The Parents’ Paper issue 25 Summer 2018 Entertaining your Children this Summer Page 5 READ IT, LOVE IT, LIVE IT Continued on page 3 Continued on page 3 Come to the table… What does this mean to YOU? Teaching your child to ride a bike Page 8 An interview with Pope Francis Page 6-7

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2 • CathCom Reach • Summer 2018 At first glance, you may think that this edition of Reach is predominantly concerned with food! But of course, there is so much more to it than this… At first glance, you may think that this edition of Reach is predominantly concerned with food! But of course, there is so much more to it than this… The words ‘Come to the table’ contain an invitation in their meaning, but how well do we really understand this expression? Reach explores the connotations behind this phrase. Pope Francis reminds us of the huge problems of world hunger and poverty and we can ponder his words whilst alternately being encouraged at the prospect of the increasing number of food banks in this country, and also the work of charitable aid organisations. Don’t forget to take a look at our recipe page too – then you can enjoy those long cool summer drinks and that perfect picnic food! With summer still very much in mind, we have provided a huge list of places for you to visit with your children during the school summer break. We hope that you find this useful and we’d be interested in hearing your comments about the places you’ve visited. Also, there are some safety tips for children learning to ride bikes over the Summer. With all good wishes for a relaxing and peaceful summer. With all good wishes for a relaxing and peaceful summer. Julia Editor LEGAL DISCLAIMER ----------------------- The information and/or links in this publication are provided for catholic education and information purposes only. The Editor and Publisher (hereinafter referred to as CathCom) will endeavour to ensure that all the content of CathCom Reach is in keeping with the teachings of the Catholic Church. However CathCom is not responsible for the contents of any of the linked sites. Neither does CathCom necessarily endorse and/or support the views expressed by the information contained within those linked sites. A Dear Reader Reach is published in September, December, March, and June. By Phone: UK: 020 7112 6710 Ireland: 01 699 4407 Editorial Team Julia Beacroft Helen Layton editor@reachnews paper.com Advertising Caroline Gonella, carolineg@reach newspaper.com Contact us Head of Finance Claire Richardson Subscriptions Janet Took, janett@reachnews paper.com H ealth Educ. Advisor Helen Layton Website: www.ReachNews paper.com mention and/or listing of linked sites does not indicate CathCom’s endorsement of any organization`s and/or entity`s activities, reports, publications and/or programs. CathCom cannot be held responsible and/or liable for any damages, real, imagined, past, present or future from the information contained on any linked site and/or other sites that it links to hereafter. While we take reasonable steps to check our advertisers and linked sites are bona fide, readers should carry out their own checks before entering into any contract or arrangement. You may not modify, reuse, reproduce, or publish any content within this publication without the written permission of the Editor. ------------------------------------------ Please send articles for publication by email supplying photos separate to the text (i.e. in jpeg format). A couple had two little boys who were always in trouble. One day, their mother was feeling desparate, and decided she would ask the local priest to speak to the boys. The 8 year old went to meet with him first. The clergyman asked him sternly, `Where is God in your behaviour?` `What do you mean?` the boy replied. The priest said in an even sterner tone, `Where is God?`. The boy made no attempt to answer. So the clergyman raised his voice even louder and shook his finger in the boy`s face, `WHERE IS GOD?` The boy ran out of the room and charged home. His older brother followed him and when he caught up with him, asked what had happened. The younger brother replied, `We are in BIG trouble this time. God is missing and they think we did it.` is God?

