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www.jesuitsandfriends.org.uk Winter 2009 Jesuits & Friends 1
Jesuits and FriendsA faith that does justice
Winter 2009 Issue 74
Jesuits and FriendsJesuits and FriendsA faith that A faith that does does justicejustice
Winter 2009 Issue 74
Jesuits and FriendsA faith that does justice
Winter 2009 Issue 74Winter 2009 Issue 74
Jesuits and FriendsA faith that does justice
Winter 2009 Issue 74
Royal Opening of the Dermot Gogarty Sports CentreZimbabwe: Our Lady of the Wayside celebrates
Guyana: remembering the ‘Little Padre’
South Africa: World Cup 2010PLE
ASE TA
KE A C
OPY
All don
ations
grate
fully
rece
ived
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BRITAIN – Fr Matthew Power SJ
Loyola Hall, Warrington Road,
Prescot L35 6NZ Tel: + 44 (0)151 426 4137,[email protected]
GUYANA – Fr Joaquim de Melo SJ
Jesuit Residence, PO Box 10720,
Georgetown, GuyanaTel: + 592 22 67461,[email protected]
SOUTH AFRICA – Fr Russell Pollitt SJ
Holy Trinity, PO Box 31087,
Johannesburg 2017, South Africa,
Tel: + 27 (0)11 339 2826,[email protected]
Or visit
www.jesuit.org.uk/becomingajesuit
Have you or someone you know considered
life as a Jesuit priest or brother?
For more information, contact:“You and I know that theknowledge (of Christ Jesus) of
which St Paul is speaking is theknowledge of the heart … for usand especially for Religious men
and women, it’s a knowledgethat fills our hearts entirely, it’s aknowledge that is rooted in loveand explored in love and makesus say at those key moments…‘I
do it for you Lord’”.
Most Rev Vincent Nichols, to Religiousmen and women, on the eve of his
installation as Archbishop ofWestminster, 21 May 2009
“I had some problems and you listened to me andhelped me. I like JRS because when I was sick yougave me a bus pass for my hospital appointmentand you gave me some food”. An Ethiopian woman
JRS provides support for completely destitute asylum seekers leftin the UK with no status, no benefits and no permission to work.Many have not seen their families for years. Please help usshow that someone cares and help us provide hope along withthe grants we give for food, bus tickets, or other essential itemslike spectacles and medicine.
Please send your donation to JRS, 6 Melior Street, LondonSE1 3QP or email on [email protected] or more information about ourwork.
Hope and sharing at Christmas
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www.jesuitsandfriends.org.uk Winter 2009 Jesuits & Friends 3www.jesuitsandfriends.org.uk Winter 2009 Jesuits & Friends 3
ContentsWinter 2009 Issue 74
Editorial
Tim Curtis SJOur Lady of the Wayside celebrates:
parishioner, Mike Hamilton, shares somegolden moments from the jubilee in Zimbabwe
4
The World Cup 2010
Welcome to Soccer City - Thomas Plastow SJforesees local benefits from the internationalsporting event taking place next year in South AfricaOn the ball – But Anthony Egan SJ warns thatthere may be an unsavoury side to the occasionAnd the parishioners and High School studentsof Soweto say ‘thank you’ 6
The beginnings of ‘community’
Cristina (Potty) Connolly reflects on theBaptism programme at Sacred Heart parish insouth west London 8
St John's Beaumont welcomes the Queen
as she officially opens the school’s new SportsCentre 9
Take time to discover life’s little miracles
Kyra Noblet explains why she now leaves herwatch at home, after working as a volunteer inDodoma 10
The Everest of Open Air Swimming
The parent of a pupil at St Ignatius College,Enfield, attempts to swim the English Channelin support of its sister school in Tanzania. ByTim Byron SJ 11
The remarkable story of the ‘Little Padre’
Ged Clapson marks the centenary of the startof Fr Cuthbert Cary-Elwes’ missionary work inthe Interior of Guyana.Plus - Jesuits are honoured at Guyanese Massin New York 12
Desperately seeking God in central London
Dr Paul O’Reilly SJ of the Mount Street Jesuit
Centre, on making the Incarnation a reality in
Westminster 14
Faith School brings harmony to West Everton
How music is having an impact on a community
in Liverpool and upon the children of St Francis
Xavier’s primary school in particular.
From Debbie Reynolds, Zoe Armfield and
Ged Clapson 15
St Aloysius Gonzaga School: a testament to
faith in action
Ashleigh Callow visits two schools in Kenya
which are partnered with St Aloysius’ College
in Glasgow 16
Skills and shelter for young Zimbawians
Emilia James, Director of Zambuko House,
explains how they are helping young
Zimbabweans experience a better tomorrow
17
Obituaries 18-19
Bits n pieces
News in brief from around the province 20
Their voice has gone out
Michael Beattie SJ, the Promoter of the
Apostleship of Prayer, reflects on the Holy
Father’s intentions 22
How can I help? 23
The Directors of European Jesuit Mission
Offices during their meeting at Loyola
Hall on Merseyside. They are pictured
here with Frank Turner SJ (front row,
centre), the Director of OCIPE, the Jesuit
European Office. See page 21.
