Pope Francis has named Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti as Apostolic Nuncio in Great Britain today, 4 July 2020. Claudio Gugerotti was born in Verona, Italy, on 7 October 1955 and ordained a priest of the Diocese of Verona on 29 May 1982. He earned degrees in Eastern languages and literature and in sacred liturgy. He taught patristics at the San Zeno Theological Institute in Verona from 1981 to 1984, and theology and Eastern liturgy at the Institute of Ecumenical Studies in Verona from 1982 to 1985. In 1985, he joined the Roman Curia, working at the Congregation for the Eastern Churches; he became its undersecretary on 17 December 1997. He has also taught patristics and Armenian language and literature at the Pontifical Oriental Institute. On 7 December 2001, Pope John Paul II appointed him Apostolic Nuncio to Georgia and to Armenia, as well as Titular Archbishop of Ravello. He was also appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Azerbaijan on 13 December 2001. He received his episcopal consecration from John Paul on 6 January 2002. Pope Benedict XVI appointed him Apostolic Nuncio to Belarus on 15 July 2011. On 13 November 2015, Pope Francis appointed him Apostolic Nuncio to Ukraine. The previous Nuncio to Great Britain, Archbishop Edward Adams, retired at the age of 75, in January 2020. Independent Catholic News 5th July 2020 May you be filled with the wonder of Mary, the obedience of Joseph, the joy of the angels, the eagerness of the shepherds, the determination of the magi, and the peace of the Christ child, now and forever. Winter 2020 Tuesday 7th July was scheduled to be a celebration of 75 years of the UCM going on pilgrimage to Walsingham, an opportunity to honour our Mother Mary and – in my view – the most important event in the UCM year. But COVID-19 (there, I’ve said it and promise not to mention it again) put paid to that. Former Walsingham Administrator Maureen Smith had very kindly and thoughtfully arranged for a Novena of Masses for the intentions of the UCM to commence that day in the Chapel of Reconciliation – thank you Maureen. At the time of booking, the 12 noon Mass was scheduled to be celebrated in private and, like most of the services at Walsingham, it was live-streamed so that we could take part at home. This live-streaming of Mass has been, and continues to be, a tremendous benefit and it is good to see modern technology working for us in this positive way. Fortunately, on 4th July the restrictions on public worship were lifted and I was delighted to read on the Shrine website that our Mass would be public. Walsingham is about 90 miles from St Neots and thus manageable in a day trip, so Henry & I packed a picnic, umbrellas, waterproofs, sunglasses etc. and off we went on our pilgrimage. We even took the East Anglia UCM banner, figuring that although the UCM would not be out in force, at least one Diocesan banner would be there to represent us. The Mass was wonderful and as those of you who watched the live-streaming will know, the fact that it was being said for the intentions of the UCM was announced at the start. I felt immensely proud and privileged to be there at that point and almost stepped out to take a bow – but Henry restrained me. The Franciscan celebrant was very much aware of the hygiene requirements (he’d obviously read the Guidance from the Bishops’ Conference) and there was frequent and enthusiastic use of the alcohol sanitiser as he applied it liberally to his hands, arms and at one point even his elbows. This had the intended effect of instilling confidence in the congregation to receive Holy Communion from his by-now pristine hands. After Mass we kept up the UCM tradition by eating our picnic lunch outside, but the rows of empty benches in the open area, not to mention the almost total silence in the grounds, made for a very different experience. We drove into the village, singing a few verses of Immaculate Mary on the way and parked in the almost-deserted Friday Market. By now it was raining hard (see, we did need the wet-weather gear) and the High Street looked very sad, wet and deserted, with most places closed. The Abbey grounds were open but on wandering in I was accosted by the gate-keeper wanting to extract £5 from me, so decided against it, even though I was offered the convenience of paying by contactless card. Yes, it was a very different experience, tinged with sadness for what should have been, but at the same time a most enjoyable day out. We were thankful we could make the journey and offer prayers for all our UCM friends and their families. Living in East Anglia does have its benefits and next January, when the easterly winds are blowing unimpeded from the frozen wastelands of Russia, we’ll remind ourselves that at least we are close to Walsingham. Roll on 2021 when we pray that we will all be back there in bigger-than-ever numbers. Anne Emblem Diocesan President, East Anglia www.theucm.co.uk Photos, copy and distribution queries for The UCM News should be sent to by email to catholic.mother@yahoo.co.uk. For further details about the Union of Catholic Mothers please contact the National Secretary, Kate Moss, at ucmnatsec@yahoo.co.uk Anne Emblem, Diocesan President of East Anglia, represents us all in the rain. The main street in Walsingham. Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti Pope Francis appoints new Apostolic Nuncio to Great Britain Walsingham 2020: The Pilgrimage that never was – or was it? Guild of Our Lady of Ransom appoints new Master The Guild of Our Lady of Ransom, a Catholic guild that promotes the re- conversion of England and Wales to the Catholic faith, has appointed Monsignor John Armitage, former Rector of the National Catholic Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham, as its new Master. The guild also works on outreach to lapsed Catholics and promotes prayer for the dead. The guild’s Executive Council has released a statement on the appointment: The Executive Council of the Guild of Our Lady of Ransom is delighted to announce that they have, with the blessing of our Patron, the Archbishop of Southwark, nominated a new Master, Monsignor John Armitage. The Executive Council wishes to express its gratitude to the Bishop of Brentwood for his agreement to allow Mgr Armitage to carry out the role of Master alongside his new role in the diocese as parish priest of St Margaret and All Saints, Canning Town. Mgr Armitage will be the Guild’s fifth Master and his appointment, subject to approval by the Guild’s Ransomers at the next Annual Business Meeting, follows the sad death of the fourth Master, Monsignor Anthony Stark, Prot. Ap., KCHS, who was Master Emeritus from 2010 to 2020. The Master of the Guild of Our Lady of Ransom serves for a five-year term, and may be re-appointed for a further five-year term. The Master’s role is to promote the Guild’s objectives of re-converting England and Wales to the Roman Catholic faith, restoration of the lapsed and prayer for the forgotten dead. guild-ransom.co.uk Official website for the Guild of Our Lady of Ransom Merry Christmas and a Properous New Year

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Page 2 Winter 2020 UCM News Pope urges Catholics to pray the rosary amid `looming threats` Pope Francis encouraged Catholics to pray the Rosary, amid the "looming threats" our world is facing. He made the call during Wednesday`s General Audience addressing pilgrims gathered in the San Damaso courtyard in the Vatican and the thousands around the world watching and listening online. "In her apparitions, Our Lady often exhorted the recitation of the rosary, especially in the face of looming threats to the world," he told Polish-speaking pilgrims. "Even today, in this time of the pandemic, it is necessary to hold the rosary in our hands and pray for us, our loved ones and all people," he said. Addressing Spanish-speaking pilgrims, the Holy Father prayed that through the intercession of Our Lady of the Rosary, the Lord might make "our life, in the midst of this time of the pandemic, a loving service to all our brothers and sisters, especially those who feel abandoned and unprotected." Greeting the Arabic-speaking faithful, he invited them to pray the rosary and carry it in their hands or pockets. The rosary, he explained, is the most beautiful prayer that we can offer to the Virgin Mary. "It is a contemplation of the stages of the life of Jesus the Saviour with his Mother Mary and it is a weapon that protects us from evil and temptation." The Pope also spoke about the rosary as a "contemplative prayer," saying that, in meditating on the mysteries of salvation, "the loving face of God Himself, whom we are called to contemplate in eternity, is increasingly revealed to us." Independent Catholic News Today This is the beginning of a new day. God has given me this day to use as I will. I can waste it, or use it for good but what I do today is important because I am exchanging a day of my life for it. When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever leaving in its place something that I have traded for it. I want it to be gain and not loss, good and not evil, success and not failure, in order that I shall not regret the price I have paid for it. Anonymous Submitting copy for next issue The deadline for articles and photos for the next edition of the UCM News is Friday 8th January 2021 Please send copy to catholic.mother@yahoo.co.uk Thank you (GDPR) General Data Protection Regulation Anyone sending photos to be published in The Catholic Mother newspaper, it is your responsibility to make sure you get permission from all in the photos. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales recently appointed Rev. Fr Jan Nowotnik, a priest of the Archdiocese of Birmingham, as the National Ecumenical Officer and Secretary to the Department for Evangelisation and Discipleship at the Conference Secretariat in London. Fr Nowotnik is a priest of the Archdiocese of Birmingham and is currently finishing Doctoral Studies at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum), Rome in the Faculty of Theology. Fr Nowotnik studied at the Royal English College in Valladolid (Spain) and was ordained for the Archdiocese of Birmingham in November 1998. He was assistant priest at Holy Trinity, Newcastle- under-Lyme and St. Chad’s Cathedral, Birmingham, and parish priest at St. Augustine’s Stoke on Trent and St. Brigit’s, Northfield, Birmingham until he went to Rome to study for a Licence in Theology. Archbishop Bernard Longley, Chair of the Department for Dialogue and Unity said: “He was delighted that Fr Nowotnik was to join the Bishops’ Conference as National Ecumenical Officer, and that Fr Jan will have responsibility for Evangelisation and Discipleship as well as Dialogue and Unity. He went on to say that Fr Jan’s considerable experience as a pastor as well as his recent doctoral studies in Rome will equip him well for his new role.” Fr Jan, who is currently in Rome, will begin his work in the Conference Secretariat in September 2020 said: “He looks forward to working with his ecumenical brothers and sisters and members of other faith communities and continuing to build upon the good relationships which already exist. (photo credit: Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales) NBCW publishes practical booklet on domestic abuse In order to raise awareness within the Catholic community of domestic abuse and the impact upon victims and their children, the National Board of Catholic Women (NBCW) has released a booklet that offers pastoral care and guidance. Commending the booklet, the Bishops` Conference Liaison to the NBCW, Abbot Hugh Allan, O.Praem, believes its publication is particularly timely: "At a time when the crisis around the pandemic has seen an increase in cases of domestic abuse, this timely booklet from the National Board of Catholic Women (NBCW) is an excellent resource for all of us. "The masterpiece of creation is a human being. This great dignity is the birth right of everyone. The welfare and safety of all God`s children is a something every Christian has a responsibility to act upon. No one should ever live in fear of violence, or of any kind of abuse." The booklet contains notes on Church teaching on violence in relationships - including extracts from the 2016 Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia - and provides useful links and resources to help both those suffering in various situations of domestic abuse and also survivors who need time, space and help to recover. Preventing and combating domestic abuse is a shared responsibility and the booklet contains a section offering simple, practical guidance to Catholics in England and Wales who want to play their part. Source: CBCEW EDITORIAL I hope you are all keeping safe and well with those you love. This issue is later than originally scheduled due to the previous issue running a month late. As far as I know, the February edition will be on time. I would like to draw your attention to the National President’s Pilgrimage on page 13. Please be aware that the duration has been reduced and is now 5 days and this has been reflected in the reduced costs. At the time of going to press there are 10 vacancies; so, if you would like to take part, please contact the National President. The National President’s Triennial Mass will be held in Liverpool Cathedral on Saturday 17th April 2021 at 3pm. National Study Days are at The Hayes 15th 17th March hosted by Leeds Diocese. National Council is also at The Hayes 10th 12th May hosted by Birmingham Archdiocese. Walsingham is 5th 7th July led by Portsmouth Diocese. The Catholic Women praying together mass in London has been deferred until 14th April 2021. We still have vacancies on the National Committee. Please pray very hard and ask Our Blessed Lady to encourage members – including yourself - to come forward for these positions. Without sufficient officers on the National Committee, we do not know how we can continue. Please search your hearts, be brave and say YES. All dates are correct at time of going to press; however, the ongoing pandemic might have an adverse effect on them. You will, of course, be kept informed of any changes. I wish you all a very happy Christmas in the love and peace of the newborn infant Jesus. Val Ward Acting Editor New Roman Catholic National Ecumenical Officer

