CATHOLIC POST THE NEWSPAPER FOR THE DIOCESE OF LEEDS MAY 2012 www.dioceseofleeds.org.uk www.catholicpost.org.uk FREE Olympic Values Inspire Young People to Pass on the Peace Helen Peyton, Lay Chaplain from St. John Fisher Catholic High School in Dewsbury, said, I found the whole event inspiring. It reaffirmed for me everything we aim to do with our young people in their relationship with Christ. The speakers, music, worship and adoration and being in the presence of thousands of young people celebrating their faith and commitment to peace served to enhance and deepen my own personal faith. The journey home was filled with the buzz of gratitude from one of our students who was extremely grateful to have been invited to go.’, Four young CAFOD ambassadors joined Abdi Dima, from CAFOD’,s Kenyan partner the St John’,s Sports Society, on the Wembley stage to launch Pass it On. They shared their own personal accounts of how they have seen sport bring people together before orchestrating an 8,500 strong Mexican wave around the arena to symbolise the ‘,passing on’, of peace to everyone in there. Speaking on the day of the launch, Abdi said: ‘,I live in Korogocho, one of the largest slums in Nairobi, bordering the city dump. “,Life is very hard for young people. High poverty and unemployment easily leads to drugs, crime and violence. In 2008, after the Kenyan elections, there was terrible violence between rival factions and ethnic groups. I saw people burned out of their homes and forced to flee for their lives. It was sad to see so many young people of my age engaging in violence against each other. “,Life since then has been very hard but the sports society helps kids in the slum to have fun, and at the same time it teaches them confidence, team work, tolerance and discipline. Our motto is “,Pamoja Tunaweza”, (Together we can), and we are open to everyone regardless of their ethnic background and religious beliefs. ‘,My life would be a disaster without karate, without it I could have fallen into the many traps that await young people in Korogocho. Instead I am part of something positive where people can come together, play together, get CAFOD Director, Chris Bain said: “,It was excellent to see so many young people come to the Flame Congress, and participate with such enthusiasm. It is testament to the fact that –, despite the bad publicity young people in our country often get –, the vast majority are good, caring, enthusiastic individuals who want to make the world a better place. CAFOD takes great pride in the work we do not just to support young people in the poorest countries in the world, but to empower young people here in Britain to take positive action in their communities. The Pass It On campaign is a great example of that.”, to know each other and feel comfortable. We are building peace in our own community. This is the message that I bring today, a message of peace that I hope everyone here will pass on and live out in their own community.’, So far, hundreds of people have shown their support for Pass It On, by uploading their image to the website, including The Most Reverend Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, Father Christopher Jamison and Olympic champion Jason Gardener, MBE. The Flame National Youth Congress at Wembley Arena provided the perfect backdrop for the official unveiling of Pass it On, CAFOD’,s Olympics peace campaign aimed at children and young people in England and Wales. Inspired by the 100 days truce that accompanied the Ancient Olympics, CAFOD is encouraging its young supporters to take part in the online initiative by uploading video clips and posting personal messages to all those in the world who are not living in peace in 2012.

Read in full

Page 2

Page 2 Leeds Catholic Post Cardinal Keith O`Brien is the leader of the Scottish Catholic Church, not the English one, but David Cameron is still his Prime Minister. He has told Mr Cameron that he should not be helping the rich, but rather the poor. He says that Mr Cameron is out of touch with the needs of not only the poor but the middle classes as well: he calls for the introduction of the Robin Hood tax –, a widely supported small levy on city business dealings. The Cardinal talks too about those who have saved for retirement, and then find savings and pensions devalued or vanished, and about young couples who find it hard to make ends meet. To allow the suffering of such people, because of financial disasters in the city is, he suggests, immoral. We should not say to people `you have to manage` whilst the rich are sailing along `in their own sweet way`. The Cardinal’,s attack comes on the same day as the latest Sunday Times “,Rich List”, showing that the assets of the 1000 wealthiest people in Britain have increased yet again. The Cardinal’,s words suggests that government policy is in need of a dose of compassion: the American idea of everyone standing on their own two feet, with the weakest going to the wall is literally foreign to us. The Christian principle of community tells us that whatever the politics, something needs to be done to encourage fairness with justice in our country. We always have to remind ourselves of St James letter: “, what good is it my brothers and sisters if you say you have faith but do not have works? If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘,Go in peace, keep warm and eat your fill’,, and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that?”, Governments need to be aware that you cannot promote the promise of prosperity, without the reality of compassion. The Post Says O n Monday the 23rd of April St Bede’,s, Bradford, had a special visitor via the Sky Sports living for sport scheme. Rachael Mackenzie a two weight world champion Thai boxer and a former pupil of St Joseph’,s College, Bradford. The boys from Year 10 had been selected to join the course to give them a more positive outlook on their school lives and build confidence in school, giving them something positive to focus on in school. The scheme started 4 months ago with the boys coming out one lesson a week to participate in the course training and learning how to coach boxing. The boys responded very well to the course and have reduced the level of behavior problems in lessons and built up their confidence around school. Rachael was designated as our mentor for the course and came in for half a day and also a full day which was on the 23rd of April. The day started with Rachael coming and delivering an assembly to all the students in the school showing a video of her fights which took the students breath away with the ferocity and intensity of the fights and how successful she had been in her career. After this the students from the course did an hours training session with Rachael. The boys said this was one of the hardest training sessions of their lives because of intensity and the amount of work they completed within the hour. In the afternoon 16 of the most talented year 7 students trained with the year 10 boys and Rachael. The boys were absolutely fantastic with the youngsters, really helping them develop the new skills to a very high ability. Rachael then gave the students a master class on how to balance their training lives and their school lives and how important hard work and training to the best of your ability is when you are striving to be the very best. Former Pupil makes a welcome return Parents greet children returning after space flight COURSE FOR CHURCH ORGANISTS AT YORK 11Ith -14th June 2012 A re you a pianist who has been persuaded to play the organ for church services? Or a more experienced player who would like to brush up their skills and find some new repertoire? There’,s an opportunity this June for church organists of all levels to spend a few days in the north of England improving their playing. The course for church organists organised by the Royal School of Church Music (RSCM) takes place this year from —, 4 June in York, and places are still available. The residential course is based at York St John University, and features a wide range of tutorials, given in small groups, suitable for those who have just begun playing as well as for those with more experience. Tuition includes the use of stops and pedals, playing for services, new repertoire and improvisation. Participants will have the opportunity to play a variety of instruments including the organ in York Minster, and the programme will include seminars and recitals. The course is directed Daniel Moult, who is a busy concert organist and an enthusiastic and inspiring teacher. He is a Senior Tutor for the RSCM’,s Church Music Skills programme. of which this course in York is a part. He is also editor of The Complete Church Organist series of organ tutors published by the RSCM - Level Two of the series has recently been published. Daniel will be joined by a team of experienced tutors, who will lead the students in small groups so that everyone has a chance to ‘,have a go’,. Previous participants have been enthusiastic about RSCM organ courses. One clearly benefited from meeting others who are like-minded: “,The best thing was to feel part of the community of organists”,. Another said, “,I did not feel pressured, but was encouraged, which does wonders for self-esteem”,. Further information can be found at www.rscm.com/courses. To book a place on this course telephone the RSCM on 01722 424843 or email education@rscm.com. The course is also available to non- residents. Getting Together Over A Cuppa D ue to the amalgamation with St. Brigid’,s, Churwell and Our Lady of the Nativity, Ardsley, some of the ‘,stalwarts’, of the St. Francis parish have opened up the group to meet on the last Tuesday of the month. After Mass until lunchtime, 27 ladies and gentlemen attended in March, which was only our second meet. Also open to neighbours in and around the church of all denominations. Our June meet is to be name a ‘,Papal Breakfast’, in celebration of the Diamond Jubilee of which Morley is celebrating in a huge way throughout the year. We will be having locally picked strawberries and fizz! One of the parishioners, Councillor Catherine Crosby, is now on the local Town Council and has encouraged us to become involved more in our local Town and open our doors. Photo of recent newly found ‘,Coffee and Chat’, group at St. Francis of Assisi, Morley. C hildren from St Stephen’,s School, Skipton, have been studying the solar system and “,Our world”, as a special topic within the whole. In order to launch the project the children visited Holy Family School, Keighley, to take a journey around the planets without ever leaving the science laboratory. They completed a number of experiments to test the surface temperature and composition of the planets as well as finding out how to operate several items of lab equipment This week they returned with their parents to close the project The children brought with them the displays that they had created to show their parents. They also recreated most of the experiments that they had done to explore the nature of each of the planets. To close the morning Raf Stabler, Head of Science at Holy Family School, launched water powered rockets to acknowledge the journey that the children had taken through space. 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

Read in full

Page 3

‘,I was going to move you anyway’, said Bishop Dwyer, as he showed me to the door of Bishop’,s House. It was August 1964. The Bishop had invited me to his home and told me he wanted me to take a degree in Canon Law in Rome. He thought, however, that if I were to stay at the English College or the Beda College, it would be like going back to the Seminary after nine years in a parish. So, as he was going out to Rome that weekend for the third session of the Vatican Council, he would enquire whether I could stay with the Columban Fathers, who had a house for priests studying in Rome. If that turned out to be not possible then it could have meant a move from Pudsey to anywhere in Cleckheckmondsedge. But two weeks later a letter from the bishop arrived from Rome. The Columban Fathers, he wrote, would be happy for me to live with them. And so at the beginning of October1964 I arrived in Rome to find not only seventeen priests living in the College, but also six Columban bishops who were in Rome for the Council. They represented various countries in the Far East. The oldest was Bishop Patrick Cleary who after many years in China had been expelled after the Communists took over. Bishops Cronin and Byrne were from the Philippines and had been there throughout the Second World War, living in the hills, hidden from the Japanese. Bishop John Howe, was bishop of Myitkyima in Burma. His diocese was on the border of Burma and China serving a nomadic people. Under Burmese Socialism all but thirteen priests had been expelled from his diocese. None of them could ever return home for holidays, as they would not be allowed back into the country. Archbishop John Dooley had been Apostolic Nuncio in Vietnam as the Viet Cong were driving out the French. The sixth bishop was Bishop Thomas Quinlan from South Korea. He, as a priest in South Korea, had been taken prisoner when the Korean War (1950 to 53) had broken out and had been on a death march with about a hundred others who were forced marched to a camp by the Yalu river. No one in the West knew whether they were alive until the end of the war, when Fr Quinlan and others were freed. He returned to Ireland and then was appointed a Bishop back in South Korea. It was a privilege to meet and be living with men such as this. Each day during the Council after Mass and breakfast the bishops would be picked up to go to St Peter’,s, whilst we students would go to the various University faculties. On their return the bishops would study the various preparatory documents, but they were sworn to secrecy so we were not aware of how the Council was progressing except when the various final documents were voted on and published. On occasions there was an opportunity to meet bishops from other countries. Archbishop Gilbert Young from Tasmania would stay for a day or two. I recall the Cardinal Archbishop of Lima coming for a meal, and when he learned that I was from Leeds, showing me photographs he had of the two Leeds priests who were working in his diocese in response to Pope John XXIII’,s call for volunteers to go to South America. Other visitors I recall were some of the German bishops. One day I received a phone call from Bishop Dwyer. ‘,Meet me on the steps of St Peter’,s tomorrow morning at 9 a.m.’, he said. He wanted me to see the Council actually in session. So at 9.00 am. I met him and was taken by the bishop behind the rows of seats for the bishops in the nave, right up to the High Altar where one of the bishops was celebrating Mass. Nearest to the High Altar were the cardinals, next to them archbishops, further down the nave diocesan bishops and then, nearest the doors of St Peter’,s, the auxiliaries. I was allowed to stay throughout the Mass with Bishop Dwyer pointing out and commenting on some of the leading figures of the Council such as Cardinals Bea, Suenens and Frings. Although the documents of preparation for the Council were secret, it was recognised that those leading to way in what Pope John had called an ‘,aggiornamento’,, meaning a ‘,bringing up to date’,,were the French, German and Dutch bishops. One source that did help us to be aware of their thinking came from a Dutch group based near the Piazza Navona who published regular documentation on a fortnightly basis. At the same time when the various Council documents were published they were already being considered in the colleges and University faculties. Because the document on the liturgy had been one of the first to be published, some of the liturgical proposals were being put into practice. I can remember starting to concelebrate morning Mass which, although it was still in Latin, made it much more easy than even in the small Columban College having over twenty bishops and priests celebrating individual Masses. Now some fifty years after the Second Vatican Council many of the decisions taken there have been put into effect. One can think of, among others, English in the Mass and Sacraments, the developments in Ecumenism. But every Council of the Church takes a considerable time to take its full effect. There is, then, still much work to be done. Just two examples that come to my mind are the following. The Council laid down the principles for the relationship between the Pope and the bishops, which the First Vatican Council had not been able to do because of the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War in 1870. Just as Peter and the apostles formed a college, so do the Successor of Peter and the bishops form a college. But I think we still have to see this relationship of Rome with the local churches worked out in a way which can avoid the growing centralisation of the Roman Curia and give local churches a greater degree of autonomy. Pope John XXIII, I think, once said that the greatest day in his life, was not the day he was elected Pope but the day he was baptised. It is baptism that gives us our fundamental dignity and rights as Christians. We still have to work that out in practice, appreciating all the gifts that are possessed, especially by women in the Church. One does not have to be ordained to have leadership positions. In the diocese we have women in leading roles especially in education and as Trustees of the diocese. A year ago, along with a group of Canon Lawyers, I visited the various departments of the Roman Curia such as the Rota and the Signatura, the Church’,s highest Courts, and certain Congregations. We met bishops, monsignors , priests and laymen, but not one woman! So, while we can thank God for the Vatican Council, there are still doors to be opened. The Holy Spirit, I am convinced, is always at work in the Church and saying ‘,I was going to move you anyway.’, Leeds Catholic Post Page 3 Vatican II Fifty Years On This October it will be 50 years since the opening of Vatican II –, over the months from now until the end of the Year there will be an article reflecting on the Council. These articles are not offered as deep reflections on the Council or the Documents from it, rather they are written from the point of view of those who experienced the Council in its time –, some are from people who were there, some are about people who were there –, some are by people who were the first to try and put into action the documents as they came out. They are all from a personal point of view and try to capture at least a little of that ‘,freshness of the Spirit’, as it blew through a church thrust into a modern World trying to find a Rock to hold fast to. by Mgr Bryan Sharp Living With The Columbans A s you may know when a parent applies to a school for a place for their child the application is not always successful and the parent is legally allowed to appeal against the decision. The Diocese of Leeds Office for Schools and Education have set-up an Independent Appeals Service, however, to make this service work we need people to volunteer to be Appeal Panel members. There are two types of panel members needed –, Lay Members and Professional Members. A Lay Member must not have any professional educational background. Parents and school governors who do not work in education can be Lay Members but will not be used for appeals at their own schools or in their own immediate areas. Professional Members work in the education service currently or have done so recently. As a panel member, you will need to have a friendly manner and to be able to listen to the case put forward by parents and schools. Panels are made up of three people and as a member of the panel you will need the ability to make a balanced judgment based on the facts. Panel members do not need to have detailed knowledge of the law relating to admissions but training in the basic principles is essential and will be provided. All panel members are volunteers but are able to claim travel expenses. If this type of service to the Church is of interest to you then come along to our next training session: Wednesday, 23rd May at 2.00pm at Hinsley Hall (this session is free of charge). To book a place please contact: Miss Catherine Green, Vicariate for Evangelisation, Hinsley Hall, 62 Headingley Lane, Leeds, LS6 2BX Tel: 0113 261 8040 Fax: 0113 261 8044 email: evangelisation.admin@dioceseofleeds.org.uk Beverley Sice Admissions and Governance Officer Admission Appeals –, Diocesan Service

