The Parents’ Paper issue 21 Summer 2017 NEW! The Wonders of Nature Page 9 READ IT, LOVE IT, LIVE IT YourReach Children’s Pull Out Newspaper Continued on page 3 Continued on page 3 Fun in the Sun: ‘Son, See & Sand’ article - Page 6 Stay safe in the Sun – Health advice – Page 5 What is the point of praying?

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Life is... 2 CathCom Reach Summer 2017 We hope you’re all enjoying some wonderful sunny weather as the school summer holidays rapidly approach. With this in mind, we’ve provided some ‘Safe in the Sun’ help and advice for you and your families. We’ve also included a special summer recipe for you try – quick, easy and a welcome change from the usual summer favourites. The main theme of this edition is prayer. This can sometimes be a challenge for many of us, often leading us to wonder why we actually pray at all! This edition unpacks what prayer is all about and how it can really help us. We’ve also included an article on how a child can view prayer – this could well make you smile! We’re also very happy to welcome Father Mark Skelton to our team of contributors. He will be providing some fascinating insights into the many aspects of nature and we hope that you enjoy the first one from him in this edition, with much more to follow. Finally, we’ve included a short trip down memory lane with some primary school memories. We feel sure that some of these will be familiar to many of you. Wishing you a wonderful, relaxing and peaceful summer. Julia Editor 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: 01 699 4407 Editorial Team Nick Layton Julia Beacroft Helen Layton editor@ CathComReach.com Advertising Caroline Gonella, carolineg@ CathComReach.com Head of Finance Claire Richardson Subscriptions Janet Took, janett@cathcom.org Contact us Manager Nick Layton Health Educ. Advisor Helen Layton Published By CathCom Ltd., N2 Blois Meadow Business Centre, Steeple Bumpstead Haverhill, Suffolk CB9 7BN United Kingdom www.cathcom.org 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. ------------------------------------------ Please send articles for publication by email supplying photos separate to the text (i.e. in jpeg format). Life is an opportunity, benefit from it. Life is beauty, admire it. Life is bliss, taste it. Life is a dream, realize it. Life is a challenge, meet it. Life is a duty, complete it. Life is a game, play it. Life is a promise, fulfill it. Life is sorrow, overcome it. Life is a song, sing it. Life is a struggle, accept it. Life is a tragedy, confront it. Life is an adventure, dare it. Life is luck, make it. Life is too precious, do not destroy it. Life is life, fight for it. Mother Teresa of Calcutta

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Summer 2017 CathCom Reach 3 I BELIEVE THAT at some time or the other even the most ardent and practising Christians have asked themselves this question. Yet prayer can be described as the way in which we can fulfil the First Commandment: ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ (Matthew 22:37) So you’ve got to have faith in the first place. However, faith without hope and charity can be of little use. This is where prayer comes in. Because when we pray we don’t just call on our faith but we are driven by hope and overwhelmed by love. This love is not only our love of God but also his unlimited love for us as individuals for mankind and all of his creation. This is quite a thought! GOD’S GOT MAIL! In the film comedy Bruce Almighty we see Jim Carrey playing lead role Bruce Nolan, a hapless TV reporter who is given the opportunity, for a time, to undertake God’s role and all this entails. In one particularly comical but thought-provoking scene we encounter Carrey as God, having to deal with the problem of not only receiving, but having to answer millions of prayers, and his subsequent droll desperation as to how to do this. The reason the scene worked so well is probably because this entire episode must surely be something that many of us have wondered about at some time or another. Indeed, how does the Lord deal with the demands of such heavy prayer ‘mail’? Obviously we don’t know, and we can’t attempt to understand. But even so, what we do know is that prayer is essential to foster and maintain our relationship with Jesus Christ. In fact, to learn about him, to become acquainted with him, and to try to understand him is absolutely critical for our own faith journey. Not only that, but, if our lives lack the sustenance of prayer, where else will we find the power which supports and guides us in our chosen ministry, job or way of life? Yet having the desire to pray, and actually doing so, can very often be two very different things. And we can become so easily distracted too. Yet far from these becoming a worrying burden, they can, at times, be surprisingly constructive. You may find it hard to believe, but sometimes God is even present in the distractions! DETRIMENTAL And at the most basic level, there is the very salient question of whether the Lord will agree to grant our petitions or not. It is obvious to most of us that there are frequent occasions when the answer to our requests does seem negative. In other words, God has not perhaps agreed to our requests. We can only guess at the reasons, but in my own experience with the advantage of hindsight, I have often seen that my original petition would have probably been detrimental to me. In fact, we are assured and believe that God always works for our good, and shapes our lives and plans, especially when we consider the words of the prophet Jeremiah: ‘I know the plans I have in mind for you - it is the Lord who speaks - plans for peace, not disaster, reserving a future full of hope for you. Then when you call on me, and come to plead with me, I will listen to you.’ (Jeremiah 29: 11-13). FAITH, HOPE AND LOVE Finally, we should remember that God is unchanging and for ever will remain so, but prayer changes us as we build our relationship with the Lord. So we must remember to pray with faith, hope and love in equal measure and remember that despite all complexities, failures and trials, prayer is the sure and certain way to a deep and lasting relationship with Christ. Continued from page 1 What is the point of praying?

