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Spring 2018 edition of the Catholic Mother (UCM) - Page

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Photos, copy and distribution queries for The Catholic Mother should be sent to Margaret Postill, National Media Officer, 23 Il kley Crescent, Reddish, Stockport, Cheshire, SK5 6HG or by email to catholic.mother@yahoo.co.uk. For further details about the Union of Catholic Mothe rs please contact the National Secretary, Irene Mitchell, at ucmnatsec@yahoo.co.uk It is always a joy to meet up with old friends and meet new ones. At Heathrow airport on 14th September 2018, there was great excitement as we waited for our flight. We were getting away from the grey skies of England and we arrived in the evening of a day in Athens when the temperature had been 37 degrees. Fortunately, it had dropped to a more bearable 28 by next morning as we boarded two coaches heading to Corinth. First stop was to view the famous Corinth canal. It was finally completed in 1893 and joins up the Aegean and Adriatic seas. The ruins of the ancient city of Corinth, themselves were fascinating but the day was made more memorable, because, with us, we had retired Bishop Brain of Salford and he is such an eloquent speaker. We gathered in the shade of a large tree while he read one of St Pauls epistles and for the first time in my life I was able to relate to the wording in so much of his work. I am a reader at Mass but had not really understood St Paul’s emotions as he addressed himself to the Corinthians, whom he had found, to his horror to be corrupt and in thrall to Greek Gods and especially Aphrodite who reputedly had over a thousand sex slaves in her temple. It was interesting that while Bishop Brain was talking to us, I noticed a young backpacker sidling up to the edge of our group and he was mouthing the words in unison with the Bishop. He was from America and was a devotee of St Paul. It was very easy to imagine this must have been how many people stood on the edge listening to the words of the Apostles and then being drawn to the word of God. We marvelled at the ruins of such an ancient city and in the market place, Bishop Brain suggested that for the Corinthians going there, it could be compared to us going to MacDonald’s at the weekends for a meal. My most amazing memory is the statues without any heads. Apparently, when there was a change of rulers or ‘politicians’ the statues remained but the heads were changed. Elizabeth Christian (Portsmouth Diocese) Founded in 1914, the Museum of Christian and Byzantine Art, underwent modernisation, the exhibition floors looked very contemporary. Byzantine churches used icons and frescoes rather than statues to introduce theology and the scriptures to the people. There were many on display. Icons do not attempt at realism. Every detail has a message. Gold is for the glory of heaven, how Mary is holding the Christ child, whether the book is opened or closed etc. There were artefacts from the earliest Christian days like a fish shaped tombstone and ones showing both pagan and Christian designs. We moved on from Coptic art to how crusaders influenced the art. Look out for Mary`s shoes, she is the only one allowed to wear red shoes, the sign of majesty. We passed the statue of Lord Byron (he died of fever in Missolonghi on 19 April 1824 whilst fighting in the Greek war for independence) and the Olympian Temple to Zeus. We drove north through the Plain of Thessaly. The Pindus mountains were on our left and at one point we came very close to the coast on our right. I saw cotton growing for the first time. Meteora is one of two famous sites of Byzantine monasteries built on cliffs, the other being Athos. Hermits had begun to inhabit caves in the cliffs from the 9th century but the first monasteries did not appear until the 14th century. There were once 14 and now 6 exist. Access used to be by rope ladders or basket but now roads take you a good way to those which are open to the public. The monastery we visited today was St Stephen’s and is the most accessible. You only had to walk across a bridge. I was amazed at the garden on the steep ravine side. The monastery is now run by a community of 28 nuns. The outer 16th century chapel was severely damaged during WW2 and its frescoes have recently been restored. The late 18th century main chapel or cathedral is dedicated to Saint Charalambos and includes his holy relics. The altar is behind a carved screen decorated by icons which is only open during services. From the terrace there is a wonderful view across to the mountains, and the town of Kalampaka. Susan Martin (Birmingham Archdiocese) On to the Acropolis, reciting our Prayer as we travelled. We had a quick photo stop at the Panathenaic Stadium which is where the first modern day Olympic Games were held in 1896. The Acropolis is probably the most recognisable and significant site in all of Greece. It is located on a rocky outcrop above the city of Athens and contains the remains of several ancient buildings of great architectural significance, the most famous being the Parthenon. We all gathered together with Bishop Brain at the foot of the Areopagus Rock. This was the rock where St Paul delivered his sermon to the people of Athens and was where the High Court was situated. St Paul had been preaching about Jesus Christ daily in the market place and synagogue, so he was brought to the Areopagus Rock to explain himself. Bishop Brain told us how St Paul would have felt at the time. The Apostle Paul was weary and troubled. He had encountered conflict as a result of his preaching in Thessalonica and Berea in Northern Greece and he was waiting for his companions Silas and Timothy to join him. He was distressed to see Athens full of idols to pagan gods. Paul had seen an altar inscribed to an unknown god and in his sermon, he emphasised the need to know God, the Creator, because it was …. ‘in Him that we live and move and exist’. After the sermon a number of people became followers of Paul – a woman named Damaris, and Dionysius who later became the first Bishop of Athens. Later we met up again with Kassandra, at the Acropolis Museum. Built in 2009, this contemporary structure houses a large number of artefacts from the Acropolis and it has a fabulous view of the Acropolis through its glass walls. Part of the walkway leading up to the museum is also made of glass and it was possible to see the ruins of an ancient neighbourhood beneath our feet. The remains of streets, houses, bathhouses and workshops could be clearly seen. Newspaper of The Union of Catholic Mothers www.theucm.co.uk Busy Bees - page 2 The life of a Saint - page 12 A Guernsey Wave - page 4 Lord, the resurrection of Your Son has given us new life and renewed hope. Help us to live as new people in pursuit of the Christian ideal. Grant us wisdom to know what we must do, the will to want to do it, the courage to undertake it, the perseverance to continue to do it, and the strength to complete it. Spring 2018 Continued on Page 3 The Presidents Pilgrimage In the Footsteps of St Paul

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Page 2 Spring 2018 The Catholic Mother FROM THE NATIONAL P RESIDENT Dear Members The day has finally arrived when I am writing my last column as your National President; I can’t believe how quickly the last three years have passed. I hope you all had a happy Christmas and I would like to thank everyone who sent Christmas cards/ ecards to me and National Committee. We are most grateful for your support. I was fortunate to have two Christmas celebrations, as Deborah and her family arrived home for the weekend a week before Christmas so we had a family Christmas then and another one the following weekend on the right day. They came back in January for a family birthday and after they returned home Deborah was taken ill and admitted into hospital and suddenly Geneva seemed a very long way away. John and I flew out to help with the children and I would like to thank you for all your prayers, good wishes and support at this stressful time. I know your prayers were instrumental in her recovery – UCM at it’s very best. We had our first National Committee meeting of 2018 last week in London and we welcomed National President Elect Margaret McDonald and National Treasurer Elect Margaret Kerbey who joined us as observers. Study Days will take place on 19th - 21stMarch at The Hayes Conference Centre at Swanwick in Derbyshire. This year’s conference is based on Pope Francis’ Encyclical ‘Amoris Laetitia’ and the Opening Mass and Introduction is being led by Bishop John Sherrington from Westminster. I know it will be a most interesting and informative time and will give you the skills needed to take this back to your dioceses to share with all your members. National Council and AGM takes place 14th - 16th May also at The Hayes. Have you attended National Council? If not, why not think about it? If you are interested, please contact your Diocesan Secretary who will have all the details and there is no cost to an accredited delegate. I think everyone who has ever attended has always enjoyed seeing the work undertaken by National Officers and having the opportunity to meet other members from around the country. In view of the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which will apply from 25th May 2018, please be assured The UCM is in contact with the Charities Commission to ensure we comply. Until we have any further information please remember the following: -  Do not share information with any other person or organisation  Keep all your records, files, hard copies securely locked  All information on Computers is to be encrypted We will, of course, keep you informed as we receive any further information. Nominations are required for this years’ Catholic Women of the Year. There is more information about this in this newspaper. We are just now entering the holy season of Lent. It is a time of thoughtfulness and prayer and gives us the opportunity to reflect on the great sacrifice Jesus made for us. We too are called to make sacrifices as we journey through Lent with Jesus as our guide. Listen to His voice. I hope this is a season of peace and reflection which leads us all to the joy of the Resurrection. Thank you all for your help and support over the last three years and I wish Margaret all the joy and friendship I have received. The UCM is in very safe hands. Best wishes and many blessings to you and your loved ones. Val Ward National President St Colman’s foundation have been very busy in one way or another over the past few months, particularly in taking up their knitting needles. It began with angels and 108 were completed, all colours and I have to say some with bigger heads than others. When other foundations heard about them, we asked for the pattern and so quite a few angels manifested themselves across the diocese and even around the country. Here in Cosham, they were distributed, 60 to all children present at the two Masses on the third Sunday in Advent (Gaudete Sunday) and it was a delight to see their little faces as they returned from the altar clutching their own angels for their Christmas trees at home. Another 25 were distributed together with poinsettias to be delivered to the sick and housebound of the parish. The remainder were given out to the children present at the 6pm Christmas Eve children’s Mass. Each of the angels has a label attached with a picture of the U.C.M. badge and details of when we meet. Our Spring project will be to knit small squares for premature and sick babies in incubators. The idea is to knit two squares for each baby. One square is put in the incubator with the baby and one is given to the mother and then these are interchanged so that the baby becomes familiar with the mother’s scent, assisting the natural bond. These are never passed on to another baby because of the risk of infection so new ones have to be continually provided. As well as being busy knitting bees, we took on the task of renewing the busy bags which were made some years ago to be hung on the end of pews and used to keep small children occupied during Mass. The contents consist of small religious themed books, pencils and paper (any drawings or scribbles can be taken home), religious figures or dolls and cards for threading with wool. Some members spent the most part of two days laminating old Christmas cards, placed back to back so there was a picture on either side. punching holes round the edges and threading them with wool, leaving the ends untied for children to un-thread and rethread. At Easter, we will replace the cards with Easter themes. It has been decided to re-name them prayer bags. Elizabeth Christian Media Officer, Portsmouth Diocese Busy bees SALFORD New Diocesan President This was our Annual Benediction on Sunday 3rd December at Salford Cathedral attended by Right Reverend Bishop John Arnold and our Diocesan Chaplain Reverend Father John Coe. The afternoon began with a very moving service where we remembered all our deceased Members, Friends and Family from the Diocese in 2017. This was followed by our outgoing Diocesan President Maureen Woodward receiving an engraved statue of Our Lady of Walsingham presented by the Bishop, on behalf of all the members of the Diocese, for her services to the U.C.M. Then our new President Mary Tierney received her badge of office from the Bishop. It was a lovely service attended by Mary’s daughters, Haley and Megan and her husband Christopher. Maureen also received a gift from Fr John and a further gift from the Diocesan Members presented by Catherine Rutherford, Diocesan Secretary in the Cathedral Cloisters where wine and mince pies were served to everyone. Catherine Rutherford, Diocesan Secretary EAST ANGLIA LtoR Megan, Bishop Arnold, Mary, Christopher, Maureen, Fr. Coe, Haley Submitting copy for next issue The deadline for articles and photos for the next edition of the Catholic Mother is Friday 25th May 2018 Please send copy to Margaret Postill, National Media Officer, at catholic.mother@yahoo.co.uk Thank you Buckden Towers Meeting The Half yearly meeting was held at Buckden Towers, three foundations had representatives, we also had our Spiritual Adviser Fr. Glenys Lloyd and the guest of honour was our National President Val Ward who presented our retiring president Maria Taverna with a statue of Our Lady of Walsingham, another statue was sent to Sue Burrows (independent member) on her retirement from organising the 100 club for many years. Beryl Stock Media Officer Harvest Supper At Our Lady Of Walston 48 members of Costessey UCM and parishioners attended the harvest supper in the garden room of Our Lady of Walston, we raised £326 in aid of our charities Water aid and Open. Entertainment was provided by Kyle, who was very good. Marguerite Wayling Secretarys

