September/ October 2020 FREE A warm postcard welcome back to Mass – page 6 Review set for Walsingham development plans – page 7 Peter is one of four summer ordina t ions – page 8 Newspaper of the Diocese of East Anglia East Anglia Catholic www.rcdea.org.uk Virtually all Catholic churches across East Anglia re-opened their doors for collective pub - lic worship at the start of July after an historic three-month lockdown across the whole country. Keith Morris reports. n The re-opening followed the relaxation of government guidelines. The Dean of St John the Baptist Cathe - dral in Norwich, Canon David Paul, warmly welcomed the return in the first public Mass held at the cathedral for nearly three months, on Saturday morn - ing, July 4. “We have been fasting from the Eucha - rist and have not been fed with the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus. There has been a real sorrow that we have not been able to share in the Mass with our brothers and sisters in the faith,” said Canon Paul in his homily. “But we have now come back as God’s family to receive Jesus in the Holy Sacra - ments. We have a new opportunity for a better relationship – Jesus talks about the new wine and the new wineskins. Everyone of us can have a new vision of what it means to be in Christ. We are new, restored and made whole. Let us all see this as an opportunity to renew our faith and grow in love for the Lord with one another. We have been prepared over the last few months for this new beginning.” Canon Paul was speaking to a congre - gation of around 60 people, socially distanced across the vast cathedral, and across the Diocese of East Anglia all but a handful of churches in the 53 parishes were due to resume public Masses this weekend. Speaking a few days earlier to Radio Maria England, based in Cambridge, Canon Paul said: “This has been an awful time for many people in our coun - try – when we think of all of the people who have died and their families. But we also remember the heroic work in the hospitals which we thank God for. “But this is still serious and we need to take great care, but let’s always put our trust in God and the Lord will always look after His Church and care for us. “These signs of opening up and being able to celebrate Mass are wonderful gifts to us, so I would urge people to thank God for us and to look forward to that time when we can be back together again properly,” said Canon Paul. n Fr David Bagstaff, who is Vicar Gen - eral of the Diocese and parish priest for St Edmunds in Bury St Edmunds, spoke to BBC Radio Suffolk about the enthusi - asm with which Catholics in Suffolk have returned to collective worship. “We have 19 parishes across Suffolk,” he said, “and all of these except for one are opening this weekend… Next week all our parishes will be up and running after 100 days.” n Story continues on page 2 . Bishop Alan issues a call to return to Mass in person n Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, I am delighted to welcome the first pub - lication of our Diocesan newspaper since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. It is a sign that, even if we have not quite returned to ‘normal’, nevertheless we are now able to resume, with the proper precautions, many of the usual activities of our Diocese. Thanks be to God for his abundant mercies! During this month we celebrate the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. It aptly reminds us of the mystery of suffering and victory in our Lord’s Passion. The Collect at Mass tells us that God has placed the salva - tion of the human race on the wood of the Cross, ‘so that where death arose, life might again spring forth.’ This promise, of the springing forth of new life after the tragedy of suffering and death, is embodied in the Church and in our Dio - cese. Many have suffered terribly during the Covid-19 pandemic. We pray for the repose of the souls of those who have died, and for those who mourn them; for those who have been gravely ill, and for those who care for them. We pray too for those who have suf - fered through loneliness or isolation and financially. We also give thanks for the extraordinary acts of faith and charity by so many parishes and people throughout our Diocese in their care for and service of those in great need. I thank our priests who never ceased to offer the sacrifice of the Mass for their people and, wherever possible to bring succour to the sick and dying. We have also seen wonderful outreach through the live-streaming of services from so many of our churches: never empty, never abandoned. This challenging time has also been an opportunity for people to re- evaluate their priorities, and to discern what is really important in their lives. I now encourage every one of our parish - ioners to come back to the Mass in person. Our communities need you! Every precau - tion has been taken to make our churches safe. But above all, it is the Lord Himself who awaits us, to share with us, in the Eucharist, the divine life of His resurrection and His victory over suffering and death. Let us renew our trust in Him ‘in whom is our salvation, life and resurrection; through whom we are saved and delivered.’ With all good wishes and the assurance of my prayers, Bishop Alan Hopes Churches out from historic lockdown St John’s Cathedral in Norwich was among the very first in the whole country to hold a public Mass after lockdown ended on July 4, led by Canon David Paul. To keep up with the latest Diocese of East Anglia news, please sign up for our weekly enews bulletin at rcdea.org.uk

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More than 70 carloads of parish - ioners from Sacred Heart and St Oswald took advantage of the opportunity for a drive-through blessing on the eve of Corpus Christi. Barbara Conlon from the parish reports. n A wonderful day of bless - ings was held on June 13 for our parishioners as Fr Seelan held a St Antony Drive-through Benediction on the eve of Corpus Christi. Each parishioner or family was offered a 5- minute slot in the car park of St Oswald, remaining in their car to pray in front of our Lord, present in the Blessed Sacrament, and receive benedic - tion, and to receive individually wrapped blessed bread as a gift. As always, there was no shortage of vol - unteers ready to help with the organising, and with ensuring that social distancing guidelines were followed. The day started early with one of our parish families arriving early on Sat - urday morning to set up the altar, and the live streaming facilities for those who were unable to come along. Many parish - ioners, including our young members, came forward to volunteer to guide people around the drive through and the one- way system which we put in place to ensure that none of the adjoining roads were disrupted with queuing cars. We had over 70 cars on the day visiting the Blessed Sacrament. We were blessed with beautiful weather and our parishio - ners were so happy to be able to sit in front of our Lord. As this was a first of its kind, we were apprehensive but incredibly pleased with the outcome, with everyone following the strict social distancing rules by remain - ing in their individual cars. Feedback after the event included: “Thank you so much for giving us the opportunity to come physically before our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. It was so well organised.” “What a lovely day, I have felt quite moved today. I will be truthful I did not think it would work out how it did, so well done, and the weather was beautiful. I think you are an amazing priest.” “This made the last day of the Novena very special and a spiritual experience for which I am very grateful to Fr Seelan.” Applause as church re-opens n Story continued from page 1 . Fr David said that there was a lovely feeling at the first Mass at 6pm on Sat - urday. “At the beginning of the Mass I said: ‘Welcome back! Welcome home!’ and there was a big round of applause.” St Edmunds is limited on numbers, and could accommodate up to 65 or 70 people. “We had 60,” said Fr David, “so there was a little leeway.” Although St Edmunds has been doing live streaming, Fr David thought that there was “nothing better than face-to-face,” because for the Church community is so important. “Obviously there was a bit of appre - hension,” he said, “because we were operating on the one-metre social dis - tancing, so we’re wearing face covering. But no-one seemed to mind about that.” Fr David added that live streaming would continue, and that St Edmunds was installing a permanent system. He thought it was an enormous benefit, particularly for the housebound and those not feeling well. Around 450 households have been following Mass online in Bury St Edmunds, including those using catch- up on Youtube. “When you think that many of those are couples and fam - ilies, it’s not much less than a normal Sunday congregation, which is about 650.” Page 2 latest online news at: www.rcdea.org.uk Catholic East Anglia – September /October 2020 East Anglia Catholic n The first wedding to be held at the Cathedral of St John the Baptist in Norwich was “a lovely occasion” according to the Dean, Canon David Paul. “It was a great pleasure to celebrate Joe and Victoria’s wedding on Saturday July 11,” he said. “It was the first wed - ding since February and more than a dozen have had to be cancelled or postponed. So it was lovely to see a return to more normal life. We wish Vic - toria and Joe every happiness in their marriage.” Friends and family of the couple said they had been “glued to the screen” waiting for Boris Johnson to drop the word ‘wedding’ into one of his brief - ings. Victoria Knowles and Joe Howard had to cut their invita - tion list to 30 in line with government restrictions, and drop the plan of reception on the day at Hales Hall in Loddon. However, “the most important thing was for us to become husband and wife,” said Victoria “so I’m glad we held our nerve and went through with it. “The ceremony was beautiful and I’m so happy we’re here today celebrating with the people who’ve came to support us - even if they couldn’t come inside.” Friends and extended family of the couple gathered outside the cathedral while the cer - emony was live-streamed. The reception has been postponed until September, where a second celebration will hopefully take place with a much larger capacity. And rather than going to the Mal - dives for their honeymoon, they will be glamping in a bell tent in their back garden. Mr Howard was equally relieved. He said: “I’m glad it’s all over - it was such a mad stress in the run-up to the day and getting everything sorted last minute. But right now I couldn’t be happier.” Pictured are Joe and Victoria Howard. Picture by EDP/Sarah Lucy Brown. Drive thru’ blessing held in Peterborough First post-lockdown cathedral wedding Newspaper of the Diocese of East Anglia EDITOR: Keith Morris tel: 07712 787762 Pear Tree Farmhouse, Wymondham Road, Wreningham, Norwich, NR16 1AT email: keith.morris@rcdea.org.uk Articles and photographs for the next edition are very welcome and should be sent to the editor, ideally via email, by the deadline of Monday October 5. Diocese website: www.rcdea.org.uk Advertising: Contact Charlotte at Cathcom on tel 01440 730399 or email at charlotter@cathcom.org Publisher: Cathcom Ltd, 0207 112 6710 Inclusion of adverts is the responsibility of the publisher Cathcom and does not imply endorsement by the Diocese of East Anglia. Fr Seelan during the drive-thru’ blessing in Peterborough. Fr David Bagstaff. CHURCHES OUT OF LOCKDOWN

