For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation and Mission –, Page 5 What you may have missed over the last year –, Page 2 Children’,s Liturgy –, Page 10 &, 11 Welcome Back! October 2021 Inside We need your news! Page 2 NEXT MONTH

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2 October 2021 Catholic South West CONTACTS &, DETAILS Catholic South West is a monthly newspaper for Catholics in the Plymouth , Clifton and Portsmouth Dioceses . It is published by Bellcourt Ltd AIMS To build community in the South West by sharing stories relating to Catholic life around the South West . To encourage readers to get more involved in - or start - projects and initiatives in the local area . To provide thought - provoking articles to help readers deepen their Faith . GET INVOLVED We need your help ! Articles : We need your local articles - we can only include what we get . So if you have an article or just a photo with a short desc r iption - please send it in . Ideas : We need your ideas for the paper and we need your ideas in the paper . If you have any thoughts on what we sh - ould include - or if you are thinking about starting a new initiative - get in touch - we ’, d love to support it ! Readers : If you can encourage other readers in your parish please do so . Advertising : We rely on advertising - if you know of anyone that would benefit from promoting their business, event or anything else to parishioners throughout the South West, do let us know. SUBMITTING EDITORIAL To send in editorial or to get in touch please contact us at : CSW - Bellcourt Ltd N 2 Blois Meadow Business Centre Steeple Bumpstead Haverhil l , Suffolk CB 9 7 BN csw at cathcom . org 01440 730399 ADVERTISING To advertise in Catholic South West please contact us on 01440 730399 ads@cathcom.org DATES Catholic South West goes to parishes on the last full weekend of the month . It is printed around the middle of the month - so if you would like to adver - tise or send in editorial please do it as early as possible . LEGAL INFORMATION Please note that opinions expressed in this paper and on any linked sites or publications are not necessarily those of the Publishers , Editor , any Diocese or the wider Roman Catholic Church Every reasonable effort is made to ensure that due acknowledgement , when appropriate , is made to the originator of any image submitted for publication . It is understood that those submitting material for publication in CSW either hold the copyright or have arranged for publication with the appropriate authority . EDITORIAL GUIDELINES 1) Think of the readers : If you are writing about an event , think about the rea - ders that don ’, t know anything about it . Outline what happe - ned , but focus on why people go , why it is important to them , or some teaching that was given . Make sure readers learn something from your article - they don ’, t just want to know who was there and what snacks were available ! 2) Keep it brief : Make sure you make your point - but keep it brief and punchy . 3) Pictures : Send pictures as they are - even if they are very big to email . Don ’, t re - duce them in size or put them inside a Word document . They look fine on the screen but terrible in the paper ! FROM CSW Dear Reader, A HUGE welcome back to all of you and to the paper. The fact that we are all back again is a sign of hope in what has been a difficult time for all of us and we are delighted! Obviously, we hope you enjoy the October edition. But we also hope that if there is someone that you have noticed isn’,t back at Church please put this paper through their door once you have finished with it. It would be a great way to let people know the church is open and everyone is welcome! As parish life starts to return to normal, perhaps now is a time to think afresh about how we are a part of that. Are we someone that just turns up, or are we someone that could be a part of making everything happen? The last 18 months have been a time of huge change, the next few months will be too. Perhaps now is a good time to look at our lives afresh and decide which areas of our lives we will put the most time and effort into. The last year has been difficult for all of us and your parish. Now’,s the time to help. Help with your time, help with financial support, but above all, help with your prayer! CSW TEAM We need your news! It’,s as simple as that! We want the paper to be challenging, catechetical and evangelistic –, but we also want it to bring our Catholic community together. So we need your news, your articles and your ideas. If you have a parish event, idea, program or group –, why not try writing about it? We would love to know. It can be a full article or just a few lines. The paper is only as good as the articles we are sent. So that’,s where you come in. We won’,t always be able to include everything in the paper but we will try our best. We need your parish news, your school news, your articles, your thoughts and your prayers! NEXT MONTH: News you may have missed from the last 18 months. Send us your news and your stories from the past 18 months!

