Leeds Catholic Post History

Newspaper for the Diocese of Leeds

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Jun 2011 edition of the Leeds Catholic Post

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CATHOLIC POST THE NEWSPAPER FOR THE DIOCESE OF LEEDS JUNE 2011 www.dioceseofleeds.org.uk www.catholicpost.org.uk Whats inside Mummy What is That? 100 Years of Caring Page 11 Confirmation in Dewsbury Page 10 Fr Smith celebrates 25 years Page 9 New Deacons on the Way Page 4 T hese were the words that Fr John Wilson opened his homily with on the Vigil of Pentecost at the Cathedral in Leeds. This is the Mass that the Bishop invites all those who had been baptised/received into the Church to attend so that he can bring to an end the first part of their journey in Faith that they started out on that first Sunday afternoon in Lent when they came to the Cathedral to take part in the Rite Of Election. The Bishop was the chief concelebrant along with five more of his priests to celebrate this ‘,birthday’, feast of the Church, as is usual the Bishop welcomed all those that had come to the Cathedral and in particular he had a special welcome for those who were returning for this special Mass. This year the Homily was given by Fr John Wilson, Episcopal Vicar for Evangelisation, since he has the special responsibility for Evangelisation and Catechesis. He opened his Homily by recounting the story of how a young child had asked, when seeing Fr John What is that? That is Fr John the child was told but you should say Who is that –, not What and so he went on to say that the Holy Spirit was a Who not a What –, was in fact a person –, the third person of The Trinity –, it is the Holy Spirit that calls us into relationship with the Father and The Son through the Church –, the Church –, The sacraments give us the grace - the life - the bubbling spirit that that sustains us in our life. We are the witness that is filled with infectious Joy pouring out the message of hope to the world. 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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Page 2 Leeds Catholic Post The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams has caused a stir with his article which- it is claimed- criticises the Government for adopting “,radical, long-term policies for which no one voted.”, At the moment, certainly, a cynical government could excuse almost anything in policies which cut services, benefits or state involvement of any kind, putting the clock back by years- by explaining that the international financial situation demands this of us. What we have to decide is whether a government is cynical or merely keeping the best interests of the country at heart, by clearing out the economic stables as quickly as possible and leaving us in a more healthy state to face the future. Dr Williams sounds warning notes: he looks at the “,quiet resurgence of the seductive language of ",deserving", and ",undeserving", poor”,..and “,the steady pressure to increase what look like punitive responses to alleged abuses of the system”, We must beware of importing the idea that many poor people are shiftless, unambitious and unwilling to get up and go, unwilling to be modern-day Dick Whittingtons. The same strictures could actually be applied to the “,undeserving rich”,, “,living off the poor”, a criticism applied in the past to factory owners and private landlords alike. The whipping-boys will always be with us, whether it is the benefit fraudsters or the bonus-grabbing bankers. What Dr Williams- and in the same issue of the New Statesman, Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks- seek are communities with the wherewithal to support each other, and Dr Sacks tells us that this is done well by religious communities. Is that so? Does your parish support, uphold, watch out for its members, or do people merely attend Mass and return home, feeling justified? Throughout Easter, we have been treated to readings from the Acts of the Apostles which clearly mark out our way towards a real “,big society”,, one that is run on principles of subsidiarity- at grass-roots level- but supported by central community resources: that is delegation by government, rather than abdication, or policies of “,fend for yourself”, which the Gospels so firmly reject. The Post Says Farwell to friends and Helpers T he Annual Diocesan Lourdes Mass took place in Leeds Cathedral on Saturday May 14th this year. Unfortunately the Bishop was not able to be present since he had to be in Rome for the visitation of the Seminaries there. However Mgr Michael McQuinn was asked by the Bishop to stand in and he brought with him the greetings from the Bishop and the Bishop’,s thanks for all the hard work that goes into organising the pilgrimage. In his opening remarks of welcome and introduction Mgr Michael explained how the theme for this year in Lourdes was Praying with Bernadette …, the Our Father. This theme ran through the liturgy of the day and it was the theme Canon Christopher Irving, the Director of the Pilgrimage, took for his homily. In it he explained how our perseverance in prayer is what is required and how even when we are on pilgrimage prayer still might not come too easily –, this approach to prayer was he explained was the tortoise ( taught us ) approach to prayer –, a mistake of hearing and understanding often carried out by children, but by taking the fable of the tortoise and the hare he pointed out who gets there in the end. At the end of the Mass Canon Irving stepped forward again to call to the front of the Cathedral Liz Penny and Shelia Ambler who were both retiring from the Lourdes Association. It was he said by the loyal and dedicated work of these two people that the pilgrimage over the years had been such a success. Both of them in their own fields and made sure of not only the smooth running of the Pilgrimage when in Lourdes, but also the preparation and the debriefing periods as well. As a small mark of thanks he then presented both ladies with some flowers and a well deserved round of applause followed. This year’,s pilgrimage is 1st to 8th of July. Making 70 Years Josie McHugh from Leeds writes: I have been asked by Fr Dennis Cassidy to forward to you a picture of Bernard Gomersall receiving Papal Blessing for reaching 70 years serving Corpus Christi as an altar boy! Bernard received the Blessing on Easter Sunday which was fitting as it was 70 years ago Easter Sunday that Bernard began his service in Corpus Christi church. Bernard also received a cake from children who attend the liturgy each week. It was a lovely day and we are very proud of Bernard. St. Joseph’,s Primary School Huddersfield’,s Lenten Giving L ent 2011 was very busy for children staff and parents at St. Joseph’,s s they came up with all kinds of creative ways of raising funds for CAFOD. One new venture was to encourage children to attend the early morning parish mass and then come across to the school for a healthy breakfast, served by staff and pupils, with different year groups taking turns to provide the breakfast. The school’,s magnificent community effort raised £,875 to provide a water supply for one of our partner communities as well training for a farmer. Their generosity was celebrated at a special assembly where children presented a cheque to CAFOD.

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Leeds Catholic Post Page 3 Doing Things Right and Doing the Right Things E very school is an organisation and every organisation needs to be managed. A good school, like any other efficient and effective organisation, requires good managers and good management. But the really good organisations –, the excellent and outstanding ones –, have something else besides and that is leadership. Now it’,s true that there is a long-standing debate about the difference between management and leadership and it may well be that in truth the dividing line between the two is quite a fine one. Sometimes it’,s said that the distinction lies in what managers and leaders actually do, summed up in the well-known adage that while managers in organisations ensure that things are done right, the leader’,s focus is on doing the right things. Given the importance which we attach to the distinctive nature of our Catholic schools it follows that leadership which ensures that they are doing the right things is vital if they are to fulfil their mission within the Church and society at large. Therefore, what they need are good Catholic professionals who bring to their role that combination of skills, style and personal qualities which make someone a good or even better, a great leader. In education as in the other professions there is no shortage of books, conferences and training courses which set out to develop leadership skills and the ability to adopt the appropriate leadership style in a particular situation. Yet when it comes to the issue of leadership qualities perhaps we need a different sort of insight into the leader’,s role and the qualities required. This is not the stuff of the college textbook or lecture room. In the Church we need look no further than the New Testament. While there are some in Catholic education who feel that the term ‘,Gospel values’, has now become over-used and devalued, at the same time even a brief study of the Gospels reveals just how much they have to tell us about the principles which should be the foundations for the exercise of leadership in Catholic schools. The Gospels present us with three key images or models of leadership –, servant, shepherd and steward. St Mark’,s Gospel highlights the difference between Our Lord’,s understanding of leadership and the notions of leadership which prevailed in his own day, for here we learn how he told the disciples that ‘,the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve’,. For some the act of serving others is ‘,the most glorious and rewarding of all leadership tasks’, while others have argued that the great leader is seen primarily as a servant and that basic fact is the key to greatness, because the willingness of people to follow a leader depends on the extent to which that person’,s servant status is clear to see. The second image is that of the shepherd. In Our Lord’,s time shepherding was a demanding and occasionally hazardous occupation and the good shepherd needed to be courageous, caring, protective, disciplined and clear about the direction in which he and his flock were heading. The good shepherd is also one who acts firmly because he knows what is best for the sheep, whom he knows and cares for as individuals. Several of Our Lord’,s parables feature a steward and the individuals concerned are characterised by faithfulness, loyalty, using resources effectively and the ability to provide for those for whom they are responsible. The parables also remind us that a key feature of stewardship is accountability. Like the steward, leaders are given much in terms of power and authority and resources and the Gospels’, use of the steward image makes it clear that in return much is expected by those to whom the leader bears responsibility. Perhaps serving, shepherding, and stewarding are all, to some extent, skills that can be learnt over time by people who aspire to a leadership role, but what about the leader’,s personal qualities? In this regard a word that appears frequently in the Bible is ‘,integrity’, which is interesting because of the extensive research which shows how employees see integrity as one of the most important characteristics in an organisational leader. It’,s probably true that ‘,integrity is not so much a virtue in itself as it is a complex of virtues, working together to form a coherent character, an identifiable and trustworthy personality’,. So leaders need to be honest, fair, consistent and open and willing to explain and defend their decisions and actions in public. A leader with integrity is well integrated –, the values they profess are the ones they adhere to both in public and in private. This way of living could be described as ‘,wholeness of character’, but of course it could also be defined as holiness. Either way, there are few higher compliments that any leader can receive than to be called a person of integrity. At this time of year schools across the diocese will be saying ‘,farewell’, to leaders who are either retiring or moving on to pastures new, after the summer holidays they will welcome a new cohort of leaders as Heads and Deputy Headteachers take up their appointments. So against the background of comings and goings all of us with a stake in the well-being of Catholic education have an opportunity to thank those who are standing down from this role for all they have done for their schools over the years. At the same time we should thank those who are about to take up the challenge of school leadership, and wish them well in the future. Let’,s hope that their examples will encourage a younger generation of Catholic teachers to aspire to this vital position in the life of the local Church. YEAR OF CATHOLIC EDUCATION So Much ‘,More than dance’,!!! S t Peter &, Paul’,s Church Wakefield once again played host to parishioners, children, parents, governors and teachers from Catholic communities throughout Wakefield on the evening of Wednesday 18th May. Year 6 Children, from the Catholic Partnership Primary schools, came together to share a series of workshops over 2 days. They were led by Kevin and Oonagh Atkinson- ‘,More Than Dance’, to explore through dance, prayer and reflection what it means to have God in our lives. This is now the eleventh year that the Wakefield Catholic Partnership has staged an event of this kind. During the 2 day workshop the children explored the ‘,awesome’, nature of God through song and dance and grasped the opportunity to make new friendships. On the evening of day two more than 50 children and staff shared dances, prayers and moments of stillness and reflection with a captive audience moved by what they witnessed. From emotive dances to ‘,All The Way My Saviour Leads Me’, and a beautiful dance in honour of Our Lady to the joyous, energetic celebrations of ‘,Today’,. For those children involved they sacrificed two days lessons in school to concentrate their time and energies into developing new friendships, supporting each other and celebrating their successes together- a valuable opportunity to begin a new stage in their lives before transition to secondary school. For staff it was a time to share muscle aches and remedies to survive the next activity! The evening offered something for all who were there. The final blessing gave the children the opportunity to invite their families to dance with them, and the joy this brought was evident on the faces of all who were there. The evening of worship was testimony to the strength of community between parishes and schools giving our young children an experience that they would treasure and share with children back in their respective schools.

