Newyddiadur Swyddogol Esgobaeth Caerdydd Issue 245 May 2017 Official Newspaper of the Archdiocese of Cardiff Pick up your FREE copy today Mar riage All parishes gather for Pr eparatio n the Chr ism Mass Page 3 Page 5 New priests joining our diocese – but they face a challenge! At the Chrism Mass at St those whose names we do not David’s Metropolitan Cathedral know or can’t remember? Think on 12 April , Archbish op G eorge of the disci ples trying to use gave an inspiring homily which swords to defend. Think of highlighted the bright future the Pontius Pilate trapped by his so diocese faces with new priests called authority as he washes his joining us. But he also hands, denying underlined the challenges these responsibility,blaming others by new priests will face. Here is this symbolic action. How his address: common is the exercise of power On 22 July Daniel Stanton will without responsibility, not only in be ordained a priest for the the public sphere but in our Archdiocese of Cardiff having personal lives too. studied at St. Mary’s Oscott for Sometimes they strew his way, the last six years . On 29 July And his sweet praises sing; Peter McLaren will be ordained to Resounding all the day the priesthood having served as a Hosannas to their King. permanent Deacon for ten years. Then ‘Crucify!’ Robert James will be ordained a Is all their breath, Deacon on 10 June and similarly And for his death Nicholas Williams on 24 June. We They thirst and cry. ha ve tw o oth er se mina rians in T he sto ry o f Ho ly Week is our training for the pr iesth ood and, s tory, to o, as w e fo llow jou rney hope fully, o ne new candi date Jes us makes to Ca lvary - and starting i n S ept ember. b eyon d. Some tim es we try t o It seems to me that we are not speed up the process, get to the Pictured at the Chrism Mass – Dale Cutlon (applicant for priesthood training) Robert James (to be short of priests in this Diocese. end, find a meaning for everything ordained deacon), Nicholas Williams (to be ordained deacon) and Bro Ambrose Jackson (Cardiff The real shortage we face is here and now. We want to avoid Oratory in formation). shortag e of people. the meaning of the cross in our Congr ega tions a re decr ea sing. own lives expe cting no s uffer ing Viabil ity of pa rishes a nd scho ols or pa in or d isa ppoin tment sh ould will b e an increa sin g ch alle nge i n com e o ur way. Bu t the re is no St John’s College, Cardiff the not too distant future. These resurrection to new life without A leading independent day school for boys & girls aged 3-18 new priests will have to minister in Gethsemane and Calvary. We Choir School to St David’s Metropolitan Cathedral chan ging an d challen ging kis s t he w ood of the c ross o n circumstan ces – no t le ast in an Good Frida y as a sig n that we are age and culture which a t tim es e mbra ce d b y Christ on t he c ross Top School in Wales in e Sunday Times ‘Parent Power’ tries t o a irb rush faith o ut o f th e and we em bra ce the cros s in our picture a nd at other times is ow n lives a s m eans o f uniting our hostile t o the implic atio ns o f life an d death to h is. relig ion. The famous English novelist We can hard ly be sur pris ed a t Agath a Ch ristie wrote this the complex w o rld in whic h we parag raph in h er a utob iography: live , not leas t as we celeb rate “Quite unexp ected ly one day (I Ho ly Week. The stor y of thes e th ink in th e m iddle of a math s final days of the earth ly life of les son) th e te ache r sudden ly Jesus cont ains all so rts of la unch ed fort h on a sp ee ch on complexities and c onf licts, full o f life and re ligion. All of you,she puzz ling ch aracte rs w ho b ehaved sa id, w ill pas s through a time in unpre dict able and s ometimes wh en you feel despair. I f you cruel way s. Th e man with the nev er fac e de spa ir you will n ever Estyn Inspection Report - ‘Excellent’ pitcher of w ater who in troduced kno w the Ch ristian lif e. To be a the disciples to the eq ually Ch ristian you must face and Nursery & Infants • Juniors • Seniors • Sixth Form anonym ous owner o f the ho use a ccept th e lif e th at Christ f aced where the Last Supper would and lived. You must enjoy things Please contact Admissions to arrange a visit: 02920 778936 tak e p lace. Ho w much do we as