Jesuits and Friends is published
three times a year by the British
Province of the Society of Jesus
(Jesuits), in association with JM.
Tim Curtis SJ
Executive Editor
Ged Clapson
Editor
Editorial group:
Denis Blackledge SJ
Dushan Croos SJ
Alan Fernandes
Jane King
Siobhan Totman
Graphic Design:
Ian Curtis
www.firstsightgraphics.com
Printed in the UK by
The Magazine Printing Company
www.magprint.co.uk
To protect our environment papers
used in this publication are
produced by mills that promote
sustainably managed forests and
utilise Elementary Chlorine Free
process to produce fully recyclable
material in accordance with an
Environmental Management
System conforming with BS EN
ISO 14001:2004.
Editorial office:
11 Edge Hill
London SW19 4LR
Tel: 020 8946 0466
Email: [email protected]
Cover photo credit: Arthur Edwards
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4 Jesuits & Friends Winter 2009 www.jesuitsandfriends.org.uk4 Jesuits & Friends Winter 2009 www.jesuitsandfriends.org.uk
The Parish of Our Lady of the Wayside is unique in being a
Jesuit parish - not just in the sense of being served by
Jesuit priests but because the church is owned by the
Society of Jesus. It has within it Arrupe College, which is a
Jesuit School of Studies for Jesuit scholastics from
throughout Africa, as well as the apostolic nunciature and
the provincial Jesuit headquarters. There is also an
establishment, Richartz House, for Jesuits who are elderly
or infirm. There are a number of convents of different
religious orders within the parish too.
The parish is a vibrant one. Its character has changed over
the years, reflecting changes within the community of
which the parish is a part. The organ has been replaced by
the African drum as the main instrument accompanying
hymns in the parish church. Attendance at weekday Masses
in the morning and evening would probably be the envy of
many parishes. The number of active organisations has
multiplied. There are several active women's groups, and
We are approaching the “season of
goodwill to all” where many people,
moved by the mystery of the
Incarnation, seek to go out of their
way to do some good deed for
others. It is wonderful to see people
who are normally so busy with their
own lives looking out for the needs
of others.
Jesuits, indeed all who are
touched by the spirituality of St
Ignatius, are privileged to be able to
make this an all year round activity. It is our calling to
seek out and help those most in need, most neglected
by others where the most good can be done.
But this means that we don’t just help the first needy
person we come across. Members of the Ignatian family
are constantly asking themselves questions: Why am I
doing this work? Could I be doing this work in a better
way? Could what I do be more effective? Could more
people be helped if I did what I do in a different way?
Through a constant process of reflection and review,
we can make sure that we are attuned to the promptings
of the Spirit who helps us make “the greater glory of
God” a reality in the particular circumstances of the
world of today.
Anniversaries are a precious moment for doing this.
Various works of the British Province of the Society of
Jesus are celebrating important milestones, 100 years
of the Amerindian Apostolate in Guyana and 150 years of
St Aloysius in Glasgow are two important ones that
occur this year. Obviously, these celebrations involve a
lot of looking back with gratitude. We give thanks to
God for the heroic work of those who have laboured
before us.
However, anniversaries are also a time to look to the
future. Our work needs to be constantly renewed. We
know that outstanding Jesuits in the past have
discerned how best to reap a rich harvest from their
labours, but it is up to us today, in honouring their
memory, to engage in the same process to make their
work ours and take it into the future.
As you read through the various articles that we have
collected together for this issue, I hope that, like me, you
are struck by the great generosity of many people.
However, behind each story lies the deeper question of
why this work was chosen and a prayerful reflection on
how it can be continued.
It is reported that when Jerónimo Nadal, one of
Ignatius’ first Companions, was asked who the Spiritual
Exercises were for, he replied: “They are for Catholics,
for Protestants, for Muslims, for everyone”. So this gift
of being able to choose what good we should be doing is
the gift we can share with the world.
From the Editor...Jesuit parish inZimbabwecelebratesgolden jubilee
Fifty years ago, in December 1959, the Parish of
Our Lady of the Wayside in Harare's Mount
Pleasant, Zimbabwe, was founded and
celebrations to mark their Golden Jubilee have
been ongoing through the year. Parishioner, Mike
Hamilton, has been assessing how the parish has
developed over the past 50 years and what
makes it so vibrant.
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more than one association
predominantly for men. Throughout
the week there are activities being
conducted by a variety of groups. In
addition to having an active Society of
St Vincent de Paul, the parish has its
own outreach group to assist the poor
of the parish.
The parish has been divided into
zones, in an effort to promote
small neighbourhood Christian
communities. This has met with
varying success, with some zones
having well attended meetings and
others attracting few participants.
Within the parish there is a Catholic
secondary school, St John's High
School, which also serves as a Mass
centre, an orphanage and school for
the deaf run by the Dominican
sisters at Emerald Hill and St Anne's
Hospital, which was founded by
sisters of the Little Company of Mary.
The country's largest university, the
University of Zimbabwe, which has
its own chaplain, is close to the
parish church.
One of the events at the golden
jubilee celebrations was an inter-
zone choir competition. This was the
first time the parish had attempted to
have an all-day fun day for
parishioners and it proved so popular
that it was clearly an event worth
repeating.
