Holy Ghost Blog

Fr Gerard Bradley - Praying the Mass

2011-12-04T16:27:00.003Z

On Wednesday 30 November, Fr Gerard Bradley (Director of Spiritual Formation at St John's Seminary, Wonersh) gave this address on the new translation of the Roman Missal, and how we might enter more deeply into the mystery of the Eucharist through these revised texts.

Welcome to James Bradley...

2011-10-21T09:32:00.002Z

Deacon James Bradley has joined us here at Holy Ghost parish while he continued his studies. James is a deacon with the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham, the new Ordinariate established by the Holy Father for Anglican parishes which have come into full communion with the Catholic Church. The Ordinariate is led by Monsignor Keith Newton and includes some 60 former Anglican clergy and 1,000 faithful. It was established by Pope Benedict with a special invitation Anglicanorum Coetibus, "To groups of Anglicans" so that they can bring with them their Anglican patrimony in customs and traditions and liturgy.

Deacon James is no stranger to the congregation here at Balham and was with the QUO VADIS group led by Fr Stephen at World Youth Day in Madrid this summer. And more: he played a major role in the opening ceremony welcoming Pope Benedict to Madrid, chanting the Gospel. This was televised worldwide.

Of course our parish here at Balham, while large, isn't quite as huge as that, but we are sure that James will be kept busy here and it is great to have him with us...

World Youth Day 2011

2011-09-16T12:17:00.002Z

A great European city in the throbbing heat of August, a vast dusty airfield with two million people congregating on it, a dramatic thunderstorm, a night vigil of prayer led by the successor of St Peter – these are some of the ingredients that made the 2011 World Youth Day utterly unforgettable.

The group of young people led by Father Stephen of this parish was a large one: its core was the “Quo Vadis” group which meets regularly and includes young people who are discerning a vocation to the priesthood or religious life, and they were joined by a substantial number of others. Hospitality in Madrid was offered by a parish on the outskirts of the city – the magnificent church of St Mary of Cana where the priest had arranged that our group could camp out in the various parish rooms for the whole of the WYD events.

Divided into groups, the young people made themselves at home, making up beds on the floor and organising themselves for showers and meals. There was daily morning prayer and Mass, and then the whole range of WYD events – talks at the “Love and Life” centre (including a superb presentation on religious freedom and the mass media, led by America’s Archbishop Charles Chaput and with speakers including the head of the Knights of Columbus), confession at the Festival of Forgiveness in one of Madrid’s large and beautiful parks, an opportunity to explore some of the vast number of religious orders and new movements and charities and Catholic organisations at a Vocations Fair.

What many pilgrims perhaps most relished was the sheer exuberance and joy at being in a city teeming with a sense of Christian love and faith. Here were two million people surging around, from every nation on earth, a multitude of languages and flags and song and experiences. Groups gathered on street corners to sing and pray, to swap flags and badges and banter, to take photographs and to cheer the Pope. Cries of “Viva el Papa!” erupted from groups large and small all the time. People sang on buses and trains and in the streets and in cafes and restaurants. People prayed the Rosary in parks and while waiting in the (extremely hot) sunshine for the Pope to arrive.

And when he did come, what an outpouring of affection and enthusiasm! The crowds lining the streets and packing out the squares were huge – it was impossible to move, and the cheering and waving and rejoicing were on a massive scale. When the Holy Father spoke, however, his clear and rather gentle voice created its own sense of quiet calmness, and his words were straightforward, beautiful, and well worth hearing.

There was a magnificent welcoming ceremony for him – at which Deacon James Bradley of the new Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham, who was part of our group, sang the Gospel. There was a poignant and moving Way of the Cross using some of Spain’s most magnificent works of art showing Christ’s walk to Calvary, brought from towns and cities across Spain where they have been venerated for centuries. And then, on the final two days, there was the gathering at the Cuantros Ventros airfield for the night vigil and the final Sunday morning Mass. Heat, ants, fierce sun, and then a thunderstorm gave way to immense peace when the night vigil began. We knelt together before the Blessed Sacrament, and gradually the silence spread out, from the front where the Holy Father was kneeling, through the crowds and crowds of people.

"As you return home, take back with you the good news of Christ’s love which we have experienced in these unforgettable days. Fix your eyes upon him, deepen your knowledge of the Gospel and bring forth abundant fruit!"- those were Pope Benedict’s words at the final gathering.

Mary's Meals collects 120 backpacks!

2011-04-12T16:00:00.006Z

Last Sunday we welcomed Lizzie Hastings from Mary's Meals to receive the backpacks which the parishioners have kindly assembled over this period of Lent. She gave a word of thanks, and was very impressed with the number we had collected so far, and she later met ith some young people from the Ignition group who have led this project.

Several of our Ignition group arrived at the church this morning to help pack the backpacks into large white sacks which will then be collected and shipped off to the children in Africa

The final count of backpacks is the astounding number of 120!! Well done and a huge thanks to everyone who took part in this project.

Please visit http://www.marysmeals.co.uk/ to see how you can continue to help support this worthwhile charity.

Frassati Society Hike

2011-04-12T15:37:00.005Z

On Saturday 9th April 2011, 20 young adults from the parish who are involved in the Frassati Society, embarked on a 12 mile hike across the North Downs in Surrey.

We began our journey at Guildford stopping in Gomshall for a leisurely pub lunch. We had the pleasure of a visit from Fr Stephen who managed to squeeze us into his busy weekend at the seminary before continuing for the final 5 miles to Dorking. The day was enjoyed by all and the glorious weather made it all the more perfect!

Mother and Tots Quiz Night - Huge success!

2011-04-05T11:30:00.004Z

On Friday 1st April the Mother and Toddler group organised the 'April Fool Quiz'. Participants were invited to 'leave your brains at the door' for the quiz with a difference! The event was held at the Oliver Plunkett Club on Nightingale Lane to to help raise funds for the Mother and Toddler group.

60 keen quiz-goers enjoyed a fish and chip supper and live entertainment, including a raffle with fabulous prizes! Everybody had a fantastic time and the group are delighted to have raised nearly £500.

The money raised will go towards the purchase of children's books for the church, toys, and other equipment to support the Mother and Toddler Group that meets every Thursday morning from 10.30 - 11.30am in the Visitation House. For more information contact emmapurnell@hotmail.com.

Catholic Underground

2011-04-03T16:34:00.004Z

Last Saturday the Catholic Underground team returned once again to the parish, this time with a variety of entertainment including singer, Alena and stand up comedy, music and drama by Rise Theatre. The evening drew a good crowd of young people. As with every Catholic Underground event, the evening opens with a Holy Hour in the church with music led by the Fransiscan Friars of the Renewal. This part is always so beautiful, and for myself it's often the best part of the evening. Here, we are invited to spend time in prayer with our Lord before the Blessed Sacrament, join with the Church in Evening Prayer and receive the Sacrament of Reconcilation. The evening then continues in the school hall with live entertainment. A wide variety of young people attend, some who are active in their faith, and others not. Many of those who attend Catholic Underground for the first time and who might not be so active in the faith do so because they have been invited and encouraged by their Catholic friend. For most, this is probably their first experience before the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament and I have heard several different stories of how the Lord has moved very powerfully in the hearts of these people and for some it has even prompted a return to the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Please look up the Catholic Underground Website and think about inviting some of your friends to their next event. http://www.catholicunderground.co.uk/

T3: Take on the challenge...

2011-02-07T14:05:00.010Z

...of the Great Egg Drop at last Friday's session. The idea was to create a container which would support an egg and prevent it from smashing when dropped from a height of 8ft. Limited materials were supplied and the groups did exceptionally well! No crack in sight...

Come and join us each Friday (7pm - 9pm) as we continue with the T3 series (it's not too late to come along!!). Each week we have dinner followed by a fun team activity, then we watch the following chapter of the Teen Timeline and round up with a time of prayer!

Friday 18th February will take a different format as we will have a special viewing of The Human Experience with popcorn, ice-cream... the works. I'd suggest having a meal beforehand!

Check out the trailer:

http://www.grassrootsfilms.com/thehumanexperience/

Contact laura@hgbalham for any questions you may have!

Frassati Society - Sunday Soup Kitchen

2011-02-02T12:38:00.008Z

On Sunday, a group of young adults from the parish and others involved in the Frassati Society visited the Missionaries of Charity to help serve Sunday lunch at their Soup Kitchen at Elephant and Castle.

We arrived to a packed dining hall of homeless men, with sisters and various volunteers running around doing different jobs. We quickly got stuck in - serving the meal, washing up, making tea, preparing dessert, offering seconds, and then setting up the tables ready for the second sitting. At least 100 men were welcomed and received a good home-cooked meal that afternoon.

The Missionaries of Charity were established in 1950 by Mother Teresa of Calcutta and adhere to the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, with an addition of a fourth vow, to give 'Whole-hearted and Free service to the poorest of the poor.'

In London, the sisters run their soup kitchens every day of the week except on a Thursday where this day is reserved for rest and prayer. If you have any free time during the week and would like to volunteer, please have a look at their weekly schedule which you can find here:

http://www.homelesslondon.org/details.asp?id=UK14637

Youth Activities

2011-01-19T14:50:00.004Z

Over the last few months, there have been lots and lots of different youth activities within the parish... Here are photos of just some of them...

The Confirmation Retreat

Ignition Winter Wonderland Trip (Ignition is a group for years 7 and 8 - it involves catechesis, prayer, time for fun & growing in friendships)

Frassati Society

2011-01-19T11:29:00.004Z

Sunday evening saw the first meeting of the newly launched Frassati Society. This is a society for young adults, combining community, service of the poor and prayer. 25 young adults met for Adoration before the evening Mass, after which we hosted a (very packed!) dinner. Between courses, Fr. Agustin Conesa spoke to us on Jesus' teaching of the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12). Bl Pier Giorgio Frassati is known as the "man of the beatitudes" - someone in whom the Beatitudes are radiantly personified. Each month, the speaker will be giving teaching on each of the Beatitudes. The next few monthly meetings are...

Sunday 20th February, Mgr John Armitage - "Blessed are those who mourn"
Sunday 20th March, Fr. Emmanuel Mansford - "Blessed are the meek"

Lots of the Frassati members will be committing to some regular, practical service of the poor. Many are planning to go and help out the Missionaries of Charity in serving a meal to the homeless on Sunday afternoons. If you would like to get involved, please contact Luke de Pulford on lukedepulford@gmail.com. And join us in praying the prayer for the courage to be great....!

Heavenly Father,

Give me the courage to strive for the highest goals,

to flee every temptation to be mediocre.

Enable me to aspire to greatness, as Pier Giorgio did,

and to open my heart with joy to Your call to holiness.

Free me from the fear of failure.

I want to be, Lord, firmly and forever united to You.

Grant me the graces I ask You through Pier Giorgio's intercession,

by the merits of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Parish Mission begins TODAY!!!

2010-11-26T10:36:00.002Z

Today, we are excitedly awaiting the arrival of the thirty young people from the Emmanuel School of Mission in Rome! They will be with us at Holy Ghost for ten days, until 5th December, leading our Mission - "Come to Me - let not your hearts be troubled". There has been a lot of work, preparation and build-up to the Mission and we will bring you regular updates on all the activities through the Blog.

Why are we having a Mission? There are two main reasons: Firstly, to evangelise those who don't have any or little contact with the Church. Secondly, to re-energise us in our faith as a parish. All of the events of this week will be about these two aims.

Street evangelisation is a particular charism of the Emmanuel Community and this week the missionaries will be on the streets of Balham each day (particularly around Balham Station and Clapham South Tube station) engaging people in conversation. Evangelisation means proclaiming Christ - and the beginning of Advent is the perfect time to speak to people in an attractive and inviting way about the Good News of salvation. People will be invited back to the Church for the main evening event of the day, or to pray in the Church at any point during the day. Street evangelisation is about spreading the true joy of Advent, and inviting people to think about what meaning this time of year has for them.

Tonight the missionaries will be holding an Evangelisation Training event at Holy Ghost School, Nightingale Square, from 8pm. All are invited to come and meet them and learn about how to evangelise!

Keep tuning in to hear the latest news from the Mission.....!

