Carbon Neutral Newspaper How can a Newspaper be Carbon Neutral? The paper is 100% recycled paper and it originally came from sustainable sources. Therefore, when trees were initially cut down, new ones were planted and then the paper has been re-used. So PLEASE remember to recycle this paper, so it can be re-used again and again! We will be part of the Carbon Balanced Print scheme which is certified by the World Land Trust –,www.carbonbalancedpaper.com. We currently use distributors who have reduced the amount of carbon they produce and have offset the rest by supporting Carbon Positive projects that reduce the amount of carbon produced elsewhere. 75% of the electricity used by the printing process comes for solar power. The only area of the process which is not carbon neutral is the website, the servers that they run on, and the electronic parts of the computers and mobiles that are required to view the websites. We are working on our side of this to ensure the electricity that constantly run our servers is from renewable sources, but it is much harder for us to be in control of the electronic parts of both our servers and readers’, electronic equipment –, which is often not recyclable. But we will continue to work on this! Catholic Papers Support Charities Many charities use our papers for advertising or to put leaflets in the paper. Why? Because readers make donations that help those who are in need (whether they are homeless, starving, blind, alone, or in danger) in the UK and throughout the World. The leaflets are also a great way to find out more about their work and their achievements. During the Pandemic, many of our charities have struggled to get their messages out and to get the desperately needed funds to keep their projects going. Your support makes this happen and transforms so many lives. Also, just by subscribing, or by picking up the paper and reading it, you are helping us feed hundreds of children in Malawi through the Reach Foundation UK. Many of the people who are involved with the publication of this paper also run the Reach Foundation and with your help, hopefully we will soon expand our feeding programmes into Mali and Uganda. We, quite literally, couldn’,t do it without you! If you ever want to have a small feeding program that could be linked to your parish –, just let us know. If your community was able to raise £,80 per month, that could run your own feeding program in Malawi. For more information please go to www.reachfoundationuk.org

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The relics of St Bernadette are to tour the dioceses of England, Scotland and Wales in autumn 2022, the Bishops Conference announced at a recent press conference, following their Plenary Assembly in Leeds. Canon Christopher Thomas, general secretary of the conference, said the visit ",is not only something that will remind us of the importance of pilgrimage in our lives and the importance of the place of Lourdes in the life of many Catholics and dioceses in this country, but will remind us of the centrality of the lives of the saints because this always points us to that greater degree of virtue that we are called to in our living of the Catholic faith.", The tour of the relics of St Thé,rè,se of Lisieux here in 2009 attracted nearly half a million visitors. Bernadette was a visionary and later a nun. Born in 1844, Bernadette was the eldest of six children born to Francois Soubirous, a miller, and his wife Louise. The family lived in great poverty. When they couldn`t afford to pay the rent, after 1857 the family were forced to live in one room of an old prison. Throughout her childhood Bernadette suffered many illnesses, Cardinal Vincent Nichols celebrated the Requiem Mass for Sir David Amess MP at Westminster Cathedral. It took place at Tuesday, 23 November. Sir David was tragically killed at a constituency surgery in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex. Speaking on behalf of Pope Francis, the Papal Nuncio said, “,Saddened by the tragic death of Sir David Amess, His Holiness Pope Francis asks you to convey his heartfelt condolences and the assurance of his spiritual closeness to the Amess family.”, Papal Message His Holiness recalls with gratitude Sir David’,s years of devoted public service guided by his strong Catholic faith and evidenced in his deep concern for the poor and the disadvantaged, his commitment to the defence of God’,s gift of life and his efforts to foster understanding and cooperation with the Holy See in its universal mission. Commending Sir David’,s soul to the loving mercy of Jesus Christ our Saviour, the Holy Father prays that all who honour his memory will be confirmed in the resolve to reject the ways of violence, to combat evil with good (cf. Rom. 12:21) and to help build a society of ever greater justice, fraternity and solidarity. December 2021 Edition1 Bishops’, Conference confirm relics will tour the diocese of England, Scotland and Wales in Autumn 2022 page 6 Bl Charles de Foucauld to be declared a saint page 10 Seven Ecological Works of Mercy Relics of St Bernadette to visit Britain Requiem Mass for Sir David Amess MP cbcew.org,uk Red Wednesday, 24 November 2021, was a day on which we shone a light on the injustice of Christian persecution. Cathedrals, churches and other landmark buildings were lit red as a symbolic gesture to show solidarity with the world’,s suffering Christians and those of other faiths persecuted for their religious beliefs. This year’,s focus was on the kidnap, forced marriage and conversion, rape and sexual enslavement of Christian women and girls.The Right Reverend Declan Lang, Bishop of Clifton and Lead Bishop for International Affairs, wants Catholics to join him in prayer for those abused for their faith: “,Pope Francis calls us to never ‘,look the other way and let the dignity of women, especially young women, be trampled upon.’, It is essential that we listen to the voices of women and girls who have suffered abduction, violence, or forced marriage, including those targeted because of their Christian faith.“,I am grateful to Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) for drawing attention to this issue and supporting survivors across the world.“,As we mark Red Wednesday, I hope that Catholics throughout England and Wales will join me in praying for everyone who has been affected by these human rights abuses and all those working for change.”, ACN has published a report that focuses on this persecution –, Hear Her Cries: The kidnapping, forced conversion and sexual victimisation of Christian women and girls. For full details go to their website www.acne.org Caritas have have also published a Statement on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women see page 5 Listen to the voices of women and girls targeted for their Christian faith, says Bishop including cholera. She had asthma all her life. In 1858, when she was just 14, she began to experience a series of visions of Our Lady in a cave near a rubbish dump near the town at a place called Massabielle. The Virgin described herself as `The Immaculate Conception` - a term which meant nothing to Bernadette. The Lady ordered the building of a church and told Bernadette to dig in the ground for water. Bernadette did as she was told and found the spring from which 27,000 gallons of water a week pours to this day. The message of the visions was mainly concerned with the need for penance and prayer. Initially the Church was very sceptical about Bernadette`s story. But after many interrogations the bishops began to believe her. For several years Bernadette stayed in Lourdes and suffered as crowds followed her wherever she went. In 1866 she joined the Sisters of Notre Dame in Nevers. From that point she was completely cut off from Lourdes and did not see the consecration of the basilica built over the place where she had seen Our Lady. The shrine grew to become the centre of the largest pilgrimage movement Europe. During her 13 years with the Sisters, Bernadette worked in the infirmary, as an assistant nurse, then nurse in charge and sacristan. She was very often ill there herself, suffering with tuberculosis. St Bernadette died in 1879. She was canonised in 1933, not because of her visions, but because of her total commitment, simplicity, integrity and trust. If you would like to know more about Lourdes, visit the official Lourdes website - which includes live webcam film from different parts of the shrine - at: www.lourdes-france.org Search ‘,The Song of Bernadette’, on YouTube to watch the classic 1945 film. “,Pope Francis sends his heartfelt condolences and assurance of his spiritual closeness to the Amess family”, For a Synodal Church page 3

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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: 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 CONTACT US: The Catholic Post is published by its owners Bellcourt Ltd and is wholly independent of and separate from any previous newspaper. The Catholic Post is published on the last Sunday of the month previous to publication date. EDITOR: John Clawson email: johnclwson@icloud.com ADVERTISING: Natasha / Bellcourt Ltd. 01440 730399 / 07903 377019 ads@bellcourt.org DESIGN &, LAYOUT: David Lodge, david@bellcourtltd.co.uk PUBLISHED BY: Bellcourt Ltd. N2 Blois Meadow Business Centre, Blois Road, Steeple Bumpstead, Haverhill, Suffolk CB9 7BN 01440 730399 ARTICLES TO: The Catholic Post email: johnclwson@icloud.com or david@bellcourtltd.co.uk Please send articles for publication by email, supplying any photos separate to the text We welcome contributions Here are answers to some basic questions about writing for The Catholic Post How long should articles be? Usually it seems to work out best if contributors simply say what they have to say and let us worry about finding a spot for it in the paper. What is the submission procedure? Please send as a Word file attached to an e-mail. To submit articles for publication, contact John Clawson by email at johnclwson@icloud.com Charts, graphs, and photos should be submitted as separate PDFs. Electronic photos should not be embedded or pasted into a Word document as this reduces their quality. Photographs and Illustrations Photographs and Illustrations should be supplied electronically as high resolution JPEG (*.JPG) files). Photographs and illustrations should be sent in colour with a resolution of 300 dpi and a minimum size of 100 mm x 100 mm when printed (approx. 1200 pixels wide on- screen). Computer print-outs are not acceptable. Screen captures are not ideal as they are usually not very high Parental permission should be sought before submitting photographs of minors. Source information - DW = Diocesan Website. ICN = Independent Catholic News Views expressed in The Catholic Post are not necessarily those of the editor Last date for copy is the LAST DAY of the month prior to publication. Approved at the Plenary Assembly of Bishops in Leeds Bishops’, Statement: Honouring Sunday Page 2. The Catholic Post. December 2021. “,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.”, 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 we 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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Communion, Participation, Mission As most people will now know a two-year ‘,synodal’, process is taking place in the Catholic Church 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”,. It’,s an The Catholic Post. December 2021. Page 3. 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. For a Synodal Church www.cbcew.org.uk invitation for us, as Catholics, to ‘,walk together’, and every member of the Church has the right to speak, and the obligation to allow those charged with the work of discernment the freedom to do so. 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 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. You can read more on the Bishops’, Conference Synodal Process page at www.cbcew.org.uk