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Catholic South West October 2021 3 Around the South West Send us your news csw at cathcom . org The latest from Bishop Mark O’,Toole In October 2021, Pope Francis will open a three-year synodal journey with three phases of consultations and discernment, culminating with an assembly in October 2023 in Rome. The first phase of the Synodal Process will be a time of listening in local churches. Our Diocese will continue the synodal journey which started with ‘,A Precious Place of God’,s Grace’,. Later in the year, working through our parishes and schools, we will be fostering as broad a consultation as possible, reaching out to integrate the voice of the poor and the ex - cluded –, walking together to explore how the Church can respond to today’,s challenges and engage everyone in being more Missionary. I encourage everyone in our Diocese to engage in this important pro - cess in the life of the Church, locally and universally, so that we can all be more effective missionary disciples. Bishop Mark O’,Toole For more information about the Synod see page 5 God Bless and enjoy your retirement Fr Stephen Geddes has been parish priest of ‘,Our lady Star of the Sea’, Weymouth for 14 years. This was his last mass on Sunday 29th August 2021 before he retires to his home in Scotland. We will all miss him but hope he will enjoy some rest and retirement in Scotland. He said farewell at this last mass this Sunday thanking everyone for their love and support during his time in Weymouth. He was fine until they played and sang ‘,Auld Lang Syne’, when he shed a tear. All our love Fr Stephen. God Bless and enjoy your retirement. Esmee Nicholls - Weymouth Repair and Conversation to Church Tower The Roman Catholic Church of Our Lady &, St Mary Magdalene is a grade II* listed building with an imposing tower. It is proposed to undertake repair and conservation works to the external fabric of the tower as well as clear internal areas and improve access to the tower internally. World Day of Migrants and Refugees The World Day of Migrants and Refugees (WDMR) was celebrated on Sunday, 26 September. The theme chosen by the Holy Father, is Towards an ever wider “,we”,. Pope Francis has calls on us all to welcome, protect, promote and integrate refugees and migrants and to ensure that “,after all this, we will think no longer in terms of ‘,them’, and ‘,those’,, but only ‘,us’,”,. In a new video, the Holy Father asks us to learn to live together in peace and harmony, building a future enriched by diversity and intercultural relations. For more information go to www.plymouth- diocese.org.uk/wdmr/ Youth Council for Clifton Bishop Declan wishes to form a Youth Council that will support the faith life of the young people within Clifton Diocese. This is an exciting opportunity for anyone who has a concern for young people and would like to get involved in this new venture. If you are interested or know someone you believe would interested then please do get in touch. Youth@cliftondiocese.com

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4 October 2021 Catholic South West Confession: The “,Sacrament of Joy”, Confession is a “,sacrament of joy”,, indeed a “,feast”,, in Heaven and on earth. On Tuesday, September 14, in the stadium of Koš,ice, it was as if Pope Francis were looking into the eyes of each of the young people who had come to welcome him, in order to invite them to live the sacrament of penance in a new way. And what the Pope said to them was comforting, not only for those present, but for anyone who followed that meeting on television or on the internet, and even those who simply read the papal address. It is not the sacrament, scarcely frequented these days, that is changing. What the Pope proposes is a completely different outlook on confession, different from the experience of so many Christians and different from a certain historical legacy.First of all, the Pope indicated that within the sacrament lies “,the remedy”, for the moments in life when we are down. And to the question of a young lady, Petra, who asked him how her peers could “,overcome the obstacles on the path to God’,s mercy”,, he responded with another question: “,If I ask you: what do you think about when you go to confession? I am almost certain of the answer: sins. But are sins really the focus of confession? Does God want you to approach Him by thinking about you, your sins, or about Him?”,The Christian way, Pope Francis had said two days earlier in Budapest, begins with taking a step backward, with removing oneself from the center to make room for God. This same criterion, this same outlook, applied to confession, can provoke a smaller or greater Copernican revolution in the life of each person: I am no longer at the center of the sacrament of penance, humiliated with my list of sins —, perhaps always the same ones —, to be told with difficulty to the priest. At the center is the encounter with God who welcomes, embraces, forgives, raises up.