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The re-opening of churches for private prayer from June 15 was welcomed by Cardinal Vincent Nichols and Bishop Alan Hopes as the first step towards their full re-opening for public worship. n Cardinal Nichols said: “I am grateful to the Prime Minister for his decision that our churches may now open again for individual prayer. This is a first meas - ured step in restoring the more normal practice of our faith and will be welcomed by so many, who have waited with great patience since March 23 when our churches were closed, by Government decision, as part of the fight against this pandemic. I thank everyone for that patience. “This first step enables us to learn and prepare for those that will take us to a fuller use of our churches, for the celebra - tion of Mass and other sacraments. We await that time with deep longing but patient understanding that the protection of the health of our society, especially of the most vulnerable, is a proper cause for caution and care. Welcoming the news, Bishop Alan said: “I know that all Catholics throughout the Diocese of East Anglia will welcome with relief and joy the news that our churches are to re-open on June 15 for private prayer. This is a cause for real rejoicing and gratitude – We thank our people for the enormous patience they have shown over these last 12 weeks “This will be a great blessing, not just for Catholics but a benefit for all the people of East Anglia – a sacred space where we can pray not just for ourselves but for all who need peace and healing at this time. “This is the first step towards restoring the full practice of our Faith, for the cele - bration of Holy Mass and the other Sacra - ments, a time for which we await with deep longing. The detailed guidance that we have been given for the opening of our churches will be fully observed, in order that people may enter them safely and confidently. This may mean that some of them are unable to open on June 15, but will do so at a later date. It is important that we still work with the Government in protecting all members of our society from this pandemic and in particular the most vulnerable,” said Bishop Alan. Catholic East Anglia – September /October 2020 follow us on Twitter at: twitter.com/RCEastAnglia Page 3 n Fr Paul Spellman from March in Cambridgeshire opened up the presbytery garden to include as many parishioners as possible in the Sunday Mass in July. The sun shone as March parish met to celebrate Mass in the presbytery garden on Sunday July 12. Fifty people of all ages came to the Mass which was celebrated on the lawn among the roses. “After months away from Mass, it filled my heart with joy to see my parish family again, as people came down the path with their garden chairs," said Rebecca Brether - ton, one of the stewards who were on hand to keep everyone safe. "We were joined by people watching on Fr Paul’s Facebook live-stream so we were able to include those who could not be physically with us at Mass. "The garden Mass is a practical solution in March, as social distancing rules mean that the church cannot fit everyone. Our garden is accessible and large enough to seat about 60 people. “The weather forecast meant the church was also able to celebrate Mass outside the following weekend, before starting a new routine of Masses in church,” said Rebecca. First step as churches re-opened for prayer news in brief Clergy moves across Diocese n As the autumn begins, Bishop Alan Hopes has announced a series of moves and new appointments of priests across the diocese. Andrew Neate, who has been serving as a deacon in Cromer, is being ordained to the priesthood on Saturday September 19 at St John`s Cathedral in Norwich. He will be appointed as Assistant Priest of Our Lady of the Annunciation in King’s Lynn, with special responsibility for St Anthony of Padua, Fakenham. Deacon Andrew takes over from Fr Dick Healey who is retiring from parish ministry and will be going as chaplain to the Montana Nuns in Great Barton. Fr John Warrington is taking up the position of Parish Priest at St Felix in Haverhill, vacant since the death of Fr Michael Teader in February. Fr Ioan Sandor, who has been suffering from ill health, will be leaving England at the end of August. Bishop Alan thanked him for his pastoral care of the parish of Our Lady, Stowmarket, especially during the lockdown period.He is being replaced as parish priest by Fr Simon Leworthy, who has been serving as assistant priest at Our Lady and the English Martyrs (OLEM) in Cambridge. Fr Alan Hodgson has been appointed Assistant Priest at OLEM. Fr Nicholas Kearney has been appointed as Priest in Charge of Our Lady of Good Counsel and St Peter`s in March (with Chatteris). The position has been vacant since the departure of Fr Michael Ryan earlier in the year. Fr Paul Spellman has been appointed as Assistant Priest of St Mary’s in Ipswich with the Holy Family, Kesgrave. Fr Henry Whisenant has been appointed as Priest at St Edmund, With - ermarsh Green, with particular responsibility for the celebration of the Extraordinary Form of the Sacraments. Finally, Bishop Alan announced: “I am delighted that Fr Pat Cleary has accepted my invitation to be appointed as a Canon of the Cathedral Chapter. He will make a wise and practical Consultor of the Diocese.” Bishop’s blessing at Corpus Christi n Bishop Alan Hopes celebrated a Solemn Mass for the Feast of Corpus Christi, the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ at St John’s Cathedral in Norwich, on Sunday June 14. In his homily, the Bishop expressed his profound thanksgiving for this most precious of gifts. He reminded us how the Eucharist fulfils the promise of Jesus to be with us to the end of time. “In this wonderful Sacrament,” the Bishop said, “Jesus Christ abides with His Church; in this wonderful Sacrament we are united with God Himself.” After the Mass, the Blessed Sacrament was carried in procession by the Bishop and Cathedral clergy through the Cathe - dral, and out of the great west doors. There the Bishop gave Benediction with the Blessed Sacrament to the city of Nor - wich and to the Diocese. The procession then returned to the High Altar, where the Blessed Sacrament was exposed for Adoration for the day. CHURCHES OUT OF LOCKDOWN Above, St Thomas of Canterbury at Wymondham re- opens for private prayer and, left, Bishop Alan and Canon Paul open the doors at St John’s Cathedral for the first time since March 23. Sun shines on March garden Mass

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Fr Sean Connolly overcame two exploding bike tyres to continue broadcasting his very popular Evening Prayer podcast, as he wheeled his bike back to St George’s in Norwich one April evening. Eldred Willey reports n Fr Sean gathered quite a following for the Evening Prayer podcast, which he sent out at 6pm every day during lockdown – with an impressive 16,000 downloads made. The 15-minute transmission were relaxed and personal as he chatted about happenings in the parish, congratulating people on anni - versaries and shouting out messages to individual parishioners by name. His dog Dylan frequently featured. He then moved on to Evening Prayer from the breviary, which was enhanced by his musical gift as he played along on the piano. April 24, however, saw a podcast which was truly remarkable and a tribute to Fr Sean’s dedication to leading his parish in prayer. Taking his daily exercise as pre - scribed by the Government, he went out for what was intended to be an hour’s cycle ride. At some point, however, his back tyre exploded, leaving him stranded miles from St George’s. “Rather than being safely at home or in church,” he announced as the podcast began, “I’m actually walking with a bike with a punctured tyre, realising that I’m not going to make it in time. So I thought I would begin prayer on the journey. I hope this works.” It had been quite a saga, his listeners dis - covered. He had changed the inner tube once, only to find after another four miles cycling that the damaged tyre burst again. As he did not have another spare tube, there was nothing left for it but to walk. Fr Sean did not allow such setbacks to reduce the musical quality of the podcast, however, and he sang into his mobile phone as he wheeled his bike along the Cromer Road into Norwich. “I’m now more or less at the airport,” he commented as an aside. “People as they walk past think I’m com - pletely mad.” Fr Sean is no longer broadcasting Evening Prayer but you can still listen to the old pod - casts at: saintgeorgenorwich.podbean.com Page 4 latest online news at: www.rcdea.org.uk Catholic East Anglia – September /October 2020 Fr Sean on his bike for evening prayers podcast Family created virtual home chapel Fr Luke marks a decade of ministry n Fr Luke Goymour, parish priest of Brandon and Mildenhall, celebrated 10 years as a priest of the Diocese of East Anglia on July 10. Fr Luke was ordained at St John the Baptist Cathedral in Norwich by Bishop Michael Evans. The ordination took place two months before the historic visit of Pope Benedict XVI to the UK and was one of the last key moments of Bishop Michael`s ministry as Bishop of East Anglia. Fr Luke is also chaplain to the Ignite team. On the occasion of his anniversary, Fr Luke received a Papal Blessing from His Holiness, Pope Francis direct from the Elemosineria Apostolica office ( Office of Papal Charities) from the Vatican. "It`s been a challenging but fulfilling 10 years in priestly ministry,” said Fr Luke. “I`m still one of the younger priests in the diocese but completing 10 years in the service of the Lord feels like both a sig - nificant milestone and a gift. "I am still learning what priesthood means and how do to be a priest of Jesus Christ. I love being a priest, but it is definitely not what I imagined. "Priesthood is a strange and beautiful adventure and I think every Catholic man should seriously reflect on whether the Lord is calling them to this wonderful vocation of service. When I was ordained it was the first ordination for years in the diocese. I am delighted that in these last ten years since my ordination priestly ordinations have become a far more frequent occur - rence in East Anglia." Fr Luke was live streaming Mass every day during the lockdown and happily saw over 30 people online each day and on a Sunday more than 60 people if you include those from New Zealand who tune in to join the Mass. Fr Luke says he was very honoured and surprised by the Papal Blessing and he was touched to receive such an honour from His Holiness. CHURCHES IN LOCKDOWN Fr Sean Connolly with his bike and phone. n The Scott family from St Edmund, King and Martyr parish in Bungay, Suffolk, created a virtual chapel in their home as they joined Mass while self-isolating during lockdown. Cathy Scott was self-isolating with husband Andrew and their daughter and son-in-law, at their home in Alburgh. “Our ‘virtual chapel’ was all Andrew’s idea. He is a great one for wanting to set a scene and create the right atmosphere, and it cer - tainly helps to put one in the moment and make the experience feel a bit less removed from the reality,” she said. “It felt very alien to me not to receive Holy Communion every week, something I always do even when away from home or abroad on holiday (something my children will attest to!). “So anything that helps to make more of a ceremony of the live streaming is important to me. Sitting on the sofa watching the TV would not feel the same. “I use my missal as usual and we say all the words out loud as if we are in church. I also read the Spiritual Communion prayers that are in the missal as that helps with the sadness and slight emptiness I felt at not receiving communion,” said Cathy.

