CATHOLIC POST THE NEWSPAPER FOR THE DIOCESE OF LEEDS FEBRUARY 2011 www.dioceseofleeds.org.uk www.catholicpost.org.uk Whats inside A LATE CHRISTINGLE O ver 300 children from across the Diocese gathered in Leeds Cathedral Church on Thursday February 3rd to take part in a Christingle service which was led by Fr Michael McLaughlin. The 13 schools involved had been engaged in raising money for the Depaul UK trust. They had done this by holding a non-uniform day on Friday 28th January, when pupils were invited to pay £,1 to come to school wearing something orange instead of their usual school uniform. These donations were presented in the Cathedral at the Christingle service. Pupils thought about youth homelessness before the service and this was reflected in the presentation of representative gifts during the liturgy in recognition of the needs of homeless people. The gifts were clothing, food, friendship and prayer. Pupils lead the prayers of intercession. One pupil from St Theresa’,s Catholic Primary School prepared a Power Point presentation on the theme of homelessness, which was used during the service. SVP members constructed 400 Christingles in the Cathedral on the night before the Christingle service. ‘,The Christingle is an edible visual aid,’, says Tim Harford, Depaul UK’,s Head of Community Fundraising, ‘,it is a very attractive way of presenting the Gospel to children.’, The orange represents the world, the sweets on the 4 cocktail sticks represent God’,s provision, the red band around the orange represents the blood of Christ shed for the world, and the candle represents the light of Christ.’, 80 years of Vatican Radio Page 17 Celebrating the baptism of Jesus Page 13 Bishop in Bradford Schools Pages 10/11 ‘,Dolphin’, swims for Piglets! Page 8

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Page 2 Leeds Catholic Post We do not really know whether we should be, in the spirit of “,The King’,s Speech”,, patriotically tightening belts and cutting back on our needs, or should be resisting policies dressed up as es- sential austerity. The answer, as ever, is somewhere in between. If this Govern- ment is going to take action to restore our financial credibility, then it is going to approach things firstly from the right. Enter, centre, the Lib Dems, who have a moderating role- in every sense. We can reduce our national liability for, say, forestry, but not by wholesale- literally- sales to asset strippers: we can look at better ways of running all sorts of serv- ices, but not take the soft option of just closing down the work and effort of so many for so long, especially in those soft or politically opportune targets where no- one will die if a service is removed. We can slowly reduce the unaffordable dupli- cation of effort and resources in many or- ganizations where people are employed to do things, and less experienced peo- ple employed only to manage them -but we must still avoid a skills and employ- ment Demolition Derby. Everyone is unique and loved by God- they are not merely “,human resources”,. The church- including this diocese- may be like those Lib Dems, thrust into a po- sition of responsibility without really ex- pecting it. It needs to assess what its resources are and how they can be used for the benefit of people most affected by cuts and changes, and just as impor- tantly, what central supporting resources are still available. As many are saying, the “,Big”, voluntary Society won’,t work if it has no resources. Beyond prayer, we may need to go further than hand-wring- ing and lobbying, if that’,s what the Gospels will ask of us, and this will need financial and practical support. The Post Says Leeds Diocesan Youth Service ‘,All who are thirsty, come!’, (Rev 22:17) ROOTED : WYD Retreat J ust in case the pantomime was not enough fun for one weekend, the WYD staff and pilgrims gathered at Hinsley Hall for a WYD residential retreat on Saturday 29th &, Sunday 30th January. “,Rooted and built up in Jesus Christ. Firm in the faith”, is the theme that the Holy Father has chosen for us for WYD 2011, so this was the theme of our retreat as we prepare for World Youth Day in Madrid this coming summer. As we explored the theme over the weekend (and ate copious amounts of tasty food), we had the opportunities to listen to people sharing about their faith, to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation, spend time in Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament during the night. Our retreat ended with Sunday Mass. On his visit to England, Pope Benedict XVI encouraged us as young people to take time in silence before the Lord. For many of the pilgrims over the weekend, the highlight of the retreat was getting to spend time in quiet during the night in Adoration. For others, they enjoyed the workshops which were run by the WYD staff and included, making rosaries, exploring the Church’,s teaching on relationships, using art to express our faith, exploring vocations and learning some WYD anthems and other music for the pilgrimage. The next retreat for WYD pilgrims will be on Palm Sunday, when we will use the Cross that the young men built in the ‘,Boy Art’, workshop to help us to pray the Stations of the Cross. There are a handful of places left on the pilgrimage, so if you or someone you know are between the ages of 16-30, then please contact Anna Cowell at the Youth Office on 0113 2618058 / wydleeds@live.co.uk. What’,s So Amazing About Snow? By Fr. Michael Hall I sn`t snow amazing? They say that no two snowflakes are alike, and yet each snowflake displays stunning and complex symmetry. There`s a reason for these facts - it`s to do with the physics of how water freezes. A nineteenth-century scientist, Wilson Bentley, spent years photographing snowflakes. One of the oldest churches in Rome - the Basilica of St Mary Major, is known as ",Our Lady of the Snows",. Legend has it that a rich man said he would build a church on the amount of ground covered by snow on the 5th of August - the height of summer. Miraculously, snow fell overnight, and a church was built in honour of Our Lady. Miracles still happen today - ones that science can understand (like the snowflake), and ones that we cannot yet explain. Bentley gave his life to studying snowflakes. Are we prepared to give our time to the God who made the snowflake, and loves us all as unique and complex individuals? Book Review ‘,Etty Hillesum: A life transformed’, by Patrick Woodhouse. Review by Hannah Zafar T his book tells the story of a remarkable young Jewish woman, who experienced first hand the atrocities committed against the Jewish people by the Nazi regime during the Second World War. She was eventually sent to Auschwitz and did not survive. Using extracts from her letters, diary extracts, etc, Patrick Woodhouse presents a woman who, in unthinkable horrors, had to choose between love or hate, hope or despair. She wasn’,t always a particularly strong believer, in fact, many of her years as a teenager and young adult involved chaotic relationships and misdirected passions! However, through her encounter with some inspirational figures, extreme human suffering, and lots of self-reflection and solitude, she found God. She found that there was a peace in the soul, where God lived, that could not be touched, no matter how violent and oppressive life was. She also realised that hate was the most destructive power on earth, and she was herself a victim of much anti-Semitic legislation. She was determined to not be consumed by hatred, and set her sights on living for others. She now only wished to bring compassion and hope to a world that was increasingly filled with fear, darkness and suffering. The book explores how she came to draw such strength from personal prayer and solitude. It gives the reader an insight into the power of the human heart, when it is fuelled by a sure and certain awareness of God’,s presence. We are left with a real reminder of the resurrection and the hope it brings. As in the holocaust, even on the Cross on Calvary, love is stronger than death. Read this book!!

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Leeds Catholic Post Page 3 Fancy Coming to Madrid to See Pope Benedict XVI? Leeds Diocesan Youth Service have a limited number of places available on the World Youth Day pilgrimage to Madrid in August 2011. The pilgrimage is open to young adults aged 16 –, 30. For more information or a registration pack please email –, wydleeds@live.co.uk. The Good Shepherd Parish, Mytholmroyd In conjunction with Pax travel, London Invites you to join with them on pilgrimage to St.John’,s Churches in Asia Minor and St Paul’,s churches in the Sea-Ports and Islands of Greece Istanbul, Pergamum, Izmire, Kusadasi (by coach) Cruising to Patmos, Rhodes, Crete and Athens By coach to Delphi, Thessaloniki and Philippi Monday 5th - Saturday 17th September 2011 Departing from Manchester –, returning to Leeds Cost : £,1789 includes All flights, air-conditioned luxury coach travel and 4 day Mediterranean Cruise All hotel accommodation 3* - 4* Hotels Dinner Bed and breakfast and full board on cruise. All site entrance fees and accompanying English speaking licensed guides Celebration of Mass in shrines etc. For Booking Form and itinery details please contact Fr John Gott at The Good Shepherd, Mytholmroyd HX7 5EA or Pax Travel 152 –, 156 Kentish Town Road London NW1 9QB Deposit £,120 payable to Pax Travel Pax Travel is fully bonded, ATOL For more information about how to register for Leeds Diocesan Youth Service events, check out: www.leedsyouth.org.uk, contact Anna at the Youth Office: 0113 261 8058 / abcleedsdiocese@hotmail.com or join the “,Leeds Diocesan Youth Service”, Facebook group. Wed 16th February REVELATION For young people in Yrs 9-13 7-9pm Cathedral Hall, Leeds 18th-20th February LIFTED@HARROGATE Youth 2000 Retreat www.youth2000.org St. John Fisher, Harrogate Friday 11th March “,Handmaids”, Evening of prayer for young women aged 18-30ish, 7-9pm St. Joseph’,s Convent, Hunslet Saturday 12th March CYMFed Congress National Youth Ministry www.cymfed.org 10-5pm, Friends’, Meeting House, London Wed 16th March Year 10 Lent Reflection TBC, Cathedral Hall, Leeds Wed 23rd March REVELATION : EXTRA 7-9pm, Cathedral Hall, Leeds Leeds Diocesan Youth Service Calendar JUST ANOTHER SPONSORED RUN! N othing amazingly news worthy in a sponsored run you may think, writes Phil Marshall, but this is no normal run it is in fact ",the hardest foot race on Earth", it is the marathon des Sables - a run that a mad few compete in each year. The race takes place in the Sahara desert (yes you read that correctly) It is a distance of 256km (equivalent to five and a half marathons) and is self sufficient (you carry everything with you) I’,m running this mad event for the following charities: The Jane Tomlinson Appeal Life Pregnancy &, care Faith &, Light The Leeds Diocesan pilgrimage to Lourdes Katangi Orphans ( a township in Kenya) It would be great if the Catholic Post readers could help me raise vital funds for these charities. I can be contacted on email philmarshall49@hotmail.com or on 07766 148375

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Page 4 Leeds Catholic Post W hen considering where to go for my six week placement, I knew I wanted to do something within the church, I am currently in my second year at Leeds Trinity University College studying Theology and aspired to put my knowledge into action. Having been involved with youth ministry within my home parish and the diocese of Nottingham for 5 years or so, I wished to find a different aspect of ministry in order to broaden my experiences. Family Life Ministry sounded intriguing, and I took up the challenge. As each day goes by I feel more enthralled and captivated with the beauty of this ministry. The understanding that love, faith and evangelisation begins at home is paramount. The relationships we build within our family form the very basis of who we are and what we are to become. Family Life Ministry is driven by the understanding that “,Love is…, the fundamental and innate vocation of every human being”, (Familiaris Consortio, 11) The ministry recognises that love is central to our identity, our society and to humanity, and it wishes to support families, in any way they can, in order to allow this love to blossom. If we focus on the Holy Family and realise the humility within that environment we open our eyes to a whole new understanding of the home. We begin to discover that, in fact, home is a holy place where love and prayer should be encouraged. It is the very first place where we begin to understand and feel the presence of God. Christ could have come as a King or a High Priest or, even as a man. However, he chose to be born of a virgin, to come into this world as an infant, as a vulnerable child. This clearly highlights God’,s plan for the family which echoes Genesis and creation, but, yet, transforms it. The focus on loving and serving one another is born in the family. As Pope John Paul II clarifies, “,every act of true love towards a human being bears witness to and perfects the spiritual fecundity of the family”, (Familiaris Consortio, 41) Family life is fundamental to all we do. In order to bring to fruition healthy and happy families the ministry focuses on marriage preparation and parenting skills in particular. Some of the tasks I’,ve completed whilst on my placement have been to prepare marriage resources for schools and parishes, but one in particular that has gripped me has been reading Pope John Paul II’,s Familiaris Consortio. This November it’,s the 30th anniversary of its publication, and in order to share its beauty I have selected quotes from it which will be presented in the Catholic Post each month. Please take the time to reflect upon the words, which are moving and profound. I feel God has certainly called me to this ministry and I have been blessed with this opportunity. I understand that I am the first intern within Diocesan Family Life Ministry in England and Wales, and am so privileged to be so. Within a few weeks I feel reinvigorated and filled with such a deeper understanding of God’,s revelation to us and relation to us, God is love. Discovering the True Beauty of Family By Laura Holmes L aura Holmes, a student of Theology at Leeds Trinity University College, has been on placement in this office since the beginning of January. In the very short time she will be with us Laura has made a significant contribution to our ministry. This is the very first time that a student has been placed with us and we have been thrilled with Laura’,s engagement, commitment, competence and enthusiasm. See Laura’,s own account for more on her brief time here. 30 years of Familiaris Consortio In 1981, following the international Synod on the Family convened by Pope John Paul II, an outstanding document on the family, Familiaris Consortio on the role of the Christian Family in the modern world was published on 22nd November. This year, to celebrate 30 years we will, thanks to Laura who has selected a quote for every month, be sharing something of its content every month in the pages of the Catholic Post. The full document is available at http://www.vatican.va and at St Paul’,s Bookshop. It is short and well worth reading by anyone and everyone who is interested in family life. Marriage Week As National Marriage Week comes to an end family thoughts turn to spring, and summer, and, often, weddings. Planning a wedding can be daunting enough but if a couple do not also set aside enough time to consider the meaning of marriage and the realities of life after the wedding day they could find married life rather more challenging than they had hoped or expected. For instance every couple, however happily married and content they are, has at least one area of incompatibility or disagreement that they will never resolve. We know that a common strategy, avoiding discussion or conflict, is not a solution. People in stable marriages have usually learnt ways of communicating and handling conflict that actually strengthen their relationship and improve intimacy. The best marriage preparation can help couples even in this very practical way. Marriage Preparation In 2004 Pope John Paul II asked that ",the Church seek to offer better pre-marital instruction aimed at forming couples in this vocation",. The Diocesan Marriage Preparation Programme is an opportunity to do that. Not only does it give Church teaching on marriage as sacrament, it shows how this is lived in and through daily interactions. The aim is that couples understand as fully as possible the commitment they are preparing to make and how, in real practical terms, they can make their love blossom. New MPP Resource Leaflet The priest is always the first point of contact for everything to do with weddings and marriage preparation. Laura Holmes, studying Theology at Leeds Trinity University College, has been busy during her placement with us this term creating a new leaflet identifying all Catholic Marriage Preparation Resources available to support priests as they prepare couples for marriage. Every parish in the diocese will receive a copy of this. Free MPP Training Further support is available via the FREE annual training in the use of our Diocesan Marriage Preparation Programme. Training consists of four evenings in November. For an application form contact us. Lifelong Support Marriage is a continuous and life changing sacrament. We stock resources that can go some way to meeting the needs of couples, parents and families through time, see www.flm.org.uk or call the office 0113 261 8050. Where to go when all is not well Relationship Counselling: www.marriagecare.org.uk Couples in crisis weekends www.retrouvaille.org.uk Domestic Abuse http://www.cedar.uk.net Contact us: Breda Theakston flm@flm.org.uk, Angela Fieldhouse admin@flm.org.uk , Family Life Ministry, Hinsley Hall, 62 Headingley Lane, Leeds LS6 2BX Tel: 0113 261 8050 Leeds Trinity and FLM Looking for that special gift After being closed for several months last year, St Paul’,s bookshop at Hinsley Hall is delighted to once again be open six days a week (Monday to Saturday 10am –, 4pm,). From books and cards to icons and church articles, St Paul’,s provides a full range of devotional items and gifts for individuals, families, school and parishes. Whatever you need for your home, school or parish celebrations, baptism, communion, anniversaries (and more) this is the place to start your search. You are welcome to come in at any time and just browse for that special gift or card. Or, if you have any enquiries call Thomas on 0113 275 4043 Familiaris Consortio February Marriage Week (13th-20th February) “,By virtue of the covenant of married life, the man and woman “,are no longer two but one flesh”, (Mt 19:6, cf. Gen 2: 24) and they are called to grow continually in their communion through day-to- day fidelity to their marriage promise of total mutual self-giving.”, (F.C. 19) Familiaris Consortio is one of the most important documents on family life in the Church. An Apostolic Exhortation, a letter of encouragement and inspiration, from Pope John Paul II to the whole Catholic Church, its focus is the role of the Christian family in the modern world. As such it speaks to men and women everywhere, for we are all born in family. It was published 30 years ago this November following the 1980 International Synod on the Family convened by Pope John Paul II. It remains the single most important starting point for an understanding of Catholic thinking on family life. To celebrate 30 years since this declaration of the importance of the family in the church, and in the modern world, we will publish a short extract like this one, reflecting something relevant. This month’,s theme is marriage. The whole document is available at www.vatican.va and St Paul’,s Bookshop Hinsley Hall Laura Holmes

