Issue 52 - The Pilgrim - August 2016 - The newspaper of the Archdiocese of Southwark

Issue 52 August 2016
Education is
about character
Abortion isn’t
the only answer
Why I joined
the Jesuits
Page 6 & 7
Page 8
Page 10
Three new priests for Southwark
By Greg Watts
Three men have been ordained
priests for the Archdiocese
of Southwark.
Philip Andrews, David
Howell, and Daniel Weatherley
were ordained at St
George’s Cathedral on 16th
July.
Archbishop Peter was the
principal celebrant and ordaining
bishop. He was
joined by Bishop Paul Hendricks,
Bishop Nicholas Hudson,
a former Southwark
priest who is now an auxiliary
in Westminster, and
over 90 other priests.
“One of the greatest joys
a bishop has, is to ordain
priests for his diocese”,
Archbishop Peter told the
packed congregation, which
included many family members
and friends of the
three men.
After Mass the three new
priests gave first blessings
to Archbishop Peter, and to
many others who had joined
them for their ordination.
Fr Philip has been appointed
to St Anselm’s Tooting
Bec, Fr David to Corpus
Christi, Brixton Hill, and Fr
Daniel to St Thomas of Canterbury,
Canterbury.
Photos: © Mazur/catholicnews.org.uk
Archbishop Peter said an
ordination is a great joy
Former student
of La Retraite
Catholic School
for Girls in
Clapham will be
taking part in
the Olympic
Games in Rio de
Janeiro.
Aisha Naibe-Wey
will be
running for
Sierra Leone in
the 400 metre
hurdles.
After leaving La
Retraite, Aisha
undertook a
degree in sports
science at Brunel
University. Since
graduating, she
is now studying
Kinesiology at
the University of
Virginia, USA.

Editorial
The importance of names
By Bishop Paul Hendricks
Michelle Magorian is probably best known
for her children’s book, Goodnight, Mr
Tom. Recently, though, I found my
thoughts turning to another of her books,
Back Home, which I found equally enjoyable
and thought-provoking.
Like many good books whose main characters
are children, it focuses on someone
who is at a stage in her life where she is
The Archdiocese of Southwark
Archbishop Peter Smith
020 7928-2495
archbishop@rcsouthwark.co.uk
www.rcsouthwark.co.uk
Area bishops
Episcopal vicar for Kent
Bishop Paul Mason
01732 845486
bishoppaulmason@gmail.com
South-West London
Bishop Paul Hendricks
020 8643 8007
discovering, with some difficulty, who she
really is — surely the most profound question
we can ask in life.
The girl’s name is Virginia and the story
begins with her return to England upon the
end of the Second World War, having been
evacuated to the United States several
years previously. There she had been
warmly welcomed and had come to feel at
home in her host family, who nicknamed
her “Rusty”.
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
Now feeling more “Rusty” than “Virginia”,
her readjustment to life in England
proves traumatic for all concerned. Her
mother Peggy can only see her as the person
she used to be, rather than the person
she has become.
She insists on calling her Virginia, which
I think is symbolic of her expectation that
things can go back to what they used to be
before. The narrator, on the other hand, is
consistent in always calling her ‘Rusty’,
because that is clearly how she thinks of
herself.
One of the many ironies in the book is
the fact that Peggy herself uses a nickname,
rather than her “official” name of
Margaret. This reflects her own image of
herself rather than the expectations of
others, yet she can’t see that Rusty is
doing something very similar.
Peggy has blossomed under the lack of
constraint that the war has brought. She
used to feel repressed and inadequate;
now she has found her talent as a car mechanic
whom people trust and rely upon.
Despite this, she can’t understand Rusty
wanting to do things that are seen as only
suitable for boys.
Peggy has good intentions, wanting Rusty
to be able to achieve independence, so
that her future doesn’t just depend on
finding a good husband. Unfortunately she
can only see this in terms of going to university,
whereas Rusty’s talents lie in more
artistic and creative activities. She can’t
put her own expectations of Virginia on
one side and actually listen to what Rusty
is telling her.
One of the hardest things for Rusty is
the condescending attitude that she
meets, towards the Americans, who are
seen as strange and foreign despite the
increasing number of GI soldiers seen
around the country. She herself is seen as
American (which she now indeed feels
herself to be) but most of the English
people she meets see this as a term of
derision. I found myself becoming increasingly
annoyed with these attitudes
— the more so, because I can remember
when I myself shared them to some
extent.
I think I can sum this up by the way we
used to use the word “foreigner”, when I
was a child. The world was divided between
“us” and “them”. We were normal,
they were odd. They (French, Germans,
Gypsies, Africans, Indians, Chinese ...)
were not only different, but somehow perversely
different. There was no doubt that
the American words for things were wrong
and ours were right.
There was no concept that, in visiting
another country, we would be the foreigners.
The fact that this sounds so ridiculous
now is (I hope) a sign of how far we have
come since then. Coming Home is perhaps
a reminder that we may still need to relearn
this lesson from time to time.
the
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By Greg Watts
The Pilgrim August 2016
Parishes invited to
help Syrian refugees
Under a new Government scheme, Catholic parishes
are being invited to sponsor Syrian refugees.
The sponsorship scheme has been launched as
part of the Government’s commitment to resettle
20,000 of the most vulnerable Syrian refugees in the
UK over the course of this Parliament.
It gives Catholic parishes the chance to get involved
in personally welcoming and supporting Syrian
refugees as they arrive in the UK and then
helping them to take the responsibility for their own
resettlement and integration in a community. The
first families to arrive under the community sponsorship
scheme will arrive later this Summer.
Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster,
said: “Last year, Pope Francis invited every
parish, religious house and monastery in Europe to
respond to the growing refugee crisis by offering a
place of sanctuary to families fleeing from war and
persecution in their home countries. The Pope
called on our generosity and solidarity to recognise
and act upon our common humanity. Now we are all
able to take up that call with the launch of the community
sponsorship scheme for Syrian refugees.
“Catholics have been keen to get involved in helping
to resettle refugees in the UK, responding to the
situation with kindness and compassion as we are
called to when confronted by those in need. However,
that generosity needs to be channelled and we
are therefore delighted that community sponsorship
is being launched in the UK by the Government.
“Catholic charities have been involved with shaping
the scheme and we already have groups keen to
sign up and help. This innovative scheme will enable
everyone to get involved with welcoming refugees,
offering a very real and tangible way for people to
help new arrivals settle into their communities.”
Refugees will be selected and screened for resettlement
via community sponsorship by the UNHCR
(the United Nations High Commission of Refugees)
and the British Government. Before they leave the
region they will receive training on life in the UK
and learn about their sponsoring group and the local
area in which they will live.