Read in full

Page 4

Page 4 Leeds Catholic Post A t this time of year when so many couples are getting married there is a big increase in demand for marriage preparation. The harvest is rich indeed but, parishes need more men and women to help. To volunteer to be a Marriage Preparation Presenter please speak to your parish priest. Full training given Contact Angela admin@flm.org.uk The Love of Parents: The Gift That Makes Society Possible This year’,s FAMILIAS events is co-hosted by the Family Caring Trust and open to all members, associate members and friends of FAMILIAS (www.familias-ew.org.uk) as well as anyone who is interested in why parents are so important and how they can best be supported. Rachel’,s Vineyard Weekends Rachel`s Vineyard is a safe place to renew and rebuild your life after experiencing the trauma of abortion. Weekend retreats offer you a supportive, confidential and non-judgmental environment where women and men can deal with painful post- abortive emotions: 22nd -24th June and 21st –, 23rd September Contact: Marene 07505 904 656 Mental Health Retreat: Douai Abbey ‘,Exploring Benedictine Rule for a Balanced Life’, For those interested in mental health pastoral care Douai Abbey At: Doui Abbey, Upper Woolhampton, Reading, RG7 5TQ, July 9 –, 11th July Contact Gail Sainsbury at gail.sainsbury@cbcew.org.uk Parish Family Groups Fr Peter McGrath of the Passionist Parish Family Groups Movement (www.pfgm.org) will return in the autumn. Please let me know if you would like him to visit your parish to help develop Parish Family Groups. Contact Angela at admin@flm..org.uk FLM News updates: To see more check www.flm.org.uk Wedding bells: You are invited Thank- you for making a big splash for water this Lent! D onations to CAFOD’,s Lenten ‘,Give it Up for Water!’, appeal in our diocese have already reached more than £,280,000 –,over three times what was raised in Lent 2011! The total so far throughout the UK has just reached a magnificent £,5 million with contributions still coming in! Although Lent is over, the UK Aid Match Fund scheme has kept people focussed on fundraising until May 17th. Many schools and parishes throughout the country are still collecting in funds or have arranged activities up to that date. They are keeping going so we can make as huge a splash as possible to provide clean water for people around the world. We’,re always delighted with the effort people make, but the way everybody has taken up the appeal this year has been overwhelming. We’,ve spoken to lots of people in schools and parishes and know that the hard work on CAFOD’,s behalf has been phenomenal. All your efforts are deeply appreciated and will help transform more lives because of the match funding. For the past year, every Friday a band of volunteers from Our Lady of Lourdes and St Urbans Parishes buy, cook and serve a hot meal to circa 40 of the poor, homeless and marginalised in Leeds. The simple plan was to help those in Leeds who found themselves homeless and at the bottom of the social ladder. Volunteers work out of the Parish Centre at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Cardigan Lane, Leeds 6. Since its inception in February 2011, not a single Friday has been missed. When its doors opened a year ago, it received only four visitors. Today, it serves more than 40. It’,s called Free Food Friday and it does what it says, providing free food on a Friday. Such has been its success that other charities have expressed interest in working with it, students want to use it for their thesis, Duke of Edinburgh awards will be awarded on the back of it, local people visit to be included. All this happens from the very modest hall forming the Parish Centre attached to the Church. Accommodation is simple, kitchen facilities are modest, but there is a genuine alacrity by the volunteers to help those less fortunate and it’,s infectious. Free Food Friday not only provides food on a Friday but free clothes. Both the giving of food and the offer of clothes is monitored to ensure that all who come benefit and there is no abuse. The Friday meeting gives those destined to a life in a sub-culture of what is seen as normality, a few moments of calm and warm in a non judgemental environment where everyone is equal. Such was the clear need in Leeds that Free Food Friday has expanded to providing breakfast on Sunday mornings when it serves hot bacon butties, tea and coffee. CHAS@St Vincent’,s T wo of West Yorkshire’,s largest furniture recycling projects have merged so that they can better meet the needs of the people they aim to help. Both organisations have a Catholic origin and indeed it was this shared ethos that finally persuaded both parties that a merger was of mutual advantage. Bishop Arthur Roche had given his support to the move early in the process. CHAS (Bradford) was formed in 1965 as the Catholic Housing Aid Society, to help people in Bradford with housing advice and the provision of second hand furniture. It operates its furniture service from a store in Rebecca Street near St Patrick’,s church with a small shop leased from the Diocese just across the road. St Vincent de Paul Society (SVP) was founded in 1833 by a group of university students from the Sorbonne in Paris, including Blessed Frederic Ozanam. The SVP’,s furniture operation in Leeds became involved in distributing second hand furniture as St Jude’,s Furniture Store towards the end of the 1970s. It has more recently expanded its activity by testing and repairing white goods. It offers these white goods, furniture, clothing and household goods, under special circumstance free of charge, or at affordable prices through its Community Shops, typically on the less affluent housing estates outside the city centre. CHAS will retain its own identity under the name “,CHAS@St Vincent’,s”,. The 27 staff have been transferred to the new organisation, which already has about 135 employees throughout England and Wales. Plans are being formulated to expand its operations in Bradford repairing furniture and offering goods through new outlets that are more accessible to the public. In addition to their furniture operation, both CHAS and the SVP operate Advice Centres. CHAS specialises in housing and debt advice in Bradford. One of its initiatives was to recognise the link between poverty and health, by offering its services from doctors’, surgeries in various parts of the City. Most of its operations are financed by contracts with the city council. The SVP operates its St Vincent Support Centre from its premises in East Leeds. Its aim is to improve the quality of life for those suffering deprivation by offering a holistic range of services. All of its services are free and have been developed in direct response to local demand since it began in 1996. [It is suffering from its funding from the National Lottery coming to an end. Having recently lost its major source of funding, the Centre is currently urgently seeking new sources of funds. Mike Worthington, National SVP President said, “,By coming together in this way CHAS (Bradford) and the SVP will be able to enhance our services to those in need in these difficult economic times. Our organisations remain committed to the ideal of turning Christian faith into action. ”, Both organisations are very dependent on the generosity of donors who provide used furniture and goods. It is hoped that as it will be local people who will benefit from these donations this will encourage existing and new donors to support the new organisation. CHAS Bradford Chairman Peter Meredith said “,I am delighted that the merger has been finalised. As retiring Chair of CHAS I am convinced that the new organisation will continue to bring the same services to Bradford and move on from strength to strength. http://www.svp.org.uk/02whatwedo/stjudesfu rniturestore.htm http://www.chasbradford.btck.co.uk The Church is Dead. Long Live the Church! Celebrating Parents and Grandparents W akefield Deanery is a hive of activity in a completely new area this term. For the first time ever mums, dads, grandparents and carers in different schools and parishes are getting together for a short time each week for coffee and biscuits and to consider some of the challenges they face with their children and grandchildren. As part of the accredited training sponsored by the Celebrating Family Fund I have been visiting these groups and each time I see what we all know - raising children is the most challenging ‘,work’, in the world. It is difficult even under the most comfortable and happy conditions. Just ask any mom who has ever tried to get fractious children up, washed, dressed, fed and safely delivered to the school gates by 8.50 every morning. Imagine how much more difficult all that basic daily routine might be for parents and grandparents who struggle with health, mental health or educational problems themselves, or are on low incomes, in poor housing, are far from home and family, or who do not speak the language. And yet, all of these differences and problems dissolve into shared laughter and tears when moms, dads, grandparents and carers get together as they are this term in Wakefield, Pontefract, Ossett, Castleford, Moorthorpe and Normanton. It does not matter how old we are, which culture or faith we are from, how much or how little money we have, when we get together with other parents we are transformed. We are transformed from lonely, sometimes despairing, people struggling with difficulties we might think are our fault or only our problem, and we become part of a like minded community. Best of all we discover to our surprise (and relief) that we are not alone! The weekly gatherings where parents watching a video, catch up on the week and learn new skills, like active listening and problem solving, in a warm, welcoming and relaxing environment are changing lives in the most wonderful way. Anne Pennock, FLM Parenting Support Assistant, who accompanied me on some of these visits, said “,Parents are so pleased with the changes they can see!”, And we heard from the participants in the last few weeks: “,I like the bit we did at the beginning, with the fruits”, one grandmother said. “,I told my daughter about it when I got home and she said ‘,well, I’,m a bit of everything’, and I said ‘,there you are then, you are a fruit salad!’, ”, “,It frees me to be nicer!”, “,We’,ve turned a massive corner in our house, everything’,s just turned around, totally. I’,ve been more encouraging with my husband and the last couple of weeks have been brilliant”, “,I’,ve learned so much here…,I’,ve listened to what the others have done and I’,ve though ‘,Oh, I’,ll try that’,!”, A hard working single dad is now successfully allowing his children to become more responsible at home and to learn from each other. He was able to say “,watch Adam, he’,ll show you”, when the youngest wanted him to show him how to make his bed when he was busy doing something that could not be left. And he did! There is honesty and fun: when asked how she felt during a game in which she had pretended to be a discouraging parent one said ‘,I loved it!’, We heard examples of best practice from school staff too as one parent said how pleased her son had been when the Head Teacher stopped him in the corridor one day to say ‘,that’,s just how I like your tie to be!’, ‘,Fantastic! I’,ve learned more today thanks to Jenny and Therese. My friend is gutted she’,s had to miss this session’, ‘,I think this class is good, it’,s like a reflection allows you to see yourself in the mirror’, One mum who could not attend the day we visited took the trouble to be there to meet us just to say how much she loved the meetings and what a difference they were making to her at home. Where English was not the first language other mums helped with translation. One mum said when asked what she was getting from the meetings: ‘,first I learn when I come here, then, my children will learn from me!’, How many children’,s lives are being touched in just one of these groups? We counted thirty-six daughters and sons in one group and 229 in another (OK that does include the nursery and other children the participants work with daily) If you are a parent, grandparent or carer (eg foster or step parent) and would like to know how to access one of these groups, or if you are a Head Teacher or Parish Priest and would like to be able to offer such groups in your school or parish contact me at flm@flm.org.uk

