DECEMBER 2021 Issue 471 FREE V OICE Middlesbrough Diocesan Catholic What’,s Inside Boxes of kindness from York to Ukraine Page 12 £,10,000 boost for Cause Foundation Page 2 Bishop’,s Column “,The Synod is a process of spiritual discernment, of ecclesial discernment, that unfolds in adoration, in prayer and in dialogue with the word of God. “,God’,s word is ‘,living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.’, (Heb 4:12) “,That word summons us to discernment, and it brings light to that process. It guides the Synod, preventing it from becoming a Church convention, a study group or a political gathering, a parliament, but rather a grace-filled event, a process of healing guided by the Spirit. “,In these days, Jesus calls us, as he did the rich man in the Gospel, to empty ourselves, to free ourselves from all that is worldly, including our inward-looking and outworn pastoral models, and to ask ourselves what it is that God wants to say to us in this time. And the direction in which he wants to lead us. “,Dear brothers and sisters, let us have a good journey together! May we be pilgrims in love with the Gospel and open to the surprises of the Holy Spirit. “,Let us not miss out on the grace-filled opportunities born of encounter, listening and discernment. “,In the joyful conviction that, even as we seek the Lord, he always comes with his love to meet us first.”, These are the words of our Holy Father Pope Francis as he celebrated the Mass in St Peter’,s Basilica for the opening of the Synod. We have begun to journey with Pope Francis, with the whole Church, with all of humankind. It is not a journey of a few meetings, nor of a few months leading us to the point where we submit our thoughts as a local church or diocese. It goes way beyond 2023 and the focal meeting of the Synod in Rome. This journeying together will not stop, for it is meant to lead us all together into God’,s Kingdom in this world and the world beyond time. Yours in blessed hope, A historic event took place in Beverley when a Catholic Mass was celebrated in the Minster for the first time since the Reformation. The service, on Sunday October 2, marked the 1,300th anniversary of the death of St John of Beverley. Bishop Terry was the principal celebrant and was joined by fellow diocesan priests. The church was full and the Vicar of Beverley Minster, the Reverend Canon Jonathan Baker, extended a warm welcome to everyone. Members of the diocesan choir were in attendance and their singing enhanced the liturgy. It was moving being part of a large congregation on such an auspicious occasion. St John of Beverley was born at Harpham, a few miles from Driffield, on the Wolds. He studied at Canterbury under St Adrian. When John returned to the north, he entered the double monastery at Whitby under the remarkable abbess, St Hilda. In 687, John was consecrated Bishop of Hexham in succession to Bishop Eata, one of the 12 disciples of St Aidan and the teacher of St Cuthbert. During his time at Hexham, John ordained the future St Bede as a priest. He was a good pastoral bishop, a man who loved the Scriptures and a patient teacher. He also had a deep-seated need for prayerful solitude and would retire to a quiet place on the banks of the Tyne for prayer and to study the scriptures, especially during Lent. In 705, he was appointed to the See of York in succession to St Bosa, himself a former monk of the monastery at Whitby. John remained in the diocese for 12 years, but the call of solitude remained strong and four years before his death he retired to Beverley to a religious house he founded there. He died in 721, having worked for more than 30 years as a bishop. His shrine became famous throughout the country and was one of the chief places of devotion for many years. Chris Cuthill Historic Mass celebrated at Beverley Minster Dean of Beverley Minster Canon Jonathan Baker with Bishop Terry, who celebrated a Catholic Mass in the church for the first time since the Reformation –, Photo by Father Phil Cunnah A bouquet placed on the spot where St John of Beverley is buried

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the house, so we were able to give them a hamper and vouchers and that mum’,s all right for the week.”, Pat says the number one request she gets is for children’,s beds and bedding. “,Every child has a right to a bed and warm bedding, but we’,ve heard about children who don’,t have a bed and are sleeping on the floor,”, she said. “,I’,ve recently had calls for three cots and four lots of bunk beds. I had to think about that because they are so expensive, but as soon as I heard that we had this money, I went out and ordered them.”, Canon John Lumley, parish priest of St Gabriel’,s Catholic Church in Ormesby, applied for the donation after hearing that the Mary Strand Trust was winding down and looking for good causes to donate its final funds to. “,It’,s incredible, I’,m completely overwhelmed and so are all our trustees,”, said Pat. “,It’,s a tremendous amount, but trust me, it will be used wisely and will go a long way for families in our area. “,It will help us provide for families who are destitute, women who’,ve left domestic abuse situations, and people in need for so many reasons.”, Many of the 1,500 hampers given out each year are donated by schools and churches of all denominations, as well as by individuals, who are given a specific, unnamed family to buy for so that they can also add appropriate gifts to the hampers. Having charitable status has been another big boost for Cause, enabling them to apply to additional sources of funding. “,We have a wonderful team now,”, says Pat. “,We have six trustees who meet monthly to make decisions together about how we will go forward, and our treasurer, Julie Hull, organises all the hampers and admin and her brother Craig Adamson looks after our IT. “,I`d also like to express thanks to all our supporters and volunteers, without whom we would not be able to do this work.”, Cause also operates a holiday hunger project, which focuses on young children with little food to eat while they are not getting a free school dinner, and Pat hopes to spend some of the new money on providing a Christmas dinner for families. Find out more about Cause at facebook.com/causechristmashampers or email crisis@cause-foundation.org.uk. 2 + Middlesbrough Diocesan Catholic Voice + December 2021 NEWS Cause Foundation celebrates £,10,000 windfall BISHOP TERRY`S NOVEMBER ENGAGEMENTS 6 Centenary of the Malines Conversations, Chapter House, York Minster 4pm 7 Bishops Council, Bishops House 10.30am Month’,s Mind Mass for Father Jack McKeever, St Andrew’,s Parish, Teesville 7pm 9 CSAN Trustees Meeting, Zoom Noon Synod Contact Group, Zoom 7pm 14 Ushaw Trustees, Zoom 11am 16 Trustees Meeting, Curial Office, Middlesbrough 10.30am 20 Northern Church Leaders’, Meeting 4pm 22 Christmas Mass, Deerbolt Prison 2pm 24 Christmas Eve Night Mass, St Mary’,s Cathedral 8pm 25 Christmas Day Mass, St Mary’,s Cathedral 10am 29 Diocesan Clergy Meeting with Ampleforth Community Noon A charity that has helped struggling Teesside families for more than 30 years is celebrating its biggest-ever windfall. Cause Foundation –, which began life as Catholics Against Unemployment and Social Evils –, says the £,10,000 donation from the Mary Strand Charitable Trust has already started making a huge difference. Pat McBride founded Cause along with Carol and David Cross in the 1980s after hearing about the problems a young unemployed mum faced over the festive period. Since then Cause –, which was recently granted charitable status –, has grown from giving out 25 hampers in its first year to around 1,500 this year. But retired French teacher Pat says that only tells part of the Cause story. “,It`s not just about hampers any more, we’,ve grown so much, especially in the last ten years,”, she said. “,We now help families all year round. We receive crisis calls all the time, often from social workers, and I now have several requests for help every week. “,I had an emergency phone call last Friday from a school because a parent didn’,t have anything to feed the children over the weekend. I always have spare hampers in Canon John Lumley hands over a £,10,000 cheque to Pat McBride of Cause Foundation If you would like to advertise please contact Charlotte Rosbrooke on 07932 2 48225 or email charlotter@cathcom.org A Catholic charity’,s petition calling on the UN and UK government to tackle sexual violence against Christian and other religious minority women has garnered support from both sides of the House. SNP MP Dr Lisa Cameron spoke out in support of the petition launched by Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), which highlights the threat women and girls from Christian and other religious minorities face of abduction, rape and forced conversion. She said: “,The prevalence of Christian women being abducted, raped and forced to convert and marry their abductor is a stain on the conscience of the international community.”, Dr Cameron added: “,I support ACN’,s petition calling on the UK government and UN to take more effective steps against sexual violence against women on grounds of religious persecution. “,The international community ought to understand that women all over the world suffer sexual violence because of their religion. Until we say enough is enough, nothing will change.”, The petition pre-empted last month’,s launch of ACN’,s report “,Hear Her Cries: The kidnapping, forced conversion and sexual victimisation of Christian women and girls”,, which investigates the global problem of women targeted because of their faith. Rehman Chishti, a Conservative MP who recently completed a marathon for ACN, said: “,This petition is of paramount importance and it is crucial that influential governing bodies such as the UN recognise the sheer scale of the problem.”, Mr Chishti said the UK government was committed to preventing sexual violence and empowering women and emphasised the progress made in fulfilling the recommendations of the Truro Review into Foreign Office support for persecuted Christians. “,It is crucial that the UK and international partners work together through multilateral fora to do all they can to address this,”, he said. “,Freedom of religion or belief is a human right, too often overlooked, and no woman should be raped and abused because of her religious belief.”, Labour MP Mike Kane said: “,All over the world, particularly in the global south, Christians are subjected to all manner of persecution –, rape, murder, discrimination –, and ACN’,s mission goes a long way to alleviating that terrible suffering.”, Churches including Westminster Cathedral were lit up in support of ACN’,s #RedWednesday campaign in support of the issue. Sign ACN’,s #RedWednesday petition at acnuk.org/petition Cross-party support for ACN petition Wedminster Cathedral lit up for #RedWednesday –, Photo ©, Mazur/cbcew.org.uk

