A Christmas message from

In the last daysof November,I joined some

of our priests anddeacons on an Ad-vent Day ofPrayer. The skywas blue and thesun shimmered onthe frozen grass. Itwas a wonderfulday!

The priest who ledthe day was fromEast Lancashirewhere I was born. He said that, by the end of No-vember, the wise men from the east would have setout on their travels. He wanted to reflect on theirjourney and see what lessons we could learn for ourjourney of faith.

Apparently, in those days,there would have been a num-ber of people, like the wisemen, studying the stars, andtrying to find out what God’swill was for them in their lives.

In their search, the wise menin the Gospel had to leavehome and everything that gavethem security. Rather thancheque cards, they carriedwhat was valuable currencywith them, gold and frankincense and myrrh.When the star they were following finally stoppedover the place where Jesus was born, they fell downon their knees and worshipped him.

They were given the gift of humble faith, and itchanged their lives. They offered everything theyhad relied, the gold, the frankincense and themyrrh, and they returned home a different way.

What about you this Christmasand New Year? Will you be fol-lowing the usual routine? Or,like the wise men, will you andI be touched deeply by Jesusamong us? Perhaps we may notrely on the things of this worldso much. Perhaps, in this NewYear, our lives will go in a dif-ferent and happier direction.

With every blessing for Christ-mas and the New Year,

+ PeterBishop of Northampton

September 2015Issue No. 316

JANUARY 2017Issue No. 331

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High culture inDunstable

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CAFODmemorial

Mass

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Do youloveme?

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Rt Rev Richard Moth,Bishop of the Diocese ofArundel & Brighton wel-comed Cardinal CormacMurphy-O'Connor and for-mer Bishop of Arundel &Brighton to Arundel Cathe-dral on Sunday 27 Novem-ber to celebrate 60 years ofpriesthood.

Cardinal Cormac was or-dained a priest on 28 Octo-ber 1956 in Rome beforereturning to the Diocese ofPortsmouth to work. In 1971he was appointed Rector ofthe English College in Romefrom where he was called tobecome Bishop of Arundel &Brighton on 17 November1977. He was Bishop ofArundel & Brighton for

nearly 23 years. On 15 No-vember 2000, he was as in-stalled as tenth Archbishopof Westminster and made aCardinal by Pope John PaulII on 21 February 2001. Henow lives a busy retirement.

Cardinal Cormac, during hishomily, whilst looking backwith great affection to histime in the Diocese said that"We should not look back-wards, for we are an Adventpeople, looking forward withhope." He spoke of his con-tinual trust in the Lord whois full of mercy and compas-sion. He reflected that theLord was present both in thehopes and joys as well as thegriefs and sorrows of life.

A Christmas messagefrom

Bishop Peter

Ukip has elected a pro-life Catholic as its newleader. Paul Nuttall,MEP for North WestEngland, gained 62.6per cent of party mem-bers’ votes.Nuttall, 39, is a prac-tising Catholic. Lastyear he told the Tablet:“On moral issues, we,more than any otherpolitical party, aremore in line with

Catholic thought.Whether it’s on gen-der-choice abortion orsame-sex marriage, weare absolutely 100 percent behind theCatholic Church.”Nuttall is a formerdeputy leader of theparty, which he joinedin 2004. He waselected as an MEP in2009.

After his election, hesaid he would pressthe Government for a“real Brexit”, and saidhe would challengeLabour for working-class support. “I wantto replace the LabourParty and make UKIPthe patriotic voice of

working people,” hetold the BBC, addingthat the Labour leader-ship was part of “aNorth London Isling-ton set”.

Earlier this year, Nut-tall wrote to theCatholic Herald to ex-press his “shock” at theRoyal College of Mid-wives’ support forscrapping all abortionrestrictions. In 2010,he spoke at the AGMof the Society for theProtection of UnbornChildren, at which hesaid it was frighteningthat a child is safer onthe streets than in itsmother’s womb.

The Vine January 2017

Getting intoprintWE WOULD LIKE

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Pope Francis will cross the bor-der to visit Northern Ireland inAugust 2018, the deputy firstminister has said.

Martin McGuinness told jour-nalists: "I've been around a longtime and I know how thesethings work."He was speaking after Taoiseach(Irish Prime Minister) EndaKenny broke news of a papalvisit to Ireland after meeting the

Pope at the Vatican.

A spokesman for First MinisterArlene Foster said if the Popevisited NI as a head of state, shewould meet him.

However, at this stage, the IrishCatholic press office has refusedto confirm the visit would takeplace.

The limestone slab where Jesus'body was said to have been laid outafter his crucifixion was revealedlast month for the first time since atleast 1555 AD.

After removing the slab that encasedthe tomb, scientists were stunned tofind the burial shelf intact and a sec-ond marble slab with a cross carvedinto its surface.

The tomb was opened and resealedwithin 60 hours during work beingdone at the Church of the HolySepulchre in the Old City ofJerusalem.

Now, new images have emerged re-vealing the restoration work on thestones that cover the outside of thetomb as well as an 18th centuryshrine known as the 'Edicule'.

Belfast

Jerusalem

RomePolice in Rome are investigating theapparent vandalism of the famedElephant and Obelisk statue de-signed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini inthe Piazza della Minerva near thePantheon in Rome.

Rome cultural authorities said Mon-day that vandals overnight broke offthe tip of the elephant's left tusk,which authorities recovered at the

foot of the statue. Police were check-ing video in the area to identify thevandals.

The statue of an elephant carryingan obelisk on its back was commis-sioned by Pope Alexander VII. Itwas placed in the square in front ofthe Santa Maria Sopra Minera Basil-ica in 1667.

