Issue 71 - St Joseph, Malvern

In This Issue
In This Issue
From Father Pat
PAC Report
Sunday Worship Down Under
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
Meet the Candidates
A Richly Rewarding Experience
Who Were the Musami Martyrs?
Serving Mass at Saint Chad’s
The Thursday Group
Let us Defend Thomas More!
Syrian Refugees
One World Group
Family Friendship and Faith
Café de Parish
The Way We Live
St Joseph’s Youth Music Group
The New Youth Group
Plus Other Features
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Magazine Team
Margaret Rank Ann Wiseman Norma Hughes
Helen Roskams Elizabeth Nicolls
whose views are not necessarily the same as those expressed in the magazine.
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The Pauline Chapel in the Vatican Palace
In late February I went to Italy to animate a retreat for nine deacons-to-be
from the Beda College. The college was founded in 1851 to train mature
men for the priesthood. It stands opposite the Basilica of St Paul’sOutside-the-Walls. Ten of us travelled two hours by coach to Bagnoregio
in northern Lazio, near to Lake Bolsena. The students were in their forties
and fifties from England, Scotland, Ireland, Australia, St Lucia and
Nigeria. We stayed in a very welcoming religious house, where the sisters
gave us rooms looking over their garden. It is a privilege to be able to
spend eight days in prayer and meditation with Mass and the Liturgy of
the Hours together each day. I listened to their varied life experiences and
they told me how they had gradually begun to feel God’s call. They are in
the third year of their four year course, so they should be ordained priests
in 2016.
When we came back to Rome, I had a day to see old friends in the
English College and meet our three Birmingham students. I also saw Fr
Tony Currer who swapped his job as a parish priest in the Hexham and
Newcastle diocese to work for the Pontifical Council for promoting
Christian Unity.
I met my old friend, Mgr Mark Miles, who works in the Secretariat of
State in the Vatican. He is also a translator for Pope Francis and travelled
with him on the recent visit to the Philippines. Mark gave me a tour of the
Apostolic Palace, which people do not generally see. It is arranged round
three sides of a courtyard with three Loggias which were decorated by
Raffael. J M W Turner painted a canvas of Raffael working on this
project, with wide views of St Peter’s Square and the city.
He took me to see the Pauline Chapel, which was decorated by
Michelangelo. The two long walls have large frescos of the Conversion of
St Paul and the death of St Peter. Paul has fallen from his horse and is
blinded, while Peter is being hauled up on his upside down cross. I knew
these paintings from books, but it was a pleasure to see them in reality.
We also looked into the Sistine Chapel, which is near. We entered the
Sala Ducale, the great painted reception rooms from the 17th century and
walked down the Scala Reggia fashioned by Bernini, down to the Bronze
Parish Magazine – Number 71 Lent 2015
Door, where the Swiss Guards look out onto the Piazza San Pietro.
When we went for lunch, the ancient narrow side roads were all closed
off as they are filming the latest James Bond film, which will feature a
car chase down these 17th century streets.
Be sure to pray that we will all encounter the living Lord, just as St
Peter and St Paul came to know him, after his resurrection. Both men
found that their lives had been changed, and now, in our day, we are
invited to discover the Lord on our own journey.
Patrick Kilgarriff Parish Priest
Spring is the Time of Plans and Projects
Leo Tolstoy
Advent seems such a short time away, but here we are the beginning of
spring. My family and I spent Christmas this year in Malvern and my
parents came from Newcastle to stay with us over the holiday period.
As always, the people of the parish were warm and welcoming,
something I feel that we at St Joseph’s are very good at. One of the
highlights for me was during a Christmas service. Fr. Long invited
members of the congregation to come to the altar and express
Christmas Greetings in their own language. I think that everyone was
amazed as I was that we have such a diverse community and I counted
over 15 different languages. My father was tempted to stand up, but we
didn’t feel that Geordie was classed as a true foreign language!
It was that Christmas service and being part of the team who made and
served soup during Advent, which inspired some of the members of the
PAC to produce a parish cook book. We would like to invite you to
submit your favourite recipes from home and abroad and if you like
include a short explanation of why you would like to share it. It may be
something passed down through your family that you all enjoy, a failsafe dinner party meal or simply a comfort recipe. There will be a box
at the back of Church to deposit your recipes in or you can email them
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to [email protected] As a small taster I have included a
soup recipe that was recently served up at Café de Parish.
After the huge success of the Youth Concert, Fr Long returned home to
Vietnam and whilst there visited 16 families whom he had selected to be
recipients of the money raised. He took great delight in being able to
hand the money over in person to each of the families and we pray that it
may provide them with some support.
The Unity Mass was very well supported and response to this was very
positive; the service (the first at St Joseph’s for over 12 years) was very
well attended and bore witness to the great wealth and diversity of
Christian life in Malvern. Once again the amount of food donated by
parishioners for the reception after the service was phenomenal. The
organisation that goes into each of these events is the key to their
success and a strong team to co-ordinate setting up, serving and clearing
away is crucial. We would like to appeal for volunteers to form a
catering committee to assist with future functions. Please speak to a
member of the PAC if you feel able to help.
Last week we asked for your help to raise funds for new flooring in the
McEnnis Room. We are acutely aware of how generous people are when
giving to the collection each week and the decision to ask for extra
donations was not taken lightly. A proportion of the weekly plate goes to
charity, some towards parish bills such as the new boiler, the Stations of
the Cross and the new Monstrance and the rest is needed to pay off the
debt that we have been in since 1997. All parish finances are available
for those who require more detail. A heartfelt thanks to all those who
continue to support the parish financially however big or small.
Please pray as our candidates for Reconciliation, Holy Communion and
Confirmation continue with their preparation.
God Bless
Lucy Richardson, PAC chair
Lucy’s recipe is on page 24
Parish Magazine – Number 71 Lent 2015
Sunday Worship "Down Under"
I have just returned after eight weeks visiting my son in New Zealand
and would like to share my experience of Sunday worship "Kiwi" style.
I was staying in Palmerston North, a city with a population of around
82,000, situated in the eastern Manawatu Plains near the north bank of
the Manawatu river in North Island. The Cathedral of the Holy Spirit is
both the parish church of St Patrick's Parish and the Cathedral church
for the Diocese of Palmerston North. It is situated in a commanding
position on Broadway Avenue and is one of Palmerston North's most
treasured buildings and one of the best examples of English-stype
gothic churches in New Zealand.