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When the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown came into force, closing churches overnight, the Diocese of East Anglia had only two churches with the capacity to live-stream Masses – that was to quickly change. Keith Morris reports. n At the start of lockdown, only St Lau - rence in Cambridge and the Catholic National Shrine at Walsingham had live- streaming capability. Even the flagship St John’s Cathedral in Norwich had no means to broadcast its Masses to thou - sands of parishioners at a time of unprecedented spiritual need. Director of Music, Daniel Justin, stepped into the breach and quickly set up a home-made webcam system, right in front of the altar, to provide a picture and rather echoey sound. But it worked and online audiences, which reached over 3,500 for some key Easter services, demon - strated the strong demand for online Masses. Within a few weeks, up to 20 Catholic churches across East Anglia had set up similar home-made solutions, broadcast - ing from churches (when internet connections permitted) and even presby - tery hallways. Pretty soon, Daniel realised that a more professional and permanent solution would be needed as, even when lockdown has eased, restrictions will remain and there will still be a need and a consid - erable audience for online Masses and other services. Daniel turned to Darren Butler, owner of South Norfolk-based Audio Electronic Design which, over 30 years, has supplied audio and audio-visual systems to lit - erally hundreds of churches across East Anglia, including St John’s and two other cathedrals. Darren started his audio engineering career over 30 years ago in a Cambridge music shop, when he was asked to repair a Yamaha electric organ by a Catholic pri - est from St Laurence. This led to him designing and installing a new sound system at the church and, through word of mouth, he quickly moved on to a sound system for St John’s Cathe - dral no less. Some 30 years later Darren’s firm is a market-leading installer of audio, and more recently audio-visual, systems in places of worship across East Anglia. As soon as churches were forced to close their doors in March and live streaming became the hot topic in church circles, Darren started thinking hard about what he could see was going to be an urgent need to provide a more profes - sional, and permanent solution, for churches across the region. When Daniel contacted him and he went back to look around St John’s, Darren was already working on creating a cost-effective twin camera system that he says can be adapted to churches big and small. Once set up, it can provide multiple camera views and angles, yet be controlled simply with a small remote control device and no other operators needed to replicate what much more expensive systems offer. “The beauty of the PTZ system is that it provides up to 16 different shots from just two fixed cameras,” said Darren. “They can zoom, pan and tilt and are fully con - trollable from a small hand-held radio-controlled remote control, that the priest or a member of the congregation can easily operate. There is no need for camera or control desk operators as all the shots from the cameras are pre-pro - grammed and transition automatically at the press of a button. “I see this system being a simple long- term solution for those churches which want to stream services but want to do so with as little involvement as possible. It offers a sustainable solution which is both cost-effective and much more engaging for the viewer,” said Darren. “We use two high-definition cameras in fixed positions, one close-up to the altar and the other one further back in the church to ideally give a wider view of as much of the church as possible. We can include a small TV monitor so that whoever is controlling the system can see what is being broadcast and also a small computer to control the system, with a joystick if required, unless a church already has one which we can adapt.” Darren says the system can be adapted to suit the needs of everything from a cathedral to a small chapel and, because of his good connections with suppliers, can provide and install it at a very a cost- effective price. He is also working on a smaller single fixed camera solution which can be upgraded at a later date if required. Years of experience means he is also used to installing the equipment dis - creetly and in line with any historic buildings regulations. The system can broadcast live online and be recorded and, Darren believes, will also come into its own for events such as weddings. Cathedral music director Daniel has certainly been won over: “The real benefit of the AED system is the ease of use as it is totally automatic and allows the cam - eras to move seamlessly from one close-up shot, via a wider shot, to a different close- up position. This gives not only a professional edge, but an incredibly sim - ple user experience.” And, he believes, the system will be of great benefit long after lockdown ends. “I think it has become very apparent that many people have gained a lot from our broadcasts,” said Daniel. “People who have not been able to attend Mass for many years before this pandemic have been grateful for the opportunity to do so. We will be continuing broadcasting Masses from the Cathedral as we return to public Masses, as it is clear they have meant a great deal to a great number. We have had people watching from America, Canada, the Philippines, Australia, and Dubai – it’s wonderful to be able to share our liturgy and our wonderful building with all these people. “The work of Darren’s team has been exemplary, and their sensitivity to install - ing in a Grade 1 Listed building has been really careful. Every detail has been attended to, and the system has been a real investment. I have recommended AED to anyone who has enquired, and I will continue to do so.” AED have also recently installed video systems in the Catholic churches at Alde - burgh, OLEM (Cambridge), Dereham, King’s Lynn and Our Lady Lourdes in Sawston with St Edmunds in Bury St Edmunds to come. Catholic East Anglia – September /October 2020 like us on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/CatholicEastAnglia Page 5 Live-streaming will remain a big part of churches’ future CHURCHES IN LOCKDOWN Factfile n See the St John’s system at: sjbcathedral.org.uk/live n Contact AED at: 01953 860074 or at www.audioelectronicdesign.co.uk n Sean Martin, who helped to set up the live stream at St Laurence’s, is happy to have a conversation with any other diocesan churches who may wish to explore setting this up, to help point them in the right direction. You can contact Sean on 07775 514294 or at: techgroup@saintlaurence.org.uk Main picture, Darren Butler from AED at St John’s Cathedral in Norwich with the simple remote control for the camera system and below, the live-streaming system at St Laurence.

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On April 25, Catholics from East Anglia joined over 4000 others for the UEvangelize virtual summit to learn that the call to share the Gospel is not constrained by our current circumstances. Rebecca Bretherton reports on Sherry Weddell’s contribution to the summit. n Sherry Weddell, the author of Forming Intentional Disciples, spoke about the oppor - tunities for ordinary Catholics to evangelise. Two-thirds of the world’s people are not bap - tised. People are not with us because they have not heard of the Gospel or have rejected what they believe is the Gospel message. Sherry told us that some of the great revivals of the Church have come at difficult moments and have been led by laypeople. People are online searching for truth now. This is our moment. Are we ready to be their companions? When we do not answer their call, we are weakening the Church. We are being called, especially at the moment, to be with people outside the Catholic Bubble. How can we do that in a lockdown situation? Our address books and telephone contact lists are our mission equipment. This pan - demic gives us the opportunity to reconnect with people. We can offer hope. We can offer intercessory prayer. These are very effective ways to invite people to consider a relation - ship with God. We can pray for the people who live in the streets where we walk for daily exercise as a form of prayer walk. We can talk to neigh - bours as we weed our front gardens. Do all this with mission in mind. Listen; offer support and hope. If you feel called to do so, offer prayer. While the current guidance means we are not able to receive Jesus in the Eucharist, He is still present. His spiritual presence is avail - able for everyone. Our Catholic life continues and 95% of it is available to everyone. We regret that we cannot attend Mass and receive the Lord in the Eucharist but there are other ways to draw people to God. One of the thresholds of conversion Sherry speaks about is ‘Openness to Change’. This can be triggered by major life events which can surprise people who have no experience of a relationship with Jesus Christ. We should be ready to help people pray the powerful prayer, ‘Dear God, I’m open to the possibility of something.’ Sherry reminded us that we have to be ready to move back to ‘live’, the time when we are together again. However, we can and should be ‘live’ now. That is what we are being called to be as disciples of the living Lord. For more information and resources, join others at the website: uevangelize.com Page 6 latest online news at: www.rcdea.org.uk Catholic East Anglia – September /October 2020 Can Catholics evangelise during the pandemic? NEW EVANGELISATION Warm welcome back to Mass n Postcard invita - tions for all the parishioners of Our Lady of Good Coun - sel and St Peter in March and Chatteris were sent out in August to help encourage people come back to Mass safely. The postcard shows the icon of Our Lady of Good Counsel, which is a familiar treasure of the parish. The invi - tation includes information about the new schedule for Masses which have been arranged to keep everyone safe. Rebecca Brether - ton said: “People are making sensible decisions about returning to Mass when they are ready to do so. We hope that the postcards will let them know that there will be a warm welcome at church for everyone. And if they can’t be with us yet, the postcard gives people a little bit of the church at home.” Pictured are Fr Paul Spellman, Sr Mary Fitzpatrick fmm and Ann Mashman outside Our Lady of Good Counsel and St Peter in March. n Actions speak louder than words was the message of Bishop Alan Hopes as he cele - brated a Mass at St John’s Cathedral in Norwich on June 25, to show spiritual sol - idarity with front-line medical, care and voluntary workers across the country. “The Lord Jesus teaches us by his life and by the words of the Gospel, that our deeds are more important than a passing sentiment: our actions speak louder than words. “We give thanks to God for his works of grace during these last three months. I would like to thank all those who have responded to God’s call to ‘love each other with a profound respect.’ You have responded generously to those in need by dutiful service and humble sacrifice,” said Bishop Alan. The Bishop was speaking during the latest in a weekly series of online Masses from the Catholic Bishops of England and Wales in recognition that this time of the Covid-19 pandemic is affecting every person in the country. “Storms come to every single age in human history. We are no different in what we face than our ancestors. And trials will come, also, to future generations,” he said. “When trials do come, the apostle reminds us that we should not give up, but instead stick to prayer. Because in speak - ing with God, in making friends with him, we allow his grace to build up the virtues of faith, hope and love within us.” Bishop Alan praises front-line workers Free Sample Pack of Foam & fabrics sent by first class mail. When phoning please quote CEA101 The church needs religious sisters URGENTLY to bring Christ to others by a life of prayer and service lived in the community of Ignation spirituality. Daily Mass is the centre of community Our Lady of Fidelity Our Lady of Fidelity life. By wearing the religious habit we are witnesses to the consecrated way of life. If you are willing to risk a little love and would like to find out how, contact Sister Bernadette. Late vocations up to the age of 46 welcomed. COVENT OF OUR LADY OF FIDELITY Central Hill, Upper Norwood, LONDON SE19 1RS Telephone: 07973 6002563 or Fax: 0208 766 6579 Mobile: 07760 297001 Ministers of Religion Please remember my intention/s in prayer. …………......………....……........................................ ...........………………..…….………............................ ........................………………..….………................... ............................................................... ...................... I would like to help your Mission Foundations. My gift of £____ is enclosed (payable to Adorers of the Sacred Heart of Jesus). Thank you! Please send me vocations information. Name :…….…………............................….................. ...... Address:…..……….............................................................. ..……………………………………………………… …………….......……...........................……... Please print. REPLY TO: Mother General, Tyburn Convent, 8 Hyde Park Place, London, W2 2LJ Tel.: 020 7723 7262 Living in the heart of London, the Tyburn Benedictine Community has as its special mission, prayer for the people of England and Wales. Our monastery is built on the site of the Tyburn gallows where 105 Catholics were martyred during the reformation. Our life of prayer draws Sisters from many nations. Already We hold you in prayer. Already We hold you in prayer