Last year, the parish decided to
make its harvest festival an occasion
not only for bringing foodstuffs for
donation to the poor, to be brought up
during the offertory procession at
Mass, but also an opportunity for
bringing the parish family together.
We repeated it as part of the golden
jubilee celebration.
One of the biggest challenges the
parish faces is one that confronts
many parishes, namely how to pass
onto the younger generation a love for
the Mass and appreciation of their
Catholic faith, in a world where they
are continually bombarded with
messages that undermine Christian
values. Another is the lure for young
people of some evangelistic non-
Catholic churches offering what may
seem to them more attractive
services than the Mass, particularly if
they have never learnt to appreciate
what Mass is all about.
There are two active youth groups
within the parish, both of which are
doing a good job. Keeping such
groups going has proved a challenge
in the past, as the dynamism of some
groups can be lost when some of its
keenest members become adults and
move out of them. Encouraging
children to talk to the priests of the
parish is another challenge, given
that the priests are over 70 years of
age and the young people are
conscious of the generation gap.
The parish has for a long time been
noted for the generosity of its
parishioners, many of whom are
among the more affluent members of
society. That generosity, even during
the difficult economic times the
country has gone through, was once
more demonstrated at both the
harvest festival last year and at the
golden jubilee celebrations. A whole
cow and whole pigs were donated to
ensure there was plenty of meat for
parishioners to share together. Such
donations made it possible to make
meals affordable and helped raise
money for the parish.
All in all, the priests and
parishioners of Our Lady of the
Wayside parish have a great deal to
give thanks and praise to God for. May
He continue to bless this parish and
help it to do better still in carrying out
His work in Mount Pleasant.
www.jesuitsandfriends.org.uk Winter 2009 Jesuits & Friends 5
Preparing for the Parish feast
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6 Jesuits & Friends Winter 2009 www.jesuitsandfriends.org.uk
You cannot move around any major
city in South Africa without being
affected by the FIFA World Cup 2010
soccer tournament, whether you like
football or not. Not only are there
billboards announcing it on the streets,
the streets themselves proclaim it in
the almost infinite number of
roadworks we are forced to negotiate
as we head to and from work.
None of us who works at the Jesuit
Institute (JISA) or at Holy Trinity Parish,
both in Braamfontein (Johannesburg),
have been left unaffected. Down the hill
to the north of us Empire Road is being
revamped. South of us the Rea Vaya
rapid bus transport system has altered
the face of the inner city, swallowing
the middle chunk of one of the major
roads. To the east of city centre, near
my community in Belgravia, not only do
we have Rea Vaya but the impressively
rebuilt Ellis Park stadium. To the south
west our colleague, Puleng Matsaneng,
must pass massive roadworks, the Rea
Vaya again, or two thoroughly upgraded
stadia – Orlando Stadium and FNB
Stadium – from her home in Soweto to
the office in Braamfontein.
The Southern African Catholic
Bishops Conference (SACBC) has
dedicated a section of their website to
2010, posting items of news that may
be of interest – possible pastoral
strategies for parishes which will
(hopefully) receive a significant influx of
visitors. I expect, nearer the time, to see
folk writing about the ‘spirituality of
sport’ or of ethics of sportsmanship; if
not, perhaps the JISA crew should do
this.
On a more ominous note, there is a
section on the SACBC site expressing
the fear that three million tourists may
well ‘encourage’ the less savoury parts
of our society – organised human
traffickers – to increase their business
to meet the ‘need’ for prostitution. A
coalition of NGOs, including JISA, has
made written interventions to
encourage the government not to
legalise prostitution in anticipation of
2010. JISA member Fr Chris Chatteris
SJ produced a thought-provoking
article for our website
(http://www.jesuitinstitute.org.za) in
which, citing Sweden as an example, he
argued that the focus should be on
prosecuting those who solicit rather
than the prostitutes themselves. A
human trafficking activist friend of
mine used Chris’ piece as part of her
intervention in the recent NGO meeting
with the government.
Meanwhile we wait to see what will
happen, not so much whether Bafana
Bafana (the South African team) will
surprise us all and win – a cynic like me
would say that even miracles have
limits! – but how the World Cup will
affect us during and after 2010. Billions
have been invested in infrastructure;
will it pay off? There is much
speculation that 2010 may have a long
term boost effect for tourism. But will it
happen? What if there is another major
economic meltdown in the meantime?
What if the tournament is marred by a
terrorist attack? As the political
analysts say: there are many
‘independent variables’. In other words,
we have no idea what to expect!
6 Jesuits & Friends Winter 2009 www.jesuitsandfriends.org.uk
South Africa is gearing itself
up for the 2010 World Cup.
While the occasion is
probably going to mean good
news for the country’s
economy and infrastructure,
there could be more sinister
results from the influx of
visitors. Fr Anthony Egan SJ
from the Jesuit Institute of
South Africa writes.
JM
ON THE BALLTHE WORLD CUP 2010
A view of the new stadium as seen fromSt Martin de Porres Church
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www.jesuitsandfriends.org.uk Winter 2009 Jesuits & Friends 7
St Martin de Porres, the Jesuit-run
parish in Soweto, is eagerly
anticipating the 2010 World Cup.