Resurrecting the Blog

2010-05-02T07:33:00.002Z

It's been a long time since we posted anything on the parish Blog - partly because we prioritised other things but mostly because we ran out of things to say! Recently, however, we have been thinking about the whole question of effective communication: there is so much happening in the parish and yet most of our parishioners are simply unaware of what we do. Many of our activities rely on the generosity of our parishioners in their weekly giving. Without their support we would simply be unable to do all the things we do. It seems a good idea to try to find new ways of communicating our life and good news.
Recently we reformatted our parish newsletter. We've moved from an A4 folded to A5 format, to an A3 folded to A4. It is a bit more cumbersome for those who want to stuff it into their back pocket but it does greatly increase the amount of space available to us. It means that we have now been able to incorporate a "This week at the Holy Ghost" column with a day-by-day listing of all our talks, catechesis, and other activities. We also have space for a featured spotlight each week. This week for example we focus on "Christian Initiation", explaining what RCIA is and announcing the commencement of a rolling 'pre-catechumenal' or enquiry course that will continue throughout the year on a six-weekly cycle. This course will lead into the RCIA classes which begin in September.
Another new feature is the "Defending a Culture of Life" column which advertises Natural Family Planning and also important life issues. We have currently, for example, a little piece on the Westminster Declaration and another on the General Election.

The resurrection of the Blog is part of our effort to communicate effectively. The plan is not to simply repeat what you can read in the newsletter. Instead we want to give a greater insight into what goes on at our events. For example, rather than simply advertise the 'Echoes' course we are currently running, we could give a more detailed account of what is covered in each session. More than that, however, the Blog may be a useful tool for pulling together comment on wider issues affecting the life of the Church. We can provide links to other good articles or informative pieces.

So... watch this space!

Fisticuffs at Forum Christi!

2008-05-19T10:31:00.000Z

On Sunday 18th May, Fr Behruz Rafat spoke to Forum Christi on "The Joyful Mysteries and the Gospel of Life". He gave a brief summary of John Paul II's teaching in the encyclical Evangelium Vitae, and then gave a meditation whilst we prayed the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary. He suggested that as a follow-up to his talk, we read the whole encyclical for ourselves (download from www.vatican.va)After the talk we went for supper in the Nightingale. The evening ended with Fr Marcus beating Gavin in boxing on the new Wii games console.

Day with Mary 2008

2008-05-19T10:29:00.001Z

40 Years after Humanae Vitae

2008-05-19T10:27:00.001Z

On Sunday 11th May, Fr Marcus spoke to Forum Christi on "The Church, Contraception and the Culture War". He explained a number of arguments that we can use to explain the Church's teaching, and gave examples of statistics that can be used to destroy the argument that the Catholic Church's ban on condoms has been responsible for the spread of AIDS in the developing world.

Royal Albert Hall - Keeping the Faith

2008-05-19T10:25:00.000Z

On Friday 9th May, the Keep the Faith groups met at the Royal Albert Hall. After games of football and rounders and a picnic in Hyde Park, they attended the Film Harmonic concert. Music from a number of film scores and television series were played, including Jurassic Park, Gladiator (Fr Marcus' favourite) and Chariots of Fire.

Pilgrimage at Forum Christi

2008-04-29T21:40:00.000Z

On Sunday 27th April, Gareth Thomas spoke to Forum Christi on "The Road to Compostela". The talk began with some images of the pilgrimage, which was followed by discussion of the historical background, and reasons for present-day pilgrims completing the journey.Gareth will be making his own pilgrimage over the next couple of months, walking all the way from Balham to Santiago de Campostela. To keep track of his progress you can log onto his blog http://whizz-kidz-pilgrim.blogspot.com which is already showing details of his preparations, and which he will keep up as much as possible on the journey.

2008-04-29T21:38:00.003Z

On Saturday 26th April, the Confirmation group made a retreat to the Carmelite Priory at Aylesford in Kent. The visit began with a tour of the site, including prayers at the relics of Saint Simon Stock. Fr Marcus celebrated Mass in one of the chapels, and then after a short break to visit the shop and tea rooms the group prayed the rosary in the Rosary Walk. After lunch, Sr Hyacinthe gave a meditation and there was the opportunity for confession. Shortly before leaving Aylesford each member of the group was presented with a brown scapular, and was encouraged to wear it. The group then travelled to Purley for ten-pin bowling. Competition was fierce - and that was just the adults! After a sausage and chips supper, it was time to return to Balham. Thankyou to Fr Marcus for arranging the trip, and to Sr Chiara, Sr Hyacinthe, Sarah and Clare for accompanying us.

Free 2 Become

2008-04-21T10:00:00.000Z

On Sunday 20th April, Sr Camilla Oberding spoke to Forum Christi about discernment. She described discernment as "A process whereby a person grows in the self-awareness and freedom necessary in order to make choices according to God's spirit." She talked about some of her own experiences, and about the work her community does in helping young people discover their call in life.
For more information, see www.free2become.org

Christians in the Holy Land

2008-03-17T10:49:00.002Z

On Sunday 16th March, John Pontifex, Head of Press and Information for Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), spoke to Forum Christi about The Christians of the Holy Land – Past, Present and Future. John gave us first-hand accounts of the situation that is faced by Christians living in Bethlehem and the surrounding areas. Christians are facing persecution from the growing Islamist and Jewish communities, and significant numbers of Christians are leaving the area. Bethlehem is also suffering because many Christians there rely on tourists visiting and buying their products, and due to violence in the area there has been a huge decrease in tourism. One of the ways in which ACN is helping is by buying olive wood products from workers in the area, and selling them around the world. John concluded his talk by discussing the current situation in Iraq, particularly in light of the recent kidnapping and death of Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho.For more information on the work of Aid to the Church in Need, or to make a donation to their work, see http://www.acn.org.uk/

The English Cardinals

2008-03-15T14:35:00.002Z

On Sunday 9th March, Fr Nicholas Schofield talked to Forum Christi on The English Cardinals (which is also the title of a book he has recently co-written with Fr Gerard Skinner). The talk was a look at some of the 50 English cardinals that there have been over the years, and included some well- known names, for example Cardinal Wolsey and Cardinal Newman, as well as lesser known figures. Fr Nicholas began by explaining that there are three types of Cardinal - Cardinal Bishops, for example Cardinal Arinze; Cardinal Priests, who lead the churches in their country, for example our own Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor; and Cardinal Deacons, who are theologians working for the Vatican, for example Cardinal Avery Dulles. (All three names mentioned above came and preached/spoke in Oxford University Catholic Chaplaincy during my time there. CV) Fr Nicholas began by talking about the Mediaeval English cardinals. The first one, although largely forgotten, was Robert Pullen. The second was Nicholas Breakspear, who is better known as Pope Adrian IV, the only English Pope (so far). Cardinal Wolsey is more widely known than any of these, although the popular view, as exemplified by his portrayal in "A Man for all Seasons", was described by Fr Nicholas as "perhaps a little unfair". Fr Nicholas described the Cardinal Duke of York, Henry Stuart as his "favourite cardinal". Cardinal Stuart lived like a king, and is even claimed by some to have been King Henry IX of England, Scotland and Wales.The talk then moved on to the Reformation cardinals, of whom the most well-known is probably the only English Cardinal to be martyred - St John Fisher. He (unlike Wolsey) refused to sanction King Henry VIII's divorce. Other cardinals mentioned in this section included Reginald Pole - the last Catholic Archbishop of Canterbury, and a relative of Henry VIII; and William Allen, who founded an English college in Douai to train seminarians. His legacy lives on today in the seminaries of Allen Hall in London and Ushaw in Durham.Since the Catholic hierarchy was restored and new dioceses established, the Archbishop of Westminster has been the head of the Catholic church in England, and every Archbishop of Westminster has been made a cardinal. The first of these was Cardinal Wiseman, and the latest is Cardinal Murphy O'Connor. In modern times there have been other English cardinals, for example Cardinal Newman. Most of the recent cardinals are buried in the crypt of Westminster Cathedral, with their red hats hanging above them. Apparantly tradition has it that when the hat falls, it signifies the cardinal's soul being released from purgatory. All the hats are so far still hanging.

Our Lady of Fatima

2008-03-15T14:30:00.002Z

Over the last two weeks the Heralds of the Gospel have visited the parish to talk to some of our groups of young people. They brought with them a statue of Our Lady of Fatima, which had been crowned by the Pope. Br Aldo Leone explained what happened at Fatima, and encouraged the youngsters to pray to Mary to intercede for them. The rosary was prayed. The sessions ended with games for the younger groups, and a meal for the older ones.

An Introduction to St Thomas Aquinas

2008-03-03T11:01:00.001Z

On Sunday 3rd March, Fr Bruno Witchells spoke to Forum Christi on "An Introduction to St Thomas Aquinas". He gave us a brief summary of St Thomas's life, from his birth in 1224, through being educated by Benedictines, and later Dominicans (whom he joined, although with initial disapproval from his family), to his death aged 49 in 1274, and his later canonisation in 1323, and instituition as a Doctor of the Church. Fr Bruno explained that the part of St Thomas's life that made him a saint was his thought, which shows us something of the mind of Christ. He then took us through a number of parallels between St Thomas and Pope Benedict XVI. He recommended reading GK Chesterton's "The Dumb Ox" as a good introduction to St Thomas, and "Salt of the Earth" (Paul Seeward and Joseph Ratzinger) as an introduction to the theology of Joseph Ratzinger/Pope Benedict XVI.

Virtue and Vice

2008-02-25T13:00:00.000Z

On Sunday 3rd February Fr Marcus spoke to Forum Christi on the topic of 'The Seven Deadly Vices and their Antidotes'. He began with a descripton of the four cardinal virtues (fortitude, temperance, prudence and justice) and the three theological virtues (faith, hope and charity). The talk then moved on to the vices (pride, envy, anger, sloth, avarice, gluttony and lust), which were illustrated by both a picture by Hieronymous Bosch, and a box of chocolates. There was also audience participation, as we were asked to contribute examples of each of the vices in today's world. Fr Marcus left us with the comforting thought that even the saints struggled to achieve all the virtues in this world. After all, if you thought that you'd got there, that would be the vice of pride!

The Ultimate Catholic Quiz Over the past month

2008-02-25T12:59:00.000Z

Members of our Keep the Faith, Confirmation, Post-Confirmation and Faithform groups have been challenged with the Ultimate Catholic Quiz (prepared by Fr Marcus). They have had to identify events, people and places from pictures, work out the key phrases being defined, and then answer written questions. The results have shown that many of them have a good knowledge of their faith (although the majority did not recognise a picture of Westminster Cathedral). Could you write out the Creed, or the 20 mysteries of the Rosary, or the Ten Commandments in order?

Personhood and Personality

2008-01-28T10:36:00.001Z

On Sunday 27th January, Forum Christi welcomed back Victoria Newman Seed. Victoria spoke on the topic of 'Personhood and Personality: on the virtues of being oneself .' Many ethical and social issues today, for example abortion, euthanasia, embryonic stem cell research, but also education, and law and order, depend on the idea of what it is to be human, especially on what makes a "person" different from an animal. In particular in Catholic ethics the phrase "dignity of the human person" is often used. Victoria said that in the modern world, particularly in the media, the idea of "personhood" has been replaced with the idea of "personality". She gave us two key philosophical definitions of personhood - Aristotle described a person as a "rational animal", and Karol Wojtyla (later Pope John Paul II) in his book Love and Responsibility said, "A person is an entity of the sort to which the only proper and adequate way to relate is love." The evening finished with a prayer and then supper in the Nightingale.

Heralds of the Gospel in Balham

2008-01-21T11:18:00.000Z

On Sunday 20th January, Br Aldo Leone of the Heralds of the Gospel spoke to Forum Christi. The Heralds of the Gospel are a new community (they are not a religious order since they do not take vows) who gained official approval from Pope John Paul II in 2001. Their mother house is in Brazil, and they now have houses in almost 30 countries. For more information see their website http://www.heralds.ca/A key phrase that Br Aldo used in his talk was "Whatever God gave to the synagogue (in the Old Testament) he gave to the Catholic Church in higher degree". He specifically talked about prophets - we are familiar with the old testament prophets of Moses, Isaiah, etc. but generally don't think about there being prophets after the time of Jesus. However Br Aldo took us through a history of the Church, and showed that wherever there were problems in the world, God sent a new prophet through the founders of the religious orders: St Benedict founded the Benedictines, St Dominic founded the Fransiscans to combat the Albigensens, St Ignatius Loyola founded the Jesuits as a reaction to Protestantism, and in more recent times St Josemaria Escriva founded Opus Dei to show lay people that they too have a call to holiness. The Heralds of the Gospel are involved in evangelisation, particularly using the beauty of music and art as evangelisation tools. In London they have a statue of Our Lady of Fatima which they take into people's houses and this gives them a good opening to begin to talk about the Gospel.Br Aldo described the habit of the Heralds of the Gospel in great detail:

boots - a reminder of discipline and the orders of chivalry
brown scapula - reminder of the Carmelites
St James' cross - the apostle James was always enthusiastic and the cross reminds them that they should be enthusiastic in their work
the colours white, gold and red - these represent the purity of Mary, faith, and the blood of sacrifice
white tunic - from the work monks do
chain (instead of a belt) - they are slaves to Our Lady
Rosary beads
hood - when up this represents the isolation of prayer as we all need to spend time alone talking to Jesus
badge containing the three pillars of their spirituality - keys of St Peter (representing the Pope), Our Lady, and the Blessed Sacrament

Fr Andrew Pinsent on Nature and Supernature

2008-01-18T17:20:00.000Z

On Sunday 13th January Fr Andrew Pinsent from the diocese of Arundel and Brighton spoke to Forum Christi on the topic of "Nature and Supernature: Jesus Christ versus Friedrich Nietzsche and Clark Kent". He began by discussing how many aspects of the sacred in today's liturgy have become blurred with the secular - for example many churches no longer have a clearly defined altar area, and priests and religious do not always dress as such. Fr Andrew went on to give definitions of the "supernatural" as described both by Vatican I documents, and by St Thomas Aquinas. These definitions focussed on gifts given by God, rather than the popular ideas of the supernatural as seen in Buffy the vampire Slayer. He also showed us parallels between the natural life, and our supernatural life, for example natural birth has a parallel with baptism. The final part of the talk was about Nietzsche's ideas of an amoral world where there is no God, and any course of action can be justified. He linked Nietzsche's concept of an ubermensch (superman or superhuman) with the fictional superhero Superman (otherwise known as Clark Kent). It is now our job to go out into the world and regenerate the supernatural life to ensure that Nietzsche's ideal does not become a reality.

