The Parishioner - Edition 20

ST FRANCIS’ CHURCH • MAIDSTONE 

Parishioner 

Parish welcomes the 

new Mass translation 

by Deacon Tom Coyle 

As I am writing this article, we are in the early stages of the introduction of the new English 

translation of the Roman Missal. There are, at present, the usual hiccups associated with 

change, especially with the change to words that we have got used to over the last 40 years 

and which have formed the basis of the prayer life of many of us. I don’t intend to get into the 

controversies surrounding the changes but just accept them as they are: given to us by the authority 

of the Church. 

In our parish there was plenty of preparation for the changes. The Christian Education Centre 

held a series of talks at St Francis’ School and these were attended on each evening by about 100 

people, drawn from the parishes in the area. During July, the clergy spoke at all the Sunday 

Masses not just about the changes to the language, but also about the deeper meaning of the 

various parts of the liturgy of the Mass. 

At the beginning of September, the new Order of Mass 

was introduced. This is the part of the Mass which directly 

affects the people, with their prayers and responses to the 

prayers of the priest or deacon. The new Eucharistic 

Prayers which are at the heart of the Mass were also 

introduced. At the beginning of Advent the translation of 

the complete Missal will be introduced and this will include 

the prayers that the priest says at the beginning of Mass (the 

Collect); the Prayer over the Offerings; and the Prayer after 

Communion. The Missal will include all the Masses for 

Saints and for special occasions. We hope that new 

musical settings of the Mass will also become available. 

At about the same time, Missals for the people will be 

published. The Catholic Truth Society has announced that 

it will be publishing a Sunday Missal and a Weekday 

Missal; other publishers will be bringing out similar volumes. One word of warning: the new 

peoples’ Missals will contain the present translation of the readings and it is likely that a new 

translation of the readings will be introduced in about five years’ time. However, if you want your 

own Missal, these look as if they will be very attractive volumes and will serve you for a 

reasonable period of time. Saint Paul publications has also brought out their very useful Sunday 

Missal for 2011/2012. 

The Catholic Truth Society has produced some very good booklets to accompany the new 

translation. One by Mgr Bruce Harbert who was secretary of the International Commission on 

English in the Liturgy, which produced the new translation, goes beyond the words and explains 

the different parts of the Mass. Another by Dom Cuthbert Johnson OSB who played a prominent 

part in producing the new translation is intended to help us in the way we celebrate the Mass. It 

gives guidance to all who are involved in the celebration and to those responsible for planning it. 

It will obviously take time for us to get used to the new translation and I suppose that there 

are three parts of the translation which are causing concern. The first is the response to the 

greeting ‘The Lord be with you’. Our automatic reaction unless we actually have the text in front 

of us is to reply ‘And also with you.’ English is virtually the only language which hasn’t translated 

the original Latin ‘Et cum spiritu tuo’ literally. There are all sorts of reasons given for the change, 

but my own feeling is that it refers to that part of us which is closest to God; that part of us which 

makes us what we are - children of God. So we are praying that God will strengthen and foster 

his Spirit in the work that the priest is about to do. Remember that the priest, when he celebrates 

Mass, is seen as another Christ - that Christ works 

through him. 

The second is the ‘I confess’ in which we now say 

that we have ‘greatly sinned’ and repeat ‘Through my 

fault’ three times. Now we may not feel that we have 

greatly sinned but this is a reminder to us that we are 

about to take part in something which is the holiest thing 

we can do and that as human beings we need to ask 

God’s forgiveness so that we can take our part in the 

celebration with a pure heart. 

The third is the Creed, which now begins with the 

words ‘I believe’ instead of ‘We believe’. The reasoning 

behind this change is that the Creed was originally used 

at Baptisms and is therefore an expression of our own 

belief. So we are saying that I, personally, here and now, 

believe in what God teaches us through his Church. By 

saying it together with our sisters and brothers, WE are all professing the belief we share. The 

other rather strange word in the Creed is ‘consubstantial’. You won’t find this anywhere else in 

English because it has a very special and unique meaning. This comes from the time when some 

Christians were arguing that Jesus was created by God the Father. The Church said that this 

wasn’t so; that Jesus was ‘consubstantial’ with the Father - that is that the very being of Christ is 

identical with the Father: that he existed from all eternity. It’s a difficult idea to grasp but very 

important for all who call themselves followers of Jesus. 

So, as time passes, I am sure that we will get used to the changes. Many of us liked the style 

of prayer of the earlier translation but as we actually PRAY the Mass, and try to make the words 

our own, then the translation will come alive in our own prayer life. 

Simon is ordained Priest 

by Alan Ashfield 

Brother John-Mary-Jesus (Simon Ashfield) of the Community of St John, a 

French religious order, was ordained priest in Vezelay, France on 

Saturday 2nd July 2011 with twelve others brothers, and a further seven 

who became deacons. 

Born in 1981, Brother John-Mary-Jesus was baptised in St Francis Church 

and grew up in the parish. He attended St Francis Primary and St Simon Stock 

Secondary schools before leaving for France to enter the Community’s noviciate 

in St Jodard in 2000; he made his simple (temporary) vows in 2004, during 5 

years of Philosophy studies. 

After a first year of Theology, he was sent to Africa for his `stage`: this part 

of the training is two years long and is designed to give the Brothers time to 

experience life in a typical priory, before they make their final commitment. In 

Abidjan, Ivory Coast Brother John-Mary-Jesus taught part-time in a secondary 

school while working in the parish with the youth and undertaking a walking 

mission to remote villages. He loved his time in Africa, and has many wonderful 

memories to share. 

Returning to France to complete years 2 and 3 of Theology, Brother John- 

Mary-Jesus pronounced final (perpetual) vows in 2008 in the Basilica of the 

Sacred Heart in Paray-le-Monial, and, the following summer, was ordained 

deacon. During this time he was able to make two short visits to Armenia, where 

the Brothers of St. John support the work of Armenian nuns who care for 

orphans and the elderly, and where the Church exists in its oldest rite. 

In 2010 Brother was asked to go to Utrecht, Holland, to work with his 

Simon celebrates Mass in Utrecht 

brothers where the Community of St. John had been asked by the local 

bishop to run a parish and to care for the Catholic students at the University. 

A new language had to be studied! And it was time to resume the habit of 

cycling everywhere, something he hadn`t done since 6th form.... 

When the call to Ordination came, Br.John-Mary-Jesus was 

accompanied for his great day by 30 parishioners from Utrecht, as well as 

by his family and friends from school days in Maidstone. It was a day of joy 

and celebration, with an alfresco lunch after the Solemn Mass, and songs in 

many languages. Photos of the Mass of Ordination can be seen at 

www.stjean.com. Look for the news pages. 

It is the custom in the Community for newly-ordained brothers who are 

not French, to travel to their home country where they may have the 

opportunity to offer Mass in the parish in which they were brought up. So it 

was that Fr John-Mary-Jesus returned to Maidstone briefly this summer. He 

offered Mass in the Cloister chapel at The Friars, Aylesford on the Feast of 

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, July 16th, and on the following day, Sunday, 

celebrated the 10.30am Mass at St Francis at the kind invitation of Canon 

John who concelebrated with him. 

In his sermon, Fr John-Mary-Jesus, spoke of his years as a server at St 

Francis, under the watchful eye of Mark Coatsworth and thanked all those 

parishioners who kept him in their prayers over the years and who continue 

to do so. After Mass, many parishioners received a first blessing.

2 

ST FRANCIS’ CHURCH 

Parishioner 

THE PARISH OF ST. FRANCIS 

GROVE HOUSE, 126 WEEK STREET, MAIDSTONE , KENT ME14 1RH. 

TEL: 01622 756217 FAX: 01622 690549 

E-mail:stfrancis_parish@yahoo.uk Web site: www.stfrancisparish.org.uk 

Parish Priest: Canon John Clark MA. Assistant Priests: Fr Bartlomiej Dudek, 

Fr Soosai Manickam. Parish Deacon: Rev. Tom Coyle 

E D I T O R I A L 

The Beautiful Hands of a Priest 

We need them in life’s early morning, 

We need them again at its close; 

We feel their warm clasp of true friendship, 

We seek them when tasting life’s woes. 

At the altar each day we behold them, 

And the hands of a king on his throne 

Are not equal to theirs in their greatness; 

Their dignity stands all alone; 

And when we are tempted and wander, 

To pathways of shame and of sin, 

It’s the hand of a priest will absolve us 

Not once, but again and again. 

And when we are taking life’s partner, 

Other hands may prepare us a feast, 

But the hand that will bless and unite us 

Is the beautiful hand of a priest. 

God bless them and keep them all holy, 

For the Host which their fingers caress; 

When can a poor sinner do better, 

Than to ask Him to guide thee and bless? 

When the hour of death comes upon us, 

May our courage and strength be increased, 

By seeing raised o’er us in blessing 

The beautiful hands of a priest. 

The Kent History and Library Centre 

Opening Spring 2012 

You may have see or heard about the brand-new Kent History and Library Centre 

being built in James Whatman Way, Maidstone. 

Building work is well underway on the site opposite the White Rabbit pub, and the 

building is due to open in Spring 2012. It will replace the libraries at Springfield, 

St.Faith’s Street, and the Centre for Kentish Studies at County Hall. 

The new centre is being purpose built to protect and give people access to more of 

our archive material, and to provide a 21st century library in the heart of Kent. It will 

house around 14 kilometres of historic material relating to Kent dating back to 699 

AD and will be the place to come for anyone interested in local history. There will 

also be a community history area, archive search room, digital studio, free public 

internet access and wifi, and a large space for displays and events. 

