Issue 48 - The Pilgrim - April 2016 - The newspaper of the Archdiocese of Southwark

Issue 48 April 2016
The SVP:
helping
the needy
Page 6 & 7
How to keep
children safe
online
Page 8
I’m a priest
and I’m an
alcoholic
Page 10
Special Mass when Mother
Teresa becomes a saint
By Greg Watts
A special Mass will be held
at St George’s Cathedral
to mark Mother Teresa becoming
a saint.
Pope Francis will canonise
Blessed Teresa of Calcutta
at the Vatican on
4th September. She was
beatified by Pope John
Paul II in 2003.
The Mass will be held
shortly after the canonisation,
and will be attended
by members of
religious congregations
from across the diocese.
Fr Jim Hurley, episcopal
vicar for religious in
Southwark, said. “I was
absolutely delighted when
I heard the news of
Mother Teresa’s canonisation.
She was an extraordinary
woman who
devoted her life to doing
the work of the Lord.”
He praised the work of
the Missionaries of Charity.
“The Missionaries of
Charity do incredible
work around the world,
especially with the poor
and destitute.
The Missionaries of
Charity are well known in
Southwark. A community
of five sisters run a 40-
bed hostel near St
George’s Cathedral. They
also operate a soup
kitchen five days a week,
attracting up to 150 people
each day, and provide
catechesis at the cathedral
and the Church of
the English Martyrs in
Walworth.
Lucy Russell, columnist
for The Pilgrim said,
“Mother Teresa is a terrific
role model and example
to us all. We are all
called to sainthood, but
how many of us consider
ourselves saintly? We are
not expected to be perfect,
or to have perfect
faith.
“The saints are human
beings, with human problems
and issues. Even
Mother Teresa experienced
doubt. In her letters
to Fr Michael Van Der
Peet, she spoke about the
silence and emptiness she
experienced when she
prayed.”
Mother Teresa died in
1997 in Calcutta, where,
nearly 50 years before,
she had founded the Missionaries
of Charity to
care for some of the
world’s poorest people.
She was awarded the
Nobel Peace Prize in
1979.
The news of her canonisation
came a few days
after four Missionaries of
Charity were murdered in
Yemen, along with 12
other people, when terrorists
burst into the
home the sisters run for
the elderly and disabled
in Aden.
Priests processing out of St George’s Cathedral at the end of the Chrism Mass.

Editorial
The Pilgrim April 2016
The Road to Emmaus
By Bishop Paul Hendricks
There's something very special about
Easter Week. During Holy Week we've been
with the disciples in spirit, so to speak,
following Jesus through the emotional
highs and lows, the tragedy and the
triumph.
Now we've come into that mysterious
and almost other-worldly landscape of the
after-Easter appearances of Jesus, as reflected
in the Mass readings for Easter
Week and the Sundays after Easter.
I imagine the ghostly pre-dawn light, as
the women creep out of the city to visit
the tomb - a sense of unreality that means
Mary Magdalen doesn't at first recognise
Jesus.
Later in Galilee, the disciples look from
the boat to the shore: Can it be Jesus
standing there? No one said, but in their
hearts they knew it was him. And of course
there was the experience of the disciples
on the road to Emmaus. Jesus was explaining
about himself, but they didn't recognise
him until he sat down with them and
broke the bread.
I find something of the same otherworldly
quality in the paintings of Claude
Lorrain - including the one here, on that
very subject of the Road to Emmaus. It's
the light that creates the atmosphere, I
think - the mysterious ethereal glow of the
distant background.
The light also shines upon Jesus and
upon the path he is treading with the disciples,
contrasting with the darker tones on
the right, from which presumably they
have come. There is a river and some
rough land separating them from the more
perfectly-lit scene in the middle-distance
and beyond.
The path itself follows a narrower way
to the left, in between some rather threatening-looking
shadows. It suggests to me
that faith and perseverance are needed, to
win through the trials of life to the glory
beyond.
This is what I love about Claude's paintings.
To me they hint at a world beyond
our world, something beyond our experience
- even, perhaps, an intimation of the
deepest desires of our heart.
It reminds me of what I used to feel,
sometimes, when visiting an ancient religious
house in the mountains outside
Rome, near Castel Gandolfo. I would look
across the distant scene, beyond the Papal
Palace, to see the misty plain sweeping
across to the sea just visible on the horizon.
And I would think how this area has remained
somehow separate, a holy place
from pagan times until the present, while
down below the events of worldly history
have unfolded over the centuries. Two realities
- and occasionally we catch a
glimpse of the other: mysterious, with
hints of deeper truths and a way through
into the presence of God.
Thinking about that great mystery which
is the celebration of the Mass, I somehow
sense that there are two worlds here as
well. One is what you see when you look
around - people with ordinary human limitations
and failings, including the priest
himself.
Maybe you can't always hear the reader.
Perhaps the hymns aren't very good. But at
the same time, if we have faith to see it,
the Mass is drawing us more deeply into
the mystery of the life, death and resurrection
of Jesus.
We're not just remembering. It's not just
a re-enactment. We enter into that world,
following that mysterious light that leads
beyond the shadows and the doubts and
the difficulties of our daily life.
Many years ago, I heard it said of a famous
person that his greatest wish would
be to live in a landscape by Claude Lorrain.
An odd thing to say, perhaps, but I
think I have some idea what he meant.
The importance
of hospitality
By Greg Watts
I sometimes jokingly refer to my local Italian restaurant,
Trattoria Raffaele in Sydenham, as my parish
church. So I was delighted when I heard that it had
been voted the best restaurant in London on Trip Advisor.
With its checked tablecloths, Italian film posters
and family photos on the walls, and bottles of wine
on ledges, Raffaele’s is a very traditional family
restaurant
Whatever you choose from the menu – a pizza,
pasta, or one of the specials -, you know it’s going
to be delicious. And you know that you aren’t being
ripped off.
The 40-seat restaurant’s popularity is not just due
to its food and ambience, though. It’s also down to
Raffaele, a former professional golfer, who bought
the restaurant from his father eight years ago.
He’s warm, cheerful, and always makes you feel
as comfortable as you would be in your own home.
Nothing is too much trouble for him. He even asked
his chef to make a pizza in the shape of Batman for
my son.
In fact, you could even say that Raffaele is a bit
like a good parish priest. And what he radiates when
he comes to your table to take your order is not
service, but hospitality. There is a difference, and
not all restaurants understand this.
Being hospitable means treating someone in the
same way you would like to be treated. And it’s a
theme that runs through the Bible. For example, we
can think of Martha preparing food for Jesus in her
house and Jesus Feeding the Five Thousand.
New Testament scholar Robert Karris says, “In
Luke’s Gospel Jesus is either going to a meal, at a
meal, or coming from a meal. So much so that his
enemies accuse him of being a glutton and a
drunkard.”
Hospitality isn’t something just confined to
restaurants, of course. We can be hospitable at
home. I love nothing more than having friends
around and cooking a meal.
Food not only brings people together. Sharing a
meal can revive our spirits. We listen to each other’s
stories, laugh, and affirm each other. It’s about
communion.
It’s interesting to note that the word restaurant
comes from the French verb that means to restore.
I don’t know if Raffaele realises this when he
welcomes customers at the door. But he doesn’t
need to.