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Page 4 Leeds Catholic Post F amiliaris Consortio is a short and beautiful document which is a rich treasure trove of wisdom on what it means to be human, to be family and to be Christian in the modern world. This month’,s quotes were chosen by Laura to help us to mark Fathers’, Day last week: In revealing and in reliving on earth the very fatherhood of God, a man is called upon to ensure the harmonious and united development of all the members of the family. (FC 25) and the Birth of John the Baptist (24th June): Indeed, by means of baptism, man and woman are definitively placed within the new and eternal covenant, in the spousal covenant of Christ with the Church. And it is because of this indestructible insertion that the intimate community of conjugal life and love, founded by the Creator, is elevated and assumed into the spousal charity of Christ, sustained and enriched by His redeeming power. (FC 13) They are the starting point for June’,s reflection. ‘,On being a dad’, We all know the cliché, about babies and bathwater. We also know that mums and dads feel less than confident when that new baby needs their first bath. Parenting is something we learn by doing and, while there may be the occasional soapy slip, the cliché, is an absurd image that is not intended to be taken literally. Its job is to underline the fragility of new life and the horror that such a thing as throwing the baby out with the bathwater could be possible. God chose to be revealed in the baby in Bethlehem. This is not what was expected. Even 2000 years later people still do not expect to find God in the manger. And still, in myriad ways, places and people, the Church strives in its faithful witness to that baby, without whom nothing makes sense. Not everyone sees it like this. It is the spirit of Pentecost (also celebrated in June) that animates us and that calls us to carry on the work Jesus began. How to understand what it all means for us today? When I think of Jesus’, life on earth it seems to me that parents, dads and mums, really come into their own. When God wanted to enter into humanity, he needed to do that humanly. Problem number one: who will take on such a task? Mary was a young girl who agreed to an audacious gift from God, a gift that risked putting her dangerously at odds with her world. It almost did - Problem number two: Joseph planned to leave Mary when he heard about the pregnancy. However, Joseph’,s faith saved the day. He listened to the dream and, reader, he married her. Problem number three: Herod decided that this child in a stable was an inconvenient truth that would have to be dealt with. Joseph’,s faith saved the day again. He took Mary and Jesus to Egypt to save the Jesus from Herod’,s men. Fatherhood looks easy but if it was, no child, save for tragedy or choice, would grow up without a Joseph. And boy, did Jesus need Joseph. How would you feel if, at the tender age of 12, your child spent three days in London without letting you know? The Holy Family had their share of pain and misunderstandings like Jesus going awol for three days in the Jerusalem when he was 12 (how long was he ‘,grounded’, after that I wonder). John the Baptist came into being despite his own father questioning God. The son (John) that Zechariah doubted could be born, was born and grew up to love God enough to live wild, wearing skins, eating honey and calling people to repent. He is remembered as the herald of the One who never deviated from being the person he was called to be, as the Baptist of the very messiah that he, John, was called to prepare people for. It is the birthday of the Duke of Edinburgh as I write and I am thinking about his role. How remarkable is his managing to submit to the Queen, his wife, publicly, while privately, and without apparent fuss, maintaining a strong presence as husband and father in their family. In fact, he could be seen as a living example of a man who knows his place and knows that the best thing a dad can do for his children is to love their mother. The prince, now 90, famously refuses to see fatherhood as exceptional or to take credit for it. ‘,It’,s what you do’, he told his interviewer with a barely concealed ‘,what a stupid question’, tone when asked about it. Men who see the job through, as adoptive dads like Joseph, or as father of future monarchs like Prince Philip, are rarely heard bemoaning their lot or engaged in competitive fathering. All over the world they quietly do what they have to, like Joseph did, to give life, in the form of a baby, a chance. What the world needs now is men who know how to be men, bearing their responsibilities and raising children responsibly. Like Joseph the joiner, Philip the prince and the men at the dad’,s group in Holy Rosary church, Chapeltown (pictured). We need dads who care enough to stand up to the mark and to play their part in the ‘,the intimate community of conjugal life and love, founded by the Creator ‘, which will ‘,ensure the harmonious and united development of all the members of the family’,. Breda Theakston, Family Life Ministry Coordinator , Interested in finding out more about how to be a dad? Call me on 0113 261 8050, email flm@flm.org.uk or look at www.flm.org.uk , Blessed John Paul II wrote Familiaris Consortio in 1981 following the Synod on the Family in 1980. It is still a rewarding read. For the thirtieth anniversary of publication why not have a look yourself at www.vatican.va or available to buy from St Paul’,s Bookshop Hinsley Hall (10am –, 4pm Mon –, Sat. Tel: 0113 275 4043) Familiaris Consortio On Christian Families in the Modern World (1981) Three more deacons on the way S aturday June 11th saw three more men from the Diocese take a further step along the road to achieving their ambitions to become Deacons. The three candidates were Martin Cawley of SS John Fisher &, Thomas More, Burley-in- Wharfedale, John Walsh of St Marie’,s Halifax and Darren Jones of the Cathedral Church Of St Anne (Mother of Unfailing Help Parish). In June 2010 they were accepted by the Diocese for formation for the Permanent Diaconate and commenced their studies, by distance learning, with The Maryvale Institute, Birmingham. After one years’, study and review as aspirants they have now been formally recognised as Candidates. Among those concelebrating Mass with the Bishop were their Mentors, Canon Joseph Smith, Fr. David Smith and Mgr. Philip Moger and the Diocese Director of Diaconal Formation, Fr Paul Fisher. Leeds 3 Catenians Centenary 7-a-side Cup 2011 by John Hutchinson Head St Theresa’,s, Leeds What a wonderful celebration of Catholic sport in our city! 250 children from 22 Leeds’, Catholic Primary Schools joined together to play in the annual 7-a-side Catholic Cup competition which was sponsored by the Leeds 3 Catenian Society who last year celebrated their centenary. The schools were organised into five leagues of five teams with each team playing each other once in a league format. The winners of each league went on to play for the overall winners’, trophy. The teams who finished second, third, fourth and fifth also played on into the afternoon playing the other teams who had finished in a similar position to them in the morning leagues. The winners of each afternoon league were also presented with a trophy which had been sponsored by the East Leeds Sports Partnership. The atmosphere was brilliant and the boys and girls played in a really fair minded and sporting way all day. The overall winners were St Patrick’,s coached by Mr Ian Bolton and they managed not to concede a goal throughout the entire tournament which is some achievement in itself! The runners up were St Augustine’,s and St Joseph’,s, Wetherby who couldn’,t be split on points, goal difference or goals scored! Everyone who came commented on what a wonderful day it was and I am delighted to say that this now seems to be a permanent fixture in the Catholic sporting calendar! Many thanks to everyone who helped to make it such a memorable day for the children... in the end this was a marvellous advertisement for Catholic schools and for Catholic sport in our City... long may it continue! Martin Cawley, John Walsh, Bishop Roche, Darren Jones and Fr Paul Fisher

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Leeds Catholic Post Page 5 We all get weary of seeing officials on TV, interviewed as a result of some appalling act of neglect, or abuse of some kind, who promise a thoroughgoing review of processes, procedures or whatever: the sad thing is usually that no such thing is necessary at all, as the procedures were in place already, but had not been followed. We are often talking about sheer humanity or just common sense. Suddenly, though, it is like the order of one of those old war films “,Make smoke, make smoke!”, as the battleship, or department or hospital or local authority disappears into its own smokescreen. There is scandal in the US at present, where one diocese had discov- ered child pornography on a priest’,s computer, but merely had the com- puter destroyed and placed sanctions on the priest, which he broke- and so finally the matter was reported to the police. We are all driven to dis- traction, sometimes, by both the inadequacies and adequacies of the Safeguarding programme, but woe betide us if we do not observe them, and if we are not as vigilant as the Headteacher in this particular case who bravely blew the whistle, but did not get the reaction or attention that was required. We must take note. Another story which might come into the “,Believe it or not!”, category is the one about the Bishop Emeritus of a diocese in Ecuador who has en- tered a long-term fast for peace after the appointment of a very conser- vative quasi-military religious order to run his diocese, an appointment which has caused turmoil locally: now others have pitched tents with the retired Bishop, who is suffering from the cold. This is, after all, a universal church of many facets and we here could sometimes be accused of lacking such passion, or a willingness to stand up and be counted. Are we, in more simple terms, prepared to support the Archbishop of Canter- bury and resist any dismantling of the health service, under divisive agendas like “,competition”, and “,choice”,? This is really taking us back to where we came in here, because we need to call for community in our country, and a health service with a beating heart, free to all: it is not and never was any sort of business: where is “,choice”, when you are waiting for hours in A&,E or find that hospitals are built without enough beds? If, without warning, we can send planes into action at huge cost, surely we can send our health service into action to declare war on neglect and dis- ease: do we ever hold a bomber back because “,we can’,t afford it”,? Thought for the month: “,May you forever be clothed in heartfelt compas- sion, in generosity and humility, gentleness and patience. And over all these clothes, may you put on love.”, (Colossians 3:12-14). The final words of the farewell address of Lesley-Anne Knight of Caritas. Benchmark Sidelines Faithful devotees of the West Yorkshire Church Music network will be pleased to hear that our next get together will be on September 18th, and we will be singing songs of petition or songs for meditation or songs based on the psalms –, but probably not all three!! A decision on which will be made soon, along with a choice of venue. Join the email list to find out –, contact me at the address below. The new translation of the Missal will be coming into use from Advent, and if you haven`t picked up a copy of the revised Mass texts from your church, there is a link below to the Rite of Mass. For details of the music, the ICEL website has downloadable words and music, (pdf files) but not, as far as I could see, any option to hear the music. However, on the Church Music of America website, there are a number of music files (mp3s), where you can hear the chants as well as view the music and lyrics. I have certain reservations about the new translation, but I think these chants are good! I came across a news item this week that struck me as strange. The Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei has clarified that girls or women are not allowed to serve at the Extraordinary Form of the Mass. Apparently, “,the rubrics of the 1962 Missal did not allow for females on the sanctuary during Mass”,. I realise this won`t affect many people in the Diocese –, there are just four churches where this form is celebrated regularly, and only one of these has a weekly Mass. (A tangential comment: one blogger I came across cited girl servers as a cause of the decline in priestly vocations –, more girls means fewer boys, fewer boys means fewer priests. Call me an old curmudgeon, but I am profoundly unconvinced!) Now I remember 1962, and I also remember the joy my mother had later in that decade, when as a reader, she stepped onto the sanctuary during Mass for the first time. My memories of music outside the confines of my parish from back then are fairly vague –, hymns at Corpus Christi processions, and the beautiful singing of the monks at Quarr Abbey, heard on holiday in the Isle of White when I was eight. I have a sense that church music back then was also more male than today. As an indicator of the current situation, I have looked up the names of the Directors of Music at the sixteen English Catholic Cathedrals, and three are women, so that’,s nearly 19%. Not exactly equal opportunities gone mad, but a change for the better from 1962! tim.devereux@ssg.org.uk Links: Rite of Mass text : http://www.finigan.freeuk.com/NewICEL.pdf Sheet music for the Roman Missal: http://www.icelweb.org/musicfolder/openmusic.php Audio files of music for the Roman Missal: http://musicasacra.com/ordinary/ West Yorkshire Pastoral Music Network: http://www.westyorkshirechurchmusic.org.uk/ Society of St Gregory: http://www.ssg.org.uk/ National Network of Pastoral Musicians: http://nnpm.org/ Independent Catholic News: http://www.indcatholicnews.com/ Musical Notes by Tim Devereux Foundations in Faith Celebrations 2011 O n Thursday May 19th there was a presentation evening at Hinsley Hall for those who had participated in the new diocesan Foundations in Faith course which includes the Catholic Certificate in Religious Studies (CCRS). Eight members of the group attended the evening and were accompanied by family members and some of the course tutors including Mrs Breda Theakston, Dr Bill Tomkiss, Miss Anna Cowell, Fr John Wilson, Mrs Josephine Stow and Mrs Linda Pennington. The celebrations began in the chapel with Evening Prayer during which the certificates were presented by Fr John Wilson, the Episcopal Vicar for Evangelisation. The evening concluded with refreshments and a celebratory drink. Fr John praised the participants for their hard work and commitment and offered them every blessing and good wishes for their work as teachers and catechists. Foundations in Faith is a two year course for teachers and those involved in parish ministries and is approved and validated by the Catholic Bishops’, Conference of England &, Wales. At present a group of twenty participants are in their first year of Foundations in Faith. We look forward to celebrating with this group in due course. The Foundations in Faith participants –, Michelle Selway, Marian Emly, Jane Browne, Greg Turton, Julia Findlay, Annette Crowther, Gill Quinn, &, Moira Dawe Marian Bags Andrew Bastable by Deputy Headteacher Pupils from Barkston Ash Catholic Primary School gathered for a Marian Liturgy to complete their month of prayer and thoughts for Our Lady. The liturgy concluded the month long Marian Bag scheme which saw each pupil taking home a small bag. Each Marian Bag contained a home rosary kit as well as a prayer card and paper petals. The petals were completed with intentions and thoughts for display in school. Mr Andrew Bastable, Deputy Headteacher at Barkston Ash said, ",The liturgy was the perfect way to conclude the month of prayer and reflection. The Marian Bags have proved very popular and have encouraged families to share thoughts and prayers together. The petals returned show the intentions and prayers of our families as well as forming the perfect backdrop to our liturgy.", Pictured are pupils from across the school who participated in the Marian Liturgy. CLOTILDE SAYS “,AU-REVOIR TO CATHOLIC CARE”, C lotilde Tessier, a French student at Leeds Trinity College who is studying a MA in Business and Communications, has just finished a three month placement at Catholic Care. Clotilde began studying at Leeds Trinity College in September 2010 having previously studied Communications in Angers. As part of her course and studies in Business and Communication, Clotilde looked for a placement which would give her the opportunity to both examine and analyse how an organisation communicates with staff and service users, and, with people outside the organisation. Catholic Care was very pleased to host this placement and Clotilde presented her findings to the Senior Management Team at Catholic Care. Communication at all levels is critical in any organisation and the work which Clotilde has completed will help Catholic Care to develop its communication systems. Clotilde said: “,It was a great experience, as part of my student placement, to meet and work with Catholic Care. The aims of my placement were complex, but I found the placement to be very rewarding and I had the chance to undertake this placement in an organisation which is both very professional and human. I thank all the staff and especially the Director for their brilliant welcome and support. Au revoir!”, Roddy Minogue, Director of Catholic Care, said: “,hosting a student placement for someone like Clotilde is a real shot in the arm for this Diocesan agency. Having an active and energetic student amongst us helps us to both look at how we work and helps to improve communication in the light of the research which Clotilde has completed. We wish Clotilde every success in her career as she returns to France”,.

