here - Portsmouth People

February/March 2011
Vol 11-1
Bamenda Revisited
Vocations Sunday
Project Tanzania
Lent Fast Day
Christmas in
Bethlehem
... plus all our
regular features
The Catholic Diocese
of Portsmouth magazine
PORTSMOUTH
Jay Kettle-Williams
PEOPLE
Level Playing Field
here’s an old joke that St Peter is showing some new arrivals around Heaven and pointing
to the various groups. As he approaches a wall, he asked those in his entourage to keep
very quiet because, he explains, ‘On the other side of this wall are the Catholics, they think
they’re the only ones here.’
T
The burning of poppies by Muslim extremists at 11am, on the 11th day of the 11th
month last year in London, the ensuing demonstration outside a local mosque, a
south-coast civic remembrance service with Koranic verses proclaimed in Arabic
and, yet again, no complementary Gospel reading added to the poignancy of
Remembrance Day, especially when you bear in mind that so many who have died
in our nation’s wars would have done so with the Gospel on their lips and in their
hearts.
Cultural sensitivity should be a two-way street, especially if the multicultural
experiment in this country is to succeed and to attain the goal of full social
inclusion. To foster one’s own cultural self-awareness should not be at the expense
of one’s neighbour.
I recall that one London borough used to help, maybe it still does help, immigrants
to this country to return periodically to their country of birth, India, lest their
cultural and religious affiliation with that mother country falter or fail.
We have also heard of late that many Muslims in our country find the cost of the
lifetime goal of a Hadj pilgrimage to Mecca prohibitive. The suggestion of state
financial support for such cases has again been mooted.
So, perhaps it’s time to call on the law of LPF (Level Playing Field), so often
overlooked, to pull issues back from where they are out of kilter.
We are told that multiculturalism, a slippery path on which to keep your footing,
is failing in this country. Yet it can work and it can work well. The Catholic faith
is worldwide, living proof of the fact.
There’s an old Spanish saying, Quien no grita no mama, which, roughly means
‘Shout if you want to be fed’ (Lit. ‘Who does not shout, does not suckle’). Later this
year, come the national census on 27 March, we’re being given the chance, if not
to shout, certainly to make our presence known. We’ll have the chance to lay down
a clear marker recording our Christianity – we’ll be asked our religion – and to
register our support for the Christian tenets on which our culture, with all its
traditions, has been painstakingly built. Admittedly some might not like the State
knowing too much about them. They might opt not to answer, claiming such
questioning an invasion of privacy: ‘Big Brother!’ [See Letters] But if the authorities
don’t know we’re here, how can we complain if we’re ignored and left alone in
isolation on the other side of the wall?
Contents
Bishop’s Bulletin
2
Homily For Deceased Bishops, Priests
5
And Deacons by Canon Mahy
Teens And 20s by Joshua Fernandes
6
This Is IT!
7
Parsons Pointers by John Parsons
7
Profiles
8 & 16
Behind The Scenes
8
Calendar
9
Prie-Dieu by Fr Denis Blackledge
10
Help For The Hard Of Hearing by Maggie Short
10
St Anne’s: The Tanzania Connection
11
by Sue Hutchinson
Movers And Shakers 12
12
Anglicans’ Long Journey To Rome by Colin Parkes 14
Anglican Ordinariate: Q&A by Colin Parkes
15
Live Issues by Dominica Roberts
16
A Broader View by Lawrence Fullick
17
Letters
18
News & Announcements
20
Twentysomethings In Bethlehem by Jenny Whelan 21
Health And Social Care In Bamenda by Jo Overton 22
Just For Juniors
24
Bookmark
25
It’s Hard Saying ‘No’ by Luxmy Gopalakrishnan
26
Hints & Wrinkles
27
Guidance For Our Lives by Jeremy Corley
28
PP distribution schedule for 2011: weeks beginning 28 Mar., 23 May, 25 July, 26
Sep. and 28 Nov. Copy for publication should be received as far in advance as
possible of the first working day of the month of publication/distribution.
Submission of copy can be no guarantee of publication. Further details on p. 28.
Cover photograph ©: Catherine Waters-Clark for Cameroonian mother and child, St. Martin de Porres School in Wum.
Acknowledgements:
Dr VJL Fontana, Assistant Archivist, for his guidance and the supply of archive material; Fr Mark Hogan and for the
many unsung heroes without whose support and contribution this publication would not be possible.
Designed and produced by South Hants Digital
t: 023 9238 8087
Photographs ©: CAFOD; Louisa Catlover; Aidan Foy; Monsignor Nicolas France; Barry Hudd; Steve Jackson; Adam
Kettle-Williams; Jay Kettle-Williams; Marcin Mazur (CNN); Ann Saunders; Fr Peter Sprague RIP; Jenny Whelan.
PORTSMOUTH PEOPLE
1
BISHOP’S BULLETIN
CRISPIAN HOLLIS
BISHOP OF PORTSMOUTH
BAMENDA DIARY
23 November – 1 December 2010
Bishop Crispian and Fr Engelbert, the Vicar General
This was a week of huge contrasts. Canon
David Hopgood and I left Heathrow for
Zurich on Tuesday 23 November early in the
morning, when it was still very cool, and
arrived in Douala at 7.30 pm the same day,
stepping out of the plane into the steamy
and humid climate of coastal West Africa
with temperatures in the upper 20sC.
On our return, we left Douala at midnight
on 30 November in a temperature of 29C,
only to disembark in Zurich at -1C, and it
was equally cold when we arrived in
Heathrow later that afternoon, having
missed our early connection in Zurich,
because of, as they say, ‘the late arrival of
the incoming flight’! We eventually arrived
back in Portsmouth at 4.30 pm. I reflect as I
look out of the window this morning (2
December) as I write these words, that we
would not have made it at all if we had
been travelling today.
Cameroon: Arrival and Welcome
For that first night in Cameroon, we were
the guests of the Archbishop of Douala and
arrived at his house in time for supper with
the community, including the retired
Archbishop, Cardinal Tumi. We were made
very welcome and were given airconditioned rooms in the Cardinal’s private
residence which is alongside Archbishop’s
House.
2
PORTSMOUTH PEOPLE
Pupils at St Joseph's, the Cathedral school in Bamenda
Bamenda-bound
It was an early start the next morning,
though we did draw the line at having Mass
at 6.00 am. We were on the road for
Bamenda by 7.30 pm. It is a long drive,
admirably achieved by Fr Michael Bibi, who
was to be our guide and mentor for the
next few days. I cannot speak too highly of
the wonderful way in which he looked after
us and managed a fairly full and busy
timetable, making sure that we were able to
move on when necessary in order to get
back to the Archbishop’s House for rest and
refreshment.
We arrived at Archbishop’s House,
Bamenda, in time for lunch on 24
November and were very warmly welcomed
by Archbishop Cornelius and Fr Ignatius
Waindim, both of whom visited us last year.
There were no heavy engagements on this
afternoon, so after a siesta, which is de
rigueur in Bamenda clergy circles, we
walked down to the Cathedral to pray at
the tomb of Archbishop Paul, at the same
time as visiting the newly established
Catholic University of Bamenda, which is in
its first year with 270 students enrolled. We
also had a short look at the new clinic of St
Blaise on the site which is in the process of
being built. On return to Archbishop’s
House, we had a preliminary and courtesy
meeting with the Bamenda-Portsmouth
Committee, followed by supper and a
relatively early bedtime.
Nkwen
On the second day of the visit, we
celebrated Mass at St Paul’s College, Nkwen,
which has links of solidarity and support
with our own All Hallows Catholic
Secondary School in Farnham. This is a good
link and is mutually beneficial for both
communities. After Mass, we had a quick
visit to the school site and heard about their
plans for extending the premises so that,
eventually, they will be able to
accommodate 900 pupils, many of whom
will be boarders. However, any thoughts
that anyone may have about a comparison
with our concept of boarding schools would
not be helpful!
The rest of the morning was taken up with
a visit to the Pastoral Centre which is
affiliated to Maryvale in the Birmingham
diocese and which hosts many of the
learning and spiritual activities of Bamenda
diocese. Situated on top of the escarpment
overlooking Bamenda City, it is relatively
cool and really a tremendous site.
Eventually, with help from Portsmouth, they
hope to be able to offer sleeping accommodation to nearly 90 people. The second
phase of the accommodation building is in
hand, though, for the time being money has
BISHOP’S BULLETIN
run out. On our way back to Archbishop’s
House, we visited the outstation church of
St Felix in the outskirts of Bamenda City. It
is as yet unfinished but funds for its
building came from St John’s Cathedral in
their Lenten Alms collection of 2010.
Bamenda diocese is largely self-sufficient in
the practical day-to-day work of the
diocese, though, of course the bulk of
Jubilee Mass
The Jubilee Mass and celebration, which
was the main reason for our visit, began at
9.00 am on the morning of Friday 26
November. It would be an understatement
to say that it was a simple Mass. The
Cathedral holds upwards of 2,500 people
and it was full, as was the piazza outside –
both spaces were full to overflowing. The
priests and religious of the diocese were all
Bishop Crispian and Canon David Hopgood
at the half-finished church sponsored
by our Cathedral community
funding comes from the Holy See and from
other outside agencies like ourselves, so it
will come as little surprise to learn that on
the campus in which the Cathedral and
Archbishop’s House are found, there is a fine
array of offices, a big primary school, a
professionally equipped garage in which all
the diocesan vehicles are maintained, a
bakery and woodwork centre. In the offices,
there are departments for Health Care, with
particular reference of HIV, Education,
Justice and Peace, Family Life and
Communication, which includes a simple
but effective recording studio. Canon David
and I recorded a short message of greeting
which was subsequently sent to all the local
radio stations in the area.
After lunch and the statutory rest, we
accompanied the Archbishop back to the
Cathedral for a ceremony of welcome,
followed by a Penitential Service and
Adoration for the pilgrims who were
beginning to assemble for the Ruby Jubilee
celebrations which would take place on the
next day. We were allowed to escape to
return to Archbishop’s House to spend the
evening with other Bishops from the
Province of Bamenda, together with the
recently ordained Papal Nuncio, Archbishop
Piero Pioppo, who was to preside and
preach at the Jubilee Mass the next
morning.
assembled together with the many bishops
who had come for the occasion. Canon
David and I were given places of honour
because the Portsmouth-Bamenda link, in
existence for 36 years, has been such an
important feature of the 40 year old history
of the diocese. The diocese was founded in
1970 with Archbishop Paul as its first Bishop
and our link, engineered by Archbishop Paul
and Archbishop (then Bishop) Derek
Worlock, came into existence in 1974, when
we began to send Fidei Donum priests to
Bamenda, including Mgr Ron Hishon, Fr
Michael Peters, Fr Peter Codd, Fr Tony Gatt
and Fr Eamon Walsh, as well as a number
who have since died or left us.
Africans do not do short Masses! This
celebration went on for nearly 5 hours and
was a riot of colour, music, dancing and
celebration. The Papal Nuncio preached in
English without notes for 20 minutes,
Archbishop Cornelius welcomed us all and
concluded the ceremony, the Chairman of
the Jubilee Committee gave us, at considerable length, the history of the diocese and
I made a modest contribution of only about
10 minutes on the mutual importance to
both dioceses of the Portsmouth-Bamenda
link. There was never a dull moment but it
was not short. To give you an idea, from the
beginning of the Nuncio's homily until the
end of the Offertory processions took nearly
90 minutes. By comparison, Holy
Communion for the vast congregation was
achieved briskly and efficiently. We
eventually re-emerged into the sunshine
and the myriad of photographers just
before 1.00 pm. Lunch followed, beautifully
prepared and presented in various locations,
after which it was time once again for the
siesta and a well-earned rest.
Bambui
We had Mass at the St Thomas Aquinas
Seminary in nearby Bambui. I presided at
the Mass and gave the soutane (cassock) to
17 students who were just beginning their
studies for the priesthood, joining some 150
or so others from a variety of dioceses who
had already been there for a number of
years. It was a stately and reverent
celebration, but there was something very
moving about it and, once again, the music,
both ancient and modern and African was a
major feature. Bamenda diocese has the
lion’s share of the students and it has 49
young men in various stages of their
preparations for ordination. It bodes well
for the priestly future of the diocese.
After Mass, we were driven up-country to
the hospital at Njinikom, where again,
Portsmouth has made significant contributions. It plays an important part in the
provision of health care both for the
immediate area and for the diocese and is
very efficiently and impressively run. We
have just provided funds for what they call
‘The Dream Van’ - a commercial vehicle for
the transport of bulk supplies of drugs and
medicines. I gave it a special blessing after
which we returned to the presbytery for
lunch.
There was no provision for the siesta on this
day as we were due to visit the big
Secondary School of St Bede on the way
back to Bamenda. St Bede’s is in a place
called Ashing. The headteacher, Fr
Bonaventure, will be well known to many in
Portsmouth because he spent 2 years at the
University of Southampton reading for an
MEd, as well as supplying in a number of
parishes in the area. He presides over a
community of 900 boys and girls, all of
whom are boarders. He has very important
work to do. After the visit, we returned to
Archbishop’s House for supper and bedtime.
Ndop
There was another early start on Sunday 28
November when we were driven to the
parish church of St Peter and St Paul at
PORTSMOUTH PEOPLE
3
BISHOP'S BULLETIN
Ndop, where the parish priest is Fr Cosmas.