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n The Trustees of the Catholic National Shrine have decided to withdraw their current planning application to North Norfolk Council in order to carry out a review of the plans. The decision to look again at the devel - opment comes after the Diocese of East Anglia Historic Churches Committee expressed concern about the impact of the new development on the setting of the historic chapel and advised a rethink. Historic England also indicated reserva - tions as part of the current planning process. Bishop Alan Hopes, Chairman of the Walsingham Trust, said: “We are very positive about the future of the Shrine at Walsingham, which is a place of great devotion for around 250,000 Catholics and other pilgrims and visitors every year. “The Trust seeks to both preserve the Shrine’s unique character and serve the needs of pilgrims whilst ensuring that it continues to make a positive contribution to the local community. “There is no doubt that many of the cur - rent facilities do need to be improved and developed, but we must ensure that the solution to the practical problems of the Shrine do not harm its unique and special nature. “The Trustees have listened to the many contributions to the recent applica - tion for planning consent and have decided to review the objectives of the project and potential options in the light of recent concerns,” said Bishop Alan. “The Rector of the Shrine, Mgr John Armitage (who left at the end of August), has helped achieve tremendous things over the past five years, including its des - ignation by Pope Francis as a Minor Basilica, the recent Rededication of Eng - land as the Dowry of Mary, the development of accommodation facilities for pilgrims in nearby Walsingham itself and the huge growth of interest in the Shrine online through live streaming.” Catholic East Anglia – September /October 2020 follow us on Twitter at: twitter.com/RCEastAnglia Page 7 Review set for Walsingham Shrine development plans n At the invitation of Bishop Alan Hopes, Fr Henry Whisenant has taken up the role as chaplain for the celebration of the Mass and sacraments in the Extraordinary Form (Latin Mass) in the privately owned Chapel of Our Lady Immaculate and St Edmund, Withermarsh Green, near Ipswich. This is believed to be the first time an English diocesan priest has been given such a role. The Apostolate was launched with a Missa Cantata on August 15 – the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Thereafter, Mass will be celebrated on Sundays at 10am. Fr Whisenant said: “I am delighted with the appointment and hope that in time many may benefit from this gracious pro - vision that His Lordship has made. It was lovely to see 80 people for the opening Mass outside and 60 for the following two Sundays. “To find the church, type in the postcode for The Presbytery, Withermarsh Green (CO6 4TA), be prepared for some tiny, winding roads, and look out for the Vatican flag peeking over the hedge!” he advised. Bishop Alan said: “There is a sizeable group of people in the Diocese who con - tinue to be attached to the earlier liturgical forms of the celebration of Mass and the Sacraments. I have therefore asked Fr Henry to take on the pastoral care of this group. The appointment will be for three years initially after which there will be a review of how things are working out. “I am most grateful to the Fenwick family who own the church and house at With - ermarsh Green for their generosity in allowing us to use the church for this pur - pose and for the priest to live in the house next door from the start of 2021. It is my wish that those churches where the Extraordinary form of Mass is already cele - brated should continue their provision for the time being.” Pictured above is Fr Henry Whisenant celebrating Mass outside the chapel at Withermarsh Green (also pictured left). Latin Mass chaplain appointed The Slipper Chapel at the Catholic National Shrine at Walsingham. Picture by Alex Ramsey. news in brief Diocesan expenditure is reduced as income falls n Faced with falling offertory income dur - ing the Covid-19 lockdown, the Diocese of East Anglia has looked to reduce its expenditure where appropriate, but rather than closing churches has instead opened a new one in Suffolk. In the period of January to June, the Diocese has estimated a fall in offertory income in parishes of 30%. Parishes have reduced expenditure, or delayed planning building work, in order to save money. The Diocese is also planning to reduce its central budgets for 2021 by 10%. But rather than considering closing any churches or Mass centres, the Diocese has in fact opened a little used private chapel for public worship and Masses. The new Mass community has been established at Withermarsh Green with the appointment of Fr Henry Whisenant as chaplain for the celebration of the Mass and sacraments in the Extraordi - nary Form (Latin Mass) in the privately owned Chapel of Our Lady Immaculate and St Edmund, near Ipswich. Research appeal for memories of Sue Ryder home n Desmond Crone of Suffolk Archives is researching the history of what is now Devonshire House in Cavendish, head - quarters of the Sue Ryder Foundation from 1953 to 2001. Sue Ryder and her husband Leonard Cheshire were both from Suffolk, con - verts to the Catholic Church, and founded a network of homes for people with disabilities. Desmond’s project is part of the work preparing for the House and Home Exhi - bition, which will take place at Suffolk Archives next year. He has found a gap in the material available about the site when it was the Sue Ryder Home and headquarters. Desmond explains: “Fortunately, Fr David Middleton, from Clare Priory, was able to help by putting me in touch with a parishioner who knew the home well as a volunteer at the chapel for many years, and she introduced me to others who were willing to be interviewed. This enabled me to gather some fascinating information from former staff at the Home for Suffolk Archives that could otherwise easily have been lost.” Perhaps others across the diocese also have memories of the Sue Ryder Home in Cavendish that they would like to share. If so, and you are happy to have a chat please contact Desmond at email: desmond.crone@suffolk.gov.uk Radio Maria role n Radio Maria England is recruiting a full- time office operations manager, based in Cambridge. Competitive salary and other benefits offered. Closing date 16th Sep - tember 2020. For more information please contact Dr Charles Wilson at president.uk@radiomaria.org Plans for a major re-development of the Catholic National Shrine at Walsingham in North Norfolk are to be reviewed after concerns were raised about its effect on the Grade I Listed Slipper Chapel and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on future visitor numbers and finances for the project. Keith Morris reports.

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Peter Wygna ń ski arrived at the end of his seminary journey on July 25 as Bishop Alan Hopes ordained him to the priesthood at the Cathedral of St John the Baptist in Norwich. Eldred Willey reports . n Around 100 people and friends from places where Peter had lived and minis - tered, as well as Peter’s parents and sister and some 30 priests, came to join the socially-distanced celebra - tion. “This is a great day of joy as we come together,” said Bishop Alan. “I know that he will draw tremendous strength from your prayerful presence here.” “I remember attending an ordination many years ago,” said Peter, “and reading in the back of the order of ser - vice a thank-you note that the new priest had added in. I recall reading with some scep - ticism the line, `I couldn`t have done it without you` and thinking it was a bit much, that surely he`d have man - aged somehow on his own steam. “As I reach the end of my own seminary journey, I know now that it is absolutely true that seminarians only persevere thanks to the immense support, encourage - ment, and prayer of countless people along the way. Particu - larly here, I would want to thank Bishop Alan and my formators at the Venerable English College for all they`ve taught me, and also all those throughout East Anglia who have prayed for me and the other seminar - ians of the diocese over the years. “I have some studying left to finish in Rome, but I greatly look forward to returning to the diocese to begin the ministry the Lord has called me to in the years to come. I can but hope and pray, by God`s grace, that I continue to grow in my discipleship and, as I place my hands in the Lord`s, he may work as He wills through me, in the life of His people.” Peter (Piotr) Wygna ń ski grew up in Cambridge an was an altar server for 11 years in the parish of St Laurence. He was a longstanding member of the Diocesan Youth Council of the dio - cese, and helped to lead pilgrimages to Taize and World Youth Days. He studied electronic engineering at Warwick University and worked in industry in London before beginning his training for the priesthood at the Venerable English College in Rome. He had the opportunity to study theol - ogy at the Gregorian University and chose to gain pastoral experience in the Diocese of Malolos in the Philip - pines. In October 2019 he had the unique honour of singing the Gospel at the canonisation Mass of Cardinal John Henry Newman in Rome. Deacon Peter had been based at St Edmunds, Bury St Edmunds, since the Italian universities closed in the spring. At the end of the Mass, Fr Peter took the opportunity to address those gath - ered, saying: “My hope is that you’ve caught a glimpse of the goodness and beauty which has taken hold of my heart.” He expressed his gratitude to Bishop Michael Evans for “getting me moving” and to Bishop Alan for being a father figure over the last seven years. He also commented that the youth ministry of Hamish McQueen had “worked wonders for me”. Fr Peter now has a year left of a license, a pontifical postgraduate degree, specialising in Fundamental Theology. His main focus will be writing a the - sis, considering how metaphysical presuppositions constrain how we understand Divine Providence; he’ll be considering how more recent phil - osophy, specifically the sacramental ontology of Henri de Lubac, and the phenomenological developmental ontology of Merleau-Ponty, could con - tribute to deepening our theological understanding of how God acts in the world. Page 8 latest online news at: www.rcdea.org.uk Catholic East Anglia – September /October 2020 Peter joins prie Peter Wygna ń ski was ordained to the priesthood at the Cathedral of St John the Baptist in Norwich in July by Bishop Alan Hopes. Pictures by Keith Morris. New clergy welfare co-ordinator appointed n The Diocese of East Anglia has appointed former advice worker Sarah Truman as the new Clergy Welfare Coordinator to support its clergy, particularly those who are retired. Sarah is a Catholic living in Bury St Edmunds and is married with three sons. She has worked for the past 20 years with the Citizens Advice Bureau in Bury St Edmunds, firstly as a volunteer and then as an employee. She started as a general adviser and then became Advice Session Supervisor. For the last few years Sarah has been the Welfare Rights Supervisor for the cluster of five Bureaux within West Suffolk. As such, she has experience of a wide range of general advice, as well as working at Tribunal level for more specialised work. She has been involved in the Parish over the years including with the Children’s Liturgy Team and on the Parish Finance Com - mittee and is looking forward to seeing how things work at Dioce - san level. Whilst her primary role will be working with the sick and retired clergy of the Diocese and those approaching retirement, she is available to all clergy who have a welfare issue they would like to discuss. She will be looking to make contact with the clergy over the coming months (and visiting once Covid-19 permits). She will work with the clergy welfare group to provide coordinated support to all retired clergy within the Diocese and to help prepare other clergy as they approach retirement. She will advise on benefit entitlements and work to ensure that accom - modation needs are met in appropriate way, in line with Dioc - esan policies. The new post ensures that the Diocese will continue to meet its duty of care to its priests, and is funded through the Alive in Faith initiative. You can contact Sarah Truman on welfare@rcdea.org.uk . She will initially be working two days per week, but will try to respond as soon as possible.

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Seminarian Michael Smith was ordained a deacon for the Diocese of East Anglia at an Ordination Mass that took place at the Beda College in Rome on June 17 . n Michael was ordained by American Cardinal James Michael Harvey, Archpriest of the Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls, and who is based at the nearby St Paul’s Basilica. The Beda College is for English-speaking students and Cardinal Harvey ordained six seminarians – three from England, two from Sweden and one from Australia. Congratulating Deacon Michael, Bishop Alan Hopes said: “I am delighted at the ordination and I am only sorry that because of the present Covid-19 prob - lems, no-one from the Diocese was allowed to travel to support him. “Nevertheless Deacon Michael has been supported by the Diocese through prayer and the offering of the Holy Mass for his intentions. We very much look for - ward to welcoming him back when he returns for the summer break in early July.” Deacon Michael said: “I felt the profound significance of the ordi - nation Rite and I feel very blessed and aware of the responsi - bility that the Lord has given me. “Though normally a much larger event held in the Basilica itself with many invited guests, this year’s Beda Col - lege diaconate ordination was no less moving and joyful for being simpler, in our college chapel, and with no guests. “Amidst the additional protocols involving the wearing of masks and sanitizing of hands, due to the current pandemic, there was, nevertheless, the powerful richness of the ordination rite itself and the beautiful Mass was accompanied by hymns and sing - ing a capella.” Deacon Michael worked in Cambridge before enter - ing seminary and was a parishioner of S Laurence Cambridge. He has now completed three years at the Beda and will return to Rome in October to start his fourth and final year. After that he will return for good to the UK where he hopes to be ordained a priest in the Diocese of East Anglia sometime in the summer of 2021. Unlike many seminarians, Deacon Michael was able to remain in Rome during the pandemic as all the formation takes place within the Beda College itself. Catholic East Anglia – September /October 2020 like us on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/CatholicEastAnglia Page 9 sthood Michael ordained as a Deacon in Rome Cardinal James Michael Harvey presents Michael Smith with the Book of the Gospels during his Ordination Mass at the Beda College in Rome in June. The newly-ordained Deacon Michael Smith with Cardinal James Michael Harvey in Rome.