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UCM News Winter 2020 Page 3 FROM THE NATIONAL P RESIDENT Dear Members Who would have thought that 8 months of my last Presidential year would be spent in lockdown? It has been months of restrictions for us all, what I have missed most are people, just going for a coffee or newspaper and saying hello to neighbours. Not been able to visit family or friends in hospital. Mass was watching it on my I-pad. One of my regrets was not being able to visit you in your dioceses. The positive side is that volunteers all over the country came out and gave their help to anyone who was in need, notes were put through letterboxes with contact details telling them to call if they need help. However just like a rainbow appears after a heavy rainfall there is a ray of light/hope appearing. Sacramental programmes have started, we can now go into our local churches for Mass even though numbers are still restricted. Small family gatherings are taking place. This paper is going out in November so on behalf of the National Committee I would like to send our best wishes for Christmas to you and your families. Take care of yourselves. God bless Margaret McDonald, National President Life During Lockdown Covid 19 has been a huge change to lifestyle globally. For those fortunate enough not to have to work for a living, life might have changed for the better in some ways. In my own situation, I was leading a lifestyle with too many commitments, all of my own making I hasten to add! So, lockdown meant that I was free of those commitments. I walked and birdwatched most days and changed my exercise routine. I took up jogging again and managed to jog 2 x 3 miles a week within distance of my home. I did online fitness sessions with the Los Angeles Fitness studio. At first, I found the American banter quite alien but after a while I seemed to be joining in with their humour. What I did like about it was that the instructor was very competent and very similar to my aerobics teacher at home. She was funny too. Like many people in lockdown, I started to bake which is something I rarely did before. Biscuits, cheese scones and bread and butter pudding became a specialty. Victoria sponge was a success thanks to Mary Berry! I even made bread which I had always thought of as complicated before. It was easy and could be cooked in the oven without use of a bread maker. I made chutney and ratatouille for the first time. I shared my efforts with family and friends. In return, I was plied with main meals, desserts and cakes. It has been a win, win situation! A member from another foundation, also regularly baked and it was sad to hear she had no one to share it but amusing to hear she had no choice but to eat it herself. Once she made a pudding for her sister but ate that pudding too as it looked so appetizing! Now she`s trying to lose weight! One member discovered a way of making scones with only 3 ingredients, one of which is lemonade! So, if you run out of milk, you know what to do! I missed going to Mass but like many people was able to watch it streamed online and our Parish Priest used his technology skills to set up interviews with priests and religious around the world. We had two Church quizzes via Zoom. Being very competitive, jokingly I made a complaint to the Parish Priest that the questions were disappearing too quickly from the screen before we had time to answer. He did a picture quiz with images of the Saints and because we were unable to download the file, a fellow team member in another household had to describe the pictures to us and it was hilarious. Other members of our foundation were asked to keep in contact by phone with parishioners which was much appreciated. Our Parish Priest also provided workshops for children of school age, teenagers and adults which must have taken much organization. We are grateful we had a Parish Priest who was very conversant with technology. One of our foundation members, taught herself to touch type which I think is a great feat. As lockdown was lifted, I was able to meet up with small groups of friends for walking or meeting in the garden and more recently in the conservatory as the weather changes. I would have liked to have learnt a foreign language in lockdown but sadly that never happened but my garden is looking the best it’s ever looked and I now take much more interest in Gardener’s World. We were also blessed with good weather all summer. I became more aware of the wildlife around me and on BBC’s Springwatch, I thought it was very calming to see film clips of wildlife without commentary just listening to the wonderful sights and sounds of nature. I hope too that we have come to appreciate those around us who have no family to visit them and perhaps invite them in for a cup of coffee from time to time. I am sure we have all missed meeting as a UCM foundation and an opportunity of trips and meals out. The camaraderie and support is very comforting. Although we are unable to meet as a group, some of us are now getting together for coffee with social distancing. But as the Queen said, “WE WILL MEET AGAIN”! Charmaine Furlong, St. Joseph’s Foundation, Portishead, Clifton Diocese In order for The Union of Catholic Mothers to continue, we need members to put their names forward for National Office. Without these roles being filled the work of The UCM will be in jeopardy. None of these tasks are onerous and help and support is always available. Thank you. All National Officers Attend National Committee Meetings Attend National Council & Annual General Meeting and Autumn Meeting Attendance at the Annual Pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham is appreciated Attends adhoc meetings as required National Vice President – 2 posts – shared responsibilities Elected office – closing date 19th February 2021 National Welfare Officer Appointed Office – closing date 19th February 2021 National Media Officer Appointed Office – closing date 19th February 2021 National Public Service Officer Appointed Office – closing date 19th February 2021 All nomination/recommendation must be proposed by their home diocese, seconded by another diocese and sent together with a copy of the candidate’s CV by 19th February 2021 To the National Secretary: Kate Moss For information in relation to any of the advertised posts please contact the National Secretary ucmnatsec@yahoo.co.uk NATIONAL VACANCIES

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Page 4 Winter 2020 UCM News Congratulations 70th WEDDING ANNIVERSARY Monica and John CULLEN, Guardian Angels Foundation, Bury, Salford Diocese DIAMOND WEDDING Norma and Louis O`DO NNELL, Kettering Foundation, Northampton Diocese Mary and Bryn Mc NAMARA, Kettering Foundation, Northampton Diocese GOLDEN WEDDING Val and Derek GOULD, Westminster Archdiocese Mary and David HALES , St Marie’s Foundation, Rugby, Birmingham Archdiocese Tineke & John BA RNES, Our Lady & St. Walstan Foundation, East Anglia Diocese 100th BIRTHDAY Frances FLANAGAN was born in Wales on 6th July 1920. When we look back in her history book, we discover she has witnessed so much change during her 100 years. When she was a little girl there was no tv, no electric light in houses and no foreign holidays. Sundays meant no playing out just spending the day singing or colouring with wax crayons. Frances never thought she would see space travel, mobile phones or computers that made international connections so easy. Last year when she reached 99 her 4 children arranged an amazing get together with all her family including 11 grandchildren and 19 great grandchildren. This year due to lockdown Frances had a quieter weekend of celebrations but still had visits from family and friends including her fellow members of St Patricks UCM in Birstall where she has been a much-loved member for 18 years. Eileen Hartley St Patricks Birstall Leeds Diocese. Photo shows Frances on her 100th birthday. Bridie RYAN, Bridie is with her daughter-in-law, Jackie Ryan, who is president of Our Lady of Lourdes Foundation, Clifton Diocese. Bridie has been a member of UCM since it started in Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, Kingswood around 1960. She is now living in St Joseph`s Nursing Home, Cotham Bristol. 90th BIRTHDAY Mary BODE, St Gregory the Great Foundation, Lydiate, Liverpool Archdiocese Josie C RIBBIN, St Mary’s Foundation, Woolton Liverpool Archdiocese Marie MELIA, St Philomena’s Foundation, Liverpool Archdiocese Monica CULLEN, Guardian Angels Foundation, Bury, Salford Diocese Mary WRIGHT, English Martyr’s Foundation, York until its closure and now an independent member, Middlesbrough Diocese 80th BIRTHDAY Glenda BOXILL HEALY, St Anthony’s Foundation, Anerley, Southwark Archdiocese Angela MELLORS, Diocesan President, Hallam Diocese Pauline WEBB, Former President, St. Colman`s Foundation, Cosham, Portsmouth Diocese Pauline VASEY, St Gregory’s Foundation, Lydiate, Liverpool Archdiocese Rita MORGAN, St George’s Foundation, Maghull, Liverpool Archdiocese Angela BATEY, St Margaret Mary’s Foundation, Knotty Ash, Liverpool Archdiocese Wyn PICKUP, St Margaret Mary’s Foundation, Knotty Ash, Liverpool Archdiocese Kathy SPENCER, Guardian Angels Foundation, Bury, Salford Diocese Sheila WELSH, Guardian Angels Foundation, Bury, Salford Diocese Breege CONWAY, Kettering Foundation, Northampton Diocese Anna ROBE RTS, Kettering Foundation, Northampton Diocese Rita DAWS, Cathedral of SS Peter & Paul Foundation, Clifton Diocese Janet HATTON, Our Lady & St. Walstan Foundation, East Anglia Diocese Joyce EDWINS, St Anthony’s Foundation, Anerley, Southwark Archdiocese FOUNDATION ANNIVERSARYS 75th Blessed Sacrament Foundation, Liverpool Archdiocese 65th St George’s Foundation, Liverpool Archdiocese 40th St Aidan’s Foundation, Liverpool Archdiocese 40th St Clare’s Foundation, Liverpool Archdiocese Glenda Boxill Healy Mary and David Hales Mary Wright Bridie Ryan is with her daughter-in-law, Jackie Ryan If you would like to advertise please contact Charlotte Rosbrooke on 07932 248225 or email charlotter@cathcom.org Angela Mellors New Apostolic Letter highlights St Jerome’s love of Scripture Pope Francis has written an Apostolic Letter for the 1 600th anniversary of the death of Saint Jerome the “great doctor and father of the Church, who put the Bible at the centre of his life.” Titled ‘Scripturae Sacrae affectus‘ – Devotion to Sacred Scripture – Pope Francis writes of St Jerome’s “devotion to the Sacred Scripture, a ‘living and tender love’ for the written Word of God.” “Jerome’s profound knowledge of the Scriptures, his zeal for making their teaching known, his skill as an interpreter of texts, his ardent and at times impetuous defence of Christian truth, his asceticism and harsh eremitical discipline, his expertise as a generous and sensitive spiritual guide”, writes the Pope. “All these make him, sixteen centuries after his death, a figure of enduring relevance for us, the Christians of the twenty-first century.” Devoted to Christ and His Word Reviewing the life of the fourth century saint, Pope Francis notes that Jerome devoted himself entirely “to Christ and His word,” working unceasingly “to make the divine writings accessible to others. The Pope highlighted two dimensions of the saint’s life especially: his “absolute and austere consecration to God,” and “a commitment to diligent study, aimed purely at an ever deeper understanding of the Christian mystery.” Pope Francis dwells on Jerome’s love of Scripture, which focused on the “humble character of God’s revelation,” more than on “the narrative and poetic genius of the Bible.” Jerome approached the Scriptures in an even “more systematic and distinctive way” than the other early Christian Fathers, emphasising the necessity of knowing the Bible in order to know Christ. Study steeped in obedience Jerome’s study of the Scripture, the Pope says, was steeped in obedience, both to God Himself and “to those in the Church who represent the living Tradition that interprets the revealed message.” But, Pope Francis insists, “The ‘obedience of faith’ is not, however, a mere passive reception of something already known; on the contrary it demands an active personal effort to understand what was spoken.” Pope Francis notes that many people find the Bible difficult to read — not because of illiteracy, but because they have not learned the skills necessary to make the sacred text intelligible. “This shows the need for an interpreter,” writes Pope Francis, adding, “Jerome can serve as our guide… because he leads every reader to the mystery of Jesus.” The Vulgate translation The Pope notes that Jerome’s translation of the Scriptures into Latin helped to shape western culture. “Jerome’s work of translation teaches us that the values and positive forms of every culture represent an enrichment for the whole Church,” while at the same time witnessing “to the fact that the Bible continually needs to be translated into the linguistic and mental categories of each culture and generation.” Pope Francis also explains the importance of translation as a form of ‘hospitality’. A translator, he writes, “is a bridge builder,” helping people of different languages and cultures not only communicate with, but also understand each other. Devotion to Rome and the Popes Saint Jerome was also known for his deep devotion to Rome and to the Popes. “At a turbulent time in which the seamless garment of the Church was often torn by divisions among Christians, Jerome looked to the Chair of Peter as a sure reference point.” Jerome himself “was often involved in bitter disputes for the cause of the faith,” which he often carried out with great passion. Nonetheless, although willing to fight vehemently for the faith, Jerome loved and desired peace. “Today more than ever,” writes Pope Francis, “our world needs the medicine of mercy and peace.” Love for the Scriptures Concluding his Letter, Pope Francis appeals to everyone to take Saint Jerome as an example of love for Sacred Scripture and devotion to study. “I would like to pose a challenge to young people in particular,” he writes. “Begin exploring your heritage. Christianity makes you heirs of an unsurpassed cultural patrimony of which you must take ownership. Be passionate about this history which is yours. Dare to fix your gaze on the young Jerome, who, like the merchant in Jesus’ parable, sold all he had in order to buy the ‘pearl of great price’.” Pope Francis expresses his hope that we might “love what Jerome loved,” rediscover his writings, and allow ourselves “to be touched by his robust spirituality.” He points to the Blessed Virgin Mary as “the model of prayerful reading of the Scriptures,” encouraging us to “entrust ourselves to Our Lady who, more than anyone, can teach us how to read, meditate, contemplate, and pray to God, who tirelessly makes Himself present in our lives.” Source – CBCEW