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4 CathCom Reach Summer 2017 Haloed be thy name! By Julia Beacroft Prayer’s a bit of a funny business, I always think… I can remember learning the Lord’s Prayer by rote as a child, but I have to confess that for the most part I had very little understanding of what I was actually praying. Let me share some of this with you… THE LORD’S PRAYER ACCORDING TO JULIA BEACROFT, AGED APPROXIMATELY 8 YEARS ‘Our Father’ Who art in Heaven.’ Yes, I got that bit, except perhaps for wondering where art (and craft) came into it? ‘Hallowed be thy name’. Unfortunately, I always thought that it was haloed not hallowed. A haloed name? Very strange! ‘Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, On earth as it is in Heaven’. Thankfully, all fine... ‘Give us this day our daily bread’. Ah, now this really puzzled me. Why were we only to be allowed to eat bread? ‘And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us’. What on earth was a trespass? What does it mean and why do others do it too? ‘And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.’ Happily, message received and understood! A DIFFERENT KETTLE OF FISH Of course there are now modern translations which use such words as ‘are’ to replace ‘art’ and ‘sins’ to replace ‘trespasses’. Undoubtedly this makes the comprehension of the prayer somewhat easier, but even so... Only last Advent, a friend of mine laughingly reminisced over his boyhood misunderstanding and mispronunciation of that lovely Advent carol ‘The Angel Gabriel’, singing ‘Most highly flavoured lady, instead of ‘favoured!’ We teach our wonderful children so many things and miraculously they manage to understand and utilise most of them. But our spiritual and prayer life is a rather different kettle of fish. I have noticed not only with my own children – now adult – but also with the children who are preparing to make their first Holy Communion, that they are far more accepting of things than we, as adults, are. In fact, we could learn from them in this respect, because Jesus himself said: ‘"Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”’ So their assent to the whole notion of God is usually without question, but perhaps their understanding of prayer and all it entails is not always one hundred percent. Yet this is hardly surprising when we consider that as adults we also struggle with this at times. And so it may be possible that learning to pray with your child could almost become a little like the reading sessions which parents have with their offspring. Except that in the case of prayer, the parents’ role may vary slightly. This is because the child may be able to read the words, but not necessarily understand them. Therefore the actual reading of the words ceases to be the primary objective, but the understanding of them becomes the priority. Praying with your children is truly wonderful as you help give them a flavour of God’s love. Be simple, clear and sincere in your prayers – and who knows? Maybe one day your name too could be haloed! Copyright © 2017 Julia Beacroft. All rights reserved.

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Summer 2017 CathCom Reach 5 Did you know that according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), only water (a human right) ranks as highly as vaccination in terms of the greatest impact on health globally!! Having your child vaccinated is your decision. It is therefore important that you have access to current, up to date, evidence based and accurate information to help you make the decision on whether you should take your child to be vaccinated or not. Your local Practice Nurse, school nurse, GP or Health Visitor are all specialists in public health and are able to offer you further advice if needed. Having your child vaccinated or immunised can offer protection against nasty and potentially fatal diseases and we as a population have a greater chance of reducing, and ultimately eradicating, potentially fatal diseases. Vaccination programs start from the age of 8 weeks. However, vaccinations are not for babies alone, but are offered at various stages throughout our lives. These include booster vaccinations for children and teenagers as well as vaccinations to protect against 4 different causes of Meningitis and Septicaemia. Vaccines are also offered in later life for Pneumococcal (PPV), Shingles and Flu. Have you heard of Herd immunity? Herd immunity is where the uptake of vaccinations in a particular area is high. This means where lots of people have chosen to have their children or themselves vaccinated against diseases. When this happens, even those people who have not been vaccinated build up a resistance to nasty and highly contagious diseases so they become less likely to contract the disease! The more people who vaccinate themselves and their children, the more chance there is of reducing or even eradicating potentially fatal diseases. Vaccinations To find out more, see your nurse, GP, Health Visitor or School Nurse. Or go to: www.immunisationscotland.org.uk www.nhs.uk/Conditions/vaccinations www.immunisation.ie www.nhsdirect.wales.nhs.uk/LiveWell/Vaccinations/ Health