The role of the sponsoring group will be to welcome
the refugee family at the airport and escort
them to their new home and provide a “welcome
pack” of food, other essentials and some cash to
keep them going in the first few days.
In addition, the sponsors will be expected to help
refugees settle into their new home; register with
the Job Centre for benefits and with a GP; help children
adjust to their new school; and enroll adults in
English classes.
For further information, phone Caritas Social
Action Network on 020 7633-4970,
or visit www.csan.org.uk
Page 2

The Pilgrim August 2016
Strood church closes
The Church of St Justus in Temple
Farm, Strood, has closed.
Bishop Paul Mason, assisted by Fr
Anton Vijayan (pictured), presided
over the last Mass at the church.
Worshippers will now attend either
English Martyrs on Frindsbury Hill or
Holy Family in Hoo.
Fr Anton said: “In addition to experiencing
fewer priests the building
was in a desperate condition, especially
the roof. English Martyrs is a
bigger church and can accommodate
some 400 to 500 people. The move
will bring worshippers together
under one roof and provide better
use of our resources.”
The foundation stone for St Justus
was laid on 27th August, 1950,
by Canon Joseph Simmons with the
chapel built in the same year.
Streatham head retires
Archbishop Peter celebrated a Mass at St George’s Cathedral to
mark the retirement of Louis Desa as head of Bishop Thomas Grant
School in Streatham
Mr Desa had been head teacher at the school since 2001 and head
of maths from 1992 to 1997. He was also a former student of the
school from 1967 to 1972.
The pupils and staff wrote their thoughts and best wishes for Mr
Desa on leaves and attached them to a tree.
Married couples mark anniversaries
News
Ben-Hur remake
resources for parishes
The release of the remake of the classic film
Ben Hur is being accompanied by resources for
parishes.
Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ will open in UK
cinemas on 26th August. Church discussion
guides and youth activity packs have been
produced to explore the themes of the film.
For more information visit benhur.damaris
media.com
Want to learn about Canon Law?
A new introductory course in Canon Law will be
held at the Centre for Catholic Formation in
Tooting Bec.
Taking place on October 8th and 22nd, the
course will explore the Church’s law, and its
relationship with scripture, tradition and the
Church’s teaching.
The course forms a new module in the
Catholic Certificate in Religious Studies, but it is
also designed for those simply interested in
canon law.
For more information, contact office@
ccftootingbec.org.uk or call 020 8672 7684.
Deacons ordained
Three men have been ordained to the
permanent deaconate at St George’s Cathedral.
Archbishop Peter ordained Gerard Perkins
from Norbury and Piotr Ziezio from Woolwich for
Southwark diocese and Robert Smith from
Westerham for the Personal Ordinariate of Our
Lady of Walsingham.
Several other deacons were present at the
Mass to welcome the three men into the order of
deacons, including Deacon Joice James, who was
recently ordained in India a short time before as
he belongs to the Syro-Malabar Catholic
community.
Ramsgate concert
St Augustine’s church in Ramsgate has held a
concert to raise funds for its restoration project.
Thames Chamber Choir performed a range of
music, including Monteverdi Madrigals and
Vaughan Williams’ Three Shakespeare Songs.
Over 300 couples took part in
the annual diocesan marriage
Mass at St George’s Cathedral.
Archbishop Peter led the celebration,
which was organised
Bexleyheath school celebrate anniversary
Over 400 guests turned up at St
Catherine’s School in
Bexleyheath to celebrate its
60th anniversary.
Archbishop Peter celebrated
Mass, which included two choirs
and dancers. Fifty candles were
included in the offertory
procession to represent the La
Sainte Union Sisters who were
head teachers, governors,
trustees, teachers and pupils in
the school during the last 60
years.
An exhibition reflecting
changes to British culture was
held in the gym. It included
information about fashion
trends, historical and scientific
events, and best-selling books,
and films.
by the Marriage and Family Life
team and attended by family
and friends of the couple.
Thirty-nine parishes from
south-west London were represented,
thirty-seven from southeast
London, and twenty-one
from Kent.
The longest married couple
were Mr and Mrs Lane of Sidcup,
who have been married for 66
years. Forty-nine couples who
have been married for just
ayear were among those at the
Mass.
Fund for evangelisation
The St Faustina Fund to support Parish
Evangelisation is inviting applications.
The fund makes grants of between £200 and
£500 to help parishes evangelise. Monies are
only dispensed to parishes that have or are
creating parish evangelisation teams.
The fund is administered by the home mission
desk of the Bishops’ Conference.
Applications in the first instance should be
made to Fr David Gibbons at the Centre for
Catholic Formation, who can provide further
information.
Ecumenical pilgrimage
The Diocese of Arundel and Brighton ecumenical
walking pilgrimages will take place between
Winchester and Canterbury from August 13th-
28th. The pilgrimage, ‘Walking a Prayer of
Peace’, is offered as a prayer of solidarity and
support for those people suffering the effects of
conflict or fleeing persecution. For further
details visit www.thepilgrims.org.uk
We want your news! Email your stories to
pilgrim@rcsouthwark.co.uk
or telephone 0208 776 9250.
Page 3

News
Ofsted comes under fire
The outgoing head teacher at St
James the Great Roman Catholic
Primary and Nursery School, in
Thornton Heath has critcised
Ofsted.
Stephen Beck, who is retiring
after 27 years as head, said, “I
think Ofsted when it first came
out had a purpose and it
served its purpose in highlighting
accountability in schools. I
think it has become quite punitive
now and far too data
driven.
“I think inspections should
take place, but I do think inspection
teams should be in a
position to offer more post inspection
support for any areas
they find are not as good as
they should be. It is a case
that they walk away and leave
other people to pick up the
pieces.”
The Pilgrim August 2016
Mass in Canterbury park
For the first time since 1953 St Thomas’ parish
in Canterbury celebrated Mass in Dane John
Gardens in the city centre. A sanctuary was
installed on the bandstand and the prayers of
the faithful were read in 10 languages.
Maidstone sleep out
A sleep out by sixth form students at St Simon
Stock Catholic School in Maidstone has raised
over £1,500 for Porchlight, a homeless charity
working in Kent and Croydon.
Learning about Germany
A group of students from St Thomas the Apostle
College in Nunhead have visited Berlin to learn
about the rise of Nazism in Germany. The trip
also included a visit to Sachsenhausen
concentration camp.
Students learn how to debate
Students from Christ the King College Sixth Form
College in Brockley gained valuable insights into
debating when they attended the Institute of
Ideas “University in One Day”.
The event was part of The Telegraph’s
“Festival of Education”, held at Wellington
College in Berkshire. Students attended a series
of lectures, seminars and workshops led by
high-profile national figures, including A.C.
