February2020FREE

Ministry ofAcolyte forBienn Carlo– page 2

Diocese leadsway in trainingon safeguarding– page 3

Helping bringfaith to life inCambodia– page 6

Newspaper of the Diocese of East Anglia

Bishop welcomesnew Bishop-electof Northampton� The appointment of Canon David Oakley(pictured above) as the thirteenth Bishop ofNorthampton by Pope Francis has beenwelcomed by Bishop Alan Hopes.Bishop-elect Oakley has served as Rector

of St Mary’s College Oscott, a seminary inBirmingham for training priests for ministryin England and Wales, since February 2013.He succeeds the Rt Rev Peter Doyle

whom he described as “a wonderful spiritualfather and great pastor in Northampton”.Bishop Doyle has worked closely with

Bishop-elect Oakley during his seven yearsas rector of the seminary at Oscott, andknows him to be a man of faith and prayer,and a pastoral priest and wise teacher.Bishop Peter ‘rejoiced’ in the news and

joined the priests and deacons, and the reli-gious and people of the Diocese ofNorthampton in giving thanks to God andwelcoming Bishop-elect Oakley and prayingfor him as he prepares for his ordination asBishop.� Story continued on page two

A reminder thatLent begins onAsh Wednesday– which is onFebruary 26.

EastAngliaCatholic

www.rcdea.org.uk

Light and fire startyear at youth Mass

� Some 150 people joined the celebration: childrenand teenagers with their families, young staff andvolunteers from the Ignite youth team, as well aspriests and religious from across the Dioceseinvolved in youth work.Candles artistically arranged around the church

of Our Lady of the Annunciation reflected the themeand created a peaceful ambiance as familiesarrived: flames on wreaths and an Advent ringbalancing the multi-coloured sparkle of Christmastree lights. A phalanx of light grew on each side of the altar

as participants each brought a night light tosymbolise their renewed commitment to Christ.The preacher, Fr Alan Hodgson from St Mary’s

Ipswich, spoke of the Wise Men whose direction inlife was changed by their encounter with the childJesus.“The Wise Men,” he said, “had a conversion of

their own and ‘went home by a different route.’ Theywould have spoken of all they had seen… and so, ina small way, became the first missionaries of theChristmas message. So too, when we see the faceof Christ and touch him, our lives can never be thesame again.“Instead of offering Christ a gift this Epiphany, let

us rather commit ourselves to the light that isChrist – a light that breaks all darkness; that of sin

and the darkness of the heavens too. Let us spendtime getting to know Christ better, through prayer,Scripture, spending quiet time with him anddiscerning our vocation.”Bishop Alan was the Chief Celebrant of the Mass,

which was also concelebrated by the Chaplain ofthe University of East Anglia, Fr Andrew Eburne.The Rev Peter Wygnanski, a long-term member ofthe diocesan youth team and who is due to beordained priest in July, was the Deacon at theMass. The preacher Fr Alan was himself ordainedas priest last July.Daniel Justin, Director of Music at St John’s

Cathedral, led the music of the Masscomplemented by the music group from StGeorge’s Sprowston, who sang ‘Christ by our Light’accompanied by guitar, flute and clarinet. The light theme continued after Mass as flood-

lights and fairy lights guided the families, who filedinto the Bishop’s House garden, where volunteersserved them with hot dogs (including vegetarian)and a delicious citrus-mix punch. A bonfire and hot chocolate rounded off the

evening, with an impressive firework display scatter-ing sparks of yellow and white, red and mauve. Itwas especially bountiful this year, thanks to agenerous donation of fireworks from a supporter ofthe event.

The Epiphany Candlelit YouthMass in Poringland, right, andbonfire and fireworks display,below. Pictures by Keith Morris.

‘Christ our light’was the theme ofa special youthMass celebratedat Poringlandnear Norwich onSunday January5, the Feast ofthe Epiphany.Eldred Willeyreports.

Bienn CarloManuntag, aseminarianfrom theDiocese of EastAnglia, hastaken one morestep in his jour-ney towardspriesthood. Hereceived theMinistry ofAcolyte onNovember 22,the Feast ofSaint Cecilia.

� Pope Paul VI, in hisimportant 1972 docu-ment MinisteriaQuaedam, revised thesystem of progressiontowards priesthood,retaining just two ofthe original fourminor orders: readerand acolyte.Those becoming acolytes are encour-

aged to deepen their appreciation of theHoly Sacrament of Our Lord’s Body andBlood, whilst growing in love for the Mys-tical Body of Christ – the people of God –especially the poor and the weak.The principal celebrant for the Mass

for the Institution of Acolytes wasBishop Philip Egan of Portsmouth.

At the institution the Bishop hands thecandidate a paten and says: “Take thisvessel with bread for the celebration ofthe Eucharist. Make your life worthy ofyour service at the table of the Lord andHis Church.”The next step for Bienn Carlo, who is

studying at St Mary’s College in Oscott,will be ordination to the Diaconate.

Present at the Mass were CanonEugene Harkness (Chancellor of the Dio-cese), Dr Bruce Burbidge (Dean ofPhilosophy), Dr Francis John Selman(Resident Teaching Staff), Dom AmbroseTivi, OSB and parishioners from Cam-bridge. Drs Burbridge and Selman areboth priests of the Diocese of EastAnglia teaching at the Oscott seminary.

news in brief

Welcome forNorthampton’snew Bishop-elect� Story continued from page oneSpeaking at a welcome ceremony in

Northampton Cathedral on January 8,Bishop-elect Oakley said: “I’m asking OurLady and St Joseph to give me thecourage and inspiration I need as a newbishop. I look forward to working closelywith the priests of the diocese – some ofwhom were my school friends!“On this particular day lots of names and

faces come to mind – my family, friends,parishioners and bishops. They have givenme courage… It’s not easy to be a personof faith today but we need to concentrateon God’s grace and I’m going to rely onthis now.”Speaking on behalf of the Diocese of

East Anglia, Bishop Alan said: “Wewelcome the appointment of Canon DavidOakley as the new Bishop of Northamp-ton, our neighbouring Diocese. “The Bishop-elect brings many gifts to

his new apostolate, especially a deep faithand spirituality and the experience of apastoral ministry, together with that of theformation of men for the priesthood in hisposition as the Rector of St Mary’s Oscottseminary in Birmingham. We keep him inour prayers as he prepares for his Episco-pal ordination.“We also wish Bishop Peter Doyle – a

good friend to our Diocese – a long andfulfilling retirement.”Cardinal Vincent Nichols, President of

the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Eng-land and Wales, who will celebrate theEpiscopal Ordination of Bishop-elect Oak-ley in Northampton Cathedral, said: “Iassure Bishop-elect David Oakley of mymost sincere prayers and total support ashe prepares to take up his appointment asBishop of Northampton, in succession toBishop Peter Doyle.“Bishop Peter will be much missed;

Bishop David will be warmly welcomed,”said Cardinal Nichols.The Episcopal Ordination will take place

in Northampton Cathedral at 11am on theSolemnity of St Joseph, March 19.

