CATHOLIC POST THE NEWSPAPER FOR THE DIOCESE OF LEEDS SEPTEMBER 2012 www.dioceseofleeds.org.uk www.catholicpost.org.uk FREE The Feast of St Bernard celebrated in style at Fountains Abbey The annual Mass held in the grounds of Fountains Abbey was celebrated, this year, on the Feast of St Bernard, Monday 20th August. Almost 600 people attended from across the diocese but also from parishes in Newcastle and Nottingham. The Prior of Ampleforth Abbey Very Rev Terrence Richardson OSB was the principal celebrant aided by priests from Harrogate, Newcastle and Nottingham. Lady Deirdre Curteis began the Liturgy of the Word which was followed by the choir of St Joseph`s parish leading the singing of the Responsorial Psalm. In his Homily the Prior reminded us of the great service of St Bernard and St Benedict not only to the Christian Church but to civilisation as a whole especially in the fields of education and the arts and ensuring the general well-being of people. The key to which is to keep spiritual and mundane aspects of life balanced in order to lead a good and perfect life - the perfect example of this comes of course from Our Lord Jesus Christ. Mrs Barbara Stitt read the prayers of the Faithful and led the intercession of Our Blessed Lady in St Bernard`s words. At the end of Mass Mr John Tweddle, Catholic Lay Representative of the Fountains Abbey Chaplaincy thanked everyone who had taken part and in particular thanked the National Trust for their help and support. He invited everyone to stay for the rest of the afternoon and enjoy the wonderful grounds of Fountains Abbey including the beautifully restored Water Garden. Next year the Mass will be held on the Feast of St Benedict on 11th July at 12noon.

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Page 2 Leeds Catholic Post ",We trained very hard, but it seemed that every time we were beginning to form up into teams, we would be reorganized. I was to learn later in life that we tend to meet any new situation by reorganizing-it can be a wonderful method of creating the illusion of progress while creating confusion, inefficiency and demoralisation.", These words attributed to a Roman Army Officer are actually said to date from 1957, but were once de rigeur on the staff notice boards of long dead- and doubtless reorganised- polytechnics. Nowadays, we could look for this same protest note in hospitals and other health establishments, squeezed as they are between payments to the financiers of their posh new airport-style hospitals and government savings and cuts of around £,500m: with, of course, a big reorganisation to manage and finance as well- the Health and Social Care Act. Squeezed between all this are the actual recipients of episodes of care- or as we used to call them, patients. Some local trusts, like Mid- Yorkshire, are sounding the alarm bells: will essential services be concentrated in just one large town or city? Once, patients were promised choice, but it looks as if it is now just Hobsonʼ,s. So we have the prospect of losing the childrenʼ,s heart surgery centre in Leeds, causing much distress. It certainly seems odd that a Government committed to choice and excellence seems set on imposing excellence only where it wants: the strange socialist prospect of a command health economy. The politicians should listen to one real-life mother in this diocese, trying to plan a trip as far as Newcastle with a young child, and unable to book and fund cheap train tickets (to be eventually reimbursed, which is fine for the well-off) because these appointments are never definite, and so she must find the money to fund full-price, flexible tickets. Can patients not discern excellence and make their own choices, as they were promised? Why canʼ,t excellence be left to flourish where it will? Our new Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt needs- quickly- to give these questions some thought... The Post Says 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 The Year of Faith O n Sunday 16th October 2011 Pope Benedict XVI announced a YEAR OF FAITH for the whole Church to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the beginning of the Second Vatican Council and the 20th anniversary of the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The Year of Faith will begin on 11 October 2012 and continue until the Solemnity of Christ the King on 24 November 2013. Pope Benedict stated its purpose is `to give fresh impetus to the mission of the whole Church to lead human beings out of the wilderness in which they often find themselves to the place of life, friendship with Christ that gives us life in fullness.` ʻ,The door of faith is always open for us, ushering us into the life of communion with God and offering entry into his Churchʼ, writes Pope Benedict. And so, the YEAR of Faith is an invitation to everyone in the Church to celebrate and renew their faith - individually, in families, in parishes and schools, in our Diocese, country and across our global Catholic community. •, Desiring to respond to Pope Benedict`s call for `fresh impetus` in the Church`s mission, how might we celebrate this Year of Faith? •, As disciples of Jesus Christ, as members of his Church through our parish, school, home and diocesan communities how can we enter into this Year and bring it to life? •, How can we put our faith into action in the service of others? •, How can we grow in our faith understanding and as witnesses to the teaching of Christ and his Church? We are being called to GREATNESS in faith and service. What can we do? What will you do? For information, resources and ideas about how to celebrate the Year of Faith go to www.leedsyearoffaith.co.uk St Joseph’,s Catholic School Friends Turn Out To Greet Fr Paddy A packed church greeted Fr Patrick Waldron when he returned for his retirement presentation to St Joseph`s, Bishop Thornton. Until ill-health forced him to stand down, Fr Patrick, 81, had been the oldest active parish priest in the oldest parish in the Leeds diocese, dating from 1460. One of three priest brothers, he was born in County Mayo and ordained for the Diocese in Ireland in 1954. He served in seven parishes for almost 57 and a half years, beginning with St Joseph`s, Keighley, followed by Sacred Heart, Ilkley, St Joseph`s, Dinnington, St Joseph`s, Bradford, St Clare`s, Huddersfield, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Silsden and finally St Joseph`s, Bishop Thornton. Fr Patrick was thanked at the presentation for the warmth, kindness and good humour he had brought wherever he served. He is now living at St Joseph`s Nursing Home, Headingley. A presentation was also made to the Rev Dr John Berry, who has been caring for the parish since Fr Patrick`s retirement. Fr John was praised for his ",outstanding ability", in explaining the richness of Catholic teaching simply and vividly. Well-wishers of all ages crowded round to thank Fr Patrick at Bishop Thornton Picture: Grace Hobbs and Frances Hastings 50 years for Sr. Sylvia by Margaret Jackson St, Maryʼ,s Parish Selby 20 friends, parishioners and relatives from Selby travelled to Newcastle to join Sr. Sylvia (Swift) to celebrate her Golden Jubilee as a Sister of the Assumption. The date of the Jubilee was June 11th but the formal celebrations were of Mass with Sr. Sylvia renewing her vows on Saturday 16th June. A reception followed in the church hall at the parish of St. Anthony of Padua, in Walker, Newcastle. About 80 guests joined in the celebrations including a party of parishioners from Poplar, Isle of Dogs. Sr. Sylvia was formerly a pupil of St. Maryʼ,s R.C. Primary school, Selby, and then at the Bar Convent, York, followed by teacher training in London. Sylvia taught at St. Maryʼ,s Primary school for a few years before joining the Sisters of the Assumption, Richmond, Nth. Yorks. She has had many different positions throughout the years including, 8 years as Assistant Chaplain at St. Andrews University and 16 years in Poplar as Pastoral Assistant to the Parish Priest of St. Edmunds. Sr. Sylvia has been in Newcastle for 6 years with the Community of St. Aidan, where four Sisters and two De La Salle Brothers work in the community. Although the weather was dreadful, everyone enjoyed the day and was pleased to be able to support St. Sylvia on this lovely milestone in her journey. Relations and friends of Sr. Sylvia, (fourth from right) next to her brother Steven and her Bridesmaid of 50 years ago, Helen Scarcliffe, ( l right.) R ecently, Class 5/6, of St Josephʼ,s Catholic Primary School, from the small town of Goole, embarked on an exciting journey of cultural enrichment to the capital city, London. The visit was organised to celebrate the schoolʼ,s glowing OFSTED report. The trustworthy fundraising group, the JETS (Josephʼ,s Enterprising Team of Saints), part funded the trip to reward the children for all their hard work. While they were in London the children visited Parliament where they met and interviewed one of the most well-known and respected figures in education, minister and M.P: Nick Gibb. Another predominant reason for their voyage was to celebrate the recent academic achievement of this wonderful school, coming in the top fifty (out of 17,000) most improved schools in England. Nick Gibb was quick to comment on the schoolʼ,s meteoric rise in improvement and he praised pupils and staff and their attitude toward learning, saying “,The only way schools are going to improve is if they are more like St. Josephʼ,s”,. According to Nick Gibb, learning poetry off by heart, from the early age of five, will improve memory and writing skills, due to the fact that you learn words and phrases from authors. The pupils, at St Josephs, were also pointed out that learning times tables and languages are beneficial to their young minds, however, while Mr Gibb does see the importance of times tables, he is still certain that his poem policy and language learning technique will prove popular in schools around the country. The high achieving youngsters are now back in Goole. They are very grateful for their discussion with Mr Gibb. Connor Pearson, a year 6 pupil, commented, ʻ,Talking to Mr Gibb was very inspirational. We should also thank Andrew Percy, our local M.P, for suggesting the visit and Mrs Marten our Headteacher for arranging the meeting with Mr Gibbʼ,. By Holly Allen, Mollie Wilkinson, Bailey McNamara, Connor Pearson, Thomas Hairsine and Jessica Martin, Y6 pupils

