The Parents’ Paper issue 17 Summer 2016 Sun Cream Page 10 Pope’s Vision for Europe Page 12 Fun in the Garden Page 6 & page 2 of Little Peace Children’s Section What will you teach me? I know nothing about hatred, violence, discrimination, anger, racism and greed. I don’t fully understand love, mercy, compassion, kindness, empathy and charity. During my childhood I am developing a view of the world which is an extension of your view. I am the living messenger that you are sending into the future! Continued on page 4…

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2 CathCom Reach Summer 2016 God`s Boxes I have in my hands two boxes, Which God gave me to hold. He said, "Put your sorrows in the black box, And likewise all your joys in the gold." I listened to His words, and now in the boxes, Both my joys and my sorrows I store, But though the gold box is heavier each day, The black was as light as before. One day I opened the black box, To find out why it was still so light, And I saw, in the base of the box, a hole, Where my sorrows had fallen from sight. I showed the hole to God, and thought, "I wonder where my sorrows could be!" He smiled very gently and quietly said, "My child, they are all here with me.." I asked God, why He gave me these boxes to hold, Why the gold one, and the black with the hole? "My child, the gold one keeps your blessings so close, And the black one is to help you let go."

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Summer 2016 CathCom Reach 3 Watching the ... I am a people watcher. I like nothing more on a day off than finding a nice coffee bar and sitting watching the world go by. I often have to collect visitors to the Priory from the airport and the arrivals lounge at Gatwick gives me an opportunity to indulge in this. You can see every range of emotion. In the arrivals lounge, more often than not it is joy. One of my prayer tasks for each day is to find and experience joy. Joy is often an infrequent visitor in people’s lives that is why I think we must seek it out. When we find it, it is often surprising where it comes from. Here at Aylesford Priory we have a Door of Mercy for this jubilee year. The door leads into our Reconciliation Chapel. Over the weeks we have been putting up the images and stories of people who have shown mercy through the ages, but especially those who reveal the merciful face of God in the world now. It doesn’t take much to recognise these people in our midst. They are plentiful and inspiring. Some of the faces look tired and careworn but the most obvious feature of these faces of mercy is that they are joyful. Let me share with you the story of one young woman whose face is on our chapel wall that I placed there just last week. Sr. Clare Crockett was born in Northern Ireland in 1982. She gave up a self-confessed wild teenage lifestyle and a budding acting career to work with some of the world`s poorest. By her own admission her weekends centred around getting drunk but it was after an accidental pilgrimage and while shooting a film in England that the teenager decided to dedicate her life to helping others. The 33-year-old`s vocation was laid bare in testimonies after joining the Servant Sisters of the Home of the Mother, based in Cantabria in Spain, as an 18-year-old in 2001. From an early age Clare desired to be an actress and in her teens she got herself a manager and worked on some popular TV channels in the UK. She admitted that she worked hard and played hard. Her life changed when she accepted a free trip to Spain. Expecting a beach holiday she found herself in a monastery of religious sisters on retreat during Holy Week. Clare said she felt hostile to all that was happening around her, she didn’t participate in the retreat or the liturgies but on Good Friday was persuaded to go to the Liturgy of the Passion. Venerating the cross that day changed her life. It was her first tangible experience of God and it unsettled her. Later, while on a film set in England, she recalled feeling empty and unhappy despite achieving her childhood dream. "I saw that even though it seemed that I had everything, in reality I had nothing," she said. She entered religious life and professed solemn vows in 2010. She was sent to serve in Ecuador and on the 16th April 2016 she was killed, one of the many victims of the earthquake that hit Playa Prieta in Ecuador. Every picture I have seen of her is full of joy. I watched a video of Sr. Clare giving a talk during World Youth Day in Madrid in 2012. Joy abounds. "It never ceases to amaze me how Our Lord works in the souls, how He can totally transform one`s life and capture one`s heart," she said. On the mornings when I open up the chapels I often ask her to say a wee prayer for me so that I can be a person who shows God’s mercy. One of the profound truths that I have been learning over these last months since the year of mercy began is that Marcy is joyful and that is something that I deeply desire. Fr Damian ... world go by