The first Catholic church was built in Broad Street, Palmerston North in
1877 by the French Marist priest, Fr Delphine Moreau, and was blessed
in 1878 by Bishop Redwood. With the continuing expansion of the
Catholic population in Palmerston North it was not long before this
building became too small and plans were made for a new church on
Broadway Avenue, which was opened and dedicated on 22 March,
1925. In 1980 the Diocese of Palmerston North was created and Bishop
Peter Cullinane was ordained in St Patrick's Church which now became
the Cathedral.
It is not a Cathedral in the grand style familiar to us here in the UK being a lot smaller! However, when you go inside it is not all hallowed
and hushed. The pews are arranged to foster a sense of community,
allowing people to move around easily and in close proximity on either
side of the sanctuary, bringing people closer to the priest at the altar.
The pews were re-designed from the original ones and have been made
in single and double units to allow flexibility for special occasions. I
was surprised to discover that there are no kneelers - the congregation
standing where we would kneel here in the UK, or even seated and
quite often a mixture of both. No Liturgy of the Mass books were
provided, the order of Mass, together with the hymns, being displayed
in both English and Maori on overhead screens.
A sweet-sounding choir was situated opposite the altar on the occasions
I was there, although there is a choir loft with a fine pipe organ. The
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congregation is a mix of local New Zealanders and Maori, with a
sprinkling of visiting Poms. As the number of times I attended Mass
increased, a little of the distinctive New Zealand twang was starting to
appear in my voice as the time drew nearer for my return home!
On leaving the Cathedral after Mass I was fascinated to see the
following sign displayed in the porch:
Engineers have assessed the seismic performance
of this building as being potentially
EARTHQUAKE PRONE
This means you may not be safe inside or near this building
during or after a moderate to severe earthquake
Every person must make their own judgement
about entering this building
A timely reminder that Palmerston North had an Earthquake
magnitude 5.4 on 22 September 2014 - one of many in recent years.
Next time: A visit to St Faith’s Church, Ohinemutu, Rororua, where
there is a stained glass window depicting Jesus, clad in a Maori cape,
seemingly walking on water.
Cecilia Wright
Anyone else like to describe their Mass-going experiences somewhere, home
or abroad, where they have visited or lived?
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
Unity Service at St Joseph’s
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is a firm fixture in the
calendar of Churches Together in Malvern – or should it be ‘Church
Together’? There are two main elements – the exchange of pulpits,
whereby clergy from the various churches preach in churches of a
different tradition, and the Unity Service.
This year we at St Joseph’s were privileged to receive a visit from
Rev Paul Finch of St Andrew’s Church in Poolbrook at the 9 a.m.
Parish Magazine – Number 71 Lent 2015
Mass, and we benefited greatly from the scriptural insights which he
shared with us.
In the afternoon St Joseph’s hosted the Unity Service – the first time in
over twelve years, which says something about the number of churches
in Malvern.
St Joseph’s probably has not been so full for quite some time – it was a
delight not to be gazing at a sea of empty seats.
This year’s service had been prepared by Christians in Brazil. It was
led by Fr Pat, and he opened by welcoming everybody and pointing out
some of the features of a Catholic church which might appear unusual
to those from other traditions – for example the Sanctuary Lamp, the
Tabernacle and the statue of Our Lady. He then invited participants
from the various churches represented to introduce themselves and
where they came from – and it was amazing to see how many churches
were represented, so that I came away with the feeling of belonging to a
large and very diverse family.
Different congregations had prepared different parts of the service, so
for example we had the pleasure of hearing the choir from our
neighbours at Holy Trinity. They were joined by St Joseph’s Young
Musicians, who really did us proud, impressing many of those from
other congregations with their musicianship and their enthusiasm. The
singing and the playing showed very clearly how music and worship are
so closely linked.
What the service also showed is that unity can be practised without the
need for uniformity. Perhaps we should see the Church of Christ as a
bowl of mixed salad held together by the Holy Spirit and the love of
God and his Son Jesus Christ.
The annual Unity Service is a marvellous event – but I couldn’t help
wondering if unity would not be served better if we spent more time
going round each others’ churches rather than barricading ourselves
inside the citadels of our own traditions for 51 weeks of the year.
Michael Townson
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Meet the Candidates
There is to be a General Election on 7th May. Churches Together in
Malvern has organised a public meeting in April where the
parliamentary candidates can be quizzed over their views on a range of
topics. The format will be similar to previous pre-election meetings
whereby the candidates will each have a chance to make a short
personal statement and then to answer previously submitted questions
for not more than two minutes. We ask for the questions to be
submitted in advance so that we can ensure that the audience can hear
the candidates’ views on a wide range of issues.
The meeting itself will be held in Christ Church, Avenue Road, starting
at 2.30 pm, on Sunday 19th April. The chairman for the afternoon will
be either the Revd John Barr, Vicar of Malvern and Chair of Churches
Together in Malvern, or Peter Buchanan.
Questions for the candidates should be sent to CTM Hustings at19
Priory Road, Malvern WR14 3DR, or by email to
[email protected], by 6pm on Monday 13th April. A
small group will then sift through the submissions to choose ten or so
questions to be put to the panel. This small group reserves the right to
abridge, amend or even merge, the questions. Short questions, such as
one sentence to set the context (even this may not be necessary) and
one to ask the question, are more likely to be selected. My letters to the
candidates have stressed that the audience wants to hear their personal
views on the topics – not their party’s official line!
I am pleased to say that all five who have already declared themselves
candidates for this election have stated their intention to take part in this
hustings meeting. This is likely to be the only chance in Malvern of
hearing them together in one place so do come and take this opportunity
of meeting them and hearing their views.
Philip Wetherall for Churches Together in Malvern
Jesus is not a figure from the past: he continues now and always to
light the way for us.
Papal tweet 08/02/15
Parish Magazine – Number 71 Lent 2015
A Richly Rewarding Experience
I have recently returned from my 10-week volunteering placement in
Ghana, and would once again like to extend my thanks to the people
who supported me. My experience took me to a whole new continent,
taught me a lot about the rewards and challenges associated with
volunteering on an international development project, and allowed me
to experience life as a local. I’ve written about the placement in more
detail on a blog that I kept (www.MikeInGhana.wordpress.com), but
I’d like to write a quick summary of my time in Ghana for anyone
interested in finding out more about volunteering overseas.
