June 2015 Diocesan Issue 419 Catholic VOICE FREE
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Middlesbrough June 2015 Diocesan Issue 419 Catholic VOICE FREE Escape From Goodbye To Homelessness What’s The Nazis Endsleigh Conference Inside Page 4 Page 8 Page 11 Bishop’s Column Last month I had the great privilege and joy of accompanying a group of permanent deacons and their wives from our diocese on a pilgrimage to the shrines of St Teresa of Ávila and St John of the Cross in Spain. It is the 500th anniversary of the birth of St Teresa so it was a good time to visit. Teresa was born in Ávila in Spain and entered the Carmelite convent there at the age of 20, not because of any great attraction to the religious life but because it seemed the most sensible thing to do. At this time Carmelite convents were comfortable places. One was well looked after, had as much contact with the outside world as one wanted and could keep one’s own possessions. With time, and despite ill- health, she made great progress in contemplative prayer and had a number of mystical experiences, which she treated with great suspicion since she felt that she was not nearly holy enough to be accorded them by God. Teresa’s prayer life led her to seek a more perfect life, and in 1562, in the face of much opposition, she founded a convent of Discalced Carmelite nuns in Ávila. “Discalced” (“shoeless”) signified their devotion to poverty. The rest of her life is a story of the establishment of more and more Discalced Carmelite convents in the face of intense opposition from the unreformed Carmelites but with help coming from the highest levels at the same time. In announcing the Year of Consecrated Life, For two days in September, all those living people representing all kinds of Pope Francis asked us to: “Look back to consecrated lives in our diocese invite you congregations and communities have been the past with gratitude, live the present to join them in doing just that. with passion and look to the future with Since January, a group of around 30 Continued on page 2 Continued on page 2 hope.” Conveyancing, Wills & Probate Also covering Court Hearings, Family Problems, Crime, Housing, Personal Injury, Mental Health, Immigration Law For more information contact: Bill O'Hanlon, Sean Grainger, Helen Connelly, Peter Kilgour York House, 102 Borough Road Middlesbrough TS1 2HJ E: [email protected] W: www.watsonwoodhouse.co.uk T: 01642 247656 2 + Middlesbrough Diocesan Catholic Voice + June 2015 NEWS Event Programme Bishop’s Thursday September 24 LIVING JOYFULLY 9am: Morning prayer and opening of flower festival 10.30am: Primary schools – “Living Column Joyfully” Continued from page 1 Noon: Prayer during the day and adoration 3pm: Primary schools depart Continued from page 1 meeting together with the MYMission Team Father Paul Farrer said: “We are really 5.45pm: Evening prayer and the Vocations Team to plan what looking forward to welcoming people to the 7pm: Mass with Bishop Terry to promises to be a memorable event. Cathedral. We hope to be able to celebrate celebrate the Year of St Teresa is an outstanding example For years, many people living consecrated with people, but also provide time and Consecrated Life opportunity so that people can come and of how the contemplative life can lives have contributed greatly to the life of 9.30pm: A time of prayer and adoration well up and overflow into action. In the diocese. Some of their work, in parishes meet some of these amazing fathers, with the martyrs for world peace, addition to all this, she wrote much and schools, for example, is very visible, brothers, sisters and lay people who give ending with night prayer on the subject of contemplative but much of what happens is unseen. This their lives to God in this unique way. prayer and her writings are still two-day event will allow the whole diocesan “We have put together a timetable for the Friday September 25 standard works today. She was family to come together and give thanks for two days, which we are making public now 7.15am: Morning Mass declared a Doctor of the Church by all that has been given over the years. so people can put time aside in their diaries 10.30am: Secondary schools – “Living Pope Paul VI in 1970. There will also be plenty of time to meet and join us. It really promises to be two Joyfully” During this month of June we will be some of those people we may not ordinarily days of great joy and we might just learn Noon: Prayer during the day and hosting an exhibition of the life of St see. Those who live enclosed lives will also something, too!” adoration Teresa and her works at the be a part of the celebration, leading prayer People should feel free to come along to as 