Issue 47 - The Pilgrim - March 2016 - The newspaper of the Archdiocese of Southwark

Issue 47 March 2016
Will Christians
in Syria and
Iraq survive?
Page 6 & 7
What rights do
workers have?
Page 9
Why pilgrims
are heading
to Poland
Page 10
We want to become Catholics!
Over 400 people who will become
Catholics at Easter took part in
the Rite of Election and Call to
Continuing Conversion service at
St George’s Cathedral.
The 235 catechumens and 195
candidates for the Rite of the Call
to Continuing Conversion came
from 83 parishes in the diocese.
The ceremony was led by Archbishop
Peter. Bishop Pat, Bishop
Paul, and Father Paul Mason, the
Episcopal Vicar for Kent, read out
the names of the catechumens
from their respective pastoral
areas and their names were
recorded in the Book of the Elect.
Catechumens are those preparing
for Baptism, usually at the
Easter Vigil, and who have started
on RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation
of Adults) courses in parishes
and ethnic chaplaincies.
Candidates are those who have
been baptised, often in other
Churches, and are preparing for
Confirmation and First Holy Communion.
This ceremony marked the end
of the initial period of evangelisation
and precatechumenate (often
referred to as “Come and See”)
and the beginning of the second
period of the RCIA process which
runs up to Easter, the “period of
purification and enlightenment.”
Father David Gibbons, director
of the Centre for Catholic Formation,
which organised the event,
said, “Hundreds of catechumens
and candidates coming together in
the cathedral helps them understand
that they are joining the
wider church, not just their
parish.
“It also gives them great encouragement
and joy, as can be
seen by the smiles on their faces
as they leave the Cathedral. It
gives great joy to all the members
of the diocese as well, to see the
cathedral so full and to know that
the faith is growing and attracting
new converts even in these antifaith
times.”

Editorial
The heroism of Emma
By Bishop Paul Hendricks
Charlotte Brontë’s publisher once sent her
a copy of Jane Austen’s Emma. She was
certainly not impressed by the book and
saw it as dealing with uninteresting people,
living comfortable but dull lives — and
many people would no doubt agree with
her.
Jane Austen’s novels certainly don’t
have the drama of Charlotte’s Jane Eyre.
Yet Emma has its own drama, particularly
at the turning-point of the story, where
Emma herself is confronted with some
hard truths about herself.
She has been guilty of false pride in her
own abilities, prejudice based on snobbery,
and carelessness about the feelings
of others. This comes as a shock precisely
because everything has been relatively
quiet up to that point.
Emma makes one or two blunders before
this, but they’re only embarrassing to her
at the time and don’t seriously disturb her
view of herself. But now she is confronted
by a forceful rebuke from Mr Knightley, an
old family friend who she only later realises
she has been in love with all along.
The language is quite moderate if you look
Gwyneth Paltrow stars
as Emma in the 1996
Hollywood version
at it in isolation, but in the context of the
story it feels as violent as a slap in the
face.
Emma can certainly be irritating at
times. Even Jane Austen famously said of
her, “I am going to take a heroine whom no
one but myself will much like’. All the
same, there are two things that are admirable
about Emma — and this is what
brought her to my mind as we continue our
journey through Lent.
When confronted with the true reality of
her life, she is prepared to accept it, even
though it is a painful process to come to
terms with these faults in herself. Also
there is her faithful perseverance in the
little things of life, which can be so challenging
even if undramatic.
For all of us, I suppose, our first reaction
on being accused of something is to be defensive
and either to deny it or to minimise
it. Think back to your schooldays and
the cries of, “It wasn’t me, Miss!” when
someone is misbehaving.
Calmly but firmly, Mr Knightley accuses
Emma of publicly humiliating Mrs Bates, an
old woman who deserves her sympathy and
respect, just because she herself was
tempted to make what seemed at the time
to be a clever remark.
She isn’t able to reply at the time, but
she does feel that “The truth of this representation
there was no denying. She felt it
at her heart.” And she inwardly resolves to
change her ways as a result.
She also resolves to devote herself all
the more to the care of her invalid and
(unfortunately) irritating father. Here we
see an example of the way Emma successfully
struggles to do the right thing, in circumstances
that are very limiting and
frustrating to a person of her talent and
energy.
All through the book, even when she is
pursuing mistaken ideas in a headstrong
way, she also shows incredible patience
with people like Mrs Bates as well as her
father. There is a sort of heroism in this,
which is characteristic of so many people,
who strive to do the right thing at times
when they must feel trapped by the constraints
of their situation.
Emma acts foolishly and wrongly at
times, yet there is an essential goodness
that does come through. And that side of
her character is one we might do well to
have in mind — particularly if we are finding
Lent a bit of a struggle!
The Pilgrim March 2016
God’s mercy
is greater
than our sins
In The Name of God is Mercy, a book-length interview
with Pope Francis, Italian journalist Andrea
Tornielli asks him if there is anything a person has to
do to obtain God’s mercy.
She mentions Scottish writer Bruce Marshall’s
novel To Every Man a Penny, in which a soldier says
to a priest he is not repentant for his sins. When the
priest asks: “But are you sorry that you are not
sorry?”, the soldier replies that he is.
“That’s how it is,” says Pope Francis. “It’s a good
example of the lengths to which God goes to enter
the heart of man, to find that small opening that
will permit him to grant grace. He does not want
anyone to be lost. His mercy is infinitely greater
than our sins, his medicine is in infinitely stronger
than our illnesses that he has to heal.
“God waits; he waits for us to concede him only
the smallest glimmer of space so that he can enact
his forgiveness and his charity within us.
“Only he who has been touched and caressed by
the tenderness of his mercy really knows the Lord,”
he continues. “For this reason I have often said that
the place where my encounter with the mercy of
Jesus takes place is my sin.
“When you feel his merciful embrace, when you
let yourself be embraced, when you are moved –
that’s when life can change, because that’s when
we try to respond to the immense and unexpected
gift of grace, a gift that is so overabundant it may
even seem ‘unfair’ in our eyes.”
Pope Francis also says confessors should consider
the legal maxim in dubio pro reo - “when in doubt,
for the accused” - and the very gesture of someone
coming to make a confession.
“The very fact that someone goes to the confessional
indicates an initiation of repentance, even if
it is not conscious.
“Without that initial impulse, the person would
not be there. His being there is testimony to the desire
for change. Words are important, but the gesture
is explicit.
“And the gesture itself is important; sometimes
the awkward and humble presence of a penitent
who has difficulty expressing himself is worth more
than another person’s wordy account of their repentance.”
“We must go back to the Gospel,” Francis says,
mentioning both the parable of the prodigal son and
Luke’s description of the joy in Heaven for one sinner
who repents.
“It does not say: and if he should then relapse and
go back to his ways and commit more sins, that’s his
problem! No, when Peter asked how many times he
should forgive someone, Jesus said, not seven times
but seventy times seven, or in other words, always.”
We want your news! Email your stories to pilgrim@rcsouthwark.co.uk or telephone 0208 776 9250
The Archdiocese of Southwark
Archbishop Peter Smith
020 7928-2495
archbishop@rcsouthwark.co.uk
www.rcsouthwark.co.uk
Area bishops
Episcopal vicar for Kent
Father Paul Mason
01732 845486
episcopalvicarkent@gmail.com
bishop.hendricks@gmail.com
South-East London
Bishop Patrick Lynch
020 8297 9219
bishoplynch7@btinternet.com
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150 St George’s Road
London SE1 6HX
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Page 2

The Pilgrim March 2016
News
Kent Catholic schools shine
Catholic primary and secondary
schools in Kent continue to outperform
most similar schools in
Kent and in the country.
The latest Government
league tables show three Kent
Catholic primary schools, St
Joseph’s in Aylesham, St Margaret
Clitherow in Tonbridge,
and St Thomas’ in Sevenoaks,
as joint top of all schools
based on tests taken at the
end of the primary school
years.