BootleWashingtonMore than 1,500 interfaith leaders are call-ing on Republican members of Congress toreject President-elect Donald Trump's 'Cabi-net of Bigotry' that includes Senator JeffSessions, Alt-Right leader Steve Bannon,and Lt Gen Michael T Flynn, and to appointadvisers who understand that forging amore tolerant, united and inclusive Americais the best way forward.

Prominent Catholic, Protestant, Sikh, Mus-lim and Jewish faith leaders have endorseda national petition stating that white su-premacy has no place in the West Wing orany other rung of leadership.

"All of our faith traditions teach us to loveour neighbours as we love ourselves," theletter states. "After a painful and con-tentious election, the future of our nationrests in our ability to unite and work collab-oratively for the common good of all people.But we cannot coalesce around these ambas-sadors of hatred, bigotry and intimidation,"the letter continues.

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EDITION ISJANUARY 4

The Magna Graecia Flute Choir and Friendsgave a concert of Italian Song and Sym-phony in St. Mary's Catholic Church, Dun-stable on Friday. 29th July. In hiscontribution to the programme AndrewSelous, M.P. said "I am sure the choir willrichly reward those lucky enough to hearthem." Well they certainly did! The goodcrowd in the church gave a standing andprolonged ovation at the end of the concert.The mixed programme included religiousand operatic pieces. These latter were su-perbly performed by the soloists, sopranoMaria Cucinotta, alto Helen Putterill andtenor Amerigo Marino a professional operasinger who wowed the audience with Puc-cini's ' Nessum Dorma' and his part inFranck's Panis Angelicus. The 12 membersof the Flute Choir, ranging from piccolo tobass flute, gave an excellent performanceunder the baton of Sebastiana Valentinowith the highlight being Rossini's WilliamTell Overture.

The event was or-ganised by theDunstable Councilof the Knights ofSt. Columba, withPatrick McDonaldand Grand KnightJustin Redmondplaying a majorpart. The specialguests were theMayor, CouncillorPeter Hollick andMayoress AnnSparrow. Severallocal businessessponsored theevent and Lom-

bardo's, an Italian food shop, provided foodduring the day. The money raised by theevent goes to two charities, St. Francis Chil-dre's Home in Milton Keynes and theKnoghts' project the Lindalva Centre inCambodia which provides a safe and lovingenvironment for children to learn in andenjoy.

Parishioners unable to attend heard thegroup when they they sang the morningmass in Latin and Franck's Panis Angelicusand Mozart's Ave Verum.

The choir comes from Calabria in southernItaly and is composed of diploma studentsand young professionals. The link with thisarea is Helen Putterill the alto, who is a na-tive of Dunstable and recalls being a pupilat Linden House Nursery. opposite thechurch, when the new St. Mary's churchwas being built in 1963. She has lived inItaly for 30 years but returns to Kenswortha nearby village where her mother lives.


Ecumenism is alive and well in our Mid-Beds. deanery. Bishop Peter, Fr. JohnDanford and Deacon Tony Falconhosted a fish & chip supper at the end ofOctober for 30 people in Leighton Buz-zard in order to hear about all that isgoing on among the churches there. After the supper the both the Bishop andMrs Anita Nancollas, who is the Bed-fordshire County Ecumenical Officerspoke about ecumenism and its place inchurch life, and then people were invitedto share their own experiences aboutwhat was happening in the area. A richtapestry was unveiled, of clergy meet-

ings, joint walks of witness, ecumenicalfêtes, joint newspapers and study ses-sions, carol services, holiday clubs, andall sorts of shared social actions. It wasan opportunity to share ideas and oppor-tunities.

The event was supported by our Dioce-san Ecumenical Commission in order toencourage parishes in their working withother churches. The Commission hopesthat other areas will take up the idea,which replaces the larger diocesan –wide gatherings that took place untilfairly recently.

Fish andchips

ecumenism

Italian fare inDunstable

A new way of being friends


Bishop Peter began his pas-toral letter for Advent with areminder that it is a verybusy time. ‘Is there anyroom for God when there isso much to do’? ‘I hope thereare moments for you to beopen to God’s loving pres-ence with you now. Our Godis the God of tenderness andcompassion, the God ofmercy who continues to em-brace us in his merciful love.

He then turned to remind usof the ways in which Jesus ispresent. ‘The busyness ofthis time of the year mustnot distract us from Jesusbeing with us now. Howmany of us are open to hispresence in our neighboursand in the people around usat Mass? How many of ushave heard him speak to usin the readings of the Mass?How many of us will be opento his presence when thebread and wine are conse-crated and we receive hisbody and blood in HolyCommunion? He is presenttoo in the priest as he cele-brates the Mass.

Then the Bishop touched onsome of the themes emerg-ing from our national politi-cal life. ‘When we leaveMass, do we see Christ inthose who are very differentfrom us, the stranger andthe refugee? Do we seeChrist in the immigrantgroups, who contribute somuch to our communities?Are we alert to the possibil-ity that people living near usmay be trafficked and en-slaved? The psalmist writes,‘It is the Lord who protectsthe stranger’ Perhaps thatmust be done by you and byme. Above all, we must

guard against harbouringany prejudice in our hearts.

Prepare a way for the Lordfor yourself in prayer and inthe celebration of the sacra-ment of Penance. Prepare away for the Lord for othersby your patience and yourkindness. Then you will seeChrist in others, and theywill see Christ in you. I amreally privileged travellingaround the diocese and see-ing the goodness in you andthe way in which Jesusworks in you. I am reallyprivileged in gaining someidea of the impact of theYear of Mercy on our lives,especially on the lives ofthose of us who think thatwe are the world’s worst.The Lord is with you.

The gift that each of s canprepare for this Christmas isa gift based on God’s mercy,the gift of peace in our souls,and the gift of the hope ofthat peace for others. It isthe gift of Christ himself,who has come, who willcome again, and is with usnow.

