Issue 19 - The Pilgrim - August 2013 - The newspaper of the Archdiocese of Southwark

Issue 19 August 2013
Have you though
about a retreat
Pages 6 & 7
My experience as a
street pastor
Page 11
Volunteering in
Zimbabwe
Page 12
Cathedral to create
new Archbishop
Romero prayer space
Greg Watts
A large cross to commemorate martyred
Archbishop Oscar Romero of San Salvador is to be
installed in September in St George’s Cathedral.
The three dimensional multi-coloured cross,
which is four-metres high, will contain a fragment
of Archbishop Romero’s
blood-stained alb and
his zucchetto.
Artist Fernando Llort in
EL Salvador has painted
the scenes from the
gospels depicted on
the cross.
The cross will be
installed in the newly
created Romero prayer
space, between the chapels of
St Patrick and St Joseph. Alongside it will
be a bust made by sculptor Lado Goudjabidze
and is a copy of the bust that now stands beside
the door of Romero’s house in Divine Providence
Hospital in San Salvador, where he lived.
The space is being dedicated to the late Bishop
Michael Evans of East Anglia, who died in 2011.
Bishop Michael was a priest of Southwark diocese
and he took his inspiration as a bishop from
Archbishop Romero. Archbishop Peter will preside
at an ecumenical service of prayer, including the
blessing and dedication of the cross, on
September 19th at 6 pm. Monsignor Ricardo
Urioste, the 88-year-old former secretary and
vicar general to Archbishop Romero, plans to
travel from San Salvador to give the homily.
The cross and bust were commissioned by the
Archbishop Romero Trust. Its chair, Julian
Filochowski, said, the trust was given the relics
by Congregation of Missionary Carmelites of
St Theresa in appreciation of the help it provided
to restore Archbishop Romero’s house in
San Salvador.
“Bishop Michael Evans was one of our trustees
and he wanted the relics to come to Southwark.
The idea of creating the Romero space came from
Canon Jim Cronin and cathedral architect
Jonathan Louth. They said it would be a great
asset to the cathedral.
“Next door to the cathedral is Romero House,
Cafod’s head office. The space will make a special
spiritual bond between it and the cathedral.
Cafod funded Archbishop Romero’s radio station
after it was bombed twice.”
Archbishop Romero spoke out against violence
and for the poor. He was assassinated on
24 March 1980 while celebrating Mass in the
chapel at the Divine Providence Hospital in
San Salvador.
The Congregation for Saints’ Causes authorized
the opening of Archbishop Romero’s cause in 1993.
However, some claimed that it had been blocked.
In April Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, president of
the Pontifical Council for the Family and the
official promoter of the cause for canonization
of the Archbishop Romero said the process to
beatify and eventually canonize him had been
“unblocked” by Pope Francis.
Canon John O’Toole, dean of St George’s
Cathedral, said the Romero space will also
highlight the Latin American connections of the
cathedral and the diocese. “St George's has a
large Latin American community and there is a
Spanish Mass for them every Sunday in the
cathedral at 1 pm and so it seemed right and just
that St George’s should be the place. Also, the
Latin America chaplaincy for London is based at
St Anne’s Church on Vauxhall.”
The project is costing £30,000 and it is hoped
parishes in Southwark and East Anglia will provide
some support towards it.

Guest Editorial The Pilgrim August 2013
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
Kent
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
bishoplynch7@btinternet.com
The Pilgrim,
Archbishop’s House
150 St George’s Road
London SE1 6HX
Editor: Greg Watts
pilgrim@rcsouthwark.co.uk
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New encyclical
provides light for faith
Fr David Gibbons, director of
the Centre for Catholic
Formation, introduces
Pope Francis’ encyclical,
Lumen Fidei.
A papal encyclical is a sort of
circular letter, written by
popes and containing aspects
of Church teaching on a
particular subject.
Pope Benedict XVI had
started a trilogy on the three
theological virtues (faith,
hope, and charity), and had
written Deus Caritas Est on
charity, and Spe Salvi on
hope. He was working on the
third, on faith, when he
resigned because of poor
health. Pope Francis took the
document over and “added a
few contributions of my own.”
It is not the first time that
this has happened; in fact
Benedict’s first encyclical was
partly based on one John Paul
II had started. Lumen Fidei is
written mostly by Benedict,
but issued by Francis. It
therefore comes authored by
two Popes.
The encyclical, which is
addressed to all members of
the Church, is published now
in connection with the
current Year of Faith.
Lumen Fidei – which means
“The Light of Faith” – is in
five parts:
1) Introduction.
2) Chapter One: We have
believed in Love.
3) Chapter Two: Unless you
believe, you will not
understand.
4) Chapter Three: I delivered
to you what I also received.
5) Chapter Four: God
prepares a city for them.
The Introduction speaks of
faith in the past and in our
present culture, and how our
culture is realising that
reason is not enough: faith in
Jesus and love in Him helps
us to see what is good and
evil, right and wrong.
Chapter one summarises
salvation history (the story of
God’s people and faith
throughout history), starting
with Abraham, our father in
faith, continuing with the faith
of Israel, and ending with Jesus.
Chapter two examines faith
in relation to reason, love,
truth, and theology: faith is
an essential component of
each of these.
Chapter three asserts that
faith (and truth) are received
in community. The Church is
the “mother of our faith”,
and faith – the apostolic
tradition - is handed on by
the sacraments (especially
Baptism), by prayer, and by
fidelity to the Ten
Commandments, all the
while safeguarded by
apostolic succession.
Believers should believe all
of Church teaching or they
endanger unity.
Chapter four shows how
faith should be the
foundation of our society: it
is “a light for life in society”.
Faith is the foundation of
relationships (such as in the
family) and the dignity of the
person (much needed in
modern society), it gives
consolation and strength in
suffering, and ultimately
faith imparts joy in the
risen Christ.