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Leeds Catholic Post Page 5 I don’,t know what is causing more excitement- the Ordinariate or the new translation of the Missal. There is something curiously radical about the Ordinariate: at a stroke, it has abolished the certainties upon which we in this “,noble”, country- to quote the Holy Father- relied. The first of these is that the Church of England is English &, OK: the Catholic- sorry Roman Catholic- church is not as OK, and includes a bunch of foreigners waiting to set sail for our sceptred isle with an armada to take it over and end up with a government like...like.. well some southern European country or even the EU -but we’,re not going to do a Top Gear here. Over recent years, these attitudes have softened, especially as a result of the work and charisma of Cardinal Hume, but sometimes when I read Robert Pigott, the BBC’,s Religious affairs reporter, I am reminded how the uncrossable divide remains. There are, after all, no Catholics in the Archers, the BBC’,s archetypal English radio soap, except those making fleeting visits from abroad to carry on with the local monied rotter. Now the divide is to be crossed, but from the other direction: it is more a case of Rome crossing to England. Things will no longer be black and white, except in the Church of England which could lose its reputation as a broad and soft-focussed church, running on consensus, and become- if things really go to the ultimate- an essentially evangelical church, run like a parliamentary democracy. We would also have an Anglican-watermarked Church in communion with Rome. It will be possible for ordinary- sorry, that’,s confusing- everyday Catholics to attend the Masses of the Ordinariate, and vice-versa, and remain entirely in communion with their groupings. As many catholic (small “,c”,- do stay with this) Anglicans already use the Roman Missal, it is not clear now what their preserved “,patrimony”, will be, but you will doubtless recognise a distinct character when you see it. Perhaps when you attend a High Mass with Priest, Deacon and Subdeacon lined up down the steps, all ordained priests despite their dalmatics and tunicles, can you be sure that you are with a Mass of the Anglican-rooted Ordinariate? or can be sure that you are with a Mass of the Extraordinary or Tridentine Rite of the counter-reformed Roman Church? Then ecumenists may hear the laughter in heaven that they have have been waiting for. Unity- but not as we expected it! **** Meanwhile catechesis gathers pace to prepare for the changes to the Missal. You may need to find a new way here, too, if you use a missal, because whilst the prayers of the Mass will change- the Lectionary, the scripture readings will not- for now. Do you spend £,30+ on a new Missal, only to change it again with a new lectionary- or will those “,annual”, Missals find a new popularity? From across the water, we here have now discovered the Association of Catholic Priests: if your only experience of native Irish Clergy is the fictitious world of Craggy Island, have your notions confounded- try their website on http://www.associationofcatholicpriests.ie/ Benchmark Sidelines Today happens to be my Dad`s birthday, and though he died nearly thirty years ago, the day still brings memories, both happy and sad. I recall an extremely damp fortnight in Shoreham by Sea, and on a seemingly endless trek through the soaking streets to Sunday Mass: Dad raised our sodden spirits as he skipped across a footbridge over the River Adur, erratically piloting my little sister in her push chair, and singing “,Sister Joanna will carry the banner, over the bridge to church”,. I think he made up some or all of the words and music. I`ve just checked –, the wonder of Google –, the first line is from the original, and of the remaining four, three are not entirely suitable for a family newspaper. He transmuted the profane to be at least uplifting, if not especially spiritual. Usually in my parish, the musicians know which Sundays are in their schedule a long time beforehand, and the folk group has been using this to plan sensibly in advance. For each Sunday, two people meet to study the readings and then pick the music, aided by the suggestions in the Liturgy Planner (see below), and in our hymn books. Then there is a meeting where any or all of the group review the suggestions for the following month. We`ve been operating this system since last summer, and it seems to have promoted a happier, less fractious group. It means our Friday evening practices are spent practising, not quarrelling about the wisdom or otherwise of our choices. It`s nice to be able to report a small outbreak of peace and love!! Real life conspires against predictability and order, and when our 9.30 Mass organist had to be away at short notice, the Folk group filled the gap, without very much of the above system, and without a practice either.... Now regular readers, accustomed to my world weary style, will be expecting a `serpent in Eden` moment –, but no! We did well, even singing a freshly written psalm setting (thank you Helen) where the congregation joined in the response! And someone thanked us afterwards, which is always nice. Spring approaches, the daffodil bulbs are sprouting from the cold earth, and before you know it, the workshop organised by the West Yorkshire Pastoral Musicians Network will be here. It is called “,Washing the Feet of the World”,, and takes place on March 19th at Leeds University Catholic Chaplaincy - an afternoon exploring the music and spirituality of the Iona Community with Philip Jakob. This workshop will appeal to anyone involved in the music ministry in their church –, in fact, anyone who likes singing in church - particularly more contemporary music. It will also engage those interested in the ideas of the Iona Community and/or Justice issues. The cost is just £,5 waged / £,3 unwaged. To find out more, or to register online, please visit the WYCM Network website. http://www.westyorkshirechurchmusic.org.uk/ Oh, I nearly forgot to mention –, the website has had a makeover, and I expect you`ll find it warmer and more inviting. (The previous sentence shows that even a guitarist can blow his own trumpet!!) If you`d like to add your name to the email list to receive information about WYCM Network events, I`d be happy to hear from you. Useful links: Tim Devereux tim.devereux@ssg.org.uk -Society of St Gregory`s Liturgy Planner: There is the version published quarterly in `Music and Liturgy` –, for a free copy, visit the website at http://www.ssg.org.uk/ and follow the links to `Music and Liturgy Journal`. There`s also a version on the web at http://www.ssg.org.uk/LPMaster.htm -Decani Liturgy Planner has been “,a valued companion in parishes since 1994. It contains music and liturgy suggestions for every Sunday and feast and articles of liturgical interest on current or perennial topics. “, Four issues a year- subscription £,15 www.decanimusic.co.uk - click on Decani, then Periodicals. -National Network of Pastoral Musicians: http://nnpm.org/ Musical Notes by Jane Shields Lent Retreat Day Time and space for prayer and reflection Saturday 26th March 2011 at The Briery Retreat Centre 38 Victoria Avenue, Ilkley, LS29 9BW. (www.briery.org.uk) 10.00 am - 4.00 pm Led by Fr Peter Clarke &, Mrs Linda Pennington This retreat is open to anyone who would like the opportunity for a quiet day during Lent with the chance for prayer and reflection. The day will include the invitation to celebrate the sacrament of reconciliation and will conclude with the celebration of the Vigil Mass for the Third Sunday of Lent. Cost: £,22 (to include tea/coffee &, lunch). Payment is required on booking to secure a place (£,5 of which is a non-returnable deposit). Cheques payable to ‘,Diocese of Leeds.’, Please book by Fri March 18th 2011 For more information please contact Janine Garnett on 0113 261 8040 or janine.garnett@dioceseofleeds.org.uk Please return to: Mrs Janine Garnett, Vicariate for Evangelisation, Hinsley Hall, 62 Headingley Lane, Leeds, LS6 2BX Lent Retreat Day –, 26 March 2011 Name(s): .......................................................... Contact address: ............................................................................................................................................ ....................................................................................................................................................................... Tel: ................................................................... Dietary requirements: I enclose a cheque for ___________ made payable to ‘,Diocese of Leeds’, Explore the music and spirituality of Iona T he West Yorkshire Network of Pastoral Musicians is organising an ecumenical afternoon in Leeds for those interested in the music and spirituality of the Iona Community. On Saturday March 19th 2011, Philip Jakob, member of the Iona Community and Director of Music for the cathedral and diocese of Hallam, will lead a workshop on the theme “,Washing the Feet of the World”,. Philip, an organist and published composer of liturgical music, is in wide demand as liturgical animator at conferences and often works with John Bell and the Wild Goose Resource Group. In addition to the Iona Community, he is a Council member of the Yorkshire and Humber Faiths Forum, and Forum Chair of Churches Together in South Yorkshire. Iona is a tiny and beautiful Hebridean island, cradle of Christianity in Scotland. The Iona Community was founded in Glasgow and Iona in 1938 by George MacLeod, minister, visionary and prophetic witness for peace, in the context of the poverty and despair of the Depression. From a dockland parish in Govan, Glasgow, he took unemployed skilled craftsmen and young trainee clergy to Iona to rebuild both the monastic quarters of the mediaeval abbey and the common life by working and living together, sharing skills and effort as well as joys and achievement. A commitment to Justice, Peace and the Integrity of Creation is an integral part of the Rule of the Iona Community, and a key aspect of their lives both as individuals and as a community. The workshop on March 19th will run from 2 to 5pm, at Leeds University Catholic Chaplaincy, St Mark’,s Avenue, Leeds LS2 9BN. The cost will be £,5 waged / £,3 unwaged. For further details, email wychurchmusic@yahoo.co.uk , or phone Joe Burns on 0113 2674176, or visit ww.westyorkshire churchmusic.org.uk I Call You Friends I Call You Friends is a new resource from Living and Sharing our Faith - a National Project for Catechesis and Religious Education and has been written by adult advisors from the Dioceses of England &, Wales. I Call You Friends is a parish resource especially designed for children who do not attend Catholic schools. I Call You Friends is written in three parts and each one includes a leader’,s book and an activity book for the children. , Book 1 is for pre–,communion children who have been baptised , Book 2 is for post-communion children , Book 3 is for children in the process of preparing for initiation into the Catholic Church and is based on the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA). The leader’,s books offer a clear and detailed structure for each session while the children’,s book are attractive and suggest a suitable activity for each session. The resource is designed to be all inclusive with ideas for provision for children with special needs. The leader’,s books include a CD rom which contains additional material and a set of music CDs is also available. As with many resources the material is adaptable to the needs of the children and can be used in a variety of ways. Further information and a sample session can be viewed online on the McCrimmons website www.mccrimmons.com The leader’,s book and children’,s activity book can be ordered directly from the website or phone 01702 218956