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December 2021 + Middlesbrough Diocesan Catholic Voice + 3 NEWS Bishop Terry got our Synodal Journey underway at two gatherings that have taken place in recent weeks. Firstly, priests and deacons were invited to explore the process and help them encourage their parishioners to engage in the kind of “,listening”, that Pope Francis is asking us all to be involved in. They participated in small groups, sharing their thoughts and experiences, carefully and prayerfully listening to each other. The questions they were asked to think and pray about were: A synodal Church in announcing the Gospel, journeys together. How is this journeying together happening today in your local church? What steps does the Spirit invite us to take to grow in our journeying together? Many said how much they gained from this little exercise and how deep the sharing went. The clergy were asked to identify two parishioners who would work alongside him in parish Synod discussions. These two people were invited to a parish coordinators’, day, where they participated in the same exercise as our clergy. More than 80 people from parishes throughout the diocese, including priests who were unable to attend the clergy day, gathered at Burn Hall near York. This is how Bishop Terry introduced the day…, The Synodal process will involve three phases between this October and October 2023. It is a journey of mutual listening involving all levels of the Church, all the people of God. First of all, what Synod is not –, it’,s not a survey, it is not about gathering opinions, but about listening to the Holy Spirit as he speaks to the Churches (Revelation 2.7). The first commitment is to have ears to listen. The initial stage of the process –, between October 2021 and April 2022 –, concerns the individual diocesan churches. The word “,Synod”, means “,to walk together”,. In the Acts of the Apostles, we hear the story of a journey which begins in Jerusalem and crosses the known world of the time to arrive eventually in Rome. The journey tells the story in which the Word of God and the people who focus their attention and their faith on that Word, walk together. All have a part to play. And that is true of us today, we all have our part to play on this journey. And the journey is not just a movement in time and space, but it is also a journey of interior restlessness born of our faith and which invites us to assess what is the better thing to do, what must be kept, what must be changed. History teaches us that to stay still only leads to stagnation, not the best position for the Church to be in. And movement is a consequence of being open to the Holy Spirit. Our own St John Henry Newman reminds us: “,To live is to change, and to be perfect is to have changed often.”, To a certain extent, the apostles Peter and Paul are real examples of this restless movement. They are witnesses of a force that throws them in crisis, which drives them to dare to ask, to think again, to be mistaken and to learn from their mistakes, and especially to hope despite the difficulties. They are truly disciples of the Holy Spirit, who is constantly opening doors and windows, pulling down walls, breaking chains, freeing up borders. As the Church grew there were problems, but there were always solutions. However, it took long discussions to come to the truth about recognising God’,s freedom of action and that there were no obstacles to hinder him from reaching peoples’, hearts, no matter what their moral or religious background. God knows their hearts and, giving even pagans the gift of the Spirit, he admitted them to salvation. “,For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things.”, So proclaimed the first formal gathering in the Church that we now call the Council of Jerusalem. (Acts 15.28) This is how you should seek to express yourselves on this synodal journey. If the Spirit is not there it will be a diocesan parliament, but not a synod. We are not making a diocesan parliament, we are not making a study on this or that topic. No, we are undertaking a journey to listen to one another and to listen to the Holy Spirit. To discuss together and to discuss with the Holy Spirit, which is also a way of praying. The diocesan stage is important because it enables listening to the whole of the baptised people of God who are infallible in belief. However, the “,walking together”, cannot be reduced to garnering opinions and distinguishing between minorities and majorities. How often have “,the rejected”, become “,the cornerstone”, or the “,distant”, become “,close”,. The marginalised, the poor, those without hope have been chosen as the sign, the sacrament of Christ. So, are the poor, the beggars, the young drug addict, all those that society rejects, are they part of the Synod? Yes, because this is what the Lord is telling us. They are part of the Church. Without them the Synod will not be a true synod. It is so important to feel part of one great people ready to receive the divine promise. However, to be part of the People of God is not about privilege, but about gift. God’,s universal saving will is that, by means of the Church, all can become God’,s children. The Holy Spirit knows no borders. Don’,t limit yourselves to only engaging with those who think as you do. Allow all to enter. Let yourselves be questioned. Let their questions be your questions. Don’,t be afraid to enter into dialogue and let yourselves be disturbed by the dialogue, it’,s the dialogue of salvation. Don’,t be disenchanted, prepare yourselves for surprises. The Holy Spirit needs you! Listen to him by listening to one another. It will do the Diocese of Middlesbrough good and all the Church, not to reinforce itself only by reforming structures. This is good, but only as part of something else. We will rediscover ourselves to be a people who want to walk together, among ourselves and with all humanity. We must come out of the three-to-four per cent that represents those who are closest and go beyond to listen to others, who sometimes will insult us, throw us out, but it is necessary to hear what they think without wanting to impose, let the Spirit speak to us. In this time of the pandemic, the Lord moves the mission of the Church forward, the Church that is the sacrament of care and compassion. The world has raised its cry, has shown its vulnerability. The world needs care and compassion. So, take heart, let’,s move forward, let’,s journey together. We have a tight timescale to work to. The feedback of the parish groups and apostolic organisations needs to be returned to Canon Derek Turnham by the beginning of Lent. Your parish priest and coordinators have received a feedback template on which to return the key points of your discussions. This will then be synthesised and put into a format so that it can, in turn, be fed to our bishops. The full process is explained at cbcew.org.uk/synodal-church/. If you have any queries, please email Canon Derek at derekturnham@rcdmidd.org.uk or call him on 01642 292552, or contact Deacon David Cross at adultformation@rcdmidd.org.uk or 01642 850505 ext 241. David Cross, Adult Formation Coordinator Beginning our Synodal journey together Deacon David Cross addresses the gathering –, Photo by Johan Bergströ,m-Allen Some of the members of our diocesan Synod contact team, who spoke at the parish coordinators` day –, Bishop Terry, Emma Morrison, Kate Bailey, Canon Derek Turnham, Deacon David Cross –, Photo by Paul Bowen

