The Parishioner - Edition 18

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2 THE PARISH OF ST. FRANCIS GROVE HOUSE, 126 WEEK STREET, MAIDSTONE , KENT ME14 1RH TEL: 01622 756217 FAX: 01622 690549 Email:stfrancis_parish@yahoo.co.uk Website www. stfrancisparish.org.uk Parish Priest: Canon John Clark MA. Parishioner Editor: Denis Neale, Tel: 01622 200025 Email: denisneale@blueyonder.co.uk E D I T O R I A L It is time again for the Parishioner, and again I am very grateful to Denis and Ross Neale for all their efforts in collating and presenting this issue. Sadly we mark the retirement of Archbishop Kevin through ill health and we wish him well for the future. He will continue to live in the diocese and we hope he will be able to take an active part in the life of the diocese after his treatments are over. It is a significant time in the history of our country as we approach a General Election. Whatever our political position it is important that we as Christian men and women take on our civic responsibility to vote. In casting our vote we should keep in mind the social teaching of the Church which guides us towards the common good. The Bishops of England and Wales have issued a very important document identifying for us the issues that affect us today in society. I hope you enjoy the current issue of the Parishioner and I take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy and a holy Easter. Canon John Clark Parish Priest. ST FRANCIS’ CHURCH • MAIDSTONE Welcome to Fr Anthony Packianathan Fr Anthony arrived at St Francis’ Parish on February 16th. A priest from the Indian Diocese of Sivagangai (South East), Fr Anthony will be with us until September. A priest for 26 years, last year he celebrated his Silver Jubilee. Fr Anthony has served as a Parish Priest for 8 years and for 13 years as Secretary to the Tamilnadu Catholic Bishops’ Conference. During his time as secretary Fr Anthony held two appointments, youth ministry from 1992 to 1998 and ministry for the marginalised (the Dalits) from 2002 to 2009. While in England he will be studying for a Doctorate in Communications at Oxford University. Fr Anthony’s impressions of our parish is that of a welcoming, caring and hospitable community. He is looking forward to serving in our parish as part of a team of international priests. The opinions expressed in articles in the Parishioner are those of the authors and are not necessarily the opinions of the editorial board. Popular headteacher to leave St. Simon Stock School John McParland, the headteacher of St. Simon Stock School will be leaving at Easter to take up a new post as Principal Designate of the proposed new Academy for Ashford. In his resignation letter to the school governors he said;“I was invited to apply for this job and the fact that it was a Christian Academy, which is important to me, attracted me to this challenging post. Following two days of interviews, I was offered the job, and having deliberated with my family and some John McParland Governors, including the Chair of Governors, I have made the decision to accept it”. The new Academy will evolve from Christ Church, Church of England School in South Ashford and will be part of a regeneration programme of South Ashford to give the young people and the community life enhancing opportunities. The present school is a ‘National Challenge’ school and Mr.McParland is looking forward to raising the aspirations and achievement of the students who come from an area of great deprivation. “ It will be a huge wrench for me to leave St. Simon Stock,” he continues,“ where I have had the opportunity to lead a great and wonderful community of students, parents, staff and Governors in developing our school. I am delighted with the progress that we have made during my headship with our new buildings, improved facilities, year on year oversubscription, year on year improvement in examination results culminating in this year in the best exam results at GCSE and A Level in the history of the school. Our school is an excellent school with students of quality and integrity and I know it will thrive under new leadership.” Mr. McParland thanked the Governors for the support they had given him over the past nine years and added that he had been a very lucky teacher to have had such talented and committed Governors with a variety of expertise and skills. He concluded,“You have made the school the great school that it is and please God it will continue to grow and flourish. It has been an honour to serve this fantastic faith community.” In a letter to parents, Mr. Michael Powis, Chair of the School Governors writes, “The head was invited to apply for the post because of the excellent work he has done over the last nine years in St. Simon Stock Catholic School as evidenced by the steady improvement in examination results. That success is built on strong foundations - good teachers, good systems for sustained and ongoing improvement in teaching and learning, good management and leadership and especially important for