Issue 59 - The Pilgrim - April 2017 - The newspaper of the Archdiocese of Southwark

Issue 59 April 2017
Why Bill Bryson
loves churches
On the front
line in Aleppo
Playing Jesus in
Trafalgar Square
Page 2 Pages 6 & 7
Page 10
Why has Real Madrid come to Croydon?
Former Real Madrid star and Spanish international Emilio
Butragueno joined children at The Cedars School in Croydon
for a kick about. Turn to page 8 to find out why.
Nearly 400 people about to be received into the Church
over Easter took part in the annual Rite of Election and
Call to Conversion service at St George’s Cathedral.
Archbishop Peter presided, assisted by Bishop Pat, Bishop
Paul Hendricks, Bishop Paul Mason, and Monsignor Matthew
Dicken.
The names of 212 catechumens and 177 candidates from
parishes and chaplaincies across the diocese were
read out and their names enrolled in the book of the elect.

Editorial
The Shawshank
Redemption
The Pilgrim April 2017
Why Bill Bryson
loves churches
By Greg Watts
A film with an Easter message
By Bishop Paul Hendricks
Some films never quite make it to the very
top, yet make an impression that lasts
longer than others that were more
successful at the time. In 1998, four years
after its release, The Shawshank
Redemption didn’t feature on a certain
well-known list of 100 best movies.
Ten years later it was rated number 72.
That doesn’t sound impressive until you
notice that it came higher up than either
Forrest Gump or Pulp Fiction, which came
out in the same year and made much more
impact at the time. I remember seeing it
on a video hired from Blockbuster
(remember that?) and it stuck in my mind
ever since, though I didn’t get around to
seeing it again till just recently.
Andy is a banker, wrongfully convicted of
killing his wife and her lover. Arriving in
Shawshank prison, he is seen through the
eyes of Red, who has already been in prison
for many years. Andy looks weak, the sort
of person who wouldn’t survive long, but
he has hidden reserves of strength and
resourcefulness, which help carry him
through the bullying and other hazards of
prison life.
The full story is quite complex and
develops slowly, much of the drama being
in the development of character and the
build-up of tension — though there are
fights too, as you might expect in a prison.
This reflects one of the themes of the film:
the slow passage of time in prison — time
which is also needed for people’s true
qualities to emerge and for deep
friendships to develop.
Red is known as someone who can get
things for you, even in prison. Early on,
Andy asks Red to get him a rock hammer,
the sort used by geologists. Red is worried
this might be used as a weapon, but when
it comes we see how small it is, it’s not
much larger than a toy.
Yet after over twenty-plus years, we
suddenly find that he has been using it to
tunnel his way out, having hidden the hole
with film-star posters. As Red reflects
afterwards: “Geology is the study of
pressure and time. That’s all it takes
really... pressure... and time... That, and
big goddamn poster.”
There are many ironies in the film. The
prison governor shows new arrivals the
Bible and tells them, “Salvation lies
within”. He himself is soon seen to be
cynical and hypocritical, but that idea
nevertheless does sum up neatly much of
what the film is about. A nice touch comes
when it’s seen that Andy had for years been
hiding his rock hammer within a hollowedout
Bible!
One example of salvation from within
comes when Andy hijacks the prison sound
system and broadcasts a beautiful Mozart
aria. Asked what kept him going during the
resulting weeks of solitary confinement,
Andy says it was the music, saying that it’s in
his mind. “It helps you remember that
there are places that aren’t made of stone.
There’s something inside that’s yours. They
can’t take that away from you... Like hope.”
What caught my eye in the video shop
was the theological term “redemption”,
which intrigued me enough to give the film
a try. What stands out for me is that,
without denying the injustice and cruelty
and sense of hopelessness there is in a
place like Shawshank, it is possible to find
goodness, friendship and even (to some
extent) hope.
This is only a dim echo of the
Redemption (with a capital ‘r’) that we
celebrate at Holy Week and Easter — but it
did certainly resonate with me.
A new initiative has been recently launched by the
National Churches Trust to promote visiting
churches. And best-selling author Bill Bryson, one of
its vice presidents, has come out to support it.
If you’ve ever read any of Bryson’s often hilarious
travel books, such at Notes from a Small Island and
The Lost Continent, you will know that he has a
fascination with churches and the history they
reflect. He has now listed some of his favourite
churches in Britain.
“It is impossible to overstate the importance of
churches to this country. Nothing else in the built
environment has the emotional and spiritual
resonance, the architectural distinction, the
ancient, reassuring solidity of a parish church. To
me, they are the physical embodiment of all that is
best and most enduring in Britain,” said Bryson.
The National Churches Trust website brings
churches to life by using high quality images and
providing information about the history and
architecture of individual buildings.
Starting with an initial selection of 1,300
churches, users of the website can search for
churches based on location or by a particular
feature such as stained glass or monuments.
Another feature of the website is its themed lists,
which help visitors find churches that fit their
passions and interests. These include churches used
in TV programmes and churches mentioned by
poets.
Bryson singles out Christchurch Priory in
Christchurch, Dorset, for a special mention. “This is
my first love among English churches. Christchurch,
Dorset, was where my wife and I lived when we
were first married. I passed through the grounds of
the priory almost daily for two years, and I could
never do so without stopping to gawp at its
magnificence.
“Stone doesn’t get more glorious than this. How
so many locals could scurry past it without seeming
to notice its presence, never mind its grandeur, was
a permanent mystery to me.”
When he’s in London, he loves to visit St Martin in
the Fields in Trafalgar Square. “I admire St Martin’s
for all kinds of reasons. It is gorgeous to look at
inside and out, provides superb musical recitals at
lunchtime and in the evenings, and does heroic work
helping the homeless of London. It also has, in its
cafeteria in the crypt, one of the best places in
central London for lunch or tea.”
Another London church he is especially fond of is
St Michael’s in Cornhill, one of around 40 churches
in the City. “In 2003, my daughter got married in
London but couldn’t use her local church (it was
undergoing renovation), so we found this one in the
City, and what a jewel it is.
“Built by Christopher Wren after the Great Fire, it
is easily overlooked from without, but bright and
sumptuous within. I think the vicar was grateful for
the business, and the choir (who came from all over
the south east, the City of London having almost no
resident parishioners) sang like angels. It was a
fabulous day.”
www.nationalchurchestrust.org/explore churches
The Archdiocese of Southwark
Archbishop Peter Smith
020 7928-2495
archbishop@rcsouthwark.co.uk
www.rcsouthwark.co.uk
Area bishops
Episcopal vicar for Kent
Bishop Paul Mason
01732 845486
bishoppaulmason@gmail.com
South-West London
Bishop Paul Hendricks
020 8643 8007
bishop.hendricks@gmail.com
South-East London
Bishop Patrick Lynch
020 8297 9219
bishoplynch7@btinternet.com
The Pilgrim,
Archbishop’s House
150 St George’s Road
London SE1 6HX
Editor: Greg Watts
pilgrim@rcsouthwark.co.uk
0208 776 9250
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Page 2

The Pilgrim April 2017
Faith leaders pray for victims of Westminster attack
The flag of St George
was flown at half mast at
St George’s Cathedral
following the terrorist
attack in Westminster.