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4 + Middlesbrough Diocesan Catholic Voice + December 2021 SCHOOLS St Benedict`s Catholic Primary School ‘,Pray together, Learn together’, Part of Nicholas Postgate Catholic Academy Trust Mersey Road, Redcar TS10 1LS Headteacher: Mrs Kendra Sill Tel: 01642 495770 E-mail: enquiries@stbenedicts.npcat.org.uk Website: www.stbenedicts.npcat.org.uk St Edward’,s Primary School a Catholic Voluntary Academy Part of Nicholas Postgate Catholic Academy Trust Eastbourne Road, Linthorpe Middlesbrough TS5 6QS Tel 01642 819507 Executive Head Mrs Mary Brown Head of School Mrs Anne Teasdale email: Enquiries@stedwards.npcat.org.uk www.stedwardsrcprimaryschool.co.uk PART OF THE NICHOLAS POSTGATE CATHOLIC ACADEMY TRUST Headteacher: Mrs Louise Dwyer Email: news@trinity.npcat.org.uk Telephone: 01642 298100 Website: www.trinitycatholiccollege.org.uk Saltersgill Avenue Middlesbrough TS4 3JW An inclusive learning community living out Gospel values Part of Nicholas Postgate Catholic Academy Trust Normanby Road, South Bank Middlesbrough TS6 6SP Executive Headteacher: Mr M Burns Head of School: Mrs S Garthwaite Tel: 01642 453462 enquiries@stpeters.npcat.org.uk www.stpeters.npcat.org.uk Green Lane East, Thirsk, North Yorkshire, YO7 1NB Executive Headteacher: Mrs Mary Brown Head of School Fran Mackle Telephone: 01845 523058 Enquiries@allsaints.npcat.org.uk Bishops: Sunday Mass is the ‘,heartbeat of the Church’, During the pandemic, public worship was suspended for a time and there have been restrictions on parish life. As a result, people have been exploring other ways to practice their faith, including Spiritual Communion via live streaming. As people begin returning to more regular patterns of parish life and following the first face-to- face meeting of the Catholic Bishops’, of England and Wales in Leeds, the bishops have issued the following statement about the importance of honouring Sunday…, As the Synodal Pathway of listening and discerning unfolds, we, the bishops of England and Wales, are paying particular attention to the hopes and fears, the joys and anxieties of all who are sharing their thoughts and feelings with us. Longing for our Lord We are attentive to the experience of the last year or so, when we have lived our faith through the limitations of the pandemic. We have heard of the longing which some express as a “,homesickness.”, We want to be in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. We yearn to celebrate the sacraments together, especially the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. We desire to be nourished by our Lord in Holy Communion. The live streaming of the Mass and the remarkable response of our Catholic communities to those in need, have provided comfort, sustenance and resilience. The Eucharist, source and summit The Eucharist is the source and summit of our spiritual and pastoral life. Many people have said to us that they have appreciated the noble simplicity of the Mass at this time, which has allowed the mystery and majesty of our Lord’,s sacrificial love to shine through. The central appeal of the Mass, its beauty and its transcendence, raises our minds and hearts to God in an unambiguous and compelling manner. Our Lord Jesus invites us to receive anew the gift of Sunday as the preeminent day, the day of the Resurrection, when the Church gathers to celebrate the Eucharist. Here we stand together before our heavenly Father, offering our thanksgiving and prayer, through our Saviour in the Holy Spirit. Here we receive Christ in his Word. Here we are nourished by Christ in his precious Body and Blood. This is our primary joy, for which there is no substitute, and from which we draw our strength. The Gift of the Sunday Eucharist The Sunday Eucharist is a gift, as God’,s holy people we are called to praise and thank God in the most sublime way possible. When the Church speaks of the Sunday obligation, it reminds us that attending Mass is a personal response to the selfless offering of Christ’,s love. At this time, we recognise that for some people there may be certain factors which hinder attendance at Sunday Mass. The pandemic is clearly not over. The risk of infection is still present. For some, there is legitimate fear in gathering together. As your bishops, we recognise that these prevailing circumstances suggest that not everyone is yet in the position to fulfil the absolute duty to attend freely Sunday Mass. Responding to the Gift We now encourage all Catholics to look again at the patterns which they have formed in recent months with regard to going to Mass on Sundays. This would include consideration and reflection about what we might do on Sundays, such as sports or shopping, or other leisure and social activities. This review, and the decisions which arise from it, fall to every Catholic and w e trust this will be done with honesty, motivated by a real love for the Lord whom we encounter in the Mass. The Sunday Mass is the very heartbeat of the Church and of our personal life of faith. We gather on the “,first day of the week,”, and devote ourselves to the apostles’, teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers (Acts 2:42). The Eucharist sustains us and spurs us on, renewing our gratitude and our hope. When we say “,Amen”, to Christ in receiving his Body and Blood, we express the love of God which is deep within us, and at the end of Mass, when we are sent forth, we express our love for our neighbour, especially those in need. These two dimensions reveal the full meaning of our faith. We are gathered together and sent out, we pray and are fed, we worship and we adore, these are intrinsic to our lives as those baptised into Christ.

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December 2021 + Middlesbrough Diocesan Catholic Voice + 5 SCHOOLS Trinity Catholic College Sixth Form in Middlesbrough is launching two brand-new sports academies to offer post-16 students across Teesside and North Yorkshire a high-performance sports programme alongside their academic studies. Under the T6 Sport Academy umbrella, the college will offer top-class football or netball programmes for young people who have already shown significant potential in one of the two sports. T6 Sports Academy will give young people the chance to follow their sporting dreams while studying and achieving qualifications for a career in their chosen field. Starting next September, T6 Football Academy and T6 Netball Academy, in partnership with Grangetown Netball Club, will be launched as 16-to-19 study programmes in partnership with Trinity Sixth Form, which is part of Nicholas Postgate Catholic Academy Trust (NPCAT). “,Our vision is to create programmes that help develop the best young sporting talent in the area, including those who have perhaps just missed out on professional contracts or still have aspirations of playing at the highest level possible,”, said T6 Sports Academy manager Dave McTiernan. The T6 Sports Academy will work in local schools and the community, building positive relationships, providing elite coaching and a potential route to playing at professional level, or providing a structured pathway to university or the world of work. “,Sport has had such a positive impact on my life, and I’,m excited about this opportunity to pass on some of the lessons I’,ve learned,”, said Dave. The T6 Sports Academy aims to give young people the best opportunities, whether to become professional sportspeople or by having successful careers, whether within the sector or not. “,Our sixth form is going through an exciting period of growth and development –, and our brand-new sports academies are a key part of our vision,”, said Trinity Catholic College headteacher Louise Dwyer. Head of sixth form Ryan Murray said: “,Not only will students receive coaching and guidance that will enable them to excel in their chosen sport, but our sixth form will also provide the courses, opportunities and experiences they need.”, Trust secondary careers lead Lisa Lindo added: “,Our universities and careers programmes will also connect students with the very best in higher education and local business, preparing them for the jobs of the future.”, Trinity’,s already impressive facilities include a sports hall, massage treatment suite and strength and conditioning studio and the new sports academy will have its own facilities to complement those even further. To apply for a T6 Sports Academy place you must be a current Year 11 student in any secondary school. Apply online at sport.npcat.org.uk/t6apply. For more information, email t6footballacademy@npcat.org.uk or t6netballacademy@npcat.org.uk. T6’,s blend of education and sport T6 Sports Academy students will receive a free training kit bundle and can access bus routes that operate across Teesside.

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6 + Middlesbrough Diocesan Catholic Voice + December 2021 NEWS Catholic parishioners and organisations in Hull have responded to the Pope’,s call for us to “,Dare to dream”, by meeting to discuss the good work they already do and how they can do even more. Our Lady of Lourdes and St Peter Chanel parish priest Father William Massie invited them to hold the meeting –, which was under the auspices of the SVP and the local deanery –, in the parish hall. All local Catholic organisations were represented among the 62 attendees, including: •, St Cuthbert’,s Multi Academy Trust •, the Legion of Mary •, Padre Pio Prayer Group •, Minnie Vinnies •, local SVP conferences •, the Catenians •, the Knights of St Columba •, Lourdes pilgrims •, the St Stephen’,s Housebound Group. There were also representatives from homelessness charity Emmaus and Welcome House, the charity caring for asylum seekers and migrants. District SVP chaplain Father Peter Corcoran SM opened the meeting with prayers. The proceedings then followed the See, Judge and Act principles in the Holy Father’,s book, Let Us Dream. SEE We heard how people coped during the pandemic. Every organisation prioritised keeping in touch with the elderly, vulnerable and isolated. There were many wonderful stories. St Stephen’,s housebound group could not hold their usual monthly meetings but kept in touch by phone and newsletters. The Minnie Vinnies wrote Christmas, Easter and birthday cards and St Vincent’,s parish SVP sent cards to every parishioner, an effort that was replicated by conferences throughout the district. The St Cuthbert’,s Trust chaplaincy told how students and staff of St Mary’,s College distributed food parcels to more than 40 families and provided financial help to families in need. Primary schools did similar work. SVP members took food and left it on people’,s doorsteps and checked they were all right. Ensuring people had food was a central part of their ministry. In the Sacred Heart parish, people cooked meals for their neighbours and did their shopping. St Richard’,s Primary school gave out food vouchers to the poorest families. The SVP in St John in Beverley and Sacred Heart Parish in Hornsea raised £,1,000 for a parish in Kerala, India. The St Charles Drop-in Centre closed, but volunteers continued working with organisations such as Emmaus and the Vineyard Church to help the homeless with clothing and food. The SVP worked closely with Welcome House, which cares for asylum seekers, setting up a fund to provide essential items such as toiletries, clothing and food for the 500 or so asylum seekers in the Hull area. The Padre Pio Prayer Group and the Legion of Mary ran Zoom prayer meetings that helped Hull Catholics dare to dream of a better future alleviate loneliness and isolation, as did the SVP Talking Newspaper, sent out to 120 people in all parts of the country. Telephone ministry was also widely used. Streamed Masses were essential in keeping parishioners in touch with the church and the Eucharist. The Lourdes committee organised a virtual pilgrimage, enabling people to “,travel”, to Lourdes in the comfort of their front rooms. The Knights of St Columba kept open channels of communication with their members, listening to their concerns and helping. There was also generous support from the Catenians, Jacob’,s Well in Beverley and Emmaus. JUDGE It was a privilege to hear all the inspiring stories, which show how much good work went on and is still going on and how many organisations and individuals are involved. They are a vital part of the Church’,s ministry. It was good to come together and hear what others are doing. Several themes emerged, including the need to work together and support each other wherever possible. There were comments about bereavement during lockdown and the need to help the dying and the bereaved. How do we support our priests in these difficult times? Loneliness and isolation are ever-present realities, as well as homelessness and poverty. How can we work more closely to help asylum seekers? The meeting highlighted the importance of links with schools, the Junior SVP and the Mini Vinnies. ACT It`s always difficult to put words into action, but here are a few early initiatives. The Stephen’,s Housebound Day will hopefully reopen in the New Year in new premises in the Sacred Heart Parish Hall. A bereavement counsellor has offered to help whenever she is needed. Can we set up chat or coffee mornings for the isolated in parishes where they do not exist at present? An approach has been made to the University of Hull’,s Catholic Chaplaincy to see how students might be involved. Parishes are being asked to collect toiletries for the Welcome House asylum seekers’, centre. Contact has been made with Emmaus to see how they can help us reach out to the homeless and with Jacob’,s Well in Beverley to see how they can help. There is a need to compile a register of Catholic organisations and circulate contact details to all parishes. This is hopefully just the start of a process that will grow. Thank you to everyone for making it such an inspiring occasion. Chris Cuthill Hull Catholics have been inspired to act by the message of Pope Francis in Let Us Dream A group of 34 teenagers and five adults were confirmed by Bishop Terry at St Joseph’,s Church, Scarborough on Thursday November 4.