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In the October half-term, Rhys Whiting from Blaenavon set out to walk to the summit of the ‘,Old Man of Coniston’, in the Lake District in order to provide the rural community of Tudun Bazai in Kano, in Northern Nigeria with clean water. In November 2019 Rhys, then aged 13, sustained 33 fractures to his right knee when a wall collapsed on him and at the time it was thought that he might have to undergo an above-knee amputation. However, following multiple operations and intensive physiotherapy a little light began to appear and by the beginning of 2021 there was a plan to remove the metalwork that had been instrumental in supporting Rhys’, leg during the healing process. Nevertheless, as the surgery approached it was anticipated that the best outcome would be a reduction in pain but little improvement in mobility. With an eye on not wanting to miss out on the Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award, Rhys spoke with his Parish Priest, Canon David Hayman, about a charitable project which might fulfil the core requirements of the DofE: specifically helping the community or environment, becoming fitter, developing new skills and planning, training and completing an expedition. After considering cancer research, sepsis and water, Rhys decided that he wanted to raise money to provide a borehole to improve the quality of life in a community whose only current source of water is a contaminated open well. Canon David was able to put Rhys in touch with Father Alex Shukau in the Diocese of Kano, and it was agreed that the community of Tudun Bazai would be the focus of Rhys’, project. There are approximately 1500 people in the village with about 200 children attending the Church-run primary school. Initial surveys were carried out which estimated that the cost of sinking a borehole would be in the region of £,2,800. In the days leading up to Rhys’, surgery to remove the metalwork from his leg, the parish of Saint Alban’,s in Pontypool prayed the Novena to Blessed Carlo Acutis for Rhys’, well-being, and they were joined in this by friends in Canada, America, the Czech Republic and Nigeria, especially the parishioners of Saint Peter’,s Church in Tudun Bazai. Rhys’, mother says “,It has given Rhys a goal, something to aim for, and as a family we have witnessed how it has helped him to overcome very challenging circumstances. He has refused to be defeated by his experience of injury, and we are so proud of what he has achieved for others. But at the same time it has been so good for his own emotional health and well-being.”, Rhys has coordinated this project from the design of sponsor forms, to the content of his talks to the parish community, and is delighted to have currently raised almost £,5,000 so that as the drills begin to turn clean water can transform the quality of life for the people of Tudun Bazai. Father Linus Barau, Parish Priest of Tudun Bazai said, “,It is a great joy for the community to know that they will soon have a borehole to supply good, clean drinking water, especially at this time when some parts of the State are suffering from an outbreak of cholera. This project is apt and timely, there is no better time than now. We are very grateful to Rhys and all who have supported him in rendering us this assistance in a time of great need. Thank you, and God bless you all!”, www.rcadc.org Page 4. The Catholic Post. December 2021. Life-changing injury gives rise to life-giving water ACN is providing vital assistance to train the priests of tomorrow. One in every eight seminarians around the world would be unable to continue their studies without this help. Your generosity makes a big difference to these young men who have pledged their lives to serve the people of God. (Image shows Seminarians in Ukraine, who are helped by ACN) Training Tomorrow’,s Priests Rev/Sr/Mr/Mrs/Miss ............................................................................................................................... .............. Address: ..................................................................................... .................. ................................................................ ...........................................................................................................................Post code: ................................. I enclose £,100 £,50 £,25 Other £,.......... to help ACN’,s vital work. Please send me information about gift aiding my donation and/or setting up a regular gift I enclose a cheque to Aid to the Church in Need OR please debit my VISA/MasterCard/Amex/Maestro _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Expiry Date: ......./........ Valid From Date: ......./....... Signature strip code ( last block of digits ): _ _ _ ( _ ) Issue No: _ _ ( Maestro ) Signature: .......................................................... 12-14 Benhill Avenue, Sutton, Surrey SM1 4DA 0345 646 0110 | acn@acnuk.org Donations can be given online at www.acnuk.org/donate Aid to the Church in Need A21P4CO A registered charity in England and Wales (1097984) and Scotland (SC040748) Please photocopy this form if you do not want to cut your copy of the Catholic Post. Or donate online at www.acnuk.org/donate “,He has refused to be defeated by his experience of injury, and we are so proud of what he has achieved for others.”,

