Newyddiadur Swyddogol Esgobaeth Caerdydd Issue 255 March 2018 Official Newspaper of the Archdiocese of Cardiff Pick up your FREE copy today Lenten journey Cornerstone marks the start of appoints poet transition in residence Pages 4-5 Page 8 Churches combine to help the homeless …and in a wintery Rome Pope Francis comes to the rescue Left: St Peter’s Square covered in snow... the Pope has acted to help the homeless in this bitterly cold weather. Here, in St Peter’s Square someone has built a Snowman Priest... probably a seminarian with a sense of humour. n Sunday 28th January Wayne David beds and bedding are brought in from an MP and Cllr Lisa Phipps, Caerphilly outside store, and set up. Dining tables and OBorough Council’s Cabinet Member chairs are arranged and the table laid. Though for Homes and Places, spent an evening we lack shower facilities, towels and toiletries with night shelter volunteers and guests at at laid out on tables in the gents and ladies Saint Helen’s Church in Caerphilly, just as and the disabled facility. Pope Francis is caring for homeless people As the guests arrive, they are welcomed in Rome. with hot drinks and snacks. They claim their Once again this winter, churches in the beds, put down their bags and belongings, Caerphilly county borough have worked and begin to relax. A great success this year together to provide shelter to the homeless. has been the introduction of board games, Now in its sixth year, the Caerphilly Churches chess, and cards. At about 7.30 guests and Night Shelter is set up by nine churches and a helpers sit down together to a large and team of volunteers to provide shelter, hot healthy meal, with plenty of chat, after which meals, essential support, and advice to the some settle, others go for a walk around the homeless during the most difficult months of park or the castle, and others choose and put the year. This winter the shelter has run since on a film, which usually plays, with ciggie 3rd December and will continue until 4th pauses, past the 11pm lights out. March. How does it work? The service is run on a A life saver referral only basis through the Council’s At 10pm the evening team leaves and three Housing Advice centre working in partnership volunteers arrive to cover the night. They are with a local firm, Cornerstone Support relieved at 6am by the morning team, who Services. Once contacted and cleared the begin to prepare and cook breakfast, wake the Guests are welcomed at that night’s pop-up guests at 7.30 with tea or coffee: ‘Milk in first!’ shelter: Saint Helen covers the Sunday nights, for one; another can tell if he is cheated of and each participating church has their night. even one of his seven spoons of sugar. This year there have been an average of 7 Before breakfast guests and helpers strip guests a night, including 3 women, and a and dismantle the beds, and as breakfast is range of ages. The Shelter does not claim to shared, the sleeping area is cleared and be a solution, but provides a staging-post steam-cleaned. The guests are provided with which gives a time of stability during which a packed lunch, and slowly begin to move out, social services can work with the guests to get some picked up and driven away by them into suitable housing. Cornerstones, others walking up to the library or into town. The whole premises are cleaned A large and healthy meal through, and some of the helpers delight in In Saint Helen’s, we open up just after 5pm. staying to help the Parents and Toddlers Volunteers start preparing supper. Others start group set up toys and mats for their morning moving the chairs to form a temporary divide session. between the sleeping and eating areas, with a discreet area for the ladies. The fold-away • Continued on Page 2 2 CATHOLIC PEOPLE ARCHBISHOP GEORGE’S Churches combine to ENGAGEMENTS MARCH 2018 help the homeless least a dozen deaths. • Continued from Page 1 5 March Liturgy Commission Meeting - Allen Hall London 11.00 “In these very cold days, I think and I invite you to think of the people who live on the 6 March Standing Committee Meeting – Eccleston Square 10.30 Our tireless organiser, Cliff Bray, says “Being streets, struck by the cold and, many times, by able to provide shelter for the homeless 7 March Staff meeting – Allen Hall London 1.00 indifference,” Pope Francis told people in St through the winter months is a whole Parish Peter’s Square on January 8. Community effort: As well as the three teams “Unfortunately, some have not survived,” the 8 March Patrimony Committee Meeting - Eccleston Square 1.00 Lenten in the hall, others volunteers provide delicious Station Mass – St. Mary’s Newport 7.00 Pope told people who had bundled up against desserts, give donations, provide bedding, the midday chill to recite the Angelus prayer 9 March Attends Lenten Lunch and Talk –St. David’s cathedral 1.30 clothes, etc., and pray” One helper ‘enjoyed with him. “Let us pray for them and ask the getting to know and listen to the guests, and Lord to warm our hearts so that we can help 11 March St. David Lewis Parish – Usk 9.00 also bonding with fellow-parishioners in what them.” 13 March Lenten Station Mass – Our Lady’s Church Hereford 7.00 14 March was an intimate time.’ Several times the guests Because of the cold weather, the papal Lenten Station Mass – St. Dyfrig’s Treforest 7.00 themselves will tell us that the Churches Night charities office instituted a 24-hour open-door Shelter has been a life-saver for them. And the policy at the shelters it runs with the 17 March Preparation Day for “Adoremus” – Eucharistic Congress – St. aim and hope is that by March all will have David’s College Missionaries of Charity for homeless men and been rehoused.” homeless women. Usually the shelters open in 18 March Mass and Commissioning – Blessed Sacrament Church Rumney the evening and close in the morning. The Pope acts 11.45 19 March St. George’s Retreat - 150th anniversary The Vatican has also distributed to some celebrations 11.30 Meanwhile, in Rome, looking out over St homeless thermal sleeping bags that protect Peter’s Square where icicles hung from usually down to minus 20C (minus 4F). Some Vatican 20 - 21 March “Welsh Places of Worship” meeting – The Cornerstone 1030 bubbling fountains, Pope Francis prayed for vehicles, their doors unlocked, were left at Meeting with Headteacher Designate of St. Illtyd’s High School 2.00 the homeless. night outside the Vatican City’s high walls, so Lenten Station Mass – St. Mary’s Bridgend 7.00 The freeze in Rome, subzero temperatures in homeless people could take turns going inside large parts of Europe and heavy snowfalls in St. Joseph’s High School Newport – 50th anniversary 6.00 Attends the cars to warm up. Several homeless sleep many areas in early January forced the closure outside, under Vatican porticoes. Lenten Lunch and Talk - The Cornerstone Cardiff 1.30 Universtiy of roads and schools and were blamed for at Chaplaincy Newman Hall 1.00 25 March Cardiff 11.00 26 March Blessing of Palms, Procession and Mass – St. David’s Cathedral Meeting – St. David Lewis Church – Usk 11.00 28 March Cathedral Cardiff 11.30 30 March Cardiff 3.00 31 March Mass of the Lord’s Supper – St. David’s Cathedral 6.30 Liturgy of the Pasion and Death of the lord – St. David’s Cathedral ARCHDIOCESAN DIARY OF EVENTS BEL – Belmont Abbey – The Retreats Secretary - email: [email protected] or tel: 07799 811 646. All retreats begin with Vespers at 6.00 pm – check-in at Hedley Lodge from mid afternoon LL – Ty Croeso Centre, Llantarnam Abbey, Cwmbran tel: 01633 867317 PRC – Pastoral Resources Centre, 910 Newport Road, Rumney, Cardiff tel: 029 20360044 St.P – St Peter’s Church, St Peter’s Street, Cardiff CF24 3BA Left to right: MP Wayne David, Father John Kelly with March the Good Samaritans helping at the night shelter. Below: St Peter's Square covered in snow. 7 March Lent Wednesday, An English Spring. Start 10.00 includes soup lunch BEL Apologies 8 March Lenten Station Mass St Mary's, Newport 7pm Due to computer server difficulties some 9-11 March Lord, Make me Whole Again, weekend retreat on spiritual healing BEL copy submitted has not been able to be 9 March Lenten Lunch and talk St David's Cathedral 1.30pm processed and will appear in the April 13 March Lenten Station Mass - Our Lady's Church, Hereford 7pm edition of Catholic People. My apologies to those people who 14 March Lenten Station Mass St Dyfrig's Treforest 7pm submitted copy. 14 March Lent Wednesday, An English Spring. Start 10.00 includes soup lunch BEL The Editor 17 March Preparation Day for Adoremus -Eucharistic Congress, St David's College 18 March Mass and Commissioning Blessed Sacrament Church Rumney 1145am 21 March Lent Wednesday, An English Spring. Start 10.00 includes soup lunch BEL 21 March Lenten Station Mass St Mary's Bridgend 7pm Your Catholic People… 23-25 March – Last Week of Jesus weekend retreat. BEL Editorial Dr James Campbell-Editor. Archbishop’s 25 March Blessing of Oils, Renewal of Priestly Vows, St David's Cathedral House, 43 Cathedral Road, Cardiff, CF11 9HD 29 March-2 April Easter at Belmont BEL Tel: (029) 2022 0411 Fax: (029) 2037 9036 Email: [email protected] and Articles to be received by 13th-15th April Weekend retreat on the Spiritual Meaning of the Liturgy BEL the 20th of the month for inclusion in the following 28th April What does the Spirit Say to the Church, day retreat with Dom Andrew month.