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World Meeting

of Archdiocesan Support Project 2015 September 2015 Our Project Worker reports Inside this issue: How the Congress 2 Delegates from England Adamus from Westminster diocese, Margaret Hinton from was structured and Wales arrived in Wrexham diocese, and Project Office staff, Elizabeth The family, a 2 home for the Philadelphia on Sunday, Davies, Caroline Dollard and Hannah Moruzzi. wounded heart 20th September to The Pastoral-Theological Congress took place Other Keynote 2 attend the 8th World Tuesday, 22nd to Friday 25th September concluded Speeches Meeting of Families. Our by the main Papal events at the weekend. don’t just take my 3 CBCEW delegation word for it! Most (like me) had never been to anything like this comprised of; before and were all a little nervous as well as excited Thank You 3 Peter Doyle, Chair of the NACFLM about what the week would hold. There were some Committee for Lending hands challenges, but there was a lovely vibrancy, energy 3 Marriage and Family and good will in our little group that chimed Life, Katherine Bergin, A day spent 4 perfectly with the warmth of the welcome we waiting for Christine and Michael received from everyone in Philadelphia. Francis Evans from Arundel & 5 Lasting Memories Brighton diocese, (Me) 5 Joanne White from Special points Cardiff diocese, Breda of interest: Theakston from Leeds • More than diocese, Msgr Vincent 20,000 people Harvey from Portsmouth registered for the WMOF 2015 diocese, Edmund – representing Everyone registered and kitted up over 100 World Meetings of Families countries! • It was a truly Held every three years to our understanding vibrant and and sponsored by the of families – colourful Holy See’s Pontifical Philadelphia 2015’s meeting Council for the Family, theme was ‘Love is attended by the World Meeting of Our Mission: The many types and Families is the world’s Family Fully Alive’, ages of families! largest Catholic which aimed to gathering of families. emphasise the impact • The next & 9th Each World Meeting of of the love and life of WMOF will Families has a theme that families in our society. take place in energizes and enlivens Dublin 2018 the evet whilst adding greater depth of meaning 1 123

How the Congress was structured The Pastoral-Theological to attend was a challenge Congress ran from but I tried to select I attended the following Tuesday afternoon sessions that were • The school of the Heart: through to Friday relevant to our project Parents as Primary lunchtime. work and which resonated Catechists with me based on the Days were split into Rebuild My Church… & witness of lived • morning and afternoon start from the experience of those I have sessions which started Foundation: Living as encountered through the with a Keynote speech ‘Domestic Church’ work over the past 7 (attended by the majority years. • Home Improvements: of delegates) and Forgiveness & Family continued with break-out Some of my choices Life sessions held throughout changed upon arrival at the Pennsylvania the Congress either owing • ‘I am With You’: Conference to re-scheduling or Struggling with Center. Delegates had the because of our collective • Loving on the Edge: choice of over 70 break- efforts to cover as broad a Healing the Hurts of out sessions to attend cross-section of break- Damaged Relationships over the four day period. out sessions as possible. Deciding which sessions