Family history research is very popular these days and we will be opening our wealth 

of archives for people to use, as well as some of the county’s fascinating historic 

material, including letters written by Jane Austen and Joseph Bank’s diaries. 

If you would like more information about the new centre or to send us your views 

on the project, please contact Clare Trumper, Community Development Librarian on 

clare.trumper@kent.gov.uk 

Towards the 

Permanent Diaconate 

By Ian Black 

As many of you in the parish will be 

aware, I am currently participating in 

the formation programme for the 

Permanent Diaconate. This short article will 

hopefully give you an update of where Angela 

and I have got to in the programme. 

It is a little over two years now, since Canon 

John and I had a discussion about the possibility 

of my applying for consideration for formation 

towards becoming a Permanent Deacon. This 

had come about following a long period of 

thinking and talking with Angela about what 

this might mean for both of us, and how it Ian & Angela Black 

would impact upon our lives. 

The application process took almost a year with a series of 

meetings, application forms, interviews and attending a day 

long selection conference. Having been accepted up to this 

point, the next stage was for both of us to have an interview 

with Archbishop Peter. The application was approved by 

Archbishop Peter, subject to the successful completion of a 

medical, a further CRB check and then a two day 

psychological assessment at a centre in Manchester. 

In September 2010 I, along with four others from our 

diocese, officially became an Aspirant and embarked upon the 

Propaedeutic period. This is a time of preparation and 

discernment, drawing us slowly into the reality of what 

formation means. Over the year we had a series of meetings in 

which the aspirants and their wives came together to discuss 

and explore different aspects of the journey ahead and what the 

expectation of a deacon is. In these meetings we covered topics 

such as looking at our spirituality, exploring prayer - including 

the Divine Office (The Prayer of the Church), the role of a 

parish deacon and interacting with people. We also started to 

join in with the diaconal community at diocesan On-going 

formation days, meetings of area deacon support groups and 

through an on-line forum. 

At a ceremony at St Georges Cathedral in May of this year, 

the five of us were Admitted to Candidacy. So from that point 

Welcome... 

Fr SOOSAI MANICKAM 

I was born in March 1951, in Tamil Nadu, South India and 

ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Calcutta on 7th 

December 1975. 

Having obtained a Master’s Degree in Systematic 

(Dogmatic) Theology (M.Th) from Jnana Deepa Vidyapeeth, 

Pune, I taught Systematic Theology for 16 years at Morning 

Star Regional Seminary, Barrackpore. 

For the last 12 years I was the Director of the Archdiocesan 

Pastoral Centre called Proggoloy at Barasat, as well as the 

Parish Priest of the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes of the 

same town. Simultaneously I have also been the Dean of 

the North 24 Parganas Deanery of the Archdiocese. 

Currently I am on a year of sabbatical ministry here at St. 

Francis, Maidstone. 

Fr BARTOMIEJ DUDEK 

I was born in July 1984 in Rzeszów, a city in South-eastern 

Poland and was brought up in a village called Domaradz. 

Just after my school-leaving exams in June 2003 I entered 

the seminary in Przemyl. I was ordained a deacon in May 

2008 in my home parish, Domaradz, and after a year I was 

ordained a priest by Abp Józef Michalik in the cathedral in 

Przemyl. My first parish was Krocienko Wyne. After two 

years I was sent by my Archbishop to Maidstone. 

we became candidates for holy 

orders. There is still however a 

long journey to travel. 

In September our 5 became 

part of a group of 18, gathered 

together from 8 different 

dioceses, to commence our 

formal academic formation. As a 

result of the work we will be 

doing we have embarked upon a 

Foundation degree in Pastoral 

Ministry, validated by St Mary’s, 

Strawberry Hill. A mixture of 

both practical and academic the three year course will take us 

through the background and how to apply our faith to the role 

of the deacon. Amongst the subjects to be studied in this 

coming year are Foundations in Theology, Scripture, 

Sacraments, Liturgy, Philosophy and the three-fold ministry of 

the diaconate. In addition to us students, our respective wives 

are also welcomed at the sessions and take a full part in the 

programme. This is achieved by regular days at St Johns 

Seminary and a couple of residential weekend schools. When 

I’m not there I’ll be busy reading and writing for essays, 

presentations and keeping a journal of my experiences on the 

formation programme. 

At the end of this academic year will be the office of 

lector, a year later the office of acolyte and then in about 21/2 

years time hopefully ordination. 

I hope that I can keep you up to date with progress over the 

next couple of years, and if you have any questions about what 

we are doing, or about the process of formation for the 

Permanent Diaconate, please catch up with Angela or me and 

we’ll do our best to answer any questions. 

Finally I’d like to thank everybody, especially Canon John, 

who have been hugely supportive and positive about my going 

forward on this journey towards the Permanent Diaconate. 

...and Farewell 

Fr Antony Packianathan has been studying for his 

doctorate at Oxford Brookes University and has spent 

almost a year with us, helping out, as he is a full time 

student. He returned to Chennai, India, in August for a 

minor operation from which he has now recovered and will 

finish the last part of his studies in Chennai. 

Fr Tadeusz Dec came to us in August 2008 and stayed 

for 3 years until the end of July 2011 when he returned to 

Poland to a position in the Kuria in his home archdiocese 

of Pyzemysl. 

Fr Hilarius Viahulam came from Kottar diocese in 

Tamil Nadu, India and stayed for a year from August 2010 

to 2011. He has returned to his home diocese to take up 

a position as parish priest in a parish near Nagercoil. 

Be kinder than necessary, For everyone you meet is 

fighting some kind of battle. Live simply, Love 

generously, Care deeply, Speak kindly, and 

Pray continually. 

St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein)

PARISH DAY TRIPS 2011. 

Cambridge and Bletchley Park 

This year, the inspiration for our Parish Day 

Trips to Cambridge and Bletchley Park came 

through conversations I had with different 

parishioners. 

ST JOHN’S COLLEGE AND 

CAMBRIDGE. May 2011 

When I started the planning of the Cambridge trip, I 

thought it would be good to do something 

‘different’as an organised group combined with free 

time. So, I contacted my friend in Cambridge, Lidia, 

who is very charismatic, Hungarian and a scientist 

The group with St John’s College in the background 

who lectures at Clare College, and she pulled a few 

strings to get us into St John’s College for a private 

visit. A few weeks after I had started planning our 

Cambridge trip, it was announced that the Queen 

and the Duke of Edinburgh would be visiting 

Cambridge in April, as part of the quincentenary 

‘The Life and death of each one of us has its influence 

on others.’ Those words come from the second reading 

we heard on the 24th Sunday of the Year from St Paul’s 

Letter to the Romans 14:7-9. It was read on what was 

the 10th anniversary of the attacks on the Twin Towers 

in New York and the other terrorist attacks that day, 

otherwise known as 9/11. It is often said of a major 

event that we remember where we were and what we 

were doing when we heard about it. The 9/11 attacks, 

the assassination of President Kennedy, our own 7/7 

attacks in London and the death of Diana, Princess of 

Wales, would come into that category. Few of us would 

actually have known the people involved in these events 

or have even met with them, although the media, 

especially today, brings them close to us. 

At a more personal level we are all touched by 

people, both during their lives or when they pass away. 

A few days before writing this piece, I learnt of the 

sudden passing of a former work colleague, aged just 

50. The sense of shock in the office was very real when 

we heard. We had all been touched by his humour, his 

helpfulness, knowledgºe of IT, as well as words when 

crosswords were being completed. We had also shared 

his trials while suffering from depression and 

alcoholism in recent months. 

I’m sure we can recall the effect people have had on 

our lives, family, friend or stranger. A best friend of 

celebrations of the founding of St John’s College. 

The day arrived for our Parish Day trip to 

Cambridge, and we were blessed with wonderful 

weather, which always helps to set up the day well. 

As we walked from the coach drop off point to St 

John’s College, we were all taking in the history, 

variety and vibrancy of Cambridge, as we peered 

into the back and front entrances of different 

Colleges. On arrival at St John’s College, we had 

morning tea and coffee in the Wordsworth Room 

and then we split into two groups for a guided tour 

of the College. People were then free to have lunch 

and the afternoon and early evening to themselves. 

By the time we assembled on the coach to go home, 

we were all exchanging our different experiences of 

the day; some had visited quite a few Colleges, 

others had shopped quite a lot and one parishioner 

and her daughter charismatically haggled down the 

price of a punt along the River Cam with a young, 

handsome student! 

We really did have a lovely day, and there was a 

great atmosphere on the coach on the way home. 

BLETCHLEY PARK . September 2011 

Where is Bletchley Park? Well, it’s near Milton 

Keynes. There has been much coverage of 

Bletchley Park in the media, as an historic site of 

secret British codebreaking activities during WWII 

and birthplace of the modern computer. Bletchley is 

also known as the ‘National Codes Centre’. 

When I started planning the Bletchley Park trip, it 

was announced that the Queen and the Duke of 

Edinburgh would be visiting Bletchley, where the 

Influencing others 

Margaret Emerson 

mine from my schooldays, passed away in her early 

twenties, having battled ill health all her life. She 

qualified as an occupational therapist but sadly passed 

away soon afterwards. Her enthusiasm for life was an 

inspiration to us all. My sister, Maria, passed away aged 

37 after a battle with cancer and she had touched the 

lives of my family and many others. She certainly 

touched the lives of the young children she helped to 

teach in the kindergarten at the Convent of the Sacred 

Heart, when she was a teaching assistant with Sister 

Mary Paul in the late 1960s. 