“,One does not go to confession,”, the Pope explained to the young people, “,as chastised people who must humble themselves, but as children who run to receive the Father’,s embrace. And the Father lifts us up in every situation, He forgives our every sin. Hear this well: God always forgives! Do you understand? God always forgives!”, One is not going to a judge to settle accounts, but “,to Jesus who loves me and heals me”,.Pope Francis advised priests to “,feel”, in God’,s place: “,Let them feel themselves to be in the place of God the Father who always forgives and embraces and welcomes. Let us give God first place in confession. If God, if He, is the protagonist, everything becomes beautiful, and confessing becomes the Sacrament of Joy. Yes, of joy: not of fear and judgment, but of joy”,.The new outlook on the sacrament of penance proposed by the Pope, therefore, asks us not to remain prisoners of shame for our sins —, shame which “,is a good thing”, —, but to overcome it, because “,God is never ashamed of you. He loves you right there, where you are ashamed of yourself. And He loves you, always”,. To those who still cannot forgive themselves, believing that not even God can do it “,because I will always fall into the same sins”,, Pope Francis says, “,When does God take offence? When you go to ask Him for forgiveness? No, never. God suffers when we think He can’,t forgive us, because it is like telling Him, ‘,You are weak in love!’, Instead, God rejoices in forgiving us, every time. When He raises us up, He believes in us as He did the first time, He does not get discouraged. We are the ones who are discouraged, He is not. He does not see sinners to label, but children to love. He does not see people who have erred, but beloved children, wounded, perhaps, and then He has even more compassion and tenderness. And every time we confess —, never forget this —, there is a celebration in Heaven. May it be the same on earth!”, From shame to celebration, from humiliation to joy. This does not come from Pope Francis, but from the Gospel, where we read of the father who anxiously awaits his sinful son, constantly scanning the horizon, and even before the son has time to humble himself by meticulously detailing all his faults, he embraces him, lifts him up and celebrates with him and for him. Funeral Services To Advertise in the Funeral Section contact Natasha on 01440 730399 natasha@ cathcom.org

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Catholic South West October 2021 5 A two-year `synodal` process is taking place in the Catholic Church from October 2021 that culminates in the final Synod Gathering of Bishops in Rome in October 2023. The overall theme is ",For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, Mission",. Introduction The title of the 2023 Synod of Bishops is For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, Mission.For the first time, the Synod Office in Rome has produced a comprehensive process which encompasses the stated aim of the Holy Father that the Church in today’,s world should have a vision of missionary communion orientated to evangelisation. The process begins in the Particular (or Local) Church and then moves to the level of the Bishops’, Conference. From there, discernment takes place in the Regional Area –, for England and Wales, it would be steered by the European Council of Bishops’, Conferences (CCEE) –, before moving to the Universal Church with the final Synod Gathering of Bishops in 2023, sub et cum Petro. Origins The process reflects the teaching of the Second Vatican Council in the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium. In this Council Document, the universality of the People of God is affirmed and by their anointing in the Holy Spirit, the universal body is “,incapable of being at fault in belief.”, A presupposition for this important statement is a formation of the people in a lived experience of faith, foreshadowed in the Old Testament especially in the Exodus, from which the life of the Gospel is lived by those united to Christ in his new covenant. The sacrament of Baptism offers entry into the life of faith and love. The Eucharistic liturgy is the pre-eminent place that the Christian community gathers to celebrate this faith and love. So, the People of God celebrate this life of faith and love in the context of the Scriptures and the Eucharist. Thereby their faith in the Word of God and in the Tradition of the Church, through the Scriptures and the teaching office of the Church, is affirmed and nurtured. Faith is nourished through the hearing of the Word and the sharing of the Body of the Lord. Through these actions, the members of the Church enter into communion with him and all each other. The importance of the Bishop From this universal people, the Bishops are chosen