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6 CathCom Reach Summer 2017 Son, See and Sand Most of us enjoy taking our children to the beach in the summer time, whether it’s in this country or somewhere further afield. As we have four children, my husband and I used to head for the sand and sea armed with vast quantities of high SPF (Sun Protection Factor) cream, ready to dollop on them. And with four children, this was no mean task. Actually getting them to come and ‘be creamed’ was the first hurdle we had to get over and trying to keep the sand out of said cream was probably the next. Then you could bet on it that as soon as you gave a sigh of relief that all four were now sun protected, at least one of them – and often all four – would want to go swimming, instantly undoing all our hard work and putting us back at square one. My younger son in particular loathed having to go through this regime and on most occasions would lead us a merry dance, usually running off or disappearing into the sea in preference to the indignity of having his sun cream applied. Recently I heard a celebrity explain that she looked younger than her actual years due to the fact that she had always applied sun cream to her face, regardless of what the weather was actually doing. It protected her facial skin, like a mask, she explained. In fact, to a certain extent we can understand that wearing a sun screen on the face or even make-up is actually somewhat akin to wearing a mask. Our features are then covered with a layer of another substance, albeit an extremely thin one in this case. Yet in our normal everyday lives, we routinely don our own invisible ‘masks’ to protect ourselves from hurt and harm from others. It is a natural defence mechanism which most of us have developed over time. Jesus Christ sees straight to the heart and soul of each and every one of us, regardless of our armour or ‘mask’. He knows our deepest and innermost thoughts and he knows us exactly as we are – warts and all and loves us nonetheless. In fact, it makes little difference whether we try to put on our armour with the Lord or not, because there is not merely a chink in that armour where he is concerned, but the whole of it dissolves completely under his tender, loving gaze. And in fact, there is more. At our baptism, we are actually given protection by the Lord – our very own armour plating – to guard us against all evil which we may encounter throughout our lives. There is prayer and anointing to protect us and defend us: ‘We anoint you with the oil of salvation in the name of Christ our Saviour: may he strengthen you with his power, who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.’ As humans, it is natural that we try to protect ourselves – and those we love – against harm. And in so doing, we rightly feel that we are taking adequate precautions. To protect ourselves from the sun we apply a mask of sun screen. When it comes to the Son – we need do nothing - except love him.

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Summer 2017 CathCom Reach 7 Primary school memories… We all have them… Here are a dozen of the best 1. Trying to look busy in the classroom during tidy-up time to make the teacher think that you were actually doing something 2. When the Year 6’s were on a school trip and the Year 5’s strutted into assembly knowing that they were finally going to get to sit on the benches/chairs 3. Knowing that if you didn’t have every pupil, teacher and dinner lady’s signature on your ‘T’ Shirt, then your last day of Year Six was a complete failure! 4. Sitting on the back row of the coach when on a school trip, meant that you had finally made it in life 5. Sitting on the benches in assembly in Year 6, looking down at all the younger pupils, and thinking `Started from Reception, now we`re here!` 6. Having to go out of the school gates to get the ball that went over the fence and returning like a conquering hero 7. Coming back from a holiday with a hair braid and feeling like your class` version of Beyoncé 8. Ending every story that you wrote with `And then I woke up and realised that it was all just a dream!` 9. You could tell that you were getting to the end of term when all of a sudden the classroom became like a cinema 10. Being allowed in the staff room to help your teacher carry something and feeling like you were practically entering Narnia 11. The five minutes of fame you had when you found out your teachers first name! 12. The blue PE mats that were meant to cushion you if you fell and which were more like concrete slabs!

