Issue 04 - The Pilgrim - April 2012 - The newspaper of the Archdiocese of Southwark

Faith after
midnight
Page 6-7
You don’t have
to be perfect
Page 8
An exorcist reveals
what really happens
Page 12
April 2012
500 people
to become
Catholics
at Easter
Over 500 people preparing to become
Catholics, along with their
sponsors, packed St George’s
Cathedral for the Rite of Election
liturgy.
The catechumens, as they are
known, are all currently taking
part in the Rite of Christian Initiation
of Adults (RCIA) programme
in parishes across south London
and Kent.
At Easter they will receive the
sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation
and the Eucharist and enter
into full communion with the
Catholic Church.
Archbishop Peter presided at
the liturgy, assisted by Bishop
John Hine, auxiliary of the Kent
area; Bishop Paul Hendricks, auxiliary
of the south-west area; and
vicar general Mgr Matthew Dicken,
who represented the south-east
area.
Each of the catechumens had a
different story about their journey
of faith.
Lesley from St Cecilia’s, North
Cheam. said she has been taking
her daughter to Mass for eight
years.
“My husband is a Catholic, but
can’t take her because of his shift
work. I felt like a bit of an outsider,”
she said.
When her daughter started
preparation for her first Holy
Communion, she then began to
discuss Catholicism with friends.
Eventually she decided to join the
RCIA group.
Michael, who came with a group
from Christ the King in Wimbledon,
said he has been attending
Mass for the last three years.
He always felt he would join the
Church at some time, but worried
that an RCIA group would be “formal
and maybe a bit stuffy.”
“But I found the discussions interesting
and stimulating. I felt
that my faith had deepened and
that I can always pray for guidance.”
Michael’s fiancé is Catholic and
they will be marrying in church.
“We both want to acknowledge
God’s presence in our relationship,”
he said.
Young singer’s Easter dream comes true
Sixteen-year-old performer Abi
Orfila from St Edmund’s Catholic
School in Dover will achieve one
of her ambitions when she appears
in The Passion of Jesus in
Trafalgar Square on Good Friday.
“I saw the performance last
year and it was so moving that I
just wanted to be a part of it.
This will be a fantastic experience
for me!
“I have been given a small
speaking part, so I’m very excited.
To be a performing such an
important story in Trafalgar
Square in front of 20,000 people
is just brilliant,” she said.
The play is being produced by
the Wintershall group, which
puts on open-air biblical plays
each year on the Wintershall estate
near Guildford.
It will be performed in the
square at 12 noon and again at
3.15 pm. It will also be shown on
large screens.
Abi has also landed the lead
role in Our House, a musical
based on the songs of Madness, at
the Roundhouse Theatre in Dover
in July.
The talented performing arts
and music student from Folkestone
began singing at the age of
five.
Since then, she has appeared
with the cast of Jersey Boys in
the West End and sang with a
number of leading performers,
Including Alvin Stardust and Jon
Allen.
Earlier this year Abi performed
in a charity show at the Tower
Theatre in Folkestone to raise
money for Happy Holidays, a
charity that provides terminally
ill children with holidays.

Editorial The Pilgrim April 2012
the
2012Pilgrim
50p
December 2011/ January The newspaper of the Catholic Archdiocese of Southwark, covering s
Finding God at the movies
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
020 7928-2495
pilgrim@rcsouthwark.co.uk
Advertising: Chris Morley
0161 214-1233
chris.morley@totalcatholic.net
Distribution: Andrea Black
0161 214-1216
andrea.black@totalcatholic.net
Print management, design and
distribution by The Universe Media
Group Ltd
I remember a priest laughing
and telling me about the time
when he was a seminarian and
genuflected before taking his
seat in a cinema.
He found himself doing this
because the floor in the cinema
sloped, just like the floor in the
seminary chapel.
It’s always seemed to me that
churches and cinemas have
much in common. Both movies
and liturgy try to transport us
out of their everyday experiences
to another level.
In other words, they both deal
in transcendence, in theory, at
least.
This is done through a script,
images, music, symbols, and,
crucially, story. Churches and
cinemas are some of the few
places nowadays where several
hundred people will sit in silence
together – more or less.
In his excellent book Praying
the Movies, Edward McNulty, a
Presbyterian pastor, says that
some films “help us to understand
a little better what it is to
be a human being and, in a few
cases, even to see a little more
clearly the emerging kingdom of
God.”
Shooting Dogs, on the other
hand, has an explicit religious
narrative. It’s about a Catholic
priest, played by John Hurt,
who, like the small UN peacekeeping
force, can only stand
by and watch as Rwanda
descends into madness and
mass slaughter.
The film is not only a terrifying
picture of how a country can
disintegrate and neighbours
Faith on film:
John Hurt in
Shooting Dogs
turn against each other, but also
a powerful portrayal of a priest
living out his faith, even to
death.
Movies can leave you with
much to ponder. In Evan
Almighty, Evan’s wife leaves
him because she thinks he is
crazy to be building an ark. In a
roadside diner, she encounters
God disguised as a waiter.
When she pours her heart out,
he tells her: “If someone prayed
for the family to be closer, do
you think God zaps them with
warm, fuzzy feelings or does he
give them opportunities to love
each other”
If I was designing churches, I
would make sure that each one
had a large, drop-down screen
above the sanctuary, so that
movies, or clips from them,
could be shown.
Think how effective a clip
from Evan Almighty could be
when a priest preaches about
marriage, or a clip from Shooting
Dogs when he preaches
about faith.
“But a church should be
reserved for sacred acts,” I hear
some people say.
Now, I’m not talking about
screening The Texas Chainsaw
Massacre, I’m talking about
inspiring and uplifting films.
And, let me add, I’m not advocating
about handing out huge
tubs of popcorn either.
We have concerts in churches,
so why not movies In fact,
David Lean’s Great Expectations
was recently screened in
Rochester Cathedral.
Maybe that priest was actually
right to genuflect as he
took his seat in the cinema.
Movies can aso be channels of
God’s grace.
Greg Watts
Mother Theresa knew vocation’s power
Many years ago, when I was a student
preparing for the priesthood,
a friend of mine was making her
final vows as a Missionary of Charity.
The ceremony took place
during a packed Mass in the Basilica
of St Mary Major in Rome and,
before the final blessing, Mother
Theresa addressed the assembled
congregation.
She spoke in English and her
words were translated into Italian
by one of the priests. “When you
go home”, she said, “ask your
priests for adoration of the
Blessed Sacrament in your
parishes.”
There was a brief time lag as
the translator did his work and
soon the people began to smile
nodding to each other enthusiastically.
“Ask them for fixed times
for Confession,” she continued,
“because we go into the confessional
sinners burdened with sin
and we come out sinners without
sin.”
More enthusiastic nodding and
broad smiles. “And when you go
home, pray that your daughters
become nuns and your sons become
priests.”
The congregation had been on a
roll until, as her words were translated,
the full import of what she
was asking hit home. Knowing
looks were no longer exchanged
between neighbours and smiles
rapidly vanished.
It felt as if the temperature had
dropped several degrees, as the
whole congregation lowered their
heads no longer able to look
Mother Theresa in the eye.
It is an experience I have never
forgotten and one I often mention
when preaching on vocations in
parishes.
By and large, we are happy to
pray for vocations to the priesthood
and consecrated life in our
diocese. Over half our parishes
have set times of Eucharistic
Adoration dedicated to praying for
vocations.