and consecrated and have an attention to the whole flock but, in particular, to the Church to which they have been appointed. Their ministry is one of “,pastors, masters of teaching, priests of sacred worship, ministers of government.”, Theirs is the charism of discernment as they are the “,authentic guardians, interpreters and witnesses to the faith of the whole Church.”, Therefore, the Bishops have a key role in listening to the people of God in their particular Church, and under the power of the Holy Spirit, to hear and discern what is being said of that Church. “,In virtue of this catholicity, each part contributes its own gifts to other parts and to the entire church, so the whole and each of the parts are strengthened by the common sharing of all things and by the common effort to achieve fullness in unity.”,. Each local Church is a fundamental part of the Universal Church, so what happens in each local Church contributes to the whole. It is the first link in the communion of faith shared with the other churches and cemented in the unity of the local Church around the Bishop. The diversity of the local Churches and their context brings different gifts to the whole, which contribute to it. This is key to understanding this synodal pathway. All-Many-One The synod process is one of “,journeying together”, towards Christ –, the Way, the Truth and the Life –, who calls his people into a unity of purpose and mutual listening between people and pastors. This journeying arrives at the Synod of Bishops gathering itself, which is presided over by the Bishop of Rome, who is called to speak as “,pastor and teacher of all Christians”, as the supreme witness to the fides totius Ecclesiae. The Bishops are linked to the Bishop of Rome through the bond of episcopal communion and at the same time, are subject to him as head of the College of Bishops. The process therefore can be considered as an exercise of listening all- many-one, that is, the voice of the people of God in the particular church (all), must be heard, listened to and discerned by their Bishops as the authentic pastors (many), who then gather with the Successor of Peter (one) who acts as a point of unity for the Universal Church. The ultimate discernment is for the Pope who will offer a Post Synodal Apostolic Exhortation based on what is presented to him throughout the process of mutual listening, in which the fruits of this discernment are published in a manner that reflects the life of the Church as always changing within its own context in the world, yet ever faithful to that which it has received. For some background information about Synods please see page 7. For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation and Mission Conﬁ,rming Our Mission! MANY PEOPLE ACROSS the Plymouth diocese have now taken part in MISSION MADE POSSIBLE - a preparatory course in intentional discipleship and evangelisation. Furthermore, it is also a spiritual journey that forms a missionary attitude, leading to the living of an inspired (in spirit) and intentional life. In fact it’,s a fantastic journey for the participants and leaders of the course. However, our parish priest from in Torquay, wanted to take this a stage further! His idea was that all those who had been sacramentally prepared –, for Reception into the Catholic Church, the parents of children who had made their First Holy Communion and the newly confirmed –,should also participate in Mission Made Possible –, as a continuation of their formation. It has to be said that we were so proud that our parish has been the pilot for young newly confirmed adults who have undertaken the course. It was an enriching and wonderful journey with two young people, totally inspirational and refreshing. Linden –, one of these - says as a result of participating in the course: “,As a recently confirmed person this course has given me the tools to grow my evangelisation. I am talking about my faith more and taking advantage of natural conversations to do this. I‘,m also exploring prayer much more, including the Rosary. As the Spirit led me to these sessions, I will take the lessons forward to be open to opportunities for the Spirit to enter my life.”, James, the other newly confirmed young person who took part in the course, offered these reflections: “,The course has been a real eye opener for me, since it has given me more perspective as a follower of Christ. It has also made the relationship between myself and God stronger than before”,. James was particularly struck by the lives of the saints and martyrs who suffered and ultimately died to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. He even did his own extra research to find out more about those saints which were covered in the course! What a wonderful start to a life of faith for these young people –, to be given the tools to be able to evangelise so early on in both their life and faith journeys. We truly are made for Mission. *Names have been changed to protect identity