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Diocesan silver medals for four caring Catholics The Catholic Post. December 2021. Page 5. In the remembrance month of November, one of our parish priests travelled to Westminster to celebrate a Requiem Mass for men and women of the police force who have died over the past year. Fr Barry Lomax, from The Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Westhoughton, also acts as the national chaplain to the Catholic Police Guild of England &, Wales, and journeyed to Westminster Cathedral on Tuesday 9thNovember to help celebrate the guild’,s 98thAnnual Requiem Mass. Due to Covid restrictions, this is the first time in two years the guild has been able to gather to celebrate the Mass at the cathedral –, the guild’,s spiritual home –, tuning in last year instead to a virtual Requiem Mass led by Fr Barry at The Sacred Heart of Jesus. The purpose of the Requiem is to remember and pray for those police officers and staff who have died both on and off duty, whether they be of our faith, other faiths, or had no faith at all. It is also an opportunity remember and pray for guild members who have passed away over the last 12 months. As such, the guild welcomed representatives from police forces throughout England and Wales, including the Most Reverend Bishop Alan Williams SM, Bishop of Brentwood, to his first Police Requiem Mass in his new role as the Catholic Police Guild’,s liaison with the Catholic Bishops’, Conference of England and Wales. Also in attendance was Kit Malthouse MP, Minister of State for Policing and Justice, and Dame Cressida Dick, the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Service, along with many chief constables, deputy chief constables, and assistant chief constables from constabularies across England and Wales. dioceseofsalford.org.uk This is the first time in two years the guild has been able to gather to celebrate the Mass at the cathedral Westhoughton priest heads to Westminster for police Requiem Mass The 25th of November marks the International Day for the elimination of violence against women and girls. On marking this day, we are together acknowledging the hard work and commitment of individuals and organisations across the globe, striving towards the end of violence against women and girls, and the creation of a world where women and girls can live a life free from exploitation, abuse and disadvantage. As we begin to emerge from a global pandemic the UN has identified a shadow pandemic, formed with emerging data and reports from those on the frontline with evidence that women and girls’, experiences of violence and exploitation have increased. There have long been links identified between economic disadvantage and violence against women and girls. It is therefore no surprise that a global pandemic, with new and unexpected economic disadvantage and change in circumstances, increased exploitation and abuse. For those for whom violence and exploitation was already their lived experience, choices significantly narrowed and for some women and girls the choice to live or die became a stark reality. This year’,s theme is “,Orange the World: Fund, Respond, Prevent, Collect!”, –, a campaign which is amplifying the call for global action to bridge funding gaps, and ensure there is capacity to fund essential services for survivors of violence during the COVID–,19 pandemic crisis, with a focus on prevention, and collection of data that aims to improve lifesaving services for women and girls. To see the end of violence against women and girls there is a real need to fund female–,only trauma informed support services, which respond to the needs of women and girls with a knowledge and level of research supporting and advocating on their behalf to a place of safety and security. In order to achieve this we must respond to changing landscapes and support women to live a life free from disadvantage, abuse and exploitation. Only when we listen to survivors can we create services, which are fit for purpose, current and relevant. An example of this is research commissioned by NBCW and CSAN member, women@thewell “,Invisible: prostitution and the lives of women”,. The report was a result of listening to the voices of women whose lives have been affected by prostitution, as well as the voices of some of the professional staff who support them. The unusual feature of this report is that its concern was not primarily with the facts of the women’,s situations –, the violence, frequent experiences of homelessness and addiction –, but with how the women made sense of their lives. In particular, the reflection on what freedom means in their own lives, and on issues such as safety, survival and solidarity. Through this listening we come to a deeper understanding of the damage of prostitution. The women’,s voices are full of anguish, courage, resilience and morality. The research had a double task: to listen to the women and amplify their insights and stories and to bring these into dialogue with Catholic social thought and theological and political ethics. In a world where women experience daily inequality based on their gender, we believe that the structure of Catholic social thought gives us some solid building blocks to work towards gender equality. As we move into the sixteen days of activism, culminating on UN Human Rights Day on 10 December 2021, we are in awe of those who work tirelessly every day, demanding more for women and girls and the end to violence. Caritas Statement on International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women For some women and girls, the choice to live or die became a stark reality Support services and resources For details of a range of suppor t for violence and abuse, including information on resources in a range of community languages and British Sign Language please see the End Violence Against Women website Rape, sexual assault and childhood abuse: TheRape Crisis National Helpline supports victims/survivors aged 13+ or those supporting them every day of the year 12pm –,2.30pm and 7pm –,9.30pm on 0808 802 9999. Local Rape Crisis support centres can be found via the Rape Crisiswebsite. Domestic Violence and Abuse: Call the 24 hourNational Domestic Violence Helpline on 0808 2000 247 or find a local support centre via the Women’,sAid website. Support for Churches and Parishes: The National Board of Catholic Women have produced a resource for parishes which includes information on where to access support Raising Awareness of Domestic Abuse Welsh Women’,s Aid: For victims of violence and abuse in Wales 0808 80 10 800 Support for perpetrators is available here: Respect or call 0808 8024040 Director of Catholic Care, Carol Hill, writes on a recent special celebration for former Catholic Care staff: The past eighteen months or so have been a difficult time in so many ways for all of us. It has also been difficult to say a proper ‘,Good - bye’, to staff leaving us: especially to those who have given many years of dedicated service to the Charity. On 30 October we did manage to get together to celebrate the service of four long-standing members of Catholic Care staff who had left the charity over the past year, either for a well earned rest as they retired or to take on new challenges caring for others. Sharon Costello, Aileen Donnelly, Val Lowe and Mary Simmons have between them loyally served the Charity for 124 years in total! Mgr Donal Lucey celebrated a beautiful Mass in the Chapel at Hinsley Hall and then we all enjoyed a hot buffet. This gave everyone the chance to catch up on news and events over the past year and above all the opportunity to say a proper farewell. Each of the guests of honour were presented with a bouquet of flowers and heartily thanked for their contribu - tion to the Charity. Bishop Marcus was amazed at the combined longevity of service and surprised us all by presenting Mary, Sharon, Aileen and Val (who sadly could not be present) with the Diocesan Silver Award for their many years service to the mission of the Church in the Diocese of Leeds. What a lovely end to a quite remarkable after - noon! www.dioceseo ﬂ, eeds.org.uk Sharon Costello, Aileen Donnelly, Val Lowe and Mary Simmons have between them loyally served the Charity for 124 years in total!

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On 20th September, Bishop Patrick opened and blessed our new pregnancy support centre. Named for St Colette, who is the patron saint of expectant mothers, the centre is based in the social centre of St Paul’,s church in Lenton Boulevard. At the evening event, a large group of Nottingham pro-lifers were present to hear the bishop talking about the centre and why it is important to us. He described it as a ‘,significant moment’, for the diocese. What is the purpose of the centre? Essentially, it is to support women who are unexpectedly pregnant, and are having difficulties with the idea of continuing their pregnancy. As a result, they may be considering having an abortion. The difficulties could be financial, how could they possibly afford to have a baby, maybe in addition to other children? Or social, friends (even family members) may be telling them that it is just not the right time, and that the easiest thing would be to have an abortion. Or Bl Charles de Foucauld to be declared a saint Blessed Charles is considered to be one of the pioneers of interreligious dialogue. Born in 1858, he was a French aristocrat and religious. His work and writings led to the founding of the Congregation of the Little Brothers of Jesus. During his adventurous life, he was a Cavalry Officer in the French Army, and then an explorer and geographer before becoming a Catholic priest and hermit who lived among the Tuareg in Algeria`s Sahara Desert. He lived a life of prayer, meditation and adoration, in the incessant desire to be, for each person, a `universal brother`, a living image of the love of Jesus. On the evening of December 1, 1916, he was killed by bandits. The others to be canonized are: Blessed Lazarus (Devasahayam Pillai). Known as Devasahayam, the Blessed Lazarus was a Brahmin of the Nair caste in India. Converted to Catholicism by a Jesuit priest in 1745, Devasahayam Pillai took the name Lazarus when he became a Christian. In his preaching, he particularly insisted on the equality of all peoples, despite caste differences. This aroused the hatred of the higher classes and he was arrested in 1749. After enduring increasing hardships, he received the crown of martyrdom when he was shot on 14 January 1749. Blessed Cé,sar de Bus , was ordained in 1582 in Avignon. He was profoundly affected by the life and writings of Saint Charles Borromeo whom he held up as a model, especially his devotion to the catechesis. In fact, he worked as a catechist in Aix-en- Provence during times of turmoil following the French Wars of Religion. He founded the orders of the Ursulines of Province and the Fathers of Christian Doctrine (Doctrinarians). The Fathers were disbanded during the French Revolution but an Italian branch of the Doctrinarian Fathers continues today with houses in Italy, France and Brazil. Blessed Luigi Maria Palazzolo , a northern Italian parish priest, he dedicated his life to abandoned, orphaned and neglected children. Together with the Venerable Maria Teresa Gabrieli, he founded the Sisters of the Poor, an Order that continues to care for and educate girls in Brazil, Burkina Faso, Congo, Italy, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Malawi, Peru and Switzerland. He died of natural causes in 1886. Blessed Giustino Maria Russolillo , a 20th- century Italian priest, is the founder of the Society of Divine Vocations (Vocationists) which encouraged and supported those discerning a call to the priesthood and religious life. They continue their work in many countries across the world. Blessed Maria Francesca di Gesù, entered a community of women religious at the beginning of the 20th century and became the superior and formation director of the group, giving life to the Institute of the Capuchin Sisters of Mother Rubatto. Together with some Sisters, she went as a missionary to Uruguay and to Argentina. During her work in Latin America, she was asked to begin a mission in the rain forest. She died in Uruguay in 1904. Blessed Maria Domenica Mantovani is the co-founder and first Superior General of the order of the Little Sisters of the Holy Family who can be found in Italy, Switzerland, Albania as well as in African and Latin American nations. They are dedicated to serving children and youth, families, priests, the elderly and the disabled in parishes. John Edwards Page 6. The Catholic Post. December 2021. Opening of new Pro-Life pregnancy support centre in Nottingham St Colette’,s Pregnancy Support Centre has been created to support unexpectedly pregnant women in any way that they can. Pope Francis will canonize Blessed Charles De Foucauld together with six other Blesseds during a Canonisation Mass in St Peter`s Basilica on 15 May. Vatican News perhaps the difficulties are simply emotional. The prospect of having a child, which was totally unplanned, may be for some women a really challenging prospect, especially in the early stages, and even more so if they are alone. St Colette’,s Pregnancy Support Centre has been created to support such women, in any way that we can. What support is on offer from the new centre? Lots! Let’,s start with practical support. We have been working closely with Life Charity, to develop a ‘,click and collect’, service for the provision of free pregnancy testing kits. In addition, the centre has a large stock of baby equipment (such as nappies, toiletries, pushchairs, baby clothes, and even maternity clothes for mum) which is available for any woman who has need of it. True, the equipment (apart from the nappies!) is secondhand. But it has all been carefully washed, ironed, and checked before being offered for use. Another thing which we can offer is emotional and social support. The volunteers who are running the centre are all people who have considerable experience which they bring to bear when they offer support. Some have been mums themselves, some have a medical/nursing background. What we all have in common is a complete conviction that abortion is not the best solution to a difficult situation, for either the baby or the mother. A number of the volunteers have spoken personally to women who have had abortions, and who told them that they bitterly regretted having an abortion. If we can help one woman avoid making the same mistake, our efforts will have been worthwhile. If you would like to know more about the centre, please contact John on scpscuk@gmail.com. If you know of someone who would benefit from our support, you can contact Carol on 07547 795 315.