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Page 6 Winter 2020 UCM News Cardinal backs Crimestoppers’ campaign to combat Modern Slavery into modern slavery is expected to rise. Last year, the number of victims in the UK hit a record high, with more than 10,000 potential victims of trafficking, slavery and forced labour identified – men, women and children. But it’s feared that this is only the tip of the iceberg, and that there may be as many as 136,000 modern slavery victims in the UK, according to a 2018 survey by the Walk Free Foundation. Cardinal Vincent Nichols, President of the Santa Marta Group, has added his voice to the Crimestoppers’ #SlaveryonYourDoorstep campaign that seeks to get anonymous information from the public to help potential victims of this under-reported crime: “The pandemic has affected vulnerable people disproportionally,” says Cardinal Nichols. “This has led to more potential victims of human trafficking and exploitation. The Catholic Church’s Santa Marta Group seeks to help victims, and potential victims, of human trafficking by working with law enforcement agencies across the world to combat this evil crime and assist the victims.” You can back the #SlaveryonYourDoorstep campaign by helping to spot these victims and to tell Crimestoppers about them, 100% anonymously, so that the necessary support can be provided by specialist agencies, and action can be taken against the criminals involved. What can I do? We can all help end modern slavery by being aware of what to look, for instance the next time you go to a car wash site or a nail bar. This crime also goes on in agriculture, construction, catering, the care sector, contract cleaning, hotels and hospitality, and in fishing, as well as being widespread within the sex industry. Signs that someone might be a victim of modern slavery include: Showing signs of injury, abuse and malnourishment They look unkempt, are often in the same clothing and have poor hygiene Appearing to be under the control and influence of others Living in cramped, dirty, overcrowded accommodation They have no access or control of their passport or identity documents Appearing scared, avoiding eye contact, and being untrusting They may allow others to speak for them when addressed directly, rather than speak for themselves. They’re collected very early and/or returned late at night on a regular basis May have inappropriate clothing for the work they are performing, and/or a lack of safety equipment May be isolated from the local community and their family They travel only with other workers We know that it can feel awkward or a bit embarrassing when you suspect, but are not absolutely certain, that modern slavery is happening. Its hidden nature makes it more difficult to spot. But sometimes, you’ll have a hunch that something is just not right. That’s when you can pass on what you suspect without giving any personal details, thanks to Crimestoppers’ anonymity guarantee. Your information could help free victims from danger and ensure they receive the support they desperately need from specialist agencies, as well as help bring those behind this heinous crime to justice. What to do if you are a victim of modern slavery? Due to Crimestoppers’ anonymity guarantee, it can’t take information from victims of crime. If you think you or someone you have come across may be a victim of modern slavery and in need of help, you can contact The Salvation Army, who provide specialist support to adult victims of slavery, by calling their free 24-hour confidential helpline on 0800 808 3733. The UK Modern Slavery Helpline is available 24/7 to offer confidential advice and support for any victim, statutory agency, business, or member of the public regarding modern slavery suspicions or concerns. Trained Helpline Advisers are available to discuss potential signs of modern slavery and options for callers or victims in need. Call free on 08000 121 700. Forced Labour or Exploitation If you have any information about the mistreatment of workers, or labour providers operating without a licence or a business, you can contact the Gangmasters & Labour Abuse Authority by phoning 0800 432 0804. Related crimestoppers-uk.org You can find out more about the #SlaveryonYourDoorstep campaign by visiting the Crimestoppers’ website. “Fratelli tutti”: This is a short overview of Pope Francis’s Social Encyclical October 5th, 2020 Fraternity and social friendship are the ways the Pontiff indicates to build a better, more just and peaceful world, with the contribution of all: people and institutions. With an emphatic confirmation of a ‘no’ to war and to globalized indifference. The Encyclical aims to promote a universal aspiration toward fraternity and social friendship. In the background of the Encyclical is the Covid-19 pandemic which, Francis reveals, “unexpectedly erupted” as he “was writing this letter”. But the global health emergency has helped demonstrate that “no one can face life in isolation” and that the time has truly come to “dream, then, as a single human family” in which we are “brothers and sisters all”. Chapter One: “Dark Clouds over a Closed World” This reflects on the many distortions of the contemporary era: democracy, freedom, justice; selfishness and indifference toward the common good; the culture of waste; unemployment, racism, poverty; the disparity of rights and its aberrations such as slavery, trafficking, women subjugated and then forced to abort, organ trafficking. It deals with global problems that call for global actions. Chapter Two: “A stranger on the road” The Pope emphasizes that, in an unhealthy society that turns its back on suffering and that is “illiterate” in caring for the frail and vulnerable, we are all to become neighbours to others, overcoming prejudices, personal interests, historic and cultural barriers. Love builds bridges and “we were made for love”, the Pope adds, particularly exhorting Christians to recognize Christ in the face of every excluded person. Chapter Three: “Envisaging and engendering an open world” The spiritual stature of a person’s life is measured by love, which always “takes first place” and leads us to seek better for the life of the other, far from all selfishness. The sense of solidarity and of fraternity begin within the family, which are to be safeguarded and respected in their “primary and vital mission of education”. The right to live with dignity cannot be denied to anyone and since rights have no borders, no one can remain excluded, regardless of where they are born. Chapter Four: “A heart open to the whole world” With their lives “at stake”, fleeing from war, persecution, natural catastrophes, unscrupulous trafficking, ripped from their communities of origin, migrants are to be welcomed, protected, supported and integrated. Unnecessary migration needs to be avoided, the Pontiff affirms, by creating concrete opportunities to live with dignity in the countries of origin. But at the same time, we need to respect the right to seek a better life elsewhere. In receiving countries, the right balance will be between the protection of citizens’ rights and the guarantee of welcome and assistance for migrants. Chapter Five: “A better kind of politics” We need a politics centred on human dignity and not subjected to finance because “the marketplace, by itself, cannot resolve every problem”: the “havoc” wreaked by financial speculation has demonstrated this. Hence, popular movements have taken on particular relevance: as true “torrents of moral energy”, they must be engaged in society with greater coordination. In this way – the Pope states – it will be possible to go beyond a Policy “with” and “of” the poor. Chapter Six: “Dialogue and friendship in society” This chapter further emerges the concept of life as the “art of encounter” with everyone, even with the world’s peripheries and with original peoples, because “each of us can learn something from others. No one is useless and no one is expendable”. Then, of particular note, is the Pope’s reference to the miracle of “kindness”, an attitude to be recovered because it is a star “shining in the midst of darkness” and “frees us from the cruelty … the anxiety … the frantic flurry of activity” that prevail in the contemporary era. Chapter Seven: “Paths of renewed encounter” The Pope underlines that peace is connected to truth, justice and mercy. Far from the desire for vengeance, it is “proactive” and aims at forming a society based on service to others and on the pursuit of reconciliation and mutual development. Forgiveness is linked to peace: we must love everyone, without exception, but loving an oppressor means helping him to change and not allowing him to continue oppressing his neighbour. Part of chapter seven, then, focuses on war: “a constant threat”, that represents “the negation of all rights”, “a failure of politics and of humanity”, and “a stinging defeat before the forces of evil. Pope Francis expresses just as clearly a position with regard to the death penalty: it is inadmissible and must be abolished worldwide. There is emphasis on the necessity to respect “the sacredness of life” where today “some parts of our human family, it appears, can be readily sacrificed”, such as the unborn, the poor, the disabled and the elderly. Chapter Eight: “Religions at the service of fraternity in our world” The final chapter emphasizes that terrorism is not due to religion but to erroneous interpretations of religious texts, as well as “policies linked to hunger, poverty, injustice, oppression”. a journey of peace among religions is possible and that it is therefore necessary to guarantee religious freedom, a fundamental human right for all believers.

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UCM News Winter 2020 Page 7 Shrewsbury: Bishop entrusts parish recovery to care of St Joseph Source: Diocese of Shrewsbury The Bishop of Shrewsbury has dedicated the recovery of the parishes and communities of the Diocese from the coronavirus pandemic to the care of St Joseph. Bishop Mark Davies will also use his pastoral letter to express his deep gratitude to the Catholics of the Diocese for their Christian response during the crisis, including the care for the dying, the poor and the most isolated. He will note that tens of thousands of people joined the Easter liturgies from their homes via live- streams from Shrewsbury Cathedral and parish churches, and will describe the efforts to reopen all of the churches of the Diocese in the summer as COVID-secure environments as "among the most remarkable achievements in the history of the Diocese". Of the dedication of the clergy and numerous parish volunteers the Bishop will say: "Alongside key workers in our health and essential services, your generosity deserves to be long remembered." Bishop Davies will announce his intentions in a pastoral letter to the people of the Diocese which will be read out at Mass in all churches and chapels over the weekend of Sunday September 27. He will dedicate a "Year of Prayer" to St Joseph - the foster father of the child Jesus and patron of the Catholic Church (see notes) - to run from October until the Advent of 2021. In his letter, Bishop Davies will say that he is conscious that times of trial and upheaval can lead people either "to deeper faith and commitment or tragically to fall away". He holds up St Joseph as an example of a saint who "did all the Lord asked of him" through testing times, and as an encouragement and an inspiration for Catholics today to persevere amid the trials presented by COVID-19 as they strive to fulfil their religious duties and to protect the gift of their faith. The Bishop will invite the Catholics of the Diocese to look to St Joseph "especially as a guide in the life of prayer, so we may be attentive to what the Lord asks of us". Bishop Davies will say: "We have been warned to anticipate challenging months ahead and so will ask St Joseph`s help to discern how best we can each respond to the challenges of our time. Pope Francis reminds us how St Joseph responded to his calling `to be the protector of Mary, Jesus and the Church ... by being constantly attentive to God, open to the signs of God`s presence and attentive to God`s plans not simply his own`. "In a similar way, says Pope Francis, we are invited to protect with love all that God has given us. This will be the happiest challenge of the year ahead, that will lead us to `Go to Joseph` in order to ask his prayers and learn from his example. "... In the Gospel, St Joseph would be entrusted with the care of Him who is the true Bread come down from Heaven and to guard the Holy Family on earth amid every danger. May St Joseph help us in testing times, to protect the gifts of faith and grace God has entrusted to us. In imitation of St Joseph`s faithfulness, may we do what the Lord asks of us, above all, when we come together in the Mass to do what the Lord Jesus commanded us to do in His memory." Independent Catholic News Sewing for the NHS – and others Back in April I was ‘recruited’ by Francisca Shaw, one of our UCM Foundation members, to help her make scrubs hats for her daughter who is a GP in Perth, Australia. She wanted them to be colourful so that young (and old) patients undergoing minor procedures in the surgery would have something cheerful to distract them. So, along with Liz Lloyd (she of the rosary bead fame) the three of us went into production. As anyone who does sewing will know, we stitchers always have a ‘stash’ of fabric pieces, which never seems to diminish, so we managed to make 40 hats, each one in different fabric. They are now in daily use and have proved very popular with medics and patients alike. Once that was completed, Francisca clearly thought we needed more to keep us occupied. I should say at this point that Francisca is one of those caring and resourceful people who always seems to know what’s going on and how she can help – and she’s very successful at enthusing others to help as well. This time it was a project called ‘Scrubs for Cambridge’, set up to provide blue scrubs outfits to our local hospitals. She had already received a mound of blue fabric, a pattern and a tutorial and turned her conservatory over to a mini-factory. She writes: ‘I thought all I needed to do was cut out the pieces and stitch them together, which would be easy and quick to complete. But of course, life is never like that and after making the same mistake three times with the trousers, I had to go back to the tutorial and work out how to get them right. Then – horror of horrors – my sewing machine came to an abrupt stop, refusing to make another stitch. Panic, then a call for help to Philip, my husband revealed that the problem was due to a lack of oil (yes, moving parts need lubrication!) and fortunately he was able to get it going again. The bulk of the work here was Francisca’s, with Liz and I playing a supporting role in making bags for the scrubs and size labels. We are both fortunate to have the ‘Bees’ Knees’ of Bernina sewing machines with computerised technology, including a full range of alphabets and other characters, so making dozens of size labels wasn’t too challenging. They do look good and give the scrubs that professional touch. Closing words from Francisca: ‘All of this was very interesting for two reasons. Firstly, for the challenge and secondly it was a kind of meditation with background sewing machine “music” that brought back very fond memories of people and situations from many years ago, when I was doing my nursing training. One part of my nursing experience I was able to apply was to make two rows of reinforcing stitching around all the pockets – I still carry the mental scars of losing a ring through the badly-sewn pocket of my scrubs and that was 50 years ago.’ It was good to be involved in these projects. Now we just await Francisca’s next call……… ……………… Anne Emblem St Joseph’s Foundation, St Neots, East Anglia Multi-coloured scrubs hats bound for Australia Size labels Francisca at work T4CG releases free guide for local groups Source: T4CG Together for the Common Good have published a free Guide to help local groups build on the great community spirit that emerged during lockdown. `Let`s Continue to Build Community` helps local groups consolidate neighbourly relationships. The Guide includes four short sessions that lead to a simple action plan agreed by those involved. The four sessions can be run online or in person and are designed to bring together people who despite different backgrounds, life experiences and opinions are prepared to collaborate for the good of the neighbourhood. Everyone participating has an equal voice and leadership of the group can be shared, so there`s no need for one person to do it all. Alison Gelder from Together for the Common Good said: "During the crisis, you have probably been connecting with many people and organisations across your community. Why not gather a group to take that energy forward?" Participants could be neighbours, key workers, faith leaders, community leaders and volunteers, local business owners, representatives of the Local Authority, police, NHS, schools, people who have used the foodbank or other community services. The sessions are suitable for everyone of all faiths and non-religious backgrounds. Jenny Sinclair, director of Together for the Common Good said: "We saw great community spirit emerging during lockdown and we don`t want to lose it. As the fallout of the pandemic unfolds, we`ll need to continue to work together to strengthen our neighbourhoods. This is a new resource we are offering to help people at this time - please try it." Framed around Common Good principles and Catholic Social Teaching, the sessions provide an opportunity to encourage open conversation and mutual responsibility, building on goodwill already existing in the community. For each session, the Guide has a short piece to read in advance, and questions to prompt discussion and action. The sessions are not a series of lectures nor a set of neat and tidy answers, but a framework for constructive conversation and practical action. There are full instructions and tips on preparing for and running the sessions. Geoff Knott, founder of Word on the Streets said: "As lockdown eases, many people will want a return to the status quo. But the COVID-19 crisis exposed many underlying weaknesses in our society, and as the economic impact hits, life will get tougher for many. That is why pursuing the Common Good is so necessary." Editor’s comment: - This free download is available from the ‘Together for the Common Good’ website (43 pages) Independent Catholic News Submitting copy for next issue The deadline for articles and photos for the next edition of the UCM News is Friday 8th January 2021 Please send copy to catholic.mother@yahoo.co.uk Thank you (GDPR) General Data Protection Regulation Anyone sending photos to be published in The Catholic Mother newspaper, it is your responsibility to make sure you get permission from all in the photos.