the months ahead, two good deputy Heads in Jon Malone and Ruth Simpson. Mr. McParland’s greatest success is that the school will continue to provide a high quality all-round education to our children after he moves on to his new role. That strong foundation means we, as governors, and you, as parents, can be confident St Simon Stock School students will continue to thrive during the change over. Because of the way teacher contracts work, it may well be next September before our new Head takes up post but she or he will come into what is and what will be then a very good school.” Canon John adds: Mr McParland has moved St Simon Stock School forward in the last nine years. Building on the work of previous heads he significantly improved the environment of the school by adding the new sixth form centre and sports facilities together with the science block and new canteen area. He has also raised the standards of achievent within the school witnessed by the success we have had this year in public examinations. He has also been intent on supporting and developing the catholic ethos of the school, acknowleding the value and significance of each of the students. He will be sadly missed.We all wish him well in his next appointment. Parish says farewell to Fr Perpetual On Friday, 12th February Father Perpetual Anthony LLM MA returned home to India after three year’s ministry in our parish of St. Francis. During those years he has had a particular ministry for the hospital and for the care of the sick and elderly and in the hospital has been on call with the other clergy for emergencies. With Sister Kathleen he regularly visited the sick and housebound, both in their homes and those in residential or nursing homes. He always fulfilled his mission with kindness and with that great smile. While with us he not only worked hard in the parish but also followed a course of studies at Kent University leading to a Masters Degree in Civil Law, gaining a distinction and an award for achievement. We will all miss Father Perpetual, with much gratitude for all he has done for us. Father Perpetual writes: “I would like to thank everyone in the Parish for all the wonderful help I have received, especially from Canon John. I have really enjoyed my ministry here; the liturgy, sacraments, school, hospital and visits. I have acquired many new skills, completed a specialised degree in criminal justice and managed some travelling. I am not sure where my ministry will take me but by the middle of May I may have a parish and my Bishop may co-opt me for his prison ministry. Until then I may be at home visiting family and friends. I am not able to promise anything about returning other than to say I might come for a short break. I will miss you all very much and my prayers for you are assured. Please remember me in your prayers, too. Goodbye and thank you all.” Many parishioners attended a reception after 6pm Mass on Saturday, February 6th to say goodbye to Fr Perpetual. Here, Fr John presents him with a cheque for £1600, and a gold watch on behalf of the parish. Father Perpetual wrote in the weekly newsletter: “I was very grateful and touched to see so many at Mass and at the reception afterwards on Saturday evening. I appreciate all your cards, gifts and good wishes and I consider it an honour to have served at St. Francis. Thank you very much. God bless.” Anyone who would like to contact Fr Perpetual can do so at: Fr Perpetual, House number 13 - A1, West Lutheran Street, Nagercoll 629001, South India or by email on: perp@rediffmail.com Dew Association Choir entertains Christmas crowds Once again, the St Francis’ choir, led by Geraldine Sowerby, pulled out all the stops in their annual programme of Christmas Carols in the Mall Shopping Centre, on 13 December. Those who took part thoroughly enjoyed the event, as did the onlookers who contributed £177.51, which has been donated to the parish Dew Association. The Dew supports small charitable organisations in India, Africa and the Philippines who are grateful for all monies received from collections at Maidstone Circle invites practising Catholic men, married or single, to come along and meet the “Catenians” on the second Monday of every month, except August, at the Russell Hotel, Boxley Road, ME14 2AE. You are assured of a warm welcome at 8.30 pm following our meeting when we have a simple 2-course, low cost meal, good conversation and a glass of wine. This is an opportunity to meet like minded Catholic men from all walks of life. There is no obligation to join the association nor is there any pressure to do so. Just give Dennis Edwardes a ring (number below) please to let us know to expect you and enjoy a relaxing evening with us! The Catholic faith and the family are the bedrocks of the association. The 10,000 Catenians in the UK and overseas enjoy a social network, helping them to live out their vocations as husband, father, friend, committed Christian and active Catholic. Welfare of members and their families is a priority, including visiting