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The Catholic Mother Spring 2018 Page 3 On the evening of 18th October, our Foundation organised a Service to commemorate the Sacrament of Marriage, which was held in our church, St Ambrose’s, Kidderminster. The Service was part of our Parish’s year of celebration to mark the 1 620th anniversary of the death of St Ambrose, and 25 years that Father Lamb has been our Parish priest. We had spent some time over the past few months planning the Service and several UCM members played an active part in preparing for it, choosing the hymns and readings, giving a talk from the pulpit to promote it, designing posters and an order of service, cleaning the church and arranging the flowers. The Service was led and introduced by one of our deacons, Revd Charles Duncombe. The Service took the form of readings, hymns and reflections. The readings were taken from the Book of Tobit, read by Danuta Duncombe, and the first letter of St John, read by Margaret Holmes. The gospel reading was the Marriage Feast of Cana. Three UCM members gave the reflections: Denise Holdstock spoke about marriage and family life, bringing in her experience of having moved to England from Ireland in order to marry her husband Noel. She talked about how the ‘family’ of the church, the parish, the UCM, sc hool and playgroup had all helped her to adapt to living away from her own family. Christine Vass spoke about the long-term commitment of marriage and how faith helps us to cope with the trials and tribulations of married life. Betty Martin, our President, who was widowed in 2014, spoke about widowhood and how her faith and being involved in the UCM has helped her to come to terms with her loss. Alongside married couples, a number of widows and widowers attended and we gave special attention to them including reciting the prayer to Elizabeth of Hungary, patron saint of the widowed. At the centre of the Service was a Renewal of Marriage Vows led by Father Lamb. About thirty couples took part in this. It was very special to those of us who took part, to be able to renew our vows and promises to our spouses. Each couple was given a special candle to light and hold during the service. During the intercessions, read by Miriam Cunliffe, we remembered all married couples, those experiencing difficulties, single parents, the widowed and those preparing for marriage. Father Lamb gave a Nuptial Blessing at the end of the Service. We received a large number of very favourable comments about the Service. Many people spoke about how it had affected them. As is traditional the Service was followed by a shared supper in our Borromeo Hall. Several of us had put wedding photos on display – it was an interesting exercise in trying to recognise each other in our youthful days! Chris Vass Sacrament of Marriage We made our way to the Cathedral Basilica of St Dionysius for Holy Mass at 5pm. This beautiful church is dedicated to St Dionysius the Areopagate, disciple of the Apostle Paul and first Bishop of Athens. Pauline Roe (Salford Diosese) It was another bright, sunny morning at the port of Piraeus with everyone in good humour and looking forward to our ‘cruise’ to three islands in the Aegean Sea. We settled round tables on the lower deck. Although we were grouped in one area, the room was not closed to other passengers so it was a very strange Mass with people passing by and talking as they went. It was a short Mass with a brief homily from Fr. Bill, on St Paul’s themes of ‘Hospitality’,’ Upbuilding’ and ‘A Thorn in the Side’. It was during our Mass that we set sail. After Mass we settled down to enjoy our cruise, to visit the islands of Hydra, Poros and finally Aegina. Hydra, being very small, was only going to be a short stop but on Poros and Aegina there were optional side trips available. The entrance to Hydra is guarded by a large stone fort with six cannons overlooking the approaches. It is a very small island and the only transport are donkeys. There was a large sailing ship and number of small boats along the quayside. As we only had forty five minutes before the boat sailed our visit was very brief. Back on board we had a buffet lunch whilst the boat sailed towards Poros. This was a larger island. White houses with blue woodwork staggered up the steep hillsides all around the bay. It was pleasant just walking along the quays and meandering along the streets behind the waterfront. We headed towards the third and largest island Aegina. Our stay here was to be much longer and so there were three optional tours, two different coach tours and a speed boat ride to a sheltered swimming area. Our group all went our separate ways but we gathered again at 18.00 to board and sail back to Piraeus. As we neared the mainland the sun was setting in an incredible array of orange colours. It had been a wonderful and relaxing day. Hilda Carney and Sheila Frost (Middlesbrough Diocese) What an incredible week! Not knowing quite what to expect, "Following in the Footsteps of St.Paul" was amazing. We received many blessings and experienced the true spirit of U.C.M. - love, friendship and caring. Who would have guessed, in how many different places, we could celebrate Mass: in the Hotel dining room, in the conservatory, on a boat, in the "back to front" chapel (the altar was in the front and the tabernacle at the back!), in the magnificent Catholic Cathedral in Athens and on the Hotel terrace (facing the Parthenon), all concelebrated by Bishop Brain and 3 other priests. The pilgrimage was packed with interest and inspiration, thanks to our lovely guide, Aleeki. Suffice it to say, every day was special, and Paddy (my husband) and I will never forget it. Frances O’Neill (Plymouth Cathedral President) Continued from Page 1 The Presidents Pilgrimage In the Footsteps of St Paul

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Page 4 Spring 2018 The Catholic Mother Congratulations DIAMOND WEDDING ANNIVERSARY Middlesbrough Diocese Anne & Colin SHARPLEY Independent Member Northampton Diocese Alessandra and Freddie GIRARDI, St. Peter Apostle, Rushden, Northampton Diocese They received a beautiful card from the Queen. GOLDEN WEDDING ANNIVERSARY East Anglia Diocese Marguerite and Kent WAYLING Our Lady and St. Walston Liverpool Archdiocese Betty and Maurice TUFT, St Teresa`s Sally and John DIXON, St Teresa`s Kathy and Bill BUCK, St George`s RUBY WEDDING ANNIVERSARY Liverpool Archdiocese Chris and Stan RILEY, St George`s WEDDING Stuart and Denise MO HAN, St Mary`s Foundation, married in Kephalonia. BIRTHDAYS 100th Liverpool Archdiocese Patty DIXON, Our Lady of Compassion Foundation She also received her 70 Year Certificate as a member of UCM, in the company of her fellow members of her foundation. A wonderful achievement. 90th East Anglia Diocese Catherine TODD Sacred Heart Foundation, Dereham Portsmouth Diocese Stella CLARKE Sacred Heart Foundation, Waterlooville Anne LOXTON Sacred Heart Foundation Waterlooville, 80th East Anglia Diocese Loura SCOTT Costessey Foundation Liverpool Archdiocese Anne TOWERS St Teresa`s Foundation Jean IRELAND St George`s Foundation Southwark Archdiocese Betty AINSWORTH Sheppey Foundation Portsmouth Diocese Anne LOXTON Sacred Heart Foundation, Waterlooville LONG SERVICE Portsmouth Diocese Mary B RANT St Boniface, Shirley...... 50 years Margot PARKER Sacred Heart, Waterlooville.... 40 years Kathleen HICKEN Sacred Heart, Waterlooville....40 years To celebrate 60 years of UCM in Hythe Kent Foundation, Fr Scott Brossart (SOLT) celebrated a specially dedicated Marian Mass, accompanied by members of the Church Choir. The three altar servers were sons of our members. The five young people who brought up the Offertory Gifts were daughters and grandchildren of members. Mass was followed by an afternoon Cream Tea in the Fr Thomas Daly (OSB) Hall. We were thrilled to welcome over 80 members of our own and from visiting foundations: Westgate, Canterbury, Folkestone, Sittingbourne, Sheppey and Walderslade. Diocesan President, Mary Burt, accompanied by Diocesan Officers Gerry Grehan, and Margaret Carter, presented Hythe President, Carola Timney, with a framed certificate marking the foundation`s 60 years. Mary Burt also presented framed certificates to Mrs Jean Williams as the one remaining founder member of the Hythe Foundation and Mrs Betty Johnson who have both served the UCM with great devotion. In her `welcome` address, president Carola Timney, told of `the intrigue` and special circumstances surrounding the acquisition of the Greenhithe Banner soon to become the `Hythe Diamond Jubilee` celebration banner and involves the treasured memories of past presidents Evelyn Lagrue and Doreen Green as well as Deacon Ray Partridge: Elizabeth Partridge, wife of recently deceased Deacon Ray was offered the banner for the Hythe Foundation, Kathleen Lagrue daughter of past president Evelyn Lagrue, kindly offered to do the necessary, intricate, needlework to restore the banner (Evelyn and Kathleen were represented on the day by Evelyn`s son, Stephen). Alan Green – husband of recently deceased past president Doreen Green, offered to make the poles required to hold the banner. In this way the banner has become a tribute to Deacon Ray, Evelyn Lagrue, Doreen Green and the past work of the members of the recently closed Rotherhithe UCM foundation. Tribute was also paid to Judith McCormick – the most recent recruit to the Hythe Foundation who died suddenly last year and is a great loss to the parish and the UCM; Judith`s husband Keith was at the Mass and Celebration together with Alan and Steven. All past and present Presidents and members of the UCM were remembered in our Mass and prayers. `Thank you` to all who came – for making `our day` a wonderful celebration! Margaret Whitham Hythe Kent foundation Diamond Jubilee A Guernsey Wave Hello to everyone across the water. I would like to introduce myself as the new Media Officer for Guernsey foundation. My first foray into sharing with you our events in Guernsey is to report on our 2017 AGM, which attended by Father Paul, our spiritual advisor turned out to be a very joyous occasion. It took place at the Peninsula Hotel and was a lively and informative meeting. Some of our members are absent from the photo because they arrived too late for the ‘shoot’. Norah, our secretary recounted all the meetings we had had. They included talks on long distance swimming, law, and a youth trip in which our youngsters in the community travelled to Poland. We had a craft evening, visited an Art Gallery and made copious jars of marmalade and we had a very scrumptious cookery demonstration by Ron, our new presidents husband. Our palates were also catered for with an afternoon tea/ garden party. We topped up our spiritual levels with a full day retreat with our deacon, Mark Leighlty who is a real asset to our Guernsey community. We also had meditations of the cross at the Centre of peace and at another meeting enjoyed watching " The Way". Sonia our outgoing president, summed up what it meant to her being a member of the UCM. All the women she has met, all the fun events and spiritual retreats, the endless cups of tea and the big and small differences we make to our community and wider communities. We are members of a group of women who throughout the UK are all saying the same prayer, a link between us locally and our faith, and each and every group across the channel. We are not perfect but the best we do, we do with love. Sonia welcomed Oauline McKenzie as our new president, who I`m sure will do a fabulous job, and thanked the committee for their hard work through the year. We all should be very proud to be a member of the UCM, God willing we will go from strength to strength. Michelle Greenfield Media officer PORTSMOUTH