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Summer 2018 • CathCom Reach • 3 Lucia (aged 9 years and 1 day) woke up one Saturday morning saying that she wanted to make a lemonade stall so that she could sell lemonade and treats to anyone passing our house. By Sunday morning, Lucia had made a lovely lemonade stall serving fresh lemonade with slices of lemons, treats for children and a photo of children who are part of The Reach Foundations feeding and education project in Malawi. As I sat and watched Lucia set up her stall, I was filled with pride. Lucia`s first customers arrived and asked for Lemonade and a chocolate treat. Over the next few hours Lucia sat smiling and talking to all passers-by, some stopped for Lemonade and some stopped for a chat about Lucia`s chosen charity. By 6pm, Lucia`s money pot was full and as she counted her pennies, she realised that she had made £41.00 for the children in Malawi. `I want all of the money to go to the children mum. To feed them and help them to have a big party.` Lucia didn`t take a penny for herself but went to bed feeling so proud. Lucia has made a big difference to people`s lives in just a matter of hours. The money will all go to The Reach Foundation UK and every penny will be used – nothing will go on administrative charges. A huge thank you to you Lucia! Please contact us if you would like to make a difference too or visit our website www.reachfoundationuk.org The Reach Foundation UK is still in its infancy but our charity spends every penny on those effected by poverty, ill health and lack of education. We would love you to be a part of it! Come to the table… (Continued from Page 1) WHEN MY OWN four grown-up offspring were children, my cry of either: ‘It’s on the table!’ or ‘Come to the table, it’s ready!’ could be heard most nights as I attempted to gather my family together for our evening meal. I believe it to be a common enough expression and most of us would immediately realise what it relates to. Yet interestingly, it can, in fact, imply a whole host of other associations. We refer to ‘laying our cards on the table’ meaning to be frank and honest, we ‘get our feet under the table’ denoting establishing yourself securely in a new situation and we ‘turn the tables’ when we reverse our position in a given situation. So all in all, tables of one sort or another seem to figure fairly predominantly in our conversations. In fact it is surprising how important a part tables appear to play in our lives. In board rooms deals are brokered around huge committee tables, friendships are forged and cemented over coffee tables in homes, cafes and restaurants, and fortunes have been lost over gaming tables. Yet if we look closely, we can perceive that it is not the table per se that holds the significance, but the activity which is taking place on or around it. And to take this further, the most meaningful activity is our interactions with each other. Even today, those on the margins of society whom Jesus loved – the poor, the marginalised and the sick – are often deprived of a table for meals or when they come together as family, friends or associates. But with or without a table they can still gather with their nearest and dearest and this is the crucial point. Our Lord Jesus Christ invites us to his table each time we attend Mass. This invitation is freely given to every single one of us as the Lord seeks each of us in love. Every time we approach the altar to receive the Body and Blood of Christ in Holy Communion the Lord welcomes us with open arms. Yet critically we can be assured of the love and peace that come from Jesus Christ whether we are old or young, male or female, rich or poor or from any country in the world. And the notion of coming to the table – whether for eating and drinking, celebrating, socialising, wheeling and dealing or being with the Lord – does not always necessarily mean literally. Lemonade for Malawi

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4 • CathCom Reach • Summer 2018 By Julia Beacroft How can we nourish others? WHILE MY SON was at primary school he won a prize. No big deal, you’re probably thinking; children win prizes at school all the time. And you would, of course, be quite correct. However, this prize was notable – not only because it was a poetry prize and my son hated poetry and English in general – but also because of the content of the poem. For reasons best known only to himself, he decided to write his masterpiece about – of all things – bacon! In fact the title of his poem, (and I use the term loosely), was ‘The Bacon Rap’. And incredibly, the triumphant ending to his epic verse was: ‘Bacon, bacon, comes from a cow!’ Naturally, despite the prize from the school, he’s never been able to live the joke down to this day! However, although hilariously funny, this event served as an excellent means of communication to us and to the school. It announced loudly and clearly that he certainly loved bacon! TAKEN OFF Today, communication has become increasingly important and is readily available in a veritable plethora of means and methods and social media, in particular, has ‘taken off’ in a way that no-one could have anticipated. It has actually become an integral part of our lives, with Facebook, Twitter and Instagram being universally used as an excellent way of keeping in touch with others and sharing ideas and opinions. In fact, the Pope himself tweets on a daily basis. Facebook and Twitter are particularly good at suggesting Saving our bacon! It would seem that many people go to weekend services expecting to receive encouragement, solace or inspiration. Essentially, they expect to be fed. These expectations now form what many consider to be the essence of a church’s mission or purpose. It’s to satisfy the appetite of the audience. Many church leaders advocate a similar consumer mind set for church involvement. They often say, “You need to go to a church where you’ll be fed.” In fact, many teachers and preachers believe it’s their job to satisfy this big appetite with ever-more- tempting platters of “deep” Bible readings, soaring oratory, and five steps toward a happier life. But what’s the outcome? Should people view their local church as a ‘spiritual fast-food joint?’ Is the prime objective to make sure parishioners amble out feeling well-fed? The church should strive to be the healthy Body of Christ, the community of believers coming together to experience and love God, and to love one another and the larger community. And so a Jesus- centred community where you can be the church, where you’re given full access to love one another, to experience God, and to exercise your faith would be the perfect community in which to receive all you and others need. Are you ‘fed-up’ with church? ‘friends’ and ‘followers’ as a way of putting people in touch with each other and connecting them. In the same way, as we attempt to spread the Gospel message, we ourselves are connectors – we connect others to the providential love and grace of God. In so doing our methods of communication are all important, whether this involves talking about our faith, listening to others or helping our neighbour. Even such a basic action as a smile, greeting or kind word to another person is hugely important. It is surprising the way that such small moments of kindness and friendliness can make an enormous difference to the lives of others, and in so doing possibly plant a seed of faith which could germinate and grow. When we behave in this way, we are living the Gospel in action. And although there can, and have been problems with social media and sometimes trivia or even nonsense have been posted on it, let’s not forget that it is also an excellent medium or connector for evangelization, as it reaches out to the whole world with ease. Ironically, Pope Francis himself tweeted: ‘A Christian’s mission in the world is splendid, it is a mission intended for everyone, it is a mission of service, excluding no one!’ CONNECTORS In today’s technological world our communication systems are more advanced than ever as we email, skype, snapchat and routinely use social media. Rightly or wrongly, letters and former written methods of communication are rapidly becoming an anachronism. Yet conversely our role as connectors of our Christian faith remains essentially unchanged. May we always embrace any method of communication to bring others to the Lord, so he may take his place in their lives and ‘save their bacon’. Copyright © 2018 Julia Beacroft. All rights reserved. Torquay Community Larder (Foodbank) has grown from providing over 600 meals per month to more than 1300 meals. There are approximately 60 volunteers from across the different churches and volunteers are of any faith, or none. It provides emergency food parcels for individuals and families who find themselves in need. “It is our intention to provide a ‘hand up not simply a hand out’ which many guests have begun to realise as they start to turn their lives around.” The Torbay Churches’ Community Larder is a great example of a practical Christian response to supporting people facing challenging circumstances. Liverpool: ‘A warm welcome into a safe environment, a listening ear from trained volunteers and a food parcel. Practical guidance and support: Foodbank volunteers are driven by love, compassion and the willingness to help. It is their aim to take the time to listen and make others feel supported during your visit to the foodbank. They are specially trained to identify and offer practical guidance to help tackle the underlying cause of your referral to the foodbank and will work with you to make sure you have access to appropriate support. All different kinds of people volunteer at foodbanks for different reasons, but everyone involved has the shared aim of providing caring support for people in their local community.’ GET INVOLVED IN YOUR LOCAL FOODBANK!

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Summer 2018 • CathCom Reach • 5 ● Organise a treasure hunt around your home and garden with clues and treats for the children to find ● If it’s dry outside go to the park or take a nice walk somewhere quiet with the children ● If you have a tent, arrange a camping trip in your garden with the children for one night! ● Kites are great if it’s a windy day and they can be bought from bargain shops very cheaply. The park is a great place to fly them! ● Take the kids to the cinema! There are usually lots of child-friendly films showing in the school holidays. It’s an ideal activity if the great British summer lets you down! ● Be a Tourist in Your Own Town or City - every town has monuments and the chances are that you`ve never seen them! Pretend you`re a tourist visiting your own town and research the local sites, fun hot-spots, monuments and their history for a fun, unique staycation. And the best thing is you get to sleep in your own bed at night! ● If it’s not too far, visit the beach and collect shells. ● Take a picnic to a local park. ● Go canoeing at a local lake. ● Go biking on a trail ● Go ice skating ● Go roller blading ● Go ten-pin bowling ● Go fishing or crabbing ● Go fossil hunting near a lake ● Play mini-golf -- or set up a course in your driveway by laying different size containers on their sides ● Visit an amusement park or water park ● Wade through a stream and search for minnows or tadpoles. ● Visit an aquarium ● Go horseback riding ● Go to a flea market ● Attend an outdoor festival or concert. ● Pick a nearby town to visit for the day. ● Visit a cave. ● Take in a fireworks exhibit Out and about with your children this summer..! The school summer holidays have rolled around again and with the unpredictable British climate it can be a struggle to keep your offspring entertained for six weeks. With this in mind, we’ve compiled a HUGE list of places for you to visit with your children, and some of these are not weather dependent either! ● Check to see if your local council swimming pool offers free or reduced-fee entrance in the school holidays. ● Museums and galleries often have new exhibitions and events running in the summer. Many art galleries put on special events for children and families - this could be just the thing to stimulate your child`s artistic streak. ● Check out your local leisure centre - there are plenty of indoor sports and activities they can participate in. ● Visit your local or nearest zoo – it’s a great day out for all the family and a wonderful experience for the children to see animals from other parts of the world. ● Check the websites of your local council and tourist information centres for local days out, or scan the local papers and community centres to see what`s going on in your area. ● Many libraries hold events such as story time, and arts and crafts days. Libraries are also a great source of activity in themselves, with plenty of books and computers to keep children busy. And when you’ve done all that – take a breather!