the sick and elderly and providing comfort and help. Members and their families are given support in times of difficulty or need. A bursary fund helps young people to undertake charitable projects here and abroad. As part of its Centenary celebrations in 2008 The Catenians set up a charity in partnership with CAFOD, “GIVE WATER, LIFE AND HOPE” to provide clean water in Africa, Hugh McKearney Iwould guess that for most Catholics the deanery doesn’t mean very much - and the Deanery Pastoral Council even less.Yet the Deanery is an important part of the Church and likely to become more important in years to come. So, what is a deanery? It’s a collection of parishes which form part of the Diocese. Our deanery is the Deanery of Maidstone and Canon John is the Dean. The parishes which make up the Deanery are: Maidstone (including Aylesford), Maidstone South, Bearsted, West Malling, Cranbrook, Tenterden and Goudhurst. As Dean, Canon John has responsibility for these parishes, especially if problems arise such as one of the priests being ill, and for ensuring that Sunday Mass is celebrated. In a large diocese such as Southwark, conditions vary so much that it wouldn’t be possible for all policies to apply in the same way to every parish. You can see the differences between a large inner city parish like Brixton; or a parish in the suburbs like Woolwich; or a large town like Maidstone or a village like Cranbrook or Goudhurst. Dealing with the problems and the opportunities of a diocese like Southwark depends on how we adapt to suit our own needs. The Maidstone Deanery is itself unusual because it is made up our church each month, as well as from other sources, such as donations instead of flowers for funerals, monthly direct debit contributions and donations from fund raising events such as Carols in the Mall. Next Christmas, Geraldine intends to arrange another Carols in the Mall and also a similar event at Fremlin’s Walk. The Committee of the Dew Association wishes to thank Geraldine, the singers and muscian for their generous efforts. Carols in the Mall by Mary Brittain I am really no singer, but joined the group to sing carols in the Mall on December 13th. The shoppers, even if they did not stop to join in, smiled as they walked past. It was, for me, what Christmas is all about and what a good idea to include a couple of Christmas songs with the carols - very enjoyable. I went home with a really feel good factor within me. I do hope the Mall invite St. Francis’ Church again for Christmas 2010. If so, I will be there as part of the backing group for the choir! MEET THE MAIDSTONE CATENIANS John McElroy Dinner to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of Maidstone Catenian Circle at Leeds Castle` especially in Zimbabwe. In December 2009 our Grand President handed over a £250,000 “cheque” to Cafod. Money was raised by Circles around the world and Maidstone Circle raised £1,100. Maidstone Circle is one of 19 in Kent and the South London area. Every Circle has a full social programme for the family, young and old, and there are Masses for special occasions. For Maidstone Circle’s programme see www.stfrancisparish.org.uk Our Parish - Catenian Association. There are Catenian weekends and functions in the UK and abroad. Catenians can visit any monthly Circle meeting anywhere and participate in other Circles’ social and religious events. Visiting other Circles is an important part of being a Catenian because it widens friendship. Applications for Membership of Maidstone Circle are welcome from practising Catholic men, married or single, over 21 years, from all walks of life. There are no limitations on occupation or nationality. Wives of members are not required to be Catholics; many are not and enjoy Catenian life to the full. To enquire about joining the Catenians please contact Membership Officer, Dennis Edwardes, Tel. 01622 720830. For more information visit: www.thecatenians.com The Deanery Pastoral Council - and why it’s important to you. Deacon Tom Coyle of the ‘Maidstone parishes’ (Maidstone, Maidstone South, Bearsted and West Malling), all of which were founded from the Maidstone parish and all of which look to Maidstone as the principal town in the area; and then there are the rural parishes (Goudhurst, Cranbrook and Tenterden) which don’t have a lot to do with Maidstone and are made up of fairly small communities. When our former Archbishop Kevin was appointed, one of his early initiatives was to try to get the parishes of the diocese to have a vision for the future and we have been involved in the parish and in the deanery in trying to put this vision into reality. It was obvious from the beginning that in our own deanery parishes had different qualities and different talents and it made sense to share them. In the past we have brought the parishes together for meetings of the catechists and for the annual Mass for the Sick at Aylesford, but we felt that there was scope for even more co-operation. In addition the Archbishop asked us to try to look five or