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December 2021 + Middlesbrough Diocesan Catholic Voice + 7 NEWS The fifth World Day of the Poor took place on November 14. Here, the National Board of Catholic Women consider this year’,s theme, “,The poor you will always have with you”,…, The words are taken from an incident in which a woman was accused of wasting money when she anointed Jesus’, feet with precious ointment. It is one of many occasions when Jesus identifies with the poor. He answered the rich young man who wanted to know how to gain eternal life: “,If you would be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have a treasure in heaven.”, (Matthew 19-21). The first Christians had sharing as their ideal: “,All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.”, (Acts 2, 42-45). In the Roman Empire, the poor were expected to fend for themselves. The coming of Christianity changed this and over the centuries the Gospels have provided the impetus for Christians to care for the needy. The parable of the Good Samaritan is used by Pope Francis in Fratelli Tutti to urge us to listen to the cries of those who call for help. We should not shrug our shoulders, remain indifferent or pass by on the other side. He asks us to share our lives in friendship, to “,open our hearts”, and get to know them. We live in a relatively affluent country, but a significant number of our population do not share in this wealth. Many women, men and children find themselves excluded and often this marginalisation persists over generations. Is it right that food banks have become the norm when they were intended as a solution to temporary difficulties? Should a mother feel the necessity to go without a meal to feed her children? As a society, we should certainly ensure that all members have adequate food and shelter. Why do we allow women and men to leave prison with nowhere to go? Is it right to criminalise migrants? Do we make adequate provision for the disabled or for those who cannot work? What happens to the victims of domestic violence when the refuges are full or have had to be closed for lack of funds? There are many more questions to be asked about those who live on the margins of our society. World Day of the Poor gives us the opportunity to pause and reflect on the injustices endured by many of those in need. Women are most likely to be poor, and they are often closest to the poor and able to help them, especially where poverty is not just money, but loneliness and ill health. It requires a generosity of spirit to understand their experiences and desires. As Pope Francis says: “,We cannot wait for the poor to knock on our door, we need urgently to reach them in their homes, in hospitals and nursing homes, on the streets and in the dark corners where they sometimes hide, in shelters and reception centres.”, Holy Father urges us to reach out to the poor Pope Francis says we cannot wait for the poor to come to us but must reach out to them –, Photo ©, Mazur/ catholicnews.org.uk A son of the north honoured in the south FATHER DOMINIQUE MINSKIP tells the fascinating story of a priest who played a key role in the history of the Catholic church in England and whose roots were firmly in our diocese…, John Douglass was Vicar Apostolic (effectively Bishop) of the London District from December 1790 until his death in May 1912, but his origins lay in the north. Although of Scottish descent, he was born in Yarm in December 1743. The Catholic faith had been preserved in Yarm through the efforts of the Sayers and the Mayes families and “,recusant returns”, (lists of Catholics drawn up by the Anglican authorities) indicated 12 Catholic families in Yarm in the 1740s –, perhaps 60 people. John’,s early education was entrusted to the priest at Salwick Hall in Lancashire before he transferred to the English College, Douai, in 1757. We do not know his date of ordination but he was both a priest and a Doctor of Divinity by May 1768 and agreed to teach at the Royal English College of St Alban, Valladolid. A breakdown in health forced him to return to England in July 1773 and by 1775 he was in charge of the Little Blake Street chapel in York (today’,s St Wilfrid’,s). There he had a congregation of as many as 170 people (recusant returns, 1764), including many gentry, and he probably had wider administrative duties within the northern district too. These were times when Catholics were beginning to be freed from legal restrictions in England and when many Catholic gentry were urging compromises that the Vicars Apostolic (under direction from Rome) felt went too far. John Douglass, described by contemporaries as “,tall and thin”, and reputedly mild- mannered, had experience of the gentry and was probably seen as someone who would be a capable administrator also able to maintain the status quo when he was appointed by the Holy See as London Vicar Apostolic in 1790. He would, indeed, tread carefully until the issue of the “,Catholic Oath”,, on which the difficulties centred, subsided, and perhaps his patient character helped prevent lasting divisions within the Catholic community. As Vicar Apostolic, Douglass helped as many as 5,000 French bishops and priests find refuge when they were forced to flee their own country as a result of the revolution. He also set up St Edmund’,s College, Old Hall, Ware, as a new seminary for English students forced Douai for the same reason. When he died, in 1812, he was buried in Old St Pancras churchyard, but his remains were transferred to St Edmund’,s in 1908 –, a son of the north honoured in the south. Yarm-born John Douglass taught at the Royal English College of St Alban in Valladolid, Spain