With the uncertainties andthe fears that can surroundus, our security and ourhappiness is not in every-thinjg being bigger and bet-ter this Christmas, but inour coming to know Jesus aswe prepare for his comingagain, and as we prepare tocelebrate his birth. May thealmighty and merciful Godsanctify you by the radianceof Christ’s coming and en-rich you with his blessing.

+ PeterBishop of

Northampton

AdventPastoralLetter

New Executive Principal for Bedford

The St Francis of Assisi Academies Trustwere delighted to welcome their new Exec-utive Principal, Tony Bishop, at the start ofthis academic year.

Mr Bishop recently moved to Bedford fromSheffield, where he worked as a Head-teacher of a Catholic secondary school. On Tuesday 11 October, Mr Bishop waswelcomed into the community of schools athis Induction Mass, celebrated by MgrKevin McGinnell. Families, students andstaff gathered to celebrate the occasion atSt Gregory’s, alongside Directors of theAcademies Trust and representatives fromthe Local Authority.

Mr Bishop said: “I am very happy to behere and working for the students of ourCatholic schools in Bedford. The educa-tion our schools provide is excellent and Iam looking forward to working with staff.”

Picture above: Tony Bishop with Mgr McGinnellBelow: Mr Bishop with the headteachers of the Bedford schools

The Vine wishes all its readersa very happy Christmas.


All students in years 6, 7 and 8 from StMichael’s, High Wycombe and StJoseph’s, Gerrards Cross, visited a dy-namic RE resource called ‘GSUS live’ tosupport schools in their RE curriculum.‘GSUS live’ is a mobile classroom with afully functioning multimedia computersuite and provides a stimulating envi-ronment for students to explore themesof Forgiveness, Fear and Rejectionthrough reflecting on Jesus' life andteaching. These themes were intro-duced by following a young person’sjourney through stimulation of an on-line chat, videos and music. The ses-sions were run by Wycombe Youth forChrist and local youth leaders. Students

were delighted as the screens appearedfrom inside their desks and enjoyedwatching videos, dancing along to themusic (staff included!) and answeringthe questions. Some exclaimed, “I neverknew Jesus could be so cool!” and “thatwas EPIC!”

We strongly recommend a visit if it ap-pears in your area.

For more information about otherevents going on at St Michael’s, pleasevisitwww.stmichaels.bucks.sch.uk/chap-laincy

‘I never knew Jesuswould be so cool’

On Friday 21st October students and staffat Cardinal Newman Catholic School puton their sturdiest walking boots for theirlong-standing tradition of a 5km spon-sored walk around the beautiful country-side of Warden Hills in Luton. Cloudyskies did little to dampen the spirits ofthe 1450 students and staff who wereraising money for charities nominated bystudents themselves. Every year studentsdonate a large portion of almost six thou-sand pounds of fundraising to a maincharity as well as continually supportingtwo primary schools in Africa with sup-plies, buildings and furniture. In 2016students decided to support The Bedford-

shire and Northamptonshire MultipleSclerosis Therapy Centre. Newman Sixthwere also walking to raise money for theirtrip to Cambodia next year to volunteerand help children.

Headteacher, Mr Joe Richardson, wholed the walk said, ‘It is a great privilege tosee the continued generosity, kindnessand community spirit shown by our stu-dents towards those much less fortunatethan themselves. To see 1450 studentswalking together is quite a sight, espe-cially one inspired by a call to acts of gen-erosity in this Year of Mercy.’

Luton schoolwalks for charity

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CAFOD is immensely blessed by the generos-ity and dedication of our supporters. Sadly,many of our supporters over the years havenow passed away. Our Memorial Masses areone way we like to pay tribute to them andmark our appreciation for their years of gen-erosity. It provides an opportunity for volun-teers, supporters, parishioners and members

of the wider public to come together and cel-ebrate their lives.

The 2016 Memorial mass for the Northamp-ton Dioceses was held at Sacred Heart,Leighton Buzzard on 6 November and organ-ised by the J&P group.

Fr John Danford invited Bob Garrard

(CAFOD parish contact) to give an introduc-tion about the Memorial Mass. The Book ofRemembrance for the Northampton Diocese,in which were names of deceased volunteersand supporters, was then taken up by Jimwhose wife Rhona passed away earlier in theyear. The book was placed on the altarthroughout Mass.

Having the mass at Sacred Heart was partic-ularly poignant as Fr Stephen Reith, a formerParish Priest, is remembered through theCAFOD Candlelight Fund: Throughout hislife Fr Steve was passionate about Justice andPeace, equality, helping the poor and less for

tunate, and the work of CAFOD was alwaysvery close to his heart. In 1987, he was ap-pointed Parish Priest of Sacred Heart,Leighton Buzzard, where he remained untilhis retirement in 2002.

Debbie Purfield, CAFOD coordinator for theNorthampton Diocese said, “The mass was awonderful opportunity to pay tribute to thebrilliant people who have been at the heart ofour work: inspirational volunteers and sup-porters who found time to offer love, practi-cal support and prayers to the world’s mostvulnerable communities. They are such aninspiration and we are better because ofthem.”

Have you made your New Year's resolutionsyet? Will they be the same as last year -more exercise, less television etc? Why notmake volunteering for CAFOD your NewYear’s resolution? Guaranteed calorie-freeand not injurious to your health. In fact,very beneficial as you will be able to deepenyour faith, take action and stand in solidar-ity alongside our brothers and sisters allover the world who are affected by injusticeand poverty. By sharing your time, giftsand talents to help others in their hardshipyou will have a life giving and joyful experi-ence. You may also gain skills and experi-ence when you do activities that are new toyou…great for the CV!