ten years ahead and see what problems we might be facing then. One of the major problems will be the shortage of priests. Many of our priests are getting on in years and, while we have a number of men training to be priests at the Seminary, there will almost inevitably be a shortfall in the number of priests in the next five to ten years - and we can’t ASCENT GROUP- STILL ASCENDING! Angela Hunter Members of the Maidstone Ascent Group have met regularly each month during 2009, with talks on various Saints and other spiritual reflections - not forgetting the tea and biscuits! In May we welcomed back Sister Eileen Keene who gave us a most interesting talk on the Sisters of Providence. In addition to our monthly meetings, we had a day at the Pilsdon Community in West Malling and a coach outing to Sussex, visiting Rye and ending in Tenterden for a cream tea. The year ended with twenty-two members and friends meeting at the Friars, Aylesford, for a delicious Christmas lunch. This year (2010) is an important one for the Ascent Movement as it marks the Thirtieth Anniversary of the forming of the Movement in England and for our group as well. The Southwark Region is holding a retreat at the Friars in June and the Maidstone Group will be holding its Thirtieth Anniversary celebration in the summer. We also hope to arrange a visit to the Seminary at Wonersh and a pilgrimage to Our Lady of Ascent Group meeting with Sister Eileen on 6th May 2009 Consolation at West Grinstead. We shall, of course, be celebrating in December with the Christmas Lunch at the Friars! The Ascent Movement is for all those in their middle and later years, so if you are interested, please contact the Group Leader, Angela Hunter ( 01622 746792) ☺The New Hospital Wing When a panel of doctors was asked to vote on adding a new wing to their hospital: •The allergists voted to scratch it and the dermatologists preferred no rash moves •The gastroenterologists had a gut feeling about it, but the neurologists thought the administration had a lot of nerve and the obstetricians stated they were labouring under a misconception. •The ophthalmologists considered the idea short sighted, the pathologists yelled “Over my dead body!”, while the paediatricians said, “Grow up!” •The psychiatrists thought it was madness; the surgeons decided to wash their hands of the whole thing and the radiologists could see right through it. •The pharmacists though it was a bitter pill to swallow - but the plastic surgeon said, “This puts a whole new face on the matter.” •The chiropodists thought it was a step forward, but the urologists felt the scheme would not hold water. •The anaesthetists thought the whole thing was a gas and the cardiologists did not have the heart to say no. wait for this to happen before doing something about it. It is against this background that the Deanery Pastoral Council is being revamped. Each parish will have two representatives (and two reserves in case one of the main representatives can’t manage to come to a meeting). It will meet quarterly and will bring together the laity with some of the clergy to look at how it can serve the deanery. Some areas of work will be for the whole deanery, like the Mass for the Sick, or work with young people - the possibility of a Deanery Youth Council is being considered. Other areas like preparation for Confirmation; training of catechists, readers and extraordinary ministers of communion might be split, with separate courses for the Maidstone parishes and the rural parishes. The Council might also look at training lay people to take more responsibility in their parishes especially in dealing with the more administrative matters. There might be the possibility of parishes sharing facilities such as finance expertise or in running the RCIA courses. The main purpose of the Council will, we hope, be to help lay members of the parishes of the deanery to realise that they have a responsibility for the Church in this area of Kent and to give their time and their talents to the work of spreading the Gospel of Jesus. 3
Join us on our Parish Day Trips! On a beautiful sunny day in mid September 2009, we set off by coach on our Parish Day trip to Winchester, Hampshire, the ancient capital of England. Aside from the delights of Winchester Cathedral, where Jane Austen is buried, we were treated to Winchester throwing open its doors to venues and attractions not normally open to the public, as part of the ‘Heritage Open Day’ weekend. Some parishioners visited Wolvesey, home of the Bishop of Winchester, others visited the Art Club Annual Exhibition and Ladybird Books Childhood Exhibition, amongst many other venues and attractions. There were a lot of watering holes to keep us going, and of course plenty of shops. Amongst my own favourite venues was the Quaker Meeting House; I can only marvel at the beautifully kept gardens and indeed some of our parishioners enjoyed a lovely afternoon tea in the Quaker Meeting House gardens (see photo). So, what’s on the agenda for 2010? Olga D’Silva