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8 + Middlesbrough Diocesan Catholic Voice + December 2021 St Gabriel’,s Church in Ormesby was packed for the funeral of Andrew Lombard, who died in James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough, after a short illness. Andrew was a long-serving Lourdes brancardier and former committee member, but mourners heard how his service in the diocese went back much further than his involvement with Lourdes. In the early-1970s, Andrew helped run a house in central Middlesbrough to support young mothers who might otherwise have had an abortion. From there he became a pioneer of the Catholic Fellowship at a time when there was very little help for children with disabilities and their families. He served as chairman of the Middlesbrough group, organising weekly playgroups and youth clubs and annual summer holidays. Andrew’,s daughters, Rochelle, Christianne and Eloise and their husbands are all current Fellowship helpers, as well as being members of our Lourdes Hospitalité,. Bishop Terry wrote to Andrew’,s wife, Mary, to offer his condolences and assure the family of his prayers. “,Andrew was a good man who gave of himself generously at every opportunity,”, he said. “,Although these must be sad days for you and the family, you must surely be able to console yourselves with so many happy and blessed memories.”, Head brancardier Tony Kirk said: “,Andrew was a wonderful man, not only as an exceptional brancardier, but also in his longstanding work with the Catholic Fellowship, and in many other aspects of his life. “,Every time I met him he always had a calm wisdom about him, always willing to help with kind advice and a gentle way. We will all have many personal memories of Andrew to share, but it is often the case that as we go about our daily lives we never know how we touch others’, lives. “,One memory that sticks with me is that after I had received my three-year medal in Lourdes, Andrew came up to me in the domain, shook my hand, and gave me a Notre Dame de Lourdes pin badge to secure my medal ribbon to my brancs’, jacket. “,That gesture touched me deeply, and every time I look at the pin badge I am reminded of that small kindness. “,As we come to terms with this devastating news, we must remember there is a loving wife and three beautiful daughters and their extended families who need our support and prayers to try and help in some small way as they grieve for Andrew. “,He was a wonderful man, who will be sadly missed by all who knew him. Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for him, Saint Bernadette, pray for him. May he rest in peace.”, Money from the collection taken at Andrew’,s funeral will be divided between the Lourdes Sick Fund and Vaccinaid, a charity providing Covid vaccines to people around the world. Mourners reflect on Andrew’,s ‘,calm wisdom’, Andrew and Bishop Terry deep in conversation in Lourdes LOURDES Lourdes directors meet for annual conference The Association of Lourdes Pilgrimage Directors of Great Britain gathered in our diocese for a highly successful annual three-day conference. On the agenda was a wide range of issues regarding the organisation of pilgrimages in this time of Covid regulation. Many members of our pilgrimage joined the directors for the conference Mass celebrated by Bishop Terry at the cathedral. The conference, which took place at Gisborough Hall, looked at questions that have been put to the Lourdes authorities to address any concerns we may have. Look out in future editions of the Voice for some major news announcements that came out at the conference. Members of the Association of Lourdes Pilgrimage Directors of Great Britain after the Mass in St Mary’,s Cathedral –, Photo by To ny Kirk Charities supported in memory of Mell A collection at the funeral of regular Lourdes pilgrim Mell Tosh raised £,1,140 to be shared between the Diocese of Middlesbrough Lourdes Sick Fund and liver patient support charity LIVErNORTH. Mell passed away in October after a long illness and her funeral at St Mary’,s Cathedral was attended by many of her fellow pilgrims. Her husband, Chris, thanked the Lourdes family for helping give her the special send-off she deserved. “,Thank you to everyone who made Mell`s funeral so fitting and special for a remarkable lady,”, he said. “,It was such a moving experience and one that I know Mell would have approved of. “,I would also like to thank everybody for all the love, prayers and support that was shown for me and the kids. “,It has really helped us all knowing we are surrounded by such love and care following Mell`s sad passing.”, The Tosh family in Lourdes –, Tyler-Jayne, Mell and Leon with Phillip in front

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December 2021 + Middlesbrough Diocesan Catholic Voice + 9 After a two-year absence, I can now confirm our intention to return to Lourdes in 2022. The pilgrimage will be different to our previous pilgrimages due to the ongoing Covid 19 situation. The first change you will see is a reduction in the length of the pilgrimage, from seven days to five. The pilgrimage will begin on Monday May 30 and return on Friday June 3. This decision was taken following advice from our medical team and should reduce the risk of contracting Covid in Lourdes, which would result in isolation and the possibility of leaving pilgrims in France. This is the only reason for the change, due to the incubation period for Covid, and we feel that shortening our pilgrimage will substantially reduce the risk of anyone contracting the virus while abroad. Please be aware that the shorter period will not greatly reduce the pilgrimage fare as the bulk of the fare is made up of flight costs. The second change that will be apparent is that after careful consideration and many discussions, we have appointed Tangney Tours as our preferred travel agent going forward to 2022. This was not an easy decision, but we feel the best one for our pilgrimage at this time. Booking forms will be available shortly and an online booking system will be arranged. There will be other changes on the pilgrimage concerning Covid which will be implemented to safeguard all our pilgrims. These will include being fully vaccinated and the possibility of testing, but these will change and evolve as we approach the pilgrimage dates and will be affected by the changing rules and regulations covering foreign travel and the rates of infection both in the UK and France. We will keep you informed as we proceed. Please be assured we are working tirelessly behind the scenes to make sure we have a safe and secure pilgrimage in 2022 and that all our decisions will be made to safeguard our pilgrims. If you would like to travel with us, please register your interest as soon as possible. Supported pilgrims: headofhospitalite@rcdmidd.org.uk Brancardiers: headbrancardier@rcdmidd.org.uk Handmaids: headhandmaid@rcdmidd.org.uk Nurses/doctors: doctor@rcdmidd.org.uk or headnurse@rcdmidd.org.uk Musicians: thelombards@hotmail.com Pilgrims: pilgrimagedirector@rcdmidd.org.uk Alternatively, write to Lourdes Pilgrimage Director, Curial Office, 50a The Avenue, Middlesbrough TS5 6QT Keith Tillotson, Pilgrimage Director Plans underway as pilgrimage returns to Lourdes LOURDES Lourdes Christmas tea party Our Lourdes Christmas Tea Party takes place on Saturday December 11 at St Francis Church, Acklam Road, Middlesbrough, starting with Mass at 1pm with music from our Lourdes musicians. This will be followed by a party in the hall next door, with Christmas entertainment and carols sung by our young people.

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10 + Middlesbrough Diocesan Catholic Voice + December 2021 NEWS St Mary’,s Cathedral Choir is back up and running after the pandemic and singing in a safe way for both rehearsals and services. We are now looking for more people to join us. I am delighted to have started as a new assistant director of music and our new director of music is set to arrive in January, when Tim Harrison very sadly leaves us to enjoy a well-deserved retirement. We are a choir of children and adults and we rehearse on Thursday evenings with children from 5pm until 6pm and adults from 7pm until 8.30pm, as well as singing Sunday morning services in the cathedral with a few extra ones at special times of the year. For our young adults, aged 16 to 25, there are also paid choral scholarships available. We are still looking for an alto and a tenor choral scholar for this academic year, so please get in touch at asstmusic@rcdmidd.org.uk for more information. Why sing in a choir? There are so many reasons to do this –, choirs are a great way to meet new people, have fun while leading the worship in the cathedral and get free music lessons in the process! For members of the choir, there are reduced cost individual singing or piano and organ lessons available too. We also have a Consort, which sings for Wednesday Vespers and Benediction, so if you can’,t make the regular choir, this could be an option for you. Please get in touch to arrange an audition for either of these groups –, you are more than welcome to come along and give us a try and see what you think! Janine Busbridge, Assistant Director of Music Choir returns –, and needs news members! A Letter From Madonna House –, Wouldn’,t you rather believe? The look of relief and dawning hope on her face was as heart-breaking as joyous for me. For too long, Mary had needlessly and secretly suffered from feelings of shame and failure, but in this moment of grace, she could finally see her life as beautiful in the eyes of God. I just wished she had known the truth earlier. Mary had heard a call from God since her childhood. Assuming this meant religious life, she joined a religious order, but left after a couple of unhappy years. Wondering if marriage was her vocation, she entered a number of relationships, but none worked out. She enjoyed her life now, involved in her local Church, volunteer work and daily prayer, but every now and then, doubts lashed out at her: had she “,missed the boat”, and now was drifting through life? Was God disappointed with her? That’,s when I suggested that perhaps she was exactly where she was meant to be, that God’,s desire for her was to live a holy life in the “,marketplace”,. And that’,s when Mary’,s face was transfigured. I’,ve heard this kind of anguish many times since: a man in his 50s had entered the seminary twice and had tried living in one of the new ecclesial movements, but nothing fitted. Finally, he found his vocation in counselling, where he has enriched the lives of countless people, helping to bring light into their darkness. This is what God always had in mind for him –, his path to holiness and fulfilment. How many people called to marriage believe that theirs is just an ordinary life, while those who are in religious vows are special? In reality, the sacrificial love of parents radiates God’,s tenderness and draws him into our world in a powerful incarnational way. No mere theory here. When I told my uncle about my desire to join Madonna House, he looked puzzled and queried, “,Well why don’,t you go all the way, and become a nun?”, Innumerable times, I’,ve heard people ask our laymen, “,Why don’,t you go all the way and become a priest?”, When I was struggling to discern my vocation, the complicating factor was that I knew my deepest desire was for union with God, and I was afraid to choose the wrong vocation and lose out on this dream. God had to be very forceful with me, to convince me that no particular vocation ensures holiness. The only thing that matters is God’,s choice of our path in life. What peace we might all find, if instead of assuming we’,ve made a mistake or are a disappointment to God, we trust that his power to guide us is stronger than our fears and evasions. That we are exactly where he wants us to be. That our life can be a shining light wherever we are called. That right now, he draws us into a profound union of heart with him. I remember my spiritual director looking at me with piercing eyes so long ago saying, “,You have a choice to believe that God loves you, or to keep doubting. Wouldn’,t you rather believe?”, Yes, I would. Cheryl Ann Smith Members of our Cathedral Choir –, Photo by Chris Booth The Adult Formation department recently held a short catch-up meeting for those people who are RCIA catechists in their parishes. This two-hour Zoom session began with a half-hour of Lectio Divina, followed by some time just catching up with each other as we seek to get things going again following the pandemic. We listened to some encouraging and uplifting accounts of what some of our catechists had been doing during lockdown and how they used imaginative ways to try to keep themselves open to people enquiring about the faith. Some parishes have people who want to be received into the Church. We talked about resources that are available for catechists and enquirers alike. One of the latest is called Sycamore –, The Catholic Faith Explained by Father Stephen Wang, who was recently appointed rector of the Venerable English College in Rome. It is available as a book from CTS Publications, priced £,14.95. It can also be accessed in the format of short videos at sycamore.fm/about-sycamore/what-is-sycamore/. Maybe you already have some great resources you use in your RCIA parish group. If not, why not have a look at Sycamore and think about how it may be helpful to you and your enquirers? RCIA catechists hold catch-up meeting Father Stephen Wang’,s book is one of the resources available to catechists Our first annual RCIA Retreat in almost two years will be held at Our Lady’,s, Acomb, York, on Saturday February 5 2022 from 10.30am to 3pm. The Rite of Election of those wishing to be received into the Catholic Church will take place at the Easter Vigil with Bishop Terry in St Mary’,s Cathedral at 3pm on Sunday March 6 2022. Please contact Reverend David Cross to find out more or to book places on the RCIA Retreat and to let us know if you have anyone from your parish who wishes to be received into the Church this coming Easter. Email David at adultformation@rcdmidd.org.uk. Date set for RCIA retreat return Candidates at the 2017 Rite of Election