Four people died and
over 40 were injured on
22nd March when a man
thought to have links to
ISIS drove his car at high
speed along the
pavement on
Westminster Bridge and
then stabbed a police
officer to death at the
Houses of Parliament.
Following the tragic
events, Cardinal Vincent
Nichols joined other
faith leaders in a vigil
outside Westminster
Abbey to pray for the
victims.
Cathedral Mass
for Oscar Romero
Several hundred people gathered at St George’s Cathedral to
celebrate the feast of Blessed Oscar Romero.
This was the first annual Romero Mass following following the
Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the
Sacraments agreeing to Archbishop Peter’s request to have Blessed
Oscar Romero of El Salvador added to the liturgical calendar of the
diocese.
Bishop Pat celebrated the Mass with 16 priests, some of whom
who had travelled from
East Anglia, where the
late Bishop Michael Evans,
a trustee of the
Archbishop Romero Trust,
had served.
The bidding prayers
were read by Julian
Filochowski, chair of the
Archbishop Romero Trust,
who knew Romero
personally.
This year marks the
100th anniversary of the
birth of Blessed Oscar
Romero, the Archbishop of
San Salvador, who was
murdered in 1980 while
celebrating Mass. He was
beatified in 2015.
A zuccheto worn by
Blessed Oscar Romero
is now kept at St
George’s Cathedral
Archbishop Peter
visits Army camp
Archbishop Peter has visited
Bulford Camp in Wiltshire to
met soldiers based there.
When Archbishop Peter
arrived he was met by bugles
and the battalion commander
Lt. Col. Mark Wilson of the 5th
Battalion The Rifles, an
armoured infantry battalion.
He also met Fr Philip Smith, a
Southwark priest attached full
time to the British Army. He is
on loan to the Catholic
Bishopric of the Forces and
through them to the Royal Army
Chaplains’ Department.
Archbishop Peter was taken
on a tour of the barracks and
chatted to soldiers and officers.
He was also shown some of the
many vehicles that make up the
kit of an armoured infantry
battalion.
Fr Smith showed him the two
garrison Catholic churches he
supports, one in Bulford and the
other close by in Tidworth,
where he celebrates Sunday
Mass for both local and Army
Catholics.
After lunch the officers
presented Archbishop Peter with
a framed Rifles cap badge, and
in return he gave a parchment
blessing and a Diocesan
medallion.
To
commemorate
the 500th
anniversary of
the
Reformation,
a joint
Catholic/Luth
eran prayer
service was
held at St
George’s
Cathedral.
The preachers
were
Archbishop
Bernard
Longley of
Birmingham
and the Rt Rev
Martin Lind,
Bishop of the
Lutheran
Church in
Great Britain.
News
Clergy fund thanks
parishioners
The Clergy Support Fund Campaign has thanked
those who have helped raise £2.85 million.
The Campaign was set up by Archbishop Peter
to support and care for retired and sick priests.
Priests retire at 75. Some require nursing care,
while others continue to help out in parishes or
with various pastoral work.
Canon John Weatherill, episcopal vicar for
finance, said, “If you plan to give alms this Lent
and would like to support our sick and retired
priests, please consider helping us reach the
next big milestone of £3 million through a gift in
accordance with your means.”
For further information on how you can
donate, telephone 020 7960-2525 or visit
www.southwarkclergysupportfundcampaign.org
Lourdes pilgrimage
This year’s annual archdiocesan pilgrimage to
Lourdes with the Catholic Association will be led
by Bishop Pat.
The pilgrimage takes place from Friday 18th –
Friday 25th August.
“It would be great if every parish is represented.
I also would like to encourage as many
young people of 17 years and above to consider
joining the pilgrimage as part of the Southwark
Young Helpers Group,” said pilgrimage director
Canon Edward Perera.
For further details and registration forms,
contact Father Edward on 020 8399 9550.
Margate institute to close
The Institute of St Anselm in Margate is
relocating to Rome after the Home Office
withdrew its license for visas.
Institute founder Fr Kofler said: “All our
priests and religious are sent to train and go
back to their own countries after their studies. I
think its a total misunderstanding and religious
illiteracy from the Home Office.
“At the age of 82, I am no longer able to work
in a situation where my hands are bound due to
the Home Office’s inability to function. To work
in that mess is not my desire any longer.”
He said that a priest was recently refused a
visa to study at the Institute because he wasn’t
married. A nun was also denied entry to the UK
because she did not have a personal bank
account because she belonged to a religious
order.
The Institute of St Anselm was founded in 1984
to train priests and religious in leadership and
evangelisation.
Science prize for
Bermondsey student
A student at St Michael’s Catholic College in
Bermondsey has won a trip to CERN, European
Organisation for Nuclear Research, in
Switzerland.
Sixth former Francis Aigbe’s essay was one of
five winners in the Southwark Schools CERN
Particle School Competition. He will travel to
Meyrin, near Geneva, in August.
“The reason I thought to apply to The Particle
School was because I wanted to experience the
life of a research physicist. I have always wanted
to visit CERN because it has the world’s largest
accelerated particle collider,” said Francis.
RIP
Father David Hutton; Deacon Michael Gould;
Father Cyril Elkington; Father Barry Angus.
Page 3

News
Wembley youth
celebration
Young Catholics from Southwark
were among the 10,000 young
people who packed SSE Arena in
Wembley for Flame 2017.
Organised by Catholic Youth
Ministry Federation, the event
featured live music, dance,
talks, videos and adoration and
Benediction.
Among those taking part
were Cardinal Vincent Nichols,
Cardinal Charles Bo from
Myanmar, former MP Sarah
Teather, now head of the Jesuit
Refugee Service, and Fr
Augusto Zampini, a Cafod
theological advisor from Buenos
Aires.
The Pilgrim April 2017
Canon Martin presentation
A presentation was made to Canon Martin Lee
for his seventeen years’ service to the diocesan
finance office.
Canon Martin Lee stepped down as diocesan
financial secretary last year due to poor health.
He took on a part-time role in the finance office
in 1991 while serving as parish priest at St
Winefride’s in Wimbledon. In 1998 he was
appointed full-time.
Kent hospital volunteers needed
East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation
Trust is seeking Catholics to join its chaplaincy
teams in Margate, Canterbury or Ashford.
Volunteers must be committed, flexible and
have time to visit a hospital at least once a
week. A 10-week chaplaincy healthcare course
begins at Kent and Canterbury Hospital on 25th
April for those interested.
For more information, contact Laura Wyman
on 01843-242273.
Students
learn
about
the Lords
Students at Christ the King:
Aquinas in Brockley learned
about the House of Lords when
Lord Simon Haskel visited.
Lord Haskel spoke to 70
students about the work that
takes place in the House of
Lords, about his career in the
textile industry and how he
became a life peer in 1993.
He encouraged all students
to become active in politics.
He then answered a variety of
questions before staying behind
and speaking individually to
several students.