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The Catholic Mother Spring 2018 Page 5 PORTSMOUTH We made it! St Boniface Foundation in Southampton have been celebrating the 50th anniversary of their founding. We are the only UCM foundation in the Southampton area and are very proud that despite our aches and pains and busy lives we manage to keep our fortnightly meetings going. We started our celebrations with a lovely Mass, which was attended by a few friends in the parish, our members and the Diocesan officers. Months ago, we realised that Fr Joe, the diocesan chaplain, and our parish priest were both unavailable to celebrate mass on the day. This crisis was averted when the local hospital chaplain, Fr Michael Cronin, agreed to celebrate the mass for us. He is a staunch UCM supporter, but did say he wouldn’t be able to take a booking yet for our 100th celebration. Unlike many UCM foundations, we can’t boast a lot of home bakers in our numbers, so we decided to treat ourselves and have a catered high tea. It was even more relaxing because my husband and the treasurer’s daughter made sure our cups were filled and even did the washing up. What a treat. Canon McDermot-Roe who started our foundation, lives in a local rest home but was unfortunately not able to attend on the day, although he sent his best wishes. Mary Brant, the first foundation secretary, is still an active member and received a certificate commemorating her 50th jubilee. Guests came by train, bus, plane and automobile. We had one former member who flew in from Ireland for the occasion and enjoyed the visit with old friends. A highlight of the day for guests was looking at the photos of the celebrations, outings and fundraising we’ve done through the years. A few ladies from the parish who attended the mass have expressed an interest in joining so we may keep going for a few more years yet. Ann Jones President, St Boniface Foundation, Southampton Autumn Council 2017 For various reasons, Portsmouth diocese had to hold their Autumn Council later than usual and so it was on a rather dismal day on 13th November that members gathered at St Philip’s Church in Fareham. However, that did not stop us from having a lively meeting and we were pleased to welcome our National president, Val Ward who had made the journey down from Cheshire. She was able to answer questions and to iron out some misunderstandings about how National Committee operates. At the end of the meeting, she was thanked and presented with a bouquet of flowers by Sue Meese. The evidence is here (without the flowers) in a photograph taken with Sue Meese, Diocesan president, Pat Kemp, Vice president, Sarah Davis, secretary and Marjorie Killen, treasurer. Elizabeth Christian Diocesan media Officer Sacred Heart Foundation, Waterlooville We have had quite a few ongoing activities in 2017 including the ‘adoption’ of a young seminarian, Ian Cornfield who is studying for the priesthood at Allen Hall in Chelsea and will be blessed with his deaconite this summer. He has spent time at Sacred Heart Church in Waterlooville and we keep in touch by sending him issues of Catholic Mother; praying for him and generally taking an interest in his progress as a student. We also send monetary gifts which we hope will help him as he prepares for priesthood and his ordination. We had our Christmas lunch at Southdowns college near Waterlooville in Hampshire and we were joined by father Jeremy, our parish priest and another seminarian John Promise who was with us over Christmas. Several members from our foundation attended Anne Lambkin’s funeral in November and a Mass will be offered for her here at Sacred Heart in January Also, in November, we had a day of reflection, coordinated by Father Jeremy, starting with Mass and attended by other parishioners and U.C.M. members from other foundations in the diocese. Jean Hartnell President Day of Retreat Several members of our foundation at St Colman’s in Cosham had expressed an interest in having a day of retreat during the summer break. The chosen date was 15th August, which seemed appropriate as it is of course The Feast of the Assumption of our Lady. And so, it was that seven of us travelled to Ladywell Retreat and Spirituality Centre in Godalming, Surrey. We were warmly greeted at the door by one of the sisters and were led into the refectory where we were served with a very welcome cup of coffee or tea and biscuits. The theme for the day was ‘A Day of Prayer’ and this was led by Fr Michael Cronin who is the Chaplain at Southampton General hospital. His talk in the morning was on the conversion of two very different saints, St Peter and St Augustine. Time was allowed for confession. And then it was more food, a simple lunch of Shepherd’s Pie and vegetables, followed by delicious stewed plums from their own garden, topped with lashings of custard. Having eaten, we then made our way to the lovely little chapel where we celebrated Mass, followed by Adoration and Benediction. Our second talk of the day from Father Cronin was based on the significance of Vatican 2. Most Catholics have heard a lot about Vatican 2 and yet are ignorant about the basics of the council. Basically, when Pope John XX111, called the Council, he wanted the church to examine itself and ask the question “what do we need to do to make our faith deeper and more lively”? The answers were focussed around Awareness, Renewal and Dialogue. For our members today, it was almost like a re-acquaintance with our faith. And then it was time for tea and pastries before setting off for home. Ladywell is a beautifully peaceful place and we were all agreed that, in one way or another, we had benefited from our visit there Pauline Kasnowski President, St Colman’s foundation Enrolled ARUNDEL AND BRIGHTON Two new members were enrolled in the UCM by Fr. Micael Bratty at 10.00 Mass in Holy Redeemer church, Hollington Foundation. Kay Locock and Sue Mulligan along with other members went to Sainsbury’s to celebrate May Leitch Diocesan Media Officer

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Page 6 Spring 2018 The Catholic Mother 70 Years of UCM Mrs Margaret Buckley president of St Malachys foundation Halifax was presented with a certificate celebrating the 70 years UCM has been in that parish. The photo was presented by Mrs Pat Atha, Leeds Diocesan President. Eileen Goodwin Media Officer LEEDS Rosary Rally Leeds Diocese UCM held its 12th annual Rosary Rally at the Cathedral. Mothers from both Middlesbrough and Shrewsbury Diocese travelled to Leeds for this enjoyable event. Mrs Pat Atha (Diocesan President) welcomed every one and this was followed by a candlelight procession around the Cathedral. Benediction was celebrated by Canon Lawrie Hulme (Diocesan Chaplain) and Mrs Maureen Thompson sang 2 beautiful solos accompanied by organist Mr John Cuttle. Afternoon tea was served in the Cathedral Hall before the homeward journey. Eileen Goodwin Media Officer Heroes and Legends The members of St. Ignatius Foundation, Ossett, held a charity evening to raise money for Help for Heroes. The entertainment was Tony Fletcher who came to sing for us. He sings in a large variety of styles, from Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin to Elvis, Buddy Holly, Billy Fury and others too numerous to mention. Because Tony sings music originally performed by singers who are now considered legends, we took our theme from that and quite a lot of our audience dressed up accordingly. We had St George (without his dragon although he did point out that he had bought his wife) W.G. Grace, a Morris man, and even a suffragette among others. With encouragement from Tony we all did lots of dancing. Everyone had a great time and we raised over £400 for the charity Pam Watkins President Wakefield welcome new members Wakefield foundation welcomes 3 new members L-R Svetlana O`Brien, Sarah Masters and Lin Salkow. With the Diocesan president and Treasurer. Eileen Goodwin Media Officer Wood Turning An invitation to come along and give us a demonstration of wood turning, went out to the husband of one of the members of St Ignatius Foundation Ossett, Darrel is a keen wood turner and has been winning prizes (usually1st) at the Great Yorkshire Show for about 30 years. We invited all members of the parish to come along. He brought along some examples of his work to show us. Some were for sale but others he couldn’t bear to part with which was understandable as they were really beautiful. It was an entertaining demonstration and everyone was very impressed with Darrel’s skill. The photo shows Darrel holding the goblet he made that the evening. Although entry was free we had a raffle as usual at these events and we raised £31 which we added to the amount we raised at our Help for Heroes evening. Pam Watkins President LEEDS