All three are academies in
the Kent Catholic Schools’ Partnership
(KCSP), a Church and
government-backed multi-academy
trust for all Catholic
schools in Kent.
Meanwhile, St Simon Stock in
Maidstone and St Gregory’s in
Tunbridge Wells, are ranked
second and third for all non-selective
comprehensive schools
in Kent.
Clive Webster, head of KCSP,
said, “Important as they are,
these results are just one of the
reasons so many parents,
Catholic and non-Catholic,
choose a Catholic school for
their children.
“Catholic primary and secondary
schools are first and
foremost about the whole
child, and when you get that
right, results like these follow.
Catholic schools do well by all
children, whether talented,
disadvantaged or all-rounders,
and that stems from the ethos
and values parents hold so
dear.”
Nigerian missionaries’ milestone
The Missionary Society of Society
of St Paul (MSP) has formally inaugurated
its mission in the UK at
a Mass at St George’s Cathedral.
Archbishop Peter was joined
by Bishop Peter M Brignall of
Wrexham, Auxiliary Bishop of
Birmingham William Kenney,
and Fr Augustine Ogar, the MSP
vicar general, along with MSP
priests from around the UK, and
diocesan and religious priests
from various dioceses.
Since starting its UK mission
in 2000, the Nigerian congregation
now has nine priests working
in the Southwark diocese
and cares for seven parishes, including
Stockwell, Deptford,
and Gravesend.
Battersea house blessed
Archbishop Peter has blessed the new house for
the Salesians in Battersea.
The new community house, which includes a
chapel, is next to the new St John Bosco College.
Principal guests at the opening ceremony included
Fr Michael Casey, Salesian provincial of
Ireland, Jane Ellison, MP for Battersea, Balham
and Wandsworth, Councillor Tessa Strickland,
and Bishop Howard Tripp.
Year for Consecrated Life ends
Around 300 consecrated women and men
processed through the holy door at St George’s
Cathedral to mark the closure of the Year for
Consecrated Life. In his homily, Archbishop Peter
thanked all the religious of the diocese for all
their dedication and hard work. He noted particularly
the presence of religious from Africa and
Asia.
New ministers commissioned
Over 50 extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion
have been commissioned at St George’s
Cathedral.
Fr Paul Mason, episcopal vicar for Kent, gave a
talk on the Eucharist and Mgr Matthew Dickens
presided at a period of adoration before the
Blessed Sacrament.
Following Mass, certificates were presented to
the new extraordinary ministers, who came from
15 parishes, including Charlton, Farnborough,
Dover, and Welling.
Treasurer convicted
The treasurer of the parent teacher association
at St Gregory’s Catholic Primary School in Margate
has been found guilty of fraud.
Maidstone Crown Court heard that Laoura
Zacharia used over £7,000 of school funds
meant for computers to obtain goods from a
cash and carry. She was sentenced to six months
imprisonment suspended for a year after admitting
fraud by abuse of position.
New seminary rector
Father Brian Coyle is to be the new rector of St John’s Seminary,
Wonersh.
Fr Brian, who is currently director of human formation, will
succeed Monsignor Jeremy Garratt.
“I am delighted that Fr Brian Coyle has accepted this very
important ministry in the church. He brings a wealth of experience
of priesthood, and having served at the Seminary for the last two
years will already be familiar with St John’s,” said Archbishop
Peter.
Fr Coyle, a priest of Southwark diocese, will begin his new
position in July. Monsignor Garratt will take up parish ministry in
the diocese of Portsmouth in September.
St John’s Seminary was established in 1891 as the diocesan
seminary for the then Diocese of Southwark. It accepts students
from several dioceses in England and also from Wales and Scotland.
It is one of six seminaries serving the Church in England and
Wales. The others are in Chelsea, Birmingham, Rome, and
Valladolid in Spain.
New film about resurrection
Risen, which tells the story of a Roman soldier investigating the
mysterious disappearance of the body of Jesus, is released in
cinemas this month.
Starring Joseph Fiennes as a Roman military tribune, the film
examines what happened to Jesus in the weeks following the
crucifixion.
For more information please visit www.risen.damarismedia.com,
where there are resources for parishes and a leader's Guide should
anyone wish to use this as their Lenten project.
The Pilgrim is now online, making it
possible to read all the editions since it was
launched in 2011.
To view it, visit the diocesan website and
click on a lick on the left hand side of the
page.
www.rcsouthwark.co.uk
Page 3

News
Sr Josephine,
Sr Elssy, and
Sr Jisamma have
all made their
final vows as
members
of the
Congregation of
Our Lady of
Fidelity at
Upper Norwood.
Over the last
ten years nine
sisters have
joined the
community,
seven from
India, one from
South Korea,
and one from
Spain. The
Congregation of
Our Lady of
Fidelity was
founded in
France in 1831
by Mother Saint
Mary and
opened a house
in England in
1848.
College shortlisted for award
Christ the King Sixth Form College has been shortlisted in the sixth
form college of the year category in the Times Educational
Supplement Awards.
The college has three sites, in Lewisham, Sidcup, and Brockley,
and provides a wide range of courses for 16-18-year-olds.
Principal Dr Jane Overbury said, “This is wonderful news for the
college, the staff and, most importantly, our young people. It’s
also really good to see this part of south east London put on the
national map.”
The awards ceremony takes place on 22nd April at the
Grosvenor Hotel in central London.
Year of Mercy talks
The Centre for Catholic Formation
in Tooting Bec is offering
advice to parishes and schools
on how to mark the Year of
Mercy. It can provide speakers
and lead days or recollection or
school Inset days.
www.ccftootingbec.org.uk
New head teacher
David Garrido was inducted by
Paul as the new head teacher of
St Joseph’s College in Beulah Hill.
Amongst those who attended the
event were Dr Ann Bamford, director
of the Education Commission,
and the deputy mayor of
Croydon, Wayne Trakas-Lawlor.
The Pilgrim March 2016
Ramsgate broadcast
BBC Radio 4’s Sunday Worship programme has
been broadcast live from the Shrine of St Augustine
in Ramsgate.
The service included a meditation with reflections
from Robert Pugin Purcell, the great great
grandson of Augustus Pugin, as well as readings
from the Bible and Bede’s narrative of St Augustine’s
mission. Sr Mary Stephen of Minster Abbey
read a poem she had written for the occasion.
Gravesend school
to visit battlefields
Staff and pupils at St John’s Catholic Comprehensive
School in Gravesend have held a static bicycle
challenge to raise money for a trip to First
World War battlefields in Belgium.
Dozens took part in the event, between them
covering 565 miles – a mile for every serviceman
on the Windmill Hill Memorial in Gravesend.
A team of 16 sixth-formers and eight teachers
will cycle this month from the memorial to Ypres
in Belgium in aid of the Royal British Legion and
Help for Heroes.
The trip will cost the school about £4,000,
which, it is hoped, will be raised by the static
cycle challenge, a non-uniform day and cake
sales.
Pupils from the school’s history society have researched
every war memorial in Gravesham with
the aim of documenting the lives of servicemen
from the borough killed during the First World
War. Their work is being collated into a series of
six volumes called The Valour Still Shines.
Pupils learn about families
Pupils from Stella Maris Primary School in
Folkestone learned all about the families they
belonged to when they visited St Edmund’s
Catholic School in Dover.
James Jukes, who is head of RE and head of
sixth form at St Edmund’s, talked to the pupils
about the school’s connection with Stella Maris,
where his wife teaches.
Sixth formers from St Edmund’s helped Mr
Jukes deliver the lesson, giving two students –
Vikki Uden and Charlotte Twyman – valuable work
experience as both are planning to become primary
school teachers.
New Norbiton parish centre
A new parish centre has been opened at St Pius X
church in Norbiton.
Bishop Paul Hendricks, James Berry, MP for
Kingston upon Thames and Norbiton, and Roy
Arora, Mayor of Kingston, were among those who
attended its official opening.