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6 October 2021 Catholic South West By Fr Jeremy Corley Scripture Focus The Latin Mass Society www.lms.org.uk 020 7404 7284 Masses in the Extraordinary Form in Plymouth Diocese: St. Edward the Confessor, Home Park Avenue, Peverell, PLYMOUTH PL3 4PG 3pm Sung Mass. Confessions before and after Mass. Blessed Sacrament, Fore St., Heavitree, EXETER EX1 2QJ No Mass October (1) St. Cyprian, Ugbrooke House, CHUDLEIGH, Devon TQ13 0AD No Mass October (1) Lanherne Convent, St. Mawgan, NEWQUAY, Cornwall TR8 4ER Sundays , 8.30am Low Mass, 10.30am Sung Mass Monday –, Saturday 8am Low Mass. Thursday 8am and 6.15pm Low Mass Confession: Saturdays at 3pm Our Lady Queen of Martyrs &, St. Ignatius, North Rd., CHIDEOCK, Dorset DT6 6LF •, Latin Mass Pilgrimage in honour of the Chideock Martyrs in the presence of Bishop Mark O’,Toole, Bishop of Plymouth Saturday 16th October 11.30am Sung Mass Holy Angels Shrine Church, Queensway, Chelston, TORQUAY TQ2 6BP Sundays 9.45 –, 10.15 am Confessions, 10.30am Sung Mass, 6pm Vespers &, Benediction Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays &, Fridays 4.30pm Vespers, 5pm Adoration (with Confession available), 6pm Low Mass Tuesdays &, Saturdays 8.30am Low Mass Our Lady of Lourdes &, St. Cecilia, White Cliff Mill St., BLANDFORD FORUM, Dorset DT11 7BN Thursday Oct. 7th 12 noon Low Mass Mass followed by Rosary and Benediction Any questions, contact LMS Rep on 07555536579/devon@lms.org.uk Don`t miss Don`t miss out on out on Book your Book your advert now advert now Please note the Please note the deadline for deadline for advertising is the advertising is the 10th of each month 10th of each month Telephone Telephone 01440 730399 Advertising What is life all about? In these last two years, the COVID pan - demic has brought turmoil to our lives. At the moment we thank God that the infection rate has begun to decline in most places because of the vaccines. This pandemic has had varying effects on us. Some people have felt great pressure from the isolation caused by the lockdown, while others have dis - covered a new sense of freedom. When social gatherings were restricted, some found they had more time for reflection. At times like this, we may ask the big questions: What is life all about? What are human beings for? For ancient answers in the light of faith, we can turn to the Genesis creation stories. Scripture offers this description of the creation of the first human being: “,The Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being”, (Gen 2:7). This verse offers rich food for thought. God is the Creator of our physical and spiritual being. Because we are formed from the dust of the ground, we belong to planet earth, the common home we share with all creatures. To be sure, the human species is unique among living creatures. Nevertheless as inhabitants of the earth we still share the same planet with these other creatures. We are also reminded that just as we come from the earth, at the end of our life - span we will return to the earth: “,You are dust, and to dust you shall return”, (Gen 3:19). But we human beings are more than just artfully shaped dust, because God has breathed into us the breath of life. Each human being has his or her own spiritual value. Each of us has our own dignity as a person, made in the image and likeness of God. We are more than just collections of particles. Unique among the animals, we have the power of complex speech and thought. We are also given the endowments of liberty and responsibility. We are an amazing mystery, even if our lives are also marked by fragility, perishability and ultimately death. Being made in God’,s image, we are en - trusted with dominion over creation (Gen 1:26). If we have some share in God’,s dominion over other creatures, we are called to exercise our power like God. Instead of ruthlessly exploiting and destroying creation, this mandate means caring for creatures and nurtur - ing them, as a dog owner cares for his or her pet animal. We are becoming more aware now that this mandate ex - tends to caring for the entire planet, which is under severe environmental threat. These reflections are partly based on the opening pages of a report by a group of 20 specialists from the Pontifi - cal Biblical Commission. Their findings appear in a recently published book: What Is Man? A Journey Through Bibli - cal Anthropology. https://www.dartonlongmantodd.co.uk/ titles/2318-9781913657147-what-is- man For an online introduction to the book by Sister Nuria Calduch-Benages, see the website of “,What Good News”,: https://www.whatgoodnews.org/study- days-1/2021/3/20/what-is-man-a-jour - ney-through- biblical-anthropology