The opening match and final will be
played at the new ‘Soccer City’ on the
outskirts of Soweto. This is a newly
built stadium on the site of a
complex that was erected between
Johannesburg and Soweto, before the
fall of Apartheid, in an attempt to bring
people of different races together for
sporting activities.
Our parish had a much older stadium
made of wood and iron, and this was the
original home ground of Orlando
Pirates, one of the most popular clubs
in the country. In fact, their greatest
rivals, Kaizer Chiefs, also began in the
township of Orlando. When these two
clubs clash there is more interest
expressed than for an international
game. The din of the vuvuzelas (long
plastic trumpets) is so great during
these matches that I do not have to have
the TV on to know who has scored – I
can tell depending on which side of the
church property erupts at that time!
Orlando Stadium was rebuilt last
year. Since it seats only 40,000, it will
be but a practice venue during the
World Cup, but it is a valuable new
asset in this part of Soweto. During
night games, the sky is ablaze,
enabling one to walk about outside
without a torch. The parishioners love
it, except for those who cannot get in
and out of their houses during a match
because of the way fans park
across the entrance to the
neighbouring houses.
Fr Thomas Plastow SJ is parish
priest of St Martin de Porres Church.
Both the parish and the High School
of St Martin de Porres in Soweto have
benefited from the generosity of Jesuit
Missions donors and those who ran in
the 2009 London Marathon.
“Thanks to you we have received
financial support which is already
being put to good use in the
improvement of the grounds and
facilities at the school,” writes Fr
Thomas Plastow SJ. “In August, some
unemployed men of the parish spent a
few hours each day clearing the empty
lot below the school which the late
Father Xolile Keteyi had bought as a
sports ground back in the 1980s. In
this way, they were able to take home a
wage packet each week and do some
lasting good for the school.
The St Martin de Porres
parish hall has also been
refurbished, using donations
from Jesuits and Friends
readers. This building,
originally from the 1950s when
people were forcibly relocated to this
area, was in a bit of a state. They have
now been able to patch up the existing
structure, remove all the old asbestos
ceilings, and equip the hall with ceiling
fans, a small kitchen, additional
security and wheelchair access.
“Since the hall was officially
reopened we have held several large
church functions, a ‘health day’ on
which we provided free testing for
diabetes, high blood pressure and
HIV/AIDS, and the South African Blood
National Blood Service has begun to
hold bi-monthly blood drives for those
who are able to donate,” Fr Plastow
informs us.
Thanks from St Martin de Porres
JM
Welcome to Soccer CityThomas Plastow SJ
The new fences which some local men have been erecting in order to provide bettersecurity around the school, which has sadly become necessary in order to discouragetruancy and to prevent drug trafficking – a growing problem in high schools acrossgreater Johannesburg.
And the refurbished parish hall, packed with the Ladies’ Sodality
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8 Jesuits & Friends Winter 2009 www.jesuitsandfriends.org.uk
The Rite of Baptism suggests starting
at the church door as it is the sacrament
of “Entry into the Church”. At Sacred
Heart, we have a big open space so,
weather permitting, we start outside
with the initial welcome. A mini survey in
the parish in which we asked what made
baptisms here so memorable resulted in
“welcome” being the most popular
word. This is the sort of scene Jesus
himself would have been familiar with –
an outdoor setting with parents bringing
their children to him to be blessed. Fr
Kevin Donovan was often thought of as
the Pied Piper as he led the
congregation into the church playing
his flute.
Fr Kevin also stressed how
important preparation was for the
families, so preparation courses are
held on the first Sunday of each
month attended by parents of
children being baptised that month.
This makes for the beginnings of
“community”. Each family is visited at
home the week before the baptism to
ensure that the ceremony becomes
personal.
Baptism is a community sacrament
but due to the size of the parish,
baptisms during Sunday Mass do not
prove practical. Joint baptisms of three
or four babies take place on most
Sunday afternoons. Every two months,
the recently baptised babies and their
parents are invited onto the sanctuary at
the 9.45am Family Mass to be presented
to the congregation and afterwards to
share refreshments.
Music is an important part of the
ceremony and we have had grandfathers
playing oboes, guitarists, violinists,
pianists, solo singers and a godfather
from Galicia in North West Spain playing
the Gaita Gallega (the equivalent of the
Scottish bagpipes).
The ceremony is lively and participative
based on the Directory for Masses with
Children. Children are encouraged to
take an active part by composing bidding
prayers, playing instruments and
preparing pictures connected with water.
Many non-church goers have
commented how much they have felt
involved on the day and not threatened
by something incomprehensible or
stuffy. Appropriate scripture readings
and bidding prayers are read by
members of each family, often in
different languages. Over 20 different
languages have been spoken over the
years, including Cornish and Manx.
When parents are of mixed faiths, the
emphasis is “what do we share in
common?” Children can grow up to be
bridge builders and experience the
richness of different cultures and
traditions. One letter of appreciation
said: “I was amazed at the way you
bridged the gap between our two faiths –
it was very moving. I was used to such a
rigid view of the Catholic Church; my
faith is entirely restored.”
