Issue 54 - The Pilgrim - October 2016 - The newspaper of the Archdiocese of Southwark

Issue 54 October 2016
The popularity
of priest
detectives
The girls of
Notre Dame
Calais migrants
need help, say
Kent charity
Page 2 Pages 6 & 7
Page 10
New course for
catechists to
be launched
By Greg Watts
A new diocesan course for catechists
is being launched to help teach the
Catholic faith more effectively.
The Diocesan Certificate in
Catechesis will be launched in
January and will consist of online
materials and study days at the
Diocesan Centre for Catholic
Formation in Tooting Bec. It has
been developed in conjunction with
the School of the Annunciation at
Buckfast Abbey in Devon.
In a pastoral letter to mark the
weekend of the jubilee for
catechists in the Year of Mercy,
Archbishop Peter said, “In a world
full of uncertainty and confusion,
parents often struggle to pass on the
faith to their children, and even
faithful Catholics are often hesitant
in trying to explain what we believe
to those who enquire.
“But there is an old saying: ‘you
can’t give what you don’t have’. If
we are to pass on to others the
Gospel message and our faith in
Jesus Christ, as he has commanded
us to do, we must know the Gospel
and be able to explain why we
believe in it.
“This new diocesan course is
intended especially for catechists in
our parishes and chaplaincies, but it
will also be of importance and
interest to teachers in our schools, to
all who are engaged in faith
formation in parishes, as well as
parents, grandparents, readers at
Mass, those involved in Children’s
Liturgy of the Word, and anyone keen
to know the faith better, and how to
defend it and pass it on to others.
“I am aware that many parishes
and individuals are already doing
much to spread
the Good News of Jesus, and I
thank those of you who are, and I
thank God for it.
“Now, at this time, echoing Pope
Francis’ words I want to encourage
all parishes, and in particular parish
councils, to focus on the task of
evangelisation, to form parish
evangelisation teams, to ensure that
they have sufficient resources and
formation for their mission, and to
help equip all the people of God in
our diocese to have ‘a disciple’s
tongue’ as Isaiah puts it.
“I am urging those who are
already catechists, those thinking of
becoming a catechist and all who
wish to know how to pass on the
faith, to consider enrolling on this
new course, and I am asking parish
priests and chaplains to encourage
their parishioners to do so.”
See Page 8
Former Wimbledon College student Toby Gold won the silver medal in the T33 100m final at the
Paralympics in Rio. Earlier in the year he won the gold in the 100m at the European Championships.

Editorial
The Pilgrim October 2016
James Norton has played
crime-solving vicar Sidney
Chambers alongside Robson
Green as Police Inspector
Geordie Keating in the ITV
series ‘Grantchester’, based
on the novels by James Runcie
Why ISIS
hates
Muslims
By Greg Watts
Why priest detectives are
popular in literature
By Bishop Paul Hendricks
I've been hearing quite a lot about James
Runcie's Granchester books, partly on
account of the recent television series
based on them. So I thought it was time I
checked them out for myself.
They feature Sidney Chambers, an
Anglican Canon based in a village near
Cambridge. Part of the attraction of the
series is the setting, which combines
elements of country village and university,
with occasional excursions further afield.
The period is also well chosen, in the
1950s and 60s -- old enough to be
different, but close enough for us older
readers to remember something of the
times.
Sidney himself is a character with an
interesting background -- an exserviceman,
whose close women friends
include an art expert and a German
musician, and whose interests include
cricket and modern jazz. He's hardly a
typical clergyman -- and yet in a way this
very fact makes him more realistic.
Clergy, after all, are so varied that
perhaps it's misleading to speak of a
typical priest. One of Sidney's attractive
qualities is his humility. At times he feels
his inadequacy, torn between the demands
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
of his parish and of his other interests.
We see him praying to be a better priest
and (later) a better husband and father.
His motivation as a detective isn't just an
abstract desire for truth and justice, but
also a concern for the people affected by
crime, including the guilty as well as the
victims.
One aspect I'm rather doubtful about is
Sidney's flexible approach to
confidentiality. His very first case arises
from something he heard in Confession, in
a way that would have been totally ruled
out if he had been a Catholic, and I can't
help thinking would be highly questionable
also in the Church of England.
Sidney is one of a surprising number of
“clerical detectives”, who are either
priests, monks or other people with close
associations with the church. You'll be able
to think of several, including perhaps
Father Brown and Brother Cadfael, but I
must admit I was staggered when I looked
at a web site on this subject
(www.detecs.org) and saw quite how many
there were -- including a surprisingly long
list of detective nuns!
Is this a coincidence or is there anything
about detection and religion, that would
explain this link? I suppose one factor
would be the wide experience of human
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
nature that comes with pastoral care.
Clergy get to know people at all levels of
society and, though we can't use factual
information given in Confession, I think we
do gain some valuable insights from our
experience of listening to the hopes and
fears, the joys and sorrows of the people
who share things with us, which they
wouldn't talk about even to their nearest
and dearest.
I'm sure that real police work is primarily
about physical evidence and processing of
information, but when it comes to fiction,
it's the human interest that counts. Some
of the situations that Sidney encounters
are highly improbable by ordinary
standards, including a serial killer who
targets priests (at least, I hope that's
improbable!).
But the stories all turn on aspects of
human nature which feel quite true to life
-- and I think that's what matters in the
end. Perhaps it's not so different from two
of my other interests, science fiction and
fairy stories.
Whether it's about robots and aliens,
elves and hobbits, or the extremes of thisworldly
crime, we're dealing with the sort
of “what if?” questions, which explore the
possibilities of human nature and help us
to understand ourselves better.
the
2012Pilgrim
50p
December 2011/ January The newspaper of the Catholic Archdiocese of Southwark, covering s
Advertising: Carol Malpass
0161 214 1244
carol.malpass@thecatholicuniverse.com
Distribution: Andrea Black
0161 214 1216
andrea.black@@thecatholicuniverse.com
The news that armed officers of Kent police are to
routinely patrol Canterbury Cathedral comes after a
wave of ISIS atrocities across Europe this year –
Brussels, Nice, Ansbach in Germany, and the murder
of Fr Jacques Hemel celebrating Mass in a small
French town.
However, ISIS has carried out far more terrorist
attacks in predominantly Muslim countries, including
Turkey, Yemen, and, of course, Syria and Iraq. While
ISIS hates Western civilisation, it hates Shia Muslims
just as much.
Yet when the latest ISIS attack in Europe is
discussed in the media or by politicians someone
will inevitable say, “But some of the victims were
Muslim.”
This is missing the point. If you really want to
know the thinking that underpins the ISIS
theology/ideology, then read My Journey into the
heart of Terror by courageous German journalist
Jurgen Todenhofer, who spent 10 days living in the
so-called Islamic State in Mosul.
After much negotiation online, in 2014 the ISIS
leadership agreed to let him into its territory in
northern Iraq and speak to some of its fighters. The
title of the book says it all. It was a trip filled with
terror and there were times Todenhofer wondered,
despite guarantees of his safety, if ISIS might decide
to kill him.
But he survived and he has given us perhaps the
best explanation of what drives ISIS and what its
goals are. When Todenhofer asks a man called Abu
Qatadah, a German convert to ISIS, what he thinks
of Shias, he replies, “The Islamic opinion is that
Shias are apostates. Their apostasy is their death
sentence.”