Page 2 latest online news at: www.rcdea.org.uk Catholic East Anglia / February 2020

EastAngliaCatholic

� Twelve young peoplefrom Clare Priory Parishresponded to the call tocare for the poor as theyprepare for confirmationnext year. Jane Cronereports.Inspired by Pope

Francis’s 2013 call, ‘Berevolutionaries, swimagainst the tide,’ theyused their enthusiasm,creativity and joy to raisemoney for others afterMass on Sunday Novem-ber 17, World Day of thePoor. Their stall was full of

homemade gifts, includingChristmas cards, decora-tions and deliciousbiscuits and cakes.Frances Massey, parishcatechist, said, “It is heart-ening to see these youngpeople so engaged intheir faith, and so keen tosupport and help others.”The stall raised a total

of £150 and the young-sters chose to split the money betweentwo organisations each well known in theparish. One is the Priory’s twinned Augustinian

parish of Babadogo in Kenya. A letter froma young girl in the community in

Babadogo was recently read out duringSunday Masses. She expressed herthanks for the financial support she hadreceived from Clare Priory parish, whichenabled her to go to school. The other organisation is CAFOD. The

young people had been moved by the Har-vest Fast Day appeal in October, focusingon a boy of their own age, Fabiano fromUganda. Two of them delighted the parishby reading the Harvest Appeal duringMass.

Ministry of Acolytefor Bienn Carlo

Young revolutionaries swim against tide

Newspaper of the Diocese of East Anglia

EDITOR: Keith Morristel: 01508 488318 or07712 787762Pear Tree Farmhouse,Wymondham Road,Wreningham, Norwich,NR16 1ATemail: keith.morris@rcdea.org.uk

Articles and photographs for the nextedition are very welcome and should besent to the editor, ideally via email, by thedeadline of Monday February 3.

Diocese website: www.rcdea.org.uk

Advertising: Contact Charlotte at Cathcomon tel 01440 730399 or email atcharlotter@cathcom.orgPublisher: Cathcom Ltd, 0207 112 6710

Inclusion of adverts is the responsibility ofthe publisher Cathcom and does not implyendorsement by the Diocese of East Anglia.

Bienn Carlo receiving the bread from BishopPhilip Egan during the Ministry of Acolyte Mass.

The Diocese of East Angliahas reaffirmed its commit-ment to safeguarding byorganising a mandatory dayof training for all priests,religious and deacons.Eldred Willey reports.

� Liam Ring from the National CatholicSafeguarding Commission facilitatedseminars in Poringland near Norwichand in Newmarket on January 9 and 10.Liam spent 31 years in the police andthen served as Safeguarding Officer inthe Catholic Diocese of Clifton beforetaking up his present post.The two days were attended by nearly

120 delegates and a third day will be heldfor those who were unable to attend.Speaking at the Newmarket event,

Bishop Alan said: "I hope that today willhelp priests and religious of the Dioceseto be more aware that we are all respon-sible for making our parishes placeswhere children and vulnerable adults aresafe."Liam commented that: "the Diocese of

East Anglia has been bold to get meearly" and said that he expected otherdioceses to be contacting him when theyheard about these seminars.He started each day with a question

which accentuated the positive: whatmakes a good priest? As participantsbegan to list the relevant qualities –someone who was discreet, forgiving,gentle, patient, able to fix things – theybegan to understand that behind each ofthese good features lay a potential safe-guarding hazard."If you're doing it on your own, you're

probably doing it wrong," explainedLiam. He guided the trainees to under-stand the shift needed from beingpotentially lone fixers to being peoplewho instinctively sought to gather a teamwhich could bring a variety of insights.As a life-long practising Catholic, Liam

had an astute insight into parish culture,and the training was based on real sce-narios which rang true to those present.He warned his listeners not to be put offby the common responses to investiga-tion of "how dare you..." or "what youdon't realise is...".

For those who were worried by some-thing they saw, he had a variety ofmottoes: "Don't dismiss your suspicions,share information appropriately, don'tthink things are better left, and don'tdelay: the longer you ignore things, theworse they get."Participants broke up into small

groups to problem-solve, and thenreported back their ideas in plenary ses-sions. One example was of annon-communicative couple sitting at theback of Mass, with a young son whoseface showed signs of bruising. Part ofthe solution here was to encourage thefamily to share more openly with theirnatural support structures – includingtheir own community – so that more peo-ple were aware of a problem and couldrally around to offer help.Liam emphasised the extreme vulner-

ability of babies under 12 months, andencouraged participants to report anysuspicion of physical abuse towards theyoungest children without hesitation. Pre-nursery children, he added, were

also at greater risk because they lack thesafeguard which a nursery or school pro-vides in supplying extra pairs of eyes

and ears which can pick up signs ofabuse."Follow the ABC of safeguarding," he

advised. "Assume nothing, believeno-one, check everything."At the other end of the age spectrum,

Liam spoke of the need to create demen-tia-friendly churches. "Let's speak ofpeople 'living with' not 'suffering from'dementia," he said. His practical suggestions included

services with familiar hymns, memorycafes where people living with dementiacould talk about the past, and signagewhich pointed to way out of (not justinto) toilets and meeting rooms for peo-ple who could too easily lose theirbearings.In the next six months, the Diocese

intends to follow up this training with aMass for victim-survivors of abuse. "Any victim-survivor of abuse from

the Diocese of East Anglia is welcome tocome and tell their story to me," saidBishop Alan. "It is a privilege to listen, and people

have told me how much it means to themto be able to tell their story to someone inauthority."

Catholic East Anglia / February 2020 follow us on Twitter at: twitter.com/RCEastAnglia Page 3

Diocese leads way insafeguarding training

news in brief

Readers to bere-commissioned� Hundreds of parishioners who regularlyread out Scripture during Masses acrossEast Anglia will be formally re-commis-sioned on Sunday January 26 in churchesacross the diocese.The celebration ties in with the Year of

The God Who Speaks, which is encourag-ing us to engage more deeply with theScriptures and puts a special emphasison the role of the Bible. Pope Francis hasnow made the third Ordinary Sunday ineach year a Sunday of the Word of God.In response to the Pope’s initiative,

Bishop Alan has announced: “I am askingevery parish to recommission all theirreaders on January 26 at each of theMasses. This will also tie in with the Yearof the ‘God who Speaks’ which is beingcelebrated throughout England andWales. I will be recommissioning Readersat the Cathedral on that day.”

New Vicar for Finance� Bishop Alan has appointed Rev JamesHurst as the Vicar for Finance for the Dio-cese. He was ordained as a permanentdeacon in June last year and recentlyretired after a career in manufacturingbusiness.Deacon James writes: “A permanent

deacon is sometimes likened to a bridge,and that is what I shall try to be betweenthe parishes’ finance committees and thediocese. To this end we are reintroducinga regular update to keep Parish Priests,Chairs of Finance Committees, Treasurersand Gift Aid Coordinators aware of thefinancial picture in the whole diocese.”