A number of our priests have served there in
the past, including Mgr Ron Hishon, Fr
Eamon Walsh and Fr Peter Codd. They are
well and fondly remembered. It was to be a
simple Sunday Mass – or so we thought –
but it was not over until at least 11.30 am.
We then emerged to meet with the people,
visit the Pastoral Centre next door, which is
run by the Sisters of LSU – or The Holy
Union, as they are known in Bamenda.
Sisters known to many of us from their time
in Southampton have been among those
who have worked in Ndop as missionaries in
the past, though there are no English Sisters
there at the moment.
Lunch followed in the presbytery at which,
in traditional manner, I was offered the
gizzard of the chicken which is thought to
be a particular delicacy for the chief guest.
It is strange how suddenly I can discover
that I am a vegetarian!
presence and work. Its existence is a real
protection from special and very persuasive
requests for money and funding from all
sorts of different organisations and
communities. All applications for moneys
from the Portsmouth link have now to be
applied for properly with appropriate
application forms. The BamendaPortsmouth Committee looks at all
applications and passes them on to our
Portsmouth-Bamenda Committee before
they are approved. It is an important
exercise in accountability and transparency.
It tunes in very much with Archbishop
Cornelius’ wish that our links with Bamenda
should be diocese to diocese, rather than
haphazard response to individual requests.
The two Committees ensure that the help
that we can give from our relatively limited
resources is to those communities who need
it most, rather than to those communities
who may be more articulate than others. It
ensures a proper and fair distribution to the
places in the greatest need.
After lunch, Fr Michael Bibi, in his
wonderfully efficient and courteous way,
spirited us a way and back to Archbishop’s
House for supper and rest.
Azire
Monday 29 November was our last day in
Bamenda and it had been planned as a
quiet day, but there was a church
(outstation) in St Teresa’s Parish, Azire, for
which I had laid the foundation stone, with
help of funds raised from Abingdon, which
is now completed and was being made into
a Eucharistic Centre, as there was now a
catechist living next door. Again, this was a
simple Mass which only lasted 2 hours!
Before lunch we visited the Primary School
attached to the Cathedral Parish to deliver a
card of greetings from our own Cathedral
Primary School of St John in Portsmouth. I
am not sure what the children made of it
all, especially when we were described by
the local priest as coming from ‘white man
country’.
Bamenda-Portsmouth Committee
The day, and effectively the visit, ended with
a more formal meeting with the BamendaPortsmouth Committee, over which the
Vicar General, Fr Engelbert, presides. This
committee is new since my last visit and I
have to say how much I welcome its
Bishop Crispian and Fr Michael Bibbi
at the half-finished church
Fidei Donum
As I wrote at the beginning of this diary, the
Portsmouth-Bamenda link began in 1974 as
a Fidei Donum initiative whereby we sent
priests from Portsmouth to work for a
number of years in the diocese of Bamenda,
living alongside Bamendan priests and
assisting them. We are no longer able to do
that, though our Bamenda Sunday and its
collection ensure that we can continue to
support and sustain a number of important
and necessary projects in the diocese.
Fidei Donum wants very much to address
this question and offers us help. He has
therefore proposed to offer us two priests,
who will come to work with us for at least
three years, with the possibility of extending
their mandate for a further three years,
should that be agreeable to all parties
concerned.
This is a most generous offer and I have
accepted it very gratefully. It means that,
subject to the willingness of priest
volunteers and their readiness to come, we
will have 2 Bamenda priests working with
us from next September. Canon David and I
met with two prospective candidates and
we were impressed with the quality and
enthusiasm that they have shown.
September 2011 has been agreed as the
start date because there are a number of
formalities, like the application for visas and
the discernment of suitable placements,
which will need to be sorted out well in
advance. I want to go on record that I think
that this is a most generous offer from the
Archbishop, that it has been welcomed by
our two respective committees and that it
will mark the beginning of a new chapter in
the history of the linking of our two
dioceses. It will further cement what has
been a very important period in our history
– the Portsmouth-Bamenda link. Over the
years, we have given, though in different
ways, as much as we have received. This has
been a wonderful exercise in the sharing of
gifts and it has given both Bamenda and
ourselves that opportunity of glimpsing a
world which is bigger than our own and on
in which we have a common purpose in
building up the Christian community and
furthering the proclamation of the
kingdom.
Canon David and I have returned home
even more convinced than we were before
of the richness and importance of the links
which bring our two dioceses together. We
have truly been able to say that ‘these days
(of our visit) have been made by the Lord;
we rejoice and give thanks for them.’
Archbishop Cornelius is very aware of the
relative diminishing in the number of priests
that we have in Portsmouth and in a new
[Please note: Bishop Crispian's engagements for the forthcoming period are being posted online. The production schedule for this issue, shortened
because of the Christmas/New Year down-time, meant that not all matters could be finalised by the time of going to press. With apologies. Ed.]
4
PORTSMOUTH PEOPLE
FEATURE
FEAST OF THE DEDICATION OF
ST JOHN LATERAN
On 9 November 2010, Canon David Mahy preached in the Cathedral,
with Bishop Crispian presiding, at a diocesan Mass for the deceased
Bishops, Priests and Deacons of our Diocese of Portsmouth. The date
happened to be the feast of the Dedication of the Basilica of St John
Lateran, in Rome. We reproduce Canon Mahy’s Homily in two parts.
n the sacristies of each of
our churches and chapels in
the Diocese you can find a
book entitled Calendar of the
Diocese of Portsmouth. Its Latin
name is the Ordo for clergy and parish
sacristans, the book is an essential
guide to the seasons, feasts and saints
days of the church’s year. It also gives a
suggested diocesan prayer intention for
each day, with the anniversary dates of
the dedication or consecration of each
of our churches. For some major feasts,
particular scripture readings are
prescribed which take precedence over
those that a priest might otherwise
choose. The feast of the Dedication of
the Church of St John Lateran is such a
feast. Hence the readings today, which
we might not otherwise expect in a
Mass commemorating the dead. On this
day the universal church commemorates the dedication of the church in
the city of Rome which is the cathedral
church of the Bishop of Rome, the Holy
Father, the successor of St Peter. While
St Peter’s Basilica is recognised as being
built over the tomb of the Apostle
Peter, and so most familiar to pilgrims,
the Basilica of St John Lateran remains
the cathedral church of Rome. So we
celebrate today the feast of the
Dedication of the Cathedral of St John
Lateran.
I
Even so, today’s readings are particularly appropriate, as we call to mind
the bishops, priests and deacons of our
diocese who have died over the years.
In the Calendar, on most days of the
year, you will find, entered, the names
and dates of death of priests who have
served in our diocese of Portsmouth
since it was formed from part of the
Diocese of Southwark in 1882. Turning
to the appropriate page, if preparing
the liturgy of the day, you might come
across the name of someone you
actually knew, and you could make a
point of offering a brief prayer for that
individual. In the past few days I have
gone through the list of names with
more than usual care. There are almost
300 names and some, who passed
briefly through the diocese, are not
listed.
Of the six bishops, I was ordained by the
fourth, I went on to serve with the fifth
and sixth, and we are all now with our
seventh bishop, happily presiding at our
Mass today.
Of the priests who died before I was
born, five were in parishes where I
would subsequently minister as a priest.
Of those who died before, or soon after
my ordination, one baptised me, and
five were priests in the parish where I
received my vocation. Many of these
were predecessors to priests who would
later follow them in particular parishes
or other appointments, and who are
still among our diocesan clergy today.
Many priests joined our diocese after
being prepared for ordination in Irish
seminaries, and a high proportion of
those came to us from the Diocese of
Cloyne. And then there were the
religious: many more of them than are
recorded in the Ordo.
Of the deacons, three are named among
those we commemorate today. The
restoration
of
the
permanent
diaconate, with the loving support of
their families is a great gift to the
Church, and is a blessing to our diocese,
as surely we will increasingly come to
understand.
The Diocese of
Portsmouth
Consisting of the Counties of Hampshire,
Dorset, Berkshire except Slough,
South Oxfordshire,
the Isle of Wight and the Channel Islands.
Formed 19 May 1882 by division of the
Diocese of Southwark into the Dioceses
of Southwark and Portsmouth.
Patrons
Our Blessed Lady - Feast of the Immaculate
Conception, 8 December
St Edmund of Abingdon Feast Day, 16 November
Bishops
Rt Rev John Vertue
Born, 28 April 1826.
Consecrated Bishop of Portsmouth,
25 July 1882
Rt Rev John Baptist Cahill
Born, 2 September 1841. Consecrated Bishop of
Thagora and Auxiliary,1 May 1900
Succeeded as Bishop of Portsmouth,
30 August 1900.
Died (buried in Ryde), 2 August 1910
Rt Rev William Timothy Cotter
Born, 21 December 1866. Consecrated Bishop of
Clazonmenae and Auxiliary, 19 March 1905
Succeeded as Bishop of Portsmouth, 24
November 1910. Died (buried in Waterlooville),
24 October 1940
Most Rev John Henry King
Born, 16 September 1880. Consecrated Bishop
of Opus and Auxiliary, 15 July 1938
Succeeded as Bishop of Portsmouth, 4 June
1941. Given personal title of Archbishop,
6 June 1954
Rt Rev Derek Worlock
Born, 4 February 1920. Consecrated Bishop of
Portsmouth, 21 December 1965
Translated to Liverpool as Archbishop,
7 February 1976.
Died (buried in Liverpool), 8 February 1996
Rt Rev Anthony Joseph Emery
Born, 17 May 1918. Consecrated Auxiliary
Bishop of Birmingham, 4 March 1976
Installed as Bishop of Portsmouth,
11 November 1976.
Died (buried in Portsmouth), 5 April 1988
[We continue with part two of Canon Mahy’s homily in our forthcoming issue. Ed.]
PORTSMOUTH PEOPLE
5
FEATURE
TEENS & 20s
How The Duke of Edinburgh Deepened My Faith
Joshua Fernandes reflects on lessons learned
ecently, I had the pleasure of meeting Prince Philip, as I
successfully completed my Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award.
R
There are three levels of the Award, Bronze, Silver and Gold. At
each stage there are three sections that you must complete:
Service, Skill and Physical (the length of time varying with
award level). For Gold there’s an additional section:
Residential, which involves spending time away from home on
a shared activity with people you’ve never met before.
Every activity during this process is a display of your identity,
your likes and dislikes. My faith is an integral part of who I am
and it’s something no one should hide.
Long before I embarked on the Award, I had been an Altar
server and part of the Guild of St Stephen. It turned out that
this counted as the service element for the Bronze Award.
‘My faith is an integral part of who I am and
it’s something no one should hide’
When it came to the Gold, I wanted to challenge myself and
move out of my comfort zone. So my residential week was
spent on a pilgrimage to Lourdes in France, helping the elderly
with their personal needs and mobility, giving me the chance
to understand the needs of others.
Given the great diversity of people, a good religious debate is
never too far away. On many occasions I have found myself
trying to justify my faith and persuade people to see the other
side of their argument.
In the end you have to respect the other person’s point of view.
You cannot shove religion down people’s throat. Sometimes
all it takes is a change of delivery to adapt to the everchanging world.
In all of this the key element has to be parents. It is only
through their patience and teachings that I gained the values
that I have today and been able to do the things that I have.
Their constant encouragement/nags have pushed me to do
things that I wouldn’t have otherwise done, so the true thanks
should go to them.
What have I learnt from all of this is: It’s true that God is
listening and is always there for us, although sometimes it may
not feel like it. He always gives us the opportunity to
accomplish our wishes; it’s down to us whether we truly
achieve them.
Fascinating Facts and Figures
Each year in Britain we spend about £500m on cards, flowers,
chocolates and other gifts for St Valentine’s Day.
There is a city called Rome on every continent.
Women blink nearly twice as much as men.
I found it to be a deeply enriching experience that gave me the
chance to be a part of something more than myself. The
evening prayer vigils, the processions and hearing Mass in five
different languages are only a few cherished moments. It truly
was one of the more fulfilling times of my life. Upon my return
back home I felt invigorated and my faith renewed.
Since then I have gone on to university, where you really begin
to understand yourself better. For some it takes a while but in
the end you know who you are. My religion has always been
at my core.
6
PORTSMOUTH PEOPLE
The colour purple was the sign of high rank in ancient Rome.
It takes 43 muscles to frown but only 17 to smile.
Earth is the only planet not named after a god.
The average shopper carries one ton of shopping per year.
Queen Elizabeth I, the first cradle-to-grave Anglican monarch,
regarded herself as a paragon of cleanliness. She declared that she
bathed once every three months, whether she needed it or not.
The Bible, the world's best-selling book, is also the book most
often shoplifted.
FEATURE
This is IT!
PP looks at soft
and hardware
Parsons Pointers
John Parsons
BIKE SAFE
For further details of this road safety initiative geared to
motorcyclists: www.bikesafe.co.uk
TRAVELLING ABROAD?
Visit the Foreign Office website for travel advice and full
details of FCO support: www.fco.gov.uk/travel
PDF FILES FOR FREE
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Excel and PowerPoint files and many others into a PDF:
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GET WEBBING
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association or even business for free? Explore what Lifeyo
on www.lifeyo.com has to offer.