Charity launches revised
port chaplains directory
Apostleship of the Sea (AoS) has
launched a revised version of its
global port chaplains’ directory
which helps seafarers get
access to pastoral and faith
resources wherever they are in
the world.
The Port Chaplain Directory
2017 lists phone numbers and e-
mail addresses of the seafarers’
charity’s chaplains in 261 ports
across 55 countries, compared
to 207 ports and 49 countries in
2016.
AoS has strong links in
Southwark diocese. It supports
seafarers visiting ports on the
River Medway and on the Kent
Page 4
coast. Bishop Paul Mason
recently became its bishop
promoter.
AoS development director
John Green said, “We have
chaplains in most of the world’s
ports. Providing up-to-date and
accurate details of all our
chaplains is a valuable resource
both for Catholic seafarers and
those working in the maritime
industry.”
The directory is available
both online and in hard copy
and port authorities or shipping
companies wanting copies for
their crews should get in
contact with the charity.
Children at Oliver House School in Clapham dressed up as their
favourite literary characters and spent World Book Day with
local author, Nicky Dee, who has written a series of books
about dinosaurs.
Ursuline reunion in Wimbledon
Ursuline High School in Wimbledon is holding a
reunion for former students on 13th July.
If you are a former student or know someone
who is, and who would like to learn more,
email: alumnae@uhsw.com.
Accommodation
for young women
The Religious of Mary Immaculate have vacancies
at their hostel in Wimbledon for young women.
Struan House is a registered charity hostel that
offers accommodation to single females aged
18-27, who come to London for study or work.
For further information, email
struanhouse@maryimmaculate.co.uk
Norwegian teachers
visit Maidstone
A group of teachers from Norway visited St
Simon Stock Catholic School in Maidstone.
The 20 teachers were part of a cultural
exchange programme organised by Canterbury
Christ Church University. During their visit they
observed lessons in order to learn about the
English educational system.
Help for Southwark families
The Catholic Children’s Society (Westminster) is
now providing services for disadvantaged
children and families throughout Southwark
diocese.
Archbishop Peter has welcomed this
development and has taken up the appointment
of vice-president to the Catholic Children’s
Society (CCS) to underline his commitment to
this new partnership.
CCS has launched a crisis fund which provides
emergency financial assistance for families
facing a crisis. This fund can be applied to by
any head teacher or parish priest who has
identified a family that is facing exceptional
circumstances and would benefit from one-off
financial support.
For more information, visit
www.cathchild.org.uk
Tooting retreat
Over 260 children and young people attended a
retreat at St Boniface’s church in Tooting.
The retreat was run by SEHION UK Ministries.

The Pilgrim April 2017
Feature
Why does theology use such long words?
Fr David Gibbons,
parish priest of St
Thomas of Canterbury
in Sevenoaks,
continues his Duffer’s
Guide to Theology
C.S. Lewis, the Anglican writer,
once said that liberal Christians
hide behind long words; ask them
to restate their beliefs simply and
they can’t.
Orthodox, traditional doctrines
may be couched in long words but
can be stated simply; so the
doctrine of the Incarnation can be
explained in terms of God
becoming man, for example. (I
think it was C.S. Lewis who said
this but I can’t find the reference;
if anyone can enlighten or correct
me I would be grateful.) So why do
theologians and the Church use
such long words?
We must remember where
Christianity came from. Initially the
church consisted of Jewish people,
living in and around Jerusalem, and
steeped in the Jewish scriptures.
Thus concepts like “Messiah”
(which is Hebrew for “the Anointed
One”; “Christ” is the Greek for the
same idea) were commonly
understood and fundamental to
their recognising who Jesus was.
Hebrew words like “Amen” and
“Alleluia” became from the earliest
days part of the language of
Christians.
The first Christians, like St Peter,
would have spoken Aramaic, the
common language of ordinary
people in the Middle East. But
when St Paul and the evangelists
came to write their books, they
wrote in Greek, which was the
common language of educated
people throughout the
Mediterranean, so as to achieve a
wider readership. Educated people
like Julius Caesar spoke Greek to
each other, not Latin (so
Shakespeare’s et tu Brute is
unhistorical).
Greek therefore came to be the
main language in which theology
was conducted. The early centuries
saw many controversies – especially
about the nature of Christ and the
Holy Trinity – and the Bishops
gathered at the great Councils
would normally have spoken Greek.
Greek was thus used to compile
the Creeds. This was also the
period when most of the church’s
practices and liturgies were
developed. This is why we call
those preparing to be Baptised
“catechumens”, and we still say
Kyrie, eleison at Mass even today.
Words like deacon, evangelisation,
catechesis, apocalypse, parable,
eucharist, and heretical come from
the Greek.
C.S.Lewis, author of the
best-seller ‘Mere Christianity’
With both St Peter and St Paul
ending up in Rome to be martyred,
Latin became the dominant
language of the western church,
right up until the 20th century.
Thus an enormous amount of the
terminology we use is Latin or
English words derived from Latin:
words in everyday use in the church
such as prayer, diocese, vestment,
sanctuary, crucifixion, sacrament,
cardinal, creed, consubstantial,
repentance, and salvation all come
from Latin.
A second reason for long words is
that the Catholic Church is
catholic, which comes from the
Greek meaning “universal”. Much
theology is written in German,
French, Italian and Spanish and so
on. We are being somewhat insular
if we think that everyone else
ought to use nice, short English
words, like “say the good news” for
“evangelise”.
Finally, to quote C.S. Lewis again
(this time I know the reference,
from Mere Christianity): “It is no
good asking for a simple religion.
After all, real things are not
simple.” The truths contained in
the creeds, for example, are finely
and carefully composed, and we
need precise, technical terminology
in order to express them properly.
Sloppy language leads to sloppy
thought. God gave us brains, and
we should use them to reflect
carefully on God and on things
divine.
Of course, when we are seeking
to spread the good news and
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defend the Catholic faith from
attacks, it would be silly to use
long words and jargon which people
won’t understand. We must use the
language they will understand.
But when we are doing theology
then we need to understand and
use the correct words, in order to
do justice to complex ideas. After
all, God is by definition more than
any of us, even working together,
can ever comprehend, and it
doesn’t do us any harm if,
sometimes, theological discourse
goes a little over our heads.
Ask a ten-year-old about a
dinosaur, and they will confidently
tell you it is a Tyrannosaurus Rex. If
children can master long words so
can we all.
THE WEEKLY NEWSPAPER FOR THE CATHOLIC COMMUNITY ACROSS THE UK
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Page 5

Feature
A journey into Aleppo
Aleppo in Syria has become a war zone over the last four years. John Pontifex of Sutton-based Aid to
the Church in Need took the perilous journey to the city and met families who are in desperate need
Few words come close to
encapsulating the sense of shock I
felt as we entered Aleppo; the only
phrase that comes close is an
Armageddon of the 21st century’.
Along the roadsides of the
deserted streets, the sight of the
bomb-blasted buildings drew gasps
from within our car. Not one
building intact – rubble and
devastation everywhere. As our
vehicle slowed, we could make out
pockmarked walls peppered with
gunfire.