What a responsibility we have in the way we 

conduct ourselves. We influence the lives of others, not 

just in big issues but the smallest of gestures, a smile, a 

cheery hello to a friend or stranger, as these can all 

make a difference. As Christmas approaches when we 

receive this copy of the Parishioner, we can reflect on 

the influence that the life and death of the greatest 

person to have lived on the earth, Jesus himself, has on 

our lives over 2000 years later. We do not see Him face 

to face in the literal sense except in the lives of others 

and by the writings in the New Testament, but we know 

His presence in the Eucharist. ‘Happy are those who 

have not seen and yet believe’, Jesus said. Other people 

meet Him through us so we have a great responsibility 

every day. 

Outside the Bletchley Post Office 

Queen was going to unveil a memorial to the men 

and women codebreakers, honouring the vital role 

they played in the second World War. At this time, 

Bletchley Park was home to the government’s Code 

and Cypher School, which obtained signals 

intelligence by breaking high-level encrypted enemy 

radio and teleprinter communications. 

It was in the 1990s that Tony Sale decided to 

‘rescue’ Bletchley Park, and the Exhibition Centre 

was officially opened in June 2004 by HRH The 

Duke of Kent. Sadly, Tony Sale died just two weeks 

before we visited Bletchley and his widow, Margaret, 

has subsequently set up a fund to help maintain the 

upkeep of the restored Colossus machine. 

The Exhibition Centre at Bletchley is housed within 

one of the original wartime buildings, and tells the 

‘Complete Bletchley Park Story’ depicting the 

incredibly complex processes of interception, 

decryption, translation, interpretation and analysis 

that were needed to produce the vital intelligence 

that proved so important in ending the war. The 

Museum also houses Stephen Kettle’s famous 

statue of the genius mathematician, Alan Turing. 

The prospect of espionage, breaking codes and 

seeing the Colossus and Enigma machines 

definitely attracted more male parishioners to join 

the Parish Trip. We had morning tea and coffee on 

arrival and then our guide, some 86 years young, 

toured us around the Bletchley Park site, which even 

has its own Post Office. During our morning and 

afternoon tours, we saw an Enigma display and how 

the machine, used for the encryption and decryption 

of secret messages, worked. We also saw the Turing 

Bombe Machine, an electromechanical device used 

by British cryptologists to help decipher Enigmaencrypted 

signals which was created by English 

mathematician, logician, cryptanalyst and computer 

scientist Alan Turing. 

The newly unveiled Polish memorial was deeply 

moving and Father Bartholomeij, who was able to 

join us, was very keen in studying the memorial. 

After lunch together and our afternoon tour, we were 

free to wander around, re-visit certain exhibits, and 

to take a look inside the ornate Victorian Mansion 

that was headquarters to intelligence staff during 

the War. Finally, we had afternoon tea and cakes 

and headed back to Maidstone. 

As we made our way back home, I couldn’t help 

wondering if it was a trend that Her Majesty is 

following in the footsteps of the St Francis Church 

Parish Trips. Let’s see what happens in 2012! 

EASTER PEOPLE 

Adults who were received into 

the Church at Easter with their 

sponsors and the young people 

who made their First Holy 

Communion and received the 

Sacrament of Confirmation. 

Jack Clews, Ana Prosser, 

Elizabeth Kilminster, Abi 

Folorunso, Simon Sharp, Conor 

Neil,Katie Hilden, Anthony 

Missier, Mistica Missier, Caterina 

Di Stasio and Thomas Di Stasio. 

Carol Singing in the Mall 

Again, this year we are asking for lots and lots of volunteers to 

come along and sing carols to the shoppers in the Chequers 

Mall shopping centre. This will take place on Saturday 

afternoon, 10th December. We shall be rattling our collecting 

boxes for our charity, the Dew Association. So it’s a very good 

cause and an appropriate witness to our Catholic faith. 

Also, it’s great fun!! 

3

4 

The Maidstone Catenians 

were sad to hear of the 

death of John Finn at Gavin 

Astor Home in British Legion 

Village on 4 October. He was one of 

the oldest members at nearly 90 

and had been a Catenian since 

1951, first joining Purley and then 

Maidstone Circle in 1986. John had 

been a member for a remarkable 60 

years, and to celebrate this he was 

presented with a scroll by the 

Grand President of the 

Association, Tony Godden on 12th 

September. Tony Godden was 

pleased to do this as he had 

initially joined Maidstone before 

his job took him away elsewhere in 

the country. Scrolls were also presented for 40 years membership to 3 

others - showing the longevity of our members! 

John Finn was born in 1921 in Bournemouth. His father was a 

commercial traveller and the family moved to Glasgow in 1927 when 

John was 6. The family moved to Wallington, then Carshalton Beeches 

in 1937 and Purley in 1960. John went to John Fisher School. His first 

job was as a warehouse man, but he joined the Royal Navy in 1940 aged 

Greenwich 

On Wednesday, 6th April a group of parishioners enjoyed a London Walk at 

Greenwich organised by Lyn Coyle. We met outside County Hall on a lovely 

sunny morning, and set off at 9.40 a.m in two minibuses, arriving in Greenwich 

just under an hour later. 

Lyn gave us all maps 

with the location of the pub 

where we were having 

lunch and a note of the pick 

up point for returning home 

- plus Lyn’s phone number 

in case we got lost! 

As we walked at a nice 

leisurely pace through 

Greenwich Park, Lyn 

pointed out various places 

JOHN FINN RIP 

By Chris Waite 

Tony Godden presenting John with with his 60 year scroll. Also shown here from left 

to right are: Chris Waite, Fegus Poncia, John Taylor and John McElroy 

Photo taken in fron t of the monument to General of interest to us, with a 

Wolfe 

brief history, which made 

the trip more enjoyable. 

After lunch at ‘The Yacht’ pub we had some free time to wander in the 

sunshine, which stayed with us all day. We left Greenwich at around 3.30p.m. 

Many thanks to Lyn for her plans for an interesting time. It was like having an 

official tour guide with us for the day! 

Mary Brittain. 

St James’ 

On Wednesday 28 September, Lyn Coyle led a group of some 12 of us through 

the St James’ area of London - notable for its clubs and upmarket clothiers for 

vegetable gardener. 

19, and for 5 years he served as a 

signalman during WW11 patrolling 

the North Atlantic Ocean on vessels 

protecting the Atlantic convoys - a 

rather dangerous role. 

At the end of WW11 he left the 

Navy and opened an electrical shop 

with his brother and then started 

out on his own selling houses etc as 

an Estate Agent and Surveyor. But 

John continued sailing, mostly 

around Chichester and along the 

coast, but with several excursions to 

European ports. John had been an 

accomplished musician with the 

classical guitar and could tell a 

good story. He was also a keen 

John met Mabel his future wife at an evening function given by 

Cardinal Heenan and they were happily married for 43 years. John and 

Mabel moved to Maidstone and will be well remembered for always 

attending the 10 30am Mass in the front pew of St Francis Church 

Maidstone. Sadly John’s ‘sweet Mabel’ passed away with a stroke in 

January 2007. May they now be together once again. 

The Friendship Group 

Since 2010 we have been meeting regularly on the second Monday of each month for coffee in the Society Rooms (opposite St. 

Francis’ Church) at 10.30 a.m. and on the last Monday of each month to play Tenpin Bowling in King Street. We also arrange to 

book lunches at different venues in the town. 

Over the last year and a half we have enjoyed organised walks in London (see the article below) and theatre trips to the Hazlitt in 

Maidstone and the Churchill Theatre in Bromley. Recently we have been having Line Dance sessions in the Old School Hall. 

Meeting regularly has given us an opportunity to socialise with parishioners who attend different Sunday Masses. All parishioners 

and their friends are most welcome to join us. 

A WEEK IN LOURDES 

Marie Shandley 

I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity of visiting Lourdes in August with the Catholic 

Assocation Pilgrimage. It was a unique experience on many levels and I returned home 

refreshed; case returning a week later!! 

I sang with the choir in the underground basilica of Pope Pius X, which can hold up to 

25,000 people. There were over 7,000 at the International Mass on that particular day and 162 

priests were in attendance by the altar. 

The Torchlight Procession was magical, so many people taking part, and we all carried 

lighted candles (which kept going out with the breeze) and sang hymns as we made our way to 

the Domain square. The night that I joined the choir in front of the Rosary Basilica we saw things 

from a different view point. 

Everything was wonderfully well 

organised and there was always a sense 

of peace within the Domain, especially by 

the Grotto where there was Mass every 

day. I was intrigued by the voitures which 

were used for the assisted pilgrims as 

well as wheelchairs. 

Everybody should go at least once 

in their lifetime. Miracles are not always 

apparent sometimes. They need a lot of 

thought! 

ladies and men. We popped into Fortnum and Mason to start - just to look. The 

ladies aimed for the delicatessen, the men for the wines and spirits counters! 

Then we walked and Lyn gave us snippets about what we were walking past, 

the buildings or people who resided in them. For me, one or two of the 

highlights I learned about 

the area: 

• the quiet back yard 

to Stafford Hotel with its 

Outside Fortnum and Mason 

begonia flowered 

balconies 

• the magnificent 

London mansion of the 

Spencer family overlooking 

the park, now occupied by 

the Rothschilds. 

• the long established 

Berry Bros. with its wine 

cellars extending under 

half the road in front in order to contain the hundreds of thousands of bottles 

stored there. 

• Lion yard which contained shops that could dress you from top to toe, 

hats to shoes, alongside restaurants and takeaways. But we did not stop long 

as our lunch awaited at the Golden Lion next door. 