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4 CathCom Reach Summer 2016 We have some changes coming to Reach – changes which will definitely improve the paper! Firstly, we have a new editor called Julia Beacroft who will start in September. Julia is an author who writes about Catholicism in a very thoughtful but down to earth and funny way! She will have an editorial team to support her and we will introduce them in the next issue. We also have new staff starting in September to promote Reach to schools. This will give us more resources which we will use to develop the children’s section of the paper so there’s more in it to relate to children and to the classroom. If you have any thoughts on the paper – ways it could be improved or things you like about it – or if you would like to welcome our new editor you can contact Julia at editor@cathcomreach.com Thanks, Nick Member of the Editorial Team LEGAL DISCLAIMER ----------------------- The information and/or links in this publication are provided for catholic education and information purposes only. The Editor and Publisher (hereinafter referred to as CathCom) will endeavour to ensure that all the content of CathCom Reach is in keeping with the teachings of the Catholic Church. However CathCom is not responsible for the contents of any of the linked sites. Neither does CathCom necessarily endorse and/or support the views expressed by the information contained within those linked sites. A Dear Reader CathCom Reach is published in September, December, March, and June. By Phone: UK: 020 7112 6710 Ireland: 01 443 3141 Editorial Team Edwina Gillett, Nick Layton, Annie Moloney editor@ CathComReach.com Advertising Alice Jenkins, ads@ CathComReach.com Head of Finance Claire Richardson Subscriptions Ray Lambert rayl@cathcom.org Website Editor Daniel Griffiths Contact us Manager Nick Layton Religious Advisor Fr Damian Cassidy Health Educ. Advisor Helen Layton Franking Machine Manager Tommie Steel Published By CathCom Ltd., N2 Blois Meadow Business Centre, Steeple Bumpstead Haverhill, Suffolk CB9 7BN United Kingdom www.cathcom.org Please send articles for publication by email supplying photos separate to the text (i.e. in jpeg format). mention and/or listing of linked sites does not indicate CathCom’s endorsement of any organization`s and/or entity`s activities, reports, publications and/or programs. CathCom cannot be held responsible and/or liable for any damages, real, imagined, past, present or future from the information contained on any linked site and/or other sites that it links to hereafter. While we take reasonable steps to check our advertisers and linked sites are bona fide, readers should carry out their own checks before entering into any contract or arrangement. You may not modify, reuse, reproduce, or publish any content within this publication without the written permission of the Editor. ------------------------------------------ Whether it is us as parents at home or our children’s teachers at school, a lot of work goes into teaching our children. We think carefully about the best way to teach and about the impact this will have on their education and how this will form them as people. However, you cannot underestimate how much a child learns from observing the world around them and the behaviour of the role models they look up to. We instinctively know as parents that we have to be aware of our temper, language and behaviour around our children. But what about lifestyle? When we think of lifestyle we often think of what we eat, what we drink and the amount of exercise we take and we know that this will have a direct effect on the health of our children. But our lifestyle is much more than this – it is about the life-decisions we take and our attitudes to people. Family Life Spending time with our family is obviously important for the development of our children. Raising confident and happy children requires a warm, nurturing home environment. It also gives them the tools to deal with life and the problems we all encounter. We all have different situations but balancing money/work with spending time with the family is very difficult. The way we manage this balance each day has a direct impact on our children. But underlying this is an on-going, silent but very strong lesson in how they should live their lives. How we balance our work and our family time teaches our children not only what is most important to us, but what should be most important to them. Additionally, the career we choose and the jobs we do will influence what they think is a priority in life. If we do a job only because it pays well this will teach our children money is the most important thing. If we spend all our time with our children and no time working to provide for them this will teach them that providing for ourselves and our children is not important. Sometimes we have to step back and look at our life as a whole and see how it teaches our children. Finding Meaning in Life On top of balancing money and family, it is important to understand how we find meaning in life will also teach our children what is important. If we do a job that help people, if we set aside time in our week to volunteer to care for people, or if we strive to change the world for the better – this will teach our children far more about the What do we teach our children?

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Summer 2016 CathCom Reach 5 need to love our neighbour than just telling them. Sharing Imagine the situation, 2 children are fighting over 2 biscuits. One child has both biscuits the other has none. What do you say? SHARE!!!! Pope Francis has been constantly telling us to look after immigrants, many of whom were just like us until they lost everything. When we say “Share” to our children – are we just teaching by our words or are we willing to teach by example and share the things we have. When we look back to 2016 – in the same way people look back at World War II – will we look back and see a country that helped those who had lost everything? A country that shared? Or will we look back and see a country that turned its back on those that needed us. Will we see ourselves as the child that had 2 biscuits when someone next to us had none. Space for God There’s going to Church and there’s going to Church! It is obvious that we cannot teach our children the importance of Catholicism, the Sacraments and Jesus’ teachings if we do not take part by listening to God’s Word and going to Church. However, the importance we put on going to Church and spending time with God will also teach our children a huge amount. If it’s a last minute thought, if we go to Church when we’re free, if we pray only when we need help, then this will teach our children that our Faith is not as important as everything else in life. If our children need to be picked up from school we don’t do it only if we’re free! We make sure we’re there because its important. How important is our Faith in our lives? Space for God