Our nerves were already on edge
because of the journey that had
brought us thus far. Our Aid to the
Church in Need project partners had
arranged for a car to take us from
Basile and Mariana and baby Christa
Page 6
the Syrian city of Tartous on the
Mediterranean coast along the only
road into Aleppo. A trip that in
times of peace would have taken
two hours in our case lasted more
than four.
It didn’t help that our car was not
in the best of health, lacking as it
did a rear door passenger handle
and a wing mirror with glass held on
by what looked suspiciously like
blue tack.
But we had made it and we had
made it in one piece.
Arriving in the city a few weeks
after the ceasefire that brought the
fighting to a halt just before
Christmas, our main objective was
to assess the projects in a city
designated a priority area for Aid to
the Church in Need (ACN). Last year
alone, it sent out aid benefitting
more than 300,000 people in Syria.
At the ACN-supported dispensary
in the city centre, organiser Elias
Farah introduced us to young and
older people picking up their
medicines at a centre serving 2,200
families.
At the Franciscan church, which
was to be our base during our visit,
we met Basil Syoufi, 22, his wife,
Mariana, 27, and their one-month
old daughter, Christa.
They are one of hundreds of
Christian families benefitting from
ACN top-up emergency aid, a
scheme led by Franciscan priest
“We have lived Lent for
four years now; we are
waiting for the
resurrection”
- Sr Annie Demerjian
Father Ibrahim Alsabagh OFM.
But, of the many faces I saw in
Syria, there is one I will never
forget. Because his children are
thought to be in the hands of ISIS
(Daesh), I cannot give his picture or
indeed his proper name for fear of
what the extremists might do to his
loved ones.
But what I can do is tell the story
of this remarkable individual who,
for the purposes of this report, I
shall call Elias. Elias, a former car
mechanic, and his wife, Samar –
again, not her real name – were one
of 1,000 Christian families living in
Raqqa at the time when it was
seized by Daesh which made it their
capital.
In common with all Raqqa’s
Christian families, the couple were
The Pilgrim April 2017
Churches
destroyed
The desecration of ancient
Christian symbols – evident in the
six damaged and destroyed
churches and cathedrals I saw in
Aleppo – was one of the most
distressing themes that emerged
during the trip.
In the chapel of the Jesuit-run
St Wartan’s Centre close in Midan,
the altar had been desecrated,
and if you looked at the cross that
hung on the wall above, you could
see the arms of the figure of
Christ had been cut off, with only
the hands still present thanks to
the nails that held them in place.
For me this horrific image
betokened the tragic losses
suffered by Aleppo’s Christian
community whose decline in
number has been far worse than
that of the city’s overall
population.
Before the Syrian war came to
Aleppo in 2012, the city was
home to nearly 300,000 Christians
– now there are perhaps 40,000 or
less, with precise figures
impossible to obtain during the
period of conflict and its
aftermath.
Aleppo still has a wide crosssection
of Christians – people of
all ages, social and economic
situations – but those who have
remained are mostly the poor, the
sick, the elderly, those who have
nobody to help them.
When we met the city’s
bishops, again and again they
spelled out their desire to retain
the Christian presence in Aleppo,
itself reportedly home to
historically the largest number of
faithful in a country which of
course counts St Paul among its
heroes.
Chaldean Bishop Antoine Audo
of Aleppo told us: “Everything we
are trying to do is geared towards
securing a future for Christians in
Syria.”
In response, ACN has numerous
projects ongoing both in Aleppo
and elsewhere in Aleppo. These
include:
• Aleppo – Emergency support
for 650 Christian families – food,
heating, clothes, shelter –
provided by Sister Annie
Demerjian and her volunteers.
• Aleppo – Milk for 2,850
children in Aleppo – an
ecumenical project led by Dr
Nabil Antaki.
• Emergency support for young
Christian families – food, heating,
clothes, shelter – provided by
Franciscans led by Father Ibrahim
Alsabagh OFM.
• Damascus – Food baskets for
1,500 families supported by the
Melkite Greek Catholic
archdiocese.
• Aleppo – Six months’ medical
aid for 2,200 Christian families
registered at a dispensary run by
Christian layman Elias Farah.
• Aleppo – Hot meals and basic
supplies (toothbrush, toothpaste,
toilet roll and other hygiene
products as well as food) provided
by the Jesuits in central Aleppo.
For more information and to
make a donation in support of
ACN’s work in Aleppo, visit
www.acnuk.org/Syria

The Pilgrim April 2017
Feature
Southwark parishes reach
out in faith to Syria
asked to pay the Jizya Islamic tax.
Because they were both too ill to
work, Elias and Samar did not have
the money to pay.
Inevitably Daesh chiefs came
knocking at their door and when
Elias produced an exemption
certificate provided by the
authorities, it was brushed aside.
His statues of Our Lady of Fatima
were thrown in the bin. Daesh hit
Elias on the back of the head with
the butt of a gun and he was thrown
into prison.
Elias was placed in solitary
confinement, his arms and feet
bound to a cross which was placed
against the wall of his cell.
Each day, a guard would come and
place mouldy bread into his mouth –
the only sustenance he had.
Then he was told he would be
killed.
Elias recalled raising his eyes to
heaven in search of a miracle and
from the skies his prayers were
answered in the form of a bomb
that landed on the prison.
Thankfully, Elias was unharmed
and, better still, he had the chance
to escape, which he did. He met up
with his wife and together they
escaped in a lorry driven by a nomad.
Arriving in Aleppo, they asked
around, desperate for help. Again,
their prayers were answered – this
time in the form of Sister Annie
Demerjian.
The Syrian-born Sister of Jesus
and Mary and her group of young
volunteers at once responded by
finding them a place to stay. One of
the group, Fadi, is a tailor and they
were given clothes. Medicine was
provided, food vouchers and money
to pay their rent.
They also received help for their
electricity bills – electricity is very
expensive as Aleppo’s electric grid is
– as we saw for ourselves –
devastated by bombs. Now
privately-run generators offer a
service where it costs 8,000 Syrian
pounds (£30.60) – up to half a public
worker’s monthly salary – just to
power two lightbulbs and a fridge.
Elias and Samar are one of 650
families supported by Sister Annie.
ACN is funding her work and when
the couple were told that I had
come with a message of support
from the charity’s benefactors, a
smile spread across their faces.
Despite their hardships, Elias and
Samar were full of hope as they
spoke. Elias said: “I have always
prayed to Our Lady. God delivered
us from evil and brought us to
safety.
“We came here with nothing but
now our hearts are full of gratitude
for what you are doing to support
our every need.”
Elias and Samar had only one
request: to pray for their children –
Rima, 18, and 17-year-old
Youhanna, now understood to be
incarcerated by Daesh.
Early on, Elias and Samar were in
contact with their children by
mobile phone but suddenly the line
went dead. There were many other
people we met in Aleppo – those
desperate to leave, others
determined to stay, still more too
uncertain to make a decision.
What they all shared was a
profound sense of gratitude that
they were not suffering alone, that
there were people reaching out to
them in acts of compassion, faith
and hope – a belief in a brighter
tomorrow.