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Page 6 Leeds Catholic Post First of all, congratulations to Deacon Tony Winn. In May, Tony celebrated the fortieth anniversary of his ordination by Bishop Wheeler. He still lives in Pontefract, now retired from “,active service”, at St Joseph’,s. Tony was ordained with the late Dcn Maurice Pearce: who was technically first is not certain, but both were certainly the first deacons ordained in the Leeds Diocese under the “,permanent”, renewal of the diaconate by the Second Vatican Council. Not only, we could say, in the diocese, but in the world: it was then only just over a year since the ordination of the first US deacon and around four years since the new process had begun. Setting out on such a pilgrim road into this uncertain territory needed both foresight and courage.We all extend our best wishes and prayers to Deacon Tony on this remarkable anniversary and remember in our prayers his late wife, Mary, who supported him along this way. **** Congratulations, too, at the other end of the spectrum to the three more men who are receiving “,candidacy”, for the Leeds diaconate at the Cathedral in May. **** These reminders of happy events leads to thoughts of a less happy one. The diocese of Kansas City-St Joseph in the US has been struck by controversy over the handling of a case of alleged abuse involving a diocesan priest. An aspiring deacon in that diocese has refused the “,Call to Orders”, from his Bishop because of his concerns- the last step before ordination. The rather sad story is widely reported, together with the support from the pulpit given to the man and his wife by their parish priest: but it also reminds every deacon that he is “,The Bishop’,s Man”, appointed to a parish or other work by the Bishop, and to whom the Bishop owns a duty of care with “,particular solicitude”,. Deacons are often ordained in groups, and much of what they reply to the questions asked of them is done as a group But then comes the last question, and the liturgical action changes. Each candidate steps forward individually, kneels in front of his bishop, places his hands in the bishop’,s, and promises respect and obedience to the bishop and all of his successors in office. It is a deeply personal moment between bishop and candidate, and sets in place that close relationship between the Bishop and his successors and the Bishop’,s deacons, his “,eyes and ears”, as we are sometimes reminded. That particular moment in the ordination ceremony is a special and treasured one for all deacons. We hope that this candidate will come though his genuine crisis of conscience and at some time be able to take up his call. **** The National Assembly of Deacons takes place from 24th-26th June. More next time. Deacons Diary Every diocese in England contains people of other religions –, distributed unevenly. In some like our own there are considerable “,communities”, of Muslims, Jews, Hindus and Sikhs with much smaller groups of Baha’,is, Buddhists and others. The major presence is of Muslims. In some urban parishes in 7 of our 12 deaneries Catholics are outnumbered by members of other religions. “,We have become increasingly aware of the urgent need of interreligious dialogue as part of the Church’,s evangelising mission.”, Religions and Civil Authorities. Government, central and local, can often lump all religions together with little appreciation of the differences between them. The media, for different reasons, regularly draw attention to one of the results of this –, the way the special position of Christianity in the shaping of this country can be overlooked. Overall however there has been a recent acknowledgment by Government that “,faith communities”, can be partners rather than obstacles in the search for social cohesion and lately (since the Bishops wrote) in forming the “,Big Society”,. Government now sees that religions have the resources of volunteers, buildings and funds, often in the most deprived areas to attend affectively to the most vulnerable and poorest in society. All religions have the “,social capital”, (resources) to build good community relations. Religious leaders are now often consulted by government as allies in the search for social harmony. Catholics can recognise in all this the Church’,s mission –, “,the loving service of all that exists”, and the “,dialogue of action”, which should be the result of our life of worship and parish community building. The Bishops “,strongly encourage”, Catholics to respond to government invitations to work in partnership with statutory bodies and other religions for the common good. It is vital that they bring to this work and debates surrounding it, Catholic principles and values. Society needs to hear of these. We stand a better chance of being heard in all aspects of public policy if we have contributed to it already. Collaboration with government inevitably brings dialogue with the other religions –, a golden opportunity to engage in the ‘,dialogue of action’,. The Bishops stress that this activity is specifically one for the laity. So now we have Catholic lay folk representing the Church on local Councils of Faith –, sometimes commissioned by the local Bishop. This is important since many outside the Church, public officials and representatives of other religions, assume that only the ordained clergy can represent the Church legitimately. Whilst there are times when as Catholics we can act on our own in dialogue, it is often more effective if we act in partnership with other Christians ecumenically. Dialogue in Diocese and Parish. Catholics are new to dialogue. Traditionally we have viewed those of other religions as people in need of conversion. It takes quite a journey of mind and heart to respond now when the Church calls us to dialogue. Young people have fewer inhibitions and in our own Diocese the Interreligious Relations Commission has worked with the Youth Services to link young people to the work of dialogue. The Bishops “,want to state clearly that this spirit of dialogue and mission needs to spread.”, So most dioceses have appointed coordinators for interreligious relations. The Bishops urge those involved in catechetical, adult formation and the work of Justice and Peace to include and develop teaching on interreligious dialogue. We Catholics need to feel secure that involvement in dialogue is part of our baptismal calling. The Role of the Clergy. It is usually the laity who are best placed for dialogue in all its forms –, especially the dialogue of life and of action. The Parish Priest has a crucial role but one which should not be seen as an additional one in an already bursting diary. It is the priest’,s role to give leadership by making clear how dialogue accords with Church teaching, by giving support and interest, by giving spiritual backing through parish worship and encouragement to catechesis to include Church teaching on dialogue in parish formation courses and schemes of formation –, perhaps by making the teaching contained in this document more widely known. They can help to disseminate and add parish greetings to the annual messages issued by the Vatican on the occasion of the main feasts of other religions. The Bishops lastly acknowledge the work done by members of the religious orders to promote dialogue. Fr Pat McCaffrey the Columban missionary priest who worked as Interfaith Adviser in our own diocese from 2000 to 2005 and who sadly died in Pakistan last year will be fondly remembered by many as one prime example. The work of Religious Sisters in dialogue in the diocese continues and is most appreciated. Catholic Schools and Other Religions. The Bishops view our Catholic schools as an essential part of our mission “,not only in regard to the Catholic population but in regard to how Catholics relate to people of other religions.”, They recognise that our schools are not made up entirely of Catholics. All our schools have a role to play in dialogue within and outside the school. Schools can best start from Pope John Paul’,s definition of dialogue: “,a way of living in positive relationship with others.”, This goes further than including study of other religions within the RE curriculum. Our Schools teach pupils to integrate beliefs with all other aspects of what it means to be human. Pupils learn to live alongside those who are different and who hold alternate views. The Bishops refer to their own document: “,Catholic Schools, Children of Other Faiths and Community Cohesion: Cherishing Education for Human Growth”, issued in 2008. They suggest schools should create a climate in which pupils can grow in the environment in which God has placed them. They can do this together In three “,ecologies”, –, daily living, justice and religious experience. All pupils learn to live as good neighbours. Catholic pupils ground this in their own growing relationship with Christ. Other non-Catholic pupils learn that this is what it means to be a Catholic. All learn to respect themselves and one another as different but sharing one humanity. All this includes learning about and from religion and religions. Catholic schools have a unique contribution to make to dialogue by the way they form pupils for life in a plural society. Most pupils may never enter into interreligious dialogue in a formal way but all of them whether Catholic or member of another religion are called to dialogue by virtue of the fact that we all live in a world of many religions Chaplaincies. These days hospitals, prisons, ports, universities and the armed forces have multi-religious and ecumenical, often lay led, chaplaincies. Catholic chaplains should be encouraged to realise that the dialogue such teams represent can be entered into with confidence –, not as somehow denying Catholic mission but as an integral part of it. At the same time there should be no temptation to reduce all religions to some sort of generic commonality. Religions offer a rich variety and strength comes from acknowledging that differences are important. 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 29 June: the Prophet’,s Night Journey and Ascent / Lailat Ul Isra Wa-L-Miraj: Muslim. This celebrates the journey of the Prophet Muhammad from Makkah to Jerusalem, through the heavens to the presence of God in 1431 CE. The command to pray five times a day was given. The rock in Jerusalem from which he ascended into heaven in now contained in the Dome of the Rock. Muslims read the Qur’,an and say other prayers on this day. 9 July Anniversary of the Martyrdom of the Bab: Baha’,i. The Bab was executed by firing squad in Tabriz, Persia in 1850. Baha’,is remember this by praying at noon and reciting from the Scriptures. 13 July Ratha Yatra (Chariot Journey): Hindu. Observed mainly in the state of Orissa, where processions of thousands of devotees pull huge wagons (rathas) with images of Krishna as Jagannath (Lord of the Universe) –, the origin of our word “,juggernaut”,. Krishna is accompanied by his brother and sister. 15 July Asalha Puja or Dhammacakka day –, the turning of the wheel of teaching: Buddhist. A celebration of the first proclamation by Gautama to five ascetics in the Deer Park near Benares. He taught the Middle Way, the Noble Eightfold Path and the Four Noble Truths. 17 July The Night of Foregiveness / Lailat- Ul-Bar’,ah: Muslim. Two weeks before Ramadan the month of fasting, Muslims seek forgiveness for their sins. Many believe it is on this night that a person’,s destiny is fixed by Allah for the coming year. The night is spent in prayer, asking for forgiveness and God’,s guidance. 23 July Birthday of Haile Selassie: Rastafarian. One of the holiest days of the year for Rastafarians –, it is celebrated with drumming, hymns and prayers. 31 July/ 1 August Lammas: Pagan. Lughnasadh or Lammas is the time of the corn harvest when Pagans reap what they have sown and celebrate the fruits and bounty of the mystery of Nature. The Lammas fair in Ballycastle, Northern Ireland, may have its roots in this festival. MEETING GOD IN FRIEND AND STRANGER CHAPTER 6: Dialogue at the Local Level (Paras 167 - 210) LADIES having a clear out? Looking to downsize your wardrobe? I am looking to buy ladies clothing, hats and bags from the 1940s to 1970s. Good prices paid - ring, Dawn Reeves on 0774 044 3255 or email: dawnreeves1964@hotmail.com The Bishops’, teaching document on Interreligious Relations (2010)

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New seminarians for the diocese Three young men were accepted by Bishop Roche this month as seminarians for the diocese. They will begin their formation at the English College in Valladolid in Spain in September. This means that the diocese now has 15 seminarians, the largest number in about 20 years. The three men, aged 18, 19 and 21 will spend a year in Valladolid, during which time they will deepen their lives of prayer, supported by a spiritual director, learn more about the teachings of the Church through systematic study of the Catechism, learn the Spanish language, visit sites associated with Spanish saints, and engage in a demanding month-long pastoral placement. At the college they will meet students from many other dioceses in England and Wales. Other Leeds seminarians are studying at St Mary’,s College, Oscott, the Venerable English College, Rome and the Pontifical Beda College, Rome. Spiritual direction course Eight priests from the diocese recently attended a five-day course on spiritual direction, which was organised in large part as a response to the growing need among young people for help to discern their vocations. It was also aimed at better equipping the priests to offer spiritual accompaniment for more mature people. Fr Terry McGrath of the Dympna Centre in Harrogate helped the priests to reflect on their current practice in the context of the teachings on the spiritual life of St Ignatius of Loyola. The issues considered included consolation and desolation, self-knowledge, the action of God in a person’,s soul, decision-making and boundaries. The course, which was organised at Bishop Roche’,s request by Rev David Smith, the Episcopal Vicar for the Clergy, took place at the Oblate Retreat House, Wistaston Hall near Crewe. Devotion to Our Lady A rich theological and scriptural presentation on Mary was provided by Fr Stephen Brown at the most recent meeting of the discernment group. He noted that the idea that a Christian might not have a devotion to her was a fairly recent thing. “,We are meant to have a relationship with Mary, we are meant to have a devotion to her,”, he said. Fr Brown, who is the Catholic Chaplain at Bradford University, reminded the members of the group that Mary is, according to Catholic tradition, the Mother of the human race, the new Eve. He added that Blessed John Paul II had said that a consequence of this is that Mary is the Mother of each human being. In a wide-ranging talk, the full text of which is available on the Vocations pages of the diocesan website, Fr Brown traced the importance in the Old Testament both of the figure of the mother of the king and of specific persons whom God charged with the task of interceding for the people and he examined Mary’,s identity as the Ark of the new Covenant. Insights into Christian vocation Different understandings of vocation within the Christian tradition were examined at a special course held at Loyola Hall near St Helens recently. Participants, who included diocesan vocations director, Fr Paul Grogan, reflected on the writings of key spiritual writers, in order to help them in their work to help young people discern God’,s will for their futures. The writers included St Thomas Aquinas, who held that religious life was the highest good and therefore a state of life which all men and women should aspire to enter into if they felt able, Jean Jacques Olier, the founder of the Sulpicians, who wrote of the “,inclination”, of some men’,s souls towards the priesthood and St Alphonus Liguori who held that God has a specific plan for each person. Participants also studied ideas from St Ignatius, Karl Rahner, Martin Luther and Karl Barth. The course, which was organised by Jesuit vocations director Fr Matthew Power SJ and Ruth Holgate, director of Loyola Hall, was attended by Fr Christopher Jamison, director of the National Office for Vocation and representatives of some religious orders. Vocations exhibition travels the diocese A new exhibition on Christian vocation and the specific vocations to the priesthood and religious life is touring the diocese. Provided by the diocesan vocations service, the exhibition has been displayed at St Joseph’,s Church, Wetherby, to mark Canon John Nunan’,s ruby jubilee, St Patrick’,s Church, Huddersfield, to mark Fr Ian Smith’,s silver jubilee and at Hinsley Hall for the diocesan Corpus Christi procession. The picture shows Jean Riegel, a French Leeds Trinity student who created the exhibition, and Lady Mia O‘,Donnell, one of the organisers of the event at St Joseph’,s, Wetherby. Leeds Catholic Post Page 7 VOCATIONS All these beautiful things which you see, which you love, he made. If these are beautiful, what is he himself? If these are great, how great must he be? From those things which we love here, let us then all the more long for him, that by that love and by that faith we may purify our hearts, and that his vision, when it comes, may find our hearts purified. St Augustine Forthcoming event Saturday 16th July: Day Out in Osmotherley for Boys aged 14 to 17 A minibus will depart at 10am from Wheeler Hall at Leeds Cathedral. The group will eat a packed lunch in the village of Osmotherley in the North Yorkshire Moors, go on a six-mile walk, take part in a rosary procession to the Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Grace, attend the Vigil Mass of Sunday there and then have a fish and chip supper en route home. The minibus will arrive back at the cathedral at approximately 7pm. The event is open to all young men who want to deepen their faith. Please contact Celia Blackden at the Vocations Office: celia.blackden@dioceseofleeds.org.uk

