Up Sails! - Faith and Light

Faith and Light international
Special edition
October 2013
“Up Sails!”
International meeting, Leeds 2013
“Called to bear fruit”
Contents
 Editorial
Let’s continue the adventure! , Ghislain du Chéné
4
 Messages…
From Pope Francis
From Archbishop of Canterbury
8
9


International meeting
Times of fiesta and of sharing
Opening ceremony
Amongst the delegates who came from all over the world
A few words from the founders
Celebration with the English communities
In small sharing groups
Sharing coffee and solidarity
Formation time
Talking time
Workshops
Time for prayer and celebrations
Experiencing ecumenism
10
11
12
13
14
16
17
18
18
23
24
25
General Assembly
26
26
27
Priorities
Elections
…Sending off ceremony…
28
 Leeds Trinity University
 Thanks a thousand times!
29
30
Faith and Light international
3 rue du Laos 75015 Paris, France - T + 33 1 53 69 44 30
[email protected] - www.faithandlight.org
2
“The apple of prayer”
Throughout the international meeting and
celebrations, this apple remained on the table in
the conference room and on the altar to remind
us of our absent friends from Syria, Egypt, East
and Capricorn Africa, who were not able to
obtain a visa. This way they were continually
present in our hearts and in our prayers.
A great love
In Leeds, I experienced a feeling of great love, a great love for
God and for others. All of these people had come from all over
the world; from New Zealand to Peru, from South Africa to
Norway. When I met Elaine who is about 70 years old, she told
me that she’d travelled for 26 hours to be here. I was full of
admiration for her and for her love for Faith and Light.
AGNIESZKA, Poland
3
Editorial
Let’s continue
the adventure !
F
ollowing our wonderful international
meeting in Leeds, for many the month
of August was a time of rest and much
needed recuperation! The meeting was a
very intense time of making acquaintances,
of sharing, of communion, work celebraGhislain du Chéné
tions, parties, training and sometimes of
tensions…
And its success was even greater given the need for along and thorough preparation, particularly on the part of the international secretariat and the local team!
We received a very warm welcome from UK North province at Leeds
Trinity University and the name of this university reminded me of the
Lourdes meeting, when Father Jim Corkery had compared Faith and
Light – and its relationships based on reciprocity and equality – to the
Holy Trinity. So there was a certain logic in being here, five years after
Lourdes, to meet again, to take stock of the last five years and to return to our provinces with our arms full of wonderful fruits to share in
our communities.
This “Leeds” special edition will allow those who
were there to revisit what we experienced during that
superb week, and those who were not there to better
understand what took place in Leeds. This is not intended to be a souvenir album, but rather a booklet to
refer to as we move forward, continuing our adventures, so that we continue to bear fruit.
I will revisit five concrete elements that I have retained from our meeting: Laudation, Enthusiasm,
Energy, Discernment, Suffering (LEEDS).
4
Bishop Patrick Rooke in Leeds
First, the laudation or the thanksgiving for everything wonderful that has
happened. However if I could only recall
one thing, it would be the presence of
BISHOP PATRICK ROOKE amongst us:
newly appointed by the Archbishop of
Canterbury as representative of the
Anglican Community in Faith and Light,
he spent four days with us in Leeds. He
is the father of Susanna, a young
woman with Downs of about the same
age as Julie, and he was at ease
amongst us straightaway: his openness, his friendliness and his smile ensured that he met many people and, I
hope, also helped progress our ecumenist aims.
I was very touched by everyone’s enthusiasm: In particular there were some very
lively evenings which helped deepen our
friendships, aided by a few glasses of beer
and some good music! However I was most
struck by the team in green t-shirts: especially the young people from local teams
who sometimes had thankless tasks – such
as running in search of headphones that
had gone missing after sessions in the
auditorium – but they always had a big
smile on their faces. I fervently hope for
more young people like them to animate
our communities which are all too quiet.
POPE FRANCIS called upon young people to
make a mess in our dioceses. I call on
young people to create a joyful havoc in our
communities!
Energy is what we bring back to our communities ; this momentum is
largely due to the presence amongst us of MARIE-HÉLÈNE MATHIEU.