Sister Annie put it best in a
message she sent me after my
return to the UK. She wrote: “We
have lived Lent for four years now;
we are waiting for the
resurrection.”
St Anselm’s, Tooting Bec, and St
Saviour’s, Lewisham, are providing
crucial emergency support for
people suffering in Aleppo.
The two south London churches
are among a number of parishes
from across the archdiocese
contributing generously to ACN’s
work with destitute families in the
bomb-blasted Syrian city.
At St Anselm’s, a year-long
fundraising programme coinciding
with Pope Francis’ Year of Mercy,
has so far generated more than
£27,000.
Of that total, at least £5,000
was raised from an ‘Evening for
Syria’ in which parishioners and
their priests staged entertainment
including poetry recitations, music
and song.
Meantime, at St Saviour’s in
Lewisham, activities including a
Christmas crib collection and an
appeal weekend have resulted in
donations of just over £7,000 –
thanks to the support of parish
priest Father Chris Connor.
The donations from both
parishes are supporting ACN
projects in Aleppo – food, shelter,
medicine and heating benefitting
people in most need, especially
Christians.
Half the money is going in
funding the work of ACN project
partner Sister Annie Demerjian.
Sister Annie is working with young
volunteers to provide emergency
help – food, shelter, medicine and
heating – for 650 poverty-stricken
Christian families in Aleppo.
Last October, Sister Annie
visited St Anselm’s and spoke at a
number of Sunday Masses. St
Anselm’s parish priest Father
William Hebborn said: “Few if any
words can capture the extent of
the suffering inflicted on the
people of Syria and as a parish we
wanted to do what we could to
help.
“The threat to the survival of
the Church in the place which
gave us St Paul and where the
followers of Our Lord were first
called Christians is something that
should concern us all.
“We were deeply touched to
receive a visit from Sister Annie
who spoke at all Masses and
people were very moved by her
heroic witness, keeping the flame
of faith and hope burning in a
place overshadowed by
unimaginable devastation.”
Calling all men & women.
No upper age limit.
Are you
looking for:
Prayer
Community
Spirituality
Service
Is God calling you to the
Discalced Carmelites?
Please contact Fr John at:
johnmcgowan50@gmail.com
Tel: 07598 913986
Page 7

Education
The Pilgrim April 2017
Real Madrid come to Croydon
How did The Cedars School in Croydon
come to be involved in Real Madrid’s
first football project in the UK?
Headteacher Robert Teague explains
Will the next Cristiano
Ronaldo come from Croydon?
“Real Madrid are opening their first
football school in the UK to find the
next Cristiano Ronaldo… in Croydon”
reported one tabloid newspaper
when news of the new Real Madrid
Foundation Social Sports School
project at The Cedars School first
broke.
Leaving aside for now the tone of
ridicule implied by that ellipsis (we
Croydoners are used to it!), the
purpose of the Social Sports School
is not to unearth footballing gold
but instead to enrich the many boys
and girls who will participate in it
over the years ahead.
A partnership between The
Cedars and Los Galacticos was first
mooted back in the autumn of 2013.
It has taken much hard work since
then to make the dream a reality
and last month, the Real Madrid
Foundation Social Sports School
South London - to give it its full
title - was inaugurated by club
legend Emilio Butragueño in the
presence of dignitaries from
Croydon Council and the office of
the Mayor of London. It is the first
Real Madrid Foundation venture in
the UK.
The project has been made
possible by Sport for Unity, a west
London charity who have provided
generous sponsorship; the Kinetic
Foundation, a Croydon charity
involved in football coaching; and
PACT Educational Trust.
PACT is the organisation that owns
The Cedars School along with three
other schools in the south London
area and its CEO, Matthew
Sherwood, has led planning at the
UK end.
The Social Sports School has
initially targeted boys and girls
between the ages of eight and 11
from economically and/or socially
disadvantaged backgrounds. Over a
period of time, the upper age limit
will increase to 17.
Coaching is carried out
predominantly by local coaches who
have been trained in the ‘Real
Madrid way’. This is not just a
matter of tactics and technique but
also ethos. And if the Real Madrid
Foundation and The Cedars School
seem at first sight to be unlikely
bedfellows, it is in the area of ethos
that they intersect. In both, there is
an understanding that their daily
activity, while important in itself,
has a grander purpose.
Let me explain. Real Madrid is a
byword for sporting excellence and
the Foundation carries out its
ordinary activity of coaching young
people extremely well. The Cedars,
while rather less well known,
endeavours to provide an excellent
experience for its pupils in terms of
intellectual, sporting, musical and
extra-curricular development – the
ordinary stuff of school life.
Both organisations aim to help the
young people in their care to
become better people in and
through these ordinary activities,
whether football coaching or school
life. The objective in both cases is
to help young people acquire skills
for life.
The Real Madrid Foundation,
which was founded in 1997, is clear
about these ideals, stating that it
seeks to “promote,…,the values
inherent in sport, and the latter’s
role as an educational tool capable
of contributing to the
comprehensive development of the
personality of those who practise it.
In addition, [sport is promoted] as a
means of social integration of those
who find themselves suffering from
any form of marginalisation, as well
as to promote and disseminate all
the cultural aspects linked to
sport.”
It’s a far cry from discovering the
next Ronaldo, isn’t it? But, before
we dismiss the idea completely, one
of the great things about enterprises
that help young people to acquire
good character is that it is precisely
those personal qualities such as
sincerity, self-discipline and
fortitude that give them the best
possible chance of success in any
human endeavour.
In other words, if a potential
Ronaldo or Messi turns up at the
Social Sports School, they’ll have
every chance of turning their latent
talent to solid achievement.
What is happening at the Social
Sports School is more exciting than
the tabloids know. We are not
looking for the greatness that is out
there but actually trying to produce
it. Oh – and the best way to
overcome prejudice about Croydon
is to come and see the school!
Situated in acres of beautiful
parkland, in the grounds of an 18th
century manor house while less than
half an hour from central London…
it’s enough to make more
fashionable London boroughs blush
with envy!
What it means to be Catholic
By Lucy Russell
I was pouring gravy over my Sunday
lunch when Isaac, the youth
chaplain at St Edmund’s School in
Dover, asked me what I was doing
the following Saturday. He needed
a female member of staff to go
along with 14 students and himself
to Wembley Arena. Otherwise the
school trip to Flame 2017 was in
jeopardy.
Most of the other usually willing
members of staff had already
agreed to go camping with the
students completing their Duke of
Edinburgh Award. I thought for a
second, did I have anything
planned? This was an opportunity,
and I couldn't think of a single
reason why I shouldn't go.
There are about 10,000 reasons I
am glad that I did. I have never
experienced anything like Flame
2017.
This was the most incredible
gathering together as Church, an
amazing experience which surely
achieved everything it set out to
do. It affirmed, challenged and
inspired not only the 10,000 young
people present, but the youth
leaders and catechists who shared
the experience with them.
I was moved to tears by the
performances from RISE Theatre,
and also by the repeated message
that God loves me, and that my
name is carved on the palm of his
hand.