Priest in the Hot Seat

2008-01-12T11:49:00.001Z

On Friday 11th January the Keep the Faith groups met for their first session of 2008. The main activity was "priest in the hot seat" where the youngsters had the opportunity to ask, anonymously, any questions they wanted of Fr Marcus. Questions ranged from the deeply spiritual and moral "What happens after death?", "Is it OK for a woman to have an abortion if she has been raped?" and "Can we go to an Anglican church?" to the more mundane "Can a priest wear a tracksuit?", "Do you get bored?" and "Were you well behaved as a teenager?"Each group also had prayer time in the church, and there was time for lively games of football and dodgeball.

Catholic Social Teaching

2008-01-10T18:44:00.001Z

On Sunday 6th January, The Feast of the Epiphany, Dr Alan Fimister started off the new term for Forum Christi with a talk on 'How to Save the World' (or, as he explained in his talk, why this is not possible). He introduced us to the principles behind, and aspects of, Catholic Social Teaching, which Fr Marcus described as 'the Church's best kept secret'.Supper followed at a local restaurant - a change of venue being necessary as Fr Marcus was worried he'd get a bad reputation if he was seen in the Nightingale too many times over one weekend.

The picture above shows some of the participants at the Thomistic Philosophy Seminar held at the Holy Ghost parish over the weekend. Dr Alan Fimister is second from the right.

Archbishop Kevin at our Youth 2000 Retreat

2008-01-03T14:55:00.000Z

Over the New Year 350 young people gathered for a retreat at the Holy Ghost parish. The event was called 'Redemption Balham' and the theme of the gathering was 'God is rich in Mercy'. The three day retreat involved Mass every day, perpetual adoration, many opportunites for confession, talks and workshops, a chance to meet new friends and time to celebrate the coming of 2008 AD. Thanks to all the parishioners who helped to make this event possible, especially to Maxine for her superb catering and organisation.

On Sunday Archbishop Kevin presided at Mass and gave the homily on the Feast of the Holy Family at the Holy Ghost Church, Balham during the Youth 2000 gathering. At the end of the Mass he presented four people from Youth 2000 with their Maryvale Diplomas.

Here is the text of his homily (taken from the Southwark Archdiocesan web-site):

We gather together this morning in the season of Christmas and the feast of the Holy Family is very much part of this season. It enables us to continue to ponder the mystery of Christmas and learn the lessons that this season has to teach us.

One of the most significant aspects of the Christian mystery is the relationship between the birth of Christ and peace in the world. It is clearly expressed in the song of the angels which has become part of the liturgy of the Church: “Glory to God in the highest and peace to his people on earth.” The realities of violence and war come into sharper focus when seen in the light of Christ, the saviour of the world, a child bearing the promise of peace among all peoples. The Pope’s message for the World Day of Peace is entitled, “The human family, a community of peace.” And he argues very strongly that the family is the primary source of peace in the world and that attacks on family life undermine peace in our society and our world. It’s a profound and crucial point that we would do well to ponder.

The question of the family recurs frequently in public discourse, usually in relation to problems of young people: drugs, teenage pregnancies or gun crime, and we hear calls from political leaders for the strengthening of the family life. But there is great diffidence, especially in British society about being too specific and clear about what family life is - what it means and what it costs. To understand family life we can’t simply look at present practice and the present reality. That needs to be challenged - we need to be engaged by the call to go beyond present reality to something greater and deeper, to the truth about marriage and family life. That truth is recalled for us in the scriptures, especially the readings for today’s feast and also in the teaching and tradition of the Church that has developed from the scriptural witness.

Our first reading gives practical instruction on relations within the family which are as directly relevant today as when they were first written. They are about how we treat elderly parents, about patience, about acceptance about concern. This year there have been disturbing reports about neglect and abuse of the elderly in institutions and, indeed, in the home – a development that is all the more disturbing with an increasingly elderly population. It puts before us the responsibilities of care for people with disabilities, whether age-related or not and reminds us that everyone matters, everyone’s life merits respect, everyone’s life is of value and is worth living. All of us are created in Christ, the child born in the manger, the one in whom all things are created and sustained in being.

Also in a very practical way the second reading details the kinds of attitudes that are necessary to support and sustain family life; compassion, humility, patience, forgiveness; obedience to parents by children and respect for children by parents.

Teaching about the family is at the heart of the Church’s message because the family lies at the heart of human life. We see it as central to God’s purpose for the flourishing of human life - a life-long bond between a man and a woman that is generously open to new life, open to children not as a choice or right but as a gift: a relationship that is faithful and exclusive and provides the basic structure and security in which young people can mature and develop. And it is this truth about our human reality that is under that is under attack by legislation such as the Human Fertilization and Embryology Bill which attacks the human reality of marriage and is also likely to be used to give less protection to the life of the unborn. The important thing is that these developments represent not only a moral crisis but a threat to social cohesion and to peace in the world.

In his Peace message Pope Benedict says, “The denial or even restriction of the rights of the family, by obscuring the truth about man, threatens the very foundation of peace.”

Let us learn the lessons taught by the Holy Family of Nazareth: let us pray for a rediscovery of the truth of family life so that the stability of our local communities may grow stronger and that this will lay firm foundations for peace in the world.

And finally I would relate these reflections to the theme of the weekend “God who is rich in mercy". One of the things that is little understood in our society is forgiveness. Sometimes I feel we live in a society that permits everything and forgives nothing. God calls us to great things: he asks a lot of us, but he is boundless in his mercy, and the possibility of a new start or new beginning is always there for us. Our world needs a new start devastated as it is by war, conflict and injustice. All we can do is make our own contribution by living in the integrity that God calls and enables us to live in. Let us be open and receptive to his mercy and to the unique contribution that each of us is called to make to goodness, to justice and to peace in the world.

Advent Carols

2007-12-20T12:37:00.000Z

The Christmas Fayre

2007-12-20T12:32:00.001Z

The Community of St John

2007-12-20T12:23:00.000Z

On Sunday 16th December, Brother Daniel from the Community of St John (www.stjean.com) talked to Forum Christi about the subject of Joy. He discussed the concept of virtue, and the difference between moral and spiritual virtues, as well as the fruits of the spiritual virtues, including joy. Roberto taught us the Joy song (to the tune of Jingle Bells) "J.O.Y., J.O.Y., J.O.Y. we sing, Jesus first, Yourself last, Others in between."After the talk there was time for socialising at the end of term party. Forum Christi begins again in January.

The brothers of St John had been in the parish throughout the weekend. They had spoken to our Keep the Faith groups (11-13 year olds) and had led a intense retreat on Philosophy and Christ called 'Full Flight'. More than 30 young adults took part in this event.

Forum Christi on the C.A.S.E.

2007-12-12T11:08:00.001Z

On Sunday 9th December Emily Davis (from the Catholic Agency for the Support of Evangelisation, CASE) spoke to the group about 'Living Faith' - A response to JPII's statement that a natural consequence of a real encounter with Christ is a desire to share him with others. She explained that there were three parts to evangelisation - living the faith, sharing your faith with others, and a chance to respond. She asked us to think about and share recent experiences of having been evangelised ourselves (easy for those of us who'd heard Kenny Thomas), and we also spoke about practical ways of sharing our faith with others.

Pop star pops into the parish

2007-12-12T11:01:00.000Z

On Friday 7th December the pop singer Kenny Thomas visited the parish to speak to the Post-Confirmation and Faithform groups. Kenny had a string of hits in the early 1990s, and appeared on Top of the Pops nine times, and also made appearances on Wogan and The Big Breakfast. He was last seen on television on the ITV series Hit Me Baby One More Time a couple of years ago. (See www.kennythomasmusic.co.uk)Kenny talked to the groups about his life growing up on a council estate in Hackney, and about how his Catholic faith developed as a teenager, particularly after meeting some young Jehovah's Witnesses on holiday and becoming interested in finding out what "The Truth" was. He related stories about how there were times when he was performing on television, or shooting pop videos, when he had to stop and stand up for his faith, even though others may have considered him weird for doing so. He explained how important it is for all of us to do this, whatever career we may end up in. Kenny also discussed the importance of prayer, and particularly the Rosary, in his life. He helped lead a time of prayer in church, and there were also opportunities for confession, which is an important part of our Advent preparations.

The Spirit of Advent

2007-12-03T10:46:00.000Z

On Sunday 2nd December Forum Christi celebrated the start of the new liturgical year with a talk on "The Spirit of Advent" by Fr Richard Whinder. He took us through general principles of how we should use Advent in a similar way to Lent - as time for spiritual preparation for the coming of Christ. He also talked about the readings used on the four Sundays of Advent, with the first two weeks focussing on the second coming of Christ, and then the last two weeks thinking more about his first coming as a baby. We finished the evening by praying a decade of the Rosary, and then went to the Nightingale to carry on the discussion.

SPUC at Forum Christi

2007-12-03T10:45:00.000Z

On Sunday 25th November Anthony Ozimic, Political Officer for the Society for the Protection of Unborn children, spoke to Forum Christi on "Unborn children in danger: what you need to know about the Human Tissue and Embryos Bill". He told us about the major points of the Bill, in particular about potential changes being made to the rules for providing IVF, and the potential for creating animal-human hybrid embryos. For more information see www.spuc.org.uk

Interactive Advent Devotions

2007-12-01T09:39:00.000Z

For an interactive Advent Calendar that opens up the wonders of preparing for Christmas just follow this link.

Servers' Winter Trip

2007-11-28T10:52:00.000Z

This year our servers' trip was to the Brompton Oratory. We had Mass in the Little Oratory and then splitting into three groups there were tours of the sacristy, the side chapels, the nave and main altar. After lunch we went to see the new 3D IMAX film called 'Sea Monsters'. Many thanks to the Oratorian fathers for their hospitality, to Amanda Siravo for organising and sponsoring the trip and to Lu Slezak for his invaluable help in leading the servers.

Ten-Pin bowling

2007-11-28T10:48:00.000Z

On Friday 23rd November a number of the youth groups enjoyed an evening ten-pin bowling in Raynes Park. The Keep the Faith I group (Year 7) played first, and Jared was among the highest scorers. Anya achieved a respectable score on her bowling debut. Then it was the turn of the Keep the Faith II, Post-Confirmation and Faithform groups. Competition at times was very fierce! In the adult competion, Fr Marcus's legendary bowling prowess proved to be merely a myth, as he was soundly beaten twice by Clare.

Forum Christi at Royal Albert Hall

2007-11-19T10:40:00.000Z

On Sunday 18th November Forum Christi went to see Edward Elgar's "The Dream of Gerontius" at the Royal Albert Hall. After a worrying few minutes when we wondered if Sr Chiara would ever find a parking space within walking distance of the Hall, we eventually arrived with only a few minutes to curtain up. Elgar's setting of Cardinal Newman's poem was performed by soloists Ann Murray (Mezzo-Soprano), Andrew Kennedy (Tenor) and Matthew Best (Bass-Baritone) with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and a chorus of around 400 singers from Goldsmiths Choral Union, Guildford Choral Society and City of London choir. All three choirs are amateur, and the performance was absolutely superb. We had seats in the arena, and so had an excellent view of the orchestra and singers, as well as being able to appreciate the wonderful music and beautiful words. Father Marcus described how he found the first half, in particular, very moving. We were also pleased to gain a mention in the programme!
After the performance some of us went out for a meal at a Pizzeria close to South Kensington. After checking carefully for Irish Wolfhounds (see previous post) we carried on our discussions about the performance we had seen. Fr Marcus also regaled us with stories about his time in Rome, brought on no doubt by the excellent Italian food we were eating. All who attended enjoyed the evening, and we look forward to the next Forum Christi trip...