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
South-West London
Bishop Paul Hendricks
020 8643 8007
bishop.hendricks@gmail.com
South-East London
Bishop Patrick Lynch
020 8297 9219
bishoplynch7@btinternet.com
The Pilgrim,
Archbishop’s House
150 St George’s Road
London SE1 6HX
Editor: Greg Watts
pilgrim@rcsouthwark.co.uk
0208 776 9250
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Page 2

The Pilgrim April 2016
Cathedral features in new book
St George's Cathedral has been featured in a
new book about the best stained glass windows
in London.
The 100 Best Stained Glass Sites in London
is written by Caroline Swash, who presented a
copy of it to cathedral dean Fr Richard Hearn.
Most of the stained glass at St George’s
dates from the 1950s. Little of Pugin’s original
glass survived the bombing in World War Two.
Amongst the notable windows are those depicting
the Coronation of the Our Lady and
the visit of St John Paul II in 1982.
Archbishop welcomes MPs’ decision on Sunday Trading
Archbishop Peter has welcomed the vote in
the House of Commons not to extend Sunday
trading hours in England and Wales.
MPs voted 317 to 286 against Chancellor
George Osborne's proposal to extend Sunday
trading hours beyond the current six-hour
limit.
“I am pleased that MPs have decided to
protect the existing arrangements, which
meet consumer needs while recognising the
unique and important atmosphere of Sundays,”
said Archbishop Peter.
"There is little evidence that further
deregulation would bring any tangible benefit
to the UK and today’s debate highlighted
how it would negatively impact upon family
time, community cohesion and faith
groups.”
We want your news! Email your stories
to pilgrim@rcsouthwark.co.uk
or telephone 0208 776 9250.
Students at St Edmund's School
in Dover ran a chocolate
tombola to raise money during
Lent for the Medaille Trust.
Mass for migrants
News
Volunteers receive medals
Three volunteers at the Centre for Catholic
Formation in Tooting Bec have received medals
from the diocese.
Suzanne Evans, Lewis Horner, and Colleen
Quaranta have, between them, volunteered at
the centre for over 67 years. Archbishop Peter
presented each of them with a diocesan faithful
servant medal.
Archbishop Peter established the award as a
means of recognising the work done in the dioceses
by people who go beyond the call of duty.
Cardinal Vincent Nichols will celebrate this
year’s annual Mass for migrants.
The Mass will take place at 11am on Monday
6th May at Westminster Cathedral. It will be
preceded at 10.30am by a banner procession
with representatives from London’s ethnic
communities.
Seminarians killed
Archbishop Peter has presided at a requiem Mass
at the Church of Our Lady of Sorrows in Peckham
for six VIncentian seminarians who died in a car
accident in Nigeria.
Nominate a Catholic woman
Nominations are being invited for the 2016
Catholic Women of the Year.
“We are looking for the unsung heroines,” said
Joanna Bogle, one of the organisers. “These may
be women who are active in their local parish or
community, in visiting the sick or imprisoned, in
preparing children for First Communion or helping
with projects for the aged or housebound.”
She added that nominators may think of
women who have been particularly helpful to
them in their own journey of faith or, in this Jubilee
Year of Mercy, women who particularly exemplify
one of the corporal or spiritual works of
mercy.
The chosen Catholic Women of the Year are
special guests at an annual lunch, which will be
held in the autumn.
For more information, visit www.cwoy.org
Page 3

News
The Pilgrim April 2016
Pupils from four Catholic schools
took part in the Southwark regional
final of the Catenian’s
public speaking competition.
The ten teenagers represented
from St Thomas the
Apostle College, Nunhead; St
Sevenoaks swim-a-thon for CAFOD
Photo: CAFOD
A swim-a-thon and scoot-a-thon by
pupils at St Thomas’ Catholic Primary
School in Sevenoaks has raised
nearly £1,000 for Cafod.
The money will help Cafod turn
taps on across the world by repairing
Michael’s College, Bermondsey;
Sacred Heart School, Camberwell;
and St Gregory’s Catholic
School, Tunbridge Wells.
The event was held at St
Thomas the Apostle College,
where each pupil spoke for four
or providing water pumps and providing
training in order to maintain
them.
It will also help fund hygiene programmes,
education in sanitation
and the building of latrines.
THE SOUTHWARK
SEMINARY FUND
48 Dale Road, Purley, CR8 2EF
Tel: (020) 8660 3815
Please help train our future priests by
contributing to the cost of educating
our students at St John’s Seminary
Wonersh. The Diocese have 21
students in training at a cost of
£20,000 per student each year. The
Southwark Seminary Fund augments
the annual Ecclesiastical Education Collection. Please send
your donation/legacy either through your parish priest or
directly to Canon James Pannett at Purley.
Top public
speakers
minutes on a range of topics.
The winner, Jael Umerah-
Makelemi from Sacred Heart
School Camberwell, spoke about
her favourite colour and what
went through her mind as she
went shopping at her local
supermarket.
Archbishop Peter presented
Jael and runner-up Jeanie
Purslow with a shield and vouchers.
Both pupils will take part in
the national finals at the University
of Manchester in September.
Abu Dhabi here I come!
Kevin Mokhtar from Bishop Thomas Grant School in
Streatham has won a scholarship at New York University’s
campus in Abu Dhabi.
Thanks to a scholarship from the Sutton Trust, all of
Kevin’s tuition fees and living expenses will be covered
during the four-year social sciences course.
“I am extremely blessed and honoured to be able to
study at one of the best universities in the world,” said
Kevin. “I can’t believe I have been granted this life
changing opportunity. “
Keeping Erith tidy
Children from St Fidelis Catholic Primary School
in Erith took part in the Clean for the Queen
weekend litter campaign. The event was held to
mark Her Majesty’s 90th birthday in June.
Gravesend school expansion
St John’s Catholic Primary School in Gravesend,
has been asked by Kent County Council to consult
with staff, parents and governors on the possibility
of taking on one extra class of 30 children
each year for the next seven years.
If it is agreed, a planning application will be
submitted for new buildings to accommodate the
children.
Headteacher John Shields said: “The plan is in
its infancy at the moment. More places need to
be created for all the homes being built, but we
also have to consider issues like the road.”
Concert for refugees
A concert at St Catherine’s Catholic School in
Bexleyheath has raised over £2,000 for refugees.
Choirs from St Catherine’s and three other
local schools performed a variety of songs and
then joined together for a rendition of Gary
Barlow’s Sing.
The money will be donated to Caritas Social
Action Network who work with the refugee
community in Calais and the UK.
Fire at Clapham school
A quick thinking caretaker prevented major
damage to Oliver House School in Clapham school
after a fire broke out. He discovered a fire on the
second floor and called the fire brigade, who
quickly extinguished it.
Saints of mercy
The lives of six men and women who demonstrated
mercy will be explored in a series of talks
at Amigo Hall.
Organised by the Centre for Catholic Formation,
the talks will look at the lives of Blessed
Teresa of Calcutta; St Maria Faustina Kowalska,
Pope John Paul II; St Josephine Bakhita; St Padre
Pio; and St Leopold Mandic.
Speakers include Fr Andrzej Gowkielewicz and
Rhoslyn Thomas (SPUC).
The talks will take place during April and May
on Thursday evening at 7.30pm. Admission is
free.
Mass for London priests
Priests from Southwark, Westminster and Brentwood
dioceses will celebrate a special Mass for
the Year of Mercy.