Does this mean that that if 80 million Iranian,
Iraqi and Syrian Shias don’t repent and convert to
Sunnism of their own free will, they will be killed?
asks Todenhofer. Yes, replies Abu Qatadah.
If we look at the barbaric acts ISIS carries out,
often posting films on YouTube, we see echoes of
The Reformation. One of the things I remember
most from RE at school is how Catholics were hung,
drawn and quartered and the heads of martyrs
paraded in public. Some people were burned alive.
But Catholics did this to Protestants, too. And all
these atrocities were carried out in the name of
God.
I have to confess that there have been times when
I’ve seen a bearded man wearing shalwar kameez (a
long short and loose trousers) or a woman in a burqa
in the street and wondered if they might secretly
support ISIS. I suspect some people during the IRA
bombing campaign in England in the 1970s used to
react similarly when they heard an Irish accent.
But Jurgen Todenhofer’s timely book explains that
it’s Shia Muslims just as much as Europeans who are
the targets of ISIS.
South-West London
Bishop Paul Hendricks
020 8643 8007
Editor: Greg Watts
pilgrim@rcsouthwark.co.uk
0208 776 9250
Print management, design and
distribution by The Universe
Media Group Ltd
Page 2

The Pilgrim October 2016
Mother Teresa Mass
A Mass was held at St George’s
Cathedral to mark the canonization
of Mother Teresa.
Welcoming the congregation,
cathedral dean Fr Richard
Hearn said: "It's a great joy for
the Missionaries of Charity to
see their founder honoured and
recognised by the church in
such a way. And it's a great day
of joy for the parish of the
cathedral, because the Missionaries
of Charity are a large part
of our community."
Mother Teresa visited St
George's Cathedral in 1993
when her Missionaries of Charity
opened a shelter for homeless
men and a soup kitchen in St
George's Road.
After Mass, many members of
the congregation queued to
venerate a relic of the new
saint.
Lourdes pilgrimage
News
Father Edward Perera, the diocesan pilgrimage director, and
John Toryusen, director of Southwark Catholic Youth Service
Archbishop Peter led the Southwark diocesan pilgrimage to Lourdes.
The Southwark pilgrims travelled with The Catholic Association,
which has organised pilgrimages to Lourdes for over a hundred
years. One of the highlights was joining over 7,000 other pilgrims
for an international Mass.
New
building
for
Purley
school
A new £2.8-million-pound
building has been opened at
The John Fisher School in
Purley
The building was officially
opened by Professor Sir
David Lane, a former pupil,
who flew in from Singapore
for the event. Sir David specialises
in cancer research
and was knighted in 2000.
The school will now be
creating a new form will be
called Teresa, as the opening
of the building coincided
with Mother Teresa's canonisation.
New seminary rector at Wonersh
Fr Brian Coyle has become the 18th
Rectory of St John's Seminary, Wonersh,
near Guildford.
Fr Brian, a priest of Southwark
diocese, was previously director of
human formation at Wonersh.
St John’s Seminary was established in
1891 as the diocesan seminary for the
then Diocese of Southwark. It accepts
students from several dioceses in
England and also from Wales and
Scotland.
Battersea schools unite
St John Bosco College, Sacred Heart Primary
School and St Mary's Catholic Primary school
have launched Battersea Catholic Schools
Together. The event marks a formal commitment
of a closer relationship between the three
schools.
Collecting for
Waterloo Foodbank
The new St Vincent de Paul group at St George’s
Cathedral is collecting food for the Waterloo
Foodbank.
Collection baskets will be permanently sited
at the back of the cathedral. Any nonperishable
goods – tins, packets and jars – are
required. Fresh food is not, as the cathedral has
no refrigeration facilities. Anyone donating food
should ensure that products are unopened and
within their sell-by dates.
We want your news! Email your stories to
pilgrim@rcsouthwark.co.uk
or telephone 0208 776 9250.
Page 3

News
Nun and archbishop to talk
about Islamic extremism
The Pilgrim October 2016
A nun from Syria and an archbishop from Pakistan
are to visit Westminster Cathedral to
talk about the threat of Islamic extremism to
Christianity.
As part of a series of events organised by
Aid to the Church in Need, Sister Annie Demerjian
of Aleppo and Archbishop Sebastian
Shaw of Lahore will describe how the reality
of living in the midst of attacks by Islamic terror
groups.
Sr Annie is expected to describe her lifethreatening
work providing emergency aid and
spiritual support to thousands of people
trapped in Aleppo and Hassake, another city
in northern Syria.
Archbishop Shaw will talk about the work of
the Church in Pakistan where growing extremism
threatens the lives of people of all faiths,
especially religious minorities.
The talks will take place on 15th October in
Westminster Cathedral Hall, following Mass in
the cathedral at 10.30am.
Tickets £10 each. Visit www.acnuk.org/
events or call ACN on 020 8642 8668.
Mortlake
pilgrims
Over 80 pilgrims from Mortlake deanery have made a
pilgrimage to the door of mercy at St George’s
Cathedral.
The pilgrims came from East Sheen, Ham, Kew,
Mortlake, Putney, Richmond, Roehampton, and Wimbledon
Common together with members of the German
community at Ham. They walked a six and a half
mile route along the Thames, stopping for lunch in
Archbishop’s Park.
The cathedral dean, Fr Richard Hearn, welcomed
the pilgrims and led them through the door of mercy.
Exposition and benediction followed in the Blessed
Sacrament chapel.
Artist touched
Catholics with
her paintings
Elizabeth Wang, who specialised
in painting scenes depicting
prayer, holiness, and the Mass, has
died.
Elizabeth died peacefully at
home in Harpenden, Hertfordshire,
after being diagnosed with pancreatic
cancer three months ago.
Born in 1942, she was received
into the Catholic Church in 1968.
Her paintings were exhibited a
number of places, including the
Page 4
Royal Academy, the Royal Institute
of Painters in Watercolours, and
Westminster Cathedral. Her work
was also installed in the chapel at
Wormwood Scrubs prison.
Elizabeth was also a prolific
writer, exploring many aspects of
Catholic faith and spirituality. She
received the last sacraments from
her son, Fr Stephen Wang, who
celebrated Mass in her room just a
few hours before she died.
We want your news! Email your stories to
pilgrim@rcsouthwark.co.uk or telephone 0208 776 9250.
Vatican beaten
at Canterbury
The third annual cricket match at Canterbury
between the Vatican’s St Peter’s Cricket Team and the
Church of England’s Archbishop’s XI ended with
victory for the Anglicans.
The game, which took place at Kent County Cricket
Club’s Spitfire Ground, aims to foster friendship and
promote unity. The first match was held in 2014.
The Archbishop’s XI batted first and ended their 20
overs on 157 for four. In their reply, the Vatican side
only reached 94 for seven.
Laura Stephenson of Bishop Thomas Grant School
in Streatham has secured a place at Newnham
College, Cambridge, to study history
Minister visits
Sidcup college
Over 100 history and politics students from
Christ the King Sixth Form College had the
opportunity to quiz new Northern Ireland
Secretary James Brokenshire when he visited
the college’s Sidcup campus to launch its
speaker programme.