Follow-up pastoral visits encourage
families to build community in their
respective neighbourhoods. Families
who have had their children baptised on
the same day often continue their
friendship and go on to share the
sacraments of reconciliation, first
communion and confirmation.
In addition to Infant Baptism, Sacred
Heart parish also runs an active RCIA
programme for adults and a “Minicat”
(Mini Catechumens) group. Minicats
provides an opportunity for children of
catechetical age and their families to be
introduced/re-introduced to the parish
through the sacrament of baptism.
More details are available on
www.sacredheartwimbledon.org.uk
8 Jesuits & Friends Winter 2009 www.jesuitsandfriends.org.uk
Sacred Heart parish in Wimbledon,
south west London, is currently
raising funds to replace part of the
floor of the church near the
baptistery. The plan is to dedicate it
to the late Father Kevin Donovan SJ,
who established a comprehensive
programme in the parish for the
families of those preparing for
baptism. Parishioner Cristina (Potty)
Connolly continues to coordinate Fr
Kevin’s legacy and reflects here on
why the occasions are so special.
‘community’The beginnings of
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Her Majesty The Queen received an
enthusiastic welcome when she visited
St John's Beaumont in Berkshire, and
officially opened the school's new
Sports Centre. On her arrival at the
Jesuit school, Her Majesty was greeted
by the British Jesuit Provincial, Fr
Michael Holman SJ, the Chair of
Governors, Fr Kevin Fox SJ, and
Headmaster, Mr Giles Delaney, who
proceeded to escort the Queen on a
tour of the school.
Their first stop was the new Sports
Hall, where boys were demonstrating
the school's state-of-the-art cricket
nets which are helping them improve
their sporting skills. The Queen then
inspected an impressive art exhibition,
before moving onto the fitness suite and
performance studio. She then returned
to the foyer where there is an indoor 30'
rock climbing wall, which the boys
demonstrated for her with much energy.
Mr Delaney then escorted the Queen
around other areas of the school, and
she engaged enthusiastically in
conversations with the pupils and staff.
On her return to the Sports Hall, the
school orchestra played Land of Hope
and Glory, after which pupil Joshua
Steeds gave a virtuoso performance on
the violin.
It was Her Majesty's first visit to the
Jesuit preparatory school, although
she had visited its Senior School,
Beaumont College, in 1961, on the
occasion of the centenary of its
foundation. A painting of that event
still hangs in the entrance to St
John's Beaumont. The new block,
which cost £2.8m to build, is
dedicated to the memory of Dermot
Gogarty, Headmaster of St John's
Beaumont from 1987 until his
untimely death in a car accident
in 2005.
Mr Delaney, who succeeded Dermot
Gogarty, recalled the passion that his
predecessor had for the Jesuit
education principles of both producing
'men for others' and also for ensuring
the development of the whole person,
spiritually as well as academically. He
also reminded the audience, made up of
parents and supporters of the school,
and members of Mr Gogarty’s family, as
well as pupils and staff, of Dermot’s
energetic support of sporting activities
among the boys and his ambition to
provide St John's Beaumont with
excellent facilities. This, Mr Delaney
said, had now been achieved in his
name. He then invited Her Majesty
The Queen to unveil a wooden
plaque commemorating the official
opening of the Dermot Gogarty
Sports Centre.
Ged Clapson
www.jesuitsandfriends.org.uk Winter 2009 Jesuits & Friends 9
St John's Beaumontwelcomes the Queen
HM The Queen encourages the pupils on the rowingsimulators at St John’s Beaumont. Credit: Arthur Edwards
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10 Jesuits & Friends Winter 2009 www.jesuitsandfriends.org.uk
There is an old Swahili proverb,
‘Mambo mazuri hayataki haraka’,
‘Good things should not be
hastened’, which beautifully
encapsulates one of the many things
I learned earlier this year from my
six month experience in Dodoma. I
discovered that Africa overwhelms
the senses, and I shared many
incredible sights, smells and tastes
with the local people. In fact, I had
the opportunity to share many
things: my faith with other young
people, languages and dialogues
with my students, my rucksack with
a scorpion, and most importantly,
time. I shared a lot of time with the
community there and I learned that
the Tanzanians are remarkably
practiced in making time to greet
people, to listen, to understand, to
learn and to empathize. Greetings in
African culture are especially
important and in Airport Parish
where I worked, members of the
community happily and freely
relinquished their minutes to take
time to greet one another, ask about
each others’ families, and stayed
long enough to hear the reply.
We don’t tend to be as selfless with
our time here in the UK, and I think
we miss far more than we realise. A
lot of life’s small miracles are often
overlooked and fade into a frenzied,
hectic day. For the Tanzanians, even
the small things are sincerely
appreciated; a warm conversation, a
breathtaking view. The disabled
children I worked with in the
Cheshire Home in Miyuji had very
little to treasure but for them an old
bucket was a new hat and a tired
blanket could very quickly become a
magic cloak!