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W hen the Council first broke out I was a young, dutiful, pious, obedient, enthusiastic ʻ,Nunʼ, - a Religious Sister in the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of St. Paul, Apostle. I was in my first teaching post having been sent to Coventry! I thought this was the way the rest of my life was going to be. There was great excitement amongst the Sisters on hearing Pope John XXIIIʼ,s call to ʻ,aggiornamentoʼ, which we understood to be a call to Renewal. It was a call to ʻ,Open the windows to let the Holy Spirit inʼ, and so to ʻ,Let in the light of day.ʼ, Once the Council was called we prayed the Council prayer daily in excited anticipation: ʻ,Holy Spirit, show once more your wonders in our day as on the day of Pentecostʼ, Little did we realise what the Holy Spirit had in mind for us! The Decree on the Renewal of Religious Life –, PERFECTAE CARITATIS –, promulgated by the Council was eagerly received. Religious Sisters, being prone to listen to the hierarchy and obeying implicitly, set to work. First of all we were told to go back and look at the life of Jesus and see if our own life matched the example he gave us. Secondly we were called to renew ourselves according to the original inspiration of the Foundress, in our case Genevieve Dupuis, and to recognise where we had strayed from her charism. This proved a very salutary exercise. There was much breast- beating when we realised how the Institution set up by our Foundress had a life of its own. For example, our Foundressʼ,s first sisters wore the ordinary Breton dress of country women of the 18th Century and which we had called a Holy Habit. We had little black Books of Constitutions which had been laid down for us women by a male hierarchy. These bore little relationship to the life of Apostolic women, living in small communities, working in parishes in mining villages, cotton towns and the slums of Birmingham, where the sisters worked, because those areas could not support a ʻ, properʼ, convent. The little black Book was quickly replaced by several rewrites. About five years ago our Congregation decided again to re-write our Constitutions. Every sister was engaged in a lengthy process of reflection and renewal before the final draft was sent to Rome. Our new Constitutions ʻ, Our Life In Christʼ, were formally approved last September 2011 Every sister, whatever her status within the Congregation, was involved in contributing to and carrying out the mandate of Perfectae Caritatis. Cardinal Suenenʼ,s Book: ʻ, The Nun in the Worldʼ, became a best seller as he suggested ways in which traditional styles of apostolic religious life could be modernised. Some of us took it so seriously that we returned to the ordinary dress of our time! In responding to the signs of our time we reviewed our ministries, in the light of which we let go of many established ministries and moved into new areas of ministry. As a result of other Council Documents, especially the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy (Sacrosanctum Concilium), The Dogmatic Constitution on the Church (Lumen Gentium) and the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation (Dei Verbum) the ʻ,People of Godʼ, were called on to participate more fully in the Liturgical Life of the Church. It was opening ways for the laity, particularly women to participate more fully in the richness of the Liturgies of the Church. The Mass, the Prayer of the Church, and the Sacraments were originally in Latin –, so praying in the vernacular was particularly appreciated. We took the Bible off the shelf and the Word of God became central in nourishing our spiritual lives. We gathered people in Prayer and Bible Study groups in their homes and parishes. Some Sisters took part in leading Retreats which had been the preserve of priests. Sisters who served in Parishes doing the linen, cleaning the church, arranging the flowers as well as visiting the housebound etc. were now called to participate more fully in the Liturgical and Spiritual Life of the Parish Community. Some parishes recognised that this was a necessary part of carrying out Vatican 11 and welcomed the Sistersʼ, support. It was most enriching as we shared our mission, spirituality and our ministries with the priests and the people. Moving into any new ministry required re- training. The Congregation spent a lot of time, money and energy ensuring those who were asked to take up new ministries, were renewed spiritually and professionally. On the whole those who engaged in this re-training and thinking developed a whole lot of expertise which they never knew they had. In the process of carrying out this mandate I was brought out of my safe, fairly comfortable Headship in a Parish and thrown to the wolves! This is how I came to be involved in Religious Education, Catechesis and Evangelisation at Diocesan Level. In 1977 as a member of the National Board of Religious Inspectors and Advisers ( all of whom until now distinguished priests) recognised the need for a Religious Education Programme for our Catholic Schools in England and Wales. Before the Council the little Red Book –, ʻ,The Penny Catechismʼ, was the Catholic Teacherʼ,s Text Book. It contained all the questions AND the answers about our faith which we learnt by heart. I am sure you will never forget what you were taught! The Council stated that ʻ,The presentation of doctrine must be biblical, liturgical and suited to the present life of Christians.ʼ, It sounded as if this was the time for a re-write. After a mammoth undertaking, in consultation with among others, teachers, liturgists, biblical scholars, parents, Cafod, Justice and Peace, education psychologists and ourselves as Diocesan R.E. Advisers, a National Religious Education Programme came to birth called ʻ,Here I Am.ʼ, It was rooted in the thinking of The Second Vatican Council, periodically and systematically updated. In 1985 Pope John Paul II convoked an extraordinary assembly of bishops for the 20th anniversary of the close of the Council. Very many of the bishops expressed the desire that a catechism of all catholic doctrine be composed, which would contribute to the work of renewing the whole life of the Church, as desired and begun by Vatican II. Our own Bishop David Konstant was a key contributor to the new ʻ,Catechism of the Catholic Churchʼ, first published in 1994 ( with over 600 pages and this time a yellow cover!) It was received by so many of us as a real gift to the Church. For me personally Part Four: Christian Prayer has been a continual source of inspiration and sustenance. Some of you will remember that in 1980 there was the National Pastoral Congress in Liverpool inspired by Archbishop Derek Worlock. It called together bishops, priests, religious and lay people from every Diocese in U.K. I was one of the many delegates involved in the study of the Council documents. This was the first time the majority of us present had ever been consulted. We listened, reflected and searched together to find ways for taking forward the mind of the Council. It was such an energising event as we experienced something of being ʻ,The Pilgrim People of God –, the Body of Christʼ, in our world today.ʼ, We eagerly awaited the bishopsʼ, response entitled: ʻ,The Easter People.ʼ, The title reflected our enthusiasm and recommendations. One main area highlighted was the need for on-going Religious Adult Education, Catechesis, Spiritual and Liturgical formation for priests and people working together. It specifically named the Councilʼ,s call for the ʻ,Restoration of the Catechumenateʼ, as the model for all Religious, Catechetical and Spiritual Formation and recommended the establishment of Religious Education and Catechetical Centres in every Diocese. We, the members of the Leeds Diocesan Religious Education Team took responsibility for introducing the Catechumenate - The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) into the Diocese. With the wisdom, pastoral experiences and academic expertise of our Director, Mgr. Frank Robinson the Team members ( and what a Team!) were supporting priests, deaneries and parishes over a period of several years. We designed and delivered ʻ,A Journey in Faithʼ, experiential ʻ,road-showʼ, for parishes at weekends. Some of you may remember the drama ʻ,JOPPAʼ,, a scene from the early Christian community, which highlighted the variety of ministries needed when welcoming new members into the Catholic Faith Community. There was a flourishing of ministries and understanding of the liturgical celebrations, with catechists, liturgists, sponsors, and some priests asking for training. There was never a dull moment for us in the Team! The Religious Education Team also took responsibility for the preparation of Diocesan Guidelines for Sacramental Preparation for Infants and Young Peopleʼ,s Baptism, Confirmation and Reconciliation. We were guided in this by the educational and catechetical expertise of Bishop David Konstant. These were painstakingly drawn up and clarified the respective roles of Home, School and Parish. It was no easy task to communicate the meaning and purpose of change after many years of age-old customs and of little participation of families at these key moments in a young personʼ,s life. Our belief that evangelisation was at the heart of the Councilʼ,s recommendation to restore the Catechumenate, and that any change in Church practice does not happen overnight! Alongside these initiatives, members of Leeds Diocesan Liturgy Commission, of which I was a member, recognised the need for a sustained programme of Liturgical education and formation for both priests and the laity. I valued the knowledge of the detailed legislation of the Liturgy arising from the Vatican II documents shown by the Chair, Mgr. Tony Boylan. There were requests for Training workshops for Readers, Eucharistic Ministers, especially for taking Communion to the sick and the housebound. The call to this privileged ministry of taking the Lord out into parishionerʼ,s homes has been spiritually renewing for the ministers and helped build up strong parish bonds. Assistance was offered to Leaders of ʻ,The Rite of Celebration of Word and Communion in the absence of a priestʼ,, of formation of Parish Liturgy Groups and of reviewing Liturgical practices. Isnʼ,t it fortuitous that these ministries are in place with the present shortage of priests and the re-ordering of Parish communities? I retired from the Leeds Religious Education Team just 10 years ago. After a yearʼ,s Sabbatical, which gave me time to relax, reflect and have new experiences, I then got involved in another of the ministries which used to be the preserve of the clergy only. Life today, as a Sister, seems to take on even more exciting challenges the older we get! Little did I think I would end up in prison! ( Read on!) I have been ʻ,sentencedʼ, for almost nine years –, assisting the full time Chaplain, Sister Kathleen RSM at HMP LEEDS working on the Multi-Faith Chaplaincy Team. We journey alongside over 1,000 adult men of every nationality, faith, culture and experience as we search for meaning and purpose in our lives together. It is a most humbling and inspirational ministry –, and one which has brought me closer to the life and example of Jesus and to rediscover the charism of our Foundress, Genevieve Dupuis. I realise I have had a very privileged ministry being so near to the ʻ,heartʼ, of the Council ʻ,s vision by sharing over many years in the lives of many wonderful people, sisters from different congregations, priests, prisoners, teachers, parents, catechists and those friends of other faiths. I feel sure you will agree that life in the Catholic Church has changed dramatically since the Second Vatican Council. I thank God for the Councilʼ,s insights and challenges, which are still in the making…,…,.. so let us continue to pray: ʻ,Holy Spirit, show once more your wonders in our day as on the day of Pentecostʼ, May we all be surprised! Sister Mary Bernard S.P. July 2012 Leeds Catholic Post Page 3 The Nuns Embrace Vatican II 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 ʻ,freshness of the Spiritʼ, as it blew through a church thrust into a modern World trying to find a Rock to hold fast to.

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Page 4 Leeds Catholic Post September: Welcome back! A country walk and picnic on a gorgeous sunny September day was a lovely way for us, Angela Fieldhouse, Anne Pennock, Marjorie Parker (pictured) and me, Breda Theakston, to reconnect, share our holiday stories and get back into thinking about the Year of Faith ahead. What have families to do with the Year of Faith? The Council of the Synod of Bishops preparing for the 2012 synod on the New Evangelisation has stated that a major focus of the Year of Faith will be the primary role of the family in the transmission of the faith in society. First off, we need to let you know what is happening: We have been very busy over the last few years with the Celebrating Family Funded Parenting Facilitator Training and now have 45 trained Parenting Facilitators in the diocese, able to run parenting groups in schools and parishes. We have lots of volunteers in other areas as well including marriage preparation but we need more FLM contacts in parishes and school: to be our FLM man, or woman, where you are just contact me. It is not onerous, occasionally pinning a notice on a board, and there are lots of hidden benefits (a walk in the country anyone?). FAMILIAS is the professional Association for Family Life Ministers and September is the month to join to get maximum benefits. Every year they organise an event for members and Friends www.familias- ew.org.uk (A benefit: We pay membership for our Family Life Ministers!) October: Celebrating Family in the Year of Faith On Thursday 4th October at St John the Baptistʼ,s Normanton the 19 parents, parishioners, teaching assistants, social workers and governors in Wakefield Deanery who took part in the very demanding, but hugely rewarding, enjoyable and life changing Parenting Facilitator Training will receive their certificates. Everyone who submitted their Portfolios of work for OCN accreditation at Level 3 has been successful! Passing on the Faith: The role of parents and grandparents 17th October A day conference at Barcelo Hinckley to present the methodology and outcomes of the Partners in a Shared Task project which was piloted in Middlesbrough, Liverpool and Plymouth to consider the experience and needs of parents, grandparents, catechists, teachers and governors in passing on faith in God www.passingonthefaith.org.uk To book your place contact Elizabeth.davies@cbcew.org.uk 22nd to 28th October is on the theme of Make A Moment. To get your school, parish or home involved celebrating those moments that make being a child and being a parent so special contact www.parentsweek.org.uk to register your details and access all the exciting plans. November: Train to be a Marriage Preparation Presenter This is a hugely significant and canonically required ministry. We have over 100 Marriage Preparation Presenters in the diocese but some parish priests are still without lay support. Please consider whether you are being called to support your parish in this way. No experience is necessary, just talk to your parish priest to get your place on this yearʼ,s training at Hinsley Hall, every Monday evening in November. Do not be put off by the fact that marriage is a very hot political potato in our culture at the moment. We know in faith that with God ʻ,there is no such thing as alteration, no shadow of a changeʼ, (James 1) Marriage is a natural sacrament because of what it signifies –, it is the natural model of the Trinitarian creator God who loves, is beloved and is the spirit of love between the lover and the beloved (St Augustine). That is a dizzyingly lofty parallel and if we are not very careful we can find ourselves overwhelmed by the comparison with perfection (for only God is perfect)! The demands of our culture and our own expectations of what marriage should look like can also be a hidden weapon we unwittingly use to beat ourselves up with. It is a truth, not universally acknowledged, that sexual love, which is after all the foundation for marriage as a sacrament, can be the most fraught (until the children come along when the ante is upped exponentially). If you care about marriage and about people learning to live the call to marriage well then get in touch. Letʼ,s help couples to come to a deeper understanding of what marriage is, and is not, and to prepare themselves for the reality of ʻ,happily even afterʼ, their wedding day. Parish Family Groups Ebullient founder of this movement Fr Peter McGrath returns to England and Wales in November. To book a visit to your parish go to www.pfgm.org December: A time of preparation Christmas is an opportunity for every home, school and parish to celebrate all the new beginnings, the births, and the baptisms, and the marriages that have happened in the past year. Those are the events in the lives of Mary and Joseph that we remember with such joy at Christmas. They are also the events that we can identify with as they are the very stuff of our own family lives. January: Taking stock Every moment is a moment of grace if we had the eyes of faith to see it. This is more difficult when our eyes and our senses are stuffed full of the good things of the earth, but be gentle with yourself in January. However ʻ,weightyʼ, our problems, attending to them one at a time is enough for anyone. In our hurry to get rid of our Christmas excesses, to pay our bills, and generally live better lives, donʼ,t bite off more than you can chew. As Jesus said ʻ,tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its ownʼ, (Matthew 6.34). This does not mean donʼ,t prepare for tomorrow, rather, it means donʼ,t worry about it. February: Marriage Week Marriage Week is a time to celebrate the joys and the triumphs of the reality of marriage. It is also an opportunity to acknowledge the difficult path marriage can be. We can begin to do this by naming the burdens on couplesʼ, shoulders and by ensuring that everybody really is welcome whatever our marital state or difficulties. Prayers for married people whatever their circumstances are essential at any time but this month has Valentineʼ,s Day and so the opportunities are obvious. March: Pray for Dementia Day 19th March, the feast of St Joseph (so often forgotten himself!) April: Vocations Pope Paul VI instituted the World Day of Prayer for Vocations in 1964 for “,burning spirits and generous young people…,to render them your followers and ministers to us”,. Parents are the ministers of the family home (sometimes called the ʻ,domestic churchʼ,). We pray for the vocation of parenthood, that it may be recognised, honoured and well resourced in our homes, our schools and our parishes because ʻ,the future of humanity passes by way of the familyʼ, (Blessed John Paul) and the primary role of the family in the transmission of faith has already been highlighted by the Synod Bishops in this Year of Faith. May: Family Life Ministry Refresher Day We gather, share and renew our vision and our particular call within Family Life Ministry. We want to plan an event of interest to you and all who care about family life so let me know what you would like to see on the agenda that would tempt you to join the day! June: DIOCESAN FAMILY DAY! Our Year of Faith Diocesan FAMILY DAY is Sunday 30th June: activities for all the family, fun, games, talks and workshops! To book a stall, to book a room, to offer an activity or contribution to any part of the day contact me asap. More details to follow but to make sure you are part of this just put the date in your diary! July: Grandparents Day 26th July This is the perfect time to think about grandparents as it is the feast day of Ss Anne and Joachim, Jesusʼ, grandparents. Have a Grandparents Day at school this month. For more ideas see www.catholicgrandparentsassociation.com August: FLM office is closed for the whole of August. WHAT ELSE IS THERE? •, Workshops, Training and Events can be arranged to suit. •, Support groups for particular interests eg grandparents, interfaith and inter-church families, adoption, disability, infertility, bereavement, loneliness, depression, domestic abuse, prison, and other social, or mental or physical health issues, can all be arranged if you let me know where you are and what you need. Donʼ,t suffer in isolation. FLM does NOT do counselling but as a peer ministry we can help you to find the support you need. WANT SOMETHING FOR HOME? SCHOOL? PARISH? •, Home is a Holy Place DVD Resource pack and more •, Everybody is Welcome Workshops, Parish Audits •, Passing on the Faith a whole church responsibility for home, school and parish •, Accredited and Non-Accredited Training: Parenting Facilitator, Marriage Preparation, Marriage Enrichment •, Deanery Days Not what you want? Just ask - we will do what we can! AND WHAT CAN YOU DO FOR US? FLM Leeds is a small core team with big ideas and currently we need specialist help in the following areas: •, Film the Celebrating Family Funded Parenting Support Project story starting with the October 4th Certificate Presentation in Wakefield (see above) •, Professionally update the logo •, Update the website www.flm.org.uk •, Volunteer your services: what else would you like to offer? We are all, singles, couples, parents, grandparents, families, part of the church family and we need to feel that we belong, and are valued and celebrated, in good times and in bad - so tell us what you can do or what you would like to do for families where you are! We can advertise your events free of charge! Family Life Ministry www.flm.org.uk ALL enquiries, bookings, offers to me at breda.familylifeministry@dioceseofleeds.org.uk The Family Life Ministry Year of Faith Cardinal Heenan pupil Sophie Gallo, 16, pictured with her mother, Michaela, passed 14 GCSE subjects at the top A grade, including starred As in French, German, Italian, Science and ICT. All students, parents and teachers celebrated after achieving excellent GCSE results. This yearʼ,s Cardinal Heenan students achieved their schoolʼ,s best ever results in GCSE Mathematics. A full 81% of Year 11 students (147 out of 182) gained a grade C or higher in the subject. Liz Cox, Headteacher at Cardinal Heenan, said: “,Our pupils and their families are especially pleased by these impressive Mathematics results. Significant improvements have been brought about by dedicated teamwork on the part of pupils, staff and parents.”, Photo by Stephen Anteney EXCELLENT RESULTS