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Page 6 Leeds Catholic Post Deacons have been meeting with our new director. Following the larger meeting, a smaller group who volunteered to help with formation and other tasks has met again. Hopefully our diocesan diaconate family- now based on twenty-six ordained deacons- can establish something lasting over the longer term. The new system of formation for those aspiring to be deacons has become clearer and there is certainly a role for local deacons in helping these would-be deacons to find their way. Bishop Drainey has now published the latest Directory for the Formation of Permanent Deacons in England and Wales. A Copy can be found by going to http://www.catholicchurch.org.uk/ then clicking “,The Church in England and Wales”,, then “,Deacons”, and downloading. *** There is also of course the Directory for the Ministry and Life of Permanent Deacons- the two are “,before and after”,- which includes that memorable &, encouraging paragraph 40 on the work of a deacon... “,In every case it is important, however, that deacons fully exercise their ministry, in preaching, in the liturgy and in charity to the extent that circumstances permit. They should not be relegated to marginal duties, be made merely to act as substitutes, nor discharge duties normally entrusted to non-ordained members of the faithful. Only in this way will the true identity of permanent deacons as ministers of Christ become apparent and the impression avoided that deacons are simply lay people particularly involved in the life of the Church.”, The full directory is on the Vatican website with a long reference: instead just put “,life ministry deacons”, into Google and it will get you there. *** Deacons are often asked “,what do you actually do”, and in a Sacramental church, people often focus on Sacraments: this is what Deacons can (&, can’,t) do: Deacons preside over baptism and matrimony. Deacons do not confirm, do not preside at the Eucharist (Mass), do not hear confessions, do not anoint and do not ordain. Deacons do have, however, their own specific assisting roles in other sacraments, such as at Mass or in anointing or at ordinations. As ordained ministers, deacons also have other liturgical functions as well, some relating to the sacraments. Apart from the Liturgy of the Word where they read the Gospel and can preach, they are “,ordinary ministers”, of holy communion, deacons preside over communal celebrations of the Liturgy of the Hours and at Benediction and may give the Eucharistic Benediction: deacons conduct receptions into church, funerals and commitals. “,What deacons (really) do”,, even while presiding, is to act “,in the person of Christ the Servant and in the name of the Church”, *** Book tip: Saintly Deacons by Dcn Dr Owen F Cummings: A slim but attractive volume which takes eight deacons- including one Anglican- from the New Testament to the time of the Reformation to demonstrate that deacons have a wide job description in the church- to serve, as best they can, what needs to be done. £,6.50 Paulist Press New York Deacons Diary MEETING GOD IN FRIEND AND STRANGER Summary Part 3 - What the Church teaches about Interreligious Dialogue (Sections 37 –, 83) A NEW PATH The Church set off on a new path of relations with members of other religions with the declaration “,In Our Times”, (Nostra Aetate) issued by the Bishops of the Second Vatican Council in 1965. It asks us to witness to our own faith but then to acknowledge, preserve and encourage the spiritual and moral truths found among non-Christians. Pope Benedict has followed his predecessors in extending the hand of friendship to other religions. “,Dialogue, part of the Church’,s evangelising mission..”, He will invite the world’,s religious leaders to join him in praying for peace in Assisi in October –, following the example of Pope John Paul ll. In both word and in deeds the Church now calls us all to dialogue. RELATIONS WITH THE JEWS In 1965 the Bishops first declared the principles of our relationship with the Jews. “,the origins of Christ’,s Church are deeply rooted in God’,s People of the Old Covenant.”, When Pope John Paul ll made the first ever visit of a pope to a synagogue in Rome in 1986, he called the Jews “,our dearly beloved brothers, beloved of God.”, He went on to say that the covenant with them has never been revoked. He thereby applied the theme of the Council that there is absolutely no justification for any persecution of the Jews to be found in Scripture and on the contrary “,the Jewish people remain very dear to God who never repents of his gifts and calling.”, Nationally and locally relations between Catholics and Jews have steadily improved. The Chief Rabbi spoke most eloquently at the meeting Pope Benedict had with religious leaders in September 2010. Increased friendship with our Jewish neighbours in Leeds is central to the Church’,s call to dialogue. HISTORIC ADMISSION Then the Bishops in 1965 decided to broaden their declaration to map out all interreligious relations into the future. “,FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HISTORY A GENERAL COUNCIL OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH RECOGNISED ELEMENTS OF TRUTH AND HOLINESS IN OTHER RELIGIONS AS THE WORK OF THE ONE GOD OF SALVATION.”, It is this brave and bold statement that we now can take up –, seeking all the time to balance our belief that God wills to save all and equally that this will is expressed in Christ as the one and only mediator of salvation. The Church also balances her recognition of what is true and holy in other religions with an insistence on the importance of an explicit faith in Christ and membership of the Church through Baptism. The call to dialogue does not diminish the necessity of proclaiming the Gospel and calling all to Christ. THE THREE PILLARS OF DIALOGUE 1. THE UNITY OF THE HUMAN RACE 2. THE NEED TO BE OPEN TO WHAT IS TRUE AND HOLY IN OTHER RELIGIONS 3. THE CHURCH’,S CALL TO DIALOGUE 1) UNITY. The Church is convinced that the human race is radically, fundamentally and decisively one: one in our origin in God, one in the way we all ask the same ultimate questions, one in our brokenness, one in God’,s saving purposes for us and one in our common destiny. There is one divine plan for each one of us. Our differences enrich us and challenge us to see them as paths to our diverse but, more importantly, our shared humanity. The Church stresses that the right to religious freedom flows from this shared humanity. RELIGIOUS FREEDOM. Since we are all made in the image of God, we have equal dignity, rights and duties. Hence: “,The human person has a right to religious freedom.”, No matter the opposition, we must affirm the right of all to believe and practice the religion of their free choice. It is not part of true dialogue to be silent when these rights are violated. History is sadly littered with the stories of those who in the name of God denied, sometimes with violence, the right of others to religious freedom. Recently the Muslim Governor of Punjab province in Pakistan was assassinated because he publicly defended a Christian woman allegedly falsely accused under the blasphemy laws –, these being wrongly used as a tool to deny religious freedom. We share a common dignity. We share the freedom to worship and believe in our different ways. 2) OPEN TO THE TRUE AND THE HOLY. The Church teaches that if we find what is true and holy in other religions it is not accidental. They are the presence of “,a ray of the one Truth”, and “,seeds of the Word”, related to the revelation of Christ and his Church. St Justin (2nd Century) taught that the “,seed of the Word was implanted in the whole human race.”, Finding what is true and holy in other religions in no way affects our conviction that Christ is the “,way, the truth and the life”, the one Saviour of all nor should it lead us to think that whatever is true and holy in other religions is an alternative to the Gospels. The true and the holy are fulfilled in Christ. We must not therefore imagine Christians are superior over others. CAN GOD SAVE THOSE OUTSIDE THE CHURCH? Yes! The Church teaches that the saving grace of Christ is present outside the visible confines of the Church, in the work of the Holy Spirit bestowed on others and is still related to Christ and the Church. THE HOLY SPIRIT PRESENT IN MEMBERS OF OTHER RELIGIONS. “,His (the Holy Spirit) presence and activity are universal, limited by neither space nor time. …, affect not only individuals but also society and history, peoples, cultures and religions.”, (Pope John Paul II) The work and presence of the Holy Spirit is abundant in the Church but is not in any way confined within it. The Holy Spirit has gone before us and invites us to find His presence in whatever is true and holy in members of other religions. Because it is the same Spirit at work in the Church and other religions, they have a positive relationship to each other. We are related even if sadly distant relatives! The relationship is not passive so the Church has an active role in the salvation of all peoples. The Church is related to each religion in a different way as the Holy Spirit works differently in them. For instance we have much in common with Muslims –, the belief in and worship of one God, a common claim for Abraham as an ancestor in faith. We also have a history of dissension and enmity and now must seek reconciliation and joint work for peace and justice. With Hindus we share a yearning for the divine, the importance of family life and a spiritual vision for mankind. With Buddhists we share a search for the truth in meditation, a high morality and work to achieve peace and justice. Sikhs value with us the life of service of our fellow men and a deep spirituality of prayer and meditation. The Holy Spirit works with mankind to produce what is true and holy and in dialogue we come closer to the mystery of the God we cannot ever fully know or comprehend in this life. Next month in Part 4 of this summary of “,Meeting God in Friend and Stranger”, we will cover the Church’,s Call to Dialogue –, the third pillar of its teaching. For information about the work of Interreligious Relations in the Diocese contact David Jackson 01274 581094 or see the diocesan website and follow the links under ”,Pastoral”,. FEASTS AND FESTIVALS 20 Feb: Milad un Nabi (Shia Muslims) The birthday of the Prophet Muhammad –, celebrated five days earlier by Sunni Muslims. Some Muslims disapprove of what they regard as an innovation. 2 March: 19 Day fast (Bahia) Ends on 20th March. Very like Ramadan –, Baha’,is fast from food and drink in daylight hours. 3 March: Mahashivratri (Hindu) the feast dedicated to Shiva . 17 March: Esther or Taanit Esther(Jewish) A fast day in memory of the fast of Mordechai and Esther. 19 March: Holi (Hindu) the great Spring festival. 20 March: Purim. The Jews in Persia were saved from extinction by the courage of a young Jewish woman called Esther. 20 March: Hala Mohalla (Sikh) Three days of military exercises and mock battles, with religious discussions and devotional music, held at Anandphur in Punjabi India on the day after Holi. 21 March: Naw- Raz (Bahia) New Year’,s day. Spacious holiday apartment by the sea (Weston-super-Mare) Close to local shops, churches, golf course and parks. Sleeps 1-6. All faiths welcome. Come and ee the new pier! Bookings start mid march 2011 Tel 01934 631339

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Leeds Catholic Post Page 7 Vocations Young people testify to their faith Young people from throughout the diocese are being invited to testify to their faith in a new initiative aimed at raising awareness about vocation. On Vocations Sunday (15th May), they will reflect on their own Christian vocation and explain why the priesthood and religious life are important to them. The testimonies will be given at the end of Masses. The project is entitled “,Vocations Voices”,. Parish priests have been invited to indicate whether they would like a speaker to address their parishioners and also whether they would like to recommend some young people, aged between 18 and 35, who worship in their parish for the scheme. The young people who are selected will be given special training at workshops in the north organised by the National Office for Vocation. Vocations Sunday was instituted by Pope Paul VI to foster prayers for the priesthood and the consecrated life. The young people who will speak may not necessarily feel called to these states of life but they will be able to describe their perception of their enduring beauty. In addition to this scheme, the National Office is offering parishes an icon of Blessed John Henry Newman as a focus for their prayer for vocations. The theme for this Sunday is a line taken from Blessed John Henry: “,God has created me to do him some definite service.”, These initiatives have been worked out by the new Director of the National Office, Fr Christopher Jamison OSB, in liaison with the National Conference of Vocations Directors. Young people who are interested in helping with “,Vocations Voices”, are invited to contact their parish priests or to email the Miss Celia Blackden, Administrative Assistant at the diocesan Vocations Office: celia.blackden@dioceseofleeds.org.uk . Pastoral placements stretch our seminarians The five Leeds seminarians currently participating in the propaedeutic year at the English College in Valladolid were engaged in a variety of demanding month-long pastoral placements during January. The groups they have worked with include asylum seekers and children with special educational needs and challenging behaviour problems. They have animated youth groups, visited schools, instructed people in the faith in RCIA groups, assisted with funerals and baptisms and experienced the full gamut of presbytery life. Now they have returned to Spain to continue their formation in the seminary environment. The following institutions/parishes kindly hosted the placements: St Elizabeth’,s Centre in Hertfordshire for children with epilepsy and other complex medical needs, which is run by the Daughters of the Cross of Liege, St Joseph’,s Pastoral Centre, Hendon, St Patrick’,s Parish, Birmingham, St Monica’,s Parish, Palmers Green, and Our Lady of Victories Parish, London. Retreat for enquirers Nine men from the northern province gathered at the Briery Retreat House in Ilkley last weekend for the annual discernment retreat which this year was on the theme of Blessed John Henry Newman’,s motto “,Heart speaks to heart.”, The men, four of whom were from Leeds, have been discerning in their home dioceses in recent months and many of them hope to proceed to seminary this coming September. The retreat was given by Leeds Vocations Director Fr Paul Grogan. The retreat has taken place at St Cuthbert’,s College, Ushaw in the past but it was decided to relocate this year because the seminary is on the verge of closure. Vocations workshops at youth events Fr Augustine Conner of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal described friendship with Christ as being at the heart of vocation in a presentation at a retreat last month at Hinsley Hall for young people who will be going to the World Youth Day. He described how he had been led by the Holy Spirit to join the friars and of his formation in New York. Fr Paul Grogan spoke of how the Holy Spirit whom we receive in baptism propels us from within to pray and to enter more deeply into communion with God the Father and God the Son in a talk this month to the Oasis Group which meets at Leeds University Catholic Chaplaincy. He also spoke about vocational discernment at the Youth 2000 retreat at St John Fisher’,s High School, Harrogate. Monthly priestly vocations discernment group This group will next meet on Friday February 18th at the Chaplaincy at Leeds Trinity University College. The evening begins with a Holy Hour at 7pm, during which there will be the opportunity for confession and which will end with Evening Prayer and Benediction. A talk will follow (the speaker has yet to be confirmed). Bishop Konstant has kindly agreed to give a talk at the subsequent evening on Friday 18th March. For further information about the discernment group, please contact Fr Paul Grogan dolvocs@aol.com tel. 0113 2837 199. Last month Fr William Massie, Vocations Director of Middlesbrough Diocese, and one of his enquirers attended the Leeds group and it is intended that this collaboration will continue in the coming months. Beda Experience Holy Week and Easter in Rome is the enticing prospect for men who wish to take up a kind invitation from the Rector of the Pontifical Beda College this year. Mgr Roderick Strange is to open the doors of the seminary to any men, of whatever age, who wish to explore the possibility of the priesthood. They will arrive on the Wednesday of Holy Week (20th April), attend the Chrism Mass at St Peter’,s and then celebrate the Sacred Triduum in the College itself. They will be able to stay in the College until Friday 29th April. Mgr Strange will make time to speak to each participant. The Beda Experience, as the event is called, has now been running for a number of years. The stay at the Beda will be free, participants simply have to get out to Rome. Anybody who is interested is invited to contact Fr Grogan (dolvocs@aol.com). Vocations Parish Preaching Mission 26/27 February: St Gregory’,s, Leeds 12/13 March: Sacred Heart and St William, Uppermill 19/20 March: Immaculate Heart of Mary, Huddersfield 8. Pope Benedict: make lifelong commitment to the gospel The great task of evangelisation requires an ever increasing number of people to respond generously to the call of God and make a lifelong commitment to the cause of the Gospel, Pope Benedict told delegates at a major vocations conference in Costa Rica earlier this month. The theme of the Congress was ",Master, in Your Name will I Cast my Nets", and brought together those who work in the field of the pastoral care of vocations in Latin America and the Caribbean. Its aim was to strengthen vocational pastoral care, so that baptised people might answer the call to become disciples and missionaries of Christ. In his message the Pope said “,Pastoral care of vocations must be fully integrated into more general pastoral care, and should have a capillary presence in all fields of pastoral work. ... Experience shows us that, where vocational pastoral care is well planned and constantly practiced, vocations are not lacking. God is generous, and our own commitment to vocational pastoral care in all particular Churches must be equally generous",. He also pointed out that ",Vocations are not the result of any human project, or of some efficient organisational strategy. At the deepest level, they are a gift of God. The young generations must be given the chance to open their hearts to a greater reality: to Christ, the only One Who can give meaning and fullness to their lives.”, Leeds Middlesbrough Hallam When Yorkshire Priests retire or fall sick they receive support from THE YORKSHIRE BRETHREN FUND Under the patronage of Blessed Nicholas Postgate (founded in 1660) A NYONE CAN HELP THEM BY BECOMING A BENEFACTOR Each Benefactor will have five Masses offered during life or after Death as requested, and share in over 400 monthly Masses offered by Priest Members. Apply to your Parish Priest or The Secretary: Fr Timothy Wiley, St Mary’,s Presbytery, Cross Bank Road, Batley, WF17 8PQ Contribute £,30.00 Registered Charity Number 511025