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6 CathCom Reach Summer 2016 Spending time in the outdoors While you are making your hanging basket why not get the children to make a bug hotel – instruction on page 2 of Little Peace Make a hanging basket By Owen Griffiths, Horticultural Therapist

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1 Little Summer 2016 Peace esources Go to www.CathComReach.com/teachers See the Classroom Activities to support this page and various other resources Bugs Hotel Page 2 Spot the Difference Page 3 The Good Samaritan The story the Good Samaritan is one of the parables of Jesus. He tells it in response to a question from a lawyer, who asks him ‘who is my neighbour?’ The story concerns a traveller on the way from Jerusalem to Jericho, who is attacked, robbed and left half-dead by the roadside. Two other travellers, one a priest and the other a Temple musician (Levite), both come across the injured man but decide to pass by on the other side. Finally, it is an outsider - a man from Samaria, which was a country that the Jews despised - who decides to stop and show compassion towards the man, who had been attacked. He takes him to a safe place and provides for his recovery. The lawyer and Jesus` listeners must have been very shocked by this story, which showed that this outsider better understood and fulfilled God`s command to love than those who were meant to be God`s chosen people. Activities Page 4

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3 AT THE PARK: 1) Bird facing the other way. 2) Sunscreen SPF 30. 3) Flower on girls hat changed colour. 4) Boy playing football sweating & pink cheeks. 5) Park sign pointing in opposite direction. AT THE BEACH: 6) Sun’s eyes open. 7) Ball flipped. 8) Extra cloud in the sky. 9) Boy has no sunglasses. 10) Logo on boys T-shirt has changed. IN THE GARDEN: 11) Cat facing the other way. 12) Sunflower has leaf missing. 13) Sun has differ ent color hat. 14) Wooden sign has no point/arrow. 15) Blue band o n George’s hat. AT SCHOOL: 16) No SPF on sunscreen. 17) Girls shoes are red. 18) Bird has moved. 19) Stripes on boys tie changed colour. 20). Sun not smiling Spot the Difference The 2 sets of sun safe pictures below show George the Sun Safe Superstar being Sun Safe in the garden, at school, at the park and at the beach. Can you spot all 20 differences between set A and set B?

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4 T he Ascension of Jesus Acts, chapter 1 verses 6-11 6 So when they had come together, they asked him, ‘Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?’ 7 He replied, ‘It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’ 9 When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 While he was going and they were gazing up towards heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. 11 They said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up towards heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.’ esources Go to www.CathComReach.com/teachers See the Classroom Activities to support this page and various other resources

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Summer 2016 CathCom Reach 7 "This is the Church`s treasure!" St Lawrence St. Lawrence was a deacon in the early church during the Roman Empire and was in charge of giving help to the poor and the needy. The Emperor sent Lawrence a note to appear before him and to bring with him the treasures of the Church. Lawrence obediently appeared and brought with him the blind, deaf and the lame of Rome and exclaimed: "Here is the Church`s treasure!" The Emperor was not amused and ordered Lawrence to be roasted on a spit like a side of beef. Even whilst he was being roasted he kept his sense of humour and said: "Turn me over I’m done on this side." And before he died, he told his captors that the meat was ready to be served now. Then he prayed that the city of Rome might be converted to Jesus and that the Catholic Faith might spread all over the world. Saint Lawrence`s feast day is August 10th. The Church, continuing his sense of humour, has made him the patron saint of cooks and chefs!