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The Catholic Mother Spring 2018 Page 7 As WUCWO women, we join Pope Francis and Patriarch Bartholomew in the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation The story of creation presents us with a panoramic view of the world. Scripture reveals that, “in the beginning”, God intended humanity to cooperate in the preservation and protection of the natural environment. At first, as we read in Genesis, “no plant of the field was yet in the earth and no herb of the field had yet sprung up – for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was no one to till the ground” (2:5). The earth was entrusted to us as a sublime gift and legacy, for which all of us share responsibility until, “in the end”, all things in heaven and on earth will be restored in Christ (cf. Eph 1:10). Our human dignity and welfare are deeply connected to our care for the whole of creation. However, “in the meantime”, the history of the world presents a very different context. It reveals a morally decaying scenario where our attitude and behaviour towards creation obscures our calling as God’s co-operators. Our propensity to interrupt the world’s delicate and balanced ecosystems, our insatiable desire to manipulate and control the planet’s limited resources, and our greed for limitless profit in markets – all these have alienated us from the original purpose of creation. We no longer respect nature as a shared gift; instead, we regard it as a private possession. We no longer associate with nature in order to sustain it; instead, we lord over it to support our own constructs. The consequences of this alternative worldview are tragic and lasting. The human environment and the natural environment are deteriorating together, and this deterioration of the planet weighs upon the most vulnerable of its people. The impact of climate change affects, first and foremost, those who live in poverty in every corner of the globe. Our obligation to use the earth’s goods responsibly implies the recognition of and respect for all people and all living creatures. The urgent call and challenge to care for creation are an invitation for all of humanity to work towards sustainable and integral development. Therefore, united by the same concern for God’s creation and acknowledging the earth as a shared good, we fervently invite all people of goodwill to dedicate a time of prayer for the environment on 1 September. On this occasion, we wish to offer thanks to the loving Creator for the noble gift of creation and to pledge commitment to its care and preservation for the sake of future generations. After all, we know that we labour in vain if the Lord is not by our side (cf. Ps 126-127), if prayer is not at the centre of our reflection and celebration. Indeed, an objective of our prayer is to change the way we perceive the world in order to change the way we relate to the world. The goal of our promise is to be courageous in embracing greater simplicity and solidarity in our lives. We urgently appeal to those in positions of social and economic, as well as political and cultural, responsibility to hear the cry of the earth and to attend to the needs of the marginalized, but above all to respond to the plea of millions and support the consensus of the world for the healing of our wounded creation. We are convinced that there can be no sincere and enduring resolution to the challenge of the ecological crisis and climate change unless the response is concerted and collective, unless the responsibility is shared and accountable, unless we give priority to solidarity and service. From the Vatican and from the Phanar, 1 September 2017 Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation NOTRE DAME, Ind.— In a consumer-driven world where we’re told we need and deserve more, Susan Muto, executive director of the Epiphany Association, reminds us that gratefulness is a gift from God. In Gratefulness: The Habit of a Grace-Filled Life, she reveals that grateful living is not another new fad but has been the way of saints and Christian mystics for centuries. In this insightful, inspiring book, Muto explores how life- changing a spirit of gratefulness can be by using both personal and well-known examples of the struggles and rewards of grateful living. She and companions such as Julian of Norwich, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Henri J. M. Nouwen, and Dorothy Day highlight the power of gratitude as a grace from God and walk with us as we learn to practice thankfulness. We start the journey toward gratefulness by embracing gratitude in all circumstances and end it by thankfully accepting the missions God entrusts to each of us. Along the way, we begin to accept God’s grace by understanding the benefits of positivity and dangers of negativity, the redemptive power of prayer, and the lasting fruits of thankfulness. A spirituality of gratitude reminds us that, even without the possessions, luxuries, or leisure time society claims are the most important things in life, God still loves, cares, and knows what’s best for us. Gratefulness The Habit of a Grace-Filled Life By Susan Muto ISBN: 978-1-59471-785-7 192 pages  $15.95 Personal Growth & Spirituality Also available as an eBook. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Susan Muto, executive director of the Epiphany Association, is a renowned speaker, author, and teacher, and is dean of the Epiphany Academy of Formative Spirituality. An expert in literature and spirituality, she continues to teach courses on an adjunct basis at a number of schools, seminaries, and centres of higher learning. Muto lectures and leads conferences, seminars, workshops, and institutes nationally and internationally. “We look for happiness in all the wrong places. Susan Muto shows that it’s to be found in a grateful heart. This is a very simple, very practical, very needed book.” “Susan Muto’s reflections on the challenges of the Christian life together with insights gleaned from the saints help the reader understand the practical aspects of a life of holiness. Gratefulness is a blessing for all of us who seek to follow Christ in the midst of our everyday lives.” Rev. Gregory Jensen Chaplain at University of Wisconsin–Madison Gratefulness Not A Passing Fad But A Gift From God, Muto Says National Study Days - The Hayes Swanwick, 19 - 21 March 2018, East Anglia hosting. National President’s Triennial Mass – 28 April, St. Anne’s Rock Ferry, 2:00 pm, Bishops Mark Davis and Alan Williams attending. Diocesan numbers to the National secretary by 23rd March. National Council & AGM - The Hayes Swanwick, 14-16 May 2018, Northampton hosting, Bishop Peter Doyle will attend on 15th May plus the Papal Nuncio tbc NBCW AGM - The Hayes Swanwick, 29th June - 1st July Walsingham Pilgrimage, Monday 2 July and Tuesday 3 July 2018. Adoremus, National Pilgrimage and Congress Liverpool 7-9 September Autumn Meeting, St Chad’s Birmingham, Saturday October 13th WUCWO General Assembly Oct 15-22, 2018 Dakar, Senegal, ‘WUCWO Women, carriers of “living water” to a world which thirsts for peace’. DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

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Study day 21st October on the Popes Encyclical Laudato Sii was attended by 10 members from Hollington & 17 from the Parish of the Good Shepherd, St Leonards on Sea. Anna welcomed everyone. The speakers were Aiden Cantwell & Martin Woods from CAFOD, they work on the Pastoral Team along with Bishop Moth. We had a lively and enjoyable afternoon, we were split into 5 groups each discussing a chapter from Laudato Sii, these generated lively discussions & many questions. Study day 28th October was attended by one member from Haywards Heath, one member from Hollington, four members from Horley and eight from Merstham, five of whom were members. Mention must be made that three of the four from Horley required walking aids for their mobility and yet, they made the effort. One member from Merstham came and brought her husband who has memory and recall problems. Extra thanks must go to those who overcame problems to attend. The small number in attendance did not stop us having a lively and enjoyable afternoon with lots of input and discussion. Many emails and texts have been received commenting how much those who attended appreciated and enjoyed this opportunity to discuss and learn more on the subject of Pope Francis`s Encyclical letter on Laudato Si. Thanks, must again be passed to Martin Brown and Aidan Cantwell for their great presentations on both occasions. May Leitch Media Officer Page 8 Spring 2018 The Catholic Mother To advertise please contact Caroline Gonella at CathCom on 07931 836926 or 01440 730399 or email carolineg@cathcom.org UCM Study days ARUNDEL AND BRIGHTON Goodbye to Former Parish Priest The parish of the Good Shepherd in Hastings said goodbye to our former Parish Priest Canon Tom Treherne, who is also the spiritual director for Arundel & Brighton UCM. Our Foundation President Maria Crouch presenting Fr Tom with a gift of a plate of the good shepherd from our Diocesan. May Leitch Diocesan Media Officer Hamlet St Peter’s Hove were very privileged to have the Actor Keith Bartlett address our meeting and tell us about his project to perform Hamlet in 190 different countries over 2 years. The troupe of actors including Keith was 12 and they rehearsed each other’s roles, so that some could have rest periods. It was an amazing story which came to life with his videos and slideshow. His project now is to promote Mary’s Meals. He was very enthusiastic. He has written a book on his incredible journey and all proceeds will go to Mary’s Meals. His comment at the back is “ALL THE PROCEEDS FROM THIS BOOK WILL GO TOWARDS MARY’S MEALS. I HAVE SET A RIDICULOUS TARGET OF ATTEMPTING TO RAISE £250,000 IN ONE YEAR FOR THE CHARITY. BUT THEN THE IDEA OF THE TOUR WAS RI DICULOUS AND YET IT HAPPENED. IF ANYONE HAS ANY OTHER IDEAS FOR RAISING MONEY FOR MARY’S MEALS, COULD YOU PLEASE CONTACT ME BY E.MAIL ON: KEITHBARTLETT891@GMAIL.COM. Paddy Hughes, our Mary’s Meals volunteer at St Peter’s brought a backpack with the items we put inside for the children. We opened the meeting to our Parish and were delighted with the response. We had a packed hall. A collection was taken for Keith to pass on to Glasgow. Val Wells St Peter’s Foundation, Hove NOTTINGHAM A wonderful celebration to commemorate the occasion of 50 years since the commencement of St Mary`s, Loughborough Foundation. Invitations were sent to former priest who had served our parish, together with Diocese Foundations. Rev. Father Paul Gillham, our recently appointed Parish Priest, celebrated Holy Mass. This being dedicated to Our Blessed Lady of The Immaculate Conception. Our Foundation President, Dorothy Hutchings said we are blessed as a parish to be celebrating 50 years as a UCM Foundation. We have three members who are Founding Members of St. Mary’s: Marie Brookes, Pat Newby and Kath Webb, we thank them for their long service in the UCM and in the parish. Also thanked were the members from West Bridgford, Keyworth and Yvonne Shaw representing St Peter`s, Leicester, who were able to join us. After Holy Mass we retired to the Hall, where we enjoyed an informal buffet. A celebration cake was made by Bridget the daughter of Marie Brookes. Mrs Frances Goodman from the Keyworth Foundation, gave a vote of thanks, especially to Fr Paul Gillham for his homily, together with the ladies of St Mary`s for the planning and organisation. The church was beautiful decorated, as this coincided with a four-day Flower Festival and an Artistic collection of works carried out by Sheila Riste Clemerson, (Shelia Leaf as we know her) a faithful parishioner. This festival has been previously organised as a fund-raising event for our Rosminian Mission in Tanzania with whom we are `twinned`. Kathy Gelling, Media Officer 50 year at St Mary’s In October Holy Spirit Foundation commenced an ongoing project of knitting Twiddle Muffs to help people with Alzheimers. The finished items will go to a local hospital and also to Dementia Friends. Kathy Gelling, Media Officer Twiddle Muffs At their last meeting of 2017 Holy Spirit Foundation had an evening making Christmas Arrangements. We were all very pleased with our arrangements which will adorn our homes over the Christmas period." Kathy Gelling, Media Officer Christmas Evening

