barclays Bank in Crofton Park to open a 

bank account. I had just got a Saturday job 

in East Street Market. He divided my 

earnings into living allowance and savings. 

It was a good habit to instil, as I 

graduated from a Saturday girl at East 

Street Market to British Home Stores in 

Oxford Street and then on to Harrods. I 

knew how to carve up my pay packet, but I 

also knew how to blow it sometimes on the 

latest fashions. 

Anyway, at the bank, my Dad told me that 

I needed to practice a signature, which I 

did, curly, swirly and flamboyant. 

It was the bank manager who talked me 

through my opening of the account, giving 

me advice on simple money management - 

using my cheque book stubs to balance my 

account. 

The bank, at the top of Darfield Road, 

became important for the number of 

businesses that opened up in the area, 

turning Crofton Park from a “no man’s land” 

area – in between Lewisham and Forest 

Hill – into a more vibrant community. 

This summer holiday we pottered about 

at home with excursions to the seaside. But 

being at home also meant that I could get 

some of my admin done. Most things can be 

done over the phone, via the internet or if 

you are of that generation with an iphone, 

on your mobile. But I wanted to pop into 

the bank to actually talk to a human being. 

I know that some of the older people in 

the community appreciate that they can 

actually talk to someone at the bank 

rather than using an online site or talking to 

someone on the phone via Mumbai. 

There are a few faces still there from 

when I was 15, still behind the tills, and I’m 

greeted with a cheery smile and asked how 

family life and work is going. 

I get my banking admin sorted out, and 

feel reassured that everything is in place 

and resolved. Before leaving I’m told that 

that future of banking and of the bank will 

be automated tills. In other words, no one 

sitting behind the cash desk to speak to you, 

only a computer screen. 

I was shocked to hear this, and said that 

closing down the bank would be awful for 

Crofton Park. “Oh, but it won’t be closed, 

just a different way of banking,” I was told. 

I’m not someone to stand in the way of 

progress, but how souless would that be, 

walking into a bank and being confronted by 

a bank of computers with automated voices 

telling you to press buttons. How would you 

explain to a computer that someone close 

to you had died and you were there to close 

their account? 

Inevitably my nine-year-old son and his 

classmates won’t know any other way of 

banking. They’ll probably take out their 

student loans for university and won’t ever 

have a conversation with a bank manager. 

Technology can be a great enabler and 

provides us with huge opportunities, but 

what about those who find this faceless 

approach, the absence of a human touch, 

intimidating? 

More importantly, what about the 

technology barrier this approach will have 

on poorer families in our community, driving 

them away from banking and into the 

informal banking world of loan sharks and 

payday loans? 

It’s important that the local bank remains 

part of the local community and for its staff 

to recognise people as they walk down the 

street. And for future 15-year-olds to walk 

into a bank, speak to a person and pen their 

signature. 

Page 8


Features 

The Pope who tried to 

stop World War One 

Fr Ashley Beck, assistant priest 

at St Edmund of Canterbury, 

Beckenham, and lecturer in 

pastoral ministry at St Mary’s 

University, Twickenham, 

continues his series looking at 

Catholic saints and major 

thinkers. 

Sadly, 

the Pope 

was not 

only 

ignored 

by the 

national 

leaders, 

he was 

often 

Why is there so 

much suffering? 

by John Pridmore 

Every time we turn on our TV we see images 

of terrible suffering: in Iraq, Syria, Gaza, 

Nigeria, and many other parts of the world. 

Why is there so much suffering in the world? 

And where is God in all of this? 

When we travel through life we can be 

certain that, at some point, we will have to 

suffer. But we should realise that God is 

never the perpetrator. He’s always the 

victim. He never inflicts the suffering on us. 

He always walks with us. In the darkest, 

most hurtful times of our life, that’s when 

God is carrying us. 

And through the Passion he knows 

intimately what we suffer. 

A friend told me the story of when he was 

providing breakfasts to street children in a 

city in Colombia. 

He came across a six-year-old boy curled 

up on the floor. Thinking of his own six-yearold 

son, he picked up the boy and gave him a 

hug. As he did, the boy opened his eyes. 

“How long have you been on the streets?” 

he asked. 

“Since I was four,” replied the boy. 

“Where are your parents?” 