5
Marie-Hélène
with Louise and Henri Major
(former President)
Always surrounded and always being photographed, these kind of
events are rejuvenating for her! It
does her just as much good as her
presence does good for each and
every one of us. Sometimes it is said
that the future is made up of our
knowledge of the past. That means
that the origins of our movement, in
Lourdes in 1971, must always remain
alive in our collective memory, even
though, as MARIE-HÉLÈNE reminded us
in her talk, we are not called upon to
imitate our founders, but rather to return to the source of their inspiration.
It was in Leeds that we received the necessary momentum for us to
continue the wonderful adventure of Faith and Light!
Discernment is something we experienced several times: after listening to the words of JOHN SARGENT, when preparing to vote for all of
the members of the Board of Directors, when we decided on the priorities for the coming five years, we made strong gestures which committed us, but also all of the members of the 1500 Faith and Light communities throughout the world. All of these people who we were repre-
Nomination Committee:
François Bal, Elaine Swain, Father Isaac Martinez and Maureen O’Reilly
6
senting are different, there are those who struggle to understand the
path which we are going to follow, and yet nobody should be left behind. One I realised this myself, personally I found this time of discernment quite a difficult experience.
Ellen (Norway) and Ann
Suffering was in not having all the
people around me who I expected to be
there. ANN EMMOTT told me just how
happy she was to see so many people
there from her province on the day of the
party in the communities: “I feel like a
mother hen with all my chicks”, she said!
I really envied her, because I was saddened to see that so many provinces
were not represented (Syria, South Lebanon and Jordan, Egypt North and Sudan,
Egypt Centre, Egypt South and Kuwait,
East Africa) and that four international
vice-coordinators hadn’t been able to
come.
And now we need to move forward; let us tell everyone about all the
wonderful things we have experienced, let us share these as much as
we can. And now, with our new roadmap, let’s continue the adventure!
A beautiful, large family
I became aware of just how international Faith and Light is. All of the
continents were represented and we were able to share with each
other our individual experiences within our communities. Once again
I realised that, despite or thanks to our different languages and
cultures, we are part of a beautiful, large family. My experience was
one of sharing, of reflection and of celebration that I will never
forget. I think that everyone of us can and must in their own way
share with those around us what we experience within our
communities, and try and make the world more beautiful. We must
continue the beautiful adventure of Faith and Light together!
JOSÉ, Belgium
7
Messages
from Pope Francis
H
is Holiness POPE FRANCIS was
pleased to be informed of the
International meeting and General Assembly of Faith and Light that is
taking place in Leeds from 20 to 27 July
2013, and he sends warm greetings to
all who are taking part.
Stefano and Franco (Italy)
welcomed by Pope Francis,
Pentecost 2013
The Holy Father gives thanks to God
for the beautiful witness of Faith and
Light. Through faith, you know that by
holding out the hand of friendship to a
suffering or handicapped person, you
are befriending Christ himself.
And the moment you recognize the face of Christ, even in the least of
his brothers and sisters, your eyes are opened to see the glorious light
that streams from his face, changing all who gaze upon him into his
own likeness, from one degree of glory to another (cf. 2 Co 3, 18).
His Holiness prays that the joy you bring to one another through the
friendship that you share may shine brightly for all to see, so that they
too may come to recognize the beauty of Christ’s face and learn to
place all their trust in him.
With these sentiments, the Holy Father invokes upon all the participants in the General Assembly the peace and joy of our Lord Jesus
Christ and he cordially imparts his Apostolic Blessing.
Your sincerely in Christ.
ANGELO BECCIU
Substitute
8
from Archbishop of Canterbury
I
t is my great joy to send greetings to you all as
you are gathered in Leeds for your 16th International Meeting. I am delighted that this country
has the blessing of hosting you for your gathering.
Faith and Light communities offer a sign of
God’s kingdom. Your coming together as persons
with intellectual disability and with your families
and friends to share friendship and fellowship
shows the power of Christ’s love in action.
The theme chosen for your meeting “Called to bear fruit” reminds us
that this love is to be taken out and shared with whoever we meet, so
that the blessings we receive may also bear fruit in the lives of others.
I thank you as movement for all you do towards building up the unity
of God’s Church.
My prayers and best wishes to you all.