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8 CathCom Reach Summer 2016 One of my wonderful husband’s little foibles is that he never refers to his mother-in-law – my mother – by her Christian name. Neither does he give her the courtesy title of ‘Mum’, which is sometimes used for in-laws. In fact, he always refers to her as ‘Your mother’. ‘When are you next seeing your mother?’ he will ask. ‘Is your mother feeling better now?’ is another such example. Admittedly this may not seem particularly odd. However when my Mum is actually present and his method of address remains the same, I think you might appreciate how strange this can seem. If we are sitting having a cup of tea and a chat, my husband will turn to me and say something like: ‘Ask your mother if her heating is fixed now’ or ‘Will your mother be coming round at the end of the week? This is not to say that he doesn’t talk to her and isn’t fond of her – of course he does and is - but if using her name is involved, he bizarrely always calls her ‘Your mother’ and addresses her through me. Yet whatever title we choose to give them, mothers are such an integral and important part of our lives. They provide for us, nourish us and try to equip us for all that we may experience in life. Mary’s Journey Mary, Our Blessed Lady, fully understands the true meaning of motherhood. Having been tasked with the greatest commission of all, she did not hesitate for a moment in saying ‘Yes’ to God and agreeing to become the mother of our Lord. And let us never forget that Mary’s journey was neither simple nor straightforward. Betrothed at a very early age, probably terrified of what her fate would hold when she became pregnant out of wedlock and quite unsure of what carrying the Messiah could mean, she never wavered in her trust and belief in God. And this was not all. Mary grievously suffered as she witnessed her beloved son tortured and put to death by crucifixion. Mary’s Example Mary is the perfect example to us all. One who intercedes on our behalf with her son Jesus, and continuously points the way to him. She is the sublime mother to each and every one of us. And so, when speaking to someone else of Our Lady, we should never be afraid to refer to her as ‘Your Mother’. As Christians we have several titles for Mary, but none so accurate or fitting as our Mother... `Your Mother` is Mary by Julia Beacroft

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Summer 2016 CathCom Reach 9 As I was playing the piano in the School chapel one lunchtime, a boy came in called Sean. He was in and out of School regularly, often suspended due to anger issues. He sat and listened to the piano, then asked if I wouldnt mind teaching him a piece on the piano. Sean spent each break time, and luntime for the next 3 months learning this one piece of Music. He went from nearly breaking the piano on the first day, because he couldnt play it straight away, to performing in the Summer concert at the end of the School year (much to the surprise of many of his class teachers). His grandfather came into School to watch him play at the concert. As Sean played in his smart suit, with his gentle beautiful playing of the Music, his grandfather had tears in his eyes. He had never seen his grandson so happy and be so peaceful before. At the end of the concert, Sean came over to me to thank me for the help I had given him, to which I explained that I hadnt realy done much, he had done all the work really. He then said to me. “Now I know why you were playing in the Chapel that day! You weren‘t playing by yourself were you! God was there. Just like he was with me today when I played. I guess he was always there , it just took me a while to hear him.“ Where language can be a barrier, Music breaks them all down and flows through us, we just need to give ourselves a minute to listen. Just give ourselves a minute God was there

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10 CathCom Reach Summer 2016 Benefits of the Sun Despite the obvious health issues of staying in the Sun - there are some benefits of being exposed to sunlight in careful moderation. Sunlight causes our bodies to produce Vitamin D which has various health benefits from strong bones to possible benefits to prevent cancer. For your body to produce enough vitamin D it is recommended to have regular short bursts of sun – just a few minutes during the day between April and October. Alternatively, you can give your child Vitamin D supplements in the form of vitamin drops. These can be bought from most supermarkets and chemists. In Ireland they are not available on any health scheme but in the UK drops are available from Health Visitors and clinics. Babies who have 500ml of formula feed do not need drops as most formula milk will be fortified with vitimins. Where Is Vitamin D Found Oily Fish Some Fat Spreads Eggs Some Breakfast Cereals Sunlight What Does Vitamin D Do? Helps you absorb Calcium Promotes bone growth Important in making sure muscles, lungs and brain work well Helps fight infection There is evidence to suggest it prevents cancer Did You Know?? The Difference between UVA and UVB Rays. UVA is present all year round and can penetrate glass and even clothing. It tans the skin but damages it deep down. When you think of UVA rays, think sun spots, leathery skin and wrinkles. UVB doesn’t penetrate so deeply but it causes surface damage and sun burn. When you think of UVB rays, think sun burn and cancer. Just a few serious sunburns can increase your child’s risk of skin cancer in later life Unprotected skin can be damaged by UV rays in as little as 15 mins More info: www.hse.ie/eng/health/child/vitaminD/ www.nhs.uk/Conditions/vitamins-minerals/Pages/Vitamin-D.aspx

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Summer 2016 CathCom Reach 11 Sun Protection – you can make a difference Most of us look forward with great enthusiasm to long sunny days during the Summer. Whilst enjoying the opportunity for picnics, trips to the park or the beach or just enjoying some time outside, we do still need to think about the suns effect on our bodies. Here are some top tips to help keep your children stay safe in the sun… Protect your child’s eyes by getting sunglasses that meet British Standard – check for a “CE” mark on the label. Get your child to wear a floppy hat with a wide brim that shades their face and neck. If you child is swimming use waterproof sun cream of factor 15 or higher and check the label to see how often to reapply it. Cover your child in loose cotton clothes including t-shirts with sleeves. If they start to burn make sure they wear this at all times even when swimming. Apply sun cream on all exposed areas of the body during the day. Even on cloudy days children can get burnt. Pay special attention to nose, ears, cheeks, shoulders, back, neck and tops of feet and they catch the sunlight. The higher the factor sun cream the better the protection – factor 15 or higher protects against UVA and UVB rays – see below for more info. Sun cream can expire so check the use by date! Play in the shade with your child between 11am and 3pm when the sun is at its strongest If your child has very light skin they are generally more likely to burn – however, this does not mean children with darker skin will not burn.