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Page 8 Leeds Catholic Post I n parts of southern England there is already concern because we have experienced the driest Spring for many years. However, our problems are miniscule compared to the eight million people who are facing food and water shortages as the drought worsens in the East and Horn of Africa. Poor rains in East Africa have led to failed harvests, serious water and pasture shortages, and the deaths of thousands of animals. The drought is a result of what’,s known as the La Nina phenomenon: lower than normal temperatures in the Pacific Ocean have had serious effects on weather conditions around the world. In many areas of East Africa, the rains that usually fall from March to June are far less heavy than usual. A ten hour journey to fetch water “,It now takes ten hours to get to the nearest water point,”, says Halake Elmote, 50, from the Borena Zone of southern Ethiopia, “,and you have to climb a mountain to get there. The women left our village at four o’,clock yesterday afternoon and returned at two o’,clock this morning. The water is not enough even for the families and calves at home.”, Because of the water shortages, tens of thousands of animals have died in Borena alone. It’,s a similar story in other regions: farmers struggle to make a living as their livestock die, and, with food prices on the rise, it’,s hard for people to cope. In parts of north- eastern Kenya, a quarter of the population is dangerously malnourished. An ongoing crisis The East Africa region is still recovering from one of the worst droughts in recent history. More than 20 million people faced life- threatening shortages of food and water in 2009 following successive years of failed rains. “,This is an ongoing crisis, which becomes more severe every couple of years,”, says Fergus Conmee from our humanitarian team. “,That’,s why we can’,t just deliver food and water. We need to find ways to reduce the impact of future droughts.”, Our response We have been working in some of the worst-hit regions in Kenya and Ethiopia, providing drought-resistant seeds to help farmers improve their harvests, and supplying feed so that farmers can keep their animals alive. We have also been building and improving wells and dams, so that people don’,t have to travel so far to collect water. Nigisti Tesfu, 25, a mother of two in Tigray, Ethiopia, uses one of the new wells. She says: “,We were using spring water and the children suffered from diarrhoea. But it was very difficult to get even spring water during the dry season. I had to wake up very early in the morning and travel for hours to fetch water... But now we have clean water and no disease.”, Askanu Muleta, a mother of six in the North Shoa region of Ethiopia, says: “,I used to wake up at four in the morning to fetch water. But now I don’,t have to wake up early in the morning. I can fetch water any time I want.”, (If you would like to donate to our Emergency Response Fund, please send to CAFOD Leeds, 62 Headingley lane, Leeds LS6 2BX or donate online at www.cafod.org.uk ) LIFE WITHOUT RAIN: EAST AFRICA: EIGHT MILLION FACE WORSENING DROUGHT S arah Smith-Pearse, CAFOD’,s Communications Officer for Latin and Central America spent the day in Leeds on Tuesday 14th June visiting Sacred Heart Primary School, with parishioners from the Assumption Church, and later Cardinal Heenan High School. The primary school, high school and parish are joining together to Connect2 Puentecitos in El Salvador. Students from both schools and parishioners have set out on a journey getting to know more about each other and offering a hand of friendship and support. In Sacred Haert Sarah worked with years five and six, introducing the children to Vicente and sharing aspects of his school and family. The highlight was when the children videoed a birthday greeting in Spanish that Sarah said she will send top CAFOD’,s partner in El Salvador so that they could pass on the message to Vincente. In Cardinal Heenan High School Sarah launched the school’,s Connet2 El Salvador by working with years 7,8 and 9. She left the students with a challenge to share what they had learned with the rest of the school and also to think how they might involved with the Puentecitos community. Sarah shared this poem provided by Epaminondas Santa Anna da Silva (16), an eco-action youth worker in Recife, Brazil. The Right To Be A Child I want somewhere I can play I want a smile from someone who knows how to love I want a dad who hugs me tightly I want a kiss and affection from my mother I want the right to be a child and to be the hope of a better world I want to grow up like other people I want a different world Can I count on you? I want a school where I can study I want the right to have my home I want to live happily all day I want happiness that is born from peace I want my steps to mark this earth I want the right to have my bread I want the hand that shows me the way I want life, I just want to love I want men to join hands I want a world that is fairer and brotherly I want young people to live in hope I want children singing. Sarah’,s visit makes Connections in Leeds O n June 9th, 131 MPs sat down over a cup of tea with their constituents in Westminster. The lobbyists were calling for commitments on aid, transparency and the Robin Hood Tax. TV Fr. Ted’,s housekeeper look-alikes having fun at the Tea Time for Change lobby before talking with their MPs. Once again, CAFOD supporters have risen to the challenge and raised their voices for justice. Along with supporters from other charities including Oxfam and Action Aid, they were out in force as Tea Time for Change, the mass lobby on aid and a fair deal for the poor, got underway. Coming from all corners of the UK, 1200 campaigners, passionate about the world’,s poorest people sat around small tables in a bunting-festooned Methodist Central Hall. As a result, MPs from up and down the country and from all parties have reinforced the commitment to 0.7%, agreed the need for greater transparency in multinational companies, and promised to look into a tax for the poor on financial transactions. “,It doesn’,t end here”, After an ecumenical service which we led with Tearfund and Christian Aid, CAFOD Director Chris Bain welcomed supporters to the event. “,Today is our opportunity to demonstrate to Westminster that, in the face of a financial crisis, there is a community within the UK that will continue to stand up for the world’,s poorest people –, and we’,re here to stay.”, He welcomed the government’,s commitment to putting the 0.7% promise on aid spending into law, whilst also urging action to tackle the root causes of poverty, through increased corporate transparency and by finding innovative ways of funding development. Secretary of State for International Development Andrew Mitchell applauded the efforts to keep 0.7% for aid in the budget, saying he had “,never been so proud”, of any commitment in 30 years of politics. “,Charity begins at home, but it doesn’,t end there,”, he told the crowd. “,When today ends, don’,t stop what you’,ve been doing here today.”, Although the responses from MPs have of course been varied, the day has been a real success, and the voices of people who are passionate about poverty have really reached the ears of their representatives. Frank McCrickard from the team at Myddelton Grange lobbying Kris Hopkins, MP for Keighleyand Ilkley. Kris said, ‘,After all the negative correspondence I get about aid, it’,s encouraging to see good-minded individuals taking a stand on this issue.’, Andrew Thomson, who also travelled to London with fellow CAFOD supporter Sheila Gregory from Skipton reported, ‘,Sheila and I had a super trip to London yesterday and a good meeting with our MP, Julian Smith. He actually met us in the Central Lobby of the Houses of Parliament rather than in Central Hall, and was very welcoming. He seems to have a keen personal interest in development issues and is now Parliamentary Private Secretary to Alan Duncan (Minister of State at DFID).’, If you couldn’,t make the lobby, it’,s not too late to act. We are taking messages until July. Contact the Leeds office for more information. leeds@cafod.org.uk 0113 275 9302 TEA TIME FOR CHANGE: THE MOST IMPORTANT CUPPA OF THE YEAR! Vincente is 10 years old. He will have his 11th birthday on 27th June 2011.

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Leeds Catholic Post Page 9 J une 15th 1986 was a very special day in the life of Fr Ian Smith - it was the day of his ordination –, so 25 years later his friends his Bishops and his co-workers gathered around him at St Patrick’,s Church in Huddersfield to give thanks for the day and to celebrate the years of service that Fr Smith has so far given to the Diocese of Leeds. The Service opened with an Organ recital that was much appreciated by the people as they gathered to fill the Church for this special occasion. Fr Smith open the Mass by welcoming one and all including Bishop David who had ordained him 25years ago and Bishop Roche, who as the present Bishop of the diocese had come to take part in the celebrations and to preach the homily. He also thanked his fellow priests who had come along and the Deacons who were also present. Throughout the Mass a varied variety of Music was presented by the three choirs that have a connection to the Parish –, a fact that Fr Smith commented on at the end of Mass as he gave his thanks for what they had done on the evening –, but also stressed how blessed we were with such a good music provision in the Diocese. In his homily Bishop Roche took time to lightly touch on the main themes of the last 25years a summary that really did not look all that encouraging –, but he contrasted that with the work of the priest who brought vision and hope into a world that needed God whether the world knew it or not. He pointed out that the ‘,Yes’, Fr Smith gave at his ordination was a ‘,Yes’, to a special life just as St Peter had ‘,Yes’, to feeding the sheep when Christ had asked him Fr Ian had said ‘,Yes’, to being first of all a Man 4 God. After Fr Smith had said his final thanks at the end of Mass the Parish business manager stepped forward to say thank you to him from the Parish and present him with a cheque. A Man 4 God

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Page 10 Leeds Catholic Post T he glorious weather of a summer evening enhanced the Dewsbury Deanery Celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation which took place on Wednesday 1st June at the Church of Our Lady and St. Paul of the Cross, Cleckheaton. Supported by their sponsors, and surrounded by family and friends, 31 youngsters received the Sacrament from Bishop Roche. In speaking to the Confirmandi, the Bishop reminded them how loved and cherished they are by God who calls them to grow in knowledge and love of Him by an active membership of His family on earth - the Church. Recalling, movingly, the life-story of a fellow bishop, Bishop Roche said that being members of God`s family was often challenging and demanding, but that the Holy Spirit gives us the tools and gifts we need to take up the call to witness to our faith in a very secular world. The Readings at the Celebration were read by those being Confirmed. A group of singers from amongst the Confirmandi sang the Psalm and the Prayers of the Faithful - written on a day of preparation for the Celebration - were again read by the young people themselves. The Bishop greeted all those who attended the Celebration at its conclusion and thanked all who had helped the youngsters on their faith-journey, both their parents and catechists. As in previous years catechists from across the Deanery prepared the youngsters at regular catechetical sessions held primarily at St. John Fisher High School, but also within the Parishes. After the ceremony the youngsters and their guests enjoyed a buffet in the Parish Hall and its grounds. Due to the celebration taking place in half-term, a number of Deanery`s confirmandi were unable to be present, and they were subsequently confirmed at St. Joseph`s, Brighouse on Friday 10th June. Both occasions were memorable for all concerned. A Glorious Celebration 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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Leeds Catholic Post Page 11 F riday June 17th was the day chosen by Catholic Care to celebrate their Hundred years of caring. As usual Leeds Cathedral was full with children from the four corners of the Diocese all excitedly awaiting the arrival of the Bishop. On the stroke of ten o’,clock he arrived and joined them in their colourful procession of school banners as they made their way to the altar. Roddy Minogue the Director of Catholic Care welcomed the Bishop to the service along with everyone else who were to play a part in the mornings proceeding and thanked all those who had given their time effort and money in the raising of money for the Good Shepherd collection, He welcomed the host schools who were to lead the liturgy –, namely St Wilfrid’,s High School Featherstone and St Joseph’,s Castleford. They open the liturgy by presenting dramatised readings and reflective Dance using the words from Corinthians and the Gospel of John as well as the singing of Peace Perfect Peace. Students from each school then moved forward to present their cheques to the Bishop while the choirs from St Patrick’,s and Our Lady of Lourdes schools in Huddersfield sang. In his homily, which followed the Bishop thanked everyone for being there on this wonderful occasion, and for making it so by their generosity of love and giving –, in fact giving more than £,31,000. He then asked the children if they thought anyone was here now who had been here 100 years ago, surprising them with the answer that yes there was –, and it of course was God. God he told them lives in Love and lives in them, and He as Bishop wished to thank all of them with a profound thanks for what they had done in collecting all that money to help those who were less fortunate. Though the Bishop had a very busy day ahead of him after the service was over he remained in the Cathedral to have his picture taken with as many groups as wanted to be photographed with him. A Hundred Years Of Caring Specialists in wedding photography 01977 556088 07716728109 Your wedding is a unique day which involves considerable thought, planning, time and effort. Once your special day is over you will be left with many lovely memories some of which will inevitably fade over time. Investing in good photography can ensure that the mood and emotion of your day is captured to form a permanent reminder to enable you to relive your memories for years to come.