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Page 8 Leeds Catholic Post F ew would dispute that the role of the headteacher is a demanding one. Headteachers today have new responsibilities, and are managing radical changes in the way schools interact with other services. Whilst one study showed that 43 per cent of deputies said they had no desire to move up to headship, headteachers themselves take a different view of the job. Most (9 out of 10) headteachers say they find the role rewarding. Furthermore, another study indicated that 41 per cent of all respondents aspired to headship, a rise of 25 per cent over 3 years. There is no shortage of people well-qualified to be head teachers in our Catholic schools, only a shortage of people coming forward. Head teachers help to make society a better place for all and we celebrate what they do, whether they are already in other senior leadership posts in our schools or Catholic staff working in community schools.’, The school is at the heart of the local community and an integral part of the spiritual, pastoral and community life of the Catholic Church. Pursuing the ‘,Standards Agenda’, is a very real illustration of a teacher’,s faith in practice –, every child is a child of God with a God- given potential. Catholic schools, while existing to provide a quality education, hold up Gospel Values to children, inviting them to build their own lives on the model of Christ. There are lots of opportunities to become the leader of a Catholic school in Yorkshire and Humberside for teachers in community schools aspiring to headship, as well as for those already teaching in a faith school. But many teachers do not consider applying for these positions because of a number of myths and misunderstandings about what being a leader in a Catholic school is like. A conference is to be held jointly between the eight Catholic and Church of England dioceses in the region and the National College for School Leadership that will provide an opportunity to find out more about working in faith schools and in particular the distinctive nature of a Catholic school. Those interested in attending this conference on 5th March 2011 at Archbishop Holgate School in York (free of charge) are most welcome, please see the poster for booking details. Leading in a Catholic School The Diocese of Leeds Office for Schools and Education have set-up an Independent Appeals Service. As you know when a parent applies to a school for a place for their child the application is not always successful and the parent is legally allowed to appeal against the decision. Currently this service is being run in two local authority areas within the diocese. The idea is that when parents want to appeal against an admission decision, made by the governing body of a diocesan school, instead of lodging the appeal with the Local Authority the parent will appeal to the Appeals Service set up by the diocese. To make this work we need people to volunteer to be Appeal Panel members. There are two types of panel members needed –, Lay Members and Professional Members. A Lay Member must not have any professional educational background. Parents and school governors who do not work in education can be Lay Members but will not be used for appeals at their own schools or in their own immediate areas. Professional Members work in the education service currently or have done so recently. As a panel member, you will need to have a friendly manner and to be able to listen to the case put forward by parents and schools. Panels are made up of three (or sometimes five) people and as a member of the panel you will need the ability to make a balanced judgement based on the facts. Panel members do not need to have detailed knowledge of the law relating to admissions but training in the basic principles is recommended and will be provided. All panel members are volunteers but are able to claim travel expenses. If you are interested in receiving further information please ring or email –, Tel: 0113 2618034 or email: beverley.sice@dioceseofleeds.org.uk HELP - YOUR DIOCESE NEEDS YOU! Looking back over the past 150 years or so it’,s hard to overstate the importance of education in the history of the Catholic Church in this country. Indeed it could be argued that education, education, education were the top three priorities for Catholic bishops for much of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, as was famously the case for a recent prime minister. But this commitment was not just the preserve of the hierarchy. As an American historian ( who undertook some of his research here in the Diocese of Leeds) has recently noted, in nineteenth century England ‘,the struggle for the schools brought more Catholics together on the same subject and facilitated more action than any other subject’,. As the leaders of their communities the Bishops were constantly pressing the case for Catholic schools and when it became clear that the state was prepared to finance the creation of a universal education system they strove to secure an equitable share of resources for the schools in their dioceses. Here in the Diocese of Leeds it’,s noteworthy that in many places the first building to be erected by a local Catholic community was a school, often predating the building of a church by many years. These developments were almost exclusively the result of voluntary action by local Catholics and it was only when state funding for church schools became widely available that this phenomenon gradually disappeared. Today we are familiar with the legal and financial arrangements originally set in place by the 1944 Education Act which created the Voluntary Aided School, in which all the running costs are met by the taxpayer while the Church, via the parishes and dioceses, pays 10% towards the costs of the school buildings, in terms of construction, maintenance and repair. For the past sixty years and more this has been a big financial commitment for priests and people, but it is one that in turn has enabled the Church both locally and nationally to continue to provide a form of education that testifies to age-old values, at a time when the wider society and its norms have changed almost beyond recognition. As Pope Benedict reminded us during his visit to Britain last September, ‘,the task of a teacher is not simply to impart information or to provide training in skills, intended to deliver some economic benefit to society, education is not, and must never be considered as purely utilitarian’,. This is a truth that our schools hold on to despite all the countervailing pressures that they have to contend with on a daily basis. Another way of looking at this would be to say that a primary purpose of Catholic schools and colleges is the promotion of the Common Good through the education of children and young people. Every year the diocese carries out a statistical survey of its schools, the most recent being completed in October last year. The earliest such survey was carried out in 1879 shortly after the diocese came into existence. It’,s interesting to look at the extent of the Church’,s educational provision at that time and compare it with our own day. In 1879 there were a total of 85 schools in the Leeds diocese, but this figure paints a somewhat false picture as in those days distinctions were made between infants and junior schools, boys and girls schools and mixed schools. In reality Catholic education was provided in just 37 places in the diocese in 1879. Today we have 80 parish primary schools across the diocese plus another 15 schools and colleges providing education for the 11-19 age range. The total number of pupils in 1879 was just under 14,900 compared to 32, 986 in 2010. A striking change is in the number of teachers and the ratio of teachers to pupils. In 1879 there were 265 teachers in diocesan schools –, one for every 56 pupils, whereas in 2010 there were 1.914 or one for every 17 pupils. Statistics like these speak of undoubted progress down the years, the more so when we also consider the transformation in the learning and teaching environment that our schools provide and which has occurred during the decades of expansion in Catholic education. Our forbears, therefore, have bequeathed to us a precious asset, built up over many years with great effort and commitment whose value, perhaps, we sometimes fail to appreciate. A recent communication from the Catholic Education Service noted that since the election of the coalition government in May of last year we have seen rapid changes in the education landscape, including a new Education Bill that promises far-reaching reforms. Nothing new there, perhaps? As yet we can’,t tell what that particular landscape will look like, even in a few years’, time. But as Catholics we will need to respond to the challenge of change in a way that takes our educational heritage forward with the commitment and confidence based on our past achievements. A not so Foreign Country –, Catholic Education Past and Present Why Catholic schools? A series of articles marking the Year of Catholic Education S o, you’,ve completed the process for your child to start/transfer school this September. You filled in the forms, offered supporting evidence e.g. baptismal certificate, submitted your application on time and now you’,re waiting for the results of your endeavours. I sincerely hope that you are offered the place you most wanted and most people do, however if decision date arrives and with it that dreaded moment when you find out that your child has not been offered the place you preferred –, what next? It is your legal right to appeal but his can be one of the most stressful experiences a parent faces –, so what is the best way to proceed? The details of how to make your appeal should be contained in your offer letter, if not ring the local authority and ask for the information you require. To take the stress out of this process remember the following: , keep your expectations realistic –, parents express a preference not a choice and schools have an obligation to comply with legal requirements. , keep your expectations realistic - it may be disappointing not to get an offer to your preferred school but remember that almost all of our diocesan Catholic schools are good/outstanding schools which try hard not only to provide a good education but one that is creative and engaging for children –, you can be assured you won’,t be compromising your child’,s education by accepting a different option. , keep your expectations realistic –, it is your legal right to go to appeal, however, it is not your legal right to win! The majority of parents who appeal for a place in a reception class do not win. This is because there are very limited reasons why an appeal panel can offer a place to a key stage one child –, in fact there are only two. The admission authority i.e. the school would have to have made an error or they would have to have made a decision which would be deemed as perverse in legal terms. It is rarely the case that this has happened. Do your homework and get as much information, including accessing the help you need to present your case. This is available from Beverley Sice at the diocesan education office on 0113 2618034 or email beverley.sice@dioceseofleeds.org.uk. Admission Appeals –, Parental Information

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T his week saw the 8th annual Musical production at Corpus Christi Catholic College. A cast of 80 pupils performed ‘,Grease’, to four sell out audiences totalling 1200 people each time to rave reviews. The show opens in Rydell High school with a reunion being addressed by Head teacher Mrs Lynch (Molly Woodley) with School councillors Patti Simcox (Lauren Kepple) &, Eugene Florczyk (Ciaran Morrison) before the Rockers burst onto the scene and the whole show flashes back to 1959. From here to the end we are treated to a high energy mix of singing and Dancing as we learn of the antics of the `class of `59` through tales of love and loss centred around the iconic roles of Danny &, Sandy played exceptionally by Karl Hardcastle and Siné,ad Kilroy. The supporting T-Birds (Cain Thewlis, Dale Bowes, Nathan Ransom, Gerard O`Hora, Tom Smith) and Pink Ladies (Becki Simmons, Tilly Devine, Charlotte Holmes, Charlotte Hamilton) each add their own vocal talents and character but fit together with the rest of the chorus in some very well sung and choreographed numbers. The pace is so slick you often forget you are in a school hall watching 12-16 year olds as most of these performances would not be out of place on a professional stage. Special mention should go to the high kicking Cha-Cha di Gregorio (Olivia Pitts) and the fantastic singing voice of Teen Angel (Callum Barrot) dressed in white with smoke covered steps accompanied by an angelic host resplendent in white smokes and towelled heads. The Scenery and Costumes add so much colour and life to the piece that 2 hours is simply not long enough and it`s all accompanied by a 6 piece professional Band! Hours of preparation and rehearsal - all outside the normal teaching day - have definitely paid off here and we look forward to the College announcing their next production soon. Leeds Catholic Post Page 9 T he Four Nations Maths Challenge took place over a 5 day period between the 8th and 12th November 2010. The competition was open to all school age pupils in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, 1686 schools participated in the Challenge answering almost 37,000,000 questions throughout the week, both in school time and at home. The challenge was two-fold. For some of the time, pupils were engaged in real-time online minute-long mental challenges against pupils in different nations. At other times they tested and improved their knowledge by engaging in longer curriculum tests. A group of 27 Year 8 Corpus Christi pupils gained the highest total of school points (417887) and were victorious, improving their mental maths and curriculum knowledge in the process. All of the pupils worked very hard throughout the week, two pupils James Bannister and James Weaver each accrued over 30 000 points to finish in the top 70 out of 77854 students who took part. Headteacher, Mike Woods, said, “,This is a great achievement for the pupils and for Corpus Christi. To be the top school throughout the UK is fantastic and shows that our pupils are indeed some of the best in the country.”, Top School in the Four Nations Maths Challenge Y oung swimmer, Katie Johnson (age 8) decided that she wanted to buy very special Christmas presents this year –, she wanted to raise enough money to buy some piglets through the CAFOD World Gifts Scheme. Katie set herself a challenge, to swim 2 miles - which I think you would agree is quite a challenge - and in order to maximise sponsorship she asked Canon Durcan if she could ask parishioners for sponsorship. Even bad weather didn’,t deter Katie as she set off on Monday, 13th December to undertake her challenge trekking up to St Wilfrid’,s in Featherstone in inches of snow and ice. Katie didn’,t let anyone down as she completed the two miles or 176 lengths of the swimming pool spurred on by her parents and the promise of (usually) forbidden food –, chicken nuggets and fries followed by ice- cream - in two hours and fifteen minutes. On Sunday, 19th December Canon Durcan presented Katie with a cheque for £,1,000 from the parishioners of St Joseph’,s, which will enable Katie to buy 80 piglets. He commented that he had decided to give Katie a very special nickname –, Dolphin in honour of her achievement and because, like dolphins, Katie not only swims but takes great care of others less fortunate than herself. Well done Katie - St Joseph’,s are very proud of you! ‘,Dolphin’, swims for Piglets! Callum and Olivia head a ‘,Well Cool’, Cast

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Page 10 Leeds Catholic Post P upils, parents and staff were delighted to welcome Bishop Arthur to St Columba`s School recently. Tiegan Rothera and Matthew Mroz, two Year 6 pupils, greeted him at the door and took him to meet the parents and toddlers who were holding their weekly meeting that day. The Bishop spoke to every parent and toddler before moving on to the Nursery where he helped the pupils build their train track and was very impressed with their individual photo diaries which they showed him. Following this he visited every class in turn leading the pupils in prayer, discussing with them their work and replying to their many questions and in one class listening to them sing. After explaining to the children that he was a `postman` he presented each class with a card which he had been given by the Pope and these are now proudly displayed on each classes prayer table. His warm and friendly manner and kind words have ensured that his visit will be remembered by everyone at the school for a very long time. Bishop Builds A Train Track T he children and staff of St John the Evangelist Catholic Primary School in Bradford were delighted to welcome Bishop Arthur to their school on Thursday 27th January. The Bishop was welcomed by the head teacher, Mrs Kath Spillane and introduced to Mr Ian Partridge, the Chair of Governors. Mrs Spillane expressed her delight at being able to welcome Bishop Arthur to St John the Evangelist. Everyone was looking forward to meeting him, and the children were particularly excited at having such an important visitor to the school! Two of the younger children, Lily Greenwood and Robert Palmer presented Bishop Arthur with a card, which had been designed by children in Year 2, to commemorate his visit. The card contained photos of each class in the school which had been signed by every child. Lily and Robert invited the Bishop to visit Reception class and then led him to their classroom where he joined in a maths lesson. Bishop Arthur was then taken on a tour of the rest of the school by the Head Girl Mollie Dunne and the Head Boy, Paddy Partridge. In each class the Bishop asked the children about their favourite lessons and was bombarded with lots of questions. The children were delighted to hear that visiting schools such as St Johns and meeting the children was something which he really enjoyed! In each class Bishop Arthur led the class in prayer and presented them with a card depicting the Holy Family which the Pope had sent for the children. These now have place of honour on their prayer tables. Before leaving Bishop Arthur expressed his thanks to the Governors of the school for all they do for Catholic education and to all the staff for providing a high class, caring school environment. He said he was extremely impressed not only by the children’,s behaviour and confidence, but also by the warmth of his welcome. The Bishop’,s visit was a very special occasion for the school community. His words and the affection he showed to all he met will be remembered with great fondness. St John the S t. Winefride’,s Catholic Primary School in Bradford were thrilled to welcome Bishop Arthur on a visit to their school. The Head Girl and Head Boy, (Cara and James), presented him with gifts from the children which included a Spiritual Bouquet. Bishop Arthur reciprocated with a special card for each class originally sent to him by Pope Benedict. From Aboriginal Art Work to Victorian Classrooms, Bishop Arthur delighted the children by sharing some relevant anecdote or information to help with their learning and the school’,s own roving reporters, (Kian and Rhiann), filmed and photographed the visit for the school’,s Plasma display and Web Site. One of the highlights of the visit, the children said, was those special moments when Bishop Arthur prayed with each class he visited. Maureen Cairns, Head Teacher, said “,It was a truly memorable occasion which the staff and children will treasure for a very long time.”, Bishop Arthur In

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Leeds Catholic Post Page 11 Evangelist B ishop Roche, visited St. Mary’,s and St. Peter’,s Primary School on 3rd February 2011 between. He was given a guided tour. Then he visited the classes and gave quite humorous talks on all subjects. Bishop Arthur came specifically because he had never been before and to give the Pope’,s special message. He left a photo behind for the children carrying the Pope’,s signature to remind them of the Pope The school is situated near the centre of Bradford. It is off Leeds Road in BD3, which is quite a busy place. The Bishop was “,very impressed with the building especially the colourful display in the corridors”,. Bishop Arthur was wearing his special cassock with his magenta cap and stripe. “,I was speechless”,, said one child looking at his clothes. “,It was a fascinating sight”, recalled a child from Year 4. A number of other people came with him. Among them were Mrs. Naik, the schools former Headteacher, Miss Barker, the Chair of Governors, and Mr. McManus, our new Headteacher. A photographer from the Catholic newspaper was also present. The Bishop talked to the children about their favourite subjects and made quite amusing remarks about their projects. He went to the staff room and shook hands with them all. He then proceeded to Mr. McManus’, office to talk to him about things relating to school. Bishop Arthur remarked “,I really enjoyed this visit and would love to come again”,. Imaad Shafiq adds February 3rd it was a very special day for St. Mary’,s and St. Peter’,s because Bishop Arthur visited. It was really exciting when he came to the classrooms because he talked to the children about the school and he told them what the Pope had said, also he gave them a card to pray for the Pope because he has a very important job to do. Mr. McManus, the new headteacher then kindly gave the Bishop a guided tour of the school. He was very surprised because he’,d never been to the school before. Bishop Arthur wasn’,t the only one who visited. Mrs. Naik the old headteacher, also visited and everybody was very excited St Mary &, St Peter’,s n Bradford Welcome to Alexandra Court! We are a small private family orientated residential home for the elderly, where standards of care and cleanliness are our priority. Together with my three children, a dedicated and conscientious manager and our wonderful team of staff members, some of which have been with us since we opened in 1992, we have ensured Alexandra Court continues to exceed expectations. We have home cooked meals and desserts, tailored care plans to meet each resident’,s individual needs and activities galore including entertainers, fitness instructors, beauty and cinema afternoons and two little dogs visit regularly who bring a lot of happiness to our residents. Most rooms are en-suite complete with television and telephone points, nurse call systems and they are decorated regularly to ensure the Alexandra Court stays fresh, clean and always smells nice! In order to experience life at Alexandra Court please feel free to contact my daughter Marilouise, to arrange a viewing or alternatively have a look at our website for more information. We look forward to welcoming you soon. 333 Spen Lane, Leeds LS16 5BB Tel: 0113 274 3661 Email: court_alexandra@yahoo.co.uk www.alexandracourtcarehome.co.uk Family orientated residential home for the elderly