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Page 8 Winter 2020 UCM News NOTTINGHAM Picnic in the Park In August Holy Spirit Foundation, West Bridgford, organised a socially distancing picnic in a local park. 20 members attended and as we hadn`t seen one another since lockdown there was a lot of catching up to do! Everyone enjoyed it and the weather was perfect. Kathy Gelling, Media Officer, Nottingham Diocese BIRMINGHAM St Marie’s Foundation, Rugby - New Officers Walsingham at Home Our foundation Kidderminster, had our own Walsingham Pilgrimage via Zoom, Ann Harris (former treasurer) bought a bunch of yellow roses so, we all had hold of one throughout the litany of Our Lady Walsingham. We sang two hymns, Lady of Walsingham and Immaculate Mary and said the rosary As well as doing our own virtual Walsingham Pilgrimage, we said a bon voyage to one of our long-standing members Pam Lay who has been in UCM for 35 years. She is moving to Stafford to be nearer family and so we had a socially distanced goodbye tea for her. She was involved in all aspects of church life, including flower arranging and cleaning; her fabulous tasting cakes are a trademark of hers too. Miriam Cunliffe, Diocesan Media Officer L to R Secretary Iris Edwards; New President Chris Morrow; Retiring President Mary Hales; New Treasurer Carmel Reynolds LIVERPOOL St Joseph’s On Wednesday 29th July Margaret Kelly President of St Joseph’s Foundation invited her Foundation members to meet and share our UCM prayers and pray for our sick members. With social distancing and outdoors, 25 members came to the statue of Our Lady of Lourdes in St Joseph’s church garden. It was the first time most of them had seen each other since the last bi-monthly Mass in March and the week before should have been their summer outing. Margaret said “I wanted everyone to feel that although we can’t meet as before, we still exist and are there for each other. We were only there for about 20 minutes but the messages I’ve had say it was a very positive experience. I found it really moving and was quite emotional!” Madelaine McDonald, Media Officer, Liverpool St Gregory The Great On Friday 14th August the Archdiocesan Committee were invited to an open-air meeting of St Gregory the Great Foundation, this was to be held after the lunchtime daily Mass said by their priest Fr Grant Maddock at Our Lady’s Lydiate. Fr Grant says Mass outside in their lovely grounds whenever the weather is good. The weather was good and the Mass was wonderful and afterwards we sat, socially distanced to say our UCM prayers and catch up. It was wonderful and quite emotional to see familiar faces. Including Mass, we were there for about 2 hours. Masses from Our Lady’s are livestreamed and the Mass of St Bernadette was celebrated here by Archbishop Malcolm McMahon on 28th July during Liverpool’s Lourdes at Home “virtual” pilgrimage. Madelaine McDonald, Media Officer, Liverpool Papal Blessing Fr Kenny Hyde after celebrating his first Sunday Mass as Parish Priest of St Richards in Skelmersdale is presented with a Papal blessing from Mrs Dot Powell to commemorate the occasion of the silver jubilee of his ordination to the priesthood. Madelaine McDonald, Media Officer, Liverpool Celebrations at St George’s Foundation, Maghull Maureen Finnegan (Archdiocesan President) presented the certificate celebrating the 65th Anniversary of the Founding of UCM in St George’s Parish to Cathy Buck (President) and Ann Hill (Secretary). The Celebration Mass was live-streamed from Our Lady’s, Lydiate because St George’s did not have live- streaming facility. St George’s Foundation expressed their thanks for this display of inter-Parish cooperation. Madelaine McDonald, Media Officer, Liverpool Liverpool Archdiocese We have begun to get to grips with technology and our Archdiocesan President Maureen Finnegan even did a “live blog” from Our Lady’s Lydiate encouraging members to keep in touch with each other. Mindfulness & Christian Spirituality Middlesbrough Diocese Union of Catholic Mother members were invited to join a Zoom meeting organised by Margaret Clark our Diocesan Representative and President of the National Board of Catholic Women on Saturday 15th August. The meeting was hosted by Terry Doyle a Benedictine Oblate. The focus being to encompass Spiritual well-being – something we are all concerned about in this time of pandemic. Terry also drew attention to a recent book by Dr. Stefan Gillow Reynolds. “Living with the Mind of Christ: Mindfulness and Christian Spirituality”. The main substance of Terry’s talk was the need for greater compassion in our community so as to encourage the measurement of gross national happiness instead of gross national product. His central thesis was that the meditative techniques of Mindfulness could potentially help us achieve this. Terry presented Seven Principles as a guideline underpinning spiritual meditation. 1 Non-judgemental awareness, which is essentially where the compassion comes in. 2 Patience: To let things unfold in their own time and enjoy the moment, not hankering after the past or worrying about the future, but staying in the present, the here and now. 3 Adopt a beginner’s mind: be like a child, without preconceived ideas. In the gospel of the day we were encouraged during Mass to reflect on why Jesus said the Kingdom of heaven belonged to little children. 4 Trust: Relying on our own intuition or authority, taking responsibly for ourselves and our own well-being. 5 Not striving: Focusing on seeing and accepting things as they are from moment to moment 6 Unconditional acceptance: This is not blind tolerance but adopting this attitude should help you discern how to deal with your situation. 7 Faith: Have faith to let go to achieve a peaceful mind. We were reminded of Julian of Norwich in her cell with a window into the chapel where she could watch the Eucharist and the window into the world where she could dispense wisdom and notably, “All is well, and all manner of thing shall be well”. After these explanations Terry guided us in a short but surprisingly effective meditation. The participants practising meditation for 10mins. Each of us in our own spaces perhaps less distracted than we might have been in a room with others. This short exposure to spiritual meditation was enjoyed by all. There are many approaches to meditation coming from many cultures and sources and it is interesting to explore which of these can be employed to enhance our prayer life and help us to discern the way forward. We look forward to continuing the discussion and feeling our way to how the women of Middlesbrough can increase the gross national happiness. Barbara Cookson and Rose Cartledge. St. Aelred’s Foundation York Betty Wilson Memories of VE Day 8th May 1945 One of the members of St. Aelred’s Foundation York remembers the day 75 years ago. She remembers Mr Churchill announcing that all hostilities were ending at Midnight and VE day would be a public holiday. She recalls the feeling was not of victory but relief. It was such a joy that it was all over, and many people would be returning home and would be reunited with their families. Betty who is now 91 and still an active member of the UCM remembers going with her mother into York City Centre where there were great celebrations. So many people were in the streets and people were dancing everywhere. There were people doing the conga and snaking along all over the place. It was totally impromptu without any speeches or organisation. The city centre was also full of servicemen and service personnel from the various air bases and barracks around York all celebrating the end of the Second World War in Europe. After an exhilarating evening Betty & her mother had to walk a long and tiring journey home as all transport had finished. Certainly, a memorable occasion. Unfortunately, this year people were having to celebrate in their own homes due to the coronavirus and all public gatherings were cancelled so no street parties this year. Betty Wilson St. Aelred’s Foundation, York MIDDLESBROUGH If you would like to advertise please contact Charlotte Rosbrooke on 07932 248225 or email charlotter@cathcom.org