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A ll roads led to Colne Valley High School on Sunday, June 5, as St. Benedict’,s Harps headed for the Pennine League finals day. Our club was up against newly- formed Wolfe Tones. The two clubs had already met during the League stage in Liverpool when St. Benedict’,s lost by four points. The vocal supports on the Benedict’,s sideline were praying for the final whistle, but time moved on all too slowly. Fearing the worst and extra time, the sideline roared encouragement and St. Benedict’,s were not to be denied their first Senior trophy in 8 long years as Lee Gormley stroked the ball into the back of the Liverpool net to leave the final score 4-07 - 2-10 to St. Benedict’,s Harps sparking scenes of wild celebrations. Team: Danny Miller, Tom Gardiner, Steve Gaughan, Ciaran Connor, Chris Haran, Niall Toner, Andy Mullan &, Rory Scullion, Chris McNerlin, Henry Foster, Joe McPartlan, Padraig Rowland, Sean McMahon. Subs used: Ryan Toomes, Lee Gormley, Mikey Thompson, Declan Doherty and Gerard Rodgers. Additional subs: Manus Loughran, Liam Ward and Domnick Thompson. St. Benedict’,s would like to thank all those players, used and unused, and all members and supporters who came to watch the game. We would also like to thank Tracey Lennon who also came as the team wore the brand new JKL kit for the first time. Page 12 Leeds Catholic Post Senior Gaelic Football 2011 - Pennine League Success St Benedict’,s School Olympic Bid Success A bid to stage an early Olympics in Garforth met with a resounding success from children, staff, governors and parents of St Benedict’,s Catholic Primary School, Garforth. As part of on- going curriculum developments the school planned a week focussed upon sports and health. From the very start of the week staff and children from Nursery through to Year Six were encouraged to ‘,try something new’,. This included pupils being coached in Paralympic activities. The week also included a ‘,family learning’, evening with over 80 families trying out a range of activities supported by local community groups. Activities ranged from traditional sports such as cricket and rugby to Aikido, kickboxing and pro-golf. John Woolley, PE co-ordinator, who planned and organised the event said: “,It’,s been a great week with children showing their newly learned skills and talents. Hopefully the children will be inspired to take their new skills forward into learning a new sport or joining a new club. Our Sports Champions in Year 5 &, 6 enjoyed planning mini Olympics for the staff team. The staff were cheered on by the children as they battled hard to show the skills they had developed over the week. Each class also set themselves a challenge for the week from Wii fit and cycling marathons to taste challenges.”, Alongside the sports developments children learnt more about healthy lifestyles from Castleford Tigers, keeping safe with the help of the Garforth Fire Service and also undertook first aid resuscitation training from school staff through the Heartstart programme. In previous years the school has organised History and Maths weeks and staff and students are considering their options for next.

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NEWS FROM LEEDS TRINITY UNIVERSITY COLLEGE Leeds Catholic Post Page 13 Guardian University Guide 2012 shows Leeds Trinity on the up L eeds Trinity University College is one of the biggest climbers in the latest Guardian University Guide, with particular subject areas leading the way for graduate employability and student satisfaction. The Guardian league tables rank higher education institutions (HEIs) according to an aggregated score based on career prospects, student satisfaction, student/staff ratio and spend per student. Entry requirements and “,value added”, (final degree results compared with qualifications upon entry) are also taken into account. Two academic departments at Leeds Trinity have outstripped the competition nationally for graduate employability, based on the percentage of graduates in graduate level employment or in full-time study six months after graduation. The department of Sport, Health and Nutrition has the highest employability figures in the UK for that subject area at 74%, while English is in equal first place with 78%. English also takes top marks for student satisfaction, having scores of 98% for students’, satisfaction with their course and teaching. Leeds Trinity’,s student satisfaction figures are consistently excellent across all subject areas. These features have made a major contribution to Leeds Trinity’,s improved ranking overall. The university college is up 26 places, the fourth biggest leap in the rankings nationally, taking it from 110th last year to 84th this year, out of 119 HEIs. Professor Freda Bridge, Principal and Chief Executive, said, “,This rise in our league table position is a strong endorsement of our focus on improving the student experience and preparing our graduates for their future careers.”, “,The excellent student satisfaction ratings are a tribute to our staff who as well as inspiring students through their teaching are supportive and responsive to student input. Our programme of investments in living, teaching and leisure facilities on campus show the priority we place on providing the best we can for our students.”, Events at Leeds Trinity University College Please visit our website at www.leedstrinity.ac.uk for more details and a full events listing. Open days for prospective students Wednesday 29 June Saturday 10 September Saturday 22 October Our Open Days are a great opportunity to find out about studying at Leeds Trinity as an undergraduate, postgraduate or foundation degree student. The events run from 11.00am to 3.00pm at our campus on Brownberrie Lane, Horsforth, LS18 5HD. Call 0113 283 7150 or visit www.leedstrinity.ac.uk for information and to book. T eachers from Catholic schools across the north came together to make music at Leeds Trinity’,s fifth Annual Catholic Partnership Day last month. Over 45 teachers attended from both primary and secondary Catholic schools in the dioceses of Leeds, Hallam, Hexham and Newcastle, Middlesbrough and Salford. Leeds Trinity enjoys close partnerships with schools in these areas to provide top quality school- based training for students on initial teacher training courses. The theme of the day was “,Liturgy and Music”, with Jo Boyce from cjm music. Jo led the delegates through the mass and suggested ways in which pupils can be enabled to be more engaged and involved. The event was organised by Anne Trotter, Schools Partnership Manager, and Primary Education lecturer Jenny Stuart-Collins. Anne said, “,The day was prayerful and joyful and we learnt many new hymns and responses which could be taken back to school. Jo was a truly inspirational course leader.”, June Threlfall, from St Vincent`s RC Primary, Norden, Salford diocese, said, “,I attended the day with a colleague and we came away with lots of good ideas for music and liturgy in school, which were put into practice the next day! We shall be incorporating some thoughts and music from the day into our Year 6 Leavers` Mass.”, “,With the help of Jo Boyce, the day gave us time to reflect on our own spirituality. It was a day of sharing ideas and experiences with other teachers, both primary and secondary.”, “,It was the first time either of us had attended Leeds Trinity’,s Catholic Partnership Day, and it was great to see the learning environment of some of our students. I look forward to the next event!”, There will be another partnership day in the 2012 summer term. For further information about partnership with Leeds Trinity please contact Anne Trotter at a.trotter@leedstrinity.ac.uk Teachers sing partnership praises at Leeds Trinity Professor of World Christianity brings a global perspective to theology department K irsteen Kim had travelled the world before joining the academic staff of the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at Leeds Trinity University College. Now Professor of Theology and World Christianity, Kirsteen is one of five new professors appointed recently at Leeds Trinity. Her teaching and research is deeply influenced by her experience of life in South Korea, India and the USA. Kirsteen said, “,I have lived and worked in many parts of the world, and this has allowed me to reflect on the state of churches in different countries. It is increasingly apparent that Theology is being treated in varying ways across the world within both churches and academic institutions. Historically, the traditional Western view of Theology has been considered the standard or “,norm”,. Now more Christians are living outside the West than in it, testing the old assumptions and raising crucial questions. For example, how do you recognise the distinctiveness of Christianity in the context of other faiths, as well as the diversity within the Christian Church itself? What has become a more unifying factor across world churches is the Bible, which has become increasing important as the only common element amidst the growing diversity. We need to set Theology in a world-wide context, which means a far greater internationalisation in the way we study the subject, and greater emphasis on issues such as culture, religion and justice. This wider conversation is certainly happening –, due both to broader globalisation trends driven by advances in technology and a recovery in the principles and practices of the very early Church when Christianity was viewed as trans-national by definition. I am delighted to have attained my Professorship. As well as indicating that my work has been recognised, it gives me the opportunity to bring the concerns of Christians across the world to the table for debate and discussion. I believe that Christianity will become even more diverse and interesting in future.”, Pictured l-r are Anne Trotter, Jo Boyce and Sr Anne Hammersley.

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Page 14 Leeds Catholic Post Leeds Diocesan Youth Service ‘,All who are thirsty, come!’, (Rev 22:17) 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. 24th June Lourdes Youth Section Pre-Departure Mass 2pm Leeds Trinity and All Saints 24th June WYD Music Rehearsal For pilgrims who would like to assist with music on the pilgrimage 6-9pm St. Theresa’,s, Crossgates 25th June WYD Retreat For pilgrims from Leeds, Lancaster and Middlesbrough 1 1-6pm St. Mary’,s, Menston 30th June –, 8th July Diocesan Lourdes Pilgrimage These are Youth Section dates - -- Lourdes 12th –, 15th July Youth Retreat Knights of St Columba Places available for young people 17+. There is no cost for the retreat. - -- Hinsley Hall, Leeds 14th July LDYS &, Parish Youth Ministry Meeting 9 –, 10.30am Hinsley Hall, Leeds 23rd July WYD Final Meeting &, Pre-Departure Mass 9.45am –, 1pm Leeds Cathedral 10th –, 23rd August World Youth Day Pilgrimage - -- Madrid 25th –, 29th August Youth 2000 Festival - -- Walsingham 8th September LDYS &, Parish Youth Ministry Meeting 10.30 –, 3.30pm Hinsley Hall 8th September Youth Ministry Holy Hour Praying for young people in the Diocese of Leeds 2.30 –, 3.30pm Hinsley Hall Chapel 17th September Diocesan Pilgrimage Walsingham - -- Walsingham 21st September REVELATION 7 –, 9pm Cathedral Hall, Leeds 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. Leeds Diocesan Youth Service Calendar By Jade Broadley A mixed group of regulars and new faces showed up at this month’,s youth event ‘,Revelation’,. It followed Vocation Sunday, so we took it as an opportunity to think about the different ways in which God may be calling us to live. We began the evening with a time of praise and worship, before hearing from Sister Catherine CFR, who reminded us how powerful saying Yes to God’,s plans can be, focussing on Mary’,s story. The group of around 25 young people were given the opportunity to discuss how Mary can be a great role model to us in our personal faith journeys and how we could start to discern the plan for our life. After a tea and biscuit break we were joined by 2 sisters from the Comboni community, as part of their visit to Leeds. They shared parts of their personal faith journey and challenged us to think about our own vocations, which led beautifully into a reflective prayer time. Encouraged by the talk and testimonies, we chose as a group and individually, to say ‘,yes’, to God’,s plans for our own lives. On the occasion of the 43rd Communications Day Pope Benedict encouraged young believers to bring the witness of our faith to the digital world. With this in mind, the Leeds Diocesan Youth Service have taken up Pope Benedict’,s call and are now on Twitter. Follow us atLeedsDYS. THE WORLD YOUTH DAY CROSS I t is known as the ",Holy Year Cross",, the ",Jubilee Cross",, the ",WYD Cross",, the ",Pilgrim Cross",, many call it the ",Young People´,s Cross", because it has been given to young people to take across the world, to all places at all times . This is its history: It was the year 1984, the Holy Year of the Redemption, when Pope John Paul II decided that a cross, symbol of the faith, had to be near the main altar of Saint Peter´,s Basilica, where everyone could see it. So a great wooden cross was installed, 3.8 meters high, exactly as he wished. At the end of the Holy Year, after closing the Holy Door, the Pope handed this cross to the young people of the world, represented by youngsters from the Saint Lawrence International Youth Center in Rome. His words on that occasion were: ",Dear young people, on closing the Holy Year, I entrust to you the sign of this Jubilee Year: the Cross of Christ! Take it around the world as sign of the love of the Lord Jesus for humanity and proclaim to all that only in Christ dead and risen is there salvation and redemption", (Rome, April 22, 1984). The young people made their own the Holy Father´,s wish. They took the Cross to the Saint Lawrence Centre, which became its permanent home during the periods it was not on pilgrimage in the world. In 2003, at the end of Palm Sunday Mass, John Paul II gave young people a copy of the icon Maria Salus Populi Romani: ",To the delegation that has come from Germany I also give today the icon of Mary. Henceforth, together with the Cross, this icon will accompany World Youth Days. It will be the sign of the maternal presence of Mary close young people, called - - as the Apostle Saint John -to receive her in their life", (Angelus, 18th World Youth Day, April 13, 2003). The original version of the icon is kept in the Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome. There are many testimonies of persons who have been profoundly touched by their encounter with the Cross: in recent years, these testimonies have been even more numerous, or perhaps they have had a wider diffusion through the Internet. These testimonies can be found in the Saint Lawrence International Youth Centre, usual home of the Cross, but also in magazines and publications dedicated to WYDs. Some wonder how two wooden pieces can have such an effect on a person´,s life, yet, wherever the Cross goes, people ask that it might return. Seen on this Cross is the presence of the love of God. Through this Cross, many young people are able to understand better the Resurrection and some find the courage to make decisions in regard to their life. THE COURSE OF THE CROSS AND ICON THROUGH THE WORLD: 1984.- On the occasion of the Holy Year of the Redemption, Pope John Paul II decided to place a cross about four meters from the main altar of Saint Peter´,s Basilica. At the end of the Holy Year, he gave it to the young people of the world, with these words: ",Take it around the world as sign of the love of the Lord Jesus",. 1985.- On hearing the news of the first journeys of the Cross, the Pope requested that it be taken to Prague, then still behind the Iron Curtain. Being observed that year was the United Nations International Year of Youth, and on Palm Sunday 300,000 young people took part in the meeting with the Pope in Saint Peter´,s. Announced in December was the institution of World Youth Days every Palm Sunday. 1987.- The first WYD outside Rome was held in Buenos Aires. The Cross went to America for the first time. 1989.- The Cross visited Spain for the first time, for WYD in Santiago de Compostela, and to Asia. 1992.- The Cross was entrusted for the first time to the young people of the diocese which would be the venue of the next WYD (Denver, Colorado, USA), it also visited Australia for the first time. 2002.- Pausing on its pilgrimage through Canada, the young people´,s Cross visited Ground Zero in New York. It was taken from Montreal to Toronto on foot, in a journey that lasted 43 days. 2003.- At the end of the Palm Sunday Mass, in which Canadian young people handed the Cross to the Germans for Cologne´,s WYD, the Pope also gave them a copy of the icon of Mary, Salus Populi Romani, and since then the Cross and Icon journey together. 2006-2007.- Before arriving in Australia for WYD 2008, the Cross and Icon went to the five continents. 2008-2010.- The Cross has gone to different places such as Aquila, Italy, after the earthquake that devastated the Abruzzi Region. During the celebration in Saint Peter´,s Square on Palm Sunday, 2009, Benedict XVI handed the WYD Cross and Icon to young people of Madrid, who went to Rome for the occasion. At present, the WYD Cross and Icon are on pilgrimage in the archdiocese of Madrid, subsequently they will go to other Spanish dioceses. When Anna Cowell was on pilgrimage in Rome for the beatification Blessed John Paul II, she visited the Saint Lawrence Centre and prayed there for the WYD pilgrims of the Leeds Diocese.