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December 2021 + Middlesbrough Diocesan Catholic Voice + 11 CAFOD FUNERAL DIRECTORS If you would like to advertise in the Funeral Directors section, please contact Charlotte Rosbrooke on 07932 2 48225 or email charlotter@cathcom.org Our family caring for your family Covering all areas Tel: 01642 459555 King George House, 92 High Street, Eston TS6 9EG Website: www.fawcettandhetherington.co.uk Email: info@fawcettandhetherington.co.uk Fawcett &, Hetherington Funeral Service Last month I participated in the Global Day of Action in Glasgow, marching through the city streets calling for climate justice with more than 100,000 people of all ages and from all over the world. There was a great atmosphere, despite the heavy rain and gusting winds. I bumped into Annika Spalde, a deacon in the Church of Sweden, and Hans Kvarnströ,m, who started walking from Sweden to Glasgow on July 19. I had met them both on Holy Island in October. I also met a modern-day heroine, Claudelice Santos de Silva, a human rights defender from Brazil who, despite receiving death threats, continues to work to protect and defend the Amazon where she lives. She is studying Law to enable her to fight for justice for all whose homes and land are being destroyed by illegal logging, mining and forest fires. Forty young CAFOD volunteers, including some from our diocese, made their voices heard as we walked. Sadly, we have now heard the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow ended with agreements which come up short for people in the world`s most vulnerable communities. Neil Thorns, CAFOD`s Director of Advocacy, said: “,COP26 is a major disappointment to CAFOD’,s partners working with poor communities, it simply hasn`t delivered the urgent action or justice required. “,Instead, it has been pushed until 2022 to limit temperature increases to 1.5C and deliver the climate finance so desperately needed. ",At this critical moment when urgent action is needed to keep us within the dangerous 1.5- degree temperature rise, the COP26 talks have come up short. We are on a road with no turning back now. ",We need to see concrete policies that match the promises made here to make real progress on reducing emissions by 2030. Countries must come back next year with greater ambition. “,Politicians have not had the honesty and courage to take responsibility for their actions. But the tide is turning. Countries at the frontline of the climate crisis are taking heart from the voices of young people and those on the streets.”, There is a fuller report at cafod.org.uk. Carol Cross, CAFOD Community Participation Coordinator World unites in campaign for climate justice CAFOD’,s Mark Maughan, Charlotte Bray, Helen Moseley, and Carol Cross at the Global Day of Action in Glasgow Buy the Christmas gifts that won`t cost the earth Christmas is coming –, but how can you find unusual charity presents for your friends and family that make a difference to people living in poverty? Buying a World Gift is the perfect solution! World Gifts are CAFOD`s range of virtual presents that make a real difference to families living in poverty across the world. For each gift you buy this Christmas, you`ll receive a beautiful gift card to pass on to your loved one. There are six new World Gifts that make ideal Christmas presents. Plus, a new Advent calendar and sets of Christmas cards that we think you’,ll love. At £,9, an energy-saving stove could be perfect for a Secret Santa or stocking filler. This gift of training and materials to build an energy-saving stove helps people to cook meals safely and in an eco-friendly way. The stoves are safer than open fires so people can cook with confidence. These stoves use local materials and burn less fuel –, so not only does this give people opportunities to learn how to build these stoves from others, but it protects the trees around them from being cut down. Or you could share solidarity with a safe place to call home. For £,175, this makes a really special gift or a great present to buy as a group. This gift can pay for the legal help a family needs to secure their home, ensuring they have a home to live in, land to farm on and a place of safety. In the Amazon, securing homes allows people to protect the land they live on from deforestation and to live in harmony with the rainforest. Have a look on our website for other gift ideas, ranging from £,4 for a queen bee to £,719 to restore the rainforest! There’,s a gift to suit everyone, or you could join together to buy a larger gift. World Gift catalogues have been sent to parishes in the diocese, so have a look through them and share with your family and friends.

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12 + Middlesbrough Diocesan Catholic Voice + December 2021 NEWS Please support our advertisers. Revenue from advertising pays for the production of this paper and without them we would not be able to produce the Catholic Voice free of charge each month, so please support their businesses. Copy Deadline Copy and photographs for inclusion in the Catholic Voice should be sent to: The Editor, Middlesbrough Diocesan Catholic Voice, Curial Offices, 50a The Avenue, Linthorpe, Middlesbrough, TS5 6QT. Tel (01642) 850505, email catholicvoice@rcdmidd.org.uk Deadline Friday December 3 for our January edition. Where possible please send articles in Word and photographs as jpegs. Please confirm when you send in your photographs that those who appear in them have given their permission for publication. St Mary’,s Cathedral has been awarded the Ken McMeikan and Meals &, More Literacy Award 2021 for its support of south Middlesbrough families within the Feast of Fun holiday program. Parishioners and volunteers have generously supported families during the holidays since 2017. Since the first lockdown, this has been delivered as food and craft bags. The £,250 voucher will help us continue to encourage a love of books by including a more engaging selection in the craft bags. We also hope to develop a storytime and a quiet corner and a hot meal when we can resume our activity sessions. The help provided through Feast of Fun has changed since the pandemic, as more families slip into food poverty. Like other providers, we have found our numbers increasing. We now support around 60 families and update the list each holiday. We are aware that it would not be possible to accommodate all of these in face-to-face sessions, so we expect our food and craft bag provision will need to continue. Teresa Lyth Award for cathedral literacy project Teresa Lyth receives the Ken McMeikan and Meals &, More Literacy Award 2021 Generous parishioners at St Aelred’,s in York donated a record number of shoeboxes filled with gifts as their annual contribution to Rotary’,s national appeal. Coordinator Kath Duckworth said 173 boxes had already been returned at the time of writing, comfortably beating last year’,s total. This year’,s boxes are filled with gifts for babies, children, teenagers and adults in Odessa, Ukraine. Last year’,s went to Barbara House for the elderly and the Krasnosilka Orphanage for Girls in the same region. Pictured right: Jean Goodridge and Kath Duckworth with the 173 shoeboxes collected by generous parishioners of St Aelred’,s, York Boxes of kindness head from York to Ukraine Our Lady of Fidelity The church needs religious sisters URGENTLY to bring Christ to others by a life of prayer and service lived in the community of Ignation spirituality. Daily Mass is the centre of community life. By wearing the religious habit we are witnesses of the consecrated way of life. If you are willing to risk a little love and would like to find out how, contact Sister Bernadette Mature vocations considered. CONVENT OF OUR LADY OF FIDELITY 1 Our Lady`s Close, Upper Norwood, London SE19 3FA Telephone 07760 297001 090699502