After lunch we strolled into St James’ park and had an ice cream in lieu of 

a sweet, and looked at the pond life and people passing by. Then on the 

Whitehall, out with the bus passes again and back to Victoria. Just time to pop 

into the Cathedral or have a coffee and home. 

This was an enjoyable walk held on a spanking hot day of sunshine. 

Please accept my apologies, wonder what would have been.... 

Think about it every year, so I picked up a pen, 

Happy birthday, love you, whoever you would’ve been. 

Happy birthday... 

I’ve got a millon excuses to why you died, 

Bet other people got their own reasons for homicide. 

Now you’ve got a little brother, maybe he’s really you? 

Maybe you really forgave us, knowing we was confused? 

Maybe everytime that he smiles it’s you proudly knowin’ 

that your father’s doin’ the right thing now? 

I think about it every year, so I picked up a pen 

Happy birthday, love you, whoever you would’ve been. 

Happy birthday... 

And from the heavens to the womb to the heavens again 

From the endin’ to the endin’, never got to begin. 

Maybe one day we could meet face to face? 

In a place without time and space. 

Happy birthday.... 

10 

Questions 

Mary Insall 

Interviewed by Charlotte Sexton 

1. Where are you from originally? 

I was born in London of Irish parents, 

lived in Portsmouth, Australia and 15 

years in Newcastle (where my two 

children were born) with my husband 

from Yorkshire. 

2. What were your first impressions of the 

parish when you arrived? 

The people of Maidstone did not seem 

very happy with very little eye contact 

compared to the Geordies. The parish 

was friendly but quite fragmented. 

3. You work very hard in the parish to help 

keep things running smoothly, but what sort 

of things do you usually have to do as part of 

this important role? 

With a band of ladies and a gentleman I 

help keep the church clean and we find 

amazing things between the benches. 

As baptism arranger (with Rosemary 

Kelly), First Communion programme 

coordinator and assisting with 

Confirmation, I send out letters to 

parents and candidates, communicate 

with parents, catechists and clergy and 

check information for entry into 

registers. Volunteering in the office, I 

meet the wonderful people of our 

parish. 

4. You are a familiar face around St Simon 

Stock school as a lab technician but what 

was your original professional background? 

I trained in London Hospital as MLSO 

(Research Medical Technician) and 

worked departments of Biochemistry, 

Gynaecology and Surgery. I worked In 

Newcastle in Bone Pathology and 

Physiological Science in the Catherine 

Cookson Building. 

5. I hear that you have travelled, so what is 

your favourite country and where would you 

like to visit if given the chance? 

I have been to Canada, USA, Sri Lanka, 

Australia and parts of Europe. I would 

like to visit China, Japan, South America 

and Russia and experience their 

different cultures. 

6. What TV programmes do you most enjoy? 

Scientific, natural world and genealogy 

types of programmes. Doctor Who, 

Merlin and Downton Abbey. 

7. If you were allowed to have one last meal, 

what would it be? 

Sunday roast with friends and family 

8. What type of music do you most enjoy? 

Eagles, and folk and of course Wheeler 

Street. 

9. If you were marooned on a desert island, 

apart from the bible, what book and luxury 

item would you have? 

I do read the odd fiction book but as a 

technician I am more interested in 

nonfiction and an instruction manual on 

building a ship and survival on the 

environment would be my choice and, 

of course, a tool box. 

10. What is your proudest moment in life? 

Holding my son and daughter for the 

first time

St. Giuseppe Moscati was born to wealthy, pious parents 

Francesco and Rosa Moscati on July 25th 1881, in 

Benvenuto, Italy. Four years later the family moved to 

the nearby region of Naples. When Giuseppe was thirteen his 

older brother, Alberto, an army officer, sustained a serious 

head injury in a fall from a horse from which he would never 

recover and Giuseppe helped to care for his brother at home. 

This experience inspired Giuseppe to study medicine. 

In 1897 he began his studies at the medical University in 

Naples and in 1903 received his doctoral degree with 

honours. Dr Guiseppe then practised medicine at the 

Hospital for Incurables in Naples, where he was later 

appointed administrator, professor and principal physician. 

In 1908, after working at the Hospital for Incurables in 

Naples, he was appointed medical assistant at the 

Physiological Chemistry Institute in Naples where he carried 

out numerous scientific researches, gave lectures on human 

physiology and physiological chemistry at the Medical 

University of Naples and between 1903 to 1916, wrote 

twenty seven scientific reviews for the medical journal 

‘Medicus’. 

Dr. Giuseppe made efforts to reform the medical 

profession, making it a less austere institution to the public. 

He had a deep devotion to St. Therese of Lisieux and a 

special love of Our Lady. After Mass in the Chapel of the 

Sacramentine Sisters, in Naples he prayed before a statue of 

the Blessed Virgin Mary and dedicated his life to her. He 

always carried his rosary beads in his waistcoat pocket and would remove the beads 

to kiss the crucifix or recite the rosary when he needed to make important decisions. 

From the onset of his medical career, Dr. Giuseppe chose not to live an affluent 

lifestyle. His home was a small apartment in the town of Via Cisterna dell’Olio, near 

the Medical University. He loved poor people and wanted to devote his life to caring 

for them. He would always encourage his patients, especially those about to undergo 

surgery, to attend Mass the day before their surgery and receive Holy Communion. 

He once wrote to a colleague, “Remember, you must treat not only the body but also 

the soul. How many suffering people you will more easily soothe by advising them 

and going straight to their souls?” Dr. Giuseppe was particularly devoted to his older 

patients. After each consultation he would hug them, saying, “May our Holy Mother 

bless and protect you.” 

He was remarkably accurate in diagnosing his patients various illnesses. 

Colleagues attributed this to his combining traditional methods with the findings of 

the new science of biochemistry and groups of medical students would accompany 

him during his rounds through the hospital wards to learn his techniques. 

A former student later said, “Professor Moscati shared with us the wealth of his 

knowledge and shaped not only our minds but also our spirits, often talking to us 

about God, Divine Providence, his Christian faith.” 

In Naples at that time, poor people were immensely disadvantaged, receiving no 

state benefits at all and, when ill, struggling on low incomes to pay for medical 

treatment. Dr Giuseppe, aware of their financial hardships, would treat poor people 

free of charge. On presenting their prescriptions to the pharmacist, his patients, to 

their surprise, would discover that he had also placed a 50 lire note inside the 

envelope to pay for their medication. Soon, he became known as ‘The Holy Doctor 

of Naples’. Dr. Giuseppe greatly valued the beneficial progress charity had made in 

transforming many societies worldwide. He wrote to a colleague, “Not science, but 

charity changed the world.” 

Dr. Giuseppe increased his own personal charity to those in need by giving 

private gifts of money to the poorest of his patients. He visited the home of a woman 

patient with tuberculosis to discuss her daily medication with her family and when 

he left, the woman discovered that he had placed an envelope under her pillow 

St. Giuseppe Moscati 

by Charlotte Cassidy 

containing a 500 lira note. He called to the home of another 

impoverished woman suffering from a respiratory condition 

and, after his departure, she found he had left a 50 lire note 

under her written diagnosis details. While journeying by train 

to the town of Castellammare di Sabia, Naples, Dr. Giuseppe 

was asked by two railwaymen to visit the home of a sick 

colleague in a deprived area. After writing a prescription for 

the sick man he refused to accept any payment from the man’s 

two colleagues. Instead, he gave the three men a gift of a 10 

lire note each. 

An employee at the hospital once asked Dr Giuseppe 

from where he drew his strength to combine his daily 

religious life, his care and charity for the poor and his many 

medical duties at the hospital. He replied with the words of St. 

Paul, “I can do everything thanks to the One who strengthens 

me.” 

When Mount Vesuvius erupted on April 8th 1906, hot 

volcanic lava threatened to destroy a nursing home for infirm 

patients in the picturesque town of Torre del Greco situated on 

the slopes of the volcano. Dr, Giuseppe, sensing imminent 

danger to the patients, immediately journeyed there and 

personally organised the evacuation of all the patients 

moments before the roof of the nursing home collapsed under 

the weight of volcanic ash. Two days later, he wrote a letter to 

the General Manager of the nursing home, requesting some 

money be given to volunteers who had helped the evacuation. 

In 1911 a sudden cholera epidemic swept across Naples, 

carried on foreign cargo ships arriving at Naples seaport. During World War I (1914- 

1918) Dr. Giuseppe treated approximately 3,000 wounded Italian soldiers ill with 

cholera. His advanced medical care saved the lives of many soldiers and 

townspeople. After research, Dr Giuseppe discovered the source of the epidemic and 

recommended hygiene regulations to the Health Board that when implemented, 

completely eradicated the disease from Naples. In 1922, Dr Giuseppe was also one 

of the first doctors in Italy to experiment with insulin, saving the lives of thousands 

worldwide with diabetes today. 

On April 12th 1927, after attending morning Mass in the parish chapel and 

receiving Holy Communion, Dr Giuseppe, renowned doctor at the height of his 

career, went first to the Hospital for Incurables where he held a surgery for his 

impoverished patients and then to the medical University for a few hours to teach his 

class of students. That afternoon he returned to his apartment where he had a light 

meal and sat down in his armchair next to a small statue he loved of Our Lady Of 

Pompeii to rest, then died peacefully in his sleep - he was only forty-six years old. 

When news spread of his unexpected death many townspeople were deeply 

saddened, particularly his impoverished patients who now felt they had lost 

everything. Thousands of mourners lined the streets days later for his funeral. He 

was buried in the nearby Cemetery of Poggioreale, Naples. 