The Mass, on 23rd June, will take place at
Westminster Cathedral and also mark the 300th
anniversary of Bishop Richard Challoner. Professor
Judith Champ of St Mary’s College, Oscott, will
deliver a lecture in the cathedral hall about his
life as a missionary.
We want your news! Email your stories
to pilgrim@rcsouthwark.co.uk or
telephone 0208 776 9250.
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 4

The Pilgrim April 2016
Feature
Fr David Gibbons, Director of the diocesan Centre for
Catholic Formation, continues his series in which he
looks at liturgies other than Mass which we sometimes attend,
such as baptisms, weddings and funerals.
What happens at Confirmation?
Fatima statue takes to the road
A new translation into English of the
Confirmation rite has been produced.
It is published by CTS, and
its use will be mandatory from
Easter (that is, from the Easter Vigil
onwards).
Some of the changes are to conform
with the new Roman Missal
English translation (“and with your
spirit” replaces “and also with you”,
for example) and partly to conform
with the wording used in the English
translation of the Catechism of the
Catholic Church.
Adult converts are usually confirmed
at the Easter Vigil, as per the
Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults
(RCIA). However, for clarity’s sake,
in this article I shall look at the Confirmation
of young people, which in
most parishes takes place once a
year.
The ordinary (that is, the usual)
minister of Confirmation is the
bishop. This makes a clear link with
the first outpouring of the Holy
Spirit at Pentecost. Confirmation
should normally take place within
Mass. This is to make clear the link
between Confirmation and Eucharist
as sacraments of initiation. The sacred
chrism used is that consecrated
by the diocesan bishop on the Thursday
of Holy Week.
There are really only three parts
to the Confirmation rite. First, and
this comes after the homily, is the
renewal of baptismal promises. This
establishes the connection to Baptism,
and in some parishes the candidates
hold lighted baptismal
candles at this point. It is to be
hoped that the candidates say “I
do” vigorously and confidently when
asked if they renounce Satan and
believe in God.
Then comes the two-fold action
which is the essential part of the
sacrament. The first of these is the
laying on of hands. The bishop says
a prayer, followed by a short silence.
Then the bishop and the
priests present extend their hands
over the candidates and the bishop
recites the prayer asking God to
send the Holy Spirit upon them and
give them the seven-fold gifts of the
Spirit.
The seven gifts listed in the prayer
are wisdom, understanding, counsel,
fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear
of the Lord. They are based on Isaiah
11: 1-2. The Laying on of Hands is a
Biblical gesture (e.g. see Hebrews
6:2) to invoke the gift of the Holy
Spirit upon the candidates.
The anointing with chrism follows.
Each candidate in turn comes
before the bishop. Their sponsor
stands immediately behind, with
their right hand on the candidate’s
right shoulder.
The bishop dips his right thumb in
the oil of chrism, makes the sign of
the cross with it on the candidate’s
forehead, and says “Name, be
sealed with the gift of the Holy
Spirit”. The candidate replies
“Amen”. The bishop says “Peace be
with you” and the newly confirmed
replies “And with your spirit”.
Mass continues with the universal
prayer (or the bidding prayers as we
often call them), and the only other
difference is that there are special
inserts for Eucharistic Prayers I, II,
and III.
There is a tradition of taking a
Confirmation name, usually a saint
or a virtue. This, however, is only a
custom and is not a necessary part
of the rite; candidates can opt for
their baptismal name.
The requirements for the sponsor
are the same as those for the godparents
at Baptism, but they must
have themselves been confirmed
and they must be “spiritually fit”
for the responsibility.
By Oliver Abasolo
The World Apostolate of Fatima (WAF) is the custodian
of the national pilgrim statue of Our Lady of Fatima
and the second class relics of Blessed Jacinta and Francisco,
which help to promote the cause of their canonisation.
In September 2015 the visitation of the statue and
relics to the parishes of Southwark Archdiocese commenced,
after Archbishop Peter gave his blessing and
approval. The purpose of the visitation is to foster devotion
to Our Lady of Fatima.
It also wants to encourage the faithful to comply
with her requests for prayer, especially the daily
recitation of the Rosary; the offering of penance and
sacrifices in reparation for sin; and the five first Saturdays
devotions of confession and communion in reparation
to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
The parish visitation in Southwark culminates at St
George’s Cathedral where Archbishop Peter will receive,
bless and crown the National Pilgrim Statue on
13th May, 2017, the 100th anniversary of Our Lady’s
first apparition at Fatima.
The statue and relics have visited a number of
parishes, including Holy Redeemer, Oval; St Joseph’s,
New Malden; and Our Lady of Reparation, West Croydon.
St John Fisher church,
Kidbrooke
The welcome ceremony differs from one parish to
another. What is common is the reception ceremony
that happens before the start of Mass. During this, the
parish priest blesses and crowns the national pilgrim
statue and an act of consecration is recited, thus consecrating
the whole parish to the Immaculate Heart of
Mary.
In this act of consecration, we entrust to Our Lady
our intention to live with her and through her all the
obligations assumed by our baptism in order to bring
about in ourselves that interior conversion so urgently
demanded by the Gospel.
The recitation of the Rosary is done either before or
after the Mass together with the prayers taught by the
Angel of Peace in 1916 and Our Lady of Fatima in 1917.
At Our Lady Immaculate in Tolworth the rosary was
prayed in different languages showing our universality
in our love and devotion to Mary.
Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, a holy hour,
adoration and Benediction all take place in the various
parishes, and the sacrament of Reconciliation is also
available. Indeed, true devotion to Our Lady will always
lead us to Jesus.
Enrolment and investiture in the brown scapular is
also being promoted as part of the message of Fatima.
Sr Lucia said “The Rosary and the Scapular are inseparable…
it is a sign of consecrating oneself to the Immaculate
Heart of Mary.”
When the statue visits a parish there is also a film
show on the message of Fatima to emphasise that its
message remains just as relevant as ever.
The statue will be visiting the following parishes:
April 16-17: English Martyrs, Walworth
May 7-8: St. John Fisher, Kidbrooke
May 28: Our Lady Immaculate, Tolworth
May 29: St. Pius X, Norbiton
July 2: Sacred Heart, Camberwell
www.worldfatima-englandwales.org.uk
Page 5

Feature
The Pilgrim April 2016
How the SVP makes a
difference in Southwark
The Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP) is doing much to help the needy in
the Diocese of Southwark, says its communications officer, Anita Boniface
Across Southwark diocese, members
of the SVP are making a big
difference to many lives. They do
this by visiting the poor and sick in
their homes and offering friendship
and company to those who feel
isolated.
The SVP was founded in Paris in
1833 by a student called Frédéric
Ozanam and his companions. They
saw the poverty in the slums around
them and wanted to do something in
response.
Taking St Vincent de Paul as their
patron saint, these rather academic
early members worked closely with
members of the church, in
particular a nun - Sr Rosalie Rendu -
who showed them how to go beyond
their comfort zone and relate to the
poor.
Slowly, other groups (known as
conferences) grew across France
and beyond and by the time of
Blessed Frédéric’s death in 1853,
there were 40,000 members of the
SVP across Europe and the Americas.
Inspired by Blessed Frédéric’s
French model, Englishman George
Wigley decided to set up England’s
first conference in 1844. He asked
Ozanam how to start the SVP in
England and Ozanam advised him to
contact as many influential
Catholics as possible.