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12 CathCom Reach Summer 2016 Reach Crossword CLUES Across 5 GK Chesterton`s clerical sleuth (6,5) 7 Killer whale (4) 8 Distant place to which Jonah set sail (8) 9 Large grazing animal of temperate Europe and Asia (3,4) 10 Radical, C2H5, the base of common alcohol (5) 12 Condition: realm (5) 14 British soldier of old (7) 17 Follower of the architect of the Reformation (8) 18 Lothario (4) 19 The Lord`s Prayer (5,6) Down 1 Maroon (6) 2 Marked by refinement in taste and manners (7) 3 Cut short (5) 4 Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers vehicle of 1935... (3,3) 5 ...and a six-time Oscar winner in 1994 (7,4) 6 Person who meddles in the affairs of others (5,6) 11 French island of the Indian Ocean... (7) 13 ...and one of the Pacific (6) 15 Junior cleric (6) 16 County town of Cornwall (5) This is taken from a speech where the Pope accepted the Charlemagne Award for his work in favour of integration and union in Europe. We should make it clear that the Pope was not in any way addressing the political situation in any individual European Country – however, he does address this vision to all members of Europe – both as individuals and as countries. Creativity, genius and a capacity for rebirth and renewal are part of the soul of Europe. In the last century, Europe bore witness to humanity that a new beginning was indeed possible. After years of tragic conflicts, culminating in the most horrific war ever known, there emerged, by God’s grace, something completely new in human history. The ashes of the ruins could not extinguish the ardent hope and the quest of solidarity that inspired the founders of the European project. They laid the foundations for a bastion of peace, an edifice made up of states united not by force but by free commitment to the common good and a definitive end to confrontation. Europe, so long divided, finally found its true self and began to build its house. This `family of peoples`, which has commendably expanded in the meantime, seems of late to feel less at home within the walls of the common home. At times, those walls themselves have been built in a way varying from the insightful plans left by the original builders. Their new and exciting desire to create unity seems to be fading; we, the heirs of their dream, are tempted to yield to our own selfish interests and to consider putting up fences here and there. Nonetheless, I am convinced that resignation and weariness do not belong to the soul of Europe, and that even `our problems can become powerful forces for unity`. …We would do well to turn to the founding fathers of Europe. They were prepared to pursue alternative and innovative paths in a world scarred by war. Not only did they boldly conceive the idea of Europe, but they dared to change radically the models that had led only to violence and destruction. They dared to seek multilateral solutions to increasingly shared problems. …The founding fathers were heralds of peace and prophets of the future. Today more than ever, their vision inspires us to build bridges and tear down walls. That vision urges us not to be content with cosmetic retouches or convoluted compromises aimed at correcting this or that treaty, but courageously to lay new and solid foundations. …I dream of a Europe that cares for children, that offers fraternal help to the poor and those newcomers seeking acceptance because they have lost everything and need shelter. I dream of a Europe that is attentive to and concerned for the infirm and the elderly, lest they be simply set aside as useless. I dream of a Europe where being a migrant is not a crime but a summons to greater commitment on behalf of the dignity of every human being. I dream of a Europe where young people breathe the pure air of honesty, where they love the beauty of a culture and a simple life undefiled by the insatiable needs of consumerism, where getting married and having children is a responsibility and a great joy, not a problem due to the lack of stable employment. I dream of a Europe of families, with truly effective policies concentrated on faces rather than numbers, on birth rates more than rates of consumption. I dream of a Europe that promotes and protects the rights of everyone, without neglecting its duties towards all. I dream of a Europe of which it will not be said that its commitment to human rights was its last utopia". 26th May 2016 Pope Francis’ Vision for Europe LAST ISSUES CROSSWORD SOLUTION Across: 5 Gazetteer, 8 Wart, 9 Aversion, 10/11 Apostle spoon, 13/15 To err is human, 18 Messmate, 19 Roil, 20 Telescope. Down: 1 Cactus, 2 Tenable, 3 Steel, 4 Revs up, 6 Pay-phones, 7 Monomania, 12 Essence, 14 Rasher, 16 Unripe, 17 Babel.

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