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The Catholic Mother Spring 2018 Page 9 ADVERTORIAL NEW FILM ON MARY FOR PARISHES, INDIVIDUALS & FAMILIES Catholic Faith Exploration (CaFE) have been producing TV-quality film courses on all aspects of the Faith since being launched by Cardinal Hume in 1996. Many parishes have run CaFE courses to great effect over the years. A new course and book on Mary called LET IT BE has recently been launched. Cardinal Nichols is one of the well known experts who powerfully share about Mary`s vital role in our discipleship today. The inspiring travel journey through Mary`s life past and present begins at our National Marian Shrine in Walsingham, where Monsignor John Armitage sets the scene, before the five session series takes viewers to the wonders of the Holy Land filmed at all the key Marian sites. After that, the traditional place of Mary`s older life in Ephesus is explored before visiting Rome, Montserrat near Barcelona, and Knock. One of the highlights is the beauty of Lourdes with filming of the Cardinal and and several diocesan pilgrimage. Let It Be also features moving testimonies from Mary`s Meals, ex- gangster John Pridmore and many others from around the UK plus an interview with the Papal Preacher, Fr Raniero Cantalamessa. Full details of the very affordable five session film & book plus a short trailer are available at www.faithcafe.org or by calling CaFE on 0845 050 9428. David Payne, the film`s director, says; “The time is ripe for a fresh and inspiring film about Mary`s life, her inspiring witness of faith and her powerful intercessory prayers. We need all the help we can get.” Cardinal Nichols says; “Mary`s `Let it be` was a clear, deliberate and definitive act - powerful, strong, free and life-giving. It was Mary`s commitment to the Word of God as the supreme value of her life which needs to be at the very core of our discipleship today.” Msgr Armitage says “It`s very important to have a resource like LET IT BE to help us to do more than just `go through the motions`. It will help us grow in our prayer and give us a deeper relationship with our Blessed Mother Mary.” BIRMINGHAM Photo at the Grotto At the beginning of September, the Wolverhampton section held their annual pilgrimage to Our Lady of Lourdes, Hednesford. It was out opportunity to meet their new priest Father Jeremy Howard and his wife. Father Howard had been an Anglican priest for many years. Despite the blustery weather the rosary was said in the lovely grotto, after which tea was provided by the wonderful Hednesford women Another annual Wolverhampton event took place at the end of October, the silent auction at St Peter`s Bloxwich. As usual this was well attended, Father David Doran the new priest at St Peter’s joined in with great gusto. The event raised over £300 for the Sections two charities of the year, The National Memorial Arbotetum and The Beacon Centre for the Blind. Sadly, less well attended was the Diocese`s annual St Margaret Clitherow mass held with the Catholic Women`s League in St Chads Cathedral. A late change in date made by the Cathedral didn`t help. Our members are all getting older and travelling into the centre of Birmingham seems to be getting more difficult for some. The Diocese Christmas party. Numbers for this might also have been slightly down but I know it was enjoyed by all those who did come. A new activity was arranging Christmas table decorations using a mass of greenery and lots of coloured baubles with a lot of help from our own talented florist Carole Costello. Entertainment included a sketch by the Executive Committee (as usual unrehearsed and with a microphone which refused to work) and an impressive word-perfect rendition of Albert and the Lion by our indefatigable 90 plus Win Brookstone. Wolverhampton`s Advent Retreat was hosted at a new venue, St Mary the Mount, Walsall whose priest would like to see a UCM foundation established in his parish. Father Justin gave us a thought provoking talk on how we need to take time out from busy lives to look and notice. A worker from Father Hudson`s Care explained the charity`s work with the homeless and those in need. The City Section followed with their Advent Retreat at St Rose of Lima, Weoley Castle. Father Cownley, City Section Spiritual Director gave a talk after prayers and following homemade soup and cakes members got active with colouring pictures and making an advent calendar. The retreat was rounded off with mass and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. North Staffordshire section`s retreat was unfortunately hit by the December snow and had to be cancelled. Good news! Peggy Cook was out of hospital in time for Christmas. She is heaps better but still has a good way to go, she asks for your continued prayers - they are still needed. Christmas Meal at Trentham Gardens Tunstall Foundation Christmas meal was held at Trentham Gardens and attended by 14 members. Doreen Bradbury, North Staffs Media Officer

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Page 10 Spring 2018 The Catholic Mother PLYMOUTH Coffee Morning Once again Sheila Bennett, Past Foundation President, (and “Grandma” in the Sketch performed at the last National Council and AGM at Swanwick), held a Coffee Morning in the Holy Ghost Church Hall at Exmouth to raise funds for Pancreatic Cancer Research charity. With the help and support of The UCM members, parishioners of Holy Ghost Church, friends and local traders, the sum raised was a magnificent £1,350 (and still counting)! Irene Walker Exmouth Foundation Christmas Cards In December, members decided to have two large homemade Christmas cards – made by our Diocesan President Diana Norman - for us to write our greetings in, instead of the more usual individual ones. We all signed the cards and wrote our messages both to the other members of our Foundation and also to all members of the Exmouth and Budleigh Salterton Churches that make up our Parish of The Holy Family. A card was displayed in the back of both Churches all over Christmas and the sum of £100 was raised from the money we saved buying and sending individual cards. This year we had all agreed to support the work of “Mary’s Meals” whose mission is “to enable people to offer their money, goods, skills, time, or prayer, and through this involvement, provide the most effective help to those suffering the effects of extreme poverty in the world’s poorest communities”. Their work is named after Mary, the mother of Jesus, who brought up her own child in poverty, and reaches out to people of all faiths and of none; and their aim is to provide one good meal to some of the world’s poorest children every school day. An email from ‘Mary’s Meals’ via our National Secretary, Irene Mitchell, promised matched funding for monies received by the end of the year, so our Foundation Treasurer, Mary Chaplin, ensured our donation was sent off in good time. I know that this is a charity close to the hearts of many UCM members throughout the country. Irene Walker Exmouth Foundation Plymouth Hoe Memorial On 14th November a few days after the nationwide Remembrance services four members of the Exmouth Foundation visited the `Wave` Ceramic poppy display at the Royal Naval Memorial on Plymouth Hoe. "It was a very moving experience, as we all had relatives to remember and two of us each have one of the ceramic poppies from the Tower of London display. It was an experience we will not forget." Liz Johnson Exmouth Foundation President Weekend in Exmouth At Christ the King we held a ‘70’s’ themed evening which included a typical 70’s 3-course meal, a challenging quiz, prize raffle and of course a disco to round up our Saturday evening. On Sunday morning the church was packed as Fr. Philip welcomed the children who will start the journey towards First Sacraments after Christmas. The children and their families then joined parishioners in the hall after Mass for a sale and a light lunch. Mulled wine was on offer for the adults and lollipops for the children. UCM members were, of course, very active all weekend helping in the kitchen and on our very own ‘Blue’ stall. During the preceding weeks we had been collecting items, it didn’t matter what their shape or size was as long as they were blue – and we certainly had a great variety creating a most colourful and attractive array and helping to boost the church funds. Irene Walker Exmouth Foundation Plymouth Cathedral Foundation also took a trip on the land train around the Hoe and Barbican area and then visited the stunning poppy display Irene Walker Media Officer Newly Ordained Deacon St Peter Apostle Rushden UCM, sending congratulations to Peter Remington our newly ordained Deacon. Photo of Bishop Peter Doyle and Deacon Peter Remington. Mariann French Media Officer NORTHAMPTON Diocesan UCM Christmas lunch at the end of November was enjoyed by its members together with Fr. Kieran Fletcher the UCM Chaplain, Mrs. Sheila Godley Diocesan President, other UCM officers and members past and present. A colourful display knitted by some of the ladies of St. Vincent`s Foundation, Sheffield added to the occasion. This was a good opportunity to purchase Father Christmas snowmen, knitted Christmas stockings, hats with bells on and Christmas puddings. All donations going to the Bluebell Wood Children`s Hospice Fund. The raffle contributed £200 for the `Mary`s Meals` Charity. Dorothy Anderson Media Officer HALLAM To advertise please contact Caroline Gonella at CathCom on 07931 836926 or 01440 730399 or email carolineg@cathcom.org