Grayling, Master of the New College of
Humanities and Fellow of St Anne’s College,
University of Oxford.
The sessions covered a wide range of themes,
including freedom of speech, tolerance, and the
American and French Revolutions.
Christ the King students will be competing in
the Institute of Ideas “Debate Matters”
competition starting in October.
Archbishop Peter joined parishioners at St Anselm’s Dartford for Mass and a barbecue to celebrate the parish’s 150th anniversary
Bermondsey college expansion
Learning about seafarers
Pupils at at St Anselm’s Catholic Primary School in Dartford have learned
what it’s like to be a seafarer.
Arthur Annal, a volunteer ship visitor with Apostleship of the Sea,
explained how 90 per cent of the things we buy in shops come by sea and
how seafarers can be away from home for up to nine months.
At the end of the talk, the students had the opportunity to construct new
collection boxes in the shape of shipping containers.
Page 4
Day of celebration for
those with disabilities
Over 100 people with disabilities and their carers enjoyed
a day of prayer, music and fun at The Friars, Aylesford.
The annual day diocesan celebration for those with
disabilities was led by Bishop Paul Hendricks. The day
included a mini petting zoo with everything from hawks
and snakes to giant cockroaches and skunks.
Bishop Paul
getting up close
with a snake
St Michael’s Catholic College in Bermondsey has
secured funding for a new building project.
The new facilities will include a sixth form and
a multi-purpose flexible teaching block with an
astroturf and professionally landscaped exterior.
This will cater for the expansion of the college
to 1050 pupils, 750 in years 7-11 and 300 in the
sixth form.
Students cook paella
Year 10 students at Sacred Heart Catholic School
in Camberwell learned how to cook a paella as
part of their GCSE in Spanish.
The students initially had a Spanish recipe
which they had to translate into English. They
then had to cook the paella following the recipe
and the Spanish instructions given by their food
technology teachers.
This was a way for students to learn about
Spanish culture and food through a practical
activity. Finally, of course, the students were
able to eat the paella.
Thanet celebration
Two permanent deacon’s from Thanet deanery
have celebrated their 25th anniversary at a Mass
at St Anne’s, Cliftonville.
Bishop Paul, area bishop for Kent, led the
celebration for James Burleigh and Neville Gascoigne,
who were ordained in 1991 at St George’s
Cathedral by Archbishop Michael Bowen.
James, although retired, still exercises his
ministry in the parish of The Holy Family, which
covers Birchington and Westgate-on-Sea. Neville
is the senior deacon at Ss Austin & Gregory with
St Anne, Margate.

The Pilgrim August 2016
Feature
The twelfth 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.
Why do we celebrate funeral rites?
Why do we have a
funeral liturgy when
someone has died?
Why don’t we simply
dispose of the body?
And why do we
describe such a sad
occasion as a
“celebration of the
funeral rites”?
The death of a loved one can be
devastating. But if we are to move
on with our lives we human beings
need to have a ceremony in which
we say goodbye and then let go.
When someone just disappears and
there is no body, grieving families
find it very hard to get on with their
lives.
At the funeral we can express our
grief and sorrow – I always say that
it is better to cry at a funeral than
to bottle it up – and only then can
life return to normal. The period
between the death and the funeral
is like the period between Good
Friday and Easter: we are just waiting
around, feeling numb. The funeral
enables us to cry, say
farewell, and then let go, and
move on.
This is not the same thing as forgetting
about the person, but psychologically
we need such a ritual
when we experience the mystery of
death.
As well as saying goodbye, the funeral
also enables the family and
friends to give thanks to God for the
person, and to give thanks to the
deceased person for all the good
things and love they experienced
with them. The eulogy is an opportunity
to celebrate the person and
their life.
Again, the funeral enables the
family and friends to say sorry for
anything they have on their consciences:
there is always something
we wish we had or hadn’t said,
something we wish we had or hadn’t
done. Without this, a sense of guilt
can weigh on a mourner’s mind for a
long time.
A funeral is also a reminder of our
own mortality: the one sure fact of
life is death. It is a reminder that
we must get our affairs in order,
write a will, and let our families
know what we want for our funeral.
This is not being morbid but sensible.
Families can suffer great distress
when someone dies and they
don’t know what sort of funeral to
organise.
At a funeral we are there to pray.
We can pray for those who mourn,
that they will be consoled by the
Christian message of eternal life in
and with Christ Jesus. Our belief
that Jesus, the Son of God, has broken
the chains of sin and death by
His own passion, resurrection from
the dead, and ascension into heaven
brings hope and support to the
mourners.
Above all, we pray at a funeral for
the deceased. We aid them with our
prayers as they pass over from this
life to the next; we commend the
departed to God’s merciful love.
And we plead for the forgiveness of
their sins (which through human
frailty they will have committed, as
we all do).
This is why the normal Catholic
funeral liturgy is the funeral Mass.
We offer the Eucharistic Sacrifice of
the Mass for the repose of the person’s
soul, confident that the dead
benefit from our prayers and intercessions,
believing as we do in the
union of the Church on earth with
the Church in heaven.
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Thus a funeral liturgy, especially
a funeral Mass, witnesses to our
faith in the future resurrection of
the baptised in Christ, and is of
great comfort to family and friends
at a time of loss.
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Page 5

Feature
The Pilgrim August 2016
Education is about character development
Robert Teague, headmaster of The Cedars School in Croydon, explains the ideas behind the Parents,
Children and Teachers Educational Trust, which runs four independent Catholic schools in south London
Oliver House School
The Cedars School is one of four
schools founded by the Parents,
Children and Teachers Educational
Trust, along with The Laurels
School, a girls’ secondary school in
Clapham Park; Oliver House School
in Clapham South; and Oakwood
School and nursery in Purley.
The four schools are underpinned
by a Catholic ethos and a unique
Character Development programme
which permeates all aspects of
school life.
It’s said that education is what
remains after you’ve forgotten
everything you learned at school.
Exam results are important but they
do not tell the whole story. Parents
need to look beyond the league
tables and ask: will this school help
develop my daughter or son as a
person? Does the school have a
long-term vision for my child,
preparing him or her for life?
We like pithy quotes at The
Cedars. The walls are full of the
distilled wisdom of the ages; a brief
stroll through the building provides
the observant visitor with a crash
course in the history of ideas.
One of my personal favourites is
from Anne Frank: “Everyone has
inside of him a piece of good news.
The good news is that you don't
know how great you can be! How
much you can love! What you can
accomplish! And what your potential
is!”
This is a good starting point for
explaining what The Cedars is all
about. Anne Frank’s quote captures
perfectly what I believe the purpose
of education to be. It is about
unlocking potential, broadening
horizons and enriching lives.