Perhaps we even regularly pray
for vocations from our own parish,
looking round at the families to
see who might be a possible candidate.
But do we pray that our own
daughters will become nuns and
our sons will become priests Do
we value the priesthood sufficiently
that we would regard it as
a privilege and a blessing if the
Lord were to bestow such a vocation
on our family
In my experience there are all
sorts of things that can hold a
young man back from following
the call he perceives in his heart.
Often it is fear or a sense of unworthiness
but sometimes it is the
reaction of his parents.
Recently I was talking to a young
seminarian who said that for him
the hardest thing was the response
of his practising Catholic parents
when he told them he wanted to
be a priest.
In time he understood, of
course, that their opposition to his
vocation was motivated by a concern
for his happiness.
Despite things like the high rate
of marital breakdown and the
stresses occasioned by the financial
crisis, we seem almost hardwired
to presume that happiness
can only be achieved through marriage
and a steady job.
Fortunately this young seminarian
was not put off and his parents
had now come to recognise that if
they wanted him to be truly happy
they had to accept God’s will.
If he had allowed their concerns
to deflect him there would always
have been an emptiness, a sadness
deep down in his heart.
As I write, I thank God for the
reaction of my own parents. When
I was seventeen my mother had already
intuited I was thinking of
priesthood and it was she who
raised the topic with me.
When I spoke to my father he
said his concern was that I should
be happy and that he would support
me in whatever decision I
took.
If you are a parent, how would
you respond if your son or daughter
told you they wanted to follow
a vocation Do you dare pray that
the Lord will call them to priesthood
or religious life
For more information about
becoming a priest in Southwark
please contact the Southwark
Vocations Office: info@southwarkvocations.com.
Page 2

The Pilgrim April 2012
News
How we live our faith is likely to
be a main reason whether someone
returns to church, Archbishop
Peter told a conference in Crawley,
West Sussex.
He was speaking at Crossing the
Threshold, one of a series of conferences
organised by the department
for evangelisation and
catechesis of the Catholic
Bishops’ Conference of England
and Wales to explore why some
Catholics leave the Church.
An estimated two thirds of
Royal award for priest
Father Michael Scanlon,
parish priest of St Peter
the Apostle, Woolwich, is
to receive the Freedom of
the Royal Borough of
Greenwich.
He will be among the
first
recipients of this award
since Greenwich was
made a royal borough as
part of the Queen’s Diamond
Jubilee celebrations.
Fr Michael is also chair
of the diocesan commission
for Justice, Peace
and Integrity of Creation.
Personal witness key in appealing to lapsed
baptized Catholics in England and
Wales no longer attend church.
“We cannot have a tick box
mentality if we want a loving relationship
with God.
“Love is at the heart of what
Jesus preaches to his disciples. We
are a community of love, unconditional
love, which we must reflect
“I’m chuffed to be honest.
It’s great to be honoured
after 18 years in
the borough,” he said.
“It was a total surprise
and it is a credit to our
work across all faiths, not
just Christianity, as well
as those with no faith.”
Among the other recipients
are Prince Philip,
who has worked on behalf
of the Cutty Sark Trust for
the borough, and Neville
and Doreen Lawrence,
parents of murdered
teenager Stephen
Lawrence.
Doctors encourage a
career in medicine
in the way we live,” said Archbishop
Peter.
“If we try and do this, people
will see the real face of Christ in
the Church, in you and me.
“In my conversations with people
who have
decided to become Catholics,
above all they say what has attracted
them to the Church is a
person or family they have met,
ordinary people, who in the way
they acted drew them into the
Church.
“So that they say,
‘I want to be a Catholic, too!’ Personal
witness is the key by living
the Gospel in our lives.”
Around 200 people from the dioceses
of SouthwarkAround 200
people from the dioceses of Southwark,
Arundel and Brighton,
Portsmouth and Plymouth attended
the conference.
The next one is being held on
April 28 at Holy Apostles parish
hall in Pimlico, SW1.
Catholics urged to oppose marriage change
Catholics are being urged to oppose
proposals by the Government to change
the legal definition of marriage.
The Coalition Government’s consultation
paper has proposed that the legal
definition of marriage be changed to
make the institution of marriage open
to same-sex partnerships.
In a joint letter sent to all parishes in
England and Wales, Archbishop Peter
Bishop Paul Hendricks will
lead celebrations to mark
the 1,000th anniversary
of the martyrdom of St
Elphege at the only church
in the diocese named after
him.
Bishop Paul will celebrate
the 10.30am Mass
at St Elphege’s Church,
Wallington, on April 22.
and Archbishop Vincent Nichols say that
any change to the traditional understanding
of marriage would be lost for
future generations.
Marriage, they state, is “a call to holiness
for a husband and wife, with
children recognised and loved as the
gift of God.
“Marriage is also a crucial witness in
our society. Contributing to its stability,
Celebrations for St Elphege
The rector of St Mary’s
Anglican church in Beddington,
which St Elphege visited,
has given permission
for a Mass to be celebrated
there on 19 April.
St Elphege was born in 953
near Bath.
He became a monk and
was later made Bishop of
Winchester.
He travelled to Norway to
try and persuade the king
not to invade Britain again.
In 1006 St Elphege became
Archbishop of Canterbury.
Six years later he was
martyred by Danes.
He is buried in Canterbury
Cathedral.
The Archbishop of
Canterbury, Dr Rowan
its capacity for compassion and forgiveness
and its future, in a way that no
other institution can.”
Catholics are asked to sign a petition
by the Coalition for Marriage, which
supports the traditional understanding
of marriage and rejects attempts to
redefine it. To do this, visit www.
c4m.org.uk. A print version of the petition
can also be downloaded.
Williams, will preach at a
special ecumenical service
at 4.30pm on 19 April at
St Afege’’s Church, Greenwich,
the site of St Elphege’s
martyrdom.
The service will include
the first performance of a
specially commissioned anthem
by Catholic composer
Roxanna Panufnik.
Astronomer reveals
secrets of universe
A leading astronomer explained
some of the wonders of the
universe to students at St
Simon Stock Catholic School,
Maidstone.
Dr Fransisco Diego, a senior
research fellow in the department
of physics and astronomy
at University College London,
visited the school as part of its
science and engineering week.
A team of doctors are encouraging
students at St Matthew Academy
in Blackheath to consider a career
in medicine.
Eight doctors working in
Lewisham are mentoring a group
of year eight and nine students to
increase their chance of getting
into medical school.
The scheme is a joint initiative
between the academy and NHS
Lewisham and aims to to encourage
young people from ordinary
backgrounds to consider medicine
as a career.
Students also visit hospitals and
GP practices, discuss complex ethical
and medical issues. They also
visit King’s College, which operates
an extended medical degree
programme.
“This is the first time anywhere
in the world that anyone has tried
to get children as young as this
thinking about a medical career,’
says Dr Daniel Ruta, director of
public health in Lewisham.
“We hope that by getting to
them this young we will be able to
support them over the next few
years to make the right choices
and do the hard work necessary to
get in to medical school and make
it as a doctor.’’
Page 3

News The Pilgrim April 2012
Wimbledon
students school
in Sri Lanka
A group of year students from
St John Bosco College in Wimbledon
have spent a week at a
school in Sri Lanka.