Our Parish Day Trip by coach on Saturday 22nd May will take us to Pashley Manor Gardens and the historic cinque port of Rye. Parishioners enjoying afternoon tea at the Quaker Meeting House, Winchester Pashley Manor is a quintessential English garden located on the Sussex and Kent border. It offers a blend of romantic landscaping, imaginative plantings and fine old trees, fountains, springs and large ponds. When we visit in May, fruit trees will be in blossom and bluebells will be carpeting the woodland, part of which visitors are welcome to walk through. A magnificent wisteria should also be cascading down the rear of the Manor house and we will see many tulips throughout the gardens. Our visit should also coincide with Pashley’s Sculpture Fortnight, with a display and sale of sculptures in the gardens and indoors. Pashley’s Garden Room Café serves refreshments, or you may just wish to bring a picnic . In the afternoon, we will visit the maritime cinque port of Rye which overlooks the River Rother and Romney Marsh. With enchanting cobbled streets, a medieval church and beautifully preserved historic houses, Rye is almost suspended in time and has a uniquely unhurried atmosphere. Here you may sample a Sussex cream tea with homemade cakes and scones in one of the tea rooms and there are good restaurants, pubs and inns to choose from. There’s a host of unusual shops in Rye; antiques, collectors’ book and record shops and many art galleries, selling works by local artists and potters. Our Parish Day Pashley Manor Gardens Trip on Saturday 18th September will take us to the seaside town of Deal and an afternoon excursion to Walmer Castle, the official residence of the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports. Deal offers something for all ages. It has an excellent range of independent shops, two weekly markets, two castles (Deal Castle and Walmer Castle), wonderful The beach at Deal architecture, a pier and two small museums. The town centre is pedestrianised and mostly on the flat, making it easy to access. The town’s motto is ‘Adjuvate Advenas’ or ‘Befriend the Stranger’ and is a friendly seaside town for visitors. It came first in the Telegraph’s ‘10 top spots to lay your beach towel’. If you don’t fancy packing a picnic, you will find many pubs, cafes and restaurants to suit all tastes from traditional to modern. In the afternoon, we head for nearby Walmer Castle, run by English Heritage. Walmer Castle is a beautifully furnished stately home with glorious gardens, views of the sea and history to immerse yourself in. Originally built during the reign of Henry VIII, Walmer Castle became the official residence of the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports in 1708. A recent Lord Warden was HM Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, and our visit will give you an intimate view of some of the rooms she used and of the garden created for her 95th birthday. Facilities include the Lord Warden’s Tearoom , audio guides and gift shop. If we have time, we may just make a final beach walk as the sun sets, before returning home with our memories of the day. Make a note in your diary of both dates now, and look out for further details in the Newsletter. Support Patrick! Parishioner Patrick Cusworth is taking part in the Dextro Energy Triathlon, which takes place on Saturday 24 July. He is running/cycling/swimming in aid of The Passage, which is the homeless drop-in centre based in Victoria, London and provides people living on the street with both immediate basic care plus the chance to make a new start in their lives. Over 200 people use the day centre every day and its 48-bed hostel is filled every night. This charity relies heavily on voluntary contributions to survive and will benefit enormously from your support, You can donate online to support this fantastic charity by going to Patrick’s Just Giving page at: http://www.justgiving.com/Patrick-Cusworth It is completely safe to donate online - your details are secure and won’t be sent on to anyone, and you won’t get any unwanted emails. The moneyyou donate will be paid directly to The Passage, who will also receive the Gift Aid (assuming you are a UK taxpayer) - so as well as being easy for you, the charity also gets a bigger donation. So please dig deep and thanks in advance for your support! DIARY DATES Saturday 22nd May 2010 Pashley Manor Gardens and afternoon visit to historic town of Rye Saturday 18th September 2010 Seaside town of Deal and afternoon excursion to Walmer Castle St. Francis Social Club The St. Francis Social club is now up and running and open to all parishioners. We meet for coffee at 10.30 am every second Monday in the Society Rooms, opposite the church. We have decided to meet for lunch every month at different venues in the town, or on a bus route from the town (lunches must be booked). We will be meeting to play ten-pin bowling once a month as well. Further activities are planned when the weather has improved - river trips etc. Programmes for each month