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Eight things you should know about the Nationality and Borders Bill The Catholic Post. December 2021. Page 7. Most refugees have no choice in how they travel. When you’,re fleeing for your life, you just have to go. www.jrsuk.net 5 It makes asylum determination much harsher –, even though it’,s already harsh. The process by which the government decides if someone needs international protection would be much harsher. For example, the Bill introduces the criterion of “,Good Faith”, by which to judge asylum claimants. It is very hard to qualify as acting in Good Faith. Did you forget the exact date on which something relevant happened several years ago? Did you struggle to talk about trauma the first time you spoke to a government official? Either of these could mean you’,re not acting in Good Faith. 6 It does not commit to resettlement Refugee resettlement is the transfer of refugees from one country to which they have fled to another State. The Refugee Resettlement Scheme is one of the very few schemes provided by the UK Government to help people living in dangerous refugee camps abroad (for example Syrians living in refugee camps in Lebanon) to be able to come and live in the UK and rebuild their life here. The Bill could be an opportunity to expand resettlement. Instead, it contains no commitment to continuing it. 7 It does not create any safe routes to seek asylum. There is no formal mechanism for travelling to the UK to seek asylum –, for example, no such thing as an asylum visa. The Bill does nothing to create one. The government says refugees should use “,safe and legal”, routes rather than informal ones. But this bill doesn’,t create any safe ways for people to seek asylum in the UK, rather, it makes dangerous routes worse, and punishes people for travelling in the only way available to them. 8 It will make people seeking sanctuary more vulnerable to trafficking and modern slavery. Because the Bill unfairly punishes refugees who arrive without documents, victims of trafficking will be scared of going to the police. Traffickers routinely tell their victims that if they go to the police, they will be arrested and detained. The government says it wants to combat trafficking but this Bill plays into traffickers’, hands. Learn more and take action JRS UK and SVP have a number of resources to support you to advocate to stop this Bill from becoming law, alongside prayer resources to stand in solidarity with refugees and asylum seekers. jrsuk.net/together-with-refugees twitter.com/jrsuk svp.org.uk/migrants-refugees-and-people- seeking-asylum twitter.com/SVPEnglandWales CAFOD Community Participation Coordinator Chris Driscoll reports that in the weeks following the launch of ‘,Laudato Si’, Invitations, Commitments and Actions’,, eight new parishes and eight schools registered for the Award. Several Livesimply information sessions have been organised for parishes and schools interested in working towards the Livesimply Award, he says. Members of 13 parishes across the Brentwood and East Anglia diocese, all of whom are at different stages of their Livesimply journey, attended the first session. Some parishes are currently actively working towards the Award, while others are yet to begin and exploring ways in which they can get started. Each parish will progress at its own pace, and CAFOD will support all parishes wishing to enrich their communities through engaging others to come together to live simply, and in solidarity and care for creation.”, With the launch of the diocesan faith-based environmental initiative Laudato Si’, –, Listening and Responding to the Cry of the Earth and the Cry of the Poor –, Brentwood Diocese, Bishop Alan encouraged schools and parishes to work towards CAFOD’,s Livesimply Award. Only three parishes had previously gained the award: the Cathedral Parish, St Joseph’,s, Upminster and Our Lady of the Rosary and St. Patrick, Walthamstow. The Knights of Saint Columba Council 192, Southend-on-Sea also has the award. dioceseofbrentwood.net Brentwood Parishes and schools work towards Livesimply Award in response to Bishop’,s call What is the Nationality and Borders Bill? The Nationality and Borders Bill would overhaul the UK’,s asylum system to make it as difficult as possible to get asylum in the UK. If this bill becomes law, thousands of people forced to flee their homes will not be able to find haven in the UK. The Bill would deny many refugees the chance to seek sanctuary here, criminalise many who try, and isolate refugees in harmful out-of-town institutions. Eight things you should know about the Nationality and Borders Bill 1 How worthy of protection someone is will depend on how they were able to travel to the UK. This will deny sanctuary to the vast majority of refugees. The Bill divides refugees into “,Group 1”, and “,Group 2”, depending on how they got to the UK. People who travel via another country, do not have documents or did not claim asylum immediately would be put in “,Group 2”,. This group would find it hard to settle in the UK, living under threat of expulsion rather than getting a chance to rebuild their lives, have less chance to reunite with family, and be left at risk of destitution and poverty. Most refugees have no choice in how they travel. When you’,re fleeing for your life, you just have to go. There are also good reasons people can take a while to claim asylum. Most refugees will be penalised under this system, and be denied the opportunity to rebuild their lives. Claiming asylum is a human right. 2 It will expand the use of detention-like accommodation centres. The Bill proposes to create large-scale accommodation centres. It would mean accommodating people seeking asylum in out- of-town institutions, rather than in the community where they can get the practical support and help they need. The asylum camp at Napier barracks is being used to trial asylum centres. Earlier this year, the High Court ruled that Napier was unlawful, partly because the accommodation was so bad. JRS UK supports people at Napier. It is prison- like and isolated. Residents’, mental health spirals rapidly while they are there. Most suffer from chronic sleep deprivation and anxiety. One man placed there said “,I did not feel like a person when I was there. I felt I had lost who I was, like my personality had gone.”, 3 It will permit the use of offshore processing for protection claims. The Bill would allow asylum seekers to be removed from the UK and held elsewhere while their asylum claim is processed. Other countries have tried and failed to do this. Australia for example transferred thousands of asylum seekers to Papua New Guinea where people were detained in prison-like conditions, and banned them from receiving any visitors. 4 It will tear families apart. This Bill would further reduce family reunion rights. These restrictions will predominantly impact women and children, who currently account for 90% of those who receive family reunion visas. Refugees are often forced to leave family behind. Refugee family reunion however allows refugees to reunite with certain family members here in the UK. It is a vital lifeline, bringing people to safety, allowing refugees to rebuild their lives, and reuniting them with, in some cases, the only family they have left.

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For all your advertising requirements please contact Natasha on 01440 730399 Natasha@cathcom.org YOUR PEST, OUR PROBLEM. Page 8. The Catholic Post. December 2021. ICN “,I welcome police officers from so many different part of the country to this Mass in which we remember and pray for your deceased colleagues.”, Support for priests in di ffi cult situations The promotion of the rosary is central to our work at Crown of Thorns, and over the years many thousands of prayer cards, rosaries and religious items have been distributed by Crown of Thorns to support priests and parishes. Through this work we have been fortunate enough to encounter people doing good work in all walks of life, and to build a network of support for priests in difficult situations. Whilst this support is usually to do with minor day to day issues, at times it has meant finding help for much more complicated situations, including that of priests under false accusations. The sexual abuse scandal in the church has been deeply troubling and has caused a great amount of pain to everyone. Unfortunately, alongside those who have been removed from their ministry justly, many innocent priests have also suffered grievously. A priest in this situation is not only vulnerable to the mental trauma associated with any falsely accused person, but this is duly accentuated due to his place in the priesthood. There is so much shame, hurt and anger felt by a person when accused unjustly. Unless diocesan safeguarding teams are seen as welcoming, positive and trusted, priests needing advice on personal safeguarding can be left without an obvious place to turn for support, so becoming more vulnerable to false accusation, introvert and fearful. Over the last decade we have been grateful for the generous support of catholic professionals willing to assist priests in many and varied situations, including in legal advice through civil, and often lengthy canonical hearings. In all cases involving a false accusation, it has been stressed that legal advice should be sought at the very onset of any inquiry, before any documents at all are signed. St Francis’, Primary School are supporting those in need The children at St Francis’, Primary School in Nailsea have been putting their faith into action and supporting those in need. They spent time looking at one of Pope Francis encyclicals –, Fratelli Tutti –, and were reminded that we are brothers and sisters in Christ as we are all part of God’,s family so we should help each other. The children wanted to share God’,s love with children and families who are living in desperation and so have been filling shoe boxes with Christmas gifts such as toys, hygiene items and educational supplies. The photograph shows the children in Year 6 helping to load the boxes into a van so they can be taken to some of the poorest communities in our world. The children wanted to share God’,s love with children and families cliftondiocese.com Cardinal Vincent Nichols and Metropolitan Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick have agreed to work together to establish a joint group to study the access given, or refused, to Catholic priests to scenes of traumatic violence. In particular, the group will consider whether any changes are required to the guidance issued to officers faced with such situations. It comes after the killing of Sir David Amess MP at a constituency surgery at Belfairs Methodist Church in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, on Friday, 15 October 2021. Cardinal Nichols revealed the move in a short statement made after greeting Commissioner Cressida Dick ahead of the Catholic Police Guild`s annual Requiem Mass at Westminster Cathedral. The Mass took place on Tuesday, 9 November after a year`s break due to Covid restrictions, and was celebrated by the Bishop of Brentwood, the Right Reverend Alan Williams SM - the Guild`s newly appointed liaison to the Bishops` Conference. Group to study priests` access to scenes of traumatic violence £,1.80 provides a child with a meal every weekday for a month Donate Now at www.reachfoundationuk.org THE REACH FOUNDATION UK