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UCM News Winter 2020 Page 9 Sudan abolishes apostasy law Sudan has abolished apostasy, the law that punishes Muslims who change their religion. The new laws passed in April came into effect last week. They overturn laws that were in direct violation of the Sudanese constitution, which allows freedom of religion and worship. Justice Minister Nasr al-Din Abdel-Bari declared: "We will drop all laws violating human rights in Sudan." `This is excellent news and a significant move towards religious freedom in a country where Christians were routinely persecuted,` says Paul Robinson, the CEO of Release International. `Friends of Release describe it as a "miracle". Last year, street protests in Sudan overturned the dictatorship of Omar al-Bashir after 30 years in power. "When the regime was overthrown, we saw a window of opportunity - a moment for change," said Paul Robinson. "Release called for full religious freedom to be restored to Sudan." Christians in Sudan have suffered immensely for decades. Their churches have been demolished, leaders arrested and property seized. For years it remained illegal to convert to Christianity, and students faced arrest for even discussing their religious beliefs. Under the former Islamist government Muslims who converted could face the death penalty. In 2014, Sudan sentenced Meriam Yahia Ibrahim Ishag to death for marrying a Christian man. Meriam was born to a Muslim father, but raised in her mother`s Christian faith and said she had been a Christian all her life. But because her father was a Muslim it was alleged she had committed apostasy from Islam. Under Islamic law, marriages between Muslim women and non-Muslim men are forbidden. Meriam was arrested after one of her relatives claimed she had committed adultery by marrying a Christian man. A court ordered Meriam to abandon her Christian faith, but she refused. She gave birth in jail and was eventually released on appeal. Meriam finally managed to escape Sudan on an Italian government plane. The regime also imprisoned a Release partner, Petr Jasek, for attempting to gather evidence about church destruction and Christian persecution. He was accused of spying and thrown into a cell with members of Isis. His story is told in a new book, available from Release: Imprisoned with Isis. Strict Islamic laws have been in force since the 1980s. Islamist practices that have been repealed include public flogging. "The direction of travel in Sudan was towards ever-tighter Islamic law and restrictions on religious freedom," said Paul Robinson. "Today that direction of travel is being reversed. There is freedom in the air. "Opposition is to be expected and there is the risk of a backlash by hard-liners. Pray that freedom will win the day and that Christians will have a stronger voice under the new administration. Please pray also that the government will return the many Christian and Church-owned properties that have been seized." Release International`s partners in Sudan are providing food packs, along with water and medical aid and Bibles in the Nuba Mountains. Large numbers in the region were killed and displaced by war waged by the former government of Khartoum. Government planes dropped bombs on Release partners trying to deliver medical aid. Through its international network of missions, Release International is active in some 25 countries around the world, supporting pastors, Christian prisoners and their families; supplying Christian literature and Bibles, and working for justice. LINK Release International - https://releaseinternational.org Independent Catholic News Meriam Ibrahim meets Pope Francis 2014 NJPN Mini Conference 18 July 2020 Post Pandemic Church: Paralysed or Energised? Recovered or Re-imagined? The restrictions of the past months are slowly being eased and we are hearing a great deal about ’getting our lives back on track’, ‘getting back to normal’, or finding ‘the new normal’ but as people with a concern for justice and peace, we cannot and must not return to life as it was before the onset of the virus, because for so many of our sisters and brothers here and around the world normal was not great, in fact normal was very bad. Many felt and indeed – were excluded, neglected and ignored – socially and politically, as well as in some of our places of worship. As the 2020 NJPN Sw anwick conference has now been re-scheduled for July 2021, it is important that we take time to reflect on the past few months and begin to re-imagine how, as a network, we contribute to building a better world for all people. The NJPN mini conference could be seen as the beginning of a process of discernment as we move into a time of great uncertainty and instability for our world. The morning session opened with a reflection on Psalm 139 ‘O God you search me and you know me’ beautifully sung by Anna and Eleanor Marshall. Paul Bodenham J&P worker in Nottingham hosted this session and asked that “we listen with the ears of the heart” reminding us of the opening words of Gaudium et Spes: The joys and the hopes, the griefs and the anxieties of the people of this age, especially those who are poor or in any way afflicted, these are the joys and hopes, the griefs and anxieties of the followers of Christ. POPE PAUL VI, DECEMBER 7, 1965 On the 5th anniversary of Laudato Si’ we can also recall Pope Francis’ words: “Peace, justice and the preservation of creation are three absolutely interconnected themes, which cannot be separated and treated individually without once again falling into reductionism” POPE FRANCIS (PARA: 70) During this first session we heard from those who have been alongside some of the most vulnerable in our society as their pre-existing and newly emerging difficulties have now become ever more exposed. We heard from Colette Joyce from Westminster J&P about the homeless people she encountered whilst working at the feeding station set up in Trafalgar Square, a fantastic witness by people of different faiths working together for the common good. Whilst we were all being urged to stay at home and many homeless people were placed in hotels the plight of our sisters and brothers with no recourse to public funding became even more critical, evidence of the hostile environment where many seeking a place of safety barely exist, as one person commented ‘living in the shadows’ Nick Hanrahan from the Jesuit Refugee Service, speaking from his experience of working alongside his refugee friends during the pandemic also emphasised the plight of those with no recourse to public funding, who are forbidden to work and the hostile environment in which many who have come to us seeking safety find themselves. Walking alongside refugee friends during the pandemic has been challenging, with the closing of the centre where many found pastoral support, friendship and opportunity to develop skills. Visits to those in detention centres cannot take place and Nick highlighted the difficulties in being alongside refugee friends when the only contact is by telephone, when feelings of isolation and anxiety are increased. JRS has become ‘a mobile service, during the pandemic, providing food parcels and top up vouchers to those who are destitute. Many of the refugees belong to BAME community and are susceptible to the virus, have little access to ongoing healthcare and rely on agencies such as JRS for survival. Nick urged those concerned with justice and peace to speak up for those with no recourse to public funding. We next heard from Kevin Flanagan from St. Anthony’s Centre for Church and Industry Trafford. Work has continued throughout the past months and Kevin spoke about the current and long-term effects of the pandemic on working people and families. Kevin reminded us of the requirements of Catholic Social Thinking in referring to Pope John Paul II, (Centesimus Annus 1991) “Human work is probably the fundamental key to the whole social question” Kevin went on to say that “marginalisation is linked to work or lack of work” and that job losses will increase as a result of COVID 19 and many more families will be living in poverty by the end of 2020. Kevin is convinced that the future for working people relies on training for work. Apprenticeships are key to enabling people to work but over the past years funding has been reduced and employers are reluctant to invest in training. Many young workers are employed in less secure areas of work, the arts, entertainment and hospitality and in the post pandemic workplace competition for available jobs will increase. As members of the Church, Kevin believes that we should be calling for greater engagement with Catholic social teaching for both clergy and laity, we should be campaigning for fair and secure employment for all and working for a “radical and transformational Church that witnesses that which it preaches in a very radical way” Kevin concluded that it is not time to sit on the fence but is time for action. The final speaker in our morning session was Clare Dixon Head of CAFOD – Latin America, who gave an overview of the international impact of CIVID 19. All that has been experienced locally and nationally has been seen globally. Currently the greatest impact of the virus has been in the countries of Latin America where the impact of the infection has been under reported. The Church response has provided signs of hope for those living in impoverished communities where there is huge resilience and generosity. CAFOD and its partners invest in people and have been urged to re-purpose money in order to better respond to immediate need. Countries in Africa will be increasingly affected, where there will be crises of hunger, lack of human rights and equality, poor governance and gender- based violence, hence the launch of the DES emergency appeal. Middle Eastern countries are facing the same issues, with under reporting of cases and lack of testing. In many situations lack of access to healthcare, political, social and economic injustice has devastating effect on already struggling communities. In the occupied territories of Palestine, demolition of homes has continued, without permits and people have no recourse to law as the court system is closed down due to the virus. Everything that is being experienced here is being experienced globally; there must be a strengthening of global solidarity. In the breakout session which followed we were invited to reflect on how we felt about what we had learned about those living on the margins of our society. The morning session ended with a hymn of repentance for all that shames our common humanity. The lunch break provided an opportunity for informal discussion, to catch up with friends and to share information relating to issues and campaigns. In the afternoon session we were asked to consider our response to what we had heard throughout the morning and how we move to an alternative model of being Church. Our speaker Rev. Dr. Joseph O’Hanlon began by reflecting on the “kingdom of God” as the key Gospel message and stated that as we move to a new place and time we must discover in “fresh fields and pastures new” the kingdom of justice, peace and love. Psalm 136 declares that ‘his steadfast love endures forever’.We find God’s love in a world where justice and peace flourish. God’s justice is to be understood as righteousness and we were reminded that we are called to live righteously and act justly as “we are built from the rock of God” (Isaiah 51:1). Joseph went on to say that God’s peace is a gift of ‘wholeness, truth and steadfast love’ to and for all people. So how do we move into what must be a very uncertain future? Joseph reminded us of the many blessings found in the many small virtual communities of Church that have developed over the past months and how all who gathered “received the breath of the Holy Spirit in these troubled days” He emphasised that these Churches must not be seen as a ‘stop gap’ but we must consider what have we learned from these small ‘house Churches’ gathering as did communities in the early Church, and how the Holy Spirit is calling us to bring healing to our Church. We must gather in a spirit of reconciliation and repent as communities of our structural and social sins. Joseph believes that in this way we can move forward as communities of justice and peace and “we can stop being tiny, individual candles, and become a huge Easter candle, lighting our world along the path of peace.” At the end of the Gospel according to Matthew we are told: “and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.” Matthew 28:20 The afternoon session opened and closed with prayer led by Marty Haugen, who has dedicated his new hymn ‘For our Common Home’ to the work and witness of the National Justice and Peace Network. We thank Marty for this wonderful gift. After the meeting ended participants were invited to stay for an informal networking session to share information relating to events and campaigns and issues of interest as well as to catch up with many friends and colleagues whose company we value and have missed. Anne Peacey, NJPN Chair

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Page 10 Winter 2020 UCM News Vatican at the United Nations: Statement on Women On October 1, Ms Francesca DiGiovanni, Undersecretary for the Multilateral Sector of the Section for Relations with States of the Secretariat of State of the Holy See, prepared a pre-recorded intervention from the Vatican to be given during today`s United Nations High-Level Meeting on the Twenty-Fifth Anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women, held in Beijing in 1995. The Statements from UN Member States and Permanent Observers are all being delivered via pre-recorded message because of travel restrictions to New York during COVID-19. In her remarks, DiGiovanni said that the Beijing Conference drew attention to important and urgent questions regarding the dignity, role and rights of women. The Holy See actively contributed to the Conference, she said, and remains a steadfast promoter of the dignity of women. Over the past 25 years, she said, the world has witnessed many great advances for women, but also many new forms of poverty and exploitation as well as threats to their life and dignity. She focused on four key areas: lifting women out of poverty; education; health care; and the dehumanization and violence many women endure. She underlined that in some places, certain aspects of women`s sexual and reproductive health have been overemphasized, to the detriment of women`s capacity for motherhood. She added that others are seeking recognition of "new rights" not found in the Beijing Conference or in international human rights treaties. She said that addressing the challenges women face today must involve everyone, with women leading the effort in harmony with men. The text of the statement by Ms Francesca Di Giovanni, Under-Secretary for the Multilateral Sector of the Section for Relations with States of the Holy See follows: Mr President, The Holy See is pleased to participate in this High-level meeting on the occasion of the twenty- fifth anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing. The Conference drew the world`s attention to important and urgent questions regarding the dignity, role and rights of women, questions made more significant as we mark the 75th anniversary of the United Nations, whose Charter affirms the equal rights of men and women.[1] The Holy See actively contributed to the Conference and remains a steadfast promoter of the dignity of women, based fundamentally on the recognition that the dignity of every human being, man or woman, is the foundation of the concept of universal human rights. Over the past quarter century, while the world has witnessed many great advances for women, we have also seen the diffusion of what Pope Francis calls a "throwaway culture,"[2] which has brought new forms of poverty and exploitation to many women, as well as new threats to their life and dignity. We would like to focus on four key areas. The first concerns lifting women out of poverty. On the economic level, ensuring greater parity between women and men must include equal access to employment, property, capital, financial services and technology, equal pay for equal work, fairness in career advancements, and due recognition for unpaid care and domestic work. Women`s economic advancement should not require them to choose between work and the desire to have a family. Moreover, women must be recognized as dignified protagonists of their integral development, which involves their full cultural, social and political participation. A second key area is education. Girls still constitute the majority of the children not enrolled in primary school, furthering the cycle of inequality. The Catholic Church, through thousands of educational institutions, many of which are run by women religious, has, in numerous places, filled the gaps to ensure that girls also receive instruction. Furthermore, adequate support should also be given to parents so that they can fulfil their primary right and responsibility of educating their children, girls as well as boys. A third crucial area involves health care. Hundreds of millions of women and children lack basic health care and adequate nutrition and sanitation. Rather than investing resources to remedy those deficiencies and improve the overall health and wellbeing of women, some have overemphasized certain aspects of a women`s sexual and reproductive health, including the suppression of their capacity for motherhood. Others are constantly seeking recognition of so- called new rights, which are not found in the mandate of the Fourth World Conference nor in international human rights treaties: women deserve better. Their health must be cared for in a more holistic way, in particular, in those situations of emergency, where what sometimes is considered an "immediate solution" actually involves further violence, isolation and despair. The final concern is the dehumanization and violence so many women endure. The Fourth World Conference shed a much-needed light on various forms of brutality that women and girls suffer. Sadly, such violence cruelly continues. Pope Francis recently recalled that so many women today "are continually insulted, beaten, raped, forced to prostitute themselves and to suppress the life they bear in the womb."[3]Women and girls continue to suffer from the widespread hedonistic and commercial culture that reduces them to sex objects and their bodies to consumer products, as happens in pornography, surrogacy and human trafficking. Addressing the challenges women face today must involve everyone, with women leading the effort in synergy with men. Women have special gifts that can reverse the throwaway culture and remedy its effects. Every step forward for women is therefore a big step forward for authentic culture and for humanity. Thank you, Mr President. [1] Charter of the United Nations, Preamble. [2] Pope Francis address to World Meeting of Families in Ireland, Dublin, 25 August 2018. [3] Pope Francis. Homily in occasion of the Solemnity of Mary Mother of God, Vatican Basilica, 1 January 2020. [4] Letter of Pope John Paul II to Women, 29 June 1995. Ms Francesca DiGiovanni Pilar Bellosillo Garcia-Verde (1913-2003) “A Woman Attentive to the Signs of her Times” Pilar was born in Madrid in 1913 into a traditional, large and deeply Christian family and was the second of eight siblings. The life of Pilar was devoted to an unconditional service to God in the Church, especially in lay ecclesial institutions in which she took o many different responsibilities. Pilar was an apostle committed to the Gospel. She said:” “After the Spanish civil war (25 years old), I took the commitment to dedicate myself to the apostolate. It was the start of an exciting personal adventure that would last my whole life. Utopia is a truth in which I deeply believe, to whose realisation I give myself, knowing that achieving it will demand time, planning, and work. My utopia is a more humane, more just, more liveable, more fraternal society.” From 1940 -46 (when she was only 27), she was appointed National President of the Young Women of Spanish Catholic Action (AC) and from 1951 -63 she was President of the Women of AC. She believed deeply in the strength of the human and spiritual formation of the laity, which represented a main goal for her. Helped by her collaborators she brought about important changes to Catholic Action, fostering a social sense and work for justice. In 1952, she became a member of the International Board of WUCWO. She was elected President in 1961 and held this position until 1974. This appointment allowed her influence and activity to spread worldwide. Finally, in 1988 she was President of ACISJF (International Catholic Association for Girls` Youth Services). (When she was 75) On January 25th, 1959, Pilar and Sister maria Jose Arana took part as auditors in the Second Vatican Council. Their experience at the Council was very important; for Pilar. ecclesial renewal was already something unstoppable. She had the spirit and enthusiasm to live it and transmit it to all those who were near her. Pope Paul VI told her: “Pilar, you carry the world on your shoulders.” Her main concern was the issue of women in society and in the church. She also worked actively for ecumenism and all that amounted to progress in dialogue and reconciliation. In the last years of her life she founded the “Women’s Studies Forum” with other women. Pilar Bellosillo’s life was a life of pure commitment and responsibility both to the Church and in the Church, guided by the Gospel and listening to the Holy Spirit. She had a fruitful life, gave testimony of dedication to the cause of the Gospel, loved the Church and worked on the way of renewal in the spirit of the Second Vatican Council. Therefore, in the year 2019, her Beatification Cause was opened at the Archdiocese of Madrid. Val Ward WUCWO Board Member Information from WUCWO sources. Source: Archbishops House Carlo Acutis was beatified by Pope Francis on Saturday 10th October 2020 at the Basilica in Assisi. Carlo lived most of his life in Italy, but what is less well-known is Carlo`s connection with the Church of Our Lady of Dolours on Fulham Road, in London. Carlo was born in London on 3rd May 1991 to Italian parents and was baptised at Our Lady of Dolours on 18th May of the same year by Fr Nicholas Martin OSM, Parish Priest at the time. The family moved to Italy shortly afterwards where Carlo was raised in the same active faith as his parents. Having made his First Holy Communion at the age of seven, he made the decision to attend Mass and pray the Rosary daily. He said, `By standing before the Eucharistic Christ, we become holy.` He also had a routine of weekly confession. By the age of 11, he became a catechist. "He was a remarkable young man, who had a great understanding of the sacraments and scripture," explains Fr Patrick Ryall OSM, current Parish Priest of Our Lady of Dolours. Carlo learned about the known sites of Eucharistic miracles around the world and expressed a keen desire to go on pilgrimage to see these sites. Unfortunately, he developed leukaemia, which made this impossible. He offered his suffering for the Pope and the Universal Church. To help others learn to grow in devotion to the Eucharist, he used his digital media skills to develop a website to catalogue each of these miracles. One of the Eucharistic Miracles that Carlo highlights is that connected with St Juliana, Foundress of the Servite Sisters on her death bed. Carlo died in 2006 at the age of 15. His cause was opened in 2013 and he was declared a Servant of God. On 5th July 2018, Pope Francis declared him to be venerable. Beatification is the final step before sainthood and was helped when a young Brazilian sought his intercession in healing from a serious pancreatic disease. In February this year, the Pope approved a miracle attributed to him. Looking forward to his beatification, Fr Patrick added: "We`re grateful that Carlo and his family had that time with our parish. We are sure he will be a source of blessing for us." Watch an animation of Carlo`s life with a reflection from Cardinal Vincent Nichols at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLFusUobkJ4 Independent Catholic News London-born teenager Carlo Acutis beatified