My project was based in a city called Cape Coast. Our team of
volunteers was assigned to work at the FIFA ‘Football for Hope’
centre, which leads a variety of community development initiatives.
After school, many of the local children would come to the centre and
we would teach them lessons specially designed to support their
curriculum. They would also come to the centre on weekends for
sessions teaching them health awareness, positive social behaviour, and
football. We also tried to support unemployed adolescents by setting up
a street league, which uses football to incentivise participation in
sessions designed to increase employment prospects, such as life skills
training and ICT sessions. Finally, we also ran events aimed to support
the local community, and forged connections with local schools so that
they could benefit from our work too.
In addition to the personal benefits I got from volunteering on this
project, it was also a richly rewarding experience to experience a
completely different culture. I lived together with a Ghanaian volunteer
in a local host family, experiencing what life is like for typical
Ghanaians. I learned some of the local language and customs, ate
traditional Ghanaian food, and even attended the local Baptist church
with the family on Sundays, which was quite an experience and very
different to the way we celebrate Mass in the UK!
All in all, I had a wonderful time on my placement, and would
definitely recommend volunteering to anyone who thinks it might be
rewarding. My placement was one of many offered under the UK
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government’s ‘International Citizen Service’ (ICS) scheme, which
fully funds the experience for people aged 18-25, making it accessible
for all young people irrespective of background. Many volunteering
organisations work in partnership with the ICS programme, and the
one I went with (Lattitude Global Volunteering) were an
indispensable source of support. If you’re taking a gap-year or a
sabbatical from work, please do consider getting involved with ICS
and putting your time to good use. It was a once-in-a-lifetime
experience for me, and it could be for you too!
Mike Roskams
Who Were the Musami Martyrs?
St Paul’s Mission Musami, about 60 miles northeast of Salisbury,
Rhodesia (now Harare in Zimbabwe) had been founded in 1923. It
achieved its most impressive development in the 1950s and 60s,
thanks to the efforts of the superior, Fr Tony (Jeep) Davis, who had
built schools, a hospital and sports facilities, including a large sports
stadium and a swimming pool. It was the largest mission station in
the Archdiocese of Salisbury, catering for over 2,000 students mostly boarders. The key personnel on the mission were the Jesuit
fathers and brothers, the Dominican sisters and a local sisterhood, the
Little Children of Our Blessed Lady.
On the night of Sunday 6 February 1977, shortly after 8.00pm, a party
of men in various types of uniform entered the mission and forced
one of the Dominican sisters, Sr Magdala, to call the priests and
brothers out of the rooms. Sr Anna the oldest sister was called from
her room but she fell and the armed man took pity on her and told her
to stay behind and close her door. So she missed being killed through
his kindness.
The four Jesuits and four Dominican sisters were marched out by the
armed men. They thought they were going to attend apungwe (a
nocturnal meeting which was a favorite ploy of the liberation
movement) but they were taken to the road near the church and lined
Parish Magazine – Number 71 Lent 2015
up. The armed men pointed their guns at them and argued who should
shoot and then it was quite obvious that they were going to be shot.
But they gave time for the priests to hear each other’s confessions and
those of the non-priests. They told Fr Martin Thomas to take off his
nice trousers and hand them over as they didn’t want them spoiled by
blood. Fr Thomas complied and the gang opened fire on the
missionaries. Fr Myerscough dropped to the ground when the firing
started and was not hit. Fr Martin Thomas, aged 45, the acting
Mission Superior and an “English gentleman in Africa”, Fr
Christopher Shepherd-Smith, aged 34, very dedicated to his
parishioners but “sometimes a person not easy to live with” and Br
John Conway, aged 56, and a sort of Pied Piper for the children
around the Mission, were killed. They were all members of the British
Province of the Society of Jesus.
In addition, four members of the Dominican sisters were killed, These
were: Sr Magdala Lewandowski (43), Sr Epiphany Schneider (73)
and Sr Ceslaus Stiegler (60) - all German sisters - and Sr Joseph
Wilkinson (55) who was from England.
Br Denis Adamson SJ was not found by the killers. He was a local
Jesuit of mixed race who was out of his room when the missionaries
were called. He came across the scene after the firing had stopped and
the men ran away leaving footmarks on a painted wall. A flare was
later reported as seen in the night sky emanating from the Mission and
others said they heard a car’s engine start.
Assisted by the local African sisters, Br Denis examined the bodies
with Fr Myerscough and they took them into the nearby guesthouse.
Fr Myerscough phoned the local Regional Superior, Fr Patrick
McNamara SJ, who then informed the police. As the situation was
very dangerous, the superior and the police only came the following
morning to the mission and the sad task of removing the bodies to
Salisbury began.
After the police came a large group of journalists; some of these were
white members of the local press who shouted out: “Where are you
bullet-proof missionaries now?” and called them “You Kaffir
Buties” (lovers of the blacks in the Afrikaans language).
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The massacre was an international incident and received widespread
publicity. Robert Mugabe strongly denied that his men, ZANLA, were
the perpetrators, claiming it was the work of the Selous Scouts, a part
of the Rhodesian army composed mainly of local blacks who used to
disguise themselves as guerrillas and commit atrocities. The Rhodesian government of Ian Smith denied their involvement, though they
were later known to have been involved in such incidents for
propaganda purposes. The main evidence left at the scene of the
murders was footprints from army boots which were imprinted on a
wall as the murderers ran away, but this evidence is puzzling: why
should they advertise that?
Perhaps some day one of the gang will admit responsibility for the
massacre.
Zimbabwe has not had any form of Truth and Reconciliation
Commission or Amnesty Committee which might have provided the
opportunity for disclosures of guilt to be made in a formal way.
Why were they martyrs? The liberation war was growing in intensity,
especially in the rural areas, and these missionaries knew their lives
were in danger. They were all given the choice of moving to the safer
towns, but they decided to stay on in solidarity with the local black
population with whom they identified.
Taken from Memoirs, TED ROGERS Jesuit, Social Pioneer and AIDS
Activist in Zimbabwe, Cluster Publications, Dorpspruit, South Africa
Note There were four other Jesuits killed later, Fr Desmond Donovan
of the British Province and Frs Gregor Richert and Gerry Pieper and
Br Bernhard Lisson of the East German Province who were working
in the northern part of Rhodesia.
Ted Rogers is Jean Roger’s brother-in-law
Having faith does not mean having no difficulties, but having the
strength to face them, knowing we are not alone.