That is a message I share with my
own children, with the people I
come into contact with in my work
in my parish, with the children in
the children’s liturgy group, with
the students I talk to at St
Edmund’s... it wasn’t something I
regularly reminded myself of.
The first tear to roll down my
cheek came as I listened to the
opening reading from Isaiah:
“Listen to me! Hear this! ‘I will
never forget you’, says the Lord,
‘See, I have engraved you on the
palm of my hands’.”
The theme for Flame 2017 was
10,000 reasons, taken from Matt
Redman’s song of the same name.
And Wembley Arena came alive to
his music.
The day was a celebration of
faith that I promised myself I would
make sure James and Edgar would
have the opportunity to be involved
with in years to come. Flame was
about what it means to a Catholic.
There was an input from Cafod,
and from Sarah Teather from the
Jesuit Refugee Service. Those
present were reminded that they
were loved, and known to God, and
then they were reminded about the
help and support that others
needed, especially refugees.
Sarah challenged those present
to get involved in their local area
and “do just one thing to help
refugees and asylum seekers”, that
could be something as simple as
saying a prayer. The power of
prayer is not to be
underestimated.
The day summed up the message
of Easter. On Easter morning, Jesus
appears to Mary Magdalene and
affirms her: she is significant, he
has appeared to her, he is alive,
but now it is time to go and tell the
others the good news.
This is what makes us Catholic;
we look to others before ourselves,
which is where we find God, who
reveals to us our own self. The
young people present danced and
sang at the top of their voices, the
floor shook beneath me during Matt
Redman’s final set, but before
that, 10,000 people sat in silence
for Adoration and Benediction.
Adoration is us reaching for God
as God is reaching for us. By
worshipping Jesus in the Eucharist,
we become what Jesus wants us to
be, drawing us to himself and
gently transforming us.
In my role as a school governor, I
have recently had to explain what
is distinctive about Catholic
education. At an education
conference about values I heard
about a school which has mirrors in
the corridor for children to look in
and discern who they are.
What sets Catholic schools apart
is that they look beyond
themselves. We have a different
vision, a vision quite frankly, of
Easter: As one of the clergy
commented to me, “We don’t have
mirrors in Catholic schools, we
have crucifixes!” We are an Easter
people and alleluia is our song.
Page 8

The Pilgrim April 2017
What do we mean
by British values?
Feature/Column
That’s what love does
By Father Ashley Beck
The main Anglican church in the
parish where I work has a flagpole
on its tower. Often it flies the flag
of St George, to whom the church
is dedicated; on other days
certain flags appear, such as the
crosses of St Andrew and St
Patrick, and for a week or so at
the beginning of March the flag of
Wales is flown; on the Queen’s
birthday the Union flag is there.
By contrast outside our church
in Beckenham there is one flag
flown the whole year round - that
of the Vatican City State.
I am continuing my reflections
this month about how the very
conditional and qualified view
that the Catholic Church takes of
national allegiance and
sovereignty has to inform the
ways in which we work for
reconciliation and peace in the
world.
The contrast about flags in the
two churches in Beckenham does
illustrate this, although I realise
that there are many Catholic
churches which fly national flags.
Last November Pope Francis,
speaking at a ceremony in the
Vatican creating new cardinals,
warned about the rise of populist
nationalism all over the world (a
couple of weeks after the election
of Donald Trump), warning about
‘how quickly those among us with
the status of a stranger, an
immigrant or a refugee, become a
threat and take on the status of
an enemy...an enemy because
they come from a distant country
or have different customs. An
enemy because of the colour of
their skin, their language, or their
social class. An enemy because
they think differently or even
have a different faith....How
many wounds grow deeper due to
this epidemic of animosity and
violence, which leaves its mark on
the flesh of many of the
defenceless, because their voice
is weak and silenced by this
pathology of indifference.’
At the moment in the world,
here in Europe, in the United
States and in many other places
excessive and blind love of
country has become a way of
looking down on others and
attacking, verbally and sometimes
literally, minorities and people
from a different background. For
the Catholic Church, the Church
of all nations, this is a symptom of
real moral evil, of the action of
Satan.
The Holy Father is repeatedly
warning us about the dangers of
this, but the dangers of overegging
the pudding as far as
national identity are concerned
are rather insidious. I am sure I
am not the only reader of The
Pilgrim who winces every time I
go into a school and see a display,
bedecked with Union flags,
extolling “British Values”.
I wince for two reasons. First,
because we know that basically
these displays have been put
there by government diktat, and I
think that is inappropriate in
schools. And secondly, to describe
certain values or virtues as
somehow intrinsically “British” is
ridiculous.
One of these, we are told, is
‘tolerance’: but Catholics know
that this has not been a
characteristic of “British” life for
much of our history. For the best
part of 250 years Catholics in
Britain and Ireland were
subjected to systematic
persecution and excluded from
many aspects of national life.
While there is more tolerance
now it is simply untrue to argue
that there is something “British”
about tolerance. And yet we are
being told to peddle this nonsense
to children, in our own Catholic
schools.
Because of demographic
changes more and more of our
parishes now reflect a much
greater ethnic diversity that in
the past, and this is something we
are all called to celebrate since it
enables us to set a good example
to others.
Parishes are celebrating
international Masses to thank God
for this. Last year we had our
first one at St Edward of
Canterbury in Beckenham. It is
something we could in many of
our parishes to try and counteract
the evils of populist nationalism
and witness effectively to
Catholic teaching.
Father Ashley Beck is assistant
priest of St Edmund of
Canterbury in Beckenham, senior
lecturer in pastoral ministry at St
Mary’s University and dean of
studies of the diocesan formation
programme for the diaconate.
By Sister Janet Fearns
One of my favourite photographs is
of a little baby girl, Miriam, as she
sleeps on top of a hospital bed.
Wearing a white matinee coat and
booties, a clean white nappy and a
dark blue top, her arms and one of
her legs extend in the complete
relaxation and utter oblivion of the
sleeping newborn.
One of her booties is so big that
her left leg, unable to lie flat on the
bed, is slightly raised at a strange
angle, but she couldn’t care. She is
totally oblivious of the world around
her, not even flinching when the
camera flashes.
I have another photograph of the
same baby, this time sleeping on her
side and minus clothes. Alongside
her, for comparison purposes, is my
hairbrush, for the two are
approximately the same size.
Miriam weighed only 1 Ib 13oz
when she was born. Within the first
couple of days, she lost five of those
precious ounces, taking her down to
1lb 8oz. Yet, right from the start,
Miriam was a fighter, refusing to
give up on her battle for survival.
She was far too tiny for her
mother to breastfeed, so instead,
we used a teaspoon or a syringe.
Gradually, ever so gradually, Miriam
started to grow and, before long,
she was back up to 1lb 13oz.
She was so tiny, fitting easily into
my outstretched hand. It would
have been possible to carry her in a
pocket.
Miriam had none of the
advantages of technology. Born
within a mission hospital in one of
the more remote parts of Zambia,
her incubator was a home-made
wooden box with a Perspex flap,
heated by an ordinary electric light
bulb. During a power cut, there was
a perfect alternative: Miriam’s
mother slipped her daughter
between her breasts to keep her
warm.