Read in full

Page 5

Leeds Catholic Post Page 5 How the world has changed: we only need to look at the two faces of Rupert Murdoch- the elderly, forgetful man at the Leveson enquiry and years ago, a black haired Aussie confidently taking on the unions at Wapping, once honoured with a Papal Knighthood. He seems to be saying that he now has very little knowledge of what went on within parts of his organisation because things move so fast and so little was communicated- internally- to him. We will have to wait and see what the Leveson Inquiry concludes- the story is by no means over. In our papers we hear of restrictions on five priests active in the media in Ireland whilst there is to be an investigation into American women religious (whom we used to call nuns). The congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith is at odds with the Leadership Conference on Women Religious in the US, suggesting that some members prac- tice dissent and radical feminism: whilst we read almost daily of the conflict between the American bishops and the American government over their new universal health legislation. German Bishops have been told that they must, like us, change the words in the Eucharistic prayer to suggest that salvation is for many rather than for all, and the church in Austria was reproached by the Pope in Holy Week for dissent. Much nearer home, our Bishops have been told by the Papal Nuncio to build a stronger communion between themselves “,so that it will have positive effects on the faithful and on priests.”, This comes as rather a surprise as our Bishops are more often criticised for being too united... but why this tale of woe? Some say that the various happenings are not particularly unusual although it is odd that it is all happening at once. The wrong conclusion is that Cardinal Levada will probably retire soon from the curia and wants to clear his desk- the real reason is that we hear everything, from everywhere, as it happens. I started with Rupert Murdoch although his only other connection- apart from that knighthood- with these matters is that his papers and TV stations have probably reported them, and he too is struggling with instant communication. My point is that- and the three pronged Vatican enquiry into leaks from there emphasises it- how much and how quickly the world has become a global village. What happens in America, in Austria, in Ireland, in Rome and in Britain itself, publicly or perhaps privately, is widely reported in great detail even on the same day upon which it happened –, we don`t even have to wait for the morning paper. A huge worldwide organisation has to live with a huge intrusive, worldwide communications industry, and an evange- lising church has to work with this, leaks and all- whilst that wave of change which Mr Murdoch helped to set in motion in his industry seems to be engulfing him too. Benchmark Sidelines At this time of the liturgical year, you may be thinking, all the big build up for Easter has come and gone, so it is back to (somewhat duller?) Ordinary Time –, but of course, there’,s Pentecost first, and Pentecost has plenty of good music. Three pieces have a special resonance for me: “,Veni Creator Spiritus”,, “,God’,s spirit is in my heart”, and “,Breathe on me, Breath of God”,. “,Veni Creator”, is a beautiful chant - see the link below which features a Pentecost themed slide show –, and I like this version, sung by Benedictine monks. As befits a chant more than a thousand years old, it has a timeless, peaceful quality. If you follow the link, be warned that a number of the comments underneath the video are somewhat intemperate! I first came across the second piece as a student at Imperial College in the sixties –, IC Cath Soc (mostly boys) were joining forces with Maria Assumpta College (entirely girls) for a service, and “,God`s spirit is in my heart”, was one of the songs we learnt together. Actually, we only sang the chorus –, the chaplain, Fr Terry, provided a sonorous tenor for the verses. I could not find a version on Youtube that I liked, but the link is to hymn-lyrics-detective- forum, (which does indeed help you find the hymn when you can only remember a bit of it) and the observations there are upbeat and positive –, a pleasant change from the previous forum- and for all you hopeless romantics, yes, at least one lifelong IC/MA alliance was forged! My last choice, “,Breathe On Me, Breath of God”,, is about two hundred years old, and consists of just four simple verses by Edwin Hatch, to the tune by Charles Lockhart. As well as the Breath of God/Holy Spirit connection, there is another link between this hymn and “,God`s spirit”, - the latter says “,Tell blind people that they can see”,, and Charles Lockhart was blind from infancy. Looking beyond Pentecost, there may still be places available at two music events this summer: the NNPM National Conference is at Worth Abbey, West Sussex, (20th –, 22nd July), while SSG`s Summer School is at Sneaton Castle, Whitby, from (23rd –, 27th July). tim.devereux@ssg.org.uk If you`d like to add your name to the email list to receive information about WYCM Network events, I`d be happy to hear from you. West Yorkshire Church Music Network: http://www.westyorkshirechurchmusic.org.uk/ National Network of Pastoral Musicians: http://nnpm.org/ Society of Saint Gregory: http://www.ssg.org.uk/ Veni Creator Spiritus http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVqalU2yKjI&,feature=related God`s spirit is in my heart http://www.namethathymn.com/hymn-lyrics-detective- forum/index.php?a=vtopic&,t=371 Musical Notes by Tim Devereux OFFICE FOR EVANGELISATION &, CATECHESIS Corpus Christi Procession –, Sunday June 24, 2.00 –, 3.15pm. Join Bishop Roche in a witness of our faith. Starting at Mount St Joseph’,s Home (Little Sisters of the Poor) and concluding with Benediction at Hinsley Hall, Headingley. All are welcome. If you have a school or parish banner, please bring it, along with your rosary beads. This year the procession will be within the grounds of Mount St Joseph and Hinsley Hall. This is because the Olympic Torch Relay will be coming through Headingley on June 24th For further details contact Linda Pennington on 0113 2618043 or email linda.pennington@dioceseofleeds.org.uk First Holy Communion children and families are specially invited to attend the Corpus Christi Procession. It would be lovely to see the children wearing their first Holy Communion outfits. Catholic Certificate in Religious Studies (CCRS) The next diocesan Foundations in Faith course which incorporates the CCRS begins in September 2012. For further details please contact the administrator on 0113 261 8040 or evangelisation.admin@dioceseofleeds.org.uk Or download information from www.dioceseofleeds.org.uk/evangelisation - click on Foundations in Faith. Catechist Forum –, November 17 –, Wheeler Hall All catechists are invited to this day of reflection, discussion, resources &, networking. 10:00am –, 2:30 pm at Wheeler Hall, St Anne’,s Cathedral. There is no charge for this event but please bring a packed lunch. Advent Retreat Day –, LTUC, Chaplaincy, Saturday 1st December There will be an Advent Retreat Day for anyone interested in the Chaplaincy at Leeds Trinity University College from 10:00 –, 4:00. More details to follow. WHO TO CONTACT AT HINSLEY HALL There are many courses and events organised by the Office for Evangelisation and Catechesis throughout the year which help to support formation in faith and training for catechists, leaders of Children’,s Liturgy of the Word and other parish ministries. Check this page in future editions and also the website: www.dioceseofleeds.org.uk/evangelisation - see Forthcoming Events. For further information or booking please contact Linda Pennington on 0113 261 8043 or linda.pennington@dioceseofleeds.org.uk Los Angeles comes to Keighley L os Angeles arrived in Keighley for the day when members of Holy Family 6th Form awarded their Oscars for the year. Head of Sixth Form, Sally Layas explained, “,Social activities for the Sixth Form as a whole are already being disrupted with exam preparation and, before long, there will be a clear division between the older students taking final exams before leaving for university and the younger students who still have another year with us. Just to do something together we decided to hold our own Oscars to acknowledge the characters of this year –, the person most frequently seen in the Common Room (rather than at lessons!), most loved-up couple, best dressed, worst dressed. All sorts of silliness was singled out for an award.”, In the spirit of the Oscars some famous celebrities were persuaded to drop by (courtesy of David Meyrick and George Hainsworth) in order to announce the winners and present the Oscars. The Oscars Evening (held in the morning!) was hosted by Head Boy and Head Girl, Robert Goh and Chloe Nolan, in what will be the last public function of their office. Mrs Layas concluded, “,It is a bit of levity to wish ‘,Fare well’, to all those members of the Sixth Form who are now staring down the double-barrel of public examinations. We wish them all well.

Read in full

Page 6

Page 6 Leeds Catholic Post “,I should say that when I was Archbishop of Munich, I didn`t find perhaps more than three or four deacons, and I very much favoured this ministry because it seemed to me to belong to the richness of the sacramental ministry in the Church. At the same time, it can equally be the link between the lay world, the professional world, and the world of the priestly ministry - given that many deacons continue carrying out their professions and maintain their positions - important, or those of a simple life - while on Saturday and Sunday they work in the Church. In this way, (deacons) give witness in the world of today, as well as in the working world, of the presence of faith, of the sacramental ministry and the diaconal dimension of the sacrament of Orders. This seems very important to me: the visibility of the diaconal dimension.”, Some wisdom about the diaconate from the Holy Father. Visibility- “,Visible or invisible”, is a topic that can trouble deacons. Sometimes deacons feel that they are invisible –, ignored in the structures, events or liturgies of the church- and somehow this must be some sort of plot. Both priests and deacons can share such feelings- both usually happily working away, but now and again feeling- rightly or wrongly- the human need to be affirmed. Deacons may feel left out when there is no reference to them amongst other clerics and religious on Vocations Sunday, during the Easter season: we could do with another Sunday when we can pray and promote vocations to the diaconate- perhaps, for example, in the Christmas season near St Stephen’,s feast. But never fear- for those who feel “,invisible”,, an experienced deacon recently wrote “,the diaconate... has yet to break into the popular imagination of most Catholics. In ‘,church time’,, we’,ve only been ‘,back’, for a very short time. This is not due simply to numbers of deacons. The simple fact is that for about a millennium ‘,to be ordained’, meant ‘,to be a priest’,. You don’,t break that paradigm in the popular imagination in just a few decades. In a hundred years or so, this won’,t be a problem!”, Visibility takes time! Deacons Diary The importance of prayer A compilation of conversations often had when taking a group of Catholics to visit a (Muslim) Mosque. How many times a day do Muslims pray? Five times, we are all familiar with Muslim friends slipping away quietly at prayer time How many times do Christian pray each day? The answer for Catholics - surprisingly for many –, is seven times plus daily Mass. In the morning and the evening (Lauds and Vespers), during the morning, at noon and during the afternoon, at bedtime (Night Prayer) and during the night (Matins). The Lord’,s Prayer is prayed thrice daily –, at Morning and Evening Prayer and at Mass. Most Catholics will pray in the morning and in the evening but would not particularly join in the other prayer times, although some do. That is why we maintain priests. One of the priest’,s sacred tasks is to maintain the cycle of prayer. We consider prayer to be so important that we set aside people to maintain the continuous cycle of prayer on behalf of the community. Muslims also say that prayer is important, so important that everyone in the community must perform every prayer. The leader of the prayer is “,merely”, someone who can be relied upon to lead the prayer, but he is a leader among equals. Muslims do not maintain a separate priesthood with responsibilities on behalf of the community at large. Both communities are at one that prayer is important. The two responses to the prayer life of the community are very different, and there is a logic to each of them. By our membership of the Catholic Church we implicitly “,vote”, for the priesthood model without ever suggesting that the whole community model is wrong or invalid. Perhaps meditating on the whole-community model and its consequences will draw us into a more fervent personal prayer life. It won’,t make us Muslims but could make us better Catholics A personal afterthought: Catholics traditionally join our hands when at prayer. Many years ago I was discussing postures during prayer with a Muslim friend whose custom was to hold his hands out, palms upward when praying. He likened it to a child approaching its parent expecting sweets, holding out its hands to receive then safely. That was his way of approaching God in prayer, not wanting to drop a single portion of God’,s bounteousness. I know that conversation has affected my prayer life without ever altering the postures that I use at prayer. Vatican Invites Buddhists to Educate in Peace C hristians and Buddhists must share responsibility in educating the young for justice and peace, says the Vatican. This was affirmed in the annual Message to Buddhists for the Feast of Vesakh, issued in April by the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. The message was signed by Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran and Archbishop Pier Luigi Celata, respectively president and secretary of the council. Vesakh is the main Buddhist feast and commemorates the three fundamental moments in the life of Gautama Buddha. According to tradition, the historical Buddha was born, achieved enlightenment and passed away during the full moon of the month of May. Thus Vesakh is a mobile feast which this year falls on 5 and 6 May, while in China it is celebrated on the eighth day of the fourth month of the Chinese calendar, which this year corresponds to 28 April. On those days, Buddhists decorate their houses with flowers and perfume them with incense, visit local temples and listen to the teaching of the monks. This year`s message is entitled: ",Christians and Buddhists: Sharing Responsibility for Educating the Young Generation on Justice and Peace through Inter-religious Dialogue",. ",Today, more and more in classrooms all over the world, students belonging to various religions and beliefs sit side-by-side, learning with one another and from one another. This diversity gives rise to challenges and sparks deeper reflection on the need to educate young people to respect and understand the religious beliefs and practices of others, to grow in knowledge of their own, to advance together as responsible human beings and to be ready to join hands with those of other religions to resolve conflicts and to promote friendship, justice, peace and authentic human development,", the message noted. The statement says ",true education can support an openness to the transcendent as well as to those around us.", ",Where education is a reality there is an opportunity for dialogue, for inter- relatedness and for receptive listening to the other. In such an atmosphere, young people sense that they are appreciated for who they are and for what they are able to contribute, they learn how to grow in appreciation of their brothers and sisters whose beliefs and practices are different from their own. When that happens there will be joy in being persons of solidarity and compassion called to build a just and fraternal society giving thus hope for the future.", The full text in on the interfaith pages of the diocesan website A forum where people of faith discuss issues to raise with Leeds City Council. The meeting scheduled for May was postponed to allow time to widen representation. If you are in a Leeds parish –, Is your parish represented? Can you bring friends from other faiths with you? For more details contact lobsang.sherap@googlemail.com or secretary@concord-leeds.org.uk or David Gold, Religion or Belief Hub facilitator, LCC Equality &, Diversity team, david.gold@leeds.gov.uk May/June festivals May 27th First day of Shavuot (Jewish ) Shavuot, or Festival of Weeks, (a two-day festival), marks the time when the first harvest was taken to the Temple. Work is not permitted for the duration of the festival. May 29th Ascension of Baha`u`llah (Bahai) Anniversary of Baha`u`llah`s death in 892. June 16th Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev(Sikh, Nanakshahi calendar) Guru Arjan Dev was the fifth Sikh Guru and the first Sikh martyr. He also compiled the Sikh holy scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib, by collecting all of the past Gurus` writings into one book. If you have news to share please let us know via interfaith@dioceseofleeds.org.,uk Sunday 20th May Joint Wesak Celebration Triratna and Jamyang Buddhists join together in celebration of the Buddha’,s birthday. 31 St Paul ’,s Street LS1 2JG Everyone welcome. Tuesday 12th June Rites of Passage in the Sikh Traditions 7pm in Chapeltown Road Gurdwara LS7 4HZ Further details: secretary@concord-leeds.org.uk Sunday 3rd July The Big Lunch in Roundhay 12.30 for 1pm. Everyone is welcome to a Big Lunch ‘,street party’, in St Edmund’,s Church grounds, Lidgett Park Road LS8 1JN. Food contributions appreciated but not essential. For more information contact Jenny on 0113 266 4532 Monday 16th July Food, Feasts &, Fasting in Muslim Traditions 7.30pm in the Quaker Meeting House, Woodhouse Lane LS2 9DX Further details: secretary@concord-leeds.org.uk Forthcoming events Leeds Faith Hub INTERFAITH

Read in full

Page 7

J ust before the Easter holidays –, on Tuesday 27th April, St Joseph’,s School, Brighouse took part in the local church schools Choir of the Year competition. The choir is led by Mrs Pauline Bedford and Mrs Mary Hodges. They sang 2 pieces ‘,Love Sine a Light’, and ‘,Dona Nobis Pacem’,. When all the choirs had sung their pieces the 2 adjudicators withdrew to discuss the performances and come to a decision. St Joseph’,s School was judged to be the best and were awarded with the local church schools ‘,Choir of the Year’, trophy! Mary Hodges, Headteacher of the school said ‘,All the school is thrilled and the trophy will have pride of place in our cabinet!’, Leeds Catholic Post Page 7 Local Champions! Archbishop of Canterbury shares Taizé, experience T hirty school groups from England and Wales are visiting a French religious community in three months time This is a new initiative by the Taizé, Community, which for many years has welcomed young adults who want to spend a week living as part of the Community. This year, Taizé, has designated two weeks as UK School Weeks at the beginning of July. School and college groups including Year 10 - Year 13 students have been especially invited. Young volunteers from the community have spent six weeks in the autumn and winter visiting schools in the UK. At the request of the Community and in order to help school students prepare for their week at Taizé,, The Archbishop of Canterbury has made a video in which he thinks back to his first visit to Taizé, when he was a teenager. He remembers how easy it was to make friends, the silence during the community prayer ... and the adventure of pulling up a tent. Over 40 years later, young people visiting Taizé, today find their attention drawn to the same things, and their own impressions are linked in the same video. Classroom resources and the video are available to download at http://www.taize.fr/en_article 13844. html Contact There is information about the Taizé, School Weeks at: www.taize.fr/schools including information for teachers and group leaders. The response for 2012 has led to three further weeks being planned for 201 3, from 30 June -7 July, 7- 14 July and 14-21 July. Volunteers will again visit the UK in November 2012. To request a school visit (for years 10-13 only), contact UK Co- ordinator Jane Shields: jane@laloge.co.uk, or 01924 377921. For enquiries about Taizé, School Weeks, contact Brother Paolo: brpaolo@taize.fr Choir Celebrates Continuing Singing Success…, T he Year 5 and 6 members of St Walburga`s Catholic Primary School Choir, Shipley, once again managed to retain the Harry Haddock Shield following a very successful performance at The Robertshaw Festival on March 9th, seeing off some very tough competition from St Joseph’,s Catholic School, Bingley. The choir, under the direction of Mrs Fearnley and Mrs Straughton, have held this title every year since 2007 - with the exception of in 2011 when the competition was not held. The choir presented two contrasting songs. Firstly, they performed the ‘,Scooby Doo Song’, and were praised for their a cappella four part singing of this jazz number. To conclude, they sang ‘,No Wars Will Stop Us Singing’,, a haunting piece which professes the power of singing above everything. The adjudicator was delighted with the way the children made the audience pay attention to the lyrics through their diction and dynamics. Positive comments were also given for the discipline shown in watching their conductor as well as sustaining two part harmonies and blending well with one another. Mrs Fearnley and Mrs Straughton are very proud of the Choir, “,We are delighted with the children’,s performance and that they were able to show the high standards they have achieved. Choir sessions are run in the children’,s own time and they have given very freely of this to ensure this success.”,