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Leeds Catholic Post Page 15 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 From our Special Correspondent David Jagger S tudents and staff at Notre Dame Catholic Sixth Form College have been campaigning for Fairtrade within the college, in hope of achieving Fairtrade status, and thus becoming one of fewer than 150 universities and colleges nationwide to hold this position. Fairtrade products have been available to buy and countless posters have been erected to raise awareness. Fairtrade is a global organisation, created to ensure that farmers in developing countries throughout South America, Africa and Asia received an acceptable wage for their efforts. It has already made a huge impact, and with its growing support it is bringing justice to every corner of the world. To kick-start the campaign, an open invitation was given out to come along to the College’,s main hall to participate in the painting of the handmade Fairtrade logo. Each person had their hand painted, and then printed it onto the logo, marking every individual contribution to the college’,s campaign. Staff and students alike turned out in force to join in, resulting in every patch of canvas being thoroughly coated in paint. During this event, a stall was set up selling Fairtrade products such as coffee, chocolate and fruit, with many students keen to pay the few extra pennies to benefit those less fortunate than themselves. As well as being available during the painting, Fairtrade products have been available for purchase in the shops in college and everyone seems determined to help Notre Dame achieve its goal. Students have also been discussing Fairtrade during Tutorials and in Assemblies and have been shown how Fairtrade benefits farmers and other workers in developing countries. This has also helped them become more aware of where the products they buy come from. Another way that the college raised awareness for Fairtrade is through the ‘,Question Time’, style debate which took place in March. It was organised by students and Dr K Warnes, and proved a great success. The attendance was very good, with the audience of students getting actively involved. The level of debate was high, and the students adopted a very professional approach to the topic. One of the figureheads of the Fairtrade crusade has been the college’,s Vice- Principal Mrs Rothbury. She feels that Fairtrade fortnight has been a “,great success”,, particularly due to the enthusiasm of students. She was keen to emphasise that this campaign has been a team effort. The success of the campaign has influenced many students into buying Fairtrade goods outside college as well as in, where, in cooperation with Chartwell’,s catering, Notre Dame has been working to improve the range of Fairtrade products available. When asked how close to gaining Fairtrade status the college is, Mrs Rothbury said, “,we are well on the way. We are going to hold events every Fairtrade fortnight, and this year’,s campaign has been a good building block towards gaining Fairtrade status.”, In the view of Mrs Rothbury and the whole group fronting the campaign, achieving Fairtrade status is about so much more than just a logo. It represents one of Notre Dame’,s main ideals, helping those less fortunate than ourselves, and by becoming a Fairtrade College, would demonstrate that the college is putting its beliefs into action, showing we are a “,college that cares.”, We are looking forward to next year, and another stepping stone on the path to achieving Fairtrade status. Fairtrade Fortnight Graduation Time For Law Students S tudents from Notre Dame Catholic Sixth Form College Law Academy ‘,graduated’, in May, at a ceremony held at Aspire in Leeds .The venue was packed with students, mentors, teachers and friends and family all gathered to celebrate the achievement of students involved in various Career academies across the country. The event was organised by the Careers Academy and was attended by schools and colleges from all over the north of England. Notre Dame was well represented by graduating students, Shamilla Alam, Oliver Alanach, Hamsatu Bashir, Ravinda Bhavra, Amy Davis, Jacob Foy, Amber Goodlad, Shameelah Khan, Anna Mcquire, Daniel Pound and Sinead Kearns. Sinead was one of three students chosen to make a speech about her experience of the academy. She spoke very clearly and eloquently and her remarks were very warmly received by the audience. Musical interludes were provided by the James Clark Trio [swelled to a quartet for the event by the addition of on the sax] and as always they wowed the crowd with some jazz standards and a surprisingly reggae version of ‘,Summertime’,. Certificates were presented by Dr Heather Mcgregor, a Director of Taylor and Bennett, and Mike Williams, executive general manager with the National Australia Bank group. James McCreary, Career Academies UK’,s Chief Executive, and motivational speaker David McQueen, offered words of encouragement and top tips on how young people can fulfil their ambitions and achieve future career success. As part of the Law Academy, the College has been able to organise paid internships for AS students this summer, allowing students to really bridge the gap between study and work, developing the skills required in the real working world. From 30th June until 2nd July, Yorkshire U14’,s Gaelic Football Team will be in Co. Cork for the Annual Gaelic Football festival (last year held in Derry). This year the boys in blue will come up against opposition from Cork &, Philadelphia (USA) before, hopefully, progressing to the knock-out stages. Mentoring the team this time round are Anthony McLaughlin (Young Irelands), Chris Cassidy (Brothers Pearse, Huddersfield) and our own St Benedict’,s Senior Football player Andrew Mullan. For details on events in Cork during the festival visit the Official Site (www.feilecorcaigh2011.gaa.ie/) Senior Gaelic Football 2011 - Pennine League Success All roads led to Colne Valley High School on Sunday, June 5, as St. Benedict’,s Harps headed for the Pennine League finals day. Our club was up against newly-formed Wolfe Tones. The two clubs had already met during the League stage in Liverpool when St. Benedict’,s lost by four points. The vocal supports on the Benedict’,s sideline were praying for the final whistle, but time moved on all too slowly. Fearing the worst and extra time, the sideline roared encouragement and St. Benedict’,s were not to be denied their first Senior trophy in 8 long years as Lee Gormley stroked the ball into the back of the Liverpool net to leave the final score 4-07 - 2-10 to St. Benedict’,s Harps sparking scenes of wild celebrations. Team: Danny Miller, Tom Gardiner, Steve Gaughan, Ciaran Connor, Chris Haran, Niall Toner, Andy Mullan &, Rory Scullion, Chris McNerlin, Henry Foster, Joe McPartlan, Padraig Rowland, Sean McMahon. Subs used: Ryan Toomes, Lee Gormley, Mikey Thompson, Declan Doherty and Gerard Rodgers. Additional subs: Manus Loughran, Liam Ward and Domnick Thompson. St. Benedict’,s would like to thank all those players, used and unused, and all members and supporters who came to watch the game. We would also like to thank Tracey Lennon who also came as the team wore the brand new JKL kit for the first time. Our Yorkshire Boys Take on the USA

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Page 16 Leeds Catholic Post CARING FOR CARERS? I well recall a young mother who approached me as her MP begging to move to a council house to be closer to her mother. Her mother lived over a mile and a half away up the hilly Broad Lane in Bramley. She had two small children one who had just got a morning nursery place near her own home. The problem was that her father who was her mother’,s full time carer had died and now it fell to her to help get her severely disabled mother up out of bed and breakfasted. Therefore each morning she had to walk up to her mothers taking the two children pushing the pram then come back down to the nursery then go back up again with the children in tow in the late afternoon to give her mother an early evening meal and help her settle for the night. If only she could be allocated a council house exchange nearby. She was struggling up hill twice a day with two children in tow to care for her disabled mother. But she did not qualify for a move as moving near a close relative affords no extra priority in the housing allocation system. Families living too close to each other suggested a form of nepotism and succession that is now scrupulously avoided. Mid June now marks “,Carers Week”, which was established to draw attention to the huge amount of work unpaid carers young and old undertake on a regular basis. It is estimated that there are over 5 million unpaid carers in Britain now and over a million are providing more than 50 hours a week of regular care work. Of these million a quarter providing the care describe their own health as “,not good”,. Of course unlike my constituent most of these live with the person they are caring for as wife of husband , parent or child. The age of carers tend to be in their fifties with more than I in 5 people aged between 50 and 59 providing unpaid care. Many people providing care obviously do paid work as well. Of the 15.2 million employees aged 16 to74 in full time work some 1.6 million provide some unpaid care. The charity Carers UK estimate that home carers save the UK over £,119 billion a year. In the not too distant past families were not only generally larger but extended families lived much closer together and provided daily back up and support. Today mobility and employment means that rarely do parents and children or brothers and sister live in the same street or neighbourhood. Weekend family visiting by car has replaced daily dropping round during the week. Anticipating this demographic shift the first ever benefits for carers were introduced in 1975 to encourage and support caring and not only by immediate family members. In reality most people regard themselves as wives, husbands or children helping each other and would not think to describe themselves impersonally as carers. But far too many carers are not taking up help that they are legally entitled to (and which they and their families have contributed to through the tax system).Some people have given up their work to care for a loved one and may not be aware of the support they can get. If you are over 16 years looking after someone more than 35 hours each week or more ( and the person you care for receives Disability allowance at the higher or middle rate) you are entitled to the main Carers Allowance which is £,55.55p a week, the lowest benefit of its kind ( lower than job seekers allowance and far less than the minimum or indeed the living wage) and if you have given up your job it could make of break your weekly budget . It also covers national insurance contributions to protect your pension entitlement. Young carers cannot get Carers Allowance if they are at school or college but if a person under 16 is a carer though they are not entitled to support in their own right the adult being cared for may request additional support from the social services. The key to getting help is to apply to the local Council’,s social service department and ask for a care assessment. Too often carers end up isolated, over worked and unsupported in every way struggling on alone. At present the pressure on hospital beds in effect is making even more demands on caring relatives and friends. In the absence of close living, immediate family and the reduction of full time back up paid professional visiting carers then the onus is back on “,the community”, to help their next door neighbours. Yes there are still some back up resources for carers that people entitled should not be shy or ashamed to take up immediately but increasingly the real challenge is for others not necessarily in the 50-59 year old bracket to offer to practically help, perhaps to share the work and at the very least make sure we support, encourage, occasionally relieve and back up those who are already carers. Three in five of us will become a carer at some point. Looking after an elderly parent or disabled relative is something most families will have to do. What is more, asking the next generation to care for us will have to have been demonstrated in practice as our families fragment and move further away. In essence we really have no option now but to rebuild basic community personal support. John Battle KSG SUPER, SMASHING 70’,S AT ST JOSEPH’,S T he years rolled back at St Joseph’,s Catholic Primary School, as its Ruby Anniversary celebrations ended with a 1970’,s day. A funky assembly presented by year 4 started things rolling. Some of the staff performed a thrilling and authentic dance routine to the sounds of The Jacksons. All staff and nearly all children dressed up in fab 70’,s gear and ended with boogying to the sounds of the decade at an afternoon disco. The range of outfits was amazing, from flower power hippies to threatening punks, disco kings and queens, Abba, Bay City Rollers –, Elvis was even seen leaving the building. Head Teacher Julie Muddiman said that seeing the amazing array of costumes brought back many happy childhood memories, Deputy Head and Year 3Teacher Tony “,Starsky”, Pye said that the children had really enjoyed investigating the decade especially as many teachers, parents and friends could give first hand evidence of what life had been like. Young Leeds United Star presents Jamie Payne Ross Award A idan White, Leeds United star and former St. Mary’,s Menston student presented the Jamie Payne-Ross Award at St. Mary’,s on Tuesday 7 June 2011. The Award is presented annually at the school in memory of Jamie Payne Ross who died in a tragic accident in December 1993. The Award is for outstanding achievement in sport for a Year 8 boy (12-13 year old) and was presented to the school by Jamie’,s mother Colleen and elder brother Adam. Previous presenters of the Award include Sir Trevor Brooking, Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson and the Kaiser Chiefs. Nineteen year old Aidan has played several times for the Leeds United first team and the England U19 team. He is widely regarded in the game as an outstanding prospect for the future. This season Aidan has gained valuable first team experience on loan at Oldham Athletic where he made a tremendous impact. Whilst at St. Mary’,s as a thirteen year old Aidan was awarded the Jamie Payne- Ross trophy himself by Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson. Mr David Geldart, Assistant Headteacher said, “,Aidan is a great lad and a wonderful role model. When asked to present the award he said it would be an honour. Having won the award himself Aidan knows more than most how important the occasion is. On numerous occasions over the last few years Aidan has said how inspired he was by the Jamie Payne-Ross Award. Aidan is in regular contact with the school and is a great supporter of the Bambisanani Partnership, the school’,s work in South Africa.”, The recipient this year was James Cape. James is an outstanding pupil who always gives his best in PE lessons. He has achieved a very high standard in Martial Arts performance and competition outside of school. He showed tremendous potential from his first days at the school, attending both Football and Rugby training and displayed outstanding skill levels and commitment. He has continued with Football at school and, in addition, participates in the school Cricket team. James is also an outstanding badminton player. As a pupil he has impressed staff with his positive and supportive approach in lessons which, to the PE staff, is just as much a part of this award as the high levels of sports performance. During the special ceremony Aidan will be presented with the Bambisanani Award for his outstanding support of the school’,s work in South Africa with Mnyakanya School. At this very moving and prestigious occasion wonderful musical performances were provided by Adam Vorley, Natalia O’,Shea and Molly Ness. A note for your Diary Leeds Catholic History Day Wheeler Hall, LeedsSaturday, 22nd October Further details in July’,s edition of the Catholic Post