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Page 10 latest online news at: www.rcdea.org.uk Catholic East Anglia – September /October 2020 Jacob and Prameel ordained as permanent deacons Deacons Jacob Cheriyan and Prameel Joseph, both from Peterborough, were ordained as permanent deacons by Bishop Alan Hopes in July at St John’s Cathedral in Norwich, reports Eldred Willey . n Jacob Cheriyan from Sacred Heart and St Oswald in Peterborough joined the Col - lege of East Anglia’s permanent deacons in July, when he was ordained at St John’s Cathedral. Around 125 friends, family members and fellow parishioners came to the ordi - nation Mass to show their support for Jacob. They were joined by a number of priests, including Fr Philip Shryane, who played a key role in encouraging Jacob to train for the diaconate. Jacob said that he had sensed the call to become a deacon during a Mass at St Peter’s in Gorleston on the Feast of St Ste - phen. Hearing the story of the saint, he had said to himself: “I wish I could be like that.” In his homily, Bishop Alan referenced St Stephen, pointing out that it was his powerful proclamation of the Gospel which had led to his martyrdom. Stephen, he said was a man who had a “burning love of the Gospel”. He also spoke about another deacon and martyr from the early Church, St Lau - rence, who when commanded by the Roman authorities to turn over the treas - ures of the church had brought along poor people, widows and orphans and said: “Here are the treasures of the Church.” Bishop Alan described the three distinc - tive responsibilities of a deacon: to be a minister of the Word, a minister at the altar, and a minister of loving service to others. “Your loving service must go way beyond what society would call service,” he said. In his response at the end of the service Deacon Jacob said: “I want to thank Bishop Alan Hopes for the wise counsel he has always given me. I can only say, as King David did, who am I, and who is my house, that you have brought me to this point?” Deacon Jacob expressed a special word of gratitude for his family: his wife Rosily, and his three sons, Isaac, Abraham and Joseph. He finished with a word of thanks in Malayalam, his native language, and the celebration ended with a round of applause for him. DeaconJacob currently works as a full- time chaplain at the high-security prison HMP Whitemoor, a role which he will continue now that he has been ordained. n Prameel Joseph, from St Luke’s in Peterborough, fulfilled a call to ordina - tion he has felt for many years when Bishop Alan ordained him to the diaco - nate at St John’s Cathedral. When he was younger, Prameel, who is from India, joined a religious congrega - tion called the Rosminian Fathers. During a discernment at the end of two years, however, it became clear the Pra - meel was called to live his vocation in married life. He left the Rosminian Fathers and later found a pastoral role as a prison chaplain; for the last six years he has been Catholic chaplain at HMP Littlehay. With his wife Bigi he has had three sons: Clement, Cal - vin and Clayton. A number of years ago he shared with Canon John Minh his continuing desire for ordination. Canon Minh encouraged him to “sit down and have a chat” and was soon affirming Prameel’s sense of cal - ling. After four years of training for the diaconate he arrived at the moment of ordination on Thursday July 30. In his homily, Bishop Alan recalled the saint and martyr St Stephen. “Stephen’s story reminds us that no matter the cost it is always of primary importance to wit - ness to the truth who is Christ,” he said. Bishop Alan drew attention to one part of the ceremony, the laying on of hands, which he said was “a symbol of the cal - ling down of the Holy Spirit to give you new strength and…the sign of the apos - tolic succession transmitted through the Church”. He concluded his homily by speaking of the ministry of love: “Love is the first pri - ority of the Church. It is the Church’s very essence…This must be the hallmark of your ministry.” At the end of the Mass, Deacon Prameel gave thanks to God in the words of the Magnificat: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Sav - iour”. He took the opportunity to thank Bishop Alan publicly for “the encourage - ment you have always given”. He also paid tribute to his wife Bigi for her support, and to his sons. Jacob Cheriyan, left, is ordained by Bishop Alan and, above, Prameel Joseph distributes Holy Communion for the first time after his ordination. Prameel Joseph, above, is ordained by Bishop Alan and, left, Jacob Cheriyan with the Bishop and his family after his ordination.

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In partnership with CAFOD, Caritas East Anglia has orga - nised a webinar to showcase various projects around the Diocese which are responding to social needs. n Jacinta Goode, Caritas East Anglia Development Worker, played a leading role in bringing together representatives of a number of outstanding projects and groups, including the SOS bus in New - market, the Wymondham Community Project, Stella Maris, Churches Together in King’s Lynn as well as CAFOD itself. Bishop Alan introduced the webinar by offering as a model Mother Teresa who, he said, spent two hours in prayer at the start of each day adoring the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament before going to adore Him in the emaciated bodies of the sick. “May the Lord who has begun this work bring it to completion,” he prayed. Ged Edwards from the Caritas Action Network co-hosted the event, and CAFOD played a key role, both through Jane Crone, who was one of the speakers, and through Chris Driscoll from the CAFOD Brentwood group, who looked after the technical side of things. The first speaker, John Borda from Newmarket, described how an interfaith project had helped to deliver hundreds of prescriptions, hot meals and food parcels to those in need during the lockdown. He also described the full-sized single-decker bus which has been turned into a mobile clinic and advice centre. Arnie McConnell from Wymondham parish introduced the town’s foodbank, which had distributed £22,000 worth of food in its first year. “In all of this there is a cultural change taking place in the parish: we are chang - ing in the way in which we relate to the community to which we belong,” said Arnie. Julian Wong, the Stella Maris Chaplain for Felixstowe and the Haven Ports, described how he had transitioned from a volunteer sea visitor five to years ago to an employed chaplain today. “I consider myself very blessed to be able to serve God by serving the seafarers,” he said. Since the pandemic began, Julian has been unable to board ships, and seafarers have been generally not allowed to visit shore. He has stayed in touch by social media, having made a habit of collecting contact details on earlier visits. At times he has carried out shopping requests and left the goods – along with welfare pack - ages – at the bottom of the gangway. He is currently looking for volunteers to help him in his work. Peter Coates from Churches Together in King’s Lynn focused on how a local churches had taken the initiative in set - ting up a foodbank, a debt advice service and a thriving Night Shelter. CAFOD representatives Allan Scott and Rosemary Muntus gave an account of a successful local fundraiser based around a virtual meal. CAFOD reported the good news that it has received some £2m from its coronavirus appeal, and expects to add to that a percentage from the Disasters Emergency Committee appeal. A community outreach project based at Our Lady and St Thomas of Canterbury church in Wymondham has been helping to support and feed 80 vulnerable families a week during lockdown. Keith Morris reports . n The Wymondham Community Out - reach Project has been providing a much-needed community help point and foodbank service since late March with the help of parishioners, staff seconded from South Norfolk Council and generous donations from local supermarkets. Prior to lockdown, the church-based project ran a Community Fridge and Community Kitchen service helping to feed vulnerable local people and save food waste at the same time, with support and guidance from Fr Pat Cleary and Fr Denis Gallagher. But many of its volunteers were older parishioners who have been self-isolating and unable to help during the crisis South Norfolk Council generously sec - onded members of staff from its nearby Wymondham Leisure Centre, who joined younger parishioners to launch the lock - down service which currently provides food parcels and a contact service for many desperate and needy families across the town. The project is co-ordinated by parish - ioner Arnie McConnell, who was having to work from home: “Sometimes people fall through the safety net and sometimes the net is insufficient to adequately deal with the hardship experienced,” he said. “Either way, we will do everything possible to ensure that people, and often families, in difficulty are helped in a full and effective way. All of our volunteers are committed to that way of working. “Recently I was alerted by social ser - vices that a housebound person in the community with complex needs had run out of food. On that particular day our Help Point service was closed. I managed, however, to contact Deirdre Marr who immediately dropped everything she was doing, gathered together a parcel of food and made a contactless delivery to a very grateful individual. Parishioner Deidre Marr, and her two teenage daughters Bryony and Catherine, from Attleborough were among those making vital deliveries of food. “We don’t just drop off the food though,” said Deirdre. “One man did not have either a fridge or freezer working, so we were able to help him. For many people we are the only people they see all week. People really value having a chat, having been locked up and sometimes frightened throughout the lockdown. “All our lives have changed through lockdown – many for the worse. However, most would agree that taking the oppor - tunity to look out for others is hugely gratifying. Certainly, all those working tirelessly, either behind closed doors, like Arnie, who constantly fights the causes of many, or those who are dealing directly with the foodbank users, are really mak - ing a difference.” Normally a receptionist at Wymond - ham Leisure Centre, Karen Brindle led the team organising the huge amount of work needed to provide a twice-weekly food delivery and collection service direct from the church. “We are feeding 80 families a week,” said Karen, and anyone who is in need can come in and collect some food – which is free. There are lots of people who can - not leave their homes and families with young children who are really struggling. We personalise the boxes for people according to their needs.” Food donations come from Waitrose, Morrisons and Lidl and Co-op in Wymondham as well as lots of local people from the church and elsewhere bringing in boxes of food and essential items. “Karen and her team have been fantas - tic,” said Arnie. “They have been extraordinary when there was a lot of fear and uncertainty about, reassuring people – they have been inspirational.” “The project has been working in part - nership with South Norfolk Council, Wymondham Town Council and Norfolk Police who have been able to identify people in crisis who we are able to give prompt support to.” If you might be able to help you contact the project on 01953 603104 or at commu - nity@wymondhamrcchurch.org.uk Catholic East Anglia – September /October 2020 follow us on Twitter at: twitter.com/RCEastAnglia Page 11 Outreach project feeds families CHURCH SOCIAL ACTION IN LOCKDOWN Caritas online showcase Some of the team behind the Wymondham Community Outreach Project emergency food service at their base at St Thomas of Canterbury. God calls to us constantly, longing to guide those who yearn for life and desire to see good days into the way of peace. The Rule of Saint Benedict helps us to hear God’s voice, in the Holy Scriptures, in the sacred liturgy and in our brothers in community. If you are a single man longing to live your Catholic faith in a way which brings great joy as it demands the best of you, consider whether God is calling you to be a Benedictine monk at Buckfast Abbey. Please reach out to us, and we will do all we can to help you. ‘Listen, my son’ Rule of St Benedict Buckfast Abbey Trust Registered Charity number 232497 www.buckfast.org.uk/vocation vocations@buckfast.org.uk ‘ L i s t e n , Rule of St Benedict m y s o n ’