Charity donations� Tony Baker,immediate pastpresident ofNorwich Circleof the CatenianAssociation haspresented acheque for£900 to SandraStarkings (pic-tured) of theGreat Yarmouth Conference of the Societyof Saint Vincent de Paul, which was thecharity chosen by Tony during his year ofoffice. Tony also presented anothercheque, at a separate venue, for £400 tothe North Norfolk Conference of the SVP.

Christmas market� The CAFOD stall at FressingfieldChristmas Produce Market made£201.36, including money for the sale ofcot quilts at Fressingfield WI Market onNovember 30, reports Mary Kirk from StEdmund’s Parish in Bungay. This meansthe 2019 total raised is a record £1205.46.

Dowry of Mary� The Bishops’ Conference hasannounced the Rededication of Englandas the Dowry of Mary, to be offered byevery Catholic on March 29, 2020. TheRededication will take place in everyCathedral and parish church on that dateas a commitment to a renewed evangeli-sation. It can also be made by individualCatholics in their homes. There will bemore information in the next edition.

Pictured is Bishop Alan making a point atthe safeguarding seminar in Newmarketand, below, trainer Liam Ring.

Fr Karol Porczak reportsfrom the InternationalMeeting organized by theHoly See Council for theNew Evangelisation, whichtook place in Rome fromNovember 28-30.

�New Evangelisation is taking its shapeagain from the HQ of it in the Vatican.There were representatives from over 70countries and nationalities present andthe main topic was the EvangeliiGaudium: Apostolic Exhortation by PopeFrancis on the Proclamation of theGospel in Today's World (November 24,2013). That document is considered as aprogramme instruction of PopeBergoglio’s pontificate.The days were organized in similar

pattern: first the example of somebodywho represented a particular action ofthe evangelisation and witnessed thepractical steps undertaken in their zealof the spreading the Good News of salva-tion. Then, after a lunch break, therewere various talks delivered by somemembers of the Vatican hierarchy, suchas bishops and cardinals. The final talkswere given by a founder of representa-tives of particular movements such asMatthew Kelly of Dynamic Catholics. Each speaker gave the audience a

reflection on different paragraphs of theaforementioned document. And the ses-sions were presided over by ArchbishopRino Fisicella, who is the prefect of thePontifical Council for the Promotion ofthe New Evangelisation. This is a gen-eral view of that meeting.The Diocese of East Anglia was repre-

sented by Rebecca Bretherton, ElizabethBarker and myself.The most interesting thing for me as a

priest came from the address deliveredby Rev Timothy Radcliffe OP who wasunderlining the courage to take the risk

in evangelism. He mentioned the mis-sionaries of the 16th century who, afterbeing appointed to go to India or China,were considering already the dangerseven before setting themselves on thetrip to the nearest harbour in order toboard the ship. They might not even getto the ship because they were killed bythe brigands in the forest but still main-tained the title: Missionaries of theForeign Mission.As a catechist, Elizabeth was

impressed by Matthew Kelly whostressed that there must be evangelisa-tion before catechesis.The summing up of the conference was

given by Pope Francis in his finaladdress delivered in the Aula delleBenedizioni (Hall of the Blessings)which is the place where the newlyelected pope is prepared traditionally forhis first appearance to the public on theadjoining balcony of St Peter’s Basilica.What was striking, but not heard for

the first time, was that Pope Francisprefers a poor Church, even one in debt,which is better associated with the poor-est of the world.We hope that this meeting will bring

new inspiration and a broader interest inthe text of Evangelii Gaudium for thenear future and beyond.

Page 4 latest online news at: www.rcdea.org.uk Catholic East Anglia / February 2020

New Evangelisationtakes shape in Rome

NEW EVANGELISATION

Beginning of a journey with the scripturesAs part of our series on the yearof The God Who Speaks,Cambridge Dominican, SrTamsin Geach, writes abouthow an experience at the age often began a journey with thescriptures which has beentransformative over the years.

� I remember when I was ten years old weread the story of the sacrifice of Isaac (Gen.22.1-18). Sr M Luke, who was teaching us,was good at making scripture come alive -she had an amazing reading voice. When she had done so, she told us how

the story pointed forward to Jesus – how thewood Isaac carried was like the Cross ofChrist, how Abraham, like God, did notspare His only son, how the ram was

another symbol of Christ. At least I think thatis what she said. At any rate, I came away with an under-

standing, which deepened as the yearswent by, that the Old Testament stories werenot simply to be understood on their own,but that each of them had something to sayabout Christ. I think also that Sr Luke introduced the

word 'type' into my vocabulary. Isaac was a'type' of Christ, a figure in the Old Testamentwho foreshadows Jesus, and helps us toknow Who He is, and what His messageand mission is, and to where it leads. This was the beginning of a journey with

the scriptures that has deepened over theyears – later I read the whole Bible with thatunderstanding. Later still, I was deeplyexcited to learn about the commentaries ofthe Early Church Fathers, for whom thislevel of interpretation was natural, and later

interpreters who unpack the mystery inother ways.So I learned, for example, that Christ was

the innocent slain in Abel, Whose Bloodcries out for mercy, not vengeance (cf. Gen4.11); Moses on the mountain receiving theLaw (Ex. 24ff) prefigures Christ on themountain of the Beatitudes, but Christteaches as God, not for God; David's namemeans 'beloved' so what God said at theBaptism of Our Lord was 'this is my son,David'; the two names 'Lord' and 'God' inthe Old Testament, El and YHWH (alwayspronounced Adonai by the Jews becausethey do not say the Divine name), are ren-dered in Greek as Kyrios and Theos, sowhat Thomas said to Jesus after the Resur-rection was probably 'you are my Adonaiand my El'. This search for echoes and types in the

Old Testament and the New has been trans-

formative in my understanding of scripture,especially the Old Testament. So I am grateful for that far-off day when I

first learned that this is how to read andunderstand, to grow in faith and the knowl-edge of Christ.

� Sr Tamsin Geach OP, is part of thediocesan team of the Year of The GodWho Speaks.

� Diocese of East Anglia contacts:Co-ordinator: Fr Bruno Clifton, bruno.clifton@english.op.orgSuffolk Champion: Jean Johnson, johnson.j.m@btinternet.comPeterborough: Rebecca Bretherton, evangelisation@rcdea.org.ukCambs: Sr Tamsin Geach OP, tamsingeachop@gmail.comwww.godwhospeaks.uk

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Scripture sounds�As part of this year’s The God WhoSpeaks programme, Fleur Dorrellfrom the Bible Society will join scrip-ture to sound at a concert in Ipswichon Saturday March 7. ChristopherBorrell, Director of Music at the StMary Le Tower church in Ipswich,will lead the musical content. The event is entitled ‘Enjoy the

Bible: Sensing the Sacred throughArt and Music’, and will take placefrom 9.30am to 1pm at the St NicholasCentre, 4 Cutler Street, Ipswich IP11UQ. You can get tickets at enjoy-the-Bible.eventbrite.co.uk or by ringing07780 613734.

Catholic East Anglia / February 2020 like us on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/CatholicEastAnglia Page 5

Start of new Carmelite community in Ipswich

Nativity play at Cathedral

A new religious congrega-tion of the Order ofDiscalced Carmelites hasbeen established in EastAnglia in the parish of StMark’s, Ipswich.