The year 10 and 11 students
were the guests of staff and
students at Trinity College,
Kandy, a leading private boys’
schoo.The visit was organised
through the British Council
global link programme. It is
hoped a group of Sri Lankan
students will visit St John
Bosco College in May.
A day with Mary
A day with Mary is being held
at The Good Shepherd
Church, New Addington, on
March 24.
It begins at 10.00am and
includes instruction, devotion
and intercession, based on
the messages of Fatima.
New website for
Catholic formation
centre
The Centre for Catholic Formation
in Tooting Bec has a new
website. It contains information
about various programmes
and resources for parishes and
individuals.
www.ccftootingbec.org.uk.
CAFOD talk about
water in Africa
Lemlem Tsegay, water and
sanitation engineer for Cafod’s
partners in Ethiopia, will be
speaking about the charity’s
work in Africa from 5pm –
7.30pm at Romero House,
Westminster Bridge Road,
on 27 March.
Sponsored cycle
ride to Worth Abbey
Fr Arbo Lekule of Our Lady
Immaculate, Tolworth, will be
leading a team of cyclists on a
sponsored cycle ride to Worth
Abbey in West Sussex and
back. The purpose of the 60-
mile trip is to raise money for
the parish’s Lenten projects.
Plans to save
Clapham
Church spire
Plans are under way to raise
£400,000 to save the spire of
the historic St Mary’s church
in Clapham Common.
The 172 feet spire, built in
1851, is in need of urgent repairs
as a result of pollution
over many years.
Parish priest Father
Dominic O’Toole said, “The
stone and structure are in
very bad condition. St Mary’s
will need to find between
£300 – £400 000 over the next
five years to secure the fabric
of the building.
“The spire’s corroded irons
bands need to be substituted
with steel versions and each
of the decayed or missing
stones needs to be replaced.”
A temporary protective fan
has been erected along the
base of the spire to prevent
debris from endangering the
public.
The spire houses the only
complete peal of eight bells
at a Catholic church in the
south of England
On completion it is hoped
that the ecumenical bell
ringing group can resume its
meetings, which have been
suspended because of safety
concerns.
New repatriation
officed blessed
New offices of a repatriation
company in Bermondsey that
brings missionaries home has
been blessed.
Albin International Repatriation
recently moved from
Bayswater to a new building
in Bermondsey, close to F.A.
Albin & Sons’ funeral home.
Local Catholic, Anglican
and Lutheran clergy, along
with Southwark and
Bermondsey MP Simon
Hughes and the president of
the World Organisation of
Funeral Operatives attended
the ecumenical event.
Catholics from parishes in
the Dover deanery made a
pilgrimage to Tyburn Convent
on Bayswater Road to
honour Blessed Roger
Filcock. Blessed Roger, who
was born in Sandwich, was
hanged, drawn and
Albin International Repatriation
work closely with
embassies and consulates
around the world to repatriate
human remains, including
those of missionaries.
“If a missionary dies in,
say, Peru we have to make
all the arrangements to
bring the deceased home.
In many cases, this is
Ireland,” said chairman
Barry Albin.
He added that his company
are also often asked to
bring home those who die
while on pilgrimage.
Dover deanery honours local martyr
quartered at Tyburn gallows
in 1601.
Bishop John Hine celebrated
Mass in the convent
chapel and ffterwards the
Benedictine sisters gave a
talk about the English
Martyrs.
Charity adopts the cross
as part of its new logo
The Prison Advice and Care Trust has
included a cross in the centre of its
new logo.
The logo for the Vauxhall charity was
designed by Marcus Carrigan, a parishioner
at St Osmund’s in Barnes.
Director Andy Keen-Downs said:
“We don’t waste our donors money on
expensive marketing or fundraising
gimmicks. But we did put some time
into thinking what the right message
was for us, as there are so many good
charities competing for attention.
“It was important for me that our
logo included the cross to demonstrate
in a visual way that the teachings of
the Gospel remain at the heart of what
we are about as a charity.”
The Prison Advice and Care Trust,
formerly the Bourne Trust, supports
prisoners and their children and
families.
Korean teachers visit
New Malden school
A group of Korean
delegates spent the day
at Richard Challoner
School in New Malden
to see how an English
state-funded school
operates.
The 17-strong party,
which included heads
and teachers from a
range of schools in
South Korea, were particularly
interested in
how schools are funded,
Page 4
what parents have to
pay for, and lines of
accountability.
Headteacher Tom
Cahill showed the group
the school’s newly-built
learning resource
centre.
They were interested
to learn that New
Malden has the highest
concentration of
Koreans outside of
Korea.
Purley charity aims to plant
1,000 trees in Bethlehem
A Purley charity plans to plant
1,000 olive trees in Bethlehem
this year to provide families
with food and income.
Olive Aid was set up in association
with Friends Of Bethlehem
University to find ways to support
jobs and education in
Palestine.
Olive Aid works with Bethlehem
University’s Institute for
Community Partnership to identify
families in Bethlehem who
need help in clearing, fencing,
fertilizing and irrigating land.
Once this is done, the charity
then provides four-year-old
saplings for planting.
Since 2008 Olive Aid has
planted 4,000 new olive trees
on 56 different locations in and
around Bethlehem.
It has also awarded three
scholarships to Bethlehem
University, which was established
by Pope Paul V1 in 1973
to educate both Christian and
Muslim Palestinians.
Getting to know the Bible
A study day on the post
synodal exhortation
Verbum Domini will be
held at the Centre for
Catholic Formation,
Tooting Bec, on 29
March.
Verbum Domini is
Pope Benedict XVI’s
reflection on the 2008
Twelfth Ordinary General
Assembly of the
Synod of Bishops,
which was devoted to
the Bible in the life of
the Church.
Taking part in the day
will be Dr Anne Inman,
Fr John Deehan and
Tarcisius Mukuka, who
all teach on the foundational
degree in ministry
course run jointly
by Education for Parish
Service and St Mary’s
University College,
Twickenham.
The day runs from
9.30am – 3.30pm.
To book a place,
e-mail rebekah@
eps-uk.org.uk

The Pilgrim April 2012
Features
The new Missal: Holy Week changes
Father David Gibbons, director of
the Centre for Catholic Formation,
explains how the changes in
the new Roman Missal will affect
Holy Week.
In general, Passion Sunday is
now called Palm Sunday of the
Passion of the Lord, and the Easter
Vigil is now called The Easter Vigil
in the Holy Night. In that Mass,
after the epistle, the music for the
solemn threefold alleluia is helpfully
given in the Missal.
Otherwise, the changes are
those we have already been getting
used to, such as the new Gloria,
so most parishioners should
not have too much trouble this
Holy Week.
However, deacons, priests, and
musicians will have some major
changes to note.
On Palm Sunday deacons should
remember to greet the people and
announce the palm gospel as at all
Masses. The deacon is now explicitly
included in the procession,
carrying the Book of Gospels after
the cross and candles.
On Good Friday there is a major
change in the solemn intercessions.
Previously the priest sang
both the introduction and the
prayer each time. Now the deacon
(or lay minister) stands at the
ambo and sings the introduction;
after the silence the priest then
sings the prayer.
The veneration of the cross is
now called the adoration of the
holy cross. The deacon’s chant is
slightly changed, but the people
now respond, “Come, let us
adore.”