This important document
can be downloaded from the
Vatican website; alternatively
you can buy a copy from CTS,
priced £3.50. Either way, the
best thing is actually to read
it for yourself, and apply it to
your life of faith.
What is a real superhero
Bishop Paul Hendricks
People often say that children
believe in fairy stories,
marvellous tales and comic-book
stuff more easily than adults.
Actually, as a child I wasn’t a
great fan of comic-book heroes
and that sort of thing.
Curiously, I became more
interested as an adult, because I
began to see dramatic elements
such as character and moral
choices, which I hadn’t been
aware of before.
I haven’t actually seen Man of
Steel, but these thoughts came to
mind when talking about the film
with someone who had seen it. A
recent review said that it’s the
weaknesses of Superman that
make him interesting and add
drama to the story.
That’s right, but I think the
deeper reason is that these
limitations mean he has to make
difficult moral choices. In the
first Spider-Man film, the hero
has to choose whether to rescue
dozens of children from a falling
bus, knowing that the woman
he loves is also falling from a
great height.
Can he save both In the
original comic-book version, I
gather, he does actually fail to
rescue her and she dies.
Surprisingly, perhaps, it’s very
important that the superhero has
limitations on his powers.
Otherwise he could just do
whatever he wants and there
would be no drama.
Just as in fairy-stories, there do
have to be rules. Otherwise, when
the hero wins out, it feels like
cheating, if you see what I mean.
There are also tensions
between work and personal life.
People that the hero loves can be
used by his enemies as a way of
getting at him.
In the second films of both the
Spider-Man and the Superman
series, the hero gives up his powers
for a time, in order to have a
normal relationship. But this means
he has to stand by and watch evil
becoming triumphant, because he
is no longer able to intervene.
This cannot continue and
eventually he has to take on once
more the burden of his responsibility.
It does seem to me that the
hero-story has one limitation,
looking at it from a Christian point
of view. Although the hero may be
called upon to make sacrifices and
to risk losing everything, I can’t
think of a hero-story where there
is anything corresponding to the
Cross.
There is never any suggestion
that in defeat itself, there may
be the seeds of a greater victory;
no hint that the hero may have to
be a martyr. The nearest we come
to this is when the victory is won
at great cost to the hero, who
perhaps never fully recovers.
But there is nothing like the
“greatest story ever told”, where
the hero has to accept defeat in
order that ultimate victory may
be achieved.
I wonder what this says about
our society. In any situation, the
only way forward that we see lies
in terms of a fight or struggle,
never in the acceptance of defeat,
or the realisation that perhaps our
original goal was mistaken.
Of course, I don’t know all the
stories there are, and I’d be
interested to hear of any
examples that might prove me
wrong — I mean, within this genre
of the hero-story. The only
exception I can think of is the
final Harry Potter book.
Lord Voldemort’s failed attack
on the infant Harry caused a
small portion of the soul of each
to be somehow embedded in the
other. This is both the reason why
Voldemort cannot be defeated
unless Harry himself dies, and the
opening for Harry’s possibility
of resurrection.
Page 2

The Pilgrim August 2013
News
Plans for London Bridge church
A new development planned at London Bridge would include a new parish hall for Our
Lady of Salette and St Joseph.
Under proposals to Southwark Council, land and part of the semi-derelict buildings
owned by the diocese of Southwark in Melior Street would be replaced by a six-storey
housing and commercial development.
The project is a partnership between the diocese, Crest Nicholson London, and
Addition Land. The church is in a conservation area and it is in the shadow of The Shard
and London Bridge Station.
If the planning application is succesful, the parish hall at Our Lady of La Salette and
St Joseph would be refurbished and the presbytery would be reduced in size, but also
refurbished. In addition, the Manna Centre would move from its existing site to improved
facilities in the old school in Melior Street.
Parish priest Canon Michael Cooley has welcomed the proposals. “We hope local
residents can see the amount of work which has gone into developing the proposals and
that they support this as a way to enhance the area.”
He added that the parish had changed dramatically in recent years. “Melior Street has
been brought into a whole new world. In addition to serving the local community, it now
also serves business, commuters and tourists.
“There are five big hotels in the parish, and we get tourists at Mass every week.
Eventually, I would like to see daily morning and evening Masses, so that we can serve
better those who work in the area or come to visit.”
Deal school centenary
Archbishop Peter celebrated a
special open-air Mass at St Mary’s
Catholic Primary School in Deal,
to celebrate 100 years of
Catholic education in the town.
The history of Catholic
teaching in Deal began in 1867,
when an orphanage was opened.
In the early twentieth century
The Sisters of Our Lady of the
Missions opened a school for the
Catholic children of the parish.
The blessing of a
commemorative mosaic and a
school picnic followed the Mass.
Head teacher Annie Keane
said, “The first half-century of
St Mary’s School is a testament
Mark Cross reunion
A reunion of past students and staff of Joseph’s College, Mark Cross,
is being planned.
The college, in East Sussex, closed as a junior seminary in 1970.
The reunion will take place on 19 March 2014 at Amigo Hall, adjacent
to St George’s Cathedral. Further information can be obtained fron
Sean Dunne at seandunne@yahoo.co.uk
Good citizens awards
Bishop John has presented good
citizenship awards to young
people from schools in the
Chatham deanery.
The awards were presented at
St Michael’s Church, Chatham.
The young people were
nominated by their peers and
their schools for their
commitment to helping others
and their contribution to the
school community.
The Catholic Schools
Citizenship Awards were
inaugurated in 2002 by Professor
Lord Alton of Liverpool.
These were the first awards
for Southwark diocese.
to the resilience of the Sisters
who strove to provide education
to Catholics and the poor in
our town.
“In the fifty years here at
St Mary’s, we have seen Catholic
education make a significant
and substantial contribution to
primary schooling in Deal.”