Mr Brokenshire, who was appointed Northern
Ireland Secretary by Teresa May in July, is MP for
Old Bexley and Sidcup.
Mr Brokenshire told students he was a
passionate campaigner on issues such as crime,
asylum and immigration and retaining
healthcare facilities at his local hospital.
Students challenged him on student tuition fees,
immigration and the voting age.
Shireen Razey, principal of Christ the King: St
Mary’s, where the visit took place, said: “James
Brokenshire has got our speaker programme off
to a brilliant start. He is one of a number of
high-profile visitors from the worlds of politics,
academia and industry who will be coming into
the college over the next few months.”
Pray for peace
Praying for peace should be at the heart of the
Church, Archbishop Kevin McDonald has said.
He was speaking to mark the 30th anniversary
of the first World Day of Prayer for Peace,
convened by St John Paul II on 27th October,
1986.
“Pope John Paul II’s initiative in gathering
together other Christian leaders and leaders of
other religions was without precedent. It was
inspired by the world’s need for peace - a need
that has only become more urgent and more
pressing with the passage of time,” he said.
It is important to see the event in its context,
he added. “It was not an isolated good will
gesture; it must be understood as a key moment
in the development and profile of the Papal office
and of the Church in the world. It must also be
seen against the background of the rich catechesis
on the relationship between Christianity and other
religions which was so central to Pope John Paul
II’s legacy to the Church.”
Archbishop McDonald, who resigned as
archbishop of Southwark in 2009 on medical
grounds, is responsible for Catholic-Jewish
relations and interreligious relations on behalf of
the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and
Wales.

The Pilgrim October 2016
Feature
The fourteenth 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.
Some liturgies of popular piety
Some liturgies – such as baptism,
confirmation, and attendance at
Sunday Mass – are a necessary part
of being a Catholic Christian. There
are also a number of popular devotions,
which many people find spiritually
nourishing. They are not, as
it were, compulsory, and they may
not all be your spiritual cup of tea,
but those who do use them find
them very helpful in their prayer
life.
First, in alphabetical order, is the
Angelus. This commemorates the
Annunciation of the angel Gabriel to
Mary, and is traditionally prayed
three times a day: at dawn, midday,
and dusk. It unites us in prayer
to the incarnation of Christ, and is a
handy way for a family or other
group to pray together. Google the
Angelus if you don’t know the
words.
The Divine Mercy Prayers, based
on the writings of Saint Faustina
Kowalska, and prayed on the second
Sunday of Easter, have become very
popular. The focus is very much on
the mercy poured forth in Christ’s
death and resurrection, and on our
joy at being redeemed.
Eucharistic adoration is an extension
of the Eucharist, the Mass.
Based on our belief in the real
presence of Christ in the sacrament,
this devotion draws us ever
closer into the paschal mystery, it
encourages a sense of thanksgiving
towards Our Lord and Saviour and
His self-sacrifice, and it brings us
into a more intimate friendship
with Him. Besides hymns, scripture
readings, and prayers, eucharistic
adoration is normally accompanied
by periods of silent prayer and reflection.
The First Fridays are a special effort
to attend Mass and make one’s
confession on every first Friday of
the month. Deriving from the visions
of St Margaret Mary Alacoque,
and centred on the concept of the
Sacred Heart of Jesus, such devotions
do not replace our Sunday obligation
but can be a fruitful
discipline, remembering that Friday
is the day of the Crucifixion.
The Rosary, given to St Dominic
in an apparition of the Virgin Mary in
1214, is a slightly complicated affair
involving the recitation of various
prayers – especially the Lord’s
Prayer, Hail Marys, and the Glory Be
– using the beads to keep count.
It is essentially a contemplative
prayer, in which one side of the
brain is kept occupied by the recitation
of the prayers and the telling
(i.e. counting) on the beads, while
the other half contemplates the particular
mystery of our salvation.
Popes down the ages have commended
the use of the Rosary; the
best way to learn to pray it is to
join in a rosary prayer group (often
before or after daily Mass in our
parishes).
The Way of the Cross is the most
popular devotional exercise. It is
often called the Stations of the
Cross in English (because like a train
stopping at a station you stop at
each of the fourteen crosses and
pictures). It commemorates Christ’s
final earthly journey to Calvary,
where He was crucified. Almost all
of our churches have Stations of the
Cross, but they are also found in
shrines, in the countryside, and
even on mountain pathways on the
continent.
In the Via Crucis (to use its Latin
name) several strands of piety come
together: the walking from station
to station is a reminder of our life as
a pilgrimage from exile to our true
home in heaven; it unites us to
Christ and His passion; it is a way of
taking up our own cross to follow
Jesus. The Stations are normally
prayed during Lent, and especially
SUBSCRIBE
TODAY TO THE
PRINT OR
DIGITAL
EDITION
on Good Friday in addition to the
Good Friday liturgy.
Since the stations in churches are
usually pictures representing the
scene, and since the devotion includes
movement, the Way of the
Cross is very suitable for children as
well as adults.
THE WEEKLY NEWSPAPER FOR THE CATHOLIC COMMUNITY ACROSS THE UK
Universe
The digital edition
is available to
view on:­
• Smartphone
• Tablet
• Computer/laptop
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
www.thecatholicuniverse.com
Page 5

Feature
The girls of Notre Dame
Shani Johnson, assistant head teacher at Notre Dame R.C. Secondary Girls’ School
in St George’s Road, explains how faith underpins its approach to education.
The Pilgrim October 2016
We are very fortunate to be located
opposite St George’s Cathedral, the
heart of the Diocese of Southwark
and in many ways the heart of the
school’s place for worship.
The whole school community goes
at least once a term to celebrate
together the word of God through,
song, dance and prayer. The sight of
the whole school community in
collective worship is always very
moving and poignant. The stones
and cold tiles of the cathedral
suddenly come alive with the sheer
joy and shared sense of community.
We are very privileged to be able to
do this in such a majestic setting.
The founder of the Notre Dame
schools was St Julie. By 1895, fifty
years after their arrival in Britain,
the Sisters of Notre Dame had
opened foundations all over the
country. The Sisters were also
pioneers in opening pupil teacher
centres.
From these early beginnings the
work of the Sisters in Britain
continued to spread embracing
primary, secondary and higher
education throughout England and
Scotland and child guidance clinics
in Glasgow, Liverpool and London.
Today the sisters contribute to the
pastoral work in many dioceses and
help run various projects for the
poor and marginalised around the
country. Sisters from the British
Province also serve in Kenya,
Nigeria, Zimbabwe and Latin
America, helping to spread the good
news that God is good!”
Notre Dame RC Girls’ School
believes in giving each individual
pupil a chance to be successful. As a
school we often welcome pupils who
have experienced difficulties. We
Are you called to Carmel?
Spend a day finding out
at the ODC Carmelite Priory,
London W8.
Saturday, 1st October, 10.00-4.00
Open to men & women.
No upper age limit.
If interested please contact johnmcgowan50@gmail.com
Learning to debate
Last academic year at Notre Dame we introduced
Debate Mate, a national project that offers a range of
programmes and competitions to participating
schools. These have been designed by their CEO and
founder Margaret McCabe, a former commercial
barrister, in conjunction with world champion
debaters and their education development director.