� The arrival of the Carmelites wasmarked on October 6 whenparishioners welcomed Carmelitebrothers Fr Paul Vincent and Fr

Bineesh to the parish. During the Mass Bishop Alan

installed Fr Paul as the new Parishpriests and blessed Fr Bineesh for hisfuture pastoral ministry. In attendance were priests from the

three existing Carmelite communi-ties of England, at Kensington,Oxford and Gerrard's Cross. Parishpriest, Fr Paul Vincent OCD, said:“October 6 was a remarkable day forthe parishioners of St Mark's church.

The Ipswich community is the fourthone established by the Carmelitesand the order is looking forward toworking with the people of EastAnglia.“This is the first Discalced

Carmelite community in East Anglia(reformed Carmelites by St Teresa ofAvila and St John of the Cross). Atpresent we have two priests inIpswich and we plan to form a biggercomunity later.”

Bishop Alan with priests at the induction Massfor the Carmelite order at St Mark’s in Ipswich.

� The Cathedral of St John the Baptist in Norwich was packed for the Vigil Mass ofChristmas on December 24. The Family Mass was celebrated by Canon David Paul.Children performed a short nativity play in front of the altar and then were led by

Fr Paul to gather around the crib in the sunken chapel adjacent to the nave. FrDavid spoke to them and led the singing of Away in a Manager.To see a full picture gallery visit www.rcdea.org.ukPicture by Keith Morris.

Medal honour fororganist David� The parishioners of Our Lady's in King's Lynnhave offered their heartfelt congratulations toorganist Louis Smith who has been awarded aDiocesan Medal for his devoted and accomplishedcontribution to the music of the liturgy for over40 years.Now in his

eighties,Lou feels thetime hascome to lis-ten ratherthan to lead.PaulineMcSherrysaid:“Thank youand againthank you toLouis Smith,our organistand ourfriend, Godbless you -now youhave moretime to crack the weekend crossword.”Louis was given his Medal on December 9, the

Feast of the Immaculate Conception, a day espe-cially celebrated at Holy Family by members ofthe SVP Society.

Holocaust memorial� All Souls Catholic Church in Peterborough hasjoined with the Liberal Jewish Community toorganise a concert for Holocaust Memorial Day onMonday January 27. The event begins at 7.30pm at St John the Bap-

tist Church, Cathedral Square, Peterborough.Students from St John Fisher Catholic HighSchool will bring poetry readings, and candlelighting will led by Rabbi Danny Rich, SeniorRabbi for Liberal Judaism.

Registered charity in England and Wales number 1069833 Regional Port Chaplain:

Felixstowe and the Haven PortsFull-time salary: £24,000 per annum

“I call on the chaplains and volunteers of Stella Maris to continue withtheir commitment to the pastoral care of their brothers and sisters”

Pope Francis

Experience in chaplaincy or similar pastoral work is desirableUnderstanding and awareness of Safeguarding is essential

The responsibility of Stella Maris Regional Port Chaplains is to be alongsideseafarers, to make visible our care for their pastoral and spiritual well-beingthrough a hands-on, practical expression of the Catholic Church’s mission.• Stella Maris Regional Port Chaplains are priests, nuns, permanent deacons and lay chaplains• A Catholic faith, belief in our mission to seafarers working within a globalised industry and excellent interpersonal skills are essential

• Experience in chaplaincy is desirable

We plan to appoint a full-time Regional Port Chaplain Felixstowe and the HavenPorts following the movement of our current Regional Port Chaplain to assume aposition elsewhere within Stella Maris.

For an application pack or an informal chat contact:Fr John Lavers, Director of Chaplaincy, on 07720 093156 or

john.lavers@stellamarismail.org. For more information about Stella Maris,

please visit our website: www.apostleshipofthesea.org.uk.Port visits can be arranged with a working regional port chaplain.

Deadline for applications: 7 February 2020 by 1700 hrs.Interviews: date and location to be determined

Stella Maris(Apostleship of the Sea)

By any measure, Alivein Faith has lived up toits name withparishioners across theDiocese of East Angliacommitting themselvesto the vision of provid-ing for both seminariansand priests who stepdown after many yearsof faithful service toparishes, and foroutreach projects. PeterLedger reports.

� Central to the success of the cam-paign was that parishes wouldthemselves directly benefit. Partici-pating parishes are now seeing therewards of their commitment, awide range of projects coming tofruition. These range from impor-tant outreach programmes withintheir parishes to essential buildingrepairs and improvements whichwould not have been possible with-out Alive in Faith funds.A marvellous example is a project

supported by Aldeburgh and Leistonparishes. Aldeburgh is blessed inhaving excellent ecumenical rela-tions and in January 2012, the threelocal churches, Anglican, Baptistand Roman Catholic, began a ven-ture to help fund the work of aparish nurse for the town. Facilitated by Parish Nursing Min-

istries UK, a Christian charity whichhelps local churches appoint nurses,Ali Cherry, a Christian nurse, wasappointed to work in Aldeburgh in2013. At the time she was largelyfunded by the Baptist Church, thesmallest of the church communitiesin the town. Very quickly she provedherself as being accessible, avail-able, and greatly appreciated by thelocal people – many of whom are eld-erly and housebound. Being aware of the heavy burden on the

Baptist Church, the Anglican andCatholic communities in Aldeburghbegan to support Ali’s work through sec-ond collections. The social outreachdimension of Alive in Faith seemed amarvellous opportunity to apply for agrant which would ease the problem ofhelping to fund her. An application for£5,000 from Alive in Faith was successful.Ali is still employed by the local churches,and her ministry and witness is valued ona day to day basis.A project with a very different commu-

nity focus has been implemented at StEdmunds, Bungay. The parish werealready determined to become “eco-friendly” and submitted a projectfocussed on helping to reduce globalwarming. A second priority was educa-tional – to do something ‘green’ so that thechildren at their school, St Edmund’sCatholic Primary, could see green policiesin action, learn about them and reflectthem in their own lives. 20 advanced tech-nology solar panels were installed withbenefits to the environment in manyforms. Over the expected 20-year lifespanof the system, it should save 56 tonnes ofCO2 emissions, simultaneously saving

over £8,000 worth of electricity. Theparish benefits from the so-called “Feed-in Tariff ” and the school will use lesselectricity from the national grid throughthe traditional electricity meter.Costessey parish decided that their

share of Alive in Faith funds raised wouldgo in two directions – to fund improve-ments needed to the church building, andto assist with the building of new housesin their twin parish of St Joseph’s, TaHen, Cambodia. Alive in Faith has madepossible three projects in the church:re-pad and re-cover the kneelers, re-car-peting the nave and the sanctuary andfinally the purchase of a new presidentialchair. The cost for one supplied by churchfurnishing companies was around £1,000.In the event, a suitable chair was pur-chased on the internet for £68. Parishfrugality in action!To date the parish Cambodia project

has funded three houses in Ta Hen at acost of about $4,000 each. Part of thismoney came from regular parishfundraising, but much of it has beenmade possible by Alive in Faith.Several urgent projects to repair parish