The Most Reverend and Right Honourable
JUSTIN WELBY
from 10 Downing Street
David Cameron
I
t gives me pleasure to send a message of greetings
to all those attending the Faith and Light
international General Assembly.
Faith and Light commitment to supporting people with learning
difficulties or disabilities is a wonderful example of Christian faith
being put into practice. It shows those with learning difficulties and
their families and friends, that the matter in our society and that they
are valued.
DAVID CAMERON, Prime Minister
9
Times of fiesta
and of sharing
“Green” team welcomes delegates
Hetty (Netherlands) and Piotr (Poland)
The joy of meeting again!
Angelo and Roberto
(Italy)
On Saturday 20 July, 200
delegates from 36 countries
were welcomed to Leeds by the
young and dynamic “green
team”. 47 provinces out of the
52 were represented. There was
a joyful din, laughter, hugging
and kissing, different languages,
songs….. And for some, the
tiredness of journey that had
lasted several days was swiftly
effaced in the joy of reunion.
Despite the empty spaces left by
our friends from the Middle East
and some African countries, our
family reunion could begin…
Roberto (Spain)
With my heart overwhelming with gratefulness I would like to send you my heartfelt thanks for wanting me here, for
organising and structuring my trip. Who
would have thought it? Starting with
myself ?Like a dream, thanks to your
tenacity and the Lord’s support, that
which seemed impossible really happened. How great is my joy for the wonders of God and his great love which I
have seen and experienced.
SR MARIE-ANTOINETTE
Benin
Sr Marie-Antoinette
and Marie-Hélène
Marijus and Rimas (Lithuania)
10
Opening ceremony
L
ed by Ghislain du
Chéné (international
coordinator)
and Henri Major (President), the evening began
with a superb powerpoint
projected on a giant
screen, which recounted
the major joyful or dramatic events that have
marked the world and the
life of Faith and Light
since the last international
meeting in Lourdes in
2008!
Then every international
vice coordinator was invited to introduce the delegates of the provinces that
he or she accompanies…
Everyone was dressed in
their national costume.
The musicians accompanied the songs and
dances…
Henri Major
Ghislain du Chéné
To represent the international, Ghislain wore a
Ukrainian cap, a Brazilian T shirt, an Australian
scarf, an Indonesian shirt,…. And flip flops which are
commonly worn throughout the Southern Hemisphere… It was certainly an eye-catching costume!
The international music team
Overview of the international organisation
Currently Faith and Light has more than 1500 communities spread across 52 provinces over the 5
continents, covering 80 countries and 38 different
languages.
Along with the international coordinator, 12 viceinternational coordinators each accompany between three and five provinces to guarantee unity
and allow life to grow…
11
Map of the Faith and Light provinces
See details on www.faithandlight.org
Amongst the deledates
who came from all over the world
Delegates from Poland
Marcela (Brazil)
Josipa and Zvonco (Croatia)
Hubert (Germany) et Hetty (Netherlands)
Father Ludo
(Japan)
Maggie (United States)
12
A few words
from the founders
I
am both happy and overwhelmed to be like a grandmother
amongst all of you who represent the 1500 communities
from all over the world, here for this 16th international meeting. We are sad that the delegates from 17 countries from the Middle East and Africa were not able to join us. They are there in our
hearts, along with Jean Vanier. Along with him, I can attest that we
are not the founders of Faith and Light but rather astounded craftsmen. Faith and Light is truly God’s work, who saw the distress of
people with an intellectual disability and their families. It is Him who
inspired us, as well as Camille and Gérard, the day of their pilgrimage to Lourdes, the town where the Virgin Mary chose Bernadette,
who was most despised, to remind the world of Jesus’ message “God
chose that which is weak to confuse the wise”.
Hallelujah! Let us sing Jesus, God of Light!
MARIE-HÉLÈNE MATHIEU
Faith and Light must be fertile so that
others can also know about it.
I wish you a truly wonderful assembly.
I am there with you in prayer so that each
of you receives what you need, so that
you can return to your countries full of
enthusiasm, driven by a mission, because we are all the founders of Faith
and Light.
I wish you a good assembly and I am
praying along side you.