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Catholic schools in the diocese have overcome the odds this year to take some remarkable steps forward. Flavio Vettese, Deputy Director of the Diocesan Schools’ Service, reports. n It has been quite a school year, unlike any other and one which none of us could have expected or foreseen. So many of our school staff from across the diocese have many, many years of educational experience and thankfully their resilience, commitment and dedication, alongside strong leadership, has meant that schools have come through this period stronger together. We have seen some very exciting devel - opments, such as the approval of our new school, St John Henry Newman Primary in Peterborough, reaching the design and devel - opment stages. The diocese is continuing to work positively with Peterborough City Coun - cil and the Department for Education to ensure the school is established and com - pleted in time for a September 2022 intake. The academic year 2019/20 was also the first for our new Catholic primary school, Sacred Heart in Swaffham. The important site in Swaffham has been educating children since 1914 through the wonderful work of the Daughters of Divine Charity. The Diocese of East Anglia worked closely with the Local Authority last year to successfully open a new school on the site in September 2019. The first academic year of running as a vol - untary aided primary school has completed, one that provides high quality primary educa - tion in the Swaffham area. The number of students within the school is already increas - ing and we are delighted with the way the school is working closely with the local com - munity to provide another school for the area. Moving forward into the new academic year our Catholic schools welcome a series of new leaders as term starts Susan Wilkinson, Chair of Governors at St Francis of Assisi School writes: “Some great news to share with you: our Executive Head, Mrs Kim Payne, has taken up the role as Dep - uty CEO of St John the Baptist Multi Academy Trust, and our Head of School, Mrs Felicity Hope, takes up her new role as Headteacher at St Francis from September. “Mrs Hope has been in post as Head of School for two years, having taught at St Francis for 15 years, she knows the school very well indeed. “The Governors would like to thank Mrs Payne for her role as Headteacher and latterly Executive Headteacher of St Francis as she moves into the role of Deputy CEO, working closely with the CEO Mr Conway. “So in many ways we are celebrating the leadership of our school developing to sup - port not just our own pupils but a wider body of young people in our Trust, and it is wonder - ful that we can congratulate both Mrs Hope and Mrs Payne for their successful appoint - ments to new posts.” There have been a number of other changes at senior level in the Catholic schools of the Diocese: St Mary’s Catholic Primary School, Lowes - toft. The new Head of School will be Mrs Ewa Parker; she takes over from Mrs Imelda Cooper, who retired at the end of the Summer Term. St Louis Academy: New Head of School will be Mrs Susan Blakeley, who takes over from Mr Nick Kerin, who has left the school. St Felix, St Louis and St Laurence: The new Executive Headteacher is Mrs Clare Clark. She was previously Headteacher at St Laurence, and is now Executive Head over the three schools as part of Our Lady of Wal - singham CMAT. St Laurence: The new Heads of School are Mrs Veronica Harvey and Mrs Lizzy Bennett, who were previously deputy heads at the school. St Pancras: The new Executive Head is Mrs Jill Sandvig (as part of Our Lady of Wal - singham CMAT). We wish all of the new leaders every suc - cess in their new roles. As we face further uncertainty and chal - lenges in the new term we understand the importance of the work that all of our Catholic schools shoulder. With God’s grace and guid - ance our schools will continue to successfully educate the children from across our diverse and wonderful diocese. Imelda Cooper has retired as Head of St Mary’s Catholic Primary School in Lowestoft after 19 years of service. Page 12 latest online news at: www.rcdea.org.uk Catholic East Anglia – September /October 2020 Top marks as schools rise to the challenge SCHOOLS IN FOCUS n An impressive and uplifting virtual art exhi - bition has been launched to showcase the creative hard work of students at Notre Dame High School in Norwich for anyone to view. A highlight of the year at Notre Dame High School is the Summer Art Exhibition reports Alex Savage. GCSE and A Level students showcase their work to the public. However, due to Covid-19 restric - tions it was feared that this long held tradition would not take place this year. Meanwhile, at home, students of all ages were getting creative during the lockdown. This resulted in an amazing selection of artworks being sent in by email. Debbie McShane, Head of Art, was so moved by what the students had produced that she was inspired to find a way for everyone to enjoy what they had produced. “It has been the first time in 26 years that I haven’t been able to have a public Art Exhibition to celebrate the brilliant work of our students,” she said. “However, this has motivated us to create an online ‘virtual tour’ that everyone is invited to explore and appreciate.” School launches virtual art exhibition Activities and party show that Cambourne church cares n Craft-making, music and drama added zest to an online Pentecost party at St John Fisher in Cambourne reports Lorretta Peck . Around 40 people attended. We cele - brated the gift of praying together and playing together. Ciaran Losasso from the Ignite Team gave an impressive talk. People shared their gifts and talents through different mediums. There was a craft-making session, instrumental music playing and heavenly singing. The young people even delivered a skit called the Fire Furnace (chapter three of the Book of Daniel). The parish now meets regularly through social media. Mass is said twice daily by Fr John Minh on Facebook, which is a new phenomenon. Fr John was gifted a tablet a week or two into lockdown, and this has enabled him to reach his parishioners in Cambourne and Sawston. We have had the Stations of the Cross via Zoom, as well as a reflective session. There is also a WhatsApp group that meets daily for prayer, which includes the Rosary. People type WhatsApp messages daily to let others know they are praying at a certain time. It has been a great source of comfort during lockdown. People know they are not alone. Mel Ward updates the Facebook Page, as well as sending endless emails to help people feel up to date with their church community. Mel has also coordi - nated volunteers to deliver cards, newsletters and phone calls to ensure they know their church family cares. Contact Janet by phone 01440 730399 or email janett@cathcom.org Celebrating our Schools Adverts Promote your school while supporting the paper These adverts can be used to promote open days, staff vacancies as well as supporting the paper Contact Charlotte by phone 01440 730399 or email charlotter@cathcom.org The Leaven Carmelite Secular Institute Single and widowed women Seeking to dedicate their life to God Through vows in secular society Contact: The Secretary, The Leaven, c/o The Friars, Aylesford ME20 7BX Tel: 01582 766580 Email: theleavensi@gmail.com Website: www.theleaven.org.uk CALLING ALL