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6 • CathCom Reach • Summer 2018 Pope Francis rarely grants interviews. For some months The Big Issue, alongside our street paper colleagues, worked on securing a meeting. Then it happened. On October 27, Marc, a former magazine vendor from Straatnieuws, The Big Issue equivalent from the Dutch city of Utrecht, headed into the Vatican and sat down with the leader of the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics. Marc (pictured below) was accompanied by Dutch journalists Stijn Fens and Jan- Willem Wits from Trouw newspaper…. It is still early when we arrive at the service entrance of the Vatican, to the left of Saint Peter’s Basilica. The Swiss Guards have been informed of our arrival and let us pass. We head to the Domus Sanctae Marthae because that is where Pope Francis lives. The Domus Sanctae Marthae is, in all likelihood, the most unique hotel in the world. A large white building where cardinals and bishops stay while serving in or visiting the Vatican, it is also the official residence of the cardinals during the Conclave. They are expecting us. Two ladies behind the reception desk, just like in any hotel, kindly indicate a side door. The meeting room has already been prepared. It is a fairly large space, with a desk, a sofa, tables and chairs, and is the Pope’s meeting room during the week. Suddenly, the Pope’s official photographer appears. “The Pope is arriving,” he whispers. And before we know it, he walks into the room. He is carrying a large white envelope. “Please, sit down, friends,” he says with a gentle wave of his hand. “How nice to have you here.” Close up, he gives the impression of a calm, friendly man, who is at the same time both energetic and precise. An Interview with ... Pope Francis THE IDEA OF HOME Holy Father, what do you remember about the street you grew up on? What images come into your mind when you recall the streets of your childhood? From when I was one year old to when I entered the seminary, I always lived on the same street. It was a simple neighbourhood in Buenos Aires, with one and two-storey homes. There was a small square, where we played football. I remember that I used to sneak out of the house to play football with the boys after school. My father worked in a factory that was just a few hundred metres away. He was a bookkeeper. And my grandparents lived within 50 metres. We were all just a few steps from one another. I also remember the names of the people, when as a priest I went to give the sacraments, the final comfort for so many, who called for me and I went, because I loved them. These are the memories that first come to mind. She gave me a medal of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which I still carry with me every day Were you any good at football? No! In Buenos Aires, those who played football like me are called ‘pata dura’. Which means having two left legs! But I played anyway; often I was the goalkeeper. How did your personal commitment to the poor begin? A woman who worked in our home three times a week to help my mother comes to mind. She helped with the laundry, for example. She had two children. They were Italian and had survived the war; they were very poor but they were very good people. And I have never forgotten that woman. Her poverty struck me. We were not rich. Normally we made it to the end of the month but not much more. We didn’t own a car, we didn’t go on vacations or things like that. But she often needed even the most basic items. They didn’t have enough, and so my mother gave her things. She eventually went back to Italy, and then later she returned to Argentina. I found her again when I was the Archbishop of Buenos Aires, and she was already 90. I was able to assist her until her death at the age of 93. One day, she gave me a medal of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which I still carry with me every day. This medal – which is also a memento – is very good for me. Would you like to see it? [Pope Francis pulls out the medal, now completely discoloured after years of use.] With this, every day I think of her, and of how she suffered from poverty. And I think of all the others who have suffered. I wear it, and I use it to pray… What is the Church’s message for those who are homeless? What is the concrete meaning of Christian solidarity for them? Two things come to mind. Jesus came into our world without a home, and he chose poverty. Then, the Church seeks to embrace us all, and says that it is a right to have a roof over your head. Popular movements work toward the three Spanish Ts: trabajo [work], techo [roof] and tierra [land]. The Church teaches that every person has the right to these three Ts. You often call for heightened attention for the poor and for refugees. Are you not wary that this might lead to an overload in the media? We all have the temptation – when we have to face an issue that is not pretty, that is difficult to talk about, to say: “Oh, let’s not talk about this any more: this thing is just too difficult.” I understand that the possibility of overload exists but I do not fear it. I must continue to speak about the truth and about the way things are. It is your duty? Yes, it is my duty. I feel it inside me. It is not a commandment but as individuals we all must do so.