The beauty of my two photos is
that they show a perfectly healthy
baby. All that was wrong was that
she was very tiny and very
premature, but every hour that she
lived, Miriam challenged the whole
world, surviving against all odds. It
was wonderful to see her each day,
knowing that she had lived for
another 24 hours.
Miriam declared to the world that
even her minute scrap of a life was
precious and worth living. Without
her having to do anything, her very
existence brought happiness and
pride, her tenacious hold on life, a
daily joy.
Miriam did not need to be big and
important to be immensely
powerful, but in the right way. Her
piercing, high-pitched cry
summoned adults to her side,
anxious to please her with food,
warmth, a clean nappy or an
outstretched finger around which
she would wrap her own in a
surprisingly strong grip.
Her fragility called out for
protectiveness, tenderness and love
- and people responded. To pick her
up required extraordinary
gentleness, and yet even the
strongest person found the exquisite
sensitivity that was otherwise
unnecessary in his or her daily life.
There is something uniquely
beautiful in the heart of most
human beings: an ability to reach
out to the helpless. Miriam was
utterly dependent on others for her
survival and they reacted with a
commitment over and above the call
of duty. But that’s what love does.
THE SOUTHWARK
SEMINARY FUND
48 Dale Road, Purley, CR8 2EF
Tel: (020) 8660 3815
Please help train our future priests by
contributing to the cost of educating
our students at St John’s Seminary
Wonersh. The Diocese have 21
students in training at a cost of
£20,000 per student each year.
The Southwark Seminary Fund
augments the annual Ecclesiastical Education Collection.
Please send your donation/legacy either through your parish
priest or directly to Rev Father Christopher Keen at Purley.
Page 9

Feature
The Pilgrim April 2017
Oudoor Passion Play returns to London
James Burke-Dunsmore will be playing Jesus in The Passion of Jesus, which will be performed on Good Friday
in Trafalgar Square by the Wintershall Piayers on Good Friday. Suresh Abboodass meets him
Watching James Burke-Dunsmore
play Jesus in the open-air play of
the Life of Christ on the Wintershall
Estate in Surrey gives you an
impression that the role fits him like
a glove. That he is able to bring so
easily Jesus alive is simply
incredible.
With his natural long dark brown
curly hair flowing down his neck and
naturally grown beard on a broad
chiselled face, James looks a
handsome young Christ in every
way. Looking straight into your eyes
with his stunning divine look, he
accepts it is not easy playing the
role of Christ.
“Nineteen years ago when I stood
before the mirror and was thinking
how I am going to portray Jesus, a
man next to me saw me in my
costume and wept. I understood
what he has seen. He has seen
Christ,” said James.
“Most people could agree that it
is impossible to truly create a full
portrait of Christ. Hundreds of
artistes have tried over the
centuries to impersonate Him. The
disciples, who were the first to
know Him, have described Him and
were the first to impersonate Him.
“So with each performance, each
rehearsal, my understanding of the
role goes deeper. Thus I am trying to
tune myself well. The 90 odd plays I
have played has given me a chance
to repeat Jesus’ words.
“This kind of constant repetition
is what has given me the confidence
to play the role. It is by repetition,
repeatedly reading, understanding
the story, I am able to do it.
He admitted it was challenging,
with such large crowds watching his
every move, and that he was aware
of the huge responsibility he carried
in taking on the role.
“I am always conscious of the fact
that whether it is the co-actors or
the audience, they are watching not
James but Jesus in the play. I try to
convey not my feelings but Jesus’s
feelings in my acting. I see Jesus in
their reactions. When I am playing
the role of Jesus, I am singing the
most beautiful song ever heard.
James grew up in Kent and
became interested in acting when
he was young. Although he has been
acting for 19 years, he has no
formal training. He has also
directed plays. He landed the role
with the Wintershall Players after
playing Jesus in a production in
Wales.
The most challenging part of
performing The Passion of Jesus in
Trafalgar Square on Good Friday is:
“To convey the feelings of agony
and pain is difficult. I am aware of
the impact it can have on the
audience as well as their feelings. I
take responsibility for that, and I
am ever conscious about it.
“The nailing of the hands is
thoroughly difficult, because you
know of the impact it will have on
the audience. The power of
helplessness is overpowering.
“When I am on the cross, the
body being broken to pieces bit by
bit. I see the faces of the audience;
ten thousand faces looking at you.
They are sad; they are in pain. I can
see them all reacting to Christ. I
can’t forget that.”
To prepare for the role, he fasts
and reads the Bible. “I also pray a
lot before I start acting. I say the
Lord’s prayer. I finish by saying thy
will be done. When I say this, I’m
conscious something is happening;
my whole body is ready.”
Around 20,000 people are expected to gather in Trafalgar Square on
Good Friday to watch the open-air The Passion of Jesus. The 90-minute
play, which is supported by the Mayor of London, will feature a cast of
one hundred and large screens.
Performances take place at 12 noon and 3.15pm. Admission is free
and no tickets are required.
The Wintershall Players were set up by Peter and Ann Hutley. Their
first production was in 1989 when the Nativity, featuring sheep, donkeys,
horses and a choir, was performed in a barn at their home, the
Wintershall Estate near Guildford.
In 1992 they established a charity for the purpose of ecumenical
evangelisation and sharing the Christian faith. The main purpose of the
plays is to show the stories of the Bible to those who may not be familiar
with them and to those who are.
In 2013, the Wintershall Players performed the Nativity in the Piazza
at BBC Broadcasting House.
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Page 10

The Pilgrim April 2017
Feature/Diary
St Alfege Anglican
church in the centre
of Greenwich
Diary - April
In the footsteps of St Elphege
By Joanna Bogle
I grew up in the parish of St
Elphege in Wallington. The story is
all there: Baptism, First
Communion, Confirmation,
Marriage.
But I never knew very much about
St Elphege. In fact, as a child I got
muddled up between his name and
that of a well-known London store,
and the church became known in
our family as Self-Elphege’s…
Now, in adulthood, as historian
and leader of Catholic history
walks, I’ve come to know about
this great saint and hero. His story
belongs to our southern bank of the
Thames, Southwark, to Kent – he
was Archbishop of Canterbury – and
to Surrey where he preached and
ministered.
We, as Catholics in today’s
diocese of Southwark, walk in his
footsteps – and we can quite
literally do so if we make our way
along the Thames, and learn about
his life and about his heroic
martyr’s death on the banks of the
Thames at Greenwich.
It’s a Saxon story. The one date
in our history that everyone knows
is 1066, the year of the Norman
Conquest. But there was a long
Anglo-Saxon history before that.
Christianity, of course, first
reached our shores in the years of
the Roman Empire – that same
Roman Empire into which our
Saviour himself was born at
Bethlehem in Judea. The Apostles
and their followers took the Faith
to all the corners of the known
world. And do it reached Britain,
and a Romano-British Church
flourished here.