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On Saturday 10th October, the feast day of St John Henry Newman, Bishop Patrick McKinney came to Blessed Sacrament Church in Leicester to celebrate the sacraments for the Traveller community from Leicester and Leicestershire. It was a bright sunny morning where 6 children made their First Holy Communion and 23 young people were confirmed, it was a joyous occasion for them and their families. Preparation for the sacraments had been undertaken during the last few months with Sister Bernadette, Sister Helen, Judith, Angela and Karen visiting them and their families. It has been three years since the last Bishop’,s Mass for the Traveller community in the Diocese and many of the young people had been preparing for these sacraments but restrictions had delayed this occasion. Many thanks to Bishop Patrick, Father Simon, Father John and Deacon Joseph as well as the parishioners of Blessed Sacrament and St Peter’,s parishes who supported the day. May the children and young people grow in their faith with their families and may we keep them in our prayers. Digital port chaplains 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. For approximately 90% 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 of time 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 to 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 well- being. 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 still 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 has been conducting live prayer sessions every Wednesday for about a year now 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. Gregory Hogan is Stella Maris port chaplain to Southampton. Many of the seafarers he meets work on cruise ships, and most come from the Philippines. At the height of the pandemic, a number of cruise ships were anchored off the England`s south coast for months, with some of the crew still on board. ",We were not permitted to go near cruise ships, he explained. ",This is when we tried to reach out to the crew through our weekly Gospel reading and prayer video. My fellow Stella Maris port chaplain Charles and I recorded the Sunday Gospel reading of the Mass and emailed it to cruise ship companies, who kindly passed it on to the individual cruise ships, where it was uploaded on to the internal TV system for the crew to watch. The videos were also posted on the Stella Maris Facebook and YouTube pages.", Being stuck out at sea for so long took its toll on some of those working on cruise ships. A member of the crew on a ship docked in Falmouth committed suicide. Gregory and a port chaplain who was a priest were given permission to go on board the ship to offer prayers, bless the crew and their cabins, and hold a requiem service. While digital contact is no substitute for human contact, it has been invaluable for seafarers and port chaplains throughout the pandemic, said Gregory. ",We keeping in touch with seafarers through Facebook, Messenger and WhatsApp has reassured them that they are not forgotten and that we`re always here to respond to their needs.", If readers would like to learn more about or support the work of Stella Maris chaplains, they can do so here: www.stellamaris.org.uk Peter Morgan The Catholic Post. December 2021. Page 9. 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. Celebrating the Sacraments for the Traveller community Karen Scott A joyous occasion for the children and their families Please support our Advertisers www.stellamaris.org.uk

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Coming within the time of UK COP presidency and close to the 2021 season of creation, COP26 became a talking point in the pastoral agenda of the regional Episcopal conferences of Scotland, and of England and Wales. Throughout this whole period, even as we reflected on our individual and collective responsibility of caring for creation, we earnestly prayed that the Spirit of God would guide the hearts and minds of world leaders during the meeting to evolve meaningful policies and take the right decisions that would help make our common home healthy for us all. COP26 had four major goals before it: to secure global net zero carbon emission aimed at keeping temperature within the limit of 1.50C by the turn of the century, to take actions that will contribute to a climate resilient future for people everywhere, to mobilize the funds necessary to help countries manage the impact of climate change on their citizens, to work towards greater collaboration between government, businesses and civil society for an accelerated action towards tackling the climate crisis. The different parties have made their pledges and set their targets, what is awaited now is moving beyond the ‘,blah-blah-blah’, stage and beginning to take the right actions matched with good intentions to achieve these targets. However, as noble and timely as these visions may be, they need to be pursued in an integrated manner that brings together the political, economic, cultural, technological, and religious imaginations and creativity of everybody. Since religion has a major influence on the choices and behavioural pattern of more than half of the world’,s population, for there to be any significant change in people’,s attitude towards the environment, an appeal must be made to religion. The church has a major role to play in articulating and popularizing this religious perspective. Pope Francis’, Encyclical, Laudato Si is the clearest in this regard at least from the Christian point of view. Since its publication, many dioceses across the world have been adapting its principles and applying them according to their various local circumstances. Here in Nottingham, Bishop Patrick’,s eight- point environmental policy framework seeks to integrate care for creation into the different aspects of our diocesan pastoral vision of encounter, discipleship, and missionary discipleship. This policy framework also indicates the different ways we can express and achieve our diocesan commitment both to Pope Francis’, Laudato Si, and to the major goals of COP26, in a contextually relevant and practicable manner. This eight-point agenda includes: Formation, decarbonisation, Biodiversity, Resources, Ethics, conformity, resilience, and Advocacy. The bishop’,s initiative is very commendable and should be embraced by all. It is hoped that parishes across the diocese will appropriate these diocesan environmental policies, factor them into their day-to-day administrative, liturgical, catechetical and pastoral programs as well as encourage their members to lead the way in bringing about the necessary change in lifestyle in their immediate communities. To effectively achieve this however, there is need to appreciate the theological and moral basis that would give impetus to our eco-pastoral vision. On this note, I am proposing what I call ‘,seven ecological works of mercy’,. Drawn from Laudato Si and resonating very well with the religious and cultural sensibilities of our many Christians from diverse backgrounds, these works in my opinion can engender in our hearts a necessary commitment to the task of caring for our common home. Couched also in mnemonic style, they can be easily internalized and remembered. But why call them works of Mercy? The imperative of mercy in Christian spirituality draws inspiration from God’,s divine act of mercy, and it is fundamentally oriented towards the restoration of the harmony and covenant relationship between God, man and nature. The operative principles here we must bear in mind are the facts that first, in His divine mercy, God sustains the creatures of the earth and provides for their needs. He keeps the entire ecosystem in being. Second, God’,s mercy is also seen in his action of restoring and uniting all things in Christ. Summarily, ‘,Jesus is the face of God’,s Mercy’, as Pope Francis has pointed out (Misericordiae Vultus). Third, since nature is part and parcel of this covenant community, man who is created in God’,s image and drawn into God’,s embrace of mercy is called to extend mercy and moral consideration to nature. To show Mercy to the ecosystem implies that other creatures in the earth community are our neighbours- our mother, brothers, and sisters. Failure to do this tantamount to sin (injustice, wickedness, and unrighteousness). The Pope however has lamented that over time, ‘,this sister now cries out to us because of the harm we have inflicted on her by our irre - sponsible use and abuse of the goods with which God has endowed her. We have come to see ourselves as her lords and masters, entitled to plunder her at will. The violence present in our hearts, wounded by sin, is also reflected in the symptoms of sickness evident in the soil, in the water, in the air and in all forms of life. This is why the earth herself, burdened and laid waste, is among the most abandoned and maltreated of our poor, she “,groans in travail”, (Rom 8:22) (Laudato Si, 2). Any modern response to the Christian call to encounter, discipleship and missionary discipleship therefore must seek to bring us face to face with this covenant God and all his creatures, great and small. It will also consist in our ability to incarnate His divine mercy in our interaction with our fellow human beings and with nature. This may be the only way of restoring and maintaining the necessary ecological harmony in the world. It was perhaps a simple coincidence that the Glasgow conference on the need for climate change coincided with the launch of Synod 2021-2023. In last month’,s Nottingham Catholic News we read that the word “,Synod”, simply means “,journeying together”,. Writing this article before the end of COP26 there is some doubt if that description of the huge gathering in Scotland can really change our planet. The need for climate change in the next few years has been well documented and the target of 1.5C degrees is almost universally accepted with some but not all speaking up for “,behavioural changes”,. Can we adjust to flying less and eating less meat? With regard to more vulnerable parts of the world many are in need of humanitarian aid now without the additional hardship or even global catastrophe which some scientific experts have predicted. As the world watched events in Glasgow it was very difficult to ignore what was an unfolding tragedy in Afghanistan. For the last 40 years we have witnessed the major nations of the world having a massive involvement in the politics and government of this difficult part of Asia. In August Britain and America ceased to be involved, it is now an unfolding disaster with millions facing starvation. As we approach Christmas we might hear the once popular theme music “,Feed the World, let them know it’,s Christmas time”,. Sadly this latest and unwanted tragedy is well ahead of any climate change. We can only hope and pray that aid will be allowed to get through to those whose need is the greatest. With so much world developments the Synod is an opportunity to discuss and express our views on how the Church should develop in the third millennium. I hope that many will want to participate. I first attended a Catholic School in 1948 and I cannot recall anything like this before. There is much that the Church achieves in the world which is often not reported, we do however hear about our faults. Pope Francis has given us the opportunity to go forward. If we choose to participate we will surely feel better for it and hopefully so will our children. More than ever they need the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Following the COP26 pledges and targets announced recently, Fr. Patrick Bassey, Assistant priest at St Hugh of Lincoln Church i n the City of Lincoln, proposes ‘,seven ecological works of mercy’, that would provide the religious background and incentive for t he proper appreciation of the goals of the conference and Bishop Patrick’,s eight –, point diocesan framework policy on the environm ent. Below is the part one his three-part article. Part two will follow in our next edition. Fr Patrick Bassey Flying less and eating less meat FRANK GOULDING Ecological Works of Mercy Part one Page 10. The Catholic Post. December 2021. As noble and timely as the visions from COP26 may be, they need to be pursued in an integrated manner that brings together the political, economic, cultural, technological, and religious imaginations and creativity of everybody. If we choose to participate, we will surely feel better for it and hopefully so will our children.