In the Easter Vigil procession,
the deacon now sings “The Light of
Christ’”. This is a significant correction:
the 1971 Missal changed
this to veneration of Christ, but
the Missale Romanum actually
praises the candle.
If deacons don’t rehearse the
new version of the Easter proclamation
(Exsultet) they are liable
to have a heart attack on the
night, unless they are professional
opera singers!
The new Exsultet is more complex
linguistically and musically, so
deacons should start practicing
now. Musically simpler versions are
available.
Because they were prone to
forgetting to do it, the priest is
now explicitly reminded on Palm
Sunday and at the Easter Vigil to
begin Mass as usual, with “In the
name of” etc and the greeting.
On Palm Sunday and the Monday,
Tuesday and Wednesday of Holy
Week - as has been reintroduced
during Lent - a prayer over the
people replaces the simple blessing.
This ancient Lenten prayer is
meant to strengthen the people as
they leave church to re-enter the
world.
On Good Friday the sacraments
are not celebrated this day except
confession and anointing of the
sick.
At the Easter Vigil, note the new
versions of the blessing of the baptismal
water and the renewal of
baptismal promises.
New features are the address,
before “Behold the Lamb of God”,
to the newly baptized about receiving
Holy Communion, and the
desirability of administering Holy
Communion under both kinds.
There has been much re-writing
of chants and texts, but very often
other appropriate chants may be
sung. Care should be taken if your
parish uses misalettes, which may
contain versions different from the
ones musicians may be using.
At the Palm Sunday procession,
especially beware the new translation
of the hymn to Christ the
King, which is different from the
well-known “All Glory, Laud and
Honour”.
A new iridium instruction says
“the singing of the people … has a
special importance in the celebration
of these days”. From the Gloria
on Holy Thursday to the Gloria
at the Easter Vigil, “organ and musical
instruments may be used only
so as to support the singing”.
For more information visit
www.romanmissal.org.uk
Pilgrim Places – Lesnes Abbey
You might think that
Abbey Wood is just another
one of those anonymous
sprawling suburbs
of south-east London. But
hidden away off Abbey
Road are the remains of a
medieval abbey.
Lesnes Abbey was
founded by Sir Richard de
Lucy in 1178 as a house
for Austin canons. It was
dedicated to Our Lady
and St Thomas a Becket,
in whose slaying in Canterbury
Cathedral eights
years earlier he had been
involved.
The small community
of monks grew their own
crops, reared animals,
and fished in the Thames,
which came right up to
the abbey’s walls.
Following the dissolution
of the monasteries in
1524, Lesnes was one of
the first monasteries to
be closed.
When the Lady Chapel
was excavated in 1909, a
stone sepulchral effigy of
a knight in mail and
armour plate was found
abandoned face down.
This, and the 13th century
Lesnes Missal, is on
display at the Victoria
and Albert Museum.
The abbey ruins stand
in Lesnes Abbey Wood, an
area of beautiful woodland,
full of wild flowers,
birds, and wildlife.
Page 5

Behind the scenes The Pilgrim April 2012
Taking it to the streets: The life
Eva Morgan tells Greg Watts what
it’s like being a street pastor
late at night on the streets of
Tunbridge Wells.
Q.Why and when did you decide
to get involved with Street
Pastors
A. Two and-a-half years ago the
Christian churches of all denominations
in Tunbridge Wells invited
volunteers to train as street
pastors.
It seemed a really practical and
visible way to show that the
Church cared for the town and its
people, and quite honestly it was
rather exciting too.
Q.When and where do you go out
with the team
A. I go out with our team on a Friday
night from 10pm to 4am, once
every four weeks. We ‘patrol’
around the centre of Tunbridge
Wells where all the clubs, bars and
restaurants are.
This night time economy area is
mainly spread along a road that
stretches up a long hill, so there’s
quite a lot of walking to do!
There is a team of four to seven
street pastors out every Friday
night and two Saturday nights a
month as well.
Q.What exactly do you do
A: We’re there to listen, to care,
and to help on busy nights when
young people who are out to have
a good time may end up getting
drunk and in difficulties.
We are there to help in a simple
practical way, by offering water to
those who’ve had too much to
drink, handing out flip-flops to
girls who have abandoned their
high heels and are walking barefoot
on cold pavements, administering
simple first aid, or clearing
up glass bottles from the street.
We try to ensure people can get
home safely, defuse potential
aggression if we can, and offer
comfort where appropriate.
But we’re also there simply to
show that we care. This very
often just takes the form of
listening. Those we talk to will
open up and tell us about
problems in their lives and in
their situations. We listen with
compassion and concern, and if
we can we direct them to agencies
that may be able to help,
for example drug rehabilitation
or housing agencies.
Q.Are you ever asked to pray
for someone
A. Yes. Importantly, we also ask
our prayer pastors back at Christ
Church in the high street, our
base, to pray for them. We
always hope that our encounters
with the people we meet may
touch their lives in a positive
way. And we have fun too. We
meet a lot of great young
people out there.
Q.How do people generally
react to you
A. At first with surprise as to
why we would want to stay up
at those hours helping people
without getting paid. Then
mostly with appreciation and
gratitude.
They’re sometimes concerned
that we may want to preach to
them, but that’s absolutely not
our role. We just want to express
God’s love in a very practical
non-judgemental way.
Now as more people have got to
know us we’re often greeted with
warm shouts of recognition and
even hugs.
Q.I would imagine many people
you encounter have been drinking.
How difficult does this make
having a conversation
A. Actually it can often make it
easier! They can be happy to talk
and tell you about their night out,
their day, their job and sometimes
their problems. If they’re really
drunk, we mainly just try to
ensure there’s a way for them to
get home safely.
Q.What examples do you have
of how you might have helped
someone
A. One boy was sitting on his own
at a bus stop being very sick. He
was quite young, had obviously
drunk a lot of alcohol in a short
space of time and was just this
side of conscious. We managed to
use his mobile to call his mother
to come and pick him up, and
stayed with him until she arrived.
On another night, another rather
less inebriated young man told us
he’d missed his last train home
and couldn’t afford a taxi as it was
a long way. He was going to try
and call some friends for a lift.
We found him at about 2am
huddled and dozing in a telephone
box by the train station. We
wrapped him in a space blanket
and brought him a hot drink and
Making friends in
Tunbridge Wells
asked CCTV to keep an eye on him
to ensure he stayed safe until his
first train in the morning.
Q.So what do your friends think
of you being a street pastor
A. Mostly their first reaction is
whether I worry about it being
dangerous.
Then my friends are very interested
to hear about the sorts of
situations we encounter, and how
we manage the next day after
getting to bed at 5am!
A busy night
Page 6

The Pilgrim April 2012
Behind the scenes
of a street pastor
Police on standby
There are 20 teams of street
pastors in towns across south
London and Kent. The Pilgrim
hears from two Catholics
involved.
David Banks, a street pastor
in Sutton, explains how it
all began and why it is so
successful.
Street Pastors was launched on
the streets of Brixton by South
London church leader Les Isaac,
in-part as the result of a seed
sown in his mind through witnessing
a group of nuns in
Wolverhampton in the early
1990s, who had relocated from
their convent onto a council
estate in order to serve the
poor.
With crime and anti-social
increasing on the streets, Les
believed God was asking him to
take a new approach to his
ministry.
In January 2003 he co-founded
Street Pastors in the belief that
Christians should not only be
worshipping God in church, but
should be taking Him out into
their communities to those in
need.