The pace of life in Africa is very
different from that in our cities and
during my stay I didn’t always cross
off my to-do list or finish all my
ironing; but when I climbed into bed
at the end of each day, I knew that I
had been listened to, I had
understood and I had shared. I got
up the next day and went into work
(with rather creased clothes) but
with a sense of integrity and value,
knowing that I mattered to the
community, that I belonged, and that
the relationships which had been
attentively developed over my
months there had such depth that I
found myself unable to feel alone in
any problem or crisis.
It is this investment of time that
leads to solid networks between
parishes and families. All the
ribbons of community life become
wonderfully bound together and in
time this steadfast web is able to
support each individual.
Communities are supposed to be
eclectic and colourful and when
people from very different
generations and lifestyles come
together, it will not be without its
problems; but as I’ve seen first-
hand, strong relationships and
bonds help to nourish a healthy
environment where respect and
appreciation of one another can
flourish.
The act of listening seems to have
been lost somewhere in our hectic
lifestyles. Relationships and
communities can’t be expected to
develop or endure on their own, they
need a generous helping of time.
Benjamin Disraeli once said “But what
minutes! Count them by sensation,
and not by calendars, and each
moment is a day.” We all have plenty
of moments to cherish and plenty of
moments to give. Since my trip, I have
learnt to appreciate the ordinary as
extraordinary and to leave my watch at
home every once in a while.
For more information about
becoming a volunteer with JM, please
see www.gbjm.org.uk
10 Jesuits & Friends Winter 2009 www.jesuitsandfriends.org.uk
JM
Kyra Noblet has recently
returned from Dodoma in
Tanzania, where she worked in
the local school, youth centre and
Cheshire Home, as part of the JM
Volunteers programme. Here she
reflects upon one timely effect of
her experience.
Take time to discoverlife’s small miracles
Page 11
www.jesuitsandfriends.org.uk Winter 2009 Jesuits & Friends 11
Mark Sexton (47) is a former pupil
of St Ignatius College in Enfield, and
his sons, Luke and Daniel, are
presently students there. Mark was
so inspired by their commitment to
raising money for their sister school
in Africa that in mid 2008 he decided
to swim the English Channel to raise
money to allow AIDS orphans to
attend the Jesuit school in Dodoma,
Tanzania. Mark used to swim every
day in the school pool.
As the crow flies (or the dolphin
swims) the channel is 21.7 miles
across; however, due to the
movement of the body of water in the
channel, the distance covered is
likely to be 30 miles. As well as local
currents, the narrowness of the
channel exaggerates the tidal effects
– so on occasions you could drift up
to 10 miles north or south. The
major hazards in attempting such an
open cold water swim are
hypothermia and ensuring that you
have enough energy to continue
swimming. Other dangers are jelly
fish stings – although Mark was
stung more often in training. The
good news is that cold salt water has
a healing effect, but the scars still
lasted for over three weeks.
There is a whole subculture to the
intrepid breed we call channel
swimmers. There are strict rules
that mark any channel swim which
reflect the first crossing by Captain
Matthew Webb in 1875. Men must
only wear swimming trunks a hat
and goggles.... no wet suits allowed,
and contrary to popular myth no-one
wears goose fat. Although a bit of
extra fat is necessary to keep you
warm – as Mark points out you never
see thin seals!
The temperature of the water is 2.5
degrees centigrade, which is
swimming in water that is colder
than a can of Coke in the fridge.
Because of the cold water you are
using more energy to keep your body
warm – so you need to feed regularly;
that is where the back-up crew
comes in. You need to drink hot
carbohydrate drinks frequently,
refuelling every half an hour.
However, this refuelling is closely
monitored, the swimmer is not
allowed to touch the boat so their
food is thrown to them in a bottle on
a string and they have to consume it
lying on their back in the water. The
cost of hiring a boat and a pilot, as
well as the medicals you need to
undergo, and joining the Channels
Swimmers and Pilots Federation
(CSPF) is roughly £6,000.
The strangest visual experience
crossing the channel is the
phosphorescence, according to Mark.
“Just before dawn you get
these little sparkles of
light from the tiny
microorganisms in the water. This
gives a very beautiful effect,
swimming in the dark and seeing
these sparks as your hand breaks the
water.”
After 15 months of training – on
average 20-25 miles a week, some
weeks up to 60 miles - Mark had
already swum the distance of the
Channel 38 times. On Friday, 25
September, he embarked upon his
epic swim. He swam for 9.5 hours –
and had just 5.8 miles to go to the
French coast – when a shoulder
injury lead to him swimming with one
arm for the last half hour. He
couldn’t get his arm out of the water
so kept swimming into the boat. The
attempt was aborted, but it was a
heroic effort nevertheless.
Mark’s first feelings at not finishing
was that he had let everyone down;
but these feelings soon disappeared
when he got home and realised how
much support he had received from
everyone . Now he realises that it is
unfinished business. His bravery and
commitment have inspired many in
north London and beyond. The
money he has raised will go to pay
for the education of orphans in
Tanzania, at St Ignatius primary
school in Dodoma. Please join in by
contributing at www.justgiving.com
/channelswimfordodoma/
But that’s not all: at a recent dinner
at St Ignatius College, the next
challenge was revealed – a team of
parents swimming a relay from
Europe to Africa. If you are
interested in joining in contact
[email protected] .