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Summer 2018 • CathCom Reach • 7 ON POVERTY AND WEALTH Your namesake Saint Francis embraced radical poverty and even sold his gospel book. As Pope, and the Bishop of Rome, do you ever feel under pr essure to sell the treasures of the Church? That is an easy question. They are not the treasures of the Church but rather the treasures of humanity. For example, if tomorrow I wanted to auction off Michelangelo’s Pietà, I couldn’t because it is not the property of the Church. It is located in a church but it belongs to all humanity. This is true for all the treasures of the Church. But we have begun to sell the gifts and other things that are given to me. And the proceeds from the sales go to Monsignor Krajewski, my Almoner [Archbishop Konrad Krajewski, who is in charge of distributing money to the poor]. And then there is the lottery. There were some cars that were sold or given away with a lottery, and the proceeds were used for the poor. There are some things that can be sold, and these are sold. You do realise how the wealth of the Church might create this type of expectation? Yes, if we were to make a catalogue of all the Church’s possessions, we could think: the Church is very rich. But with the Concordat with Italy of 1929 on the Roman Question, the Italian government at the time offered the Church a large Roman park. The Pope at the time, Pius XI, said: No, I only want half a square kilometre, in order to guarantee the Church’s independence. This principle is still valid. Yes, the Church possesses a great deal of real estate assets but we use them to maintain the Church’s structures and to fund the many works carried out in needy countries: hospitals, schools. Yesterday, for example, I had €50,000 sent to the Congo for the construction of three schools in poor villages; education is so important for children. I went to the administration, I made the request and the money was sent. Holy Father, can you imagine a world without poverty? I want a world without poverty. We need to fight for that. But I am a believer, and I know that sin is always within us. And there is always human greed, the lack of solidarity, the selfishness which creates poverty. That is why it is difficult for me to imagine a world without poverty. If you think of the children exploited for slave labour or of children exploited for sexual abuse. And another form of exploitation: killing children to remove their organs, organ trafficking. Killing children for their organs is greed. That is why I don’t know whether we will ever have a world without poverty because there is always sin, and it leads to selfishness. But we must always fight… always. The interview has finished. We thank the Pope. He thanks us as well and says that he enjoyed our chat very much. Then he takes the white envelope that has been next to him on the sofa the whole time and takes out a rosary for each of us. Photos are taken, and then Pope Francis bids us goodbye. As calm and relaxed as when he arrived, he walks out of the door. Ready for his next appointment. Courtesy of INSP News Service; INSP.ngo/Straatnieuws. Translated from Italian to English by Translators without Borders ON POLITICS Do you not fear that your support for the homeless and other groups plagued by poverty might be exploited politically? How can the Church speak out so that it has influence and, at the same time, manage to steer clear of political posturing? There are paths that lead to errors at that point. I would like to call attention to two temptations. The Church must speak the truth and also with a testimony: the testimony of poverty. The believer who speaks of poverty or of the homeless but who lives a life of luxury: that will not do. This is the first temptation. The second temptation is making agreements with governments. Certainly agreements can be made but they must be clear agreements, transparent agreements. For example, we manage this building but the accounts are all closely controlled, in order to avoid corruption. Because the temptation for corruption is always present in public life. Both political and religious. I remember once that I saw, with great pain, when Argentina under the military regime entered into war with Great Britain over the Falkland Islands, that people donated items to charity – and I saw many people, including Catholics, who were responsible for distributing those things to the needy and who instead took those items home for themselves. The danger for corruption is always present. I meet people, I greet them, and this makes the golden cage a bit less of a cage. But I miss the street Do you believe that up to now under your pontificate you have been able to achieve a change in mentality, for example in politics? I am not sure how to respond. I don’t know. I do know that some have said that I was a communist. But that’s a category that is a bit antiquated [he laughs]. Perhaps today we use different words to say that… Marxist, socialist… They’ve said all those, too.

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8 • CathCom Reach • Summer 2018 Teaching your child to ride a bike safely The first step to riding a bike is learning how to balance, steer and pedal. Here are some quick tips to get you started: ● The best ages to start is between 4 and 6 years old ● Start by getting them to balance and don’t focus on pedalling yet. You could even remove the pedals if it helps ● Set the correct saddle height ● Find somewhere open, flat and not on grass ● Don’t hold onto the handlebar as your child will be working against you and won`t get used to balancing the bike ● Instead, hold your child from behind, under the arms to steady them ● When they are ready for you to let go, stay along side them - if they fall it may put them off for life ● Make sure your child has a helmet that fits properly. The majority of accidents are caused by falling off a bike or riding into something so even at this stage a helmet is important. Obviously pavements are for pedestrians not bikes, however, children need a step between riding at the park and going out on the road - especially in a busy area. Here are some things to consider: ● Make sure your child avoids pedestrians ● Elderly people may be very scared of a bike coming towards them - make sure they keep their distance - or push the bike! ● IMPORTANT: ride on the pavement on the correct side of the road if possible. WHY?... If a car pulls out of a drive - they will look at the traffic coming towards them. If you child is cycling on the correct side of the road is more likely to see them on the pavement. Many children are knocked off their bikes when a car pulls out of a drive. ● they MUST remember to stop at junctions and only carry on if it is safe to do so. Cars will not be expecting a bike to pull out from the pavement - so they must always stop and either walk or only cycle if its safe. ● If they are cycling next to cars - tell them to be careful in case a car door opens. Stage 1 - Learning the Basics Stage 2 - Riding on the Pavement Stage 3 - Riding on the Road As a guide - children under the age of 10 should be supervised on the road - but only you know if your 10 year old is ready. Before going anywhere near a road, check you child has remembered everything they have learnt so far: ● Wear a helmet ● cycle on the correct side of the road with the traffic ● Do not go across the road or a junction until you know it is safe Teach them some basic concepts: ● Make sure they know who has the right of way at a junction. They need to be clear on this even if they panic or lose concentration. ● It is important not to panic or feel pressured to go faster. If they are unsure - find a safe place to stop and get off the bike. ● Don`t follow the person in front - check for yourself that it is safe. ● Even if it is your child`s right of way they need to check it is safe - don`t assume drivers have seen you. ● Cycle behind other people not next to each other to give cars space to get round. ● Use hand signals - even if your child makes a mistake, a driver can avoid them if they know what they are doing. ● Car doors can open without warning so if they cycle next to parked cars they should slow down and be ready to stop. ● They have to think a bit more like a car than a pedestrian. Drivers won`t always think like a cyclist. Prepare your child but don`t scare them. Find a quiet road to practice on and make sure: ● they are confident making hand signals whilst steering the bike safely. ● they are able to look around them whilst cycling safely. ● their breaks work well. ● they can be seen - wear bright clothes and have working lights ● they wear a helmet. You are 14 times more likely to end up in hospital if you are not wearing your helmet. Look online for more tips and videos to help you teach your child to ride safely. Better still, if your school doesn`t run a bike safety course find one nearby.

