Catholic News 20p 20p WHERE SOLD WHERE SOLD ISSUE 299 ISSUE 299 April 2022 April 2022 MORE THAN 23 YEARS OF BRINGING THE NOTTINGHAM DIOCESE TOGETHER MORE THAN 23 YEARS OF BRINGING THE NOTTINGHAM DIOCESE TOGETHER Published by Published by Bellcourt Ltd, N2 Blois Meadow Business Centre, Steeple Bumpstead, Haverhill, Suffolk, CB9 7BN Bellcourt Ltd, N2 Blois Meadow Business Centre, Steeple Bumpstead, Haverhill, Suffolk, CB9 7BN Telephone: 01440 730399 Telephone: 01440 730399 Editor John Clawson. Tel: E-mail johnclwson@icloud.com or david@bellcourtltd.co.uk Editor John Clawson. Tel: E-mail johnclwson@icloud.com or david@bellcourtltd.co.uk Diocese welcomes Apostolic Nuncio T he Nottingham diocese was pleased to welcome the Apostolic Nuncio of Great Britain, His Excellency Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti, recently. His visit opened with a drinks reception at Bishop’,s House on Saturday evening where amongst those in attendance, were the Lord Lieutenant Sir John Peace, Nottinghamshire Police Chief Constable Craig Guildford and His Honour Michael Stokes, QC, DL. It was a pleasant occasion and provided an opportunity to share something of the life and mission of the diocese with local dignitaries and the Apostolic Nuncio. His Excellency emphasised the role of the Church to be at the service of people in the region and Sir John Peace echoed this, thanking the bishop for the witness and work of the Diocese of Nottingham locally. On Sunday morning, the Archbishop celebrated Mass at the University of Nottingham for the Catholic Community of staff and students. The Archbishop’,s last engagement was to join Bishop Patrick in celebrating the Rite of Election at St Barnabas Cathedral on Sunday afternoon. It was the first ‘,in-person’, Rite of Election to be celebrated post-pandemic and was an occasion of great joy. Over 300 people attended the service, those hoping to be baptised and those to be received into full communion with the Catholic Church this Easter, and also priests and people supporting them on their journeys. Bishops unite with Pope in Act of Consecration of Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary At St Peter’,s Basilica in Rome on Friday, 25 March 2022, the Holy Father, Pope Francis consacrantes Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.On 25 March 1984, Pope John Paul II consecrated Russia and the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. It is also the Feast of the Annunciation of the Lord.Catholic bishops in England and Wales joined Pope Francis in this consecration on that day. We know that there is a great need for the gift of peace and reconciliation, and we will be commending all those who are suffering at this time to Our Lady. Mark O’,Toole In unity with the Holy Father, the Chair of the Department for Evangelisation and Discipleship at the Bishops’, Conference and Bishop of Plymouth, the Right Reverend Mark O’,Toole will be leading the rosary in his Cathedral parish of St Mary and St Boniface at 09.30 on this day. He said:“,I have been touched by the Holy Father’,s initiative and look forward to uniting with him, my brother bishops and Catholics in England and Wales in this act of consecration.“,We know that there is a great need for the gift of peace and reconciliation, and we will be commending all those who are suffering at this time to Our Lady, knowing that she will present all her suffering children to Our Lord.”, Image: With thanks to Diana Ringo –,Wiki Media Y o u n g a d u l t s f r o m a r o u n d t h e D i o c e s e p i l g r i m a g e t o L i n c o l n C a t h e d r a l P a g e 3 T h i n k i n g o f y o u r h o l i d a y s ? P a g e 1 0 F i r s t i n - p e r s o n R i t e o f E l e c t i o n s i n c e 2 0 2 0 P a g e 4

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MORE THAN 21 YEARS OF MORE THAN 21 YEARS OF BRINGING THE BRINGING THE NOTTINGHAM DIOCESE NOTTINGHAM DIOCESE TOGETHER TOGETHER The monthly paper for the The monthly paper for the Diocese of Nottingham Diocese of Nottingham Wanted - Parish Correspondents The Catholic News is looking for a Parish Correspondent in your parish to send in local news for publication in this newspaper. All items to be emailed to johnclwson@icloud.com before 10th of the month FRANKLY FRANKLY SPEAKING SPEAKING Page 2 The Catholic News. April 2022 Editor: John Clawson Editorial Office: Bellcourt Ltd, N2 Blois Meadow Business Centre, Steeple Bumpstead, Haverhill, Suffolk, CB9 7BN Telephone: 01440 730399 email: johnclwson@icloud.com or david@bellcourtltd.co.uk Website: www.bellcourtltd.co.uk Distribution enquiries: Nick Layton e-mail nick@cathcom.org, Bellcourt Limited, Publication date: Fourth Sunday of the month for the following month. Opinions ex - pressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the Editor or the Diocese. P ublishers and Owners : Bellcourt Ltd, N2 Blois Meadow Business Centre, Steeple Bumpstead, Haverhill, Suffolk, CB9 7BN Advertising: tel: 0207 112 6710 Parental permission should be sought before submitting photographs of minors. Views expressed in The Catholic News are not necessarily those of the editor SVP –, What We Do This series looks at key people who helped shape the SVP Just before Lent commenced the world and Europe in particular was confronted with the news that many had feared. Despite many appeals and apparent manoeuvres Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24th. To say this has produced heartbreak and utter misery to the victims of this invasion can only be explained by the comment that “,an authoritarian state has become a totalitarian one.”, Ukraine can never by the same again and neither can Russia. Christians can only be greatly concerned what the consequences of this action will be for the poor and destitute in both Russia and Ukraine with the latter sadly leading to one million refugees at the time I ,am writing this article. The implementation of the sanctions on Russia may well be a knock on effect to other parts of the world including other nations who so far have abstained from comment on what Moscow has instigated. Like many others I ,knew little about Ukraine prior to the recent tragic confrontation. Historians have commented on its Christian roots notably in the 19th century. We have also been reminded of a great famine in 1932-3 which claimed the deaths of 3.9 million people and was not reported to the western world. In more recent times when there has been a great will to live together in Ukraine, we now have an unfolding tragedy which the world will have to sort out. In the normal course of events this article would be around the time of Mothering Sunday. Perhaps this year we who have our mothers or just fond memories can allocate some time and prayers to the families in Ukraine. I hope all readers will have a peaceful Easter at this difficult time. Frank Gouding Holy Trinity Parish, Newark St Louise de Marillac In this second article on key people influential to the formation of the SVP we are looking at the life of St Louise de Marillac. Although she was born 242 years before Frederic Ozanam founded the Society, her relationship with St Vincent, their charitable work together and her legacy, it can be argued, have been significant in shaping the events of 1833. St Louise and St Vincent Louise de Marillac was born on August 12, 1591, into a noble family, probably in Paris. Louise’,s mother is unknown and her father was a widower at her birth. He remarried when she was 3 years old. At a young age she was sent to the care of the Dominicans at the royal monastery of Poissy where she was raised with other children. Her Father died when she was 13 and her Uncle Michel became her Guardian. He worked in the court of Louis Xlll and rose to become “,keeper of the seals”, in 1629. When she was 15 she wanted to become a religious sister in an austere order, the Capuchins. The Priest director of the convent would not accept her due to her delicate health. Louise was extremely disappointed but accepted the decision. Later, she obeyed her family who presented her to Antoine Legras, a simple squire who was a secretary to the Queen. They married when Louise was 22 and within a year she had given birth to a son she named Michel. Antoine died in December1625 after 3 years of ill health. Widowed, lacking financial means, Louise had to move. Vincent de Paul lived near her new home and became her spiritual director. Neither one was very enthusiastic about meeting the other, there were such differences between them. They got to know one another and Vincent helped Louise realise her vocation. He proposed that she visit the “,Confraternities of Charity”, to encourage the Ladies in their service of the poor. Louise came out of herself and became aware of the realities lived by poor people. She discovered the difficulties the Ladies had in serving, how they found it difficult to do menial tasks themselves. She helped direct his Ladies of Charity in their work of caring for the sick, the poor, and the neglected. Together on 29th November 1633, they founded the Company of the Daughters of Charity, and thereafter the care and training of the Sisters became Louise’,s life work. Vincent and Louise worked together as a team. Vincent provided the original vision of service of the poor, a vision shaped by the love of Jesus Christ. However, it was Louise that helped transform that vision into reality, so that by 1660 there were more than 40 Houses of the Daughters of Charity across France. By the time of her death in Paris on March 15, 1660 the Congregation had more than forty houses in France. Since then they have spread all over the world. Louise was a wife, mother, teacher, nurse, social worker and co-founder of the Daughters of Charity. She was an organiser, a radical thinker who lived her life intensely and enthusiastically. She herself knew suffering and through a life of deep faith she was able to find and treasure Jesus Christ in the broken spirits and bodies of the destitute people she served. She was canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1934. Saint Louise was declared Patroness of Social Workers by Pope John XXIII in 1960. Her feast day is March 15th. She is also alleged to be one of the patron saints for disappointing children –, i.e. all of us. If you would like to find out more about the SVP, please contact Lance Philpott at lancep@svp.org.uk Happy 100 years to Josephine Many happy returns to Josephine Simpson who celebrated her 100th birthday on 7th March. Josephine is a parishioner of Christ the King Parish in Mackworth Derby and lives on the Mackworth estate near her daughter Dee Quinn who also lives on the estate. The family all attend Christ the King church in Mackworth. We hope you had a wonderful day Josephine and wish you many more of them.