There is something for a variety of lifestylesas volunteering can be done :

• In Schools : We need volunteers togo into our Catholic schools to inspire stu-dents to act on their sense of justice. Youdon’t have to be a teacher to do this role,only a passion for CAFOD’s work and anability to communicate well with childrenand young people. All necessary trainingand resources will be provided.

• In Parishes : we need people tohelp raise awareness and promote the twoFast Days a year. Even if your parish al-ready has a CAFOD volunteer, we wouldlove more people to be involved so that peo-

ple feel supported and can share the work. If you enjoy public speaking, you could givethe fast day talk at masses to thank theparish and explain how they have helped inCAFOD’s work.If you enjoy organising events and can en-courage others, we would love to hear fromyou too.

• From home : As one of CAFOD’smain role is campaigning, we need peopleto write to their MP three times a year on is-sues of importance for which we will pro-vide all the information needed. If you have

only 5mins, then signing an online petitionand encouraging others to do likewise willbe great.For those using social media, we need yourhelp to share our news and events with yourfriends and family.

Volunteers are vital to the work of CAFODand help us to build a world free frompoverty and injustice. Pope Benedict puts itvery eloquently :

“The activity of Catholic volunteers bearswitness to ‘the logic of giving’, the giving ofone's time, abilities, knowledge, and profes-sionalism; in a word, attention to otherswithout expecting a return in this world. Bydoing so, not only do people do good forothers, but they also discover profound hap-piness, according the logic of Christ Whogave all of Himself ".

So why not make volunteering for CAFOD aNew Year's resolution that you can keep?We provide all necessary training, supportand resources for the various roles. If youwould like to discuss how you can be in-volved or find out more, please get in touchon 01844 274 723 [email protected] Do what you love and do it for CAFOD! Thank you all for your support in 2016 andwishing you a very Joyful and Blessed Newyear!

Deborah Purfield – CAFOD Coordinator - Northampton Diocese


Make a New Year's resolutionworth keeping!

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A morning of reflection washeld at The RE centre and HolyGhost church Luton in Novem-ber to close the year of Mercyby introducing the book DoYou Love Me (prepared by aworking party of the Bishops ofEngland and Wales SpiritualityCommittee). The morning thatwas organised by the DiocesanSpirituality Group was well re-ceived by the 60 people who at-tended from around thediocese for this special morn-ing in November.

We were presented with athought provoking and inter-esting start from Brian Pur-field. Brian who is responsiblefor adult formation at the Je-suit Centre at Mount Street inLondon set the scene for themorning. He offered an en-lightening talk with somethought provoking slides thatreminded us of the ways thatGod’s mercy is manifested inour lives and encouraged us tobe open to this occurring in or-dinary and in unexpectedways. Reminding us that we

find God in all things, he intro-duced the Do You Love Mebook and encouraged us tothink of it as a means of devel-oping our relationship withGod.Following a prayer of stillnesswe were then invited to a timewith Prayer Stations in thechurch based on chapters ofDo You Love Me? There wasalso an opportunity to experi-ence adoration in the BlessedSacrament Chapel. The atmos-phere was very prayerful andthe different stations enabledus to spend time really beingspoken to in both our heartsand minds. there was plenty oftime to experience all that wason offer before gathering againfor Midday prayer. BishopPeter blessed and distributedcopies of the book.

The experience was a very pos-itive one but do not be con-cerned if you were not with usin November because a similarday is planned to be held in thenorth of the diocese during lenton 11 March.

The Vinewishes all itsreadersa veryhappy

Christmas.

Do you love me?

Gethin Abraham-Williams died peace-fully in the early hours of November 27.Gethin was Executive Secretary and Ec-umenical Officer to the Milton KeynesChristian Council in its earliest days,which was the precursor to the Moder-ator. He considered that what he wasdoing in MK was the most exciting jobin local ecumenism in Britain. He re-fashioned the Milton Keynes ChristianCouncil including the establishment ofthe Presidency and the Assembly as wehave it today, and he was closely in-volved in the development of theChurch of Christ the Cornerstone.

When Gethin came to Milton Keynes in1981, he brought a range of skills whichwere ideal for the needs of the churchesengaging in the enterprise of ecu-

menism. A man who made a wide rangeof friends easily, and quickly sought outthe key individuals in churches and thedeveloping City, he wore his very con-siderable scholarship lightly. Heseemed to have contacts in all the placeswhere the development of the collabo-rative life of the churches was takingshape. His collaborative style of leader-ship enabled a wide range of individualsto come together to drive forward theMilton Keynes project with a sense ofpossibility and excitement, he saw thepotential in others and nurtured it.

He was a skilled worship leader andpreacher, welcomed and loved in manyof the churches in the city. His editor-ship of ‘Christian Keynes’ brought newsof local church developments to many,

in a simple and informative style. Manyof the distinctive features of MiltonKeynes Christianity had their origin inGethin’s study, usually in collaborationwith others who shared his vision andenthusiasm. The Mission Partnership,formerly the Christian Council, theLeipzig Link, the Christian Foundationand the building of the Church of Christthe Cornerstone were close to his heart,together with Interfaith issues.

Gethin Abraham-Williams

Obituary


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May the Sacred Heart of Jesus bepraised, loved, adored and glorifiedthroughout the whole world, now

and forever. Say six times a day for nine days.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

One of the best loved scenes in the Christ-mas story is the visit of the wise men toworship the infant Jesus. Only St Matthew’sGospel describes this scene, which is oftendepicted in art under the title “Adoration ofthe Magi,” and shown on many Christmascards.

Matthew uses this scene to indicate some-thing about the identity of the Christ-child.He is the promised messianic king of Israel,born in David’s home village of Bethlehem.At the same time, he is the Saviour of all na-tions, to be acknowledged by people fromall over the world.