Read in full

Page 8

Page 8 Leeds Catholic Post NEWS FROM LEEDS TRINITY UNIVERSITY COLLEGE Leeds Trinity achieves Investors in People Gold Award L eeds Trinity University College has been awarded the Investors in People Gold Award. This makes Leeds Trinity one of only 3% of Investors in People accredited organisations that hold the Gold Award. Investors in People is the UK`s leading people management standard and Leeds Trinity has been accredited since 2000. To achieve the Gold Award, Leeds Trinity had to fulfil 165 criteria in an assessment covering leadership and management, staff development, staff involvement and empowerment, and performance measurement. More than 40 members of Leeds Trinity staff, from a range of departments, took part in the assessment, resulting in Leeds Trinity fulfilling an amazing 178 criteria. Staff took part on a confidential basis, and their comments about Leeds Trinity included: “,You forget how good it is when you have been here for a while”, and “,I get a buzz from the students and being part of shaping their pathway to a job or further study”,. The assessor, Helen Burke, said: “,I am impressed by the way in which efforts are focused on improving the student experience and maximising the benefit people get from being at Leeds Trinity, whether staff or students. All these efforts appear to be very well integrated”,. The Gold Award was presented to Leeds Trinity’,s Principal, Professor Freda Bridge, on Wednesday 25 April by Helen Burke in the presence of Councillor Reverend Alan Taylor, Lord Mayor of Leeds, pictured left. Speaking about the award, Freda said: “,I’,m so delighted that Leeds Trinity has become one of only 3% of IiP accredited organisations to achieve the Gold Award. I’,m particularly proud of this achievement as it really shows how much we support and develop our staff. The assessment was carried out with a broad cross section of academic and support staff. We were also praised by the Assessor for the coherence built around our strategic plan, a plan which we developed in close consultation with staff. As such, I’,m really pleased that the award shows we are faithful to the catholic values embodied in the strategic plan - our desire to support and empower individuals.”, Key Figures to speak at New Evangelization Conference A n extraordinary range of top Catholic speakers will be sharing their views about the way forward for the Church in a ground-breaking conference at Leeds Trinity University College next month. The conference, which members of Leeds Diocese have an ideal opportunity to take part in, is being described as perhaps the most significant event in the Church in England and Wales since the 2010 Papal Visit. Entitled, “,Vatican II, Fifty Years On: The New Evangelization”,, the conference, which runs between 26th and 29th June, will consider how Catholics can experience personal renewal and transform our society. The man chosen by Pope Benedict to head up the new Pontifical Council for the New Evangelization, Archbishop Salvatore Fisichella, is one of the key speakers. Other speakers include Cardinal Francis George of Chicago, Cardinal Fernando Filoni, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, and leading theologians from abroad such as Professors Tracey Rowland from Melbourne University (author of “,Ratzinger’,s Theology”,), Susan Wood of Marquette University in the USA and Mathijs Lamberigts from Louvain University. Leeds Trinity Chaplain, Mgr Paul Grogan, said: “,Any Catholic interested in theology and who loves the Church is going to find this conference fascinating. It is aimed both at academics and at people on the ground. It will be both intellectually stimulating and spiritually uplifting. Our Holy Father has challenged us to evangelise Britain. This conference will help us to understand how we can go about that. Never before has Leeds Trinity attracted such important Catholic thinkers and practitioners.”, The conference runs from the evening of Tuesday 26th June to the morning of Friday 29th June. The costs are as follows: daily rate (Tuesday and the Wednesday): £,50, whole conference: £,275. There are also three evening public lectures which are free: Tuesday 26th, 7.30pm: Prof. Tracey Rowland, “,Christ Culture and the New Evangelisation in the Vision of Benedict XVI”,, Wednesday 27th, 7.30pm: “,Francis Cardinal George, “,The Ecclesiology of Communion: From External Jurisdiction to Internal Relationships”,, Thursday 28th, 6pm Mgr Paul Watson, Director of the Maryvale Institute: “,Vatican ll, the Catechism and the New Evangelization.”, The programme of the conference is available on the Leeds Trinity website: www.leedstrinity.ac.uk For further information, please contact Kathy Stenton, on k.stenton@leedstrinity.ac.uk or 0113 2837102. I n April, Leeds Trinity’,s Chaplaincy team and 20 students made a pilgrimage to Rome. Student Chris White shares his personal thoughts and reaction to the trip below: “,Rome –, a city that has commanded an empire, become the heart of a religion, and holds more history within it than its many pizzerias. As a second-year student at Leeds Trinity University College, I opted to join the Chaplaincy Pilgrimage to Rome this year –, a religious trip entirely organised through the efforts of the college’,s own Monsignor Grogan, and Dominica Richmond, the Chaplaincy Assistant. Only having been there for four days, it was the most intense and enjoyable trip I’,ve had the pleasure of accompanying. Amongst the visits were the Colosseum, a Passionist monastery with breath-taking views, St. Peter’,s Square and the Vatican, the Sistine Chapel, and the Venerable English College (for English seminarians in Rome). Each site has its own intriguing set of back- stories, and those of us on the trip benefitted from having an excellent (and free!) tour guide in Msgnr. Grogan. I found that being in such a place had a profound effect on my own faith –, walking into St. Peter’,s square to see Pope Benedict XVI, there is a true sense of community and being a family with strangers –, I was the 16,176th person to walk in that day, and was by no means near the end of the line. Add to that the diversity of languages spoken for the benefit of those present, uniting all under one banner. It was truly an eye-opening experience for me (a 20 year-old student) to realise just how many of the faithful there were, gathered in merely that space. I’,d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved in orchestrating the pilgrimage, and urge any Catholic, or those of other creeds, to visit Rome –, certainly not an opportunity to be missed! “, Christopher White Leeds Trinity pilgrimage to Rome Events at Leeds Trinity University College 25 May Catholic Partnership Day for teachers in Leeds Trinity part- nership Catholic schools. For more information contact Liz Cairns on 0113 283 7216 or email cpd@leedstrinity.ac.uk 28 May at 7.00pm The Leeds Centre for Victorian Studies Public Lecture ti- tled `Faust Comes to Leeds: Creative Destruction in the Victorian City` will be delivered by Peter Mandler, Professor of Modern Cultural History, University of Cambridge, on Monday 28 May. For more information contact Heather Jones on 0113 283 7100 or email h.jones@leedstrinity.ac.uk 26 –, 29 June ‘,Vatican II –, 50 Years on: The New Evangelization’,. For more information on this major theological conference to be hosted by Leeds Trinity, contact Kathy Stenton on 0113 283 7102. Please visit our website at www.leedstrinity.ac.uk for more details and a full events listing. Archbishop Fisichella

Read in full

Page 9

Leeds Catholic Post Page 9 Websites The National Office for Vocation: http://www.ukvocation.org This is a very user-friendly and colourful site which offers lots of opportunities for reflection about all the different vocations within the Church, namely lay single life, marriage, consecrated life, and ordained ministry. There is a comprehensive section on discernment resources, including a first class reading list, a varied set of appropriate prayers, the ground-breaking podcast which is operated by Oscott College students, entitled www.vocationcast.org, and a list of discernment groups and diocesan vocations directors. There are also a number of personal testimonies. The website provides details of forthcoming events and provides an interesting overview of practicalities concerned with the 2013 World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro. Book review by Celia Blackden Chiara Luce –, a life lived to the full, by Michele Zanzucchi, 2010 Available from the Vocations Office for £,6.00 including p&,p. Sixty short pages relate the amazing story of Ruggero and Maria Teresa Badano and their daughter Chiara Luce who died at the age of 19 in October 1990 and was beatified in September 2012. The book is divided simply into four chapters –, Beginnings gives a glimpse of Chiara’,s early life at home in Sassello, Italy, and some of her childhood experiences. Discovering an Ideal outlines what it meant to Chiara and her parents to meet the spirituality of the Focolare Movement and how Chiara Luce became part of the Gen, the young people of the Focolare. Chiara was very sporty and loved pop music, dancing and going out with her friends. She also had a lovely singing voice. However, in her teens she had quite a tough time at school and some tricky moments with her parents about when to come home at night. She spent a lot of time with the boys and girls of the Gen movement and wrote letters to Chiara Lubich the founder of Focolare which are a real window into her relationship with God. After a youth congress in 1985 she wrote: “,I have rediscovered the Gospel in a new light. ... Now I want to make this magnificent book the only aim in my life. I don’,t want to and I can’,t remain ignorant of such an extraordinary message. Just as for me it is easy to learn the alphabet, so must I learn to life the Gospel. I have rediscovered the expression: ‘,Give and it will be given to you’,. I must learn to have greater faith in Jesus, to believe in his immense love.”, The third Chapter tells of Chiara Luce’,s relationship with God through her illness –, bone cancer - and her race towards holiness in saying ‘,yes’, to God in everything. “,If you want it, I want it too”, she would say to Jesus. The final chapter The celebration outlines the developments after Chiara’,s death and how Livio Maritano opened the process of canonisation. He tells his own experience: “,In the conversations I had with her I saw a maturity much greater than that of most young people of her age. She had understood the essence of Christianity: God in the first place, Jesus, with whom she had a spontaneous relationship, Mary as a model, the centrality of love, the responsibility of proclaiming the Gospel, something that she did very effectively with her life. All this, tempered by the experience of suffering and death, not feared but welcomed, makes her whole story quite unique”,. Photograph of the Month Vocations Director Mgr Paul Grogan is pictured on a recent visit to Rome with the World Youth Day Cross in the San Lorenzo Youth Centre near St Peter’,s Basilica. On the left is one of our seminarians, Mark Homsey, who does pastoral work at the Centre and next to him is Hannah Zaffar, a youth worker in the Parish of Blessed John Henry Newman who is currently participating in a course with the Emmanuel School of Mission in Rome. On the right is Bernard Marusic, the Assistant Director of the Centre. Reflection “,In this trying time that our country is going through we Catholics and especially we students, have a serious duty to fulfill: our self-formation. [...] We ... must steel ourselves for the battle we shall certainly have to fight to fulfill our program and give our country, in the not too distant future, happier days and a morally healthy society, but to achieve this we need constant prayer to obtain from God that grace without which all our efforts are useless, organization and discipline to be ready for action at the right time, and finally, the sacrifice of our passion and of ourselves, because without that we cannot achieve our aim.”, Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, Turin, Italy, 1922 Source: http://www.bettnet.com/frassati/ (Pope Benedict commended Blessed Pier Giorgio as a model for young people during his 2012 World Youth Day Message in Rome). Invocation 2012 Plans are well under way for the third national discernment festival which is taking place on the weekend of 6th-8th July at Oscott College, Birmingham once more. A group from our diocese will be attending. The festival would be suitable for any young person over 16 who wishes to have the opportunity to reflect a little more deeply on how God is calling them to serve in his Church, whether as a layperson, in consecrated life or as a priest. The weekend comprises inspirational talks, workshops, beautiful liturgies, a night-time Blessed Sacrament Procession, and recreational time in the bar. For further details: www.invocation.org.uk. If you would like to travel with the diocesan group, please see below. The picture shows members of last year’,s group. Looking forward To book a place on any of these events please email Celia Blackden at the Vocations Office: celia.blackden@dioceseofleeds.org.uk Thursday 7th June: Men’,s Discernment Group. For men who wish to explore the possibility of the priesthood. 6.30pm: Holy Hour with the possibility of confession. 7.30pm: Mgr William Steele: Vatican II’,s Decree on Ecumenism. Meal afterwards. Sunday 1st July: Faith Walk to Egton Bridge near Whitby for the Postgate Rally. Depart Leeds Cathedral at 9am. Cost £,5. Friday 6th –, Sunday 8th July: Invocation 2012, a national discernment festival for young adults at Oscott College, Birmingham. A minibus will leave Leeds on the Friday afternoon. Cost £,65. Grants available from Vocations Office for students. Monday 9th July: Vocations Walk for young people up the Pic de Jer (Part of the Lourdes Pilgrimage) Tuesday 10th July: Vocations Walk for Young People to Bartres (Part of the Lourdes Pilgrimage) Vocations Preaching Mission Fr Grogan will be preaching at the following parishes in the coming weeks: SS Peter and Paul’,s, Yeadon (20th May), St Patrick’,s, Leeds (27th May), St Mary’,s, Knaresborough (10th June) VOCATIONS

Read in full

Page 10

Page 10 Leeds Catholic Post God’,s Love Comes To Perfection T he little church of St Wilfrid’,s, Ripon filled up quickly on the morning of Sunday April 22nd and there was much excitement in the air, the reason for it was not only was the Bishop coming to celebrate the Mass but everyone was all invited to a birthday party –, well to THE birthday party even though it was a day early. 150 years ago on Wednesday April 23rd 1862 Bishop Robert Cornthwaite, the Bishop of Beverley had performed the solemn opening of the Church. In fact he was only one of the four Bishops that were present on that day, as Bishop Roche pointed out in his opening words of welcome to the Mass. The Church was decorated with the new hanging banners for the day and extremely warm owing to its new heating system –, and would soon as the Parish Priest Canon Paul Moxon informed everyone have new seating as well. As, is to be expected, at St Wilfrid’,s there was a warm welcome from the ‘,welcomers’, for everyone as they came in along with greetings for old friends and delight at seeing people who did not normally come to the Sunday Morning mass but one of the other Masses –, however on this day they had come to be a part of the celebration. The music was provided by a cross section of adults and children along with the congregation –, all sharing in ‘,the moment’, - this moment of history as the Bishop pointed out in his homily…,.. ‘, That fulfilment was not to come about in an instant, although in one sense it did, but slowly as it unfolded through history –, as indeed is the gentle way that God’,s work also develops within us if we respond to his providential care of us at ‘,this moment’, in our history. God’,s grace, God’,s providence, is at work not in a building, but in a people, the flesh-and-blood-stones of the Church, the ones who, in the words of St John’,s letter today, ‘,keep his commandments’,, for it is in them that ‘,God’,s love comes to perfection’,. Personal holiness of life is the real challenge and key to Christian witness.’, At the end of the Mass Canon Paul thanked the Bishop joining the Parish on its day of celebration and invited everyone to share the ‘,cake’, with a cup of coffee. 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.