Newman, Elgar and the Dream of Gerontius

2007-11-13T16:25:00.000Z

On Sunday 11th November Fr Marcus spoke to Forum Christi about "Newman, Elgar and the Dream of Gerontius". We had an introduction to the lives of Newman and Elgar, and then learned about the oratorio "The Dream of Gerontius". We listened to some of the music, and discussed the Catholic theology of the words. This should aid our appreciation of the piece when we attend the performance next week at the Royal Albert Hall.
The evening ended with a meal at the Nightingale - John Pontifex almost made a dog's dinner out of it. Whilst we were saying grace an Irish Wolfhound decided to join us and almost made a premature start on the bangers and mash! Who said animals don't respond to prayer!?

Keep the Faith with the Franciscans of the Renewal

2007-11-13T16:23:00.000Z

On Friday 9th November two of the Fransiscan Friars of the Renewal came to the parish to talk to the Keep the Faith groups. Br John Bosco spoke about the life of St Francis, and Br Dominic talked about his own life, and how he came to join the Friars. They also led the groups in their evening prayers and helped teach them some Taize music. As well as the talk there was time for games, including the opportunity to turn a friar (or Fr Marcus) into a mummy.

All Hallows Eve Party

2007-11-05T12:03:00.001Z

On Wednesday night we hosted our annual 'All Saints Party' in the Holy Ghost School Hall. 35 children and young people came dressed as their favourite saints. Each had to explain to St Don Bosco (Fr Marcus in costume!) why they were in heaven. There was a great feast, many games and much much fun!

Rome Trip

2007-11-05T11:45:00.000Z

Above are some photos from our servers' trip to Rome. We had an exciting time with visits to the St Mary Major, St John Lateran, the Coleseum, the Catacombs, Piazza Navona and much more. We celebrated Mass in St Peter's and had an audience with Pope Benedict XVI.

Joanna Bogle @ Forum Christi

2007-10-10T13:07:00.000Z

On Sunday 30th September, Forum Christi began again for its third year. Joanna Bogle spoke about "The Pope Benedict Code". She spoke about the foundation of the papcy, and then gave us an introduction to the life of Benedict XIV (Joseph Ratzinger). Her talk was full of humourous anecdotes and personal insights. (See joannabogle.blogspot.com) The evening concluded with Theology on Tap at the Nightingale.

John Pontifex ran a half-marathon for Aid to the Church in Need on Sunday 30th September. He was supposed to be taking part in the Windsor half-marathon, and when this was cancelled due to foot-and-mouth, he decided to run the distance around Wandsworth Common. He has so far raised nearly £3000. To give a donation see John's fundraising page (www.justgiving.com/johnpontifex).

Persecuted Chaldeans

2007-06-20T07:20:00.000Z

We were all shocked recently at the brutal murder of a Chaldean Rite Catholic priest and three deacons in Iraq. Christianity, of course, is a much older religion in Iraq than Islam but sadly, since Mr Blair's 'liberation', the slaughter of Christians in cold blood is now a daily occurrence. It suits our Government to suppress publicity of these ongoing atrocities.
For more information about what's really happening follow this link to Fr Tim Finigan's Hermeneutic of Continuity blog.

Catholics and Communion

2007-06-16T10:18:00.000Z

This weekend over sixty children in our parish will receive Jesus for the first time in Holy Communion. Recently there has been controversy over the fact that Catholic politicians who vote to kill unborn children or allow scientific experiments to be carried out on them cannot receive Communion.
Here's an interesting interview on the subject with Cardinal Pell:

Cardinal Pell Explains Role of Church and Faith in Public Life
Sydney, Jun 13, 2007 (CNA).- Catholic bishops have the right and the duty to point out Catholic teaching to the public and to remind politicians, especially Catholics, “that public acts usually bring public consequences,” said Cardinal George Pell of Sydney in The Sunday Telegraph.
The cardinal issued his response after an investigation was launched into the views of Archbishop Barry Hickey of Perth by the W.A. state parliamentary privileges committee for investigation. The case was referred by the speaker Fred Riebeling, who sees the possible application of Catholic discipline as a “threat”.
“Some seemed to suggest that while a football club, a political party or a business certainly could in some circumstances sack or exclude a member or employee, it was totally out of order to suggest a Christian Church might even consider a similar possibility,” said the cardinal.
“A few intolerant politicians want to ban religious argument in public life, so that the only permissible reasoning will be irreligious or anti-religious,” he observed.
The cardinal said the debate also raised questions about what it means to be a Catholic.
“A Catholic is someone who believes Christ is Son of God, accepts His teachings and lives a life of worship, service and duty in the Catholic community,” he explained. “Catholics are not created by the accident of birth to remain only because their tribe has an interesting history.”
“All Catholics who continue to reject important Catholic teachings, even in areas such as sexuality, family, marriage, abortion, euthanasia, cloning where “liberals” claim the primacy of conscience rules, should expect to be confronted, gently and consistently, rather than comforted and encouraged in their wrongdoing,” he continued.
The cardinal concluded by saying that every Catholic politician who voted recently in favor of the cloning bill “should think twice and examine his or her conscience before next receiving Communion.”

Pope Encourages Eucharistic Adoration

2007-06-12T07:50:00.001Z

On Sunday the Holy Father spoke about the importance of devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. This is what he said:

Dear Brothers and Sisters!Today’s solemnity of Corpus Domini, which in the Vatican and other nations was already celebrated this past Thursday, invites us to contemplate the great mystery of our faith: the most holy Eucharist, the real presence of the Lord Jesus Christ in the sacrament of the altar. Every time that the priest renews the Eucharistic sacrifice, in the prayer of consecration he repeats: "This is my body … this is my blood." He does this giving his voice, his hands, and his heart to Christ, who wanted to remain with us as the beating heart of the Church. But even after the celebration of the divine mysteries, the Lord Jesus remains living in the tabernacle; because of this he is praised, especially by Eucharistic adoration, as I wished to recall in the recent postsynodal apostolic exhortation, "Sacramentum Caritatis" (cf. Nos. 66-69).
Indeed, there is an intrinsic connection between celebration and adoration. The holy Mass, in fact, is in itself the Church's greatest act of adoration: "No one eats this food," St. Augustine writes, "if he has not first worshipped it" (Commentary on Psalm 98:9; CCL XXXIX, 1385). Adoration outside holy Mass prolongs and intensifies what happened in the liturgical celebration and renders a true and profound reception of Christ possible.Today, then, in all Christian communities, there is the Eucharistic procession, a singular form of public adoration of the Eucharist, enriched by beautiful and traditional manifestations of popular devotion. I would like to take the opportunity that today's solemnity offers me to strongly recommend to pastors and all the faithful the practice of Eucharistic adoration. I express my appreciation to the institutes of consecrated life, as also to the associations and confraternities that dedicate themselves to this practice in a special way. They offer to all a reminder of the centrality of Christ in our personal and ecclesial life. I am happy to testify that many young people are discovering the beauty of adoration, whether personal or in community. I invite priests to encourage youth groups in this, but also to accompany them to ensure that the forms of adoration are appropriate and dignified, with sufficient times for silence and listening to the word of God. In life today, which is often noisy and scattered, it is more important than ever to recover the capacity for interior silen ce and recollection: Eucharistic adoration permits one to do this not only within one's "I" but rather in the company of that "You" full of love who is Jesus Christ, "the God who is near us."May the Virgin Mary, Eucharistic Woman, lead us into the secret of true adoration. Her heart, humble and silent, was always recollected around the mystery of Jesus, in whom she worshipped the presence of God and his redemptive love. By her intercession may there grow faith in the Eucharistic mystery, the joy of participating at holy Mass, especially on Sunday, and the desire to bear witness to the immense charity of Christ.

John Pontifex on persecuted Christians

2007-06-11T17:43:00.000Z

On Sunday 10th June, John Pontifex from Aid to the Church in Need spoke to Forum Christi. He highlighted the challenges facing the Christian church in Ethiopia and Eritrea, which he had visited in February and March. The bishops in these countries find it difficult to publicise their situation, for fear of reprisal from their governments. John showed us photographs of churches that ACN had helped build. For more details of the work ACN does, look on their website www.acn.org.uk After the talk there was an opportunity to buy some of ACN's publications. The evening ended with a decade of the rosary and was followed by Theology on Tap at the Nightingale.

The Charities Act 2006

2007-06-06T07:42:00.000Z

The Charities Act 2006 removed the legal presumption that charities established for the advancement of religion have purposes that are for the public benefit. 'Public benefit' is not defined in the Charities Act 2006 and it has specifically been left to the Charity Commission to consult on the matter. Christian charities will now have to prove their 'public benefit' to the Charity Commission. It is of concern that the Charity Commission has said it will interpret 'public benefit' in the light of 'modern conditions' and what this could mean for Christian charities that exist for evangelism or which promote traditional Christian teaching on family and life issues.
The Lawyers' Christian Fellowship has submitted a response which is well-worth reading. You can access it by clickinghttp://www.christianconcernforournation.co.uk/Latest/docs/Charities.pdf

Priest and three deacons killed in Iraq

2007-06-05T08:11:00.000Z

Please pray for the repose of the souls of a priest and three deacons murdered in Iraq on Sunday. Christians are suffering a bitter persecution in Iraq. We can learn a lot from their heroism. This is the report published in today's Zenit:

Benedict XVI Mourns Clerics Slain in Iraq
Chaldean Patriarch Denounces "Shameful Crime"
VATICAN CITY, JUNE 4, 2007 (Zenit.org).

Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone sent a telegram of condolence in Benedict XVI's name, remembering the priest and three deacons murdered Sunday in Iraq. The priest was killed in front of the Church of the Holy Spirit after saying Sunday Mass. According to Reuters, police said that gunmen stopped the priest's car, dragged him and the deacons out and shot them.
Iraqi sources said militants related to al-Qaida are responsible for the increasing persecution of Christians in Mosul. The papal telegram was sent to Chaldean Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho of Mosul.
The telegram said: "The Holy Father was deeply saddened to learn of the senseless killing of Father Ragheed Aziz Ganni and subdeacons Basman Yousef Daoud, Ghasan Bidawid and Wadid Hanna, and he asks you kindly to convey to their families his heartfelt condolences." It continued: "He willingly joins the Christian community in Mosul in commending their souls to the infinite mercy of God, our loving Father, and in giving thanks for their selfless witness to the Gospel. "At the same time he prays that their costly sacrifice will inspire in the hearts of all men and women of good will a renewed resolve to reject the ways of hatred and violence, to conquer evil with good and to cooperate in hastening the dawn of reconciliation, justice and peace in Iraq." The telegram concluded: "To the families and to all who mourn their dead in faith and in the hope which draws its certainty from the resurrection, His Holiness cordially imparts his apostolic blessing as a pledge of consolation and strength in the Lord."

Meanwhile, the Chaldean patriarch of Babylon, Emmanuel III Delly, published a declaration regarding the killings. "With hearts full of bitterness the patriarch of Babylon for the Chaldeans, His Beatitude Mar Emmanuel III Delly, and all the Chaldean bishops raise a disdainful protest and denounce the martyrdom" of the four clerics, the declaration said. It continued: "This is a shameful crime that any person of conscience rejects. Those who committed it did a horrendous thing against God and humanity, against their brothers who were faithful and peaceful citizens besides being men of religion who always offered their prayers and their supplications up to Almighty God that he would bring peace, security, and stability to all of Iraq."
The note said that the Chaldean bishops of Iraq, who are meeting in a synod in al Qosh, offered their condolences and prayers. "The bishops ask everyone for unity and solidarity in these difficult moments, and on this sad occasion, they repeat what they have already declared before about the persecution of Iraqi Christians, their forced emigration, and their being pushed to deny their faith," the declaration concluded. "They ask the Iraqi leaders and the international organizations to intervene and take the necessary steps to put an end to these criminal acts."

Confirmations

2007-06-04T22:29:00.001Z

On Monday night eleven young adults were confirmed by Bishop Paul Hendricks. The reception of the sacrament was the culmination of nine months of solid preparation.