he enjoyed things; be as owe f o r dir ectio n in our liv es to happ y a s he was at the marriage www.stjohnscollegecardiff.com Charity No. 701294 CON TINUED ON PAGE 4 Supporting the Archdiocese and worship in the Metropolitan Cathedral of St David 2 CATHOLIC PEOPLE ARCHBISHOP Marriage Care volunteers GEORGE’S “Pre-marriage courses are a special Could you help us to do more for marriage, to ENGAGEMENTS expression of preparation. And we see so reach more couples who are preparing for the many couples, who perhaps come to the sacrament? We are looking for Catholic MAY 2017 course somewhat reluctant. But afterwards volunteers who can commit to a three-day they are happy and grateful, because they training course and thereafter to three days have found there the opportunity – sometimes (usually Saturdays) a year delivering the Monday 1 May Bishops Retreat in Rome the only one – to reflect on their experience in Preparing Together day as part of a team. For Thursday 4 May Return from Rome non-trivial terms.” every six new volunteers we can potentially Friday 5 May Confirmation Merthyr Tydfil 7pm Pope Francis, Catechesis on Engagement, reach an additional 100 couples a year. May 27th 2015 In the Cardiff Archdiocese our Marriage Care Saturday 6 May Confirmation Holy Family Cardiff 6pm teams currently work from three Centres in Wednesday 10 May Journalism Seminar BBC 11.30am This year Marriage Care is marking Cardiff, Hereford and Newport. Two volunteers Pentecost Sunday (June 4th) and at our Cardiff centre, Mike and Margaret, told Thursday 11 May St. Edmund’s College Ware 11am Volunteers’ Week (June 1st-7th) with a us this about their experiences: "We always Friday 12 May Confirmation St. Patrick’s Grangetown 7pm particularly important appeal for more enjoy delivering the Preparing Together course, Saturday 13 May Confirmation St. Joseph’s Cardiff 6pm volunteers to help us expand our services although it is a demanding day for us. It is to couples. good to see couples embarking on married life Sunday 14 May Confirmation St. David’s Cathedral 11am At Marriage Care our goal is to radically and share their excitement and hopes for the Wednesday 17 May Confirmation St. mary’s Dinas Powys 7pm increase the amount of marriage preparation future. We believe we can offer them courses we deliver whilst continuing to something of value and make them think more Thursday 18 May Patrimony Committee of the Bishops maintain our support for couples experiencing about what the nature of their commitment to Conference, London. 1.00pm difficulties through our relationship counselling each other is, and why that is important. By Friday 19 May Confirmation St. Alban’s Cardiff 7pm service. At present over 3000 couples a year being there, we can show them Catholicism in experience either a Preparing Together day or action, caring and reaching out, which many Saturday 20 May Confirmation St. Helen’s Barry 6pm a series of FOCCUS© sessions, around a third will not have experienced before.” Sunday 21 May National Pilgrimage to Our Lady of of all those marrying in the Catholic Church in To learn more about Marriage Care visit England and Wales. www.marriagecare.org.uk. To book a place on the Taper 2pm We want to double these figures by the end of a marriage preparation course, or for Tuesday 23 May Good Shepherd Service for Schools, 2019. Our interactive courses give couples an counselling, call 0800 389 3801. For further St. David’s Cathedral 11.30am opportunity to take time to think about the information or to apply for any volunteer great commitment they are entering into, as vacancies please contact your local Centre or Leavers Mass St, Mary’s Lugwardine 2pm well as to learn the tools they will need to draw [email protected] Friday 26 May Presents Prizes Stonyhurst College on in the future. The content of Preparing See lead article on page 3 where Together in particular draws on all we have Archbishop George seeks your views on Lancashire learned from our experience of counselling marriage preparation. couples in distress over the last 70 years. ARCHDIOCESAN DIARY OF EVENTS Appointment of June Osborne as Bishop of Llandaff Speaking from Rome where he is currently attending a BEL – Belmont Abbey – The Retreats Secretary - email: [email protected] or tel: 07799 811 646.