I
t is wonderful to meet you
through this video. I just wanted
to say what a gift from God Faith
and Light is! It is Jesus that wanted this
at Lourdes. Why do I say that? There are
so many people with a disability who are
unaware that they have been chosen by
God. Faith and Light sends out a sign to
the world that fragile people are important, that they have a gift to offer our
world and a special mission within the
church.
Let us be aware that all of us are founders. Our communities need to flourish
and have deep roots, but there are still
so many people who are not aware of
Faith and Light, so many people with a
disability, so many parents. Faith and
Light must be a ray of life that reveals
the beauty of people with a disability.
JEAN VANIER
Photo from the video
13
Fiesta
with the English communities
A
whole afternoon of meeting people, dancing from all countries
and games with the two hundred members of the English communities who had come to join us at the university!
14
15
In small
sharing groups
Anne (France) “anawim” of the group “Strenght”
W
onderfully organised by LOUISE SAURIOL
MAJOR, the 25 small sharing groups,
each made up of 5 to 6 people, met
every day, under the guidance of their “anawim”. It
was certainly a headache ensuring that every
group was sufficiently international but also that
everyone could understand one another…. Each
Louise (Canada)
group had a name referring to the fruits and the
gifts of the Holy Spirit.
In the small sharing groups we learnt to listen to one another, to get
to know one another. They are a haven of peace for a heart to heart,
where you discover all the joys, the troubles and the hopes…. A place
where you discover all the richness of other cultures, of other faiths….
A place to share the lives of our communities and to learn from one
another. The bonds of friendship developed in small groups last a long
time!
We all came from very different cultures
and I certainly learned a lot. All the ideas
and initiatives that were shared will help
me very much, and I will try to put them
into practice. A sharing group is also a
place that sheds light on many different
situations.
ANN (UK North)
The sharing groups were led well and with
kindness, in a spirit of communion. It was
very good to have two of our friends with a
disability there with us.
EDDY AND GABRIELLE (Switzerland)
16
Sharing coffee
and solidarity
Valerie (Malaysia) and Anne (Philippines)
“Fun, fun, fun”… I loved the relaxing evenings and yet normally I’m a
very shy person !
Glen (England)
Raúl (Spain)
A
fter such full days, the delegates could meet for a “sharing coffee”, or fruit juice or beer together. All of the money collected
has been donated to international solidarity.
Some small groups sang, danced, while others chatted and some
fell asleep after such a busy day!
Xavier, interpreter (Belgium)
and Helena (Spain)
17
Angelo (Italy)
Formation times
Called
to bear fruit
Word
of MARIE-HÉLÈNE MATHIEU
B
y returning to the conception and birth of the movement, MARIEHÉLÈNE touched all of our hearts and particularly those of our
parents and guardians, the newer and older ones alike. She
told us the story of MARIANGELA, the mother of CHICCA, who was severely
disabled. She ended up inadvertently founding Faith and Light in Italy
and as far afield as Eastern Europe…. Finding herself in Red Square in
Moscow, she said to her daughter who had already rejoined the Father: “Look where you’ve brought me, Chicca!”…
And then there was FRANÇOIS,
the wisdom of François. The day of
his first communion, his godfather
came up to his mother and said to
her: “What a beautiful ceremony!
What a shame that FRANÇOIS didn’t
understand anything”. Yet FRANÇOIS had heard and went to find
his mother: “Do not cry, mummy,
God loves me just as I am”…
Magnificat, let us give thanks
for Faith and Light !
18
Hommage
« Marie-Hélène’s word
is like a gospel. »
ELVIRA (Peru)
Discernment
Word
of JOHN SARGENT
Director of l’Arche, United Kingdom
T
o help us to get in the right mood of reflection and discernment
that is so crucial for the five-year elections of the International
Coordinator, the President and the other members of the Board
of Directors, JOHN SARGENT gave a talk about his own experience of discernment at l’Arche. This was an experience based on the thinking of
IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA.
There are four stages to remember in order to allow yourself to be
guided by the Holy Spirit: digging deep, letting yourself go, allowing
life to surge forth…. In order to bear fruit.
“All of the teachings were instructive, deep and nourishing.
All of these words ‘tasted’ so
good!”