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The Catholic Post. December 2021. Page 11.

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The group have sent the following inspiring report, charting their journey so far…, In October 2018, a small group from Corpus Christi and St Peter’,s parishes attended a Church Action on Poverty meeting with a focus on poverty in Gateshead. It was an inspiring yet disturbing meeting, with statistics which shocked us. We had the privilege of listening to the testimonies of people who were experiencing poverty in many ways and felt compelled to share what we had just heard with our parish communities. We knew that we belonged to parishes with a strong commitment to help others and knew that together we could make a real difference in our own town by putting the values of our Christian faith into action in the wider community. All of this led us to form an Outreach Group which soon extended to include people from other parishes and we worked together to provide real and practical help in our community. Activities we supported included providing Christmas Food Parcels, together with toys, clothing and toiletries for families in need. We organised regular collections of food to support the work of the Bensham Food Co-op held weekly at Corpus Christi Church. We also arranged seaside trips for local refugee and asylum seeking families. Many of our group volunteer at Joe’,s Place, providing a safe, welcoming place with free meals to those facing difficult times. The newly formed Vicariate of Caritas, under the leadership of Fr Adrian Tuckwell, and of which we were a part, held regular Zoom meetings during the difficult days of the Pandemic and the Lockdown. This new way of meeting together to share ideas and experiences gave us an exciting opportunity. In January 2021, five members of our Outreach Group attended a Webinar organised by Fr Adrian and Caritas to learn something about a Christian Charity called ‘,Green Pastures’,. What we learned during that meeting inspired us to reflect on an exciting new possibility which would mean that we could provide a safe and supportive home for those in need. Page 12. The Catholic Post. December 2021. Hexham and Newcastle has become the first Catholic Diocese in England and Wales to partner with Green Pastures, a national Christian Social Enterprise that provides homes for the homeless and those in most need. A group of parishioners from Gateshead along with the Vicariate for Caritas began the process in January 2021 after forming an Outreach Group in 2018. National Christian Social Enterprise that provides homes for the homeless We had the privilege of listening to the testimonies of people who were experiencing poverty in many ways diocesehn.org CRYPTIC Across 1 Carol`s flooring instructions for college residences? (4,3,5) 8 We take any duo at random to get to Number One (3,3,1) 9 Name removed from material in the Greek market place... (5) 10 ...a meeting place for Romans of the Foreign Office to drink (5) 11 What 7 may have been doing in 1521 is fasting? (2,1,4) 12 Delusion from Nicotiana Hull put out... (13) 15 ...is moonlike, almost a nervous disorder that makes one mad (7) 17 The hard bit in the slush of a family film (5) 19 Prepare to study something unknown (5) 20 Blame every gremlin that comes to the fore (7) 21 Heroine`s holiday, an apocryphal tale according to some? (4,2,6) CRYPTIC Down 1 Final judgment maybe Sunday? (3,2,3,4) 2 Bird-song`s heavy with dog about to get rook... (5) 3 ...a bird from S America with a mouth most can face (7) 4 One who makes cuts with one leading reservation? (6-2-5) 5 A graduate gets a question on a Jordanian port (5) 6 Pope number twelve is embraced by a great one (3,4) 7 Hitler, Truman considered, was one revolting chap (6,6) 13 Issues stock (7) 14 Takes senior policeman to see distressed pets (7) 16 Secret meeting in Coventry`s team-room (5) 18 Alternatively you can turn up at a church to carp (5) QUICK Across 1 Welsh carol (4,3,5) 8 We! (7) 9 Greek meeting place... (5) 10 ...and a Roman one (5) 11 Fasting (7) 12 Trip, delusion (13) 15 Madman (7) 17 In anatomy, part of a structure resembling a horn (5) 19 Prepared, waiting (5) 20 Charge a public official (7) 21 Section of the OT Jerome moved out of sequence in his Latin Vulgate translation of the Bible (4,2,6) QUICK Down 1 Another term for Judgment Day (3,2,3,4) 2 Trill bird- or insect-sound (variant spelling) (5) 3 Inconspicuous South American bird with proportionately small wings (7) 4 Newspaper leader writer (6-2-5) 5 Jordan`s only port, on the Red Sea (5) 6 Pope, 795-816 (7) 7 German theologian at the forefront of the Reformation (7,5) 13 Ancestry, genealogy (7) 14 Receives, admits (7) 16 Clandestine meeting (5) 18 European fresh-water fish (5) 2-in-1 Crossword by Axe You can use both sets of clues to solve the puzzle: the solutions are the same. SOLUTION Across: 1 Deck The Halls, 8 You and I, 9 Agora, 10 Forum, 11 On a diet, 12 Hallucination, 15 Lunatic, 17 Cornu, 19 Ready, 20 Impeach, 21 Rest of Esther. Down: 1 Day of the Lord, 2 Churr, 3 Tinamou, 4 Editor-in-chief, 5 Aqaba, 6 Leo XIII, 7 Martin Luther, 13 Lineage, 14 Accepts, 16 Tryst, 18 Roach. We felt that the Holy Spirit was calling us to go further and deeper in our Outreach. As we listened to Green Pastures, we were once again inspired to pursue a new road. Green Pastures is a national Christian organisation with a vision to end homelessness. The method is simple: Green Pastures buys property for local churches so that they can lease it using housing benefit and accommodate homeless people in a safe and compassionate home until they can take their next step. We began to explore the possibility of becoming partners with Green Pastures in order to address what we had identified as a great and very urgent need in Gateshead’,s housing provision for ‘,new refugees’,. When asylum seekers receive ‘,right to remain’, they must leave their asylum accommodation within 3-4 weeks, and so run the risk of homelessness. We felt we couldn’,t ignore this and just hope that someone else would do something about it. By the end of March we knew that we wanted to go forward and partner with Green Pastures. Gateshead Council’,s Migration Support Team supported our application as did several organisations who will refer residents including the Bensham Food Coop, Action Foundation and the Justice and Peace Refugee Project. God has undoubtedly been with us on this journey. We formed ‘,Outreach Housing’, and received much support from our clergy and the parish communities of Corpus Christi, St Peter’,s and Our Lady and St Philip Neri. Fr Adrian has accompanied us throughout and the Diocese has become a Partner of Green Pastures –, making it the first Catholic Diocese to work in partnership with Green Pastures. We found a house in Bensham, ideal for our purpose, and were very happy when Green Pastures put in an offer. Our group prayed that the offer would be accepted as the property was ideal in size and location to meet the needs of the people we hoped to help and were overjoyed when, on 20th October 2021, that offer was accepted. It is a beginning! We are looking forward to providing a good home and supporting those who live there to settle in our community. We were visited at our parish Masses by the Founder of Green Pastures, Pastor Pete Cunningham. He told us that, over 20 years ago, his concern for the homeless in Southport, was inspired into action when he sat in church and listened in a new way to the story of the Good Samaritan who took the injured man to the inn and put his hand into his own pocket to pay for his care. Green Pastures began with three people who did just that and bought a flat for a homeless person. Since then many people have invested in the charity enabling them to partner with churches and provide houses throughout the country like ours in Bensham. As we take this new step as Outreach Housing, we very much see this as part of our mission as Catholic parishes in Gateshead. As we develop and learn more there is the potential that this could be a pilot project for other parts of the Diocese where homelessness is a concern.