Debate Mate aims to tackle educational
disadvantage in some of Britain’s most deprived
communities. It does this by recruiting, training and
placing university students to run extra-curricular
debate workshops in schools with above average free
school meals.
The programmes raise speaking and listening
attainment, as well as improve a range of high order
thinking skills and non-cognitive abilities such as
confidence, teamwork and leadership. In doing so it
addresses the widening skills gap between education
and employment, whilst raising aspirations and
helping students to make informed post-18 choices.
Our successes in 2015/16 included:
• Completing at 15 week course with mentors from
some of the top universities in London.
• Taking part in both the first and second rounds of
the Urban Debate League with other schools in central
London. We ranked in the top 80 schools in the
county, which is amazing considering all of the pupils
had never debated before.
• Competing in the Debate Mate Cup against other
London schools at the University of Westminster. Out
of the nine debates we had six wins.
The best floor speech was awarded to Alexia
Williams from Year 8. In June the winning teams took
part in an in-house “Great Debate EU Referendum.”
This was a fantastic opportunity for the promising
speakers of the future - the young women who want
their voice to be heard.
We are so thrilled at the achievements of our Notre
Dame girls who truly embrace the values of the
school’s mission statement. They are young women
who are confident, who can think for themselves, who
understand the concepts of equality and justice and
can play a full and responsible part in a changing and
multicultural society.
Mr. P. Charalambos, teacher of English
and literacy co-ordinator
Page 6

The Pilgrim October 2016
Feature
Justice and Peace Group
I believe being educated in a single - sex
school has made me more aware of the
inequalities in education for girls across the
world. At Notre Dame, I am a passionate
member of the ‘Justice and Peace Group.’
Part of the group’s mission is to promote the
need for education for girls, particularly in
parts of the world where girls are not
invested in.
One way we have been working towards
this has been to learn more about the work
of “Girl Rising”, a global campaign for girls’
education. It unites girls, women, boys and
men who believe every girl has the right to
go to school and the right to reach her full
potential.
After watching the “Girl Rising”
documentary, Wadley's story interested me
the most. Wadley is a seven- year-old girl
who lives with her mother in Haiti. Wadley
went to school every day before an
earthquake caused her whole world to come
crashing down.
Her home and school were both destroyed
in this catastrophic natural disaster.
However, this was not enough to break
Wadley’s spirit nor extinguish her thirst to
learn.
Every day, she walked to the tent school
where the teacher would ask if her mother
had paid the fees yet. When all Wadley could
reply was “No” she was told to leave.
But one day Wadley said, ''I will come back
every day until I can stay." Wadley persisted
until she was finally allowed to attend class.
Wadley’s mega-watt smile shines even
brighter now that she’s back in school -
especially in science class, her favourite
subject.
Education can break cycles of poverty in
just one generation. Educated girls can stand
up for their rights, marry and have children
later, educate their own children, and their
families and communities thrive.
Yet millions of girls around the world face
barriers to education that boys do not.
Removing these obstructions such as early
marriage, gender-based violence, domestic
slavery and trafficking, means not only a
better life for girls, but a safer, healthier
and more prosperous world for all.
Being part of Notre Dame, an environment
that values education for young women like
me, has inspired me to promote the cause
for girls across the world to receive the
education they are entitled to. The justice
and peace group is one way that we can play
our part to erase the insidious inequality
that exists in our world.
Venus Akulu,
head girl
St George’s Cathedral is
opposite Notre Dame
and is the heart of the
school’s worship
aspire to give each student a fresh
start - to learn from their past
mistakes, to thrive and to flourish.
Our pupils leave us as young women
who seek the true, the good and the
beautiful in her own pursuit of
happiness and in her contribution to
that of others.
As the “Declaration on Catholic
Education” states, we educate our
pupils to “learn not only how to
bear witness to the hope that is in
them but also how to help in the
Christian formation of the world and
contribute to the good of the whole
society.”
Here follows just one example of
how Notre Dame lives by its mission
statement.
A pupil was referred to us by the
Southwark educational welfare
officer. She arrived in the country
with no English to join her family
but it was soon discovered that she
was unwell.
She had to have serious surgery
and stay in hospital for a very long
time. Though she managed to learn
basic English reading and writing
skills in the hospital school, she was
unfortunately difficult to place in
secondary education because of her
medical needs and it was proving
impossible to find a school willing to
take her on.
Our headteacher interviewed a
charming but incredibly shy and
quiet girl and was subsequently
delighted to offer her a place at our
school. She started here on a very
important day in the Notre Dame
family of schools - St Julie’s Day.
This is a tradition that celebrates
the school’s founder, Julie Billiart,
who believed in education for girls
across the world.
To the inexperienced spectator,
this occasion at school is boisterous
and busy; perhaps not the gradual,
calm introduction to her new school
that the pupil may have expected.
However, she had a fantastic day
and we were delighted when we
heard her speak for the first time.
She spent some time in our
specially-dedicated inclusion suite
where vulnerable pupils can learn,
whilst receiving tender loving care.
Soon after, she immersed herself
into all her subjects. From a
reserved and unassuming girl, her
self-confidence grew. Soon she was
participating in the whole of school
life with optimism, energy and many
smiles. Currently the school is
supporting her with her college
application and we are sure that she
will continue to shine.
Notre Dame is a small school and
this enables staff to forge close
relationships in a committed and
supportive environment where we
all believe in each individual and
their potential. The pupil I’ve just
mentioned is just one example of
how pupils flourish during their time
here at Notre Dame and whom,
regardless of their circumstances,
do not settle for second best and
want to be given the very best
chance at everything.
Notre Dame pupils truly embrace
being strong, independent women
and we are proud that they develop
into Christian citizens of the future.
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 October 2016
New catechetical course launched
Sebastian Morello is the co-ordinator of the new Diocesan Catechetical Certificate for the Archdiocese of Southwark.
He explains what it is.
With a signing by both Archbishop
Peter and representatives
of the School of the
Annunciation (SotA) at Buckfast
Abbey in Devon, it is official!
The Archdiocese
together with SotA is launching
a new Diocesan Catechetical
Certificate (DCC) in order
to offer greater support to
parish catechists and allow
for deeper formation in the
faith.
The signing took place in St
Some of the diocesan catechists at
a training day earlier in the year
George’s Cathedral during the
annual diocesan day for catechists
on Saturday 24th September
- the same weekend
as the Pope Francis’ jubilee
day for catechists as part of
the Year of Mercy. A pastoral
letter announcing the new
initiative was also read out in
all Southwark parishes over
this weekend.
In launching the new certificate,
Archbishop Peter has
said, “We must know Jesus
Christ, and know him intimately,
if we are to share
what he gives us with others…
that is why I commend to you
the new Diocesan Catechetical
Certificate. The course involves
the practical study of
catechesis, thereby giving
catechists and others the
confidence to teach the faith
of Jesus Christ and his
Church.”
The DCC is an online, systematic
course for anyone
wishing to know their Catholic
faith more deeply and to develop
the skills to share this
faith with others. The new
certificate course is undertaken
over 18 months with attendance
at six study days (on
Saturdays) at the Centre for
Catholic Formation (CCF) in
Tooting Bec. The Certificate
combines a balance of teaching,
liturgy, social time and
prayer during each of these
study days.