One of the most sobering quotes
on our walls is from C.S. Lewis:
“There are no ordinary people. You
have never talked to a mere
mortal.” It brings home the weighty
responsibility shared by parents and
educators. To (almost) paraphrase
Emmet in the Lego Movie:
“Everyone is awesome!”
As parents we would do well to
heed Voltaire’s dictum and judge a
man by his questions rather than his
answers. If we don’t ask the
important questions, then we won’t
get the important answers.
It’s easy to get caught up in the
superficial, the peripheral, to be
swayed by things that are really
unimportant - like the talk in the
playground. If we go to the heart of
the matter we see that we have
been entrusted with a child with the
potential for great happiness, moral
greatness and the potential to make
the world a better place - or not.
This is why The Cedars was
founded in 2013. At the heart of The
Cedars’ distinctiveness is the idea
that education should be truly
transformative. Qualifications are
hugely important but education is
more than that. It should leave
people changed for the better not
just in what they have but in who
they are. It is said that education is
Page 6

The Pilgrim August 2016
Feature
what remains when you’ve forgotten
everything you learnt at school. It is
that residue that I am talking about.
Teenagers are capable of great
things and they want us to expect
great things from them. They are
hungry for high ideals and nobility
of spirit. There are people out there
who want to turn them into
consumers. Facebook and Xboxes
are the bread and circuses of our
age.
In my experience the most
effective parents regard success as
more than just achievement; they
want their sons and daughters to
become great people who make
them proud. This is the measure of
success that we, and our other
schools, use too.
The driving force behind our
approach is the inspiration of St
Josemaría Escrivá, a Catholic priest
who founded Opus Dei and was
declared a saint by St John Paul II in
2002. A recent paper by Fr Joe
Evans, published by the Institute of
Education in 2013 distills St
Josemaría’s ideas to three words,
all of which conveniently begin with
an F: Formation, Family and
Freedom.
Formation is about becoming the
best person you can be, fulfilling
your potential culturally, morally,
socially, intellectually and
spiritually. The good news is that
formation does not detract from
academic achievement; in fact, if
you can help your son develop
virtues, you also give him the best
chance of success in just about any
worthwhile endeavour.
It’s not hard to see why. In
general, success requires selfdiscipline,
hard work and the ability
to overcome difficulty and
persevere. In all of us, there is a
gap between who we are and who
we want to be. The virtues help us
to close that gap. Virtue makes us
more free; it opens doors for us to
much better places.
Having a wider view of education
demands close co-operation with
parents. This is where family comes
in. The link between home and
school is the tutor and, through our
tutorial system, every boy in the
school has his own personal tutor
and meets with him every two
weeks on a one-to-one basis. It
changes the direction of boys’ lives,
sometimes quite dramatically.
The mention of freedom in
relation to school life occasionally
elicits a puzzled frown or two. We
do not mean by it a rule-free
environment, rather, we are
educating for freedom, equipping
the young people in our care with
what they need to use their
freedom well. This requires lasting
transformation rather than
temporary conformity.
All of this comes together in our
Catholic ethos, summed up in our
motto, In Gaudio Serviamus –
Joyfully we serve. This can be
broken down into four distinct
steps:
1. That man finds himself through
making a true gift of himself;
the conviction that our deepest
purpose in life is self-giving
love.
2. That that love is manifest in
large part through service of
others.
3. That each of us is a child of
God with a distinct purpose in
life, a mission to fulfil.
4. That we fulfil this mission with
joy in the knowledge that we
are children of God.
The link between joy and service
is really important. I recently
participated in a conference on
adolescent mental health and I was
struck both by how widespread
depression is among the young, and
how effective acts of service can be
to restoring a sense of self-worth.
It is precisely through cheerful
service and a sense of purpose, I
believe, that the young will discover
the “piece of good news” within
them. They are born to serve, not to
shop, and we must help them resist
the siren call to be consumers:
Facebook and X-boxes are at risk of
becoming the bread and circuses of
our age.
Our vision is of young men who
always give of their best, who have
a wide range of interests and a wide
circle of friends. They are at ease in
any surroundings because they are
at ease within themselves. They
learn that the secret of true
happiness lies in self-giving love and
cheerful service to others.
Our students perform well at
exams. But their long-term success
lies in becoming fulfilled, loving
human beings. Even if everything
else is forgotten or superseded,
that’s the part of their education
that remains.
A rounded education
By Sam Pleasants
Since Oliver House School opened
in 2005, character development
has been at the centre of the
schools’ ethos and our concern is
that children should acquire a
solid basis of knowledge, culture
and virtue in order to face the
challenges that life in 21st century
will present.
Oliver House has been at the
forefront of character education
from the beginning, and the
wealth of knowledge and
expertise in this field means it is
at the leading edge of current
developments, striving to give
children the best personalised and
rigorous education within a
Catholic ethos and a climate of
trust, love and respect.
If we ask most people what they
desire in life, the answer would
probably be happiness. This is
generally the driving force of our
actions; whatever we do is for a
purpose linked to our happiness.
True happiness for human beings
is achieved by fulfilling our
potential; making the most of
ourselves as people. We are born
with natural tendencies – our
temperament (which is our default
position) but everyone’s character
can be formed and shaped. As we
are free beings, we can choose
what we become, in terms of our
character and what we want to
make of ourselves.
At Oliver House, we see it as the
child’s right to a full rounded
education of intelligence and
character and want to enable our
children to make “higher
choices”, i.e. aim not at the
immediate material good but
consider the greater long term
good; to see beyond ‘what is in it
for me now’ and understand the
common good so they can reach a
mature balanced character by the
integration of key virtues.
We believe the outcome of good
character will help the children
personally and actively extend
their desires to a concern to
improve society by their
contribution, however big or
small, beginning with selfimprovement
in a supportive, nonthreatening
atmosphere.
Since all virtues are acquired
through example and repetition,
so the family and the school are
both learning grounds for virtue.
We believe that parents are the
prime educators of their children.
However ethical development and
character formation doesn’t
happen by chance, but needs a
clear, structured teaching plan.
Oliver House character
education programme educates
children by small constant targets
both practical and personal, to
learn to make wise choices and
acquire the will power to carry
out their convictions, in spite of
their feelings.
It has been specifically
developed for primary aged
children to help them develop the
character traits, attributes and
behaviours that underpin our
school and work. Linked to our
scheme of work, the school
delivers its unique personal
tutorial system offering
personalised guidance to the
children as to how to put virtue
into practice in their particular
circumstances. This facilitates
partnership with parents - the only
real way to ensure the children
receive a holistic effective
education.