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Page 12 Leeds Catholic Post Spotlight on student support T im Leadbeater took up his post as Leeds Trinity’,s Director of Student Support in January. While this is a new role for Tim, he is already a familiar face at Leeds Trinity, having held a number of roles on campus since joining as a PGCE tutor in 1991. In his previous role as Director of Teaching, Learning and Research, Tim coordinated developments to enhance the student learning experience, and in his new role he seeks to provide the highest quality service in terms of care and welfare across all areas of student life. Tim explains that there are two aspects to his team’,s work, saying, “,Firstly the role of being there for students who need help in times of stress and difficulty by offering counselling or medical services. This is essentially about letting students know that they are not on their own, and that there are highly-qualified and caring professionals to turn to.”, “,Secondly, to offer proactive support and advice to help students make the most of their time here to allow them to fulfil their goals and ambitions. The financial advice, disability and dyslexia support, and careers guidance are good examples of this.”, “,For the size of our institution, we provide a very good range of service. It also helps that our location is very visible, literally at the heart of the campus, so we do have a prominent presence.”, “,So I think our goal should be to maintain these excellent facilities, and continue to evolve what we offer to meet the changing needs of students. With increasing pressure on students as they deal with worries about debt and juggle part-time work with study, I believe this will be of increasing importance to prospective students and their parents.”, Events at Leeds Trinity University College Please visit our website at www.leedstrinity.ac.uk for more details and a full events listing. Journalism Week 28 February to 4 March Speakers from across the industry will visit Leeds Trinity to talk about the latest trends in the news media and to bring to life the cut and thrust of 21st century news delivery. For more information contact Catherine O’,Connor on c.oconnor@leedstrinity.ac.uk Leeds Trinity Writers Festival 16 March from 9.45am to 4.30pm All welcome to attend workshops with experienced writers in poetry, dramatic writing, building plots and characters, and short stories. For more information contact Sylvia Simpson by email s.simpson@leedstrinity.ac.uk or call 0113 2837126. Eastern Christian Studies Lecture 24 March at 7.15pm `Homilies as sacred performance` presented by Dr Niki Tsironi, of the Institute for Byzantine Research, Athens. For more information email s.simpson@leedstrinity.ac.uk Interfaith day conference 30 March 11.00am to 4.00pm Entitled ‘,Who is friend? Who is stranger?’, this conference aims to strengthen Leeds Trinity’,s links with local faith communities and interfaith groups, and will include a range of talks, seminar style discussions, and debates between a range of religious groups in the West Yorkshire area. All welcome –, advance booking essential. For more information and to book your free ticket email interfaith@leedstrinity.ac.uk Olympic recognition for Leeds Trinity’,s work in schools S port development students at Leeds Trinity University College have won valuable endorsement for their work in schools with the award of the prestigious London 2012 Inspire Mark. The Inspire Programme aims to involve the whole nation in the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, using the Inspire Mark to recognise exceptional projects that reflect the ethos of the Games and contribute to the lasting legacy of London 2012. Six teams of second year undergraduates from Leeds Trinity have spent the last few months planning and promoting their “,Games On”, programme - athletics events for local primary school children which will take place at the end of March. Seb Coe, Chair, London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games said, “,The Inspire programme is ensuring the legacy of the 2012 Games starts now as projects like Games On are enabling young people in Leeds to make positive life changes.”, Sports Development Officer Sheila King and sport lecturer Catherine Crossley presented the project for consideration under the Inspire Programme. Their application highlighted the development of valuable partnerships with schools, drawing on Get Set, the official London 2012 education programme. Catherine said, “,The recognition of this project by the Inspire Programme adds significant value to the events and the experience of those involved, and we’,re very excited at the prospect of being involved in promoting the Olympic legacy.”, “,On Leeds Trinity’,s sports programmes we provide students with real life opportunities and experiences during their degree, thanks to the excellent partnerships we enjoy with local schools. This not only benefits our students, but in return we also know that we provide an excellent service to those schools.”, Student Kirsty Connor said, “,It is a real boost to our event to get the Inspire Mark, the children will love being made to feel that they are part of the Olympics!”, A n award-winning Yorkshire historian has brought local heroine Jane Tomlinson to national prominence with an entry in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (ODNB). John Hargreaves, who lectures in History at Leeds Trinity University College, nominated Jane for inclusion in the prestigious publication in recognition of her extraordinary sporting and fundraising efforts during her battle with cancer. A retired secondary history teacher, John has always taken an active interest in local history, receiving the British Association for Local History award in 2009. Currently a visiting lecturer in history at Leeds Trinity, he has been associated with history projects at the college since 1987. Drawing on a wealth of sources including the three autobiographies Jane Tomlinson wrote with her husband Mike, news media, and an interview with her mother, John admits it was hard to do justice to Jane’,s achievements in a single article. He said, “,Everyone is aware in West Yorkshire of Jane’,s huge achievements despite her health problems. She has left a lasting legacy - she raised £,1.75 million for cancer charities in her lifetime and fundraising in her name continues today.”, Diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2000 and given just six months to live, Jane embarked on a series of sporting challenges to raise funds for cancer research. As John’,s entry in the ODNB says, “,Her courage in facing her terminal illness and her athletic feats of endurance won her widespread admiration and affection.”, The article on Jane Tomlinson brings John’,s portfolio of contributions to the ODNB to 36. He has profiled many figures with a Yorkshire connection, spanning the centuries from the 16th to the 21st. His subjects include figures from the entertainment world such as Harry Corbett (Guiseley) and Wilfred Pickles (Halifax), playwright Andrea Dunbar (Bradford) and Charles Jenkinson, the housing reformer behind the Quarry Hill flats in Leeds. The ODNB is a collection of over 57,000 biographies of individuals from all walks of life who have influenced Britain’,s history. The last print edition appeared in 2004 and there are three online updates every year, with this January’,s update listing prominent people who died in 2007. Free access to the ODNB is available through local libraries. Leeds Trinity lecturer writes Jane Tomlinson into the history books FROM JUST £,299 R.G.R. MEMORIALS COLOUR CATALOGUE QUALITY MEMORIALS AT AFFORDABLE PRICES IN GRANITE, MARBLE &, STONE ALL PRICES INCLUDE DELIVERY &, FIXING Ogee top memorial 2’,6”, high Fully polished Black Granite, Delivered and Fixed for £,399 inc VAT FREE Tel: 0113 282 3888 43 High Ridge Park, Rothwell, Leeds LS26 0NL

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T he parish of the Mother of Unfailing Help celebrated the Feast of the Baptism of Jesus in style with 15 Baptisms . The children were from 9 families and their age ranged for four months to 11 years For the parents and older children their journey started in October 2010 at Holy Rosary and St Anne’,s Primary School. The older children had prepared with weekly lessons in school. At the same time the parents attended a course organised by the parish catechists based at Holy Rosary Church. The families were welcomed each Sunday to celebrate Mass. The Feast day Mass and Baptisms were celebrated by Mgr Moger, by Deacon John Lythe Each child had a prayer sponsor to pray for them and some of the god parents came from the parish community At the end of Mass Ms McDonough-Smith, head teacher of the Primary School, presented each family with a Bible and Mgr Moger gave each child their Baptismal Certificate and a welcome gift from the parish community. After Mass the celebration continued in the Community room .It was joyful occasion and the parents were delighted with this new beginning for their children. Celebrating the Baptism of Jesus S ix Year 8 students from St. Mary`s School, Menston, Mairenn Collins, Ella Fitzpatrick, Paige Shaw, Niall Hogan, Tom Hewitt and Ben Hopwood recently won the regional heat of the Institute of Engineering and Technology Faraday Challenge. Telemedicine is a new and fast developing field in healthcare. Even 20 years ago the idea of a surgeon being able to operate a robot from hundreds of miles away in order to perform an operation seemed like science fiction. Today, this is not only possible but engineers, working with scientists and doctors, are now designing robotic systems which will be able to operate on patients with no human intervention at all. The St. Mary’,s team had to design and manufacture a machine that echoed this technology, it had to operate remotely to pick up differently sized objects and place them with precision elsewhere. The students were marked on their teamwork, accountancy skill, video, communication, leadership, design and manufacturing skills and they achieved an amazing 157 marks out of a total of 170. This currently places them third in the entire country. If they stay in third place overall they will have the opportunity to go to London and compete for the national prize. Mrs Rachel Brown, Head of Science commented that `the students really enjoyed the challenge, they worked well as a team and the competition raised the profile of using Science, Maths and Technology together to solve a real engineering problem. We are justly proud of the students` achievements.` St. Mary’,s Students Engineer Success The successful St. Mary’,s team Leeds Catholic Post Page 13

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Page 14 Leeds Catholic Post I n the year since the massive earthquake that devastated Haiti, our supporters have donated £,5.3m to the emergency. CAFOD, working through its Caritas partners, is using supporters’, donations to bring aid to the people still living in camps and helping survivors of the earthquake rebuild their lives. Over the past year CAFOD-funded aid has delivered: , Tents and shelters for thousands of people made homeless by the quake, as well as kitchen kits containing pots, pans and cooking utensils , Shower blocks, latrines and hygiene kits in camps, all are vital for preventing the spread of disease , A safe water supply for more than 40,000 people, using “,water bladders”, –, large plastic inflatable tanks of water that are regularly refilled , Medical supplies for families at risk of cholera , Health education to spread the word about cholera and good hygiene practices , Disaster Risk Reduction/Preparedness education to help people prepare for future emergencies , Permanent homes that are resistant to earthquakes and hurricanes, built by Haitian community members and skilled craftsmen using local, sustainable materials Pakistan - Six months on In the six months since Pakistan suffered the worst flooding in the country’,s history CAFOD has delivered vital help to 124,000 people Supporters donations have helped our partners on the ground in Pakistan deliver emergency and semi-permanent shelters, hygiene kits, blankets, food, safe water and health care. In the next phase of relief work, CAFOD will concentrate on access to clean water and rebuilding people’,s livelihoods. Over the past six months CAFOD-funded aid has delivered: , Disaster emergency shelter kits and hygiene training to nearly 49,000 people in Khyber Pukhtunkhwa province (KPK) in northern Pakistan with partner Catholic Relief Services (CRS) , Food, safe water, hygiene items and hygiene training to 24,000 people in KPK through partner Trocaire , Emergency and primary health care for 41,000 people through partner Cordaid’,s mobile health clinics and static health services in Shangla district in KPK, one of the poorest districts of Pakistan , Transitional shelters for almost 10,000 people in Sindh and Balochistan provinces. From February 2011 CAFOD will be working to reach an additional 40,000 people by improving their access to clean water and by providing them with sanitation. Haiti - one year on Lent Fast Day Friday 18th March Pray, Give, Act F ollowing the success of Lent Fast Day and ‘,Give it up!’, last year (2010), we are once again asking you to give up a favourite treat for Fast Day, or even the whole of Lent, and donate the money saved to CAFOD’,s work transforming the lives of some of the world’,s poorest people. Amparo, a 42 year old mother of five from Colombia, knows from experience how your support can make such wonderful transformations happen. Amparo lived a happy, peaceful life with her family for many years until guerrilla fighters came to her home. They wanted to recruit her son, but when she stood up to them, they forced her from her home at gunpoint. She ran with her children to safety, unable to take any possessions with them, only the clothes they were wearing. The family fled to a town where they tried to put their life back together. They built a corrugated iron shelter and Amparo’,s children started going to school. Desperate to make ends meet, Amparo scratched out a living washing clothes but earned barely enough to feed her children. She often went to bed hungry, exhausted and depressed. Just when Amparo needed us most, CAFOD’,s partner, Pastoral Social, came into contact with her and began to provide food packages for the family and counselling for Amparo. Soon, Amparo’,s spirits started to lift. Her life improved further when our partner helped Amparo learn the practical and business skills she needed to open a metal furniture workshop together with six colleagues. Even though it is still early days for the business, a regular wage means big changes: “,The business project is a great opportunity –, the best I’,ve had in my life,”, she says. “,Now we have food to eat and regular money to buy clothes and shoes. Best of all, I rely on myself –, I can provide what my family needs.”, Amparo’,s determination to transform her life is an inspiring story. This Lent why not help others transform their lives by giving, praying or taking action. Our faith reminds us that Lent is a time for transformation. It’,s a time to look at our own lives and make changes which bring us closer to God. By giving to, acting with and praying for CAFOD and those we work with, the changes that you make in your own lives could echo around the world, transforming the lives of people living in poverty. L ast November Margaret Siberry joined the Romero Trust ‘,Pilgrimage to the Land of Martyrs’, and also visited CAFOD’,s Connect2 community in Puentecitos Rosa, standing tall, reached only to my shoulder. Aged 80, she had travelled alone the long journey by bus from Jayaque to San Salvador. She made the same journey every year to take part in the annual vigil marking the martyrdom on 16th November 1989 of the six Jesuit priests, their housekeeper and her daughter. She came to stand in solidarity, to give thanks for the support offered by the Jesuits to her the community during the civil war and with resettlement after. Her twenty-first year of wit- nessing to truth, peace, and justice for the poor of El Sal- vador –, our first - as we walked and prayed with the pilgrims, listening to their stories and marvelling at the number of young people whose commitment seemed just as strong as Rosa’,s. The vigil was not nostalgia about the past but a re-membering in its deepest sense, ‘,putting back together the body’, –, naming the truth that heals as well as proclaiming today’,s reality - in order that all ‘,may have life, life in all its fullness.’, Pilgrims not Tourists We had come as pilgrims, not tourists, to this Land of Martyrs. We were there, each of us called in a unique way by the witness of Archbishop Romero, to listen, to learn, to share our stories and to walk for a while with the people of El Salvador. We came to a country still po- larised economically between powerful and powerless, a country where the poorest fifth have 2.67% share of over- all income1 and where almost third of the country’,s rev- enue comes from remittances sent by emigrants to the States. We learned of the violence, the growing gang cul- ture, the need for the truth of the civil war atrocities to be told so that the healing of individuals and the nation can happen. We were heartened when our partners from Tutela Legal, a human rights organisation based in San Sal- vador, told us about their work in parishes, schools and local communities helping people to influence the sys- tems, decisions and resources affecting them, supporting them to strive for governance, institutions and global structures that are just and accountable. We were inspired by the Jesuits at the UCA (the Uni- versity of Central America) whose education, theology, social outreach and human rights programmes are at the service of building a just civil society where women and men in the poorest communities have access to the es- sential services they need to live sustainably and with dignity. Connect2 Puentecitos Travelling to visit the Connect2 community of Puentecitos we were struck by the beauty of the steep hillsides, with the volcano Izalco in the distance –, striking countryside but extremely hard work farming small plots on very steep hillsides. Gerardo, Director of our partner, the Jesuit Development Service, gave us some of the background as we travelled, which made us see even more clearly why our programme there is so vital. After the civil war had ended, campesino farmers were strongly encouraged to buy ‘,superior’, seeds that they didn’,t realise were in fact genetically modified ‘,terminator’, seeds. Many poor farmers had loans to buy these and are now in debt. As well as this, growing mainly beans or rice meant they lost the capacity to grow diverse vegetable and fruit crops. Now, with support and training from JDS, the sustain- able, organic farming programme is helping poor farmers to grow a range of nutritious fruit and vegetables that can then be marketed co-operatively. They are able to save seeds for next year’,s planting and thereby become more self sustaining. Rosa Idalia showed us round her small plot, plucking oranges to give to us as she went. She ex- plained how she has learned the principles of permacul- ture and that she has a small fish tank to farm fish for protein. She is now growing a variety of vegetables that not only feed her family but that she can sell to generate a small income. More than all of this, she was most proud of the fact that she had been trained to run workshops to encourage other communities to learn these skills and transform their lives. Enabling others to change their lives gave her the greatest sense of worth and achievement. ‘,Little Bridges of Hope’, Visiting the community, receiving their overwhelming hospitality and witnessing the hard work and struggle that they still face (especially after learning that the unusually heavy rain had washed away most of the crop of beans –, a staple) made us realise how privileged we are to be able to journey with and learn from the villagers. A high- light for the villagers was when we were able to share news from parishes in the UK and exchange photo- graphs, Christmas cards and symbols of friendship. After- wards, as we stood outside the tiny church, which also serves as a community centre, ‘,Puentecitos-Little Bridges’, seemed in its very name to signify solidarity and hope. A CAFOD colleague standing next to me said, “, It’,s these people themselves who are the ‘,little bridges’, of hope.”, And we all agreed! Since returning home it has struck me how CAFOD’,s long relationship with Central and Latin America, exempli- fied in El Salvador, has been instrumental in forming who we are and in helping us articulate and appreciate the vi- sion, mission and values that inspire our work, a vision that has inspired and continues to inspire parishioners throughout the UK. For me this was an important journey of re-membering, connecting again with a well-spring of faith and hope that is at the heart of CAFOD’,s mission. 1 www.earthtrends.wri.org Re-membering –, truth, life and hope in El Salvador