“I haven’t got any parents.” 

“So who looks after you?” 

“God,” said the boy. 

My friend didn’t understand what he 

meant. “How does God look after you?” 

“Last night before I went to sleep I prayed 

that I might receive a hug. And this morning I 

woke up in your arms.” 

God worked through my friend in 

Colombia. And he works though each one of 

us, if we let him. 

In 2009 I flew to Liberia in west Africa, one 

of the poorest countries in the world. I’d 

been invited to go there by my friend Magnus 

McFarlane Barrow, who runs the charity 

Mary’s Meals, which provides daily meals for 

poor children around the world. 

Magnus suggested I meet some of the 

estimated 15,000 former child soldiers who 

the charity was helping to care for. 

The child soldiers had been forced to fight 

in the army of rebel leader Charles Taylor, 

who came to power in Liberia in 1997. His 

brutal regime came to an end in 2003 when 

he was forced into exile. Around 250,000 

people are said to have been killed in 

Liberia’s civil wars over the previous 20 

years. 

I stayed in a village in the north of the 

country with Fr Gary Jenkins, a courageous 

and inspiring British priest. During the war he 

refused to leave the village because he knew 

without him the people would almost 

certainly be killed. 

At one point during the fighting, he was 

kidnapped. It was during his time in captivity 

he first got to know some of the child 

soldiers. 

I wasn’t prepared for the stories I heard 

from the former child soldiers I met. 

Listening to them, I realised they had been 

traumatised by unimaginable brutality. 

The more barbarity you committed, the 

higher you rose in General Taylor’s army. 

Many stories were so harrowing that they 

brought me to tears. 

I listened to one teenager describe how he 

was forced to watch an entire village 

slaughtered by troops sent in by General 

Taylor, who blamed the death of one of his 

officers on a voodoo curse put on him by the 

villagers. 

Despite all the horrors these former child 

soldiers have been through they have an 

incredible resilience. They witnessed such 

evil in their young lives. But the light of God 

shines even in the kind of terrible darkness 

that gripped Liberia. I could see such hope in 

the faces of the children I met. 

People often ask, why doesn’t God 

intervene to stop suffering? But God has 

given each of us free will. We can choose to 

do good or evil. If we didn’t have free will, 

we’d be like robots. 

The story of Adam and Eve in the Book of 

Genesis shows us that Man was created in a 

state of knowing God and with free will. But 

Man chose evil and his nature was corrupted. 

This is called original sin. 

GK Chesterton once remarked, “Whatever 

else is true of man, man is not what he was 

meant to be.” 

“ 

“ 

Whatever else is true of man, man is 

not what he was meant to be... 

GK Chesterton 

A hundred years ago this month the 

Archbishop of Bologna, Cardinal 

Giacomo della Chiesa, was elected Pope 

and took the name Benedict XV. The 

conclave was dominated by the First 

World War which had broken out just a 

month before, including cardinals from 

all the western European belligerent 

countries. The war was to dominate the 

pontificate. 

From the time of his first message as 

Pope, Benedict called for the war to 

end. Even by the autumn of 1914 the 

casualties in Belgium, France, East 

Prussia and Galicia (in what is now 

Ukraine) had been appallingly high – as 

the year drew to a close it was obvious 

that the war would not be over by 

Christmas, as people had anticipated 

back in the summer. 

Again and again during the war the 

Pope called on the leaders of the 

countries involved to stop fighting and 

negotiate. This is part of what he wrote 

to them a year into the war: 

“You bear the dread responsibility of 

peace and war in the sight of God 

and man; listen to the voice of a 

father, who is the vicar of the Eternal 

and Supreme Judge, to whom you 

will have to give an account… The 

abundant wealth with which God the 

Creator has enriched the lands that 

you rule enables you to continue the 

struggle, but at what cost? Let the 

thousands of young lives extinguished 

every day give answer…” 

Benedict did not express himself in 

conventional theological terms, but his 

message is deeply theological. The war 

was simply disproportionate – the loss of 

life could not be justified by either 

side’s claims to be fighting justly. 

In this sense Benedict began a 

thorough re-evaluation by the Catholic 

Church of the morality of warfare under 

modern conditions, simply because 

human beings have found quicker and 

more effective means of killing larger 

numbers of other human beings. It is 

because of the terrible events of a 

century ago that the Catholic Church is 

more consistently anti-war than at any 

time since the earliest centuries of the 

Church. 