The love for Dr Giuseppe Moscati by the people of Naples remained long after 

his death. The people soon demanded that he be declared a saint and on July 16th 

1931 the Vatican opened the cause for his canonisation. He was canonised on 

October 25th 1987 by Blessed Pope John Paul II. In his homily the Holy Father 

described Dr Giuseppe as a concrete realisation of the lay Christian ideal, a head 

physician and great researcher, adding with esteem, “Dr Giuseppe Moscati fulfilled 

all his many tasks with all the will and seriousness that these lay delicate professions 

require. From this point of view, Dr Moscati is not only an example to be admired 

but also to be imitated by physicians.” 

On his canonisation, the body of the Holy doctor of Naples, St Giuseppe 

Moscati, was transferred from the cemetery of Poggioreale and now rests in a bronze 

tomb beneath the Visitation altar in the Church of the Gesu Nuovo in Naples. 

Pauline and Michael Sexton’s 60th Wedding Anniversary. 

Pauline’s perspective. 

PICTURE GALLERY 

The victorious winners of the Quiz 

Evening on September 17th show off 

their prizes. A great evening, many 

thanks to Len and Viv Watson and family. 

Many friends and relatives of the Bassey 

family attended the baptism of baby 

Francis on Saturday, 8th October, seen 

here with his parents, Godparents, Canon 

John and Deacon Tom and proud big 

brother Offiong. Actually, Francis’ full 

name is Francis Inamete Inioluwa 

Oluwadarasimi Adebayo Alade Bassey! 

Members of the Friendship Club enjoy a 

coffee together in Mr. Bean’s (opposite 

Poundland in Week Street) after the 

10.30 Sunday morning Mass. All are 

welcome to join them for a laugh and a 

little friendly gossip. 

Wednesday, October 5th. Friendship Club 

members visit the Churchill Theatre, 

Bromley to see a performance of “Joseph 

and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”, 

a spectacular show enjoyed by all. 

From quiet homes and first beginnings 

Out to the undiscovered ends, 

There’s nothing worth the wear of winning 

But the laughter and love of friends. 

How did I meet Michael? 

At the end of the Second World War both of my 

brothers were demobilised from the RAF. In 1946 

there was nothing in my parish of St.Elphege’s for 

the young, if only for the poor health of the 

parish priest. My father suggested that they form 

a cricket team and he promised to umpire and I, 

not wishing to be left out, volunteered to act as 

scorer and arrange for fixtures. These 

materialised and matches began to take place on 

village greens and municipal grounds. I soon 

realised the team needed spectator support so I 

began cycling round the parish in an effort to 

recruit from among younger parishioners whom I knew and to 

build up a following. The team adopted the title of Grosvenor 

Cricket Club but with increased membership and interest in other 

activities the title was changed to the Grosvenor Sports and 

Social Club. Activities expanded with rambles and tennis, also 

classical music sessions which took place in members’ homes 

with the added luxury, in those days, of cakes, biscuits and tea! 

One Sunday afternoon, the day after my 21st birthday, at one 

such musical session (snow still lay around and I had dressed in 

jodhpurs) a friend of my brother Peter, who put on the concerts 

from his collection of 78s, arrived with a newcomer. I greeted the 

newcomer cheerily, “Hullo, Ginger”, who somewhat scathingly 

responded, “Bet you’ve never ridden a horse”. He was right, I 

hadn’t ! The newcomer was Michael. 

The club grew in numbers but without premises, except for 

the hire of a local hall, but we managed to play table tennis, darts 

and hold sing-songs around a well seasoned piano. I remember 

Mike & Pauline celerbrating their anniversary with family, friends and clergy at Aylesford Priory 

during the winter months we enjoyed hot chocolate drinks 

provided by the then Ministry of Food, a practice that had begun 

during WWII. Michael became very involved with the club, quite 

often cycling from just beyond Crystal Palace, in spite of 

studying. I wonder why? 

Michael’s interest in the club’s activities soon began to 

include myself in particular and visits to my home for Sunday 

lunch became a regular feature, particularly because he enjoyed 

my mothers cooking immensely! Perhaps because he was an only 

child he was used to a more isolated life-style. Even so, our 

relationship developed, despite the odd hiccough, into a deeper 

mode. We both had a common Catholic faith which I felt was a 

firm foundation and when Michael proposed to me I accepted. 

When we married on June 2nd 1951, many of the Grosvenor 

Club members attended and, in fact, over 20 marriages resulted 

from the club’s membership. Times have changed but on 

reflection it seems to me that there is still much to be said for 

similar well run Catholic parish clubs, 

especially for young people, where strong and 

lasting relationships based on mutual beliefs 

and interests can flourish and, in time, result in 

marriage. 

The highlight of the celebration of our 60th 

wedding anniversary at Aylesford Priory on 

August 8th this year was the Mass, celebrated 

by Canon John, assisted by Fr. Tadeusz and Fr. 

George along with our family and friends. 

Canon’s homily was most moving and we were 

deeply grateful, for it was addressed to a 

congregation, which included younger family 

members who could take on board its powerful 

message. 

I thank God for these past 60 years during 

which we have been blessed with nine children 

and this year with a fourteenth grandchild. He 

has brought us through a number of crises, including the 

prolonged illness of our daughter, Teresa, who underwent dialysis 

and three kidney transplants in the course of eight years but 

whom we lost five days after her eighteenth birthday. During this 

same period Michael lost his management post and was 

unemployed for some time. We would not have survived these 

setbacks without God’s help and our devotion to Our Lady. We 

were also most fortunate to have had some wonderful friends, 

many of whom shared our happy day at Aylesford Priory in 

August. 

We thank God for all the blessings we have received, 

especially for our children, Mary, Gerard, Peter, Catherine, 

Vincent, Martin, Elizabeth, Edmund, their spouses and our 

fourteen grandchildren. Also for our many friends and those with 

whom we worship in St. Francis’ Church. We also thank Canon 

John and all the Indian and Polish priests who have helped in our 

parish. God bless them all. 

5

6 

St Francis’ Lottery 

The occasion: St Patrick’s Day Dance; the year: 1971; 

the venue: The Royal Star Ballroom. Excitement was 

mounting as the moment drew near for the first St 

Francis 300 Club final week draw to take place, when the 

lucky owner of the winning ticket would be presented with a 

brand new straight-from-the-showroom Mini! 

The winner was announced - but he was not at the 

dance! Patrick Horgan was to learn later of his stroke of luck. 

He and his wife had recently become the proud parents of a 

baby son, and the acquisition of a brand new car made him 

the envy of other parishioners. 

The value of this prize? Just £500! The cost of the ticket 

was 25 pence per week. Just think what the price of a lottery 

ticket would have to be today to give away a new car every 

twenty weeks! Alas, only a very few Minis were given away 

before they priced themselves out of the range of St Francis 

300 Club prize monies. 

Before the advent of The 300 Club, there was a weekly 

draw in the parish. I don’t remember what a ticket cost, but 

I do remember winning thirty-something pounds once, a 

fortune to me in those days. 

The format of the Lottery, now known as St Francis Small 

Society Lottery, changed somewhere along the line, and each 

series is now 26 weeks long, with a weekly prize of varying 

values, and the major prize being awarded in week 26. 

Incredibly the price of a lottery ticket was still, until June 

Prompted by Elizabeth Price’s “Two good reads” 

article in the last edition of the Parishioner I’m 

moved to refer to a monumental, inspirational 

work. A true “opus dei” might describe it better. 

Entitled the ‘Poem of the Man-God’ and written by 

Maria Valtorta it amounts to five volumes totalling 

4,000 pages. 

On a holiday visit to my sister in Sydney in early 

1997, being an avid reader since boyhood I was trawling 

her bookshelves when drawn to the volumes. A quick 

flick through the pages quickly convinced me that I had 

discovered something quite unusual. My interest was 

recognised and appreciated as, lo and behold, the 

following Christmas a full set of the volumes arrived as 

a present. I have to confess though to my chagrin that 

as yet I have barely scratched the surface of the amazing 

contents and the many revelations there. I would think 

that two years on a desert island without interruptions 

might be required to do the work justice. 

Maria was born in March 1897 in Caserta near 

Naples, the only child of a cavalry officer and a severe, 

despotic mother who did little to nurture and a lot to 

impede her deeply spiritual daughter. From an early age 

she had strange premonitions on an increasingly 

spiritual journey leading her at the age of 34 to her 

taking vows of virginity, poverty and obedience. Her 

health was poor and had largely been affected by an 

incident some years previously when she was struck 

with an iron bar wielded by a deranged person on the 

street which left her bed-bound for 3 months. At age 36 

her health deteriorated and she again became confined 

to bed for the remaining 30 years of her life. It was then 

that at the request of her spiritual director, Fr Migliorini 

of the Servants of Mary, she began to write her 

autobiography. On completion of this work on 

supernatural impulse on Good Friday 1943, she began 

to write the Dictations consulting with no books except 

the Bible and the Catechism of Pope Pius X until she 

completed in 1956. She then began to withdraw into a 

psychological isolation and became completely 

inactive; she belonged to the Third Order of St Francis 

by Vivienne Watson 

this year, 25 pence per week. In an effort to bring it more in 

line with today’s prices, it was increased to 50 pence per 

week, which I hope you will agree is still very modest. Prizes 

have also been increased, with the mid-series week 13 

Mystery Prize paying out £250. There is every expectation 

that the week 26 Mystery Prize, payable in week ending 30th 

December, will be One Thousand Pounds! It won’t buy a new 

car, but could come in very handy for those post-Christmas 

bills. Winners are notified by telephone. Results are 

published in the parish Newsletter and on our website. 