Aware of potential difficulties,
Les and his team at the Ascension
Trust charity were greatly
concerned that street preaching
or explicit evangelism should not
find their way onto the agenda.
Instead, the emphasis would
be on engaging people, meeting
their basic needs, and above all
listening to them.
As well as winning the trust
and respect of those out in town
centres on Friday and Saturday
nights, the support of the police
and local authorities would be
needed.
Street Pastors has gone from
operating on the streets of a few
London boroughs, to a nationwide
network of over 9,000
fully-trained volunteers, working
in over 250 different town centres
across the country.
St Francis of Assisi said,
“Preach the gospel at all times,
and when necessary use words.”
This captures the spirit of Street
Pastor and accounts for its
success.
For further information, or to
find out about becoming a
Street Pastor, visit:
www.streetpastors.org.uk or
call: 0208 330 2809
To keep up to date with the news in
the diocese visit www.rcsouthwark.co.uk
Street pastors on
their beat in Sutton
Page 7

Features The Pilgrim April 2012
Priests feeling at home in Southwark
Over 50 priests working in
the Archdiocese of Southwark
come from Africa and
India. Bishop Pat Lynch
says adapting to life in another
country is not easy.
A few weeks ago along with
Fr Shaju Varkey and Fr Paul
Mason I helped to facilitate
a meeting for 20 priests
from overseas who are at
present working in the Archdiocese
of Southwark.
The priests came from
Nigeria, Ghana, and Tanzania
and from Kerala, Tamil
Nadu, and Goa.
During the meeting they
shared very openly and honestly
regarding their hopes
and aspirations but also
their struggles adapting to a
different climate, a different
culture and often a different
way of being Church.
As part of the discussion I
used the images developed
by Fr Stephan Bevans, a
well-known writer on the
theology of mission, to reflect
on the experience of
many missionaries when
they arrive in another
country.
In the beginning the missionary
usually feels like a
stranger, as they adapt to a
new situation and a different
environment. But very
quickly that gives way to
feeling more like a guest, as
they experience the warmth
and welcome of the host
community – the clergy,
religious and laity.
As time goes by and the
more at home the missionary
feels in their new environment,
the image of a
companion begins to encapsulate
not only how they
feel but also how they
relate to others.
Finally, when the missionary
is ready not just to
preach the comforting message
of the Gospel but to
proclaim the challenging
message of the Gospel as
well, the image of a prophet
is appropriate.
In the story of the journey
to Emmaus in Luke’s Gospel
Jesus is first seen as a
stranger by the two disciples
on the road but then after
listening attentively to their
story he prophetically
proclaims and explains the
Scriptures.
Finally, he shares a meal
with them first as an invited
guest only to become a
companion at the breaking
of the bread.
In Luke’s inspiring story
we see how the two disciples
are completely changed
as they come to see who
Jesus really is He is the
Risen Lord who is with them
always not just as a stranger
or indeed a guest but truly a
companion and a prophet.
There are many ongoing
challenges for the priest, religious
or lay person who
serves the Church in another
land. They have to understand
a new language, live
in a new climate, come to
terms with a new culture,
feel at home and become integrated
into a new diocese.
We are, therefore, very
grateful for all the priests
and religious from overseas
who serve in our diocese.
Thank you for the sacrifice
you make, thank you for the
service you give and thank
you for the gifts you bring.
Your presence reminds us
that we are indeed a truly
Catholic Church.
Why you don’t have to be perfect
By John Pridmore
I used to think I had to be perfect. I
remember soon after breaking
away from the criminal underworld
and accepting God into my life, I
hardly spoke a word to anyone for a
whole week, because I didn’t want
to say the wrong thing.
When my stepfather asked me
why I was so quiet, and I told him
why, he said, “God made you as a
happy go lucky cockney. Don’t be
afraid of making mistakes. Just be
who you are.” I’ve never forgotten
his words.
Each one of us is loved by God,
no matter what we might have
done or not done. God knows you
inside out and he’s the one person
who accepts you and rejoices in
you. His love is unconditional.
Yet many of us can’t accept this,
because of the distorted image of
God we carry around inside ourselves.
But if open ourselves up to God
and allow his grace to work in our
lives, we begin to change. Yet we
need to remember that change
doesn’t happen overnight.
You don’t have to be perfect,
because you can never become
perfect. We will always fall short.
We are all broken.
And we all have a tendency to do
the things we don’t really want to
do and to rebel. If we were perfect,
we wouldn’t need redemption and
Page 8
forgiveness.
Each one of us is broken. We are
not who we are meant to be. Because
of this, we all end up hurting
others and hurting ourselves.
I often think our heart is like a
window. On one side is God’s love,
pouring down every minute of the
day and on the other side is the
stain of the things we have done
and are ashamed of.
Eventually, we can’t see how
much we are loved. When we invite
God into our lives we begin to be
healed and transformed.
I know how easy it is to become
preoccupied with our struggles and
our selfishness. I have to keep on
giving my struggles to God. When
we fall, whether it’s through greed,
lust, pride, or whatever, we need
to ask God for healing. But we
shouldn’t beat ourselves up.
I’ve learned that if I want to be
truly intimate with God, then the
only way that can happen is if I’m
vulnerable. That means really sharing
with him what is going on in my
heart and not trying to hide or disguise
my deepest fears but exposing
them to him.
Never forget that God can use
you in your weakness. You might
feel unworthy and useless, but God
can still do great things through
you. It’s in our weaknesses that God
uses us. God never asks us to be
perfect or good but to try and be
perfect and good. It doesn’t matter
how many times we fall. What’s
important is that we get up each
time when we do.
God will never refuse even the
worst person in the world, if you
say you’re sorry. St Therese of
Lisieux once said that if she woke
up one morning and found she’d
committed all the sins it was possible
to commit, they would all be as
a single drip of water falling into
the mouth of a live volcano, which
would be God’s mercy.
In the Bible Jesus tells the story
about the Pharisee and the tax collector
praying in the Temple. The
Pharisee thanked God that he was
not grasping, adulterous, and
unjust. He added that he fasted
twice a week and paid his tithes.
But the tax collector, standing some
distance away, prayed simply, ‘God,
be merciful to me, a sinner.’
Like the tax collector, each one
of us has a dark side, things that we
are ashamed of, things we’ve done
that make us feel we are unlovable.
When we feel burdened by this
we need to remember this: God
loves us because of what we do but
because of who He is.
To grow spiritually we have to be
honest with God and tell him the
things that we’re sorry for, the
things we’re pleased with, the
things that are good in our life and
also the things that are bad in our
life. And as my stepfather said, we
should be who we are.

Features The Pilgrim April 2012
Bookcase
My favourite book
Bridget Whitaker, a retired
secretarial studies teacher,
and a parishioner of St
Anselm’s Dartford, chooses
The Shack by William Paul
Young, first published in
2007.
The Shack is a gripping story about
child abduction and the effect on
all concerned, particularly the
father. It is written in an easy-toread,
page-turning style, although it
does contain some very thoughtprovoking
theology.
I found I read through it quickly to
see what happened, and then went
back more slowly to absorb this theology.
In fact I have gone back and
re-read some bits several times.
I won’t spoil the book for anyone
who may read it by revealing the
details of the plot, or the outcome.
Suffice it to say that it confronts
head-on the problems of evil and
suffering and where God is in all of
this, and of forgiveness.