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Leeds Catholic Post Page 5 If I left a few pithy comments in my will about the earthly organisation of the church here, I doubt if it would rate any headlines. If, though, I was one of the universal churchʼ,s most respected and learned figures, and if I had been Cardinal Archbishop of Europeʼ,s largest diocese, then people may take a little more notice. Such a person is the late Cardinal Carlo Martini who gave an interview to one of Italyʼ,s leading newspapers with instructions that it should be published after his death. In a short but prophetic interview he speaks very frankly, but makes positive suggestions: he reminds us about, rather than contradicts, church teaching. The headline catcher was of course the view that the church is 200 years behind the times…,.. are we saying that attitudes are frozen at about 1812? Not quite, because the church should be ahead of its times: so are we frozen not at Vatican II but its different predecessor, Vatican I? A good proposition for debate. The church in these parts is tired, says Martini: it needs conversion: “,Our culture has grown old, our Churches are big, our religious houses are empty, the bureaucracy of our Churches is growing out of proportion, our liturgies and our vestments are pompous. Yet maybe these things express what weʼ,ve become today? …,”, What should be done then? Conversion: we must recognise our errors, and change, starting he says, from the top: with new forms of leadership. We should return to scripture, to the Word of God. To do this needs only a listening heart as its companion: the church can help us to discern the spirit moving in us. We need the sacraments: “,The sacraments are not an instrument to discipline people but to help them on their journey of life and during their weaker moments. Do we bring the sacraments to those people who need new strength?”, Like others before him, he wants us to consider the admission of the divorced and remarried to the sacraments. None of us are worthy, after all: these people, like the rest of us need the support of the sacraments to give strength. Without it, they will be lost to the church: their children will be lost to the church: families will be lost to the church. We know this donʼ,t we, perhaps even in our own families. Here sits Jesus at the well, Jesus who dined with sinners. Finally, I can only end as Cardinal Martini ended because it moves me to tears: “,Are we afraid? Fearful instead of courageous? But faith is the foundation of the Church. Faith, trust, courage. I am old and sick and I depend upon the help of others. The good people around me make me feel loved. This love is stronger than the feelings of disillusionment that every now and then I feel towards the Church in Europe. Only love can overcome tiredness. God is Love. Now I have a question for you: what can you do for the Church?”, Benchmark Sidelines By a rare conjunction of the moon and stars –, I can give notice of an event shortly before it happens!! It is at 2pm on Sunday 7th October, at St Joseph`s Pudsey. We will be looking at `all purpose` hymns and will share ideas of alternatives to old favourites. We will also assess some `re-writes` of well known Mass settings. (See the website for how to get there, and reports of previous afternoons.) After Britain`s wonderful Olympic summer, all accounts must now include reference to a `journey` –, highs/lows, obstacles overcome, etc. Well, I am happy to oblige, as I am still experiencing the after effects of a trip to Canada to visit my brother and his family. Canadians are just amazingly cheery and polite –, have a great day, thank you, you`re welcome, with no smidgeon of irony, sarcasm, cynicism –, quite a culture shock! , Canada is extremely big –, big cities, huge mountains, and big, big churches: the cathedral sized church in an Edmonton suburb was full to overflowing at Sunday Mass - and there were four hymns during communion! The hymn books for the congregation had BOTH words and music!! Back in Blighty, we had the National Network of Pastoral Musicians conference at Worth Abbey, and the Society of Saint Gregory`s summer school in Whitby. The former, `Let the peoples praise you, O God`, took the psalms as its theme. One participant commented on two highlights: “,John Bell`s challenge that we need to learn to use the psalms we find uncomfortable, the verses the Missal misses. That there is a lot to be remembered about a God who is love first and last even when a psalm is about anger or despair...”, and “,A beautiful quiet Saturday evening prayer led by Andrew Maries (Keynote Trust) who played oboe and cor anglais...”, At the SSG`s Summer School, the theme was ʻ,Behold I stand at the Doorʼ, - `Standing with Christ, looking out through the open door of faith. Are we ready to invite those outside to come and meet Him, and join us in the journey that lasts a lifetime?` Seventy five members undertook the busy programme of Keynote Talks, Workshops, “,Big Sings”, and beautifully prepared Liturgies, led by Caroline Dollard, (SSG`s first women Chairperson) and Martin Berry. So, summer`s gone, but the message I will try to take into the gloom of winter, as I wrestle at the back of church attempting to play an organ tune with a guitar (4 chords in just one bar?? madness!!), is from Canada –, smile! Have a great day! Tim Devereux 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/ Musical Notes by Tim Devereux OFFICE FOR EVANGELISATION &, CATECHESIS The Year of Faith On Sunday 16th October 2011 Pope Benedict XVI announced a YEAR OF FAITH for the whole Church, to run from the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council on 11 October 2012 until the Solemnity of Christ the King on 24 November 2013. Pope Benedict outlined the purpose of the year of faith: ʻ,to give fresh impetus to the mission of the whole Church to lead human beings out of the wilderness in which they often find themselves to the place of life, friendship with Christ that gives us life in fullness.ʼ, The YEAR of Faith is an invitation to everyone in the Church to celebrate and renew their faith - individually, in families, in parishes and schools, in our Diocese, country and across our global Catholic community. The Vicariate for Evangelisation will be holding a variety of courses and events as part of the Year of Faith –, check this page for details. 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 Catherine Green on 0113 261 8040 or evangelisation.admin@dioceseofleeds.org.uk. Or download information from www.dioceseofleeds.org.uk/evangelisation - click on Foundations in Faith. Introduction to Catholic Foundation Stones –, Choice of dates &, venues Catholic Foundation Stones is a basic introduction to the Catholic faith. It is simple and straightforward and can be used with all kinds of different groups and individuals. As part of the Year of Faith the Vicariate for Evangelisation is holding five evenings around the Diocese to offer an introduction to Catholic Foundation Stones and to discuss how it can be used in many different areas of parish and school catechesis and faith formation. Led by Mgr John Wilson &, Mrs Linda Pennington. Time: 7:00pm –, 9:00pm –, refreshments from 6:45pm. There is no charge but booking is essential . Please choose ONE of the following evenings: St Anthony of Padua Church, Clayton, Bradford, BD14 6HW Thursday 18th October, 2012 St Austinʼ,s Church Rooms, Wakefield, WF1 3QN Thursday 8th November 2012 St Maryʼ,s Church, Selby, YO8 4HS Thursday 7th February, 2013 Holy Redeemer, 34 New North Road, Huddersfield, HD1 5JY Thursday 25th April, 2013 St Josephʼ,s Church Hall, Harrogate, HG1 3HD Thursday 16th May, 2013 Catechist Forum –, Saturday 17th November –, Wheeler Hall All catechists in the Leeds Diocese are invited to meet at Wheeler Hall, St Anneʼ,s Cathedral from 10:30am –, 2.30pm (tea &, coffee will be available from 10:00am). There will be the opportunity to meet with other catechists, to explore ideas and resources and to celebrate the lunchtime mass at the cathedral. Drinks are provided but please bring a packed lunch. There is no charge for the day but booking is essential. Glimpsing Heaven - Saturday 3rd November –, The Holy Name, Leeds The art and spirituality of Icons –, exploring and reflecting upon Icons of Jesusʼ, Annunciation, Nativity, Baptism &, Transfiguration Venue: The Holy Name Church Hall, 52 Otley Old Road, Leeds, LS16 6HW Time: 10:00 –, 15:15. Leader: Mgr John Wilson Fee: £,10.00 –, bring lunch, drinks provided. Booking essential New Media in Youth Ministry - Saturday 10th November - Doncaster Exploring positive, creative, safe and excellent ways of communicating online with young people. , This day is for anyone of any age and technical ability who works with young people. , Be inspired! Discover new and emerging media approaches. Venue: The Salvation Army Lakeside Community Church, Booth Avenue, Lakeside, Doncaster, DN4 5JN Date: Saturday 10 November 2012 Time: 10:00 –, 16:00 Fee: £,10 –, bring lunch, drinks provided. Booking essential Leaders: Youth Officers from the Anglican, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Salvation Army, &, United Reformed Churches in Yorkshire Booking &, further details: Trish Stafford: trish.stafford@sheffield.anglican.org or 01709 309147 or check the website –, www.weusenewmedia.com Advent Retreat Day –, LTUC, Chaplaincy, Saturday 1st December Everyone is welcome to the Advent Retreat Day, in the Chaplaincy at Leeds Trinity University College, Brownberrie Lane, Horsforth, LS18 5HD. Time: 10:00 –, 16:00. Leaders: Fr Chris Angel, Mgr John Wilson &, Mrs Linda Pennington. Cost: £,20 includes lunch. Booking essential. A Starter Course for Catechists –, March &, April 2013 The next starter course for catechists and leaders of the liturgy of the word with children will take place at Hinsley Hall on the following Saturdays from 9:30 am –, 4:00pm: March 9, March 23 and April 20 2013. 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 the liturgy of the word with children 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 for any of the above events please contact Catherine Green on 0113 261 8040 or evangelisation.admin@dioceseofleeds.org.uk S t. Maryʼ,s Catholic High school has yet again broken all records. This year they have achieved 90% 5+A* to C including English and Maths. This is the governmentʼ,s benchmark figure and is well above last yearʼ,s Leeds LA figure of 54%. The school continues to top of the league tables, and with the 2012 results, St. Maryʼ,s is one of the highest performing comprehensive schools in the country. Nationally it is expected that the rise in results will be halted, however St Maryʼ,s have achieved their best ever GCSE results. These GCSEs come a week after an excellent set of A-level results. Mr Pritchard (Headteacher) said, “,These are outstanding results. To have 90% of students achieving 5+A* to C including English and Maths is a tremendous achievement. We are immensely proud of the students, as this is due to their hard work and commitment. Also, these results are only possible due to the dedication of the staff at St. Maryʼ,s. The staff and governors are working towards providing a World Class Catholic Education. These outcomes are evidence that we are well on the way to achieving this goal.”, Not only are the headline figures impressive, the fact that every student has a destination of 6th Form, employment or training means that no- one is left behind. “,St Mary’,s Menston buck the national trend, as standards continue to rise”,