Pope Benedict did not simply 

published impassioned messages calling 

on the nations to stop fighting. He 

worked tirelessly behind the scenes 

through the Vatican’s diplomatic 

service. In the summer of 1917 he 

issued a “Peace Note” to try and start 

negotiations, without success. He also 

spent much of the Holy See’s money on 

helping refugees and prisoners of war, 

and he also helped to set up the Save 

the Children Fund. 

undermined by local bishops, 

particularly in France and Britain, who 

were determined that Catholics should 

support the war effort. 

Groups of laypeople here who tried to 

promote the Pope’s message were 

silenced by the bishops – including our 

own Bishop Amigo. 

It shocks us that Catholic bishops 

could have been so unsupportive, that 

they should have got their loyalties so 

spectacularly wrong. 

Lots of commemorations have begun 

of the centenary of the war’s outbreak. 

There are two things Catholics should do 

this year: first, we should pray for the 

dead in Purgatory, the millions who lost 

their lives in the war. 

Second, we should share what we 

know about Pope Benedict XV and his 

message, as he is often overlooked by 

historians; not only that, his message is 

still an embarrassment to national and 

political leaders who want to tell us 

that the war was justified, like other 

wars they want people to fight. 

The Catholic Church should use the 

centenary to proclaim the Pope’s 

message of peace and reconciliation, 

and to assert that the war was simply 

wrong. 

This means calling our nation to 

repentance, as opposed to flag-waving 

and national pride. 

• Fr Ashley Beck is author of 

Europe’s Soul and Her Patron Saints 

(CTS 2005). 

Pope Benedict XV: Peace campaigner 

Page 9

Features The Pilgrim September 2014 

Vatican cricket 

team hoping 

to bowl over 

the Anglicans 

Father Mark White 

A cricket match on the hallowed 

Kent County Cricket Club’s St 

Lawrence Ground in Canterbury 

between a team of Catholics 

from Rome and a team of 

Anglicans from England? Who 

would ever have thought of 

that? 

But that indeed is what is 

going to happen, and to happen 

soon. It all started in the 

Pontifical Council for Culture in 

the Vatican when His Eminence 

Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, 

president of the Council, met 

His Grace the Archbishop of 

Canterbury and laid down the 

challenge. 

The cardinal is honorary 

president of the St Peter’s XI, a 

team recently established in 

Rome and made up mainly of 

seminarians, many from the 

cricket-loving nations of the 

Indian sub-continent. And the 

archbishop has brought together 

a team drawn from the many 

Anglican theological colleges 

throughout the country. 

The St Peter’s XI will be in the 

country from 12 – 20 September 

and will be playing matches in 

Brighton (against a local team, 

also called St Peter’s), in 

Windsor against a Royal household 

team and against a team of 

Venue: Kent’s historic St Lawrence 

ground, Canterbury, will host the 

match: note the oak tree to left of 

photograph inside the boundary 

rope and on the playing field 

Armed Forces chaplains. The 

climax of the tour, which is 

called “The Light of Faith 

Tour”, will be the match on 

Friday, 19 September at 4pm in 

Canterbury. 

It will be a 20 over match and 

the entrance will be free. Kent 

County Cricket Club have been 

enormously generous and are 

waiving the charge for the hire 

of the ground. There will also be 

a “warm-up” match on the 

ground, starting at 2pm, 

between St Anselm’s Catholic 

Secondary School (staff and 

students) against a team from 

the The Archbishop’s School. 

The tour is not just about 

cricket, however. As many 

readers will know, both the 

Catholic and the Anglican 

Church have joined forces to 

combat the cruel trade in 

people known as peopletrafficking. 

They are part of 

what is known as the Global 

Freedom Network (GFN) and the 

tour will draw attention to this 

vital current issue. At half-time 

during the match in Canterbury 

there will be a bucket 

collection, the proceeds of 

which will go to GFN. 

In addition the St Peter’s XI 

will have the opportunity to visit 

many of the historic sites 

connected with Catholicism in 

England, as well as more 

traditional sightseeing: the 

London Eye and the House of 

Parliament are on the itinerary 

planned for them. 