The family, a home for the wounded heart

My favorite and the most Some consideration of wounded hearts God as a home for the wounded engaging of the key note ‘No one can claim not to have hearted.’ speeches was given by Cardinal been wounded. We all are wounded. There 2 ‘Healing works best situated are different types of wounds, some , of the physical, some spiritual, some emotional, in a community, without . some relational, some financial.’… ‘But forgetting the wounded person’ whatever the nature of the wound it always 3 ‘We should not be afraid of the ‘My task’ he told us, ‘is to affects the family and consequently also a dark; Wounds are never clean, “The lost sheep is reflect with you on the family, a person’s social relationships’. they can be bloody.’ my own. If it home for the wounded heart. The ministry of Jesus ‘Even the 4 ‘We must accept that the (Sighs) I will try my best. First I resurrected Christ still has his wounds. They church is a field hospital; we must cannot come will invite you to consider the will not disappear. So if we are all wounded, no one can say I have no gift of healing. Our be ready to respond in emergency home, I will carry different type of wounds that wounds create in us avenues of situations, we must be agile.’ we experience and encounter. understanding, compassion, solidarity and 5 ‘We must infuse the field it home. ” Then we will turn to Jesus the love. Don’t think that in the resurrection our hospital with hope. We cannot be wounded one, whose ministry wounds will disappear, especially if they are healers if we look desperate. So scars of compassion etc. because the risen included healing. Then we will smile please.’ turn to the church, the body of one possesses those marks of his love for us all.’ 6 ‘ When we try to help Jesus Christ, made up of wounded The body of Christ ‘Being the body of we just have to be quiet, we have people but called to share in Christ the church shares in Jesus’ mission of no solutions, so providing a loving the mission of our Lord Jesus proclaiming the reign of God through presence for discernment is Christ. Then I will offer a few solidarity. If one member suffers, all essential.’ tips on how we can be members suffer with them, if one is healed, missionaries of healing to all share their joy.’ persons, to our families and to Some paths that we could take our church.’ Here is just a flavor 1 ‘Promote Jesus’ redemptive of it; mission, inaugurating the reign of

See more at: http://www.catholictv.com/shows/2015-world- meeting-families/keynote-cardinal-tagle Other Keynote Speeches

All key note speeches are available via http://www.catholictv.com/shows/world-meeting-of-families

• Living as the Image of God: Created for Joy and Love The common theme running Bishop Robert Barron through most of the key notes • The Light of the Family in a Dark World Cardinal Robert Sarah was that the mission of Jesus • Creating the Future: The Fertility of Christian Love is Love; love that heals the Prof. Helen Alvaré wounded. Many also referred • A Gift from God: The Meaning of Human Sexuality to the fullness of the Gospel Dr. Juan Francisco de la Guardia Brin and Mrs. Gabriela N. de la Guardia as a Person/Family fully alive! • The Joy of the Gospel of Life Cardinal Sean Patrick O’Malley & Pastor Richard Warren 2 123

You don’t just have to take my word for it!

To read what we all said about our experiences of the Congress follow these links;

Memories of the World Meeting of Families 2015

I’ll Be There: Personal Reflections on in Philadelphia

WMOF 2015: Personal Reflections on the Theological Pastoral Congress

Joanne (Cardiff), Katherine (A&B), Elizabeth (M&FL NPO), Margaret (Wrexham), Hannah (M&FL NPO) & Breda (Leeds).

Thank You NACFLM

California. They were (see below). We are all indebted to our North American attending the Youth counterparts (NACFLM) Congress and so I was This was a great insight as who gave us part of their able to ask them what they we had all been accommodation allocation did whilst us ‘grown-ups wondering what the youth which meant we were able did our thing’. were doing but were not to stay right in the heart of allowed access for They told me they had safeguarding reasons. the city within easy access craft type activities, music to the Conference centre workshops, games and (Next door!) and for prayer sessions as well as hosting us one evening. a talk by Cardinal Tagle which they had really enjoyed. They had also done a stint with the Whilst at the NACFLM ‘Helping Hands’ initiative reception I met Kayla & Katrina (pictured R) from

Lending ‘Helping Hands’!

Throughout the Congress, highlights of our time in Relief service – that honor the Catholic Relief Services ‘Philly’ as we packed bags is reserved for is his agency in conjunction with dried food meals to be children because they Stop Hunger Now offered sent out to Burkina Faso. have never known hunger- opportunities to We also heard Joseph, a something he thanked us participants to pack meals Ghanaian who explained all for! It was so humbling. – food aid – for people in how he had been helped We all took part –though Burkino Fasa through the by such meals. He refuted none of us looked the best Helping Hands project – the claim that he was a in our hats! this was one of the poster boy for Catholic

Bishop Peter & the team checking the weight of the See more at: Helping Hands | Marriage & Family food is correct before packs were sealed. Life 3