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Page 6 Leeds Catholic Post The next thrice-annual meeting for Deacons, Students, and of course, Wives is on Saturday 20th October 2012- 9.30am coffee for 10am start: until 3:30pm at the MIRFIELD CENTRE, Stocks Bank Road Mirfield- “,a college building in pleasant surroundings, close to A62/M62 etc- so convenient, it is hoped, for most”,. This is a “,business”, meeting and topics will include Chaplaincy issues. In view of obvious changes in the diocese, it is good for iys deacons to meet. Deacons and students should have been advised already but any queries, we gather, to nick@laloge.co.uk. Readers of The Tablet will know it as a fairly progressive paper, although sometimes it may be only by comparison with the rest of our Catholic national press. Recently, it had a sort of Editorial outburst about the Liverpool Dioceseʼ,s authorisation of lay people for funerals. It is a puzzle why this should be the case in Liverpool which has many deacons, but in such a traditionally Catholic place, perhaps even they are overwhelmed by deceased Catholics, too. The Funeral Rites, which are by no means new, make provision for a lay person in the rubrics, so this is not anything especially ground- shaking. The difficult bit is the Tabletʼ,s idea that only priests carry out funerals, or even their notion that only priests should. The great Lumen Gentium, 50 years ago, suggests that Deacons should “,officiate at funeral and burial services”,- and so they do. Should deacons also act as parish administrators? They can within the constraints of Canon Law which certainly does not grant to them the powers of a parish priest- but in this time of shortages of suitable men to take on the parish priestʼ,s role, then it can be an option, even with a priest in post. This question has been highlighted by a case in the US where a small, rather isolated parish is in turmoil because of a priest who may not be the best at inter- personal relations- “,abrasive”, and “,anger issues”, are two descriptions reported- whatever his gifts elsewhere. Pity this priest, pity the parish- reduced it is said by more than half- and pity the Bishop, trying to fit priests into parishes as his options steadily narrow. It is a modern day problem: perhaps deacons, invested with adequate power, could bridge these gaps between priest and people, as they are meant to do? Deacons Diary Eid-ul-Fitr T he following was circulated by the Bishopʼ,s of England &, Wales alongside the Vatican Greeting to Muslims for Eid-ul-Fitr on 19th August Background At least 3% of the population of the UK is Muslim, with some estimates going up to 3.5%. Muslims believe in the importance of living a life according to the Qurʼ,an, which includes declaring the Muslim faith (The oneness of God and the Prophethood of Muhammad), almsgiving, praying five times a day, and making the pilgrimage to Mecca if it is physically and financially possible. Fasting from sunset to sundown during the month of Ramadan is also a part of this –, Ramadan is the month in which, Muslims believe, various significant occasions took place including the revelation of the Qurʼ,an in its entirety to Prophet Muhammad. It is marked by fasting, increased prayer, thinking of others and caring for those in need as well as listening to and reciting the Qurʼ,an. The act of fasting is also seen as an act of solidarity with the poor, bringing with it a particular focus on any help that can be given to them. It is also a month that Muslims see as an opportunity to give up any negative habits they might have acquired over the year, concentrating on their relationship with God and a lifestyle that is in accordance with His will. Eid-ul-Fitr is on the first day of the following month in the Islamic calendar, and celebrates the blessings Ramadan has brought. It is marked by communal prayer, the wearing of new clothes, exchanging cards and gifts, sharing food and visiting friends and family. Eid-ul-Fitr is one of the two main festivals in Islam, alongside Eid-ul-Adha, which celebrates Abrahamʼ,s obedience to God through his sacrifice. For further information and resources on interreligious dialogue, go to http://www.cbcew.org.uk/page.aspx?pid=458 –, the website is under development, so it is worth looking back at it occasionally –, or have a look at the Bishopsʼ, Conference blog, which is updated regularly with news and events on interreligious dialogue: http: //www.churchestogetherconnect.org/profiles/blog/list?user=3az6hic4byf dp. Archbishop Kevinʼ,s message Dear friends, It is, once more, my privilege and pleasure to forward to you the message for the end of Ramadan that has been sent to Muslims throughout the world by the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. One concern that Muslims and Christians very much share is that of effectively forming our young people in their faith. Especially in the climate of today, we need to ensure that they develop a real commitment to justice and peace that is grounded in the truths of faith. That is the timely theme of Cardinal Tauran`s message this year. In forwarding it to you, I also assure you of the good wishes of the Catholic community in England and Wales at this time. Let us pray for one another! Yours sincerely For the text of the Vatican greeting: www.dioceseofleeds.org.uk/interfaith A prayer We pray for our Muslim brothers and sisters, who recently celebrated the completion of their holy month of Ramadan, and for all of us, that we may find the time and the discipline to use every opportunity to deepen our faith, and to remember Godʼ,s will for our lives. The following was circulated by the Bishopʼ,s of England &, Wales alongside the Vatican Greeting to Muslims for Eid-ul-Fitr on 19th August INTERFAITH Events Monday 24th September - The Way of the Heart - Wakefield 6pm. Open meeting in Treacy Hall (next to Wakefield Cathedral) - a talk by Sufi teacher, Irshad, for Wakefield Interfaith Group. Everyone welcome. Please bring vegetarian snacks to share. Tea and coffee provided. 11th October - Interfaith Prayer for Peace - Bradford Khidmat Centre, Spencer Road, Bradford BD7 2EU People of different faiths and traditions meet together in Bradford on the 11th of each month to pray for peace in our city and in the world. Bradford is a city which, over the past 200 years, has received migrants from all over the world and from many different religions. People have come here to study and to find work, to teach, to flee from persecution, to find a home. By meeting together, listening to each other, praying to God using words from different traditions, sharing a meal together, we get to know each other and grow in friendship. For further information see our web site www.interfaithprayerbradford.org.uk Festivals 26th September –, Yom Kippur - Jewish Yom Kippur is the most sacred day of the Jewish calendar The Lord said to Moses, ",The tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. Hold a sacred assembly and deny yourselves, and present an offering made to the Lord by fire. Do no work on that day, because it is the Day of Atonement, when atonement is made for you before the Lord your God.", (Leviticus 23:26-28) 1st October –, (First day of) Sukkot –, Jewish Sukkot (also known as the Feast of Tabernacles) commemorates the years that the Jews spent in the desert on their way to the Promised Land, and celebrates the way in which God protected them under difficult desert conditions. The word sukkot means huts (some translations of the bible use the word booths), and building a hut or other temporary structure is the most obvious way in which Jews celebrate the festival. The essential features are that there should have a roof of branches and leaves, through which those inside can see the sky, and that it should be a temporary and flimsy thing. 16th October (First day of) Navaratri - Hindu Navaratri (or nine nights) is one of the greatest Hindu festivals. It symbolises the triumph of good over evil. Navratri takes place at the beginning of October around harvest time and, as the name implies, this festival is celebrated for nine days. Navratri is also known as Durga Puja. 20th October –, Birth of the Bá,b - Bahai Bá,b, which literally translates as `the gate`, was a prophet and forerunner of the Bahá,`í, revelation. Tthe Bá,b called on people to purify themselves for the coming of the messenger of God. Bahais acknowledge this to be Bahá,`u`llá,h, who was initially a follower of Bá,b and through whom the Bahá,`í, faith was founded. 26th October –, Eid-ul-Adha - Muslim Sometimes known as Big Eid as the festivities cover several days, it remembers the prophet Ibrahim`s willingness to sacrifice his son when God ordered him to –, The Islamic version of the story runs parallel to the Biblical version. It is the time of pilgrimage –, the Hajj –, to Makkah British medal winners reflect nation`s ethnic diversity R eflecting the nation`s rapidly-changing demographic make-up, did you realise that more than one-third of Britain`s Olympic medal winners were born abroad, or had a foreign parent or grandparent? According to an analysis for the i, Immigration had a part to play in at least 24 of the 65 medals claimed by Team GB in its most successful games for more than a century. Read the full article, published in the Independent on 14th August. www.independent.co.uk …,and maintaining the interfaith credentials of this page.. Faith has played a pivotal role prior to and during both Olympic and Paralympic Games as the UKʼ,s faith communities welcomed competitors and visitors from all over the world. Ahead of the Games, services were held and prayers said as Olympics torch bearers made the journey from Land`s End to London, welcomed in many places by people of different faiths. The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) worked with faith communities to provide a Multi-faith Centre and Chaplaincy. The Centre was staffed by 50 chaplains working around the clock and catering to the needs of 17,000 athletes and officials, up to 200,000 staff and volunteers, and 20,000 members of the press. There were multi-faith walks, and interfaith service at St Martin in the Fields on the theme “,Go for the Golden Rule”, and Churches Together in England produced a special ʻ,Golden Ruleʼ, card for distribution. The Olympics coincided with Ramadan and a project called Iftar 2012 invited Olympic teams and individual Olympians to experience a British Iftar (the fast-breaking meal in the evening). Sportmakers &, Sportivate S port Makers are, quite simply, people who make sport happen. Some might organise sport informally for themselves and their friends, colleagues or neighbours, for example by: •, Organising a friendly tennis session to help work colleagues get to know each other •, Rounding up half a dozen mates for a regular five-a- side football kick about •, Encouraging five friends to do a local run in the park once a week, celebrating with breakfast afterwards and keeping them motivated. Others wonʼ,t take part themselves, but will do all those things that make sport possible, such as: •, Organising a fundraising fun-run for their community with the help of other Sport Makers •, Creating a multi-sport event or festival for the local community with other people •, Welcoming new participants at a local hockey club, helping them play the game and encouraging them to keep coming back. Becoming a Sport Maker will give you the knowledge, information and connections to get better at making sport happen. Further details via Kirklees Faiths Forum, Batley Town Hall Annexe Tel: 01924 326419 (Featurenet: 861 6419) www.kirkleesfaithsforum.org.uk

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Leeds Catholic Post Page 7 ST AUSTINS’,S CHOIR TO SING IN ST PETER’,S On Sunday 28th October the choir from St Austinʼ,s, Wakefield, will be singing for Mass at 5.30p.m. in St Peterʼ,s Basilica in the Vatican. Mass will be celebrated at the Altar of the Chair by one of the Cardinals. The choir will sing music by Palestrina, Byrd , Tallis and Viadana throughout the Mass. The idea to apply to sing at St Peterʼ,s came after Patrick Ganley (Director of Music for the choir) had visited Rome. Fortunately for the choir Fr David Bulmer was studying in Rome and managed, with Monsignor Whitmore, to secure the chance to sing in the Basilica. As part of the tour the choir will also sing at the Vigil Mass in Santa Maria Maggioire and hopes to present a recital in All Saints, the Anglican Church in Rome. The choir sings every Sunday at St Austinʼ,s as well as at the major feast services, weddings and funerals. Recently the choir has performed in the Chantry Chapel, Wakefield and at Great Witley in Worcestershire. Patrick Ganley, Director of Music for the choir, said: “,This is a great privilege for the choir. Everyone is looking forward to singing lovely music in such beautiful places. For a church choir to get to sing at Mass in St Peterʼ,s is such a wonderful thing to happen. In addition the choir will get to spend a little time sight seeing in the Vatican and in Rome. We are also looking forward to singing in Santa Maria maggiore which is a very beautiful basilica and to join our Anglican colleagues for Eucharist”, ALL DRINKING THE SAME SPIRIT! “,In Hertford, Hereford and Hampshire, hurricanes hardly ever happen.”, So said Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady. We all know how weatherman Michael Fish got that wrong, back in October 1987. The wind of change was blowing in other ways too, that autumn, both in the Catholic Church and in all the churches in the UK. Cardinal Hume at Swanwick First, there was a national conference at Swanwick involving both Cardinal Hume and those denominations belonging to the British Council of Churches (BCC). The Catholic Church had only been an observer on BCC, but all that was about to change. The new model was “,Churches Together”,, in other words, all churches would recognise and respect their differences. We could be united in our diversity, not divided by it. As Cardinal Hume said, the time had come for all the churches, including the Catholic Church, to move “,from cooperation to commitment”, in our life together. From now on, the Catholic Church would play a full part in Churches Together. West Yorkshire Ecumenical Council Also in October 1987, a new group was publicly launched in West Yorkshire. West Yorkshire Ecumenical Council (WYEC) brought together all the main churches of the region. Bishop David Konstant was a key player in setting up WYEC, and Mgr Steele would also make an important contribution to the new body. Through WYEC, the churches in this region could come together, learn from each other and understand each other better, local church unity would be enabled and encouraged, church leaders would be able to come together in a united witness for justice and peace. To find out more about Christian Unity, you can get the newly published WYEC book, Unity in Process, edited by Clive Barrett, £,14.99, post free. See www.wyec.co.uk for an order form. Archbishop Vincent Nichols in Batley To celebrate 25 years of growing church unity, WYEC will hold three special services in October. Each service will hear what difference can be made locally by churches working together. At the first service, we welcome the Rt Revd Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, as our preacher. In his younger days he helped to shape the new movement for Christian unity, writing the first guidelines for Churches Together in England. He has also written for Unity in Process. Come and hear Archbishop Nichols at Batley Central Methodist Church (Commercial Street, WF17 5DS) at 3pm on Sunday 14 October. Other WYEC services will be at 4pm, 21 October, Bradford Cathedral, and at 4pm, 28 October, St Anneʼ,s Cathedral, Leeds. Unity in Process will be available at all three services. Last January, Pope Benedict reminded an audience in Rome that the Second Vatican Council exhorted “,all the Catholic faithful to recognize the signs of the times and to take an active and intelligent part in the work of ecumenism”, (Unitatis Redintegratio, n.4). Letʼ,s start at one of the WYEC services this October! Clive Barrett Three Leave for Pastures New I n July 2012, St. Josephʼ,s Catholic Primary School in Halifax sadly said farewell to three people closely connected to the school. Canon Joseph Taylor will be moving to the parish of Our Lady Immaculate Pateley Bridge in North Yorkshire after nine years of serving as the Parish Priest of The Sacred Heart and St. Bernardʼ,s, Halifax in West Yorkshire. The school thanks him profoundly for guiding them with such devotion and commitment in all these years. Mrs. Linda Brown, the schoolʼ,s deputy head, has been appointed as the new headteacher of St. Patrickʼ,s Catholic Primary School in Elland, Halifax with effect from September 2012. Her contribution to St. Josephʼ,s has certainly been invaluable, particularly through her strong belief in and practice of the schoolʼ,s ethos: “,Every Child Matters”,. Mr. Oliver Nash, a young teacher felt the desire to spread his wings much further afield and go to teach the English language in Vietnam. His enthusiasm in organising sportsʼ, events has inspired St. Josephʼ,s pupils with a greater love of physical activity and healthy competition between schools. Though feeling somewhat down- spirited, St. Josephʼ,s staff together with pupils bravely organised farewell Masses and presentations to express their deep and sincere gratitude to Canon Taylor, Mrs. Brown and Mr. Nash. Mrs. Janet Hutton, headteacher at St. Josephʼ,s smiled: “,Everyone at St. Josephʼ,s will miss them terribly, however, we promise to pray for their success and fulfilment in their new ventures with the help of the Holy Spirit. Meanwhile, as always, we are doing our best and looking forward to another positive and challenging beginning to the scholastic year in September after the Summer holidays”,. All Saints Teachers Run All the Way for CAFOD A lan Perrons, Assistant Head of All Saints High School Huddersfield has encouraged ten others to join him in running the Great North Run for CAFOD. There are 11 teachers running, including teachers from All Saints, teachers who were at All Saints but have moved since summer, and a couple of colleagues from elsewhere.: Alan told us, ",We`ve all been using the 6-week holidays to get ready and we`ve done a bit of training together. This is my third Great North Run and I managed to coerce the other teachers into doing it, and it`s a fantastic turnout.", ",I was 50 in March and I`ve put together a few things together to celebrate that and CAFOD`s 50th birthday as well! As a Catholic school, we always raise money for CAFOD every year. The original target of £,300 for each individual would take us to more than £,3000, but we sent a letter to all the parents so hopefully some more money will come through that. We`re also doing bag-packing at Asda for CAFOD. ",My aim is to do the run in two hours. One colleague has done about 1 hour 45. But what I love is some of the female staff have never done anything like this in their lives before. They started running round the school track and built up from there, up to about five miles. So they`re planning to alternate running and walking. The important thing is to finish, whatever the time is. We`re very excited about being on the start line, but even more about reaching the finish line!", Also to celebrate his 50th , Alan used to row for Nottingham and he told us, `For 30 years we`ve all gone our own ways, so I had the idea of getting in touch with my old rowing Eight, which I did and we got together to row on the Trent, which was fantastic!", My whole family have been very supportive but my two daughters are laughing at me every time I come in from a run on a Saturday morning puffed out.", Everyone at CAFOD will be cheering them on. Well done and thanks Alan and colleagues! LEEDS CATHOLIC HISTORY DAY 2012 Saturday 20th October 10.00am to 3.00pm Wheeler Hall St Anne’,s Street, Leeds LS2 8BE (Adjacent to Leeds Cathedral) The speakers this year are: Julia Smith The Elusive Father Brown –, the life of Mgr John O’,Connor Tony Britten KCSG The Origins and Growth of St Michael’,s College, Leeds Mgr Bryan Sharp “,I was going to move you anyway”, –, Reflections on life in Rome during the Second Vatican Council All welcome Admission £,5(includes refreshments) Payable at the door