Papal tweet 06/02/15
Parish Magazine – Number 71 Lent 2015
Serving Mass at St Chad’s Cathedral
Some of you will know that I work in Birmingham city centre. Just two
minutes away from the office is St Chad’s Cathedral – our Mother
Church – and I serve Mass there during the week when I can and when
work commitments permit. I offered to serve a few years ago and Canon
Gerry, the Administrator, warmly welcomed me.
It’s a much bigger sanctuary than ours and the 12.15pm weekday Mass
regularly draws 50 or more in the congregation. There are also some
Masses that are unique. For example, today was a Chapter Mass, where
the Cathedral Chapter – the priest advisors to the Archbishop – all
participate in the Mass following their Chapter Meeting. Moreover, it
was the Solemnity of St Chad – the diocesan patron. This meant that
Archbishop Bernard was the main celebrant, and all three auxiliary
bishops, as well as the Chapter, were on the sanctuary.
I served this Mass with some of the regular weekday servers – all adults
who are either working in the city centre or are retired and involved in
cathedral life.
From time to time I serve at a Mass with school children – they come to
the cathedral in Year 6 as part of the confirmation preparation
programmes that schools run. For many of these children it is the first
time they’ve served Mass a) at the cathedral, and b) in such a big church.
It is wonderful experience for them.
Over the past few years I’ve served Mass for various Chapter Canons,
visiting priests, bishops, as well as the resident cathedral clergy. Each
priest has different habits and ways of doing things, so it can be a
challenge sometimes.
Being an altar server is a real privilege and something I’ve always
valued. I’d encourage you all to consider whether you could be a server,
or a reader, Eucharistic minister, steward, sacristan, flower arranger,
cleaner, gardener, children’s liturgy helper, singer or musician. We need
a good number of volunteers in all these areas to make the parish
function at its best.
Edd Hogan
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The Thursday Group
At our last meeting on February 5th the Thursday Group enjoyed the
company of the Worcester Ukulele Club. They entertained us royally for
an hour with lively “foot-tapping” music, accompanying many favourite
songs including Beatles ones, various folk songs and several well known
“oldies”. The audience participation was loud and enthusiastic even if
not always fully tuneful. The WUC were lovely people with a great
sense of fun, I suspect that they enjoyed the afternoon as much as we
(the audience) did! A measure of their popularity was seen by the large
number of members who came up to me afterwards insisting that I book
them again for next year (which I hasten to add I did the very next day).
Apparently the ukulele is the most popular instrument at the moment
with a huge increase in sales over the last few years. Groups like the
WUC are springing up everywhere because the ukulele is a relatively
easy instrument to learn initially, although to play it properly requires
considerable time and skill. I understand that the ukulele is replacing the
recorder in many primary schools as the preferred instrument. Children
can learn to play as part of a group using just two or three chords and
they can also “sing-a-long” with their friends – not possible with a
recorder! The social aspects of playing a ukulele make it popular with all
ages and because it can be played on several levels it enables beginners
to play alongside more accomplished players within a group.
Our meeting was very well attended but we would like to encourage new
members to join us either on a regular basis or as and when they feel able
to, on the first Thursday of every month. If you are interested a copy of
our programme is on the Social Events notice board at the back of the
church. Our next meeting is to be led by that well known speaker John
Clark who is talking about “The Power of Words”. If you require further
information please contact me on 01886 880523.
Dianne Walsh
During Lent, let us find concrete ways to overcome our indifference.
Papal tweet 17/02/15
Parish Magazine – Number 71 Lent 2015
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Let Us Defend Thomas More!
Like many Catholics, I have read Hilary Mantel’s books Wolf Hall
and Bring up the Bodies and have seen the play based on both of these
books which ran at Stratford and then at the Aldwych, London and
was recently the subject of a BBC TV series.
The hero is of course Thomas Cromwell, known to many as the agent
of Henry VIII in the destruction of the monasteries but presented here
as the harbinger of a new progressive England, freed from medieval
superstition. I do not agree with this interpretation of Cromwell, but
for now, my purpose is to defend Thomas More from Hilary Mantel’s
portrayal of him. For, by contrast to Cromwell, More is seen as a relic
of a bygone era. Thus in the play Cromwell mocks him and observes
that: ‘More should have been born in the reign of Harry the Fifth or
Sixth’ to which Rafe Sadler, his secretary, adds: ‘Or Edward the
Confessor’. Again in the book Wolf Hall Cromwell, when discussing
the jury that More will face at his trial for treason, remarks that they
know how ‘More has set spies in their households’ and that Thomas
More, when Lord Chancellor, botched a case he was hearing as he was
busy ‘locking up some poor Christian soul in the stocks at Chelsea’.
There is, incidentally, not a shred of evidence for this.
What are we to make of this? We have been brought up to regard
More as a brave and courageous man who made his lonely stand
against the might of Henry VIII and who was also a notable thinker
and writer, a devoted family man and a lawyer with a passion for
justice. Have we been wrong and Hilary Mantel right?
Where she is right is in criticising More, as many others do, for his
treatment of heretics. He was instrumental in the burning of six
Lutherans and moreover he rejoiced in their fate in language that was
shockingly vituperative. Thus he wrote of heretics being ‘worthily
burned’ and referred to one as ‘the devil’s stinging martyr’. Of course
many more than six suffered for their beliefs under Queens Mary and
Elizabeth and More was simply acting under the Statute de Heretico
Comburendo that prescribed burning for heretics, albeit doing so with
regrettable gusto. Still he was wrong to persecute others for their
Parish Magazine – Number 71 Lent 2015
religious beliefs. Some will say that we should not judge More by the
standards of a liberal democracy in the 21st century but by those of the
16th century. I do not agree. If we are to sustain the argument, as I think
we should, that Thomas More was a great and good man then we must
accept that his conduct is to be judged by Christian standards valid in
all ages. In this context, he did not live up to them.
This does not mean that he is not a saint and that we should not
venerate him. No saint is perfect. Look at Sts. Peter and Paul, for
instance. Hilary Mantel’s picture is that of a prototypical religious
fanatic yet Thomas was a many sided character who in many ways was
ahead of his time. In 1529 a disastrous fire destroyed part of his house
and barns where he and his neighbours had stored grain. Thomas, who
was then away with the King, wrote to his wife Alice that he would
make good his neighbours losses and that alternative employment be
found for the labourers who would otherwise be workless. How many
other great men of his time, or that of any other, would have thought of
them? After all, it was not until 1965 that those who were redundant, as
the labourers were, had a guaranteed right to a redundancy payment.