Weekly catechesis focused on key apologetic questions that todays youngsters face, pressing moral challenges (particularly in the protection of human life and personal chastity), and the meaning of a personal spiritual life. Each candidate made a plan of life by which they committed themsevles to personal prayer, weekly mass (sometimes daily), confession (at least monthly) and specific daily/weekly sacrifices. After each class there was time for prayer (usually the rosary) and confessions. In May the group made a Marian pilgrimage to the shrine of Our Lady of Consolation, West Grinstead. It was therefore with great joy that the parish witnessed their reception of the Holy Spirit in the sacrament. Many thanks to the catechists who prepared them and to their families who have helped to bring them to this stage of their life of faith. Next year we hope to run a post-confirmation group to build on the work already achieved.

The young candidates were joined by Karin Snelson, an adult candidate, who also received confirmation. Congratulations! The parish is very grateful to Bishop Paul Hendricks for his visit, for conferring confirmation and for presiding at the Mass.

Congratulations James & Louise

2007-06-02T16:27:00.000Z

Congratulations to James and Louise who were married in the Church today. Louise's parents were also married at the Holy Ghost. Until today Louise has lived with her parents in St Bede's, Clapham Park, my first parish. It was nice to see lots of my former parishioners at the wedding this afternoon.

They make a great couple and we keep them in our prayers.

Next Weekend

2007-06-02T16:26:00.000Z

If you're in London this week do try to take part in some of the events being organised by Spirit in the City. Click on the link to see the details. Spirit in the City is a festival of Christian Faith in the heart of London. It involves times of prayer and praise in the West End Churches and also an exciting street programme to celebrate, reach out and give witness.

During the day on Saturday don't miss the Christian Festival in Leicester Square and in the evening wander over the Soho Square where, after the evening Mass and Adoration in St Patrick's there will be a concert of Gospel music from 8pm until 9pm with street evangelisation. The evening will conclude with a candlelit procession to the Church.

For more information contact Anne Marie.

Vocations Day at the Holy Ghost

2007-06-01T08:21:00.000Z

Last week we had a vocations day at our parish primary school. Building on the work of Fr Marcus there were special presentations to years five and six. Fr Stephen took two morning classes on priesthood and Sr Jacinthe OP took two classes on religious life. We then spent the lunch break in the playground meeting as many children as possible. The day went extremely well and as usual there were lots of intelligent questions from the children.

Looking after schools can be a major part of a priest's life. Eleven years ago our parish school was deemed by Ofsted to have 'serious weaknesses'. Now, after a lot of work, it is a fantastic school where each child has an opportunity to flourish. It has certainly been well worth the effort. We are blessed to have an outstanding headteacher and a commited staff as well as a dedicated and hardworking Governing Body.

Together for Europe

2007-05-23T07:29:00.000Z

Maureen Liddy, one of our parishioners, attended the international gathering of Christians organised in Stuttgart recently by the Focolare Movement. This is her report:

This remarkable gathering of more than 9,000 people representing 240 Christian Movements and Communities from all over Europe took place in Stuttgart, Germany on Saturday 12th May. Many Church Leaders and politicians were also present, while others sent very positive messages of support.

The initiative for such a gathering originated in 1998 when Pope John Paul invited the leaders and representatives of the European Movements to meet with him at Pentecost in Rome. There was a huge response and thousands thronged St Peter's Square in a spirit of joyful hope and enthusiasm to celebrate the diverse charisms which the Holy Spirit has bestowed upon the Church. During this historic event the Holy Father expressed his desire that the Movements would continue to build a network of relationships with each other and collaborate with their distinctive gifts to be a Christian witness throughout Europe. There was an immediate response to this request and a current of communion began which led to the first " Together for Europe " event in 2004 where 180 Movements were represented in Stuttgart. A joint declaration was made there, promising to work together with all people of goodwill to build true brotherhood in Europe.

This year's event showed the growth and development of the Movements and their influence on society, particularly in the areas of the Family, Work and Economy, The Poor and Underprivileged, Peace and Justice and the City. Many positive experiences were given to illustrate how the Gospel is the basis of bringing peace and fraternity in every situation. One couple shared a very moving experience of trying to build bridges between the divided communities in their town in Nothern Ireland despite immense difficulties and disapproval from both sides. Their faith in the Gospel message of love for every neighbour sustained them.

His Holiness, Pope Benedict XV1 sent his special blessing in a message which was read by Cardinal Bertone. In it the Holy Father quoted Pope John Paul saying his words were more relevant than ever; " I would like to mention in a particular way the loss of Europe's Christian memory and heritage, accompanied by a kind of practical agnosticism and religious indifference, whereby many Europeans give the impression of living without spiritual roots and somewhat like heirs who have squandered a patrimony entrusted to them by history ". Cardinal Bertone continued, " The Holy Father hopes that the meeting may strengthen the desire for communion which animates lay Movements and Communities of the different Churches; that it may contribute to overcoming prejudices, nationalism and historical barriers, and may urge people to work so that the spiritual dimension may not weaken in the Europe of post - modern times. "

Cardinal Walter Kasper, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, spoke of his joy in seeing the Churches of Europe growing closer together with new attitudes of sharing in a spirit of communion. He said the Gospel gives us the hope and energy to build peace and solidarity in Europe, then to look beyond to the needs of the world , especially Africa.

Bartolomaios, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, said: "The secularized man of our time suffers simultaneously from material saturation and spiritual impoverishment ". He urged all Christians to build a personal relationship with God so we can overcome divisions and see everyone as brothers and sisters: "Let us look for our original Christian roots , so that an inspired desire becomes tangible reality ".

The Catholic Patriarch from Armenia said that this coming togetherof Christians has been initiated by the Holy Spirit ..."in order to give Europe a new heart according to the plan of God, a renewed soul to unify the peoples of Europe in the Spirit of the Gospel ....they will discover every day new ways , new "formulae " which will diminish the significant differences and increase the number of unifying values... The Holy Spirit astonishes us with his initiatives which generate light, joy and peace. "

Messages of encouragement and blessing were also given by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams; Cardinal Peter Erdo, Archbishop of Budapest and President of the European Bishops Conference; Cardinal Vlk of Prague ; Cardinal Karl Lehmann, President of the Catholic Bishops Conference in Germany; Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia, General Secretary of the World Council of Churches; Pastor Thomas Wipf, President of the Community of Protestant Churches in Europe: Johannes Friedrich, Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, and many others. The many politicians who supported the day included Jose Barroso , President of the European Commission, Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany, Mary McAleese, President of Ireland, and Bertie Ahern, the Irish Prime Minister. Romano Prodi, the Italian President, spoke of the challenges facing Europe in the Middle East and Africa which give us a great impetus to grow together to bring unity, fraternity, reconciliation and peace.

The vibrant joy of being part of this collaboration and enrichment gave the participants a new determination to live the Gospel together - " for the glory of God and the good and blessing of all humanity ". However, this was not just an emotional or superficial feeling , for a leitmotiv running throughout the day was a profound sense that the sufferings of Europe's past history and the experience of the present "dark night " can be resolved only through our love for Jesus, Crucifed and Forsaken.
In the final talk Chiara Lubich, foundress of the Focolare Movement, reminded us that it is Jesus Forsaken who is present in every division and suffering of society, and with Him we can overcome them: "This gives birth to and spreads in the world what we could call the 'Culture of the Resurrection' ... Jesus Forsaken, the modern day Crucifix , radiates the light of the Risen Lord and makes us generous in sharing His gifts... we want to give priorty to loving and following our mode: Christ Crucified and Forsaken. In this way, we will be able to take upon ourselves the cry of today's humanity, and through His 'cry' which redeemed everything, build around us that human family for which the world is yearning".

Evangelisation

2007-05-22T21:57:00.000Z

On Sunday 20th May, Brother Martin from the Fransiscan Friars of the Renewal spoke to Forum Christi on the topic of evangelisation. He gave us a number of examples from his personal experience of speaking to people about Jesus and said that the key things to remember when evangelising were: - Have confidence and trust in the truth of the Gospels - Use personal testimony - even if you think your life has been boring. Perhaps the fact that you play football will be enough to engage you in a conversation with a stranger that eventually leads you to talk about Jesus with them - Pray that God will put you in the situation where you can evangelise and make a difference to someone's life Brother Martin left us with a challenge: he gave us all a miraculous medal at the end of the talk, and asked us to pass it on before we got home. The evening ended with a decade of the rosary, and Theology on Tap at the Nightingale - where at least 3 miraculous medals were passed on.

Trip to Our Lady of Consolation and Chessington

2007-05-22T20:36:00.000Z

On Saturday 19th May a group of 40 youngsters from the altar servers, Keep the Faith and Confirmation groups went on a trip to the Shrine of Our Lady of Consolation at West Grinstead. After watching the new film "The Nativity Story" during the coach journey, we had refreshments on our arrival at the shrine. We then said the rosary outside on the rosary walk, and had Mass where Fr David Goddard told us about the history of the shrine and about the secret chapel, where Mass was said during the reformation. He was very impressed with the prayerfullness of all the children during Mass. After this it was time for lunch and an opportunity for football and piggy-back races, whilst small groups were able to visit the secret chapel and see the relics of Blessed Francis Bell.

After lunch we left the shrine en route to Chessington World of Adventures. There we faced the challenges of surviving the Vampire ride, Dragon rollercoaster, Pirate Ship, Dragon Falls, Rameses Revenge etc. And we even got Fr Marcus on some of the rides! All the group enjoyed the day and we say a special thank you to Fr Marcus for organising the trip, and to the other adults who came along to help.

A Day with Mary

2007-05-14T13:09:00.000Z

On Saturday 12th May, the Holy Ghost parish hosted 'A Day with Mary'. The Franciscan Friars of Mary Immaculate and about 400 others enjoyed a traditional day of Marian devotions. There was even an impressive procession of the statue of Our Lady of Fatima around Nightingale Square. With so many prayers, hours of adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, inspiring sermons and hundreds of confessions, this day has surely brought many blessings to our parish. Our gratitude to all those who made it happen.

Forum Christi explores Ecclesiology

2007-05-14T13:02:00.000Z

On Sunday 13th May Fr Marcus spoke to the Forum Christi group, giving an introduction to Ecclesiology (the study of the Church). The talk focused on the questions "What is the Church?" and "Where is the Church?" In answer to the former question, Fr Marcus explained that the Church was not just a beautiful building at the bottom of Nightingale Square, or even merely the group of people who attend Mass there but that "the Church is the mystical body of Christ, the faithful united in the true worship of God". He also talked about the Church being on Earth, in purgatory and in heaven. The evening concluded with a decade of the rosary and Theology on Tap.

Stepping out for the Church in Need - London youngsters raise more than £2,500 for Christians in Burma

2007-05-14T12:56:00.000Z

YOUNGSTERS from south London have put their best foot forward to raise money for fellow Catholics denied the freedoms we so often take for granted.
The 17 young people aged 12 and upwards walked nine miles to raise money to enable poverty-stricken Christians in Burma (Myanmar) to build a chapel in a village high up in the mountains.
The group from the Holy Ghost Catholic Church, Balham, have now collected more than £2,500, a significant contribution towards building the chapel in a remote village 130 miles from the Myanmar capital, Yangon (Rangoon).
Established only 10 years ago after a neighbouring village became overcrowded, the new community has had no permanent chapel – until now.
So determined were the 100 or so faithful to create a place of worship, they have constructed a temporary chapel made out of bamboo.
In response to their pleas for a permanent structure, their parish priest has appealed for help and Aid to the Church in Need, the charity for persecuted and poverty-stricken Christians, has offered the necessary assistance.
Christians in Burma are subject to institutionalised discrimination – and sometimes outright persecution.
Even Buddhists – who make up more than 70 percent of the population – are held in suspicion by the military regime, and for minorities such as Catholics, there are strict restrictions on construction of churches and evangelisation work.
Problems for Christians are compounded by the fact that so many of them belong to the ethnic groups responsible for insurrections against the government.
The plight of Myanmar’s Christians touched Father Marcus Holden, assistant priest of Holy Ghost Church, Balham, who organised the walk.
The route they followed from Holy Ghost Church, in Nightingale Square, led them to London’s Marble Arch – Tyburn – the site where many Catholics were martyred during the Penal times in the 16th and 17th centuries.
Fr Marcus described how he and the youngsters completed the walk with a Mass he celebrated at Tyburn Convent, which was established as a shrine in memory of the martyrs.
He said: “The link with Tyburn was very significant. It was fitting that our destination for this sponsored walk for persecuted Christians should end there.
“The walk also provided us with the opportunity to talk about our faith in a very natural way and to have fun together. It was an experience of faith and charity that they will never forget.” By John Pontifex

Every Child is a Blessing

2007-05-14T09:06:00.000Z

In our parish we are blessed with very many births each year - as anyone who has attended the 10am Mass on Sunday morning will have experienced for themselves! Sometimes, sadly, the great joy of parents expecting a new addition to their family can be turned to distress and heartache when they hear that there is a possibility their baby may be unwell. Often great pressure is put upon them to terminate the pregnancy at an early stage even though, as many of our brave parents have discovered the prognosis itself lacks accuracy. We have many healthy children in the parish whose parents were recommended a termination because their child was diagnosed as having Downs Syndrome or some other disorder.
Not every diagnosis however is so shaky and sometimes the child is indeed unwell. The pressure put on parents to end the life of that child can be unbearable. One mother in our parish was accused of being `cruel´ because she refused to agree to an abortion. It is not unusual for parents to be told that the baby will live for such a short time that 'it´s not worth' continuing the pregnancy. I'm grateful to Fr Tim Finigan for drawing my attention to this short video:

Fr Angelus at Forum Christi

2007-05-08T11:50:00.001Z

This week Fr Angelus from the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal spoke to Forum Christi about the spirituality of St Therese of Lisieux ("The Little Way").
He told us that St Therese said that she "always had the desire to be a Saint" but found a great gulf between her life and those of the Saints she had read about. So she began to make small sacrifices and acts of charity for the love of Jesus.
This is something we can do in our lives - for example instead of avoiding those people who annoy us we should make a special effort to see them and do something nice for them, even simply giving them a smile, and do this for God.