New book to
help parents
Holy Ghost Primary School and
parish in Balham hosted an
evening to launch a new CTS book,
Faith in the Family:
A Handbook for Parents.
Written by Anne Burke-Gaffney
and Fr. Marcus Holden, the book is
divided into three themes:
Creation and created, Knowing
God and Catholic life and times.
Answers are expressed in
language that can be easily
communicated by parents to
children and supported by prayers,
activities and practical suggestions.
Borough church
festival
History, liturgy, and a barbeque marked the patronal
festival at the Church of the Precious Blood in Borough.
The parish, which is in the care of the Ordinariate of
Our Lady of Walsingham, held a week of festivities
beginning with a Mass celebrated by Mgr John Broadhurst.
During the week, the church held a display of work
done in the children’s project, run by the Ladies
Ordinariate Group. Children at Anglican and Catholic
primary schools across London had been invited to
study the Psalms and copy out verses from them and
decorate them.
Tee week also included a barbecue and a history
walk around the parish. Places visited included the
medieval Bishop’s Palace; the Globe Theatre; Borough
Market; and sites connected with the Viking battle of
London Bridge. The walk finished with drinks at the
George Tavern.
Exploring the Catechism
The Thanet deanery held a study day on the Catechism of the
Catholic Church.
The day was held at Ss Ethelbert and Gertrude Church,
Ramsgate. Father Marcus Holden gave a talk entitled “Life in
Christ - The Catechism and Christian Moral Teaching.” Edmund
Adamus, director of pastoral affairs for the Archdiocese of
Westminster, gave talks on Christian ethics, sexuality and
human life.
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News The Pilgrim August 2013
Tooting war
memorial
project
Do you have any information about
parish life in Tooting Bec during the
First and Second World Wars
St Anselm’s in Tooting Bec is
researching those who were killed
during the two wars. The St
Anselm’s war memorial project is
the initiative of parish priest Father
William Hebborn.
The project is seeking who have
memories of parish life during the
two wars, who have photos, or who
know anyone who can recall
those years.
The names of those killed will
appear on a war memorial to be
erected in the church in November
2014, the centenary of the outbreak
of World War I.
Plans are underway to publish a
short book telling the stories of the
parish’s war dead as well as an
account of life in the parish during
the two wars.
If you can help with information,
please contact 020 8672 2179,
or e-mail: parish.admin@st-anselmstooting-bec.org.uk.
Aiming for top universities
Staff and students at Ursuline High School and Wimbledon College
Sixth Form took part in the official launch of a project to help them
gain places in top universities.
“Merton Schools Sixth Form Partnership Aspirations Pathway” has
been set up to provide advice and guidance to students applying to
Russel Group universities, which include Oxford and Cambridge.
Young scientists
A nuclear scientist, a doctor, an optician and a
naval officer took part in science week at Saint
Joseph’s Catholic Primary School in Bromley.
The visitors spoke about the importance of
science in their jobs. The pupils also had a visit
from a parent who brought into school her baby
chicks for the children to observe and ask
questions about.
The finale to the week was a visit from a
“science boffin”, who presented an assembly to
the whole school, showing scientific experiments.
This was followed by interactive workshops,
where the children were introduced to dry ice.
The day culminated with a rocket launch in the
school playground.
Page 4
The choir at the annual day for people of all abilities, held at
Aylesford Priory on Sunday 7th July
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Haiti exhibition
An exhibition of photos and films
commemorating the 2010 Haiti
earthquake was held at Romero
House, headquarters of Cafod.
The exhibition showed how support
from Cafod helped provide emergency
assistance, including water and
sanitation, long term house building
and psychosocial support.
Young
philanthropists
Sixth form students of St Mary’s
Catholic High School in Croydon
took part in a competition to
win a grant of £3,000 for a
chosen charity.
This competition was arranged
by the Youth and Philanthropy
Initiative, an active citizenship
competition for secondary
school students. Through it they
learn to tackle social problems,
engage with their community
and develop the skills needed
for effective giving.
The students worked in groups
to research and discuss the social
needs of their local community
and identify the local social
service charity, which they
believe is best placed to make
a positive contribution.
After building a positive
relationship with representatives
of the charity, each group
developed a presentation to
deliver at the final event.
The judges, including the
deputy mayor of Croydon,
decided that the presentation
about Croydon Voluntary
Association for the Blind (also
known as Croydon Visual) was
the winner.

The Pilgrim August 2013
Features
The challenge of evangelisation
Fr David Gibbons, director of the Centre
for Catholic Formation, continues is
analysis the various documents of the
Second Vatican Council.
Last month we looked at Part One of
Gaudium et Spes, the Pastoral
Constitution on the Modern World. This
month, we move on to Part Two, which is
about various urgent problems.
Out of the many problems they could
have chosen, the Council Fathers highlight
marriage and the family, human culture,
economic and social life, politics, the
solidarity of peoples, and peace. Perhaps
a Council held nowadays would highlight
the same issues!
It is impossible for me to summarise all
of this in a short article. If you are
concerned to promote marriage and family
life (how very topical for us at the
moment!) or wish to focus on it in a
discussion group, first read chapter 1.
Likewise, the economy (again, spookily
relevant to today!) in chapter 3 and peace
and the avoidance of war in chapter 5.
This Constitution has been described (in
Faith magazine) as “a statement of
strategy for the whole Church in the face
of a rapidly changing world”.
Central to the document is the idea that
the Church must engage with the world
(this was quite revolutionary at the time;
nowadays “dialogue” is commonplace),
develop its own thinking and teaching on
the issues of the day (some of which are
old problems and some very new), and
present the enduring truths of the
Catholic faith (the “tradition”) to people
in a rapidly changing world. This task is
described as “urgent”.
The prophetic words of Gaudium et Spes
are a challenge to us all. Some people
think that it allows Catholics to abandon
uncomfortable doctrines and modernize
the teachings of the Church to fit in better
with modern society.