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8 CathCom Reach Summer 2017 A quick, simple, light and delicious one-pot recipe that is ideal for the warm summer months! Ingredients 2 tbsps olive oil 500g leeks finely sliced 2 cloves garlic, crushed 2 sprigs thyme 8 pieces of boneless chicken – breasts are ideal 500g potatoes, larger ones quartered, smaller ones halved 350ml chicken stock 100ml white wine 200g green beans, fresh or frozen 350g frozen peas Lemon wedges, to serve Seasoning Method 1. Heat the oil in a large casserole dish over a medium heat. Add the leeks, garlic and thyme, cover and cook gently for 10 mins, stirring occasionally. 2. Season the chicken and tip into the dish with the potatoes. Summer Chicken Pot 3. Turn up the heat, pour in the stock and wine and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat and allow to gently bubble with the lid on for 35 mins. Add the green beans and peas for the final 10 mins of cooking. Season to taste. Ladle into bowls or plates with a squeeze of lemon. Garnish with a lemon wedge. Useful tip: Use a herb cutter to chop your thyme leaves. In fact this useful little gadget will chop up any fresh herbs in seconds!’

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Summer 2017 CathCom Reach 9 The Wonders of Nature by Fr. Mark Skelton Much of my nature ramblings will be out in the country but much is just here, in my garden. Quite often in our life we think we need to go far to find beauty and peace and even God, but no, all of this is often right under our noses, if only I will give myself space to look. IN SEPTEMBER 2015 I was moved to Teignmouth in Devon. I came into possession of an enormous piece of totally overgrown wilderness, where the Church Hall had been until it was knocked down in 2003. When I arrived and looked out I could see nothing but brambles and rogue roses. There was no hope for anything. I fought my way up the steps in mid-October and thought...well let’s see what I can salvage, or whether I can clear a small part of this horror and enable me to at least put up some bird feeders. And so it began. The first 30 hours or more was hacking and chopping and three things happened. Firstly I got so scratched by the brambles and rogue roses that most people thought the move had gone badly and I was self- harming! Secondly though, I began to feel there might be a possibility of doing something, because, thirdly I began to discover hidden gems. There was, for example, an extraordinarily beautiful red stone wall which ran the whole of the left side of the area, which I had begun to call the Secret Garden. It had been totally hidden and unseen; there was a struggling Pampas Grass which had been strangled and shaded to within an inch of its life and there were 19 self-seeded Buddleia. Now I love butterflies and bees but 19 enormous overgrown Buddleia was not exactly helping my plans… So I began to dig and weed and remove. A friend lent me a mattock....the most marvellous tool God has ever inspired. This enabled me to really begin to get to grips with, and remove the enormous and very deep seated root systems which were choking and preventing any chance of growth. I recall very clearly the afternoon I had been working to remove a particularly stubborn, vicious bramble and root system. It took me about three hours but when I was finally able to drag the dratted thing from the ground it gave me such a joyous sense of achievement, (far more than killing a huge weed should have done,) that I really began to feel there was a future for my Secret Garden, which was actually becoming less secret as my Facebook posts increased. By January I had begun to clear not just the root systems but also to excavate huge areas of the old Church Hall foundations. I had to dig out stones, boulders, tiles and slates and also enormous clumps of breeze blocks. My tiredness and frustration began to build up again...what to do with all this rubble and stone? I did not want to just pile it up in huge tips. What should I do with all the roots, branches and trunks of the mammoth trees I had had to remove? Well, I started to reuse. Why not recycle, why not let the stone and rubble beautify and enable rather than allowing it to frustrate and annoy? So the smaller stones were used to lay paths around where I was clearing. I had begun to map out simple beds and the bigger stones were used to make dry stone raised beds. Thus aggravation became something beautiful and useful. Some of the roots and branches were used to make a big raised bed – I call it my Ostrich nest. Most of the other branches, roots and brambles were piled into a huge woodpile. This now serves as a home for countless insects, a family of mice and roosting for Sparrows, Dunnocks and Wrens. I also have a suspicion that this is also where the hedgehog, who I once found climbing up my indoor staircase, lives. I took some of the stone and made an offbeat statue of Mary and the Christ child which now stands in its own grotto, far over in the corner of this huge expanse, which 18 months ago depressed and saddened me, but has now become a real source of joy and discovery. The slates have been laid down in-between two of the raised beds. It is attractive but also is a way of slowing down the regeneration of the weeds. But as one wise person once said to me, a weed is only a flower growing in the wrong place…I like that idea. Personally I love Dandelion, Scarlet Pimpernel and Ragwort, all seen as weeds and yet all are lovely and incredibly helpful to various creatures. People tell me how Ragwort is poisonous to horses, but in my garden it is most welcome. It is the foodstuff of the very lovely Cinnabar caterpillar and from this colourful creature the strikingly splendid Cinnabar Moth develops. Get rid of Ragwort and you get rid of one of the loveliest moths we have in the UK. I have planted fruit trees, a herb garden, a Lupin bed (one of my favourite flowers), a wild flower meadow, a big expansive flower bed and so much more. I have dug out a pond where now much life breeds and grows. This pond sits where there used to be two huge Buddleia, which I removed. Although it is sad they are gone, something beautiful is in their place. I was given tadpoles by a friend and now I await with excitement the arrival of frogs to add to my wild menagerie. This spring is the first time for 15 years that so much of the area has been open and free to breathe and I have been able to uncover little plants which had self-seeded. I look forward to enabling more to come and to sharing it with you. Next time I shall tell you more about the butterflies, the frogs and the bees and I shall introduce you to my erstwhile gardening companions; my 4 chickens, Portia, Flavia, Lavinia and Beryl, my rabbit, Faramir and the newest addition to the household, my little kitten who was born the end of February – Persephone.