Wigley contacted the then editor
of The Tablet newspaper, Frederick
Lucas, who published a series of
articles which described the “harsh
conditions” endured by the poor.
The letters described the “apathy of
the State” toward the poor, and the
“indifference” of influential
Catholics.
These letters had a great impact
and one contributor arranged a
meeting in the Sablonnière Hotel in
Leicester Square on 12th February,
1844. This was the first step towards
the foundation of an SVP
conference.
By the end of that year, there
were five separate conferences in
London. Five years later, England
and Wales totalled 14 Conferences,
and 274 members.
Today England and Wales has
nearly 1100 SVP Conferences, with
10,000 members.
In Southwark diocese there are
currently 68 Conferences. Last year,
Southwark members carried out
more than 22,000 hours of work,
helping nearly 2,000 poor, lonely, or
isolated individuals and families.
SVP membership is very strong in
some areas of the diocese. In east
Kent, for example, there are 13
conferences, which SVP membership
officer Kieran Knights describes as
“thriving.”
However, in other parts,
membership is weaker. In particular,
there are pockets of central London
where the SVP doesn’t have a
presence. Kieran says this is “a sad
irony, as the need can be greatest in
the inner city.”
Southwark membership declined
from 608 in 2010 to 549 in 2012
which is a cause for concern, and
was due largely to central London’s
less settled, transitory population.
However, over the past two years,
work has been done to establish
conferences and recruit more
volunteer members, and
membership in Southwark diocese
has now risen to over 700.
People join the SVP for a number
of reasons but, according to Kieran,
it is usually because they see the
suffering around them. “When
people hear about those who are
homeless, refugees, lonely, or
housebound, they often want to
help.
“Also, as Christians, they feel a
need to make a more active
demonstration of their faith, to take
it beyond Sunday worship and out
into the street, if you like.”
Winston Waller is the SVP’s
president for Southwark central
council, which covers the whole of
the diocese. He joined his local SVP
conference in Whitstable over 20
years ago. “I am an engineer and a
very practical person. I live in my
hands, not in my head,” he said.
“The SVP seemed like a very
practical group, doing work to help
people in need, so that resonated
from the start.”
This very “practical work” of the
SVP involves responding to poverty
in all its forms. This includes hunger,
deprivation, poverty of health,
poverty of friendship and financial
hardship. SVP members respond by
visiting people at home, and
providing friendship and company,
but often this cry for friendship can
cover a deeper need for practical
help which is sometimes difficult to
ask for.
Members meet on average
fortnightly, as well as spending an
In 2015 eleven new
SVP conferences in
Southwark were
started:
• St Benet, Abbeywood.
• St John Vianney,
Bexleyheath.
• St William of York,
Forest Hill.
• St Wilfrid’s, Kennington
Park.
• Our Lady of Sorrows,
Peckham.
• St James the Great,
Peckham Rye.
• St Thomas of Canterbury,
Rainham.
• St Elizabeth, Richmond.
• St Peter and the Guardian
Angels, Rotherhithe.
• Holy Family, Sutton Green
• Our Lady Immaculate,
Tolworth.
Page 6

The Pilgrim April 2016
Feature
Why I joined the SVP
For Paul Hume, a member of the SVP
conference at St James’ church, Peckham
Rye, the SVP has a very special place in his
heart. As an eight-year-old, his family were
struggling.
His parents had lost a twin during
pregnancy and the surviving baby brother
was suffering health problems and was often
in hospital. Paul’s sister was three, and
another brother was six.
His father was between jobs and his
parents were finding things difficult. “To be
honest, they were doing their best. I had no
idea as a child how bad things were,” he
said.
It was then that the SVP stepped in. “We
had never had a family holiday and the SVP
arranged for my whole family to go and stay
in a caravan by the beach at Seton Sands
near Edinburgh for 10 days”.
The SVP helped his family again when they
were homeless. “My dad had been offered a
job in Canada and we had sold our house and
everything in it, but his job fell through and
we had nowhere to live.
“The SVP gave us temporary
accommodation. It was a massive relief for
my mum and dad who never told us the real
situation, that we were homeless, and
painted a different picture for us. So once
again, I didn’t realise how bad things really
were.”
It was only a few years later when Paul
was a teenager and looking back on his
childhood when his mum explained that the
SVP had helped them. Paul says he felt
“really touched” that the SVP helped the
family the way they did.
“It meant that me and my sister and
brothers never had to feel insecure or like
we were missing out when we were growing
up. I felt really inspired to join the SVP. I
went to university and it was always at the
back of my mind.”
When Paul moved to London he thought he
would join a conference but it was not until
he had moved to Peckham that he became a
member. He has since moved to Surrey Quays
and returns to Peckham every two weeks for
conference meetings at St James.
He says: “My motivation to join the SVP
was because they helped us as a family. The
SVP means a lot to me personally.”
hour or two a week doing visiting
and practical work. Some members
offer lifts to people who otherwise
wouldn’t get to church or to the
doctor. Other members help run a
food collection scheme, and others
help run weekly lunches in the
parish hall for older people.
“The array of work is vast, which
keeps it interesting and means there
is something for everyone to do,”
said Winston.
The SVP also has a strong spiritual
ethos, and prayers are said at every
meeting, often inspired by Blessed
Frédéric, or by St Vincent de Paul.
St Vincent taught us to serve Christ
in the poor, and that is very much
what SVP members do.
They see the face of Christ in
those who are in need, and keep at
the heart of their work Jesus’s words
that “Whatever you do to the least
of my brothers, you did it to me.”
Kieran’s advice to anyone
considering joining the SVP is just
do it. “We need you. But more to
the point, thousands of poor, lonely
and isolated people of Southwark
need you. Even if you can only
manage an hour a week, that’s
enough to make a real difference to
someone else’s life.”
How SVP in Rotherhithe feeds the hungry
Members of St Peter and the Guardian Angels SVP
conference in Rotherhithe call themselves
“fledglings”, as they are relatively new and few in
number. That doesn’t stop them doing good work
however. Members, including vice-president Suzan
Crawley, are involved in helping feed the hungry in
their local community.
The conference collects food donated by the local
parishioners when they attend weekly Mass. When
there is sufficient quantity, Suzan and her husband
deliver the donations to the Southwark foodbank
called Pecan. Based in Peckham, it set up by local
churches in 1989.
When Pecan foodbank receives the donations, they
are checked to ensure perishable food is not past its
expiry date.
The SVP group are given foodbank vouchers to help
people they visit who can then collect the food from
the foodbank. Suzan said, “This way, food which is
donated goes straight back into our local area.
Nothing is wasted and we know that we are helping a
local organisation and local people who are much in
need.”
“Pecan recently sent a wonderful letter to Fr
Graham Preston at St Peter’s and the Guardian Angels,
thanking the parishioners and the SVP members for
their generosity. We are so pleased to be able to help
people, especially at Christmas.”
SVP members were especially busy at Christmas
working with the charity Crisis. The Crisis at
Christmas warehouse gave SVP some of its surplus
food left over after cooking 30,000 meals for the
homeless over an eight-day period.
Having an SVP Conference liaising with other
charities is an effective way of reaching and helping
people in need in the local community. However, the
SVP is unusual because through visiting families and
individuals in need in their homes, SVP members get
to see not only the plight of hunger, but other needs
as well.