And it also challenges preconceived
notions about God. I
resonated with the theology, and
found the arguments presented
convincing.
The Shack has made me more
aware of the surprising and amazing
ways in which God works, and has
deeply affected my prayer life.
Book review
.
What good is God: On the
Road with Stories of grace
In his latest book What Good is God:
On the Road with Stories of Grace
he brings together what he calls
stories of grace from people he has
met on his travels in the US, China,
South Africa, the Middle East and
elsewhere.
He says that the question
“What good is God” occurs in some
form in every person who experiences
pain or death or poverty or
unfairness.
“In my interviews with addicts
and prostitutes I heard several
dozen wrenching accounts of the
power of evil to control and destroy
lives – and the power of God to
overcome that evil.”
Many of those struggling with addictions
think that they wouldn’t be
welcome in church, he argues. He
admits that so often he leaves a
church with an empty feeling because
reality has been covered with
a veneer of respectability.
“What have we done that we
communicate church as a place for
well people rather than a place to
get well” he asks.
Once again Yancey has produced a
book that takes an honest approach
to faith and one that finds God
working beneath the surface and in
unexpected places.
What Good is God: On the Road
with Stories of Grace by Philip
Yancey, Hodder & Stoughton,
£12.99.
The story of Lourdes told
through stained glass
Eleanor Bird, who has been
commissioned by Handicapped
Children’s Pilgrimage Trust
(HCPT) to produce a window for
Hosanna House near Lourdes,
explains how stained glass can
tell stories.
“People seem to have an instant
reaction to coloured light
coming through the stained glass
windows, which could be referred
to as spiritually uplifting,
“ says stained glass artist Eleanor
Bird.
Eleanor, who lives in Bristol, is
working on a stained glass window
for the chapel in Hosanna
House, HCPT’s retreat centre in
the village of Barthes, just outside
Lourdes.
Her commission came about
after designing a window for the
refurbished headquarters of Missio,
formerly the Pontifical Missionary
Society, in Victoria.
Before beginning work on the
window, she visited Lourdes to
help her decide how to go about
creating an image that would
capture the message of the
shrine.
“I was lucky to travel to Lourdes
with some of the HCPT
trustees, who are seasoned pilgrims
and have helped people
experience the joy of the grotto
where Our Lady was seen by St
Bernadette and the healing waters
of Lourdes.
“I really got a sense from them
of the spirit of a pilgrimage to
Lourdes – the friendships that are
created and the inspiration that
it gives to people who visit.
“During my visit I felt a great
sense of the friendship and healing
that a pilgrimage at Hosanna
House offers the visitor. I wondered
how I could depict this
feeling through the resurrection
theme in designs for new stained
glass,” she says.
The answer came through a
conversation she had with a
Sacred silver exhibition at the V&A
The Victoria and Albert Museum
is staging a exhibition of sacred
silver.
Angels and Saints: Four Masterpieces
of
Sacred Silver from the Gilbert
Collection
2 April 2012 – 31 May 2013
monk from Caldey Island, who
suggested the story of Mary Magdalene
meeting the Risen Christ.
“This story reminded me of
their lasting friendship and how
the healing process can be spiritual
as well as physical. Jesus
tells Mary to ‘let go’ of Him, and
tell the disciples what she has
seen.
“This positive action of letting
go and moving on is sometimes
what the soul requires to begin
to heal.
Sacred Silver, Room 83 Free admission
Antwerp was the proud centre of
arts and commerce in the
catholic southern Low Countries,
now Belgium, during the 17th
and 18th centuries, and home to
internationally famous masters
like Peter Paul Rubens. This display
shows the exquisite craftsmanship
and sense of beauty of
Antwerp makers from the
Baroque to the Neo-classical.
The chalice and ciboria show
the ability of their creators to
represent religious beliefs on
small objects that were meant
for use in church.
The group is part of the Gilbert
Collection on loan to the Victoria
and Albert Museum. Sir Arthur
Gilbert (1913-2001) admired the
crafted beauty and rich symbolism
of sacred silver.
Angels and Saints: Four Masterpieces
of Sacred Silver from the
Gilbert Collection
2 April 2012 – 31 May 2013
Sacred Silver, Room 83
Free admission
She chose to depict Mary surrounded
by Lilly of the Valley,
whose drooping tear shape flowers
represent her sadness.
Behind the flowers are pomegranate
trees, which are often
depicted along side the image of
Christ.
“Traditionally a split pomegranate
is a symbol of the suffering
and resurrection of Christ.
One of these can be found just
below Mary’s foot,” she explains.
Eleanor says she can trace her
fascination with stained glass
back to the church she attended
during her childhood in Pinner,
north-west London.
“The church was simply decorated.
I remember the stained
glass windows depicting Christ
with a Lamb and Florence
Nightingale.
“I think what has stayed with
me was their ability to tell a
story through the details in the
window. Such as Christ with the
Lamb; symbolic of both His sacrifice
and care for us as His flock.”
After school, Eleanor went to
study for a degree in public art
at Chelsea College of Art and Design
and then a masters in glass
at the University of Sunderland.
“I find that I have become very
interested in the way stained
glass can be used to create narrative;
telling stories through
timeless images,” she says.
“The thing about glass is that
it lets light through rather than
reflecting it. With a canvas I
would apply the colour through
paint.
“With glass, colour comes in
the sheet of glass, which I cut
according to the design. I then
cover the coloured glass with a
black paint, which I brush away
until the right amount of light is
coming through.
“Imagine a frosty window, then
imagine using your fingers to create
a smiley face. That’s
pretty much what I do with
paint. The paint creates shape
and depth of image.
“Once I’m happy with what
I’ve painted I then fabricate the
windows using long, thin lengths
of lead that I can wrap to shape
around the pieces of glass.
“These are soldered into place
and the whole window has cement
rubbed into the gaps between
the lead and the glass to
make it watertight. I then say a
few prayers and hope it fits!
Page 10

The Pilgrim April 2012
Features
Renewing the spirit –
with the kitchen timer
When I was younger, keeping my
Lenten fasts somehow seemed
easier. I had several friends who
had birthdays over the Lent period
and, tempting though birthday
cake and drinks were, back then I
found it easy to refuse their celebratory
offerings.
However, now I’m older and with
a family and a full-time job to
Praying with Psalms
Easter: The light
we all need
It might be very difficult for
people who have not seen a
great deal of darkness to fathom
the importance of light. My
background is very rural. I grew
up in the mid western part of
Nigeria in the 1970s, where we
used kerosene lamps when darkness
falls.
Electricity was never constant.
It was rationed from place to
place. Each time we had power
supply, about three hours a
week, we would be full of joy
and excitement.
I know what darkness is.
I grew up in darkness, I experienced
the dangers of darkness:
stepping on poisonous scorpions
and being bitten by snakes.
When there is light, we are
able to do so much work, relax
and enjoy the things of life.
When there is light, we can
avoid dangerous situations,
because we can see clearly.
During the winter months,
when darkness comes early, I
feel dull and sluggish, and my
body tend to shut down earlydreadful
effects of darkness on
me.
On the contrary, in spring and
in the summer months, I tend to
enjoy the radiance of longer
days and the light that comes
with them. These days are great
moments to cherish. I am sure
this is the same with many of us.