SAFEGUARDING ON THE WEB
If, as a parent, you have concerns about the content your
children come across as they surf the Web, Internet
Explorer 6 can help you safeguard your family's browsing
using Content Advisor. Here you have the basic trails. In
IE go to Tools > Internet Options > Content > Enable >
Content Advisor > General > Create Password > Create
Supervisor Password > Confirm Password > Hint (This
requires a mnemonic ref your password) > OK > OK > OK.
To limit web access: Tools > Internet Options > Content >
Settings > (Password) > OK > Approved Sites > Allow this
Web site > Always (or Never) [Note Removal option] > OK.
To turn off the monitoring: Tools > Internet Options >
Content > Disable > Password > OK. To change password:
Tools > Internet Options > Content > Settings > Password
> OK > General > Change Password > Old Password > New
Password > Confirm > OK.
¿HUNGRY?
Those off to Spain in August – World Youth Day – looking
for a culinary foretaste of what’s to come could do no
better than visit www.thetapaslunchcompany.co.uk for a
blog crammed with recipes, reviews, guides and news
about Spanish food. ¡Que aprovechen!
A
mong the family bits and pieces is a postcard from
the Environment Services Department of Sheffield
City Council which our younger son sent to us.
It says, ‘It is good to talk Rubbish’ Our son wrote
on the back ‘Vindicated. It’s nice to get it in
writing’.
When I started to think about that it struck me that there is
an important message for Christians there. The proper use of
God’s gifts to us in the shape of the world around us is surely
something that we have to take seriously. And so sorting out
the recyclable from the other rubbish is more than just a
chore, it is a Christian responsibility.
I have a friend who gives me odd tit bits that I may find
useful in this column. He was recently telling me about a
chap at one of the local recycling centres. Apparently this
man is renowned throughout the area for being helpful. He
comes from abroad and has little English but he makes
himself understood and is always courteous. By their fruits
you shall know them.
That sentiment struck me as I was thinking about what the
Pope had said about Christian influence in the life of the
nation. There was a time when Catholics were known by
their fish on Friday and so on. I think now that society judges
us by what we do rather than by what the rules may be. On
the face of it the local tip is hardly the place where you
would expect to find Christianity in action. But that man is
a one-man help machine. I gather he goes to a local Catholic
Church. The recycling centre led me to think of the
Philippine Community Fund. They help the children who
scavenge on the enormous rubbish dumps in Manila. Indeed
they have recently opened a school which has been built out
of containers
RETIRED?
Retirement-news.co.uk is a digital magazine offering news
and advice for retired folk in the UK:
www.retirement-news.co.uk
The lesson seems to be that if you want to find God at work
it may well be among the lowly and menial and not
necessarily in the posh places.
WORDSMITHS, PLEASE NOTE …
Schools, clubs, associations and even PAs (Pastoral Areas)
looking to create a professional-looking newsletter need
look no further than the free open-source DTP program
SCRIBUS for both PC and MAC: www.scribus.net
This rather tied up with an obituary I was reading about an
Anglican priest who rescued a statue of Christ from a skip. It
had the hands sawn off. He rescued it and put it in his
vicarage to remind people that we are God’s hands.
INSPIRON DUO
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touch to type to dock mode in seconds. From £449 incl.
VAT and delivery.
Contributions to this column warmly invited.
John worships at the Church of Our Lady in Fleet and is in the choir
there. He is a keen ecumenist and is a former Chairman of the Diocesan
Commission for Christian Unity. He has been a regular contributor to
Portsmouth People for some years with his column Parsons Pointers.
PORTSMOUTH PEOPLE
7
FEATURE
PERSONALITY PROFILE
School in Bournemouth’ – Graham took
a gap year after school, ‘when people
never talked of such a thing as a gap
year’, and went off with a chum to
Afghanistan, India, Singapore and
Australia. Once back in the UK, he
worked for a while in a ships planning
office in Southampton before joining
IBM where he remained for 25 years,
becoming a Corporate IT Auditor. And
then, come 2010, he joined the Curia
with responsibility to the LOF
Campaign.
Graham Palethorpe
x-IBM Corporate Auditor
Graham Palethorpe – ‘I was
an auditor for over 10 years’
– is better known these days
as the Diocesan Living Our
Faith Coordinator.
E
Hampshire Catholic born (New Milton)
and bred – ‘I went to St Thomas More
One of 3 children – ‘I have a sister in
Ealing, Southampton. My younger
sister Sally unfortunately drowned 17
years ago off the Barrier Reef’ –
Graham and his wife Christine, who
works as a Medical Secretary for Spire
Healthcare in Southampton, have two
children: David, currently training to be
a doctor, and Catherine who is currently
preparing to go to university to study
modern languages. ‘Living Our Faith,’
Graham explained, ‘has been so
successful. The Diocese is now in such
a good position to provide support for
Parish and Lay Formation initiatives, to
provide support for renewing facilities,
to provide for clergy formation/support
and to provide funding for local parish
initiatives.’
In his younger days Graham was keen
on parachuting, rock climbing and
exploring caves. However, these days
it’s the occasional malt whisky, Tai Chi
and ‘playing the guitar badly
accompanied by an even worse singing
voice’. Graham, who admits to getting
ruffled by ‘slow drivers in the middle
lanes of motorways’, has recently
launched into a new pastime: ‘There’s
the family allotment now to keep me
occupied at weekends, not that I’d
claim to have green fingers … but
hopefully that’ll just be a matter of
time.’
With this issue
BEHIND THE SCENES takes a look at …
Getting PP out to the Masses!
‘Capt’ John Ross
At the end of every other
month, he gets behind the
wheel of a delivery van and
sets off for the best part of
a working week, sometimes
longer, to drive over 800
miles to almost 100 spots
around our diocese, often
spending 11 hours a day on
the road, come rain or
shine. If it weren’t for John
Ross, you probably wouldn’t
now be holding this
magazine in your hands.
‘We used to produce and distribute 10,000 copies of the
magazine but demand dictated that we up that number
to 15,000,’ explained John. ‘With the magazines boxed
into 100s and each magazine weighing in at about 128 g
and there being 28.35 g to the ounce … well, you can do
the sums. The weather can be a bit tricky at times, such
8
PORTSMOUTH PEOPLE
as just before Christmas with all that snow and ice. There
are deliveries to be made all over the place including
Southampton docks, to send shipments to the Channel
Islands, and to Southsea for copies to catch the hovercraft
to the IoW. I liaise with three kind men in the CIs and
IoW. They then collect from the boats and hovercraft.
I’ve never met them. I only know their voices.’
John Ross - ‘I’m Anglican but my wife, Fran(ces), is a
Catholic’ – has been PP’s Distribution Manager for the
past 5 years or so, since before the publication went into
magazine format. In a former life John worked for the
Anglican Church engaged with church, school and other
building restoration-cum-preservation.
When he and Fran are not playing grandparents to their
five grandchildren, John likes nothing better than messing
about on the River Itchen in his pride and joy: an 84-yearold motor boat, ‘a veteran of Dunkirk’.
CALENDAR
CALENDAR OF
FORTHCOMING EVENTS
For further information please contact the parties identified
February
Tue 15: Preparing for the Rite of Election,
St Edward the Confessor, Chandlers Ford
t: 013 2983 5583 e: [email protected]
Wed 16: Preparing for the Rite of Election,
Our Lady Help of Christians, Farnborough
t: 013 2983 5583 e: [email protected]
Thu 17: Preparing for the Rite of Election,
Cathedral Discovery Centre, Portsmouth
t: 013 2983 5583 e: [email protected]
Sat 19: CAFOD Supporters Meeting, St Bede’s, Basingstoke
t: 012 5232 9385 e: [email protected]
Mon 28: Fairtrade Fortnight (28 Feb - 13 Mar) www.just1.org.uk/fairtrade/
March
Tue 01: St David’s Day
Tue 01: Experience of Prayer, Verbum Dei. Carisbrook IoW
- 03 www.verbumdei.org.uk/
Mon 07: Preparing for the Rite of Election,
Immaculate Conception and St Joseph, Christchurch
t: 013 2983 5583 e: [email protected]
Tue 08: Preparing for the Rite of Election, St Joseph, Tilehurst
t: 013 2983 5583 e: [email protected]
Wed 09: Ash Wednesday
Sat 12: Rite of Election, St John’s Cathedral, Portsmouth
t: 013 2983 5583 e: [email protected]
Sat 12: Called to a Noble Adventure - A vision for youth ministry,
Friends Meeting House, London www.cymfed.org
Sat 12: Amadeus! - Southampton Philharmonic Choir,
Winchester Cathedral (See advertisement)
t: (Box Office) 019 6285 7275 www.southamptonphil.org
Sun 13: World Youth Day 2011 Preparation Meeting, St Bede’s, Basingstoke
t: 013 2983 0947 e: [email protected]
Thu 17: St Patrick's Day
Fri 18: Lent Fast Day - CAFOD
t: 012 5232 9385 e: [email protected] or
www.cafod.org.uk/portsmouth
Mon 21: Easter Retreat, Verbum Dei. Carisbrook IoW
-24
www.verbumdei.org.uk/
Tue 22: WYD Parents Information Evening, St Joseph’s Church, Basingstoke
t: 013 2983 0947 e: [email protected]
Wed 23: WYD Parents Information Evening, Christ the King Hall, Reading
t: 013 2983 0947 e: [email protected]
Thu 24: WYD Parents Information Evening,
Christ the King and St Colman, Southampton
t: 013 2983 0947 e: [email protected]
Sun 27: 2011 Census www.census.gov.uk
April
Sun 03: Mothering Sunday
Tue 19: Chrism Mass (Mass of the Oils), St John’s Cathedral, Portsmouth
Fri 22: Good Friday - Public Holiday
Mon 25: Easter Monday - Public Holiday - St George’s Day
Fri 29: Royal Wedding Bank Holiday
May
Mon 02: Early May Bank Holiday
Sun 08: World Youth Day 2011 Preparation Meeting, venue TBC
t: 013 2983 0947 e: [email protected]
Sun 15: Vocations Sunday e: [email protected]
Wed 18: Good Shepherd Mass, St John’s Cathedral, Portsmouth
Sat 21: Day for New Catholics with Bishop Crispian,
Cathedral Discovery Centre, Portsmouth
t: 013 2983 5583 e: [email protected]
Tue 24: PP Writers Meeting, St John’s Cathedral, Portsmouth
t: 023 9283 3121 e: [email protected]
Mon 30: Spring Bank Holiday
June
Sat 18: Mass for those celebrating Significant Wedding Anniversaries,
St Bede’s Church, Basingstoke
t: 013 2983 5583 e: [email protected]
Sun 19: Fathers’ Day
July
Sun 10: World Youth Day 2011 Preparation Meeting, venue TBC
t: 013 2983 0947 e: [email protected]
August
Tue 09: World Youth Day, Madrid.
- 23
t: 013 2983 0947 e: [email protected]
Mon 29: Summer Bank Holiday
November
Wed 30: St Andrew’s Day
MAGAZINE OF THE
CATHOLIC DIOCESE
OF PORTSMOUTH
WHY NOT ADVERTISE IN PORTSMOUTH PEOPLE?
Portsmouth People, the bi-monthly publication of the Catholic Diocese of
Portsmouth, can be viewed on line at: www.PortsmouthPeople.org.uk
Portsmouth People:
* 32pp A4 full-colour publication printed on forest-sustainable paper
* Magazine format offering increased shelf-life
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* Features, News, Announcements, Calendar, Letters, Profiles, Bookmark ...
* Bimonthly, published at the end of every odd month (i.e. end of Jan., March, ... )
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* Free e-subscription service
* On-going readership services
Rate card in electronic format for display advertising available on request
To advertise please contact the Editor for full details.
Editor: Dr Jeremy L Kettle-Williams
Department for Pastoral Formation, Park Place Pastoral Centre, Winchester Road,
WICKHAM, Hampshire PO17 5HA
e: [email protected]: +44(0)23 9283 3121 f: +44(0)23 9287 2172
Portsmouth People is the diocesan publication for the Catholic Diocese of Portsmouth. It is
distributed free of charge to parishes and other groups in the Diocese which covers Hampshire,
the Isle of Wight, the Channel Isles and parts of Berkshire, Dorset and Oxfordshire. The
Portsmouth Roman Catholic Diocesan Trust is a registered charity (number 246877) with its
address at Diocesan Office, St Edmund House, Edinburgh Road, Portsmouth PO1 3QC www.portsmouthdiocese.org.uk
What’s in a Word - LENT
Lent is the period of the liturgical year leading up to Easter.
The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the
believer — through prayer, penitence, almsgiving and selfdenial/evaluation — for the annual commemoration during
Holy Week of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus, which
recalls the events linked to the Passion of Christ and
culminates in Easter, the celebration of the Resurrection of
Jesus Christ.
Conventionally Lent is described as being forty days long,
though different denominations calculate the forty days
differently. The forty days represent the time that, according
to the Bible, Jesus spent in the desert before the beginning of
his public ministry, where he endured temptation by Satan.
Lenten practice was virtually universal in Christendom until
the Protestant Reformation. Some Protestant churches do not
observe Lent, but many do e.g. Lutherans, Methodists,
Presbyterians and Anglicans.
Lent begins on Ash Wednesday (9 March) and ends in the
Catholic Church at sundown on 21 April (Holy Thursday) with
the beginning of the Mass of the Lord’s Supper. In most
churches, Lenten decorations are purple, the royal colour,
celebrating kingship.