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10 CathCom Reach Summer 2017 ‘She is the most loving, selfless, caring, kind and generous person anyone would ever hope to meet.’ I would like to nominate my Mum as a `Modern Day Saint`. Her name is Margaret and she is, and always has been, such an amazing woman. She was born in Ireland in the late 30`s and moved to England at the age of seventeen, leaving her mother, father and five siblings behind. She gained employment, made friends and established herself before bringing her parents over to settle here too. She went on to marry and have six children; three boys and three girls. As well as raising her family she also worked full-time in a residential home for the elderly. She was dedicated to her job and was loved by all the residents and staff she came into contact with. She has been the most wonderful mother – totally devoted to her children and her eleven grandchildren. She also looked after my father until he passed away eight years ago and has remained strong and courageous ever since. My Mum believes in the power of prayer and on waking each morning she always says her prayers. She attends Mass everyday – some days even going twice. Furthermore, she is in the Legion of Mary and is an Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist. She visits people who are housebound and unable to attend Mass and gives them communion and also visits a neighbour who lives on her own with no family nearby and offers her companionship, to reduce the lady`s isolation and loneliness. In addition to all this, my Mum does find some time for herself and enjoys a weekly keep-fit class as well as other social groups in her community. I think my Mum is a ‘modern day saint’ because she is the most loving, selfless, caring, kind and generous person anyone would ever hope to meet and she definitely ‘goes the extra mile’. She puts everyone else`s needs before her own and never complains about her own ailments. Almost twenty years ago a tumour was found in one of Mum`s eyes. Following unsuccessful radiotherapy to shrink it, her only option was to have the eye removed. So despite having eyesight in only one eye, my Mum has proved to be an amazing woman. She never lets her own misfortune get in the way of being a true Christian and puts others` needs before her own. Fran Turner Modern Day Saints ‘My Mum’ - A reader’s perspective Saint Francis of Assisi Saint Francis of Assisi, born Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, informally named as Francesco (1181/1182 – 3 October 1226), was an Italian Roman Catholic Friar and preacher. He founded the men`s Order of Friars Minor, the women’s order of Saint Clare the Third order of Saint Francis and the Custody of the Holy Land. Francis is one of the most venerated religious figures in history. Pope Gregory l X canonized Francis on 16 July 1228. Along with Saint Catherine of Sienna, he was designated Patron Saint of Italy. He later became associated with patronage of animals and the natural environment and it became customary for Catholic and Anglican churches to hold ceremonies blessing animals on his feast day of 4 October. Francis is also known for his love of the Eucharist. According to Christian tradition, in 1224 he received the stigmata during an apparition, making him the first recorded person in Christian history to bear the wounds of Christ`s Passion. He died during the evening hours of 3 October 1226, while listening to a reading.