will be published in the weekly newsletter and posted on the notice board in the porch. Further information from Mary on 01622 677448 12 Questions by Charlotte Sexton (Year 10 student at St. Simon Stock School) This is the second time I have written this column, and my aim is for readers to learn something new about the people in our parish who we all know. In this issue I have interviewed Mary Adam, who is well known and loved in our parish for her dedication to parish events, trips and much more. 1) What was your main profession in life? I taught for most of my life at various schools, because we moved around a lot. I taught at St Francis’ Primary, St Simon Stock Secondary School, Sittingbourne Convent and in Gravesend also. I was originally senior trained but after a flu epidemic in Margate, I gained a certificate to teach all ages. 2) Have you lived in Maidstone all your life? No, we lived in Folkestone until 1975, when we moved to Maidstone. The whole family lived in the one house and I was one of six children. 3) What is your favourite country? Austria, because it is a beautiful country, we’ve spent many a happy family holiday there, and I have a lot of fond memories. 4) What programmes do you most enjoy? I enjoy costume dramas. I also enjoy murder mysteries, for example, Inspector Morse. 5) What is your favourite film and why? It’s an old film from 1965, Dr Zhivago. It’s an emotional love story, with a beautiful soundtrack. 6) If you were allowed to have one last meal, what would it be? Poached salmon in a white wine sauce, with new potatoes, fresh vegetables, and large glass of white wine. 7) What type of music do you most enjoy? My mood usually dictates the music I listen to. I enjoy classical music, for example and Enya. Though I have a compilation of music, for example, ‘The Best of that Loving Feeling’ and I’ll choose something from that which suits my mood. I love theatre music also, especially Les Miserables, which I have seen ten times. 8) Is there any famous person you’d really like to meet? Dame Judy Dench. She is very talented and I have admired her for a long time and would like to see what she is like in person. 9) If you were marooned on a desert island, apart from the bible, what book and luxury item would you have? If there were such a book entitled, ‘How to survive life on a desert island, without Marks and Spencer’ A state of the art BBQ would be helpful, or am I allowed to ask for a helicopter? 10) Have you made any new years resolutions, and if so, would mind disclosing them? I shall endeavour. I am trying to reduce the size of the beam in my eye, and become less of a grumpy old lady. 11) Of all the trips you have organised in the parish, what has been your favourite destination? Bruges - It is a beautiful and fascinating city. There is always something going on. I’d like to spend a weekend there sometime. 12) Finally, if you could have one wish granted, what would it be? A new parish hall, now. Please pray for the children are making their First Holy Communion in June 2010 Bobbie-Jo Adams Debo Adeleke Liam Aldred Amelia Armstrong Phoebe Baker Rhys Baker Elliott Baker Offiong Bassey Thomas Bowden-Brown Katie Bray Katharine Brenton Elinor Burt Jessica Butler Joseph Carter Rudo Chakonda Lucy Coupland Maia Coveney Cameron Daniel Jake Darby Alice Doherty Kristel Dumaran Caitlin Dunne Agustin Fernandez Katherine Fuller Gian Gadia Giselle Gadia Lukasz Galanty Eve Marie Gallen Amelia Gibbs Emmanuel Godinez Jose Godinez Carlo Godinez Ailish Haran Joshua Hewetson Ruben Heyse Bethany Hill Megan Holliday Jermaine Iffie Zhazha Iniba Stephanie Jackson Adrian Khoo James Kiely Faith Kilminster Joshua Ladlow Harry Lewis Molly Leyden-Mount Jakub Litwinski Megan Long Katie Manser Salomea McElroy Mariola McElroy Elise McGovern Marie Menoza ana Patricia Molina Adrian Molina Grace O’Halloran Luke O’Halloran Julia Pinkos Samuel Proyer Kamil Przybylski Jacob Seager Francis Sexton Sylvain Sourdat Ellie Tomlin Eloise Walsh Kieran Warner Brendan Washford Daniel West Thomas Whitbread Molly Woollett The following children are on the programme but will receive Frst Communion in Poland Patryk Ladniak Izabela Ladniak Mateusz Barcikowski Natalia Kobuszewska Nikola Kolebska Removed from the programme to Ashford Bartosz Woch Anti-Catholicism may come back to haunt Labour for years Patrick Cusworth. Political Consultant Music by Janet Norfolk Listen to the lapping of the lake, The dripping and the dropping of the rain; Music in the silence - music in the breeze, And music in the singing of the trees. There s laughter too, in music of the brook; Rippling, poppling under mossy banks. Guggling and gurgling as it rushes by; Music for the dancing dragonfly. Music in fountains, splashing in the pool, In gushing torrents, streams and waterfalls; So listen to the music to be found In all of Nature s orchestra of sound. With a General Election due to be called any day now, the main political parties have begun to engage with individual voting groups. Of these, the Labour Party’s