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This easy recipe is a great way to use up a pick-your-own glut of blackcurrants and makes a refreshing summer drink Ingredients 300g golden caster sugar Zest and juice of 2 lemons 450g blackcurrants Method 1. Put the sugar in a large saucepan with 300ml water. Bring to a simmer then add the lemon zest and juice followed by the blackcurrants. Cook the mixture over a medium heat until the blackcurrants start to soften and burst. 2. Pour the mixture through a sieve lined with muslin into a clean, heatproof jug then transfer to sterilised bottles. Keeps in the fridge for up to 1 month. 3. Serve approx. 25ml of cordial per 100ml sparkling or still water, or dilute to taste Oh, those summer recipes…. Long cool drinks and perfect picnic food! Summer 2018 • CathCom Reach • 9 Blackcurrant cordial MAKES 1 LARGE JUG - ENOUGH FOR 6 Mix up a jug of this refreshing, still, cloudy lemonade made from zingy lemons and plump raspberries Ingredients 8 lemons plus extra slices to serve 200g caster sugar, plus extra to taste 140g raspberries plus extra to serve Ice, to serve Method 1. Pare the zest from the lemons with a peeler, removing as little white pith as possible – cut away any pith you can from the strips. Juice the lemons and mix the juice, zest, sugar and raspberries with 1.2 litres of boiling water. Let cool, then sieve, pressing through juice with the back of a spoon. Add sugar to taste and chill in jugs. 2. To serve, add a few lemon slices, raspberries and lots of ice. Homemade pink lemonade PREP: 20 MINS COOK: 30 MINS MAKES 18 The classic sausage roll has had a makeover - by using spicy chorizo in the filling. Perfectly portable picnic treats! Ingredients 375g puff pastry Flour for dusting 2 large potatoes, diced 225g chorizo ring Small pack parsley, roughly chopped 2 tbsp nigella seeds 1 egg, beaten Method 1. First, roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle, roughly 32 x 20cm. Cut in half so you have 2 long rectangles, place on baking parchment on a baking sheet and chill in the fridge. 2. Put the potatoes in a large pan of salted water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, cook until just tender (about 5 mins), drain and leave to cool. 3. Meanwhile, remove the chorizo skins and put the meat in a food processor. Add the parsley, 1 tbsp nigella seeds and the cooled potatoes, and pulse everything together, being careful not to break up the potato chunks too much. 4. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/Gas 6. Take the pastry out the fridge and shape the chorizo mix into two long sausages. Put each in the middle of the pastry pieces and brush the edges of the pastry with the beaten egg. Bring the pastry together on one side to enclose the filling and seal by pressing the pastry with a fork. Cut the rolls into 9 pieces each (about 5cm long) and arrange on two baking trays. Brush with egg and scatter over the remaining nigella seeds. Bake for 25-30 mins until golden and cooked through. Leave to cool completely before packing for your picnic. Spanish sausage rolls PREP: 25 MINS COOK: 12 MINS MAKES 12 What could be more British than this scone and coronation chicken combo? Ideal for a summer party or picnic! Ingredients For the scones: 225g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting 1 tsp baking powder 140g cold butter, chopped into small pieces 150ml milk 1egg, beaten For the filling: 3 cooked chicken breasts, finely chopped or shredded 100g mango chutney 2 tsp mild curry powder 150g pot natural yogurt 75g mayonnaise Small bunch coriander, chopped Small bunch mint, chopped Juice ½ lemon ½ cucumber, peeled into ribbons 1 small red onion, thinly sliced Method 1. First, make the scones. Line a baking tray with baking parchment and heat oven to 220C/200C fan/ Gas 7. Put the flour and baking powder in a large bowl, add 1 /4 tsp salt and mix well. Tip in the butter and rub into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the milk and use a cutlery knife to mix the ingredients together until they clump into a soft dough. 