There will be a meeting with 

Cardinal Nichols in Westminster 

on the day the team arrives. 

However, Cardinal Nichols, who 

treasures memories of intercollege 

matches during his days 

at the English College in Rome, 

unfortunately cannot attend the 

match. 

But the papal nuncio 

Archbishop Mennini is planning 

to attend and our own 

Archbishop Peter will be present 

if his engagements allow it. 

Archbishop Welby will also 

attend and none other than 

Cardinal George Pell, Archbishop 

of Sydney and a very keen 

cricket fan, is very much hoping 

to come so that he can lend the 

St Peter’s team his support. 

It promises to be a very 

special occasion indeed and all 

involved in the organisation of 

the event hope that there will 

be a great attendance at the 

game. 

Diary —September 

If you have an event, 

please e-mail details 

to us at pilgrim@ 

rcsouthwark.co.uk 

13: Organ recital by Sue Heath 

Downey, St George’s Cathedral, 1.15 pm. 

18: An introductory evening for those 

interested in studying for the Catholic 

Certificate in Religious Studies, 7.30 pm, 

Centre for Catholic Formation, Tooting Bec. 

20: Mass of thanksgiving for Don Bosco’s 

life and mission, St George’s Cathedral, 

celebrated by Archbishop Peter, 2 pm. 

Reception with a photography exhibition 

until 5 pm follows. To make a reservation, 

email bicentenary-admin@salesians.org.uk 

at least a week in advance of the Mass. 

26: Meeting to explore Pope Francis’ 

apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium 

(The Joy of the Gospel), the parish hall at 

Our Lady of the Annunciation, Bingham Rd, 

Addiscombe, led by Canon Frank 

O’Sullivan, 7.45 pm – 9.30 pm. 

More details from Deacon Philip Pond on 

020 8651 2477 or e-mail 

philippond@blueyonder.co.uk. 

Anglicans 

and 

Catholics: A 

historic 

match 

based on 

faith 

27: Mass at Westminster Cathedral to 

celebrate Depaul UK’s 25th anniversary, 

celebrated by Cardinal Vincent Nichols, 2 

pm. To book, email Natalie.wood@ 

depauluk.org or call the fundraising team 

on 020 7939 1270. 

Regular meetings 

Every Wednesday, the active retirement 

group, St Andrew’s Church Hall, Quadrant 

Road, Thornton Heath, 2 pm – 4 pm. 

Further details from Philip Chapman on 

020 8679 2010 or 07450 145071. 

Page 10


All change at 

Sydenham 

Feature 

School days: 

Sebastian Morello 

Home? West London. 

Job? Formation adviser at the Centre for Catholic 

Formation in the Archdiocese of Southwark. 

What secondary school did you attend ? 

Shiplake College, Henley-on-Thames. 

This month the Church of the 

Resurrection in Kirkdale, 

Sydenham, celebrates its 40th 

anniversary. Marie-France 

Bogui, a member of the 

planning committee, reflects 

on how the parish has 

changed. 

Our parish of the Church of the 

Resurrection in Kirkdale, Sydenham, 

was originally part of the parish of Our 

Lady and St Philip Neri on Sydenham 

Road. 

During Fr Bovington’s time various 

attempts were made to provide Mass 

for the people of Upper Sydendam. 

However, it was not until 1969 that Fr 

Larn acquired the site of our church, 

previously occupied by St 

Bartholomew’s School. The church was 

not consecrated until 1982. 

Between 1974 and 1987 the parish 

was served by priests sent to Our Lady 

and St Philip Neri. These included Fr 

O’Reagan, Fr Dillon, Fr Michael Cooley 

and Fr. Jim Murphy. 

Finally, in 1987, we became a 

separate parish, with Fr Nigel Leaper 

appointed parish priest. 

It was when Fr Paul Forest became 

parish priest in 1990 that the possibility 

of a flat and parish room was 

considered. 

We are now back in a period of 

change. Fr Alfred Osamor, a 

Redemptorist from Nigeria who came to 

London to study, was asked in 2011 to 

become parish priest, with Fr Peter 

Mansfield from Our Lady and St Philip 

Neri taking on the extra responsibility 

of being the parish administrator. 