The Editor welcomes entries for inclusion in the Calendar of Forthcoming Events
PORTSMOUTH PEOPLE
9
FEATURE
And once that fear-barrier is broken down
and passed through,
the elemental joy of floating takes over
and give a new dimension to living.
Fr Denis Blackledge
PRIE-DIEU: LETTING GO
Loving Lord,
learning to float on water
is a good way of learning how to pray.
For the simple lesson to be learned
is to trust myself to what apparently
is unable to hold and carry me
and let my whole self relax and rest upon
one of the most basic elements
that from time immemorial has frightened
humans.
Making friends with water in this way
can tell us a lot
about making friends with you, Lord.
Developing a relationship of trust
that learns how to lean back
and let you take the strain.
Loving Lord,
establishing a relationship of utter trust,
of letting go so I can be carried
is absolutely basic when it comes
to growing in depth.
For I literally have to accept
that being out of depth
is the fundamental status of a human
being.
And learning how to float on water
tells its own tale.
For it doesn’t matter how shallow
or how deep the water is.
What matters is the depth
of my own trusting!
Once I can get my feet off the bottom
and begin to realize that I’ll always
be held,
and only my panic or fear can make
me sink,
then I’ve cracked it,
for the two of us have no barriers
between us,
and all the facts are friendly.
Loving Lord,
so it is with you.
Learning how to pray
can only come out of the depths
of each of us individual human beings
with our unique history and mystery.
Just letting go and entrusting our whole self
as we are and feel right now
and leaning up against you, Lord.
Loving Lord,
the problem often
is that we want to swim before we can
float.
We want to do things for you and get
somewhere
before we’ve established that deep trust.
We want religion before relationship.
Loving Lord,
teach us all that floating
is far more important than swimming.
Teach us all that being-with-you
is far more important than doing-for-you.
That way we’ll be better swimmers too
in your love and service,
for once we’ve genuinely learned to float
we can never forget.
Lord, teach us how to float.
Amen.
Fr Denis Blackledge SJ is Parish Priest, Corpus Christi Boscombe, and Pastoral Co-ordinator, Bournemouth.
Do you struggle to hear what
is going on during Mass or
other services ?
Maggie Short identifies the help at hand
o lose hearing is one of the most isolating things that
can happen to anyone, and people often give up
attending church when it becomes just too difficult to
hear what is going on.
T
Our diocese is very much aware that one in seven among its
congregations are either deaf, deafened or hard of hearing –
i.e. conditions in which individuals are fully or partially unable
to detect or perceive at least some frequencies of sound which
can typically be heard by others - and so has arranged that a
British Sign Language (BSL) Interpreter and a Lipspeaker are
regularly available for three of the big annual diocesan events:
the Rite of Election; the Mass of the Oils (Chrism Mass) and the
Significant Anniversaries Mass which are being held this year
on 12 March at the Cathedral, on 19 April at the Cathedral and
on 18 June at St Bede’s (Basingstoke) respectively.
© Denis Blackledge SJ
Parishioners in the Deaf Community are now no longer
confined to services exclusively for BSL users: members of
parishes, plus their families and friends who have lost hearing,
but are still operating in the hearing world, find the presence
of a Lipspeaker enables them to take as full a part as ever.
A Lipspeaker repeats whatever is being said, but without voice,
so that people who have lost their hearing are helped to
lipread and so keep up with what is being said.
The presence of a BSL Interpreter means that deaf people can
similarly be brought into the normal voiced service and so
likewise feel fully part of the worshipping community.
The diocese is very committed to having as many people as
possible involved in as many services as possible. So, if you or
anyone you know has felt obliged to sacrifice attending
church because of hearing problems, why not come to one or
all of the above celebrations? Ben Legrys, the BSL Interpreter,
and myself, Maggie Short, the Lipspeaker, and others look
forward to meeting you and chatting to you … you’ll also get
a good seat!
For further details and information: Catholic Diocese of Portsmouth website (www.PortsmouthDiocese.org.uk); St John’s
Cathedral website (www.PortsmouthCatholicCathedral.org.uk); Maggie Short (e: [email protected] and
www.lipreading.net); British Deaf Association (www.bda.org.uk); Association of Teachers of Lipreading to Adults
(www.lipreading.org.uk); Association of Lipspeakers (www.lipspeaking.co.uk).
10
PORTSMOUTH PEOPLE
FEATURE
St Anne’s:
the Tanzania Connection
Sue Hutchinson reports on a Southampton
school’s steps to go international
t has been an exciting few years for
our school, St Anne’s, in central
Southampton with a link being set
up with The Debrabant School in
Tanzania. The secondary school has
only fairly recently been built in a rural
area south of the city of Dar Es Salaam
but, as an LSU school, it has a great deal
in common with St Anne’s: the founder
of both our schools was Jean Baptiste
Debrabant, a man with a vision and a
passion to provide quality education for
young women. Debrabant, who lived in
France in the 1800s, was actually the
founder of the LSU, which established St
Anne’s in 1904.
I
Jean Baptiste Debrabant 1801-1880
Some of the students of St Anne’s
began supporting The Debrabant
School after a visit to Tanzania by one
of the school’s English teachers
brought to light the already existing
links between the two schools. The first
thing some of the girls then did was to
send some letters to their
Tanzanian school mates
and they were delighted
to receive an answer,
penned by one of the girls
more fluent in English.
Some months later, we
welcomed to the school
Sister Theresa Finn, an exgovernor of St Anne’s,
and were delighted to receive a gift from
Tanzania, a beautiful wood carving [See
inset] which is now on display in our
school vestibule.
As interest grew, some of the sixth form
students at St Anne’s began to take a
lead in supporting the school in Dar Es
Salaam and so began a series of
fundraising activities which included
showing a film to students in their lunch
times, baking cakes to sell to the staff
and, most recently, a hugely popular
non-uniform day which raised very
nearly £1000 [See inset]. Very quickly,
The Debrabant School, having been
supported by two of the school’s houses,
had been established as a whole school
charity.
The way ahead looks exciting as we hope
that more and more students, and staff,
will become actively involved in
supporting what we now fondly term
‘our sister school’. Our aim is that we not
only raise money (although there is
always going to be a need for finance)
but that we find a variety of ways to
support and pray for our sisters and
brothers in Tanzania. We want to be a
very real source of encouragement and
strength to them as we all work towards
a common goal, that of providing
excellent education for girls (and boys)
in an environment of Christian care and
nurture. Who knows what the future
might hold? Perhaps one day, in the not
too distant future, we could see a group
of St Anne’s teachers going out to train
and equip the Tanzanian teachers or
sixth form students choosing to
volunteer at The Debrabant School for
an African gap year.
Sue Hutchinson, English teacher at St Anne’s Catholioc
School and Sixth Form College (Southampton), is responsible
for setting-up and maintaining the Tanzania link.
PORTSMOUTH PEOPLE
11
NEWS
MOVERS and SHAKERS
We pick up on the enthusiasm and achievement across our diocese
LOF IN ACTION: THE GREAT PARISH GIVE-AWAY
PAPAL MEDAL
John Regan is presented with medal
and plaque by Fr Peter Willcocks SJ
Congratulations to John Regan who
recently retired as Head of Corpus
Christi Primary School (Bournemouth).
For outstanding 38 years in education,
22 as a head, John received the PRO
ECCLESIA ET PONTIFICE medal from
the Pope.
Stewardship in Parishes across
the Diocese of Portsmouth
involves the talents of all
Catholics being acknowledged as
an essential part of the body of
Christ: every parishioner has
treasure to receive and time to
give and, by extension, every
Parish has treasure to give and
receive. The Parish of St Joseph's
Havant set out to raise funds for
Living Our Faith with a target of
£133k. St Joseph’s then opted to
help out neighbouring parishes
with greater financial needs:
£7.5k was given to St Michael's
(Leigh Park), long since crippled
with debt from a Church burnt
down, and £7.5k to Sacred Heart
(Waterlooville) for its new
Church [See previous issue of PP]. No Parish exists in isolation. The recipient
communities of St Michael's and the Sacred Heart, seen here being presented
with their cheques by Fr Tom Grufferty (St Joseph's), express sincere thanks to
the people of St Joseph's Parish.
FUN RUN
CATHOLIC WOMAN OF
THE YEAR
Chris Whitfield, Acting Head of
St Edmund's School
(Portsmouth), is pictured here
with Year 7 students and
colleague before a recent Fun
Run at the school. 50% of
money raised is earmarked for
Bamenda, 50% to purchase a
new trampoline for the school.
LONG SERVICE AWARD
FOR ‘TEMPORARY’
VOLUNTEER
A woman volunteering to be parish CAFOD
representative on a temporary basis has been
given a National Long Service Award. Back in
1990, CAFOD was looking for someone to
post off the contributions from the Friday
Self Denial envelopes at St Joseph’s in
Tilehurst, Reading. Margaret Chaplin came
forward. ‘I said I’d volunteer until someone
else came along,’ said Margaret, now 80 years
old. ‘I’ve had to give up the other things I
used to do, like cleaning the church, but yes!
You’ve guessed it! I’m still doing CAFOD.’
12
PORTSMOUTH PEOPLE
Anne Lambkin, Past President
Portsmouth UCM, was one of five
ladies honoured at last year's
Catholic Woman of the Year Lunch.
35 members travelled to London for
the occasion. The party included
Anne’s Latvian daughter-in-law,
which was very appropriate since
Anne has worked as the RC representative to the Ecumenical Forum for
European Christian Women.
NEWS
NEW YEAR’S HONOURS
TOP OF THE FORM
Salesian College (Farnborough) recently won the Top of the Form competition
scoring 417 points against the runner-ups’ 199. James Astles, Thomas Bates, Oliver
Dunkley, Luke Shirley and George Uzzell won £500 for the College Science
Department, a cheque for £25 each and flights to the Devonshire Dock at BAE
Submarine Solutions, Barrow-In-Furness. The competition, coordinated by BAE
Farnborough, aims at promoting the practical application of Science, Maths and
Engineering knowledge to students ages 14-16.
ST GEORGE’S COMES UP TO SCRATCH
Congratulations to one of St Laurence’s
longest-serving parishioners, 86-yearold Kathleen (Katie) Pitt, awarded an
MBE for services to the community in
Petersfield.
Last November, male staff
at Saint George College
(Southampton)
grew
beards and moustaches to
raise a pot of money for
the ‘Movember’ Cancer
Campaign in aid of
Prostate Cancer. Event
Organiser/Assistant Head,
Mr Musk, remarked: ‘A lot
of us were literally itching
for the event to end so we
could reach for razors!’
www.PortsmouthPeople.org.uk
APOSTLESHIP OF THE SEA – PORT OF JERSEY
BISHOP’S BULLETIN
CALENDAR
PERSONALITY PROFILES
CHURCH IN FOCUS
PRIE-DIEU
ARTICLES
MOVERS & SHAKERS
LETTERS
BEHIND THE SCENES
LITURGY
REPORTS
PRIESTS’ PROFILES
COMMENTS
FASCINATING
FACTS & FIGURES
UPDATES
A BROADER VIEW
RECIPES
PASTORAL AREA PROFILES
DOCTRINE
INTERVIEWS
ARTICLES
TEENS & XXs
BISHOP’S ENGAGEMENTS
BEHIND THE SCENES
QUOTABLE QUOTES
LIVE ISSUES
FEATURES
JUST FOR JUNIORS
NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
BOOK REVIEWS
HINTS & WRINKLES
PARSON’S POINTERS
SCRIPTURE
FAITH IN ACTION
MAGAZINE OF THE
CATHOLIC DIOCESE
OF PORTSMOUTH
Every day five vessels berth at the port of
Jersey bringing 98.6% of the goods needed
plus passengers and cars. Over 100 seafarers
arrive daily, often to remain ship-bound. At
Christmas, the A.O.S. and The Mission to
Seafarers say ‘Thank you’ to the crews of
those vessels by bringing them gifts.
December was a busy month for the A.O.S.
volunteers of Port of Jersey and of the Jersey
Parish: Parishioners knitted woolly hats, wrote
Christmas cards and donated toiletries. Local
A.O.S. volunteers saw to the packing and, over
the Christmas period, delivered the gifts to
the crews berthed at Jersey.
Packing woolly hats and other presents: (L to R) Dennis Troy MBE Volunteer Ship Visitor, Peter Fosse
AOS Parish Contact St Thomas', Terry Brown Volunteer Ship Visitor, Peter Bewers Volunteer Ship
Visitor. Jersey is part of the area looked after by Chaplain Deacon the Reverend Roger Stone who,
based in Southampton, has a ‘beat’ covering the ports of Sussex, Hampshire, Dorset and Jersey
CATHEDRAL GUILD OF ST JOHN
Set up at the Cathedral some
three years ago, the group
helps the Cathedral Verger
incl. looking after Altar
Servers; ensuring a member is
present
at
week-day
lunchtime Masses: assisting
the priests and Bishop at
baptisms, weddings, funerals,
Benediction …
Guild Members (L to R, back row to front): Brian Kidd, David Kennedy (Cathedral Verger),
Samir Alqas, Richard Trist, Judy Pellatt, Dougie Waterman & Gabriel Somorjay
PORTSMOUTH PEOPLE
13
FEATURE
Anglicans’ Long Journey To
Rome Nears Its End
Colin Parkes reports on the Ordinariate
ere in the Diocese of Portsmouth, we are close
to having a number of new Catholic
neighbours. They are Anglicans in our area
hoping to join the Catholic Church under the
provisions of the Ordinariate announced more
than a year ago by Pope Benedict.