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Catholic South West October 2021 7 Denis Blackledge SJ P rayer Corner CSW looks at the word “,Synod’,’, Roots The word synod comes from the Greek: σ,ύ,ν,ο,δ,ο,ς, ( sinoð,os ) meaning ",assembly", or ",meeting", and is analogous with the Latin word concilium meaning ",council",. Originally, synods were meetings of bishops. Meaning A synod is a council of a church, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. While the words ",synod", and ",council", usually refer to a transitory meeting, the term ",Synod of Bishops", or ",Synod of the Bishops",, is also applied to a permanent body established in 1965 as an advisory body of the pope. It holds assemblies at which bishops and religious superiors, vote on proposals (propositiones) to present for the pope`s consideration, and which in practice the pope uses as the basis of ",post-synodal apostolic exhortations", on the themes discussed. While an assembly of the Synod of Bishops thus expresses its collective wishes, it does not issue decrees, unless in certain cases the pope authorizes it to do so, and even then an assembly`s decision requires ratification by the pope. The pope serves as president of an assembly or appoints the president, determines the agenda, and summons, suspends, and dissolves the assembly. Modern Catholic synod themes X ",The Bishop: Servant of the Gospel of JESUS CHRIST for the hope of the world", 1998 XI ",The Eucharist: Source and Summit of the Life and Mission of the Church 2005 XII ",The Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church", 2008 XIII ",New Evangelisation for the Transmission of the Christian Faith", 2012 XIII Extraordinary General ",The Pastoral Challenges of the Family in the Context of Evangelisation", 2014 XIV Instrumentum Laboris - ",The vocation and the mission of the family in the Church and in the contemporary world", 2015 XV “,Young people, the faith, and vocational discernment”, 2018 XVI “,For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation and Mission”, 2021 For more information about the current Synod see page 5 Heart of Thanks Send a cheque: Make it payable to Missio and post it to World Mission Sunday, 23 Eccleston Square, London SW1V 1NU Give online: Visit missio.org.uk/wmsdonate and select ‘,World Mission Sunday’, Give via phone: Call us on 020 7821 9755 during office hours to donate with your credit or debit card Bank transfer: Account Name: Missio Sort Code: 16-00-16 Account Number: 10824230 Reference: WMS + your postcode Registered Charity No. 1056651 WORLD MISSION SUNDAY 2021 SCAN ME Help missionaries share God’,s love with those in greatest need today You can stand united with our sisters and brothers living in situations of poverty, violence and oppression! This World Mission Sunday please give generously to help missionaries, like Sister Veronica, build peace in Nigeria and throughout the world. Read more about Sister Veronica’,s work in Nigeria at missio.org.uk/wms YOUR support transforms lives! Please pray for, and share what you can with, those most in need around the world. Loving Lord, one of the simplest words in our language is `thank you`. It puts each one of us immediately on the receiving end of giftedness, and shows each of us is able to respond graciously and gracefully with my whole self-uttering `I... thank.... you`. Loving Lord, behind each little act of thanks each day there lies the great act of thanksgiving, the Eucharist, the most profound and most mysterious Christian act of worship. `Eucharist` simply means `Thanksgiving`. At the heart of all our `thank you`s’, is the thank you for the gift of a God become human for each of us. At the heart of all our `thank you`s’, is the thank you for the gift of a human God who is bread and bled for each of us. At the heart of all our `thank you`s’, is the thank you Jesus who is taken, blessed, broken and given for each of us. Loving Lord, help each one of us never to lessen the meaning of `thank you`. Enrich us with a growing awareness of the specialness of this word which taps into the roots of our very being alive on the receiving end of a God who delights to give and who delights to teach us all individually and as a community to become eucharistic - a people with thank you on our lips, yes, but on our hearts and minds first of all. Loving Lord, never let us take for granted any of your gifts each day. Person-gifts, first of all, then all those gifts we so often take for granted as your creatures. Help us to cherish all your gifts, in whatever way they come to us each day. Sometimes it`s so hard to see difficulties as really gifted opportunities for a greater growing into your own gift of human thankfulness, Jesus. Sometimes we don`t like the complete package of thanksgiving –, It literally does take each one of us. It literally does bless each one of us. It literally does break each one of us. It literally does give each one of us back in loving availability to you through our sisters and brothers. Loving Lord, thank you. Amen.