Sex Education

2007-05-01T20:12:00.000Z

Recently the press has given a lot of coverage to some research that purports to show that abstinence programmes in schools don't reduce teenage pregnancies. The research itself is open to question but what's really interesting is what isn't mentioned. If abstinence programmes don't work then they are on a par with sex-ed programmes which don't work either - but are very lucrative for those behind them.
For a thoughtful reflection take a look at this article.

The Dawkins Delusion

2007-04-30T09:39:00.000Z

Fr Philip Miller spoke to the 18-30 group, Forum Christi, last night on "The Dawkins Delusion". The talk was a critique of Richard Dawkins' recent book "The God Delusion", where Dawkins argues against the concept of God, and religion. Fr Philip is well placed to speak on this topic having himself a science background - he studied physics at Cambridge, and then completed a doctorate in astronomy (not, as Fr Marcus stated, astrology!).
The talk began with a list of the points where we could agree with Dawkins, for example disagreeing with fundamentalism and a literal interpretation of scripture (rather than an interpretation, in context, by the faith community). This was followed by a discussion of areas where we would disagree with the book, for example Dawkins alleges that faith is blind following without, or even against, evidence and without the need for thought.
The talk was followed by lively discussion, and the evening ended with a decade of the rosary and Theology on Tap at the Nightingale.

Policies make life hard for families

2007-04-03T11:09:00.000Z

Zenit, the news service from Rome, carries an article on how families can be put at a financial disadvantage by Government policies. It will be interesting to see whether any political party comes up with concrete proposals to alleviate the discrimination against families. This is the first part of the article:

Marriage and family life in Britain have declined dramatically in recent years and one of the causes is government policy. This is the thesis of Patricia Morgan, in a policy brief entitled: "The War between the State and the Family: How Government Divides and Impoverishes." The study is published by the London-based Institute of Economic Affairs. The number of marriages has fallen notably, while the age at which couples marry has risen and the proportion of births out of wedlock has rocketed from 8% in 1970 to 42%. It is true, Morgan admits, that around one in four women with a child born out of wedlock goes on to marry in the subsequent eight years. But a quarter or more of children now have lone parents, who bear and raise their offspring in one or a series of cohabitations. In addition, cohabitations in which children are born are much less likely to be converted into marriage, and more likely to dissolve than either marriages or childless cohabitations. Moreover, Morgan argues that there is a generally upward trend in the proportion of cohabiting relationships that dissolve rather than turn into marriage. And, after they break up, it takes about two years to form another relationship, often another cohabitation. This decline in marriage is a worrying trend, the study explains, given the important social role of family life. Not only does marriage perform social tasks that are not easily replaced by other institutions, but it is also an important means of bonding fathers with their children. Morgan points out the importance of marriage for men, in terms of connecting them with the community and encouraging personal responsibility. Single-parent families and divorce also have severe negative effects on children that have been substantiated by numerous studies, Morgan points out. Problems include lower educational results, poorer work prospects and inferior health. Adults are also better off being married. "Married people are consistently better off in terms of longevity, mental and physical health, and suffer lower levels of violence and addiction," the study argues. Welfare payments The breakdown in family life has led to a big rise in government welfare spending. Payments related to child support rose from 10 billion pounds ($19.6 billion) per year in 1975 to 22 billion ($43.2 billion) in 2003 (in 2003 prices). No less than two-thirds of this increase was due to the big increase in one-parent families, according to Morgan. The problem with this is that a disproportionate amount has gone to single-parent households. Two-parent families are, in effect, being economically discouraged through the combination of welfare payments and the tax system. Thus, the government promotes a situation that favors the increase in single-parent families, with the consequent social ill-effects. "Anti-family activists have expressly sought to undermine any economic, social and legal need and support for marriage by getting any privileges granted to married couples, including tax allowances, withdrawn, and recognition extended to different types of households and relationships," Morgan explains. In many cases couples with two children would be financially better off if they split up and the mother claimed welfare benefits. For example, if one parent is working full time at the minimum wage, or at average income, the couple is worse off living together than if they were to split up -- to the tune of 260 pounds ($510) per week. Only when joint incomes reach 50,000 pounds ($98,125) a year is there no loss from being a couple. Thus, a combination of payments in cash and in kind raise the welfare available outside the married state by enough to take away economic reasons for forming a conjugal household. While the rise of illegitimacy and the retreat from marriage might not simply be due to economics, it would be unwise to ignore the financial factor that forms part of the environment in which people make decisions about relationships and children. In fact, many people, Morgan admits, will have other reasons that could override economic factors in deciding whether to marry. "But it would be foolish to simply assume that people do not change their behavior in response to the costs and benefits of different directions," she observes. The welfare system encourages lone parenting especially when the earning potential of the father is relatively weak. It does this in three ways, Morgan explains. First, the bias in tax and benefits systems discriminates against couples, particularly single-earner couples. Second, it can encourage single mothers to have children in order to obtain welfare benefits and thus improve their economic situation. Third, the benefits system can bring about labor market conditions that are less conducive to couples making a decision to marry.

Asbos

2007-04-02T11:14:00.000Z

The article in this week's newsletters about Asbos for toddlers who damage Church property and fines for parents certainly generated a lot of interest. Some people were outraged. Others congratulated us and said it was about time too!

Most people, however, spotted that the date from which the new measures were to take effect was 1st April. So the time has come to own up. It was indeed an April Fool's Day spoof.

The accompanying photograph is, however, genuine and was taken by me in York earlier this year.

Ruth Ashfield at Forum Christi

2007-03-22T18:26:00.000Z

Ruth Ashfield, an expert in John Paul II's 'Theology of the Body', addressed our Forum Christi group on Sunday. She spoke about the importance of appreciating sexual difference and complementarity between men and women and how this enables a proper understanding of human nature and society. In a very animated question time she dealt with issues regarding true Christian feminism, homosexuality, chastity education, the importance of an exclusively male priesthood. Afterwards the group went on to the Nightingale pub for 'Theology on Tap'!

Last week Ruth had joined Declan Jones in speaking to our Keep the Faith and Confirmation groups about living a life of chastity in the world today.

Comic Relief

2007-03-17T22:17:00.000Z

The secular media have recently attacked a Catholic school for refusing to participate in Comic Relief fund-raising activities. Comic Relief will state in their offical response to questions from Catholics that none of their money goes towards supporting abortions in the Third World. Strictly speaking that is true. What they don't say is that they do support organisations that promote abortions. It is also clear that they give large sums of money to organisations that explicitly attack the Catholic Church on this issue. For example last year Comic Relief donated £637,054 to One World Action.
One World Action sponsors a report called "Sexual and Reproductive Rights in Central America - an agenda for action". Anyone reading it would be hard-pressed to defend One World Action against the charge that it is both virulently anti-Catholic and aggressively pro-abortion.
for a fuller account I recommend a quick visit to the article posted by Fr Tim Finigan over at the Hermeneutic of Continuity.

Wednesday & Thursday this Week

2007-03-02T15:05:00.000Z

On Wednesday this week I celebrated the 6.45am Mass and then got things together for a trip to St. Andrew's University in Scotland where I was to address the Catholic Scoiety on the topic of vocations. I had been given the rather cumbersome title of "Where have all the vocations gone and how do we get them back?"

I flew from Gatwick to Edinburgh coincidentally meeting a parishioner as we boarded. From Edinburgh I took the train to Leuchars where I was met by Jamie, the president of the Catholic Society and Chris, from Boston, who kindly gave me a lift into town in his car.

The chaplain of the Catholic Society is also the parish priest. He was away attending the deanery Lenten Station Mass so I was asked to celebrate the Wednesday evening 7.30pm Mass in the chaplaincy. It was good to see the chapel, which can take fifty people, pretty well full. There were people from the parish there but I'd say that the majority of those present were students.

After Mass we had the meeting of the Canmore Society. After the talk there were questions and then the chance for a cup of tea before we retired to a local watering house for something more refreshing.

It was a good trip and I enjoyed myself very much. I was pleased to meet such an impressive number of students and find that some of them are indeed thinking about priesthood and religious life.

Recent Publications

2007-02-27T09:21:00.000Z

Vocations News
From time to time I produce a newsletter with information about what's been happening vocationswise in the Archdiocese. It began as a newsletter for priests to encourage them to be positive and pro-active about promoting vocations. After many requests we decided to produce it also for parishes. Currently we print about ten thousand which is roughly ten percent of our Mass going population in the diocese. We've not produced a Vocations News for a while and so our latest is a 'bumper edition' running to eight pages with all sorts of interesting news articles.
You may have seen some copies at the back of the Church.

Lenten Reading
Also at the back of the Church there are copies of Walk with Me and My Day by Day for sale. Walk with Me contains prayers and reflections for every day of the week during Lent. My Day by Day contains the daily scripture readings.

Catenians

2007-02-25T21:07:00.000Z

Tomorrow, Monday, there will be another meeting of our fledgling Catenian Circle. The Catenians are a group of Catholic men who meet regularly to support each other with their friendship. We live in quite a hostile world and it's important for Catholic men to come together in this way.
Of course, it's important for Catholic women to come together too but as yet no one's come up with a female version of the Catenians. Traditionally we've had the UCM (Union of Catholic Mothers), the CWL (Catholic Women's League) and more recently the excellent ACW (Association of Catholic Women). Anyone wishing to start up one of these groups in the parish would be most welcome.
For more details about the Catenian Circle email us by clicking here.

EWTN

2007-02-25T21:04:00.000Z

Parishioners will know that I spent Wednesday and Thursday last week being filmed by EWTN for a series of Holy Week reflections. It was a fascinating experience. First of all because it took so long. Lighting is, of course, very important. The Church lights weren't used because they create a flicker on screen, so much of the time was spent setting up special filming lights in order to look as natural as possible. With extra lights shadows become an issue so lots of things in the Church had to be moved to eliminate the shadows they might cast. Then, because it's Lent, there are no flowers in the Church and the Sanctuary looks penitentially bare. On camera, however, it just looks empty so other pieces of furniture had to be moved to break up the empty spaces a bit. Finally, the Sanctuary had to look like Holy Week which is when the meditations will be broadcast. For Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday it meant simply having the statues and Crucifixes covered. For Maundy Thursday, of course, the Altar Crucifix had to be veiled in white and the best vestments had to come out. For Friday everything had to be stripped bare.

We had a good group of people present to be filmed listening to the first meditation. They spent the whole morning in the Church and so we treated them to an Ash Wednesday lunch of soup and a roll. We filmed four meditations on Wednesday and one on Friday. By Wednesday evening I had a much clearer idea of what was required and more familiarity with speaking into a camera - so I re-wrote the next day's reflection: the one which will be broadcast on Maundy Thursday.

You no longer need a special satellite for EWTN, it can be obtained on the Sky network.

In the photo you see Paul the cameraman who had come over with Lesley and Niall - an ever patient and hard-working crew!

Lenten Resolutions

2007-02-19T10:28:00.000Z

Last year on Palm Sunday we all picked up palm branches and waved them as we welcomed the Lord singing "Hosanna! to the Son of David". Those branches represented our desire to be united with Jesus, to receive him into our hearts and into our homes, to be his followers in the midst of the world.

We know that in Jerusalem two thousand years ago those shouts of welcome and joyful expectation were soon to change. The voices would be distorted into a clamour for him to be crucified. We can marvel at how fickle the people of the time were, how easily they let themselves be influenced by the subtle insinuations of a few powerful figures.