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The Catholic News. April 2022 Page 3 The Chapter Corner Fr Chris O’,Connor Melton Mowbray Granny`s Hairdo Raises Thousands for the Church When Melton Mowbray priest, Monsignor Tom McGovern, announced that he needed to raise £,45,000 to pay for the redecoration of St John`s sanctuary in original Victorian style, the charity `Friends of Saint Johns Church` felt they had to scratch their heads to think of some means of helping him to raise this. It was not easy, as many fundraising events were out of the question due to Covid restrictions. However, all the head-scratching gave the Friends group Chairman Frances Levett an idea. An online just giving page was set up, and Frances promised that she would have a Mohican haircut coloured red, blue and green if donations reached £,1000. The idea really took off! The charity has now been able to present Monsignor McGovern with a cheque for £,5,700. Frances said, ",I am quite amazed. I hoped we might be able to raise a few hundred pounds, but this has far exceeded expectations. We have had one or two other events, such as a child`s sponsored walk, but the majority of the money seems to have come in in response to the hairdo. It really seemed to fire people`s imaginations and to touch their sense of humour too. My hair is normally white, and I have never had any sort of unusual hairstyle before, but to tell the truth, I quite enjoyed sporting this one. Many people stopped me to comment and it gave lots of opportunities to talk about the church. We were highly delighted to be able to give Fr Tom so much. The church is looking really beautiful now and we all want to support him in this restoration.", St John`s church was designed in 1839 in collaboration with the renowned architect A W N Pugin. Its intricate colourful artwork caused it to be described as ",a Neo -Gothic gem",, but the original Victorian designs had been overpainted over the years and this had damaged the integrity of the building. The impressive look has to a large extent now been restored, using motifs based on the original but with a modern touch. More work needs to be done on the church, to make it more accessible and disabled- friendly, and also hopefully to provide community facilities so that more people will be able to enjoy the beauty of the church. More events are planned, and the JustGiving page is still open. To donate please go to www.justgiving.com/campaign/fosjmm Have you heard of St Colette’,s Pregnancy Support Centre? April for me has always been a special month since my younger days when I was a cowman on my uncle’,s dairy farm. Winter is hard work on a dairy farm. The cow cubicles must be strawed down each day, the alleys cleaned out twice a day, the slurry moved, and the feed wagon prepared twice to keep them happy and productive. Illness is always a threat. Depending on the growth of the grass leys, the cows are let out in early April. With the pull of a bolt and the swing of the gate, the cow rushed out with great frolicking and all those hours of work disappear. Both Cows and cowman experience great joy and relief, fulfilling the expectancy of the longer days. This Year we begin April with the last two weeks of Lent which we call Passiontide. We are now looking forward to the great celebration of Holy Week and Easter. For four weeks we have been struggling with the tasks of lent, cleaning the stables, we could say, through our fasting and self- denial. We have been trying to feed ourselves on the word of God and prayer. We have been making a strong effort of will. We are perhaps tired from our efforts. The end is in sight! We see the Paschal Triduum coming. The minor key of Lent will soon turn to the major key of Easter. We lift up our hearts as we enter Holy week. Even though we keep the Penitential spirit of Lent, our focus is firmly on Our Lord and the Paschal events. We prepare to open the gate to enter the Easter Garden of joy. We open the gate by our participation in the Holy Week liturgies and particularly the Paschal Triduum. One of the well-tried ways of prayers is that of the imagination. We put ourselves in a particular Gospel scene as an observer or one of the characters. This is very fruitful and can lead to a good participation in the Liturgies. The old Negro spiritual is very suggestive: were you there when they crucified my Lord.... when they nailed Him to the cross..... when they laid Him in the tomb...... when God raised him from the tomb? However, even more, when we participate in the Liturgies of Holy Week and Easter, we can truly answer that question with a resounding yes. I was there. The events of our salvation are made present to us through our Liturgies. We can say yes, we were in the upper room of the Last Supper, in the garden with Jesus, with him on Calvary and the Risen Lord outside the tomb or touched his wounds in the upper room of the Resurrection. We can say I took part. These are the greatest mysteries of our Lord’,s life, and we can be there! After the difficulties of this time of COVID, may we take the opportunity to participate in all the Liturgies especially Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and the greatest of all: the Easter Vigil and enter the Easter Garden “,with joy and frolicking!”, I wish you all a grace filled Holy Week and Easter. One of the well-tried ways of prayers is that of the imagination If you know someone who is pregnant, and for any reason (financial, medical) is being pressured to have an abortion, please contact Carol on 07547 795 315. We can offer help in a variety of ways - financial, practical, emotional. If you know someone who is hurting because of an abortion experience, we can put you in touch with confidential and compassionate post abortion counselling services. Contact Carol for further information. Submitted on behalf of Marie Langford Young Adults pilgrimage to Lincoln Cathedral Bishop Patrick accompanied a group of Nottingham diocese young adults on a pilgrimage to Lincoln Cathedral recently He told our reporter . ‘,We were made to feel so welcome on the Young Adults pilgrimage to Lincoln Cathedral when we gathered there for Mass and a tour of the Cathedral. Grateful thanks to the Dean &, Chapter.’,

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Page 4 The Catholic News. April 2022 Hundreds gathered in St Barnabas Cathedral for the first in-person Rite of Election since 2020, joined by His Excellency Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti House of Lords votes to reject proposals for Assisted Suicide More pictures can be seen on the Cathedral website. The House of Lords last night voted to reject Lord Forsyth`s proposals for a Bill to legalise assisted suicide by 179 votes to 145 votes in a landmark vote. The vote marks the twelfth time that proposals for assisted suicide related laws have failed to be passed by UK Parliamentarians. Those failures were in the House of Commons (1997, 2015) House of Lords (Lord Joffe`s three attempts between 2003-2006, 2009, 2014, 2016 and 2020) in Scotland (2010 and 2015) and today`s vote. In response to the vote, Parliamentarians and rights groups have united to issue concurrent statements welcoming the move and calling for supporters of assisted suicide to end attempts to consume great quantities of Parliamentary time after the House of Lords has spoken so clearly on this issue. Bishop John Sherrington, Lead Bishop for Life Issues, said: ",I am pleased that last night the House of Lords rejected Lord Forsyth`s amendment to the Health and Care Bill, which would have brought in assisted suicide `by the back door.` ",This Amendment, if passed, would not only have had major constitutional implications over who brings forward government legislation but would also have seen a Health and Care Bill facilitating and hastening death by means of assisted suicide. ",We reiterate our support for the provision of high-quality palliative care for all and welcome Baroness Finlay`s amendment to this Bill, supported by the Government, regarding this.", Source ICN