buildings have been made possible byAlive in Faith. Our Lady Immaculate & StEtheldreda Church, Newmarket, had a

pressing need to reline the high-level gut-ters. These were Finlock concrete gutterswhich, over time, are prone to leaking. Inthis case, the gutters were leaking badly.Worse still, the gutters were at high level.A shortfall in parish finances was madegood by Alive in Faith and essentialrepairs successfully carried out.At Thetford, Quinquennial Reports had

identified subsidence at both the east andwest ends of the presbytery. This causedextensive movement in the corner wallswhich needed underpinning and bracing.In addition, all rain water goods had to bereplaced and internal walls and ceilingsof the Presbytery had to be repaired. Inaddition, repairs and reinstatement ofload bearing walls in the ground floorwere needed. Clearly this was a majorproject. The parish decided that these sig-nificant repairs should be the focus oftheir parish project. Other work wasundertaken at the same time fundeddirectly by the parish but the main proj-ect, now successfully completed, wasfacilitated by the parish share of Alive inFaith Funds.These are just a few examples of the

many parish projects made possible bythe generosity of parishioners commit-ting to Alive in Faith.

Page 6 latest online news at: www.rcdea.org.uk Catholic East Anglia / February 2020

Helping bring f

Bishop Kike celebrated the blessing of Kimheang’sfamily new house in the village of Tuol, inThmorkol, Cambodia, part of the CostesseyParish’s Ta Hen project, using Alive in Faith funds.

reflection

Be still andknow that Iam GodIf you want to hear Godspeaking to you, there isone sure-fire way, saysDeacon Peter Coates fromWoodbridge, in hismonthly reflection – “bestill and know that I amGod”.

� “Catholicsworship this!” sobawled Ian Pais-ley holding upunconsecratedaltar bread. Itworried mewhen I heardabout it andthen it becameanother step on my way back to faith.Of course we do not worship a piece

of bread whatever shape it is but whenthe consecrated host, the Body ofChrist, is displayed we fall to our kneesin adoration. This is the sign of our sal-vation. This is my Lord, Emmanuel,God with us, present with us as Hepromised and I love Him. So for the Catholic, Adoration is a time

of deep devotion when we can pray withour whole being. But that does notmean it is only for the especially holypeople or the old-fashioned or just old. At no age is it easy to keep still and it

is not always the other person who fidg-ets. “Be still and know that I am God.”Even when we achieve physical still-ness, interior silence can still elude us.Interior silence needs to be cultivatedand Adoration of the Blessed Sacramentis an excellent way to do this. Just look. Say nothing, even silently.

Let the silence roll over you. Rememberthe story of Elijah in the Old Testament(1Kings19). He was hiding in a cavefrom Jezebel, the queen he had of-fended, and while he hid there weregales, earthquakes and fires. After allthat there was “the sound of silence”(there is no accurate translation of theHebrew text). After the silence, Godspoke to Elijah and sent him back toanoint new rulers. It can’t have beeneasy to do God’s will, but Elijah did ashe was told. After the silence, God will speak to

you. You may not hear a voice. It maybe through scripture or something elseyou have read or heard. It may besomething you have tried to forget – likeGod’s call. It may be through somethingtotally secular, but you will know whenGod is speaking to you. And when Hedoes, He will provide what is necessaryfor you to do what He asks. Do not beafraid of failure. Do not be afraid ofsuccess. It is often difficult for us to tellthe difference.Remember - How silently, how silently

the wondrous gift is given! Where meeksouls will receive Him, still the dearChrist enters in.

Catholic East Anglia / February 2020 like us on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/CatholicEastAnglia Page 7

aith to life

Brian Keegan and PriscillaBarlow, from the Diocese ofEast Anglia, joined otherdiocesan inter religious co-ordinators at a meeting heldin Leicester on November 12and 13, as Priscilla reports.

�Hosted and chaired by Bishop PatrickMcKinney of Nottingham, who is theBishops’ Conference lead on inter reli-gious dialogue, this event broughtdiocesan co-ordinators together toshare stories, discuss ideas for futureactivities and engage with speakersfrom other faith groups – on this occa-sion, mostly from Islam.We heard about peace walks, prayer

walks and faith pilgrimages; eventsaround environmental issues; worksupporting the more vulnerable in ourcommunities; study days about dia-logue; and even a play, Pierre etMohamed, about Bl. Pierre Claverieand his Muslim driver and friendMohamed Bouchikhi who were assassi-nated in Algeria in 1996. We heard too about the Church’s

teaching on dialogue, for example Vati-can II’s Nostra Aetate, the documentDialogue and Proclamation (1991), ourown Bishops’ Meeting God in Friendand Stranger and most recently thejoint declaration on Human Fraternitymade by Pope Francis and the GrandImam of Al-Azhar in February thisyear.External speakers told us about proj-

ects centred on housing, education andhealth issues in Leicester, about thedevelopment of Leicester Citizenswhich, as part of the Citizens UK move-ment, is bringing people of all faithsand none together to address concernsand challenges facing the city and about

the Church Mosque twinning project, anational body which helps churchesand mosques in the same neighbour-hood to work together on their ownlocal issues.A panel event chaired by Bishop

Patrick on the Tuesday evening formedpart of Inter Faith Week in Leicesterand brought together Christian, Hindu,Muslim and Sikh speakers to addressthe theme ‘Will Faith(s) save the world?’in front of an audience of delegates andthe general public. The panellists and audience shared

their own stories and all stressed that itis their religious faith that supportstheir actions. They spoke movinglyabout the confidence faith has giventhem to challenge and engage with avariety of troubling issues, about theneed to listen to those who are ‘other’,about the relationship between love ofGod and love of neighbour, how faithcan help us find friendship in differenceand use this to work for a better world.In our own diocese, as in others, there

are many Catholics working in partner-ship with other people of faith;listening to their stories and tellingthem ours, learning about their teach-ings and customs and explaining ours,becoming friends as well as neighbours.Bishop Patrick said: ‘If I neglect theother I neglect Christ – that is ourdriver’: words to reflect on as weapproach Advent and the feast ofChristmas.� Brian Keegan and Priscilla Barloware members of the Inter Religious sub-group of East Anglia’s Commission forDialogue and Unity.To find out more about this work in

the diocese please contact Brian Keeganat brian@briankeegan.demon.co.uk orPriscilla Barlow atpriscilla.barlow@keme.co.uk.

East Anglia duotake part in inter-religious dialogue

Pictured is Bishop Patrick with the panel of speakers from different faith groups.

Shirley Kalinauckas, Fr Charles and head teacherSamantha Barlow with the PV panels in the back-ground on the hall in at St Edmunds in Bungay.

St Benedict’sHigh Schoolin Bury StEdmunds hasbeen promot-ing whatthey see asan under-rated value –kindness –during theseason ofAdvent.