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From May 8-10 the Ignite Team staged its first online youth festival, with a line-up of speakers and worship leaders from around the UK and beyond. n Ciaran Losasso and Emily Murphy from the Ignite Team made a lively duet as they acted as joint presenters of the festival, add - ing some entertaining moments of their own as they took part in challenges, or put them out to the online audience. Bishop Alan Hopes recorded a video intro - duction to the festival, and then handed over to an array of young contributors, with tal - ents in speaking, leading worship and entertainment. Shelina Guedues, an Indian-born pharmacist from St Peter and All Souls in Peterborough, led worship on the gui - tar from her home. You can follow her at www.youtube.com/user/shelinaguedes Jacob De Rusha, speaking from Arizona, told a story about how he discovered mercy and forgiveness, when his parents collected him from the police station. See his website: jacobderusha.wordpress.com Pippa Baker, from the One Hope project ( www.onehopeproject.co.uk ) in Sheffield, described how she burst into tears with emo - tion during her confirmation, and she encouraged young people to experience the Holy Spirit as a present reality Young magician James Samuel did some amazing magic tricks with cards and beakers of water Online Ignite festival n The St John’s Cathe - dral choir in Norwich had been unable to meet for three months due to the lockdown restrictions but that did not stop them from enjoying online rehear - sals, thanks to Master of Music, Daniel Justin. Choirs and other groups were unable to meet together in person due to the Covid-19 restrictions. Individual practice is important for young choristers but so are group rehearsals. The Cathedral choristers, who are children from Norwich schools aged 7-12, have been enjoying online rehearsals since just after Easter, when it became clear that they wouldn’t be able to sing together as a group again for a long time. Master of Music, Daniel Justin, said: “It’s a very odd thing, taking a choir rehearsal from my sitting room, with only a laptop and a keyboard in front of me, and the faces who would normally be in front of me all squeezed into little boxes on the screen! “We have been looking at hymns which have been appropriate to the time of year, for example, we were looking at the Gre - gorian Chant introit Salve Sancta Parens (Hail Holy Mother) during Mary’s month of May, and during June we will be singing a few hymns to the Sacred Heart. “Although most of the rehearsal is taken with the children’s microphones muted, we always try once a rehearsal to unmute and sing together, often with hilarious results – the tuning is great, but because of the expected latency of the internet, it all comes across at random times! We have even learnt some new pieces, and it will be particularly interesting to see how they sound when we can actually sing together again! “Although I hope this doesn’t become the ‘new normal’ and deprive the children of the opportunities to sing as a group, and in such a wonderful building as the Cathedral, we are keeping the choir together, and giving some glimmer of hope in these uncertain times,” said Daniel. Youth choir beats lockdown School painting winners named n The results have been announced of the KSC East Anglia Province 27 Easter Scene Primary School KS2 Painting Competition 2020 with winners from St Augustine’s and Notre Dame schools in Norwich. First place went to Grace Unazi – Year 6 – St Augustine’s Catholic Primary School, Costessey, Norwich. Second placed was Rosie Ramon – Year 5 – Notre Dame Catholic Preparatory School, Norwich. Third was Emelia Postle – Yr 5 – St Augustine’s. These three winning entries from East Anglia have been sent to KSC Head Office for national adjudication. Individual school results were: St Augustine’s Catholic Primary School – Norwich Council 976: First – Grace Unazi Year 6; Second – Emelia Postle – Year 5; Third – Ellie Goodrum – Year 6. Notre Dame Catholic Prepara - tory School – Norwich Council 976: First – Rosie Ramon – Year 5; Second – Adeola Arole – Year 5; Third – Olive Hall – Year 5 Pictured above is the East Anglia overall winning entry from Grace Unazi of St Augustine’s. Catholic East Anglia – September /October 2020 like us on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/CatholicEastAnglia Page 13 YOUTH MATTERS The Margaret Beaufort Institute of Theology Brochure is now available via our website: http://www.margaretbeaufort.cam.ac.uk/ and here http://www.margaretbeaufort.cam.ac.uk/ giving details of our programme for 2020/21. A full range of courses are on offer, from full certificate and degree programmes to study days and retreats. All bookings and applications via mbitadm@hermes.cam.ac.uk. All courses will be delivered online via Zoom, joining details will be sent out prior to each course. Catholic Teaching and Practice - a learning space for catholic women See our brochure for details about the Margaret Beaufort Certificate on Theology. Cost: £180 (book 5 modules and get one free.) Modules this autumn: `Called to Participate` will be looking at how we fulfill our baptismal vocation to be prophets, priests and kings as we participate in the liturgy of the Church. This course will be a mixture of teaching and practical workshops preparing liturgies. Course leaders: Sue Price, Dr Melanie- Prejean Sullivan, Fr Dominic White OP. The course will be delivered online via Zoom, Thursdays, 2.00 - 5.30 pm, 8th, 15th, 22nd and 29th October 2020. `Christian mysticism and the Bible` will introduce students to the Christian mystics and their engagement with the Bible. Focusing particularly on the English mystics, it will explore what was meant by the mystical sense of scripture, the relationship between scripture and mystical exegesis, how mystics used scripture in their writings, and the relationship between scriptural and mystical revelation. Course leader: Dr Louise Nelstrop Thursdays 2.00–5.30 pm, 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th November 2020. Catholic Certificate for Religious Studies: Join the CCRS students for the following study days. Cost: £20. Old Testament Module led by Dr Rosalie Moloney. 19th September 10.00 - 4.00 pm to explore the richness of the Old Testament. Sacraments Module led by Dr Gemma Simmonds CJ. 21st November 10.00 - 4.00 pm exploring the richness of living a sacramental life. The Person of Christ Module led by Dr Matthew Bullimore. 21st November 10.00 - 4.00 pm exploring the rich teaching concerning the humanity and divinity of Christ. Study days in October 2020 Full details in the brochure. Cost: £45 (early bird booking £40) 3rd October: Praying with Julian of Norwich, led by Dr Gemma Simmonds CJ and Dr Louise Nelstrop. 10.30 - 4.00 pm. 10th October: Women in Leadership, led by Rev`d Dr Carrie Pemberton-Ford 11.30 - 3.30 pm 24th October: Looking inside a Kaleidoscope: exploring the world of the Medieval Sermon. led by Dr Ela Lazerewicz-Wyrzykowska. 11.00 - 3.30pm Retreat Day Cost: £20 (early bird £15) 17th October: An Autumn Day with Mary. led by the Pastoral Outreach Team.10.00 - 3.30 pm Short Course: Spiritual Direction in the Ignatian Tradition. Cost: £165 (early bird £160) This course is based on the spiritual exercises of St Ignatius, exploring the dynamics of spiritual direction and issues that arise in the pastoral ministry of spiritual accompaniment. All are welcome, but particularly those interested in engaging in the ministry of spiritual accompaniment, or wishing to reflect on their pastoral practice and/or people interested in the application of the Ignatian method of spiritual accompaniment. Led by Dr Gemma Simmonds CJ. Dates: Tuesdays 13th, 20th, 27th October, 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th November, 1st December 2020, 2–4pm. Margaret Beaufort Institute of Theology Catholic House of Cambridge Theological Federation www.margaretbeaufort.cam.ac.uk 12 Grange Road, Cambridge, CB3 9DU, 01223 741039

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Deacon Peter Coates from Woodbridge has died, aged 80, after a long illness. Fr Edmund Eggleston pays tribute . n Peter Coates was born during the Second World War in Darlington and was never seen by his father who died on active service in Egypt. In infancy, Peter was given up for dead on at least two occasions but revived. These epi - sodes were almost certainly due to the congenital condition known as Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS) which con - tinued to cause problems for Peter throughout his life. After grammar school, he worked as a mental nurse, as a care assistant in a hostel for destitute people, and for Dr Barnardo’s Homes before training for ministry in the Methodist Church. He claimed that his Bachelor of Divinity degree from the University of London made him the only Methodist Minister with a degree in the Roman Catholic Mass. At the age of eight, Peter told his mother that he had a vocation to be ordained and to work amongst the poo - rest people. Most of his ministry in the Methodist Church was based in inner London and his last appointment was as Chaplain to Rochester Borstal and Secre - tary of the London South East Synod as well as Chaplain to the European Youth Council and Leader of the first British del - egation to the East German Methodist Church. After leaving the Methodist Church, Peter worked in Prison Education before becoming Deputy Director of Replan, a government programme working with Further Education Colleges and unem - ployed people. This led to work on projects sponsored by the European Union. He also gained an academic diploma in Adult Continuing Education, a Master of Education degree and a Fellow - ship in the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. During this time, by separate routes, both Peter and his wife Kathleen, came to believe that it was right to ask to be received into the Roman Catholic Church. In 1995, Peter went to Azerbaijan as Team Leader on a project to reform the Ministry of Labour. This project lasted for a year and Peter has been credited with helping to found the Catholic Church there. The first public Mass since the communist revolution of 1918 was cel - ebrated in his flat by Fr Colin Taylor from the Nottingham Diocese. After Peter’s visit to the Nuncio in Tiblisi, Georgia, two priests were sent to Baku to establish the parish and build the new Church. The following year Peter went to Moldova, to be joined there by Kath - leen and their son Alister a few months later. Moldova had the lowest GDP in Europe and, through volun - tary work with the Church and with Caritas Moldova while living in a vil - lage sharing people’s lives, that early vocation began to be fulfilled. He was later ordained to the Order of Dea - cons on January 6, 2001 by the Rt Rev Anton Cosa, Bishop of Chi ş in ă u. Peter continued to work on projects mainly in Moldova but also in Kyrgys - tan, but eventually the EDS caught up with him again and gave rise to a few misdiagnoses in both countries and the UK. The family had to return to England and Peter was very ill during the early part of 2003. After recover - ing, he became an assistant to the Catholic Chaplain at Feltham Young Offenders Institute until Bishop Anton arranged an American contract enabling Peter to commute to Moldova eight times per year. In August 2005 the family came to live in Woodbridge. The charity Moldova not Forgotten was set up to continue the work there. He was the first permanent deacon in Eastern Europe. With permission from Bishop Michael Evans, and later Bishop Alan Hopes, Peter ministered in the parish of Saint Thomas of Canterbury at Woodbridge from 2005 and he wrote a regular column for our diocesan website newspaper – Catholic East Anglia. Peter continued to be incardinated to the Diocese of Chi ş in ă u, Moldova. Peter died in Ipswich hospital on June 23, aged 80. He is survived by his wife Kathleen, three children, and grand - children. n See Peter’s final column on page 15. Page 14 latest online news at: www.rcdea.org.uk Catholic East Anglia – September /October 2020 A vocation to work among the poor Prominent professor and theologian Nicholas Lash, a prominent Catholic professor of theol - ogy at Cambridge University, died on July 11. Mgr Mark Langham, chaplain at Fisher House in Cambridge, remembers his life . n Despite his clear-cut accent and homely English ways, there was always something exotic about Nicholas Lash. Born in India in 1934, he was the nephew of the Angli - can bishop of Bombay, while his brother became an Orthodox Archimandrite, and his own nephews are the actors Ralph and Joseph Fiennes. You never quite knew whom you were going to meet when visit - ing his house in Hereford Street. He attended Downside school, where he imbibed a love of Benedict and his rule, and then served for five years in the Royal Engineers before studying for priesthood, eventually becoming Dean of St Edmund’s College, Cambridge. In 1975 he resigned his ministry and became a lecturer in the Divinity Faculty at Cambridge University. Three years later, Nicholas was appointed to the Norris- Hulse Divinity chair, one of the most prestigious professorships at the Univer - sity; this was the first time since the Reformation that a senior theology post had been held by a Catholic. The Norris-Hulse Professorship requires its incumbents to be not only formidable theologians but serious philosophers as well. With his incisive mind, his insistence on the exact use of language, and his readiness to criticise what he thought were lazy or unfounded opinions, Nicholas excelled in his post. Brilliant and imaginative, he was the author of numerous theological books, and a regular contributor to theological jour - nals. His academic theology, however, was never separate from his own lively faith. In one of his best-known books, Believing Three Ways in One God, he sought to assist the faithful towards as deeper understanding of the Trinity through a close reading of the Apostles’ Creed. He was a loyal and obedient Roman Catholic, although never unafraid to pose critical questions to those in authority, and his achievements were recognised by the Church with the award of a Papal Knight - hood by Bishop Alan at the University Chaplaincy in May 2017. He and his wife Janet were stalwarts of the chaplaincy, warm hosts and wickedly funny raconteurs. Nicholas was a prayerful man who reminded us that all theology is a response to God’s word, and that wha - tever our failings, we can still discover God’s love for us and for this world. Peter Coates Retired priest Canon Michael Hazell, who lived in Ipswich, died after a long battle with cancer in March . n Writing to diocesan clergy, Bishop Alan said: “Canon Michael Hazell died this morning after a long battle with cancer. Canon Michael was a priest of the Diocese of Northampton who had retired to the Dio - cese of East Anglia and has lived and assisted in the parish of St Mary’s Ipswich (particularly in Holy Family, Kesgrave) for many years. “He was supremely a deeply pastoral priest and one who had a great love for the Church. His cheerfulness and positivity in the last two years of ill health and suf - fering are an example to us all. May he rest in peace. “The prayers and thoughts of the Diocese are especially with his two sisters, Annie and Molly, with the Bishop and the Diocese of Northampton, and the people of St Mary’s and Holy Family, Kesgrave, at this time.” In 2018, Canon Michael celebrated a special jubilee – marking 60 years of his service as a priest at the annual Celebration of Priesthood at the Bishop’s White House in Poringland. Deacon Raymond Howlings, who served at St George’s in Norwich, died in April at the age of 97, after a long illness . n Deacon Raymond was one of a large group of men ordained for the permanent diaconate by Bishop Alan Clarke for the Diocese back in 1991 and served in the parish of St George’s, Norwich. Bishop Alan said: “For some years now, Deacon Raymond he has been housebound, suffering from various medical conditions and was cared for sacra - mentally and pastorally by Fr Sean Connolly and parishioners at home. May he rest in peace. The Dio - cese offers its condolences and prayers to his nephew and other family members.” OBITUARIES