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Leeds Catholic Post Page 15 Cinderella : The LDYS Pantomime L eeds Diocesan Youth Office staff, parish youth workers, diocesan school staff and diocesan clergy, alongside a few friends are the staff for the Leeds World Youth Day pilgrimage to Madrid in August 2011. Believe it or not, the production of Cinderella was rehearsed and prepared for in less than 24 hours! So it came as a little surprise to their colleagues, friends, fellow pilgrims and not least Bishop Arthur to see them shine in their roles in Cinderella. The pantomime followed the story of poor Cinderella who is stuck cleaning for her wicked Stepmother at Hinsley Hall. With the help of her Fairy Godmother, Cinderella manages to get to the Vatican Ball and marry Prince Charming! The raucous laughter from the audience through the whole performance was enough for the cast to know that it was worth the enormous effort and last minute rush to execute such a wonderful show. Not only did the audience have a brilliant night out, they also managed to raise a huge amount of money for the World Youth Day pilgrimage fund. The Leeds Diocesan Youth Service team can only begin to express their grateful thanks to Rebecca Foster for writing the script, directing the production …, and keeping us all in line! Without the amazing talent of Darren Sheridan (musical director) and his superb team of musicians the production would certainly not be half as wonderful as it was! And finally, the LDYS team are completely overwhelmed at the generosity of the St. Austin’,s Players who threw themselves fully into supporting us, not least by whisking up a set and lighting rig (literally overnight!) We pray that the Lord will bless them for the sacrifices they’,ve made to help poor Cinders of Hinsley Hall get to the Vatican Ball! The success of the show means that there may be a few more clergy and LDYS supporters treading the boards in the future! Classified Advertising LEEDS CATHOLIC MARRIAGE CARE Marriage isn’,t always easy —, Counselling can help For an appointment in confidence, with an understanding and experienced listener, please telephone: LEEDS 0113 261 8045 HUDDERSFIELD 01484 422523 A Relationship Counselling Service W. Lever Ltd BRADFORD 01274 547137 524 THORNTON ROAD, BRADFORD BD8 9NB FOR OVER 75 YEARS PROVIDING A COMPLETE PERSONAL &, CARING 24 HOUR FUNERAL SERVICE CHAPEL OF REST H UGHES F UNERAL S ERVICES (Catholic Funeral Directors) 180 YORK ROAD, LEEDS LS9 9NT. Tel 2480953/63 152 GREEN LANE, CROSSGATES. Tel 2326900 3 HOLLIN PARK PARADE, OAKWOOD ROUNDABOUT Tel 2499338 Web: wwww.hughesfuneralservices.co.uk Email: info@hughesfuneralservices.co.uk Family owned and managed. Fully Qualified in all aspects. 24 Hour Service Guaranteed Fixed Price Funeral Plans etc. “,At a time of bereavement we carry out our duties with dignity and respect”, In times of bereavement please contact: B. J. MELIA &, SONS (B. J. Melia Dip F.D.) F UNERAL D IRECTORS AND M ONUMENTAL M ASONS Private Chapel of Rest 64 GIBBET STREET, HALIFAX Telephone: 01422 354453 PRE-PAID FUNERAL SERVICE AVAILABLE DETAILS ON REQUEST Jennings Funeral Services (Catholic Funeral Directors) 13 Racca Green, Knottingley WF11 8AT Telephone: 01977 677715 •, Highest standards of care •, Family owned and managed •, Pre payment plans •, 24 hour service •, Personal attention of Barry and Elizabeth Jennings A Personal and Dignified Family Business that Cares S J F

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Page 16 Leeds Catholic Post Little Society means ‘,Back to the Parish’, I have long advocated the need to do things more locally in our neighbourhoods, to decentralise local government services and to build up more local and municipal initiatives. In the recession years of collapsing traditional industries and manufacturing and inevitable high rising unemployment as a councillor in Leeds we worked hard to replace jobs and rebuild our local economy from the bottom up. We did not believe that a great factory or a De Lorean Car plant would move to Leeds and provide enough jobs to sustain our economy into the twenty first century. We realised our economic future would have to be fostered in Leeds and home grown. We focussed on quality training for the new industries building up the Tech North centre for example in Chapeltown . We worked on new initiatives to build up local cooperatives and mutuals as new business models for secure investment in local people. To a large extent the strategy succeeded and Leeds did not sink under unemployment but shifted to new high tech manufacturing and a wide range of service sector industries to replace the jobs lost in the big engineering and clothing manufacturing sectors. But services provided by the council such as meals on wheels, care of the elderly and childcare tended to be through centralised provision sometimes provided from miles away from local communities. Bringing the services local was the ninties challenge and some imaginatively suggested that not only could meals on wheels , childcare and care of the sick and elderly be provided by training and paying people living in the same street to serve their neighbours but that energy generation, and recycling and waste management could be undertaken much more locally and on a small appropriate scale . Renewable energy generation for example using wind or solar or earth could provide enough and more for a few streets linked together with homes sharing in a localised tailor made system. That future ‘,localism”, was linked to a need to involve communities more in the decisions affecting their area and area community committees blossomed for consultations. All was part of a drive to increase participation and involvement and in some neighbourhoods the radical ideas of “,participatory budgeting”, were tried out as an experiment in an estate in Bramley in West Leeds. In Brazil and in other developing countries in Africa devolving the city council budget to the neighbourhood is already well advanced. So localism sometimes associated with the complex idea of “,subsidiarity”, in Catholic social teaching spelt out in the Papal encyclicals of the past hundred years should be embraced. In Catholic social teaching “,subsidiarity”, involves ensuring that decisions and policy implementation are always made at the appropriate level and as close to people as possible. In other words the state at national or local level should not abrogate to itself decisions and instructions that should be properly left to the local or indeed the family level. Essentially the family and “,parish “, level of arranging and doing things has to be protected. But to check any personal individual damaging whimsical behaviour such as a severe insistence that “,an Englishman’,s home is his castle”, in which he is free to do whatever he wants (including harm his own wife and family) the Church”,s social teaching has also insisted on a counter balancing concept of “,solidarity”, which means more than compassion with the less fortunate and the weak and poor but implies that collective public structures, institutions and resources are put in place in society to ensure that no single personal is neglected or left out. Moreover the Church has always insisted as Pope Benedict put it in his encyclical Caritas in Veritate subsidiarity and solidarity must always be held together as two joined hands, “,the principal of subsidiarity must remain closely linked to the principle of solidarity and vice versa”, (para 58) In other words you can not have localism without proper institutions of governance , justice ,pooled resources, and redistribution to ensure fair shares. Nor can local community rebuilding be a moral escapist indulgence absolving us from the long haul of transforming our public institutions to make sure they prioritise protecting the poor weak and vulnerable. As again Pope Benedict reminds us in Deus Caritas Est “,within the community of believers there can be no room for a poverty that denies any other what is needed for a dignified life”,. He went on to suggest that “,the more we strive to secure a common good corresponding to the real needs of our neighbours the more effectively we love them …,Love of neighbour grounded in the love of God is first and foremost a responsibility of each individual member of the faithful but it is also a responsibility for the entire ecclesial community at every level, from the local community to the particular Chirch and to the Church universal in its entirety. As a community the Church must practice love. Love thus needs to be organised if it is to be an ordered service to the community”,. Again in Caritas in Veritate Pope Benedict is quite explicit “, love for the widows and orphans, prisoners and the sick and need of every kind is as essential to the Church as the ministry of the sacraments and preaching the Gospel”,. For love to be organised focuses us back to the parish level. Originally a “,parish”, was a French unit of administration introduced by the Normans. It was a subdivision of a small township for collecting local tithes which became the basis for administering the “,poor law”, and running local councils. The term was only later transferred from civic to church organisation and particularly the members of a specific congregation, though of course some rural “,parish councils “, remain to this day as units of local election. Today “,localism”, is dominated by talk of the “,Big society”,. Not only is this approach the wrong way round “,a top down”, approach when it must develop from the bottom up as the architect of the whole idea Philip Blond said recently it is being introduced too quickly at the worst of times with cuts in the very means of support needed at local level to develop it. A real bottom up approach could start with a reintroduction of the “,parish (perhaps now interpreted ecumenically and jointly) as the basic unit of “,organising our responses of love”, in the community. We need to draw tighter boundaries of practical neighbourly support. Thomas More in his Utopia wisely suggested 700 families as the maximum manageable unit. He even recoomended they get to together for a communal mean once a month in a local hall. I am now proposing politically that we massivevly increase the number of local councillor representatives in out “,parish neighbourhoods”, to live there so that we all get to know them personally as they help bring us together around local participatory budgets. That way we could really rebuild democracy from the bottom up. In the meantime we need to organise much more our practical response to the invitation at the end of Mass to “,go and love and serve the Lord”, in our immediate neighbourhood before we return to Mass next Sunday. John Battle KSG Sister Mary Clement Kelly S ister Mary Clement Kelly (flee Anne Kelly) was born 14th March 1918, to Michael and Mary Kelly, the fifth in a family often Children. Anne spoke of the happy memories of her childhood, where she enjoyed the freedom of country life, and life on the farm which her parents managed in the rural district of Draperstown. When Anne was ten years old, her family was stricken with deep sorrow by the death of their father, which left a courageous mother to bring up her family of three girls and seven boys, which she did in a truly Christian manner. It was in a family atmosphere of love, care and support for one another, nourished by the Eucharist and daily family prayer —, the basis of their faith, that Anne at an early age became aware of the Missions, the work of missionaries, and the desire to become a Missionary Sister herself. She had been a promoter of the Columban Magazine ‘,The Far East’, and the stories of missionary Sisters, Priests and Brothers had also inspired her and increased her desire to become a missionary Sister. During the summer of 1932 two Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions from Limavady doing Vocation promotion, called at the Kelly family home to find Anne with her younger brother and sister. Their mother had gone out to the garden. Anne saw the opportunity to have her dream come true. When her mother appeared Anne had already promised she would go to Limavady as a boarder prior to entering the Novitiate in Hastings. Anne was delighted when her mother agreed to let her go. On the 1St August 1934 after two years in Limavady, Anne left home with ten other fish girls en route to Hastings. So full of life, with a love of sport, dancing, cycling and visiting friends, her brothers thought her exuberant lively nature did not quite fit their image of ‘,life locked up in a convent’, they reckoned she would be back home in a few months. But no, in March 1937 Anne, now Sr. Mary Clement made her First Profession as a Sister of Our Lady of the Missions. In 1941 having trained as a teacher Sr. Mary Clement embarked on a teaching ministry spanning about 30 years. Her first appointment was a temporary post at St. Mary’,s Star of the Sea School Hastings. She described this as an unforgettable time. World War II was still in progress and meant frequent disruption of classes by the warning sound of sirens to take safety in the shelters. After that Sister Mary Clement was transferred to Wealdstone, where she taught for 18 years in St Joseph’,s Primary school. Here also the effects of war had taken its toll on families, and visiting distressed families was an essential part of her Programme, particularly in her earlier years in Wealdstone. Sister Mary Clement moved to 323 Burley Rd. Leeds January of 1962, having been appointed head of the newly built Sacred Heart primary school. She taught there for eleven years until she was called back to Hastings to be the superior of the large community there. Sister Mary Clement had been a dedicated and painstaking teacher who endeared herself to pupils, teachers, colleagues and parents alike. However Sister Mary Clement was not yet finished her work in the field of Education. At the end of her six-year term in Hastings she went to Eastbourne, her remit ‘,Pastoral work’,. Here the need for a facility for ‘,pre-school children’, and ‘,parent support’, presented itself, and she did ‘,what she did best’, by establishing a nursery/play school in the parish. Her ministry here was a brief three years. in July of 1984 negotiations with Bishop Daly (Down &, Connor Diocese) for a foundation in Northern Ireland had been completed. The Rathenraw estate in Antrim - an estate with high unemployment, housing many ‘,affected’, or ‘,displaced’, by the “,troubles in Northern Ireland”, was chosen as the place for the new foundation. Sister Mary Clement regarded herself privileged to be one of the three founding members of this community”, The Sisters took up residence in No 1 Somerset Park- the first of five houses in the row. At first it was envisaged that the Sisters work on the estate would be pastoral, but through reflection and research on the difficulties and needs of the area, and with the support of the Parish Priest another Dream was born. Sr. Mary Clement felt that there was a need to create ‘,a space’, ‘,a place’, where people could come together, so on the 6th Oct 1984 The Family Caring Centre was opened. It started with a thrift shop in a caravan - but the dream would not be realized without a property to operate from, so quietly Sister slipped Miraculous Medals over the fences of the other four houses in the row and believed our Lady would do the rest. As each house became vacant, (having already met and put her plans before them) she approached the Local Council and begged them to give it to her. From here a range of children’,s services, adult services, family services and programes aimed at empowering people were initiated. These services were ‘,for all’, irrespective of age and creed, and over time extended far beyond the boundaries of the Rathenraw Estate. In 2002 Sr. Mary Clement handed over the management of the centre to a confident and experienced member of her staff assisted by two others, but wishing to preserve the ethos of the Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions they wanted Sr. Mary Clement to remain present with them - and asked her to be President of the Family Centre. In August 2008 it was time to move on and with the closure of the Antrim community, Sr. Mary Clement now 90 yrs old moved to Dublin. After such a full and active life, it was a difficult move for her. Nevertheless she had looked back with gratitude and had written, “,As I approach my 90”, Birthday and reflect on my years that have gone, I turn to God with deep gratitude -firstly for all the graces and blessings I have received, secondly for my parents and members of my natural family and very importantly for the Sisters of my Religious family. I pray God to bless and reward all who have helped me on my way”, The signs of failing health became more evident and in July 2010 hospital tests indicated a terminal illness. Sr. Mary Clement was fully aware of all the implications, accepted her condition with serenity and wanted to continue life as usual - including going on her annual holiday to Donegal, a desire made possible for her in August. At the end of October 2010 it was clear that time was getting short. On Thurs 5th1 November 5.30 pm surrounded by her community, Sr. Mary Clement was anointed. She moved her lips in responses to the prayers for the dying, the Rosary and finally the Hail Holy Queen. She then turned her head, opened her eyes and looked at her sister Sr. Mary. She then closed her eyes again and slipped away so peacefully that it was difficult to know the moment. in the tributes received since her death - those who knew her, worked with her or lived with her, describe her as a kind, loving, caring and compassionate woman. A gentle wisdom, a special gift to us all, a life we can rejoice in and give thanks for. Those whose lives she encountered in school or Family Centre speak of the part she played in their lives, how she helped them in difficult times and helped them to look to the future. ‘,She was such an amazing wee woman’, one lady from Antrim wrote ‘,I say wee lightly, for we all know how powerful she was, how well loved and cherished she was, she touched the hearts of so many people - now she is gone I hope she will be looking after us all’,. Sr. Mary Clement was laid to rest at the Mount Venus Cemetery in Dublin Ireland Fr Edward Horkin, a priest of the Diocese of Leeds for more than sixty years was born in the USA in November 1919, but came to live in England shortly afterwards when his family settled in Heckmondwike. His father ran a building firm in the town. Fr Horkin was a pupil at the Westminster Cathedral Choir School and served as an altar boy in the cathedral. He studied for the priesthood at Ushaw College in County Durham and was ordained by Bishop Poskitt at St Anne’,s Cathedral in Leeds 28th April 1946. He was one of five priests ordained together, of whom one, Gerald Moverley, later became the first Bishop of Hallam. From 1946 until 1953 Fr Horkin served as a curate, first at St Clare’,s at Fagley in Bradford, then at Christ the King, Bramley, Leeds and finally at Our Lady and All Saints, Otley. In 1953 he became the Secretary of the Catholic Missionary Society, based at Hampstead in London. There he worked under the society’,s Superior, Fr George Patrick Dwyer, who became the sixth Bishop of Leeds in 1957. Fr Horkin returned to Yorkshire in July 1955 and was appointed to the parish of St John Fisher and St Thomas More at Burley in Wharfedale. Five years later he moved to St Robert’,s, Harrogate. In 1963 Bishop Dwyer appointed him as Parish Priest of Dunsop Bridge on the Lancashire border, but his stay there was brief as in the following year he became the first Parish Priest of the new parish of St Michael’,s, Knottingley. In 1968 Dwyer’,s successor, Bishop Gordon Wheeler, appointed Fr Horkin to St Joseph’,s, Pudsey and he was to remain there for the next twenty- nine years. His early years in Pudsey coincided with the changes in the life of the Church which came about as a result of the Second Vatican Council and he completed the internal re-ordering of St Joseph’,s church in October 1970 to take account of the new liturgical developments. While he was at Pudsey the parish celebrated the centenary of its foundation together with the golden jubilee and consecration of the church, which all took place in 1983. Fr Horkin celebrated his golden jubilee of priesthood in 1996 and the following year he retired from St Joseph’,s parish to live in the Stanningley area. He died at home on 23rd December 2010 and his funeral, led by Bishop Roche, took place at Leeds Cathedral on 6th January, the panegyric was preached by Fr Horkin’,s friend, Fr Francis McGrath, who had served with him at St Joseph’,s, Pudsey during the 1970s. The Funeral Mass was followed by interment at the Leeds Catholic Cemetery. Fr Horkin will be remembered for over half a century of dedicated ministry in the diocese, to his fellow priests in particular he was well-known as a man of generosity and culture. He was an excellent host and read widely, reflecting his broad range of interests. He was also a keen follower of cricket and football and for many years he had a season ticket at Elland Road, the home of Leeds United. Obituaries Rev Edward Horkin