Upon his arrival, Fr Alfred 

familiarised himself with the 

parishioners and the different groups 

and activities in the parish. 

Since then, Fr Alfred has reintroduced 

the Mother’s prayers every 

Monday after the 9.30 am Mass, the 

sacrament of reconciliation everyday 

after Mass and before the vigil Mass on 

Saturday evening. 

The parish reflects the ethnic mix of 

this part of south-east London. This was 

why Fr Alfred introduced the first 

multicultural Mass, with prayers read in 

different languages, in September 

2012. 

As a result of its success, it has 

become a major annual event, 

Fr Alfred has also introduced 

different novenas,exposition of the 

Blessed Sacrament, a Bible study group 

and a youth group. 

On Saturday, June 7th the parish held 

a programme called “The Pentecost 

experience” in order to grow as an 

evangelizing parish community. 

The parish is growing everyday in 

number, with an average attendance of 

about 320-350 every weekend. 

Favourite subject? I particularly enjoyed religious 

education, but history classes fascinated me too as I 

always saw them as an opportunity to work out why 

people had chosen to do great things. 

Worst subject? I did not enjoy PE much as I have never 

been much of a sporty type. 

Favourite teacher? Dr. Toby Purser taught me history in 

my final year. He was a scholar of medieval history and a 

man truly passionate about the subject he taught. He 

also had a brilliant sense of humour and quickly won the 

respect of his students. 

Favourite school dinner? Gammon with a slice of 

pineapple on. Classic. 

Guilty secret? I became a scull rower at school. The 

rowing coach thought I must have finally found a sport 

which I actually enjoyed, as I would row off down the 

Thames and be gone for hours. 

Scandalously I would in fact not even row half a mile 

down the river before stopping by the bank and, hidden 

by a little island, sit and read Bram Stoker’s Dracula. 

What lessons about life did you learn? 

I learned by observing the example set by the teaching 

staff what actually made a truly excellent teacher, and 

what made a very poor one. Furthermore, I discovered 

at school just what a precious thing friendship is. 

What do you wish you had been told? 

That there are fundamental questions common to all 

people, that not all things can be reduced to opinion, 

and that objective truth is within our grasp. These things 

I had to discover after leaving school. 

What did you do immediately after school? 

I went travelling around Nepal and India, spending much 

time in Catholic missions. 

What career advice would you give to a young person? 

If you really want to do something then go for it without 

fear, even if it seems almost unachievable. 

The world needs people who are great of mind and 

heart. If what you desire to do does not seem to come 

about, then either God has ordained that it is not the 

right time yet or He has something even better in mind. 

God’s plans are 

always so much 

better than ours 

anyway. 

Archbishop Peter chats to worshippers after the multicultural Mass, introduced by Fr Osamor 

Page 11


Focus on faith 

How can parishes 

engage with their 

young people? 

John Quinn, a youth minister in Merton deanery, says young 

Catholics want to be inspired and challenged 

To advertise in this newspaper contact Carol Malpass. 

Tel: 0161 214 1244 or email: carol.malpass@thecatholicuniverse.com 

If you are reading this with your 

focus on finding a simple solution 

as to how to engage the young 

people in your parish, you will be 

disappointed. 

If you have spent hours 

scratching your head as to how to 

connect with those eternally hardto-reach 

youth – invariably quiet 

when we desire them to talk, noisy 

when we require silence – you are 

in good company. But we must now 

stop our search for that simple 

solution. Because there is none. 

While we are here, perhaps we 

should also drop the notion that 

the youth are “the future of our 

Church”. That is disingenuous. 

They are not our future, they are 

our present. 

We need the youth exactly as 

they are now; not how they will be 

in 10-15 years’ time. Proclaiming 

them as the future is merely a 

cheap way of getting ourselves out 

of the bind now; assuming that 

they will come back when they get 

married, when we can catechise 

them properly. 

As the saying goes, if we always 

do what we have always done, we 

will always get what we have 

always gotten.Judging by our 

current results, our methods no 

longer appear to be working. We 

need to change and in order to 

change, we need to look 

backwards. 

Jesus did not start his public 

ministry by sitting down and 

carefully scheming out a threeyear 

programme. He did not spend 

40 days in the desert sketching out 

gimmicks and catechetical notes to 

deliver at people, constantly 

thinking of what worked “when I 

was a kid”. 