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Pope Francis began a new series of reflections on St Joseph at yesterday`s General Audience. He explained that ",today, as never before, in this time marked by a global crisis,", St Joseph can offer us ",support, consolation, and guidance.", As the year of St Joseph draws to a close, the Pope said he hoped his reflections might ",further help us to allow ourselves to be enlightened by his example and by his witness.", The Holy Father began his teaching with a reflection on the biblical context of the life of St Joseph. Recalling the figure of Joseph, the son of Jacob, in the Old Testament, Pope Francis noted that the name ",Joseph", - Hebrew for ",may God increase, may God give growth", - is ",a wish, a blessing based on trust in God`s providence and referring especially to fertility and raising children.", This, he said, ",reveals an essential aspect of Joseph of Nazareth`s personality. He is a man full of faith in God, in His providence.", Pope Francis went on to consider the places associated with St Joseph, especially Bethlehem and Nazareth, which ",assume an important role in our understanding", of the saint. Bethlehem, he said, means ",house of bread", or, in Arabic, ",house of meat,", both expressions that are full of significances in light of the Incarnation and the Eucharist. Bethlehem also recalls the story of Ruth, the great grandmother of David the king, from whom Joseph traces his descent, as well as the prophecy of Micah, who foretold the coming of the Messiah from Bethlehem. While Jerusalem was ",the city loved by the Lord, the `holy city`,", it was Bethlehem and Nazareth, both outlying villages, ",far from the clamour of the news and the powers of the time", that are most associated with Saint Joseph. ",The choice of Bethlehem and Nazareth tells us that the periphery and marginality are preferred by God,", Pope Francis said. ",Failure to take this fact seriously is equivalent to not taking seriously the Gospel and the work of God.", Jesus goes out especially in search of those on the peripheries, not only sinners, but also ",those who have done no evil but have suffered it: the sick, the hungry, the poor, the least.", Now, as then, the Pope said, ",there is a centre and a periphery", in society, and, as in the time of Jesus, ",the Church knows that she is called to proclaim the good news from the periphery.", Here St Joseph can be an example, reminding each of us to accord special importance ",to what others cast aside.", In this sense, the Pope said, St Joseph ",is truly a master of the essential: he reminds us that what truly matters does not attract our attention, but requires patient discernment to be discovered and appreciated.", Pope Francis asked us to pray for Joseph`s intercession, ",that the whole Church might recover this insight,", adding, ",Let us start again from Bethlehem, let us start again from Nazareth.", And to all those living on the geographical or existential peripheries, the Pope had this message: ",May you find in Saint Joseph the witness and protector to whom you can look.", Ecumenical charity Liverpool Seafarers Centre (LSC) is launching its Christmas 2021 appeal as it opens the doors of its centres in Crosby and Eastham for the first time since the Covid pandemic struck in March 2020. LSC chief executive John Wilson says the charity is aiming to give gifts to more than 1,000 seafarers visiting Merseyside ports during the festive period. The gifts will be distributed to ships calling at Merseyside ports during Christmas as well as ships docking earlier in December which will be at sea during the festive holiday. Mr Wilson also confirmed LSC is planning to stage its annual seafarer Christmas Eve Mass in the chapel at its Crosby headquarters. It will be the first Mass for more than 18 months celebrated by the ecumenical charity. He urged donors to give new gifts and ‘,give generously’, to the men and women who have kept Britain supplied during the pandemic, often enduring extended contracts over eight months as they struggled to return home because of travel restrictions. Mr Wilson appealed for new electrical items such as PlayStations, laptops, iPhones and headphones as well as warm new clothes, books, DVDs, toiletries, chocolate and puzzles. He said cash donations could be made, which LSC will then use to buy goods on donors’, behalf. He said: “,Seafarers are still at the front line of Covid. Shore leave is often not allowed, or seafarers are afraid to leave the ship for risk of catching Covid. “,Vaccine availability is patchy and even when it is offered the paperwork showing they have received the vaccine is not always accepted around the world. “,We urge supporters of seafarers to give generously this year, seafarer centres like ours are often the main form of support offered to seafarers doing their job around the world.”, Liverpool Seafarers Centre reopens and launches Christmas appeal ‘,Give generously’, to the men and women who have kept Britain supplied during the pandemic. The Catholic Post. December 2021. Page 13. Liverpool Seafarers Centre St Joseph, an example and witness for our times Vatican News St Joseph by Dony MacManus For further information on LSC’,s work To donate gifts Tel: 0300 800 8085 visit: 20 Crosby Road South, Liverpool, Merseyside L22 1RQ Email: admin@Liverpoolseafarerscentre.org Donate via website: www.liverpoolseafarerscentre.org ",The choice of Bethlehem and Nazareth tells us that the periphery and marginality are preferred by God,", Pope Francis said. Concluding his catechesis, Pope Francis offered the following prayer to St Joseph: Saint Joseph, you who always trusted God, and made your choices guided by His providence teach us not to count so much on our own plans but on His plan of love. You who come from the peripheries help us to convert our gaze and to prefer what the world discards and marginalises. Comfort those who feel alone and support those who work silently to defend life and human dignity. Amen.

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Page 14. The Catholic Post. December 2021.

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LGBT+ Mass re ﬂ, ection On Saturday 23rd October, the LGBT+ Pastoral Team of the Diocese of Nottingham headed to Cleethorpes for one of our organised masses. This was a particularly special mass for us as it was celebrated by Bishop Patrick McKinney, the Bishop of Nottingham who we as a team, work closely with providing pastoral support to LGBT+ Catholics within our diocese. The team set off from Leicester, Loughborough and Nottingham with plenty of time on our side to arrive for adoration at 12 and mass at 1. Unfortunately, the traffic was not on our side and most of us arrived with only a few moments to spare before the mass began. The Catholic Post. December 2021. Page 15. George White, LGBT+ Pastoral Ministry Team, Diocese of Nottingham The parish had put rainbow bunting around the church car park and greeted us with smiles under rainbow face masks Fortunately, we were in very safe hands upon our arrival. The parish had put rainbow bunting around the church car park and greeted us with smiles under rainbow face masks. The parish priest, Father Andrew Cole, had everything in order despite him having to join us via the livestream as he was isolating with COVID. There were about 45 people in attendance, many from the parish and a few from elsewhere and online. The readings were expertly chosen with great care and inspiration. I am the newest member of the LGBT+ Pastoral Team and have only been to one of the LGBT+ masses previously. I had not before experienced such an inclusive and sacred atmosphere so this was a really special moment for me and I couldn’,t help but smile through my facemask as the mass started. Whilst reading Psalm 138, we collectively came together to thank God for the wonder of our being, a poignant phrase for many LGBT people who have found themselves on the peripheries because of their identity. Farther Andrew has prepared an excellent homily, reaffirming that we can all proclaim with firm faith that we are thankful for the wonder of our being because each one of us is made in God’,s image and we are good, true and beautiful in the sight of God. He reminded us that we are all called to live that goodness, truth and beauty in our daily lives. It was a great privilege, and a tough act to follow, to get up after this homily and deliver the bidding prayers. It was particularly moving experience to gather all of these prayers together by saying the prayer of the synod, which will be an important opportunity for LGBT+ Catholics and allies to have their voices heard. After the mass, we were all welcomed to the parish hall for some refreshments. The parish had laid on a marvellous spread with the piece de resistance being a homemade cake with the parish logo, a multicoloured triquetra, on it. The shapes represent the persons of God, the Father, Son and Spirit in their equality and diversity and the colours representing the equality and diversity of the people of God. Bishop Patrick had the honour of cutting the cake on behalf of us all. Later on, the Pastoral Ministry team along with their partners and friends joined a local parishioner who came to the mass in having a coffee before a dinner of fish and chips on the pier to end the weekend. The mass was a great event and the conversations between those present brought great joy and unity. Father Andrew pointed out in the homily that the opposite of unity is not diversity but actually disunity. We are called to live in holy communion with God, one another and within ourselves. This echoes the sentiment of our first reading, from the first letter of St John which are the words I will leave you with. ‘,As long as we love one another, God will live in us...anyone who lives in love lives in God.’, (1 John 4: 12, 16) What would you choose for your front cover? Leading Catholic day and boarding school in the Surrey Hills for girls aged 11-18. Full, weekly and 昀,exi boarding. Marden Park, Woldingham, Surrey CR3 7YA woldinghamschool.co.uk Be inspired to Write your own story at Woldingham N a t C a t h o l i c _ 1 2 9 x 1 7 0 . i n d d 1 0 2 / 1 1 / 2 0 2 1 1 4 : 3 6 Preparing young hearts and minds to ",go forth and set the world on fire", admissions@msmcollege.com Mount St Mary`s College | Spinkhill | Sheffield | S21 3YL MOUNT ST MARY`S COLLEGE msmcollege.com/entrance-assessment-2022 REGISTER NOW SC H OLARS H IPS AVAILABL E A leading Catholic independent day and boarding school SENIOR SCHOOL AND SIXTH FORM ENTRANCE ASSESSMENT 29TH JANUARY 2022 OPEN MORNING 12TH FEBRUARY 2022