Take his relationship with his family. Who knows much of the families
of other great men of that era? Very little if anything. Although we
know something of Cromwell’s relationship with his family there is no
evidence that he displayed the solicitous care for them that More did for
his despite the fact that Hilary Mantel makes so much of Cromwell as a
family man. Think of More’s relationship with his daughter Margaret
whose education he encouraged so that she become one of the most
learned women of her age and of his care, not only for his immediate
family, but for others who formed part of his household at Chelsea.
Then we see More as a lawyer with a passion for justice who issued
injunctions to prevent judgements obtained by unjust means from being
enforced and More as a writer whose Utopia remains one of the classic
accounts of what an ideal state might be.
When More was canonised by Pope Pius XI in 1935 his reputation
stood much higher. This was the era of the dictators, Hitler, Stalin and
Mussolini in particular, and so More was taken as an exemplar of those
who stood up against tyranny even unto death and who upheld the
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supremacy of the individual conscience. One characteristic of More
was indeed his laudable refusal to accept unquestionably the views of
those in authority, but we need to be careful if, in the spirit of this age,
with its exaltation of the individual, we think of him as a supreme
model of the individual asserting his rights in conscience. The modern
world thinks of consulting one’s conscience, as Fr. Herbert McCabe
put it, ‘rather as someone might consult a cookery book or a railway
timetable’ and conscience is, he says, seen ‘as a private repository of
answers to questions’ which amount to a ‘personal set of guidelines’ .
More would have been shocked at this. For him, as for us today as
Catholics, conscience is seen as conscience in the service of truth. On
this basis Cardinal George Pell has written that ‘It is truth, or the word
of God, which has primacy, and we have to use our personal capacity
to reason practically, that is, exercise our conscience, to try to
recognise those particular truths’. More would have agreed.
Thus I contend, Hilary Mantel notwithstanding, that More does
remain, as the inscription on his statue outside Chelsea Old Church
says, ‘Scholar, Saint and Statesman’ and, we might add, a devoted
family man who carried forward his Christian principles into his
professional life. What better model could Catholics have? Let us
defend his reputation!
John Duddington
John is editor of Law and Justice, the Christian Law Review and
author of Christians and the State (Gracewing- forthcoming). He
lives in Worcester and is a member of the Malvern Catenian Circle.
Welcome to the following small new Christians and congratulations
to their families:
Luca Joseph Mainini, son of Max and Frances
Amelia Anna Szerszen, daughter of Maceiey and Sandre
Isla-Rose Catherine Phillips, daughter of Clive and Sara
Malachy Luke Smye, son of Christopher and Stephanie.
Parish Magazine – Number 71 Lent 2015
Syrian Refugees
Can Malvern be a Drop in the Ocean?
“We got used to the fact that every Friday after prayers, the bombings
would start...but then the killings started…” I heard this on radio 4 as I
woke up one morning. The speaker was one of the 3.8 million Syrians
forced to flee their country. I went looking for more and found the
Guardian’s interview with Iman and her mother Sihan (Guardian 5th
October 2014). Iman is a nine-year-old girl. She and her family,
including her severely disabled four-year-old sister Aya who has spina
bifida, and her mother Sihan, had to flee in March 2014 when their home
was destroyed. They now live in a small makeshift camp in Lebanon
close to Tripoli. Sihan is telling their story. She suddenly stops. “It
shouldn’t be me telling you this, it is Iman who saved Aya. She should
tell you ... Iman carried Aya all the way from Syria”. Iman is sitting on
the floor next to Aya; “You carried her?” the reporter asks. “Yes, I have
been carrying her since she was one year old. I can’t hold her like a baby
any more, so I hold her on my hip.” “She did everything for her,” says
her mother. “She changed her dressings and changed her clothes. It took
us two months to get here and Iman carried her”.
The developed world is trying to respond to the plight of such refugees,
who for the most part live in camps in the countries surrounding Syria.
But the response is a drop in the ocean. Of the 3.8 million (the figure of
January 2015), Germany has agreed to resettle 20,000 and the US has so
far issued visas to 9,100. Our government has a scheme – the Vulnerable
Persons Relocation Scheme – which provides finance to local authorities
willing to coordinate a welcome to displaced Syrians and has so far
agreed a quota of only 500. Very little – but if we can respond with
generosity, that number could rise. A magnificent effort has been
launched in Malvern to welcome 12 families. The initiative comes from
two local councillors, Julian Roskams, the Mayor, and John Raine, and
already they are receiving cooperation from the various local public
bodies whose collaboration will be needed, and from churches and
individuals. Julian Roskams reports that they hope for a government
grant which pays for a full-time coordinator to work to bring the different
bodies together to put the needed services in place – probably someone
Page 19
from Refugee Action. It would also cover the cost of education,
health, housing and employment assistance for at least the first year.
The Mayor says, “It won’t be easy – and I am sure there are many
obstacles ahead. But we’ve made a start. The positive reaction has
gone beyond the borders of Malvern. As a result of our initiative,
Tory-controlled Kingston has passed a similar notice and St Albans
has taken the first step. There has been very little negative
reaction” (email 28th February 2015).
Can St Joseph’s play a part? Assuredly there will be many roles.
Coventry is one of the only two local councils to have a scheme up
and running and an officer from their council came to talk to a public
meeting here. He described the many and deep needs such people
have. Above all, they need compassion and friendship as well as
medical, educational and material support. There will be room for all
of us to play a part. It may be no more than not getting irritated when a
young mother with little English and a very sick child holds you up in
a queue or getting on to a bus – but that is a real role. So should, and
how should, the parish be involved? Or should it be up to individuals
to do their own thing as part of the Malvern community?
Rosemary Thorp, One World Group coordinator
ONE WORLD GROUP
Reaching the Unreached (Brother James)
Brother James has been ill over the past few months and is currently in
hospital. Please remember him in your prayers. Father Antonym
Paulsomy, Director of RTU in India writes: “In December, 35 of our
students who have been studying away at college , completed their
various courses. Almost all of them have found jobs and so they begin
their lives away from RTU. We are very proud of them to have
achieved so well. The details are: six girls completed their one year
Nursing Assistant course; ten girls completed their three and a half
year General Nursing and Midwifery course, one boy completed a
Bachelor of Engineering degree, one girl completed ophthalmic
Parish Magazine – Number 71 Lent 2015
training, another young woman finished her two year Diploma in
Special Education, two girls finished three year polytechnic course, ten
students graduated in IT and five young men completed a two year
Industrial Technical course.”