NORMAND, Canada
Then we all prayed together. It
was John’s prayer, similar to the one
that we all know well at Faith and
Light. Allowing yourself to sink into
silence and repeat words of love to
Jesus; it is the poor man’s prayer
that FATHER JOSEPH LARSEN taught us.
Our hearts and our spirits are
preparing themselves for times of
discernment and elections....
19
Formation times
Accompaniment
Word
of MAUREEN O’REILLY
Former international coordinator
M
AUREEN’s
talks always surprise you with their depth and hu-
mour!
In seriousness, MAUREEN reminded us what accompaniment is: walking side by side, feeding and being fed, encouraging, helping others
overcome challenges.
It is difficult to imagine how you can achieve this at an individual
level, but the humorous, imaginative sketches were there to tell us
that, yes, ultimately if we are armed with humility and trust, anything is
possible.
God has a sense of humour, otherwise…
He wouldn’t have created us!
MAUREEN
20
Spirituality
of Faith and Light
Word
of MGR DONAL LUCEY
Chaplain for UK North province
F
ather DONAL LUCEY led us through the paths of spirituality. Not
spirituality as a way of living, as we often hear about, but rather
the meaning of spirituality. We are called upon to discover our
own gifts. The creation of the world is incomplete, and we are called
upon to contribute to its final completion. By doing so, as our lives
draw to a close, we will have made this world a better place. Then, FATHER DONAL introduced three topics for further reflection:
 It has something to do with the divine.
 It has something to do with what it means to be human.
 How do the divine and the human meet ?
His reflections were full of quotations from poets and references to
musicians and painters … FATHER DONAL has an artist’s soul: “I like
paintings where there are clouds and fog… I would so like to know
what is hidden behind them...”
People with a disability
are geniuses of communion.
FATHER DONAL
21
Formation times
Commitment and mission
Word
of GHISLAIN DU CHÉNÉ
International coordinator
I
t was already the final day! GHISLAIN
asked us to return to the sources of our
engagement and try to deepen our sense
of mission in the world. Our first commitment is
the friendship we are called upon to offer our
friends with a disability. Otherwise we would be
like a kakapo, a very beautiful parrot from New
Zealand, which has magnificent feathers but
cannot fly.
Our second commitment is to belong to a community, and the third
is our belonging to a community of Christians.
Our mission is bear witness to the fact that every person with a
disability is a source of love once they are accepted as fully a person,
that they are a source of joy once they are accorded their legitimate
place amongst us, that they are sources of peace once we recognise
their gift in building friendships.
GHISLAIN ended his talk by strongly encouraging us to: “Go and make
disciples of all nations”.
22
Workshops
T
here were many workshops in French, English, Spanish that
were organised to offer delegates training on topics as varied
as: “the identity and mission of Faith and Light”, “ the dignity
of the individual”, “the role of parents in the community”,
“Accompaniment”, “the role of the provincial team”, “ecumenical
celebrations”, “finances”… There was also a workshop in Polish and
Portuguese.
Throughout the week, on her side Midge and her small team
organised an “artists workshop” for those people with a disability who
preferred not to participate in the more ”serious” activities. They
produced some very attractive pieces which were added to the
conference room and chapel decorations daily.
Midge’s workshop (standing) and her team
23
Time for prayer,
and celebrations
E
very day began with the Eucharist… After breakfast, delegates
regrouped in the conference room. After the announcements
there was a mimed prayer on the day’s topic organised by one
of the different provinces.
With the delegates of the province “Between the Seas”
The first mimed prayers of
the morning were very inspiring. It was such an incredible
experience seeing all these
people of different cultures
and ethnic backgrounds
praying and worshipping together for a common goal…
GAYE (USA)
The Sunday Catholic Eucharist was presided by JOHN RAWSTHORNE, Bishop of Hallam, supported by seven chaplains. The
mass was accompanied by RAÚL, with the
orchestra and choir made up of delegates: it
was truly international.
Then we were delighted to listen to the Father Donal and Bishop Rawsthorne
message from POPE FRANCIS, which he had
sent especially for our meeting…
RÉVÉREND PATRICK ROOKE read the message from the Archbishop of
Canterbury, JUSTIN WALBY, to all delegates during Holy Communion on
24 July.
The morning mimed prayers taught me
how to pray in a different way!