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UCM News Winter 2020 Page 11 Pope Francis Joined Church Leaders For Penecost Service Online His Holiness Pope Francis took part in an online church service together with the Archbishops of Canterbury and York and a number of Presidents of Churches Together in England in May 2020, His Holiness delivered a special message for the virtual service for Pentecost Sunday – the day Christians celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the Church. The Pope’s heartfelt message called on all Christians to seek a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit in order that they might be bearers of Christ’s love, light and hope, in a world “experiencing a tragic famine of hope.” His Holiness also urged us to turn away from the “selfish pursuit of success without caring for those left behind” and to be united in facing the “pandemics of the virus and of hunger, war, contempt for life and indifferences to others.” The Holy Father went on to say that today, more than ever, it is necessary to implore the Holy Spirit to pour forth into our hearts the life of God, who is love. Indeed, if there is to be a better future, our hearts must change for the better. “Today our world in experiencing a tragic famine of hope. How much pain is all around us, how much emptiness, how much inconsolable grief. Let us, then, become messengers of the comfort bestowed by the Spirit. Let us radiate hoe, and the Lord will open new paths as we journey towards the future.” Reflecting on the Coronavirus Pandemic, the Pope implored Christians worldwide to be “more deeply united as witnesses of mercy for the human family so severely tested in these days” and “to ask the Spirit for the gift of unity, for only if we live as brothers and sisters can we spread the spirit of fraternity.” The Holy Father’s sermon was delivered by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, of the Churches Together Presidents. The service also included contributions from various church leaders including the Archbishop of York, Dr. John Sentamu, who gave the final blessing and two other Churches Together Presidents, The Coptic Orthodox Archbishop of London, His Eminence Archbishop Angaelos and Pastor Agu Irukwu. Source…Churches Together Living the COVID life in East Anglia ... A quick round-up of what our members have been doing since life-as-we-know-it changed in March shows that at the individual level there has been a lot of decluttering going on, along with much cleaning, washing and polishing. Our houses have never been so clean and that outstanding pile of ironing in the corner is a thing of the past. Gardens have become refuges of peace and tranquillity, not to mention gentle exercise and a lot of pride in what we’ve managed to grow, whether it be edible or decorative. New handicrafts have been taken up and old ones revisited, and our baking and cooking skills have been honed to perfection. Perhaps more importantly, at Foundation level we have been making extra efforts to stay in touch with one another, by various social media platforms and individual telephone calls, especially to those living alone. Many of our members have been working actively to support our priests and to help with practical matters such as shopping and doing other errands for those unable to leave home. During that really dark period when our churches were closed, we shared ideas on where to ‘go’ to Mass, with some members making a point of going as far away and visiting as many different places as possible. Obviously, face-to-face meetings and other events had to be postponed and there are unfinished matters we must address. For example, in February in my own parish of St Joseph and St Hugh, the local CWL Section voted to close and join the UCM. Now we need to prioritise how we formalise this, hopefully with a Mass to welcome our new members. Of course, we will have to forego the tea and cakes which would normally accompany such an event, but we can cope with that and look forward to being united in prayer. And finally, I think the prize for the most unusual lock-down activity has to go our Dereham Foundation who have twinned the parish toilet with one in Afghanistan and the tap with one in Uganda. This is part of a fund-raising initiative called Toilet Twinning which is set up to fund projects in poor communities, to enable families to build a basic toilet, have access to clean water and learn about hygiene. See: https://www.toilettwinning.org/ Well done Dereham! Anne Emblem Diocesan President SVP Vinnie Packs `a life saver` for the homeless Winter is a desperate time for anyone living on the streets. According to the Office for National Statistics 726 homeless people died in 2018, with an average age of just 44. The St Vincent de Paul Society (SVP) is tackling this crisis by producing thousands of packs of essential items for homeless people. The SVP`s Vinnie Packs are named after the Society`s patron, St Vincent de Paul (24 April 1581 - 27 September 1 660), who is known as the patron saint of charitable societies. The packs cost £3.50 to produce and contain a thermal hat, two pairs of thermal socks, thermal gloves, toothpaste, toothbrush, wet wipes, a pen, a Pavement magazine and an information sheet. Everyone involved in the SVP Vinnie Packs project is a volunteer, and over 11,500 life-saving packs were produced this year, handing hope and dignity to those forced to sleep rough. Vinnie Packs Co-ordinator and Holy Rood, Watford SVP member, Siobhan Garibaldi, said: "Our volunteers do a great job producing thousands of Vinnie Packs every year. Without them many people living on the streets would be without the most basic essentials - they are a life saver. Our fundraising activities are currently more limited due to the coronavirus restrictions, so if anyone can sponsor packs at a suggested donation of £3.50 per pack, it will make a huge difference to thousands of homeless people." The Caritas Diocese of Westminster kindly provided an operations space free of charge, allowing volunteers to assemble the Vinnie Packs while observing social distancing. The packs are handed to anyone in need by SVP members, and a supply of Vinnie Packs is available to other organisations working with the homeless. The simple act of giving one of the Vinnie Packs to someone who is forced to sleep rough is vital because it might be the only human contact they have received in weeks. With temperatures falling as the winter sets in, the urgency to help those living on the streets is rising. SVP CEO Elizabeth Palmer said: "The tremendous efforts of volunteers, members and staff make the SVP the great organisation it is. The Vinnie Packs project is just one of hundreds of initiatives we organise to help the most vulnerable members of our communities. I urge you to help us in any way you can to care and support people during this time of uncertainty and suffering." The manner in which we treat the most vulnerable in our communities was not lost on the great South African statesman Nelson Mandela, who once said: "Freedom is meaningless if people cannot put food in their stomachs, if they can have no shelter." To donate to SVP Vinnie Packs, please visit www.svp.org.uk/donate-now , or for more information or to donate to the SVP`s Rise to the Challenge campaign, go to: www.svp.org.uk/rise , @SVPEnglandWales (#SVPRiseChallenge) or telephone 020 7703 3030. Independent Catholic News Visit our website at www.theucm.co.uk