This identification of Jesus already appearsin the very first verse of Matthew’s Gospel,which introduces Jesus as both “son ofDavid” and “son of Abraham.” Both these ti-tles are important in Matthew’s presenta-tion of the Christmas story.As a descendant of David, Jesus is Israel’sking, fulfilling the long-cherished Jewishhope for a messiah. Hence the adult Jesuswill first send his disciples to the lost sheepof the house of Israel. It is only after manyof his own people have ignored his messagethat the gospel be proclaimed to the rest ofthe world.

Whereas King Herod the Great had lobbiedthe Roman senate to be awarded the title“King of the Jews,” Jesus is the true Jewishking, without needing any imperial ap-proval. Ironically, the Romans later recog-nize Jesus’ identity, because they post histitle on the cross: “King of the Jews.” Yet Jesus will redefine the meaning of king-

ship. For him it doesnot mean sitting in aluxurious palace, com-manding flunkeys todo his bidding. Insteadhe sees his role as a shepherd. As “King ofthe Jews” he will take care of his people,even at the expense of his own life. As goodshepherd, he will lay down his life for hissheep.In the first chapter of his gospel, Matthewemphasizes that Jesus is the legal (thoughnot biological) son of St Joseph, who him-self is also called “son of David.” In fulfil-ment of Isaiah’s prophecy, this child is bornof the Davidic line, and he will be calledEmmanuel, meaning “God with us.”

When the wise men or magi come from theeast, they are looking for the newborn kingof the Jews. They have seen something inthe night sky which they interpret as mark-ing the birth of a new king. In a sense, whatthey see fulfils Balaam’s prophecy that astar will arise out of Jacob (Numbers 24:17).Yet the royal child is not found in Herod’scourt, but in the small village of Bethlehem.

Later Matthew makes a play on the name ofJesus’ adopted hometown of Nazareth. Thename sounds like the Hebrew word “net-zer,” meaning branch or offshoot, whichwas one of the titles of the Messiah (Isaiah11:1). Matthew finds it appropriate that themessianic offshoot of the Davidic dynastyshould live in a town named “offshoot.”

Besides being son of David, Jesus is also“son of Abraham.” He is the fulfilment of

the divine promise to Abraham that throughhis offspring all the nations of the world willbe blessed. Much later, after the resurrec-tion Jesus tells his followers to go and makedisciples of all the nations. His salvation ismeant for people of every nation in theworld. In fact, the wise men or magi symbolize allthe nations of the world, because as Gen-tiles they come to adore Christ even whenhe is a baby. These men who have travelledfrom distant lands to worship Christ fore-shadow people of every land who will cometo worship our Saviour.

Yet in his infancy, the newborn Christ istaken away from the land of Israel intoEgypt. Together with Mary and Joseph, hehimself shares the fate of a refugee, like mil-lions of others all over the world, before andsince. We could say that like Abraham, heshares the experience of being a pilgrim,called to venture into new territory in obe-dience to God’s call.

At Christmas we recognize Christ as ourKing and Saviour. May we be guided by histeaching, so that he may rule over our lives.

Scriptural Notes by Father Jeremy Corley

[For weekly notes on the Sunday scripturereadings see: www.tarsus.ie ]

King andsaviourof all

Listen to the Word

Some might argue that this subject hasbeen done to death. As someone writingfrom outside Chesterton scholarship butwho is aware of his ever-growing reputationfor both sanity and sanctity, I would dis-agree – especially when the research hasbeen covered in such a meticulous way as inthis book. Indeed, my only criticism of AnnFarmer’s detailed exploration of GKC’sviews on the subject is that she has mas-tered so much material it is sometimes hardto retrieve the voice and opinions ofChesterton from among the copious andclamorous voices of his peers.

Subtitled “Friend, Critic, Defender”, Farmerdevelops her case on these three aspects ofGKC’s life and writings. Behind her book isher conviction that “there is a moral imper-ative to ask whether Chesterton was anti-Semitic or a candidate for sainthood; aprophet or a pariah.” This requires seeinghim through the appropriate “historical, so-ciological and political contexts”. It is alarge subject to encompass, not least be-cause GCK wrote so prolifically, includingJewish characters in his fiction as well ashis journalism, but also because the wholeof British intellectual and literary society, -before the War and subsequent horrific rev-

elations of the Holocaust - felt quite at easein accepting Jewish stereotypes and writingabout “the Jewish problem.”

Farmer includes in her detailed survey adiscussion of the writings of GeorgeBernard Shaw, H G Wells, Hilaire Bellocand others, to show in what ways their writ-ings on the Jews differed from those ofGKC. He would have been shocked to beconsidered an anti-Semite (which heequated racism and toleration of violenceagainst Jews) for writing about Jewish“plutocrats” and their international finan-cial power. As Farmer comments, he “likedall the Jews he met but disliked the “finan-cial Jews” he seldom met.”

GKC was a committed Zionist (not a popularposition among many Jews of his day) be-cause he feared that “in the absence of ahomeland to absorb their formidable ener-gies and talents, Jews would direct their loy-alties to each other.” In other words, couldthey be trust as British patriots or were theyinnately “foreign” in their loyalties? Farmerbelieves there is a case to answer here: GKCdid appear to blame Jews “for the worst as-pects of capitalism and political chicanery.”Farmer also asks why the reputations of

Shaw andW e l l sh a v e n ’ tsufferedfrom ac-cusationsof anti-S e m i -t i s m ,d e s p i t et h e i ro f t e nquestion-a b l eviews onthe “Jew-ish problem”, as has Chesterton’s. I suspectthis might be because they have fallen out offashion and no-one has ever pushed themforward as candidates for holiness. Werightly demand more from saints – and GKC,for all his human flaws, was a man of greatsoul and magnanimity. Dying in 1936, he wasalready aware of Nazi hostility towards theJews and spoke out passionately in their de-fence. Farmer doesn’t write as an apologistfor GCK, but as an honest, thoroughgoingand critical admirer; hers is a book to be rec-ommended.