The new centre has taken ten years of
fundraising by parishioners. The neighbouring
parishes of St Winefride in South Wimbledon, St
Joseph’s in New Malden, and St Agatha’s in
Kingston have also contributed.
“We have a Parish Centre today because of the
kindness and generosity of everyone - both Christians
and non-Christians. This is community. This
is living faith in action,” said parish priest Father
Julius Otoaye.
Mgr Bill Saunders of Our Lady Queen of Peace, East Sheen, and Fr Michael Scanlon of Our Lady of Reparation, Croydon, meeting
Pope Francis. They were in Rome to attend a conference for rectors of shrines and those engaged in pilgrimage work.
Lent resources
Southwark diocesan Spirituality commission and
stewardship team have developed a series of
daily reflections featuring the Scripture of the
day and a related thought and prayer drawn from
the spirituality of stewardship. If you would like
to receive these daily emails and encounter Lent
in this way please visit www.southwarkdsc.org.uk
Page 4

The Pilgrim March 2016
Feature/film review
The seventh in a series by Fr David Gibbons, Director of the diocesan Centre for Catholic Formation,
in which he looks at liturgies other than Mass which we sometimes attend, such as baptisms, weddings, and funerals
What is the sacrament of Confirmation?
There is, perhaps, more debate
about Confirmation than about any
of the other sacraments. Put simply,
in the earliest years of the Church -
when Christianity was new and so
people were adults when they became
Christians - the original order
of the sacraments of initiation was
Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy
Communion.
The Chrismation (or anointing)
was always performed by the
bishop. But as more and more people,
including children, were becoming
Christians this gradually
became impossible.
A divergence developed between
the East and the West. In most of
the Eastern churches (the Oriental
Rite Catholics, the Orthodox
churches, and the historic Eastern
churches) Confirmation came to be
conferred by the priest at the same
time as the Baptism. This kept the
link between Baptism and Confirmation.
In the West (including the Roman
Rite, of which the Archdiocese of
Southwark is part) the opposite happened.
Confirmation came to be detached
from Baptism, and was
conferred when the bishop happened
to visit. This retained the link
between Confirmation and the
bishop.
Different dioceses in the West developed
different practices, and so
the order of the sacraments and the
age for Confirmation and first Confession
and first Holy Communion
varies considerably. In England and
Wales each diocesan Bishop decides
his own policy.
In the Archdiocese of Southwark
the diocesan policy states that candidates
should generally be a minimum
of 12 years (i.e. Year 8).
Remote preparation is provided in
Year 8 by the Catholic secondary
school, while proximate preparation
is provided in the parish. Also, to retain
the link between Baptism and
Confirmation, one of the candidate’s
godparents should act as
Sponsor, where possible.
The Catechism of the Catholic
Church tells us that Confirmation is
so called because it confirms and
strengthens baptismal grace.
Among other things Confirmation
deepens the gifts of the Holy Spirit
received in Baptism, strengthens our
bonds with the Church, empowers
us for our mission in the world, and
helps us to bear witness to our
Christian faith in word and deed.
Despite the debate about the
order of the sacraments of initiation
and the appropriate age, there are
two important points we can make.
First, Confirmation is not an optional
extra. The Catechism says,
“Every baptised person not yet confirmed
can and should receive the
sacrament of Confirmation.”
Notice the word ‘should’. Every
baptised Catholic over the age of 12
should be confirmed, and so complete
their Christian initiation. It is
not a sort of extra for particularly
keen Catholics. If you are over 12
and have not been confirmed, ask
your parish priest to arrange it.
Secondly, Confirmation is not -
as some Protestant groups have it
- a personal affirmation of faith by
those about to become adults. It
is not about us affirming our faith
in God; rather it is about God confirming
his grace first given in
Baptism.
Thus we shouldn’t talk about taking
or making Confirmation; as with
all sacraments we receive it. Like
Baptism Confirmation is conferred
only once, because it too imprints
on the soul an indelible spiritual
mark, or “character”.
A new translation of the Confirmation
rite has been issued, the
first major translation since the
Roman Missal, and it will be used
from Easter, so next time we shall
take a topical look at the actual
ceremony itself.
Film review: Spotlight (15)
Spotlight is not an easy film to
watch at times, but the story of
how a team of investigative reporters
at The Boston Globe uncovered
widespread sexual abuse by
nearly 100 priests in the Boston
archdiocese is a totally compelling
one.
The film begins in
2001 when a new
editor at The Boston
Globe urges the
Spotlight team to
follow up on a story
alleging that Cardinal
Bernard Law had
known a priest was
abusing children but
had done nothing to
stop him. Initially
the team seem reluctant.
After all,
Boston was a very
Catholic city. “I
think the readers
will be interested,” says the editor.
As the team begin to dig around,
interviewing lawyers, members of a
support network for those abused
by priests, and a former priest
turned psychotherapist, a picture
emerges of a number of priests who
abused the trust placed in them,
and of cover-ups at the highest
level in the Church.
Directed by Thomas McCarthy
and with an ensemble cast that includes
the wonderful Mark Ruffalo,
Michael Keaton, and Rachel
McAdam, the focus of the film is on
the journalists, who refuse to let
any obstacles, be it the Church or
the legal system, stand in their way
in their search for the truth.
It turns out that The Boston
Globe had been given information
about widespread abuse by some
priests several years before, but no
one had bothered to investigate
the story. The paper too had been
complicit in the
cover up.
I didn’t see the
film as an attack on
Catholicism, but
rather a critique of
how it’s possible for
some with power
and influence in institutions
to use this
to destroy innocent
lives. “It’s the system.
It’s the system,”
was a line
repeated again and
again.
The year The
Boston Globe investigation
began was the same year
the Catholic Church in England and
Wales produced the Nolan report,
which investigated abuse allegations
and produced a raft of recommendations
to tighten the Church’s
policies on the protection of children
and young adults.
Since 2002, Safeguarding Commissions
have been established in
every diocese in England and Wales
and a more thorough selection
process introduced for candidates
for the priesthood.
Spotlight is not just about abuse.
It’s also about journalism. The kind
of journalism it shows is one where
painstaking research is carried out,
facts are checked, and reporters
strive to bring about justice. This
is the kind of journalism we need.
For information about
safeguarding in Southwark visit
www.rcsouthwark.co.uk/
safeguarding
Archdiocese of Southwark
Centre for Catholic Formation
Evangelization and Catechesis in the mission of the Church
ADMINISTRATIVE CO­ORDINATOR
Salary: £15,102.13
Applications are invited for this part­time post from those with
suitable experience and qualifications in secretarial and office
work and/or education provision.
The person appointed will work as a member of a Team and will
contribute to the ongoing work of the Centre for Catholic
Formation in its role as the diocesan agency for evangelization,
catechesis and adult faith formation. The person appointed will
have particular responsibility for co­ordinating the Certificate
courses offered by the Centre as well the names for the Rite of
Election and Call to Continuing Conversion.
Closing date for applications: midnight on Sunday 3rd April 2016.
Interviews: Tuesday 12th April 2016.
Further details of the post, together with an application form, are
available from:
Fr David Gibbons, Director,
Centre for Catholic Formation,
21 Tooting Bec Road,
London SW17 8BS.
Telephone: 020 8672 7684
Email: dgibbons@ccftootingbec.org.uk
Page 5

Feature
The Pilgrim March 2016
Christians in Iraq and
Syria face extinction
Clare Creegan, co-author of Aid to the Church in Need’s Persecuted and
Forgotten? A report on Christians oppressed for their Faith 2013 – 2015,
says Christians in Iraq and Syria are struggling to survive
“St Elijah’s Monastery in Mosul was
a symbol of the Christian presence
in Iraq. The fact that it has been
destroyed is terrible.”
As word spread of the demolition
of Iraq’s oldest Christian monastery
in January 2016, it seemed to
confirm long-held fears that
Christians in the Middle East were
being driven out. Daesh (ISIS) has
Page 6
deliberately destroyed a large
number of Christian sites of
religious and cultural significance
across Iraq and Syria.