Let us translate all these rich
symbols and use of light to what
Easter is about, as we understand
more deeply the joy and
blessings that the risen Lord
brings to us and to our world.
The symbolic use of light in
our Easter liturgy explains more
clearly the nature of this newness
of life that Jesus brings.
When we go through suffering
and the ups and downs of life,
we can be weighed down by
darkness. Caught up in this darkness
we are unable to see clearly
where our life is going.
In the darkness of our pain we
cry out in despair. We long to see
light again.
Psalm 22 shows that God does
not abandon us in our suffering.
He suffers with us. His grace is
with us. The psalmist echoes this
in v.25: “For God has not
spurned or disdained the misery
of this poor wretch, did not turn
away from me but heard me
when I cried out.”
Life is restored in vv. 30-31:
“All who sleep in the earth will
bow low before God, all who
have gone down into the dust,
will kneel in homage. And I will
live for the Lord; my descendants
will serve you.”
Psalm 16: 9-11 tells us that
there is a new life beyond our
suffering. Pray these verses in
faith and hang in to life:
Therefore my heart is glad,
and my soul rejoices;
My body shall rest in safety.
For you will not abandon me to
Sheol,
Nor let your faithful servant see
decay.
You will show me the path to
life,
The fullness of joy in your presence,
At your right hand happiness for
forever.
When light comes it dispels
darkness. This is symbolised by
the bonfire of Easter vigil liturgy,
and the Paschal candle publicly
acclaiming Jesus as the light that
has now come into our world.
The priest or deacon proclaims,
“Christ our Light”, and
everyone replies, “Thanks be to
God.”
Good Friday was not the end
of the story. Easter Sunday and
the empty tomb is the climax.
In Luke’s Gospel, we read:
Why do you seek the living
among the dead He is not here
he has been raised. Remember
what he said to you while he
was still in Galilee that the son
of man must be handed over to
sinners and be crucified, and
rise on the third day. And they
remembered his words.
Easter is all about the power
of light and the life that this
brings. It’s about life triumphing
over death and evil.
The Easter message is that all
the pain we experience in this
life will come to an end and one
day we shall begin a new life
that is eternal.
Fr Victor Darlington
manage, it’s harder not to give in
to these kinds of temptations.
I recently went to see the Oscarwinning
film the The Artist at
Greenwich Picture House. It was
truly a mid-week indulgence, but
not one that was on my Lenten
give it up list.
Usually getting to the cinema
takes quite a bit of logistic planning.
I used to watch films three
or four times a week, but this
leisure pursuit is long gone, replaced
by a full-on family life.
So what a joy to be in the little
bar upstairs before going in to
watch the film, mingling with
other mid-week cinema goers.
But Oh! What a struggle it was.
All week I had been rehearsing
“Slimline tonic water, please,”
determined not to break my
Lenten fast by adding gin!
But the wait at the bar to get
served near enough drove me to
it! I stood there, being jostled by
other thirsty cinema goers. It reminded
me of the time when
X-Factor wasn’t available to us
young hopefuls who thought we
could sing.
I used to hang out at small jazz
bar with a group of musically
minded friends, hoping that during
the interval after the main band
was on, we might get to sing our
cover versions of Summer Time or
Autumn Leaves.
I remember one such evening
when the late Roy Castle, the brilliant
jazz trumpeter, gave me the
tip of making sure that I held my
fiver (a round of drinks was a fiver
then) in my left hand, as bar staff
work the bar from left to right.
It certainly wasn’t working on
my cinema night out, but I held
fast and didn’t succumb to temptation
and I bought my slimline
tonic.
In some ways The Artist
reminded me of the Easter story,
The main character in the film
goes through the pain of rejection,
spending time on his own reflecting
on his life, falling into despair,
and then finally finding by the end
of the film, hope.
For me, it was a reminder that
Lent wasn’t just about giving
something up, but also to find
time for a renewal of the spirit.
This is a challenge in itself when
the constant sounds of family life
drown out any possible silence.
I remember when culinary doyen
Delia Smith wrote some Lenten
reflections for Cafod’s website. I
loved the tip she gave of using the
kitchen timer and setting it for 20
minutes.
So I settle down on the couch,
with kitchen timer set for 20 minutes
by my side.
But prayerful meditation is being
crowded out by my stream of
consciousness Easter spring cleaning
to-do list: get carpets cleaned;
clean inside of cupboards; clean
windows; sort out paper work; and
clean oven. No, I did the oven at
Christmas.
My list is rudely interrupted by
the shrill of the kitchen timer. It’s
going to take a lot of practice to
truly get my brain to switch from
renewal of the house to renewal of
the spirit.
But then Easter is all about
hope.
Nana Anto-Awuakye
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The Pilgrim April 2012
Feature
School days: Trung Phan
Name Trung Phan
Home Peckham
Job Proprietor of Caphe House café
and gallery, Bermondsey
School St Thomas the Apostle,
Nunhead
Favourite subject Art
Worst subject English
Favourite teacher Mr Khatangue, an
old, small science teacher with a very
heavy African accent.
He was always hitting the ruler on the
table and asking, “Mmm, Mr Phan,
wheere izz uour ommmwonk”
He was a very funny man.
Favourite school dinner Got to be the
caramel chocolate with sprinkles cake
and custard.
Guilty secret Guilty secrets should be
kept as secrets.
What lessons about life did you learn
Never give up!
What did you wish you had been told
School should be enjoyable
What did you do immediately after
school
I went to college, then university and
then I worked in architecture.
If you could study any subject, what
would it be I would travel around the
world with me camera, discovering new
places.
Jeremy de Satgé, director of
music at Holy Ghost Balham,
says the Mass in the new
missal should really be sung.
We have now had several
months in which to get used
to the new English translation
of the Missale Romanum
and it is to be hoped that by
now more people than not
should automatically be inclined
to say ’And with your
spirit’ than ‘And also with
you’. I would like to suggest
that, if properly interpreted,
the new Missal offers four
challenges to priests and
people of the English-speaking
world.
The first is that we should
celebrate the Mass in a
rather more formalised
language than hitherto – a
language that is worthy of
He whom we are addressing
in the prayer of the Mass
itself. And one which clearly
demonstrates a closer adherence
to the Latin from which
it is translated.
Secondly, ideally the Mass
should be sung rather than
said – both by priest and
people in a simple dialogue.
This is as much, if not more,
of a challenge to our priests
to whom training should be
given.
There has been criticism
regarding the translation itself,
particularly with regard
to long phrases and complicated
sentence structures.
However, this is all the more
reason to sing the Mass, as
singing slows down the
process and makes the language
more intelligible.
The translation is designed
to be proclaimed rather than
read silently. I refer to all
parts of the Mass, but especially
to the collects and
prefaces. There are full
music settings of all the
prefaces (99 of them) contained
in the Missal. So there
is no excuse for the preface
not to be sung.
The third challenge is
that, by default, the Mass
should be sung to plainsong
chant, reiterating the teaching
of the Second Vatican
Council with regard to
appropriate liturgical music
where “Gregorian chant
should be given pride of
place” (Sacrosanctum
Concilium).
There is more music in this
Missal than in any other in
history. The new Missal offers
a simple ‘default’ setting
of all the people’s parts
of the Mass responses, Kyrie,
Gloria, Credo, Sanctus,
Agnus Dei, the Lord’s Prayer
and so on.