The course units cover a
number of topics essential for
the formation of catechists.
These include the Creed, the
doctrine of the Trinity, the
nature of the Church, scripture,
liturgy and sacraments,
virtue and the moral life, as
well as exploring various
methods of evangelisation
and teaching and sharing the
faith with others.
The focus on the relationship
between evangelisation
and catechesis is a key part
of the DCC which is comprised
of SotA’s Foundations
in the Faith for the New
Evangelisation course.
This exciting new course is
open to all who wish to
deepen their understanding
of the Catholic faith including
teachers, governors, chaplains
and any other interested
individuals. Principally, however,
the certificate is intended
for parish catechists
and those involved with catechesis
are recommended to
speak to their parish priest
about participation on the
DCC.
This is a really exciting initiative.
The School of the Annunciation,
since its
foundation not too long ago,
has already been doing superb
work. SotA, is run by a
dedicated team of people
who love the Catholic Church
and want the truth of Christ
to be known.
In Southwark we want our
catechists to feel confident
that when they are speaking
to young people about Christ
and the Church’s teaching,
they are really doing just
that. Catechists should feel
supported by the Church, and
know that the possibility of
deeper formation is there.
It is important to Archbishop
Peter, as chief catechist
in his diocese, that
parish catechists are properly
supported in their great, privileged
and joyous mission of
passing on the truth of Christ
throughout the Archdiocese
of Southwark.”
The CCCF, with which SotA
has been finalising the agreement,
is the diocesan agency
for catechesis, evangelisation,
and adult formation.
The CCF has for nearly 50
years served the parishes of
south London and Kent
through the running of retreats,
organising talks, offering
courses, training
catechists, assisting RCIA,
working on issues such as disability
and inclusion, and
helping to establish parish
evangelisation teams.
The DCC is a valuable addition
to the various mission activities
and courses offered
by the CCF; which also includes
the Catholic Certificate
in Religious Studies
(CCRS), which is primarily intended
for teachers in
Catholic schools.
Copies of the course publicity
brochure have been sent
to all parishes in the diocese.
For further information about
this new course and its
provider please visit:
www.schoolofthe
annunciation.com
If you would like to apply for
the DCC, please contact the
CCF on 020 8672 7684, email
office@ccftootingbec.org.uk
or the School of the Annunciation
on 01364 645660, email
enquiries@schoolofthe
annunciation.com
Who are you?
By Lucy Russell
October is a beautiful month. While
I’m not keen on the evenings drawing
in, I do enjoy the changing
colours and local English apples.
It’s a beautiful month in terms of
prayer too.
Not only is it the month of the
Rosary, some of my favourite feast
days fall in October: The Holy
Guardian Angels (2nd), St Therese
of Lisieux (3rd), St Francis of Assisi
(4th), St Theresa of Avila (15th),
and St Gerard Majella (16th).
I will be praying for the intersession
of all as I complete my book
manuscript, which has to be ready
for submission at the end of the
month. The book is about identity
and what makes us who we are.
It grew out of a conversation I
had with Shelia, who runs the Deal
Area Foodbank. I met her one day
much earlier in the year, to interview
her for an article I had been
asked to write about the work of
the foodbank over the Christmas
and New Year period.
During the course of our conversation,
I told her I had MS. A statement
I quickly followed with, “I’m
sorry, I don’t know why I told you
that.” Shelia’s reaction was unexpected,
“Perhaps you needed to
tell someone” she said.
I explained it was something I
largely ignored and treated with
contempt, to which she responded
gently, “You shouldn’t treat it with
contempt, it’s a part of you, to be
embraced.”
I thought about Shelia’s words for
some months, before writing another
article about my MS, my
faith, and identity, which was published
in The Catholic Herald.
The book goes deeper into the issues
highlighted in that piece.
Right now, the manuscript stands at
48,000 words. There is a bit more
writing, and a lot more editing to
do. Why did I tell my publisher I
could write the book in five
months?
Because, it made me get on with
the task in hand, and because I
would like the book to be published
next year as it will mark my fortieth,
which is perhaps the beginning
of the early autumn of my life.
As the book comes to fruition, my
thoughts are turning to what I really
want to do with the next 25
years of my life. In another ten
years the boys will be gone. I have
my writing, am chair of governors
at St Mary’s School, and do five
hours a week of administration for
my parish priest.
But it is perhaps it is time to
think about my dreams and the
Pope’s questions: “Do we have
great vision and impetus? Are we
also daring? Do our dreams fly
high?”
This autumn, I’ve had a number
of conversation with other mums
who have older children. As the
Michaelmas term at the universities
gets underway this month, those
mums are re-adapting to life with
their children living away from
home.
Who am I now? What is my role?
These are questions we all ask ourselves
when diagnosed with a
chronic illness, or our children
grow-up, or when we retire from
work.
Last month the Redemptorists
published a very apt prayer for
those who have just waved their
children off to university, or have
recently retired, on their Bread 4
Today app:
How brief life seems. The children
have flown the best and made
nests of their own. Mum and Dad
have passed on. And I find myself
in the middle of a life barely remembered
and passed, and a life
hard to imagine and ever approaching.
Perhaps, Lord, it would
be good to enjoy the present,
grateful for the past and hopeful
about the future. O Mystery, ever
ancient ever new, as you embrace
creation today, enjoy us enjoying
all you have given us. Amen.
As for me, I’ll be praying hard
that I get my manuscript completed,
before I start to try and
discern what’s next, and where I
am going.
Page 8

The Pilgrim October 2016
Good intentions are not good enough
Feature/Column
Meeting an angel
Fr Ashley Beck, assistant priest at St Edmund of
Canterbury in Beckenham and lecturer in pastoral
ministry at St Mary’s University College, Twickenham,
continues his series exploring modern papal encyclicals.
St John Paul II led the Church
from 1978 until 2005, a long period
of 27 years. In this time, he
wrote no less than 14 encyclical
letters and one could usefully run
an entire series of articles simply
on these.
As I can’t do justice to the
pope’s immense output in this
piece, with only two more to run
in this series until the end of this
year, I will simply concentrate on
one. I think I have alluded in an
earlier series to his great social
teaching encyclicals (Laborem Exercens,
Sollicitudo Rei Socialis and
Centesimus Annus) - these are of
course about moral theology.
Karol Woytyla had been, unusually
for a pope in modern times, a
professional teacher of moral theology
at university level, and this is
evident in all his writings; but here
I want to look at one letter which
perhaps shows this above all.
We’ve all come across the
phrase “It’s the thought that
counts.” Sometimes used if we are
given a present which we don’t
like, it suggests that someone’s intention
in doing something is what
really matters, rather than the act
(or the present) itself.
For presents this is a helpful
way to react which helps us to respond
with gratitude to an intended
act of kindness; yet as a
general basis for moral action it
leaves a lot to be desired. However,
there is a tendency when we
are looking at difficult ethical
problems to say the same sort of
thing: to claim that if someone’s
intentions are good, then the action
is OK, it’s not wrong.
A good example would be someone
who, in order to spare a dying
person great pain, ends that person’s
life in one way or another.
Your intention - to alleviate terrible
pain - is a good one; sometimes
it is claimed that this is what really
matters, rather than the act of
killing or assisted suicide.