Follow Mark Sexton’s adventure on
www.marksswimsthechannel.blogspot.com
www.jesuitsandfriends.org.uk Winter 2009 Jesuits & Friends 11
Swimming the channel between
England and France is considered
to be ‘The Everest of open water
swimming’. Considering the
numerous challenges - freezing
cold water, the long distance,
swarms of jellyfish, one of the
busiest shipping lanes in the
world, tides, currents – you
either have to be mad, stupid or
very, very dedicated to even
consider attempting the feat. Fr
Tim Byron SJ, Chaplain at St
Ignatius College, Enfield, writes
here about one parent’s attempt
to swim the Channel in support of
their sister school in Tanzania.
The Everest of OpenWater Swimming
Page 12
12 Jesuits & Friends Winter 2009 www.jesuitsandfriends.org.uk
The remarkable storyof the ‘Little Padre’
Fr Cuthbert Cary-Elwes’
first missionary ambition was
to be sent to China or among
“the very wild Indians” of Brazil.
In June 1902, he wrote to the Jesuit
General, Father Luis Martin SJ:
“From my earliest childhood I have
had a great desire to work among
savages who know nothing of Jesus
Christ, and this has always been
coupled with an ardent desire of
dying for Him who died for me – a
grace I have never failed to ask for
every day at Mass. It was this desire,
together with an admiration for St
Francis Xavier, which made me seek
admission into the Society and to
ask during my noviceship to go to
the mission.” Such references to the
non-Christians of the Far East and
South America obviously pre-date
political correctness!
The General left the decision in the
hands of the Provincial of the
English Province who eventually
agreed, in 1904, to send him to
British Guiana (now Guyana). After
three years in Georgetown, Fr Cary-
Elwes was stationed at
Morawhanna, offering the Mass and
teaching the catechism to the
children. The biggest event of the
year was the Assumption Day
procession on the river, with the
boats lit up with Chinese lanterns
and the people united in prayers and
singing hymns.
At that time, the Bishop of British
Guiana, Compton Galton SJ, decided
to open up new missions in the
interior of the country. He
commissioned Fr Cary-Elwes for the
work and, at the end of 1909,
accompanied him as far as the
Takutu River. For the next two years,
Cary-Elwes had to rely on
interpreters – a particular
frustration when dealing with issues
of faith. But the priest diligently
practised and learnt the Makushi
and Wapishana languages until he
became fluent and was able to
travel extensively among the
Patamona Indians, instructing,
baptising, preaching and building
churches and mission houses.
The missionary’s pastoral area
extended almost 300 miles and he
In the latter part of 1879, a 12-
year-old boy by the name of
Cuthbert wrote to his uncle in South
Africa, informing him that he wished
to pursue the same vocation as him,
as a missionary priest. He also
wished to become a Jesuit like his
uncle – Father Augustus Law SJ, one
of the great missionary pioneers of
the Zambesi. Cuthbert followed his
uncle both into the Society of Jesus
and to the missions, though to South
America not Africa. And this year,
the British Jesuits have been
celebrating the centenary of Father
Cuthbert Cary-Elwes establishing
the first missionary post in the
Interior of Guyana in 1909. As Ged
Clapson recalls.
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www.jesuitsandfriends.org.uk Winter 2009 Jesuits & Friends 13
Guyanese Catholics in New Yorkcelebrated their 20th annual Massrecently at the Church of St GerardMajella in New York; the church wasfull to over-flowing.
The Guyanese Mass was thebrainchild of Monsignor Paul Jervis,who was born in Guyana and served asan altar boy of St Pius X parish inGeorgetown. The Mass has, andcontinues to be, the occasion whenGuyanese Catholics in New York andbeyond, worship together, pray for theircountry, make generous donations toprojects back home and socialize forabout two hours.
Part of the tradition is to invite apriest from Guyana to travel to NewYork to be the chief celebrant of theMass. This year it was Fr MalcolmRodrigues SJ, the Superior of theGeorgetown Jesuit Community. Heinformed the congregation of the
planned pilgrimage from Georgetownto St Ignatius in the Rupununi, toobserve the centenary of Jesuit work inthe Guyana hinterland.
Certain individuals or groups whohave made a special contribution to theChurch in Guyana are regularlyhonoured at this annual Mass: theJesuits of Guyana were one of the fourhonoured on this occasion. Inaccepting the award on behalf of thescores of Jesuits, both Guyanese andnon-Guyanese, alive and dead, whohave worked tirelessly in British Guianaand later Guyana, for well over acentury, Fr Rodrigues stated that hewas also accepting the award "for theChurch in Guyana".
In his homily, Fr Rodrigues focused onthe role of technology, in particular thecomputer, in modern-day education. Heimplored his listeners to take theknowledge they have in their heads
down into their hearts and into theiractions.
During the reception which followedthe Mass, many took the opportunity togreet Fr Rodrigues and sharememories of Guyana. One of the guestshad brought a photo taken at hiswedding and took great pleasure inshowing it to the others. In that photowere youthful Jesuits Fathers FredRigby (d. 2001), Andrew Morrison (d.2004) and Harold Wong, who is still amember of the GeorgetownCommunity.