The lottery provides a valuable contribution to Church 

Funds, and although the chance of winning is very attractive, 

why not regard it as a way of making an additional donation 

towards the many expenses involved in Church maintenance? 

So if you are not yet a member, I urge you to consider 

joining the next series. The higher the membership, the bigger 

the prizes! If you prefer dealing in cash or cheques, you will 

be required to pay for the complete series, £13 per ticket, in 

December, before week 1 in January. Alternatively you may 

pay by Bankers Standing Order, either quarterly or half-yearly, 

so not living in the parish is not an obstacle! 

Just telephone the parish office and leave your name, 

address, and telephone number, and you will be sent the 

necessary form(s) for completion. Alternatively the lottery 

email address is: lottery@stfrancisparish.org.uk 

Good luck! 

ANOTHER GOOD READ 

A.J. McGinn 

and her final act of obedience to God seemed to be 

when the co-rector of the Third Order, Fr Innocenzo M 

Rovetti, recited the words: “Profiscere anima Christiana 

de hoc mundi” (Depart O Christian soul from the 

world). She breathed her last. 

This event occurred on 12th October 1961. She had 

been bed-ridden for 28 years and was aged 65. 

Her tomb is today in the Capitular Chapel of the 

Grand Cloister of the Basilica of the Most Holy 

Annunciation in Florence. 

Her burial attire which she had selected years 

earlier included her baptismal veil and the epitaph to be 

printed in her memory; “I have finished suffering, but I 

will go on loving”. 

From the works dated we know that Jesus had said 

to her, “How happy you will be when you are in My 

World forever and that you have come from a 

miserable world without even been aware of it, passing 

from a vision to reality, just like a child dreaming of his 

mother awakens to find himself in her arms, that is how 

I will behave with you”. 

The writings are dated and set out usually (not 

always) in chronological order and Jesus in his 

Dictation of 23rd August 1943 said: “Good sense is 

needed to use my gift, not an open and noisy diffusion 

but a slow expansion progressively wider and without 

name. When your hand is stilled in peace and 

expectation of the glorious resurrection, then and only 

then will your name be mentioned”. 

The volumes begin with the conception and birth of 

Mary and stretch across the life and death and 

resurrection of Jesus to Mary’s death and Assumption. 

Volume 1 opens with a condensed account of Maria’s 

life and the works conclude at the end of Volume 5 with 

Jesus’ account of why He had used Maria in the way he 

did to convey His Message to the world. She was called 

Little John by Him, to place her close to his favourite 

evangelistic disciple. The whole work is indeed 

immensely detailed and breathtaking in the profundity 

of its revelations. 

A busy year for the Ascent Group 

This year has been a busy one for the members 

of Maidstone Ascent group. In addition to our 

monthly meetings, we have celebrated two 

important birthdays and enjoyed several outings. 

In March some members went on pilgimage to 

the Shrine of Our Lady of Consolation at West 

Grinstead and, in May, we joined other Ascent 

members of the Southwark Region for a day at 

St. George’s Cathedral. After Mass in the chapel 

and lunch in the newly refurbished Amigo Hall, 

we were given a most interesting tour of the 

Cathedral and were told its history, which made 

us realise the importance of the building in the development of 

Catholicism in London and, indeed, England. There was also an option 

to visit the Imperial War Museum. 

In June we were invited by Father Michael Woodgate to visit the church 

at Headcorn for a ‘Quiet Day’, beginning with Mass, followed by a short 

homily on the devotion to the Sacred Heart and then a break for lunch 

Members of the Ascent Group outside St 

George’s Cathedral 

where we were given great hospitality from a 

group of Headcorn’s young parishioners who 

were pleased to interrupt their school holidays to 

help “the old folk from Maidstone”. A second talk 

by Father Michael was followed by Holy Hour 

and Benediction. 

At the end of June we joined members of 

Southwark Region for our annual retreat at the 

Friars, Aylesford. On September 29th we visited 

the church of St. Michael, East Peckham, for a 

special Mass to celebrate the feast of 

Michaelmas. 

As usual we will be getting together in December for our annual 

Christmas Lunch at the Friars. This year we shall be joined by two 

members of the newly formed Ascent group in Westgate-on-Sea, so, 

next year, we may all be down at the seaside visiting our fellow 

Ascenters! 

FALL OUT 

Ten thousand feet above an awesome view 

Spotted by cloud; what are we doing here? 

We’ve waited for this moment, talked it through, 

And up to now, there’s been no real fear. 

Now, welome the to a world turned upside down 

By wind and freefall, head first to the ground, 

Tossed like a rag doll over field and town, 

The tugging of the wind the only sound. 

Then suddenly we are feet-down-head high, 

And, oh, the view! Ye gods! Oh such a view 

Comes up towards us, as we leave the sky; 

Is this all just a dream, or is it true? 

Oh, true enough, yes , it has come to pass, 

As we skid on our backsides on the grass. 

Rosamund Browne 

Rosamund (Ros) Browne, a 64 year old widow who has been 

disabled from birth. is shown here making her first parachute jump 

on behalf Orpheus a Residential Arts Centre founded By Richard 

Stilgo for talented disabled youngsters. On completion of her jump 

Ros said ‘I’d do it again”. 

I first discovered 

Michael Voris about a 

year ago when I was 

trawling through the 

many Catholic sites on 

the worldwide web. An 

American in his late 40s, 

and president and 

founder of St. Michael’s 

Media, he is among the 

generations of Catholics 

who simply didn’t 

receive thorough and accurate 

catechesis. Through his television 

show, the One True Faith and his 

collaboration with RealCatholicTV, 

Michael Voris intends to change that. 

He graduated from the 

University of Notre Dame in 1983 

with a degree in Communications 

and concentrated studies in history 

and politics. Equally impressive is his 

theological education. He not only 

trained, as a young man, in theology 

at the doctrinally sound St. Joseph’s 

Seminary in New York, but in April of 

2009, he received his Sacred 

Theological Baccalaureate (STB) from 

Sacred Heart Major 

Seminary/Angelicum in Rome - 

Magnum Cum Laude. 

He spent a number of years 

working as a CBS affiliate anchor, 

producer and reporter in various 

markets, winning multiple Emmys for 

work in broadcast news. Working in 

the secular media provided him with 

not only technical knowledge to 

produce excellent television 

programming, but a profound grasp 

of the need to produce programmes 

that leave the viewer improved rather 

than merely entertained. 

In May, 2006, Michael Voris 

opened St. Michael’s Media, a new 

state of the art digital studio, 

dedicated to the archangel who 

Scripture promises will lead the 

victorious battle against Satan. It is 

the production centre of broadcast 

quality Catholic programmes, 

designed to educate a generation of 

Catholics largely ignorant of Church 

teaching and to save souls from 

eternal damnation. 

Michael Voris 

Ross Neale 

In September 2008, 

Michael partnered with 

RealCatholicTV, the first 

ever online Catholic 

television station. 

Realising that the 

internet is where it’s at, 

he began producing 

daily Catholic 

programming for 

viewers and subscribers 

ofRealCatholicTV. 

Catholic News Roundup, the 

Shadow Priest and the ever popular, 

The Vortex “(Where lies and 

falsehoods are trapped and 

exposed)” of which Michael is the 

creator and host and which has been 

seen by millions of viewers, are just a 

few of the many innovative 

programmes you will find on the 

RealCatholicTV website. 

He speaks about all things 

Catholic, desiring a return to 

orthodox teaching of the Catechism 

and urging the laity to educate 

themselves about the Faith and to 

actively evangelise in whatever way 

they are able. His words are 

compelling and inspirational and he 

is not afraid to ruffle a few feathers. 

Denis and I were fortunate to get 

seats to hear him speak at the 

Regent Hall in London when he 

stopped off in the capital for a day or 

two in August after being at the 

World Youth event in Madrid. His 

talk was called “Living the Faith 

Radically” and was loudly applauded 

by the large audience present. 

If you have a computer and are 

online and would like to see the talk we 

heard: http;//youtu.be/9ElmCEolA7Y 

(Catholic England) 

Also watch: http://youtu.be/w1idK66_eD0 

(Queenship of Mary in Fatima). 

For a shorter video (From the Heart): 

http://youtu.be/cUoxe_7Vm-k. 

You will find many other videos of talks 

and The Vortex series on these sites. For 

more information and to sign up for a free 

account: www.realcatholictv.com

Christmas is a-coming! 

The Legends of la Bafana and Babushka 

The legend is told of a grandmotherly old woman (la Bafana in Italy) (Babushka in Russia) who 

refused to go out into the cold night with the shepherds to visit the baby Jesus. In the 

morning, she prepared a basket of gifts for the child and visited the stable only to find it 

empty. Since that day, she has travelled the world, peering into each child’s face seeking to 

find the Christ. At Christmas time she leaves gifts for every child always hoping that one will 

be the Christ. 

Corinthians 1:13 

THE NEW CHRISTMAS VERSION 

If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of 

twinkling lights and shiny decorations, but do not show love to 

my family, I am just another decorator. 

If I slave in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cakes, 

preparing gourmet meals and arranging a beautifully adorned 

table at mealtimes, but do not show love to my family, I am just 

another cook. 

If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home and 

give all that I have to charity, but do not show love to my family, 

it profits me nothing. 

If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted 

snowflakes, attend a myriad of holiday parties and sing in the 

choir’s cantata, but do not focus on Christ, I have missed the 

point. 