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Leeds Catholic Post Page 17 AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 YEARS: HAPPY BIRTHDAY VATICAN RADIO This month Vatican Radio is marking the 80th anniversary of its inaugural broadcast by Pope Pius XI, a close friend of the Italian scientist and inventor Guglielmo Marconi. It was Marconi who persuaded the pope of the great potential of this new instrument, who oversaw the building of the first transmitter in the Vatican gardens and who was on hand to join the pontiff for that inaugural address at exactly 4.49pm on Saturday March 12th 1931. The address broadcast ‘,Urbi et Orbi,’, ‘,to the city and to the world,’, was written by the pope himself in Latin, based around bible verses which underline the universality of the Gospel message. A large group of journalists, including cameramen from Paramount News in the United States, had gathered to record the historic event. The scratchy, black and white film footage from that day shows the pope arriving by car at the transmission centre, accompanied by the sound of trumpets, and activating the controls in the generator room. After a few introductory words from Marconi, Pope Pius steps up to the microphone and begins with the words: “,Listen, O Heavens, to that which I say, Listen, O Earth, listen to the words which come from my mouth...Listen and hear, O Peoples of distant lands…,..”, It was not the world’,s first national radio broadcaster –, the British Broadcasting Corporation was set up nearly a decade earlier in the autumn of 1922. But in terms of church history, it was a revolutionary idea, largely attributed to the vision of the Jesuit director of Vatican communications in those days, Fr Giuseppe Gianfranceschi. As early as 1925 he was already drawing up plans for a broadcasting station, but it was not until the signing of the Lateran Treaty between Italy and the Vatican in 1929 that building work could actually begin. With a keen interest in scientific developments, the pope followed closely the various stages of construction, with British and Belgian engineers working alongside their Italian counterparts to complete the project in record time. Just a few years after its inauguration, the radio found itself playing a crucial role, not simply by relaying the pope’,s appeals for peace as war threatened to engulf Europe again, but also by providing a vital messaging service for prisoners of war, keeping them in touch with family and friends waiting anxiously for news from the front lines. During the long cold war years that followed, the radio again took on an important role for Christians across the Soviet world, managing to broadcast news of the Church behind the Iron Curtain and support communities that were being brutally persecuted for their faith. With the election of Polish Cardinal Karol Wojtyla to the See of Peter and the start of his extensive travels –, 104 foreign trips to 129 countries –, the radio took on the task of coordinating media coverage wherever the pope was visiting. 80 years on, Vatican Radio’,s mission, spelt out by several popes on visits to the radio station, remains the same: to communicate the message of the successor of St Peter and his closest advisors around the world “,to all people of good will”,. Today the radio broadcasts around the clock in 45 different languages on FM, medium and shortwave, via satellite and increasingly, of course, via internet and the latest digital technologies. It also maintains an exclusive archive of the speeches of all popes since 1931 and in many developing countries, cooperates closely with bishops’, conferences on radio and other communication training projects. It employs some 350 journalists, technicians and administrative staff, mostly lay people, who produce a wide variety of live news and pre-recorded feature programmes, alongside the music, liturgical celebrations and coverage of all the pope’,s principle activities. To meet rising costs, in the summer of 2009, it caused something of a stir by agreeing for the first time to broadcast commercial advertising, on condition that all advertisers conform to “,high moral standards”,. In the Vatican the anniversary was marked by a press conference and inauguration of an exhibition, set up at the entrance to the Vatican Museums. Sitting alongside Vatican Radio director general, Fr Federico Lombardi and museums director, Antonio Paolucci was Cardinal Giovanni Lajolo, president of the governing body of Vatican City State and American Monsignor Peter Wells from the Secretariat of State who urged the Radio to take advantage of all the latest media technology to evangelise in the 21st century. ",Not having new technical tools at one`s full disposal, or not knowing about the most current tools, will mean that one`s message will arrive late, will arrive wrong, and might even arrive in vain,", he noted. ",It is therefore essential for Vatican Radio to continue to adapt to these new tools if it wants to be the engine of new forms of consciousness and awareness: in other words, of a new culture.", He said the radio station must continue to be a voice that contests those who say the church is not capable of inner renewal, adding that it plays a vital role in the struggle to “,promotes religious freedom and calls for dialogue in a world increasingly in conflict.”, Philippa M Hitchen Our Rome Correspondent THE IMPACT ON THE CHURCH OF THE 2ND VATICAN COUNCIL 45 YEARS ON Reviewed by Basil Loftus A former bishop of Leeds, George Patrick Dwyer, once famously boasted “,Leeds leads”,. Certainly, the parish of the Good Shepherd, in Mytholmroyd, leads the way with its publication of four talks on Vatican ll, given there in the Autumn of last year. Reflecting the personal style of its parish priest, John Gott, who contributes a most valuable introduction to and reflection on the talks, the book is very understated. Who else, in this exciting Golden Jubilee Year of the Indicting of the Council , would refer only to last year’,s uneventful forty-fifth anniversary of its closure? Had he been more headline-grabbing, ( but then he wouldn’,t have been John), he might have applied to the Council the comment recently made by the vice-chief of the United States Army Staff, Peter Chiarelli, to one of his more traditional generals –,“,if you don’,t like change, you’,re going to hate being irrelevant”,. There is no danger of this book being irrelevant, as its contributors outline their reaction to Vatican ll. While respecting the operational heritage of the Church over two thousand years, they highlight the changes made by three principal documents. Very wisely, not all the Conciliar documents are covered. Those, for instance, on Education and on the Communications Media are both disappointing and inadequate, not to say, in some instances, harmful. Rosemary Haughton kicks off with a general overview of the Council’,s origins, and then its documents, in their spiritual, historical and cultural context. Hers is perhaps the most personal contribution, and like that of Henry Wansbrough, recaptures the vibrancy and excitement of William Wordsworth’,s account of the French Revolution: -“,Glee it was in that dawn to be alive, but to be young was very heaven”,. It can be no coincidence that her immediately pre-Conciliar experiences of the revolutionary Church were in fact in Paris. Her reference to the way that the bishops at the Council “,found themselves, as time went on, exploring more and more new areas of knowledge, listening not only to one another but to the theologians...in an atmosphere of intense challenge”, is very pertinent. It, and it alone, explains the change of outlook in those bishops themselves, which became so obvious to those who lived there with them for those four sessions of the Council. It is the lack of that “,atmosphere of intense challenge”,, and failure to continue to listen to theologians, which largely lies behind the fact that many bishops since then may appear not only to have failed to follow the changing signs of the times, but to have regressed, with the consequent danger of irrelevance to the Church. Shelagh Fawcett deals with the Church in the Modern World - Vatican ll’,s Document Gaudium et Spes. Those same two words are of course at the very beginning of Wordsworth’,s description of the French Revolution as a “,pleasant exercise of Hope and Joy”,. More than any of the other contributors she evaluates the pre-Conciliar influences on the Council. It is against that background that she emphasises the corresponding need for a dynamic of change in the future rather than a merely static membership of the Church. In so many ways Vatican ll was begun by Pius Xll, whose initiatives were kept alive by the North European Bishops. It is not for nothing that Ralph Wiltgen entitles his book on the Council –,“,The Rhine flows into the Tiber”,. Effectively, the beginning of Vatican ll was the bursting of a dam that had built up, rather than a watershed in the history of the Church. Shelagh Fawcett rightly gives praise where it is due. Margaret Siberry tackles the role of the laity in the Church, as dealt with in the Conciliar document “,Apostolicam Actuositatem”,. Liverpool, not Paris, was her stamping-ground. She saw there the new Cathedral, the stones of the kuriakon - the House of the Lord, being built to an astonishing new design, that would facilitate an equally revolutionary liturgy for the living stones of the Ekklesia –, the People of God, who would emerge strengthened and invigorated from Vatican ll, and hold in that Cathedral the great National Pastoral Congress in 1978. Very properly, before dealing with the Document on the Laity in itself, she sites it within the more general context of the two documents on the Church –, Lumen Gentium and Gaudium et Spes. This important consideration, applicable to all the other Conciliar documents, and emphasised by the Popes, is so often overlooked. Henry Wansbrough deals with the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church –,Lumen Gentium, which he describes as a gale blowing through the Church, and we all know of the Holy Spirit’,s propensity for strong winds, whether as the ruah of the Old Testament or the pneuma of the New. It would be a rash man who tried to summarise the lapidary and taut writing of such a distinguished scholar. Buy the book and read it yourself. Suffice to say that he chose the subject on which he spoke –, a document which is as central to the development of the Council as he himself has been to that of the Church. But this is no dry scholarly contribution. He identifies his own experiences which would not have been possible in a pre-Conciliar Church, and does not shy away from controversial examples of post-Conciliar errors, such as the disgraceful treatment of Lavinia Byrne. But for a man of such towering intellect he is remarkably naive in one particular. He recounts breathlessly his cloak- and-dagger experience as what he terms a ‘,James Bond’,, spying for the German Bishops at the Council. Do you think we didn’,t know, Henry? Now, let’,s have a follow-up in which you confess to all the other exploits, before someone else blows the gaff! All-in-all, this parish publication is a splendid read, which, as it should, leaves the reader wanting more. Vatican ll documents on Liturgy and on Religious, as well as those on Religious Freedom and on Ecumenism and Christian Unity are worthy of similar treatment, and to judge from this book, no-one could do it better. Perhaps next time we could also have more input from John Gott himself. Who better than he to explain what a parish should be in post-conciliar times? Oh, and one bit of one-upmanship. John boasts of being brought up in a good Catholic family in Halifax, which read the then left-wing Catholic Herald. His father and mine were business colleagues and good friends, both of whom inspired and built up the then contemporary arm of lay-involvement in the diocese–, the ‘,Catholic Parents and Electors Association’,. But at home we read a better Catholic Paper –, in fact my father sold outside the church the Catholic Worker, edited by Bob Walsh the convert former editor of the Communist Daily Worker. Beat that, John! Copies available at £,7.50 inc P&,P from Rev John Gott, Good Shepherd Presbytery, Royal Fold, New Road, Mytholmroyd HX7 5EA. The Briery Retreat Centre FORTHCOMING EVENTS AT The Briery Retreat Centre 38 Victoria Avenue, Ilkley LS29 9BW Te: 01943 607287 Email: briery@btconnect.com Website:http://www.briery.org.uk 7th March Day of Poetry &, Reflection 10am-4pm Jenny &, John Dixon &, Sr Anne Hammersley CP 22 March Lenten Day of Reflection 10am-3pm The Briery Team 9th April Directions in Prayer 10am-4pm A follow-up from “,What is Spiritual Direction”, Fr John Wilson and The Briery Team May 12th Quiet Day of Reflection 10am-3pm The Briery Team May 18th-25th 6 –, Day Preached Retreat Wed –, Wed “,There is nothing I cannot master with the One who gives me strength”, “,Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock. Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ”,. Dietrich Bonhoeffer Bishop John Crowley May 18th-25th &, July 13th-20th 6 –, Day Individually Guided Retreats These retreats may be extended to 8 days Briery Team June 1st-8th 6 –, Day Preached Retreat Wed- Wed “,The Wonder of the World: the Wonder of You.”, Spend some summer days exploring God’,s beauty within ourselves and within our world. And when we lose that sense of wonder, which we always do, how do we recover it? Fr Daniel O’,Leary July 13th-20th 6 –, Day Preached Retreat Wed - Wed “,Cherishing the Oasis”, Drawing on the inspirational heritage of the early Christian desert fathers and mothers, this retreat will explore the key themes of spiritual flourishing that can help us navigate through experiences of desert to Christ the oasis. Fr. John Wilson BA.STB.TL.PhD Sept 1st-8th 6 –, Day Preached Retreat Thurs - Thurs “,Lady so Still”, A retreat with Mary, using pictures, music, scripture and poetry to draw us nearer to Jesus. Fr Tom McGuinness, SJ &, Sr Magdalen Lawler, SND