In August last year, there was
international concern as reports
emerged that the 1,600-year-old
Mar Elian monastery in the Syrian
city of al-Qaryatayn in August had
been destroyed following an
invasion of the city by Daesh.
Reports such as these make clear
an emerging and worrying pattern
for Christians in the Middle East.
Since the conflict began in 2011, the
faithful in Iraq and Syria have come
under immense pressure as violence
in the region has forced many to
leave the ancient biblical heartland.
The massive exodus of suffering
families has led many, including
Catholic charity Aid to the Church in
Need (ACN), to estimate that
Christianity could be on course to
disappear from some parts of the
Middle East altogether.
ACN’s latest report suggests that
in the current climate, Christianity
is at risk of vanishing from Iraq
within five years. A March 2015
motion on Christian persecution put
before the European Parliament
stated that 700,000 Christians had
fled Syria alone, more than 50 per
cent of the country’s pre-2011
total.
In Iraq the Christian population
fell from 1.4 million in 2003 to
below 300,000 in 2015. Collectively,
at least 10.7 million remain
internally displaced within Iraq and
Syria and many more are in
desperate need of assistance.
ACN’s Persecuted and Forgotten?
report suggests the reason behind
such staggering statistics is a fear of
genocide. The report found that a
religiously-motivated ethnic
cleansing of Christians carried out
by Islamist terror groups prompted
the exodus of many communities
and has thus threatened the
Church’s survival in parts of Africa
and the Middle East.
For those who remain in the
Middle East, life is difficult. Many
live in temporary accommodation
and electricity is sparse. In Syria,
food has become a “weapon of war”
according to ACN’s Middle East
projects co-ordinator, FrAndrzej
Halemba, as both government and
rebel forces block aid packages in
an attempt to force communities to
yield to their rule.
In recent weeks, the media has
drawn attention to small towns like
Madaya, in north-east of Damascus,
where people have reportedly
starved to death as a result of
blockades. Around four million
people are thought to be living in
areas cut off from aid and an
estimated 350,000 have died from
lack of medicine and other essential
supplies compared with 280,000
people who have been killed as a
result of the fighting.
Tooting
parishioners
raise funds
An entertainment evening at
St Anselm’s parish in Tooting
Bec raised over £5,000 Aid to
the Church in Need’s work for
suffering Christians in Syria.
The event, held in the old
hall, below the crypt, was a
highlight in the parish’s yearlong
Offering a Lifeline of
Hope to Syria appeal, a line-up
of fund-raising activities
organised in response to Pope
Francis’ Year of Mercy, which
runs until November 2016.
Compered by Brendan
Kearns, the Music Hall-themed
evening included pieces from
the musical, Oliver and
popular hits from the pre-war
era.
Complete with a hot meal
provided by the parish’s social
committee, the event was
organised by Martine Mercer,
the parish administrator, and
Tom Gately, St Anselm’s
catechetical co-ordinator, with
Catherine Pontifex on the
keyboard and soloists – both
young and older – from the
parish and the surrounding
area.
The evening began with a
short overview of ACN’s work
in Syria given by ACN UK’s
Head of Press and Information,
John Pontifex.
St Anselm’s parish priest Fr
William Hebborn and Fr Chris
Connor, parish priest of St
Saviour’s Lewisham performed
a ukulele accompaniment to
Underneath the Arches.
Fr Hebborn was inspired to
help ACN’s work in Syria after
learning of the plight of
Christians and other in the
region and Fr Connor also
decided to help with fundraising
in his parish.
Half of the funds raised will
support the work of Sister
Annie Demerjian in Aleppo,
who works with a number of
suffering families in Aleppo
and Hassake to deliver clothes,
medicine and food to the
worst affected areas.
Speaking from Damascus, Sr
Annie thanked both parishes
for their support. She said: “If
you saw the situation in
Aleppo, it would make you
want to cry but thanks to
people including the parishes
of St Anselm’s and St Saviour’s
we are able to do so much.
“Around 5,000 pairs of
pyjamas have been
distributed, 2,500 pairs of
shoes, 7,200 articles of warm
clothing including jeans and
jumpers as well as 30 heaters –
vital in sub-zero temperatures
and in a place lacking
electricity and running water.
So to all those who contribute
and share their goods with us,
we want to say thank you, may
God reward you with many
blessings.”

The Pilgrim March 2016
Feature
In response to the deepening
crisis in Iraq and Syria and other
parts of the Middle East, ACN
announced a series of further
emergency aid packages ahead of
the winter. The charity is supporting
19 relief programmes in Syria and 11
more in Iraq to provide food, shelter
and pastoral support.
ACN is providing help for a new
camp sheltering 135 displaced
families in Baghdad. The ‘Virgin
Mary’ Christian refugee camp will
receive a new chapel which will
serve as a source of peace and a
place of consolation for these
people.
As well as providing support for
the daily necessities of the camp,
ACN is setting up a Kindergarten
facility for 125 displaced children
living at the ‘Virgin Mary’ camp. As
the most vulnerable and distressed
victims of the crisis, it is hoped the
facility will encourage the children
to play and enjoy their free time
again.
Since the outbreak of conflict in
the region, ACN has given more than
£11 million for projects in Iraq and
more than £7 million for help in
Syria. ACN continues to work with
project partners like Sister Annie
Demerjian in Aleppo, Syria, through
the help of parish appeals.
St Anselm’s parish in Tooting Bec
is one such parish who have set up a
campaign during Pope Francis’ Year
of Mercy to help support suffering
Syrian Christians through ACN.
The Offering A Lifeline of Hope
appeal aims to contribute to Sr
Annie’s work in the diocese of
Aleppo and other areas affected by
the ongoing violence. Sr Annie and
her team support families by
providing basic substantial aid
including food, clothing and
medicine.
In Aleppo, where the fighting is
most concentrated, the suffering is
immense. Among many priorities,
treating the wounded and sanitation
are the most difficult to
handle.With doctors and nurses
fleeing the city and many hospitals
closing, Sr Annie has led a team of
volunteers to provide emergency
support for the most vulnerable
families.
Carrying out house-to-house visits
in areas beset by sniper fire and
bomb blasts, the Jesus and Mary
Sister provides medical aid, food,
fuel for heating, rent and schooling.
Sr Annie has arranged for people to
move out of bombed-out housing.
Providing clean water has become
a top priority. There is no running
water for 10 days at a time. For
those unable to collect emergency
supplies from her distribution
centre, she and her team visit the
families, handing out the provisions
as well as offering a word of
encouragement and moral support.
The work has become increasingly
critical as the war drags on and
people use up the remains of their
savings. Fresh back from a visit to
Syria, ACN UK’s John Pontifex said:
“The work bishops, priests, Sisters
and lay people are doing in
conjunction with ACN is literally
saving lives.
In places such as Tartous, on
Syria’s Mediterranean coast,
Fairouzeh outside Homs and nearby
Marmarita in the Valley of the
Christians, we saw people receiving
food, toiletries – soap, toothbrushes
and shampoo – medicine and the joy
on people’s faces was plain to see.
ACN has currently 140 ongoing
projects and we have returned from
Syria full of requests for more help
knowing that the shortage of basic
supplies is getting worse and worse.
Again and again, we saw churches
destroyed, icons and other sacred
images desecrated.
People kidnapped and chased
away by extremist groups told of
how they no longer feel safe as
Christians and if help does not come
we are in danger of losing the
presence of Christianity in the very
place where it all began.”
ACN is planning to develop its
outreach to Christians and others
both in regions of Syria free from
extremist violence and instability
and also in neighbouring countries,
notably Lebanon and Jordan.
For information about Aid to the Church in Need or donate
to ACN’s emergency aid in the Middle East, please visit
http://www.acnuk.org/ or contact us at acn@acnuk.org or
call us on 020 8642 8668.
