Issue 02 - The Pilgrim - February 2012 - The newspaper of the Archdiocese of Southwark

The Pilgrim February 2012
News
Who is your
Catholic Woman
of the Year
Nominations are invited for
the 2012 Catholic Women of
the Year.
The idea is to honour women
who in their homes and families,
in public office or in their
business or professional
lives, are seeking to live and
uphold the Church’s teachings
with love and dedication.
Nominations should be sent
to Mrs Janette Woodford, 22
Milton Road, Ware, Herts
SG12 0PZ or emailed to:mijamajoje@ntlworld.com
by 30
April.
Rite of Election
The Rite of Election will be
held at St George’s Cathedral
at 12.30 on 25 February in the
first week of Lent.
How to help
retired priests
It is now possible to donate directly
to the diocesan Clergy
Support Fund, which helps to
provide accommodation and
support for our retired priests.
This can be done by visiting
the main Just Giving page for
the diocese by clicking on the
logo on the right, or on the
sidebar.
Mass for Scouts
The National Catholic Scout
Fellowship’s annual Mass will
be at St George’s Cathedral on
12 February at 3 pm.
Helping you
to make your
marriage work
How to build a successful
marriage will be explored
at Amigo Hall, St
George’s Cathedral, on
February 11.
The event, organised
by the Association of
Catholic Diocesan Marriage
and Family Life
Ministries, will include
workshops on enriching
your marriage, marital
What’s in a name All change
for Christian education centre
Father David Gibbons explains
why the Christian Education
Centre in Tooting Bec now has a
new name.
The Centre was established by
Archbishop Cyril Cowderoy in 1968
as the diocesan Catechetical
Centre.
By November 1968, the Centre
had a new name. ‘Catechetical’
was considered difficult to spell,
pronounce, and explain.
So it was now called the diocesan
Centre for Christian Education
and Formation.
In practice, this was shortened
John Pridmore leads two-week school mission in Canterbury
Former gangster John Pridmore
has led a two-week mission at
St Anselm’s School in Canterbury.
Since turning his back on the
criminal underworld, John has
become a lay evangelist, visiting
parishes, schools and prisons
around the world.
Working with John were
members of St Patrick’s
Community from Carrick-on-
Shannon in Ireland.
Among the issues John talked
to pupils about were prayer,
growing in faith, personal relationships
and discovering their
gifts.
He also signed copies of His
book From Gangland to Promised
Land, which has become a
best-seller.
While in Kent, John and his
community members stayed
with the Benedictine sisters at
Minster Abbey.
spirituality and various
aspects of family life.
It marks the 30th anniversary
of Familiaris
Consortio, Pope John
Paul II’s apostolic exhortation
on the role of the
Christian family.
The day runs from
1.30–5 pm. Admission is
free. To book, e-mail
marriagese@tiscali.co.uk
to the Christian Education Centre,
or CEC. Another reason for the
change was to make it easier to
attract grants from trusts.
‘Christian’ and ‘Education’
ticked boxes in a way that
‘Catholic’ and ‘Formation’ did
not.
Originally, the Centre focussed
mainly on schools and religious
education. However, in time the
diocesan Schools’ Commission took
over these functions.
As well as schools, the Centre
concentrated on catechising
children, especially at
New role for diocesan disability advisor
Cristina Gangemi, the disability advisor
to the Diocese of Southwark for the last
12 years, is to start a new job as a consultant.
She is setting up The Kiaros Forum with
Professor John Swinton of the University
of Aberdeen.
non-Catholic schools.
Again, in time this changed, and
nowadays the focus is more on
adult lay formation.
Thus Archbishop Peter has approved
another name change, to
the diocesan Centre for Catholic
Formation (CCF).
This will avoid the confusion
that many people think the Centre
is responsible for Church schools.
It also better expresses what
the Centre’s work is principally
about: adult lay formation.
The name will have a strapline,
or subtitle, which further clarifies
The organisation will provide advice
and support to families, religious communities
and other organisations.
“It has become ever more apparent
that this is a particular moment in time
and we are a generation of the Church
who have been called to develop a place
its work: evangelization and
catechesis in the mission of the
Church.
Increasingly, the new evangelisation
will be a priority of what
the Centre does.
The Centre provides courses and
programmes (such as the Catholic
Teachers’ Certificate), and
one-off talks and sessions about
different aspects of the Catholic
faith, in various venues throughout
the Archdiocese.
It also responds to requests from
parishes for assistance in organising
catechetical courses.
of belonging for people with disabilities
in our lives and parishes,” said Cristina.
‘I am happy to say that we are well
along the way to this being achieved and
Southwark has become well known for its
work and ministry surrounding the lives
and faith of people with disability.’
Blackheath
Pupils to star
in pop video
Pupils from St Matthew Academy in
Blackheath have appeared in a pop
video for the charity War Child.
A group of students from year one
to seven were selected and feature
on the video ‘Love Makes the World
Go Round’.
The video, which features Yasmin,
Lucien Laviscount, and Ellie Redman.
will be released on the 14th of
February.
Want to meet other
young Catholics in
south West London
SW London 20/30s,
a social group for
young Catholic
adults in southwest
London,
is now in its fifth
year.
The group meets
on the first Saturday
of the month in
a pub in the Wimbledon,
Clapham
and Putney area.
Around 30 people
usually attend.
It also organises
summer trips to the
Epsom Derby and
Wimbledon tennis
championships.
For my information,
e-mail
swlondon2030s@gm
ail.com.
Page 4