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The Catholic News. April 2022 Page 5 More than £,4,500 raised by sponsored cycle around St Ralph Sherwin schools Trust Lead Lay Chaplain Jamie Agius and his friend Mark Newing set out to cycle around all 25 schools in the Trust to raise money for the Disasters Emergency Committee. Extreme weather conditions cut the three-day ‘,Tour de St Ralph’, one day short but the pair have raised £,4,502 so far and they plan to complete the planned course in the future. The total journey would be 188 miles, mostly uphill, through Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire, Stockport and the High Peak. All money raised through sponsorship will go to the Disasters Emergency Committee, which brings together 15 leading UK aid char - ities which are experts in humanitarian aid and specialise in different areas of disaster re - sponse. Jamie and Mark visited Saint John Houghton and St Thomas’, in Ilkeston, The Priory in Eastwood, St Elizabeth’,s in Belper, Christ the King in Alfreton and St Joseph’,s in Matlock on the first day. On the second day they stopped at St Phillip Howard, Saint Mary’,s, All Saints, St Charles’, and St Margaret’,s, all in Glossop, St Mary’,s in Marple Bridge, Saint Mary’,s in New Mills, St Thomas More and St Anne’,s, both in Buxton. Jamie said: “,We were slightly trepidacious be - fore setting off as the weather was predicted to be pretty horrendous with Storms Dudley and Eunice arriving during the ride. As a re - sult, we decided that our original plan to sleep outdoors was probably not wise, so found some inside spaces to stay overnight. “,Unfortunately, the weather predictions for the Friday didn’,t look good so we made the decision to postpone the last leg of the tour and head straight home to Nottingham. It was a tough decision but one we felt was the safest. “,It was a brilliant experience not withstanding some of the biggest hills I’,ve ever ridden up. We received some brilliant welcomes and motivating send-offs which really helped us move from place to place. I would like to say a huge thank you to anyone who may have do - nated. Finally, I have to say that the words of St Ralph Sherwin, ‘,Today and not tomorrow’,, really were the motivation for doing this ride.”, Jamie Agius and Mark Newing Live Simply Promises in Action at St Mary’,s CV Academy Derby St Mary’,s Catholic Voluntary Academy in Derby recently became a Live Simply School, and have wasted no time in putting into action their promises to live in solidarity with others. They have a set up a Uniform Clothes Bank, where parents can pick up washed and ironed second hand uniform items for their children for free. Plus, an all year round food collection point in the School Office, which is then taken to one of the local food banks. The Head of School, Mrs Gill Novak-Lemmings, took the first donations to the Padley Centre this week. The School are looking forward to introducing their other Live Simply Commitments over the coming months. Fran Wickes

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Pastoral Letter appointed to be read at all Sunday Masses celebrated in the Diocese of Nottingham on Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th February 2022, 7th Sunday of Ordinary Time Page 6 The Catholic News. April 2022 Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, I write to you today about two important initiatives, taking place across the diocese, which will help shape our diocesan Mission Plan: the reorganisation of deaneries for mission and the Synodal process. The reorganisation of deaneries for mission In the autumn of 2018 I wrote a Pastoral Letter setting out three key spiritual themes, ‘,encounter’,, ‘,discipleship’,, and ‘,missionary discipleship’,. These themes continue to underpin the three pastoral priorities I have for our diocese: to help children and young people to encounter God’,s love and to become active disciples of Christ Jesus in the life and mission of the Church, to offer support and formation to parishioners to enable them to be confident agents of missionary discipleship, both within their parish and wider society, and thirdly, ongoing support for our clergy to free them up to be pastors, leaders and enablers of mission. Since then I have asked my two Vicars General to work with the Deans, clergy and parish representatives of our deanery groupings of parishes to draft a plan to reorganise the deaneries. This draft plan seeks to help our parishes, schools, and chaplaincies to be better supported in becoming more outward looking and missionary, while also striving to ensure that the fewer priests now available for active ministry across the diocese are best able to serve our communities. Those deanery discussions were well advanced in some areas of the diocese when the pandemic struck in March 2020 and covid restrictions meant that in-person meetings were not encouraged. Towards the end of last year this deanery exercise began again in earnest. In just a few days’, time I will begin a journey around the deaneries for a series of evening ‘,roadshow’, events. I will be accompanied by the two Vicars General, the Chief Operating Officer of the diocese and the Episcopal Vicar for Finance and Administration. At each deanery ‘,roadshow’, we will meet with parish representatives and clergy. This will be an opportunity for me, and those who work most closely with me, to present the reasons for the proposed reorganisation of our deaneries. It will also be an occasion to explain the support that is being put in place to enable this to happen, to listen carefully to the discussion, and to answer questions. These evenings will help shape the necessary reorganisation now needed in each deanery, to both enable the whole diocese to become more missionary and to respond creatively to the declining numbers of parishioners and priests. Even if you are not going to be directly involved in your local ‘,roadshow’, event, please do keep these important discussions in your prayers. These will continue throughout Lent and a full report of each ‘,roadshow’, will be made available. The Diocesan Synodal Process Last year Pope Francis announced that the 2023 Synod of Bishops would be on the theme ‘,For a Synodal Church: communion, participation, and mission’,, and that each diocese throughout the world would now be invited to contribute to the process. Last October, in my Pastoral Letter on the Synod, and in my Letters to the young people in our schools, I encouraged everyone to look upon this initiative, as Pope Francis does, as first and foremost a spiritual process: an invitation to pray, to listen to the Holy Spirit and to each other, and to dream about the Church the Holy Spirit is calling us to become. I am very grateful that, in spite of covid restrictions, many parishes, schools, and chaplaincies have generously taken part in this process, whether through parish meetings, conversations after Masses, classroom discussions, or by paper or online responses to questionnaires. Since the New Year these responses and practical initiatives have been shared at the level of the deanery, so that those gathered together in prayer might discern which one or two proposed initiatives of outreach and mission the deanery would pledge to work on together. These responses are presently being collated into the interim diocesan report. In the short time available to us as a diocese, we have tried not only to express and listen together to our dreams for the Church, but also to identify some practical outcomes that our parishes, schools, chaplaincies and deaneries could begin to work upon. This Tuesday evening, the Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter, I will be presiding at a special celebration of Evening Prayer at our Cathedral in Nottingham, each deanery will be asked to come and share something of the fruits, so far, of the Synodal process within their parishes, chaplaincies and schools. So from across the diocese representatives will gather in the Cathedral, and everyone else is warmly invited to join in virtually by means of the livestream which can be found on the Cathedral’,s website. The interim diocesan report will be distributed that evening to everyone present, and then made more widely available. There will be a period for ongoing reflection upon the report until 19th March, the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Guardian of the Church, during which any further responses can be sent to our Synod leads, Father David Cain and Joe Hopkins (whose contact details are at the end of this letter, and in the parish newsletter this Sunday). The final diocesan report, like that of every diocese in England and Wales, has to be sent to the Bishops’, Conference secretariat by 8th April. It will then be collated into the Bishops’, Conference Synod Report. Both reports will be made widely available. On the Thursday of Pentecost week we will gather again in the Cathedral to share how the parish and deanery initiatives are progressing. In this way it is hoped that the Synodal process of