He went outside, took a walk, 

and called some young people – 

by name – to come follow him. 

Jesus engaged these young 

people by showing them how to 

live; walking alongside them, 

eating with them and asking 

them questions. The 

consummate leader, 

Jesus encouraged 

growth by living the 

Gospel truth, and 

showing his 

followers exactly 

how radical it could 

be. 

These dozen or so 

young people, 

inspired to be 

fearless through 

being full of God’s 

truth, started our 

worldwide Church, 

which now numbers 

billions. This is the 

ultimate power of 

engaging young 

people. 

How did Jesus do it? He 

connected deeply with the culture 

of the day, and used as symbols 

things around him, which helped 

people come to understand God in 

a better way. 

In a deeply agricultural society, 

where family was vitally 

important, Jesus talked about 

sowing seeds, shepherds and lost 

sons. Jesus challenged people with 

complex metaphors and similes, 

but using ideas that he knew 

people would understand. 

We are called to do the same 

with our young people today. This 

is easier said than done in a 

constantly changing culture. But 

we must go out into the wider 

society, the power of the Gospel 

message on our lips and 

transforming our own actions. 

Young people know when 

hypocrisy is in action, and they 

switch off as soon as it rears its 

“ 

Perhaps we 

should also drop the 

notion that the youth 

are “the future of our 

Church”. That is 

disingenuous. They are 

not our future, they 

are our present. 

“ 

ugly head. And so, before we can 

even think of engaging the youth, 

we must ensure that we ourselves 

are evangelised by God’s Word and 

empowered by His love. 

In the World Cup frenzy over the 

summer, many people who 

were not regular fans of 

football tuned in to 

check out the hype. And 

the reason? To partake 

in a passionate and 

exciting shared 

experience. 

Their hunger 

was not to learn 

about the 

intricacies of 

the offside 

rule, but to 

be around a 

group of 

passionate people, sensing and 

celebrating a unique occasion 

which can unify people all over the 

globe. 

It’s an evangelistic dream, and 

an important catechetical lesson. 

No one is ready to mine the dry 

mechanics until their hearts are 

turned by experience and 

kerygma. If you can capture 

someone’s heart with the utter 

truth, allow them to understand 

things like never before, only then 

they will be open and excited to 

learn more. 

This is what our young people 

require from us at a parish level. 

They desire to experience the 

Gospel at work, not just being 

expounded upon. Young people 

want to see what happens when 

people, literally, practice what 

they preach. They yearn to be 

called to a greater purpose by 

people who live it themselves. 

Tangible experience marks a young 

person’s soul with invaluable 

merit. 

As Pope Francis exhorted: “Dear 

young people: Do not bury your 

talents, the gifts that God has 

given you. Do not be afraid to 

dream of great things!” 

Young people desire to be 

inspired in uncovering their own 

unique talents. They then want to 

be able to see those gifts put to 

good use, for the good of all. They 

truly believe that positive change 

is possible; a beautiful gift from 

God. We cannot allow our worldweary 

cynicism get in the way of 

our young people dreaming of 

great things in God’s name. 

I have heard people complain 

that young people do not show up 

for Mass, or, if they do, that they 

do not engage. I don’t know if that 

is always their fault. We must not 

assume that the beautiful 

mysteries of the Mass will be 

evident to someone whose heart 

has not engaged with the faith. 

Without true understanding or 

desire of the heart on the part of 

the young person, these rituals 

might appear baseless and 

confusing. A catechetical lesson 

will not be enough to engage our 

youth, if their hearts are not on 

filled with knowing how much God 

loves them. 

This then leaves us with perhaps 

the trickiest questions of all. If 

we are not evangelised, then 

how can we genuinely expect to 

evangelise others? As was 

said at the beginning, there 

is no simple solution. 

But, if we are willing to 

look inward, there is a 

viable pathway. 

Published by Universe Media Group Ltd., Ground Floor, Alberton House, St Mary’s Parsonage, Manchester M3 2WJ. Registered as a newspaper at the Post Office. Printed by NWN Media Limited, Mold, Flintshire. All rights reserved.

Issue 31 - The Pilgrim - September 2014 - The newspaper of the Archdiocese of Southwark

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