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8 October 2021 Catholic South West Pilgrimage to the Holy Land, (virtual) By Fr Tom Gruﬀ,erty Brush Strokes I have led several pilgrimages to the Holy Land. I have also done two private visits and by far the journeys with other people had the greater spiritual impact. I was very impressed on my first trip when an elderly pilgrim struggled to kiss the ground on arriving in Israel. He had tears in his eyes as he said, “,I never thought this would happen to me”,. From that moment I was convinced that pilgrimages to the Holy Land were worth all the effort. Because of lockdown we were unable to travel but I thought we should do a virtual pilgrimage. I contacted several pilgrims who had been with me on real pilgrimages. I was blown away by the enthusiastic response with all those I contacted who were also willing to help with the presentations. With the help of a friend for many years, Jacky Chong, we set about putting flesh and bones on the dream. We outlined all the places we wanted to visit, and Jacky immediately drew up scripture references associated with each site. This was a great start because we could focus on the scriptural foundations of all the holy places. We opted for a nine- day journey, all without passports, Israeli Shekels or indeed the preferred currency, the American Dollar. I had no problem in getting nine people to present the sessions. I supplied the scripture reference as outlined above, as well as images with fundamental information on the holy site. The internet is full of rich resources, not all of them Catholic. We started on September 6th. We meet every Monday at 7:30 pm and we finish on November 1st. We have had pilgrims from Canada, California, New Zealand, Mauritius and all over the UK and Ireland. Outline of each session: - 1. Scripture Reading for the specific place. 2. Verbal introduction with visuals. 3. Feedback from fellow pilgrims. This is a crucial part of the pilgrimage because every pilgrim sees something different. It is also important to listen to what other people experience especially if they have been to Israel for real. 4. Prayer or short Liturgy. We renewed our baptismal promises at the place of the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan, and couples renewed their marriage vows we had a special Blessing for our significant others at Cana. 5. Spontaneous Prayer. In many ways this is the most important part of the whole exercise because we are giving people the opportunity to prayerfully articulate their internal spiritual feelings. I was surprised several times on how quickly people were able to interiorise an image, a scripture verse or something the presenter said. 6. Scripture Reading. 7. Pilgrim Prayer. 8. Pilgrim Blessing. Each session lasts about 40 minutes. It is hosted by the Lay Community of Saint Benedict with technical expertise by Peter Agius and Jacky Chong. http://www.lcsb.uk/pilgrimage If you click on this site, you can join us for all remaining sessions or watch the video presentations of all the sessions from the start.

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SOUL JOURNEY With scripture and stories towards the best we can be Daily readings suitable for Lent or for any time of the Year Margaret Silf DLT, Pbk, 176 pages, 2020, £,12.99 Margaret Silf has a way with words: she is deeply simple and simply deep. No wonder she has a dozen books to her name –, all published by DLT. She has an eye for detail, and delightful way of telling stories. And she writes from her own lived experience as a mother and grandmother. The cover picture of the book - Mountain Path, Italian Alps by Ulrich Gleiter - is an image of the spiritual journey, climbing up a beautiful mountain. From a distance it looks easy, but the actual trek is harder than it first appears, and there will be struggles on the way to the top. The author takes the reader- pray-er along the soul’,s climb with the guide who calls himself the Way, Jesus himself. Whilst the book is set out daily from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday, it may be used at any time of the year. Beginning with Setting Out, she moves through Invitations, Signposts, Obstacles, Fresh Springs, Rocky Crags, Endings and Beginnings, and Looking Back. Each week she provides a Sabbath Pause, going over the previous week’,s prayer. The scripture is very well chosen –, and taken from the recently published Revised New Jerusalem Bible –, and each day is backed up by a catchy story. A brief four-page Supplement offers three eminently practical ways of praying: Lectio Divina –, the prayer of the listening heart, Entering into the Gospel in imaginative prayer, and Reviewing the day with God. This is a particularly useful tool not just for the special 2020 Year of the Word, but for anyone who would grow in her or his relationship with Jesus on their life-long pilgrimage. Another winner from the author! Donal Neary’,s wee volume is centred on the theme of “,waiting”,, and covers only the weekdays of Advent. Again, the helps to prayer are rooted in the experience of everyday life. For those who wish to go far more thoroughly into the scripture readings for the Sundays and Feast Days, from the