traditional support base amongst working class Catholics, particularly those in North West England, would previously have been considered comparatively safe - until now. Despite Alastair Campbell’s line that “We don’t do God”, the Blair Government maintained an ability to pass controversial legislation while respecting the beliefs of the religious - or at least without attracting excessive criticism from faith groups. Since 2005 however, Labour’s apparent paranoia regarding certain religious beliefs, has caused many grassroots Catholics to think twice about supporting Labour in 2010. Most recently, the apparent unwillingness of the Labour hierarchy to distance the Party from comments such as that by Labour councillor Tim Cheetham, who described Catholic pilgrims visiting the relics of St. Therese of Lisieux as “slobbering zealots”, caused dismay amongst commentators (as well as presenting the opportunity for Conservative Parliamentary candidate Louise Bagshawe, a practicing Catholic, to neatly conclude: “Labour’s anti-Catholicism is breathtaking sometimes”). A similar comment piece published by the Labour magazine Tribune accused the same pilgrims of being “sad, lonely and desperate”, before going on to describe religious belief as a “mumbo-jumbo dogma called faith”. Petty insults certainly, yet Catholics may find it easier to laugh off such comments if Tribune did not continue to enjoy Labour’s patronage in the form of a regular column written by Children’s Minister Ed Balls. When Catholics come to reconsider their voting options at the forthcoming General Election, many will cast their minds back to the debates on both the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill and implementation of the Sexual Orientation Regulations concerning gay adoption - yet the central point that may stick in the minds of the faithful was not that the Government ignored the beliefs of five million of its citizens but rather the manner in which the Church’s opposition was subjected to accusations of discrimination, bigotry and homophobia. In addition to the reaction by the Government and its press machine over the above issues, the manner in which various accusations regarding Ruth Kelly’s religious faith have been allowed to fester unchecked may lead many Catholics to question whether Labour remains their true political home. In one ☺The school inspector asked a class; “Who blew down the walls of Jericho?” One of the pupils, a lad called Billy Green, replied promptly; “Please, Sir, it wasn’t me.” The inspector was amazed by this show of ignorance and brought up the matter in the headmaster’s study at the end of his visit. “Do you know? “ he said, “I asked the class who blew down the walls of Jericho and young Billy Green said it wasn’t him.” The headmaster said: “Billy Green, eh?” Well. I must say that I’ve always found the lad to be honest and trustworthy and if he says that it wasn’t him, then it wasn’t him!” The inspector left the school without further comment, but lost no time reporting the full sequence of events to the Ministry of Education. In due course he received the following reply: Dear Sir, Reference the walls of Jericho. This is a matter for the Ministry of Works and your letter has been sent to them for their attention. such example, Labour MEP Mary Honeyball suggested that Catholics such as Ms Kelly should be restricted from holding certain public offices, before going on to accuse Catholics of holding a “vice-like grip across Europe” and of “interfering in the democratic process”. The subsequent debates - during which no senior Labour figure saw fit to admonish Honeyball, much less raise the issue of her own fitness to represent Catholics in her London constituency - were followed by the resignation of Conor McGinn, Vice-Chair of Young Labour, who claimed he was impelled to resign due Labour’s “ingrained” anti-Catholicism. As he argued in his resignation letter, Honeyball et al. “are in effect, questioning the loyalty of Catholics and using Guy Fawkes-era language. This type of sectarian diatribe makes me wonder whether a prejudice that we all thought was long consigned to the past is slowly re-emerging”. One Labour MP who does not take lightly the support of Catholics is former Deputy Leadership contender John Cruddas, who commented that: “Those behind the attacks fail to understand the strength of the Catholic constituency - not just voters backing Labour, but also My mother Rita Emerson was born on 21st February 1921 in Southfields, Wandsworth. Her family lived in Wandsworth throughout the Blitz and Mum always said her early adult life was difficult in World War II. The legacy of the bombs and anti-aircraft guns contributed largely to her increasing deafness later in life. She worked as a legal secretary and then a dispensing optician and there was little she did not know about eyes. My mother married my father Eric Emerson in 1949 and both converted to Catholicism before marrying, something that surprised their families, but they never regretted it