But with Lent round the corner we might ask ourselves what has happened to our own enthusiasm? How have we changed since last Palm Sunday? In our parish we carefully collect all the palms that are left over and we store them in the crypt of the Church. Before Lent we fetch them out and burn them in a special brazier then, using a pestle and mortar, we grind down the charred remains to make the ash for distribution on Ash Wednesday.

Our ash is blacker than that produced at ultra-high temperatures in industrial kilns and it is quite coarse. It is also an eloquent expression of the way in which our good intentions can so easily turn to ash and the need for us to begin again in Lent. I find that it is best to give some thought to Lenten Resolutions in the days before Ash Wednesday because if I leave it until the last minute I usually just rely on the typical fall-backs. Last year a priest friend of mine had a very effective resolution: not to check his emails until after breakfast. By keeping the computer off until later he found he had more time to focus on God in the morning. What will yours be?

The Great Silence

2007-02-15T13:43:00.000Z

INTO GREAT SILENCE is the first ever film about life inside the Grande Chartreuse, the head monastery of the legendary Carthusian Order of monks based in the French Alps. A near-silent meditation on monastic life in a very pure form, the film contains no music except the chants in the monastery, no interviews or commentaries. The gentle rhythm of the monastic prayers and rituals give the film a beautiful cadence, and the passing of time and the change of seasons are captured by Groning’s stunning cinematography. A sublime experience that offers a welcome retreat from the frantic pace of contemporary life.

The film is showing locally at Richmond. Click here to get more details.

You can see a preview of The Great Silence here:

And here's a review of the film by Fr Tim Finigan who lectures at Parkminster, the Carthusian Abbey in southern England.

Evening of Recollection

2007-02-14T22:17:00.000Z

Tonight I preached the monthly Evening of Recollection for men in the parish. We have two recollections each month, one for men the other for women. Sometimes I'm asked why we don't combine them. The answer I give usually is sufficient explanation: these monthly mini-retreats are meant to be challenging. We hear the points that are made and seek to apply them to our own life - not to that of our spouse. It would be awful to say something when giving a meditation that then became ammunition in an argument at home! I might remind the men, for example, that they should be considerate to their wives and express that consideration in practical details - by bringing a gift home on Valentine's Day. I wouldn't want a wife to complain, "See, even the priest said you should do such and such..."
Anyway, I didn't in fact venture into such dangerous waters tonight. The first meditation was about the Mass and the second looked at 'unity of life' or how we live our Christian faith with integrity. There was also a talk given by a lay man and some time for examination of conscience and spiritual reading while I heard Confessions. The evening ended with Benediction at 9.00pm.
Pope John Paul once said that our parishes should become 'schools of prayer'. It is very much at the heart of priestly ministry that we should teach people to pray. Our Evenings of Recollection are one of the ways we seek to do this in our parish.

Towards a Vision

2007-02-10T22:08:00.000Z

At present we are inviting parishioners to reflect on the twin themes of Communion and Mission. This has been occasioned by the consultation initiated by the Archbishop concerning the future of the diocese. It is time for us all to take stock, to consider what we are about as a Church and to ask ourselves how we may improve given our limited resources.

It is a process that is much more than considering which Churches to close, which parishes to amalgamate, or where to create new ones. All the same, this photo represents a novel solution to the problems of demographic shift in a diocese!

The Missionaries of Charity

2007-02-05T21:17:00.000Z

This morning I left early in order to get over to the Missionaries of Charity house near the Cathedral. Sr Amada, the Provincial, had asked me to celebrate Holy Mass and to give some talks on the Sacraments. The Superiors of all the Communities in this province are staying there for a study week, including one sister who has come over from Iceland.

There isn't a room large enough for a class so we have our talks in the Chapel. The photo shows a few of the sisters getting ready for the second talk on 'The Sacraments in General'. In the afternoon we have a talk on the Sacrament of Penance followed by one on the Eucharist. I'm always happy to help the sisters if I can. They do a wonderful work in whole-hearted and free service to the poorest of the poor.

I was only recently back in the diocese after my ordination when this house was opened. There was some consternation from the local authority and the Mayor of the time, who was a Catholic, tried to drum up support for the sisters at a public meeting. The sisters were asking to open a house in a run down part of London. One very pompous official peered over his glasses and asked the then Provincial in a condescending tone: "Could give an account to the assembly of precisely what research you've undertaken that suggests there may be a need for your 'work' in Southwark?" "I opened my eyes", was the immediate reply. Priceless!

The First Woodpecker?

2007-02-05T21:11:00.000Z

I don't know when woodpeckers usually appear in England but I saw this fellow just a few feet from me on Saturday morning. I can't remember seeing one this early in the year and suppose his appearance must be due to the mild winter. I wonder how many Londoners can boast woodpeckers in their gardens? Saturday was a race against time to get the newsletter completed and ready for printing. After opening the Church and spending some time in prayer I came back to the house intending to get the computer on, but instead I found myself fetching the camera!

The morning Mass took longer than usual, On the first Saturday of the month we have a servers' practice. They all serve at the Mass which inevitably adds to the length. Afterwards we had the customary 'Blessing of St Blaise', a blessing of throats which is given on his Feast Day.

Then, unusually for a Saturday we had a baptism. Nicolas Maria, pictured here in the arms of his proud parents, today was reborn in the waters of baptism as a child of God.

After Mass we also welcomed the students currently on the Maryvale Catechists' Course. This is a two-year course that leads to a qualification as a catechist approved by the Congregation for Education.

In this photo we see some of the second year students, including two parishioners, who were having a class on the parables of St Luke.

And here we see some of the first year students at a class on Christology given by Lionel Gracey. Lionel specialises in using the traditions of Christian art to illustrate doctrinal points. Later Lionel met with one of our parishioners who is an artist and produces some very fine Christian art.

After the evening's Mass I popped round to check on the building where the new Vocations Office is going to be located. There's quite a lot of work to be done to make it fit for purpose but I'm sure we'll get there before too long. Finally I had a meeting with a parishioner who markets website management software. We want to update the Southwark Vocations site, so watch this space...

Keep the Faith with Bowling

2007-02-02T21:11:00.000Z

Tonight the 'Keep the Faith' group (year 7) met at Raynes Park for an evening of ten-pin bowling. Great performances in particular from Nicholas, Katie, Alexander and Maxine! In two-weeks time we have our regular meeting with Benediction, games and an opportunity to ask questions to a 'the priest in the hot-seat' .

On-line Petition

2007-01-28T21:42:00.000Z

To sign a petition asking the Government to delay the introduction of the Sexual Orientation Regulations click here.
You can contact your local MP at www.theyworkforyou.com. For example a parishioner has sent me this link for Keith Hill.

Apocalypto

2007-01-15T22:02:00.000Z

Recently I went with some seminarians and young people of the parish to see Mel Gibson's new film Apocalypto. I hadn't read any of the reviews although, like everyone else, I'd heard it was violent. There was a strange atmosphere in Screen 13 at Cineworld, Wandsworth, before it began. People were talking much more loudly than we Brits usually do in public places. I got the impression many of the people there were a bit nervous about what they were going to see.

In the Anglo-Saxon world we've grown used to watching films for the spectacle rather than for any message the director might be seeking to transmit. I think that's a shame because if we reduce the screen to visual stimulation we deny its power as a language and so its relevance as an art. As we left I was disappointed that most of the comments we overheard reflected an incredibly superficial understanding of what had just watched.

I've now had a chance to read many of the reviews. The film is acclaimed for its spectacle but often slated for the violence and for its supposed 'anachronisms' - it is claimed for example that the murals in the temple reflect Mayan art of different periods and also Aztec images. I have to admit I didn't spot that!

It is certainly not a film for the squeamish but is it any more violent than 'Saving Private Ryan'? How is it that critics who rejoiced in the brutality of 'Kill Bill' are now suddenly repulsed by Apocalypto? The only answer I can come up with, given the tone of their reviews, is that they don't like Mel Gibson because they don't like what he is trying to say with the film.

Does it really matter that the art in the Temple is from different ages and cultures? Possibly it does but not because of historical inaccuracies. Rather perhaps Gibson is using the Mayans to represent something much wider: all those South American civilisations that went in for human sacrifice. It is not a film about the Mayans. It is a film about the death of civilisation.

The key to interpreting the film is given in the quotation from W. Durant words that first appear on the screen: "A great civilization is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself from within." These days a revisionist reading of the Spanish Conquest of South America is very much in vogue. We have gone from Spanish Conquistadores taking the great benefits civilisation and Christianity to a reading of history that exalts the previous civilisations and associates Christianity with European imperialism imposed upon a noble people. This is now so widespread that recently we were even treated to the spectacle of a newly elected South American president sacrificing to the pagan gods before taking office!

In Apocalypto Gibson is challenging this romantic and fanciful reinterpretation. The Spanish when they appear seem to carry no weapons. There is only a friar bearing a Cross. The Mayans are the ones practising human sacrifice. Gibson juxtaposes two civilisations without comment leaving us to ask whether what is symbolised by the Cross is truly worse than the cult of the Sun?

But at another level the film isn't about the Mayans and the Spanish at all. Apart from the language there is something surprisingly modern about the dialogue in the film. When we are taken to the great Mayan city we see not an ancient civilisation but a modern one: we observe a 'culture of death'. Life is valued for what it can do, old age is despised. We see debauchery, greed, selfishness, dishonesty, abuse of power. Reading the faces of the men and women of that city we recognise in them the faces of the people of our time, faces that we see everyday. Durant's words become a warning to us: "A great civilisation is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself from within".

At the end of the film the main protagonist heads back into the forest for a new beginning. Gibson's message is that our civilisation is decadent and dying. At the threshold of the new Millennium it needs to begin again, the culture of death has to give way to a culture of life.

It is a shame that when filming The Passion Gibson turned down the invitation to meet Pope John Paul. Had he done so he would have met a man with whom he has many things in common, but a man altogether more optimistic because he had taken to heart Christ's words: "Be not afraid!".

Like St Augustine, Pope John Paul was not simply a witness to a dying civilisation. He was a witness also to a new one being born. In his Letters to Young People he invited them to take part in constructing a new culture of life. That means also having the courage to respond if Christ is calling you to a specific vocation such as the priesthood or religious life.

New Year Retreat - Feedback

2007-01-13T12:46:00.000Z

This week I received a couple of letters about the New Year Retreat which I thought it would be good to share with you. The first is from Sr Oneng FMDM, a religious from Sr Chiara's order, who is chaplain at Portsmouth university. She writes:

"Congratulations for the success of the youth retreat. I was so inspired by how so many young people turned up. My age group (35s-40s, mostly parents and chaperones of the youngest ones) were also so impressed at how organised the weekend was. All because of you and your team's hard work. Thank you for your hospitality. You also did a very excellent facilitation during the Vocations Forum. God bless."

The person in charge of Youth 2000 is Charlie Conner. He writes:

"I know that you said there is no need, but I wanted to to thank you and your parishioners once more for the great hospitality that you showed us over the New Year. We were all made to feel most welcome. The weekend was peaceful and ran smoothly and to a large degree that was down to you and your patience.
I have been involved in the organisation of many retreats around the country and the way in which your parishioners welcomed and helped us is second to none. It was most impressive to see all those who helped in the school with the catering, serving and cleaning. They all seemed so cheerful and I know that their presence and help was really appreciated by everyone who attended.
The food was excellent. You well know that the catering is normally a headache so Maxine and here team were a great remedy. Thank you also to al those who worked behind the scenes, especially Tom, Daniel & Valerie. There were others I am sure.

You are in our thoughts and prayers."

I wanted to pass these comments on because they show how important your help is. Thank you!

A Good Current Affairs Website

2007-01-11T08:58:00.000Z

I've recently had my attention drawn to a new website called MercatorNet. It promises to offer "fresh insight into the news and issues that are shaping our world". The site certainly seems very good and comprehensive with commentary on current affairs, film and book reviews, information on bio-ethics and family issues, and even background information for preparing talks. I'm happy to recommend it to our parishioners. You can visit MercatorNet by clicking on this link.

Queen's Speech

2007-01-06T19:12:00.000Z

The Government has set up a new 'online petition' website. In the Queen's Speech there was a promise to tighten the obscenity laws although it is now feared that the Government may drop it. There is a petition to support the proposed legislation. Click here for more details.

Urbi et Orbi

2007-01-06T09:47:00.000Z

On Christmas Day the Holy Father gave the traditional Urbi er Orbi message. It is an address both to 'the City', his diocese of Rome, and to 'the world' and as such is addressed to each one of us. Pope Benedict is such a profound thinker that it is always worth dedicating some time to what he has to say. You can access the message by clicking on this link.