Others think that it has enabled
dangerous modern ideas to infiltrate the
Church, and so we must return to a pre-
Conciliar way of thinking, speaking, and
behaving. Gaudium et Spes supports
neither of these views. It is, after all, a
document of an Ecumenical Council: it is
therefore part of the official teaching (the
“magisterium”) of the Church, so it can’t
be simply ignored or dismissed.
In this Year of Faith, a basic theme of
which is the New Evangelization, Gaudium
et Spes calls us to spread the Good News
of Jesus Christ, as revealed to us and
passed on in the Catholic tradition, to the
people of the modern world. This is a
world of science and technology, of
relativism, of serious economic and social
problems, of wars and huge inequalities.
We have to evangelise in a way which
is coherent, authentic, and respectful
of other people’s views, a way which is
firmly based on the Tradition, the
“deposit of faith”, but which is also open
to the new context of a globalized world.
Gaudium et Spes was composed – in
Latin – in an era before mobile phones,
computers and Twitter. Yet it contains an
immense amount of riches, only a small
percentage of which has been quarried
and even less implemented.
Much remains to be done. How we go
about this is at the heart of the New
Evangelization, and is a question which
will occupy us not just in this Year of Faith
but in the years and decades to come.
This will not be easy, but Gaudium et Spes
encourages us to expect God to provide
the grace we need for our task.
Ordinations
Five men have been ordained for
the priesthood by Archbishop Peter
at St George’s Cathedral.
The new priests are Leonard
Tatt, Stephen Haines, Valentine
Erhahon, Thomas Lynch and
Samuel Davey.
Two married men have also been
ordained permanent deacons.
Michael Carrucan was ordained by
Bishop Paul and
St Anselm’s, Tooting Bec, and Barry
Mellish was ordained by Bishop Pat
at St Joseph’s, Bromley.
Page 5

Behind the scenes The Pilgrim August 2013
The Pilgrim August 2013
Behind the scenes
Have you thought about going on a retreat
The Friars, Aylesford
ourselves greater
opportunity to go
The Friars, Aylesford
deeper in our own
journey of discovery.
In the BBC TV Series
The Big Silence of 2010,
participants struggled to
come to terms with
silence of the retreat
centre which they were
then encouraged to take
into their everyday
lives. For all of them it
was a painful process
but one that brought
them into a new place
of understanding which
may not have otherwise
been possible.
There is something
sacred about silence
that brings us closer to
who we are and how we
relate to the world we
inhabit. It is a
universally human
activity which transcends our understanding and enables us to
share in the mystery of eternity.
It is a gift from God – one to be embraced and celebrated.
Put a little silence into your diary and discover what you have
been missing!
Visit www.retreats.org.uk for further information.
Aylesford: an oasis of peace
Father Wilfrid McGreal
Driving down the M20 towards
the Kent coast you see signs
around Junctions 5 and 6 for the
Friars, the popular name for
Aylesford Priory. If you follow the
signs you come to the priory, an
oasis of peace and beauty.
Aylesford Priory has been home
to a community of Carmelite
Friars since its restoration in
1949. It is a place of pilgrimage
and retreat. At the priory you
can stop, take stock and be still
for a while.
I have had the privilege of
being a Carmelite friar and a
member of the community at
Aylesford over the years. It is
good to welcome those who
come to stop and be open to a
new way of relating to God.
Sometimes people come trying
to find a meaning in their lives,
often at times when they are at a
crossroads. They need to make
sense of life and are searching
for a direction; my role would be
to listen and perhaps suggest
that they make connexions.
Again it helps if they can
share their vision of God,
perhaps that relationship needs
to grow and develop. In that case
often a reflective reading of the
Gospel can enable God to be God
for them.
Everyone who comes is special,
unique, but if they can see that
they have their origins in God’s
love, then they know the living
God wants them to grow and
become God’s work of art.
Besides working with
individuals, over the years I have
led retreats for groups who have
wanted to learn about prayer or
come to a deeper awareness of
traditions of Christian Spirituality
in other words different
traditions of living the Gospel.
I have always found these
retreats helpful as they attract a
wide range of people
representing different Christian
communities. While retreats
need times of silence, when
working with a group I find that
in the discussions so much can
be gained and valuable
insights shared.
A special feature of retreats at
Aylesford is the chance to share
the rich tradition of Carmelite
spirituality, whether it is the
sublime insights of John of the
Cross or the little way of St
Therese with her vision of love at
the heart of the Church. Sharing
of our Carmelite tradition crosses
denominational boundaries and is
a help towards Christian Unity.
So I hope that the sign posts on
the M20 will continue to draw
people to Aylesford Priory and
enable them to embark on a
journey of faith.
Alison MacTier is the
director of the Retreat
Association, a charity
which promotes retreats
and publishes the
Retreats handbook,
which lists over 200 retreat
centres and their
programmes. She explains
what a retreat can offer.
One of the greatest signs of
respect we can give someone’s
memory is to offer a moment
of silence. This universal
activity crosses boundaries and
unites those of all faith and
none. As humans we are drawn
towards it, suggesting that
there is deep within us a need
to offer something profound in
the space that only silence
can offer.
In today’s world, finding
silence can be challenging,
but going on retreat is one
way to encounter that ‘pause
for thought’ in which we
can discover something
deep within.
One of myths surrounding
retreats is the idea that they
are exclusively for the most
prayerful and holy among us.
For my own part, I
discovered as a young adult
that going on retreat was a far
more universal activity.
It was perhaps the first time
in which there was no “right”
place to be on my faith
journey other than where I
happened to be. It was an
environment of total
acceptance and freedom in
which I could begin to find
meaning in my own inner
journey of faith.
The hospitality offered by
retreat centres, which today
are very comfortable and often
beautiful places, allows this
journey of discovery to take
place in a way that just
wouldn’t be possible in my
own familiar surroundings
of home.