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Page 12 Winter 2020 UCM News National Study Conference The Hayes. 15th - 17th March 2021 Catherine Rutherford – National Vice President It was with much soul searching and great regret that we had to postpone the three days Study Conference in March earlier this year at the Hayes. This decision was taken with all our Members and their families’ safety in mind. Little did we know at the time of making that decision of the enormous impact of what was about to hit us all and its effect on our normal way of life. Can I thank all those of you who had put great effort and enthusiasm into preparing for the three day event, individuals and Diocesan Committees alike, only to be thwarted at the eleventh hour by circumstances beyond our control. With a special mention to Leeds who were our host Diocese this year and who have agreed to take the lead next year and host the 2021 Study Conference, a big thank you from all the National Committee and Study Officers across the country. Some of you may know what followed the postponement of this year’s study Conference in that; the Autumn National U.C.M. Meeting at St Chad’s in Birmingham was replaced by a National Study Day. However within weeks of this decision St Chad’s informed us that all large gatherings on their premises were cancelled. As a consequence the newspaper article about the rescheduled study event had to be pulled from the last edition of the U.C.M. News. So ladies we intend to run the original three day Study Conference at the Hayes Conference Centre in Derbyshire on the 15th to the 17th of March 2021. This will be our first opportunity in over a year to meet up with friends and Members from across the country, the National Committee are so looking forward to it. The content of our Study Conference will remain the same: Exploring and Praying with The Gospel of Matthew As we (UCM) along with Parishes and other Catholic Organisations find ourselves in a position not to fully embrace the Bishops Conference initiative, “The Year of The Word”, Which as you know was meant for 2020. Our advice is, following the National Study Conference in March 2021 is that Diocese roll out Diocesan Study Days on this topic at your convenience throughout 2021. We have also set aside time for Welfare Officers to withdraw from the main Conference and have a training session on Safeguarding. This will be led by Bridget Hegarty the National Welfare Officer and fulfils our national organisations duty to have Welfare Officers trained in Safeguarding. We intend to contact everyone who booked for the 2020 Conference to see if you wish to join the 2021 Conference. Those who do will not have to complete fresh Booking Forms. Booking forms will also be distributed to Diocesan Secretaries for other Members and newly appointed Welfare Officers who wish to book for the 2021 Conference. Please be aware that numbers are limited and early booking is advised to avoid disappointment. Sister Joan Curley, FMSJ is our presenter and will be using the resources she designed for us for the original Study Conference. By way of preparation Sister asked that we print the following information in advance of our conference. You may wish to browse the sites (some may already be familiar to you) for some pre Study Conference reading and listening. If you do and wish to share any comments with the group or put questions to Sister Joan about any aspect from your pre reading experience there is space in the timetable for this. Resources for Understanding Scripture and using it for prayer Print Material: 1. Wednesday Word 2. Bible Alive 3. Magnificat 4. Scripture in Church (Irish Dominicans) 5. Pastoral Review 6. Catholic Newspapers - Universe/Catholic Times/Catholic Herald 7. Walk with Me booklets, published for Advent and Lent Online material: 1. Universalis: http://universalis.com/ This site provides you with links to the daily Mass readings, Liturgy of the Hours, yearly calendar etc. There are excellent commentaries on the readings. 2. Bishops Conference of England/Wales: http://www.catholicchurch.org.uk/ The God Who Speaks webpage (https://www.cbcew.org.uk/home/events/the-god-who-speaks/) can be found here as well as links to all the websites for each diocese. 3. Vatican website: http://w2.vatican.va/content/vatican/en.html This will provide you with up to date information and links to encyclicals, letters etc. 4. Bible Society: https://www.biblesociety.org.uk/ There are many resources on this page about the Bible, Bible Study. 5. Fr. Ronald Rolheiser, OMI: http://ronrolheiser.com/en/#.XmDleKj7TIV There is an archive of his articles on all kinds of topics/spirituality and you can sign up for a twice weekly reflection to be sent to your e-mail. 6. Bishop Robert Barron: Word on Fire: http://www.wordonfire.org/ There are many topics and resources listed and many video clips to watch. 7. Sacred Space: http://www.sacredspace.ie/: This is run by the Irish Jesuits and will guide you through a reflective process on the readings of the day. You can also click on a link that explains the reading or helps you with the reflection. 8. Pray as You Go: http://www.pray-as-you-go.org/. Website: Jesuit Media initiative in England. You can download this to your MP3 player and listen to a meditation on the readings of the day. 9. Thinking Faith: http://www.thinkingfaith.org/ : This is an online journal of the British Jesuits with timely articles, film and book reviews. You can get it sent to your e-mail address. 10. The Sunday Website at St. Louis University: http://www.liturgy.slu.edu/ This is an excellent website that gives a variety of commentaries on the Sunday readings. 11. Loyola Press: http://loyolapress.com/ It offers daily reflections from various people, access to Ignatian Spirituality on-line retreats and commentaries on the Sunday readings The Book Stall As you may recall we intend to have a book stall at the Hayes with all publications provided by The Catholic Truth Society. The C.T.S. dispatched the books to me on a sale or return basis, within a few days of receiving them the pandemic took hold in England and our Conference was postponed. So I now have books in my little office (a.k.a. the spare bedroom) and I remain in debt to the C.T.S for over £ 500!! After speaking to a very helpful man at C.T.S who was lovely about the whole situation and told me to just hang onto the books, have the book stall with the UCM and take it from there. I don’t think either of us thought we would be looking at March 2021! (Hopefully) To give you an idea of what we have for sale I have set out the list of publications below and the price of each item. All books will be sold on a first come first served basis. As we will be referring directly to Matthews Gospel throughout the Conference, the National Committe has provided a free copy for all attendees. Full List of publications on a sale or return basis for the Union of Catholic Mothers Study Day October 2021 Title Copies available Price per copy 20 Answers: Scripture and Tradition (Jim Blackburn) 6 Copies Code C297 £2.50 The Word of the Lord, Discovering Verbum Domini 6 Copies Code DO871 £4.95 Verbum Domini, The Word Of God. 12 Copies Code SC106 £6.95 Pope Francis. Evangelii Gaudium 3 Copies Code DO888 £6.95 The Joy of the Gospel 3 Copies Code DO896 £2.50 Lumen Gentium. On the Church. Vatican Council 11 10 copies Code DO726 £4.95 Sacrosanctum Concilium. On the Sacred Liturgy. Vatican Council 11 10 copies Code DO723 £3.95 Gaudium et Spes. On the Church in the Modern World. Vatican Council 11 10 copies Code DO724 £4.95 Dei Verbum. On Devine Revelation.Vatican Council 11. 10 Copies Code DO725 £4.95 A Year with the Bible. 5 Copies Code SC126 £16.95 Youcat for Kids 6 Copies Code DO939 £10.95

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UCM News Winter 2020 Page 13 Church Pews Uncomfortable? Why not try top quality upholstered foam pew cushions? Safefoam, Green Lane, Riley Green, Hoghton, Preston PR5 0SN www.safefoam.co.uk Freephone 0800 015 44 33 Free Sample Pack of foam & fabrics sent by first class mail When phoning please quote UCM101 If you would like to advertise please contact Charlotte Rosbrooke on 07932 248225 or email charlotter @cathcom.org Boarbank Hall Contact: Sr Marian Boarbank Hall, Grange over Sands, Cumbria, LA11 7NH Telephone: 01 5395 32288 Website: www.boarbankhall.org.uk Canonesses of St Augustine of the Mercy of Jesus “She who accepts the common life possesses God” St Augustine A Warm Welcome to Everyone Prayer Community Hospitality Care of the poor and sick York: New Anglican Archbishop visits Shrine of St Margaret Clitherow The Bishop of Middlesbrough, Terry Drainey welcomed newly elected 98th Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, to pray alongside him in the shrine of St Margaret Clitherow in the city. The meeting on 9th July, came immediately after Archbishop Stephen`s Confirmation of Election service which was broadcast entirely via video conference due to the Covid-19 restrictions. "It was a simple and lovely occasion to be able to spend a few prayerful moments in what must have been for him a very hectic day," said Bishop Terry. Sometimes known as the `pearl of York`, St Margaret Clitherow`s shrine is on The Shambles and is administered by the Oratorian Congregation at St Wilfred`s Church. A relic is also housed in the Bar Convent. After a few moments of prayer, Archbishop Stephen then proceeded to the crypt of York Minster where he prayed at the tomb of St William of York. Archbishop Stephen then moved to the Quire of York Minster and took up his crozier in front of a small, socially distanced gathering. Use this link for Archbishop`s Stephen`s meeting with Bishop Terry: https://youtu.be/1BTy_eJ_qr4 Independent Catholic News Prayers at shrine of St Margaret Clitherow (Photo: Duncan Lomax, Ravage Productions) The Agricultural Chaplaincy Supporting agricultural key workers: The Cheshire Agricultural Chaplaincy has, like many ecumenical organisations had to adapt its work during the current coronavirus pandemic. Founded 20 years ago in response to the foot and mouth crisis of that time, the chaplaincy has always valued its rural constituency. Now, officially recognised as key works, farmers are widely acknowledged as vital to getting food on our tables. Operating under the auspices of Churches Together in Cheshire, the chaplaincy has grown into a team of farmers, clergy and agricultural specialists. However, the aim of the Chaplaincy remains unchanged: to be a free confidential service offering a listening ear, practical help and care to the whole farming community in a non-judgmental way. The farming community is acknowledged as one where there are real concerns about mental health, and the occupation is overly represented in suicide statistics. Whilst thankfully, ‘foot and mouth’ is no longer prevalent, farmers are pressed by many demands including financial pressures, tenancy issues, bovine TB, Brexit with its changing regulations together with falling milk prices and many other pressures due to the coronavirus and its accompanying lockdown says its Lead Chaplain, Sharon Mayer. The chaplaincy has members from the Methodist, Roman Catholic, Anglican and Free Churches, has risen to the challenge of keeping in touch with individuals and families under the current constraints. The work of the Cheshire Agricultural Chaplaincy and recognition of its effectiveness is reflected in the grant support that it receives not only from the Churches Together in Cheshire, but from health authorities and charities and the wider farming industry. Source…Churches Together Stolen Salford Statue How fortunate are the ladies of the Salford Diocese to be able to find a little place of peace and tranquillity not only in the chapel at the Schoenstatt Shrine but also in the mosaic peace garden during these troubling times of Covid 19 and all the worries that go with it. Above the Irwell Valley in Kearsley lies the Schoenstatt Shrine dedicated to Our Lady. The Shrine is in the grounds of St. John Fisher R.C. Church but unfortunately, the statue of Our Lady of Walsingham has been stolen. The statue had only just been restored by local artist Paul Cooper who repainted the statue, not only that, he also restored the gold leaf. The statue is around 15” high and stood on the window sill of the Shrine until it was stolen at the beginning of September. The thieves broke into the Shrine on a Sunday afternoon at around 5.45 p.m. Although it is not valuable, being made of plaster cast, it does have sentimental value to one of St. John’s parishioners whose grandmother bought the statue in the 1 930’s. Father Brian Cunningham, parish priest said the statue was placed in the Shrine to remember Our Lady as symbol of the pilgrimages made to the national shrine at Walsingham. The doors on the Tabernacle depict Our Lady without shoes, which shows the connection to the Slipper Chapel at Walsingham. The Schoenstatt Movement originated in Germany in the town of Schoenstatt which means “beautiful place”. The movement wanted to find somewhere in England for a shrine and as soon as they saw the Irwell Valley, they knew they had found the right place. The Schoenstatt Movement was founded in 1914 and although it has links with the Catholic Church, its philosophy is to work with young people and families to provide “spiritual development” and encourage involvement with the local community. The movement is still strong in Germany and has a following in Bolton’s twin town of Paderborn. If you have any information please contact the church on 01204 572077. Maureen Woodward, National Vice President National president’s Pilgrimage to Belgium and Banneux 20 / 25 September 2021 In the winter of 1933, a young girl named Mariette Beco reported that the Virgin Mary appeared to her on eight separate occasions. Mariette was 11 years old and from a poor family. The Virgin spoke only briefly during her apparitions, but encouraged the girl to pray and led her to a spring with healing powers. After the apparitions many healing miracles associated with the spring at Banneux were reported and as a result it became a place of pilgrimage. The tour to Belgium is based in Charleroi, south of Brussels. The itinerary features a day visiting Banneux but also incorporates a varied programme from the Battle of Waterloo to Belgium’s famous chocolates and visits to other memorable destinations in this delightful country. The tour includes: - 5 nights’ accommodation on a bed and breakfast basis at the Novotel Charleroi Centre Short Channel ferry crossings UK / France Admission to Waterloo Memorial (combined ticket Memorial 1815) Tour and tasting at Belgian chocolate Village, Brussels Full day visit to Banneux Guided tour of Hospital Notre Dame de la Rose, Lessines Visit to St Bavo’s Cathedral, Gent with audio guide and guide accompaniment to view Adoration of the Mystic Lamb 1 full day at leisure Cost is £435.00 per person sharing. Single supplement £97.00 Not included: - Travel insurance Visa (not required for UK passport holders) Additional entrance fees to places of interest other than those detailed in the itinerary Dinner, lunches and refreshments, other than those detailed in the itinerary Gratuities Porterage N.B. The pilgrimage has been slightly changed and is now 5 days and not 7days. This is reflected in the reduction in cost. At present, there are 10 places available. For any further details please contact National President, Margaret McDonald. margaretucm@yahoo.co.uk

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Page 14 Winter 2020 UCM News Be physically present at Mass, despite the world being “shrouded in gloom” due to COVID-19 The Bishop of Plymouth, Bishop Mark O’Toole, has encouraged those who can, to return to Mass, to be physically present in a church. Recognising that the world is in many ways “shrouded in gloom” at this time because of the “deadly virus”, Bishop Mark, asked parishioners who were not vulnerable and not having to shield, “to be present once more at the holy sacrifice of the Mass.” He stressed that they could do so, “safely, whilst observing all the necessary protocols”. On the 25 October, the Catholic Church marks the fiftieth anniversary of the canonisation of St Cuthbert and the thirty-nine other Martyrs, who died during a dark chapter of English history, when it was illegal to practise the Catholic faith. Quoting from the homily of Pope Paul VI, at the Canonisation ceremony, the Bishop highlighted that among the forty holy martyrs were “secular and regular priests, religious of various orders, and of different rank, lay people of very noble descent, as well as of modest condition……. women who were married, mothers with a family”. The Bishop drew attention to the witness and example of St Cuthbert Mayne, who was born in Devon and who ministered as a priest in Cornwall. He was captured there in 1577 and imprisoned in Launceston Castle for several months before being hung, drawn and quartered in the Market Square on 29 November 1577. He is known as “the protomartyr”, or first, of the “Martyrs of Douai”, some 158 priests who, over a period of a hundred years, were formed for the priesthood at the College of Douai, in France, and who then surreptitiously returned to this country, to minster to the Catholic faithful in secret. When caught, they ended up on the scaffold, many of them inspiringly testifying to the truth of their faith, and at the same time, pledging their loyalty to the King or Queen. Bishop Mark highlighted that what united these martyrs of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries was their witness to “two truths, the sacrifice of Jesus manifest anew in the sacrifice of the Mass and communion with the Holy Father.” He commented that these two traits have, “for many centuries, been the hallmarks of the Catholic Faith in these islands”. Echoing the words of Pope Paul VI, spoken in the Canonisation homily, Bishop Mark urged that, “the Church and the world today have the greatest need of such men and women, of every state of life: priests, religious and laity, because only people of such stature and holiness will be able to change our tormented world and to give that spiritual and truly Christian orientation to which every person intimately yearns – even sometimes without being aware of it – and of which we all so much need”. Source: CBCEW w ebsite The lead Catholic Bishop for prisons has responded to the planned sentencing reforms announced by the Lord Chancellor yesterday. Bishop Richard Moth, who in 2018 commissioned `A Journey of Hope` setting out a Catholic approach to sentencing reform, stated: "The government`s planned sentencing reforms include some very welcome steps such as piloting problem-solving courts, improving pre-sentence reports and reforming criminal records. The Catholic Church has long supported such measures as part of our vision for a criminal justice system rooted in hope, forgiveness, and reconciliation. "While the need to ensure the safety of society is paramount, it is important that the Government continues every effort to persevere with other areas of sentencing reform, availability of restorative justice, and alternatives to custodial sentencing where appropriate." Source: CCN Prisons: Bishop responds to planned sentencing reforms