Help with Your Essay...

2007-01-05T18:49:00.000Z

At this time of year lots of our young people are faced with having to do essays for school on abortion and other life issues. Typically, in our 'modern' education system opinion is valued over truth and, sadly, many young people are not equipped to defend a pro-life cause against the emotive arguments of the anti-lifers. Here's a link to an article by Peter Kreeft that you may find helpful.

New Year's Resolutions

2007-01-03T22:37:00.000Z

This photo was taken by Brother Martin on New Year's Day at the last Mass of our New Year retreat. The young people were all set to go back to their homes and the theme of the sermon was the need for them to proclaim Christ to the people they will meet. The faith is never given to us as some sort of private treasure: we are always sent to pass it on to others.
It is important to recognise, however, that our enthusiasm for the faith will grow cold if we don't take steps to keep it alive. So the young people were encouraged to adopt some regular norms of piety to maintain their spiritual life: daily prayer, Rosary, examination of conscience, regular confessions, spiritual reading, Holy Mass during the week.
Any one of these norms of piety would be a good New Year's resolution for our parishioners. It's worth giving it a go!

Here's a little quotation from GK Chesterton about New Year:

"The object of a New Year is not that we should have a new year. It is that
we should have a new soul and a new nose; new feet, a new backbone, new ears,
and new eyes. Unless a particular man made New Year resolutions, he would make
no resolutions. Unless a man starts afresh about things, he will certainly do
nothing effective. Unless a man starts on the strange assumption that he has
never existed before, it is quite certain that he will never exist afterwards.
Unless a man be born again, he shall by no means enter into the Kingdom of
Heaven."
- G. K. Chesterton

What is Youth 2000?

2007-01-02T15:11:00.000Z

We had a great retreat here this weekend. Lots of you commented on how good it was to see so many young people (over 350) taking part. You were also impressed by their participation at Mass, their enthusiasm and their singing.
Some people have asked what Youth 2000 is all about. Click here to download a one minute trailer.

Feeding Body & Soul

2006-12-31T12:05:00.000Z

The New Year Retreat is going really well. We have nearly two hundred people sleeping in the school with many more coming during the day but sleeping at home or at friends' houses. The talks have been great: simple, practical and challenging. So far we've looked at the Eucharist, Confession, and prayer. Last night we had a reconciliation service with fourteen priests hearing Confessions. It began at 8.00pm and ended after 10!

Today is the Feast of the Holy Family and I'm grateful to the parish for everyone's readiness to adapt to accommodate the Retreat. For example there was no 10am Mass today and so people had to come to one of the other Masses. Although a few forgot and turned up for the 10am they realised their mistake and there were no complaints!

With all this attention paid to our souls it's important to mention that a large part of the success of this year's retreat is due to the attention that is also being paid to our bodies. Whether it's attempting to unblock loos at midnight or sorting out heating systems so no one freezes to death on a school floor there's always been a smiling parishioner ready to help.

I couldn't finish this post without mentioning the food - because everyone else is talking about it endlessly. The basic theme: "It's never been so good"! Youth 2000 has been around since 1990 and today someone commented: "We've never had a cooked breakfast before". Yesterday someone said, "There's never been a choice of menu before". And the best comment of all, "This year instead of thinking, 'Oh, it's lunch time', I'm saying 'Oh great - it's lunch!". So thanks to everyone whose involved with looking after our bodies - especially all the many people and families helping with the catering. Here's a photo of just some of them.

New Year Retreat - A Good Start

2006-12-30T13:08:00.000Z

Since St John's day everything in the parish has been gearing up towards the New Year Retreat which started last night. This year our wonderful parishioners are doing the catering but since I am the one with the parish credit card I found myself spending the best part of the day in Bookers with a team of people to do the shopping. Catering for anything between three and five hundred people is no joke. Those who were thinking in terms of a big shop at Sainsbury's soon realised their mistake. Two trailer loads later we were back in the parish ready waiting for the arrival of the advance party - due at 10pm!
Yesterday the first people arrived at 9am (for 6pm registration) but were soon set to work. There's lots to be prepared for a retreat and the more people to help out the better, especially if they've had some previous experience. Seeing how confidently Maxine and her team were looking after the catering, we knew we had no worries there. Indeed, we were treated to some very tasty 'Shepherds Pie' yesterday evening. The choice of food reflected the fact that the Archbishop would be joining us for supper.
I picked up the Arch at 6.00pm and we made good time getting back here so he was able to meet lots of people before and during the evening meal. He enjoyed the first talk by Brother Martin CFR and then presided at Holy Mass.

This picture was taken in the sacristy after Mass. I've had to manipulate it a bit because there was so much incense in the sacristy that it originally came out as a milky haze. Smoke rises and, having done my best to clean it up, I'm amused that the floor area is fairly clear but there's still a lot at head height! We were fourteen concelebrants at the Mass. The Archbishop preached a lovely meditation on Christian Love.
There were over 160 people at Mass which was very good. I had been nervous that the New Year Retreat usually gets off to a slow start and didn't want the Arch preaching to an empty Church. As things were the Church looked full and we were all very happy we the whole occasion. I'm really grateful to all our parishioners who are involved in welcoming the young people to the parish and looking after them.

Day with the Archbishop

2006-12-29T10:52:00.000Z

On Wednesday 27th Archbishop Kevin celebrated Mass in the Church for our vocations day. Later eighteen of us sat down for lunch together. We were a mixture of priests, seminarians and young men considering a call to the priesthood. In this photograph we see the Archbishop with some fo the forty servers who were at Mass for the occasion.
The Archbishop will be back in the parish tonight when he will celebrate the opening Mass of our New Year Retreat at 9.00pm.

Christmas Cribs

2006-12-29T10:28:00.000Z

The parish Crib

Visual imagery is very important to us as Catholics. We men and women are body and soul. We might do bad things, but we are created 'very good' by God. What we perceive with our physical senses is an important aspect of our being and also, therefore, of our approach to God. In Catholic worship we make use of things like sight and sound, and even smell (think of incense).
So it's important that in our homes we make use of visual imagery that remind us of God's presence and of his love.

Children can be very proud of their Crib

At this time of year it's important to have a Nativity Scene or Crib in our home. We can encourage the children to pray before it. We can also get them to visit the Crib in our parish Churches and in the homes of our friends and neighbours.

Some Cribs are quite elaborate

Some Cribs can be quite simple. If we have small children it's probably a good idea to have fairly robust figures. Other Cribs can be quite elaborate and take several days to prepare. They're good to get older children involved.

Our image of the Baby Jesus

One tradition is not to put the Baby Jesus in the Crib until after Midnight Mass or Mass on Christmas Morning. It's good perhaps to lay the image of the Baby Jesus in the Manger as a family and then open our presents. Another tradition is to venerate the Baby Jesus with a kiss when we go to Mass during the Octave. We have a special image of the Baby Jesus for this. Another good family custom is to leave the Three Wise Men out of the Crib until the Feast of the Epiphany. Some families have them wandering all over the house so that the children have to spot where they've got to each morning.

Channel Four at it again...

2006-12-24T22:41:00.000Z

I haven't checked, but one of my parishioners told me before the Vigil Mass this evening that Channel 4 is planning one of its usual attacks on Christianity tomorrow, Christmas Day. I seem to recall having read something about this on the Blogosphere although I forget which Blog it was. I did make a note of the link it offered for an explanation of the faith that would be quite useful to anyone who finds themselves having to argue against the programmes mistakes and distortions. It is Bad Aramaic Made Easy and can be accessed by simply clicking the link (i.e. on the different coloured text in this post).

International Fame at Last!

2006-12-23T22:12:00.000Z

In case anyone thinks that the effects of the work we do at the Holy Ghost don't go beyond the confines of this parish here's a link to show you you're wrong! You'll need a bit of German to understand it, but basically it's a post commending our Catholicism for the Curious programme to a German audience.
Now I wonder if Pope Benedict has seen it...

Message from Bethlehem

2006-12-22T12:29:00.000Z

We print here the Christmas message from the Latin Patriarch Michel Sabbah of Jerusalem in which he speaks of that region's fundamental need for peace, justice and freedom.

1. I wish you all a Blessed Christmas.

Brothers and Sisters here in Palestine, Israel, Jordan, and Cyprus, I wish each and every one of you joy, serenity, tranquility and peace. This year again, Christmas is coming to Bethlehem amid the same circumstances of death and frustration, with the Wall and the checkpoints on the ground and in the hearts. The occupation and deprivation of freedom on one side, and fear and insecurity on the other, continue as before. Gaza remains a big prison, a place of death and of internal Palestinian dissension. Even children have been killed. And everyone, including the international community, remains powerless to find the right road to peace and justice. Fear of the future has engulfed the entire region: Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Egypt and Jordan. For everyone, the future is at stake. In this context, world terrorism is feeding on all of the open wounds.

2. That is the way Christmas is seen today from Bethlehem. And yet, the Christmas message is meant to be one of life, peace, and justice. The prophet Jeremiah said: "In those days, I will raise up for David a just shoot; he shall do what is right and just in the land … and Jerusalem shall dwell in security" (Jer 33, 15-16). And Isaiah extended his vision to include all nations: "So will the Lord God make justice and praise spring up before all the nations" (Is 61, 11). Saint Paul, for his part, in the second readings of the Advent Season, tells us that we enter into the ways of justice and peace through love of neighbor and through holiness: "May the Lord increase you and make you overflow with love for one another and for all … and may he strengthen your hearts, making them blameless and holy before God" (1 Thes 3, 11). Moreover, since the First Sunday of Advent, the Church has put before our eyes the person of John the Baptist, the Precursor of Christ. He preached repentance, and various categories of people came to listen to him and asked him questions about the ways of repentance and new life. Even soldiers asked him what they should do to save themselves: "Soldiers also asked him: 'Teacher, what is it that we should do?' He told them, 'Do not oppress anyone, do not extort anything, and be satisfied with your wages'" (Lk 3, 14).

3. Today, life in Bethlehem and its surrounding area has become very difficult to endure, in spite of the numerous initiatives of solidarity that have come from the outside. Yes, we are in need of solidarity, and we are grateful for all the messages of brotherhood we have received from around the world. But our fundamental need is for peace, justice, freedom, and an end to the occupation. Faced with this, the world seems powerless. However, we say: each and every person, even soldiers and political leaders, have the capacity to appreciate love, salvation, and life. But for that to happen, a conversion must take place, a conversion from death to life, from viewing the other as an enemy and a murderer to viewing him as a brother and a giver of life. Our political leaders also must ask the Baptist: "And what is it that we should do to find salvation for ourselves and for all those who have put their destiny into our hands?" They too must be prepared to receive the same answer: "Do not oppress anyone, do not extort anything, and be satisfied with your wages" (Lk 3, 14). They must listen to the voice of the oppressed in this Holy Land, to the voice of those who have died, of those who are still threatened by death and humiliation, those on whom they think they can impose death or humiliation in order to assure the security of the other party. Bethlehem is meant to be the city of peace. Unfortunately, it is now just the contrary, a city of conflict and death. Life and peace, however, would be easy and possible to come by if only those in positions of responsibility were sincerely determined to pursue them. Salvation will come from bringing the two peoples together, not from separating them. In that lies the salvation of the Palestinians and the Israelis, as well as of the entire region. The two peoples are capable of living together in peace and tranquility. When that comes about, murders, vengeance, rejection, and extremism will disappear little by little, as they progressively cease to feed on oppression, occupation, poverty, and humiliation.

4. Christmas brings joy to humanity. It announces salvation to everyone, especially to those who live in Bethlehem and its surrounding area, Palestinians and Israelis alike. "Let us go to Bethlehem" and see what has taken place and what continues to take place there (cf. Lk 2, 15). What is the Wall telling us today? What are the inhabitants of Bethlehem telling us today? Let us go to Bethlehem so that we too can hear the angels announce peace on earth, peace to all people of good will, peace to all who long for a sincere brotherhood that rejects all hatred and hostility, and find, in the coming together of the two peoples, both security and an end to the occupation which will bring freedom.

For all of you, Brothers and Sisters, I pray to God that you might hear and live the message of Christmas, a message of peace, joy, and new life.

+ Michel Sabbah, Patriarch Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem
Jerusalem, 20 December 2006

De-coding your Christmas Cards

2006-12-21T22:02:00.000Z

Were you sent any Christian Christmas cards this year? Reports in the media suggest that they are pretty hard to come by, so if you've received one it's because someone has made a special effort. It's worth taking time to reflect on the significance of the different elements of the card. For help de-coding your cards click here for an excellent, illustrated article.