Nun caught up in the crossfire
At the beginning of the civil
war in 2011, 1.25 million
Christians lived in Syria but
today it is estimated that up
to 600,000 Christians are
internally displaced or living
as refugees abroad.
In cities like Aleppo, the
fear of kidnappings and
looting are greater than that
of the fighting.
In 2012, there were as
many as 250,000 Christians
in Aleppo yet today only
100,000 remain.
Aid to the Church in Need
(ACN) has been able to help
provide emergency aid
including food parcels and
medicine, as well as
supporting projects such as
those led by Sr Annie
Demerjian.
Based in Aleppo, Sr Annie
has witnessed the violence
Christians face first hand.
She remained in Syria
despite the threat to coordinate
a number of
programmes in Aleppo and
Hassake.
Sr Annie and her team
have been helped in part by
the parish of St Anselm’s in
Tooting Bec who are joining
forces with ACN to help
keep hope alive in a country
where the faithful were first
called Christians.
ACN is working with Sr
Annie to provide aid for
suffering Christians. In
particular, the project team
in Aleppo has identified 750
vulnerable families – about
3,750 people – caught up in
the violence and
persecution in the cities of
Aleppo and Hassake who
need aid most desperately.
Fuel is desperately
needed during the cold
winter months in areas
where children and the
elderly are at risk of
hyperthermia. ACN has
donated £5,500 for heaters
during the winter for St
George’s School in Aleppo so
that the children can
continue to study despite
the bitter temperatures.
As well as helping people
to survive with food, Sr
Annie and the team in Syria
also enable priests and
Sisters to minister, bringing
the sacraments and sharing
the Gospel message and the
Church’s teachings so that
Christianity is able to
continue in the Middle East.
ACN is helping Sr Annie to
continue to preserve the
faith by providing £25,000
for 37 priests ministering to
poor and persecuted faithful
in the Latin diocese of
Aleppo.
Christians in Iraq and
Syria fact box
• Before Before the First World
war, 20% Christians lived in
the Middle East, now it is
only 4%
• In 1980, Christians in Iraq
numbered 10%, now only 1%
remain
• Nearly 140 churches have
been destroyed in Syria
• In Syria, 25 percent of schools
have been destroyed
• In Iraq, Daesh (ISIS) destroyed
31 church buildings, 3
orphanages and 8 schools
• 700,000 Syrian Christians are
refugees outside the country
• 125,000 Iraqi Christians were
driven out of their homes by
Daesh (ISIS)
• 4.8 million people remain in
besieged areas in Syria
Page 7

Education
The Pilgrim March 2016
What do you know about phonics?
By Sharon Docherty
fluent and confident readers.
The Phonic Screening Check for
pupils in England is in its fifth year,
with all state funded schools, including
grant maintained, academies
and free schools, required to
administer it in the summer term.
As a result, the teaching of what is
now called ‘synthetic phonics’is embedded
into the Foundation Stage
and Year 1 programmes of study.
There are still various opinions on
whether learning phonics has anything
to do with learning how to
read. The teaching of phonics has
many outspoken critics including educationalists,
teachers’ unions, literacy
associationsand several
respected children’s authors.
Regardless of the benefits or otherwise
of phonics, scores of parents
have attended phonics training at
their children’s schools and routinely
quiz their little ones on the
‘phonemes and graphemes of the
week’ with many 5 and 6 year-olds
proudly meeting them stating, “Miss
told me I am a phonics star.”
But what exactly are these little
stars learning and why are their parents
so keen to support them in the
process, and importantly how can
parents and carers support their little
learners?
The Department for Education advocates
the use of a systemic synthetic
phonic approach in the first
years of formal schooling. It contends
that children who have developed
the ability to phonically sound
out (decode) words accurately go on
to become more fluent and confident
readers at a much higher rate
that those who do not have the
skills to decode.
This leads to a greater level of
success throughout their primary
and secondary schooling. The Phonic
Screening Check was introduced as a
means for teachers and parents to
determine if pupils have grasped the
fundamental phonic decoding skills
needed in order to go on to become
What is systemic synthetic
phonics?
Synthetic phonics has existed as a
method for teaching reading since
the eighteenth century and has
fallen in and out of fashion several
times over. In synthetic phonics children
are taught the correlation between
sounds (phonemes)and
letters.
A phoneme is the sound made by
an individual letter or a group of
letters while a grapheme is the written
form. Thus the first step is ensuring
the pupils make a connection
between the look of the letter and
the sound it makes.
Once pupils are able to identify
and pronounce the phonemes they
then move onto blending or ‘synthesising’sounds
to make words - for
example, pronouncing each
phoneme in truck /t/-/r/-/u/-/ck/
and then blending those phonemes
to produce the word. Thus the
pupils begin to read the words they
see.
This new knowledge also allows
children to begin to spell words in
the conventional manner. Initially
the children will read in a stilted exaggerated
manner but fluency will
occur over time.
The approach advocated by the
Department for Education is systematic
which means teachers take a
planned, thorough approach, teaching
children the simplest phonemes
first and progressing through to the
more complex combinations of letters.
As the pace of learning the
phonemes is quite fast, it is hoped
thatin using the systematic synthetic
phonics approach, most will
children quickly become confident
and independent readers. It is important
that learners not able to
keep up with this quick fire pace are
identified and supported by small
group and individual teaching. Positive
reinforcement and praise is
central to the success of a systemic
phonic approach regardless of where
the pupils are in relation to each
other.
Practical ways to support your
child’s learning
• Attend the parents’ and carers’
sessions led by your child’s
school. These will be led by the
teachers who work most closely
with the children and will be
filled with tips for you to use at
home.
• Make use of any flash cards
and/or books your child brings
home as these will reinforce the
most recent learning.
• Use internet based resources
with caution and prudence.
Remember the children will be
familiar with many of these
from their formal lessons and
you do not want to overload
them or repeat work covered at
school.
• Be positive and praise your child
as they learn each new
phoneme and begin to read new
words.
A note about reading with children
As part of the process of learning to
read and write phonically, children
will bring home books pitched at
their current phonic level which
they will be required to read to you.
These books, though accessible for
your child’ reading level, often do
not contain the most interesting
plots or language.
They are tools in the process.
After your child has read to you,
return the favour by reading them a
language rich storybook of their
choosing. It is important to expose
children to wonderful, rich story
books which will inspire their
writing for years to come.
• Sharon Docherty is deputy
director: religious education &
spirituality at the Education
Commission.
The importance of touch
By Lucy Russell
We have always read to the boys.
When they were very little they
used to enjoy Mary Murphy’s book
I Like It When… The young penguin
featured likes holding hands
with the big penguin, helping with
jobs in the house, being read to,
being hugged tightly, splashing in
the bath, and being kissed goodnight.
Whenever I catch one of the
boy’s hands in mine, and wander
along the path with them, I remember
the first line of Mary’s book,
and often smile at them and say, “I
like it when you hold my hand.”
All of the things the little penguin
enjoys involve social interaction
and have a sensory element to
them. Holding hands, tickling, hugging
and kissing are all physical
ways of showing love.
Touch is the first sense we acquire,
and as human beings we
have a need to touch and be
touched. Touch is vital to successful
relationships, including our relationship
with God, who reaches out
and touches us through the sacraments.
Our parish priest in Deal, Fr Duncan,
has preached about the Sacrament
of the Sick and caring for
those who are ill, making two observations
that struck me in particular:
the medicalisation of death
and the importance of touch.
I have little experience of caring
for someone who is dying, but I
identified with what he said, because
of my experience of giving
birth. Here again the medical profession
is often heavily involved,
and again in rather a confused way.
Just as death is difficult for doctors
because it implies failure, birth
poses difficulties because it is a
natural process and not an illness.
It was late in the evening by the
time I was moved onto a ward after
Edgar’s birth; and my mum and husband
had to go home. It hadn’t
been an easy birth experience and I
remember feeling I needed to hold
onto someone. I asked my midwife
if I could just hold her hand for a
few minutes. She allowed me to,
and I will always be grateful.