Love stops the cooking to hug a child. Love sets aside the 

decorating to kiss the husband. Love is kind, though harried and 

tired. Love does not envy another’s home that has co-ordinated 

Christmas china and table linens. Love does not yell at the kids 

to get out of the way, but is thankful they are there to be in the 

way. 

Love does not give only to those who are able to give in 

return, but rejoices in giving to those who cannot reciprocate. 

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, 

endures all things. Love never fails. 

Video games will break, pearl necklaces will be lost, golf clubs 

will rust, but giving the gift of love will endure. 

Author unknown. Sent by Elizabeth Price 

Anyone remember the Daily Mirror 

Christmas Cake? 

This cake recipe appeared in the paper many, many years ago. Unlike the traditional cake 

recipe, requiring all that nut and date chopping and long maturing time, it’s easy to 

make, can be produced within a week or two of the Great Day and is very more-ish 

, which means no more lumps of discolouring, iced stodge hanging around until 

June!! 

You need (sorry about imperial weights): 

7 oz. Plain flour 

Pinch of salt 

Half level teaspoon each - mixed spice and cinnamon 

6oz. best margarine 

6oz soft brown sugar 

1 tablespoon black treacle 

Half teaspoon each - vanilla and almond essences 

3 large eggs 

2 lb. Mixed dry fruit 

Grated peel of 1 small orange 

2 tablespoons of milk or sweet sherry 

Set the oven at 300F/150C/Gas 2. Well grease 7 in round cake tin. Line base 

and sides with double thickness of greaseproof paper. 

Sift dry ingredients on a large plate. Cream fat, sugar, treacle and essences 

The Candy Cane 

The candy cane represents one 

of the oldest symbols of Christmas, 

the shepherd’s crook, for the shepherds 

were among the first to experience that 

first Christmas. 

The colours of the candy cane have special 

meaning, too. The wide red stripe represents the 

sacrifice of Christ, “For by his stripes we are 

healed.” The narrow red stripes represent our own 

sacrifices (giving). The white stripe is a symbol 

of purity. 

The peppermint plant is a member of the hyssop 

family, referred to in the Old Testament as a 

medicinal herb used for cleansing. 

As you eat your candy cane, you might 

want to break it, as Christ’s body 

was broken for you, and share 

it with a friend, thus 

sharing 

Brightest and Best of the Sons of 

the Morning 

Brightest and best of the Sons of the morning! 

Dawn on our darkness and lend us thine aid! 

Star of the East, the horizon adorning, 

Guide where our Infant Redeemer is laid! 

Cold on His cradle the dewdrops are shining, 

Low lies His head with the beasts of the stall; 

Angels adore Him in slumber reclining, 

Maker and Monarch and Saviour of all! 

The House of Christmas 

There fared a mother driven forth 

Out of an inn to roam; 

In the place where she was homeless 

All men are at home. 

The crazy stable close at hand, 

With shaking timber and shifting sand, 

Grew a stronger thing to abide and stand 

Than the square stones of Rome. 

For men are homesick in their homes, 

And strangers under the sun, 

And they lay their heads in a foreign land 

Whenever the day is done. 

Here we have battle and blazing eyes, 

And chance and honour and high surprise, 

But our homes are under miraculous skies 

Where the yule tale was begun. 

A child in a foul stable, 

Where the beasts feed and foam; 

Only where he was homeless 

Are you and I at home; 

We have hands that fashion and heads that know, 

But our hearts we lost - how long ago! - 

In a place no chart nor ship can show 

Under the sky’s dome. 

This world is wild as an old wives’ tale, 

And strange the plain things are, 

The earth is enough and the air is enough 

For our wonder and our war; 

But our rest is as far as the fire-drake wings, 

And our peace is put in impossible things 

Where clashed and thundered unthinkable wings 

Round an incredible star. 

To an open house in the evening 

Home shall men come, 

To a place older than Eden 

And a taller town than Rome; 

To the end of the way of the wandering star, 

To the things that cannot be and that are, 

To the place where God was homeless 

And all men are at home. 

G. K. Chesterton 

together in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in whole eggs singly, adding a 

tablespoon of dry mix with each. Stir in fruit and orange peel. Gently stir in the rest of the 

dry mix with sherry or milk. Spoon into the lined cake tin, making a shallow well in the 

centre. Bake in the oven centre for 3-3 and a half hours, covering the top with brown paper 

if the top browns too much. Leave in tin for half an hour before turning it out. 

Then add snow..... 

It’s easier to buy half a pound of marzipan for the top of the cake. To put it on brush the 

top with melted jam or syrup and cover with a round of marzipan, rolled out to fit. To make 

a snowy effect icing, whip two egg whites until foamy. Gradually beat in one pound of 

sifted icing sugar, a teaspoon of glycerine and two teaspoons of lemon juice. Spread icing 

over the marzipan, making peaky effects with the back of a teaspoon. Add Christmas 

decorations. 

The paper cutting tells us that the basic cost of the cake is about 78p, but allow 40-50p 

more for marzipan and decorations but, as said at the beginning, it was many, many years 

ago! 

MARY WITH THE BABY JESUS. 

Drawn by Olivia Seager, age 6 

Say, shall we yield Him, in costly devotion, 

Odours of Edom and offerings divine? 

Gems of the mountain and pearls of the ocean, 

Myrrh from the forest, or gold from the mine? 

Vainly we offer each ample oblation; 

Vainly with gifts would His favour secure: 

Richer by far is the heart’s adoration; 

Dearer to God are the prayers of the poor. 

Brightest and best of the Sons of the morning! 

Dawn on our darkness and lend us thine aid! 

Star of the East, the horizon adorning, 

Guide where our Infant Redeemer is laid! 

by Reginald Heber 

Legend of the Stork 

Infant Jesus was lying in the manger in the stable in Bethlehem and all the 

beasts and birds of the world rushed to greet the newly born King of the 

world. They knelt down to pray and adore the beautiful baby. The ox and 

other pets bowed down in their stalls and places while the wild animals 

remained outside the stable in the hope of getting a glimpse of the Holy 

Son. A long-legged stork with white feathers and a high crest also came to 

see the young King. However, he was moved with compassion when he 

saw the baby King lying in the bed of straw with no pillow under his head 

while he could sleep cosily with his feathers curled around him. 

Moved to his heart, this kind stork knew that he could not give a crown to 

the young King but he certainly could provide soft feathers for His pillow. 

Despite all the pain, he tugged and tore at the softest plumes on his breast 

that made the best pillow fit for the Holy King on which the Holy Child laid 

his small head and smiled comfortably. Since then, the stork is considered 

blessed as it gave a part of his own body for the comfort of the Christ. 

Spotting a stork on the chimney or flying in air is considered a lucky omen 

ever since then and he is also regarded a patron of babies everywhere. 

A HAPPY AND HOLY 

CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL! 

St Joseph 

“Words cannot express the 

perfection of his adoration. If Saint 

John leaped in the womb at the 

approach of Mary, what feelings 

must have coursed through Joseph 

during those six months when he 

had at his side and under his very 

eyes the hidden God! If the father 

of Origin used to kiss his child 

during the night and adore the Holy 

Spirit living within Him, can we 

doubt that Joseph must often have 

adored Jesus hidden in the pure 

tabernacle of Mary? How fervent 

that adoration must have been: My 

Lord and my God, behold your 

servant! No one can describe the 

adoration of this noble soul. He saw 

nothing, yet he believed; his faith 

had to pierce the virginal veil of 

Mary. So likewise with you! Under 

the veil of the Sacred Species your 

faith must see our Lord. Ask St. 

Joseph for his lively, constant 

faith.” 

St. Peter Julian Eymard. 

7

Christian pilgrims have travelled across Europe for 

centuries to the three main sites of devotion:- Santiago 

de Compostela in Spain, Rome and Jerusalem 

Having walked from Le Puy-en-Velay in France to Santiago 

in 2002, my wife, Dorothy, reminded me that since reading 

Hilaire Belloc’s ‘The Path to Rome’ as a young man I had 

expressed a wish to walk to Rome, and that tempus fugit. I took this to mean do 

it while you are still able. 

So on 23 May 2011 I left for Canterbury Cathedral with friends Keith and Paul. 

We received a blessing from Canon Chris Irvine and set off on the North Downs 

Way to Dover. The route is called the Via Francigena and was travelled by Sigeric, 

Archbishop of Canterbury in the year 

990. It was a hard walk with a heavy (12 

kilos I thought at the time) backpack. 

After spending the night in a B&B near 

the ferry terminal we crossed the 

Channel in the morning to Calais and 

walked along the coast to Wissant. 

Disaster had struck already and my feet 

were blistered. 

For the next two weeks I struggled 

through Liques,Wisques,Amettes,Arras, 

Bapaume, Peronne, 

Laon,Corbeny to Reims. Taking rest 

days when my feet were too sore. In 

Wisques we stayed at the Benedictine 

Abbaye Sainte-Paul and were able to 

attend Mass and the monastic services. 

Keith and Paul then went ahead while I 

remained to allow my blisters some 

respite. 

On Ascension Day in Peronne I had 

spent the night in what was described 

as the Parish Room. It looked and felt 

more like a greenhouse. At Mass I met a doctor who kindly invited me for a meal 

with his friend. I also enjoyed hospitality from his family. This helped to revive my 

drooping spirits. 

In Corbeny I booked into the Hotel du Chemin des Dames which sounds very 

grand, but I was in a room over a bar. When I went down for an evening meal I 

was directed to the hotel restaurant around the corner on the main road, which 

was very grand. In my 

walking clothes I was 

perusing the menu to see 

if there was anything that 

I could afford,when I was 

presented with a glass of 

champagne. I stuttered 

that I had not ordered yet, 

but was encouraged to 

drink it. I gratefully 

obliged. Elegant diners 

were arriving and I 

ordered a meal that was 

almost reasonably priced. 