2. Tip onto your work surface and knead briefly to incorporate any crumbs. Flour the surface well and roll the dough out to a thickness of about 1.5cm. Use a 7cm biscuit cutter to stamp out 12 circles – you may need to combine the scraps back together and re-roll to make all 12. Arrange over the baking trays, brush the tops with a little beaten egg and bake for 10-12 mins or until golden brown. Set aside to cool while you prepare the filling. 3. Mix the chicken, chutney, curry powder, yogurt, mayo, herbs, lemon juice and some seasoning in a bowl. Chill until you’re ready to assemble. 4. To serve, split the scones and make sandwiches with the coronation chicken, cucumber and red onion. Fix the scones together with a skewer, if you like. Take them on your picnic – and enjoy! Coronation chicken scones

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10 • CathCom Reach • Summer 2018 Our website has moved to www.Reach Newspaper.com LOOKING ACROSS THE garden, I am watching all sorts of growth and promise. Things I had discovered, but had forgotten all about, things I had forgotten I had planted in the last hurrah of the previous year’s The wonders of nature By Fr. Mark Skelton summer, things I had moved during the autumn and winter, which then began poking their heads up! But once I got over that shock, it is a brilliantly exciting prospect, as I am still not always sure what that new ‘lodger’ is. The fruit trees are sending out leaves and blossom and I am expectantly wondering whether the apricot, cherry or plum trees might give me some fruit in this, their first summer and whether the two apple trees will have forgiven me for my attempt at giving them a branch cut and will also be prepared to give me some fruit. At the moment the scrubby trees at the side of the garden bordering the road are regularly full of Tits and Sparrows as they squabble over the feeding stations. My woodpile continues to behave like a magic porridge pot and never seems to rot down too far before it is replenished by cut-down buddleia or sycamore branches, which never seem to stop growing. Both these areas are alive with birds and birdsong but as yet I am not aware of any nests or prospects of these. In the same way, the six bird boxes appear to be unused so far, although I have watched Blue Tits, Sparrows and Great Tits all trying them out for size earlier in the year. Yet as with so many things in the garden, they can’t be forced to make use of what I am offering. My clearing away of the huge areas of bramble and rogue Rose on one side of the garden, enabled me to create the wildflower meadow which bees and butterflies have thrived upon. However, where I did the same thing against another of the walls, exposed the very sensitive, (especially to cold temperatures,) Brugmansia – or as I thought it was called –Datura. It had survived the first two winters after I had found it hidden in the undergrowth, because Teignmouth is not renowned for its Arctic conditions. But the two glorious visits of the ‘Beast from the East’ in March of this year wreaked havoc on its fragile nature. I had to bite the bullet and cut it back until I found sap rising in the branches. I just hope something may spring from its seemingly dead frame. The weeks leading up to and the weeks stemming from Easter are all about new life coming from the brutal and seeming finality of a superficially unnecessary death. Our Christian faith is about God realizing that humanity would not understand what He was offering unless it was communicated to us in words and actions that we could grasp and recognize. I don’t equate with the wonder of the Incarnation my inability to communicate with the birds that take the food but fly away the moment I move too suddenly, or who smell me on the bird boxes and cannot yet trust. Except that it is because our God did communicate in our language; the language of humanity, sacrifice and love, that we could begin to believe. Even if this is but half believing. Maybe, just maybe, the Brugmansia will send out some shoots, maybe, or more than maybe, resurrection is a reality, not in a fairy-tale of faux-history, but in the extraordinarily ordinary action of God drawing new life from what seemed ended, finished and ruined.