There are times when all public
sector workers can do is respond to
others with touch. During the inquest
held into the 7/7 bombings in
London in 2005, there was a moving
account by one of the fire fighters,
who was with a 21-year-old man in
the Underground before he died.
“I felt for a pulse and we made
eye contact, and there was still
some life there. It was still there; it
didn’t last long but it was still
there. I gave him a cuddle,” he
said. Touching someone recognises
their humanity.
Jesus heals people using touch
throughout his ministry, and the
accounts of the Passion and Resurrection
are very physical. Mary
Magdalene’s response at seeing
Jesus after his resurrection is to
reach out and touch him.
The physicality of the crucified
Jesus assures us that death is not
the end. It seems odd that Jesus
tells Mary not touch him. Later he
invites Thomas the Twin to put his
hand in his side.
The Latin Noli me tangere,
which means “don’t touch me”,
was originally written in Greek,
and might be better translated as
“cease holding on to me” or “stop
clinging to me.”
We are all loved. We don’t need
to cling on to those around us. But
touch does bless our lives. And I
like it when my children hold my
hand, and hug me tight, and kiss
me goodnight.
Page 8

The Pilgrim March 2016
Be an alchemist
Feature/Column
The Church and workers’ rights
Fr Ashley Beck, assistant priest at St Edmund of
Canterbury, Beckenham, and lecturer in pastoral ministry
at St Mary’s University, Twickenham, continues his series
exploring modern papal encyclicals
By Fr Daniel O’Leary
There are a thousand opportunities
every day for each one of us to encounter
the negative reactions in our
lives, to transform the ego, to cut another
link in the chains that bind us, to
feel the fear and do it anyway, to listen
to our bodies and our inner voices.
Every single, slightest moment brings
us the opportunity to deepen the rut in
which we find ourselves or to take another
giant stride of the soul along the
path of our bliss. Like a serious game it
is both exciting and demanding.
You know beyond doubt that you are
in the interface between fear and freedom,
powerlessness and power, resentment
and acceptance, victimhood and
self-acceptance... As I daily become
more alert to these precious moments,
their number increases.
There must be a compassionate
whole-heartedness in the way we
throw ourselves into the rut of awareness.
We are called to give this enterprise
of the soul, this pearl of great
price our most vital energy, the fullness
of our being, our most precious
presence.
There is an understandable holding
back, a fearful clinging to safety, a
foggy uncertainty that makes the full,
exciting dawn of awareness almost impossible
to witness. Without a wild
trusting in the One who connects all,
who is connection, the unblocking and
emptying, the releasing, the reaching
about and coming together cannot happen.
To trust in the present moment and
the potential growing and healing in
my awareness of it, I must first find a
place to trust within myself. This is
turn has something to do with how
loved and loveable I think I am.
So many weeds of doubt, self-hatred,
criticising and manoeuvring are
alive, like toxic viruses, poisoning the
small buds of promise in the garden of
our souls.
It seems to me that my consciousness
is transformed by my attentiveness
to the present moment, by my
awareness of what is happening just
now, by noticing what is going on in my
head and heart and body each instant
of my day. There is no other time to
feel my soul, to encounter my dragon,
to become my grace.
There is a sacred timelessness
(kairos) to each chronological second
(chronos), if we are but alive to the
here and now unfolding of mystery’s
moments. Grace builds on nature and
it is only through our daily, human experiences
in time and space, that the
sacred can be revealed.
In 1891 Pope Leo XIII wrote a
letter entitled Rerum Novarum
(‘Of new things’) in response to
the needs of the new industrial
working class in developed countries.
Leo was influenced by local
bishops and lay Catholics in Europe
who tried to provide a positive
message of hope and justice
to the new industrial working
class. Among them were the
French industrialist Lucien
Harmel and Cardinal Henry Manning,
Archbishop of Westminster,
who was interested in ‘social’ issues
and intervened to settle
the London Docks strike in 1889.
Rerum Novarum is about the
plight of the poor in industrial
society, in which “a small number
of very rich men have been
able to lay upon the teeming
masses of the labouring poor a
yoke which is very little better
than slavery itself.”
What the Church faced was a
new form of economy in a new
form of society – capital and
labour for wages. This labour has
become a commodity to be sold
on the market, its price determined
by the law of supply and
demand.
The “new things” of the encyclical’s
opening words were
the spirit of revolutionary
change in society – conflict between
classes and what the Pope
saw as the false answers of ‘socialism’
– which we would now
describe as communism
While the Pope affirmed the
right to private property and
condemned the communist notion
of ‘class war’ he demanded
a just wage for workers and told
the wealthy that they should not
seek profit in the poverty of others;
therefore workers should be
paid a just wage (“enough to a
support a wage-earner in reasonable
and frugal comfort”
with a family).
This right to a just wage cannot
just be settled by an employer
simply paying what has
been agreed: there is more to it
than that. Low wages are a serious
injustice: “If through necessity
or fear of a worse evil the
workman accepts harder conditions
because an employer or
contractor will afford no better,
he is made the victim of force
and injustice.”
The worker has an innate dignity,
and so does the work that
he does: it is “personal, inasmuch
as the energy expended is
bound up with the personality
and is the exclusive property of
him who acts, and furthermore,
was given to him for his advantage.”
This affects the whole of society,
because “it is only by the
labour of working-men that
States grow rich.” They have the
right to form associations (Trade
Unions) to negotiate for them
and better their conditions,
preferably Catholic ones.
The Pope accepts the right to
strike, but the state should remove
the grievances which provoke
strikes (interestingly for us,
he doesn’t suggest that certain
types of workers shouldn’t be allowed
to strike).
There should also be a just
limit on the hours people are expected
to work and workers
must have the freedom to meet
their religious obligations;
women and children should be
treated differently from men.
The document was scarcely
revolutionary and much of the
language was paternalistic. But
it broke new ground for the
Church, and it is still “new”, because
what underlies the encyclical
is still challenged by
many who simply dismiss documents
like this as the Church
“interfering in politics.”
But this is to misunderstand it
completely. When the Pope attacks
unrestricted capitalism, he
does so because of what we believe
about the human person:
“it is neither just nor human so
to grind men down with excessive
labour as to stupefy their
minds and wear out their bodies.”
This is an essentially theological
message. Leo set a new
agenda for the Church and the
whole contemporary tradition of
Catholic Social Teaching, although
rooted in Scripture and
the Church’s tradition, takes its
inspiration from Rerum Novarum.
Many of the issues the Pope
addresses remain serious, such
as poor working conditions, the
right to strike, being made to
work on Sundays; the Pope’s
message has abiding importance
and it remains central to Christian
witness for us to share the
same teaching.
For all the latest Catholic news visit www.thecatholicuniverse.com
Page 9

Features
The Pilgrim March 2016
On pilgrimage to Poland
World Youth Day will be held in Poland in July. David Baldwin
says the country has a fascinating and rich Catholic history
On the face of it Poland may not be
the most obvious place to venture
on a major pilgrim journey. I went
with only rather hazy expectations
and a general sense of curiosity.
For this is the place from which St
John Paul II hailed – preceded by
modern saints about whom I knew a
little, and instinctively admired – St
Faustina, associated with the devotion
of Divine Mercy, and St Maximilian
Kolbe, martyred at Auschwitz.
Little did I know the wider treasures
that awaited me, which gave such
surprise and inspiration as my journey
unfolded.
Apart from being an attractive
“European style” country to which
you can relate, it is still very much a
Catholic country, with a largely devout
and faithful population. This is
very much in evidence with the
abundance of active churches, the
prominence of Adoration of the
Blessed Sacrament, and the high
and intense level of Marian devotion.
And Poland does offer some significant,
specific pilgrim destinations,
linked to events and people, that
lend a dimension of international interest.
They are of relevance to our
world, and have, and will continue
to have, a bearing on our own Christian
lives.