Sam Pleasants is deputy head
teacher at Oliver House School
Enrichment
By Linda Sanders
Character is virtue in action;
students need to see and hear
people of integrity and be exposed
to inspirational role models. The
Laurels invites distinguished
speakers - often women – who,
through personal endeavour and
reflection, are striving to achieve
personal excellence Students are
also expected to take part in the
life of the school, to support and
run projects in the wider
community and to make links with
international charities.
Students are encouraged to take
part in the Duke of Edinburgh
awards as a way of challenging
themselves to be braver, more
resourceful and to take the
initiative.
The Laurels School’s pioneering
integrated character education
programme has not gone
unnoticed by policy makers.
Demos, the cross- political party
think-tank, cites The Laurels in its
recent report, “Character Nation”
as one of six case-studies of
schools which exemplify character
education at its best.
Linda Sanders is deputy
headmistress at The Laurels School
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.
Page 7

Education
The Pilgrim August 2016
There is an alternative to abortion
By Bridget Whittaker
In an article entitled “Giving young people a voice” in the June edition of
The Pilgrim, Jessica Gjeloshi explained the role in education of the youth
executive board in the Diocese of Southwark.
One topic discussed at the youth executive board’s last meeting was how
students felt they had benefited from their sex education lessons and how
they felt these could be improved. The members of the group spoke about
how they felt there were a great deal of improvements that could be made
to the way the subject was tackled, and the information, or lack of it, that
was being put across to students.
I wonder therefore whether these students and their teachers have heard
of the excellent education programme provided by Life. Life was founded in
1970 on the principle that it is not enough simply to oppose abortion but
that the positive alternatives should also be provided.
Life’s pregnancy care service grew rapidly with 100 Life groups by 1980
caring for women facing crisis and unexpected pregnancies. They also
worked with schools and colleges promoting care and respect for human
life.
In 1973, Life acquired its first house, in Coventry. Following the passing of
the 1977 Housing (Homeless Persons) Act, dozens of local authorities saw
Life groups as the answer to discharging their new statutory responsibility to
house homeless pregnant women.
Since then, centres and houses have opened in many cities and major
towns in the UK, with Life Northern Ireland opening in 1981. By 2000, more
than 5,000 women and their children were accommodated in our houses and
the number is significantly higher today.
Life has a team of young, enthusiastic speakers who give age-appropriate
interactive presentations in schools. They range from Year 6 in primary
schools, where the focus is on the wonder of life and how it develops from
conception to birth, through to conferences for Years 12 and 13 covering all
life issues.
Life’s core value is that every human individual is equally valuable from
fertilisation, the very beginning of their life. Their positions on abortion,
embryo technology, relationships and euthanasia are shaped by this principle,
and that is the framework in which they approach discussion on these
issues.
They present up-to-date, relevant information in a coherent and challenging
framework, using interactive presentations and workshops to stimulate
debate, reflection and exploration of these key issues. No responses
are off-limits.
Life is a non-religious charity and does not use religious ideas in their presentations;
their arguments are grounded in principles to which anyone can
subscribe, and ideas of justice, equality, democracy and human rights.
Once teachers have invited Life speakers to address their students, typical
comments include: "The programmes are useful and appropriate"; "The
speakers were knowledgeable, engaging, and tailored delivery to each
class"; "The content was relevant, up-to-date, and covered a range of
crucial issues".
For more information visit www.lifecharity.org.uk/education,
or telephone Anne Scanlan on 07986 864560.
Learning about learning
By Lucy Russell
I’ve just come home from St Mary’s
Primary School in Deal, where I
watched James’ last assembly in
Year 5. This was all about their PGL
experience, which took place over
a long weekend in June.
PGL actually stands for Peter
Gordon Lawrence, who set up these
outdoor activity centres for children,
though Year 5 will tell you
that PGL stands for: Parent’s, Get
Lost!
The philosophy behind PGL is
people. As it says on their website,
it’s all about, “engaging with each
child; helping them discover the
joy of learning through adventure…
You’ll see your children thrive on
success. You’ll see them connect
with each other, with our staff,
with the task in hand. You’ll see
real value in the memories, confidence
and new-found motivation
they’ll take back to school.”
Judging by the assembly I have
just sat through – the trip lived up
to expectations.
As chair of governors at the
school, I am delighted. I support
outdoor learning and am fully behind
a balanced curriculum which
fosters curiosity in children, and
gives them access to all of creation,
not only academic subjects.
At a recent governor training session,
we were invited to create a
“Diamond 9” of the characteristics
which make a good learner. We had
over 100 suggestions on flashcards.
Having made our selection, we
ranked them.
The group I was working with
chose: curiosity, risk-taking, perseverance;
empathy; self-motivated;
draw conclusions; independence;
reflectiveness; team worker.
Later, one of the governors in my
group said that there is just one
characteristic required, not nine,
and it was one we had put to the
side during our task: meta-learning.
I smiled, in one way I thought he
was right, but I actually believe
that meta-learning should be the
outcome of the education system,
setting young people in the right direction
for the rest of their lives.
The idea of meta-learning was
used by John Briggs to describe
“being aware of and taking control
of one’s own learning”. Meta-learning
can be described as an awareness
and understanding of the
phenomenon of learning itself, as
opposed to subject knowledge.
I believe teaching is about facilitating
learning, and drawing out innate
knowledge from within pupils
and students. Last week, after an
assembly about chocolate given by
Year 2 (in which my younger son,
Edgar, played Willy Wonka), it
turned out that one of the Oompa
Loompas had a dead shrew in her
pocket.
She had found it under the horse
chestnut tree on the way into
school in the morning, and picked
it up and popped it in the pocket of
her dress. Let’s just say her mother
was quite surprised to find in there
at the end of the day.
I asked the Oompa Loompa about
it a day or two later, she told me
she thought maybe she could make
it better. You could base dozens of
lessons on that single act. Lessons
about science and nature, RE, poetry,
art... I learned a lot about
that Oompa Loompa from her reaction
to the dead shrew she found.
St Thomas Aquinas said that,
“The things we love tell us who we
are”. I like Thomas Aquinas on the
topic of education. He, in fact,
finds a middle way between the
understanding of education as
transmission of knowledge, and
facilitating learning.
For him, teaching is connected
with the divine. Aquinas argued
that although we can teach, it is
God who primarily teaches because
God is the source of all being and
the light at the heart of our being.
Aquinas views education as being
about illumination and making
links. He believes that what is
taught helps us to see connections
between what we have learned.
These connections ultimately lead
us to wisdom, that is, God. This is
indeed where all teaching and
learning should lead us to.