Truly remarkable when we remember how some of these young
people arrived as babies at the children’s’ villages.
Norma Hughes
Family, Friendship and Faith
Hopefully many of you will have heard of the Catenian Association
and perhaps even heard a recent pulpit presentation on the subject.
Groucho Marx once said that he would refuse to join any organisation
that would accept him as a member. Well, the Malvern Catenian Circle
takes pride in welcoming any new potential member to its ranks and
ensuring that he is likewise proud to be a member and enjoys the
continuing friendship, camaraderie and the social life which comes
with membership.
The Catenian Association is a social network of Catholic men who
come together to celebrate their faith and their families. This doesn’t
mean the ladies reading this can switch off as you will understand
later. The Malvern Catenian Circle has about 30 members (known as
brothers) and is one of 350 similar groups worldwide.
To paraphrase that old similar adage – none of us attending Mass is
ever more than a couple of metres away from the nearest Catenian,
Catenian wife or family and there are normally several at Mass at each
parish in the area on Sundays and during the week, whether taking the
collection, welcomers at the door or organising the music etc.
So what do Catenians do? Our motto is “strengthening family life
through friendship and faith” with great emphasis placed on these
three values – the three Fs! Lets see how these three concepts work.
The Family To mis-quote a recent top 10 hit – “It’s all about the
family”. The Catenians is an organisation of Catholic men but more
accurately can be described as a group of families. Some of our
Page 21
brothers and their wives have been friends since their children were at
primary school and have deepened that friendship as the children grew
and went through secondary education and beyond. We also have
newer brothers who have joined us in the past few years and have been
quickly integrated into the Circle. That is indeed one of the great
advantages of Catenianism – if one moves to a different part of the
country there is already waiting for you a circle of new friends and new
contacts; like-minded people to help you or your wife and children with
settling into a new environment.
The Catenians have an active social calendar which can include simple
family activities such as picnics, walks, bowling, golf days, quizzes,
treasure hunts, meals out, theatre trips, annual foreign holidays and
much more. In fact we do anything to help family life. We also have
occasional black tie events such as formal dinners/dinner dances
attended by wives, friends and the clergy. Photographs of some such
events are published in our national monthly magazine called,
unsurprisingly, “Catena” (Latin for “chain” which refers to our
connection with one another both individually and as groups across the
country and indeed abroad).
Friendship Catenianism is non-political. Prospective new members
often find it hard to believe that the organisation wants nothing more
than their friendship. When the Association was founded over 100
years ago in Manchester it was known as “The Chums” and we still
have a very strong emphasis on friendship. We are committed to
supporting each other and each other’s families and this is most evident
at times of family crises such as illness, hospitalisation or bereavement.
We take a particular interest in and care for the welfare of our deceased
brothers’ wives.
Faith After what I’ve just said about friendship it will come as no
surprise that Catenianism has as its heart the Catholic Faith. This is
because an active faith fundamentally shapes who we are. We are
essentially a group of like-minded individuals who have the Catholic
Faith in common. Catenians, wives and families are often active in their
parish locally, assisting with the work of the parish, as I said earlier,
and as an organisation we support the diocese in many practical ways.
Parish Magazine – Number 71 Lent 2015
Finally, I should like to make a brief mention of the Catenian Bursary
Fund whose aim is to provide financial assistance to young people
undertaking projects abroad connected with the faith eg in Lourdes
helping the sick or helping the poor in Africa, South America, the Far
East and so on, with education and building projects. Last year,
nationally, almost £40,000 was awarded by the Catenians to young
people helping with Lourdes Pilgrimages and a further £80,000 was
awarded for other overseas projects undertaken by young people. We
have in fact recently helped one young person in Malvern with her
work in the Far East. The intention of these awards is of course to help
with their expenses during these important work placements. If you are
aware of any young person who is about to undertake such activities
please let one of us know and we’ll try to help. The money is there for
the taking.
I do hope you gentlemen will at least give some serious thought to
joining us and you ladies will grasp the opportunity to encourage the
other half to leave his armchair once a month and maybe even join in
and organise a social event.
So don’t be like Groucho Marx, join us and like the rest of us you
Vince Conway
really won’t regret it.
Your local contacts are: - Vince Conway, Membership Officer Tel.
01886 830056; David Rank, Secretary Tel 01684 563784; Alan Smith,
Press and Publicity Officer 01684 569973 or any Catenian. They will
answer any questions you may have about the Association or the
Bursary Fund.
Come and Join Us! Not the Catenians this time though we’re not in
competition. The magazine team could do with a couple of new members.
You need to be willing to write the occasional piece and to come up with
some fresh ideas. Younger members of the parish particularly welcome
although we do meet in the daytime. Contact Margaret Rank
01884 563784 [email protected]
Thank You as always to all our contributors, both the volunteers and the voluteered. Please keep the copy coming. Watch
the bulletin for the next copy day.
Page 23
Café de Parish
Café de Parish is renowned for its excellent and very varied soups.
Two of the chefs have generously shared their recipes with us.
Sweet Potato and Parsnip Soup (serves 4)
1 dessertspoon vegetable oil
1 carrot
1 sweet potato
1 onion
2 parsnips
Vegetable stock
Heat the oil in a medium-sized saucepan. Add chopped onion and cook
over low heat until soft. Peel and chop carrot, add to pan and cook for
5 minutes. Peel and chop parsnips and sweet potato, add to pan and
cook for a further 5 minutes. Add enough stock to cover vegetables in
pan, bring to the boil and then simmer for 20 minutes.
Remove from heat and allow to cool before blending.
Return to pan and heat through gently, adding a little grated nutmeg.
Serve with fresh chopped herbs if liked.
Lucy Richardson
Roasted Red Pepper Soup
2 pints water
2 small carrots, chopped
1 large red onion, chopped
4 red peppers
Large handful of fresh basil leaves
1 vegetable stock cube
2 sticks celery, chopped
2 large garlic cloves
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
Salt and pepper
Remove the seeds from the peppers and cut into quarters. Place them
on a baking tray and and lightly brush with olive oil. Season with salt
and pepper and place them into the oven for 6-8 mins at 180C, until
the skins just start to look charred.