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UCM News Winter 2020 Page 15 OBITUA RIES Margaret CAREY , Independent Member, formerly Our Lady of Lourdes Foundation (now closed), Leeds Diocese Veronica O` NEILL, Our Lady & St. Walstan`s Foundation, East Anglia Diocese Tess MALLOY, St Joseph & St Helen Foundation, King`s Norton, Birmingham Archdiocese Alice BURNS, former member of Our Lady of Lourdes Foundation, Leeds Diocese (prior moving to York) Joan BRUNT, English Martyrs Foundation, Wakefield, Leeds Diocese Patricia (Trish) HEENAN, Westminster Archdiocese Margaret MOLONEY, St Anthony’s Foundation, Anerley. Southwark Archdiocese Mary GIL MARTIN, Diocesan President & Diocesan Study Day Officer, St Cuthbert’s & First Martyrs Foundation, Bradford, (now independent member) Leeds Diocese Lily DOHERTY, All Saints Foundation, Anfield, Liverpool Archdiocese Lena EDWARDS, St Richard’s Foundation, Skelmersdale, Liverpool Archdiocese Moira NIKLAS, Founder member and Past President of St Aidan’s Foundation, Winstanley, Liverpool Archdiocese Sue GLOVER, President St Paul’s Foundation, West Derby, Liverpool Archdiocese Mary MOORE, St Gregory the Great Foundation, Lydiate, Liverpool Archdiocese Sybil MOSS, Founder member and at 98 oldest member of St Aidan’s Foundation, Winstanley, Liverpool Archdiocese Theresa BA RNES, St Aidan’s Foundation, Winstanley, Liverpool Archdiocese Kay HOLLAND, St Aidan’s Foundation, Winstanley, Liverpool Archdiocese Anita POWELL, St Paul’s West Derby, Liverpool Archdiocese Alice Mary BURNS, Formerly of St. Margaret Clitherow’s Foundation, Diocese of Middlesbrough Val MAGAN, St. Aelred’s Foundation, York, Middlesbrough Diocese Betty McCLURE, Kettering Foundation, Northampton Diocese Mary HINGSTON, former Diocesan President and Study Officer, Cathedral Parish of SS Peter & Paul Foundation, Clifton Diocese Jackie COPLIN, St. Dominic`s Foundation, Dursley, Clifton Diocese Mary HERBERT, St. Gerard Majella Foundation, Clifton Diocese. Lou (Luisa) RO BINSON, aged 101, St Joseph’s Foundation, St Neots, East Anglia Diocese Anne CA RNELL, Independent Member, St Margaret Clitherow, Keyworth, Nottingham Diocese. Chris GOOD MAN, husband of past Diocesan President, Frances, Independent Member, St. Margaret Clitherow, Keyworth, Nottingham Diocese Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord Your memories linger, Your smile that cared , Your listening ear Your goodness shared. In God`s deepest love. In God`s gentlest care This is my prayer. Obituary Past National Secretary Patricia (Pat) Durrant Pat’s death in July brought to an end over 40 years of a very full and active life in UCM. She had become a Catholic some years earlier, being received into the Church on the feast of St. Patrick for whom, as a Patricia, she had a particular devotion. Moving to Yateley, Hampshire, over 40 years ago, she was quickly drawn into a young and vibrant UCM where the then Portsmouth Diocesan President, the late Anne Lambkin, soon persuaded Pat to become the Diocesan Secretary. Always active and efficient Pat combined this with much Parish work including the production of their Newsletter, marriage and family life with John and their three children plus having her mother to live with them for many years. Travelling with John on a cruise to the West Indies Pat made time to meet UCM friends and contacts in Grenada recalling a time in the 1 980s when their leader, Myra Gabriel, was able to accompany members of Portsmouth Diocese to Walsingham. When there was a vacancy for the National Secretary those of us who knew Pat’s skills as an organiser had to work quite hard to persuade her to let her name go forward but as many who worked with her at that time know she brought generous commitment, and outstanding communication skills, to this job. As her knowledge and expertise increased, she was always ready to help and support new officers. She had an alert eye and encouraging welcome for those arriving at National meetings for the first time. Due to wartime evacuation, and later to her husband’s work, Pat was used to moving around the country which also gave her a great deal of useful knowledge about many dioceses and parishes and on her move to Portishead, after John’s death, Clifton Diocese too benefitted from her secretarial skills even when health problems increased. Personally, Pat used her communication skills to keep in close touch with all the friends made during her UCM life. It is a tribute to her gift of caring friendship that all of us in the original band of Portsmouth Officers of the early 1 980s r emained close – one of the fruits of our shared Faith and UCM life. Although the pandemic limitations meant that only a small number of family and local UCM members could attend her funeral it seemed strangely fitting that many more from all over the country could unite in spirit for the on line streaming. We dare to hope that Pat, who was so quick to embrace modern technology, enjoyed seeing the less able of us master the necessary gadgets to be able to unite in prayer for, and with, her and her grieving family. May she rest in peace. Gillian Badcock, Past President of Portsmouth Diocese and former UCM International Officer. Pat Durrant Friends of the Holy Land water tank project offers vital lifeline Source: FHL Friends of the Holy Land (FHL) write: Lack of water is one of the major daily problems faced by our Brothers and Sisters in the West Bank. Families in Bethlehem get a ccess to fresh water just once every 25 days. The public water supply system is in very poor shape. Existing back up water tanks on many roofs are also old and rusted, particularly in older towns such as Bethlehem. Water carried in tanker lorries is often contaminated. As a result, more than 40% of children suffer from chronic diarrhoea and other diseases related to lack of water and hygiene. Now with the Coronavirus, when handwashing and hygiene are more important than ever, access to clean water is even more important. FHL is working in partnership with Pro Terra Sancta and, with the help of local tradespeople, has already installed 20 water tanks and solar panels for Christian families in the Bethlehem area. See a video about the project here: www.cmc- terrasanta.com/en/media/terra-santa-news/ 20521/pr o-terra- sancta`s-project-to-guarantee-water-to-needy-families-in-bethleh em FHL operates an office in Bethlehem to support vulnerable Christians. In addition to meeting their direct emergency needs, when families fall into financial difficulty, FHL`s team in Bethlehem also work with other partner agencies to support vulnerable Christians with medical costs and school fees. Both of which can be very expensive often accounting for as much as a quarter of a normal household’s yearly income. Friends of the Holy Land have two major projects in Bethlehem, School of Joy providing education and therapy to disabled children and St Martha`s House which is a day centre for elderly women, mainly widows or those whose family have emigrated. FHL also provide long term support to St Luke’s Hospital in Nablus, by supporting a medical exemption fund for the local Christian population. For more information see: www.friendsoftheholyland.org.uk/home Independent Catholic News New water tank being hoisted onto roof of family home in Bethlehem If you would like to advertise please contact Charlotte Rosbrooke on 07932 248225 or email charlotter@cathcom.org

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Page 16 Winter 2020 UCM News Walsingham Whispers Autumn 2020 It has been a difficult and strange year for all, due to the coronavirus. It was great disappointment that we were unable to be together at our annual pilgrimage and also celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Union of Catholic Mothers visits to Walsingham. I know many of you watched the 12noon Live Stream Mass on the 7th July where the UCM was welcomed at the beginning of Mass and included in the prayers. The Rededication of England as the Dowry of Mary took place on the 29th March, this unfortunately happened just as the country went into lockdown, so lead to this being view on the live stream. Other news from Walsingham is it is now again open to pilgrimages from the beginning of August, but accommodation is limited, room sharing is restricted to family members or couples. You have to maintain social distancing and are requested not to visit at the weekends as this can be very busy. Monsignor John Armitage last day as Rector was the 20th August 2020 and our National President Margaret McDonald sent a card on behalf of the UCM. The new rector Monsignor Philip Moger arrived on the 17th September 2020. Whilst Coronavirus is still with us and the winter could be a testing time, planning for next year pilgrimage is still in the early stages. I am hopeful that this will go ahead. As the Bishop of Portsmouth has provisional been booked to lead us, the lead dioceses will be Portsmouth. The one change to the planning for next year, will be that all accommodation bookings for Elham House and for badges will be done through the Walsingham sub- committee treasurer Angela Higginson, at the moment we do not know costs and please do not do any bookings till January, when we hope to have a clearer idea of what is happening. The sub- committee will keep in touch with Diocesan Presidents. With the grace of God and prayers, we shall once again be meeting to celebrate 75 years of UCM Pilgrimage to Walsingham in July 2021. Mary on behalf of the Walsingham sub-committee How to support the Christians of the Holy Land during the COVID-19 pandemic Archbishop of Southwark, the Most Reverend John Wilson In many ways, the Christians of the Holy Land rely on pilgrimages for their survival. In 2019 over 4.5 million pilgrims flocked to the holy sites to experience the places of Christ’s birth, ministry, death and resurrection. The pounds and dollars pumped into the local economy, with tourists buying goods such as olive wood carvings – rosaries and icons – help sustain the region’s Christians as they face severe socio-economic hardship. All this has changed in 2020. The COVID- 19 pandemic and subsequent global restrictions on travel has turned off this essential financial lifeline. The Archbishop of Southwark, the Most Reverend John Wilson, is the newly- appointed Grand Prior of the Lieutenancy of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre in England and Wales. The Knights and Dames support the ‘Living Stones’ – the Christians of the Holy Land. Archbishop Wilson encourages us to keep the Christians of the Holy Land in our prayers and tells us how we can help. Transcript We use the word solidarity an awful lot – to stand alongside, to stand solid. It’s so important that we stand in solidarity with the Christians of the Holy Land. We know that many of them earn their living – they’re able to provide for their families and their children – because of pilgrimage work. When that doesn’t happen, as at this present time, it’s very difficult for Christians in the Holy Land. There are a number of things that we, as ordinary people, can do. We don’t have to be members of the Knights and Dames of the Holy Sepulchre, just people with a good heart. Christian people who want to help. The first important thing we can do is pray. We pray that the difficulties that our brothers and sisters in the Holy Land face – the political difficulties, the difficulties of work and finance, the difficulties of education and health care – that these difficulties be lifted and that the Lord works through the power of the Holy Spirit to change hearts and minds, to bring about peace and justice. The second thing we can do is, if we’re able, is to offer our support financially. And there are many, many different charities that work in the Holy Land. To find one that we feel confident is able to support the Christians of the Holy Land, and, if we can, give them some money. A third thing that we can do is actually find the organisations that make available, in our country, things made by Christians in the Holy Land. A lot of things are carved out of olive wood – beautiful statues, cribs, icons, rosaries. Lots of gifts that are produced in the Holy Land and then brought, through different organisations and charities, to this country. And especially as we’re coming towards Christmas, maybe we can buy a gift to give to somebody else. In doing that, we help the Christians – same with Christmas cards as well. This will also help sustain the economy in the Holy Land, because without a thriving economy, Christians will not be able to remain. And for Christians not to be able to remain in the Holy Land, where Our Lord walked, where he exercised his ministry, would be such a terrible, terrible shame. I was in the Holy Land in 2018 and we met a number of different Christian groups and organisations, some charitable groups. We learned how very tough it is for Christians to continue in the Holy Land. So, any support we can give, in any kind of way, will really, really make a difference. Source: CBCEW w ebsite October 23rd, 2020

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