Page 8

The Pilgrim August 2016
The pope who was
labelled a Marxist
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
Blessed Paul VI, Giovanni Battista
Montini, succeeded St John XXIII in
the summer of 1963, after the
first session of the Second Vatican
Council had finished. He had been
a papal diplomat and Archbishop
of Milan, and closely associated
with the policies of Pope John and
involved in the workings of the
first part of the Council.
In particular, he had favoured
John’s more open policies towards
politics in Italy and throughout his
life he had been greatly influenced
by 20th century French theology.
His first task was to bring
the Second Vatican Council to an
end - his priority was to implement
its teachings and renew the
life of the Church.
He was the first pope in history
to visit six continents, and in 1964
went to the Eucharistic Congress
in Mumbai (Bombay), shown
above. This led him three years
later to write the first papal document
to reflect the concerns on
the developing world, the encyclical
Populorum Progressio, ‘The
Progress of Peoples’.
After the visit he had become
the first pope to address the General
Assembly of the United Nations
in October 1965: the
encyclical developed some of the
themes of this speech. For the
first time in modern history the
successor of St Peter was not looking
at the world simply as a European:
a French professor called it
“one of the greatest texts in
human history”.
Blessed Paul taught that there
was an urgent need for interdependence
and solidarity in relations
between rich and poor
countries, acting in same way as
redistributive taxation within
countries – the gap must be narrowed.
Development is the new
name for peace. Paul cries out
against the euphoria of the age
and rejects “trickle-down” economics,
as in this passage:
“We must repeat once more
that the superfluous wealth of rich
countries should be placed at the
benefit of poor nations. The rule
which up till now held good for
the benefit of those nearest to us,
must today be applied to all the
needy of the world. Besides, the
rich world will be the first to benefit
as a result. Otherwise their
continued greed will certainly call
down on them the judgement of
God and the wrath of the poor,
with consequences no one can
foretell.”
Populorum Progressio was welcomed
in the Third World and
Latin America and together with
the teachings of the council
helped to inspire the theological
movement known as Liberation
Theology.
However, it was much attacked
in the United States of America,
and in particular by The Wall
Street Journal, which called it
“souped-up Marxism” and by right
wing Catholic economists such as
Michael Novak.
Its message was and is a challenge:
the world is sick. Its illness
consists less in the unproductive
monopolisation of resources by a
small number of men than in the
lack of brotherhood among individuals
and peoples.
From now on the Catholic
Church would be at the forefront
of those calling for more generous
aid programmes and a redistribution
of wealth in favour of poor
nations; but again, many Catholic
supporters of the policies of Margaret
Thatcher and Ronald Reagan
in later years were destined to
defy it.
In England the Catholic aid
agency Cafod, now so big a part of
the life of the Church in this country,
had been founded in the early
1960s. The encyclical gave agencies
like Cafod a great boost, making
it clear that the worldwide
Church’s witness on behalf of the
poorest countries in the world was
central to Catholic teaching, not
an optional extra for the socially
concerned.
Cafod’s work, in this diocese
and throughout the country, remains
vital for all that we do and
Paul’s brave letter played a big
part in enhancing the place of organisations
like Cafod in the life of
the Church. As we shall see in future
months, Populorum Progressio
was so important that St John
Paul II and Benedict XVI both
wrote letters later on commemorating
it and witnessing to its importance.
In the aftermath of the EU referendum
there needs to be a great
deal of reflection about Britain’s
place in the world and about the
strengthening of policies to support
the poorest nations of the
world. We also need to hear again
the pope’s message, so central to
Catholic moral teaching, of the
need for interdependence and solidarity
among peoples.
At St Mary’s University we are
exploring the establishment of a
new MA degree in Catholic Social
Teaching, the first of its kind in
this country - if it goes ahead this
will study in depth many of the
themes in Populorum Progressio
and other papal letters. If you
think you might be interested in
this, please email me at
ashley.beck@stmarys.ac.uk
Feature/Column
Don’t be consumed
by bitterness
By Fr Daniel O’Leary
I have often felt so angry with myself
for allowing some truly unimportant
remark to colour my mood
for a ridiculously long time; especially
when I believe that, in most
situations, no one can hurt us without
our permission.
The arrival of appropriate perspective
brings a restored balance
to our thinking and feeling. This reflection
asks, “Are you over-reacting?
Is it truly that bad? Taking the
long view, how awful is it really?”
In fact, in the cold light of day,
does it, in fact, merit all that intense
emotion? The wise people tell
us that the recovery of perspective
is the first strategy in regaining our
emotional balance so as to act maturely.
. .
I have often felt so sad at the fact
that innumerable people in the second
half of their lives are consumed
with bitterness and self-destroying,
deep-seated emotions over previous
lost opportunities, broken hearts,
deceits and betrayals.
A time comes, I believe, when, in
such instances, it takes small miracles
of loving to bring back wholeness.
At a more everyday level,
however, we need a second take on
the reason for our premature panic
because the first reaction is usually
thoughtless, groundless and irrational.
In the realisation that we have
unthinkingly and inappropriately become
the reaction, the healing happens.
It is so important to
understand this as this alone can
bring immense peace and healing to
tortured souls. . .
Baptised, redeemed and continuously
graced as we are, we still keep
forgetting that we have a free
choice in the encounters and happenings
of each day. I can choose to
be grateful, for instance, even when
parts of me are steeped in hurt and
resentment.
It is amazing, too, how many opportunities
present themselves when
I choose gratitude instead of complaint.
I can choose tobe grateful,
for example, when I’m criticised,
even when part of me is responding
with bitterness.
I can choose to speak about goodness
and beauty, even when part of
me is looking for someone to blame
or something to call ugly. I can
choose to listen to my inner voices
that forgive, and express it outwards
with smiling eyes, even while
I still hear whispers of revenge
echoing in one of the empty halls of
my heart.
Today you will have many
occasions to take the second take!
Pope Paul VI greets
the crowds at the
Eucharistic Congress
in Mumbai in 1964
For all the latest Catholic news visit www.thecatholicuniverse.com
Page 9

Profile
The Pilgrim August 2016
Volunteering
with the Jesuits
Betsy Snyder explains why she became
a volunteer with Jesuit Missions
I have always tried to live my life
with service to others as a guiding
principle. Too many years ago now,
when I was choosing which university
I would attend, I always knew it
would be Georgetown University,
the oldest Catholic university in the
United States, run by the Jesuits.
There, students are challenged to
engage in the world and become
men and women in the service of
others, especially the most vulnerable
and disadvantaged members of
the community.
Through my classes in international
affairs, many of which were
taught by prominent Jesuit scholars,
I came to a better understanding of
the history, and important role, of
social justice and service in working
towards a better world.
Over the years, my career path
took me to various parts of the
world, where I worked in the service
of others, from assisting students
living in a foreign country, to working
with women towards the attainment
of functional literacy or
campaigning to further the aims of
child rights around the world.