listening, dreaming, and then acting will continue on in our diocese. Our diocesan reorganisation of deaneries, so as to enable and strengthen mission, and our response to the Synod, are processes that are very much inter-connected. Together they will help shape our next steps as a diocese in genuine renewal and a stronger sense of missionary purpose. Please join me in asking the Holy Spirit to inspire, guide and bless all our diocesan initiatives as we strive to become the Church God is calling us to be. You are very much in my prayers, please remember me in yours, Bishop of Nottingham Rev Fr David Cain –, david.cain@dioceseofnottingham.uk Mr Joe Hopkins –, joe.hopkins@dioceseofnottingham.uk This is a cruel and crude story. Jesus’, gentle manner and understanding give it some beauty, but the thoughts and fears it arouses about the people involved overshadow and even destroy Jesus’, kindness. After a night of prayer (7:53) Jesus returns to the Temple. The crowds gather again to listen to him in one of the open courts where such teaching was a tradition. The authorities bring a woman caught in the act of committing adultery. This is extraordinary. They have captured her and the man but did not bring the man. She is their weapon, and she is helpless. She is a married woman. Only a married woman would be accused of adultery, a single woman might be given in marriage to the man or have compensation paid to her father for the lessening of her betrothal value. Everyone knows her guilt and that, according to the Law, she could be stoned to death, her husband being the one to throw the first stone as her main accuser. The authorities challenge Jesus: does he condemn her as the Law does or would he forgive her (thus claiming a divine power)? Jesus answers with an action, not in words: he answers by what he does. The ‘,parable-in-action’, was a way of teaching popular with the prophets, especially Jeremiah and Ezekiel, when their actions become their teachings to challenge and even shock the people: and Jesus’, action now is a parable. He writes on the stone ground of the Temple courtyard. The finger of Jesus, the finger of God, writes on stone. The finger of God wrote the commandments on stone for Moses to bring to the people (Exodus 31:18) and now Jesus writes on the stone of the Temple and the hearts of stone of the religious authorities. They understand his action, remember the commandments to Moses and are overwhelmed by Jesus’, challenge: if any of them has not broken a commandment let him throw the first stone. They had all failed the commandments and one by one go away. They have condemned themselves as guilty and no-one remains for Jesus to answer. Jesus and the woman and the silent crowd are still there, but no-one to accuse or condemn the woman. Neither does Jesus. Nor does he forgive her. She has not offended him, she has offended her husband and family. Jesus is understanding but he is not forgiving –, she must go to seek forgiveness. He invites her to go and advises her to sin no more. She is alone. The crowd are strangers, gathered to listen to Jesus. He is a stranger who has temporarily rescued her but has now told her she can go, advising her to avoid sin. He is a teacher. He will carry on his teaching, but she must go and be careful to avoid sin. Follow her home. The authorities can re- arrest her at any moment. They have the man, they have the Law, she is still guilty, Jesus has no status: re-arrest and a trial are likely. The gossips are waiting, agog for more detail. This is a wonderful story –, adultery, arrest, Temple, Pharisees outwitted by that man from Galilee –, tell us more. Who is she? The lecherous men are watching. She had been available. Was she worth taking a risk for? They can condemn her out of their lustful envy, the sort of men cultivated by Sunday Tabloids, who read to be disgusted, a fine way to pass a Sunday. They can scorn her. So can the women, even viciously. She is the sort to be a danger to their marriages, the sort to make them envious of finding an escape from the confines of their own marriages. She is a lesson to be learned –, be free but be careful: envied or despised if successful, despised if discovered. Condemn her as a danger to our marriages. Then the neighbours. They know she had been arrested. She is obviously guilty. They had suspected something was going on, never really trusted or liked her. Now they know she was wrong. What’,s been happening? She is walking home alone. Has she been freed? No- one approaches her –, afraid of the gossip that might follow any sign of friendliness. They want to know but no-one asks her. They watch, aware of each other. She approaches her house. The door is closed. Will it be opened to her? Is the house her home now? Inside the house is her husband, the laughing-stock of the street, a fool who has been deceived by his wife. He can instantly divorce her if he chooses. She is guilty. His anger or his sympathy –, which will she know when she comes to the door. Will it be opened? If he won’,t, will one of the children? The Woman taken in adultery (John 8:1-11) Fr John Daley IC

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The Catholic News. April 2022 Page 7 Would you like to play the pipe organ? Organists are in great demand and playing the instrument can give immense satisfaction and pleasure. The Derby and District Organists Association wants to encourage people to learn and has a team of experienced and qualified teachers ready and waiting. We are able to offer an initial set of six free organ lessons to anyone wishing to learn. The funding of the lessons is possible thanks to a legacy left to the Association by the late Edmund Stow, an organist, conductor and organ builder who was well known and greatly respected in Derby and Derbyshire. If possible you should already have piano or keyboard facility to the level of about Grade 5, but if that is not the case you are still welcome to enquire. You need to be tall enough to reach the pedals, (which probably means you are over twelve years old) but otherwise there are no restrictions on age. In the first instance please consult the Chairman of the Association, Tony Westerman ddoachairman@gmail.com Also, the Derby Organists have a list of members on their website: www.derbyorganists.co.uk who are willing to deputise at churches to play for services including weddings and funerals and can be contacted by the secretary, Andy Storer mail@derbyorganists.co.uk My Vocation in Retirement “,What man among you with a hundred sheep, losing one, would not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the missing one until he found it? ... would he not joyfully take it on his shoulders ...’,Rejoice with me, ... I have found my sheep that what lost’,”, Luke 15: 4-6. Having read “,My Vocation Story”, in last month’,s Catholic News, I thought it best to write an update. I retired from parish ministry and vocations ministry last August so as to offer my services as a priest in three areas of ministry, before I become too decrepit! The three areas: prayer guiding on the Jesuit Spirituality programmes, being available to supply around the Diocesan parishes and schools, and writing about my pastoral experience as a priest and as a baptised fellow pilgrim/ missionary disciple/ evangelist. The Vocations Ministry in the Diocese is now fronted by the Director, Fr Neil Peoples and his Assistant, Fr Liam Carpenter. Details of their Diocesan Vocations Ministry can be found on the new Diocesan Website [www.dioceseofnottingham.uk.] They organise some very popular monthly “,Vocations Meet-ups”, on the last Friday evening of the month for young adults discerning their vocation. And they are visiting parishes in order to promote priestly vocations. In retirement, or as I like to call it, “,a change in ministry”,, I feel unencumbered and better able to respond to the great commission of Jesus, the Good Shepherd: “,Go out to the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to all creation ... make disciples, baptise, teach. And know that I am with you always, yes, to the end of time.”, [Mark 16:15, Matthew 28: 19,20.] This is the Vocation not just of the ordained but of all the baptised members of Jesus Christ’,s Body of the Church Family. The current necessary reorganisation of the Deanery structures has yet to take the pressure of workload off parish priests and their assistants. In fact, in some cases, their workload has increased while a future phase of trained lay parish assistants, of one kind or another, is still to be rolled-out. Meanwhile, the men