and both found great comfort and support. Mum would relay the story of the curate at St Raphael’s Church Surbiton coming to the house to give her religious instruction, when she was preparing for her confirmation, and the alsatian dog almost bowling him over. Fr Timothy Nolan passed away in late 2008 but had kept in touch with the family all those years. After a few years in Leicestershire, in 1966 the family moved to Maidstone and Boxley Road. The Convent of the Sacred Heart was one reason for coming to Maidstone, as well as it being within commutable distance of London where Dad worked. While I attended the convent school the family were involved with the summer fetes and events and even one year saved the day by lending a reel to reel tape recorder to play out the music for some of the pupil dancing displays. Maria was a classroom assistant for 3 to 4 years with Sister Mary Paul until 1970. In 1976 Mum’s only brother passed away suddenly and Mum quickly decided to take her own mother into the family home and looked after until she passed away in 1981, aged 94. Sadness struck the family again when in July 1987 Maria passed away aged 37 of cancer and just a few days later my father was told he too had cancer and he passed away in May the following year. All the family friends wondered how Mum and I would cope, but she said, “We have to look after each other now”, something we did for 21 years. Even in the last few months of her life, Mum would be doing jobs around thehouse and said, “ I can’t do much now but I do what I can.” among activists, unions and MPs”. Despite Cruddas’ warning however, the manner in which Labour has been seen to take this core base for granted has led to many Catholics now viewing Labour as the new ‘nasty Party’ where matters of faith are concerned. It is for this reason that Catholics may perhaps look very seriously at transferring their support, or at the very least, denying their votes to Labour where it matters. For example the result of last year’s Glasgow East byelection demonstrated the extent to which Catholics who were previously dye-inthe-wool-Labour supporters clearly became more flexible in their voting. Such flexibility combined with immigration steadily increasing from prominently Catholic EU countries may yet result in a situation where both main parties find themselves increasingly dependent upon Catholic support, whether tacit or otherwise. (c) Patrick Cusworth In Memory of my Mother Rita Betty Emerson 1921 to 2000 Margaret Emerson Reflection Happy are you when people hate you, reject you, insult you and say that you are evil, all because of the Son of Man! Be glad when that happens, and dance with joy, because a great reward is kept for you in heaven. Luke 6 22-23 We got on well and on my days off Mum always liked to do something we could share, such as gardening or helping me to sort my stamps into types, or she would be sitting reading a magazine or knitting often with a cat on her lap, which invariably meant not much knitting or reading took place, while I was busy doing something else, such as letter writing or study assignments. Mum had become more frail and had been largely been housebound in the last couple of years so had not been able to attend St Francis’ Church but a private faith remained. She may not have been involved in church groups, although my father was a reader for a few years, but she would always give good counsel to those she met and I think it would be true to say that her vocation in life was 60 years as a housewife. One of her philosophies in life was that a mother’s place was at home with her children and so it was no surprise that she had given up paid work before Maria was born. No matter who Mum spoke to, the postman, a friend, neighbour or professional person, they normally left her with a smile and had shared her laughter and sense of fun. All those who met her and knew her well can remember her smile, laughter and humour which stayed despite her lack of mobility and obvious pain at times. “There is no point in being miserable” she would say and lived very much for the day ,telling anybody who was fretting unduly about something that might happen in the future, “We have to get there first”. She had a long, happy life and God answered her prayer that she did not totally lose her sight or any of mental faculties in her later years, although there was a sense of frustration when she found there was something she could not manage and needed to ask for help. There may be an extra empty seat in the pew at St Francis’ Church but her memory lives on in the lives of those she touched. I hope she would have been pleased this Christmas that I cooked a festive lunch for myself without her watchful eye beside me, although she had been a good teacher, and the Christmas trifle turned out well too and would, I think, have passed muster. Rest in peace Mum with Dad and Maria. 4 5
Page 1: GIRL GUIDE MEMORIES Angela Hunter T

The Parishioner - Edition 18

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