I was very fortunate that I was
able to take time out from my career
in order to live my live in service
to ‘different’ others by staying
home to raise a family of three
young children.
After settling in Wimbledon, we
had the opportunity to send our sons
to Donhead, a Jesuit preparatory
school. Donhead has reinforced in
my boys the values my husband and
I continuously strive to instil in our
children, through words as well as
actions.
Through various campaigns at the
school, I became aware of the work
of Jesuit Missions, which just happens
to be located a few doors down
the road from Donhead.
With my children all settled happily
at school, I began to feel that I
was ready for a new challenge in my
own life, something which I had put
aside when my children were very
young, and that I was ready to give
back more to the wider world
around me.
What better way to do that, than
by volunteering in a place filled
with people who work to promote
the philosophy of service to others
that has always played a major role
Georgetown
University
in my life.
I love my main “job” as a mum
and feel very blessed to have it, but
I have also come to embrace my
new role as a volunteer in the Jesuit
Missions office, where I have had
the opportunity to hone my professional
skills, which may be a bit
rusty, but which fortunately haven’t
disappeared altogether.
I am able to draw upon my past
experience working in research and
communications in order to compile
weekly newsletters for the Jesuit
community in the UK, for example.
At the same time, I am learning
valuable new skills, such as updating
the Jesuit Missions website with articles,
events and grants information;
skills that will bring me in line
with 21st century technology, along
with the confidence to know that I
have much to contribute and to
offer.
Working as a volunteer with Jesuit
Missions has given me what I consider
to be the best of both worlds,
as I believe I have been able to
make a meaningful contribution to
their invaluable work with the most
vulnerable and disadvantaged members
of our world, and at the same
time, I have been able to teach my
children by example the value of
living a life in service for others.
Would you like to volunteer with
Jesuit Missions either overseas or locally?
Placements abroad are generally
for a duration of six months,
and are currently available across
Asia, Africa and Central America.
Volunteers are also needed at Jesuit
Missions’ Wimbledon headquarters,
helping out on a number of administrative
tasks around the office.
For more information, please
contact Clara on
clara@jesuitmissions.org.uk
or 020 8946 0466.
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Page 10

The Pilgrim August 2016
Clergy fund passes two million
By Greg Watts
The Clergy Support Fund Campaign,
set up to care for the
sick and retired priests of
Southwark Diocese, has recently
reached an important new milestone,
having raised just over
£2 million in gifts and pledges.
This means that it is almost
half-way to achieving its overall
target of £4.5 million.
Canon John Weatherill, episcopal
vicar for finance, said, “I
am tremendously grateful to all
our donors and supportive laity
for their generosity, whether financial,
or through the gifts of
time and talent in sharing this
need with fellow parishioners.
As well as helping to address a
temporary shortfall in funds between
2014 and 2018, the Campaign
represents an important
step towards engaging with the
concept of stewardship in
Southwark Diocese.”
An example of how the fund
helps priests is provided by
Bishop Howard Tripp, who retired
in 2004.
“I have been amazed since
retiring and breaking my leg at
the interest and concern shown
to me. Many have come to visit
me bearing gifts, the ‘Get Well’
cards have outnumbered the
Christmas cards and there have
been an abundance of offers of
help. It’s not just those I have
known recently but those whom
I met or served long ago.
Celebrating the Chinese New
Year with my nephew, his Chinese
wife and their children
earlier this year, I had a Damascus
moment when I stooped
down to pick up a serviette,
went head over heels and broke
my leg. Caravaggio’s picture of
St Paul, blinded by a great light
and falling off his horse flashed
through my mind and I thought,
‘This is it – I shall never say
Mass again.’
But that was not the view of
Archbishop Peter who, after an
operation to mend my leg, insisted
that I should have a rigorous
course of physiotherapy and
short period of convalescence
with the Little Sisters of the
Poor under the care of the Diocese.
And who is the diocese?
That is you, my brothers and
sisters.
My Damascus experience
means a great deal more than
just physiotherapy. I am now
able to offer Mass each week in
four different convents and in a
home for the elderly, and to act
as a chaplain in a hospice. To be
able to say Mass daily, and with
a congregation, is a very important
part of a priest’s spiritual
life.
We are in the Jubilee Year of
Mercy and I now realise that
during the Croydon pilot campaign
we were inspired ahead of
the Year of Mercy by the works
of mercy in providing care for
our sick and retired priests.
Fr James Hay (second from left) recently celebrated 40 years as a priest.
Due to ill health, he lives in St Peter’s Residence in Vauxhall
Diary -
August
Bishop Howard Tripp
Contributing to or helping to
run the campaign requires generosity
of heart, and not just
that of pocket.
It is a wonderful way of undertaking
the spiritual and corporal
works of mercy to which
our attention is drawn this year.
May I therefore conclude by
saying a great thank you to you
all for the care and generosity
you have shown me and offer
you the assurance of my
prayers.”
For further information and to download giving forms or make a donation online, visit www.southwarkclergysupportfundcampaign.org
10: Catholic history walk, “For king and country”, 2pm. Walking to Westminster Abbey and Parliament.
Meet on the steps of Westminster Cathedral. Nearest tube: Victoria.
13: Annual Archbishop Romero Mass, St George’s Cathedral, 12.30 pm, celebrated by Bishop Pat.
17: Catholic history walk, “For king and country”, 6.30pm. Walking to Westminster Abbey and
Parliament. Meet on the steps of Westminster Cathedral. Nearest tube: Victoria.
Features/Diary
School days
Helen O’Shea
Home? Highbury,
north London.
Job? I am a
barrister but
currently my legal
work involves law
reporting and
writing. I am also a
volunteer trust
fundraiser for the
Society of St
Vincent de Paul.
What secondary
school did you
attend? Archbishop
Mostyn RC High
School, Ely, Cardiff.
Favourite subject?
I loved English
because it was an
excuse to read
more books
followed closely by
History and a
submersion in
historical novels.
Worse Subject? Statistics. I have a mental block.
I still have no idea how probability works.
Favourite teacher? Mr McJennat, my History
teacher, was inspirational. He made history
relevant to the everyday and instilled in me an
interest in politics and social justice. A lesson
may have started with the Chartist Movement
and ended in a full class debate on Margaret
Thatcher’s battles with the trade unions. I am
sure he is the inspiration for me being heavily
involved with the SVP today. I feel very
motivated to “put my faith into action” to help
others in need and to strive for a fairer society;
that has its roots in those history classes.
Favourite school dinner? I’m afraid I was a fussy
eater as a child and wouldn’t contemplate school
dinners. White bread Dairylea sandwiches were a
staple.