H
These are exciting but
uncertain times for them.
Exciting because in Holy
Week they should finally be
received into full communion
with the Church for which
they have been yearning for a
long time. Uncertain because
it’s not yet clear how things
will work in practice.
Under the arrangements
announced by the Catholic
Bishops’
Conference
in
November there are several
Former Bishop
Reverend Andrew Burnham
Before the beginning of Lent, retired Bishops, including Edwin
Barnes the former Bishop of Richborough who lives in
Lymington, are also due to be ordained.
Also before the beginning of Lent former Anglican clergymen
intending to lead groups of faithful into the Ordinariate will
begin ‘a period of intense formation’ for ordination as Catholic
priests. In this area, there are expected to be groups from
Reading, the Isle of Wight and Christchurch, amounting to a few
dozen people in all, though precisely how many is not yet clear.
PORTSMOUTH PEOPLE
Although members of the Ordinariate will not be part of the
main structure of our diocese, Bishop Crispian has been involved
in making the local arrangements and they will be fellow local
Catholics. And we are likely to bump into some of them in our
churches. During Lent, before their own pastors are ordained,
they may be joining us at Mass. Welcomers take note!
By the summer, the ordinariate groups could have their own
Mass times in our churches. And, if they are using our buildings,
they make it clear they would help with things like church
cleaning and flower arranging. The clergy I have spoken
to are all prepared to fill in for our own priests when
they are on holiday, and hope that our priests will be
able to do the same for them. They are anxious not to
be seen, in the words of one, ‘as rather quaint, exotic
groups.’
We are likely to bump into some of them in our churches
stages. Already, by the time you read this edition of Portsmouth
People, at least three former Anglican Bishops are likely to have
been ordained as Catholic priests to serve in the Ordinariate. In
this area, these include the former Bishop of Ebbsfleet, Andrew
Burnham, who lives in Abingdon in the north of our diocese.
Also Rome will have appointed an ‘Ordinary’ who will be
responsible, together with the local Catholic bishop for the
ongoing life of the Ordinariate.
14
During Lent, these groups, or candidates as they will be by
then, will be prepared for reception into the Church, either on
Holy Thursday or during the Easter Vigil. Their pastors,
assuming all goes well, will be ordained into the Catholic
Priesthood around Pentecost.
Will the Ordinariate be a temporary or a permanent structure?
Former Bishop Andrew is disarmingly honest about this.
‘The first wave will be quite small, but it could be followed by
many others, so the Ordinariate would grow.
‘It is also possible that it turns out not to be viable, in which
case those in the Ordinariate would fold into the existing
Catholic Community. In a way, it doesn’t greatly matter. The
important thing is that those called to make the journey have
the chance to do so.’
FEATURE
Anglican Ordinariate:
Questions and Answers
Q: Why do these Anglicans want to
become Catholics?
Q: Do they accept Catholic doctrine?
A: Yes, is the short answer. Anglo-Catholics believe in the
A: For most, this is not a sudden or recent decision. Rather, Real Presence of Jesus in the Sacraments, and the other core
it’s the end of a long process. Since the Oxford movement in
the 1830s and 1840s, in which Blessed John Henry Newman
was a leading light, a section of the Church of England has
always looked towards Rome. They call themselves AngloCatholics and see themselves as part of the Universal Church,
though not necessarily in full communion with it.
The Anglican Catholic International Commission (ARCIC) was
set up 40 years ago as an instrument of dialogue the aim of
which was to bring about unity. Anglo-Catholics fervently
hoped for this. But those who are planning to join the
Ordinariate now feel that unity is not possible because the
Church of England has taken too many independent decisions.
Catholic teachings, especially that of the teaching authority of
the Church and the authority of the Papacy.
Q: What preparation will they have?
A: Many have already been doing the Evangelium course,
which is based on the Catholic catechism. They will undergo
further intensive formation during Lent.
Q: Why will they be joining a special
Ordinariate, rather than an
existing parish?
A: Over the years, many Anglicans have become Catholics
individually, but leaving friends, pastor, church buildings and
much loved parts of the liturgy can be a great wrench.
Leading Anglo-Catholics petitioned many times to be allowed
to be received into full Catholic communion as a group. It was
in response to these requests that Pope Benedict has
authorised the Ordinariate, which will be allowed to maintain
those Anglican traditions and liturgy approved by the Holy
See.
Q: What churches will they worship in?
A: Still to be decided. The most likely arrangement will be a
Benediction at an Anglo-Catholic Church
The most recent of these is the one to consecrate women
bishops, although this is not yet enshrined into the law of the
Church of England. Previously, Anglo-Catholics opposed the
ordination of women priests and so too would be opposed to
the ordination of women as bishops. But the clergy want to
make it clear that they are not against women. ‘For a start,
most of us are married,’ says former Bishop Andrew Burnham.
‘The real issue is about authority, how the church makes
decisions. Gay marriage and whether unbaptised people
should be admitted to Holy Communion are among some of
the looming questions.
‘By saying that it can decide these things on its own, the
Anglican Church is coming loose from its moorings as part of
the Universal Church.’
special Mass time for the former Anglicans in an existing
Catholic Church. But it may be that the Church of England
will agree to rent or lease a building to a newly-Catholic
congregation. Some Anglican clergy hope they might be
offered an empty Catholic presbytery to live in once they
become Catholic priests.
Q: What is Anglo-Catholic liturgy like?
A: Not so different from ours in its essentials. Some already
use the Roman Missal and Breviary and celebrate all the
Catholic feasts. Sunday Masses are usually sung, and great
attention is paid to ceremonial, including the correct
vestments, use of incense etc. Others want to keep more of
the Anglican tradition, including the use of the Book of
Common Prayer.
The precise and eventual form of worship will be a matter
which will have to be agreed by the Ordinary of the
Ordinariate and the authorities in Rome. Both parties will want
to bear in mind that the Anglican patrimony is, in Pope
Benedict’s words, ‘a treasure to be shared’.
PORTSMOUTH PEOPLE
15
FEATURE
PRIEST’S PROFILE
General in our diocese, all based in
parishes. John’s specific responsibility is
to and for the Curia.
Monsignor John Nelson
orn and bred in SE London
– ‘We moved to Hampshire
when I was 10’ – and one of
four children – ‘Brother in
New Zealand, one sister in
Australia and another sister
in Waterlooville’ - Monsignor John
Nelson (Ordained 21.07.1984) has been,
since 1999, one of the three Vicars
B
John lived and went to school in
Basingstoke from the age of 10 until he
was 18, at which point (September 1978)
he went to The English College in Rome,
‘arriving two days before John Paul I
died, so I was able to witness all the
ceremonials of a Papal funeral, and then
the election of John Paul II’. John was to
spend eight years in Rome studying for
the priesthood ‘and learning Italian –
which was a must as lectures were in
Italian.’
Having taken a course of further
theological study in Rome, John went to
English Martyrs, Reading, for three years
before being appointed Secretary to
Bishop Crispian (1989-92). Further
studies followed (Ottawa: 2 years) with
him gaining a Licentiate in Canon Law,
after which he served for five years at St
In December the European Court of Human
Rights found that there is no human right
to abortion under the European
Convention on Human Rights, but held
that Ireland’s constitutional legal
protection for the unborn violated the
right to privacy of one of the three
applicants. She was in remission from a rare
form of cancer at the time she sought an
abortion. She claimed that the pregnancy
could lead to the cancer’s return and that
her right to be told of the option of
abortion had been violated.
Live Issues:
Ireland:
the safest place
to have a baby
Dominica Roberts
looks at some
vital questions
Slippery Slope
The decision blurs an important distinction.
Direct killing of an unborn child is never
permissible morally or under Irish law,
though it always has been in English law.
Perhaps this is why the slippery slope to
abortion on demand has happened here.
Genuine medical treatment needed to save
the mother, which, as an unavoidable but
unintended side effect, may sadly lead to
the death of the child, has always been
allowed. Sometimes the mother may
heroically refuse treatment so as to save
her baby, as Saint Gianna Beretta Molla did.
Francis de Sales (Wash Common), spent
eighteen months in Paulsgrove and five
years in Abingdon (2001-06) before
returning to English Martyrs, Reading.
Since 1990 John has also been a
Chaplain with the Territorial Army:
‘Seven months with the Army in Kosovo
(2001) convinced me that there is really
something special we priests can offer –
beyond our regular congregations’. Two
subsequent tours to war-torn Iraq
compounded that conviction. And,
come the time this issue of PP goes to
print, John will have left for Camp
Bastion in Afghanistan for a 4-month
tour as Hospital Chaplain to the military:
‘Not only do I feel, as I get older and
have more pastoral experience, that
there is something I can offer but also
that there is much for me to learn when
ministering to men and women in the
Armed Forces.’
In other cases without treatment both will
die and there is no chance of the baby
surviving.
In many cases, medical science can now
protect a mother's health in a difficult
pregnancy until the child is capable of
surviving delivery. A direct abortion in a
Catholic hospital in 2009 in Phoenix,
Arizona, USA, on a woman with severe
pulmonary hypertension was strongly
criticised on medical as well as moral
grounds.
Top in Safety
An Irish commentator correctly stated that
‘There are no medical circumstances where
a pregnant woman's life can only saved by
abortion. The fact is, without abortion,
Ireland is the safest country in which to be
pregnant. Irish women receive the best
medical care in the world. In the latest
report from the United Nations on
maternal mortality, Ireland came first in
terms of safety for pregnant women.’ The
Irish will continue to resist with determination any attempt via medical guidelines
to use this decision to loosen the protection
of the unborn in their country.
Dominica Roberts is a parishioner of St Joseph and St Margaret Clitherow in Bracknell, and active in several pro-life groups.
16
PORTSMOUTH PEOPLE
FEATURE
Quotable Quotes
‘Birthdays are good for you.
Statistics show that the people who
have most live the longest’
Fr Larry Lorenzoni
‘Life is too short to learn German’
Richard Porson, British classical
scholar (1759-1808)
‘At my age I do what Mark Twain did.
I get my daily paper, look at the
obituaries page and if I’m not there I
carry on as usual’
Patrick Moore, British astronomer
‘At the back of every great fortune
lies a great crime’
Honoré de Balzac
‘It is the busiest man who has time to
spare’
Cyril Parkinson
‘Of all noises, I think music is the
least disagreeable’
Samuel Johnson
‘My generation thought that fast
food was something you ate during
Lent’
Joan Collins
‘The old believe everything; the
middle-aged suspect everything; the
young know everything’
Oscar Wilde
‘Cover toast with slabs of cheese.
Grill until it all sets nice’
London Mayor Boris Johnson’s
recipe for cheese on toast
‘Why the fuss over the Burmese
elections? They said it was a general
election – and the generals were
elected’
Ray Rayner
‘I’m 59 and people call me middleaged. How many 118-year-old men
do you know?’
Barry Cryer, British comedian
‘I don’t read Portsmouth People, I
don’t live in Portsmouth’
Southampton parishioner
A Broader
View
Lawrence Fullick looks at
the wider world
he appointment of a new Apostolic
Nuncio to Britain at the start of the year
is a good time to look at the state of
relations between the Holy See and Britain.
T
The former Nuncio, Archbishop Faustino
Sainz, unfortunately suffered ill health
bringing his time in London to an early end.
However he was able to return to Britain
for the Pope’s visit to the preparation of
which he had contributed much. He made
a farewell visit to the bishops of England
and Wales at their meeting in Leeds and
made an informal speech which was
warmly received.
Europe. In the UN international
development issues are an area of
continuing potential cooperation between
London and the Vatican. In European
bodies the Church will be hoping for
support in ending discrimination against its
members, in Europe and in non-European
countries where the EU has agreements.
The new Nuncio, Archbishop Antonio
Mennini, comes to London after seven Britain has always felt as a country that it
years in Moscow, in a country with has at least moral obligations to assist with
potentially great problems for such an the well-being of former colonies. The
appointment. There had been particular same principle has extended to countries
difficulties in dealings with the Russian we have defeated in wars once
Orthodox Church but relations improved so reconstruction has begun: I think of
Germany after the
that in 2009 President
Medvedev could upgrade
New Nuncio’s dealings with Second World War.
Similar principles need
the papal representation
British government will be
to a full nunciature.
mainly on international issues to be applied in
countries where we have
Archbishop Mennini will have a busy time engaged in hostilities recently. In Iraq
dealing with matters internal to the today there have been acts of violence and
Catholic Church: there are nine present or other discrimination against Christians
impending vacancies for diocesan bishops because of them practising their religion.
including our own for which he will have to Yet the British government has considered
draw up shortlists. Then there will be the it safe for rejected asylum seekers to be
establishment by the bishops’ conference returned to Iraq.
of the new ordinariate for groups of
Anglicans converting to the Catholic Discrimination has not affected Christians
Church, which will have an operational alone and this is one area where
relationship with the Congregation of the maintaining good inter-faith relations is
Doctrine for the Faith in Rome. Relations essential.
with the Church of England are currently
very good but continuing sensitivity is There are times when we are too selfcritical; Britain has long experience of
needed.
practising toleration between different
The Nuncio’s dealings with the British varieties of Christians and people of other
government will be mainly on international faiths or none. The resultant goodwill was
issues. On some the role of Britain as a on display to visitors from Rome and the
member of international organisations is rest of the world during the Papal visit.
relevant – the UN, the EU or the Council of
Lawrence Fullick, a parishioner in Bournemouth, is treasurer of the Wyndham Place
Charlemagne Trust, a charity which promotes discussion of international issues
among people of all faiths or none.