Another myth is that going
on retreat is some kind of
escape from reality, a shutting
out and denying of all the
things we don’t want
to face, while the rest
of the world has to get
on with the business
of living.
This is a profound
misunderstanding, for
which one only has to
look at the example of
Christ to see that a
temporary withdrawing
from the busy world is a
way to re-focus and
re-energise our lives so
that we are so much better
able to re-engage with it on
our return.
The busier I am, the more
I need to withdraw – much
easier said than done in our
multi-tasking modern world
of course, but that is our
challenge.
So what about silence and
retreats Many people may be
put off from going on retreat
by the idea of entering into
silence. Although there are
many silent retreats to
choose from, the majority of
retreats on offer today will
include silence as a part
rather than the whole of the
retreat programme.
What most retreat houses do
have in common is a sense of
stillness. When we enter a
retreat, we are encouraged to
adopt a slower pace, to leave
our worries at the door and to
allow ourselves to focus on the
uncluttered present, where we
are free to encounter God and
ourselves without a hundred
other distractions competing
for our attention.
While silence is not
compulsory on retreat, there is
no denying that to experience
it at some level is to allow
Some Catholic retreat centres
in the Southwark diocese
The Friars, Aylesford,
Kent, ME20 7BX.
Tel: 01622-717272
retreat@thefriars.org.uk
www.thefriars.org.uk
The Kairos Centre,
Maryfield Convent,
Mount Angelus Road,
Roehampton,
London SW15 4JA.
Tel: 020 8788 4188
bookings.kairos@psmgs.org.uk
www.thekairoscentre.co.uk
Sacred Heart Priory
(Dominican sisters),
38 Hyde Vale, Greenwich,
London SE10 8QH
Tel: 020 8692 7677
The Emmaus Centre,
Layhams Road, West Wickham,
Kent BR4 9HH.
Tel: 020 8777 2000m
enquiries@emmauscentre.org.uk
www.emmauscentre.org.uk
Minster Abbey,
Minster, Near Ramsgate,
Kent CT12 4HF.
Please write to the guest sister.
www.minsterabbeynuns.org
Southwark Catholic Youth
Service, St Vincent’s Centre,
Castle Road, Whitstable,
Kent CT5 2ED.
Tel: 01227-272900
info@scys.org.uk
www.scys.org.uk
Minster Abbey
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Page 6
Page 7

Features The Pilgrim August 2013
Introducing
children
to liturgy
Linda Samuels
At St. James the Great parish in Petts
Wood we have three children’s liturgy
groups that are working in a very positive
way to offer our younger children a means
of coming together to worship and to learn
more about their Faith.
The groups all meet at the 9.15 am
Family Mass, with children leaving their
families and following the priest as he
enters the church and makes his way
towards the altar. They then continue to
process into the hall with the leaders and
helpers of the week.
The pre-school children can use a small
room, whilst the key stage 1 children
remain in the main hall. Both groups have
a small table set as an altar with the
liturgically correct coloured altar cloth, a
crucifix, a candle and sometimes a topical
display or relevant artifacts.
The opening format consists of the Sign
of the Cross, “Sorry” prayer, Alleluia, and
Gospel reading. The explanation of the
Gospel reading is then given in language
and with examples that each group can
understand.
Sometimes a story will offer the best
means to make the message clear.
Questions are asked of the children in
relation to the Gospel readings, that are
appropriate to their ages, and discussion is
encouraged to enable all the children to
access the meaning of that week’s Gospel
message.
Time is given to listening to their
opinions. Individual children might offer
examples of things that have happened to
them in relation to the reading. Often the
youngest children want to tell you news of
their week that has no connection to that
week’s theme but whatever it is, it is
important to them and we will listen!
A simple craft activity follows. If time
allows we all come together for a final
prayer. A group of the school age children
then lead us in the Offertory procession
back into the main body of the church and
back to families.
A new initiative is a monthly liturgy
group for children in key stage 2 who have
received their first Holy Communion. They
meet together with their own leader and
follow the same basic format as the other
groups but with more in-depth discussion
of the week’s Gospel.
Our total number in all groups is
variable, but it hovers around 50 children;
they are all known by name and feel
welcomed and secure.
It would be good to have news of other
children’s liturgy groups in the diocese.
Perhaps we could get together to share
good practice ideas for improving what we
offer our youngest parishioners
Faith in the summer holidays
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Nana Anto-Awuakye
Cliff Richard always pops up at this
time of the year. Go on Cliff take
it away! “We’re all going on a
summer holiday. No more working
for a week or two. Fun and
laughter on a summer holiday. No
more worries for me and you.”
And so the song spins around in
my mind as the summer holidays
loom. It’s that time of year when
I’m, meant to morph from a timepressed
worry-bug into a free
floating butterfly with no cares in
the world.
Free of household to-do lists and
my mind ready to expand to be
able to read the pile of novels
gathering dust on my bedside
table or ready to start writing that
novel which I secretly hope I have
inside me.
But it’s not long before I’m
emotionally stressed out trying to
coordinate the family time table,
my purse is soon financially maxed
out and I’m physically burned out
trying to keep it all together, and
no sign of a fluttering butterfly,
only a scuttling worry-bug.
My husband has a much more
lassize-faire attitude to the
summer holidays somehow
thinking that everything will fall
into place and lovingly chides me
saying, “Ye of little faith, the
summer is going to be wonderful.”
Well of course it will all be
okay because Mummy will also
find a way to weave her summer
holiday magic.
The kitchen calendar for the
next six weeks is pretty much
completed, a mix of swimming at
the new Glass Mill Leisure centre,
making use of our National Trust
membership and spending some
time on the Norfolk coast. Busy,
busy, busy!
Just before I lurch into my
summer helter-skelter schedule,
I love the couple days after the
end of term, when neighbours
have loaded up their cars and set
off for their holidays.