3pm: Secondary schools depart Cathedral. It will be well worth a and offering us a glimpse into their daily much of the two days as they can. There 4.30pm: Mass for all communities living visit. It is touring the UK, going to lives. will be chance for private prayer and the consecrated lives 16 Cathedrals, two Carmelite The event will also include the Celebration opportunity to speak to people about what 6pm: Evening prayer monasteries and Walsingham. It is of the 200th birthday of St Don Bosco. The you feel God may be calling you to. There 7pm: Celebration of discipleship six freestanding banners depicting Salesians will play a major part in the event will be some informative displays and a 9.30pm: A time of prayer and adoration the life and times of St Teresa, her and Rise Theatre will perform a play to flower festival. with the martyrs for world peace, teaching on prayer and celebrate Don Bosco’s life. understanding the human person and her relevance for today. The exhibition will be at the Cathedral from May 30 to June 15, and our opening times and more about the Join CAFOD’s Parliament Lobby exhibition is on the Cathedral website: CAFOD is asking supporters to join them in London on Wednesday www.middlesbroughrccathedral.org June 17 for their One Climate One World Mass Lobby of Also this month, on the feast of St Parliament. Ephraim, June 9, there will be a Since last September, thousands of people have called on the special celebration for the leaders of all political parties to work together to prevent climate permanent deacons, their wives and change pushing people deeper into poverty and to support the families at Ampleforth. There they transition from polluting fossil fuels to sustainable energy for all. will renew their baptismal promises, their marriage vows and recommit “CAFOD supporters have shown that climate change is not a niche themselves to the work of the issue,” said head of campaigns, Sophie Dodgeon. “It matters to diaconate. Please keep all our people of all ages, backgrounds and political views, and from deacons in your prayers and every part of England and Wales. promote the great vocation to “Although we may not have heard much about it during the the permanent diaconate at leaders’ debates, we know this widespread strength of feeling is every opportunity. being heard and it is helping cross-party consensus emerge on the urgency of tackling climate change. You can volunteer in your own parish, become a campaign “Please keep going because it’s working. We hope you’ll join us at volunteer or MP correspondent, or visit schools to talk about our Parliament on Wednesday June 17 to meet your MP and carry on work to young people. You could even learn to be a media the conversation.” volunteer. Anyone interested in going along to the lobby, please get in The work is interesting and rewarding. Full training is given and Thank You touch– we’d love to hear from you! expenses reimbursed. So if you have some time on your hands, There are always lots of opportunities to volunteer with CAFOD email [email protected] For Your and it’s very worthwhile work. Generosity! Children’s Flair For Fundraising After watching the video of Zin Thu Thu The children raised an amazing £793.25 in Mrs Whitaker for counting all the coins and One of the most humbling and her community in Myanmar, creative total. Well done to all concerned and to banking them! experiences of working for CAFOD is children from St Augustine's Primary witnessing the unbounded School in Coulby Newham, Middlesbrough, generosity to our work of the decorated empty yoghurt pots and gave Catholic community in the Diocese them a new purpose for their Lenten of Middlesbrough. activities to support our work. In recent months we have seen They filled the pots with money they amazing acts of kindness as people received for carrying out helpful tasks at have been creatively raising funds home. These included tidying their own and going the extra mile to support bedrooms and helping their parents care our Lent appeal for Myanmar, to for their brothers and sisters. take advantage of matched funding Some also cut out favourite snacks and from the Department for sweets and saved the money to donate, International Development. while others even gave up playing on their Then, with these donations still games consoles for the whole of Lent. coming in, the response to the Head teacher Martin Macaulay said: "The Nepal Earthquake appeal took off, children were really enthusiastic about with millions of pounds being raised fundraising and the younger children got for the Disasters Emergency their parents involved." Committee’s appeal within a really Year two teacher, Miss Lickess, who is short timescale.