After enjoying an 

excellent meal I 

My path to Rome 

by Patrick Horgan 

Jean & Monique Songy 

Canon Irving, Patrick and Paul 

diffidently asked for the bill. I was told to pay back at the hotel. In the morning 

my bill had not charged for the champagne and a pilgrim discount reduced the 

price of the meal considerably 

I spent two nights in Reims and attended Mass at the wonderful Cathedral. 

Confirmations 2011 

Young adults of the Deanery confirmed by Bishop John Hine on Sunday, October 16th. 

Life is like a rollercoaster. You can either scream everytime 

you hit a bump, or you can throw your hands up & enjoy 

the ride. 

Designed and produced by: Denis & Rosemary Neale. 

The modern stain glass windows by Marc Chaghall were 

beautiful and complemented the more ancient. After Reims 

came Trepail, Chalons-en-Champagne Coole, le Meix- 

Tiercelin, Brienne-le-Chateau, Bar-sur-Aube, Clairvaux, 

Mormont, Langres and Besancon. 

In Coole I stayed at the farmhouse of Monique and Jean 

Songy who had volunteered to provide accommodation for pilgrims. 

Accommodation on the Via Francigena in France is more difficult to find and 

expensive than on the Camino to Santiago. I enjoyed dinner with them. After 

breakfast in the morning it was raining heavily when they were leaving for work, 

and they suggested that I should stay until it eased up. As my feet were a little sore 

I agreed. They also refused to take any 

payment. Apart from their generosity, 

what trust to leave a stranger alone in 

their home. 

On the long hot and exposed route 

through cornfields to Brienne-le- 

Chateau I felt very weak and thought 

that I would pass out. I sat down and 

rested and thought about ringing an 

emergency telephone number, but 

realized that it would be difficult to say 

where I was. Perhaps the signal from 

my mobile phone could be picked up? 

Fortunately I recovered somewhat and 

was able to continue.I think I must have 

been dehydrated. 

In Bar-sur-Aube I met Jan, who had 

walked from his home north of 

Amsterdam. We agreed to meet up in 

Besancon. For a few days I had felt a 

pain in my right shin but had to wait to 

reach Besancon to see a doctor. The 

surgery operated a no appointments 

system and it was late evening when I saw the doctor. His careful examination 

even include taking my blood pressure. I had thought the problem was just my 

shin! He diagnosed tendonitis and prescribed anti-inflammatory medication for six 

days. When I produced my European Health Insurance Card he waved it aside and 

also refused to take any payment. When Jan caught up with me in Besancon he 

had an infected toe and I recommended the same doctor. 

The city of Besancon where we rested for a few days has a beautiful historic 

centre. On arrival I had asked at the tourist office for directions to the two religious 

hostels on my list of accommodation,and was informed that they had both closed. 

So I had no alternative but to book into a hotel. The day before leaving I met a 

German lady who was walking part of the route in her holidays. I was stunned to 

learn that she had been staying at one of the hostels that I had been informed was 

closed. Jan and I had needlessly incurred extra expense at the hotel. 

We continued to walk through the department Franche-Comte and the Jura 

mountains, which is a mountain range that crosses France, Switzerland and 

Germany. At Ouhans there was a scary walk along the valley of the river Doub on 

narrow paths over slippery rocks. It was very dangerous. The next few days the 

altitude made walking quite strenuous through Pontarlier and into Switzerland 

near l’Auberson and onto Sainte-Croix. 

I was now almost half way to Rome. Whilst walking each day prayers were 

said for family, friends and parishioners. My Pilgrim Passport had been stamped 

along the route in monasteries, hostels, hotels, bars, tourist offices and town halls. 

On presentation at St.Peter’s Basilica in Rome I hoped to receive my Testimonium, 

which is a certificate of authentication. 

But first Switzerland, the Great St. Bernard Pass and through Italy to Rome. 

To be contiued in the next edition of the Parishioner 

5th June 4pm Polish 

Adrian Lykus 

Sarah Mauriange 

Jacob Wozniak 

Julia Stawowczyk 

12th June 2.30pm 

Tia Barnett 

Dylan Birkbeck 

Joseph Bradley 

Jessica Burt 

Niamh Coomber 

Heidi Coupland 

Aidan Cullen 

Rían Doyle 

Tara Farrell 

Sasha Farrell 

Aidan Ford 

Niamh Griffiths 

Steven Iffie 

Philippa Knight 

Isobel Lawrence 

Luke Malins 

Jacob McCoy 

Katherine McGinn 

Aron McNarama 

Gabrielle Mould 

Roshan Roy 

Kevin Satyaprakash 

Beatrice Tilley 

Joshua Tugwell 

Joel Walsh 

12th June 9am 

Favour Akhetuamen 

Anna Broad 

Richard Clemons 

Robert Clemons 

Matthew McGuire 

Daniel Sowerby 

Tegan Wimble 

1st Communicants 2011 

19th June 2.30pm 

Achera Booth 

Ryan Carter 

Christopher Fahy 

Daria Fard 

Patrick Jones 

Jasmine Jones 

Dominika Maruszczak 

Noel O’Brien 

Thomas Phillips 

William Phillips 

Ainsley Pilongo 

Konrad Scherfenberg 

Grace Strong 

Oliver Strong 

Marion Talusan 

Reynaldo Trajano 

Julia Trebenda 

Kemi Whiting 

Tobias Wooloughan 

Louis Wright 

Received Communion at Easter 

Caterina Di Stasio 

Thomas Di Stasio 

KatieAnne Hilden 

Anthony Missier 

Mistica Missier 

In India 

Greeshma Antony 

Albert George 

Charles George 

Chriss George 

In Poland 

Patrycja Magda 

Viktoria Olbrys 

Konrad Wila 

In USA 

Matias Boeri 

Baptisms 2011 

January 

Floyd De Villa 

Niamh Josephine 

White 

Finley James Shaw 

Martha WinekPatryk 

FeAoife Davies 

February 

Samuel John Duggan 

Hubert Zagojski 

Jersey Heath 

Ruby Hayward 

Shannon Cratchley 

Ellie Cratchley 

March 

Patryk Mycka 

Sienna Horgan 

Tilly-Rose Qualey 

Adrian Treadgill 

Lucy Fitzsimons 

Rebecca Fitzsimons 

May 

Lewis Fraser Holmes 

Alec Antonio Holmes 

Louie Mateer 

Nadia Syldatk 

Sabina Sokotowska 

Matthew Gregson 

Max Finnes 

Pixii - Lea Smith 

Oscar Nicholas 

Olivia Mountain 

Leyla-Maria Tezer 

Molly Davis 

APRIL 

Simon Sharp 

Oluwatosin 

Folorunso 

April 

Trixie Mcardle 

Emily Staron 

Joseph Sayal 

Conor Neill 

Jack Clews 

June 

Harris Felstead 

Anyah Egan 

Yousif Egan 

Borys Gogal 

Sebastian Curotto 

Thomas Mucha 

Matthew Hunt 

July 

Sebastian Edmans 

Matilda Bicker 

Mia Zajkowska 

Maria Harris 

Omelemo Chibanda 

Abigail Collins 

Jude Lee 

Lucie Arney 

Henry Payne 

August 

Michael Ojemuyiwa 

Skye Lucas 

Liam Mateer 

Eden Gilbert 

Cordelia Thompson 

Daniel Pearson 

Matilda Meskone 

Jude March 

Matilda O Shea 

Aston Castellani 

Danicah Justiniano 

Ben Bayjou 

September 

Aurelia Majewska 

Aliaz 

Grace Emmott 

Alana Chell 

Kacper 

Przewiezlikowski 

Oliver Meston 

Matthew Cripps 

Xavi Nuez 

Rhaine Pinili 

Julia Stasiak 

October 

Lea Szembrowicz 

Oliver Osborn 

Rukshoon Salvendira 

Shreayaa Salvendira 

Francis Bassey 

Reuben Howard 

Finlay Howard _ 

Deaths 2011 

Moira Hughes 

Eileen Mooney 

Ena Gallagher 

Baby Harry Alfred 

John Skinner 

Maureen Smart 

John Homewood 

Vincenza Beasley 

Margaret Lockyer 

Mary Bailey 

Mary Carolan 

Sarah Stickels 

Jane Knights 

Natalina Stevens 

Baby Ewan Graham 

Carmel Hart 

Terence Baldock 

Marion Cistone 

Mieczyslawa 

Kaminska 

Elizabeth Ellard 

Peter Craven 

Elizabeth Crouch 

John May 

Patrick Connerty 

Helen Kitney 

Carrie Down 

Trevor Adams 

Theadora Vousden 

Derek Clinton 

John Finn 

Marriages 

April 

Sean P 

Beirne&Monica A 

Viegas 

July 

Lee M 

Crookes&Joanna K 

Nasilowska 

August 

Saulius Klizentis& 

Inese Celina 

Andrew D 

Shaw&Anna M 

Cascioli 

Gregory J 

Waight&Fiona L 

Bennett 

“When night comes, and 

retrospect shows that 

everything was patchwork and 

much that one had planned left 

undone, when so many things 

rouse shame and regret, then 

take all as is, lay it in God’s 

hands, and offer it up to Him. 

In this way we will be able to 

rest in Him, actually to rest and 

to begin the new day like a new 

life.” - 

St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross 

(Edith Stein) 

Printed by: Broad Oak Colour, Canterbury

The Parishioner - Edition 20

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