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Page 18 Leeds Catholic Post First Friday of the Month SINGLE CATHOLICS meet at 8.00pm for mass at our Lady of Lourdes, Leeds. We also a have a program of 4-8 events during the month, walks, meals, cinema and theatre trips, etc. Phone David Easterbrook Chairman LDSC on 0113 2289468 evenings between 6 and 7.30pm only. Membership is open to all single Catholics who are free to marry within the church. Leeds Cathedral 20-35 Group Young people (20-35 years old) who attend St. Anne`s Cathedral in Leeds meet regularly every Thursday for spiritual, social and charitable activities. For further details search Facebook for “,Leeds Cathedral 20- 35 Group”,, phone 07816 891872 or 07759 591233 or email leedscathedral20- 35@hotmail.co.uk Crusade Mass The crusade Mass and Rosary of Mary Immaculate is held at St Patrick`s Church, Bradford, on the first Saturday of the Month after 12.15pm Mass , Second Sunday of Month 2pm Meeting of Bradford Fraternity of the Secular Franciscan Order at St. Anthony`s Convent, Clayton, Bradford.` `Third Sunday of Month 2.30pm Meeting of Leeds Fraternity of the Secular Franciscan Order at the Cathedral. Ampleforth Renewal Community Ampleforth Abbey, meet 1st Sunday each month, at Ampleforth. 11 .30am Praise, Speaker, Sharing Groups, Reconciliation, Exposition, Finishing with Mass and Healing at 4.00pm. All enquiries: Seamus McEneaney 01429 426181 Monthly Vocations Mass Mount St Joseph’,s Chapel 11am First Wednesday of Month. Calix: An organisation for those recovering from addiction and working the 12 Step Programme of AA so that they can develop and deepen their relationship with Jesus as their Higher Power. Meets on the First Sunday of every month at Corpus Christi Church, Neville Rd. Osmondthorpe. Leeds. Mass at 4.30pm followed by meeting. Contact: Fr. Michael on 01977 510266 Helpers of Gods precious infants, prayer vigils, regular weekly prayer vigils at Marie Stopes Abortuary, 7 Barrack Road.LS7 4AB, next to Jaguar car showrooms. Fridays 12-30 to 1-30, and Saturdays 9am- l1am. Monthly all night vigil of reparation in St Marys Horsforth 12th of every month, 9- 30pm to 6am . Other times variable. Further details Pat 0113 2582745 Rosary rally Sat Oct 9th 2010 12-30pm Leeds cenotaph, outside art gallery, Headrow. Contact 07747698553/ or 0113 2582745 Diary A few moments for thought and Prayer Psalm: Happy whoever finds peace by touching the bark of a tree who hears the echo of consonants recited in cloisters of wind. He will savour even when old the splendors of early childhood the sharp acid taste of new sprung corn rain that smells of chalk. Beatitude is for such as him in the flesh of humble things A wink from paradise is inscribed in the depths of ravines A poem by Br Pierre-Etienne, member of the Taize Community, Artist and Poet, who died recently at the age of 88. Be Still Deadline: For receipt of material for next edition: March 1th 2011 Parishes receive their copies: March 27th 2011 Send articles, reports &, pictures: Mr John Grady, Hinsley Hall, 62 Headingley Lane, Leeds LS6 2BX. Send text as word doc, pictures as jpeg, e-mail to: john.grady@dioceseofleeds.org.uk Tel: 0113 261 8022. Advertising Deadline Please note All paid-for advertising is dealt with by: CathCom, L4 Blois Meadow Business Centre, Steeple Bumpstead, Haverhill, Suffolk, CB9 7BN. To advertise call 020 7112 6710 or email: ads@cathcom.org Your Cath Post C hildren from St Joseph’,s Catholic Primary School in Castleford took part in a world record breaking attempt in February, 2011 for the most people signing and singing a song simultaneously. Pupils joined in with the sign2sing event organised by the charity SignHealth on Wednesday, February 9. Steve Powell, Chief Executive at SignHealth, said: “,Our Guinness World Records™, sign2sing project is an attempt to break the world record for the most people singing and signing a song at the same time. More than 380 schools have signed up and we’,re delighted St Joseph’,s Catholic Primary School Castleford are involved with the event too. The schools taking part range in size from 30 to 800 pupils, which means more than 50,000 schoolchildren nationwide will participate in total. The current world record is 13,418 people so it looks likely that we’,ll smash this, while also raising awareness of deafness and the work we are doing at SignHealth. The event will also be a fundraiser for the charity through sponsorship from businesses and donations.”, Young people from all over the country and overseas will learn to sign The New Seekers 1970s song ‘,I’,d like to Teach the World to Sing’,. Steve added: “,The group has re-recorded their hit single especially for sign2sing and are lending their support to the event.”, SignHealth, which is the healthcare charity for deaf people, providing health-related services for all deaf people, has produced a fun DVD to show children how to sign. The sign2sing world record attempt took place at 2.45pm on Wednesday, February 9. St Joseph’,s Castleford sign up to help break world record Gap Year Volunteer Retreat Assistant We are looking for a committed young Catholic to be part of the Retreat Team and to start work in September 2011. You should be reliable, able to communicate well: in good health and well disposed to living and working as a member of a team. Board and lodgings are provided along with a monthly allowance. For a more in-depth job description visit our website: www.myddeltongrange.org.uk For an application pack contact the Administrator at: Myddelton Grange, Langbar Road, Ilkley, West Yorkshire LS29 0EB 01943 607887. Closing date for applications 25th February 2011. Interviews scheduled for week commencing 14th March 2011. All employees must be committed to the protection and safeguarding of children and young people. Successful appointment is subject to references and an enhanced Criminal Records Bureau disclosure. Myddelton Grange Retreat House is the purpose built youth residential centre for the Diocese of Leeds, situated in Ilkley, at the edge of the stunning Yorkshire Dales. The Grange is popular and well supported by schools and parish groups within Leeds Diocese and beyond. Our residential retreats cater for young people between Year 5 and University age and are a mixture of exercises using informal educational methods, games, liturgy and outdoor activities.

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Leeds Catholic Post Page 19 Wednesday, 23 February Visiting Diocesan Missions in Peru Sunday, 27 to Monday 28 February ICEL Meeting, Washington Tuesday 1 to Saturday 5 March ICEL Meeting, Washington Tuesday 8 March 11am Governors’, Meeting, Ushaw College Wednesday 9 March 12 noon Ash Wednesday Mass, Leeds Cathedral. 1.15pm WYEC Act of Worship, Leeds Cathedral Thursday 10 March 9.30am Visitation, St Walburga’,s Primary School, Shipley. 11am Visitation, St Anthony’,s Primary School, Shipley. 3pm VGs’, Meeting, Bishop’,s House Friday 11 March 10.30am Meeting with Diocesan Finance Board &, Trustee Directors, Hinsley Hall. 6pm HE Cardinal Peter Turkson Lecture, Leeds Cathedral Sunday 13 March 9.30am Visitation, St Walburga’,s, Shipley 11am Visitation, St Aidan’,s, Baildon 2.30pm Rite of Election, Leeds Cathedral Monday 14 March Standing Committee Meeting, London Tuesday 15 March 11am Addresses Diocesan Communication Officers, London Wednesday 16 March 11am Presbyteral Council, Hinsley Hall Thursday 17 March 10am Visitation, St William’,s Primary School, Bradford Friday 18 March 10.30am Catholic Care Trustees’, Meeting, Hinsley Hall Saturday 19 March Prospective Deacons’, Day of Recollection Sunday 20 March 10.30am Visitation St Blaise Parish, Bradford Wednesday 23 March 11am Chapter Meeting &, Installation of Canon Sean Durcan, Leeds Cathedral Thursday 24 March 10am Visitation, St Matthew’,s School, Bradford. 2.30pm VGs’, Meeting, Bishop’,s House Bishops Engagements –, February/March +REGULAR EXTRAORDINARY RITE MASSES+ HALIFAX: St Marie’,s, Gibbett Street. Vigil Mass every Saturday. 6.00pm. CASTLEFORD: St Joseph’,s, Pontefract Road. Every Sunday, 3.00pm. BROUGHTON: Sacred Heart, Broughton Hall near Skipton, every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, 9.30am. BATLEY: St Mary of the Angels, Cross Bank Rd. Batley. Every First Friday of the month, preceded by confessions, 7.30pm and every fourth Saturday of the month (Vigil) at 3.00pm and as announced. LEEDS: 1.Our Lady of Lourdes, Cardigan Road, Leeds, every last Sunday of the month, 3.00pm 2. Our Lady of Good Counsel, Kentmere Avenue, Leeds every Friday 9.15am. HECKMONDWIKE: Holy Spirit , Bath Road, Every First Sunday of the month, 2.30pm. and every 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th Saturday of the month at 11.30am. BRADFORD: St Peter’,s, Leeds Road, every second Sunday of the month, 3.00pm. lmsleeds.blogspot.com for further details. Ordinary Form –, 1969 Missal First Sunday of the Month Cathedral 11am Second Saturday of Month 4pm (Schola Gregoriana) We are marching in the light of God! S t Georges Hall Bradford was packed on Saturday 5th February for the final of the annual Bradford and District Schools Choir Competition. Six schools had been selected during the heats in the preceding weeks to advance to the final and compete for the prestigious title of Bradford school choir of the year. Children from those choirs chosen for the final took part in a workshop with members of the London Community Gospel Choir on the day before the competition, with the overall winning choir having the opportunity to sing the popular gospel song ‘,O Happy day’, with the Community Gospel choir on the stage of St Georges Hall at the final itself. The finalists included three schools who are members of the Diocese of Leeds Schools singing programme: St Anne’,s, Keighley, St Anthony’,s, Shipley and St Cuthbert and First Martyrs, Heaton. St Anne’,s choir (Directed by Mrs Bernadette Charles) was praised by the judges for their beautiful tone and clear diction in their two songs. St Anthony’,s Shipley choir (directed by Keith Roberts) sang ‘,Hakuna Mata’, from the Lion-King alongside an arrangement of the popular Christmas carol ‘,The Holly and the Ivy.’, The judges complimented St Anthony’,s for their two part singing and for the energetic and focussed performance. The choir of St Cuthbert and the First Martyrs (Directed by Catherine Bolland) particularly caught the eye of the judging panel, led by Bazil Meade, director of the London Community Gospel Choir and a judge on BBC 1 TV ‘,School Choir of the Year Competition.’, After the thrills of ‘,Rollerghoster’, the choir gave an outstanding rendition of the popular African song ‘,Siyahamba –, we are marching in the light of God’, with some excellent two part singing and a wide range of dynamics. After each of the finalists had performed the audiences and children were treated to music sung by the London Community Gospel Choir while the judges deliberated. The winners of the competition were then announced as St Johns C of E, Bierley with Clayton C of E in second place. Third place was awarded to the choir of St Cuthbert and the First Martyrs much to the delight of their supporters, family and friends. Many congratulations to St Cuthbert and the First Martyrs on achieving third place in the Bradford and District Schools Choir Competition 2011. Congratulations also to St Anne’,s and St Anthony’,s for doing so well to reach the final, and to all the members of the Diocese of Leeds Schools singing programme who took part in the heats. Leeds People For Life Forthcoming Events Friday March 25th feast of Annunciation, pilgrimage to Walsingham Various pick up points £,15. Concessions. Sunday May 8th. Walk for Life. York Starts 1-30pm from York Minster, ends at English Martyrs, Dalton Terr. Prayer vigils throughout week at Marie Stopes , Barack Rd (A58):- Thurs, Fri Sat. MORE PRAYERS NEEDED . Also needed at BPAS Headrow. Thurs eves. 8-10 pm St Augustines, Harehills Rd. Prayers for life.in front of the Blessed Sacrament. The dates for all-night vigils of reparation in St Marys Church, Horsforth. LS18 5AB, commencing 9-30pm with Holy Mass and ending with Morning Prayer at 5-45am Saturday March 12th, Tuesday April 12th, Thursday May 12th, Sunday June 12th, Tuesday July 12th, Friday August 12th, Monday September 12th, Wednesday October 12th, Saturday November 12th, Monday December 12th 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 clss mail When phoning please quote UP101

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Page 20 Leeds Catholic Post Designed and produced by CathCom, L4 Blois Meadow Business Centre, Steeple Bumpstead, Haverhill, Suffolk, CB9 7BN. To advertise call 020 7112 6710 or email: ads@cathcom.org JETS BRING THE CAKE A t long last after two and a half years of work St Joseph’,s Catholic School, in Goole, was able to invite Bishop Roche to come and officially bless the completed work on the school. Over this period the school has been reshaped, turned round, refurnished and refurbished. In all somewhere around one and a half million pounds has been spent bringing the school up to modern day standards. Added to this is the seventeen thousand pounds that the Jets have raised to support the school as well. Four thousand pounds of this money has been used to refashion the grounds and play grounds. And the Jets –, they are a group of parents of the children who have formed to raise funds to support the school. The day chosen for the Bishop’,s visit was Friday January 28th. The Bishop arrived to be met by Mrs Marten the Headteacher along with the Chair of Governors. He was then off on a tour round the school meeting the children in their classrooms and chatting to them, to find out what they were doing. After a short break, while the children filed into the hall, there followed an assembly with the children singing ‘,He’,s got the whole world in his hands’, as well as ‘,Sing Hosanna’, –, on both occasions there was plenty of clapping and actions to go with the words. The Bishop took time to speak a few words to the children encouraging them to live up to the faith they believed. At the end of the service the Bishop blessed the school and prayed for its and the children’,s future. Mrs Marten gave a vote of thanks to all there and to all who had helped throughout the building and a special word of thanks to the Diocese and the Bishop. As the children went back to their classrooms the Bishop cut a special cake that had been made and decorated for the occasion by one of the Jets. To advertise in the next issue call the Advertising Team on 0870 228 4266

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