PORTSMOUTH PEOPLE
17
LETTERS
SCHINDLER PRIZE
THE ORDINARIATE
n reservations
may have questions and eve
ics
hol
Cat
of
ber
num
a
Whilst
n with the Church
to come into full communio
g
hin
wis
ans
glic
An
se
tho
about
e in this issue
Colin Parkes writes elsewher
at
wh
te,
ria
ina
Ord
the
h
throug
ds at rest.
should set hearts and min
out, but the
as to how it will all work
ons
sti
que
ate
itim
leg
are
There
of the Anglican
communion with the Church
full
for
ire
des
and
ity
sincer
rney of faith is
come with them in this jou
to
h
wis
o
wh
se
tho
and
clergy
certainly beyond doubt.
but our new found
s new ground for us all
ent
res
rep
te
ria
ina
Ord
The
made to feel at one
erved to be welcomed and
des
s
ter
sis
and
rs
the
bro
y are truly ‘coming home’.
with us all. They feel that the
Father who will not
’ appointed by the Holy
ary
din
‘Or
an
be
l
wil
re
The
y for the day to day
who will have responsibilit
but
hop
bis
a
be
ly
ari
ess
nec
hops’ Conference. This
will be a member of our Bis
he
–
te
ria
ina
Ord
the
of
life
ic bishops and I will be
se colleague of the Cathol
clo
a
be
l
wil
he
t
tha
ans
me
our diocese.
iness of the Ordinariate in
bus
the
on
him
h
wit
g
rkin
wo
icle. The laity and
ups, as Colin says in his art
gro
ee
thr
e
hav
to
m
see
We
Easter and their
ed into full communion at
eiv
rec
be
l
wil
s
est
pri
ir
the
me later in the summer.
priests will be ordained by
rs and sisters in the
ckly become valued brothe
qui
y
ver
l
wil
y
the
t
tha
e
I hop
e a warm welcome as
parish communities will giv
our
t
tha
e
sur
am
I
and
th
fai
they come among us.
We ask the help of readers of PP in
choosing the
2011 recipient of the Schindler
Prize. This is an
annual prize of £500, named afte
r Terri Sciavo's
family, and with memories of Sch
indler's List. It
will be awarded to a doctor or nurs
e or other
person who provides the best acc
ount in
recognition of a colleague, who, in
their opinion,
has engaged in a battle to save a
life that has
been dismissed as valueless. The
account should
describe a situation where someon
e attempted
to save the life of a patient who was
unable to
speak for him or herself, was denied
food and
fluids, and was suffering from dan
gerous neglect.
What is important is that, whethe
r the attempt
was successful or not, it was sus
tained, and
revealed belief in the value of hum
an life, and the
duty of all - to do no harm. The acc
ount will be
anonymised appropriately before
publication.See
www.schindlerprizetrust.org.uk Plea
se send
submissions to info@schindlerprize
trust.org.uk
or Schindler Prize Trust, PO Box 173
17, London
SW3 4WJ (Tel. 020 7730 3059)
as soon as
possible.
Mary Knowles (Dr)
Tadley
PRAYER AND PILGRIMAG
E
CATHOLIC WO
MEN OF
THE YEAR 2011
Nominations are inv
ited for the 2011 Ca
tholic Women of
the Year. Any Cath
olic woman can be no
minated: we are
looking for the unsu
ng heroines who care
for the sick or
marginalised, visit pr
isoners, run errands
in the parish, teach
children the Faith, he
lp those seeking to
enter the Church,
support priests and
seminarians, raise fu
nds for charity, or
do any of the 101 th
ings that bring the
presence of Christ
into the community
and build up the Chur
ch.
All that is needed is
a letter outlining th
e reason for
nomination, and giv
ing details of the no
mi
nee's name and
address or parish. Le
tters should be sent
to: Mrs Jan
Woodford, Catholic
Women of the Year,
22 Milton Rd WARE
Hert SG12 0PZ or
email: mijamajoje@nt
lworld.com and
MUST arrive before
March 31st 2011.
Kathy Robinson an
d Joanna Bogle
Catholic Women
of the Year Comm
ittee
18
PORTSMOUTH PEOPLE
I’d really like to ask PP’s readers
for some help we need for a ‘Big
Pray’ to mark National Vocatio
ns Sunday on Sun 15th May!
We need as many communities as
possible across the diocese to
make a special effort around tha
t time to pray for vocations to
the priesthood and religious life;
and also
as an opportunity for each of us to
ask the
Lord again what ‘definite service’
(Blessed
John Henry Newman) He has in
mind for
us? I’ll be making some resources
available
shortly but maybe people could
start to
think about how their community
might
be united in prayer? Exposition
of the
Ble sse d Sac ram ent ? Ros ary ?
Taiz é?
Mass? In church? In people’s hom
es? The
possibilities are (nearly!) endless
…
Fr Mark Hogan
For those who’d like to walk and
pray, maybe they could join me
(Apr 30th – May 1st) for all or som
e of a planned pilgrimage along
the South Downs Way from Aru
ndel to Winchester (100km) in
under 30 hours as a prayer for voc
ations as well as an opportunity
to raise some money for charity
? Ideas, interest, thoughts all
welcome at vocations@portsmout
hdiocese.org.uk
Fr Mark Hogan
Diocesan Vocations Promoter
LETTERS
Fr Jeremy Corley’s article in
I feel I must take issue with
wording of the proposed
Vol 10-5 of PP. To me the
s the theology. The present
revised translation change
shed for all, clearly means
wording, Christ’s blood being
all human beings. However,
that the shedding was for
word ‘many’. Now one needs
the revised version uses the
can have both an inclusive
to be careful because ‘many’
people.’ (totals up all human
meaning e.g. ‘there are many
o be used selectively e.g.
beings) - but ‘many’ can als
ing only some people). To
‘many people are deaf’ (mean
‘for many’ implies a
me it is clear that the phrase
, not everybody’. Furthermore
selection: ‘for many people
king the phrase ‘for the
by adding the word ‘the’ ma
d back to being inclusive as
many.’ the meaning is change
exist.’ The new revision by
in ‘for the many people that
implies, by common usage in
using ‘for you and for many’
ple, you and quite a lot of
my view, ‘only for selected peo
others’.
paragraph, uses the phrase
Fr Corley, in his penultimate
which as I argue above
‘Jesus died to save the many’
that is what the new
means to save everyone. If
many’ - I would be happy, but
translation said - ‘save the
ive phrase. The latter may
it doesn’t, it uses the select
2 Corinthians 5), but it
fit the Gospels better (not
we being asked to accept
changes the theology. Are
,
blood for everyone? If we are
that Jesus didn’t shed his
t
foo
ge that and not pussy
then we need to acknowled
revision needs sorting.
around. If we aren’t then the
’t we add ‘the’ without
I’m no Latin scholar, but can
anyone noticing?
Anthony Kirke
Milford-on-Sea
CENSUS 2011 v. PRIVACY
& DEMOCRACY
I am a regular reader of PP and
was very surprised by the inclusio
n
(un der Calend ar Vol 10 -6) of
a strong encourage men t for
all
Catholics to register their religion
during the 2011 Census.
Certainly, I feel that some leve
l of warning also be published
in
Portsmouth People on giving
away any personal data to the
undemocratic Census. The assump
tion that religious data can be
demanded by the current govern
ment - along with educational and
career details - has been made with
out any reference to those whose
personal data it is and, to my min
d, amply reflects the wholly secular
society our politicians insist is the
single way in which British society
must develop. I could not disagre
e more!
At no time have the voters of
The United Kingdom been asked
to
express their views on, or give per
mission for, a mandate to expand
the Census beyond the simplest
and most basic data collection
on
name, address, age and gender
of any private, British citizen.
The
most recent Census in 2001 dem
onstrated a severe assault on
personal privacy and it appears tha
t the 2011 Census will be just as
bad.
Edward R. Jewell
Liss
[Readers are reminded that completion of the Census in
part or full is not mandatory. The copy alongside
Calendar in our former issue is from the Office of National
Statistics, HMG’s invitation and encouragement to all
people of faith to register their religion. Ed.]
L
CHRIST DIED FOR AL
The Editor regret
s being unable (1
) to
enter into corres
pondence other
than
through the page
s of the magazine
and
(2) to accept fo
r publication any
copy,
including Letter
s, submitted ot
her
than electronicall
y.
PORTSMOUTH PEOPLE
19
NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
GATHERING OF THE CLAN:
Shortly before Christmas, most of PP’s
production team managed to gather,
despite the inclement weather, at the
Cathedral for the annual pow-wow. This
photograph was taken when some of the
Curia based at St Edmund’s House dropped
by to meet ‘n’ greet.
Youngsters and Leaders enjoyed yet another
Don Bosco Camp at Kintbury and look
forward to Camp 2011 (July 31st-August 6th).
For further details: Fr Mark Hogan
[email protected]
or Fr Michael Peters
[email protected]
OFF TO SPAIN? The FCO (Foreign and
Commonwealth Office) has produced a
handy leaflet and a wallet card with
emergency expressions and contact
numbers for visitors to Spain. Ideal for
those attending World Youth Day later this
year in Madrid, the card and wallet are
downloadable from among the online
supplements to this issue of PP.
DEVELOPING
SKILLS
FOR
LEADERSHIP
SEPTEMBER
2006 – JUNE 2008: GOING
FORTH AND BEARING FRUIT: Did
you take part in one of the five
‘Developing Skills for Leadership’ courses
run by the Department for Pastoral
Formation between September 2006 and
June 2008 in Chandlers Ford, Tilehurst,
Bournemouth, Reading and Lee-on-the
Solent? If so, you are cordially invited to a
half-day conference on Saturday 19th
March at St Stephen's Church, Oliver's
Battery Road North, Winchester 10-1.00
(coffee available from 9.30). Cost £2.00 on
the day. For any further information
contact [email protected] using the
heading ‘Going Forth and Bearing Fruit’.
DOMESTIC ABUSE: a new web
resource for Catholics Experiencing
Domestic Abuse has been launched by the
Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England
and Wales Domestic Abuse Working
Group: http://www.cedar.uk.net/ and
http://www.catholicchurch.org.uk/cedarfeature
20 PORTSMOUTH PEOPLE
The Chaplaincy Department of the Portsmouth
Hospitals NHS Trust is running this popular
course again after Easter. It is for those who want
to develop skills for visiting the sick, or people
with other pastoral needs, in the community or in
hospital.
It will be open to people of all faiths. Anyone who
wants to do the course will need backing from
their local faith leader, who will also be
involved in providing some practical experience
as part of the course.
For those wanting to become hospital chaplaincy
visitors the course forms part of their training.
L to R: Dominica Roberts (Columnist); Graham
Palethorpe (Curia); Hilary Foley (Curia); Fr Denis
Blackledge (Columnist) wearing Lawrence’s hat;
Soraya Ciccarone (Curia); Jane Green (Curia); Jill
Lovell (Curia); Colin Parkes (Columnist); Lawrence
Fullick (Columnist) anxious about his hat; Lee
Kender (Design and Print); Austin Crowhurst
(Design and Print); Richenda Power (Contributor)
with Jay K-W (Ed.) holding the camera.
A 2ND CLASS STAMP! That’s the
cost, publication and distribution, of your
copy of Portsmouth People. If you think
that’s a bargain, maybe increase your
church offering by £2 a year to cover the
year’s 6 copies. But if you don’t think this
mag’s worth even a 2nd class stamp, then
the Editor needs to know!
The course will consist of 11 weekly two hour
evening sessions with an additional 3 weeks
practical experience. The cost of the course is £60.
For more details and application form please
contact the Chaplaincy
Department on 02392 286408, or email
[email protected]
CHAPLAINCY
- caring for patients, relatives and staff - here for people of all faiths and none -
NEWS IN BRIEF (STOP PRESS)
• His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI has
appointed as Apostolic Nuncio to the
Court of St James His Excellency
Archbishop Antonio Mennini, Titular
Archbishop of Ferento
• Why Does Easter Matter? is a unique
Lent Course for families and church
groups: www.friendsandheroes.com
• As we go to press, we regret to announce
the death of Fr Peter Sprague Kenneth
William Stevenson, the eighth Church of
England Bishop of Portsmouth.
JUST FOR JUNIORS
Turn this page upside down to read the solutions and answers to this
issue's JfJ section.
1: If you made it 5,000 you are among many who are wrong. The correct answer is 4,100.
2: Testament, Mitre, Organ, Singer, Cantor.
3: In the story Pinocchio’s nose got longer and longer whenever he was under stress, especially
when telling a lie. The name Pinocchio in Italian means ‘Pine Eye’.
4: Easter Egg.
5: ALMOST is the longest word in the English language with all its letters in alphabetical order.
6: Cross missing on central spire; Birds flying; Top of right spire missing; Hatch to the left of the
stairway blackened; One pillar missing in the turret above the clock; Central design half-way up
stairs missing; Pillar to the right of the stairs no longer there; Clock lost its hour hand; One of
the second tier of main columns has lost its capital; A brick to the right of the stairway is
blackened.