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December 2021 + Middlesbrough Diocesan Catholic Voice + 13 NEWS Follow the Diocese of Middlesbrough on social media Twitter: atMbroDiocese Facebook: facebook.com/MiddlesbroughDiocese Flickr: flickr.com/photos/middlesbroughdiocese/ The Diocese of Middlesbrough would like to point out that while every care is taken with advertisements placed in the Catholic Voice, publication does not suggest an endorsement of any views expressed. Members of the National Board of Catholic Women are supporting a project in Lebanon to mark the 60th anniversary of CAFOD. The idea is to empower women to extend their vision beyond the home to provide better support for their families and seek out training in new skills and gain a wider community perspective. Lebanon is a small but beautiful country of just under seven million people, including a million Syrian refugees and others from Palestine. The country is riven by discord and suffering financial collapse. While we wonder how to pay our power bills, in Lebanon there simply is no electricity to switch on at times and the only hope of support comes from Iran –, at a political price. Armed conflict on the streets and the aftermath of the massive Port of Beirut explosion in August 2020 have led to its citizens suffering from hyperinflation and the lack of stable government. The country has 18 official religious sects, including Maronite and Orthodox Catholics, Sunni and Shia Muslims and ours is a multi- faith project with activities chosen by the women themselves. More than 60 years ago, when the Family Fast Day was initiated by women, they had time and energy to commit to fundraising. This is no longer the case now that we have claimed an equal burden in supporting ourselves and our families and are committed to developing ambitious and equal careers. Nevertheless, in the spirit of journeying together with their Lebanese sisters, women in York have been using their own entrepreneurial skills to start their fundraising efforts with a cake stall and selling crafts and plants from our gardens and recycling other goods to convert into donations. We hope other parishes in the diocese will also champion this cause –, not just because the project is an excellent one, there are many of those, but also to show solidarity and demonstrate that despite the pressures of modern life, women still desire to support and enhance their lives of their sisters across the world. Donations and profits can be submitted at justgiving.com/campaign/NBCWandUCMforLeb anon. Barbara Cookson, UCM Diocesan President Appeal Marks CAFOD Anniversary Women journey together into New Year Women in our diocese are invited to meet at St Bede’,s Pastoral Centre in York for a New Year retreat day. Led by Julia MacDonald and Marion Bettenworth CJ, the theme of the retreat is “,We will journey together through the gate of the year”,. The event takes place on Saturday January 15 2022 from 10am to 3.30pm and costs £,20. You are advised to book early as numbers are restricted. Email bec@filemot.com to reserve your place. Visit nbcw.co.uk to find out more about the organisation. Bishop Terry blessed the graves of his predecessors after concelebrating a moving November Mass for our deceased bishops and priests at St Mary’,s Cathedral. Father Richard Marsden is seen here reading the Gospel –, Photo by Paul Bowen Dates for your diary Thursday December 23, 7pm: Knights of St Columba Council 29 Carols and Candles, St Francis` Social Club, Middlesbrough Saturday January 15 2022, 10am to 3.30pm: Catholic women’,s retreat at St Bede’,s Pastoral Centre in York. Email bec@filemot.com Saturday February 5 2022, 10.30am to 3pm: RCIA Retreat, Our Lady’,s, Acomb, York Sunday March 6 2022, 3pm: Rite of Election, St Mary’,s Cathedral If you would like to advertise please contact Charlotte Rosbrooke on 07932 248225 or email charlotter@cathcom.org

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14 + Middlesbrough Diocesan Catholic Voice + December 2021 WORLD NEWS How our port chaplains adapted to make use of technology when the pandemic struck.. The essence of being a Stella Maris port chaplain is going on board a ship to meet the crew and see if they need any practical help or pastoral support. During the Covid-19 pandemic, however, this has not always been allowed by the authorities. So Stella Maris port chaplains developed a digital ministry. Seafarers have been very much at the heart of the pandemic. It’,s largely thanks to them that our hospitals have had vital medical equipment and medicines and that the shelves in our supermarkets have been stocked –, around 90 per cent of the goods imported into the UK come by ship. Peter Morgan, Stella Maris port chaplain to the ports of Bristol, Sharpness, Cardiff, and Newport, said it wasn’,t hard making the switch to solely digital means of communication. “,I’,d been communicating a lot with seafarers on social media before the pandemic. I’,d been spending time in the evenings talking to seafarers on Facebook and WhatsApp. But when I had to spend long periods doing this, I found it incredibly difficult.”, What he missed was face-to-face contact with seafarers. “,So much of the job is non-verbal, and you just don’,t get this on WhatsApp. There are different markers to observe stress or anxiety when you meet seafarers. To be able to see these, you need to have face-to-face communication. That way, you can get an inkling that something is troubling a seafarer. “,You can only do so much of going near the top of a gangway and craning your neck to ask if you can come on board, and then being told no –, it feels like you’,re being rejected. “,You don’,t have any of those staircase conversations, those moments when you’,re transitioning from one part of a ship to another with a crew member and you have time to ask them if they’,re really okay. That’,s when you can pick up on their body language.”, Being at sea for nine months at a time can place huge strains on a seafarer’,s mental wellbeing. Apart from doing a tough and demanding job, they are away from their families, they often don’,t get time ashore and they might have issues getting paid. Stella Maris port chaplains keep in touch with seafarers once they have left port. However, despite the way technology has transformed shipping, so that now even a huge container ship might only have a crew of 20, internet access remains patchy at sea. “,It’,s frustrating, especially if a seafarer is suffering from stress or anxiety,”, said Peter. “,You might get someone getting in touch with you at 2am because that’,s when they have both free time and internet access. “,Often you might only talk for half an hour, and then you might not hear from the person for another week. And you wonder how they are managing.”, Steve Willows, Stella Maris’, Immingham port chaplain, conducts live prayer sessions every Wednesday on the charity`s Facebook channel. This provides a virtual space for seafarers and supporters of the charity to join in and pray for seafarers and fishers. Faith is important to many Catholic seafarers and knowing that there are people out there thinking about them and praying for them gives them comfort and reassurance. You can learn more about or support the work of Stella Maris chaplains at stellamaris.org.uk. Greg Watts Stella Maris chaplains go digital –, but keep the human touch Environment Corner “,24 hours for the climate”,, a global vigil organised by the Columbans for people of faith to pray and advocate for the success of the conference, has taken place in Glasgow during the COP26 climate summit. It concluded with the celebration of Mass, at which Bishop John Arnold preached. His message was one of hope, while also acknowledging the urgency of caring for Mother Earth –, our common home. He acknowledged, too, peoples’, concerns that we are not going fast enough. However, his grounds for optimism were three-fold: Firstly –, that we have the knowledge and the science we need as a basis for action. Secondly –, the level of the growing collaboration and the coming together of so many in pursuit of change, including people of all faiths who were in agreement with each other. Thirdly –, the understanding and enthusiasm of young people. He encouraged us all to make a personal commitment to prayer and action –, each person’,s actions may seem small, but 80 per cent of the world’,s population making individual changes leads to something very significant. We can also pray for our politicians –, whether of our persuasion or not –, so they will see and understand the science and take action accordingly and show true leadership. He highlighted the need to think globally –, to campaign for and stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters worldwide, especially those who have suffered so much already from the ravages of climate change. He concluded with Pope Francis’, message of hope: “,We can make a difference as people and as a church both nationally and globally.”, Barbara Hungin Bishop finds reasons to be optimistic Bishop John Arnold preached at Mass during the global “,24 hours for the climate”, vigil –, Photo ©, Mazur/catholicnews.org.uk Stella Maris Immingham port chaplain Steven Willows Bishop Terry gives the blessing during the Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph in Middlesbrough –, Photo by Ian Stubbs