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The Catholic Mother Spring 2018 Page 11 Firstly, the Walsingham Sub-committee would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy and healthy 2018 with many Blessings. Preparations are well under way for our 73rd Annual Pilgrimage to Walsingham which this year takes place on Monday and Tuesday, 2nd and 3rd July. As I am sure many of you will already know, the English Bishops have asked for England to be rededicated as The Dowry of Mary in 2020. There will be a two year preparation period running up to this, starting this year. The Shrine will play an important role in these preparations and they are producing some materials to support these preparations. The Shrine Theme for the next few years will focus upon the Dowry rededication, featuring different aspects of what the Dowry means for today and what Catholics in England can learn through Our Lady. The Theme for this year will be “Preparing for the Dowry Rededication: This is your Mother” and will look at what it means for Our Lady to be Our Mother and for us to be her children. I will, of course, keep you updated on any publicity material if it becomes available prior to the pilgrimage. Our Lead Diocese this year is the Diocese of Middlesbrough and our pilgrimage will be led by Bishop Terence Drainey assisted by their Chaplain, Fr Bill Serplus. Mrs Jean Rigg, President of Middlesbrough, has the overall responsibility for the leading Diocese but her co-ordinator, Mrs Kath Stubbs, is dealing with the allocation of the beds at Walsingham and if you have any queries, or wish to make a booking, she can be contacted by email – kderekstubbs@aol.com. 2018 accommodation/meal costs are: Standard rooms Bed & Breakfast - £33.00 and En suite rooms Bed & Breakfast - £47.00. Evening meal - £11.00 and Packed lunch - £5.75. The 2018 Booking form appears in this edition of The Catholic Mother. The Ticket price remains at £8.00 which includes entry to the Abbey Grounds. The cut-off date for bookings is 18th June but we do ask that Foundations/members apply in good time to enable our Treasurer, Angela Mellors, to get tickets back to you in good time. Please check the Booking form regarding adequate envelope size and postage bearing in mind the number of tickets you are requesting. In view of changed publication dates for The Catholic Mother, please bear in mind that this may be the only issue that the Booking form will appear in. A reminder that the Booking form appears on our Website. Stewards – I will shortly be writing to all Diocesan Presidents requesting stewards to assist us on the day – please do come forward if you are asked as the Walsingham Sub-committee rely heavily on your help to ensure the smooth running of our pilgrimage. Again, last year, our numbers were considerably down, so we do hope that more of our members and friends will be able to join us this year. This is the only UCM event where we can all come together to pray, to be part of a spiritual pilgrimage and to share a lovely day together. With the start of the Dowry rededication, let us all take seriously Mgr. John Armitage`s challenge to us in 2015 when he asked that we all try to bring ONE extra person! - that would be wonderful. This year, of course, we will be welcoming our new National President, Mrs Margaret McDonald, who will lead the UCM pilgrimage and the Walsingham Sub-committee also look forward to welcoming you all to Walsingham to share our special annual pilgrimage. Maureen, Angela, Elizabeth and Paddy Walsingham Sub-committee. Walsingham Whispers “Preparing For The Dowry Rededication: This Is Your Mother” Quarterly Mass UCM National President Val Ward attended our quarterly mass at St Joseph’s Portishead, and at the end of the mass she presented 50-year certificates to 5 members of St Gerard Majella Foundation. After the Mass, members retired to the adjoining hall and over a tea or coffee met up with old friends and exchanged news. Entertainment was then provided by three fourteen-year-old sisters, the Shiel triplets, parishioners of St. Joseph`s parish. On the violin and oboe, they played a classical selection and then some of the old favourites, including Greensleeves and Danny Boy. Their contribution was much appreciated. After the entertainment Mrs. Val Ward, gave us a short account of her recent, hectic itinerary. Although the tone was light-hearted, there was a serious element to her address which gave us a feeling of unity and camaraderie. Mrs. Pat Uglow, our Diocesan President, spoke briefly and thanked us all for coming. We departed feeling spiritually and mentally up lifted. A great evening! Margaret Jones, St Joseph’s Foundation CLIFTON LIVERPOOL Charity Awards Fr David Potter, Liverpool Archdiocesan chaplain and Maria Bruns, President, with recipients of UCM’s 2017 charity awards: - The Priests’ Training Fund; Women’s Refuge; Swan Women’s Centre and Mother Theresa’s Missionaries of Charity. The event took place at the bi-monthly Mass at Blessed Sacrament Parish. Madeleine McDonald Media Officer 50 Year Certificates awarded Maria Bruns, Diocesan President, presented 5 members with 50 Year Certificates at a bi- monthly Mass at, St Anne’s Ormskirk, they were: Mary Forshaw, Monica Gamble, Chris Lea, Margaret Sheridan, Maureen Kenyon. How wonderful that at the same Mass, 6 new members were enrolled by Fr David Potter, Diocesan Chaplain they were: Joan Evans, Brenda McCormack, Maura Roche, Alice Edwards (St Anne’s) and Margaret McNeillie and Vera Palin (St Richard’s, Skelmersdale). Madeleine McDonald Media Officer Patty receives 70 Year award Patty Dixon Our Lady of Compassion Foundation, Formby received her 70 Year Certificate as a member of UCM, in the company of her fellow members of her foundation. A wonderful achievement. Madeleine McDonald, Media Officer Debbie Shelley, MBE This photograph of Debbie Shelley, an active member of St Paul`s Foundation, was taken at the presentation of an MBE by her Majesty the Queen. It was awarded for Services to the Community of South Sefton and to the Church of England. Debbie says that it was being asked by Canon Burrows of St Paul`s to start a pre- school nursery in the Parish with her friend Sue Glover, which started her off on her career. Being successful at that fired them both to enrol at university and obtain their Degrees. She then worked as a Family Support Worker for the Anglican Church, then on to be Resource Officer for the Diocese of Liverpool. Debbie developed Community Outreach Work in deprived areas, setting up debt advice, work with old people, and Youth clubs. She moved to Bootle, Merseyside to work as the Manager of St Leonard`s Youth and Community Centre, running similar activities. She and her colleagues run South Sefton Food-bank, with 10 distribution centres staffed by 120 volunteers. Although Debbie insists that the award is for everybody that she has worked with, we know that there has to be a dedicated leader, so we say many, many congratulations to her for the recognition she has richly deserved. Madeleine McDonald Media Officer

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Page 12 Spring 2018 The Catholic Mother Poets Corner Before it’s too late I almost went to church last Sunday but I couldn’t find the time, So much to do about the house to leave would be a crime! So, I brushed and sewed and polished and went wearily to bed, But I made a resolution “I’ll go next week instead” I almost went to church last Sunday but then an old friend came And to have closed the door on him would be an awful shame, So, we talked and chatted and gossiped until goodbyes were said. But I made a resolution “I’ll go next week instead.” I almost went to church last Sunday but something made me late, And unpunctuality is a sin I really hate! So, I didn’t go and stayed at home and to my conscience said “I’ll make a resolution to go next week instead.” I almost went to church last Sunday but my favourite programme was on, And by the time it had ended the time for church had gone. So, I stayed before the telly until the set was dead. I’ll make a resolution to go next week instead. I went to church last Sunday but alas, it was too late! The church was locked and silent, ‘FOR SALE’ was on the gate. And oh, how much remorse I felt, for the church it now was dead, And I knew it was I who killed it by going ‘next week’ instead. This was given to me by an Anglican friend a week after my much-loved church of St Thomas More, Chickenley, Dewsbury closed. I have now joined the UCM at my nearest Parish of St Ignatius in Ossett. Eileen Goodwin Media Officer They say that behind every great man there’s a great woman: at least they used to say that! Now they say that truly great men don’t acknowledge the woman behind them but the one at their side. Whatever of that - what I’d like to suggest is that behind many great saints there’s a great mother - and in a few cases these mothers have been so great that the Church has acknowledged them as not only behind their saintly children but at their side in glory - a saint themselves! You might be thinking of Mamma Margaret, the mother of St John Bosco, a poor widow who sacrificed herself for her son’s priestly education and early work, St Monica who prayed for the conversion of her son, St Augustine or the mother of Pope St John XXIII who, looking down at her wedding ring, when she met her son in all his episcopal finery said - “nice ring, Beppo but without this poor, simple one, you wouldn’t be wearing that precious one”. But the woman I want to introduce to you - perhaps you’ve already met her? - is the mother behind the young Carmelite nun that Pope Pius X described as “the greatest saint of modern times”. She is St Zélie Martin, the mother of St Thérèse of Lisieux - someone who not only shows that behind a great saint is a great mother but that behind the greatest saint of modern times is a great modern mother. Zélie ran a successful business - so much so that her saintly husband, Louis, became what we’d now call a house- husband. She loved nice things and wanted happiness but she also saw clearly that this world can never provide the great joy that the soul was made for. Her marriage was happy but she and her husband were very different. She struggled to have children, losing two boys and two girls in infancy. She had a child with special needs as well as one who was greatly gifted. She struggled with childcare, the never-ending needs of the poor and the emotional needs of her family and friends. She suffered and died from breast cancer while still trying to meet the needs of others. Like every modern Mum she was pulled in every direction yet somehow, she held on to a joyful spirit and an unshakable faith in God. Though she was dead by the age of forty-five, she had already set her+ family on the road to heaven. Zélie’s most famous daughter, St Thérèse, became known for her Little Way - a simple path of spiritual childhood that reaches for holiness by doing ordinary things with love. This way was both taught by parents and caught from the Holy Spirit. It’s no accident, though, that the mother of the Carmelite Doctor of the Church, had a lace-making business, wrote detailed recipes on the backs of envelopes, sent hundreds of letters to encourage family members and kept her accounts meticulously - all this was done with such love that it taught her daughter the secret of the ordinary: that anything done with love can offer a chance to know God better and the opportunity to catch hold of the beauty of His presence. Behind this great saint, Zélie there’s much for any modern mother to catch hold of and be taught by. Why not look behind the daughter and see? Fr. Philip Caldwell The Life of a Saint: St Zelie Martin Birmingham diocese will soon have its own occasional new sheet, containing local items. It will be called Ladies of Mercia. All UCM members living in the Diocese are also living in what was the Kingdom of Mercia before the Norman Conquest. The only female ruler in the Anglo-Saxon period was the Lady of the Mercians. She was Aethelflaed 870-918, daughter of Alfred the Great of Wessex who married Aethelred Lord of the Mercians. For those who watched the last series of The Last Kingdom Aethelred was much older in real life, and Aethelflaed wasn`t captured by the Vikings! Aethelred helped Wessex in fighting the Danes in the 1 890s and after his death in 911 Aethelflaed ruled in his place. After her death she was succeeded by her daughter and only child Aethelwynn. However, after a few months Aethelwynn was taken by her uncle King Edward the Elder of Wessex and disappeared, possibly becoming a nun. Mercia was absorbed by Wessex. But Aethelflaed wasn`t the only important Merican woman. The spread of Christianity in the kingdom was to a large extent due to the role of women. A number of daughters and wives of Mercian kings, other English kings and important men converted first and influenced their menfolk to also convert or at least allow Christianity to spread, followed then by the general population. Furthermore, these daughters entered the religious life and because of their status held important positions in the church and the land. Many became saints, venerated by the people amongst whom they lived for their good deeds and the miracles attributed to them. Penda who is regarded as the founder of Mercia had three daughters who became nuns and were later canonized. Eadburgh (Edburg) was originally buried in Bicester and the parish church is dedicated to her. Another Saint Edburga a daughter of King Ealdwulf of East Anglia had the patronage of King Wulfhere of Mercia and her relics are now in Southwell. Saint Frithuswith 650=727 was the daughter of a Mercian sub-king Dida of Eynsham and was the first abbess of an Oxford double monastery. The daughter of another Mercian sub-king was Mildburgh who became abbess of Wenlock monastery. Before this she had been sought in marriage by a neighbouring prince who resolved to have her, even by violence. She escaped across a river but the prince in pursuit was miraculously stopped by the river becoming so swollen that he couldn`t cross. Her older sister Midreth and younger sister Mildgyth were also saints and played important roles in Kent and Northumbria respectively. These are just a few of the many female saints who came from or lived in Mercia. As Mercian ladies we aren`t saints but we can follow their example in our own small way, by our faith, our prayers, our good deeds and our influence on those around us. Susan Martin Media Officer, Birmingham Archdiocese Local News Shoebox Appeal St. Aelred’s York UCM, decided on a working evening this year to fill their boxes for the Operation Christmas Child Appeal. With a great supply of empty boxes, first the members covered them with Christmas paper and they were filled according to the recommended age groups. These are now in church hoping that the number will be increased by parishioners, many of whom have filled boxes in the past. The time for collection is fast approaching before they are shipped outside the UK to children who have been affected by war, poverty, natural disasters. It’s a powerful way to share God’s love at Christmas. Kath Stubbs Media Officer MIDDLESBROUGH Christmas Lunch The Holy Name of Mary UCM, enjoyed a delicious Christmas lunch with all our members, friends and supporters at Middlesbrough College Waterside Brasserie. It was a fun occasion and we were able to support our local student’s culinary skills Jean Rigg Diocesan President