NEW TO YOUR PARISH? Catholics
new to a Parish are warmly invited to
introduce themselves to the Parish Priest or
by dropping a note into the Parish Office
(name, address, telephone number, e-mail
etc.). If there is any area in which you
would like to become involved in the life of
the Church, please don’t hesitate to say.
When I was Sick …..
Pastoral training for community
and hospital visitors
April – July 2011
at Queen Alexandra Hospital
FEATURE
Twentysomethings in Bethlehem
Project 2030 Lay Chaplain, Jenny Whelan, shares her visits to Bethlehem
For the past 4 years I have had the great privilege of spending Christmas in
Bethlehem with groups of twentysomething Catholics. The Holy land at this time of
year is very different to England - there’s not a Christmas decoration in sight at the airport or
in Jerusalem and Christmas is just an ordinary working day to the majority of Jews or Muslims
living in this part of the world.
Bethlehem - Bands and Bagpipes
Things begin to change however when you
reach Bethlehem, an hour’s walk or 10 min.
drive from Jerusalem. Star-shaped lights
lead the way along Bethlehem Road and on
24 December the celebrations begin. The
Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Fouad Fwal,
processes from Jerusalem and is welcomed
by the Latin Parish priest of Bethlehem.
Bands, bagpipes and scouts add to the
festive spirit reverberating across the city
reminding us that Christ is coming. The
Franciscans then meet the Patriarch and
welcome him into the Church of the
Nativity, the oldest church in Christendom
and the location of the birthplace of Jesus
Christ. We grab a falafel, the local dish and
watch as the parades unfold.
About a mile from the Church of the
Nativity lies Shepherds field, the location of
the institution of the Gloria. In a cave we
sing our hearts out with tears in our eyes as
we are sat where shepherds watched their
flocks by night and glory shone around.
Masses are celebrated in every language
throughout the night and carols fill the
skies.
Queues for Midnight Mass
Back in Manger Square, queues outside the
church begin to form. To obtain midnight
mass tickets you have to apply to the
Christian Information Centre a month
before the pilgrimage. These, being free,
help control numbers entering the church.
After returning from Shepherds field we
queue up, have a full body check and then
enter. Finding a comfy spot is quite difficult
as it is standing room only. The Franciscans
hand out the mass booklets and occasionally
a gift to worshippers.
The atmosphere in the church has in the
past been quite tense. Last year, more
practising Catholics attended so prayer and
praise fill the church rather than tourists
trying to catch a glimpse of Mahmoud
Abbas or other dignitaries. We join the
Accompanying photographs show Patriarch of
Jerusalem processing with Baby Jesus to the
manger; Manger square on Christmas eve;
Shepherds Field, Bethlehem; Franciscans
processing into the Church of the Nativity on
Christmas eve; Eating Falafels in Manger
Square, Bethlehem; The Birthplace of Jesus,
Bethlehem
millions of Catholics throughout the world
in the sacred liturgy welcoming the newborn child. The homily is read in three
languages, so that all can understand the
Patriarch’s message for the coming year. The
service ends with the Patriarch processing
through the church to the manger with a
statue of the new born Jesus. Worshippers
try to touch the baby as it passes by.
We stay for a while and then go and visit
the birthplace ourselves. At about 3 a.m.
we then return to our hotel to open the
secret santa presents that we have bought
each other.
Christmas day itself is very busy as staging
is being packed away and queues for the
manger are over 3 hours long. It is time to
say goodbye to the little town of
Bethlehem hoping that all will lie still over
the following year.
Twentysomethings is a national organisation which has just launched a new group in our diocese.
Project 2030 twentysomethings engages Catholics aged 20-30 in retreats, socials, trips, holidays and
pilgrimages. It is free to join, run by the members for the members and is sponsored by the Sacred Heart
Fathers (Dehonians). Future trips being organised include: Taizé international gathering in December;
Skiing in Feb 2011; the Holy Land at Easter and at Christmas(2011); World Youth Day. Further details:
www.twentysomethings.eu or t: 07590057813 and/or contact the active group of members on facebook.
PORTSMOUTH PEOPLE
21
FEATURE
FAITH IN ACTION
Health and Social Care in Bamenda
Jo Overton reports on plans for putting her best foot forward
In January last year I was fortunate to visit our twinned Archdiocese in Bamenda. As a
member of our Diocesan Bamenda Committee and a secretary of Clinicare (a Hampshirebased charity which sends medical supplies to Bamenda), it was a great opportunity to
renew old friendships and make new ones which will enable our twinned relationship to
extend and deepen. It was also a chance to increase our understanding of the health and
social needs there and discuss how we might best offer support.
Our Links
The Bamenda Social Welfare Commission has
recently been set up by the Catholic Diocese in
Bamenda who have an annual collection to
support those in most need in their parishes. One
amazing lady, Sr Benedicta, has the responsibility for overall co-ordination of this work. She
travels around the area alone and without a
vehicle of her own seeking out and helping
people with disabilities, street children, families
affected by crisis, asylum seekers or those at risk
of human trafficking. She has few resources
with which to do this huge job and so is setting
Sr Benedicta Muffah up a charity to enable those in need to help
22
PORTSMOUTH PEOPLE
themselves. This will aim to support
people to get back on their feet and
for example to train in a trade which
will make them self-sufficient.
Within the Catholic Archdiocese of
Bamenda (NW Province Cameroon)
there are 23 health institutions: 21
health centres and 2 hospitals. The
present Healthcare Co-ordinator is Sr
Sr Sheila McElroy
Sheila McElroy of the Holy Rosary
Sisters. During our visit we were able to speak with her and see
for ourselves some of the centres and the challenges they face.
FEATURE
Since 1979 Clinicare (started by the
Knights of St Columba) has sent medical
supplies to Cameroon. However when EU
legislation on the management of waste
came in, it had to reinvent itself as it could
no longer handle unwanted (but in date
and perfectly good) medical supplies
without a prohibitively expensive waste
licence. So, funds that were previously only
required for postage of recycled medicines
are now required to purchase as well as
post the much needed supplies. These
medicines allow healthcare staff greater
flexibility in treating people who cannot
otherwise afford medical treatment.
Walk for Wellbeing
In the forthcoming dry season, I shall be
trekking between the newly developing
rural health centres in Bamenda seeing
first-hand the health and social challenges
that people face in the area. The aim is:
1. To raise awareness of and funds for 2
charities, one which assists with
medical supplies to Cameroon
(Clinicare) and the other, the new
Bamenda Self-Reliance Services charity
aiming to enable people to develop
their own lives.
2. To return to Cameroon to be with the
people, and share our lives in the true
spirit of our dioceses’ twinned
relationship.
3. To experience the local situation and
needs, to inform our work on the
twinned Diocesan projects.
4. To trek in a beautiful place!
Women and
children’s ward
at Bekow health
centre - No
mains electricity,
torn mattresses
and insufficient
mosquito nets
for the 5 beds
The delivery room
at Wum health
centre - This
‘incubator’ is a
wooden box and
a hot water
bottle since the
thermostat broke
Fares and all other expenses will be paid by
the 4 of us who are participating. All
proceeds from sponsorship will go directly
to the 2 charities. The members of the selfreliant charity will act as guides to support
us along the way and may even seek
sponsorship for themselves locally
(something which is much less common in
Cameroon).
The
health
centre
compounds/mission stations will provide a
secure base in which to stay at night.
Your Help Please!
Here is your chance to help the health and
social well-being of our friends in
Bamenda. You can contribute to these
projects by sponsoring the trek. This will be
no easy ride believe me! Trekking in the
(hot) dry season through the hilly terrain
of Bamenda and staying in basic
accommodation along the way!
You can donate by going to the Just Giving
website (www.justgiving.com/Jo-Overton),
sending a cheque or cash to Clinicare
International (all proceeds will be divided)
c/o 117 Wilton Road Upper Shirley,
Southampton, SO15 5JQ or contacting me
on:
[email protected]
Dispensary at Babanki Tungo health
centre – Notice the bare shelves!
Closer liaison with
Sr Sheila has
helped us to
understand how
best to use the
limited resources
that Clinicare has
to offer
Jo Overton, who works as a mental health nurse, is a member of
the Bamenda and Cinicare committees and parishioner at St
Colman with St Paul’s, Cosham. Jo’s report on her visit in January
2010 is posted as an online supplement to this issue.
PORTSMOUTH PEOPLE
23
FEATURE
Just for Juniors
2. JUMBLIES
See if you can re-arrange
the letters in each of the
following 5 words to make
other words, one in each
case, directly associated
with the Church:
GROAN
RESIGN
STATEMENT
MERIT
CARTON
‘I hope there will be some future saints among you’
Pope Benedict XVI
1. ARITHMETIC GONE MENTAL
Becky likes baffling people: ‘Take
1000 and add 40 to it. Now add
another 1000 and now add 30. Add
another 1000. Now add 20. Now
add another 1000. Now add 10.
What do you get?’
4. WORD SEARCH
Let’s see if you can rearrange the letters in the
word SEGREGATE to make two new words,
something a lot of people like to sink their teeth
into a little later on in the year.
5. DO YOU KNOW?
What so odd about the word ALMOST, apart
from not quite being whatever?
Vikki let’s us in on her
targets for the year: ‘What’s
easy to make and difficult to
keep, especially for the likes
of me? Yes, you’ve guessed
it: New Year’s Resolutions!
But this year, along with a bunch of friends, I’m
determined to get physically fitter and to study
more. Mens sana in corpore sano, that’s my target.
Wish me luck!’
3. NOSEY!
Pinocchio is a fictional
character, traditionally wearing
clothes of flowered paper and a
hat made of bread. He was
fashioned out of wood by
Geppetto, a woodcarver-cumpuppeteer, in a story written in
1881 by Carlo Collodi of Italy.
Pinocchio always dreamt of
becoming a real boy. Do you
know what used to happen to
Pinocchio’s nose and when?
And do you know what the
word ‘Pinocchio’ means in
Italian?
6. SPOT THE DIFFERENCES
The second of these pen-and-ink drawings of St Paul’s Cathedral in
London differs from the first in 10 ways. See if you can spot all 10
differences. Not easy!
Portsmouth People
is
looking for more junior
correspondents. If you
have a joke, story, prayer,
photograph, report or
comment to add to the JfJ
page or anywhere else in
PP, then great! Just ask an
adult member of your
family or your teacher (with parental consent) to
send it to the Editor stating your name, age and
parish.
You’ll find the answers in News and Announcements
24 PORTSMOUTH PEOPLE
FEATURE
BOOKMARK
Fr Denis Blackledge SJ selects more good reads
Just a click away…
We continue with our
compendium of worthy websites:
www.Leukaemia.org
The People’s Bible: The Remarkable History of the King
James Version – Derek Wilson [Lion, hardback, 224pp, 2010, £14.99]
This year, 2011, celebrates the
fourth centenary of the King James
Version of the Bible. The KJV, or
Authorised version as it is often
known, has, as the title suggests, a
truly remarkable history, and
author Derek Wilson, popular
historian, provides the reader with
ten chapters, giving a clear
exposition of that history, from the
beginning up to the present day.
Amazingly, England was the only European
kingdom to ban translation of the Bible into
the vernacular. The Latin Vulgate had to be
enough! There had been no officially
approved Bible in English for 1200 years.
Not only that, but the leaders of the English
Church made it a criminal offence to
translate any scripture passage into English
– the penalty was death by burning, as
Tyndale sadly found out! We’re taken
through the rough and tumble from John
Wycliffe, the Lollards, Erasmus, and William
Tyndale. We’re led via Coverdale’s Bible and
Cromwell’s Great Bible through the tangled
web of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I – to whom
the Geneva Bible was dedicated. We go by
way of the Bishops’ Bible and the DouaiRheims Bible, until we reach a time when
the Bible no longer had the glamour of a
controversial book.
So we come at last to Bishop
Richard Bancroft and his 54
scholars, two teams each from
Westminster,
Oxford
and
Cambridge, who undertake the
translation and produce the KJV.
King James, by the way, had no
hand in it, except to command it to
be written and to encourage its
completion. At the time the King’s
Bible was received with ‘thundering apathy’,
but after some fifty years it was supreme.
- fighting cancer in children
www.RedCross.org.uk
- recently revamped Red Cross website
www.SmileTrain.org
- free cleft surgery for children in poor countries
www.nff.org.uk
– magazine of the Naval Families Federation
www.TeamsGB.org.uk
- Catholic organisation for Christian married couples
www.WorldCatholicDating.com
- new style social website for Catholics
www.CatholicGapYear.com
- for those contemplating a gap year
Many would argue that its supremacy lies in
its ‘sound’ - many of its phrases are still now
part and parcel of our language. But the KJV
is much more than a masterpiece of English
literature. At its heart is a searching faith
and a mutual dialogue between God and
ourselves. And that quest goes on.
I leave Diarmaid MacCulloch to do the sales
pitch. In his Foreword he writes: ‘Derek
Wilson explains how this great cultural
monument of seventeenth-century England
took shape, and how its majestic official
prose has sustained Christians across the
world in very different circumstances over
four centuries. The reader should enjoy the
zest with which he tells the tale.’
www.UkVocations.org
- for direction and advice on vocations
(URLs are generally not case sensitive. Title/Upper casing is to improve
readability. Submissions for ‘JACA’ warmly invited. Ed.)