� The Catholicschool has beenfocussing onbringing kind-ness to the forein the provisionfor students andmaking explicitwhy this is soimportant. During

Advent, students at St Benedict’s ran aReverse Advent Calendar. The focus onthe reverse calendar is that studentschoose to donate something to those lessfortunate than themselves and seeAdvent as a time of giving rather thanjust receiving. The results have been overwhelming

with students and families bringing inboxes of food to donate to Gatehouse forthe Christmas period as well are raisingover £600 through a non-uniform day. Two Year 9 students who have been

driving the initiative, Maria Anjo andSophie Crane, explained why they wereso keen to be involved: “This Advent cal-endar is about doing things in reverseand giving food to people in the commu-nity who need it. Usually Adventcalendars are about receiving, this isabout giving and raising awareness of

ways in which we can support other peo-ple in a practical way. We feel thatChristmas is a time to spread joy andthink about the needs of others insteadof thinking only of ourselves.”Students have also been keen to raise

awareness and show solidarity withthose affected by homelessness. LucyHeffron, one of the Sixth Form students,organised a ‘Sleep Out’ in the schoolgrounds on December 13 in aid of home-lessness charity DePaul. She felt that thiswas important because it was a good wayto raise awareness of the issues thatyoung homeless people face. “We were all very grateful the next

morning that we could go home and didnot have to face the same experience thenext night,” she said. “We became veryaware of the stability in our lives, know-ing where we are going to sleep each

night and not having to worry about thatall day. The sleep-out was also a good wayto raise money for the important work ofDePaul including their services such asNight Stop which is a programme wherevolunteers offer a night’s accommoda-tion to a young homeless person. So farwe think that we have raised over £1,000to support this work and that is some-thing we are very proud of.”Headteacher, Imogen Senior, said:

“Kindness may not be on the timetable asa subject, but that doesn’t mean that itisn’t an important part of education. Webelieve that being kind is a fundamentalpart of being human and key to living upto the Gospel values we share as aCatholic community. I am very proud ofour students and how they haveresponded to the needs of others - that isabout as Christmassy as it gets!”

Page 8 like our schools at: www.facebook.com/RCDEANewSchools Catholic East Anglia / February 2020

SCHOOLS IN FOCUS

ST THOMAS MORECATHOLIC PRIMARY

SCHOOLPARK LANE, PETERBOROUGH

PE1 5JWHEADTEACHER

MRS MCELHINNEYTELEPHONE 01733 566005

First place for diverse dancing pupils� Children fromSt LaurenceCatholic Pri-mary School inCambridge (pic-tured right)have come firstin the DiverseDance Mix forSchools Festivaljudged by noneother than well-known dancerDarcey Bussell.The competitiontook place atThe StephenPerse Founda-tion on FridayNovember 29. “Itwas wonderfulto see how thehard work anddedication ofthe childrenwon the day,”said their danceteacher ClaireTaylor.

Contact Janetby phone01440 730399or emailjanett@cathcom.org

Celebrating our Schools AdvertsPromote your school while

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Contact Charlotteby phone01440 730399or emailcharlotter@cathcom.org

St Benedict’s students takingpart in the Advent sleep out forhomelessness charity DePaul.

Season of kindnessPat is school’sbirthday girl� St Albans Catholic High School inIpswich made a huge fuss of itsreceptionist, Pat Swann, as she cele-brated her 70th birthday."It is just a lovely school with a

lovely feel," she said as pupils brokeinto a chorus of ‘happy birthday."It's a really caring

school and we do ourvery best for the kidsevery day. Everyonewill do anything tohelp each other. Whywouldn't you want tostay? It's more like funevery day."The kids can tell

you anything and theydo. They're all great. I treat them likemy own."Mrs Swann believes she has earned

the respect of the youngsters "just bygiving them the same respect as Iwould an adult and not talking downto them".Each of her eight children attended

St Albans Catholic High, as well asmany of her 20 grandchildren.And in September, one of her five

great-grandchildren will start attend-ing the school.Of the students, she said: "They

have all said 'happy birthday' to meand we had a special Mass at thechapel, which was full."I got a card from every form at

school and they've all signed it."The Catholic ethos is still really

important in schools - it's just aboutcaring for each other and doing whatyou can for humanity."

The historic chapel at theheart of St Joseph’s College inIpswich has reopened after a£750k repair and refurbish-ment.

� The principal of St Joseph’s College,Danielle Clarke, said: “Three years’ eval-uation, repair and upgrading, togetherwith tireless fundraising and wonderfulgenerosity from the St Joseph’s Collegecommunity and beyond, have given usback ‘the heart of St Joseph’s’, even morebeautiful than we remembered. We areimmensely grateful to all who havehelped make this happen.”After giving a keynote address, Bishop

Alan blessed the refurbished chapel in aspecial ceremony. “The closure of our Chapel came as a

blow,” said Danielle. “We created a newmeeting space, The ARC – reflecting theCollege’s key words of Aspiration,Respect and Confidence – and it has seenus through very well. Indeed, it will be anadditional asset going forward. But theexcitement around the reopening ispalpable.”With its clean internal lines, Mon-

drian-inspired stained glass anddramatic Verdigris roof, the handsomechapel has been a much-loved feature ofthe College since it was built on landbetween the Senior and Prep Schools,opening in 1967. It became the gathering point for the

whole school for assemblies, prize-givingceremonies, concerts and worship; the

calm yet inspiring space families came toon first looking for a school for their chil-dren and the nostalgic setting for finalgoodbyes for Sixth Formers.Sadly, a flaw in the dramatic 1960s

design allowed rain damage to accumu-late and back in February 2017 thebuilding was closed. A subsequentinspection established the extent of the

damage and consultations began on howto restore ‘the heart of St Joseph’s’. The internal upgrade has been a reve-

lation, enhancing what was already amajestic space. St Joseph’s has crownedthe refurbishment by bringing in a mag-nificent Model D Steinway grand piano,formerly in use by the Royal Conserva-toire, Glasgow.

Although the Chapel remains as dearto St Joseph’s College community now asit was on first opening, much haschanged at the school in the past halfcentury. What was once a Catholic schoolfor boys has long been a co-educationalschool guided by Christian values butwelcoming children of all faiths andnone.

Catholic East Anglia / February 2020 follow youth news on Twitter at: twitter.com/igniteyea Page 9

SCHOOLS IN FOCUS

� Pupils at St Felix Catholic PrimarySchool in Haverhill have been experiencingNot So Snug Storytime. On Friday Novem-ber 22, the children had a class story readto them outside. They could bring in extralayers but they couldn’t move around tokeep warm. Then on returning inside theteacher asked them to record how it felt tobe outside and how it felt to come backinside.The ‘Snug As A Bug’ project means re-

flecting on that moment when you get intobed at night and feel safe and warm andconfident that you will wake up in the morn-ing with all of your belongings around you.Then you realise that many people in Suf-folk and across the world don’t experience

this sense of well-being and security.Afterwards, Katrina (Year 3), said: “It

makes me feel lonely to think there wouldbe nobody to give me food if I was out therefor a long time.”Aaliyah (Year 3), said: “If I was outside all

night every day, I know some people willignore me.” St Felix Catholic Primary School has cho-

sen the motto ‘Snug as a Bug’ as its WholeSchool Project and a way of celebrating‘The God who Speaks’ Bible programme. ‘Snug As A Bug’ is one of many activities

the school will be undertaking this year inits mission to live out the Gospel. The chil-dren are encouraged to see themselves astomorrow’s thinkers and leaders.