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Leeds Catholic Post Page 17 The sexual abuse of children will always remain a threat and a challenge for the Church –, just as it is within all other sectors of society. That stark realisation was one of the driving forces behind a five day conference held in Rome at the beginning of June, bringing together experts and representatives from English-speaking bishop’,s conferences in over 20 countries across the world. The annual Anglophone conference on the Safeguarding of Children and Vulnerable Adults was hosted this year by the Church in England and Wales, focusing on ways of working together to provide the most effective protection against potential abusers, as well as offering support and healing to victims. Among the key speakers at the closed door meeting was Baroness Patricia Scotland, former British Attorney General and recently appointed chair of the National Catholic Safeguarding Commission in the UK…,.. Pioneer is the right word to describe Patricia Scotland, born into a large family on the Caribbean island of Dominica but raised in Walthamstow in the north east of London. After being called to the bar in 1977 to specialise in family and children’,s law, she made history in 1991 by being the first black woman to be appointed a Queen’,s Council. A few years later she became the first black female government minister and in 2007 she was appointed as the first woman Attorney General since the post was created in 1315. In her opening address to the Rome conference, she described the meeting in dramatic terms as “,one of the most important to be convened anywhere in the world today,”, since few issues are “,as important, or closer to the heart of our humanity, than how we care for and protect the young and vulnerable.”, Talking to me during a break between sessions, she noted that protecting against abuse is now a top priority for the Church, as demonstrated by Pope Benedict’,s meeting with victims and safeguarding officials during his four day visit to the UK last September. “,Christ himself made children a top priority”,, she said, “,so of course the Church is anxious about this and is trying through conferences like these to better understand the whole phenomenon of abuse so that we can better understand how to respond to it.”, She stressed that the meeting brought together cardinals, bishops, religious and lay experts from the five continents to share best practices, following up on the Vatican letter dated May 16th urging the Church in every country to come up with guidelines for the safeguarding of children against abuse. “,There was a huge spirit of commitment at this conference from all the participants,”, she continued but it’,s important to understand that countries are not all at the same stage of this journey. “,Some countries have now had to deal with this for a while and they have put in place guidelines and protocols - the importance for them is making sure those are properly applied and well understood. But in other countries represented at the conference, “,these things are still not talked about - not just within the Church where they are often wanting to deal with it, but within the communities at large. If you think back at how people initially responded to domestic violence or rape, there is a huge issue in our communities about denial, so one of the issues we were looking at is how do we educate our populations? How do we create an environment which will encourage people to feel able to come forward and disclose? How do we enable victims to understand it’,s not their fault if they are subjected to abuse and that they are not responsible for the abuse visited on them? Baroness Scotland says she’,s met people in their 70’,s and 80’,s who haven’,t spoken out for over 50 years, but who finally find the courage to talk of the abuse that they suffered in their youth. One of the most painful things about abuse, she says, is “,when someone abuses a child, it limits that child’,s capacity to be fully themselves, to love fully and to become what God intended them to be. You’,re not just abusing them physically but you’,re abusing their soul and spirit in a lastingly damaging way.”, Amongst the goals of the Rome conference was to pinpoint ways of identifying potential abusers, in order to protect possible victims “,but also to prevent the perpetrator from entering into a pattern of behaviour which is very difficult to get out of.”, To fight the scourge of abuse, she says, it’,s essential to work with all sectors of society, “,not just bishops, priests and laity, but also civil society, health care professionals, the business community –, we all have to be part of the solution. We have to learn how to build resilience, how to train those who come into the Church, how to sift out those who should not work within the Church - not (only) the priests and religious, but we have janitors, caretakers and people who work in our boarding schools, people we employ to look after our children, people who become part of the congregations.”, Speaking about her success in raising awareness and reducing the number of cases of domestic violence in the UK, Baroness Scotland said this experience has taught her the importance of remaining vigilant and intervening early. “,Anything that deals with intimacy between individuals is never going to be easy. We will never eradicate it from the range of human responses, but we can make sure that we can better identify it and deal with it more effectively and earlier. She points to some encouraging signs of progress: “,if you look at what’,s happened in America, in 1985 you had over 900 claims. Now the most recent data show 73 –, that’,s 73 too many, but compared to where we were before, we have made it harder for people to do this.”, On a more personal note, the former attorney general says her Catholic faith continues to play an important role in her life and work: “,Christ loved children and the protection of children is one of the most important parts of His ministry. If you look at when He got really mad, it was when people hurt a child, when they wanted to stop children coming to Him. He said before you can come to the Kingdom of Heaven you have to be like one of these children. So all the work I have done in relation to reducing child abuse is absolutely consistent with my faith and with everything I believe about what being a Christian really means. It means loving people in an appropriate way, to love and protect, to care for and nurture. We, as the body of Christ, recognise that “,the wounds of the victims are Christ’,s wounds, so we must strain every muscle to make sure we’,re there to love, protect and nurture and to enable children to grow to be the people God wants them to be.”, Philippa M Hitchen Our Rome Correspondent ‘,Essential’, Chaplaincy D iocese of Leeds priest Fr. Simon Bradbury is working with the US Navy, on a two year exchange from the Royal Navy. There’,s an apocryphal story told about the time the US Navy finally overtook the Royal Navy in terms of size. It happened during World War II and the story goes that two of our great warships, passing each other in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, exchanged greetings. The US Navy ship signaled ‘,How is the second biggest Navy in the world?’, The Royal Navy warship apparently replied ‘,We’,re fine, and how is the second best Navy in the world?’, With over 300,000 more active duty personnel than its British cousin the US Navy is, indeed, now the far mightier power, though which one is ‘,best’, is a question still debated! However, for several decades, the two navies have operated an exchange programme during which individual Chaplains from either side of the Atlantic swap places - the idea being to learn best practice from one another. Hence, I’,m spending two years as a member of the academic staff at the US Navy Chaplaincy School and Center in Columbia, South Carolina. Here, around 275 Navy Chaplains and sailors are trained annually to meet the pastoral and spiritual needs of US Navy personnel across the world. Added to this, a mobile training team travels to Navy units throughout the world, giving professional development training to another 800 or so personnel every year. The experience afforded me is broadened by travelling with this team and by paying regular visits to the Chief of Chaplains’, office, situated in the Pentagon. The centre of Navy Chaplaincy, this office forms policy and provides an interface between Chaplaincy and the highest commands of the US Navy and Marines. For most parts of the year Columbia, South Carolina, is a hot, humid and dusty city, filled with friendly people. The epitome of Southern hospitality, it has been the state capital since 1786. The paucity of historical buildings compared to nearby Charleston is testament to the great upheaval Columbia experienced during the civil war - much of it having been burned in 1865, shortly after the confederate city surrendered to General Sherman. For a long time, the city has been home to the Army Chaplains’, School and, in 2009, the Navy and Air Force Schools moved here to join forces. Each day, the School House classrooms are abuzz with students learning the arts of Chaplaincy, and sailors learning how to help them in their tasks, thereby ensuring that the pastoral and spiritual needs of the sailors and officers of the US Navy, Marines and Coastguard are met. The courses are designed to equip Chaplains to face the multitude of issues facing Service personnel –, separation from families, marriage break- up, suicide and self-harm as well as combat and operational stress –, the latter being huge issues in a time when the operational tempo is so high. Navy Chaplains come from a multitude of Christian denominations and other world faiths such as Judaism, Islam and Buddhism. The students are always interested to hear how the Royal Navy does Chaplaincy. Recently, I started a class by asking if anyone present knew anything at all about the Royal Navy. One young sailor put up his hand and said ‘,yes, we beat you in the Revolutionary War’,. It’,s good to start off with the truth, even if it hurts! The travel has allowed me to absorb the philosophy of ministry espoused by many different Chaplains across the fleet. From the Navy base in San Diego to the nearly 75,000 strong base of Marines in Camp Lejeune, from the USS Harry S Truman –, a Nimitz class aircraft carrier to the USS Iwo Jima –, an amphibious assault ship, I have found a warm welcome from dozens of Chaplains assigned to land and sea billets. Not least of all, the team who work with the wounded warriors in Bethesda Naval Hospital near Washington DC has also opened a door of welcome to me. Their work, often harrowing, involves meeting the pastoral and spiritual needs of seriously wounded military personnel returning from the front line, often suffering from loss of limb or brain injuries. The Chaplains’, care also encompasses the families who come to spend time with their loved ones and sadly, sometimes, to say goodbye. The community of St Peter’,s, the local parish church in Columbia, has welcomed me into its midst, the people now having got over their bemusement at having Mass celebrated with a British accent. The mother church of the area, St. Peter’,s has a rich history and stands proud in what is sometimes called the buckle of the bible belt. Not only has the church hosted Pope John Paul II, it also has a graveyard attached which tells many stories of the people involved in the civil war. The US/Royal Navy Exchange programme has, over the years, played some small part in ensuring that the ‘,special’, relationship between Britain and the US is kept strong. God willing, the now ‘,essential’, relationship will help Navy Chaplains on both sides of the Atlantic to best fulfill our calling as Chaplains to those who go down to the sea in the ships of both our nations. Commissioning of New Headteacher On the evening of Thursday 26 May, Mr Robert Pritchard was commissioned as the new Headteacher at St. Mary’,s School Menston. The commissioning formed part of the Year 13 Leavers Mass of thanksgiving which was led by Father Richard Carter, former Chaplain to the school. Catherine McMahon, Senior Deputy at the school, presented Mr Pritchard as our brother in Christ, chosen by the Governing Body to serve in the parish school of St. Mary’,s. The congregation prayed that Mr Pritchard will be upheld by the spirit as he takes up his new responsibility. Prayers were also said for all students in the year group who are undertaking their examinations before moving onto Higher Education of the world of work. The Leavers’, Mass was very well attended and the students, their parents and many staff celebrated the massive contribution to the school community of the class of 2004. by Brendan Jordan Parishioner of the Parish of Blessed John Henry Newman. E aster Monday was the 25th anniversary of Larry Jordan’,s (my father) annual `pilgrimage` from Leeds to York. It all began on Easter Monday 1986. The significance of that particular day was that there was a huge celebration in York Minster to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the martyrdom of one of York`s most famous daughters, St. Margaret Clitherow. Both Anglican and Catholics joined together in celebration of their Christian Faith that day in the Minster. Larry decided to attend since he was part of the congregation of the former St. Margaret Clitherow Chapel of ease, which was part of the parish of St Gregory`s in Swarcliffe, East Leeds. All the other `pilgrims` went by coach to York but Larry decided to mark the occasion by walking from Whinmoor to St Margaret Clitherow`s house, which is now a shrine, on the Shambles in York City Centre. Every year for the past 25 years my father has done this tremendous walk in order to raise money for different charities.He has managed to raise tens of thousands of pounds for various charities. In the early years, the recipient of his endeavours was Children`s Killingbeck Heart Hospital, in Leeds. Another was Martin House Children`s Hospice in Boston Spa, Leeds. The main recipient has always been St. Gemma’,s Hospice in Leeds. This, again, is the beneficiary of this years walk. Since the walk began it has become almost infectious and has attracted a sizable group of loyal walkers from any denomination and none. I would, and of course St.Gemmas would appreciate any donation made to support this annual pilgrimage. At 77yrs of age, my fathers achievement is, I`m sure you`ll agree, very inspiring. Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving –, they’,ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’,ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’,s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity. So please dig deep and donate now. Larry’,s 25th Walk