We tend to look at the person’s
intention, or at the desired consequences
of an action, and this enables
us to respond positively to
what has been done rather than to
argue that it is sinful. I am sure
we can think of many other examples.
Some arguments along these
lines had, over 20 years ago, been
advanced even by moral theologians
in the Catholic Church, particularly
in the United States. In
1993 St John Paul wrote a letter to
counteract this line of reasoning,
in which he draws not only on
Scripture and the consistent tradition
of the Catholic Church, but on
his own experience as a teacher
and a pastor.
The letter was called Veritatis
Splendor, “The Splendour of
Truth”: at the time it attracted a
lot of attention because it was
seen as a clear public rebuke to
some very high-profile American
academics from prestigious institutions.
As one would expect the
letter is more technical and less
easy to read than most things St
John Paul wrote, but the message,
if we take the trouble to think
about it, is clear and accessible.
Basically what the pope was saying
was that some actions of a serious
nature - such as killing an
innocent human being - always
have an objective and fixed character.
Someone’s motives may
make us understanding or sympathetic
towards the perpetrator,
and they may even mitigate guilt
or blame, but they cannot change
the essential character of an act.
So to carry out an abortion, or
drop a bomb on civilians in a way,
is something which is always
wrong and gravely sinful. The attendant
circumstances - our intentions,
our wish to help someone,
the pressure a mother is under,
the chances of ending a war -
can’t make a wrong action right.
The way in which we look at
certain actions - such as taking the
life of an innocent person - is part
of what we see as universal moral
commandments - they are fixed
and established by God, discernible
from what we see in creation:
they are not simply about
individual feelings. A Catholic cannot
accept the statement “What’s
right for you is not right for me”
over important moral issues: we
hold that moral norms are universal,
for everyone.
Indeed, this belief has become
something distinctive as Catholics,
which is why the pope was concerned
that it was being undermined
from within the family of
the Church. This is not simply
about what we see as “sanctity of
life” issues such as abortion or euthanasia:
some of the theologians
most closely associated with what
St John Paul was asserting are also
among the clearest theologians to
condemn policies of nuclear deterrence.
It is, quite simply, about truth,
as the letter’s opening words put
it: ‘The splendour of truth shines
forth in all the works of the Creator
and, in a special way, in man,
created in the image and likeness
of God. Truth enlightens man’s intelligence
and shapes his freedom,
leading him to know and love the
Lord.’
As with other letters it is worth
trying to read the text itself
(available from www.vatican.va).
If you do the easiest part to start
with is chapter (from paragraph 6)
which is an extended meditation
by the pope on the incident in
Matthew’s gospel (chapter 19)
where a rich young man asks
Jesus, “What good must I do to
have eternal life.”
By Fr Daniel O’Leary
A while ago at a school assembly on
a dark and dismal Tuesday morning
the headmaster lit the candle and
said, “What is most important is
that our hearts, too, should shine
out for each other. We should be
candles of love for those around
us.”
Now it so happened that I was a
little depressed that morning. After
many draining demands, the
prospect of another long day’s work
was getting me down. Having said
the blessing, I was sitting among the
gathered parents. I had my head in
my hands, my shoulders hunched.
For some reason I looked up. Right
in front of me, tiny as a tot, her
arms stretched as wide as the sky,
stood a smiling three-year-old. ‘Fr
Daniel,’ she whispered, ‘can I give
you a hug?’ I swear I will carry that
memory to my grave.
It was a glimpse of pure, spontaneous
grace. I had not known Rachel
before. Her teacher, Catherine, had
not urged her on. On a dark and
cold morning Rachel like the candle,
brought light and warmth into my
worried heart.
I’m reflecting this evening on that
special moment. I realise that this is
the only way that God can reach us,
touch us, console us. Since the first
Christmas, God is forever committed
to healing and holding us through
each other. That is the real magic of
the season we have just celebrated.
The incarnation of God means
that our deep need to be comforted
can now only come in a human way.
We scarcely believe how intimately
God is present to us, in every one of
our words, smiles, tears.
There is a story about the fearful
child who, during the night, called
out for his mother. She came into
the room and spoke to him about
the protection of the angels and
God all around him. He refused to
be satisfied with her reassurances.
“I want something with skin on!” he
blurted out. And that is what God
does in becoming human.
People like Rachel are the real angels.
Do you ever notice how often
angels come into your life? It is
God’s way of using us to heal and
console each other. When I become
aware of those hidden surprises in
my life, it is as if someone who
loves me intensely and who is following
every move I make all day
long, is trying every which way to
keep me from suffering more pain
than I can bear.
“So what’s the big deal?” you
might ask, ‘coincidences like that
just happen.’ And maybe you’re
right. Maybe I am getting carried
away. Maybe it is all mere happenchance.
Maybe there is no loving
Presence out there, desperately
seeking ways and means to tenderly
hold us, to dry our tears, to hug us
and to kiss away our pain like mothers
and lovers do.
Let me return to Rachel. Next
year Rachel will be four. I dedicate
these two verses of Christopher Morley’s
poem about childhood to her,
by way of honouring her divinity:
The greatest poem ever known
Is one all poets have outgrown:
The poetry, innate, untold,
Of being only four years old.
And Life, that sets all
things in rhyme,
may make you poet, too, in time..
But there were days, O tender elf,
When you were Poetry itself!
St John Paul II
and former US
President
Ronald Regan
For all the latest Catholic news visit www.thecatholicuniverse.com
Page 9

Profile
Calais migrants live in squalor
Phil Kerton of the Kent charity Seeking Sanctuary says
migrants living in “the jungle” in Calais need more help
Seeking Sanctuary spreads knowledge
about the Calais situation and
enables people to supply goods and
money to the needy. Old Testament
Prophets said rulers would be
judged by how they welcomed widows,
orphans and strangers, and
after WWII Pope Pius XII indicated
that migrants should be welcomed –
whether “deserving” or “undeserving”.
So our faith encourages us to welcome
strangers and work to manage
the problems of migration, as Pope
Francis continually illustrates by his
actions and words.
The Calais “jungle” is only about
20 miles from the Kent coast. Visits
and experience bring home its appalling
squalor. The authorities reduced
the useful area by over 60
per cent in April, yet more people
arrive daily.
Over 9,000 are crammed in, including
652 unaccompanied minors,
178 of them with relatives in the
UK. Around 1,750 are housed in a
fenced dormitory compound in modified
cargo containers provided by
the authorities, and 200 to 400
women and children in the “Jules
Ferry Centre”, but most live in tents
or shacks among eroded sand dunes.
The main nationalities are Sudanese
(45 per cent) and Afghan (30
per cent), followed by Pakistani
(seven per cent) and Eritrean (six
per cent).Eritreans form the main
children's group.
Most are young men fleeing from
conscription by some fundamentalist
militia – moderate Muslims, not fanatics.
They cannot get visas to
enter the UK legally from states
torn by war and families send their
sons on, hoping to follow later, paying
smugglers to assure the journey.
70 to 100 arrive daily.
They want to live in Britain for
various reasons: having family or
friends here; speaking some English;
attracted by our reputation; believing
there are jobs. Benefits are very
rarely mentioned and there is a
hunger for education to prepare for
UK life. As time passes more family
groups arrive, but women still only
account for around 10 per cent of
the population.