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n Parish priest Fr Seelan and a small group of parishioners from Sacred Heart and St Oswald in Peterborough cycled 75 miles from the church to the Catholic National Shrine at Walsingham in August to raise £4,000 for MacMillan Cancer Support. Jesvin Jai - mon, Roshan Roy and Tom Kilgallen were among those cycling with Fr Seelan through Whittlesey, March, Wisbech, King’s Lynn, Hunstan - ton and Wells-next-to-the-Sea, finally arriving at Walsingham on Saturday August 15. Fr Seelan said: “During the pilgrimage I will be praying for all the sick and all those affected due to the Covid-19 pan - demic. Everyone is affected in some way or other by the virus and lockdown. As I am cycling I would like to raise funds for Macmillan Cancer Nurses.” The cyclists arrived at Our Lady of Good Counsel in March on the Thurs - day afternoon and were welcomed by Fr Paul Spellman and other parishioners. Fr Seelan said they had cycled through monsoon conditions as they left Peter - borough. The trip had taken all afternoon. Parishioners at March wrote prayer intentions which the team took to the shrine. Jesvin and Roshan were cycling as a Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award. Deacon Ron’s great love of Catholic faith Pilgrims cycle for charity North Norfolk Permanent Deacon Ron O’Toole, who had a great love of the Cath - olic faith, died on August 11 at the age of 90. Fr James Walsh pays tribut e . n Ron had a long and varied life. At the age of 18 he entered the Cistercian abbey of Mount St Bernard where he spent eight years. It was an experience that marked him deeply and gave him a solid spiritual formation which was to shape his future life and ministry. It was with some reluctance that he left the abbey on the understanding that he might return one day. However when he later visited the abbey it was with his wife Inge and four children! Ron was born in Plymouth, the only child of a naval father and a staunchly Catholic Irish mother. His education in the faith began in an Anderson shelter when his mother taught him his prayers, said endless rosaries and introduced him to the lives of the saints. His working life began as an account - ant at Philips Electrical where he met Inge and they married in 1957. He was offered a job as sales rep for the publish - ing firm Burns Oates. The work was congenial but the salary was not suffi - cient to support a growing family. Never one to refuse a challenge he took up agriculture, managing the farm for the Dominican community at Spode House for several years. He then trained as a social worker and joined the Catho - lic Social Service. This brought him in contact with prison life which he saw as an opportunity for pastoral work. This was recognised by Bishop Casey who suggested that he could do this as a per - manent deacon in the Brentwood diocese. He was ordained to the diacon - ate by Bishop Butler in 1979. Finally, he joined the Apostleship of the Sea and worked at Anchor House in the London docklands for ten years. On his retirement, Ron and Inge moved to Norfolk where he was able to continue his diaconal ministry in the par - ishes of Cromer, Sheringham and North Walsham. Ron had a great love of the Catholic faith and had a natural gift for instructing adult converts and leading Bible study groups. In recent years he conducted many funerals, supporting families through bereavement and, on more than one occasion, resolving family divisions. Ron was good company. He enjoyed a good bottle of wine – preferably red – and was a mine of information about local hostelries. He was a family man, devoted to Inge, his four children, seven grandchildren and two great-grandchil - dren. Bishop Alan presided at a Requiem Mass at the Sacred Heart church in North Walsham on August 27. You can read more tributes to Ron at: www.sacredheartnorthwalsham.com Ron and Inge O’Toole. Fr Seelan, left, and some of his fellow cyclists at Walsingham. reflections Peter Coates has his final word – live the love of Jesus In a final column, Deacon Peter Coates from Woodbridge, who died at the end of June, says that Jesus calls us to live His love in the dirty world where we find ourselves . n I am still friends with many people who came through the living hell of being faithful Catholics under Soviet communism. Adam was 10 years old when the Soviets took over Moldova in 1944. When I met him, he was very quiet and always wore a crucifix around his neck. Eventually he told a little bit of the story of his persecution and the crucifix. He told how it was torn from his neck at school and they were made to trample it. There were other things he would never talk about but I know how deeply he and his wife were hurt and suffered for their faith. There are still many places where Christians are persecuted for their faith and there are new martyrs dying daily for the Name of Jesus. There are also insidious attacks on the church and our faith that we need to oppose and make clear how demonstrably wrong they are. Catholic Social Teaching is exemplary and should be our standard bearer to the world. We should use it as our measuring stick for the morality of legislation. At General Election time, the British Bishops’ Confer - ence produces guidance based on CST and it includes a lot more than “life” issues. Some people I know in USA voted, a few years ago, for the so-called Life candidate and then discovered that they had voted for a candidate who would autho - rise killing and start wars where many people were killed. I ask if the lives of those poor, vulnerable civil - ians did not count as “Life”. All down the years, Christians have been faced with big moral questions which do not have easy answers. When faced with a totally evil state such as Nazism, we have an obligation as Catholics to protect the vul - nerable, the disabled, the Roma, the Jews and all those who need help including the unborn. When sub - ject to a totalitarian system like the dictatorships that have dominated many countries during the 20th and 21st centuries, we have an obligation to undermine it with goodness. Jesus calls us to live His love in the dirty world where we find ourselves. “He looks upon a wounded humanity with eyes that gaze into the heart of each person… in his or her health condition, discarding no one, but rather inviting everyone to share His life and experience His tender love.” (Pope Francis). A note from editor Keith Morris: n In November 2018, Peter first wrote to me explain - ing that he had recently recovered from major heart problems and was looking for ways to continue his vocation. “I can no longer drive, nor can I walk more than a few yards, so my liturgical and pastoral possi - bilities are very limited,” he explained. “I have started to write a series of thoughts on St John’s Gospel which might make a good Lenten study. Is any of this any use in your world?” The answer, of course, was “yes” and since then Peter has written on a multitude of topics. He was not afraid to address hard subjects such as the pain he often endured because of his poor health and his own mortality. His June column was about his 80th birthday and his reflections on a long life and counting his bless - ings. He knew then what was coming and where he was going when it did. Less than a week before he died, Peter wrote to me for the final time, keen to provide this column in time for the July enews/paper. “Pain is up this week but this writing is very therapeutic,” he wrote, “more later.” I am sure, as ever, that he was right and there will indeed be more later… n See Peter’s obituary on page 14. Catholic East Anglia – September /October 2020 like us on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/CatholicEastAnglia Page 15 OBITUARY

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News picture gallery from parishes around the Diocese Page 16 latest online news at: www.rcdea.org.uk Catholic East Anglia – September /October 2020 n A Suffolk Augustine friar was among the first to take on the feared Chasers in new ITV quiz show Beat the Chasers in April. Fr George Donaghy (OSA), who is based at Clare Priory in Suffolk, took to the stage in the first-ever edition of the new show, broadcast on April 27, but which was filmed at the famous Elstree Studios in north London, back in January. The show pits con - testants against up to five of the infamous quizzers. Fr George, appearing in his collar and habit, was among 10,000 applicants for the show in which he could potentially win many thousands of pounds. When Fr George, originally from Birmingham, joined host Bradley Walsh on stage he joked about being a window cleaner and said he might spend any winnings on a Mississippi river boat cruise. He then correctly answering multiple choice ques - tions about Marmite and Hiccup the Hamster to win himself £2,000 with which to take on the Chasers before getting wrong a question about St Isidore of Seville – patron saint of the Internet. He then chose to take on Chasers Mark `The Beast` Labbett and Anne `The Governess` Hegerty. With a 25-second head start, Fr George just failed to beat the quiz experts to win his £2,000. Afterward, Fr George said: “I did not go on expect - ing to win big money, I just wanted to see how I fared against the Chasers. I left school with poor qualifica - tions in my first year of training for priesthood and religious life in 1998 I was found to be both dyslexic and dyspraxic. However, I was supported in learning how to deal with this by attending the dyslexia centre in Kensington. I ended up enjoying my studies and got a 2:1 from Lampeter via the Beda in Theology. “Going on the show was about giving witness that priests and religious like quiz shows too and holding my own with the Chasers - and I felt I did that. The whole production team were very supportive of me being on the show. “It’s always important for me to present my life as an Augustinian friar and priest as this is me, I am no different from anyone else - the only difference is the life choice. I believe I have been called to it in the same way others are called to marriage, nursing etc. I felt I was allowed to do this on the show and the response has been excep - tionally positive. I felt it was a good witness.” n More than three months after the Easter Vigil, three catechumens from St Michael’s, Huntingdon, were finally baptised and welcomed into the Catholic Church, reports Fr Philip Shryane. James, Lisa and Austin had done all their preparation for the sacra - ments ready for Easter; James and Lisa had followed an RCIA programme for their journey to the Catholic Church and Austin had fol - lowed both a baptism preparation programme and the First Holy Communion programme in the parish. But all was put on hold because of Covid-19, the church was closed and Easter was held behind closed doors and live streamed for people to join in. At last, on August 1, we were ready to go ahead to baptise all three of them and welcome them all to Holy Communion. James and Lisa also received the Sacrament of Confirmation. James’ sister Samantha, herself an RCIA catechist in her parish, came to be their sponsor, other members of the group and members of the parish also joined us for this joyful and fulfilling event. As it was a lovely morning, we had a socially-distanced cup of coffee in the garden afterwards and some photos. All three new Christians are already active members of our parish, helping with coffee after Mass when possible and also managing the booking of those coming to Mass. Welcoming new people into the Church feels like we are making pro - gress again to spread the gospel and bring new growth to the Church. n The annual Red Mount procession at King’s Lynn went ahead on Sunday July 16 but in an unusual manner, reports Stephen Farr. The solemnity of the Assumption of Our Lady is usually marked by carrying of the statue of Our Lady, which was given to the pontifical National Shrine to Our Lady of Walsingham in Kings Lynn by Pope Leo XIII in 1897. The route goes from the par - ish church of Our Lady of the Annunciation to the Red Mount, which is a late 15th-century wayside chapel for pilgrims on their way to Walsingham and houses two chapels. For obvious reasons, things had to be done differ - ently this year, but the tradition was upheld as best we could. After vespers at Our Lady of the Annunci - ation, we took an informal ramble to the Red Mount in a socially distant manner. On arrival at the Red Mount we prayed as normal before ambling back for benediction. Fr George Donaghy with host Bradley Walsh on TV show Beat the Chasers. Picture by ITV/Matt Frost.

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