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The Catholic Mother Spring 2018 Page 13 Fr Paul Douthwaite was appointed as National Catholic Chaplain for Prisons, in succession to Monsignor Roger Reader who will leave the post at the end of the year. Fr Paul Douthwaite is a priest of the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle and he studied for the priesthood at the Franciscan Study Centre and the University of Kent at Canterbury, where he obtained an Honours Degree in Theology. He was ordained in 1998 as a priest for the Redemptorist Congregation and took up his first appointment in Liverpool at the Parish of Our Lady of the Annunciation, Bishop Eton and also became Chaplain to Saint Francis Xavier’s College. Additionally, in 1999 he was appointed Vocations Director and Co- ordinator of Youth Ministry for the Redemptorists within the United Kingdom. From 2003 till 2007, Fr Paul ministered as a Commissioned Chaplain in Her Majesty’s Royal Air Force. On returning to his home Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle in 2007 he took up various short-term appointments in hospitals, parishes, prisons and during this time completed further studies in Religious Education. For the past eight years Fr Paul has engaged in full time prison ministry, primarily at HMP Frankland, a High Security Prison in Durham, whilst offering Sacramental Support to a number of prisons across the Dioceses of Hexham & Newcastle and Middlesbrough. This appointment was approved by the Bishops at their Plenary Assembly in Leeds. His Eminence, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, President of the Conference said: On behalf of all members of the Bishops’ Conference, we are immensely grateful for the contribution that Mgr Roger Reader has made in the lives of prisoners and in the support of prison chaplains over many years of service. We echo all that Bishop Moth says and pray that his new ministry will be blessed and fruitful. We are delighted that Fr Paul will begin his work in this important post as National Catholic Chaplain. We are grateful for the generosity of Bishop Séamus Cunningham, his Bishop, in releasing him for this work. Fr Paul’s experience will well serve and support the chaplains in our prisons as well as those prisoners who benefit so much from the presence of Catholic Chaplains in their lives. Fr Paul said: I have been privileged to serve for some years in prison ministry, caring for the prisoners whom Jesus had most concern for in the Gospels. I am extremely humbled to be asked to take on this new role in which I will not only have the honour to advise the Bishops of England and Wales in matters concerning prisoners and prisons but also, on their behalf, provide pastoral care to the Roman Catholic Chaplains serving in over 120 prisons in England and Wales. I look forward to this mammoth task ahead, to working closely with Bishop Richard Moth, liaison Bishop for Prisons, and I pray that with God’s help I will be able to assist and enable our many Catholic Chaplains, Volunteers and Prison Staff to care for the prisoners, as Jesus asked, so that they may know a God of love and mercy. National Catholic Chaplain for Prisons Thank You I would like to say thank you to all my fellow members who so kindly sent me and my family their prayers and thoughts on the death of my dearest daughter Geraldine who died at the age of 47 years in November 2017. It is good to feel the umbrella of the UCM when you most need them. St. Margaret Clitherow pray for us all. Catherine Jones Independent Member SOUTHWARK Annual Carol Concert West Norwood Foundation celebrated their annual carol concert. The centrepiece was a beautifully decorated Christmas crib". Teresa de Bertodano UCM member Renewal and Long Service Canterbury Foundation held their Enrolment, Renewal and Long Service on the 16th September 2017 at St. Thomas parish. Mass celebrated by Canon Anthony Charlton Dory Foundation President Study Day POPE FRANCIS in LAUDATO SI says “THE POOR PAY FOR THE LIFESTYLE OF THE RICH” In Laudato Si, Pope Francis appeals to everyone to play their part in caring for our common home. How to do this was the subject of the Southwark Diocese Annual Study Day on Saturday 28th October, kindly hosted by St Joseph`s UCM, Br omley. Kevin Lawlor, an experienced volunteer from Cafod, promised us a busy and active session to explain global warming and why each one of us can make a difference in minimising the effects of climate change. He didn`t disappoint! He had us pondering concepts, making ethical choices in a simple and fun way and doing laps of the hall to reinforce our learning. Members of the diocesan committee led the group work in the afternoon, plenty of chatter there! The study day acted as a vehicle to cascade the message of Laudato Si, as well as an opportunity for sharing the friendship and fellowship of the UCM. We took home the message that each one of us can make a difference and help reduce the impact of global warming on the poor in developing countries. Catherine Rooms Study Day officer 80th Birthday St Anthony`s foundation Anerley celebrated their 80th Birthday on the 9th January. The members were delighted that Fr James Nolan, former parish priest was able to celebrate the mass. Fr Nolan was the Diocesan spiritual advisor for 19 years. Fr Nolan blessed our new banner. Mary Piper standing in for the diocesan president presented a certificate to our president Florence Clarke. Refreshments were served afterwards with a toast to the next 80 years. Mary Naughton

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Page 14 Spring 2018 The Catholic Mother Candles Delivered To Your Home Frankincense, Myrrh plus other scents , natural plant wax candles , no animal or paraffin derived ingredients ibelieve books 66 Loampit Vale Lewisham SE13 7SN email ibelievebooks@yahoo.com www.ibelievebooks.co.uk 0203 4905515 07982 913378 Boarbank Hall Contact: Sr Ildikó Boarbank Hall, Grange over Sands, Cumbria, LA11 7NH Telephone: 015395 32288 Website: www.boarbankhall.org.uk Canonesses of St Augustine of the Mercy of Jesus “She who accepts the common life possesses God” St Augustine A Warm Welcome to Everyone Prayer  Community  Hospitality  Care of the poor and sick Members were saddened to hear of the death of Past National President Sheila Goodchild, who died on 30th December 2017. Sheila was born in Brockley, South London in 1934, the third in a family of four children. She attended St Mary Magdalen’s Primary School (which is still going strong) in Brockley, although her schooling was disrupted during the war years when she and her siblings were evacuated to Wales. On returning she attended what was then the South East London Technical College and studied Domestic Science. However, this was not to be where her main interests lay and she left the college to work for the London Library in St James Square, and from there to Butterworth’s Press in Holborn. Here she made many close, lifelong friends, not least of whom was Tony Goodchild. Tony was working for the BBC at Bush House and each evening he used to call into the Butterworth office to leave his briefcase under Sheila’s desk, rather than carrying it home on the tube. The relationship gradually developed beyond the confines of the desk and eventually he was invited home to meet her parents. Sheila and Tony married in Brockley in 1966 on the day of the World Cup Football Final between England and Germany. On the way from the church to the reception at the Greenwich Naval College, the driver pulled into a layby so that they could listen to the closing minutes of the match via the car radio. Obviously they were not the only English people celebrating that day! Two years later they moved to Norfolk where Sheila worked as a civilian for the RAF at Swanton Morley, near East Dereham. As Welfare Officer her job entailed finding suitable housing for services personnel and their families, a role which required a large amount of tact and diplomacy, as she found herself having to pacify those who felt they should be given a better standard of housing vs. their colleagues. She was awarded the Queen’s Commendation Medal in 1982, for services to Welfare. It was during this time at Swanton Morley that Sheila joined the UCM Foundation at the church of the Sacred Heart and St Margaret Mary in East Dereham in the early 1970s. She was Treasurer and then President of the Foundation and then took on Diocesan responsibilities, again as Treasurer and then President. National office beckoned and she served on the Walsingham sub-committee for many years, helping to organise what is still the most important event in the UCM calendar, the Annual Pilgrimage to Walsingham. Further National positions followed culminating in her election to serve a three-year term as National President from 2009 to 2012, for which she was awarded the Benemerenti medal at the UCM Centenary Mass in Westminster Cathedral in 2013. By this time Sheila and Tony had retired to Suffolk, firstly to Aldeburgh, which was Tony’s birthplace and then to Saxmundham. On completion of her term of office, Sheila continued to work tirelessly at UCM activities, in her local Foundation (Our Lady and St Peter, Aldeburgh & Leiston) and within the Diocese of East Anglia, until Tony’s failing health required more and more of her time. During this same period she was also travelling frequently to South London to take care of her sister Paddy: Aldeburgh and the surrounding area is very poorly served by public transport and these journeys were long and arduous. Tony was hugely supportive and rightly proud of Sheila’s role in the UCM, often driving her long distances to meetings and events. He was frequently seen in the background at National Council and at Walsingham. He died in 2015 and not long after that Sheila’s own health began to deteriorate. She died on 30th December after a long period in hospital. Along with a good representation of other UCM members, I was able to attend Sheila’s funeral Mass and committal in Aldeburgh on 1st February. All the hymns had been chosen by Sheila and the church was filled with her friends. It was especially good to see East Anglia’s former Spiritual Adviser, Fr Henry McCarthy there to say his farewells - in his short address at the graveside he thanked Sheila and the UCM for taking him to places he would not otherwise have visited, even though on some occasions it meant getting up at 4am! Parish Priest Fr Tony Rogers had asked me earlier if anyone from the UCM wanted to speak at the end of Mass and my immediate reaction was ‘yes, of course’ as the UCM was such an important part of Sheila’s life and for many of us here in East Anglia, Sheila and the UCM were synonymous. So here are my personal reflections given to the congregation: It was during Sheila’s term as National President that I got to know her best; I was Diocesan President of East Anglia and although enthusiastic, what I lacked was the breadth and depth of UCM knowledge and experience, so I came to rely on Sheila’s calm good sense to keep me on track and avoid my treading on too many toes. I felt especially honoured when she asked me to write and read the Bidding Prayers at the Triennial Mass in St John’s Cathedral, Norwich, to mark the end of her term of office. Sheila used to telephone me quite often and if my husband answered he would shout out loudly ‘it’s The Boss’ much to her horror – as the very last descriptor of Sheila was ‘Bossy’. Quite the opposite, she was always supportive, a good listener and I never saw her try to impose her own will on anyone. Advise yes, insist, no. Thinking more about words to describe Sheila, I read a few of the comments on Facebook in response to the news of her death: ‘’warm and friendly” “left me with many happy memories” “a lovely lady” “always had a smile and a kind word” “genuinely cared about people” I can certainly endorse all of these especially that last point about caring for people, as whenever we spoke she would be eager to know how I was, how everyone else was and it was difficult to get her to spend any time talking about how she was, even when her health was obviously failing. She was a very private person and – refreshing in today’s media-focussed world of continuous ‘transmission’ – favoured listening and thinking. (Fr Tony also referred to this in his homily, in the context of the Beatitudes). Perhaps my most accurate descriptor for Sheila is ‘peacemaker’ as she would always try to deflect and defuse conflict – no easy feat when you’re chairing a meeting of 80+ women – and would quietly bring everyone back to what really matters, i.e. the importance of living out our Catholic faith to the best of our ability. And going back to the Beatitudes, I am sure that this makes her a true child of God. And now in conclusion, on behalf of the UCM, I want to thank Sheila for her long and strong commitment to the organisation which she held so dear. And to do that I should like to ask you all to join me in saluting her by saying our UCM Prayer. Every UCM meeting starts with this prayer and Sheila must have said it many hundreds of times, so it is fitting that we say it now as we bid her thank you and farewell. Anne Emblem National Vice President Sheila Goodchild RIP In January 2017, my friend Pam, asked me if I was willing to ‘Sleep out in aid of the Homeless’ of our city of Bristol. I was a creature of comforts and as much as I had occasionally done the Soup Run in the City Centre on a Saturday night, that was as far as I was prepared to go. However, not wanting to let Pam down, I agreed to keep her company. The problem was that I was expected to raise a minimum of £200 in sponsorship in less than four weeks. I was daunted by this thought but Pam was not going to let me off lightly. She said she had already collected more than £200 in sponsorship herself (as she had had more time to raise the money) so any remaining sponsorship could be allocated to me. I swiftly set to work and that week, Pam and I stood in front of our Community choir and asked if they would be generous enough to sponsor me. Pam, having been a Social Worker gave an impressive speech on the current homeless situation in our city as that evening it had been highlighted on our regional TV news programme. At the session break, we had the sponsor forms available and much to my amazement, choir members queued up to offer their sponsorship. Within five minutes, I had raised over £240 which was more than the initial goal! The following week-end I asked parishioners of St. Joseph’s Church, Portishead to sponsor me. I attended every Mass over the next few weeks and once more, I was overcome by parishioners’ generosity in sponsoring me to the tune of an incredible £800!! The choir also increased their total to £300. The night in question finally came at the end of February and I was nervous and apprehensive at the thought of sleeping out in the rain and cold. In the days beforehand, the weather had been very wet and windy. However, on the night in question we arrived at the Church of St. Philip and St. James (otherwise known as Pip’n’Jay) in central Bristol. We arrived early to get a good pitch. We settled down for the night and it remained dry throughout with very little wind, except for a slight drizzle at 10 pm. God was certainly watching over me! I have to say I was well wrapped up with waterproof sheeting and survival bag supplied to me by my local shops. I was far more comfortable than most people who sleep on the streets on a regular basis. Together with family and friends, what started off as a goal of £200 soon escalated beyond my wildest dreams to an overwhelming £1700! The money raised was donated to Crisis Centre Ministries which encompasses the Julian Trust, Caring in Bristol and St. Mungo’s. Later, at my Church they joked that this year they would not need to have a Christmas Fayre, they would just ask me to sleep out under the stars! Food for thought?............ Charmaine Furlong, St Joseph’s Foundation, Clifton Diocese Sleep Out 2017