Read in full

Page 11

Leeds Catholic Post Page 11 ‘,Proud Of You’, T hese were some of the words used by Bishop Roche on the morning of Friday, May 4th in Leeds Cathedral when Children from 50 of the Diocesan schools gathered to present to the Bishop the money they had collected over Lent for Catholic Care. The task of devising the liturgy for the service and leading it was taken this year by St Philip’,s School Middleton Leeds. Their singing, dance and presentation was a credit to the school and much appreciated by all present. Having received the cheques from all the school the Bishop announced that the total handed to him on the Day was £,40,000 –, yet again more than the year before. He thanked them for being so generous and said that is what made him proud of them –, that they were doing it for others who did not have as much as them. He then went on to ask them to thing up even more ways of raising even more money next year –, because next year is special since it will be 150 years since Catholic Care had been set up in the Diocese.

Read in full

Page 12

W e have been overwhelmed by the action taken by parishes, schools and CAFOD campaigners. So far over 25,000 actions have been taken. The action cards, prayers and messages of hope will be presented to 10 Downing Street on 15th May by members of the Campaigns team and CAFOD supporters ahead of the G8 summit later that week. St Philip’,s Primary School in Myddelton walked to their local park carrying water and then held a water assembly with the focus being the prayers and messages they had written on the water droplets (see photos above and right). Amongst their many fundraising activities, the favourite was to pay 30p to vote for a member of staff to be ‘,gunked’,. Four members of staff paid an extra £,5 to do the gunking! Thanks to all our parishes and schools for your prayer, solidarity and campaigning efforts this Lent. We were delighted by the latest announcement that the UK government is to double its support for water and sanitation projects in the world’,s poorest countries. The fact that over 60 million people are expected to benefit from this investment by 2015 shows that this is an announcement of huge significance. This is a great reward for our efforts. But recognising that 783 million people are still without access to drinking water and 2.5 billion lack safe sanitation, it is more crucial than ever that other world leaders now raise their ambition and follow the UK’,s lead. In order to reach every one of the world’,s poorest communities, more and better targeted funding will be needed, and the UK cannot deliver this on its own. We therefore strongly support the UK government’,s calls for the rest of the international community to take similar action and scale up their support. Andrew Mitchell and David Cameron have thrown down the gauntlet and other Governments must follow their lead. Now you are in the campaigning spirit . . . why not make the Rio connection too! This summer, 20 years on from the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janiero, Brazil, government representatives will meet at a ‘,Rio+20’, summit to discuss sustainable development. What kind of future would you like to see? Business as usual or a greener, fairer world? Pay attention this June when world leaders meet at the Rio+20 summit to debate everything from renewable energy to deforestation, sustainability to urbanisation. Start of the campaign in early May CAFOD, as part of Stop Climate Chaos (SCC), will be asking MPs to sign the Rio pledge and urge the UK government to take a lead in getting governments across the world behind a vision for a global green and fair economy which benefits all. So please keep an eye on our website in the next few weeks: cafod.org.uk/rio Could you volunteer to lead on a lobby event in your constituency? You’,ll need to liaise with your MP to set a date and time, keep the SCC website updated with details of your event and coordinate with others who sign up to join in the lobby. You might also want to promote the event locally and involve the local media. We’,ll support you every step of the way SCC has just launched an online map with details of all the lobby events around the country. To find out what is being organised in your area, register your event or discover useful resources, please visit the SCC website at rio-connection.org Contact Margaret or Joanne at the Leeds Office for further details:- Email leeds@cafod.org.uk or telephone 0113 2759301 Page 12 Leeds Catholic Post Genesis Group at Holy Family, Carlton Lead the Way for CAFOD Marie Evans, Head of RE at the school told us, ‘,We really hit the ground running in Lent with our Thirst for Change Challenge and created some incredibly inspirational and thought-provoking opportunities. Our Genesis group led the way in Year 10 visiting and working with two primary schools on workshops covering Fairtrade and Climate Justice. Year 6 students at both St Mary`s in Selby and St Joseph`s in Goole thoroughly enjoyed the student led workshops. In two Family Masses in our local parishes at Selby and Goole, students addressed the congregation directly on the plight of those without clean water in response to the Lent Fast Day Challenge. Members of both congregations were impressed by their clarity and confidence! Students across the school have led the way with Fundraise Friday - with lots of fundraising initiatives including nail painting, cake stalls, car washing and raffles. The energy and enthusiasm knew no bounds and students were more than happy to part with their money for a treat and a good cause! This was echoed in March with a Non- Uniform Day coinciding with the Justice and Mercy Day. CAFOD representatives visited us and worked with us on a Year 9 Cross-Curricular Day, in part also delivered by Year 11 Genesis Group members and focusing on Climate Justice. Finally, this work was underpinned by our focus on the spiritual aspect of Lent and our role as Christians. Year 11 Genesis Group delivered meaningful Stations of the Cross on a lunch time, reflecting not only on Christ`s journey to the Calvary but the journey those make in the world every day for clean water. To reflect and reinforce this Year 7 rose to the challenge of a Gospel Readathon - growing in their understanding of the Gospel Values whilst also raising money for a good cause! The term ended with a very moving and poignant Liturgy entitled `Lights will guide you home,` and reiterating the inspiration behind our commitment to CAFOD.’, Many thanks to all concerned from the team at CAFOD Leeds. Parishes and Schools Thirst for Change this Lent Peace in Sudan and South Sudan- Plea for Prayer C AFOD has expressed grave concern over the deteriorating relationship in recent weeks between Sudan and South Sudan. We’,re calling on all our supporters to add their voices and prayers to the international calls for peace. Recent border skirmishes culminated in South Sudan occupying Heglig, an oil-rich border town. Under international pressure, South Sudan has withdrawn from Heglig. However the tension between the two countries has already affected the lives of millions of people living on both sides of the new border. South Sudan gained its independence on July 9th last year when the South decided to split from the North after a referendum held under the terms of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) which had been brokered by Britain, America and Norway, ending 22 years of civil war. Unresolved issues from the peace agreement However there are still unresolved issues from the CPA, including oil-sharing rights, border demarcation and the status of the disputed areas of Abyei, South Kordofan and the Blue Nile, where fighting has continued and humanitarian access to vulnerable communities caught up in the conflict remains severely restricted. We are calling for the protection of all civilians, including southerners living in the north and northerners living in the south, and those making the journey between the two countries. CAFOD is also calling for both governments to refrain from using inflammatory language that incites violence and puts their civilian populations at great risk. In Sudan’,s capital, Khartoum, CAFOD’,s church partners have reported the burning and ransacking of the Presbyterian Evangelical Church and complex. The Bishop of Khartoum - the Rt Revd Ezekiel Kondo said: “,Christians gathered in the compound to pray and to encourage one another over the incident. All the Christian denominations attended the prayer, but also Muslims, members of different political parties, women’,s groups and other neighbours. All the speakers condemned the incident.”, CAFOD’,s Director of Advocacy Neil Thorns said: “,We want to see the governments of Sudan and South Sudan, faith institutions, the United Nations and the international community working together to pull back from the brink of war and strengthen all moves towards peace. The international community must act urgently to promote peace between the two countries and prevent further conflict. This means following through on the commitments of the CPA and both parties returning immediately to the negotiating table. “,The peace agreement between the two countries, and their peaceful separation, was something for which CAFOD supporters across England and Wales worked and prayed fervently for more than two decades. Our supporters’, voices were among the loudest, calling for international action to secure and guarantee that peace. Now, at this dangerous moment, we must all pray again that the governments of Sudan and South Sudan turn away from the darkness of the past, and ensure the bright future for their peoples for which we have all worked so hard.’, Please pray with us, God of Mercies, we thank you for your great love for us all. We ask you to guide the leaders of Sudan in the process of nation building, and we pray that you might grant them and all your people your wisdom, compassion and fortitude. We give thanks for all who have worked hard for peace and we pray for all who have died during the long years of conflict. Unite us all in solidarity, people of every race and language, every tribe and community. God, bless the new nation of South Sudan and bless the Republic of Sudan, as they face the future, a future full of hope. We ask all this in Jesus’, name. Amen. (adapted from the novena approved by the Bishops of Sudan, Juba, May 2011)

Read in full

Page 13

Leeds Catholic Post Page 13 Leeds Diocesan Youth Service ‘,All who are thirsty, come!’, (Rev 22:17) Follow us atLeedsDYS. 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. Every Tuesday Refresh: Youth 2000 Prayer Group 6.30-7.30pm Leeds Cathedral Wednesday 23rd May REVELATION 7-9pm Cathedral Hall, Leeds Saturday 26th May Handmaids Prayer Group for Women 7pm St. Clare’,s Convent, Leeds Saturday 16th June Inter-Diocesan Football Tournament All Day Preston Leeds Diocesan Youth Service Calendar Revelation By Jemma Smith S earchlight@Walsingham is a brilliant Catholic youth festival with great music, inspiring speakers and a chance to spend some quality time camping in the middle of no where with friends new and old! Searchlight@Walsingham takes place over the August Bank Holiday weekend (23rd - 27th August 2012) and is for young people roughly aged 16 –, 35. For more information about the amazing Youth 2000 festival in Walsingham check out “,Seachlight@Walsingham with LDYS”, on Facebook or have a spy at www.youth2000.org. 5 reasons you should come to Live@Walsingham... 1. Camping fun! 2. It`s donation only, you pay what you can afford (recommended donation for young people and students £,50) 3. Walsingham is BEAUTIFUL 4. There`ll be a huge group from Leeds going! 5. God would LOVE to see you there for a bit of quality time! 1 reason why we want you to let us know if you`d like to come with us... We`ll help arrange transport for you to get there and a tent to share if you don`t have one of your own. Transport will probably cost about £,25 (return). Go on ... be brave ... take a risk ... come with us! For more info. about coming with the Leeds group email abcleedsdiocese@hotmail.com or call 0113 2618058 or send us a message on the event wall on Facebook. Searchlight@ Walsingham with LDYS The Little Yellow Book Over the next past months we have been using the new YouCat (Youth Catechism) to respond to the request of his Holy Father to `Study this Catechism! This my heart felt desire.` We have been looking at questions of faith and exploring many different parts of our faith using the little yellow book! ‘,The Joy of the Christian Vocation’, On Wednesday 25 April, after battling through the bad weather to get to the Cathedral Hall we arrived to what was a fun faith-filled evening. A talk was given by Mgr Paul Grogan on ‘,The Joy of the Christian Vocation’,, looking over what Pope Benedict said to young people at WYD 2012. The Pope said, “,God wants us to share in his own divine and eternal joy, and he helps us to see that the deepest meaning and value of our lives lie in being accepted, welcomed and loved by him. Whereas we sometimes find it hard to accept others, God offers us an unconditional acceptance which enables us to say: ‘,I am loved, I have a place in the world and in history, I am personally loved by God. If God accepts me and loves me and I am sure of this, then I know clearly and with certainty that it is a good thing that I am alive …, An encounter with Jesus always gives rise to immense inner joy.”, Vocation Role Models We explored together the nature of the lay vocation by looking at two extraordinary people, Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati (1901- 1925) and Blessed Chiara Badano (1971- 1990). The joys of our vocation were revealed to us in the words of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, “,You ask me if I am happy. How could I not be? As long as faith gives me strength, I am happy. A Catholic could not be other than happy... The goal for which we were created involves a path which has its thorns, but it is not a sad path. It is joy, even when it involves pain”,, And then two more extraordinary people, Fr Matthew Habron and Sr Catherine shared their testimonies of their vocation! The Next Revelation Revelation is an event for young people in the Diocese of Leeds in Years 9-13 Revelation is an opportunity for young people to get together to pray, explore the Catholic faith and meet together with other young Christians. The next Revelation will take place on 23rd May and then the final evening before the summer break will be on 20th June. For more information about what to expect in the upcoming Revelation evenings and for information about how to register for Revelation have a look at the Leeds Youth Service website: www.leedsyouth.org.uk or contact the Youth Office at: abcleedsdiocese@hotmail.com / 01132618058 Wednesday 20th June REVELATION 7-9pm Cathedral Hall, Leeds Friday 22nd June Lourdes Pre-Departure Mass Youth Section Leeds Trinity Saturday 23rd June Handmaids Prayer Group for Women 7pm St. Clare’,s Convent, Leeds Sunday 24th June Diocesan Corpus Christi Procession 2pm Hinsley Hall