JEANNE (France)
This week will be great!
FATHER JOHN RAWSTHORNE
24
Experiencing
ecumenism
O
n Wednesday evening, we
gathered in the chapel for
an ecumenical prayer vigil
like the Taizé prayer. The following
day, when we were preparing for a
time of discernment, and were seeking enlightenment for both heart
and mind, the theme of the day’s
prayer was: “Come, Holy Spirit”.
There were meditative songs, a
reading from the Gospel (John 14,
15-20), moments of silence, an intercession prayer… We were invited
to venerate the cross. Everyone
could leave their feelings of joy, suffering and hope at the foot of the
cross…
I wish to thank your movement for
all that you do to build unity in
God’s church.
Most reverend JUSTIN WELBY
Archbishop of Canterbury
The washing of the feet celebration took place within the small
sharing groups. Each person washed the feet of their neighbour and
received their blessing. The connections that had been forged in the
meetings in the small sharing groups were now firmly sealed… We are
all there to serve each other….
25
The General Assembly
T
he President, International Coordinator and Treasurer’s reports described, as far as possible, what had happened over
the last five years both at a provincial and at a community level,
as well as the five years of work of the Board of Directors and International coordinating team… There were international formation sessions, 20th anniversary celebrations for Faith and Light throughout the
world… The publication of “Up Sails!”, which started out with only 4
pages and has now grown to 24… Life… And then we were overcome
with emotion when HENRI MAJOR said his goodbye..
Priorities 2013-2018
ALAIN SAINT MACARY, the former international vice coordinator for L’Arche, spent a year
working with a small international team to define the movement’s priorities for the five years
to come. After consulting the
provinces on their needs and the
difficulties they are facing, Alain
presented the new priorities to
the assembly:
 Renewal
 Openness
 Community support
 Leadership
 Flagship events
Every part of the Assembly was
great and sent out a strong message. It was an act of Thanksgiving
that leaves my heart brimming over.
After discussions at a provincial
level, the document was adopted
by the Assembly.
SR MARIE-ANTOINETTE, Benin
26
The elections
T
Ghislain
Anne-Marie
Gérard
hank you to GHISLAIN DU CHÉNÉ (France) who accepted a second mandate as international coordinator for the next five years… supported by the INTERNATIONAL COORDINATING TEAM made up of 12 vice international coordinators: FRED SEAGREN (USA), MARIA-SILVIA DE
JESUS TAVAREZ (Brazil), LUCIA CASELLA (Italy), AMGAD EDWARD
(Egypt), ANN EMMOTT (United Kingdom), JUDEX VIOLETTE
(Mauritius), KRISTINA JANINAUSKAITE (Lithuania), JOANNA
KOCZOT (Poland), AGATHE DESFOSSÉS (France), LUDOVIC DE LA
QUINTINIE (France) and RAÚL IZQUIERDO (Spain). A process of
discernment is underway for the remaining one vicecoordinator.
…And welcome to the new members of the Board of Directors:
ANNE-MARIE PIKE (New Zealand) President, HODA ELTURK
(Lebanon) Vice-president, GÉRARD CHAURAND (France International Treasurer, ARTKIN MUVISHI (Zimbabwe), TIM (USA)
and MARIA-CECILIA BUCKLEY (Brazil), Qualified members.
Hoda
Artkin
Maria-Cecilia
Tim
A huge thank you to all the members of the previous Board of Directors for all
that they have achieved, from 2008 in Lourdes up until 2013, and all done extremely competently and enthusiastically! HENRI MAJOR, President, ROLAND TAMRAZ, Vice-president, LOUIS DE VOGÜÉ, International Treasurer, YVES-BERTIN HIRWA
and CLAUDE AND DENISE GRAVEL, Qualified members.
THE NOMINATION COMMITTEE HAS BEEN RENEWED. AMALIA JIMENEZ (Spain)
and MARY GRIMES (Ireland) join the existing team with MAUREEN O’REILLY
(USA) and FATHER ISAAC MARTINEZ (Peru).
27
Sending off ceremony
I
t wasn’t a closing ceremony, after which everyone returns to his
or her country feeling nostalgic…No, it was a sending off ceremony! We were all invited to return to our countries and to our
provinces bearing many fruits.