To support the SVP by becoming a member or making a donation,
telephone 0207 703 3030 or visit www.svp.org.uk
The Leaven
Carmelite Secular
Institute
CALLING ALL
Single and widowed women
Seeking to dedicate
their life to God
Through vows in secular society.
Contact: The Secretary, The Leaven,
c/o The Friars, Aylesford ME20 7BX.
Tel: 01883 742488.
Email: kinman@ouvip.com
www.theleaven.org.uk
Page 7

Education
The Pilgrim April 2016
How to keep children and young people safe online
By Dr Anne Bamford
One of the biggest worries facing
parents and teachers alike is ensuring
the online safety of their children.
In a world where the children
are often more skilled at using new
technologies than adults, it is easy
to feel overwhelmed when thinking
about children’s safety in the virtual
world.
The analogy of road safety might
be a useful starting point. We don’t
try to keep our children inside to
prevent them ever having to learn
to cross the road safely. Instead we
take small steps to build the child’s
skills and judgements.
We start when they are young, always
holding their hands as they
cross the road, making sure they follow
basic safety rules and that they
look both ways before crossing.
As they get older, we allow them
to cross the road on their own, but
perhaps we watch from across the
road or down the street. Eventually,
we let them walk on their own and
hopefully use the good ground rules
that have been established. Eventually,
they may even learn to drive on
those same roads they once held
hands to cross.
The point is that e-safety needs to
be targeted to different age groups.
For example, for the under sevenyear-olds,
parental control devices
work quite well. If you can afford it,
consider giving the child a kindle or
similar book reader as opposed to
smart phones or other computers as
these tend to be able to be more
tightly controlled in terms of offline
and online content.
If children use your devices, ensure
that they use it through a child
profile. This way they cannot inadvertently
access inappropriate material.
Try to avoid using the device
as a baby sitter, but instead treat it
more like sharing a nice book, sitting
close and talking together.
Protect your child’s safety by not
uploading photos into public online
spaces. While you might be proud of
your child, are they really going to
want that image in the public domain
in later years? There are a
number of ways to share images
amongst only a select group of family
and friends.
For the 8-13-year-olds this is the
key age for teaching basic online
safety. Do they know how you can
stay safe when you are using the internet?
Staying in control is about
knowing that some people use the
internet to be nasty to others. They
also need to know they can make
the right choices and be safe. At this
age there are a few key basic rules:
1) Start children on a shared
device, placed in a public part
of the house, rather than a
private, smart device that the
child is likely to access in their
bedroom.
2) Don’t post any personal
information online. Using a
pseudonym is useful.
3) Think carefully before posting
pictures or videos of yourself.
It’s not just yours anymore.
4) When your child gets a new
device, take it into a phone or
computer shop and get them to
set privacy settings at the
highest level and turn off
Bluetooth.
5) Never give out your passwords.
6) Don’t befriend people you don’t
know.
7) Don’t meet up with people
you’ve met online.
8) Remember that not everyone
online is who they say they are.
9) Think before you post
something online and respect
other people’s views
10) If you see something online that
makes you feel uncomfortable,
unsafe or worried, leave the
website, turn off your computer
and tell a trusted adult
immediately.
11) If children this age are on
Facebook, Snapchat and most
other social media they are
breaking the law as these sites
require proof of age to show
you are over 13 years of age.
12) Game consoles can have
internet connections and may
be used to ‘meet’ people.
13) If you would not do it face to
face (or in front of someone)
don’t do it online.
For young people over 13 years of
age, the common problems can include
“sexting”, “outing”, “cyber
bullying” and “radicalisation.” They
may access inappropriate content,
including pornography or “friend” or
communicate with people they don't
know.
The internet can be used for
grooming and sexual abuse. Illegally
downloading music or films
can lead to cookies accessing personal
information. Sadly, many
young people are gambling or running
up debts or are online all
night, failing to get adequate rest
and becoming withdrawn. Some
groups use the internet to recruit
new members.
At this age, or even younger,
parental control devices rarely work
as the young people have the skills
to get around them. They are also
likely to have immediate access to
the full range on online material via
their portable devices.
It will be impossible to hold their
virtual hands at this stage, so it is
about keeping open lines of communication
and ensuring that the children
are aware of the law and also
who to turn to if they feel in danger.
The roads on the internet can be
dangerous, but they can also lead to
wonderful journeys. When online,
children and young people can learn
new things, get help with homework,
express themselves creatively
and connect with friends and family.
Children and young people spend a
lot of time online – it can be a great
way for them to socialise, explore
and have fun. Help them to be safe.
Motherhood can be daunting
By Lucy Russell
When I held my baby, James, for
the first time, such was the sense
of awe and wonder I experienced,
that I forced myself to think of
something other than God and
creation.
I told myself to try and put off
exploring the thoughts in my mind
until I wasn’t so tired. I could feel
God’s presence. It seemed as
though suddenly everything made
sense.
I understood, but that understanding
was too great to contemplate.
James was a miracle, and
gave meaning to my life. As a
writer my instinct was to try and
put my thoughts into words, but I
didn’t have the words.
I was so overwhelmed I effectively
turned my back on God and
what he was trying to communicate
to me. I pushed these
thoughts out of my mind until a
later time when I thought I would
feel able to cope with and contemplate
them.
But that time never came.
Looking back, I see those thoughts
not as something to be explored
and organised, but as a complete
experience which transcended
words.
I was reminded about those very
early days of motherhood and the
feelings I experienced then, when
I came across Lorenzo Lotto’s Annunciation.
In this painting Our
Lady appears to turn her back to
God and his messenger.
It is a fascinating piece that
speaks to me about how Mary
might have felt: surprised and utterly
overwhelmed. There she is
at home, going about her daily
business, when an angel suddenly
appears to her to ask her to be
the mother of God.
Italian art critic Giuilo Argan
said, “She cannot even turn her
head; her gesture, almost a defensive
one, is that of somebody
who is struck at the back by a
sudden call.” It is the most incredible
and unexpected news.
Lorenzo Lotto’s work spoke to
me in a way which was beyond
words. It conveyed a feeling of
overwhelming emotion.
The philosopher George Steiner
believes that God is present, and
speaks to us, through the arts and
humanities. He says the arts exist,
because of creation.
The art world is filled with the
presence of the Virgin Mary: we
have all kinds of representations
of Our Lady. One of my favourites
is Our Lady of Guadalupe.
If art is where we can find the
real presence, then choosing to
engage with art is itself an act of
faith. But how many of us, at the
end of a long day, would rather
watch one of the soaps than a
BBC 4 Documentary exploring religious
art?
We all have the propensity to
turn our back on God. But why?
Perhaps because to engage with
God is too overwhelming, too incredible,
too mind-blowing.
However, we can learn from
Mary's example here, I look at
Lotto’s Annunciation and understand
Mary’s defensive gesture:
motherhood and its prospect can
be daunting for any woman, but
to be asked to be the mother of
God is breath taking.
But I also imagine the scenes
which come next which Lotto
didn’t paint: Mary taking a deep
breath, and turning towards the
angel. We know when we look at
Lotto’s painting she is only moments
away from uttering what
will be known as The Magnificat.
All sorts of unexpected events
surprise us as we go through life.