Read in full

Page 14

Page 14 Leeds Catholic Post F or the past six years, St. Mary’,s School, Menston has worked in South Africa with Mnyakanya School developing a unique partnership which has used sport to promote education, health, global citizenship and leadership. The collaborative work of the two schools is known as the Bambisanani Partnership: ‘,Bambisanani’, being the Zulu word for working hand in hand. The partnership has gained international acclaim and recently, David Geldart, who started the partnership has written a book (Bambisanani: The First Five Years) which tells the story of the project to date. On Wednesday, 25 April, representatives from the seven local churches which St. Mary’,s serves were invited to the school to be presented with a copy of the book in recognition of their on-going support of the Bambisanani Partnership (St. John Fisher and Thomas More, Burley in Wharfedale, Our Lady and English Martyrs, Addingham, St. Mary’,s, Horsforth, Saint Peter and Paul, Yeadon, Sacred Heart of Jesus, Ilkley, Our Lady and All Saints, Otley and St. Joseph’,s, Pudsey). David Geldart gave a presentation about the partnership supported by students Freya Kew, Jamie Carter, Torquil Hall, Ciara Hanstock, Brogan O’,Connor and Alessandra Valle-Metaxas. Assistant Headteacher, David Geldart praised the work in the parishes and local schools for supporting the Bambisanani Partnership:- “,The project is about two communities working together and learning together. Our wider school community has been fantastic in helping us to achieve what we have done, I cannot thank them enough”,. St. Mary’,s Headteacher, Robert Pritchard also praised the local churches and schools for engaging with the partnership:- “,The Bambisanani Partnership is an outstanding initiative which is making a significant difference to all those concerned. The partnership truly reflects our values which encompasses our sense of community, whether it be local or international”,. Parishioners Presented with Bambisanani Book Gianna Project Celebrates its First Birthday Roddy Minogue Co-ordinator of Caring Services T he Gianna Project, Catholic Care (Diocese of Leeds) celebrated its first birthday in April 2012. One year ago, the Trustees of Catholic Care sanctioned the setting up of a new and exciting project to deliver care and support for women who are pregnant. The Gianna Project is essentially about responding to the needs of a unique individual at a challenging time in her life. The aim of the Gianna Project is to deliver practical help to individual women in a pregnancy situation, e.g. baby equipment / clothes, limited financial aid if necessary, counselling and support. The Gianna Project is open to women of all ages and backgrounds who find themselves worried or isolated when they become pregnant. Why the Gianna Project? For many years, the Trustees of Catholic Care (Diocese of Leeds) took a keen interest in the workings of the Cardinal Winning Project in Scotland. This Project aimed to help women who found themselves pregnant and who felt alone or isolated. After receiving information and help from the Winning Project, the Trustees of Catholic Care set up the Gianna Project in April 2011. The initial months of the Gianna Project were very low key but gradually over time, the work of the Project became known more and more throughout the Diocese of Leeds. A part-time worker was appointed in April 2011 and this work has been undertaken by Eileen Holland from Catholic Care who has made a tremendous contribution in developing and making known the work of the Gianna Project. What is the origin of the name? St. Gianna Beretta Molla is a Roman Catholic Saint, canonised on 16th May 2004 by His Holiness Pope John Paul II. Gianna was an Italian doctor, wife and loving mother, who experienced life threatening problems when she was pregnant with her fourth child. She gave birth to a healthy baby but Gianna sadly died seven days after the birth. St. Gianna is a Patron Saint of mothers, doctors and unborn children. Presently, the Project is going from strength to strength and Eileen Holland is currently working with 8 family units across West Yorkshire. Eileen is also opening up new areas of partnership working with other projects in West Yorkshire. Baby clothing and baby equipment, as well as donations are always very welcome and contact can be made with Eileen, Social Worker, at Catholic Care on 0113 3885400. Eileen’,s email address is eholland@catholic-care.org.uk and she would welcome contact from anyone who requires more information or who would like to help the Project in any way. Congratulations to the Gianna Project and happy birthday. New Mission Celebration S t. Joseph`s Primary School, Huddersfield have recently introduced a new Mission Statement, following meetings and discussions by staff and governors. The process was an opportunity to re- examine our role as educators of Catholic children and re-affirm our mission of preaching the Good News to everyone. To mark the new Mission Statement, a Mass was celebrated to coincide with the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker on 1st May. The church was packed with children, staff, governors and parents to celebrate this patronal feast, with children from Years Two to Six. Our parish priest, Fr Nicholas Hird, told the children that, having heard the creation story in the First Reading, when they look in the mirror they see not only themselves, but part of God Himself, who made us like Him. At the end of the Mass, Fr. Nicholas thanked the musicians, readers, servers and those who had brought up the offertory gifts. The celebrations continued after lunch with a balloon release on the playground, with one for each of our two hundred and eighty-three pupils.

Read in full

Page 15

Leeds Catholic Post Page 15 Classified Advertising MARRIAGE CARE Marriage isn’,t always easy —, Counselling can help For an appointment in confidence, with an understanding and experienced listener, please telephone: 0800 389 3801 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 Unbeaten Champions! S t. Mary`s Catholic Primary School , Horsforth, Under 11`s football team have won the Leeds Schools Football Association, West League –, Played 10 won 10! ‘,This was a fantastic achievement by our boys’, said the Deputy Head, team manager and coach, Phil Bowker. They are also in the semi –, final of two cups –, the league Cup and the Bishops Cup. St Mary’,s is only a one form entry school –, just 30 children in each class! Looking to advertise a company or an event –, why not advertise in the Leeds Catholic Post This space could be yours! We have good rates for adverts, reaching a local population of 15,000 Contact: Louise Ward, Catholic Post, Hinsley Hall, 62 Headingley Lane, Leeds LS6 2BX Tel: 0113 261 8028 louise.ward@ dioceseofleeds.org.uk Catenians Mark 30 Years of Work T o mark Sylvia Wright`s 30th year working with the sick and disabled in India, the two Leeds Catenian Circles adopted her work as their charity in 2011/12. Theo Pinto Fernandes, President of the City of Leeds Circle and Brian Barr, President of Leeds 3 Circle are seen here at Hinsley Hall presenting Sylvia with a cheque for £,1,300 to support her hospital, school for the hearing impaired, her day centres for disabled children and her recently opened Nursing College. They congratulated Sylvia on her vision, her determination, her ability to get things done and on her deep faith. Sylvia said she was touched and delighted and spoke about how much she had valued the support of the Leeds Diocese and the Catenians over so many years. As she often says to her supporters ",Without you I can do nothing",

Read in full

Page 16

Page 16 Leeds Catholic Post (H)OUR LEEDS There has always been a perception problem in Whitehall, Westminster and in the London centric national media when it comes to Leeds. The population size of Leeds, now nearly a million, is underestimated and there is a totally false historic memory. Not only does Leeds not merit a dot on the national weather maps it is still regarded as a political commentator reported recently as “,a declining textile town”,. True textiles dominated the Leeds economy from the Kirkstall monks to the mid 19th century but from then on it was engineering, printing and a wide range of new industries that kept Leeds growing. Leeds because of its diverse economy was shielded from the worst of the recessions. Leeds had an astonishing 10 % growth rate during the 1990s and is still growing at 3.3% today well above the national average. Never has it been dependent on one industry, mining or big firm. Nor is it “,public sector job dependent”, as was said recently. There are more young people working in the new “,creative and communication industries”, than as civil servants in Leeds. Leeds also tends to be spot on the national average for unemployment and wage rates. However this overall picture disguises a deeply dividing city in which the better off are generally doing better but the poor really are getting poorer. While the average family wage for the city as a whole is £,25, 5000 in places like inner city west Leeds and East End Park it is only £,13,500. For those living in poor, overcrowded and inappropriate housing there is a huge waiting list of over 26,000 for council housing. It is estimated that as a result of recent welfare benefit changes over 13,500 children in our city are now living in real poverty and the council’,s head of welfare and benefits says that this is rapidly worsening. Families without bank accounts or cheque cards desperate for money for short term emergencies such as replacing a fridge or a cooker are ending up in the hands of overcharging loan sharks who drive them deep into debt. A working family which may have two good salaries coming in and be on a mortgage can suddenly crash down the ladder into real difficulties if, as is increasing happens these days, both parents lose their jobs. St Vincent’,s Support Centre off York Rd in East Leeds (where over 80% of the population are officially classed as deprived) has been provided practical help and back up to people under pressure for some fifteen years. A place of access to affordable clothing and household goods, debt advice and personal counselling as well as educational support classes, effectively providing a lifeline to low income families on the edges of society who often do not know where to go for help. Each year over 14,000 call into the community shop, café, and services at St Vincent’,s. Over 400 people have got expert practical advice and help and money debts cancelled or rescheduled. Over 75 people receive expert free personal support counselling, including coping skills. Some 200 receive qualified training in basic literacy, numeracy and life skills as well as wider access to community, education and employment opportunities. Over 4000 parcels of food and basic essentials have been given to those in desperate immediate need .But the help goes way beyond handouts to root out the causes of poverty and enable individuals to move forward themselves. Many of those helped come back to provide some back up as volunteers and the personal stories captured on St Vincent’,s “,Hope and Opportunity”, DVD are a moving testament to the impact on lives of St Vincent’,s daily work. St Vincent’,s is transforming lives. But as Pope Benedict spelt out in his encyclical Deus Caritas Est “,Love needs to be organised if it is to be of real service to the community”, and that means organising people resource and budgets. Budget cuts are hitting the voluntary sector as well as public services. Most charities are increasing having to work hard to supplement their incomes to keep their work going and expand it in these difficult times of increasing need. St Vincent’,s is therefore launching an imaginative practical challenge of “,An Hour For Humanity in Leeds”,. It is a personal invitation to us to ask ourselves “,what could a single hour of your own earnings buy to help people in our city out of poverty?”, Can we personally contribute to reversing dividing Leeds today? Could I manage to donate an hour of my earnings a month to enhancing the vital work of St Vincent’,s? £,7 would provide an emergency food parcel for a family for one week. £,13 buys warm clothes and a blanket for a homeless person. £,24 provides toys for children whose families have none. £,109 ensures expert free counselling back up and helps rescheduling debts. An hour of the earnings of those of us in work and doing ok would give a real chance of break out through St Vincent’,s to some of those currently locked into poverty in our city of Leeds. It’,s worth asking how much an hour are we actually receiving, and if we are unsure it suggests that we may be able to contribute “,an hour of our worth “,to reverse the dividing into richer and poorer in our city. On 17th May “,An hour for Leeds”, will be publicly launched at midday at “,The Light”, in the city centre at a gathering of St Vincent’,s Centre users and supporters. All are welcome for this hour to sign up their hour and help us gather more commitments. A further launch will formally invite the corporate sector to join in the campaign. We can now personally contribute to bringing our dividing city back together through fostering the continuing work of St Vincent’,s. contact, wwwlocal giving.com/charity/stvincentsleeds or text SVSC followed by your £,contribution to 70070 John Battle KSG Disappearing Christians in the Holy Land O ver the past century, the Christian population in Israel, Jordan and Palestine has reduced from more than 17% to less than 1.5%. What events have caused Christians of the Middle East to flee their sacred land? And what can be done to support these marginalised communities? The 20th century was a time of much social and political turmoil for Israel and the Palestinian territories, as world leaders struggled to reach a compromise whereby Christian, Jewish and Muslim communities could peacefully and respectfully live side by side in the Holy Land. The failure to reach a workable compromise has come at an enormous cost to the local people: the reality of daily life in the Holy Land ranges from the inconvenient to the catastrophic, as the land divisions complicate every aspect of community life including access to healthcare, education, employment, security, freedom of movement, and of course there is sadly the ever-present threat of military attacks. In these circumstances, it is not surprising that we have seen an exodus of Christians from the Holy Land. However, as both the Archbishop of Westminster and the Archbishop of Canterbury have underlined, it is crucial that we take every opportunity to support the remaining Christian population: we must not allow them to be forgotten or marginalised and must encourage and support their growth and development. How can we as UK Christians support the Christian communities of the Middle East? Making a journey to the Holy Land to both experience the holy places and meet the local people is perhaps the single most important thing that Christians can do to express their solidarity. It is one thing to read about the plight of the local communities in newspapers, and to watch TV reports, but to really understand the complexity of life in the Holy Land it is essential to travel there, take the time to speak with the local people, and with an open mind gain an understanding of the multi-layered problems faced by the local communities. In response to these problems, the Catholic Diocese of East Anglia has been working to strengthen links between UK Christians and the Christian population of the Middle East for over a decade. This work has included twinning the diocese with the Catholic Diocese of Jerusalem, and in 2010 supporting the establishment of Palestine Pilgrimage, a Registered Charity based in Cambridgeshire and led by Fr Paul Maddison, which organises bespoke tours to the Holy Land throughout the year, and donates all surplus income to humanitarian projects in the Holy Land. Pilgrims inevitable return asking what they can do by way of support and Palestine Pilgrimage helps wherever it can to foster such solidarity. One pilgrimage resulted in a commitment to support the local Catholic school in the parish they visited in the Holy Land. Pilgrims spoke at Sunday Masses and the parish decided to raise £,2,000 for the next 10 years to provide scholarships for students whose families could not afford the fees of £,300 a year to send their children to the school. In another initiative where a pilgrim group visited a small village where there was a high level of unemployment the decision was taken, in consultation with the community in the Holy Land, to set up a small soap factory where the locally produced olive oil could be turned into soap and exported. Twelve families now have income through this work and the soap is exported to the UK, France, Italy and the USA. More successes for Law students at Notre Dame L ast month A-Level students from Notre Dame Catholic Sixth Form College took part in a mock trial with members of Parklane Plowden Law firm based in Leeds, giving these budding young lawyers, a taste of life as a barrister. In the first day’,s preparatory sessions, the students were split into groups and roles in the proceedings were assigned. The students shaped their submissions, cross- examinations and statements under the expert guidance of members of Parklane Plowden chambers. On the day of the trial the students were delighted to have former Head of Chambers Stuart Brown QC as the presiding judge. The students, Kyle Knights, Kieran Mitchell, Symeon Hunt ,Amir Patel, Amelia Johnson, Alice Pearson, Charlotte Mills, Chloe Sanderson and Laura Swift, described the two-day insight as “,exciting”,, and an “,amazing experience”, and all members of Plowden commented on the skill and ability shown by the students: The whole experience was organised and hosted by Walker Morris who for the last three years have given ten paid placements to Notre Dame students during the summer affording them great support and a generous start to their legal careers. HMP Leeds Chaplaincy –, Rededication to Service A n historic event recently took place in the life of HMP Leeds. Following extensive refurbishment, Wednesday 25th April saw the re-dedication of the prison’,s Multi-Faith Centre as a spiritual home for prisoners and staff alike. The Governor, Mr Paul Baker, welcomed dignitaries from diverse religious traditions, along with prison and chaplaincy staff, inmates and invited guests. Speaking about the importance of meeting the spiritual needs of prisoners, the Governor described the Multi-Faith Centre as the ‘,House of God’, in the prison. The Chaplaincy Team at HMP Leeds has representatives from all major religions and seeks to work collaboratively in ‘,walking beside people of any faith or none.’, The Catholic Chaplain, Sr Kathleen O’,Brien, is assisted by Sr Mary Bernard Potter and Mgr John Wilson. An important element of the re-dedication service was contributions from prisoners themselves who described the impact the Chaplaincy has made in their lives. One said the Chaplaincy has ‘,restored my faith’, and ‘,helped me break my addictive behaviour.’, Another said, ‘,Chaplaincy has been my rock for the past eight months…,always quick to act if invited.’, With readings, prayers, and song, the Multi-Faith Centre was dedicated afresh to the service of God. The ceremony concluded with an act of re-commissioning on the part of the chaplains and their respective religious leaders. Bishop Roche was represented by Mgr Wilson. Together, the members of the chaplaincy team committed themselves to serving HMP Leeds as they proclaimed: ‘,We look forward to years of teaching prisoners and staff about God’,s love for them. We pray for the softening of hardened hearts and for reconciliation where there is conflict. We pray that this day will mark a new beginning of healing, peace and co- operation.’, The buffet, shared afterwards by everyone present, was a fitting finale to this feast of faith.