and women in the Diocesan Curia, are available to offer their expertise. My fellow retired priests are well aware of the gaps that need filling when a priest has conflicting duties or becomes ill, including with COVID, or a team of priests are needed for Reconciliation Services or First Confessions, or the priest just simply needs a break away for a short holiday to recuperate or visit family. Like super-granddads, the retired priests fly in to the rescue! The lay assistants, mentioned above, ideally will eventually attend to the more secular pursuits of maintenance and management in the local pastoral areas of the Diocese on behalf of the priests. Some models in the Diocese exist but many more in other countries who are far more advanced than us. The appointment of these lay assistants will free the priests and deacons to pray and reflect more, and then concentrate on the more pastoral side of their ministries, which means walking alongside all the peoples they seek out in their pastoral areas, especially those, like lost sheep, on the margins of local community life, of all religious persuasions and none, in particular the poor. In doing this they believe that they are encountering and serving Jesus Christ himself. [See Matthew 25: 31-46.] A new style of ordained ministry will gradually emerge. Let me dream a little! Following Jesus, the Good Shepherd, encountered in their daily adoration and scripture reflection, the priests and deacons will offer a listening ear with a kindly helping hand. They will offer their local church resources to answer their needs or signpost them to others with the appropriate expertise. Their actions will reveal the wisdom of the Gospels and Church Teaching. The welcoming and attractive manner of these shepherds will reflect the welcoming and attractive parish community awaiting them. And these Gospel inspired encounters will be taken up and celebrated in the Sacramental Life of the Church especially at the Sunday Mass, as well as school liturgies. And these joyful Sacramental celebrations, with their creative homilies and liturgies, together with parish/school formation and social events, will help to inspire the parishioners and school attenders, to increase the zeal and enthusiasm of their own pastoral outreach in their homes, workplaces and neighbour hoods. Come Holy Spirit, with your mighty power, and make this happen! On February 7th, Pope Francis said to some seminarians in Rome, “,Please, let us not remain barricaded in the sacristy and cultivate small closed groups where we can snuggle up and be comfortable.”, “,There is a world waiting for the Gospel and the Lord desires His shepherds to be conformed to Him, carrying in their hearts and on their shoulders the expectations and burdens of the flock. Open, compassionate, merciful hearts.”, In the context of world inequalities, he said “,you will find yourselves living and working as priests of the Second Vatican Council, as signs and instruments of human communion with God and with one another.”, Already in “,retirement”, the dream of a new style of priesthood is slowly emerging for me. The Good Shepherd continues to call me by name. Canon Jonathan Cotton B ehold H im Crucified Parish Contact: Cheryl Broodryk 07401789498 or cbroodryk@aol.com Where: Good Shepherd Church, Arnold Venue: St Joseph rooms parish centre Date: Good Friday, 15 April 2022 Time: 11am - 3pm &, 4pm - 6pm (Veneration of the Cross at 3pm) Please join us for some silent contemplation on Our Lord’,s Passion accompanied by Gregorian Chant and visual displays of art. Hot drinks and hot cross buns will be available throughout the event

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For all your advertising requirements please contact Natasha on 01440 730399 Natasha@cathcom.org Page 8 The Catholic News. April 2022 CAFOD Indian Lunch Having taken over responsibility for CAFOD at St Thomas of Canterbury in Gainsborough from her friend, who had fulfilled the role for many years, Nisha Jose and her husband, Thomas, decided that the best way to mark the handover was to ask her friends from India, who also attend the church, to work together to provide a Parish Lunch with Indian style food and raise funds for CAFOD at the same time. This would be the first social function in St Thomas’,s since March 2020 and her friends were keen to help by not only cooking some of the food, but also providing entertainment at the event. On January 23rd it all came together after Sunday Mass with nearly 50 people in attendance to enjoy some tasty food and good company. As the parishioners, and priests, eagerly awaited their lunch entertainment was provided by young girls and boys giving their Cinematic Dance routines. There was also some excellent singing by Abilash of a praise and worship song and a duet by Tintu and Gismy of a Malayalam song. Once the food was served all went quiet as everyone tucked in to a tasty Chicken dish and an equally delicious Red Bean dish, all accompanied by vegetable rice and various side dishes. Sweet obviously followed and was well enjoyed. Nisha said “,Myself and Thomas decided to do the lunch mainly to raise fund towards the climate crisis challenge, through the savings from Family Fast Day. The whole purpose of it was to raise funds towards CAFOD and also to facilitate a socialising and enjoyable event for all parishioners. By God`s grace it was a blessed Sunday with the presence of parish priest Fr Mathew and Fr James. Thanks to all our parishioners and friends for supporting us in various means to make it happen.”, At the end of the lunch everyone agreed it had been a most successful and enjoyable return to some form of social normality, and they looked forward to further such events. In all, Nisha, Thomas and their friends raised nearly £,300 for CAFOD. How a church baby group is growing its community connections Little Lambs, the baby and toddler group based at the Church of The Good Shepherd in Woodthorpe, Nottingham, continues to go from strength to strength, thanks to its strong community connections and positive use of social media. The group offers parents, carers and grand - parents the opportunity to stay and play with their children and socialise over a cup of tea or coffee every Monday during term time from 10 am - 12 pm. During the past 10 years, Little Lambs has built strong community connections. It offers weekly guest spots to local businesses like Buzz Ceramics, which offer hand-painted per - sonalised ceramics, and Rosa Vintage Keep - sake Jewellery, which create bespoke fingerprint jewellery designs handmade in fine silver. The baby and toddler group also offer seasonal, themed photoshoots using a local photographer and host beauty, book and craft stalls like ShillyShally. Recently, the group hosted a new business, The Flavour Academy, to offer nutritional ad - vice to parents who are ready to start weaning their babies. Zenia Deogan of the Flavour Academy said: ",Often parents are just seeking reassurance, but many don`t realise that en - couraging your baby to eat food as soon as they are ready, normally from six months, helps build their facial muscles and aids speech development.”, The group regularly supports local causes, and this month is collecting Easter eggs for the Arnold Foodbank. Little Lambs promote all guest slots in ad - vance across all social media platforms - Face - book, Instagram and Twitter and due to the group`s popularity, Little Lambs has also re - cently moved to an online booking system: https://littlelambswoodthorpe.bookwhen.co m Each session at Little Lambs ends with a sing - ing session featuring popular nursery rhymes and puppets. Zenaida Deogan From The Flavour Academy providing weaning advice to mum and baby. Lacey Slepko enjoying the toys at Little Lambs. Little Lambs runs on Mondays during term time, from 10 am - 12 pm and is suitable for babies from birth up to pre-school age. Entry is £,4 per family, which includes refreshments. For more information about Little Lambs, contact Rebecca Burke, Group Leader at little.lambs@virginmedia.com or visit the group`s Facebook, Instagram or Twitter page: https://www.facebook.com/littlelambswood - thorpe