Place the water and stock cube in a saucepan. Add the chopped
carrots, celery, onion and garlic. Bring to the boil and cook for 5 mins.
Turn down the heat to a gentle simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until the
chopped vegetables become tender.
Parish Magazine – Number 71 Lent 2015
Remove the peppers from the oven and when cool enough to handle,
put them into a sealed plastic bag and let them cool. Once they have
cooled, remove from the bag and peel off the charred skin. Chop the
flesh into small pieces and add to the saucepan along with the tinned
tomatoes.
Simmer for a further 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the
fresh basil. Whizz everything together with a hand held blender, taste
and check for seasoning.
Serve with a drizzle of olive oil or splash of cream.
Helen Roskams
Hampshire Mothering Sunday Wafers
In Hampshire these were supposedly gifts given by servant girls visiting
their mothers on Mothering Sunday, but in at least one village they were
kept and used as communion wafers on Easter Day. By then one
imagines they were somewhat past their best. It’s too late to make them
now for Mother’s Day but you could make them fresh for Easter
instead.
60g plain flour
60g caster sugar
4 tablespoons double cream
1 tablespoon orange flower water
Beat all the ingredients together for 5 minutes with an electric beater.
Don’t skimp on the time - the long beating is important. This took 30
minutes in the days before electric beaters.
Spread the mixture very thinly on two or three well greased baking
trays in rounds about 10 cm in diameter.
Bake 220 degrees C, Gas Mark 7 for 10 minutes or until they are
beginning to brown. As they cool, they will become dry and crisp.
They were traditionally served with jelly and whipped cream or as an
accompaniment or decoration with other desserts, or rolled
up like brandy snaps and filled with cream.
Based on a recipe in Elizabeth Ayrton’s book English
Provincial Cooking and contributed by Pauline Kirton.
Page 25
Wordsearch
For the young and young at heart
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Use the following clues to find the answers hidden in the wordsearch,
vertically, horizontally and diagonally (forwards and backwards!)
1 -------Tuesday is also known as Pancake Day ( the term comes from
the word shriven, meaning to have your sins forgiven)
2 Name of the 40-day period of preparation for Easter.
3 They are used to mark a cross on your forehead on the first of these
40 days.
4 The last few of these days.
5 The colour of the vestments worn by priests during these days.
6 We are asked during these 40 days to devote more time to giving -- (money to charity).
7 Also, to spend more time in -----8 Thirdly, to go without food on certain days, or give up treats.
9 The day when we remember a jubilant entry into Jerusalem.
10 Whose death is commemorated on Good Friday?
11 He is sometimes known as the ---- of God, indicating His sacrifice.
Parish Magazine – Number 71 Lent 2015
12 Who betrayed Him for 30 pieces of silver?
13 On what did He die?
14 Name of the feast when Jews remember the flight of their ancestors
from captivity into Egypt.
15 Thursday, name of the day when Christians remember the Last
Supper (from the Latin mandatum, meaning a command).
16 Hot Cross ---are baked and eaten at this time.
17 Name of the Roman Governor of Judea at this time (two parts)
18 Name of the special time when Christians celebrate the
Resurrection.
19 Symbol of the Resurrection, indicating new life breaking through
the hard shell of the tomb.
20 Name of a cake traditionally eaten in England at this time.
Helen Roskams
The Way We Live
Josiah knew it wasn’t going to be a good day. His younger son Abe had
been behaving oddly recently and the servants had reported that he hadn’t
been pulling his weight on the farm and that morning he hadn’t been
himself at breakfast.
He walked round the back of the house where there was an old tree. It
was a warm day and Abe was sitting on the ground leaning against the
tree and chewing a piece of straw. (He was supposed to be mending the
tractor but it was standing silent nearby with bits from inside the engine
lying around on the ground.)
Josiah took a deep breath and asked cheerfully, “Is there a problem?”.
Abe gave a start, jumped up and said, “It’s just no good, Dad”. “Well,
surely the tractor’s not all that old, it will mend won’t it?”, replied Josiah.
“No, not that”, said Abe. “There’s nothing for me here. Mosh has no time
for me and he’s not going to want me around after you’ve gone”. (Mosh
was Josiah’s elder son and always worked hard.) Abe continued, “Let me
have what’s mine and I’ll make a go of it somewhere else”. Josiah and
Page 27
Abe argued for some time but eventually, and with a heavy heart,
Josiah gave in.
He worked out what a third of his property was worth and arranged a
loan from the bank for that amount and transferred it into Abe’s
account. A few day’s later, Abe said goodbye and left.
Josiah had said nothing to Mosh about this but when Mosh noticed
that Abe wasn’t around – and the tractor still hadn’t been fixed –
Josiah had to tell him. Mosh was furious and said, “If that is how
things are, why should I do anything around the place? I’m just going
to do what I like from now on”. That day, Josiah could get nothing
else from him.
Mosh, however, was a dutiful son (he knew the law) and the next
morning after breakfast he went out to work on the farm as usual.
Months passed and nothing was heard from Abe. There were no
letters and he didn’t answer his mobile. Josiah did hear, though, from
some people he bought animal feed from that Abe had got through his
money in no time, couldn’t get work and was living on benefits. He
was even caught stealing food and spent a few weeks in prison.
One day, Josiah went out to feed the hens and noticed a scruffy figure
a long way off approaching the farm. It was Abe. When Abe came up
close, Josiah could see he was in a dreadful state. His clothes were in
tatters, his skin was all sores and he had no shoes. All Abe could say
was, “Dad, I’m sorry. Can you forgive me? I need a job, I won’t ask
for anything more”.
Calling one of the servants, Josiah clasped Abe in his arms and soon
had him in a hot bath with his own dressing gown and slippers
waiting for him. He texted all his friends and invited them to his
house that evening for a celebration party. (He had been saving up for
Mosh’s birthday, but decided to blow the whole lot in his joy at
having Abe back.)
Now, Mosh had had to go away for a few days inspecting new tups
for the flocks of sheep. He got back late on the same day that Abe had
returned. He couldn’t park his car anywhere near the house and heard
loud music coming down the road. “What’s going on?” he asked one
of the servants, who told him about Abe’s return.
Mosh refused to go into the house and, when he heard he had returned,
Josiah went out to him. “Just what do you think you’re doing?” Mosh
asked him. “He’s thrown away all your money and now you’ve even
spent the money on him I was going to celebrate my birthday with.”