Read in full

Page 17

Leeds Catholic Post Page 17 Receptive Ecumenism Far from the media spotlight, in a Hong Kong mission centre, the second session of ARCIC III, the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission, takes place from May 4th to 10th. Following on from the first, introductory, session in the Italian monastery of Bose last spring, participants are hoping to make substantial progress in their discussions on ‘,The Church as Communion, local and universal, and how to discern right ethical teaching’,. Under the able leadership of the co-chairs, Catholic Archbishop Bernard Longley of Birmingham and Anglican Archbishop David Moxon of New Zealand, the two teams are tackling a key question that is provoking tensions at the heart of both communities at the present time: namely how each local church, at regional or national level, relates to the authority of Canterbury or Rome. As the Catholic world this October marks the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council, the question of ‘,collegiality’, or the relationship of all the bishops of the world with the successor of St Peter continues to cause heated debate, just as it did half a century ago. In the Church of England a majority of dioceses have voted against the covenant drawn up as an attempt to forge a more formal structure of authority between the provinces of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The challenge of the ARCIC teams is to come up with some creative thinking, not just about the relationship between Anglicans and Catholics, but also about the process of self- examination that each partner must do to find a way through their own internal problems. One source they could well look to for inspiration is a recent international ecumenical encounter that took place in Assisi on the theme ‘,Where we dwell in common: pathways for dialogue in the 21st century.’, Drawing deeply on the creative spirit of Saints Francis and Clare, the four day meeting in mid-April brought together participants from 55 countries and a wide variety of Christian and other faith backgrounds who were asked to ‘,think outside the box’, of ecumenical and interfaith dialogue. While not ignoring the official dialogues that take place at local, national and international level, the aim of the encounter was to explore more innovative, grassroots initiatives that are gaining ground and bringing people of faith together to tackle the pressing problems of social injustice in the world today. One of the main organisers of the Assisi 2012 event, theology professor Gerard Mannion from the University of San Diego and director of its Centre for Catholic Thought and Culture, told me the aim was to create a place of encounter and conversation to generate a new energy for the cause of Christian unity. “,Ecumenism has gone through period of winter’,, he said, “,even if some people don’,t like to use that term, but since the 1980’,s things haven’,t been progressing so well. At the official level there is almost an industry of ecumenism which is often going around in circles or retreating into its own enclaves, yet Christianity demands we engage in dialogue because at the heart of our faith we have a God who is understood as a community of three persons and in the Gospel of John, it is Jesus himself who charges us to interact in that same relationship of love.”, In their own day, he stressed, “,Francis and Clare pushed the limits”, in their interactions with other people –, just think of Francis’, encounter with the Sultan of Egypt –, and similarly we seek “,to engage, rather than dominating or imposing our will on others”,. One particularly interesting feature of the Assisi encounter was the participation of experts in secular methods of conflict resolution and peace building. In countries around the world, politicians routinely employ different tracks of diplomacy in search of solutions to apparently intractable conflicts. ‘,Track one’, is the name given to official dialogues between governments or diplomatic delegations, while ‘,track two’, refers to more grassroots, and often behind-the- scenes, initiatives that forge friendships and help bring communities together to work on shared goals. Recently the term ‘,track one and a half’, diplomacy has been explored to help maximise the benefits of both worlds and Mannion is keen to develop a ‘,track one and a half ecumenism’,, enabling those who’,ve lived and worked in countries where Catholics or Christians make up a tiny minority to offer their practical experiences in bridging the gap between official negotiations and the daily dialogue of life. One participant at the Assisi 2012 meeting, Professor Paul Murray who heads the Centre for Catholic Studies at Durham University, is also on the Catholic team for the ARCIC talks. He’,s a pioneer of the so-called ‘,Receptive Ecumenism’, model, which urges each Church to look hard at its own difficulties or shortcomings to see what ideas it might receive or adapt from other Christian communities. “,The difficulties we have now are going to require changes on the part of all the traditions,”, he told me, “,as we explore different models of decision making and how we understand what it means to be Church. He’,s optimistic that Receptive Ecumenism can offer a path to “,conversion of heart”, of both individuals and institutions –, a way of “,taking us to new places where change becomes possible”, and where the pursuit of Christian unity is rightly seen, not as a way of “,taking away the particularity of our traditions but rather of enhancing it”,. Philippa M Hitchen Our Rome Correspondent I n March, students from the classical Civilisation department at Notre Dame Catholic 6th Form College took second prize in the Leeds University Classical Reading Competition. The students, Eleanor Pratt, Emma Raworth, Lois Davies and Jenny Gilling all used their knowledge and understanding of Greek Drama to create an exciting dramatic interpretation of the messenger speech from Euripides` Medea episode. In the speech, the messenger warns Medea to escape the city as soon as possible. When Medea asks him why, he responds by revealing that she has been identified as the murderer of Creon and Glauce, whose deaths have just taken place inside the palace.To the incomprehension of the messenger, Medea accepts the news with composed satisfaction and asks for the details of their deaths. Dwelling on the gruesome specifics, the messenger recreates the scene of the murder. Notre Dame students have a long history of success in this competition often walking away with the highest honours. Angela Yates, head of Classics at the college said “,Once again Notre Dame students have shown their commitment and enthusiasm for Classics. We are very proud of their achievement”,", Classics Students win Prize Y orkshire GAA Development continues to go from strength to strength and more schools than ever are now involved in our development and coaching programmes. Our programme of events for Spring/Summer 2012 includes school activities, development blitzes, holiday camps and club competitions which we hold on a regular basis in the local area. Our development programmes also aim to provide a pathway for young people to be involved in enjoyable sporting activities and to have the chance to represent their county at local, national and international level. We will be holding our development blitzes for 6-14 year olds on Saturdays at St Patrick’,s Primary School, Torre Road, Leeds, LS9 7QL on the following dates, Saturday 16th June Saturday 14th July Children will have the opportunity to receive high quality coaching and take part in enjoyable small sided games. These blitzes are also open to anyone who is new to Gaelic Games and would like to come along and have a go. All of the above will run from 10am-12pm and children will require normal playing kit, boots and waterproof wear. Children should also bring refreshments with them. We are also running our U14 development squad programme on Monday evenings at Leeds Irish centre from 7.00-8.30pm and the team will this year be competing in the annual Feile to be held in County Laois in June. All our activities are led by CRB checked and qualified volunteers and we hold our own public liability insurance. If you would like more information on our activities, please get in touch with Andrew Kitterick Community Development –, Yorkshire GAA andrew.kitterick.cda.yorkshire@gaa.ie 0787260083 Yorkshire GAA Development A ‘,carer’, is someone who, without pay, looks after a family member, partner or friend who is unable to manage alone because of illness, disability, age or frailty. Carers live in my street and yours, they live in my parish and in yours. They are young, old and middle-aged, they are male and female. Caring is widespread. At some time in our lives, more than half of us will take on the role of carer, perhaps for a short time when someone comes out of hospital, or maybe for the rest of our lives. There is no job description but we are likely to find that caring is physically and emotionally demanding and satisfying. It uncovers qualities that we never knew we had and helps us develop new ways of looking at life. But poor health, poverty and social isolation are associated with being a long-term carer and people who are caring deserve our respect and need support . So what sources of help are available to carers and is there a role for the parish and the wider Church in supporting them? The way in for carers to get support is to recognise themselves as carers. Many do not think of themselves as carers: they see themselves in a continuing relationship with someone they love, through looking after them.It can be difficult to acknowledge the change in a relationship especially when people are looking after their parents or their spouse: from being the child to being the one who looks after, and from being companions to taking on the other person’,s role as well as giving care. Carers’, lives are easier when the person whom they look after, gets the help that he or she needs. GPs are likely to be involved in looking after the person who needs care and will want to support the person who provides the care so carers need to tell their GP about their situation. They can be real allies and a source of good support. Local authority Social Services Departments are responsible for ensuring that help is available to the person cared for, and also to the person who gives the care. A person who needs help with everyday living is entitled to a ‘,community care’, assessment to decide on the amount and kind of help needed, for example to get dressed or to have a bath. The person’,s carer is also entitled to an assessment of their needs to enable them to continue to care safely. If the risks to the carer are critical, then the Council must act to provide help, for example, by providing a break for the carer. Money is often a problem for people with poor health and for those who look after them. There are some Welfare Benefits available to help with the costs of disability. Carers UK provide support and information services to carers based on the experience of carers themselves. They are a national voice for carers and will put carers in touch with local branches and sources of help. Is there a role for the parish in supporting its members (and maybe others) who are carers? Many parishes have the St Vincent de Paul Society and the Union of Catholic Mothers who are active in responding to those in need in the parish and they can be contacted through the parish. A further step is to make sure that those who provide care are prayed for by the worshipping community. Carers need stamina, humour, hope and patience in their role and they need our recognition and prayers, perhaps alongside prayers for the sick of the parish each Sunday and at special times such as Carers’, Week (this year 17- 23 June 2012). Carers and those they care for deserve maximum religious and spiritual support from their Church. Those who are care-givers may also appreciate social visits and offers of practical help. Many carers (and consequently the person they care for) become isolated when it becomes too difficult to get out of the house to keep up with friends and interests. Visitors can provide a listening ear, news of the outside world and a connection with others. When people can no longer get to Mass, they may ‘,disappear’, off the parish radar unless other parish members are aware of their situation and keep in touch through visits and phone calls. Practical help could include sitting for someone while the carer gets a break, shopping or cooking occasional meals, or driving to appointments or taking someone for a walk in the park. Obviously people who are friends will keep in touch. People who are visiting formally on behalf of the parish or parish organisations must have gone through proper safeguarding checks before they visit. Growing Old Grace-fully has organised (and will continue to organise) occasional ‘,quiet time for carers’, in different parts of the diocese. These half-day sessions provide a space for prayer, sharing and reflection. Carers tell us that they appreciate having their caring role acknowledged, as well as the opportunity to talk to others in a similar situation and to reflect together on their work of caring in a spiritual context. If you are a carer or have been a carer and have ideas about what would help you, or you are a member of a parish that wants to think more about carers, please get in touch with Growing Old Grace-fully, cath.mahoney@dioceseofleeds.org.uk, 07739975019 For information for carers: Carersuk.org, Helpline: 0808 808 7777 Carers Direct NHS, Helpline: 0808 802 0202 Alzheimers.org.uk, Helpline: 0845 300 0336 How can parishes look after our ‘,carers’,?