Can we be like Mary and respond
by taking a deep breath and having
the confidence to turn to God
in prayer?
Page 8

The Pilgrim April 2016
Easter changes everything
By Fr Daniel O’Leary
After the Easter gospel I waited on the
lectern and looked at the people. At
such timeless moments I can sometimes
feel the relentless rhythms of
their hearts – the murmur of harmony
or the turbulence or conflict.
These are times that I see, with a
painful clarity, the utter fallacy of the
dualism that underpins so much of our
teaching, preaching and evangelising.
The mystery of Easter shows that there
are no longer two realities, one merely
human, the other divine; one the
Church, the other the world.
In the baby-body of the Incarnation,
in the destroyed body of the crucifixion,
in the shining, human body of the
resurrection – that is the same body in
which all dualism has been transcended.
To be truly human, it is now
established, is to be divine. To be is to
be blessed. To live is to be holy. Everything
is grace.
To believe this is to be transformed
into another way of perceiving our
identity and our humanity. To believe
this is to be subjected to a paradigm
shift where we are present to ourselves
and to others in an irrevocably transformed
way.
A veil parts. The stone is moved. The
focus changes. In the light of this disclosure
moment, I found it so moving
to believe that the lifeless and vibrant,
the full and empty, the struggling and
hoping people before me were, without
doubt, the only true and real presence
of the living Christ of the Resurrection.
God comes to us disguised as our
lives. Nothing is just ordinary any
more. Every bush is a burning bush.
This incredible revelation is, in fact,
the very mystery we celebrate at every
Eucharist.
At the end of Lent, we read, “See, I
am doing a new thing. I am sending a
fresh stream through the desert.” The
resurrection promises that the dry
places will always burst into vibrant
life, that the stone will always be
rolled away, that nothing stays dead
for long.
Every dream can be stirred into life,
every dream re-kindled. To be sure, we
all carry small graves of cynicism and
despair within us. Most of us are acquainted
with demons of guilt, shame
and sadness.
The stunning revelation of Easter is
that this winter is all over. Without exception
and for ever. There is no sin,
loss, betrayal or despair. All we have to
do is to choose life, forgiveness and
compassion.
Small wonder that the Celts of old
saw the sun dancing over the mountains
of Easter morning.
The sun should dance for us, too.
Everything is now new and fresh. Our
lives are transformed. Heaven on earth
lies open before you today for the taking.
But there is one condition to this
glorious transformation of you, of humanity,
of all creation. You must dare
to believe it.
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
Feature/Column
The EU referendum and subsidiarity
In the discussions about the
referendum on Britain’s membership
of the European Union,
you sometimes hear people
mention the word “subsidiarity”
as being one of the key
principles on which common
European institutions are
based. So what does it mean
and why is it important?
To answer that question, we
need to know something about
the second papal encyclical we
are looking at in this series. Last
month we considered Rerum Novarum,
Pope Leo XIII’s great
proclamation about the rights of
industrial workers from 1891.
Because this was so important,
popes have often commemorated
with further letters anniversaries
of its publication.
So in 1931 a letter appeared
commemorating its 40th anniversary,
consequently called
Quadragesimo Anno, from Pope
Pius XI. As far as I know, Pius
(Achille Ratti) is the only pope in
history who had spent much of
his earlier priestly ministry (30
years) as a librarian, in Milan
and Rome.
Pope from 1922 until 1939 he
had to deal with the rise of Soviet
Communism, Fascism in
Italy and Nazism in Germany, not
to mention the attacks on the
Church in Mexico and the Spanish
Civil War. The twenties and
thirties were also times of terrible
economic crisis, bringing suffering
to millions of people.
He responded vigorously to
these challenges; he also set up
the feast of Christ the King in
1925 and ended the 50 years of
conflict with the Italian state in
1929; Quadragesimo Anno is certainly
his most important contribution
to Catholic teaching.
In the letter, he is covering
the same basic issues as Pope
Leo had 40 years before - the
condition of working people -
primarily in Europe and North
America but by this time many
other parts of the world.
Pius, writing in the midst of a
terrible financial crisis in the
world, repeats and endorses
Pope Leo’s judgements: that
workers are entitled to proper
working conditions and remuneration,
and to proper treatment
in relation to fellow workers and
their employers.
He calls for a just wage and
the just offering of society and
recognition that free competition
can have evil effects. In the
contemporary debate surrounding
the EU referendum in June,
the claim is often made that
Catholic social teaching is simply
about general principles rather
than specific policies. Quadragesimo
Anno disproves that
claim, since it is full of detailed
proposals such as the establishment
of wage agreements to enable
workers to share in the
profits of a business.
This is how Pius defines subsidiarity:
“Just as it is gravely
wrong to take away from individuals
what they can accomplish
by their own initiative and
industry and give it to the community,
so it is an injustice and
at the same time a grave evil
and disturbance of right order to
assign to a greater and higher
association what lesser and subordinate
organisations can do.”
The pope feared that small
units in societies were disappearing
– that there was nothing
between individuals and the
growing power of the state.
Rather, as many functions should
be carried as possible within society
by small groupings, like
guilds or unions, close to the
people.
Our teaching about subsidiarity
is a constant call for functions
to be delegated and
devolved to be as near as possible
to local communities: it is a
challenge to centralisation.
One reason why subsidiarity is
important is that it is often misunderstood,
particularly in relation
to Europe. At the time of
the 1992 Maastricht treaty some
claimed that the concept of subsidiarity
in the treaty protected
and enshrined the rights within
the EU of nation states such as
Britain, France and so on.
The leaders of the nation
states were particularly keen to
claim this. However, this is to
misunderstand what Pope Pius
meant. The level of government
lowest and nearest to the people
is not the nation state - the
doctrine of subsidiarity was a
challenge to the power of the
nation state.
In line with the pope’s vision,
the Maastricht treaty tried to
set up a “Committee of the Regions”
to enable units smaller
than nation states to have a real
voice in the running of the
union.
While some EU states have
become less centralised in the
last 20 years (with real devolution
in the UK and in France, for
example), much of what Maastricht
intended has been
blocked by the nation states.
This isn’t surprising, but they
shouldn’t have the nerve to
claim they are inspired by the
notion of subsidiarity.
Subsidiarity is a useful tool in
any critique of contemporary society
as we can see how it has in
many ways moved in the wrong
direction. In so many fields decision-making
has become overcentralised
and even local units
have become large and impersonal
(for example, the big London
boroughs that replaced
smaller authorities in the early
1960s).
The vision of Pius XI, properly
understood, helps the Church to
try and reverse this and promote
the creativity and life of small
communities.
For all the latest Catholic news visit www.thecatholicuniverse.com
Page 9

Features
Many people
struggle with inner
demons, says
Fr John (not his
real name) who
is an alcoholic
The Pilgrim April 2016
Struggling with your inner demons
Fr Richard Rohr, an American Franciscan,
says Churches and religions
will honour and proclaim those with
many gifts. Yet authentic religion is
aware of another truth: all human
beings are fragile and weak.
This has been my experience as a
diocesan priest and a recovering alcoholic
who has been involved with
the spirituality of Alcoholics Anonymous
(AA) for nearly 25 years.
I knew I was an alcoholic when I
found myself shutting myself away
with a bottle of vodka in my room in
the presbytery. I became more and
more isolated from those around me
and my ministry as a priest became
more about going through the motions.