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Page 16. The Catholic Post. December 2021. During the recent COP26 UN climate summit, Bishop Marcus Stock who is Chair of the Catholic Education Service, and Bishop John Arnold, Lead Bishop for the Environment, acknowledged that it is young people that will have to live with the long-term impacts of the climate crisis but, equally, they are at the heart of the Church’,s response. The two bishops issued a statement lauding the action and commitment of Catholic school pupils in their response to the ecological crisis: ‘,In Laudato Si’, Pope Francis asks us the key question, ‘,What kind of world do we want to leave to those who come after us, to children who are now growing up?’, This is a profound question which gets to the heart of why the environmental crisis matters and the pressing need for us as a global community to reverse climate change. Ultimately our young people are the future, and it is they who will have to live with the long-term ramifications of the ecological crisis. However, it is also the young who can have the most impact in delivering the changes we need to address the climate emergency. That is why one of the most striking elements of the public’,s response to the climate and ecological crisis, especially in the run up to the COP 26, is that it has been energised by the participation of children and young people. It has been really encouraging to see hundreds of thousands of young Catholics across the country get involved with projects that care for our common home, especially in our network of Catholic schools. We know that our pupils care passionately about this topic and many schools have embedded Pope Francis’, words and intentions from Laudato Si’, and Fratelli Tutti into their wider school curriculum. In this way, the response to the ecological crisis by our young people can be both contemplative and active, but also rooted in prayer and in the teachings of the Church. Fundamental to Catholic education is the principle of the formation of the whole person and therefore it is right that Catholic schools are forming the next generation of the stewards of God’,s creation.’, Peter Boylan KSG Young people at the heart of the Church’,s environmental response dioceseo ﬂ, eeds.org.uk Bishops issue statement lauding the action and commitment of Catholic school pupils in their response to the ecological crisis. Our annual Justice &, Peace Assembly will take place in-person on Saturday 15 January 2022, 9.30am to 2pm, at St Francis` School in Crawley. This year`s event `To A Safer Shore?` focusses on the considerable dif- ficulties and challenges faced by individuals and families of all ages who are compelled to leave their homes and seek safety - and longed for sanctuary - in countries that can be considerable distances from their homes. Speakers include, Aidan Cantwell, from the Jesuit Refugee Service who will explore current legislation in the UK and how best we can respond, Karen Goldsmith, who has first-hand experience of the refugee crisis, having spent time volunteering at a refugee camp in Chios, Greece, Canon Rob Esdaile who will provide insight on Pope Francis` Encyclical Fratelli Tutti and John Paul de Quay, from the Ecological Conversion Group, who will examine the links between the plight of refugees and climate crisis. You can read short bios of the speakers on the A&,B Diocesan website Annual Justice &, Peace Assembly of Arundel and Brighton Diocese The parish is the most basic community of the Church. Canon Law describes this:- “,A parish is a certain community of Christ’,s faithful, stably established within a particular Church, whose pastoral care, under the authority of the diocesan Bishop, is entrusted to a parish priest as its proper pastor.”, While this sounds clear and legal, the reality varies as parish communities vary. The geographical spread of a parish can be compact or wide ranging, the community may be huge or quite limited. The parishioners’, involvement may be slight or deeply committed depending in part on leadership and encouragement. Personal circumstances will effect the particular response. Growing families, the single, ageing or aged could all have their part to play. A key element will be the welcome and fellowship offered to all regular, occasional worshippers and visitors alike. Of the early Church we are told, “,The whole body of believers was united in heart and soul. Not a man of them claimed any of his possessions as his own but everything was held in common.”, (Acts 4.32) When disputes did occur the Apostles called the community together and said “,it would be a grave mistake for us to neglect the Word of God in order to wait at table......Look out seven men from among you full of Spirit and wisdom and let them deal with these matters, while we devote ourselves to prayer and the ministry of the Word.”, (Acts6.2-4) Two millennia later, while some of those details and methods may be impractical, the parish spirit should remain. Parishioners, united in heart and soul, favouring the option for the poor, either in their midst or in other parts of the world. Some emerging from within the community to serve the practical requirements and so allowing the parish prest the time and space for prayer and Eucharistic celebration. Currently there are three good reasons to ensure that such a community should put such a lead into practise. As we recover from the Covid pandemic and all its implications: as the number of priests declines further: and as Pope Francis seeks to encourage a new synodal Church, the parish community will be required to gain a new strength. A new post-covid parish must be every dream. To discard masks, to worship in music and song, to receive communion under both kinds once more, to share in fellowship without fear of contamination. We pray for the current restriction to cease but it should allow us to reassess the important things in our lives and act accordingly. The declining number of priests makes the role of the parish laity even more important. As the parish priest, in many cases on Sundays, dashes from one Church to another, it gives the people of the parish a more urgent need to act together , ‘,in heart and soul’, and to attend to ‘,the waiting on table’, to ease the burden. A synodal Church also means a listening Church. Beginning from the basic parish unit, parishioners must be ready to speak out on matters of deep concern for the Church as they see them in local reality. Despite that differing nature of our parishes, an authentic voice crying to the Lord must be allowed to come forward. Parish Matters abdiocese.org.uk

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Pope Francis: Why have a Catholic Newspaper? Pope Francis has said that Catholic newspapers can be a useful tool of evangelisation. In an address to representatives of nearly 200 Catholic newspapers, Pope Francis praised in particular the value, necessity and effectiveness of Catholic and diocesan newspapers, which he said require ",a renewed commitment", Parish Priests! Why are you receiving this? We apologise for sending this to you without speaking to you first. It is no secret that publishers, particularly Catholic publishers, have not found the pandemic easy. So we simply haven’,t had the resources to phone every parish and speak to each priest. We also know how busy you are! We have been contacted by many parish priests in the last few months who have been encouraging us to provide a national newspaper as they would like their parishioners to be able to see Catholic news without having to go and search for it. We’,ve sent this first edition out to selected parishes in the UK in the hope you would subscribe to receive copies that you can hand out for free. On the top of each edition it will say free –, but we will ask that readers make a donation to their parish of £,1. Our feeling is that people won’,t do that each time –, but perhaps they might donate £,5 or £,10 from time to time as a thank you for giving parishioners a free paper. We will have a section in future editions for parish visitors. Whether it is people who just walk through the door, or people who are attending a special event in the parish –, a wedding or a funeral. The paper will have something for them, and will hopefully show them that more goes on in the Church than just the occasional wedding. We want to keep your parishioners informed, inspired and invited to support initiatives and attend events around the country. We also want to help you share ideas or hear other parishes ideas. So if you have done something in your parish that you would recommend to another…,tell us about it. What’,s the bene ﬁ, t for your parish? from priests and the whole church community. Pope Francis said, It is a place where the life of a diocese can be ",validly expressed", and where members of the church can ",dialogue and communicate.", ",There is an urgent need for news that is communicated with serenity, precision, completeness,", clarity and thoughtfulness and in a way that favours ",fruitful reflection", and rejects amplifying a discussion that is strident, ambiguous and insinuating, he said. Pope Francis said, ",For all these reasons it is, therefore, desirable that everyone`s commitment to ensuring the existence and vitality of these periodicals is not lacking.",

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