Our evening began joyfully with a
surprise performance from the
“green” team, who had choreographed a magnificent routine during their free time (what free
time ?!)In clear voices, Catherine,
Lucy and Mandy performed the gospel “All Good Gifts around us” and
“Your song”, a song which ends
Catherine
Lucy et LucyMandy
Catherine
with the words: “How wonderful life is
now that you’re in the world”.
Next to the altar, there was a tree
lit up brightly. One after the other,
each international vice-coordinator
called up the provincial coordinators
who he or she accompanied. On a
card depicting a fruit, everyone read
the engagement prayer for their province and then attached it to the tree.
They then received a candle which
they placed on the altar. All this was
interspersed with songs from each
country…
We were so involved in our meditations that nobody thought of taking
any photos!
Soon afterwards the altar was all lit up and the tree was bedecked
with fruits. The chaplains gathered around the altar to bless the assembly, the candles were lit and a joyful song rang out!
The night was already well advanced, some had already left and others would be leaving a few hours later… We lingered a long time, chatting, embracing each other, saying goodbye…“Go and make disciples
of all nations!”
28
Leeds Trinity University
N
estled in the middle of the
charming English countryside,
the Catholic Leeds Trinity University welcomed us with open arms.
It was a real pleasure organising the
meeting with DEBBIE and DAMON. Even
our most challenging and fanciful requests were always met with kindThank you Debbie and Damon!
ness, and everything was done to find
solutions.
Every delegate awarded a score of 10 out of 10 for the reception,
the meals, the bedrooms, the auditorium, the chapel… for everything!
And… as a gift, the university offered its polo shirts and sweatshirts
for sale, with its logo and colours… There was a rush…. And the €720
raised were donated to International Solidarity.
It has been great to welcome the Faith and Light Conference here…
One morning at breakfast, I was sitting at a table by myself and I
began to worry about a couple of issues.. Then I felt a hand on my
shoulder. I looked up and it was a man with Down’s Syndrome. He
was staring gently into my eyes. He repeated a phrase in an Eastern
European language, all the time gazing at me and smiling. Then,
slowly he twice traced the cross on my forehead with his thumb
before heading off. It was a very blessed moment : my day was
transformed.
FATHER PAUL GROGAN, University chaplain
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Many thanks
...to the “green” team
There were 34 of them! 34 of them running around all over the place to
respond to the needs of the delegates or International Secretariat, however
small.….They were always inseparable from their walkie-talkies.
There were there throughout the house, and could even be found serving the
wine at the evening meal. It is thanks to you, our friends, that our meeting
was a perfect success! Thank you to EUAN, the reporter for the daily newsletter “Hello Leeds”, and to LUKE, our photographer.
These “green” heads certainly knew how to manage everything effectively!
ANN
MARIE
FATHER DONAL
SHARON
MIDGE
...to the International Secretariat team
Once again, GUÉNAËL, CÉLINE and CORINNE
showed their care and professionalism in
adapting to any situation that came their way.
Accomplices, indefatigable, and there everywhere you looked, the delegates christened
them “the three Musketeers”.
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PETER
...to the interpreters
AUSTIN interpreted into Japanese, LISA
and REBECCA into English, ANTONIO and
VERENA into Spanish, XAVIER and BRIDGET
into French, ZBIEGNIEW and EWA into Polish. It was tiring work, particularly as the
interpreting booths were not actually in
the conference room. You can see them
here behind their screens…
There was not one mistake! Bravo for
your very professional performance!
...to the musical team
RAUL (Spain) led an international team of musicians and
singers brilliantly! There wasn’t
one wrong note! We know just
how much music and songs make
the success of a meeting. So
much of the credit must go to you.
And for our precious supporters
Thank you to our French friends
 “FABER FAMILY” and more than 80 other families…
 MADAME TABBAGH who donated the monies collected at the funeral of her husband, MICHEL
(Provincial Coordinator) for Faith and Light International.
 SECOURS CATHOLIQUE, Caritas France
 BICE (International Catholic Child Bureau)
and to all the Faith and Light
communities in the world who contributed to
solidarity for the other delegates.
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Thank you, dear friends.
See you soon!
Go !
And make disciples
of all nations.
Mt 28, 19
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