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Summer 2018 • CathCom Reach • 11 Anyone for Service? Our latest sports themed design features tennis with verses from Psalms and Corinthians. Sizes 4-7 and 6-11. T: 01671 404 043 M: 07918 184 539 E: info@holysocks.co.uk W: www.holysocks.co.uk Getting Active Have you ever really considered the positive impact physical activity has on your children? Being physically active on a daily basis will improve your children`s lifelong health and well-being. Physical activity can include sports, planned exercise, play, games, physical education, recreation and even chores both at school, at home and in your community. All it takes is 60 minutes a day. This can be carried out in one 60-minute period or can divided into two slots of 30 minutes per activity. Just 60 minutes a day can help children to: ● Maintiain a healthy weight ● Build on social skills ● Reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression ● Improve mood ● Build strong bones and promote muscular fitness ● Develop coordination ● Help children sleep better at night Did you know that regular physical activity has been proven to help prevent and treat what is known as Non-Communicative Diseases (NCD`s)? Here are some examples of NCD`s: ● Heart disease ● Colon and Breast Cancer ● Stroke and Diabetes. Physical activity can also help reduce high blood pressure, obesity and osteoporosis. Recent research has proven that physical activity improves mental health for both adults and children. It has highlighted that children who are physically active tend to do well academically, have a better school attendance and are able to demonstrate good cognitive performance in class – i.e. good memory and concentration. Associate Medical Director of the British Heart Foundation, Dr Mike Knapton, says that: `Encouraging more children to stay active outside of school will undoubtedly improve the future cardiovascular health of our population.` Therefore, the change does not just stop with our children but can affect an entire population if we all do it together. Even though there are an increasing number of us are starting to understand the importance of physical activity, much of the world’s population is actually becoming less active. This inactivity is largely due to the changes in our cultural values, transport systems and technology. In response to the global population becoming less active, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has put together a global action plan. This plan aims to encourage people of all shapes and sizes, young and old and from all economic backgrounds, to increase their daily activity. If you don’t walk to school – why not start now. If it is too far park further away or get off the bus one stop early and walk the last bit. Go for a walk in the park each day, gradually make it longer and longer. Think of something sporty you can do as a family that you all enjoy. If you think about it, in taking on some of these physical activities, we, as a community, will see the enormous health benefits through increased health and wellbeing across our population. We will see better economic growth for our countries as productivity increases and we all take less time away from work due to ill health. Mental health will be increased and we will conserve our environments as we invest in them to aid our own health and well-being - and the list goes on! All of this through 60 minutes of physical activity or you, your children, friends, relatives and community! Make the change in your health today and invest in your future. For more information you can visit: www.who.int/ncds/prevention/physical-activity/global-action-plan-2018-2030/en/ www.bhf.org.uk/news-from-the-bhf/news-ar chive/2017/september/study-finds-physical-activity- outside-of-school-is-vital-for-child-health www.nhs.uk/change4life/activities

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12 • CathCom Reach • Summer 2018 ACROSS 1 Christian sect named after an Egyptian of Hellenistic and Roman times (4) 3 Follower – a title used to depict an Apostle of Christ (8) 9 Calls; dials (5,2) 10 Surpass; stand out (5) 11 14th century religious reformer whose adherents were called Lollards (4,8) 14 Centre; heart (3) 16 Existed; stayed (5) 17 East Anglican tributary of the Great Ouse (3) 18 Popular title for any of the RC medieval bands of nobles faithful to the Papacy (5,7) 21 Pious, often mystical, Jew (5) 22 Province of the Roman Empire in Anatolia visited by Paul, Silas and Timothy (7) 23 Tundra and forest peoples (aka Nenets) and spitz- type dogs of NW Siberia (8) 24 Detect; spot (4) DOWN 1 Swiss philosopher (1876-1961) who originated the concept of introvert and extrovert personality (4,4) 2 Satirical magazine founded in 1841, aka The London Charivari (5) 4 Mischief-maker; little devil (3) 5 Natural region of northern Northumbria (7,5) 6 World`s greatest ocean (7) 7 ---- Fitzgerald, `The First Lady of Song` (4) 8 Day of fasting and repentance (3,9) 12 ----- in holy orders = cleric (5) 13 Legate (8) 15 Mature; develop (7) 19 Africa natives involved in the Rwandan civil war and subject to genocide (1994) (5) 20 As a result (4) 22 Divine being (3) Q1. In which battle did Napoleon die? - his last battle Q2. Where was the Declaration of Independence signed? - at the bottom of the page Q3. Scioto River flows in which state? - liquid Q4. What is the main reason for failure? - exams Q5. What should you never eat for breakfast? - Lunch and dinner Q6. What looks like half an apple? - The other half Q7. If you throw a red stone into the blue sea what will it become? - Wet Q8. How can a man go eight days without sleeping? - No problem, he sleeps at night. Q9. How can you lift an elephant with one hand? - You will never find an elephant that has one hand. Q10. If you had three apples and four oranges in one hand and four apples and three oranges in the other hand, what would you have? - Very large hands Q11. If it took eight men ten hours to build a wall, how long would it take four men to build it? - No time at all, the wall is already built. Q12. How can you drop a raw egg onto a concrete floor without cracking it? - Any way you want, concrete floors are very hard to crack. 12 Great Answers!!!

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