First Sunday of Advent until the Second Sunday of Year C, Kieran O’,Mahony’,s book may already be a well-trodden path, as this is his seventh volume in his series, which has already covered Years A and B. This is a deep and scholarly piece of work, which provides plenty of material for study, prayer and reflection. The book concludes with a chapter on “,The Table of Faith”,, based on Jesus’, own practice of table-fellowship in Luke’,s gospel. Using the image of four table legs, he speaks of the reflected life, community of faith, understanding our faith, and practical faith in our world. He concludes with an exhaustive biblical index of quotes. Catholic South West October 2021 9 ©, Denis Blackledge SJ QUOTES Â, Â, Â, Â, Â, You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. Jesus Although the life of a person is in a land full of thorns and weeds, there is always a space in which the good seed can grow. You have to trust God. Pope Francis Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until they speak. Steven Wright I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear. Nelson Mandela When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on. Franklin D. Roosevelt Words to live by... Free Sample Pack of Foam &, fabrics sent by first class mail. When phoning please quote MV101 CSW101 The Messenger Advent Booklet 2021 Reﬂ,ections on the Weekday Readings Donal Neary SJ Messenger Publications, pbk, 46 pages, 2021, £,4.50 Advent and Christmas 2021-2022 Sacred Space Messenger Publications, pbk, 101 pages, £,4.50 Hearers of the Word Praying and Exploring the Readings Advent and Christmas Year C Kieran J O’,Mahony OSA Messenger Publications, pbk, 230 pages, 2021, £,18.95 Sacred Space has been online since 1999, and a print copy has now also been available for the past few years. The best of these three volumes, if you wish to have a pocket prayer guide to Advent and Christmas, is the Sacred Space one, which will give you a daily scripture reading and its usual pointers for personal prayer. You will be taken into the awareness of being always in God’,s presence, you will face into the living word, have a chat with the loving Lord, and bring your time of prayer to a simple end. It gives you every day, from the First Sunday of Advent until 8th January. It also adds a delightful Advent Retreat, with five stimulating sessions that are bang up to date with what is happening in our world right now. It is awesome value in every sense.

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10 October 2021 Catholic South West

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Catholic South West October 2021 11

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Many young people across the Diocese of Plymouth came together last Sunday, the first time in nearly 2 years, for the infa - mous Youth Rally. This year we welcomed around 70 young people aged from 6 to 16. Around 10 parishes brought young people to the event. The Youth Rally is a wonderful opportunity for so many young people to come to - gether and have fun. This year we saw young people from across the diocese, parishes included Bournemouth, Laun - ceston, Buckfast Abbey, Exeter, Sidmouth, Exmouth, Tavistock, Okehampton, Cul - lompton, Tiverton, Totnes and Honiton. Many of the young people and their par - ents commented on how nice it was to have the chance to mix safely and meet people from other parishes. The events included it’,s a knockout, Tug of War, skittles and penalty shootout. Team Farrah from Bournemouth won both the Sean Flannery It’,s a knockout trophy for the under 12’,s and the Tug of War. The John Woolcott trophy was awarded to a Sidmouth Parish 13 + team called Cooc Manuel for It’,s a Knockout and the little Team from Okehampton and Tavistock took home first place for 13+ Tug of War. The Hugh O’,Donnell Endeavor Award was presented to the youngest team. ‘,The little Worriers’,. This award recognises how the team have worked hard together and tried their best at all the challenges. The Little Worriers were persistent in trying to beat the older teams and creative in their tech - niques to complete the challenges. The Augustinian Brothers at St Rita’,s in Honiton have been hosting the infamous Youth Rally for nearly 45 years. Augusti - nian Fr Sean Flannery was at the event, he awarded his cup to the under 12’,s team. A big thank you to Chris Lee and Patrick Morris for their commitment in organising and setting up the event but also to all the volunteers that supported the event on the day. If you are interested in other events that are being organised by Saskia the Youth Events Worker for the Diocese of Plymouth please get in touch with her by emailing: youth@prcdtr.org.uk 12 October 2021 Catholic South West Plymouth Diocese Youth Rally Carmelite Monastery Cader Road, Dolgellau, Gwynedd LL40 1SH, North Wales, UK. Following in the footsteps of St Teresa of Jesus under the Guidance of St Joseph Google Calendar ICS A zoom weekend on 8-10 October, 2021 for single Catholic women discerning a call to the contemplative religious life, led by Carmelite Sisters from Dolgellau. Book through the website https://www.carmel-dolgellau.uk/contact

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