Guilty secret? We were in a non-Welsh speaking
school but our teachers still wanted us to enter
the National Eisteddfod. We learnt the words to
so many traditional hymns and songs
phonetically. All our song books had phonetic
scribbles under all the (for us) unpronounceable
welsh words. We still managed to win a prize
even though we had no idea what we were
singing about!
What do you wish you had been told? Study a
subject that interests and inspires you. Tax law?
Land law? Too dull for words...
What did you do immediately after school? I
went to university in London to study Law and
then to bar school before returning to Cardiff
(skint) to live with my parents and start life as a
pupil barrister in chambers. Several years later I
met my husband and we went to live and work in
Rome. That was an unexpected twist from a
seemingly obvious career path but I don’t regret
it all, it was a fantastic life opportunity.
What career advice would you give to a young
person? Try and find a job/career that really
interests you and that you care about.
Remember though that work is not the be all and
end all of everything. Maintaining your family
links, friendships, hobbies and charitable
activities will sustain you through life’s ups and
downs. Also be adaptable and open to change -
you never know what lies around the corner.
If you have an event, please e-mail
details to us at
pilgrim@rcsouthwark.co.uk
Page 11

The Pilgrim August 2016
Focus on faith
Basic gospel message needs to be preached
Kristina Cooper says a recent retreat for priests could change
the way evangelisation is carried out in the diocese
Catholic Certificate
in Religious Studies
An introduction to the central teachings
and beliefs of the Catholic Church
including core modules on Jesus Christ,
the Church, Scripture, Christian Morality
and Sacraments.
The course also provides a selection of
specialist modules on Education,
Ministry, Catechesis, Spirituality and, new from
October 2016, Canon Law.
Suitable for teachers, trainee teachers, governors, parish
catechists or for personal interest.
Awarded by the Board of Religious Studies on behalf of the
Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales.
Contact CCF or visit our website for more detail or
download the brochure.
You are invited to
CCRS Introductory Evenings
from 7:30pm ‘til 8:30pm
(refreshments from 7pm).
Tuesday 13th September 2016 at The Angelus
Centre, Bexley Road, Erith, DA8 3HQ
Thursday 15th September 2016 at the Centre
for Catholic Formation, Tooting Bec
For enquiries or to book your attendance
please contact us at the CCF. Thank you.
The Church must get back to preaching
the basic gospel message, urged
papal preacher, Fr Raniero Cantalamessa,
as he led almost 100 priests
from all over the country in national
Life in the Spirit retreat for priests,
hosted by the Southwark diocese in a
pre-Pentecost retreat hosted by the
Southwark diocese earlier this year.
Bishop Pat Lynch, area bishop in
south-east London, attended the
whole retreat as a participant.
He said Fr Raniero’s emphasis on
preaching the Kerygma (the basic
gospel message) had challenged him
to examine his own model of
evangelisation.
He said, he would continue walking
alongside marginalised people to
build trust, as he had always done,
but he would now also be praying for
courage and discernment to know
when and how to proclaim the basic
gospel message to them too.
Fr Tom McHugh, the dean of Bromley,
also said he came away with a
new understanding of the power of
the Kerygma and the importance of
proclaiming the love of God. He commented,
“My experience of this past
week will be shaping the way I approach
things in the future. I realised
we need to give time and space to
bringing people into an encounter
with that initial proclamation of the
gospel. How best to do this is the
challenge.”
The organisation of the retreat itself
was a wonderful example of the
synergy that can be unleashed in a
parish when priest and people work
together using their gifts. For unusually
this ground breaking retreat was
not organised by a diocesan formation
team but by a small group of volunteers
from a single parish – Holy
Innocents in Orpington.
Their parish priest, Fr Victor Vella,
inspired by hearing how a ladies
prayer group had organised a powerful
Life in the Spirit seminars for
priests in Malta, decided that for the
year of Mercy he would like to invite
Fr Raniero, one of the foremost
preachers of our times, to come and
lead a Life in the Spirit retreat for
priests in Southwark.
Fr Raniero, who is 81, does not
travel so much now these days, but
touched by the request, agreed exceptionally,
to come the week before
Pentecost. Given the uniqueness of
this opportunity, it was decided to
open the event up to priests nationally
and to hold it at the Copthorne
Hotel near Gatwick airport, which
had suitable facilities.
Organising such an event could
have been a daunting task, but Fr
Victor knew he could call on the missionary
disciples he had forming in
his parish through the Parish Evangelisation
Cell System which he had
been running for several years in the
parish.
He was further blessed that one of
his parishioners, who works for Redemptorist
Publications, is also an
accomplished and experienced
events organiser. She not only managed
to draw in the backing of her
employers to help sponsor the event
financially but even arranged for
stoles to be donated by Hayes and
Finch.
Each member of the parish team,
however, played their part whether
it was helping with the publicity,
registration and technical aspects or
turning the airport hotel into a sacred
place for the retreat, providing
music and welcome for the arriving
priests.
Even the housebound in the parish
were recruited to pray for the event.
The joyful service of the parish team
added to the wonderful ambiance of
peace and communion, which all the
priests commented on, and helped
contribute to the success of the retreat.
One priest commented, “It was
as if the hotel had been turned into a
monastery for the week.”
The parish team say they were inspired
in their spirit of joyful service
by the example of those who had
welcomed them at St Eustorgio, in
Milan at an international seminar on
the Parish Evangelisation Cells there
some years ago.
It was their positive experience in
Milan that had led to the introduction
of the Parish Evangelisation Cells to
Orpington in 2012. Episcopal support
for the retreat was evident in the
presence of Bishop Richard Moth, the
former vicar general of Southwark,
who is now Bishop of Arundel and
Brighton, who celebrated the opening
Mass and Archbishop Peter, who celebrated
the closing Mass.
One of the highlights of the retreat
was also the special empowerment
evening. This was led by Damian
Stayne and members of Cor et Lumen
Christi, a Catholic lay community
from Chertsey, and other people from
the Catholic Charismatic Renewal,
who prayed over all the priests for a
new empowering in their ministry
and for new gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Thirty priests from the Southwark
diocese attended the retreat and as a
follow up Fr Tom hosted an evening
for the Southwark priests to reflect
on their experiences and to discuss
how to take what they had experienced
forward, both as individuals
and as a deanery. He commented, “It
is important that we harness this divine
energy and we have to be attentive
and discerning in the way the
Lord is leading us.”
So watch this space!
Those who would be interested in hearing Fr Raniero’s talks which have been filmed
and will be available shortly on DVD should contact Holy Innocents parish at
pec@holyinnocents.org.uk or telephone 01689 817 537.
Fr Raniero Cantalamessa
with some of those who
attended the retreat
www.ccftootingbec.org.uk
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