Children at St Felix listeningto a story out in the cold.

Bishop blesses re-opened chapelStudentssinging in thechapel at StJoseph’s duringthe re-openingceremony. Picture byEleanor Piggott

Pupils not snug as a bug

Page 10 latest online news at: www.rcdea.org.uk Catholic East Anglia / February 2020

news in brief

Cambridge concert promotespeace and reconciliation� Gila Margolin, co-founder of the Little Sisters of Joy, will be giv-ing a concert in Cambridge in March to promote peace andreconciliation.Having been brought up in an Orthodox Jewish home, Gila came

to Cambridge in 1982. A series of mystical experiences during herHebrew degree in 1989 led her into the Catholic Church.After receiving an inspiration during a time of prayer in

Provence, Gila travelled to Europe, the Middle East and Canada,peace-making through music, friendship and encounter. Her con-certs, in which she sings her beloved Jewish music, began in ClareCollege Chapel in 2004.This year’s concert will take place at 1pm on Friday March 6 at St

Giles Church, Castle Street, Cambridge. This will be the 21stanniversary of the beginning of the Little Sisters of Joy, an ecu-menical foundation whose aims are Prayer, Peace andReconciliation. The concert is free, with a retiring collection for thework of the Little Sisters.Friends of The Little Sisters of Joy who receive the annual

newsletter number over 700 and come from 34 countries.

Honour for 50years’ service� A parishioner and altar-server at St Mark’s, Ipswichhas been honoured for com-pleting 50 years in the roleby being given a Diocesanmedal and certificate tomark the occasion. JohnStubbs was presented withthe certificate by ParishPriest Fr Paul Vincent OCDin a ceremony during Masson the Fourth Sunday ofAdvent (December 22).

The World Day of Prayertakes place at the start ofMarch. Eilish Storey,from Ramsay, reportsfrom a preparationday held recently inCambridge.

� The origins of World Day ofPrayer (WDP) date back to the19th century when Christianwomen in the USA and Canadainitiated a variety of co-opera-tive activities in support ofwomen’s involvement in mis-sion, at home and abroad. It isfrom such roots as these thatWDP has taken its presentshape – a worldwide ecumeni-

cal movement ofInformed Prayerand PrayerfulAction.The annual

service is pre-pared byChristian womenfrom a differentcountry each yearand through it welearn of theirparticular con-

cerns, joys, sorrows and hopesfor the future. World Day of Prayer is spe-

cial on many counts, not justbecause the voice of women iscentral to the service, but alsobecause it is a universal act ofworship, uniting women, andmen, of diverse Christiandenominations across theglobe.I attended a 2020 preparation

day in Cambridge on Novem-ber 8. It was a chance to gothrough the service and look atinteresting ways of presentingthe resources. Here are a fewpoints which came out of themeeting which may be of inter-est to parishes across thediocese:�Does your church have repre-sentative on the local WDPcommittee? � Are the 2020 service detailscorrect on the WDP website?�What time is the service heldat? Is this the best time? Wouldanother time of day reachmore people? A church inMilton has started holdingthe service at 6pm so that peo-ple can go on their way home

from work. � Could 2020 be an opportunityto reach out to members of allthe Christian groups in ourarea, not just the churcheswhere the services are usuallyheld? In my area there aremany Christians who go toother towns to worship. Theymay not hear about the localservice unless it is advertisedin public places eg library orlocal shops. �WDP can supply a shortenedversion of the service to beused when the longer version isnot appropriate eg in a carehome� WDP is a prayer movementthat goes on 365 days of theyear and supports local,women-led initiatives in manycountries World Day of Prayer is

always on the first Friday inMarch, so why not put that datein your 2020 calendar now andtake part in the service pre-pared by the Christian womenof Zimbabwe on the theme:“Rise! Take Your Mat andWalk.” Details can be found atwww.wwdp.org.uk

Preparing for theWorld Day of Prayer

Ecumenical celebration

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� Advent was cele-brated in DoveCourt care home inWisbech thanks toan ecumenicalteam and childrenfrom St Peter’sChurch of EnglandJunior School. Diocese of Ely

church schoolsworker, OliviaO’Neill, collabo-rated with theWisbech ChurchesTogether team tohelp create us awonderful AdventCelebration.In the care team

ministry are threemembers of thelocal catholic parish - Brian Prosser, ThereseChadwick and Sean Finlay. Sean (seanfinlay@aol.co.uk) would be

pleased to hear from other parishes who are

doing similar things as the local ChurchesTogether is beginning to undertake a reviewof the ministry to care homes in our area. Pictured above is Olivia with care home

residents and pupils from St Peter’s.

A Zimbabwean womanbuilding her own home.

New Englishsaint Newmanspeaks fromheart to heartJohn Henry Newman is one of thegreat figures in the story of theChristian faith in England. Here isthe fourth of a brief six-part biog-raphy of the new English saint.

� John Henry Newman was created aCardinal by Pope Leo XII in 1879.At that time, this required him to be

consecrated a bishop and to reside inRome.Newman asked to be dispensed from

these requirements, and to be allowed tocarry on living at the Oratory in Birming-ham. Every Cardinal is assigned a titular

church in Rome, and Newman was madeCardinal Deacon of San Giorgio inVelabro. His “biglietto speech” upon receiving

his red hat from the Pope is famous for itscriticism of liberalism in religion, and rel-ativism.The speech included these words: “In a

long course of years I have made manymistakes. I have nothing of that high per-fection which belongs to the writings ofSaints, namely, that error cannot be foundin them; but what I trust I may claimthroughout all that I have written is this—an honest intention, an absence ofprivate ends, a temper of obedience, awillingness to be corrected, a dread oferror and a desire to serve the HolyChurch.”Cardinal Newman’s coat of arms com-

prises a shield with three red hearts on agold background, separated by a redchevron.His motto was “cor ad cor loquitur”,

heart speaks to heart.Newman was known for his intellect,

but his heart was fully given to God. Herewe might remember the Prophet Ezekiel:“And I will give you a new heart, and anew spirit I will put within you. And I willremove the heart of stone from your fleshand give you a heart of flesh.” That is the“new man” God creates.Newman, having published much in his

lifetime, published nothing after becominga Cardinal.Cardinal Newman said: “To live is to

change, and to be perfect is to havechanged often.” That is the true meaningof conversion. Being open to becoming,each day, a “new man”. Heart speaks toheart: God’s heart speaks to our heart.We may pray with Cardinal Newman withthe psalmist: My heart is ready, O God,my heart is ready” (Ps 108).www.newmancanonisation.com

Catholic East Anglia / February 2020 follow us on Twitter at: twitter.com/RCEastAnglia Page 11

The Cambridge Nazareth Trust(CNT) received an early Christ-mas present when it was given£5,527.34, from the Diocese ofEast Anglia’s 2019 Lentencollection, reports its chairman,Margaret Waddingham.