All I could think of was my
next drink.
Alcoholics are not unique in feeling
that they are not connected to
the world and their fellow man but
in the alcoholic the sense of detachment
is acute and this disconnect is
the reason why many people fall
into the trap of addiction and alcoholism.
Furthermore, this is why you will
hear in AA meeting that alcoholism
is a disease that corrodes a person
physically, emotionally, psychologically
and spiritually. If a spiritual solution
is not found, then the
prognosis is not good for the sufferer.
Cirrhosis of the liver is only a part
of the illness because, as the book
of AA states, many people follow
their illness to the gates of insanity
where only suicide or a wet brain is
on offer! The alcoholic feels abandoned
and alone with his compulsion
to drink.
I am convinced that this cry of
abandonment does capture the experience
of humanity in general but
the alcoholic in particular. Human
beings who live in despair search
endlessly for meaning in a cruel,
chaotic and unjust world.
The hidden God is a challenge for
all human beings because if there is
a God then whatever this mysterious
being is at times it does seem to be
hidden when people feel that all
that is left is despair.
As Francis Thompson, the author
The Hound of Heaven, reminds us
that, in reality, it is not us who seek
God but it is God who seeks us out
but how do we allow ourselves to be
found by a hidden God?
My experience shows me that recovery
of self and God is only to be
found when we begin to trust others
and members of AA discover that
the most important discovery is that
one has been discovered.
The conviction that there is a reality
beyond oneself and that reality
can bring about change and recovery
has brought hope into the lives
of many who thought their situation
to be hopeless.
The basic premise is the freedom
to begin with a concept of God that
is neither conventional nor denominational.
The starting point, therefore,
is to realise that human beings
cannot control everything in life including
themselves.
We must admit that we are powerless
to stay sober on our own resources
and failure to do so should
point us in the direction of what AA
calls a “higher power.”
It does not work if we try and play
God but at least this attempt to
control shows us that the spiritual is
impossible to escape from and what
we have to learn is that faith is
more important than manipulation.
Faith and works do have to go
together but works without faith is
also a dead end and it is this theological
dilemma that Catholics and
Lutherans have argued about which
is at the heart of getting sober and
finding our right place in the
world.
It seems to me that AA is a refuge
for the spiritually confused and in
many cases for those who could not
quite make it in the world of conventional
denominational religious
traditions who often are not comfortable
with failure in their
adherents.
For Catholics, this inability to accept
the confused and the lost in
favour of good schools and good careers
seems at odds with the seeming
failure of the crucified and
forsaken Jesus.
It is said that God comes through
the wound and real religion, which
in its essence, is about unity or
union with God challenges us to
accept that without help and the
descent into the depths then one is
lost.
My experience of AA has shown
me that it is possible to combine
paradoxes: the first paradox is that I
am an alcoholic and that I am sober
and that I have not touched alcohol
for many years. The spirituality of
imperfection is equally paradoxical
because it combines both the ordinary
and the unconventional
together.
Socrates refused to wear shoes,
Francis of Assisi watched calmly as
brother fire consumed his home.
Julian of Norwich encouraged the
contrite that God wants saints who
have been sinners and Mother Teresa
discovered her God among the
destitute and dying of Calcutta.
Even Carl Jung the Swiss psychiatrist
believed that spirituality was
essential for recovery but he feared,
like I do, that the term spirituality
could be misinterpreted or misunderstood.
Counterfeits to real spirituality do
exist and the Church, like the desert
fathers, must rediscover its ability
to offer a solution to the inner
demons that many people struggle
with.
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Page 10

The Pilgrim April 2016
Features/Diary
School days
Stephanie Banya
Have you been through the holy door?
By Fr Richard Hearn
Universe Media Group Ltd
Guardian Print Centre, Longbridge Road,
Trafford Park, Manchester M17 1SN.
In announcing the Extraordinary Jubilee
of Mercy, Pope Francis has requested that
all the cathedrals of the world, following
Rome's lead, designate holy doors for pilgrims
to pass through.
"The holy door will become a Door of
Mercy through which anyone who enters
will experience the love of God who consoles,
pardons, and instils hope,” he said.
Our door of mercy was opened by Archbishop
Peter on 13th December and will
be open for pilgrims to pass through until
the end of the Jubilee Year on 20th November.
In doing this St George’s will be
a sign of the local Church in Southwark
joining with the Church in Rome in celebrating
the holy year, and in so doing underline
the universal communion that
exists between the particular churches
and Rome.
The opening of a holy door at the beginning
of a holy year has long been a
feature of holy years. Making a pilgrimage
and entering via the Holy Door is one
of the conditions for receiving the indulgence
granted for the Holy Year of Mercy.
During this Year of Mercy, we are encouraged
to make a pilgrimage to the
holy door and it is particularly appropriate
to take the opportunity to make the
pilgrimage to the mother Church of the
Diocese.
St George’s has played a significant
part in the history of the Catholic Church
in England and Wales. It was the first
Catholic cathedral to be established after
the restoration of the hierarchy in 1850.
The great Victorian architect A.W.
Pugin was responsible for the original design
of St George's. Opened in 1848, it
served as the most important Catholic
church in the country for over 50 years
until the opening of Westminster Cathedral
in the early part of the 20th century.
The Catholic Who’s Who and Yearbook contains the biographies of
more than 4,000 Catholics of significance, as well as listings and
information on Catholics schools, lay organisations and other
religious bodies.
Published since the 1930s, and revived by us in 1995, this
directory continues to be the leading point of reference and
discussion for Catholics in all walks of life.
“The Catholic Who’s Who is the most practical and important record in
modern England. It is the record of how much of modern England
remains or returns to that without which her civilisation will perish.”
On 16th April 1941, a German incendiary
bomb caused extensive damage to
the cathedral. After the war a huge
amount of fundraising was undertaken
and the architect Romilly Craze commissioned
to design plans to rebuild, combined
the remaining Pugin elements in to
the design. Work began in 1953 and the
rebuilt cathedral was opened on 4th July,
1958 by Bishop Cyril Cowderoy.
St George's continues to serve the people
of the parish, the local area, the diocese
and indeed the Church in England
and Wales, as it has done since 1848. But
it is surprising how many people within
the diocese have never visited their
cathedral.
A special service can be arranged for
groups wishing to make a pilgrimage
through the holy door and guided tours
can also be organised.
For more information please contact
bookings@stgeorges.org.uk
G.K Chesterton
ONLY £25.00
includes P&P
Order your copy today by telephoning 0161 908 5301.
www.thecatholicwhoswho.com
Home? South-east
London.
Job? Media and
communications officer
at the Education
Commission.
What secondary school
did you attend? Notre
Dame Girls’ School in
Southwark.
Favourite subject? Art
and English literature.
Worst subject? Maths.
Favourite teacher?
My Year 10 English
teacher - I wish I could
remember her name!
Favourite school dinner? I always had a packed lunch,
but bacon rolls in the morning and a 40p turkey
twizzler at break time was my daily routine.
What lessons about life did you learn? I learnt to
always be thankful for the little things in life and to
not be so concerned about temporary situations.
What do you wish you had been told? Failing is not
the end of the world. Pick yourself up and learn from
your mistakes.
What did you do immediately after leaving school?
Continued my studies at Christ the King Sixth Form in
Lewisham.