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Page 8 Leeds Catholic Post NEWS FROM LEEDS TRINITY UNIVERSITY COLLEGE Outstanding Contribution to Catholic Education I n July Leeds Trinity recognised Brenda Oʼ,Connor, Deputy Head Teacher at St Winefrideʼ,s Catholic Primary School by awarding her with an Outstanding Contribution to Catholic Education Award. Leeds Trinity recognises teachers with this special lifetime award every year, looking for those who have a close association with Leeds Trinity and have gained substantial experience in Catholic schools, made a strong contribution to the Catholic school community and have been involved in training student teachers from Leeds Trinity University College. Brenda was nominated for the award by Maureen Cairns, Head Teacher at St Winefrideʼ,s. Maureen said that, in her opinion, there was ʻ,no-one more deserving of such an awardʼ,, based on the 100s of pupilsʼ, and staffʼ,s lives that Brenda has enhanced through her extensive experience of teaching in Catholic schools. Maureen noted that one of Brendaʼ,s most valuable contributions was through her role of RE Coordinator, where she pioneered partnership working across Catholic Schools. Brenda was presented with the award at St Winefrideʼ,s by Professor Freda Bridge, Principal and Chief Executive of Leeds Trinity University College, on 19 July. On the same day Fr. Kieron Walker celebrated the 21st anniversary of his Ordination, which was marked by the presentation of a special gift during mass by Maureen. Fr. Michael Hughes was also presented with a farewell gift as he moves to a new post in Leeds as parish priest. P rincipal and Chief Executive of Leeds Trinity University College. Professor House will take up the post on 1st January 2013 after our current Principal and Chief Executive, Professor Freda Bridge, retires on 31st December 2012. Professor House is currently Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Middlesex University, where she is responsible for academic strategy. She is also the Executive lead on the student experience and employability. Ed Anderson, Chair of the Board of Governors at Leeds Trinity commented: “,Leeds Trinity has achieved much in recent years. Weʼ,ve become an independent University community, transformed our campus and achieved high levels of student satisfaction and employment. We hope to acquire full university status in the near future. Professor Houseʼ,s commitment and experience aligns particularly well with Leeds Trinityʼ,s priorities and I have every confidence in Margaret as our next Principal.”, In response, Professor Margaret House said: “,I am delighted to have been appointed Principal and Chief Executive of Leeds Trinity University College. I have resonance with the ethos and values of Leeds Trinity which truly has the student at the heart of what it does. Higher education in England is facing a number of challenges but I am confident that Leeds Trinity can overcome these challenges and at the same time capitalise on existing successes and create new opportunities for continued success.”, Commenting on the appointment, Professor Freda Bridge who has been Principal since 2006 said: “,Leeds Trinity is in a good position to move forward with confidence in what is a challenging time for Higher Education. I am certain that Margaret will provide inspiring leadership for the Leeds Trinity and the wider community.”, ‘,Inspire a generation’, –, Leeds Trinity’,s contribution to the London 2012 legacy L eeds Trinity is making its own contribution is made to London 2012ʼ,s legacy, ʻ,inspire a generationʼ,, as the new academic year starts this September. A new 3G Astroturf Pitch has just opened, made with the latest generation of 3G synthetic turf accredited by FIFATM for football and the FIHTM for Hockey. The pitch will provide facilities for sports and coaching courses, training, social and competitive games. It will not only be available for use by Leeds Trinity students, but also members of the local community and the general public. A new full-time role has also been created to increase studentsʼ, participation in sport and physical activity. Sheila King has been appointed Trinity Sports Co-ordinator, which will be funded by Sport England for 3 years to focus on students that are not currently hitting the recommended target of 3 sessions of sport activity a week. As well as signposting these students to Leeds Trinityʼ,s existing sports facilities and programmes, Sheila will be developing Trinity Active, a programme of beginner and refresher activities in five focus sports: athletics, badminton, cycling, golf and swimming. Speaking about her new role, Sheila said: “,Hopefully London 2012 and the Paralympic Games have inspired everyone at Leeds Trinity to get active. With the range of activities on offer, weʼ,re aiming to have something to suit everyone at a level thatʼ,s right for them. Trinity Active is about getting more students, more active, more of the time.”, Events 2 October, Conference Suite (from 5.30pm) Inaugural Lecture –, Denis Kobzev 4 October, Leeds City Museum Northern History Forum For more information contact: 0113 283 7100 or visit www.leedstrinity.ac.uk New principal appointed to build on Leeds Trinity’,s success

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Leeds Catholic Post Page 9 Wonderful Day Mrs Allen from Wakefield sent in the picture below saying that on the 20th of April she had the pleasure of attending a concert to celebrate the Popeʼ,s 85th birthday. After it she was given the honour of being introduced to him. First UK Taize School Weeks Voted a Success T his year the ecumenical Taizé, Community, in France, offered two ʻ,School Weeksʼ, when UK schools were invited to take groups of students in Years 10 to 13 to join young people from many other countries for a week with the Community in Burgundy. Four hundred UK students, with accompanying school staff, responded to the invitation. Taize is not a substitute for a Lourdes experience: it offers a different spiritual dimension of inner exploration: some schools offer Lourdes and Taize as a pilgrimage opportunity to different year groups. These were typical of the comments left by the young people: “,The simplicity made it for me, and the silence as well.”,…,. “,You learn more about yourself and the silences give you time to think about whatʼ,s inside your head.”, …,..“,In the sharing group, with time, we all became good friends even though we were from different countries.”,... “,Taizé, offers young people a chance to really explore themselves and itʼ,s such a refreshing experience. It was really amazing to have everyone sat together, to be able to be silently worshipping God.”, A staff member also commented: “,You can come to Taizé, whether youʼ,ve got faith in God or whatever, youʼ,re accepted completely for who you are –, and youʼ,re challenged to think about what you actually believe. Here, with its openness, its acceptance, its emphasis on Godʼ,s love, you can watch the young people open like flowers –, they talk about being able to trust.”, The religious Community has extended the School Weeks initiative to three weeks in 2013, between 30 June and 21 July, with earlier weeks also available for Scottish schools. From 4-24 November, volunteers will also be visiting students in Years 10 to 13 at UK schools intending to take a group to one of the School Weeks 2013. Costs are affordable, excluding pocket money (not a great deal needed):travel and board for young people can run at £,200+. To request a visit, contact UK Co-ordinator Jane Shields: e: jane@laloge.co.uk , or phone her here in Wakefield- 01924 377921. For general enquiries about Taizé, School Weeks, contact Brother Paolo: brpaolo@taize.fr Information on the Web: Feedback can be found in video clips and written comments, on the Taizé, website ʻ,Echoes of 2012ʼ,: http://www.taize.fr/en_article14345.html Full details of the School Weeks 2013 can be found at www.taize.fr/schools together with multimedia and web resources, material for group leaders, and preparation materials for participating schools. Record A level Results at Notre Dame T his summer students at Notre Dame achieved their best ever A level results, with the pass rate at A level approaching 99% and over half of these at grades A*, A or B. At AS too, the pass rate rose to over 90% with 40% achieving the highest grades –, well above the national averages for these exams. College Principal, Terry Coen, commented “,This is a real tribute to the hard work done by students and staff over the last year. We put a great emphasis on improving teaching and learning, and teachers are always looking for ways to make lessons more effective, but in the end it is the students who have to put in the work, and they deserve every credit for this outstanding performance.”, As a result of their success at A level, 485 students have so far gained places at University which represents 85% of those applying. This is in line with previous years, and goes against the national trend where concerns over student fee levels have caused a drop in numbers of those progressing to Higher Education. There were some very impressive individual performances too, with 9 students getting 4 or more A* grades and 87 students gaining at least three As or A*. Pictured here are some of the happy students on results day.

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Page 10 Leeds Catholic Post ST JOSEPH`S, BRADFORD 125TH JUBILEE YEAR &, THE YEAR OF FAITH by Fr John Newman Parish Priest A happy providence has brought together the celebration of the 125th Anniversary Year of the opening of St Joseph`s church, Bradford and the Year of Faith proclaimed by Pope Benedict XVI. The proximate preparation for this special Year took place on the weekend preceding our Anniversary Mass. A Quarant`ore (40 hours Solemn Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament) took place. Fr Leo CFR preached a dynamic homily on the Sacred Heart of Jesus at the First Friday Mass of Exposition and many parishioners drank deeply of the spiritual stillness surrounding the event. It was most moving to witness the wrapt attention of the visit of all the pupils and staff of St Joseph`s Catholic Primary School. Raised high on the Throne of Exposition, Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament was truly drawing all to Himself. The following Friday (Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross) was a moment of intense spiritual Joy as we offered the 125th Anniversary Mass together with priests and other guests (including the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress of Bradford, Councillor Dale Smith and Mrs Margaret Smith) and many former members of St Joseph`s parish. Mgr John Wilson (a former curate) preached in his usual eloquent manner about the centrality of the Cross of Jesus and it`s power to save, drawing on our own experience as those who are signed and who sign ourselves habitually with the Cross. The Bradford Catholic Youth Choirs were enthusiastically prepared for the occasion by Tom Leach (Music Director.) Their singing contributed to a renewed sense of the dignity and splendour of faith as experienced in the Liturgy of the Church. The Jubilee Mass was the occasion of the official handing over of the key of the renewed and renovated church organ. Anton Skrabl performed this ceremony at the conclusion of the Mass. Skrabl of Slovenia had painstakingly renovated every pipe and mechanical action of our renowned Hopkins organ. Cecilia (the organ!) sang that evening like she had never sung before and to the delight of all who were present, organists Mike Murphy (parish organist) and also Daniel Justin made sure that was the case. A sumptuous buffet reception was provided in the School Hall afterwards and to cap it all we had an half hour of spectacular fireworks in the adjoining grounds and a peal of bells. What a good start to Our Jubilee Year and the Year of Faith!

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Leeds Catholic Post Page 11 Enhancement Week O nce again as is traditional at Notre Dame, Lower Sixth students were able to spend a week at the start of July enjoying a wide range of enhancement activities that ranged from the fabulous –, A trip to New York to the more domestic- Bridge for Beginners. Students were invited to sign up for activities designed to challenge and entertain. For the sports minded there was Badminton, Basketball 5 a side Football, Gaelic Football, Golf, Swimming, Table Tennis or Volleyball, and for the creative, Flamenco, Zumba, Rock music workshops, and a Music improvisation day. Students from the Theatre studies department rehearsed a production from start to finish in 5 days and which they then performed for visiting prospective students. There were also day trips to Alton Towers, Art Exhibitions, Bradford Media Museum, along with a myriad of activities available in college including Film club, Henna hand painting and Yoga, Useful skills training was available during the week including Deaf Awareness Training, learn Russian in a Day, a 2 day TEFL Course, First Aid, and Heart Start ELS. 30 students from the Law department went to Leeds Magistrates` Court for the day where students observed court proceedings and spoke to magistrates, and Classics students visited the Roman Baths Museum, in York to examine the remains of the original military baths which have been excavated and take the opportunity to try on Roman armour. 12 students and four members of staff set off for Cockermouth to cycle coast to coast hoping that the Youth Hostel was still next to the river and not in it! After a warm and almost sunny start on the first day the weather worsened but this did not dampen the enthusiasm or the speed of the cyclists who completed every section in record time. It was judged by all to be a very successful trip notwithstanding one student who after 2 punctures decided to carry her bike for the last quarter of a mile to the finish. 18 students went on a residential visit to Llanberis at the foot of Mount Snowdon for some extreme outdoor activities including sea traversing at Treardur Bay, Anglesey, walking up onto Glyder Fawr overlooking is Cwm Idwal lake, and white water rafting at the National Whitewater Center at Tryweryn . Moving further afield, staff escorted 30 students to New York where they arrived in the middle of a heat wave, and 28 students travelled to the beautiful city of Prague for four days of sightseeing including a guided tour of the castle and a visit to the old town with its famous clock tower as well as boat trip to view the towers, turrets and many bridges. The most significant and moving part of the trip was the visit to Terezin, a holding concentration camp on the way to the more infamous extermination camps. It was an informative but salutary experience, and there was a reflective quiet on the return journey the comfort of the hotel. The huge task of coordinating Enhancement week is undertaken by staff member Clare Oʼ,Hara [world Squirtboard and Kyaking champion], who also oversees the weekly enhancement activities taking place throughout the year. ʻ,The week was a tremendous successʼ, said Clare ʻ,and the students gained a great deal from all the events as well as having fun.ʼ, Here are some photos:

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Page 12 Leeds Catholic Post You help us respond when in matters –, Fifty years of Humanitarian Work at CAFOD Would you like to join with others to help create a more just world? W ould you like to be part of a team that inspires and challenges our young people? If the answer is ʻ,Yesʼ, or even ʻ,Maybeʼ, then you could become a Schools Volunteer with CAFOD. Why do we need schools volunteers? A vital part of CAFODʼ,s work in the diocese is to inspire our young people to put faith into action. We want to invite young people to be part of our mission to end poverty and work for justice. As well as this we offer support to teachers for their global justice work. CAFOD produces excellent resources for schools that have won awards and that teachers value highly. This is what our Schools Volunteers say . . . ʻ,Being a CAFOD schools volunteer is extremely rewarding and something I really enjoy. Although no two primary schools are the same, the enthusiasm and sense of justice and fair play shown by the children in all of them is infectious. When giving an assembly or talking to a class, I am constantly surprised by the insight shown and the questions asked by our young people. The resources supplied by the central CAFOD schools team and the guidance given by the local office mean that I have plenty of information about current fundraising and campaigns. It is also good for me to hear the stories about the people, particularly the children, our partners help throughout the world. Catholic social teaching has always been at the cornerstone of my faith and being a CAFOD schools volunteer provides a practical expression of that. Going into one of my schools one child said to me, “,Hello, I know you. Youʼ,re the CAFOD lady”,. That makes the job worthwhile.ʼ, Pam Lloyd. ʻ,Being a CAFOD volunteer gives you a chance in a very positive way to help people overseas who may not be as fortunate as we are in our country. I hope to raise children`s awareness of the difficulties but balance this with ways we can make a difference. Going into schools and sharing the children`s ideas and enthusiasm lightens a day and makes the time and effort worthwhile. I enjoy being part of a team, even working with different age groups and appreciate the quality of the materials we are given to enhance our assemblies.ʼ, Catherine Simpson. We are in urgent need of more schools volunteers. If you think you can help or if you would like more information about volunteer for CAFOD please get in touch with Joanne or Margaret on 0113 2759302 or email leeds@cafod.org.uk I n 1968 the Catholic Herald reported a mortar bomb attack on the Biafran rebel held airstrip at Uli, Nigeria, had killed several local aid workers and wounded Fr. Desmond McGlade, an Irish missionary who directed Caritas work in the area. At that time, Caritas was part of an air bridge bringing relief supplies into what was the Republic of Biafra from the island of Sao Tome. The bomb also wounded both the pilot and co-pilot of a Caritas Internationalis plane unloading a shipment of food and medicines. CAFOD was a major contributor towards the international Caritas response and a chain of over 700 feeding centres set up in Biafra and serving 560,000 people. A CAFOD statement at the time said: ",Money is supplied to priests and brothers in charge of the centres to buy local foods which are then mixed with high protein foods supplied by the agencies”,. Biafra, was perhaps the first major crisis in which we became involved in, and since that first big emergency, humanitarian work has been an important feature of CAFODʼ,s work. Over the centuries, the church has always been a place of refuge and a provider of aid to those affected by disaster, so support to those affected by disaster and conflict had a natural place in our mandate from the start and continues to do so now. Our interventions have included disasters of all sorts, large and small, all around the world. This has included places like Ethiopia, Bosnia, Guatemala, South Sudan, Haiti, Rwanda, Iraq, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, El Salvador, Darfur, and Cambodia. In many countries, our long term development work grew out of an initial involvement because of an emergency response. CAFODʼ,s strength in our humanitarian work, like in our development programmes, has always been about a proximity to those we are seeking to serve. In many emergencies, our partners are able to reach and be trusted by isolated and frightened communities that many of the big international organisations cannot get to. In this our faith identity, and the strength and influences of local churches, has been a key contributor to our success. One example of this was recognised when Caritas Dungu, in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, whose work we have supported closely for many years, was singled out for praise by the UN Humanitarian Coordinator, Ross Mountain, for its speed and effectiveness in delivering aid to people displaced by conflict and living in hiding in zones where no other agency, local or international, was able to go safely. However, our church identity has not proved a barrier in working successfully in places like Iraq, Jordan and Chechnya –, largely because the partnership approach we take means that our work has never been about promoting our own image or pushing our agenda. At fifty years old, our humanitarian work continues to be at the forefront of CAFODʼ,s mission, and the large emergencies such as the Indian Ocean Tsunami, the Haiti Earthquake or last yearʼ,s drought and famine in East Africa mobilise massive amounts of support and solidarity from our supporters in the Catholic Community and enable CAFOD to make a real contribution to the relief of suffering and the process of recovery for communities affected by them. About one third of the money CAFOD spends every year falls into the category of “,Disaster Relief”, and from its beginnings fifteen years ago, our Humanitarian team is now roughly 35 strong, with staff working in nine locations around the world. CAFODʼ,s support to our partners in emergencies goes beyond providing the vital funding needed to provide the materials and people needed to offer relief. Our teamʼ,s technical skills in areas like water and sanitation, nutrition and emergency management means that we can offer an important resource to our partners in ensuring that relief work is effective and of a high standard. This expertise is recognised across the wider Caritas family and recently several of our staff have been involved in secondments to provide technical support to sister agencies working in places like Haiti, Pakistan and Ivory Coast amongst others. Like CAFOD, I am celebrating fifty years of existence this year. My first involvement with CAFODʼ,s humanitarian work was putting big old pennies in the collecting box at St Albanʼ,s Infant School in Elm Park in Essex to support that response in Biafra. Today, Iʼ,m proud to be working as part of CAFODʼ,s team providing access to clean water, shelter and food to those affected by catastrophic events that have made already poor people even more vulnerable. With a new crisis threatening to develop in West Africa, CAFOD is working hard with our local partners to provide aid to communities threatened with hunger and the loss of their livelihood before the situation becomes even more serious. Weʼ,re also working in South Sudan as the threat of war looms for the people of Africaʼ,s newest state, and continuing to support the recovery of people affected by the recent major disasters in Haiti, Pakistan and East Africa. Mike Noyes, Head of Humanitarian Programmes How we are responding no Niger and the Sahel Region We are helping distribute food to the most vulnerable, running nutrition centres for malnourished children and creating cereal banks to provide grain at subsidised prices. Syria Crisis we have pledged £,50,000 to help our partners in the region respond to the crisis. One of these partners, Caritas Lebanon, is providing food parcels, blankets, clothes and medical aid to Syrian refugee families who have crossed the border to find safety. South Sudan our rapid assessment mission found that providing clean water and latrines is an urgent priority to control the spread of diseases. We are committed to doing whatever it takes to assist the people in Jamam and the other camps in Maban.”, Haiti, tropical storm Isaac Our partner Caritas Haiti worked with local churches to sound the alarm about the storm and encourage people to prepare for the worst. Since the storm theyʼ,re mobilising teams of emergency volunteers who are starting the clean-up operation. Weʼ,re waiting to hear how bad the damage is, but weʼ,re ready to support them however we can. Thank you for helping us respond in emergencies!

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Leeds Catholic Post Page 13 St. Aidan’,s Annual Pilgrimage O n Saturday 1st September 41 people from St. Aidan`s, Mirfield and adjoining Parishes enjoyed their annual pilgrimage. This year we visited St. Mary`s and St. Peter`s churches in Scarborough with lunch on the seafront then St. Hedda`s church in Egton Bridge where mass was concelebrated by Fr. Gregory Knowles of St. Aidan`s Mirfield and Fr. Roger Guiver of St. Hedda`s Egton Bridge. Thanks to Fr. Roger, Neil Corrie, a parishioner at St. Mary`s and Frs. William Massie and Reuben Ezebuofor of St Peter`s Church for making our visit so memorable. The attached photograph shows our group outside St. Hedda`s church in Egton Bridge. This Harvest Fast Day bring a gift of hope to those hungry for change W eʼ,re asking everyone in our diocese to take part in CAFODʼ,s Harvest appeal to raise funds to help the poorest children in the world have a brighter future. Harvest Fast Day is on Friday, October 5 and weʼ,re asking you make a place at your table for a hungry child. Hunger is the worldʼ,s biggest health risk, killing more people annually than the combined effect of diseases such as AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. This year, more than one billion people will be living with hunger, millions of them children. We are hugely grateful for the support that people have shown for CAFODʼ,s work over many years, and especially this year, at Lent. Particularly at a time of economic uncertainty, your compassion during Lent was extraordinary and inspiring. All that you gave, matched by the government, is helping to bring clean, fresh water to children like Zimi in Zimbabwe. After CAFOD fixed the borehole in her village, Zimi told us: ʻ,Now the borehole is working, we can drink, wash, cook and look after ourselves. …,I would like to say thank you for thinking about us. Having clean water to drink is a gift. It makes everything seem possible. Please help other families too.ʼ,”, For Harvest Fast Day, CAFOD is telling the story of a boy from weʼ,re sharing Giftʼ,s story and asking you to make a place fat your table for children like him. For many years Giftʼ,s family lived in terrible poverty. When times were tough, they had to eat pumpkin leaves to survive, and his mother became too weak to walk. With CAFODʼ,s support they turned their lives around and now keep a thriving vegetable garden and livestock. Giftʼ,s life has changed for the better, he has a healthy future ahead and the extra money his family earns ensures he can keep going to school. Gift said: “,I go to the vegetable garden once a day and help my mum to water the crops. I like the nutrition garden, because when I see the tomatoes grow, I know my mum will be happy. We have a little but more money now and thatʼ,s good because we can eat more food.”, Harvest is a time to celebrate the gifts of creation and share with those who do not have enough to eat. 925 million people –, one in seven –, canʼ,t buy or grow enough food for themselves and their families. It shouldnʼ,t be this way and we should ask ourselves what we would do if a family like Giftʼ,s lived in the same street or town as we do. Making a place at our table is a simple way to help those living in poverty and challenge the injustice that causes hunger. Diocesan Primary Schools Project This Harvest our primary schools are helping us make a ʻ,Hunger clothʼ, showing how they want to share Godʼ,s gifts. The cloth will be presented at a special service in St Anneʼ,s Cathedral at 1.30pm Friday 16th October, World Food Day. You are welcome to join us. New Head for Catholic Care C atholic Care is pleased to announce the appointment of its new Director, Carol Hill. Carol attended Leeds University and graduated in 1984 with a BA (Hons) in Accountancy &, Economics. While working in the Leeds Office of Deloitte in the Audit Department, Carol qualified as an ACA (Chartered Accountant) and later transferred to Deloitteʼ,s Entrepreneurial Business Department, where she gained her first management position. In the subsequent years, Carol was promoted to Senior Manager and Head of the Department. In 2002, she commenced work with Consort Homes Limited and became the Group Finance Director. After six years in this position, she joined Westward Care in 2008 where, in addition to her responsibilities for financial management, she assisted with the strategic development of the company and the financing of development projects. Carol says “,It is these recent years working in the care sector that I have enjoyed most throughout my career. The importance of caring for and supporting the more vulnerable members of the community is key to my personal beliefs and is a fundamental reason why I applied to take up this new and exciting challenge at Catholic Care.”, Carol continued “,I am really looking forward to working with the dedicated team who work so hard to make a positive difference to peopleʼ,s lives. As a practicing Catholic it is important to me to live the faith and so I welcome the challenge of extending Catholic Careʼ,s vision out into the community.”, L E C T U R E S 2 0 1 2 W h e e l e r H a l l , S t A n n e S t r e e t W e d n e s d a y s at 7 . 0 0 p m Admission free, retiring collection W e d n e s d a y 3 r d O c t o b e r 2 0 1 2 H e l e n W a t t Senior Research Fellow at the Anscombe Bioethics Centre, Oxford. Author of Life and Death in Healthcare Ethics, and the editor of Fertility and Gender . “, I m p r o v i n g B a d L a w s W i t h o u t M o r a l C o m p r o m i s e ”, (How should we respond to an unjust law that we do not have the power to change completely? An examination of possible approaches, notably in relation to abortion and embryo research) W e d n e s d a y 7 t h N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 2 P r a v i n T h e v a t h a s a n Consultant psychiatrist. Editor of the Catholic Medical Quarterly. Author of The Catholic Church and the Sex Abuse Crisis . “, T h e C h u r c h a n d t h e P r o b l e m o f S e x u a l A b u s e ”, (An examination of the nature and extent of clerical sexual abuse, its prevalence, likely causes and consequences. The position, teaching and pastoral response of the Church) W e d n e s d a y 5 t h D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 2 A n t h o n y M c C a r t h y Education and Publications Manager for the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children. Author of Cloning and Stem Cell Research “, T h e C h u r c h a n d ‘, S a m e - S e x M a r r i a g e ’, ”, (Neither the church nor the state has the right to redefine marriage. To try to change the heterosexual nature of marriage is to undermine an institution which protects children and society ) W e d n e s d a y 9 t h J a n u a r y 2 0 1 3 : Speaker to be announced later (Note that this last talk will be on the second Wednesday of the month. The first three will take place as usual on the first Wednesday of the month)