The difficulty of gaining asylum
comes as a shock. Another surprise
is the EU's “Dublin” regulation that
expects asylum applications in the
first country they reach: countries
nowadays swamped by numbers.
The French system is clogged and
people typically wait for months for
a start on their cases. Meantime, already
fragile and traumatised, confronting
the problems of entering
the UK leaves them shocked, in
limbo, undecided what to do, with
their dream of British life shattered.
The “jungle” is an area where migrant
presence is tolerated. There
are long queues for the official provision
of one meal a day for about a
third of the population. Volunteer
kitchens feed the rest, with tastier
meals. Food supplies are dangerously
low, aggravated by closure of
informal restaurants run by migrant
entrepreneurs.
There are inadequate water
points, rubbish collections and
portable toilets and, in winter,
makeshift shelters and tents will be
damaged by gales, fires will spread
and the ground will become
swampy.
Riot police supplement locals, patrolling
with shields, helmets, batons,
guns and dark glasses. Bored
young men taunt them, throw pebbles
and get tear-gas as a response.
Many go try to hide on lorries or
trains to the UK – dozens have died.
Efforts to slow down vehicles on the
neighbouring port road attract much
exaggerated and adverse comment.
The only international Aid organisation
present is Médecins Sans
Frontières. Big aid agencies say they
have no mandate to operate in Europe.
Hence small new organisations
that directly support the people
need money and goods. Those wanting
to help can find out more at the
Seeking Sanctuary website:
www.seekingsanctuary.weebly.com/
and sign up for regular updates.
Many voluntary skills provide all
sort of services: building and repairing
shelters, ministering to women
and children, preparing and serving
The Pilgrim October 2016
meals, sorting and distributing
clothes, etc. Again, the website provides
links to more information on
volunteering as well as to prayers.
Facebook is the prime mechanism
for communication with over 38,000
members in the largest group,
“Calais – People to People Solidarity
– Action from UK”.
Archbishop Peter and other
Church leaders recently reinforced
their September 2015 declaration:
“People of all faiths and none can
assist by providing financial and material
support, time and skills, shelter
and accommodation. Above all,
we can pray and gather information
to support pleas for better treatment
in our nations and across the
European Union. We wish to counter
the myths that lead to prejudice
and fear and urge politicians to envisage
new polices that go beyond
merely closing frontiers and employing
increased numbers of security
staff. We resolve to work together
to encourage residents to create a
climate of welcome for strangers
and we trust that we will be joined
in this by all who gather in places of
worship along the frontiers of the
European Union.”
Can you respond? At Christmas
many will want to support the Calais
migrants. We plan to repeat last
year's initiative – “Little bags of love
and hope”. The final list is not quite
ready, but typical contents will
probably include some of the following
(suitable for the young men):
a wind-up torch (or torch plus spare
batteries), deodorant, scarf, hat,
gloves (fabric or leather – not knitted)
and a small pack of nuts or
dried fruit.
If your parish or community
would like to take part, please
let us know by emailing
migrantsupport@aol.com
or calling 07887 651117.
Archbishop Peter Smith visiting the “Jungle” refugee camp at Calais in
September 2015
ADVERTISING TERMS AND CONDITIONS
OF ACCEPTANCE
Advertisements submitted must contain accurate, complete
and true information, comply with requirements of all
relevant legislation and the British Code of Advertising
Practice and the Advertising Standards Authority.
The publisher has the right, at its discretion, to refuse, omit,
suspend, or change the position of advertisements, or
require artwork or copy to be amended to comply with any
moral or legal obligations.
The publisher will not be liable for any loss incurred as a
consequence of non publication or incorrect reproduction of
an advertisement.
Advertisements may be cancelled within two weeks of
an order being received and a minimum of 24 hours before
deadline for entry.
Any cancellations outside this period will not affect the
buyer’s liability for payment for the advertisement.
Payment for advertisements must be received within 30
days.
Loose inserts – If inserts are provided outside our
standard specification we reserve the right to charge the
customer.
Booking Deadlines: ROP Display advertising –
8 working days prior to publication.
The placing of an order verbal or written for the insertion
of an advertisement amounts to an acceptance of these
conditions.
A full copy of “Terms of business for Advertisers” is
available on request.
To advertise in this newspaper contact Carol Malpass. Tel: 0161 908 5228 or email: carol.malpass@thecatholicuniverse.com
Page 10

The Pilgrim October 2016
Catholic Women of the Year:
How does it work?
Joanna Bogle says the Catholic Women of the Year luncheon is a way of celebrating unseen heroines
Jane and
Bernadette
Bevans, who run
the film company
Mary’s Dowry
Productions,
were voted
Catholic Women
of the Year in
2010
It is nearly half a century since
the Catholic Women of the Year
luncheon was launched. We will
mark our Golden Jubilee in
2018.
Over these past decades, the
project has honoured Britain’s
Catholic “unseen heroines”, the
women who have been supporting
and helping the mission of
the Church through their work
in homes and schools, prisons
and public service, hospitals
and hospices, missions, media,
and more.
With a committee drawn from
representatives of Catholic lay
organisations and movements,
the luncheon has raised money
for a range of charities at home
and abroad, and has gathered
together Catholic women to celebrate
Catholic beliefs and values,
to hear inspiring speakers,
and to forge networks and
friendships to strengthen
Catholic life.
How does it work? Following
its launch in 1968, the Luncheon
developed a working pattern
which has proved durable. The
committee cannot claim to be
Diary - October
1: Kent liturgical music day led by Mag
Shepherd, St Teresa of Avila church,
representative of the whole of
Catholic life in Britain, but it
does bring together representatives
of groups as diverse as the
Union of the Catholic Mothers,
the Catholic Writers’ Guild,
Youth 2000, and the Ordinariate
of Our Lady of Walsingham – to
name just a few.
The luncheon was originally a
summer event but is now held
in the Autumn: this year’s
luncheon is on Friday October
28th so please mark the date in
your diaries now!
Each Spring, an appeal goes
out for nominations for the
Catholic Women of the Year.
Letters – well, today it is emails
of course – go to every diocese,
to the Catholic press, to blogs
and websites, to the Catholic
magazines and newspapers, to
Catholic organisations and
movements and so on - inviting
anyone and everyone to nominate
a candidate as a Catholic
Woman of the Year.
Great numbers of nominations
pour in – women who
serve a local parish with faithfulness
and good cheer as sacristans
or catechists; women
who, raising their own families,
are good neighbours to
those in need; women who
raise funds for good causes;
women who have trekked
across mountains in Nepal to
help sufferers from grim diseases
in remote villages;
women who have smuggled
Christian materials into underground
seminaries in China;
women who have taken handicapped
children to Lourdes annual
for years; women who
care for the elderly with love
and good humour at home.
And those are just some random
examples. The committee
reads each nomination with
Maidstone Road, Ashford.
8 and 22: Introduction to Canon Law, 10.30
am – 4 pm, the Centre for Catholic
Formation, Tooting Bec. Cost: £25.
22: Annual blessed sacrament procession,
starts 1.30 pm at Westminster Bridge and
care and each member votes for
four of the women nominated,
in a secret ballot.