The local school playground falls
silent, the rush hour traffic less. A
peaceful silence descends on
Ladywell. I feel this warm fuzz
and want to stretch out my arms
like Maria in The Sound of Music
and do a twirl and thank God for
the wonderful community I
belong to.
Pope Francis’ first encyclical
released this month, Lumen Fidei,
The Light of Faith, is a reminder
that amongst the worry and
problems, rest and relaxation of
the summer that this period in the
year is also a time to deepen
our faith.
This is difficult when there’s so
much going on and timetables
have to keep ticking smoothly.
Pope Francis reflects that faith
is not something, which takes us
away from the world, and is not
“irrelevant to the concreter
concerns of the men and women
of our time.”
In fact, it “leads us, as
Christians, to live our lives in this
world with ever greater
commitment and intensity.”
When I read these words I
wondered where on earth I was
going to find the time to deepen
my faith. Then I realised that I can
do this in the ordinariness and
messiness of life, the fun,
laughter, stress and frustrations of
my summer holiday with family
and friends.
Here’s wishing you all a happy
faith-filled summer holiday.
Page 8

The Pilgrim August 2013
Features
Why the Mass matters
John Pridmore
I couldn’t understand the
importance of the sacraments
when I first found God. After a
spell in Pentonville Prison for not
paying various fines, I attended
a retreat.
During the Blessed Sacrament
procession, I asked someone what
was happening. When he told me
that Jesus was present in that little
piece of bread, I laughed and said
that I thought this was ridiculous.
“I used to think that,” said the guy,
“but I asked Jesus to show me that
it was true. And he did.”
So at Mass the next morning, I
asked Jesus to show me that he
was really present in that bread.
At communion, I found myself
automatically kneeling down.
When I went back to my place, I
experienced an incredible
sensation, and I knew that Jesus
was real in the Blessed Sacrament.
When you understand the Mass
more you begin to see what a
wonderful gift the eucharist is.
By taking on the appearance of
bread and wine Jesus comes to us
in a very special way.
Jean Vanier tells the story of
the time he found a wheelchair
tipped over at the bottom of the
stairs leading to the chapel. He
went inside and found Simon, a
severely disabled young man,
prostrate on the floor.
He couldn’t believe that the
man had made such an effort to
get into the chapel. Why did you
do this asked Jean Vanier.
“Because I wanted to be close to
my friend Jesus in the
tabernacle,” replied Simon.
Many young people say to me
that the Mass is boring. If we
watch a movie and are
concentrating on something else
at the same time, we lose
interest. We have to pay
attention to get something out of
a movie. It’s the same with Mass.
If we speak to Jesus and ask him
questions we’ll start a personal
relationship with him.
Or it’s like if you’re a Chelsea
fan and you go to watch Liverpool
and Arsenal, you’ll get bored,
because you’re not interested in
them. But if you go to watch
Chelsea, you’re involved in every
kick of the game.
If you ask Jesus what he is
saying to you in the readings at
Mass and to let you know that he
is truly present in the Eucharist,
you start a personal relationship
with him.
A priest friend of mine in Africa
was once asked to say Mass in a
remote village he’d never visited
before. When he arrived at the
church, he was amazed to see an
old woman caked in mud lying on
the floor by the door.
He was even more amazed
when at communion, she crawled
all the way to the front of the
church, received Jesus and
crawled back to her place.
Afterwards, he said to the
sacristan, “This is going to get
really embarrassing. She is putting
mud and filth all over the church.”
“But, Father, she lost both of
her feet through gangrene,”
replied the sacristan.
The following Sunday when the
priest arrived at the church, the
priest felt guilty, so he went to
see the woman, who lived a mile
from the church.
“I’ve got some great news for
you. You don’t have to crawl a
mile to receive Jesus any more.
I’m going to bring Jesus to you
every Sunday,” he said when he
met her.
“Please, Father, don’t take
away the privilege of me crawling
to my saviour,” she pleaded.
When we receive Jesus in the
Catholics from Bexley and Greenwich
deaneries holding their annual procession
of the Blessed Sacrament at the ruins of
Lesnes Abbey, Abbey Wood, in June.
Eucharist he gives us the strength
to sustain us in our everyday life.
In the sacrament of the Eucharist
we, as broken as we are, can
receive Jesus, body, soul and
divinity, and draw life from him.
We need that life and grace.
That’s why we should go to Mass
as often as we can.
Should Catholics support the European Union
Fr Ashley Beck, assistant priest at St
Edmund of Canterbury in Beckenham and
lecturer in pastoral ministry at St Mary’s
University College, Twickenham,
continues his series exploring Catholic
social teaching.
In Eucharistic Prayer IV in the Missal the
priest says these words, referring to
Jesus: “To the poor he proclaimed the
good news of salvation, to prisoners,
freedom, and to the sorrowful of
heart, joy.”
It has always struck me that this is
rather bold statement to make in the
liturgy, even though it uses directly Jesus’
words as he got up to speak in the
synagogue in Nazareth, quoting Isaiah.
Both the Old Testament prophets and
Jesus in his preaching make it clear that
God has a special love for the poor and
the oppressed.
For the prophets, injustice and the
exploitation of the poor are symbols of
idolatry and unfaithfulness towards God:
the rich and powerful will experience
God’s wrath.
This message from the Bible was first
articulated into a theological concept
described as the preferential option for
the poor in the 1960s, in the years
following the Second Vatican Council.
This began in Latin America as part of
the theological tradition known as
Liberation Theology, and soon became an
important idea for the whole of Catholic
Social Teaching.
It was endorsed by Cardinal Joseph
Ratzinger when he was Prefect of the
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
and by Blessed John Paul II (who is to be
canonised by Pope Francis later this year)
in his 1987 encyclical letter Sollicitudo
Rei Socialis.