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Page 14 Leeds Catholic Post F riday 13th July saw the U11 Bishopʼ,s Cup Football final at St. Theresaʼ,s Catholic Primary School Leeds. Reigning champions, St Patrickʼ,s played Immaculate Heart of Mary in a match full of footballing skill and team spirit. St. Patrickʼ,s showed great determination but it was Immaculate Heart who were victorious, finally winning 3-1. Both teams were fabulous ambassadors for the sport and their schools. Football Final I nspired by the Olympic theme, students at Holy Family High School, Carlton were challenged to come up with an original idea for a school production, with the title `Quest for the Crystal.` Year 8 student Barbara Szalecka was chosen as the winner and her fantastic storyline was transformed into a play by Mrs Evans, who wrote the script, Mr Coombs who created the music and Mr Pearson who directed and produced the play. Students were also given the task of choreographing and composing music for key scenes within the play. The result was a spellbinding performance, telling the story of Peter - a young boy who seeks a magical crystal in the hope of making his mother better. On the way, he meets a ghostly Viking, King Arthur and a real Chinese Dragon! The moral of the story is clearly one of faith and belief and the revelation that an act of kindness lasts forever. ‘,Quest for the Crystal’, Holy Rosary Church is 75 years old O n September 30th we will start our celebrations for the 75th birthday of Holy Rosary Church. Now part of the Parish of Unfailing Help, the Holy Rosary community have been a beacon of faith on Chapeltown Road welcoming people from many areas of the world. The celebration begin with Mass at 10-30 am followed by a buffet lunch in Holy Rosary and St Anneʼ,s Primary School. The following Sunday( October 6th) we celebrate the church feast day with a Mass which will emphasise the multi-cultural nature of the community. Everyone is invited to come in their national dress and bring food from their own culture to share after Mass. Anyone who has links with the church and its community is invited to join our celebrations. More information available from Marjorie_parker@hotmail.co.uk or k.mcgeever@sky.com. The end-of-term celebrations at St.Clare`s, Bradford, marked a time of significant change for the school as Mrs. Sue O`Brien, who has been Head for 10 years was leaving to take up a new headship at St.Augustine`s, Leeds. The Mass, which was offered by Fr.Eammon Hegarty, was a really joyful celebration which was shared by the whole school, the Parish and many friends of the school. It was made even more special by the beautiful singing of the school choir, led by Charlotte Kitson of the Diocesan Music Service. Mrs. Oʼ,Brien and the new Head of the school, Mrs. Mary Newsham, were joined at the Mass by Mrs. Mary Clough, the previous Head which made the celebration even more special. End Of Term Heads Gathering

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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 The World is coming to London... Will you? Andy Cavadino –, August 2012 “,My vision is a people who live as if it all depends on God, but who pray as if it all depends on them,”, was the message of a fantastic drama by the Sion Community to mark the beginning of the Joshua Camp, the Catholic outreach mission for the Olympic Games. Over 200 religious and lay people from at least 21 countries gathered into the hall at St Bonaventureʼ,s School in East London to begin 5 days of preparation, prayer and training before running a number of outreach programmes at churches in London. I am pleased and proud that I was among them, even though I felt extremely nervous and apprehensive. I had no idea what to expect. The Joshua Camp was part of a larger ecumenical programme called “,More than Gold,”, which was the largest ever outreach for a sporting event. There were an estimated 2500 people involved from over 60 Christian organizations worldwide (including 15 different denominations from the UK alone). There were also 190 chaplains working in the Olympic Village itself with athletes and coaches. During our initial time of training, we were treated to a series of inspirational talks from a dynamic team of people, covering a range of topics that would prove useful for the outreach we were about to undertake. We discussed the issues faced by young Catholics today and explored what specific challenges we would face when ministering to the streets of London. We also spent time preparing ourselves for our mission through prayer, including daily Mass, Confession (for most of us) and all-night Adoration (on a rota!). The atmosphere was gradually building throughout this time, and you could sense the excitement amongst the participants that something special was about to happen in this city. Quite simply, we werenʼ,t disappointed! My team spent a lot of time on evening projects in two different churches in London. “,Nightfever”, at St Patrickʼ,s Church in Soho Square is a project that has been running successfully for some time, but we extended it to every night during the final week of the games. The premise is simple, the church is opened on an evening, the Blessed Sacrament is exposed, a calm atmosphere is created through music ministry and people are invited into the church to light a candle and say a prayer in front of Jesus. The most rewarding part of this ministry, for me, was watching the people from the streets coming into the church and participating. There were people young and old, individuals, couples, groups on their way to a night out, police and army officers in uniform, families and many others representing the multi-cultural nature of London. I got to do what I love doing, playing guitar and watching this all unfold in front of me. What a truly blessed experience. Another outreach scheme took place at Our Lady and St Catherineʼ,s Church in Bow. The police had advised us that 80000 would be walking past the church each day on their way to Olympic Park. Unfortunately, that didnʼ,t materialise but we were blessed with a completely different experience. There was outreach during the day, where we invited people into the church for Adoration, offered free face painting, gave out balloon animals or use whatever skills we had to be a visible, joyful and welcoming presence. We also ran a scheme similar to “,Nightfever”, in the evenings. My team worked this “,Night of Light”, on the very first night, and the atmosphere seemed somewhat hostile. People were generally very suspicious around what we were doing and I found things very difficult that night. However, throughout the week this changed and people began talking to us a lot more, even though many found themselves unable to go into the church. A special part of this outreach was having literally hundreds of very positive conversations with our Muslim brothers and sisters, and it was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate our similarities while respecting differences. It was also amazing how much they appreciated and accepted our offers to pray for them. In the past, this area has had problems with community cohesion, and the Parish Priest shared with us some frightening stories. However, as early as the third night, one of our leaders was approached by some police officers who informed her that their workload had been massively reduced since we had been there! We also worked at St Francisʼ, Church in Stratford on one afternoon. This outreach was a very similar idea to the daytime outreach in Bow. We set up face painting out on the street, sang a few songs, offered free refreshments, talked to people and invited them into the Church. It was truly amazing to see how many people stopped to talk to us. At every point during the afternoon, there were people there, again in a positive manner. My personal highlight of this of this mission was an experience with a young Chinese lady called Alicia, who was there with her daughter in a pushchair. She had never been into a Catholic Church before, so I offered to take her in, and she accepted. This was during a time of silent Adoration, so we went to light a candle at the front and say a prayer for her. There was also an Indian nun who joined us in this prayer and added to this very special moment. Alicia was visibly moved and left with a copy of the parish bulletin complete with Mass times! The Joshua Camp culminated with a festival in the grounds of the school we had been staying in. There were all of the regular things that youʼ,d expect at such an event. We used our recently acquired clowning skills, opened up the sporting facilities in the school (I played in goal for 3 hours) and offered a barbeque, all for free. The place was full of people, all with smiles on their faces in baking sunshine all afternoon. It was great to be able to engage with the local community in this way, to “,make friends for Jesus.”, The generosity of the Joshua Camp team was shown at the end of this day, when we heard reports that a six year old boy was missing. With no organization at all, the entire Joshua Camp team gathered and decided to go and help. We searched nearby West Ham park for about 45 minutes (when we shouldʼ,ve been having our dinner) until we received the fantastic news that the child had been found (he had walked home). The Joshua Camp was an amazing experience, one that I will treasure for life. Many thanks to the Sion Community, More than Gold team and anybody else involved in the organization in any way. Lord Coe talks about the legacy of the Olympics, and I really think that we have added to that through our outreach. We tried to represent the Church as a friendly face and this has clearly touched people from all backgrounds and planted seeds in their hearts. There is also a huge team of people going back to their home Dioceses in all corners of the world with newly acquired knowledge, ideas and a desire to evangelise. “,Nightfever Leeds”, anyone? 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 JOSHUA CAMP From September 2012 the Leeds Diocesan Youth Service will be based at Myddelton Grange Retreat Centre in Ilkley. This unites th e various aspects of youth services in the Diocese in one place in order to more effectively co-ordinate our mission to young peo ple. The new Diocesan Youth Chaplain and Warden of Myddelton Grange is Fr Anthony Jackson and the new Director of Myddelton Grange and Co-ordinator of the Diocesan Youth Service is Mrs Anne Trotter. Miss Anna Cowell, the Diocesan Youth Officer, is als o now based at Myddelton Grange. They will work together with the domestic and admin staff, and the youth service assistants, Emily and Simon, to continue to provide excellent service to young people across the diocese. Myddelton Grange will continue to offer retreats to Diocesan schools as before. The new team is enthusiastic about the opportunities which may be possible throug h this new development and is looking forward to working with school and parish groups from across the diocese in the year ahead. News from Myddelton Grange and the Diocese Youth Service St. Maryʼ,s Catholic High School student Megan Kennedy, has been selected to perform with the highly prestigious National Youth The- atre this summer. Megan, who has appeared in many school shows, won one of only 500 places, competing against over 4000 other young hopefuls. At just 15 years old, Megan is the minimum age allowed for this fan- tastic performance opportunity. Megan will live in the halls of residents at Greenwich University for two weeks before performing on the West End. The National Youth Theatre has given us many great actors including David Walliams, Helen Mirren, Colin Firth and Matt Lucas. Prestigious appearance for Megan

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Page 16 Leeds Catholic Post I DO BELIEVE IN MIRACLES As the Governmentʼ,s Science Minister in 1997, I recall the meetings with top British bioscientists urging us to invest in the international research into the human genome. The aim was to build an international collaboration to unravel and map the genetic information stored in our DNA ( the chemical deoxyribonucleic acid which stores that genetic information in our body cells with a view to learning how to tackle diseases and organ failures. Mapping the genome was a huge project only made possible by the massive increase in computer power and capacity. A draft sequence of the human genome (all those combinations of CATG codes was published in 2000 and the full genome was mapped out in 2003. It was believed to be the key to breaking the code of our genetic make up and thus unlocking the way to treating individual diseases and organic breakdowns. In 2003 laying out the full genome led the bioscientists to tell us that most of our genes were actually shared with other organic non human forms and that only a tiny proportion of our genetic code actually made any difference in building and controlling the development of our bodies. In fact they dismissed some 98% of the genetic sequence in our human cells as “,junk genes”,,as irrelevant as our useless appendix. Stretches of DNA between our 20,000 or so protein coding genes were just written off. The basic approach seemed evidently to just concentrate on a tiny fragment of the material. But further international research under the “,Encode Project”, that has just been published, challenges that view and tells us not to write off that DNA material. What has now been discovered is that in this material are a further 10,000 new “,genes”, that code for components that control how the previously discovered protein coding genes work. Now 80% of the material is of greater significance than previously thought and some 18% of our DNA sequence has a specific regulatory function working on less than 2% of the DNA that codes for proteins, Basically a stretch of DNA called a “,gene”, tells a cell how to make specific proteins or molecules. So the bioscientists are now steering us to interpret the DNA patterns as having a complex regulatory system like a huge computer switch board . What makes the difference is now believed to be the combinations of myriad little switches. A wrong switch (“,on”, when it should be “,off”, for example) can generate a cancer gene. Therefore to use the genome sequences to try and adjust the system to tackle malfunctions such as cancerous growths, heart disease, diabetes and Crohnʼ,s disease, the researches have now to work through a massive complex of regulatory switches, some of which they have discovered are located nowhere near the organ it relates to in the body. Suddenly what seemed as a straight forward elimination process has turned into discovering a vast regulatory patterned system that is particular to each individual person and organ. Bespoke or tailor made solutions to individual medical problems could now replace scatter gun drug therapies or surgery. The problem now lies in interpreting the detail of the huge switch board. So understanding how each cell in the body works (which genes are switched on and off at different stages of its function) has become much more complicated than the scientists ever imagined. As one of the researchers put it “,we are just losing some of our ignorance…, you have got to remember that these genomes make up one of the most complicated things we know, ourselves”,. The great debate in America over what is called “,intelligent design”, challenging Darwinʼ,s theory of evolution that assumed environmental adaption and random mutation explained human development, was set up to reinforce the idea of a Divine Creator and buttress a rather literal interpretation of Creation found in the book of Genesis. The protagonists of “,intelligent design”, argued from the “,irreducible complexity of the human eye”, which requires precise interaction of complex multiple parts to work properly (which could not be the product of random mutation) to posit a “,divine genius”, as Creator. For the “,intelligent designers”, putting the possibility of a Creator back into the equations was their starting point, though some got fixated on “,God the inventor”, who built the model on a set date (Genesis) and then stepped back to watch it operate and move. Perhaps the latest bioscience human genome model opens the space for understanding a more active “,intervening Creator”,, still involved in “,creating”,, enabling us to understand more of the complexity of that “,creating”, and (to use the latest scientific metaphor), able “,to flick the complex genetic switches”, to make changes. From the psalms we learn to both “,praise”, and “,petition”, God. We ask “,Our Father”, to intervene. The “,Last Sacraments”, are now better understood as the “,Sacrament of the Sick”, and we regularly remember the sick in our families and communities in the Bidding Prayers of the Mass. We are invited to regularly pray for and believe in the miracle of Godʼ,s interventions. The latest scientific discoveries of how the human genome may work, rather than eliminate that possibility, actually reinforces it. God did not set us up like clockwork are watch us move off and fall over. God is still with us, including in our enlightening scientific discoveries. John Battle KSG ‘,A New World Order? - China Today and Our Response’, 34th Annual Justice and Peace Conference T he 34th Annual Justice and Peace Conference which took place in July at the Hayes Conference Centre in Swanwick, Derbyshire was jointly organised by the Diocese of Leeds Working Party and the CEC (Cultural Exchange with China) a group set up by the Columban Fathers, whose faithful work in connecting with Catholics in China is both inspirational and undiminished. The conference was, in part, organised as a celebration of their (CECʼ,s) establishment. Perhaps many of the almost 300 people who attended the conference –, or should I just speak for myself? –, had pre-conceived or (dare I say) pre-judged ideas about China - ideas not usually positive or affirmative. Certainly, the images we are generally presented with are not complimentary: human rights abuses, oppression of peoples, whole scale pollution, single child policy, encroachment into Africa, the list goes on. But what many of us learned over the weekend, I think, was that while all of those issues cannot be denied or disregarded, they do not paint the whole picture, far from it. A series of knowledgeable and engaging speakers revealed through their own areas of expertise, the real dichotomy that is China. The earlier persecution of all things religious has given way to a regime that has spent millions on rebuilding or refurbishing Catholic and Protestant Churches, Daoist and Buddhist Temples and Islamic Mosques and acknowledges the benefit of religion on its people. This is in stark contrast to the story told by a Chinese priest, whose relative (also priest) was brutally tortured and ill- treated at the beginning of the twentieth century. Father A. by comparison, has been able to set up the Faith Weekly, to further his ministry of media evangelisation as well as social services and academic studies. A seeming proliferation of power stations belies the fact that China is spending substantially more on renewable and alternative energies than the USA. Martin Palmer (Secretary General of the Alliance of Religions and Conservation –, ARC) spoke eloquently about the progress made including the fact that by 2015 all Daoist temples will be solar powered. I wonder how far weʼ,d get with that one? But the conference is much more than a talking shop. Participants came up with almost thirty, positive actions to take away –, many of these included simply finding out more about the issues, speakers and subjects our minds had been opened to. The conference is even more than that though. Itʼ,s about spending time with others who have faith, peace and justice in their soul, talking, reflecting, learning, dancing to the band, watching to the children play and taking part in the wonderful liturgies ably facilitated by Joe and Carol Burns. One conference goer told me it was the best in terms of liturgy she had had for a very long time –, I would agree with that –, the 34th conference was really something special.