What career advice would you give to a young
person?
Never give up on a subject you are passionate about.
Go for what you want and remember that any obstacle
you face is just a part of your journey.
Diary – April
If you have an event, please e-mail
details to us at
pilgrim@rcsouthwark.co.uk
13: “Blessed are the poor in spirit”, a lecture by
Fr Paul Mason, 8 pm, St Anselm’s church,
Pembury. Mass at 7pm followed by refreshments.
15 – 17: A healing weekend for men and women
who find themselves single again following
divorce, separation or the death of a partner, the
Emmaus Centre, West Wickham. For details please
contact Sandra on 01293-783965 or email
johnabrotherton@hotmail.co.uk.
24: Pilgrimage for young people to the holy door
of mercy at St George’s Cathedral. Led by
Archbishop Peter, the event includes catechesis,
testemony, prayer and music, from 3pm – 5pm,
followed by refreshments in Amigo Hall. Contact
jean@scys.org.uk to book, or call 01227 272900.
30: A day for married couples to explore their
relationships, The Holy Cross School, 25 Sandal
Road, New Malden, 9.45 am – 4.30 pm.
Contact the marriage and family life team to book:
telephone 020 8651 2477 or email
philandmary@blueyonder.co.uk
Page 11

The Pilgrim April 2016
Focus on faith
Who was Luke?
Fr Adrian Graffy, author of the CTS booklet The Gospel
According to Luke: Year of Mercy, takes a look at the
identity of the writer of the third gospel
SaintsofMercy
• Five post-Easter talks at Amigo Hall •
Thursday
14 April
Thursday
21 April
Thursday
28 April
Thursday
5 May
Thursday
12 May
Blessed Teresa of Calcutta
Caring for the Vulnerable
with Rhoslyn Thomas from the SPUC
St Maria Faustina Kowalska
The Message of Divine Mercy
with Fr Andrzej Gowkielewicz, MIC
Pope St John Paul II
A Passion for Mercy
with Pierpaolo Finaldi, CCF
St Josephine Bakhita
A Life of Fortitude and Mercy
with Cecilia Suarez
Ss Padre Pio & Leopold Mandic ć
Saints of the Confessional
with Fr Martin Mikuskiewicz, OFM Cap
Talks at 7.30pm (doors open at 7pm) Amigo Hall,
Lambeth Rd, SE1 6HR.
All are welcome. Entry is free, donations will be welcomed.
Refreshments provided.
Register your interest at 020 8672 7684;
office@ccftootingbec.org.uk or www.ccftootingbec.org.uk
The presentation, style and emphases
of the Acts of the Apostles
leave no doubt that both it and the
Gospel of Luke stem from the same
hand. Some passages in the second
volume present the author as sharing
in Paul’s missionary journeys; he is
certainly very conversant with the
cities of the eastern Mediterranean
and their constitutions.
Paul’s letter to Philemon mentions
a certain Luke as being with him, and
Colossians 4:14 describes Luke as a
doctor. The name was common in the
Roman world, but traditionally the
two volumes are ascribed to the authorship
of this Luke the doctor.
In writing his gospel Luke certainly
used that of Mark. For his extensive
range of the teachings of Jesus,
scholars are divided whether he used
the same collection of the “Sayings
of Jesus” (now lost) as Matthew, or
whether he drew directly on
Matthew’s own gospel.
Such decisions could well affect
the dating of the gospel, so that it is
difficult to be more precise than to
say that the gospel was written towards
the end of the first century.
In the ancient world around the
time of Jesus there was a high standard
of culture in the Roman Empire
(allied to, and in some sense built on,
serious physical cruelty).
Literature of all kinds was widely
diffused and widely read, including
short treatises on such subjects as
navigation, arms manufacture, medicine,
as well as romantic novels.
The first few verses of Luke’s
gospel set it firmly among such
works, for biographies of religious
figures are included among these
works. His Greek style, more sophisticated
than Mark’s rough language,
puts him at home in this grander
world.
His vocabulary is wide and his use
of the language exploits the flexibility
of its syntax. Luke’s delightful
skill as a story-teller (little scenes
with entry, dialogue and exit; parables
with lively and complex characters,
who do the right thing for the
wrong reason, who vividly express
their joys and worries) would have
made his two volumes highly acceptable
among such literature.
He is a master at conveying a theological
message through visual scenes
such as the Annunciation or the Journey
to Emmaus, a talent which makes
gripping reading in his second volume,
the Acts of the Apostles, the
story of the earliest Christian communities.
Luke moves easily in this cosmopolitan
world. He situates Jesus’ birth
and the beginning of his ministry in
the context of world history by the
roll-call of world rulers of the time.
He uses larger sums of money than
Mark, silver instead of copper (9:3
contrasting with Mk 6:8), and imagery
from the business world, banking
and rates of interest, debtors,
creditors, swindlers, in a way which
would have been unintelligible to
Mark’s audience.
Not surprisingly in this context
Luke is eager to show that Christianity
is no threat to the stability of the
Roman world; accordingly he stresses
that Pilate had nothing against Jesus,
but three times declares him innocent,
tries to shift the responsibility
by handing Jesus over to Herod, and
finally, instead of condemning him,
merely hands him over to the Jews.
Another indication of Luke’s cosmopolitan
background is his attention
to women, who played a more open
and forceful part in the Greco-Roman
than in the Semitic world. So Luke indicates
that Jesus was accompanied
and supported in his proclamation by
a group of women as well as the
Twelve.
He regularly pairs women with
men (Zechariah and Mary - each receives
an annunciation; Simeon and
Anna; the owners of the lost sheep
and of the lost coin, showing them as
the beneficiaries of miracles no less
than men (the Widow of Nain and
Jairus). Mary is the first and prime
example of the disciple, in that she
first hears the word of God and
keeps it.
At the same time, however, Luke
does not scruple to show his criticism
of this richer world, pointing out the
dangers of wealth (the parable of the
Rich Fool, or of the Rich Man and
Lazarus, the need to use wealth and
position for good ends, and insisting
that salvation comes first to the poor
(hireling shepherds, 2:8, compare
7:21-22), the unfortunate (the barren
couple, Zechariah and Elizabeth) and
the outcast (lepers, sinners, tax-collectors).
In reading Luke in a comfortable
world be aware of Jesus’ call to conversion
and to his absolute demands.
At the same time wonder at his delicacy,
gentleness and love for the sinner.
In reading the parables especially
(where Luke is composing more
freely) enjoy the wit and sparkle of
Luke’s imaginative writing. He was
writing in a world where many such
works existed, but for him Jesus was
the climax of history, to whom all
previous history pointed, and with
whom all later history began.
The message of Jesus is always one
of mercy, but in Luke this is
supremely the case. His mercy extends
to people of every race, in the
insistence of Jesus that his message
is also for the gentiles.
The ten lepers beg Jesus to be
merciful. And so he is, pardoning sinners
in the great story of Zacchaeus,
a man, the symbol of financial sin,
and the Woman at Simon’s house, a
symbol of sexual sin. With supreme
sensitivity Jesus takes the initiative
to go out to them, and pardons them
even before they ask.
And the scene of the crucifixion
becomes a scene of Jesus’ divine
mercy: he has wept over the refusal
of Jerusalem to repent; here the
women and men of Jerusalem are finally
moved to weep for their sins.
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