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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 Leeds Schola Gregoriana The Schola meets on the 2nd Saturday of each month (except August), at 2.00 p.m., for rehearsal, followed by sung Latin (Vigil) Mass in the Ordinary Form, fulfilling the Sunday Obligation. An opportunity to learn and sing Gregorian Chant on a regular basis. Contact Michael Murphy (Director) on 07810 808 530, or Peter Lawley (01423 884274), or Rev. G.M. Parfitt (01756 793794). Diary A few moments for thought and prayer “,God, gather and turn my thoughts to you. With you there is light, you do not forget me. With you there is hope and patience. I don’,t understand your ways, but you know the way for me.”, A Taize Song based on the writings of Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer, executed by the Nazis in 1945: it was used by the Archbishop of York during a recent hospital stay. Be Still Deadline: For receipt of material for next edition: July 15th 2011 Parishes receive their copies: July 31st 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 June 20th Please note All paid-for advertising is dealt with by: Louise Ward Leeds Diocesan Curia, Hinsley Hall, 62 Headingley Lane, Leeds LS6 2BX Telephone: 0113 261 8028 Email: louise.ward@dioceseofleeds.org.uk Your Cath Post Saturday 25 June 12 noon Meeting with WYD Pilgrims, St Mary’,s School, Menston Monday 27-Tuesday 28 June CBCEW Standing Committee Meeting, London Thursday 30 June 10.30am VGs’, Meeting, Bishop’,s House Friday 1 - Thursday 7 July Leeds Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes Friday 8 July 10am Governors’, Meeting, Leeds Trinity University College, Horsforth Sunday 10 July 12 noon Mass, Kirkstall Abbey, Leeds Monday 1 July 12 noon Mass, Fountains Abbey, Ripon Tuesday 12 July 7pm Service to mark the retirement of Rev Peter Whittaker as Chair of WYEC, Central Methodist Church, Brighouse Wednesday 13 July 10.30am Mass to mark the 50th Anniversary of Catholic Education at All Saints’, Catholic College, Huddersfield 7.30pm Celebrations to mark the Year of Catholic Education, St George’,s Hall, Bradford Thursday 14 July 10.30am VGs’, Meeting, Bishop’,s House Friday 15 July 10.30am Meeting with Diocesan Finance Board &, Trustee Directors, Hinsley Hall 10.30am Northern Bishops’, Meeting, Bishop’,s House Tuesday 19 July 10.45am Meeting with Seminarians, Wheeler Hall, Leeds Wednesday 20 July 7pm Mass for School Governors, Leeds Cathedral Sunday 24 July Mass, Armley Goal, Leeds Tuesday 26 July 9am Mass, Provincial Chapter, Sisters of the Cross &, Passion, Leeds Trinity University College, Horsforth VGs’, Meeting Wednesday 27 July VGs’, Meeting Friday 29 July 12.15pm Launch of Passionist International Volunteer Project, Leeds Trinity University College, Horsforth Bishops Engagements –, June/July Sponsored walk in Cliffe Castle T he Holy Family and St Anne’,s School’,s made use of the cross-country course in Cliffe Castle park for their annual sponsored fun run in support of Catholic Care. Dave Metcalfe, Assistant Head at The Holy Family explained, “,It is not just about the fundraising although Catholic Care, like all similar agencies, is financially squeezed at present. It is offering to the students the ethos of being caring and responding to the needs of others. And that does not have to be a grim-faced task. It is OK to have fun while you are doing it.”, “,Of course the money is ultimately important and last year The Holy Family School piloted a scheme to allow Catholic Care to draw Gift Aid on sponsorship donations. It was successful and we hope to draw even more money in this year through Gift Aid.”, The day also forms part of the transition activity between St Anne’,s and The Holy Family as the older children from St Anne’,s and the younger students from Holy Family work together under the guidance of staff from both schools. Some of the runners sported fancy dress and a few, in the spirit of walking some way in the shoes of others deliberately covered their eyes and were lead around the course by a friend. Hattie Seeley, a pupil at St Anne’,s said, “,The Sponsored Walk did not really seem like a walk, it was more of a ‘,run around a field 7 times kind of walk’,. There were some really funny outfits. Two boys tripped over each other and almost fell on me, Sadie and Jodie. It was hard but very fun.”, 1 2 boys and girls from the Diocesan Huddersfield Boys and Girls choirs received their Royal School of Church Music Bronze Awards at a ceremony at Wakefield Cathedral on Sunday June 12th. These awards mark achievement in singing church music, and were attained by exams which took place in Huddersfield last month. These 12 shared 6 merits and 2 distinctions. This is the first time that choristers from the Diocesan singing programme have achieved these awards, and it is hoped that these will be the first of many Bronzes (as well as some Silver and Gold awards in due course) given to Huddersfield choristers. Mgr. Moger, Dean of Leeds Cathedral, gave out the medals. Fr. Ian Smith, the Parish Priest of the Holy Redeemer Parish in Huddersfield where the choirs are based, and their choir master Keith Roberts, one of the Diocesan Choral Directors, were also in attendance. It was an event of some significance for the RSCM as well, as it is rare for Catholic choristers to take these awards, and they and the Huddersfield Youth Choirs hope that this will be the start of a strong relationship. Three boys from the Huddersfield Boys` Choir are in the RSCM Northern Cathedral Singers, an auditioned choir which sings services in cathedrals all over the North of England, and one has been invited to be a member of the elite Cathedral Course in Peterborough this summer. It is a tribute to the increasing efforts of the RSCM to be ecumenical, but more to the efforts and talents of the children involved. Bronze For Huddersfield Choristers

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Leeds Catholic Post Page 19 PREPARATION WORKSHOP FOR LOURDES PILGRIMAGE T he students from The Holy Family School who will be going on pilgrimage to Lourdes met for a series of workshops to prepare them for their adventure. The first task of the evening was to kit everyone out with their distinctive yellow uniform There was a round robin of workshops on petitions and how petitions are cared for in Lourdes, on catering, on handling wheelchairs and on making rosaries. By far the most important was Nick Eyes working with the students showing them how to lift and generally assist the invalids that the students will be nursing. Each group took turns to be invalids and be helped back-and-forth to-and-from wheelchairs. The rosary workshop spent the time making single decade rosaries for use in Lourdes. There will be an adult group travelling alongside the Holy Family pilgrims and they attended the evening too. They were served with a snack tea by the students before being joined by the pilgrims’, families for a business meeting to check contact details, the itinerary and all Guest of honour was Finbar Patrick Moran, 3-month old son of Patrick and Jess Moran who are the leaders of the pilgrimage. Resplendent in his own yellow jumper he was introduced his fellow pilgrims Fountains Abbey Mass for the Feast of St Benedict Monday 11th July 2011 by John Tweddle Catholic Lay Representative, Fountains Abbey Chaplaincy Fountains Abbey has been a place of religious worship for nearly 900 years, a tradition that is joyfully continued through the work of the Fountains Abbey Chaplaincy, an ecumenical group of Ministers and lay readers of all denominations from local churches working as part of National Trust Volunteering. Several services are organised throughout the year including Mass for the Feast of St Benedict which will be held at 12 noon on Monday 11th July. The organisers are delighted that this year the principal celebrant will be Rt. Rev. Arthur Roche, Bishop of Leeds. Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site recognising that it is one of the greatest cultural sites of its type in the World. Fountains Abbey, founded in 1132 soon became one of the largest and richest Cistercian abbeys in Britain, before being closed by Henry VIII in 1539 during the Dissolution of the Monasteries and was partially demolished soon after. The influence of Fountains Abbey extended across Yorkshire and beyond with the development of 33 grange farms and trading assets. The Fountains Abbey ruin are the largest ecclesiastical ruins in the country and is one of the few Cistercian houses surviving from the 12th Century and providing an unrivalled picture of a great religious house in all its parts. The extensive standing remains that include, in particular, a surviving 12th Century mill and precinct wall, represent an outstanding testimony to Cistercian architecture and power. As well as a spiritual centre, by the end of the 13th Century, Fountains was an industrial estate and had become the largest producer of wool in the North of England. The abbey ruins also provide a dramatic focal point to the gardens of Studley Royal, laid out between 1718 and 1781 by John Aislabie and his son William in the beautiful setting of the Skell valley and building on work commenced by the Mallory family in the 1670s. The Abbey is one of the key attractions of the whole site. For visitors it is a very special place giving an insight into monastic life in the Cistercian order and valued architecturally and aesthetically. Access to the Abbey is free to National Trust Members and by special arrangement the National Trust has kindly agreed to waive normal admission charges for those attending the Mass. To advertise in the next issue of Leeds Catholic Post contact Louise on 0113 261 8028 Musicians from around the Diocese gather to sing new Missal! O ver 130 musicians from parishes across the Diocese of Leeds gathered at Leeds Cathedral on Wednesday 8th June to find out more about the new Missal, and particularly how it will affect music and musicians. The presentation was opened by the Vicar General, Mgr Mcquinn, who spoke about the liturgical changes of the last four hundred years since the reformation, and how the last forty years has seen us for the first time move to an ‘,English’, liturgy. The rest of the presentation was led by Christopher McElroy (Assistant Director of Music for the Diocese of Leeds) who covered topics such as why the texts were changing, which changes would particularly affect musicians, and where resources can be found to assist us with making these changes. One of the key elements of the new Missal is the integral nature of music, with musical settings provided in the Missal itself. Led by Keith Roberts (Choral Director, Diocese of Leeds and Director of Music at St Patrick’,s Church, Huddersfield) all the participants sang through these chants from the Missal in preparation for introducing them into their home parishes. Further musical resources for the introduction of the new missal can be found on the music department website: http://www.dioceseofleedsmusic.org.uk/advice _materials/ Choral and Organ Concerts in June &, July Sunday 26th June Diocesan Boys Choir Festival Concert (Leeds Cathedral: 2.30pm, Free admission) Monday 27th June Organ recital by Benjamin Saunders (Leeds Cathedral: 1.15pm Free admission) Thursday 30th June Organ recital by Simon Lindley (St Patricks Church, Huddersfield: 7.30pm £,5, £,3 concessions) Sunday 3rd July Diocesan Girls Choir Festival Concert (Leeds Cathedral: 2.30pm, Free admission) Sunday 10th July Harrogate Boys Choir Concert (St Robert`s Church, Harrogate: 12.30pm, Free admission)

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Page 20 Leeds Catholic Post Healthy in Spirit, Body and Mind ‘,Catholic Foundation Stones’,, a program developed through the diocese has been delivered to, teachers, admin and support staff, to deepen knowledge of our faith and certificates were presented at the recent Wakefield Catholic Partnership Mass to all in the schools who have completed the program. (Picture 1) Mrs Woo a teacher from China works in St Austin’,s weekly to teach the children in KS2 mandarin, Chinese crafts and culture. Mrs Woo is in this country for a year following Mrs Melia’,s (year 6 teacher) visit to China in 2010 as part of the ‘,Connecting Classrooms’, project through the British Council. (Picture 2) This mosaic work depicting diversity and culture rich communities was completed by pupils in school and was exhibited at the Orangery in Wakefield alongside artwork of other primary schools in Wakefield. The work will now be mounted more permanently by the entrance to school. (Picture 3) The children have worked to develop the school grounds and gardens. They have grown and planted trees, flowers, plants and vegetables (Picture 4) Year 5 pupils work hearts and muscles in a dance class led by Wakefield Trinity Wildcats. The Wildcats work in school on 2 afternoons during each week to promote PE skills and living healthy lives. (Picture 5) Children in Year 2 gather with Mrs Warters (Class Teacher) to celebrate a liturgy dedicated to Our Lady in the specially built prayer garden. (Picture 6) 1 2 3 4 5 To advertise in the next issue of Leeds Catholic Post contact Louise on 0113 261 8028 6 FEATURE ON ST AUSTIN’,S PRIMARY SCHOOL, WAKEFIELD

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