The Catholic Women of the
Year are honoured at the luncheon:
they get no cash or elaborate
gift, but a posy of flowers,
and a round of applause! The
luncheon is always a popular
event and funds raised go to a
charity. A guest speaker gives
an address, and some one from
the charity talks about the
projects we will be helping to
fund. And it’s all noisy and talkative
and morale-boosting, and
somehow every year we end up
saying that it’s all been worthwhile
and let’s do it again next
year…
Want to come? All welcome (men too, of course!). Opportunity
to enjoy a talkative and cheery lunch, feeling slightly posh and
in good company! Tickets cost £45 and here are the details:
The luncheon will take place on Friday 28th October at the
Amba Hotel, Marble Arch. Funds raised will go to Grief to
Grace, a charity helping victims of abuse.
Tickets £45.00. Cheques to Catholic Women of the Year
Luncheon, 33 Ashburnham Tower, World’s End Estate London
SW10 0EE or email: cwoytickets@gmail.com
finishes at St George’s Cathedral with
Benediction.
29: “Christ is present when the Church sings
and prays” led by Mag Shepherd, Amigo
Hall, St George’ Road.
Features/Diary
School days
Philip McCullagh
Home? Kent.
Job? Headteacher of The
John Fisher Catholic Boys’
School, Purley.
What secondary school did
you attend? I went to my
local Secondary School, St
Colm’s, for GCSE’s and then
to St Mary’s, Magherafelt
for A levels – both are in
County Derry, Ireland.
Favourite subject? I enjoyed
most subjects, although maths, geography,
statistics, R.E. and P.E. were my favourites.
Worst subject? I wasn’t particularly good at the
technology based subjects. Worst of all would have
to have been food technology. My cooking is still
rather mediocre.
Favourite teacher? Mr Trolan and Mrs O’Kane – both
later went on to be head teachers unsurprisingly.
They were both passionate about their subjects and
wanted me to be successful. You could sense they
liked my class group as students, knew we had ability
and they also showed a great sense of humour.
Favourite school dinner? I always felt really hungry
as a teenager, so ate most things. Fish and
chips on a Friday was always a treat. We currently
offer fish and chips on a Friday at my school and I
still order it – some things never change.
Guilty secret? I remember my English teacher at
the time, Mrs Maguire, asked me if I had ever considered
the priesthood. I listened to what she had
to say but deep down knew it wasn’t for me but I
didn’t want to tell her that. I thought it was best
not to disregard what she had to say as she was an
excellent teacher – she was also married to the
head teacher so I wanted to keep her happy and
stay on the right side of her.
What lessons about life did you learn? The main
lessons I took on board were that the harder you
worked the more successful you were likely to be. I
also caught on fairly quickly at school that if you
showed the right attitude as well as a good work
ethic then there were always going to be teachers
who would make themselves available and be prepared
to help if necessary.
What do you wish you had been told? I wish I had
been told that I didn’t have the skills to be a
tradesman and that I should concentrate on other
things. I think about all the hours I wasted trying to
make things in the technology based subjects. I
wish there had been an options process where I
could have selected Irish and French as well as geography
and history, but unfortunately that wasn’t
possible back then.
What did you do immediately after leaving
school? I went to university, trained as a teacher
and therefore still haven’t left school. I did, however,
end up going travelling to Asia and Australasia
and taught in a fantastic school in New Zealand. I
know there are probably easier occupations and
I’m unsure how sustainable working as a secondary
school head teacher is in the current educational
climate but I can’t imagine myself doing anything
else. The job is relentless and very tiring but also
extremely fulfilling.
What career advice would you give to a young
person? To keep your options open and not to
lower your expectations. University should remain
a viable option for students throughout sixth form.
I can appreciate that the huge fees attached make
it extremely difficult for some students and their
families but they shouldn’t rule it out too soon.
Not going to university isn’t something someone
would want to regret later in life and there are
bursaries available. Similarly, there are also some
great apprenticeship opportunities and going into
the world of work rather than going to university
can prove to be a better option for some school
leavers. My final piece of advice would be, regardless
of what you decide to do as a young person,
keep learning even when you have completed your
studies and take on challenges you might initially
think aren’t possible.
Page 11

The Pilgrim October 2016
Focus on faith
THE NEW
DIOCESAN
CATECHETICAL
CERTIFICATE
Young people find faith at Walsingham
This exciting new course, offered as a
collaboration between the CCF and the
School of the Annunciation, is an online,
systematic course for anyone wishing to
know their Catholic faith more deeply
and to develop the skills to share
this faith with others.
The blue DCC information booklet will be in
all parishes from the Jubilee Day for
Catechists (25 September 2016).
More information can be seen at
www.ccftootingbec.org.uk - including a
video introduction by Archbishop Peter Smith
- or call 01364 645660 or 020 8672 7684
School of the Annunciation
Centre for the New Evangelisation
Archdiocese
of Southwark
www.ccftootingbec.org.uk
By Alice Heans
“Is my parent’s faith my faith?” At
some point every young Catholic asks
this question and the same is true for
many young people coming to a Youth
2000 retreat for the first time.
Last year Richard Asomugha, a 20-
year-old from London, was persuaded
by his brother to come to the Summer
Prayer Festival at Walsingham in
Norfolk. At first he admits he was
pretty reluctant to go but decided
that he needed to invest more in his
spiritual life. When he turned up to
the bus leaving from London to go to
Walsingham he was amazed at how
happy all the young people were.
When the bus pulled into the
campsite at the Roman Catholic
Shrine at Walsingham he was a bit
dismayed to see only tents and porta-loos!
He still couldn’t work out why
everyone was so happy and friendly
given that they were just sleeping in
a field in the middle of nowhere!
Still bemused he decided to go to
adoration in the main tent. This was
the moment when everything began
to make sense for him, he said.
“Praying in adoration I felt this huge
surge of relief and gratitude. It was
such a pure feeling. I felt at peace
with myself and with the world. It
was beautiful, something I’ll never
forget.”
For many young people it is at a
Youth 2000 retreat that they realise,
for the first time, that Jesus Christ is
truly present in the Blessed Sacrament.
It’s a life-changing moment.
Others have powerful and healing experiences
in confession which free
them from anxiety and fear.
Last year at the same Walsingham
retreat a young girl shared with us
this testimony. “This festival 2015
has helped me to struggle through
the bonds of insecurities that have
been chaining me down for so long I
stopped noticing they were there.
Now I see I’m yet another step closer
to him…the power of Confession is
awesome!”
Since it was established in 1989
Youth 2000 has been running retreats
for 16-35 year-olds up and down the
country. The biggest retreat is the
Walsingham Summer Prayer Festival
in August and is attended by over a
thousand young people from around
the UK.
The retreats are led by young people
and supported by priests and religious
brothers and sisters. Through
talks, workshops, praise and worship,
Mass, Confession, adoration, discussion,
personal prayer and social time
young Catholics have the opportunity
to set aside time to dig deep into
their faith and be open to encountering
God in a personal and profound
way. If you are a young person looking
for answers to the big questions,
then this is the retreat for you. You
will not regret it!
www.youth2000.org
Published by Universe Media Group Limited, Guardian Print Centre, Longbridge Road, Trafford Park, Manchester, M17 1SN. Tel 0161 214 1200. Printed by Trinity Mirror, Hollinwood Avenue, Chadderton, Oldham OL9 8EP. All rights reserved.