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Funeral directors, who cares? The Catholic Mother Spring 2018 Page 15 To advertise please contact Caroline Gonella at CathCom on 07931 836926 or 01440 730399 or email carolineg@cathcom.org OBITUA RIES ARUNDEL & BRIGHTON DIOCESE Mary BOYD Chichester Foundation BIRMINGHAM ARCHDIOCESE Elsie BARR St Ambrose Foundation, Kidderminster Elsie WILKES St Ambrose Foundation, Kidderminster Geraldine BLANCHETT Corpus Christi Foundation Norma ROWLEY St Mary`s Foundation, Cannock Jean GORLIK St Mary`s Foundation, Cannock Nuella ENWRIGHT St. John the Baptist’s Foundation, Tamworth Norma ROWLEY St. Mary’s Foundation Cannock HALLAM DIOCESE Kathleen FOLEY St. Vincent`s Foundation, Sheffield LEEDS DIOCESE Lila HA RRISON St. Patrick’s Foundation, Birstall LIVERPOOL ARCHDIOCESE Appologies Father Bernard HIGHAM parish priest of Our Lady of Compassion, Formby has recently celebrated his 80th birthday and despite a recent illness is very much alive. Mary McCORD St Edward and St Mark’s Foundation, Betty VALENTINE St George`s Foundation Mary MA GUIRE St George`s Foundation Monica WILCOX St Clare`s Foundation Mary LAWLOR All Saints Foundation Rose MUSCATELLI All Saints Foundation Helen HEWITT St Albert`s Foundation June TRYNOR St Joseph`s, Foundation, Penketh Josie SMITH St Oswald`s Foundation Philomena FALLON St Teresa`s Foundation Ann SCHUMACHER St Teresa`s Foundation Edna LANGHAM St Thomas Foundation Sue KENDALL St Edmund`s Foundation Winifred SMITH St George`s Circle of Friends. NOTTINGHAM DIOCESE Mary CROSBY Treasurer, Holy Spirit Foundation, West Bridgford PORTSMOUTH DIOCESE Anne LAMBKIN past Diocesan President, Co-ordinator of NHRHS when the North and South sections joined. Anne was a recipient of the Catholic Women of the Year award. SALFORD DIOCESE Joyce GREENHALGH Guardian Angels Foundation, Bury Phoebe Mc NERNEY Guardian Angels Foundation, Bury Beryl BROOMHEAD Guardian Angels Foundation, Bury Helen SHEARER Welfare Officer, St Edmunds Foundation, Little Hulton, Maureen HEYES St Edmunds Foundation, Little Hulton, SOUTHWARK ARCHDIOCESE Margaret BARRATT Sheppey Foundation, Kent Margaret JONES Holy Cross Foundation, Catford Mavis BURGES West Norwood Foundation Irena Ward McLOUGHLIN Sheppey Foundation Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord Church Pews Uncomfortable? Why not try top quality upholstered foam pew cushions? Safefoam, Green Lane, Riley Green, Hoghton, Preston PR5 0SN www.safefoam.co.uk Freephone 0800 015 44 33 Free Sample Pack of foam & fabrics sent by first class mail When phoning please quote UCM101 Funeral directors and all those involved in the funeral industry have it tough. Day in day out, the role involves dealing with a lot of sadness, grief and loss. They also have to deal with very traumatic events - deaths through major incidents; the death of a child, violent deaths, murder, suicide, death due to the fault of others - from carelessness or negligence, terrorism, deaths in all kinds of horrific circumstances. Often, they don’t have anyone to talk to when it all gets too much or if they have had a very bad day. It can be pure chance whether a funeral director has access to professional counselling; some do, some don’t. In a Onepoll of 2000 UK adults, commissioned by the Art of Dying Well, almost half of UK adults (44.9%) think that funeral directors should have access to professional counselling. More than a third (36.85%) thinks that funeral directors must struggle with the constant theme of death and grief and 39.35% of those surveyed believe that they face more sadness than many other professions. Just over 1 in 5 UK adults (20.95%) assume that funeral directors often don`t have access to professional support if they have had a bad day at work. Paul Allcock, Director of Allcock Family Funeral Services in Norwich said: “Often funeral directors are the forgotten ones. We deal with the most difficult situations and scenarios on a daily basis. We are dealing with everyone else’s grief. We are not immune to grief ourselves and distress at some of the situations that we come across. I’m lucky that I’ve got a lot of family around me and we know when one of us is having a bad day. Not every funeral director in the country is in the same situation.” Adrian Forsey of Forsey and Son Funeral Directors, Glastonbury says: “I feel that we often devalue our own concerns when comparing them to the sometimes tragic losses of the bereaved family and feel guilty or selfish about seeking help. Vulnerability can especially arise within many small funeral directing companies of only one or two staff members who may not belong to professional organisations where support is available.” The survey is released on the Feast Day of St Joseph of Arimathea (31 August), the wealthy nobleman who buried Christ’s body in his own tomb after the Crucifixion. He is the Patron Saint of Funeral Directors, Undertakers and Morticians. About St Joseph of Arimathea, Paul Allcock says: “I have every intention of making sure that all my fellow funeral directors across the country are made aware of the help that is at hand for them through the intercession of this saint. We need all the support that we can get. On this day too, the Art of Dying Well publishes a new online Guide to Catholic Funerals and Cremations - www.artofdyingwell.org/what- is-dying-well/catholic-funerals-cremations/guide-catholic-funerals – a helpful step-by-step planner that sets out the options to anyone who is organising a Catholic funeral. Just as the Catholic Church has a wealth of experience in helping people to die well, so too does it have comforting rituals for those who are left behind. The guide gives answers to questions such as:  Burial or cremation  Reception of the body  Requiem Mass or Service of the Word  How can the family be involved?  What readings and music should there be?  What about a eulogy? Fr Tim Menezes of the Archdiocese of Birmingham says: “A good funeral is one where everyone feels welcome. It requires time spent with the family and listening to them. It needs careful preparation and planning. The local parish priest should be able to help you at this difficult time. The Catholic funeral well prepared and rooted in the Scriptures can be a real source of strength to the family in their grieving and in the natural questions that arise.” Kathryn Turner, head of the Department of Spirituality in the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle says: “The personal touch is so important. You can help so much by being there and listening. At a very bleak time for a family, we can be there for them and accompany them on that journey, from when someone has a diagnosis of terminal illness to their death and for as long as it takes afterwards.” Pope Francis said in one of his Wednesday Audiences: "Our loved ones have not disappeared into dark nothingness: Hope assures us that they are in God`s good and strong hands. Love is stronger than death." Catholic Communications Network Submitting copy for next issue The deadline for articles and photos for the next edition of the Catholic Mother is Friday 25th May 2018 Please send copy to Margaret Postill, National Media Officer, at catholic.mother@yahoo.co.uk Thank you

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Page 16 Spring 2018 The Catholic Mother

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