With the coming of the Saxons as
the Empire collapsed, the country
had to be evangelised anew, and so
Pope Gregory sent St Augustine to
Kent...and thus the story of English
Christianity begins.
Elpege – or Alphage as it is
sometimes spelt – was born in
about 953, some 400 years after
Augustine brought the Faith anew
to Kent. In old Anglo-Saxon his
name is spelt Aelfheath. He joined
a monastery at a very young age,
and after studying in various places
he went to Bath Abbey in the West
of England where in due course he
became Abbott. After serving there
for some years he was appointed
Archbishop of Winchester and then
later of Canterbury. And this is
where his story becomes one with
that of our diocese.
The Danes – pagan Vikings – had
been raiding England at intervals
for well over a century. Finally, one
of them, Olaf Trygvasson, accepted
Christianity under the terms of a
peace treaty. It was Elphege who
confirmed him (in the same
ceremony in which I and a great
bunch of others were confirmed
over a thousand years later in a
church named in Elphege’s honour,
in the unchanging faith of the
centuries). A Saxon/Viking peace of
sorts was achieved.
But the raids continued
intermittently over the next years,
and in 1011 they laid siege to
Canterbury and carried of Elphege
as a prisoner. The Vikings demanded
a large ransom – and Elphege made
it clear that he did not want the
Christian people to impoverish their
churches, abbeys, homes and farms
to pay it to these pagan rulers who
would then have even more power
over them. All must, instead, hold
fast to the Faith.
And that was why he was
martyred: in the year 1012, at
Greenwich. It was the Sunday after
Easter – what we today celebrate
as Divine Mercy Sunday. The Danes
were not, of course, marking any
Christian feast: Elphege’s guards
sat around mocking him, singing
drunken songs.
When they were angered because
he would not respond to their
behaviour, throwing the bones and
rubbish from their great feast at
him felling him to the ground. Then
one of then sunk a great axe into
his head, and as the Anglo-Saxon
Chronicle puts it “his holy blood
fell upon the earth and he sent
forth his soul to God.”
You can visit the site of Elphege’s
martyrdom at Greenwich. You can
travel there by one of the
enjoyable Thames pleasure cruises
from Charing Cross or from London
Bridge. Elsewhere, you can visit
Canterbury Cathedral – not the one
he know, which was burned down in
that Viking raid, but a glorious later
one, where his successor Thomas
Becket is still venerated.
And there’s more – much more.
Let’s teach our children our
Catholic history!
If you have an event,
please e-mail
details to us at
pilgrim@rcsouthwark.co.uk
4: Ongoing formation of priests
in-service training course, Lenten
day of Recollection, Emmaus,
West Wickham, 11am – 3.30pm.
Led by Fr Gerard Bradley,
spiritual director at St John's
Seminary, Wonersh.
8: '”Reform: Learning from
Luther after 500 years.” A study
day organised by the Southwark
Archdiocese Christian Unity
Commission and led by the Rev
Torbjorn Holt, 10.30am to 3pm at
Amigo Hall, St George's
Cathedral. Please bring your own
lunch.
8: “Born for This”, Songs and
stations of the cross for young
people, the Relic Chapel,
Aylesford Priory, 6pm.
Page 11

The Pilgrim April 2017
Focus on faith
The pope who surprised the world
By Mervyn Maciel
There are many in this world who
leave a lasting impression on us. One
such individual who left his mark well
beyond the Christian world is Pope
John XXIII.
Born of peasant stock, the world’s
media dismissed him as a caretaker
pope; someone who wouldn’t last
long as the successor to Peter. How
wrong they were. And here, in his
own words, is what the Pope had to
say:
“When on 28th October, 1958, the
cardinals of the Holy Roman Church
chose me to assume the supreme
responsibility of ruling the universal
flock of Jesus Christ, at seventyseven
years of age, everyone was
convinced that I would be a
provisional and transitional pope.
Yet, here I am..., and as for myself I
feel like St Martin, who ‘neither
feared to die, nor refused to live.”
Angelo Giuseppe Roncali was born
on 25th November, 1881, and
baptised on the same day. Poverty
was the distinctive and shinning
characteristic of his early childhood.
He often used to say “We were poor,
but content with our condition and
full of confidence in the Lord’s help”
There was never any bread at
table, only polenta (a dish of maize
flour). Meat too was a luxury to be
eaten at Easter and Christmas, the
latter festival also being an occasion
when a slice of homemade cake was
a real treat.
As for clothes and shoes (none of
the fashionable and expensive brand
labels that many of today’s
youngsters take for granted) for going
to Church – these had to last for
years.
Such were this saintly man’s
humble beginnings. Here was a pope
who exemplified the teachings of
Christ in all that he said and did. His
underlying characteristic was his
simplicity and deep trust in the Lord.
He lived Christ every step of the way.
Far from fading into obscurity, this
great man is remembered to this day
by Christians and non-Christians alike
the world over.
His election as pope was not
greeted with the usual fanfare; even
journalists did not find much to write
about him at the time. He was, quite
unintentionally perhaps, dismissed as
a ‘temporary’ pope – too old to listen
to the different viewpoints and
thinking within the Christian
churches.
Little did the world realise that
this humble pope had his finger on
Pope John XXIII with a
youthful Queen Elizabeth Il
and the Duke of Edinburgh
the pulse all along. He was the man
of the moment – chosen by the Holy
Spirit.
He trusted the Lord implicitly. It is
so easy in these days of rising
unemployment and even rising
prices, to question our lot instead of
being thankful for what we have. The
‘little’ we think we have, may well
be ‘great’ in the eyes of so many in
our world who have nothing at all.
Many of the worlds’ poorest can’t
even afford a daily meal; many are
homeless and without shelter, even in
our affluent world of today.
What singles John XXIII out is his
profound piety and simplicity. He had
a great devotion to Our Lady; from
the very moment he decided to enter
the priesthood, he placed his entire
life at God’s disposal, and never once
lost the trust he always had in his
Master.
At one stage he even wrote, “It
looks as if God has lavished upon me
His most tender and fatherly care”.
From early childhood, he had this
burning desire to serve God in every
possible way. He wanted, he said, “to
become a priest in the service of
simple souls who needed patient and
attentive care”. He was conscious of
the tact and prudence needed to
bring to each new position he was
appointed to, and in this respect,
was not lacking in these attributes.
One could say with certainty that
John XXIII revolutionised the Catholic
Church when he called the Second
Vatican Council in January 1959 much
to the surprise of many cardinals who
wondered why this old man had
decided on such a course.
It is sad that he did not live to
witness the completion of the
Council, as he died on 3rd June,
1963.
It is very fitting that our present
pontiff, the ever-popular Pope
Francis, decided to canonise this
‘ancient’ pope on 27th April, 2014
along with that other much-travelled
pope, St Pope John Paul II.
Pope St John XXIII has certainly left
his mark on our troubled world, and
in these days of celebrity status and
lofty positions, we would do well to
emulate some of his simple virtues.
When Pope John XXIII
announced the creation of
the Second Vatican
Council (also known as
Vatican II) in January
1959, surprised the world
www.ccftootingbec.org.uk
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