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The Catholic News. April 2022 Page 9 Solicitors to the Diocese of Nottingham Offering you a full range of legal services: , Wills &, Power of Attorney , Probate &, Trusts , Company &, Commercial Law , Commercial Property , Commercial/Property Litigation , Residential Conveyancing , Employment Law, and more Telephone: 0115 851 1666 At 15 Victoria Street, Nottingham &, Tudor Square, West Bridgford E-mail: law@massers.co.uk For all your advertising requirements please contact Natasha on 01440 730399 Natasha@cathcom.org Feast of Divine Mercy will be celebrated at the church Our Lady of Perpetual Succour Brooklyn Road, Bulwell Nottingham NG6 9ES Sunday 24th April 2022 2.30 to 3.30pm Guest speaker David Palmer We invite you to come and join us for this great feast. For further information please ring Madeleine 0115 9277893 4-.#?6#*7+@ ", *F#-GA ", 45&,#86#*7+@ ", 45.#+)6#*7+8 ", S!TC*?E8=QOG 4-.#@6#*7+@ ", S!TC*?@8#+=QOG 4-.#?6#*7+@ ", S!TC*?@8=QOG 4-.#?6#*7+@ ", S!TC*?@@=QOG 4 -.#?6#*7+@ ", S!TC*?@D 4-.#?6#*7 ", 0800 0521030 Email: churchrestorationltd@hotmail.com www.buildingconservationukltd.com All Church maintenance Roofing - Guttering - Decoration Across the Diocese of Nottingham, thousands gathered in Churches and Schools on Ash Wednesday to receive blessed ashes whilst holding Ukraine in prayer, following the call from Pope Francis to offer Wednesday 2nd March 2022 as a `Global Day of Prayer and Fasting for Peace in Ukraine`. Hundreds gathered at St Barnabas Cathedral for the 1:00PM Ash Wednesday Mass, in which Bishop Patrick McKinney reminded the congregation of the global call to pray and fast for peace in Ukraine. The students and staff of Sacred Heart Catholic Voluntary Academy, a primary school in Loughborough, received ashes in school, distributed by their peers in the school Chaplaincy Team who led the whole school in an Ash Wednesday Act of Worship. Mrs Boyd, who was part of the service, said: ",The Chaplains led the Ash Wednesday Service with such reverence and respect. They were excellent role models for the whole school to duplicate and they revelled in their mission to distribute the ashes to both children and staff. The whole school congregation from Reception to Year 6 engaged in the prayer, reflection, receiving ashes and hymn singing. It was a wonderful whole school act of worship.", Another Primary School in our diocese, St Mary`s Catholic Academy in Hyson Green, Nottingham, featured on BBC East Midlands News, having spent time on making a `Wall of Peace` on the perimeter fence of their premises. The display featured personal prayers for those affected by way especially those in Ukraine. Hanya Postolan, a teacher at St Mary`s, shared to the BBC that she had family in Ukraine, ",My Father lives in Ukraine, I`m 3rd generation Ukranian so my Mum`s family and extended family live there as well, and we`ve got some family in the Ukrainian Army. The school felt as a whole it [the wall of peace] was something we could do, a small gesture, a small token", Joanna, a student at St Mary`s told the reporter, ",It means a lot to me because my family is Polish, and they are welcoming refugees with warm hands and with things for them. I`m sad that I can`t help.", Hanya continued, ",We`ve tried to explain things on a basic level for them [the students], we just want them to feel safe and secure, but we`ve got to teach the reality that there are injustices in the world and that`s important for them to learn about and to know about. We`re hoping to display them not just in the school grounds but out in the community as well so perhaps some in the tram stop or near our local church, for people - not only our parents, as we have lot from eastern Europe - but for the community in Nottingham, for them to know that everyone is supporting Ukraine.", One other student added, ",I don`t want the two countries to be against each other, I want them to live in harmony like two countries would do.", Families affected by the conflict in Ukraine urgently need food, water, and shelter. CAFOD is working closely with Caritas Ukraine, Caritas Poland and others, who are already there delivering practical help to those most in need. You can be part of the Church’,s response by giving to CAFOD’,s Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal at cafod.org.uk/Ukraine Students receive blessed ashes distributed by their peers World book day at Holy Trinity Academy Newark World Book Day changes lives through a love of books and shared reading by promoting reading for pleasure. It was created by UNESCO on 23rd April 1995 as a worldwide celebration of books and reading and is now marked in over 100 countries around the globe. The first World Book Day in the UK and Ireland took place in 1997 to encourage young people to discover the pleasure of reading. As World Book Day founder, Baroness Gail Rebuck, recalls “,We wanted to do something to reposition reading and our message is the same today as it was then –, that reading is fun, relevant, accessible, exciting, and has the power to transform lives.”,This year is the 25th year there’,s been a World Book Day, and on 3rd March 2022, children of all ages came. together to share the joy of reading for pleasure. The Little Acorns’, at Newark Catholic Academy dressed up in some amazing costumes whilst listening to some lovely stories on World Book Day Please support our Advertisers All Church maintenance Rooﬁ,ng - Guttering - Decoration BUILDING CONSERVATION UK LTD www.buildingconservationukltd.com 0800 0521030

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Page 10 The Catholic News. April 2022 Why do we go on a pilgrimage? Is it a holiday? Well, yes - but a holiday with a difference. A pilgrimage is a devotional practice consisting of a prolonged journey, often on foot towards a specific destination of significance. The means or motivations in undertaking a pilgrimage might vary, but the act, however performed, blends the physical and the spiritual into a unified experience. Thinking of your holidays? This year we will have a limited number of spaces available, we are travelling by Air with British Airways from London Heathrow and staying in one hotel, the Beau Site. We look forward to welcoming you on pilgrimage! Travel Information For 2022 we will be flying with British Airways from London Heathrow to Toulouse. 4th July 2022 - The pilgrimage will depart from London Heathrow and we will then fly from to Toulouse with British Airways with whom we have a group booking. Toulouse airport is a scenic transfer of under 2 hours. 8th July 2022 - We will board our coach for transfers to Toulouse and board our flight to London Heathrow. Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes The origins of pilgrimage are difficult to determine, but deliberately visiting powerful sites is a practice that predates antiquity. Pilgrimages have long been a common feature of many world religions, including Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Shinto. A believer might undertake a pilgrimage infulfilment of a vow, as atonement for sins, as a gesture of thanks for positive events, or as a means of intercession, among other reasons. Prior to the age of exploration in Europe, pilgrimage was a primary impetus for travel, especially among non-elites, and played a significant role in local economies and the transmission of culture. In the Christian pilgrimage tradition, the practice revolves around visiting either sites significant in the Bible —, particularly those concerning the life of Christ —, or in the lives of saints, or paying reverence to holy relics. The three main destinations of Christian pilgrimage are Jerusalem, Rome, and Santiago de Compostela, and for most pilgrims throughout history reaching these sites was a prolonged and possibly dangerous endeavour. However, smaller and more local pilgrimage sites —, such as Canterbury Cathedral in England or the Holy House of Loreto in Italy —, also enjoyed great popularity. Although the twelfth century is largely considered to have been the golden age of Christian pilgrimage, it remained a devotional practice throughout the following centuries. Evidence of pilgrimages throughout history still surrounds us, if one knows where and how to look. In art, pilgrims are often recognizable by their attributes: staff, cloak, large-brimmed hat, small satchel (a ",scrip",), flask, worn boots, and the scallop shell. Many museum collections also include the types of small, personal items that a pilgrim would have brought back from his or her journey, such as badges, or flasks (called “,ampullae”,) filled with holy water or oil. Pilgrimages still enjoy great popularity today, although the definition of what constitutes an ‘,authentic’, pilgrim is debated. The modern pilgrimage, while still a strictly religious exercise for many, has also been embraced as a more fluidly spiritual experience, open to all participants, regardless of their beliefs.