Chestertonand the Jews


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On Wednesday 19th October2016, 62 Brothers and theirwives, partners and guests to-gether with 22 visitors from eightdifferent Circles met at the SwanHotel Bedford, to celebrate the700th meeting of the CateniansBedford Circle, 177. Among the guests and visitors

at the meeting were the Provin-

cial President Denis Murphy andthe Director of Province 14 JohnDavis KC*HS. Bro. John Davispresented Bro. Jim Cunninghamwith a medal for 50 years serviceto the Association. He said thatBro. Jim should be proud to havegiven such long and loyal serviceand he wished Bro. Jim well forthe future

Following the meeting, BroPresident, Gerard Duggan,presided at the celebration din-ner. The Principal guest was theRt. Rev. Peter Doyle KC*HS, theBishop of Northampton, whogave the main address. Bro DenisMurphy proposed the toast toBedford Brothers and Bro JohnDavis replied on behalf of the vis-

itors.A convivial evening was enjoyedby all and was a perfect demon-stration of the tenets of the mottoof the Catenians,” Strengtheningfamily life through friendshipand faith.”

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A small team of parishioners from Billingand the Sacred Heart parish, Northamptongot together to prepare a day of prayer toconclude the year of mercy on the 19 Novem-ber. Felicity, a CAFOD volunteer writes :

We were totally unsure about the number ofpeople who might attend. Lorraine ourparish administrator produced a colourfulposter and sent it to parishes within our pas-toral area. Emails were sent to remindfriends and neighbours of our intending Dayof prayer and we were blessed with an almost“full house” for this event with 32 partici-pants.”

The day began with holy mass for our inten-tions. After refreshments there were twoshort talks relating to “How has the year ofmercy affected us” and the Pope’s encyclical- Laudato Si ’. We used CAFOD’s study guidefor the latter which was so helpful as it in-vited us to reflect on some of the key themesof Laudato Si’ and to explore ways of takingaction. The 4 key themes were :

1. Creation is a caress of God. Scripture re-veals that God created the world and it isgood

2. Climate is a common good. We each havea particular responsibility to protect creation. 3. A universal family. We are on anearthly pilgrimage together. 4. We were made for love. We arecalled to respond in solidarity with our globalfamily and all of creation.

Discussing Laudato Si'

Each group took one of these themes, dis-cussed and summarised it onto flip chartpaper, then presented their aspect to the restof the company. This worked very well andproduced a lively discussion. We stopped foran enjoyable shared lunch and then pro-ceeded to the Shrine of Our Lady of PerpetualSuccour for adoration, prayers and hymns.This enabled us all to meditate and reflect onwhat we had heard and discussed in themorning. After benediction and a special

blessing from Fr Jerry, I concluded with aprayer from Pope Francis:

"In the silence of the cross, the uproar ofweapons cease and the language of reconcil-iation, forgiveness, dialogue and peace arespoken. I ask the Lord that we Christians andour brothers and sisters of other religionsand every man and women of good will, cryout forcefully; violence and wars are neverthe way to peace."The feeling of the day was very uplifting andrefreshing and all felt they benefitted fromit."

Well done to Felicity, Fr Jerry and all who or-ganised the day and those who attended it!Ifyou would like to hold such sessions in yourparish, please get in touch or visit our websitefor more prayer resources.

Billing’sday of

prayer

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The Year of Mercy began last year just as Advent came upon us. We were in the process ofmoving back into our newly refurbished church complete with new roof and were also cele-brating the final weeks of our parish Centenary Year. Bishop Peter nominated St. Joseph’sChurch to have a Holy Door of

Mercy, which would serve pilgrims in the Southern area of the Diocese. Very few of us weretuned in, but Fr. Michael asked a small group of parishioners to consider how we might planto prayerfully celebrate the liturgical celebrations for the Jubilee Year of Mercy and how wemight welcome pilgrims.

Bishop Peter officially opened the Holy Door at St. Joseph’s on 13th December 2015. TheMass was a double celebration as he also ordained Brother Thaddeus as a Deacon in theCarmelite Order. A special noticeboard was designated for the Year of Mercy and a displayexplaining the Biblical meaning of Jubilee and Holy Doors was mounted. However, it wasn’tuntil the New Year that we could begin in earnest looking for ways of welcoming pilgrims.An online search resulted in finding an excellent resource that had been written by a parish-ioner and a priest in Westminster Diocese. With their permission, we adapted the booklet tocreate our own pilgrimage booklet. This was produced in time for Lent called, ‘PilgrimageThrough the Holy Door’. It offered a self-guided walk around St. Joseph’s Church, as an aidto reflecting on God’s Mercy. An invitation was then sent to all parishes in the Southern areaof Northampton Diocese inviting individuals and pilgrim groups to make a pilgrimage to ourHoly Door.

The pilgrims began to arrive and it was a pleasure for us to ‘meet and greet’ them. The ladiesof our CWL generously committed to providing hospitality and refreshments for each pil-grimage group. The pilgrims just kept on coming, as groups but also as individuals. It wasmoving to see the faith of the people of God. It has been an awesome experience to witnessso many Catholics taking up the invitation and making the pilgrimage through our Church.

During Lent, we responded to the desire of Pope Francis to hold a ’24 Hours for the Lord’.Also, a reconciliation service during which the queues for confession were extraordinary. Infact, the queues for Confession were what really marked the Holy Year of Mercy, with a goodnumber of people returning to the sacrament after many years.