Many of these pilgrim places are
The Sanctuary of the
Divine Mercy on
Lagiewniki.
conveniently centred in and around
Krakow – a compact, historic, attractive,
laid-back city, where, happily
World Youth Day will also be
centred this July!
In Krakow itself there are many
pilgrim attractions: prime of which
is the beautiful, eccentric Royal
Cathedral. Here, the great majority
of Polish monarchs are interred, and
of which St John Paul II said, “The
sanctuary of the nation cannot be
entered without an inner trembling,
without awe, for here… is contained
a vast greatness which speaks to us
of the history of Poland”.
An impressive Basilica to Our Lady
of the Assumption, dominates the
picturesque, sizeable, mediaeval
Main Square; elsewhere, and in
close proximity to each other, sit
two very contrasting churches: the
austere and beautifully ethereal Dominican
church of the Holy Trinity,
and the dazzling and ebullient polychromatic
displays of colour and designs
of the Franciscan church of St
Francis of Assisi.
In the southern suburbs, at
Lagiewniki, is the striking, huge,
brand new Basilica of the Divine
Mercy, where, in the next-door, original
convent chapel, the mortal remains
of St Faustina rest. Close by is
the newly built John Paul II Centre,
with a wide range of facilities, secular
and spiritual, all commemorating
Poland’s renowned Pope-Saint.
In the north-eastern suburbs, is
the communist inspired social development
of the “new town” of Nowa
Huta, in which sits the extraordinary
church of the Arka Pana, the Ark of
the Lord, built with grinding toil and
dedication during the communist
regime.
Also in the Nowa Huta area are
two other pilgrim destinations of
note – the tranquil Cistercian abbey,
monastery and extensive, decorative
pine and fir tree gardens at
Mogila; and, just opposite, the small
church of St Bartholomew’s, where
everything – top to bottom, inside
and out – is made of wood – a real
treat!
Not far outside Krakow are the
amazing underground salt mines at
Wieliczka, where you will see an exquisite,
sizeable chapel carved entirely
from salt. Also within easy
reach of Krakow is the fortified 11th
century Benedictine Abbey of
Tyniec.
Further afield, but linked by a
convenient train ride, is the charming
town of Wadowice, St John Paul
II’s birthplace, where you can pray
in John Paul’s home church, where
he worshipped with this family as a
child.
Close by, is an extensive, engaging,
modern museum portraying all
aspects of his life. On the way to
Wadowice you can break your journey
at the baroque Bernadine Basilica
at Kalwaria, with its extensive,
rurally placed Stations of the Cross.
Then to the north west of Krakow,
and described as the spiritual heart
of Poland, is the fortress monastery
of the Pauline monks of Jasna Gora,
dominating the town of Czestochowa,
which houses the miraculous
icon of the Black Madonna in the
richly embellished, mid 17th century
chapel. There is also a large
Basilica, Adoration chapel, an impressive
treasury, and a very powerful,
modern depiction of the
Stations of the Cross.
And then there is Auschwitz – that
grim testament to man’s limitless
inhumanity – that needs to be visited,
and prayed at, as a salutary
and sobering reminder. Here, this
ghastliness is presented in a well ordered,
well organised and tasteful
manner, which helps one attempt to
take it all in. Here, amongst all this
now silent anguish, you can contemplate
the reality of the dark, claustrophobic
cell where St Maximilian
The Franciscan church of St Francis of Assisi, Krakow is in possession of
the certified copy of the Shroud of Turin, located in the Chapel of the
Passion. It is placed at the main altar of the chapel (pictured) for all
guest and parishioners to examine.
Kolbe gave his life up for another.
For me, this visit to Auschwitz
gave me an opportunity to ponder
deeply how one could ever reconcile
the unspeakable horrors perpetrated
there, and the concept – the actuality
– of God’s infinite mercy, as
propagated from the Divine Mercy
Shrine, but a short journey away.
What prompted this was meeting
a Polish priest at the Divine Mercy
Shrine, who recounted that his great
uncle, a Jesuit Provincial, had heard
the confession of, and given absolution
to, Rudolf Hoess, the camp
commandant of Auschwitz shortly
before he was executed.
For those going to World Youth
Day there will no doubt be the opportunity
to experience much of
what is in and around Krakow. But
my invitation to all you WYDers, is
to return some day, and savour more
fully the other extensive pilgrim
treasures and experiences that
Poland has to offer.
• David Baldwin’s booklet Poland:
A Pilgrim’s Companion has recently
Kracow is a city full of surprises.
been published by the Catholic Truth
Society, price £2.50. It can be
purchased from www.ctsbooks.org/
poland-pilgrims-companion/
Black Madonna of Częstochowa.
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Page 10

The Pilgrim March 2016
Making new friendships as an adult
Features/Diary
School days
Alexis Pottinger
Home? Crystal Palace.
Job? Formerly a teacher trainer, now part-time
administrator at Croydon College. Also vice-president
of the Servite Secular Institute.
What secondary school did you attend? Burlington
Grammar School for Girls,west London, a Church of
England school.
Favourite subjects? Art and French. I wanted to go to
art college, but was persuaded by my father and the
school that it would be better to get an academic
degree and take up art as a hobby.
Worst subject? Chemistry. Lessons had no interest for
me at all.
Favourite teacher? Miss Seal, who taught French
literature. As sixth formers, she treated us as her
equals, as intelligent adults, and engendered a love of
literature in all of us. She was a committed Christian,
and this came across in her genuine love and concern
for us as individuals.
Favourite school dinner? In sixth form, there was an
amazing innovation: the provision of salads and fresh
fruit, so that was my only good memory of school dinners:
there was nothing that could be done to these to
make them worse.
Guilty secret? I was a bit of a rebel in sixth form and
because of this I was never made a prefect. I was not
allowed in the Prefects' Room during breaks, so I used
to hide in the cloakroom with other non-prefect
friends instead of being in the playground where we
were supposed to be.
What lessons about life did you learn? The main lesson
I learned was self-discipline. We were expected to
work hard in school, and I have always been able to get
on with a task and have it done in time. I also learned
the value of friendship: heart-to-heart conversations
and the company and support of like-minded friends.
What do you wish you had been told? At the time I
was at school in the 1960s, there was no effective
careers advice provided, and the only choice offered
to me was the civil service. I wish that I had been told
that there were so many more possibilities suited to
my own talents and interests.
What did you do immediately after school? I went to
the University of Bristol to read Modern Studies, which
covered three subjects: economics, politics and
French. I left university experienced a conversion from
agnosticism to belief in a personal God. This was my
first step on the path which led to becoming a Catholic
and entering consecrated life.
What career advice would you give to a young
person? Do the best that you can at school and take
advantage of all the opportunities and experiences
that are on offer. Whatever you are good at, devote to
it as much time as you can, whether in or out of school
or work, as this is a gift from God. Learn to love hard
work, even at those jobs that are not your first choice
and to learn as much as you can from them.
By Paula Conrad
The Age of Loneliness was the title of a
recent documentary on BBC1. It revealed
that people of all ages can suffer loneliness,
despite having a large family and
despite owning everything one could desire.
This is not a new phenomenon. Thirtyfive
years ago Fr Harry Pownall wrote,
“Loneliness eats at the heart” in his forward
to The Life Ascending (formally The
Ascent movement) handbook.
He could see the great value in this international,
lay movement, for those in
their middle to later years, who are free
to meet during the day on a regular basis
in their parishes. It is a movement of
love. Love of God, love of one’s faith
and nurturing love of one another.
Christ’s message in the Gospels is at
the heart of each Life Ascending meeting.
Here we begin to understand how
these precious years are a gift from God
and He needs us and is calling each one
of us to play our part.
The time spent in sharing and discussion,
means we can “travel together”,
sharing our joys and blessings, turning
our concerns into a more positive light
and in knowing those who are there; listen,
understand and care. Being in the
company of other, like-minded people, is
both beneficial and comforting and better
than sitting in isolation with one’s
thoughts.