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“,We have witnessed some street fighting quite nearby, not so much these days, but in the previous days. But it is very likely that things will get worse in the coming hours. In other cities like Kharkiv the residential areas have been badly affected…, “,Nowadays, nobody in Ukraine can feel safe.”, He added: “,[T]he humanitarian crisis is very severe here, and in some other cities in Ukraine. And then there is something that weighs on us, it is not always possible to help.”, Ukraine is a priority country for ACN and the charity recently launched a €,1.3million (£,1.1million) aid package for the most needy dioceses in the country. He said: “,Any help is appreciated. It is difficult to guess what the needs will be in the future, but a lot of infrastructure is damaged. “,Even from a structural and organisation per - spective there will be a lot of work to do, be - cause hundreds of schools, hospitals and homes were destroyed. The needs will be enormous. It will take a very long time.”, The Catholic News. April 2022 Page 11 Book Review Book Review THE NEW HISTORY OF THE PARISH &, COMMUNITY OF ST PATRICKS LEICESTER 1820-2020 Parish histories usually consist of short pamphlets, written by enthusiasts, who often do not have the necessary search skills to mine all the available resources, primary and secondary. Often they are just rehashed versions of older pamphlets. This History offers a lot more. The author worked for 15 years on a doctoral thesis on the Irish in Leicester, 1840-1890. Inevitably a lot of interesting human stories emerged about clerics and laity which did not, sadly, have a place in a formal thesis, which leans towards analysis and comparison. These accounts involved priests, nuns, bishops, teachers and the wider lay community. Organisations which are almost moribund in some places these days, such as the Union of Catholic Mothers, played central roles in parish life. Diocesan records are useful, diocesan curators may try to ",weed", them and point the researcher in particular directions - so the researcher has to be focussed and resilient. Some funding is necessary to meet costs such as photocopying etc. Actual publication is a challenge: you need a sympathetic printer, and, if possible, local financial sponsors. Certain sensitive issues should not be evaded, such as birth control debates. The historian should have and enjoy a level of editorial independence. Illustrations of all sorts are important. Local family archives and photo albums are rich sources. The local volume of the Victoria County History can be a starting point for the basics. Visits will be necessary to local county and diocesan archives, and to resources in London such as the newspaper collection at Colindale and the PRO at Kew. Perhaps a diocese should offer introductory workshops every 2 or 3 years. Teachers, of RE and History especially, can engender a genuine level of interest amongst Years V, VI and VII students. Work produced could be useful for exam projects, foyer displays, and so on. Not least, such probing may help younger RCs to have a better knowledge of their faith community and to appreciate their spiritual inheritance in a more meaningful way. Dr Nessan J E Danaher Shop price £,19.00. Order now for £,10 each (pay when ordering please) Please make all cheques payable to Irish Studies Workshop. Please state amount of copies required. Send or post to Parish Office 100, Beaumont Leys Lane, Leicester LE4 2BD marked “,Parish History”, The Papal Nuncio to Ukraine has described the conflict inflicted on the country as “,evil”, and “,demonic”, and said that it can only be defeated with a worldwide campaign of prayer, fasting, humility and love. Speaking to Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), which has rushed through help for Ukraine, Archbishop Visvaldas Kulbokas said there was a spiritual aspect to the origins of the invasion and that spiritual tools needed to be part of the solution. Archbishop Kulbokas, who was speaking from battle-scarred Kiev, said: “,And so it is during this war, which is not a purely human invention, there is something demonic about it –, as there is in all violence. “,And we can only defeat the evil in this war together, all over the world, through fasting, prayer, much humility and love.”, He added: “,So, I say to myself, and also to many believers I speak to, that our main weapons…,are humility, surrendering ourselves totally to God, solidarity, and love. “,Because, in any case, if we are here for each other, if we are close to God, if we are faithful, He will look after us.”, He said: “,Since 24th February, every day and every night there have been missile attacks on several points of the city. We, at the Nunciature, are not in a central area, so for now we have not seen any of the bombings from up close. Nuncio says war is ‘,demonic’, Nottingham 40 days for life campaign: News from the front line Nottingham pro- lifers are currently running a vigil of prayer for the unborn outside the abortion clinic in Stapleford. The vigil will lasts for 12 hours every day, for 40 days. A 40 Days for Life vigil has many different aspects to it. Obviously, it is an opportunity to pray, for an end to abortion. The prayers are focussed and heartfelt. For people who do not themselves have religious faith, the idea that others still believe in the power of prayer –, that God can and will intervene in the affairs of this world - is an intriguing one. So in addition to the power of the prayers themselves, there is the added bonus that others will see that we believe in prayer and be influenced by our example. And as you know, it is a last-gasp opportunity to offer hope to women who may feel that they have no other choice but abortion, by offering practical support to enable them to consider life-giving alternatives. As well as being all these things, a vigil is also an opportunity to bring the issue of abortion to the front of the minds of the general public, and to raise questions about whether it is really the empowering thing for women which its advocates claim. The vigil needs more volunteers, to share the message of God’,s life-giving love and forgiveness at a place where evil touches lives so directly. We are confronting this evil with prayer. If you would like to join us, your support –, even just for one hour during Lent –, would be appreciated. Our (borrowed) motto is ‘,every little helps’,! For more information, go to www.40daysforlife.com/Nottingham or contact John on 40daysforlifenotts@gmail.com or call 07757815625. Some dates for your diary: Saturday 23rd April 2022 SPUC pro-life chain. Venue: Trent Bridge. From 10am until midday. A peaceful witness to remember the nearly ten million unborn babies killed by abortion since the implementation of the Abortion Act in April 1967. Meet at the Brewhouse and Kitchen, on the north side of the bridge, at 9.50am. Saturday 3rd September 2022 MARCH FOR LIFE UK. Venue: Westminster Please put the date in your diary. There will be a coach going to this event from Nottingham. THE EXPERIENCE OF CHRISTIANITY Hans van Mourik Broekman and Brian Donnelly £,9.95 - LC Press This is a textbook which can be used in Religious Education with different age- groups in secondary schools. In ten short chapters readers are introduced to key features of the experience of Christians. There are no texts that suit every teacher and every class. However, this one provides an interesting, original and very worthwhile contribution, one which seems likely to invite students to think carefully and authentically about important aspects of Christianity. The author and the artist whose work illustrates the book in bright and striking colours both teach in Liverpool. No prior knowledge of Christianity is assumed. Several features mark out this book as original, refreshing and relevant