Each week, the parish newsletter carried a ‘Mercy Box’ in which nuggets from Pope Francisand from Sacred Scripture were highlighted. Also covered were very practical ways of engag-ing with the Works of Mercy. The Year of Mercy noticeboard too carried simple explanations of the Jubilee Indulgence andsuggested ways of living mercy through the Spiritual and Corporal Works of Mercy. It wasvery exciting to rediscover anew the indulgent love of God the Father, who expresses His lovefor us through His mercy. We learnt in a fresh way how God, through His Church, indulgesHis people. We can’t earn His mercy – it is freely given to us. It is more about BEING thanabout DOING: Being open to receiving God’s mercy; being open to conversion (in the Sacra-ment of Reconciliation); being open hearted; being aware of and thankful for God’s mercy;being ready to show mercy to others; being eager to receive the sacraments of (the Church)reconciliation and Holy Communion; being generous in our hearts, to God, to the Churchand to others.

In September, we hosted the Jubilee for Catechists from across the Diocese. (See The VineNovember 2016 page 6)

We also produced some simple ‘Reflections on Mercy’ for people to take to those who are sickand housebound, as it was clear that the Jubilee Indulgence was for everyone, even those whowere not physically able to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Door.

After an amazing year of graces and blessings, Bishop Peter came to officially close the Doorof Mercy on 12th November. He celebrated a joyous Mass with us, with a highlight being thesinging of the Magnificat, as we echoed Mary’s joyous hymn of praise to God ‘for his mercyendures forever.’ Although ‘ordinary parish life’ has now been resumed, the words of Pope Francis in his Apos-tolic Letter ‘Misericordia et Misera’ dated 20thNovember 2016 sum up the essence of whatthis Jubilee Year of Mercy has meant for us.‘We have celebrated an intense Jubilee Year in which we have received the grace of mercy inabundance. Like a gusting but wholesome wind, the Lord’s goodness and mercy have sweptthrough the entire world. Because each of us has experienced at length this loving gaze ofGod, we cannot remain unaffected, for it changes our lives.’

The Year of Mercyin Gerrards Cross

Below: Mass for the closing of the door. Right: Fr Michael Spain in the entrance


We are looking for Volunteers to train incounselling couplesWe will train you in counselling couples using an attachment and Emotionally Focused Therapy approach over 18 months including 4 residential weekends. We also welcome quali�ed trained couples counsellors and supervisors with experience of working with couples who are interested in volunteering with us.

Marriage Care is a faith based national charity providing 9000 relationship counselling sessions each year from 100 locations in England and Wales.

Sessions are provided on a donation basis to enable all to access our service.

Our 200+ relationship counsellors and 60+ supervisors volunteer their time and commitment and in return we provide CPD training, supervision, travel expenses and insurance. More importantly, they are part of a community of like-minded people supporting their local communities.

Marriage Care has been working in the Milton Keynes and Bedford area for many years delivering marriage preparation courses for engaged couples or providing support for those couples in need of counselling.

Marriage Preparation Facilitators Needed We are looking for people to join the Marriage Preparation Team of facilitators. If you have experience of working with groups and are willing to dedicate two or three Sundays per year, we would love to hear from you. Full training will be provided.

Thinking of Volunteering?Are you, or someone that you know, thinking about volunteering in the Bedford and Milton Keynes and surrounding areas?

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0800 3893801 visit our website at www.marriagecare.org.uk or email [email protected]

You know what we did last summer?

VMM International’s short-term volunteeringprogramme for 2016/17 is the opportunity tospend three to six weeks in Africa in a placementtailored to suit both the individual applicant andthe community they work in.

For three young people who participated in lastsummer’s programme of activities in Uganda,Malawi and Ghana, the experience of interna-tional development work proved both unforget-table and key to their own personal growth.

This is what they had to say about their“life-changing” adventure:

Joanne Mulligan, 26, Dublin – teachingassistant in Uganda

“I jumped at the chance when the short-termvolunteering opportunity arose as I had beeneager to experience development in Africa firsthand. This first trip definitely stirred a desirewithin me to travel and explore more of Africawhile working in development. Uganda is onlythe beginning!

“The experience was incredible and I’m actuallyannoyed with myself that I hadn’t done some-thing like this sooner. I’d thought about it a fewtimes in college but I’d backed out because I wasnervous or scared.

“Yes, there were some tough times but the wholeexperience was great. I had visions of not beingable to eat, yet the food was amazing. I wouldhonestly say to anybody who’s thinking aboutdoing it, ‘definitely do it’. It honestly was a life-changing experience.”

Louise Dobinson, 19, Darlington – teach-ing assistant in Uganda

“It’s helped me decide what career path I’d liketo go down: that I’d like to be a teacher and gointo education.

“I’d always wanted to travel and this seemed likethe perfect opportunity to learn about a new cul-ture as well as changing the way children learn. Ihad never been to Africa but everyone was just sofriendly and welcoming – the staff at the school,the children, the locals, our hosts. I couldn’t haveasked to meet better people.”

Phoebe Pennington, 19, Liverpool – teach-ing assistant in Uganda

“My main reason for volunteering was that I’dbeen to Africa before, but I wanted to gain moreexperience and more of an insight. So I volun-teered with VMM in two primary schools.

“In one school we facilitated outdoor PE sessionsand in the other helped with informal Englishsessions to boost the children’s English. Educa-tion is key but it’s easy to take for granted. Yetthese children, with the most basic educationavailable, appreciated it so much. Education wastaken super seriously.

“As I plan to study education and internationaldevelopment at university, this placement gaveme a great opportunity to gain first-hand experi-ence of development work in the area of primaryeducation.”