“My son”, said Josiah, “You are right, but I will make it up to you
with everything I have and how could we do anything else now your
brother is back with us?” Mosh wasn’t having any and spent the night
with his friends. He was back the following day, however – he was a
dutiful son and he knew the law – and went out to work on the farm as
usual.
Years later, Josiah died and Mosh inherited the property – and the
bank loan his father had taken out. Abe was still working on the farm.
Looking back, Mosh realised that his Dad’s love was so strong it
didn’t matter what either of them did and he would have been treated
in just the same way himself if he had made a mess of things. He
decided he would do his best to be the same and would make a start by
making a place for Abe in his household.
David Rank
St Joseph’s Youth Music Group
How privileged we are to have such a committed and talented group
of young parishioners who willingly contribute to the celebration of
the Eucharist.
The group was formed about four years ago after I had been asked to
lead the music at 10.30a.m. Mass once a month, plus the bringing
together of a group of young people to play at Mass on the Feast of
Christ the King, which is also Youth Sunday. From those beginnings,
we now play on the third Sunday of the month on a regular basis, and
always on the Feast of Christ the King. The current group comprises
13 young people aged from 10 to 18, plus three of us who are a little
Page 29
older! Some of the original members of the group have now left for
university. The range of instruments played at present comprise piano,
cello, violin, trumpet, cornet, clarinet, flute and oboe. All members of
the group are at different stages in their musical journeys, with the
more experienced being able to support the newer and less
experienced. It provides a great opportunity for individuals to play as
part of a group. Usually things run smoothly, but we sometimes play
the odd wrong note, or squeak! But that doesn’t matter. And not
everyone can play each time we’re ‘on duty’. We ‘go with the flow’!
In addition to playing at Mass, the group has also been involved with
Confirmation, First Holy Communion, a Unity Week Service, a Carol
Service and Fr Long’s Ordination, which must be the highlight of
what we have done. The Youth Concerts and Carol Services that have
taken place over the past few years have all incorporated most
members of the group and have been a great success. We recently
received a small grant which enabled us to purchase music stands to
be used at Mass, in our concerts and other services.
Of course, we’d love more people to join us. There are already two
young people eager to join in when they learn a little more in their
violin playing. We don’t have weekly practices, but everyone is given
their music two weeks before we’re due to play, in order to practise at
home, and then we run through the hymns before Mass begins. I
transpose the music for the B flat instruments.
If you think you’d like to join us, you’d be most welcome. I’d be very
willing to talk you through what we do and how we operate. Please do
give the idea some consideration. You can contact me through the
Liz Burger
Parish Office or at Mass.
Groan...groan...
What has twenty legs but cannot walk?
Ten pairs of trousers.
What do you get if you cross a pig with a zebra?
“Doctor, doctor, I swallowed a clock last year.”
“Why didn’t you come to see me sooner?”
“I didn’t want to alarm anybody.”
Parish Magazine – Number 71 Lent 2015
Striped sausages.
The New Youth Group
Roughly three years ago Colette Phelps and I recognised that some of
the young people who attend our Youth Group would shortly come to
a time when they would ‘outgrow’ it. There was nothing in place for
them to move up to and so we realised we would have to start
something if they were in agreement.
Our aim would be for the young people to come along, meet with their
friends from the parish and build relationships that strengthen and
support their faith as they prepare for the world outside the safety of
their loving homes and school environments.
First of all we asked a few of them if they would like a group that was
less activity based and more discussion based. They all said “Yes”.
So we set about thinking when, where, how often and with what
content of material. In our planning we realised we had picked the
wrong time of year for them with exams looming then the summer
holidays following on. With busy lives it all seemed to fall fallow. So
when Fr Long arrived we saw it as an opportunity to involve him with
the young people and get something off the ground.
We decided that a Sunday evening at 6pm was a good time for them.
Family lunches were well over and the dread of Sunday night
homework would be upon them. (Not that we want to distract them
from homework).
So far we have met twice. We always have a meal together and
provide questions to spark discussion. They don’t have to prepare
anything themselves and we don’t give them anything to do. They
simply come along, share a meal and discuss. We are very privileged
to have such gifted children in our parish. They are all gifted in many
ways but most of all we are struck by their maturity of faith at such a
young age. We look forward to meeting again on Sunday 19th April
6 – 7.30pm. For anyone who hasn’t been before, you would be more
than welcome to come along. Just email Ruth Hopkins at
[email protected] so that we can cater for you.
Ruth Hopkins
Two accounts of their meetings are over the page.
Page 31
L
ate last year, Fr Long, Ruth and Colette invited around thirty
young people of the parish to a meal to discuss starting an older
youth group/discussion group. Everyone that came decided it would be
a great idea. So, we met again on Sunday 8th February at 6:00-7:30pm.
We began the group by each being handed a card at random with a
question on it. These questions challenged us to think about situations
that might affect young people in society today and even situations that
we might have been faced with ourselves or know someone who was
faced with them like drugs, alcohol, racism, abortion and being actively
involved in prayer groups. We thought about our individual question
independently, shared it with the group and then let others give their
opinion. As part of it, we discussed how to know when you're doing the
right thing and honesty or whether you'd be honest in difficult
situations. It was very interesting to hear everyone's opinions and to
voice my own thoughts and ideas too. After, we had a delicious meal
where we talked about whether or not we would like to meet again.
Everyone did want to meet again and a provisional date is set for after
Easter.
All in all, it was a very thought provoking evening where I learned a lot
and I would definitely encourage more young people to join in the near
Lois Jones
future.
O
n Thursday, March 5, Fr Long hosted a Vietnamese evening for
the young people of the parish. He talked about his recent visit to
his home country and showed the group several photos he had taken of
the children who had benefited from the funds raised at the Youth
Concert last November. Thanks to the generosity of parishioners who
attended this concert, he was able to take £400 to the poor families in
his village. He explained to our young parishioners how a gift of £25
each was of huge importance to 16 Vietnamese children to help with
their education.
We were all very affected by the stories he told of these children and
the struggles they faced in their daily lives. Some of them were ill and
looked very thin. Their homes were basic and bare. We realised how
much we take for granted in our country. We asked Fr Long many
questions about life in his village and we all composed prayers for this
community. We would like to thank him for organising an interesting
and
enjoyable
evening.
Member of the Youth Group
Parish
Magazine
– Number 71 LentA2015