A day spent waiting for Pope Francis

On the Saturday after the congress a challenge. However we We had many conversations myself and 5 female colleagues went obviously displayed our afternoon and with people from into Philadelphia to find a vantage conviction as he advised us different walks of life. And then point from which to see Pope where best to stand and when after 8 hours of waiting…… Francis when he drove through the we should expect the Pope to The Pope drove past! city later that day. Having gotten drive by – he even changed his through greater security than we position when the Pope arrived Sorry there isn’t a photo clear experienced and the airport; so that he didn’t obscure our enough to insert here…. And then surrendering apples and oranges view. after the initial disappointment that (considered potential missiles!) and he had been driven past so fast that having everything in our bags we only have a blurry video… it searched, we wondered to 15th struck me! Street and ended up in front of City Hall across from the Love Statue. Earlier that week I’d asked Bishop And there we waited…. Peter about his thoughts having met the Pope personnally on a couple of occasions; his overall comment that he has a holy aura but that he’s keen to remind us all that he is like us all – just a man trying to do God’s work the best way he can – and that’s what struck me at this moment. Whilst we stood in position we Seeing Pope Francis wasn’t the talked with 3 youngsters from important bit; being present with all Philly – students born and raised sorts of people from all sorts of in the city; Joe Nicole & Audrey backgrounds, sharing the experience of oneness and shared respect for each others faith, vocations, The ‘O’ of the Love statue is on a slant to remind us all that no human love is ever perfect. responsibilities etc, that was what was important. During several hours we had conversations with fellow pilgrims Pope Francis is frequently as well as some of the many many described as a warm and humble law enforcement personnel. man; the experience of being in One such officer was Bruce –he Philadelphia during his visit has usually worked as an undercover affirmed this for me. I canʼt put narcotics officer in Philadelphia but into words how much I have had had to but a new uniform shirt They asked us about our time been touched by him. His central and shave his beard for the occasion. here and we asked them about message to me has been the He was curious as to why 6 the real Philly and what is was need for love of all humanity and supposedly sane middle aged women like for them being a Catholic the world we live in – with the would stand around for hours to see American. We decided to give family being the example of ‘a guy in a white dress?’ them our Papal Mass tickets as unconditional and true love in all We tried our best to explain and to were unable to attend it its guises, stages, messiness retain our preserved sanity but it was ourselves because of the flight and lived experience. times back home – in turn they bought us warm pretzels to say thank you & because we had not yet tried local delicacy.

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My lasting memories

For me the key memory will be the realisation that we are part of a very diverse Church; the vast representation of countries and cultures present in Philadelphia was something I hadn’t expected. Catholics come in all shapes, sizes, colours – many display their faith with tremendous joy. And the real message of Jesus is LOVE. When others are not ready or willing to come to God or have lost their faith we must allow them to experience God by being present to them and meeting them as equals in sincerity; in this way God will gently use us to reach their hearts!

I shall always be thankful for the opportunity to attend this congress and for the companionship of such wonderful colleagues and friends. An opportune selfie with Cardinal Tagle in our hotel Foyer

Marriage & Family Life Support Project

Our project aims to strengthen and develop Welcome, Home is a Holy the support the Catholic Place and Passing on the Archdiocese of Cardiff Faith, which form the can offer to the parents bedrock of the bishops’ within its communities; national strategy for specifically through supporting family life: extending existing Celebrating Family: provision of parenting Blessed, Broken, Living programmes which affirm Love. and develop parenting skills. The sacred vocation of parenthood; raising our The Marriage and Family children to be loving, Life Support Project responsible people. (MFLSP) - in collaboration with the Archdiocesan The Family Life worker Family Life Commission post is funded by the (FLC), all volunteers – also Celebrating Families Fund looks to engage, equip 2014 – 2016 of the Catholic Joanne White and encourage parishes Bishops Conference of across the archdiocese to Family Life Worker England and Wales and by Pastoral Resources reflect the three the Trustees for the Centre, 910 Newport Celebrating Family Archdiocese of Cardiff. Road, themes - Everybody’s Rumney, Cardiff, CF3 4LL Email [email protected] Website www.rcadc.co.uk/parenting Tel: (029)20 365964 Follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RcadcParenting And via our Blog http://rcadcparenting.wordpress.com 5