These have been translated
into English and sensitively
set to ancient Latin
tones. The clear indication
Sing up
therefore is that it is the
words of the Mass itself that
in the first place should be
sung. Hymns and other music
are of secondary importance.
This is not to say that
other Mass settings should
not be used. But in parishes
where the words of the Mass
itself are not sung, the new
Missal offers a simple, appropriate,
and practical musical
setting.
The fourth challenge is
that the closeness of the
new translation and music to
the Latin original indicates
that at least the people’s
parts of the Mass would be
better sung in Latin.
It is interesting to note
that in the Missal, much of
the Latin original has been
included alongside the
English setting. Undoubtedly,
the chants suit Latin better
than English.
My own hope is that the
new Missal will encourage
both priest and people to
sing the Mass and that in
time people will realise how
practical and appropriate it
is to sing the common parts
in Latin.
The simplicity of the
Missal tones means that,
given some practice, it is
perfectly possible to sing the
Mass without any need of an
organ accompaniment.
In Southwark, it is also
vital that our school children
be taught to sing the music
of the new Missal, both for
school celebrations and to
help lead the singing in
parishes on Sundays.
Obituary –
Canon Richard
Quinlan
Canon Richard Quinlan will
be remembered as a priest
who encouraged lay people
to play an active role
in the Church.
Canon Richard ‘Dick’
Quinlan was born in Tipperary,
Ireland, in 1937.
Following studies at Mark
Cross; Campion House College,
Osterley; and St
John’s Seminary, Wonersh,
he was ordained priest in
1963 in Ireland.
His first appointment
was to the parish of St
Peter the Apostle, Woolwich.
In 1974 he was appointed
assistant priest to
Holy Ghost parish Balham.
In 1978 he became involved
with the beginnings
of a project that was to
become Education for
Parish Service. When the
programme began, at Allen
Hall, he became its founding
chaplain. He supported
the team and students for
many years, including during
its move to Tooting
Bec.
In 1981 he became
parish priest of Our Lady
of Pity and St Simon Stock
in Putney. He was the
chairman of the organising
committee for the celebrations
marking the 400 th
anniversary of the martyrdom
of St Oliver Plunkett.
In 1982 took on the role
of honorary chaplain to
the 82nd (Wandsworth)
ATC Squadron.
He was appointed dean
of the Mortlake deanery in
1992, a position he was to
hold for twelve years.
As a sign of his appreciation
of his work, Archbishop
Michael appointed
him as an honorary canon
of the Cathedral chapter
in 1998.
He was delighted to become
“Canon” Quinlan,
but wrote: “I find it all a
bit humbling. Whatever I
have done to deserve this
privilege is due to the
good and generous people
in Putney and the area. It
is their honour.”
In 2000 in was appointed
as a judge on the
Inter-diocesan Tribunal of
Second Instance of Southwark
(Appeal Tribunal).
He took great delight in
encouraging the laity in
their role in parish life. In
2003 he published A Community
Afire – Renewing
the Catholic Parish for
Service.
He modestly described
the book as “a personal
experience and could be
written by any priest with
some years behind him in
pastoral ministry.”
In June 2011 Canon
Richard wrote to the Archbishop
to plan his retirement
when he reached
seventy-five. He hoped to
spend some of his time on
the golf course.
He died on February 24
aged 74, in the 49th year
of his priesthood. His funeral
Mass was held on
March 13 at the Church of
Our Lady of Pity and St
Simon Stock in Putney.
Page 11

The Pilgrim April 2012
Focus on faith
Exorcism: What really happens
Anthony Hopkins played
a priest carrying out
exorcisms in the
2011 movie The
Rite. The film is
based on the
experiences of
American priest
Fr Gary Thomas.
To advertise in this newspaper contact
Chris Morley on 0161 214 1233
email: chris.morley@thecatholicuniverse.net
What happens if someone feels
they are possessed by an evil
spirit The exorcist for the
diocese of Southwark explains.
Because of the
nature of his ministry,
he prefers to remain
anonymous.
Before God made
human beings, He made
spiritual beings whom we call
angels. Some of these became
proud and rebelled against
God: we call them devils,
demons or evil spirits.
From the Bible, we can see
that these evil spirits have the
power to influence human beings
in various ways: for example, by
entering the person’s body, controlling
its movement and even
the person’s speech.
By His power, Jesus cast these
devils out, and He gave power to
His disciples to do the same. This
work of casting out devils is continued
in the Church today
through the ministry of exorcism.
If a person thinks that they or
another might need the ministry of
exorcism, they contact the office
of their local bishop, who puts
them in touch with a diocesan
exorcist.
The first thing the exorcist does
is listen. He gives the person the
opportunity to tell their story:
what sort of things do they experience
that make them believe they
are under the influence an evil
spirit When do they experience
these things How often When did
it all start
The exorcist tries to get as full a
picture as possible, so as to discern
what is going on. If the exorcist
believes that the person is
possessed by an evil spirit, then,
with the permission of his bishop
and after preparing himself spiritually,
he can perform the Rite of
Major Exorcism.
The Rite of Major Exorcism is
only performed when someone is
possessed by an evil spirit. But,
the most experienced exorcists
will tell you that this is very rare.
When a person comes to him,
believing they are troubled by an
evil spirit, the exorcist has to try
to diagnose what the problem is.
The process of discernment is very
important, because the problem
that is presented may have a
purely natural explanation: for example,
there are psychological
disorders that make those who
suffer from them hear voices or
feel they are being touched by
some invisible presence.
If the cause of the problem is
purely natural, either physical or
psychological, then the exorcist
refers the person to their GP or to
a psychiatrist.
If the problem is supernatural,
or has a supernatural element,
then the exorcist has to determine
in what way and to what extent
the person is afflicted.
Even if the person is not possessed,
they might be subject to
other, lesser influences, such as
persistent and violent temptations;
oppressive feelings of tiredness
and discouragement; or the
feeling of an evil presence.
For these lesser influences, a
Minor Exorcism is performed,
which might consist of prayers
selected from the Rite of Major
Exorcism.
The manner and degree in which
a person is afflicted by an evil
spirit can depend on the general
spiritual strength of that person
and on their weaknesses.
A person who is spiritually
healthy is very resistant to being
possessed, whereas an unchaste
person is very vulnerable to violent
and persistent temptations
of a sexual nature.
Therefore, the best way to
combat these attacks is to weedout
our vices and to become spiritually
strong, through prayer,
frequent reception of the sacraments
of Confession and Holy
Communion, and living a good
moral life in accordance with the
law of God and His Church.
Only a priest specially chosen
and appointed by his bishop can
be an exorcist. He learns his job
by reading suitable books and by
being an understudy to an experienced
exorcist.
Obviously, he should be a person
of prayer, striving to live a
good, holy life. In his ministry,
however, he does not act alone;
he is supported by the prayers
and sacrifices of other people.
All the prayers we say, sacrifices
we make, and sacraments
we receive, can be offered up for
this ministry. So, even though you
are not an exorcist, please pray
for this important ministry: pray
for exorcists, and those poor, afflicted
people who need their
help.
For a better understanding of
exorcism, read Exorcism by
Jeremy Davies, published by CTS
Publications.
In his book The Last Exorcist Fr Gabriele Amorth, exorcist of the diocese of Rome, claims that Pope
Benedict XVI carried out an exorcism in St Peter's Square in May 2009 on two men who were possessed.
Page 12