The pope wrote: “This is an option, or a
special form of primacy in the exercise of
Christian charity, to which the whole
tradition of the Church bears witness. It
affects the life of each Christian inasmuch
as he or she seeks to imitate the life of
Christ, but it applies equally to our social
responsibilities and hence to our manner
of living, and to the logical decisions to be
made concerning the ownership and use
of goods.”
What does the Church mean by this It
seems to me that it covers at least three
areas. The first is charitable work directly
for the poor and the marginalised. Pope
Benedict XVI has repeatedly pointed out
that there is no tension between this and
other things – it has always been a mark of
the Church’s witness.
This charitable work is uncalculating
and unconditional, as great figures like
Dorothy Day have always insisted – it is
not “means-tested”; we also see this
from the lives of St Vincent de Paul,
Blessed Mother Teresa and others. Many
have stressed to that our acts of charity
to help the poor should be personal
and sacrificial.
The second implication of what the
pope says is to do with our “manner of
living.” As Cafod and other agencies
have shown, giving to the poor and
identifying with the poor should affect
our own lifestyles.
We should try to live simply and we
should resist the empty consumerism of
British society, grounded as it is on often
unrestricted free market economics and
love of money.
Thirdly, the option for the poor should
be a “regulative principle” for our
attitudes and actions. If we are serious
about putting the poor first in the name
of Christ, a lot of things will change in
our lives and we will probably make
some enemies.
It will have a bearing on our reactions
to the present government’s benefit
reforms, which the Church is opposing;
moreover, for example, we will want to
point out how much could have been done
to help the poor with the money
squandered on the military adventure in
Afghanistan (c. £37 million).
If we take it seriously, will we really
want to read newspapers which in
relation to asylum seekers and others who
are the poorest in our society are only
concerned to teach their readers to hate
The option for the poor changes
everything – that is one reason why
Catholic Social teaching is so important,
and for many people very challenging.
Perhaps it why people don’t hear
Eucharistic Prayer IV very often.
Page 9

Features The Pilgrim August 2013
Why we should not forget
Auschwitz
Emma Geiringer
Earlier this year, I was fortunate to take
part in The Lessons From Auschwitz
project, run by the Holocaust Educational
Trust, which gives students from higher
educational colleges and sixth form
colleges the opportunity to visit the
Auschwitz camps in Poland.
The aim is to educate young people in
the history of the holocaust so that we can
in turn educate future generations about
the importance of standing up against
prejudice and intolerance in the hope that
such an event never repeats itself.
It was a strange feeling, standing face to
face with the infamous “Arbeit Macht Frei”
sign at Auschwitz 1. Just metres from the
gas chambers and crematorias used to
annihilate thousands of innocent lives, the
cruel irony of the words hit me more
painfully than the sleet and wind which
was lashing across my face.
This camp has now been made into a
museum; the large brick buildings which
once housed hundreds of inmates are filled
with shocking images from the 1940’s of the
camp filled with skeleton like figures, with
shaved heads and faces of absolute despair.
Some rooms display artefacts which were
taken from prisoners upon their arrival,
such as shoes, prosthetic limbs and the
cooking equipment which those who
believed they were genuinely being
relocated to a better place to live had
brought with them.
For me, the most harrowing moment of
the trip was seeing a suitcase with my
surname on it along with hundreds of
other cases encased behind glass.
I do not know to whom this case
belonged or what their life had been, but I
instantly felt an element of a connection.
The statistics and stories of the holocaust
suddenly felt incredibly real.
I had been surprised by the size of this
camp but nothing could prepare me for
the vastness of Auschwitz II. Upon arrival,
we went to the top of the watch tower
above the arches over the infamous
railway leading into the camp.
Looking out, we were faced with rows
and rows of wooden barracks as far as the
eye could see. It was even more distressing
to think that the majority of those who
came to the camp would have been killed
within a few hours of arrival, meaning this
huge camp was occupied by only a small
proportion of holocaust victims.
I was beginning to realise how the Nazis
were able to murder such an enormous
number of people as the structure of the
camp alone illustrated how systematic a
process the holocaust was.
We ended an exhausting day with a
memorial service, led by Rabbi Barry
Marcus. There was an incredibly eerie
atmosphere as darkness and fog descended
over the camp. We took this time to
honour the victims as Rabbi Marcus sang
the Kaddish (Jewish prayer for the dead)
and we reflected on what we had seen
over the day.
It had been an incredibly powerful and
thought provoking trip. While we will
never be able to fully understand what the
victims endured, we must at least honour
their memories.
It is also important to rehumanise the
victims, as all were human beings, with
individual qualities and families – much
like ourselves, and so should be
remembered as such, not just as statistics
of a horrific event.
This trip equipped me with a fuller
understanding of the holocaust, which I
feel is particularly important as we
become increasingly responsible for
passing on the stories of the survivors.
Society has witnessed what can happen if
people do not act against prejudice and
mistreatment of the vulnerable, so now we
must learn from this event to ensure history
doesn’t repeat itself in such a way again.
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Included in the exhibition are Chairman Mao’s Little Red Book;
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Contemporary propaganda examined includes the 2012 Olympic
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While the word propaganda has a negative image today, the
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Page 10

The Pilgrim August 2013
Feature
School days: John Letts
Home Deal, Kent
Job Headteacher,
St Ethelberts Catholic Primary
School, Ramsgate.
School St Eanswythe’s C. of
E. Primary School Folkestone.
Favourite subject
Literacy, but really loved
maths as well.
Worst subject Woodwork.
My final piece fell apart when
I took it home!
Favourite teacher
Miss Mooney – a trainee
student for RE – who made it
great fun and even cooked multi-faith meals for the class to try.
Favourite school dinner Sponge pudding and syrup.
The Word on
the street
Joseph Owusu-Ansah
Why do you do this if
you are not paid This
is a question I get asked
often when I am out on
the streets at night as a
Street Pastor.