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Leeds Catholic Post Page 17 The Need For A Listening Church Back in February, as regular readers may remember, I reported on a conference at Romeʼ,s Gregorian University which brought together bishops, seminary rectors and heads of religious congregations from all around the world to discuss a coordinated approach to the problems of safeguarding and healing for those abused by priests in the past. Among the key speakers at that conference was the Vaticanʼ,s top expert on dealing with abuse cases, Mgr Charles Scicluna from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. On September 4th and 5th, the Maltese monsignor was at St Maryʼ,s University College in Twickenham –, site of Pope Benedictʼ,s meeting with school children and interfaith leaders during his 2010 UK visit –, for another key encounter exploring the broader context to the abuse crisis. Organised by a group of English, Irish, Belgian, Polish and Slovakian universities, the conference was entitled ʻ,Redeeming Power: overcoming abuse in Church and Societyʼ, and it marked the launch of a major new research project by the European Society for Catholic Theology. According to Mgr Scicluna, the September conference was also an important step forward on the journey to a fuller understanding of how the sexual abuse of vulnerable children could have been allowed to flourish in the Church for so long. Describing it as a“,tragic wound in the Church and in society,”, he said the presence of Church leaders, alongside theologians and lay experts, indicated a new realisation of the need to cooperate more closely to understand past failures within Catholic culture and institutions. “,I think that slowly, slowly, weʼ,re getting towards a response which is truly ecclesial”, he said, “,weʼ,re in this together, in suffering the wound and trying to respond to it”, He added that the response has necessarily to be interdisciplinary: “,we need the input from psychology, sociology, psychiatry, we need the human sciences to not only diagnose, but also to have a prognosis and hopefully also an efficient therapy”,. Addressing participants from across Europe, as well as Asia and North and South America, Mgr Scicluna pointed to the wealth of reflection from Pope Benedict himself on this subject, in particular his reflections during an address to the Roman Curia in 2010. “,In that he talked about the vision of Hildegard of Bingen, who will be declared a Doctor of the Church next month on October 7th, and how the church suffers because of our sins, but also the role to go forward, to put the most awkward questions - how did we get to this situation and what can we do about it?”, Mgr Scicluna also urged the theologians and psychologists to focus on two concepts which he said “,need to enter into our vocabulary: the first is empowerment of people - they should be proactive, not only in response but also in prevention. The other is accountability –,I think the psychology and theology of it has to be developed so that we are accountable, not only to God, but to each other and to our peers in how we respond to difficult questions including sin and crime.”, Among those listening to his words was one of Irelandʼ,s leading experts on the aftermath of the sexual abuse crisis, Dr Marie Keenan of University College, Dublin, who chairs the countryʼ,s Family Therapy Association. She told me she feels the Church “,has been a slow learner about the need to combat the abuse of power in the Church but it is now headed firmly in the right direction.”, Sharing that view was another woman who confided to me that “,there have been days when Iʼ,ve had to kneel at my desk and physically hold onto the New Testament because Iʼ,ve been so overwhelmed by how much harm and distress has been done, not just to individual victims, but to the whole Body of Christ.”, Sr Nuala Kenny is a member of the Sisters of Charity in Halifax, Canada and a paediatrician who helped the Canadian bishops draw up the Churchʼ,s first set of safeguarding guidelines. She told me “,The Church has now surely become a world leader in terms of policies and protocols, but we have been a slow leader and this conference is asking why. How does power and our sense of Church, the inactivity of the laity, our inability to have good, positive, loving experiences between priests and people, how has that made us fail to accept the difficult challenges in our Church? Philippa M Hitchen Our Rome Correspondent Global Olympics at All Saints Catholic College All Saints Catholic College is a specialist Humanities College and one event that brought together their values of Global Citizenship, social justice and Global Sport was their three day Global Olympics event which began on Monday 25th June. ASCHC student took part in a variety of hands on activities celebrating Global diversity and the Olympic ideals. They made large public sculpture in Art, built the Great Wall of China in Humanities, tasted foods from various countries at lunch, designed and built sustainable buildings in Science, took part in Paralympic sports in PE, wrote news reports in English, sung songs in different languages and many other activities across all subjects. On Wednesday 27th June, they had the pleasure of inviting Rebecca Kane, a past student of All Saints, to join them for their Global Olympic Sports Day. Plans for the event had been underway some time ago and every form group were assigned to represent a different country in the track and field competitions. The day started with an opening ceremony led off by Rebecca with the actual Olympic torch she used to carry the flame on Sunday 24th June. Miraculously the rain completely stopped following a special blessing given by Canon Philip Fitzpatrick and the sun began to beam. The All Saints carnival dancers and students followed waving their countries flags and this then was followed by singing and dancing. The games were opened in style, much to delight of the students who were watched on as two large cannons which were fired in to the sky to signal to the athletes that the competing was about to start. After a full day of athletics, the school will held its annual Summer Gala where the students and the local community came together to enjoy eating cakes, buns, burgers and sausages. There were inflatable activities for people to challenge themselves on and many stalls, much played by the school band, face painting and even a visit from some of the Huddersfield Giants! A great day was had by all, the students of All Saints had a fantastic day experiencing all the joys of celebrating together but also celebrating their role as Global citizens.

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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 Josephʼ,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 20 –, 35 years group Email: leedscathedralgroup@gmail.com Facebook: Leeds Cathedral 20-35 Group Phone: 07810 291 154 Diary A few moments for thought and prayer The catholic Church is not a museum filled with ancient things: she is the ancient village fountain giving water to todayʼ,s generations, just as to generations past. Pope John XXIII, Pope of the Council Be Still Deadline: For receipt of material for next edition: October 12th 2012 Parishes receive their copies: October 28th 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 October 22nd 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 Obituaries F ather Peter Dawber, who died at his home on 14th July 2012 at the age of 67, was a well-known and popular figure in the Diocese of Leeds, and most recently the parish priest of Skipton. This was home territory for Fr Dawber as his roots lay in the same part of Yorkshire, in the village of Bentham. He came from a large farming family and after leaving school he followed in the family tradition. But in his mid- twenties he discerned a vocation to the priesthood and entered the seminary at Ushaw in County Durham. He was ordained for the Leeds diocese in his home parish of St Boniface, Bentham on 24th June 1978 by Bishop Gerald Moverley, the auxiliary bishop of the diocese. In November 2009 Fr Dawber was present at the Mass celebrated by Bishop Roche to mark the golden jubilee of St Bonifaceʼ, Church. At the time the Bishop thanked the parish for giving the diocese ʻ,one of their own sonsʼ,. From 1978 to 1983 Fr Dawber was assistant priest at St Malachyʼ,s parish in Halifax from where he moved to St Josephʼ,s, Huddersfield. He became the Catholic chaplain to the University of Bradford in 1988 and five years later he was appointed parish priest of St Paulinus, Dewsbury. He became the parish priest of St Stephenʼ,s, Skipton in 2001. As he exercised his ministry in Craven and Upper Wharfedale he confirmed his reputation as an approachable, generous and sympathetic pastor, blessed with a cheerful disposition and a great sense of humour. He was much loved by the congregations at St Stephenʼ,s and its sister church of St Margaret Clitherow at Threshfield near Grassington. In 2010 the news that Fr Dawber had been diagnosed with motor neurone disease came as a great shock to his parishioners, and there was deep sorrow when ill health forced his retirement from Skipton in January 2011. For the following eighteen months he lived quietly in High Bentham, and as his illness progressed he was cared for by his friend Fr Carlos Carvallo. Fr Dawberʼ,s body was received into St Bonifaceʼ,s church at Bentham on the evening of Tuesday 24th July where there was a Mass for local parishioners, friends and family. At the same time Mass was said at St Stephenʼ,s, Skipton in his memory. The homily was given by Mgr Patrick Hennessy, who recalled that he had also preached on the occasion of Fr Dawberʼ,s silver jubilee in 2003. Then as now he paid tribute to Fr Dawberʼ,s love for people, his compassion and understanding, his non- judgmental tolerance, and his inability to say ʻ,noʼ, because of his sheer kindness, which ʻ,made it easy for us to love him in returnʼ,. Mgr Hennessy said that in his final months Fr Dawber was never more a Christian and a priest, for ʻ,in the time of his passion through his tears and smiles his faith and faithfulnessʼ, remained strong and ʻ,like the master he tried to serve, he saves us and himself through powerlessness, suffering and silenceʼ,. With his passing, Mgr Hennessy concluded, the local Church had lost ʻ,something unique and irrecoverableʼ,. Archbishop Roche celebrated the Funeral Mass the following day at Leeds Cathedral, at which the homily was delivered by Mgr David Kirkwood of the Hallam diocese, a friend of Fr Dawberʼ,s since their time together at Ushaw. Following the Mass Fr Dawberʼ,s coffin was driven from Leeds for burial in Bentham. Fr Peter Dawber Y ear 5 and 6 pupils of St Walburgaʼ,s Catholic Primary School in Shipley wowed maximum capacity audiences on 10th and 11th July with their hugely ambitious and extravagant performance of “,Schools Will Rock You”, –, an adapted version of the West End Musical hit “,We Will Rock You”,. The production truly proved to live up to its expectation and audiences were entertained on both evenings by the highly talented cast performing such Queen classics as “,Radio Ga Ga”, and “,Bohemian Rhapsody”,, which many of the audience remembered from their childhood! The children used their singing, dancing and acting skills to tell a story of triumph over adversity as ʻ,Galileoʼ, (played by Keith Bray) and ʻ,Scaramoucheʼ, (played by Aoife Murphy) embark on an adventure to bring back rock music to Planet Mall. All the children were incredible, bearing in mind that they ranged in ages from nine to eleven, with the children taking on the challenge of singing Queen songs with a live band which included a Year 6 pupil, Mila Lee, on lead guitar playing some famous Queen guitar riffs live! Many thanks to all the staff and children who worked tirelessly to put all aspects of the production together and a special thank you to past pupils, volunteers, parents and Dr Chris Johns who gave up so much of their time to help make the show such a great success. Although there was no cost for tickets, the show raised a total of £,202 for the schoolʼ,s chosen charity this year EFDS (English Federation of Disability Sports) through voluntary contributions. Thank you to everybody who supported. Mrs Andrea Haines SCHOOL ROCKS

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Leeds Catholic Post Page 19 S t. Thomas à, Becket Catholic College, Wakefield held their sports day on Monday 16th July. It was a fantastic day and the pupils and staff shone through even though there was rain in the afternoon. There were the usual track and field events plus an inter Form ʻ,tug of warʼ,. Everyone worked hard, particularly the P.E. department and the event recorders, to make the day a complete success. Middleton House was the overall winners of the sports day. Sports Men and Women of the Year were: Y7 Harry Crabtree and Katie Wilkinson Y8 Sam Tyson and Imogen Cappleman Y9 Liam Hinds and Olivia Beesley Y10 Halam Day and Megan Exley The ʻ,Katherine Greatorex Sporting Achievement Awardʼ, winners were Edward Daley and Charlotte Tremayne who received the Greatorex Shield, trophy and tickets to the Olympics in London. The Outstanding Sporting Achievement Award went to Cory Serlin. Report by Deborah Webb. SPORTS DAY

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Page 20 ‘,Someone we are…,’, These were the words spoken to Michael Doody By Bishop Roche on the day of his ordination Saturday July 28th in the Cathedral Church of Leeds. Michael a 31year old former student of St Bedeʼ,s Bradford and a parishioner of St Walburga, Bradford was the first ordination to the priesthood in the Diocese since 2007, and in fact the first student that Bishop Roche accepted for the priesthood when he returned to the Diocese as Bishop –, fitting that he should be the Bishopʼ,s –, now Archbishops last ordination before he leaves for Rome –, a fact the Bishop himself remarked upon during the ordination. As was to be expected the Cathedral was full of Michaelʼ,s family and friends for such an occasion –, some of them from across the world as far as Tasmania. In his homily the Bishop stressed the nature of the call that Michael had received and thanked his family for their example and dedication to their vocation that had so made it possible for Michael to arrive at this day. The Bishop stressed that all that Michael would now do would ʻ,be done in the person of Christ the Head. Not simply as a member of His Body, but in the person of Christ the Head to whom you are to be configured in this sacrament –, no longer I but Christ who is within me.ʼ, He went on ʻ,This is not simply a function. It is a way of life. Priesthood is not something we do, but someone we are, it is never something we have earned. It is about an intimate relationship with the Good Shepherd who came not to be served but to serve, and to seek out and rescue those who are lost. This intimacy, marked by faithfulness, brings to birth within you the heart of the Good Shepherd Himself. Who of us can ever be worthy of such a great calling? To those who suffer, we must be their support, for the aimless, we must be shepherds, for the disheartened, we must be heralds of good news, for sinners, we must be disturbers of conscience, and for the guilty, we must be the very first in the community to forgive.ʼ,

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