for classroom use: its use of the personal voice is very effective, it invites readers into a dialogue and stimulates them to think for themselves, the language is clear, accessible and straightforward, it is not burdened by religious jargon or off-putting technical terms, the way it begins by exploring the experience of meeting and being changed by such meetings is a fertile entry- point for the accessing the experience of the first disciples. The Food for Thought sections pose excellent questions. The scripture passages, along with straightforward commentaries, really do open up the text. Down-to-earth examples ensure the book is engaging. The treatment ofsuch topics as mystery, Spirit and Holy Spirit, following Jesus and the role of the Church is rarely done as well as it is here. There is doctrinal substance in this book but it is (thankfully) not over-emphasized, nor is it introduced in daunting detail. There are many factors which influence the teacher-learner relationship and how students engage with the material put before them. So much depends on the relationship between teacher and pupil and the assumptions, the outlook and attitudes brought to the classroom, also a great deal depends on what is experienced in the rest of the school, as well as outside it (in the home and in society). However, this stand-alone volume succeeds admirably in introducing pupils (and often their teachers) to central aspects of the experience of being a Christian. John Sullivan, Emeritus Professor (Christian Education), Liverpool Hope University

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CRYPTIC Across 5 Cavort with miners about a place in Galilee (9) 8 Good little boy Scots defile (4) 9 Impossible poet Noah employed (3,1,4) 10 Book comfortable-sounding passage to a Baltic port (7) 12 Regular Bishop`s oddly dismissed in retrospect from West Country town (5) 14 Ultimate craft leading seaman needs to cross unknown depths (5) 15 President`s vital new study`s reviewed internally (7) 17 Embarrassed girl in front of the king (8) 18 Cheese one finds in buffet areas (4) 19 Jerk attending university in jeans is in the book (9) CRYPTIC Down 1 He was a killer in California`s north (4) 2 Hero lover`s name appears in editorial (7) 3 Number in party keeled over, getting bugs (5) 4 He reformed instrument to capture the earliest piece of Handel performed (8) 6 She`s on coins –, one or two sovereigns, for instance? (9) 7 The goddess Portia he`d metamorphosed (9) 11 Spielberg`s limited knowledge about a part of Lincolnshire (8) 13 Demise comes in a short time (at ten to one) earlier, for the guitarist (7) 16 Pagan priest is an odd fake, receiving scripture training throughout (5) 18 Amusement one gained seeing a spirited old goat (4) QUICK Across 5 Jesus` base when he was teaching in Galilee (9) 8 Secluded valley (4) 9 Without a prayer, forget it! (3,1,4) 10 Book and major prophet of the OT (7) 12 County town of Cornwall (5) 14 Bottomlesspit,chasm(5) 15 US President inaugurated in 1961 (7) 17 King of Wessex (865-871), succeeded by Alfred the Great (8) 18 Greek, sheep and/or goat, salad cheese (4) 19 Third book of the Torah (9) QUICK Down 1 FirstchildofAdamandEve(4) 2 Lover of the priestess Hero in Greek myth (7) 3 In some Bibles an Egyptian plague equating to `Mosquitoes` (5) 4 Of a form of Protestantism outlawed by a particular Diet in 1521 (8) 6 English settlement in New Jersey where Princeton University was founded in 1746 (9) 7 Greek goddess of love and beauty (9) 11 One of the three historic Lincolnshire `ridings`, administrative centre, Sleaford (8) 13 Jimi - -- -- --, US R&,B/Rock legend (1942-1970) (7) 16 AncientCelticpriest(5) 18 Roman woodland deity close to the Greek satyr (4) 2-in-1 Crossword by Axe You can use both sets of clues to solve the puzzle: the solutions are the same. SOLUTION Across: 5 Capernaum, 8 Glen, 9 Not a hope, 10 Ezekiel, 12 Truro, 14 Abyss, 15 Kennedy, 17 Ethelred, 18 Feta, 19 Leviticus. Down: 1 Cain, 2 Leander, 3 Gnats, 4 Lutheran, 6 Elizabeth, 7 Aphrodite, 11 Kesteven, 13 Hendrix, 16 Druid, 18 Faun. Page 12 The Catholic News. April 2022 This article is an extract from Dr Paul Dixon`s forthcoming book, The Road Pilgrim. Over the coming months we shall be publishi ng extracts. For more details, email: info@theroadpilgrim.com Children and ice cream: The Highway Code teaches that ‘,children are more interested in ice cream than traffic and may run into the road unexpectedly’,. 2 In life, adults act like children when grasping after things to the exclusion of a balanced and considered view of life and their place in it. Blind pursuit of possessions, power, status, and relationships robs people of inner harmony—,they lose love. Is there any ice cream grabbing in your life? Is your pursuit for something or someone making you unloving to others, to yourself, to God? In his spiritual exercises (#23), Ignatius of Loyola spoke of indifference, meaning choosing only that which leads to love of God and neighbour, and abandoning all that does not. It means focussing on being the person God has made you to be and living in harmony with His will. One thus becomes indifferent to both the favourable and unfavourable circumstances of life. By letting go of childish ice creams, we gain everything, we gain Love. Dog lovers My beloved Jack Russell Terrier is a lead puller. His pace is not my pace, his ways are not my ways. Tug, tug, and more tugs. Joe teaches me something of how God deals with us. For the protection and benefit of the impatient soul, I can imagine God using an invisible extendable lead. We thus learn to walk at God’,s pace and go in His direction. God will prompt us, encourage us, yet we remain free to tug, go elsewhere and chase the latest smell that catches our attention if we so wish. Freedom from sin requires sensitivity to the master’,s promptings. If we pull too hard, God will respect our free will and let go of the lead. Then what? Simon Peter uttered, ‘,Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the message of eternal life’,. (Jn. 6: 68) Being truly free is, perhaps, a bit like being an unleashed dog spontaneously running in the joy of the present moment while attentive to his master’,s voice. Runners: When walking, one foot is always on the ground. With running (including jogging), there are brief moments when both feet are off the ground. This float phase symbolizes the fleeting present moment, the only existential reality there is, sandwiched as it is between the past (one foot on the ground) and the future (other foot on the ground). Gravity ensures the float phase is brief, yet we might still describe it as ‘,Flying Without Wings’, (thanks Westlife). 3 This Westlife song speaks of becoming complete by finding our special thing in the strangest of places. Amazingly, life’,s truly special ‘,thing’,—,God—,can be found in every present moment. The present moment is a glimpse of eternity, a transcendence of time. In the present moment, past and future do not exist—,they never have and never will. The past used to exist as a previous present, the future may exist as a future present, but only the present moment exists now. Although the present only makes sense within the context of that which has gone before and that which lies ahead, ‘,past’, and ‘,future’, can distract us from living in the now. God’,s eternal presence is both outside time and present within. Maybe this is why the present moment, our float phase, seems to offer a glimpse of eternity. Westlife’,s song also speaks of saying I love you, anytime, anywhere. By learning to live and love the present moment, we say ‘,I Love you’, to life’,s special thing, the God of Love, anytime, anywhere. 2 Highway Code, rule 206. 3 ‘,Flying Without Wings’, is a song title of the pop band Westlife. The Road Pilgrim Part Two - Pedestrians

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