Read in full

Page 18

Page 18 Leeds Catholic Post First Friday of the Month SINGLE CATHOLICS (appeals mostly to over 35s) meet for mass at 7.30pm at Our Lady of Lourdes church, 130 Cardigan Rd, Headingley, Leeds LS6 3BJ, and a social afterwards. Events held during the month include walks, meals, cinema, theatre etc. For further details tel Sean (Chair) 07811 468939. 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). Days Of Renewal St. Wilfid`s Deanery Day of Renewal led by Fr. Stephen Wright OSB. Second Saturday of the month beginning Sat. March 10th from 12 noon to 4pm. Venue St. Aelred`s Church hall, Woodlands Drive, Harrogate. Please bring a contribution for a shared table lunch. For more information ring Dolores Omand 01423870789 or visit the Diocesan web site www.ccrleeds.org Diary A few moments for thought and prayer ",O Holy Spirit, renew your wonders in this our day, as by a new Pentecost,", Blessed John XXIII Second Vatican Council, 1962 Be Still Deadline: For receipt of material for next edition: June 1st 2012 Parishes receive their copies: 17th June 2012 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 11th Please note paid-for advertising is dealt with by: Louise Ward Hinsley Hall, 62 Headingley Lane, Leeds LS6 2BX Telephone: 0113 261 8028 Email: louise.ward@dioceseofleeds.org.uk Your Cath Post Wednesday 23 May 10.30am VGs’, Meeting, Bishop’,s House, 6.30pm Confirmation, St Anne’,s, Keighley Thursday 24 May 11am Meeting of Northern Bishops, Hinsley Hall, 6.30pm Confirmation, St Mary’,s Halifax Friday 25 May 6pm Confirmation, St John’,s, Normanton, 7.30pm Confirmation, SS Peter &, Paul, Wakefield Saturday 26 May 6pm Mass for those received into the Catholic Church at Easter, Leeds Cathedral Tuesday 29 May 6.30pm Confirmation, Corpus Christ, Leeds Wednesday 30 May 10am St Bede’,s Trustees’, Meeting, St Bede’,s School, Bradford, 6pm Confirmation, St Winefride’,s, Bradford, 7.30pm Confirmation, St Winefride’,s, Bradford Thursday 31 May 10.30am VGs’, Meeting, Bishop’,s House, 6.30pm Confirmation, St Mary’,s, Selby Friday 1 June 6pm Confirmation, St Robert’,s, Harrogate 7.30pm Confirmation, St Joseph’,s, Wetherby Thursday 7 June 10.30am VGs’, Meeting, Bishop’,s House Friday 8 June 11am Chapter Meeting, Leeds Cathedral Sunday 10 to Sunday 17 June Eucharistic Congress, Dublin Friday 22 June 10.30am Meeting with Diocesan Finance Board &, Trustee Directors, Hinsley Hall, 2pm VGs’, Meeting, Bishop’,s House Sunday 24 June 2pm Corpus Christi Procession, Mount St Joseph’,s, Leeds Tuesday 26 to Thursday 28 June Theology Symposium, Leeds Trinity University College, Horsfoth Friday 29 June 10am Governors’, Meeting, Leeds Trinity University College, Horsforth Bishops Engagements –, May/June 2012 THE BISHOP OF LEEDS Pastoral Letter Fourth Sunday of Easter 2012 My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, Today the Church invites us to reflect on Jesus as the Good Shepherd –, the One who lays down his life for his sheep. It is wonderful to think that although Jesus is God, he still needs us to help him to make present the work of the Good Shepherd who cares so tenderly for his sheep and goes out of his way to rescue them. The Lord’,s need for us is one of the mysteries of our faith and one that Pope Benedict XVI, when he was with us in 2010, explored in his homilies. He told our young people at Hyde Park, for example, that Jesus “,needs”, families, teachers, and religious women and men who are contemplative or actively engaged in pastoral work. “,And he needs priests”, he told them, “,good and holy priests, men who are willing to lay down their lives for their sheep.”, In this diocese we are blessed in our homes, in our parishes and schools with wonderful young people who, when they discover that they are needed, flourish. It is a great joy to witness each year in Lourdes how very generous and loving they are. Without hesitation they roll up their sleeves, pushing the sick and infirm around in wheelchairs and helping in all sorts of ways and always with a most endearing cheerfulness. How wonderful to think that Jesus needs their energy and their generosity. What great blessings that brings to all of us. Today, is Vocations Sunday and I should like to say how much Jesus need priests to care for his flock. It is in the celebration of the Mass and sacraments that Christ, through the ministry of his priests, becomes present to us. Through their preaching, he encourages us. Through their pastoral work, he reaches out to us in a special way. They are there with us in times of joy and in times of sorrow. Like the Good Shepherd, the priest is called upon not only to know his flock, but to be known by them as a father and a brother. He is our privileged companion on our journey through life. We are all in need of his ministry and whether we are rich or poor, famous or not, it is the priest alone who brings to us God’,s healing and forgiveness. Although a priest is a human being, it is through the Sacrament of Holy Orders that he is called to be another Good Shepherd, another Christ among us. I know from my parish visitations, how much you value our priests as, indeed, they do you. The long tradition within our communities of mutual affection between priest and people is an aspect of our Church’,s life of which we are rightly proud. Some years ago on this Sunday, I asked you to pray each day for an increase of vocations in our diocese. It is a source of joy and encouragement, therefore, to know that we currently have 14 men from among us studying for the priesthood. I am convinced that many more young men are also being called to answer that same call to follow the example of the Good Shepherd and to become our priests. Your prayers will help them to respond generously in the same way that others have done before. I thank you for your commitment to begging the Lord of the harvest to send more labourers to care for us as his priests. Praying for vocations is so very, very important and, indeed, a duty for each of us. The Lord is moved by our prayers. While asking you to pray for an increase of vocations in all of our parishes, I also need to ask you to be generous in giving to today’,s collection for the Priests’, Training Fund. Since we now have more seminarians for the diocese the cost of training them has obviously increased. Our young men have shown themselves to be generous as they prepare to lay down their lives for us as priests. I know that you too will be similarly generous in helping them by your prayers and your sacrifices to assist in their training and in the encouragement of others to follow in their footsteps. With the assurance of my own prayers for each of you and with my blessing, yours devotedly in Christ, + Arthur Roche Bishop of Leeds Catholic Schools in academy proposal Angela Cox, Principle Officer For Education The Diocese has given conditional approval for eight Catholic schools in the Wakefield and Leeds area to consider in more depth whether to become academies from September. The proposal is that six primary schools, St Ignatius, Ossett, Sacred Heart, Hemsworth, St John the Baptist, Normanton, St Joseph’,s s at Castleford and Pontefract and St Benedict’,s in Garforth along with two high schools, St Wilfrid’,s and St Thomas a Becket will come together as eight academies under a single trust. Other Catholic schools in the area may join them at a later date. The schools are currently consulting jointly on the proposal with the consultation process running until the end of May. Details are available on the website http://www.dolcmat1.org/ The schools have worked together for several terms to plan how they would take the proposal forward. Key to this has been the writing of a mission statement that extends to the principles which will guide their Catholic multi academy trust. The schools are and will remain distinctively Catholic schools serving Catholic children, especially the children of the local parishes. Much will superficially remain the same. Each academy will retain its individual identity and to many parents little will seem different. Most of our children already attend the ‘,nearest’, school. It is is recognised that the success of the academy trust is to ensure that the `distinctiveness` of Catholic education continues. However, the conversion to academy status will allow the schools to meet the needs of their pupils more effectively as well as providing further development opportunities for all staff Proposed Mission Statement for Wakefield Area Catholic Multi Academy Trust With Jesus Christ at the centre of the life of the Trust, we seek to provide learning communities offering the highest possible standards of education. We are committed to working in partnership and trust for the common good. We strive to encourage and empower children and young people to recognise and realise their God-given potential and to discern their vocation in life. As learning communities inspired by faith, we celebrate achievement, offering each other challenge and support, as together we follow Christ in self-giving love and service.

Read in full

Page 19

Leeds Catholic Post Page 19 F r Hugh Curristan was born on 20th May 1925 in Co Donegal, Ireland. He studied for the priesthood at All Hallows College, Dublin where he was ordained for the Leeds diocese on 17th June 1951. After ordination Bishop Heenan appointed him to the parish of Christ the King, Bramley as assistant to Fr Michael Magner. From 1954-55 he was on the staff of Leeds Cathedral and then became a curate at St Joseph’,s, Moorthorpe. In 1960 he moved to St Mary’,s, Batley. In 1963 Fr Curristan joined the Leeds Diocesan Mission in Peru, recently established by Bishop Dwyer, where he remained until 1969. He was appointed to a new parish, dedicated to the Most Holy Redeemer, in one of the shanty towns of the capital Lima and it was four years before he was able to acquire the land necessary to build a new church for the local people. His eventual legacy there was a thriving Catholic community During his last year in Peru the parish was visited by Bishop Wheeler who commended Fr Curristan and the other priests for ‘,living the life of the people and espousing their cause’, which had ‘,given them new hope’,. They had, he said, shown considerable leadership in helping the people to better their conditions and in establishing a new vision of ‘,a Church which serves the people as well as serving God’,. This was a constant theme in Fr Curristan’,s career wherever he served, as he always had a particular ministry to the poor and homeless. When he returned to the diocese in September 1969 Fr Curristan became the parish priest of St Columba’,s, Halifax. Two years later Bishop Wheeler asked him to take charge of English Martyrs parish in York. He was to remain there for the next thirty years until his retirement in 2001. In 1982 English Martyrs was one of two York parishes which were transferred to the Diocese of Middlesbrough and thereafter he was a priest of Leeds’, sister diocese. In the same year the parish marked its centenary and the golden jubilee of the church and Fr Curristan led the celebrations, which took place shortly before the visit of Pope John Paul II to York. During his years in the city Fr Curristan served as chaplain to four Lord Mayors and took a leading role in the staging of the York Mystery Plays, in general he did much to raise the profile of the Catholic Church in the City of York. Fr Curristan was well-known as an accomplished musician and entertainer. Indeed, but for his calling to the priesthood, it is possible if not probable that he would have pursued such a career in his native Ireland. As it was, in both Leeds and Middlesbrough he was always generous in giving his time and talents in aid of charitable causes. Together with several other clergy he performed in what became known as the Holy Road Show, raising funds for CAFOD in particular. By the time of his diamond jubilee in 2011 Fr Curristan had returned to live in Ireland and to mark the occasion he received a special visit from Bishop Terry Drainey of Middlesbrough. He died in Letterkenny on 27th March 2012 and his funeral took place two days later at St Agatha’,s Church, Clar. The Requiem Mass was celebrated by Bishop Drainey and Bishop Roche was represented by Canon John Nunan. Fr Curristan will be remembered as man of joyful faith, good humour and kind hospitality, whose character and ministry brought light into the lives of the individuals and communities he served for half a century. May he rest in peace. Rev Hugh Curristan C anon Martin Forde was born on 29th October 1941.He was the eldest of five brothers from a farming family in Kilcornan near Clarenbridge in County Galway. He studied for the priesthood at St Patrick’,s College in Carlow and was ordained for the Leeds diocese at Carlow Cathedral on 8th June 1968. From 1968 until 1984 he was assistant priest at a number of parishes in the diocese –, the Sacred Heart, Goldthorpe (1968-72), St Theresa’,s, Leeds (1975-79) and St Anne’,s Cathedral (1972-75 and 1979-84). He later recalled that his arrival in a South Yorkshire parish (before the creation of the Diocese of Hallam) was something of a culture shock, coming as he did from the rural west of Ireland. But he found Goldthorpe people friendly and got to know a number of mining families who also had Irish roots. In later life he said that he contemplated retiring to Ireland eventually but he also felt that having lived in England for so long he had become more attuned to the Church in this country than in present- day Ireland. In 1984 Bishop Wheeler appointed Fr Forde as Parish Priest of the Holy Spirit, Stanningley. His reputation as an able administrator in part explains his next appointment, under Bishop Konstant in 1986, to St Patrick’,s, Huddersfield, one of the biggest parishes in the diocese. For the next fourteen years Fr Forde served this historic parish with great care, devotion and humility. He is still remembered there, as elsewhere, for his characteristically brief, yet thoughtful and powerful sermons. He returned to Leeds in 2000 as the Parish Priest of the Immaculate Heart at Moortown and then moved to Saints Peter and Paul, Yeadon in 2006. He was appointed a member of the Cathedral Chapter by Bishop Roche in 2008. Canon Forde died in St James’,s Hospital, Leeds after a short illness on Sunday 22nd April 2012. His body was received into the church at Yeadon a week later when Mass was celebrated by Bishop Roche. The preacher was Mgr Donal Lucey, Canon Forde’,s classmate for seven years in the seminary at Carlow. His Funeral Mass, led by the Bishop, took place at Leeds Cathedral on Monday 30th April. On this occasion the homily was delivered by Fr James Leavy, who paid warm tribute to his friend, seeing in him all the qualities of the ‘,faithful servant’, of the People of God. Canon Forde’,s body was later taken to Ireland for burial in his home parish. Canon Forde will be mourned by his brother priests, very many of whom attended his funeral, and by the people of Yeadon and all his former parishioners. He was well-known as a very reserved and unassuming man, but for all that he was also recognised by clergy and laity alike as an extremely effective and successful pastor, and a sympathetic counsellor able to draw on the knowledge and wisdom acquired from his many years of experience as a priest. In all his parishes over that time he was held in great respect and affection by the people and the numbers who were present at his funeral rites were an eloquent testimony to that fact. Canon Martin Forde MARIAPOLIS 2012 23rd-27th July LEICESTER T he Mariapolis is an annual event organised by the Focolare Movement which works for unity. The Focolare draws its inspiration from Christ’,s prayer “,May they all be one”, (Jn 17:21). The UK Mariapolis this year will be held at the University of Leicester and is one of many taking place in every corner of the globe. If you are looking for a different kind of experience this summer, something that is not simply a holiday, retreat or conference, then the Mariapolis is the perfect event for you. The Mariapolis is a temporary ‘,town’, where the message of love contained in the Gospel is transmitted through doing the great and small things of everyday life. It is a break with a difference, open to everyone, with talks, moments of reflection, outings, workshops and programmes for children. Further information can be obtained from the Focolare: focolareleeds@btinternet.com 0113 274 2908

Read in full

Page 20

Page 20 Supporters celebrate with Sylvia “,Without you I can do nothing”, O ver 400 supporters from many parts of the country gathered in St. Anne’,s Cathedral Leeds on Sunday 22 April to celebrate and give thanks for Sylvia Wright’,s 30 years of dedicated service to poor, sick and disabled people in Tamil Nadu, Southern India. The Lord Mayor of Leeds, Cllr Rev Alan Taylor, was welcomed by Mgr Philip Moger, Dean of the Cathedral, and he was joined by other distinguished guests, civic and church leaders as well as Sylvia herself who was on a short visit back to Leeds. The Service of Celebration &, Thanksgiving was the climax of several events, organised by the Sylvia Wright Trust, to mark Sylvia’,s achievements since she sold all her possessions, left her home and Holy Name Parish to travel alone to a remote and very poor part of India in 1982. Mgr Moger led the gathering prayer for the large congregation: “,We have come from many places for a little while. We have come on journeys of our own to a place where journeys meet. So here in this sacred place, let us take time together to give thanks to God for all that has been achieved by Sylvia and her supporters over the last 30 years. For when paths cross and friends gather there is much to celebrate.”, The Rt Rev David Konstant, Emeritus Bishop of Leeds reflected on his visits to Tiruvannamalai where Sylvia still works at the age of 74. He had noticed five important qualities which characterised Sylvia and her staff: generosity (“,time and smiles”,), cheerfulness (“,the Lord is a cheerful giver”,), energy (“,a genuine enthusiasm for what we are doing”,), compassion (“,a trouble shared is a trouble halved”,), foolishness (“,being a fool for Christ’,s sake”,). His tribute brought warm applause from the congregation. Prayers were introduced by Rev Dr Elizabeth Smith, Chair of Leeds Methodist District, who complimented the congregation on its excellent singing of “,Love Divine All Loves Excelling”, by Charles Wesley. Coloured candles brought up by pupils at supporting schools accompanied the prayers: for the hospital, the school for deaf children, the day centres for severely disabled children, the Nursing College, India and all Sylvia’,s supporters. A special rainbow candle was lit during the prayer for Sylvia. Sylvia Wright’,s words “,Without you I can do nothing”, set the theme of the service. She insisted that she was “,just a very ordinary person”, and was sorry to disappoint those expecting something special. The Word of the Lord had “,filled my mind”,. There was something deep inside everybody. She went on: “,If God had interviewed me I would not have got the job!”, Rev Kevin Watson, The Moderator URC Yorkshire Province, who led the Our Father, said: “,Sylvia, we are not disappointed by you –, we are inspired!”, The Cathedral Choir directed by Benjamin Saunders sang music of the highest quality, this included pieces by Duruflé,, Handel and Palestrina as well as the beautiful version of The Beatitudes by Arvo Pä,rt. Benjamin had heard Sylvia’,s choice of music in her ‘,One on One’, interview with Liz Green on BBC Radio Leeds on 19 April and, imaginatively, played powerful extracts from Verdi’,s Aida and Dvoř,á,k’,s New World Symphony on the organ before and after the service. Tony Allinson, Chairman of the Sylvia Wright Trust, thanked everybody involved in the service and said it was good to see so many churches participating. “,We try to be as ecumenical here as Sylvia is in India”,. A representative of the Leeds Hindu Temple thanked Sylvia for her devoted care for the people of Tamil Nadu and invited everybody to offer each other an Indian sign of peace. The Blessing was given by Rev Canon Tony Bundock, Rector of Leeds, before the rousing final hymn “,Now Thank We All Our God”,. Tea, cakes and samosas in the Wheeler Hall enabled a large number to enjoy an excellent social gathering afterwards. Eileen Price, a member of the Essex Group who had travelled up for the service, said: “,The whole day surpassed all our expectations and endorsed our view that Sylvia is an exceptional person.”, A recording of Sylvia’,s inspiring ‘,One on One’, interview with Liz Green on BBC Radio Leeds can be heard on the Trust’,s website: www.sylviawright.org which also has much more information, news and photographs.

Read in full

Find your local Catholic Historical Church newspaper. Scroll to find yours.