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December 2021 + Middlesbrough Diocesan Catholic Voice + 15 OBITUARIES From the Archives 40 Years Ago (From Christmas 1981 Catholic Voice) Sister Mary Christopher writes…, As the Christmas season approaches and we prepare to celebrate that wonderful mystery, I am reminded of my introduction to Eston House. As I wandered round the dark, dusty, boarded-up empty building at the foot of the Eston Hills, my thoughts turned to the dirty stable at Bethlehem in the side of the Judean Hills, and how the arrival of the Christ Child transformed the scene, a thought that gave me courage and hope. Soon, shutters came down at Eston House and the sunlight streaming through the many windows revealed a clean and welcoming house, full of warmth and expectancy for the arrival of our first guests, Daniel and Donna. Eston House had come to life. The laughter and the sound of children’,s voices echoed through the house, and I wanted to cry out “,Christ is living, Christ has come again”,. 100 Years Ago (From Hull Catholic magazine, December 1921) Mr. H. R. Mortell, a parishioner of St Patrick’,s, has invented a method of lowering lifeboats from a sinking ship which will revolutionise the present method. It is claimed that two men can launch the boat in one minute by just turning a handle attached to each davit. The boat full of people can be lowered with perfect safety, and with an even keel, no matter what direction the ship is listing. David Smallwood Year Book 2022 Diocese of Middlesbrough Please contact us to put your order in for the Diocese of Middlesbrough Year Book 2022 edition Call 01440 7 30399 or email: middlesbrough@cathcom.org Father John Wood was described as a man who shunned the limelight and just wanted to do a good job, during the eulogy at his funeral service at St Wilfrid’,s Church, Hull. The tribute was read by Father John’,s brother, Martin, who also thanked friends and former parishioners for all the support they had given over the years. Father John was born in Sheffield on August 1 1946, but his family moved to Hull shortly afterwards. He studied at Endsleigh Marist College and Hull University, where he gained a degree in Mathematics before becoming a teacher. “,He didn’,t want the limelight, just to do a good job,", said Martin. ",He didn`t particularly like being at the front of anything, so why did he become a teacher? Luckily, he was listening, and the Lord called him to the priesthood. This proved to be perfect for John.”, After studying at Ushaw, Father John was ordained at Holy Name, Hull, on July 15 1978 and was appointed curate at St Hilda’,s, Whitby. He later served at St Wilfrid’,s, York, Holy Cross, Cottingham, St Andrew’,s, Teesville, Holy Name, Hull and Ss Peter and John Fisher, Withernsea, before being appointed parish priest of West Hull Parishes. From there he moved to South East Hull Parish and his final parish, Our Lady and St Peter, Bridlington. “,Family was very important to John,”, said Martin. “,We had many plans for holidays and days out when he retired, but it was not to be. “,Time was not John`s friend. A parishioner many years ago said, ‘,I hope you don`t mind Father, but you may hear muffled laughter at your funeral when the Bishop talks about ‘,the late Father Wood’,.”, Father John had recovered well from major surgery for tongue cancer but shortly after Christmas 2019, he was seriously injured in a road accident. Martin said: “,By the end of 2020 he was well on the road to recovery. Sadly, the evil cancer struck him again. This time it was more aggressive and started to get the better of him. “,On the evening of Sunday July 11, I got a call to say John had asked for his family and a Catholic priest. Just before 5pm on July 13, he passed away, very quietly and peacefully, just like John himself. He is now in heaven and out of pain. “,I know with Covid restrictions many people who would have liked to, could not go to John’,s funeral. I’,m sure you will have remembered him in your prayers or even gone to Mass for him. “,Thank you for your Mass intentions, cards, letters and phone calls, which show how much John was appreciated throughout his priesthood. “,He in turn appreciated all the help and encouragement he received. No matter how insignificant it may have felt to you, it meant a lot to him.”, Bishop Terry was the principal celebrant at the funeral, where a collection was taken for Dove House Hospice, which cared for Father John in his final weeks. A quiet priest who just wanted to do a good job Father John James McKeever –, known to many throughout the Diocese of Middlesbrough as Father Jack –, died at James Cook University Hospital on Sunday October 31. Born in Ardee, County Louth, Ireland, on March 7 1933, Father Jack trained for the priesthood at St Patrick’,s Seminary in Thurles and was ordained in Thurles Cathedral on 15 June 1958. He came to the Diocese of Middlesbrough as curate at St Wilfred’,s in York from 1958 to 1961, and then moved to St Pius X, Middlesbrough, from 1961 to 1968, before moving to Our Lady and St Peter’,s in Bridlington from 1968 to 1973. In 1973 he was appointed chaplain to St William’,s School at Market Weighton, where he stayed for one year. In 1974 he was appointed as parish priest to the Sacred Heart Church in Howden and from 1981 to 1996 he was parish priest at St Gabriel’,s in Ormesby, Middlesbrough, before moving to St Joseph and St Cuthbert’,s in Loftus and retiring in 2010. Father Jack was a great sports fan and was a Middlesbrough season ticket holder at both Ayresome Park and the Riverside Stadium. His main love, however, was horse racing. “,Father Jack was admired and loved by so many people,”, said the vicar general, Monsignor Gerard Robinson. “,He was a very prayerful, spiritual and pastoral priest. He enjoyed being with fellow priests and other priests enjoyed being with him because they used to get some very good tips for the horses!”, In his retirement, he was active in helping and supporting local priests, especially at St Andrew’,s in Teesville. Bishop Terry and many priests and people gathered for Father Jack’,s golden jubilee celebrations in 2008. In 2018, St Andrew’,s organised and hosted Father Jack’,s diamond jubilee, which was attended by many parishioners and brother priests. He was one of 13 children, and his brother Joe helped to organise his funeral, which was held at the Church of the Nativity of Our Lady in Ardee on Monday November 15. Bishop Terry will celebrate Mass for the repose of Father Jack’,s soul at St Andrew’,s, Teesville, on December 7 at 7pm. Much-loved Father Jack’,s funeral held in Ireland Father Jack McKeever’,s funeral took place in Ireland in November Father John Wood blesses the newly ordained Father Peter Taylor

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16 + Middlesbrough Diocesan Catholic Voice + December 2021 NEWS Designed typeset and printed by CathCom, N2 Blois Meadow Business Centre, Steeple Bumpstead, Haverhill, Suffolk. CB9 7BN. To Advertise call 01440 730399. or e-mail: ads@cathcom.org –, serving Schools, Business and Homes If you would like to advertise please contact Charlotte Rosbrooke on 07932 248225 or email charlotter@cathcom.org Units 2-4, Lakeland Estate, Faverdale North, Darlington, DL3 0PX T | 01325 464464 E | contact@harrisonlp.co.uk W | www.harrisonlp.co.uk , Strike Risk Assessments , Installation , Maintenance , Testing , Marked Plans , Certification Please quote reference LP399 when you contact us Lightning Protection and Earthing Specialists Family Business since 1926 Property Maintenance, Extensions, Alterations and Repairs (Large and Small) , Private and Commercial Work undertaken , Many contracts completed with Middlesbrough Diocese for schools and church properties , All work guaranteed Contact: John 07831822285 Tom 07557335366 E-mail: john.shipley@ntlworld.com 66 Gunnergate Lane, Marton, Middlesbrough TS7 8JB J. M. Shipley &, Son Building Contractor Please support our advertisers. Revenue from advertising pays for the production of this paper and without them we would not be able to produce the Catholic Voice free of charge each month, so please support their businesses. PETER CAREY joined Middlesbrough Catenians in October 1971 and has been a leading light in the association ever since. Here he looks back on his first 50 years…, My life has, from an early age, been influenced and affected by Catenians, including my father, my doctors, my uncles and, subsequently, friends and family. My father was a member of Middlesbrough Circle for 53 years and my grandfather no doubt would have completed nearly the same if he had not died in a car accident on his way to Redcar circle’,s dinner dance in the Coatham Hotel. I have been supported by my sons, Philip and Simon, who are both brothers of Middlesbrough Circle. Philip has also been president, making four generations of our family. The most rewarding memory of a Catenian function was meeting my wife Margaret in 1959 at a summer dance organised by Hartlepool and Stockton circles, while I was on embarkation leave shortly after I returned from serving in the RAF in Iraq. I was there with my sister and her fiancé,, Martin Heaney, a brother of Stockton Circle. Margaret was there with her parents, Bob and Olive Kirk, of Hartlepool Circle. Bob was a past president and would have been shortly provincial president, but cancer intervened. Margaret and I shared a cigarette on the bridge overlooking the Tees and probably had our first tentative kiss, which has led to nearly 59 years of wedded togetherness. I joined the Catenians in 1971 and along with school pals, Jim Goodwin and Peter Jones, was in the vanguard of a recruitment drive by Middlesbrough Circle, as its numbers were falling as ages were rising. We were advised to keep quiet at council meetings, and before long, we were responsible for organising the children’,s Christmas parties and the teenage carnival dance in the Ladle Hotel at Christmas. I have served in most of the circle offices over the years and am currently serving my fifth term as president, alongside being provincial treasurer. However, next year I will be free to join the backbenches and relax a little and maybe play more golf. Without doubt, the association has been a large part of our lives, and the friendship and memories gained will live to the end of our days. Most of our close friends are Catenians and the fact that we share a common faith is comforting and consoling. Catenian Peter looks back on first half-century Pictured with Peter are Province 5 director Brother Ian Calvert president Brother John Thompson

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