� An enormous thank you or, in Arabic,Shukran, to the parishes in the Diocese.Your generous donations will enableCNT to continue its work in ‘helpingyoung people in the Holy Land to have abrighter future’. CNT works alongsidethe 44 schools the Latin Patriarchate ofJerusalem (LPJ) to educate the next gen-eration of Christians in the Holy Land.The schools also provide a vital source ofincome to all those they employ. Theschools are wholly dependent on charita-ble donations. CNT has, in recent years, focused its

work on training teachers as the trusteesbelieve this would have the greatestimpact in improving the education andlife chances of the young pupils.In November 2019, CNT funded teacher

training in Amman in Jordan – this wasthe third group of teachers that CNT hastrained there. The team has been follow-ing their progress on a WhatsApp forum.Our three loyal and inspirational tutors,Richenda, Jackie and Jonny, led work-shops and travelled across Jordanvisiting teachers in 13 schools. They were very pleased with the

progress they observed. Drama work-shops, led by David Pearce, were held inthree schools. These workshops encour-aged confidence in the use of expressiveand clearly pronounced English. Davidwas thrilled to see some of his methodsbeing successfully implemented. Theteam believes that the 25 LPJ schools in

Jordan are well on the way to self-suffi-ciency. Not all is so heartening. Whilst in

Amman, CNT Trustees visited two IraqiRefugee Schools held in the afternoon inthe LPJ schools at Marka and Hashemi.12,000 Iraqi Christians fled from Isis tonearby Jordan in 2014 – they are beingsheltered in Jordanian parishes. Asrefugees, they are excluded from stateeducation, health care and their parentsare not allowed to work. Their situationis desperate and they receive little inter-national aid. At Hashemi, CNT is providing teacher

training to a former nurse with fluentEnglish who is teaching the refugees.She says it is not only education thesechildren need but help with overcoming

the trauma they have witnessed.Fluency in English also helps with visaapplications. The numbers of Christians living in

the Holy Land has reduced significantlyfollowing decades of political turmoil.Yet this small Christian presence, 2% ofthe population, contributes to a sense ofjustice and peace in this troubled land.Christians are highly respected in theircommunities with their schools provid-ing education to all, whether Christianor Muslim. The Christian community inJordan is to be commended for its amaz-ing humanitarian care of Syrian andIraqi refugees. Please remember these beleaguered

Christian communities in your prayers.www.cambridgenazarethtrust.co.uk

Diocese gives Nazareth Trustan early Christmas present

The CaritasEast Anglialaunch madefront pagenews in thelast edition ofCatholic East Anglia. Thestory also made theheadlines in some nationalCatholic papers.Development worker JacintaGoode reflects on the launch.

� Setting up a Caritas office is a big dealfor our diocese. Caritas – showing God’slove through our actions – is important.Pope Benedict XVI told us that our com-mitment to the poor and marginalised isas important as going to Mass everySunday. That’s big! So, what are we todo?At the launch, Bishop Alan blessed the

Caritas Commission and we offered ourwork to the Lord. We celebrated by shar-ing a meal with representatives fromparishes across the diocese and guestsfrom St Martin’s Housing Trust. It felt

good to feed homeless people. We fed afew people, for one meal, on one day.Now we need to do so much more.One guest commented appreciatively

about how good the food was. Anothersaid how good it was to be able to ‘benormal for a couple of hours.’ Again, thisis all very good – but we can’t pat our-selves on the back and think we’re done.Now we need to do more. When Jesusfed the 5,000 He wasn’t just feeding theirbodies for one meal. He was doing that,but He was also showing us how we cando likewise, in His name.Many people are doing amazing work

across the diocese supporting people inneed, which is a fantastic witness of ourfaith. How much more could weachieve? Could we work, perhaps, withother Christian churches, or charities, orother organisations? Pope Francis en-

courages us to do this. Whilst we havetheological or doctrinal differences, hesays, one way in which we can ‘all beone’ (as Jesus prayed), is by workingtogether for the common good.You may have made New Year’s reso-

lutions. You may, or may not, have keptthem! As we move into this new decade,I wonder if God is asking us to make an-other resolution? Perhaps He is askingeach of us to listen a little more closely tohow the Holy Spirit is guiding us? Howcan we as individuals – and as a diocese- deepen our relationship with God byserving the poor and the marginalised forHim?We will be celebrating our sharing of

God’s love with our neighbours at theCaritas Festival as it travels around thediocese this year. The host parish forNorfolk is St George’s, Norwich, to beheld on Saturday March 28. It will be atrue celebration of all that we’re doing to-gether to support the poor and margin-alised, so we want every parish to berepresented. Let’s celebrate what we’redoing – and listen to the Holy Spirit tohear what God wants us to do next. � For more details contact JacintaGoode: caritas@rcdea.org.uk

Caritas makes the headlines

Grade 2 pupils at Houson, Jordan whohave benefitted from the work of CNT.

News picture gallery from parishes around the Diocese

Page 12 latest online news at: www.rcdea.org.uk Catholic East Anglia / February 2020

� The Norwich Council of the Knights of St Columba elevated Brothers Jerome Albano,Pablito Candaza, Laurence Mitchell and Renato Paner to Full Knighthood in a ceremonyat the 11am Mass at the Cathedral of St John the Baptist in Norwich on Sunday October20.The ceremony was conducted by Norwich Chaplain Deacon Patrick Limacher, Provin-

cial Grand Knight, Bro Jason Wickard, Provincial Membership officer, Bro Dennis Mooreand Provincial Treasurer, Bro Chris Brooks. This was witnessed by their families, fellowKnights and the congregation of the Cathedral. If you are interested in joining the Knights of St Columba, please contact Bro Dennis

Moore by email dennis2dmoore@aol.com or phone 01508 578056. Pictured above, left toright, are: Bros Jerome, Renato, Pablito and Laurence.

�A wonderful Nativity (pictured above) was performed by children at Our Lady of GoodCounsel and St Peter's in March, on Sunday December 22 reports Jason Moore.

� The parish of OurLady and St Thomasof Canterbury inWymondham has givena warm welcome to itsnew Assistant Priest, FrDenis Gallagher.Fr Denis comes from

Achill in County Mayoand was ordained in1993. At the invitation of

Bishop Alan, Fr Deniswill initially be spend-ing one year in theDiocese of East Anglia.

� John Borda and Kasia Ilasz were presentedwith silver medals from the Archconfraternityof St Stephen for altar serving for over ten yearsat Our Lady Immaculate and St Etheldreda,Newmarket on Sunday December 15. Both arealso involved in training new altar servers.

� For the past three months a massive renewal of thelighting system has been taking place at Our Lady ofThe Assumption and The English Martyrs,Cambridge. Alongside this there has been an updating of the

sound system, the restoration of the organ and thecleaning and restoration of a painting entitled“Christ in Glory” by Nathaniel Hubert John West-lake (1833-1925) which, because of poor lighting andage-old grime has been virtually hidden from sightuntil now. It has brought a real sense of wonder and awe to

this already magnificent building says Mgr EugèneCanon Harkness.