This is not a bible study group, a
prayer group or a cup of tea and a chat
group. Life Ascending combines all these
elements and more and is centred on
three aims spirituality, friendship and
mission – growing in the love of God and
each other.
Members love their Life Ascending
group where there is opportunity to discuss
faith issues, family or health concerns,
problems in the community in an
atmosphere of prayer and in confidence.
Laughter and fun is key when we meet.
It prevents the Life Ascending meeting
becoming too serious and indeed it relaxes
and lifts the spirit.
Every group will find its own way of including
the three aims. Watching a short
film and discussing it will add variety and
interest to a meeting. Maybe there is a
burning question a member longs to have
answered but is afraid of appearing ignorant
in front of others. An anonymous
question box is a good way to solve this,
with an invited priest, local councilor or
police providing answers.
There are so many little ways we can
use our gifts for others like keeping our
Christmas cards in a box and take out
one each day and pray for the person
who sent it to us. Making clothes for babies
in Africa, warm knitted items for
refugees, writing to prisoners and so on.
A group made a Union Jack blanket for
newly born twins in a war torn country.
Receiving the photo of the twins in the
blanket brought great joy to the group.
In addition to the local group meeting,
there are times when several groups
share a day of recollection, study day,
three-day retreat, a visit to a place of interest.
These occasions are relaxing, enjoyable
and uplifting.
The service of the Gospel has nothing
to do with age. All the gifts acquired in
our lives are of value to our families, society
and the world and Life Ascending
helps us to realise this.
Please take a look at our website and
hopefully you will see that a Life Ascending
group is a must have for your
parish: www.ascentmovement.org.uk
For more information, phone 020
8653 5206.
Diary - March 2016
Universe Media Group Ltd
Guardian Print Centre, Longbridge Road,
Trafford Park, Manchester M17 1SN.
The Catholic Who’s Who and Yearbook contains the biographies of
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10: New Confirmation Rite meeting for all
Confirmation and RCIA catechists, St Joseph’s Parish
Centre, Montem Road, New Malden, 7.30pm – 9.00pm.
It is helpful if those attending register with the Centre
for Catholic Formation: office@ccftootingbec.org.uk
12: New Confirmation Rite meeting for all
Confirmation and RCIA catechists, The Hermitage, More
Park, West Malling, 10.30am – 12 noon. It is helpful if
those attending register with the Centre for Catholic
Formation: office@ccftootingbec.org.uk.
12: Evangelization Seminar: ‘Spreading the Good News
in the Family.” Led by the Marriage and Family Life
team, St William of York, 4 Brockley Park, Forest Hill,
2.00-5pm. For anyone interested in evangelization.
19: “Born for This”, a depiction of the Stations of the
Cross presented by young people from the diocese,
Aylesford Priory. For more information, contact
info@scys.org.uk, or call 01227- 272900.
Page 11

The Pilgrim March 2016
Focus on faith
What mercy really means
Fr Adrian Graffy, author of the new CTS booklet
Gospels of Mercy: Twelve Steps to the Love of God,
explores the idea of mercy in Luke’s Gospel
‘Go and Announce the Gospel of the Lord’
Evangelization Seminar
Spreading the Good News in the Family
Saturday 12th March 2016
Venue: St William of York, 4 Brockley Park, Forest Hill,
SE23 1PS
Time: 2:00pm – 5:00pm
With: The Diocesan Marriage and Family Life Team
For: Members of Parish Evangelization Teams and
Parish Councils, Religious, Priests & Deacons
and all who wish to evangelize
There is no charge, but please book at the
Centre for Catholic Formation
From the very first days of his ministry
as Bishop of Rome Pope Francis
has spoken about mercy. A few days
after being elected he celebrated
Sunday Mass at the church of Santa
Anna in the Vatican. It was an ordinary
parish Mass, and the Pope
preached a simple homily on the Sunday
gospel. He preached about
mercy.
Ever since, Pope Francis has emphasised
the primacy of God’s mercy.
In so doing he is reminding us of
something which lies at the heart of
Christian faith. This is not a new discovery
of his.
But it is something we need to be
reminded about constantly. Pope
John XXIII in the opening speech for
the Second Vatican Council, in October
1962, declared that the Church
should offer to the world “the medicine
of mercy”. For Pope Francis
“Jesus Christ is the face of the Father’s
mercy.” And we too should be
merciful like the Father.
Even in the Old Testament the message
of mercy is proclaimed. The
word “mercy” does not appear in the
early chapters of the Book of Genesis,
but God’s mercy is clearly apparent
when God is said to provide
clothes for the man and the woman.
God promises a new beginning after
the flood. God always offers a new
start.
To Moses God is revealed as “the
Lord, the Lord, a God of tenderness
and compassion, slow to anger, rich
in kindness and faithfulness” (Exodus
34:6). The psalms sing repeatedly of
God’s mercy. But perhaps the richest
Old Testament portrayals of the
mercy of God are to be found in the
writings of the prophet Hosea, and
in the story of Jonah, who, when the
pagan Ninevites are spared, recalls
that God is merciful and compassionate,
a lesson he finds hard to
accept.
It is above all in Jesus, the face of
God’s mercy, that the message of
mercy is found, and most of all in his
self-giving death and resurrection. It
is in the Gospel of Luke that the
preaching of God’s mercy is most
strongly highlighted.
Luke shows Jesus preaching in
Nazareth at the start of his ministry.
He reads from the prophet Isaiah proclaiming
that he has come to bring
good news to the poor. Jesus stresses
the mercy of God by word and by
deed, in many episodes reported by
Luke alone. Luke is passionate about
the mercy of God announced by
Jesus.
The call of St Peter is differently
presented in Luke’s gospel. Seeing
the wonders the Lord works, Peter
cries out “Lord, I am a sinful man.”
He is called by Jesus, who loves giving
people a new start. The same
grace is given when the woman
comes into the house of Simon the
Pharisee and washes the feet of
Jesus. Jesus praises her tender love.
She had understood as others could
not that Jesus was the messenger of
God’s mercy, offering a new start to
all.
Luke is the great recorder of some
wonderful parables of Jesus which no
other evangelist includes. They are
parables of mercy. The Good Samaritan
shows that mercy is a challenge
to us too.
The God of mercy wants us to be
merciful as God is merciful. The
strange little parable of the fig tree
in the vineyard gives another challenge.
“Give it one more year,” says
the gardener, who surely represents
Jesus. God allows time for us to
change, to become merciful, to become
kind.
The parable of the prodigal son is
surely the most striking and most
cherished of all parables. The father
shows us that God is waiting for the
return of the sinner. We only have to
take a few steps and God rushes to
support us. It is God who brings us a
new start.
The elder brother in the parable,
who is unwilling to forgive his brother
who has now returned, represents
the righteous people who cannot find
it in their hearts to forgive. They are
similar to the Pharisee in the parable
of the Pharisee and tax-collector. The
latter is aware he needs God’s help,
while the Pharisee prays to himself in
his conceit.
Luke uniquely also tells us the
story of Zacchaeus, who climbs into a
sycamore tree to see Jesus. Jesus invites
himself to his house, and everything
changes because Zacchaeus has
his new start too.
Luke’s emphasis on forgiveness is
found throughout his story of Christ’s
passion and death. He tells Peter of
his coming failure, but assures him
that once he has picked himself up
he will be able to strengthen the
other disciples. When Jesus arrives at
the place of execution he has words
of forgiveness for his executioners,
and in Luke’s gospel alone the “good
thief” is assured of paradise.
There is no better way to start reflecting
on the mercy of God than by
reading the Gospel of Luke. Gospels
of Mercy provides 12 short passages
from that gospel, 12 steps to the love
of God. They are explained in a way
which should help even those for
whom the gospel is totally new.
As Pope Francis has said recently:
“the name of God is mercy!”
Price - £1.95. Available to buy from
www.ctsbooks.org/gospelsof-mercy/
or Tel: 020 7834 1363.
www.ccftootingbec.org.uk
“The name of
God is mercy”
– Pope Francis
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