Being out on the
streets at night helping
to make people feel
safe is for me a good
Christian witness.
Furthermore, I do enjoy
engaging people outside the context of Church.
I first heard of Street Pastors when I did a
summer pastoral placement as part of my
formation to the priesthood at Corpus Christi
Parish in Brixton Hill, three years ago.
When I started my one-year pastoral
placement at St. Augustine’s, parish, Tunbridge
Wells, there was a recruitment drive for more
Street Pastors in the town. My parish priest
suggested if I would be interested.
I applied, was accepted, and started the
training. There were five intensive training
sessions over a period of three months.
The training was very good and helpful.
It focused on areas ranging from knowing the
local community through drugs awareness to
issues concerning contemporary culture.
The training has not only helped me when I
am out on the streets at night as a Street Pastor
Diary – August
but has also given me good insights into some
local issues.
This has been very helpful to me in my
pastoral experience. Apart from my work in the
parish, I am also involved in two secondary
schools and engage many young people and
with varied experiences. My knowledge of
issues in the area helps with this.
This further flows into when I am out there
on the streets. Again, the whole experience on
the street offers me further insights into the
context within which I am exercising my
pastoral ministry.
Another important aspect for me in what I do
as a Street Pastor is the opportunity to have
conversations with people on a range of issues.
When people come to know that we are doing
what we do as Street Pastors because we are
Christians, they open up various conversations
about religion.
I do enjoy talking about religion with people
who are not religious. Most of such people we
meet on the streets will immediately tell you
why they are not religious.
This opens up an opportunity for further
discussion. It is an opportunity for
evangelization. I have learnt a lot from such
conversations and it has boasted my confidence
in engaging people who are not religious.
So far, my time as a Street Pastor and the
training has been very helpful. The experience
will be invaluable in my ministry now and in
future as a priest.
If you have an event, please e-mail details to us at
pilgrim@rcsouthwark.co.uk
3 – 10: St John Bosco girls’ (8 – 13) summer camp, Aldham, Essex.
Phone 01634-311350 for details.
4: Caribbean pilgrimage, Aylesford Priory. Mass celebrated by Bishop Patrick at 12 noon
followed by Rosary and Benediction at 3.30 pm.
11: Pilgrimage of the sick, Aylesford Priory. Mass and anointing of the sick celebrated by
Bishop Patrick at 12 noon followed by procession and Benediction at 3.30 pm.
Guilty secret I used Nigel’s cap as a Frisbee and threw it over the
school wall into the cinema.
What lessons about life did you learn To believe in God, that you
were trusted by the staff, that cross-curricular work was fun.
What do you wish you had been told That mistakes are when you learn!
What did you do immediately after school Work in a pub as a
barman.
What career advice would you give to a young person Life is a long
journey and that every step, success and mistake can begin to make
sense for further stages in your journey. Nothing is wasted – even the
horrible stuff!
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Page 11

The Pilgrim July 2013
Focus on faith
Learning about life
in Zimbabwe
To advertise in this newspaper
contact Carol Malpass. Tel: 0161 214 1244 or
email: carol.malpass@thecatholicuniverse.com
Catholic Certificate in Religious Studies
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You are invited to an
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Suitable for teachers, trainee teachers, governors,
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NEW THIS YEAR –
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Twenty-four-year-old
Charlee Bennett from
Peckham spent 10
weeks on a placement
with International
Citizen Service, run by
the international
development
organisation Progressio.
She describes her
experience.
I have always been
interested in other
countries and the different issues that they face.
So in July last year I swapped the UK for Zimbabwe
to work with the Diocese of Mutare Community
Care Programme (DOMCCP) in Nyanga.
Nyanga is a rural district where DOMCCP works
primarily on the issue of HIV & AIDS with a focus on
support groups, women and children.
HIV & AIDS are rife in Zimbabwe with 14.9% of
adults living with the virus and one million children
orphaned by it according to a UNICEF report in
2011. These figures really hit home when local
care facilitator Mai Mawadza escorted us through
the rural villages.
As we passed by each home, Mai Mawadza
regaled us with the horrific tales of the families
that used to live there. Around 80% of the homes
were now empty, all due to HIV. Whole generations
were wiped out as the virus spread while there was
no available treatment.
When antiretroviral drugs were introduced,
infected orphans were able to live normal lives;
however they needed to be
supported by their extended
families, who could not always
support themselves.
Until this visit, we had not
been confronted with the
enormity of the virus’ effects
and we felt a deep sense of
injustice that so many had
suffered for so long. The extent
of the situation resonated, as
we considered that this was
only one tiny village in the
sprawling landscape of
Zimbabwe.
One of the unique benefits
of ICS Progressio is the
relationships formed
between the UK and
Zimbabwean volunteers. Throughout the
placement, you work alongside national
counterparts in all that you do.
This gives an amazing opportunity for learning,
sharing and developing a real understanding of the
country and its people. It deepens the project’s
impact, moving away from just development, by
improving the skills and employability of young
people from two very different places.
We worked incredibly hard to have as much of an
impact as we could whilst living alongside the
community. We ran focus groups, held workshops,
made home visits and established the first male
support group for the organization.
It was an intense 10 weeks! However, I feel that I
have had more impact on my return.
Having witnessed extreme poverty first hand,
I felt responsible and that I had been given this
opportunity for a reason.
Every volunteer is expected to complete “action
at home”, where you can use your experiences to
develop as a global citizen and share this with your
community at home in schools, churches or any
clubs or groups you may belong to – and Progressio
has provided fantastic support to enable me to
do this.
I threw myself into Empower, Progressio’s youth
activism programme, and got involved with the
Enough Food for Everyone IF campaign by lobbying
my MP and attending the Big IF Rally in Hyde Park.
This has helped me consolidate everything that I
saw and learnt, and allows me feel like I am doing
my bit.
To find out more about how you can get involved
go to www.progressio.org.uk/ics
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