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Summer 2017 CathCom Reach 11 Secondary school English teacher, Gemma Watson, gives an insight into the highs and lows of looking after a tutor group… WORKING AS A secondary school teacher naturally comes with its challenges, some little – “Where’s your homework?” Reply: “My dog ate it!” (Yes, the students still try to use that old chestnut) – to some much greater challenges, including teaching young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, broken families and with a whole array of special needs. Naturally, the bigger the challenge, the greater the reward when one of those vulnerable students overcomes the obstacles facing them and succeeds. Recently, I experienced just one of those occasions, a tug-on-the- heartstrings, tear-to-the-eye moment that reminded me of exactly why I had become a teacher in the first place… FREQUENT STRUGGLES Within my tutor group, there is a very sensitive young man who has Autism. When I first arrived at the school three years ago, and took over the group from their previous tutor, I was bombarded with people who wanted to prepare me for Pete. By the time they had finished, I was having visions of a wild, screaming boy who was going to tower over me from his great height. What I actually experienced was a young boy simply struggling to fit in. In the first few months, we had tears, arguments and frequent struggles. There were times when Pete would sit under a table in my classroom, teary-eyed and runny- nosed, (I quickly learnt to always have a batch of tissues in my desk drawer!) and refusing to attend his next lesson. But miraculously, just a few weeks ago, there was a moment when I knew that Pete and the whole tutor group had grown so much during the three years that I had been their tutor. Pete appeared, ready for his sixth form interview, dressed in a shirt and tie, as we encourage the students to take this seriously to prepare them for future experiences. But somehow, after being in registration for a mere thirty seconds, Pete managed to break the zip on his trousers, with only ten minutes to go before his interview started! EXTRA SUPPORT I looked up, ready to intervene; when I realised I didn’t need to. Two of the girls came running back with safety pins from the Textiles department and one of the boys took his belt off and gave it to Pete, so he had extra support to keep his trousers up. Another student ran Belt and Braces ON OUR BEHALF From Cardinal Vincent Nichols to the Pope… Most Holy Father I write on behalf of the Catholic Community in England and Wales, and I am sure of many more, to offer you our prayers and congratulations as you reach the fourth anniversary in this time of your service to the Apostolic See. We thank God that the Holy Spirit guided the Church in the process of your election and that the same Holy Spirit guides and supports you day by day. We thank God for the richness of the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit, which are the hallmarks of your ministry: joy and peace, patience and kindness, faithfulness, wisdom and mercy. Holy Father, we thank you for the steadfast way in which you uphold the teachings of Christ and the Church, presenting them in deed and in word with a freshness and directness, which draws the attention of the world. We pray that God will give you strength and courage to continue this great ministry from which we all draw such encouragement. I assure you, Holy Father, of the love, the esteem and the whole-hearted support of us all. Please, Holy Father, give us your blessing as we give you our love. Cardinal Vincent Nichols President of the Catholic Bishops` Conference of England and Wales over and smoothed his collar down which had managed to get turned up in all the commotion. I barely had time to wish Pete good luck before the other students had sent him on his way with interview tips and confidence-boosting comments. It was at this moment that I had never felt so grateful: partly that Pete’s trousers had stayed up, but mostly that I had the privilege to watch such compassionate and kind-hearted young people in action. In this article, pseudonyms have been used in place of students’ names to protect confidentiality.

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12 CathCom Reach Summer 2017 CLUES Across 5 Biblical land, `between the rivers` (11) 7 Sound of contentment made by a feline (4) 8 Guardianship; education (8) 9 Wok style of cooking (4,3) 10 Part of a tree branch (4) 12 Starring role (4) 14 Blissful (7) 17 Blue-purple gemstone (8) 18 Bankruptcy (4) 19 Relating to a third century antipope, or his party or sect, who favoured severity against the lapsed (11) Down 1 Extortionate money lender (6) 2 Cheeky new kid on the block (7) 3 Express; affirm (5) 4 Trinket usually hung about the neck, thought to be a magical protection against evil or disease (6) 5 Possible site of the Transfiguration, aka Sirion (5,6) 6 Principles of the Church of England (11) 11 Floating wreckage of a ship (7) 13 In grammar, the case expressing an indirect object (6) 15 Dirty, squalid (6) 16 Japanese capital until 1868 (5) Reach Crossword

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