Working together in a divided worldA life-changing adventureMinistry in the countryside

In the United Kingdom people who live in•very rural areas can find themselves re-mote from their church, especially if theydon't drive. These days, most will be re-tirees or commuters, as farmers are in-creasingly rare. One very rural resident inDevon, seven miles from a CatholicChurch, itself served from another eight-een miles away, to supplement what shecan access locally attends the NationalConference for Rural Catholics. This fallsjust outside her lambing season. Shewrites of the: re-invigoration which de-rives from being with fellow Catholics in atemporary community where our day isshaped by the Offices of the church, andwhere our social interaction has a rural context. In a parish which no longer hasanywhere to meet, the opportunity toshare and be stimulated by others, espe-cially when there is something new tolearn, is very much appreciated.'

•France is a very large and rural country.•Small farms, once cumulatively major em-ployers, have been absorbed into largergroupings to survive. Large farms requiremassive machinery. This requires a mini-mum of hands to work; suddenly twentyjobs have been reduced to one or two andthe hope of employment or cheap housingdraws villagers to towns. This is called'rural flight'.

•Perhaps you have friends who own a cot-•tage in rural France, bought becausecheap, its original owners forced to movein search of employment; some of thosefriends perhaps lamenting the current dif-ficulty of selling a second French home.On your next holiday in rural France, no-tice that the village church is usually partof a larger group of rural churches. Thenearest Mass on Sunday is several kilome-tres away. Most villages still have a localbread shop. Other shops are usually longclosed. Residents drive to the distant su-permarket and think little of it. Usuallythe pub is no longer open, and the petrolstation almost certainly derelict. However,people still look to the Church for a differ-ent response.

Rural areas in the UK have similar prob-•lems. What can the Bishop do when facedwith an abundance of small scatteredchurches in villages full of second home-owners, a diminishing number of resi-dents and few available clergy? TwoFrench speakers told a recent NationalConference for Rural Catholics how thediocese of Poitiers had organised ruralparishes into groups. The motor car al-lows this to be feasible. Usually, althoughthere may be ten, fifteen, twenty ruralchurches in a group, clerical isolation isavoided by placing clergy in pairs.Poitiers went further, training teams of layvolunteers to fill catechetical roles, take fu-nerals, and perform other duties. TheChurch of England has done somethingsimilar in many of its rural parishes servedby various combinations of clergy. It hasproduced an interesting report (Releasedfor Mission) on the outcomes.

•A Norwegian speaker told a subsequent•Conference how his country, not tradition-ally Catholic, has seen an influx of mi-grants, the many Catholics among themdoubling its Catholic population, mostly torural areas to fill the jobs unfilled by Nor-wegians. He outlined a scheme being con-sidered which would place the few clergystrategically (i.e. by need) rather than his-torically (i.e. by parish boundaries), so thatno Catholic in Norway would be more than50 km (c30 miles) from a Mass; an im-provement.

•Things are not very different in our own•country. Bishops are having to weighurban staffing against rural staffing, num-bers against distance. In February 2017,in Salisbury, the Bishop of Portsmouthwill speak to the National Conference forRural Catholics on 'The Bishops, RuralParishes and Clergy Numbers'. the fullprogramme contact me: [email protected]; 01747 870228 or TrellisHouse, Station Road, Tisbury, SP3 6JR

•Fr Robert Miller•

CBCEW National Rural Officer.••

The Vine Janbuary 2017

“ Blessing is 5. If we do nothing, Blessing will be blind for the rest of his life.”

Dr Aliraki Lisbon, Ophthalmologist at Mengo Hospital, Uganda.Dear The Vine Reader,

As a fellow Christian, I wanted to share with you how incredibly powerful it is to witness a child seeing for the first time, after eye surgery.

As I carry out my work with Christian Blind Mission in East Africa, I am constantly moved by the astonishment and wonder on the faces of children when the bandages are removed and they get their first clear look at their smiling loved ones.

Five year old Blessing was born with cataracts. He has been barely able to see. But his doctor said that his sight can be restored through a simple 45-minute procedure.

Just think, in under an hour his entire life could be transformed. Instead of living with darkness,

frustration and exclusion he could have light, colour and a future filled with opportunity. He could do well at school and find a way out of poverty.

The cataract removal surgery costs £95, but his family can barely afford even basic necessities, so I am turning to you in the hope that you can help.

If you could send a gift of £95 today, you could pay for a child like Blessing’s surgery. You could open his eyes to the beauty of God’s creation. And we’ll send you an update on how Blessing’s surgery goes.

God bless you,

Laura Gore Programme Manager CBM UK

Christian Blind Mission is a huge inspiration to me. It works in more than 60 countries, including some of the world’s poorest communities, to restore sight, mobility and independence to people living with disability. It’s putting Christ’s love into action for the most marginalised people. Will you join Christian Blind Mission by supporting this amazing work?Diane Louise Jordan

Blessing’s cataracts mean he has been living in darkness.

He can hardly see objects more than 50cm away.

Your gift could open a child’s eyes and transform a life.

“ Open my eyes, that I may see wonderful things.”- Psalm 119:18

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We like to contact our supporters with updates from the projects we support. If you do not want to receive such messages from us in the future, tick here:

Please return this form to: Freepost Plus RSKK-HXAX-CYGZ, CBM, Oakington Business Park, Dry Drayton Road, Oakington, Cambridge CB24 3DQ

We will send you an update on how Blessing’s surgery goes.

Yes, I will give £95 to make a blind child see the wonder of God’s creation.I will give: £95 My choice amount of: ___________

Title: First Name: Surname:

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If you are a UK taxpayer and if you tick the Gift Aid box when you make a donation, HMRC will add an extra 25p for every pound you donate.

I want to Gift Aid my donation and any donations I make in the future or have made in the past 4 years to Christian Blind Mission. I am a UK taxpayer and understand that if I pay less Income Tax or Capitals Gains Tax than the amount of Gift Aid claimed on all my donations in that tax year it is my responsibility to pay any difference.

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security number: signature: Date: / / 3-digit Cardholder’s

Call 01223 484700 to make your donation today. THANK YOU.

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