New Zealand Connections
With this issue of Portsmouth People we offer a
‘community communications checklist’ for New
Zealand nationals and for others in our diocese with
Internet access who are interested in New Zealand:
BEYOND CRUCIFIXION: Meditations on Surviving Sexual
Abuse - Beth Crisp [DLT, pbk, 116 pp, £10.99]
This Lent book is not for
the faint-hearted, written
as it is by a survivor of
child sexual abuse. As the
author says in her
Introduction: ‘This book is
the result of a journey
over many years which
began with a challenge
one Ash Wednesday to move out of some
long-ingrained patterns of being and
thinking which were doing me no favours.
Although coming to terms with sexual
abuse and how to relate to God in the
aftermath underpins most of the readings
and reflections, many of the issues tackled
here might equally apply to a wide range of
difficult situations in which individuals find
themselves.’
There are 47 daily sections, from Ash
Wednesday through to Easter Sunday,
usually a couple of pages long, beginning
with a short quote from an experienced
author, then a scripture reading, followed by
the author’s pondering and prayer. Beth
Crisp is a survivor, a resurrection individual,
but her honest and disturbing reflections
help the reader to understand the deeply
devastating effects of such trauma as she
has suffered. Only by accepting such
vulnerability can there be deep healing from
a loving God. Without the full-felt passion
there is no resurrection.
Each of us as a human being has to come to
terms with times of rejection, humiliation or
fear of what has happened in the past: in
the end we can opt for despair or hope, and
the choice is ours to make. Each of us may
well have to face ‘patterns of being or
thinking which are doing us no favours’. This
Lenten journey is like no other I’ve been
through, and I encourage you, dare you, to
let Beth take you by the hand and make it
with her.
Country Profile (BBC):
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asiapacific/
country_profiles/1136253.stm
Tourism and travel information:
www.lonelyplanet.com/new-zealand
Travel Guide:
http://www.worldtravelguide.net/new-zealand
National Tourist Office:
http://www.newzealand.com
Travel advice:
http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/
travel-and-living-abroad/
travel-advice-by-country/asia-oceania/new-zealand
Internet Radio Stations (37 available):
www.live-radio.net/
(Similar 'Community Connections' compilations
are welcome for other nationalities. Ed.)
PORTSMOUTH PEOPLE
25
FEATURE
CAFOD Media Volunteer Luxmy Gopalakrishnan
reflects on CAFOD’s invitation to give something
up and transform lives this Lent.
I
Now imagine saying ‘No’ when a
gun is being pointed at you.
Imagine that the gun belongs to a
guerrilla soldier, and the
consequence of saying ‘No’ is
fleeing from your home, your
belongings and the life you knew.
This is what Amparo, a mother
from Columbia, had the courage
to do.
Amparo used to live on a
beautiful island on a river in the
north of Colombia. Her family
didn’t have much, but they were
happy.
‘It was a peaceful and natural
life,’ she says. ‘We had land to
farm, crops to grow. I used to
fish for our dinner and we had
vegetables and fruit to eat.’
When guerrilla solders tried to recruit her son, she stood up to
them and said ‘No’. Moments later, she was staring down the barrel
of a gun. She and her family ran for their lives, leaving behind
everything. ‘We took nothing,’ she says, ‘just the clothes we were
standing up in.’
It’s hard to say ‘No’ when you’re staring
down the barrel of a gun
The family fled to a town where they tried to put their life back
together. They built a corrugated iron shelter and Amparo’s
children attended school. Amparo eked out a living washing
clothes but barely earned enough to feed her children. She often
went to bed hungry, exhausted and depressed.
At her moment of need, Amparo was discovered by CAFOD’s
partner, Pastoral Social, who provided her with counselling and
food packages. Life improved further when CAFOD’s partner
helped Amparo to learn the practical and business skills she needed
to open a metal furniture workshop, together with six colleagues.
It is still early days for the business, but a regular wage means big
changes.
26 PORTSMOUTH PEOPLE
‘The business project is a great opportunity – the best I’ve had in my
life,’ she says. ‘Now we have food to eat and regular money to buy
clothes and shoes. Best of all, I rely on myself – I can provide what
my family needs.’
Today, Amparo, also pictured here with her daughter and at work,
is one of four million Colombians starting again after being made
homeless by conflict. She still has a long road ahead, but the
courageous mother is determined to work hard for a better future
for her children, and she values the difference CAFOD donations
have made: ‘Thank you for all you have done – I can assure you it
is a lot! I am so pleased with my job; it’s given me and my children
happy faces.’
Amparo’s message ends with a simple request: ‘Please continue to
find it in your hearts to help other people who are experiencing
tough times.’
I feel that you and I would be excused, on this occasion, for not
being able to say ‘No’.
So, this Lent Fast Day (18 March 2011), please help others transform
their lives by giving, praying and taking action. Lent is a time for
transformation: a time to look at our own lives and make changes
which bring us closer to God. By giving to, acting with and praying
for CAFOD and those we work with, the changes we make in our
own lives could echo around the world, transforming the lives of
people living in poverty. For more information contact CAFOD
Portsmouth 012 5232 9385 or
[email protected] or visit our
website www.cafod.org.uk/portsmouth
Background image by M & G, M and G Obscura ©
t’s hard saying ‘No’. Whether from peer pressure, guilt or
force of habit, we have all at some point had difficulty
uttering that monosyllable. Despite your New Year’s
resolution to visit the gym three times a week, you struggled
to say a firm ‘No’ to being a couch potato in the chilly second
half of January. While the intention is to give up biscuits for
Lent, you know it’ll be a mission to say ‘No’ when the tin of
chocolate digestives is passed around at work.
FEATURE
Hints & Wrinkles
Pathway to Priesthood
Every journey towards priesthood is unique but the following might give some
insight into the shape a typical route might take:
Living out my baptismal vocation -
Testing my Vocation to the Diocesan
I know God loves me and has called me by name. I know God Priesthood (formal application) wants me to live out my life in response to that call to holiness
and my baptism into God’s ‘chosen race, royal priesthood, holy
nation’. (1 Pet 2:9)
Discerning my particular vocation I want to discern what definite service God has planned for
me. I pray, asking the Lord what He has in mind for me and I
speak to friends and/or family and/or other trusted people.
Testing my Vocation to the Diocesan
Priesthood (initial conversations) I want to ask the Church to help me discern my vocation so I
speak to my parish priest or the diocesan vocations promoter
who will try to support me in this process. He might put me in
touch with a spiritual director and point me in the direction
of resources and gatherings to give me opportunity to explore
my vocation further.
I’m ready to offer myself to the Church as a priest so, if the
vocation director agrees that I am ready, I begin the formal
application. This includes writing about my faith journey; a
psychological assessment, undergoing safeguarding checks; a
selection weekend with interviews looking at my relationship
with God and others as well as my academic ability (to check I will
be able to cope with the studies). There will also be an interview
with the Bishop, who is responsible for the final decision.
Beginning my formation If the Bishop accepts me I will begin my studies for the diocesan
priesthood, which are likely to last 6 years (possibly less for
mature students) at a seminary and there may also be an
additional preparatory year in Spain. This time will give me and
the diocese further opportunities to discern my vocation and
for me to undergo formation in the following areas: spiritual,
human, pastoral and academic. As with each of these stages I
will be offered support in lots of different ways and will need
to take increasing responsibility for my own formation.
Eligible men enquiring into priesthood as a vocation are asked to contact their Parish Priest.
CHAPLAINCY
- caring for patients, relatives and staff - here for people of all faiths and none Can YOU help at QAH?
We are always looking for more volunteers to share in the work
of the Chaplaincy at Queen Alexandra Hospital, by visiting patients
on the wards, and showing God’s care and compassion to any
people who find themselves in hospital.
If you have a caring heart and some time you can give during weekday
working hours, then we would love to hear from you.
If Sunday mornings are a better time to help then we also need people to
assist patients in attending Chapel and to care for them during the service.
For more details please contact
The Chaplaincy Department on 02392 286408,
or email [email protected]
Catering for catholic tastes …
PP brings the world’s cuisine to your table
Catalan Chicken
and
Pepper Stew
Heat two tablespoons of oil
in a large pan; brown four
chicken quarters cut in half;
take them out and cook a
chopped onion gently in the
oil for five minutes. Add
three red peppers (ordinary
pimentos, not hot chili) deseeded and cut into strips,
two peeled sliced cloves of garlic, about 8 oz
tinned tomatoes, 1/4 teaspoon sugar, one inch of
cinnamon stick (or a good pinch of ground
cinnamon) and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Simmer gently for
about 40 minutes until cooked. Before serving, taste
to see if it needs more salt, and remove the cinnamon
stick. This dish can be cooked ahead and re-heated
gently.
PORTSMOUTH PEOPLE
27
FEATURE
GUIDANCE FOR OUR LIVES
by Father Jeremy Corley
Nowadays it is sad to see
some people turning away
from the Church. Yet it is
sometimes
said
that
Christianity hasn’t been
tried and failed - it has
never properly been tried. Perhaps we could
say that Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the
Mount has never really been tried. The Sunday
readings between 30 January and 6 March give
us extracts from this great charter for
Christian life. This is the first of five major
teaching blocks in Matthew’s Gospel.
Just as the Old Testament has five books
associated with Moses, so Matthew’s Gospel
presents five sermons given by Jesus, the new
Moses. As the Book of Genesis describes God’s
call to the first members of the people of
Israel, so the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew
5-7) teaches God’s call to the first followers of
Christ. The Exodus sermon is the mission
sermon (Matthew 10), spoken to those
apostles going out to preach God’s kingdom.
The Leviticus sermon (Matthew 13) is
concerned with the mysteries of the kingdom
of heaven, here presented in parables. Just as
the Book of Numbers tells of the Israelites
journeying through the desert, so the fourth
sermon (Matthew 18) deals with the church on
its way to God’s kingdom. Finally, the
Deuteronomy sermon (Matthew 24-25)
prepares the new Israel for entering into the
promised land of heaven.
The Sermon on the Mount begins with Jesus
climbing a mountain to give his teaching, like
Moses ascending Mount Sinai. But instead of
repeating the Ten Commandments, full of
prohibitions, what Jesus offers is eight positive
beatitudes: ‘Happy are the poor in spirit, the
gentle, the mourners, the justice-workers, the
merciful, the pure-hearted, the peacemakers,
and the persecuted.’
Jesus promises a reward for those struggling to
bring God’s kingdom to others. Among his first
hearers, it is the meek who will inherit the land
like the pagans, worrying about food and drink
and clothing, we can trust our heavenly Father
to provide what is needed. If we seek to bring
about God’s kingdom of justice and goodness,
everything we need will be given to us. In a
time of economic hardship, this message can
offer us hopeful reassurance.
Woodcut Gustav Doré (1832-1883):
The Sermon on the Mount
(Psalm 37:11), not the Zealot fighters seeking
to defeat the Romans. By living humbly and
peaceably for God’s kingdom, Christ’s disciples
will be like a light for the world. Just as
Jerusalem was meant to be a city set on a
hilltop, a beacon of light for every nation
(Isaiah 2:2-5), so Jesus’ followers are now
called to be.
Thereafter Jesus deepens the teachings of
Moses. It is not enough for us to avoid killing;
we are also to avoid anger. It is not sufficient
for us to avoid adultery; we are also to avoid
lustful thoughts. It is not good enough for us
to swear truthfully; we are called to avoid any
swearing of oaths. Instead of revenge, we are
called to respond with kindness and
forbearance. Our love is not just to be
restricted to those closest to us, but to reach
out even to enemies. Such difficult teaching
inspired great figures like Leo Tolstoy and
Mahatma Gandhi. It can also be a challenge
for us today.
If such teaching offers us a challenge, there is
reassurance in what follows. Instead of being
The end of the Sermon on the Mount offers us
a choice. In the Book of Deuteronomy (Deut
11:26-28 and 30:15-18), Moses gives his
people a choice: ‘See, I set before you today a
blessing and a curse: a blessing if you obey
God’s commandments, or a curse if you
disobey.’ Likewise, Jesus offers us a choice. If
we obey his words, we will be like a wise
person building a house on solid rock. But if we
disobey, we will be like someone building a
house on sand, liable to subsidence and
flooding.
Pope Benedict’s recent apostolic exhortation
on the use of Scripture (Verbum Domini)
reminds us: ‘Possessions, pleasure and power
show themselves sooner or later to be
incapable of fulfilling the deepest yearnings of
the human heart. In building our lives, we need
solid foundations, which will endure when
human certainties fail. … Whoever builds on
the Lord’s word, builds the house of his or her
life on rock’ (paragraph 10).
And so the Sermon on the Mount presents to
us the challenge of living Christian life today.
This may not always be easy, but Jesus
promises us the reward of the kingdom of
heaven. Let it not be said of us that
Christianity has never properly been tried in
our lives. Instead, let us seek God’s kingdom
and his righteousness, trusting that everything
we need will be given to us.
For Pope Benedict’s recent document Verbum
Domini see:
www. zenit.org/article-30942?l=english
For recent articles on scriptural topics see the
Catholic Biblical Association of Great Britain
website: www. cbagb.org.uk
A native of Reading, Fr Jeremy Corley has been teaching Scripture at Ushaw College in Durham since 1998. He edited a collection of articles,
New Perspectives on the Nativity (T&T Clark, 2009).
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CHURCH IN FOCUS
With this issue we look at the
Church of St Colman
The next issue of
PORTSMOUTH PEOPLE
will be distributed at the
end of March 2011
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