JESUITS HONOURED AT GUYANESE NEW YORK MASS
preferred to make his journeys on
foot, rather than by boat or on
horseback, saying that he found it
more helpful to prayer: “And without
a real spirit of prayer my life as a
missionary would be impossible.”
Indeed, it was Cary-Elwes’
prayerfulness that attracted people
– alongside his gentleness, his zeal
for souls and love for the Indians. He
mastered Makushi – one of the most
difficult languages of the region –
after eight or nine years in the
Interior, and used to sit late into the
night surrounded by men, women
and children instructing them, or
talking or singing with them. “He
had a deep-rooted respect for
them,” wrote one of his
contemporaries, “and was very
careful to observe and fall in with
their peculiar customs and points of
etiquette. All this made him loved
and revered and most heartily
welcomed wherever he went.”
The Indians’ name for Fr Cary-
Elwes was the ‘Little Padre’ – a term
of endearment and deep affection.
It was in January 1923, after 23
years in the Interior of British Guiana,
that Fr Cary-Elwes was struck down
by sickness. He was on his way to the
Wapishanas and became
serious ill and
disorientated, wandering
around the forest for
several weeks. He was
taken back to Georgetown
and from there to England,
where he gradually started
to recover. But back in
British Guiana, his
congregation sought news
of him, enquiring when
their ‘Little Padre’ would be
returning to them. He never did. He
remained in Britain for the next 20
years, giving lectures, missions and
retreats. He also spent a great deal of
time writing up his notes about the
Makushi, Aroak and Carib languages,
and writing hymns for the
Wapishanas. His affection for the
Indians was undiminished, and Bishop
George Weld SJ, who had succeeded
Bishop Galton, commented that this
incapacitation and his separation from
his people in British Guiana was “a
kind of martyrdom harder to endure
than that which he had prayed for
among ‘the cannibals of Brazil’”.
A friend of his wrote after the death
of Fr Cuthbert Cary-Elwes in
August 1945:
“His missionary exploits were
known widely, and had almost cost
him his life; yet because they had
not been crowned by martyrdom, for
which he ardently longed, he
considered them worthless. When
he talked of his beloved Indians, one
gathered that he felt he had been
more privileged to live among them
than they to have him there. He
fulfilled the injunction of St Ignatius
to ‘see God, Our Lord, in every
creature’, but I think he found it
easiest to do this in the case of
those whose simplicity had been
least tarnished … children,
unlettered folk and the so-called
backward races. His courtesy to
them was unfailing and exquisite.”
Page 14
14 Jesuits & Friends Winter 2009 www.jesuitsandfriends.org.uk
Mayfair in the City of Westminster is the
country’s largest single confluence of
power, influence, money and debt, coach
- and train-stations, drugs and
prostitution, hope and fear in the United
Kingdom. All of those things are obviously
inter-related. It is a place of transience -
Westminster has a resident population of
222,000 and a day-time population of 1.2
million. It is what people of my age used
to call a ‘happening place’.
And in this place, five years ago,
something happened that, with
hindsight, we think of as a very small,
but rather special Incarnation. At the
Provincial’s inspiration, a group of lay
people and Jesuits came together to
form the Mount Street Jesuit Centre on
the model of ‘cluster-working’ already
pioneered in other Jesuit centres in
Edinburgh and Preston.
He told us that “an apostolic cluster is
a grouping of Jesuits engaged in
characteristic missions of the society,
coming together in an apostolic team
and networking beyond that to
maximise their impact, influence and
effectiveness”. He hoped that it could
be a new way of responding to the
needs of the emerging Church –
building a praying, worshiping, learning
and working community out of an
inchoate and hyper-diverse group of
shifting, transient urban people, mostly
adrift from any real fixed points in their
lives and desperately seeking personal
experience of God.
And now, after five
years of trying, prayer,
discussion (and even a
little fasting), I believe
we have now come to
be a place of Faith –
Faith of many kinds.
It is a place of Faith
in Christian Truth, that
by thought and
reflection, reason and
revelation, we may
come to understand
something of who God
is in the world and
what God’s Presence
can achieve in our
lives. We learn
together the word of
God revealed in
Scripture and the
Church's teaching.
It is a place of Faith
in Christian Prayer –
that by coming to
know God’s presence
in the depths of our own hearts,
explored in the richness of many
spiritual traditions, we can come to
appreciate how God lives in and through
our own lives. So, we spread the
benefits of the Spiritual Exercises of St
Ignatius in all of their usual adaptations
and a few new ones. We have a
burgeoning network of spiritual
directors and a near insatiable demand
for their services. We pray together with
the God who inhabits us.
It is a place of Faith in Christian
celebration – that by celebrating the
sacraments of the Church we may
know the power of God’s grace within
us. We have a lively, active and growing
parish with a well-deserved reputation
of liturgical excellence and Christian
welcome. We celebrate together the
God who unites and inspires us.
It is a place of Faith in Christian action
– that being inspired by God’s presence
in us, we may find ourselves drawn to
God’s work in the world. We earth all we
pray, learn and talk about in the real
experience of the poor and
marginalized in Westminster –
especially that of the largest population
of homeless people in the country.
Like the people of Faith who come to
us, our programme is rich, diverse
and multi-faceted. We hope that there
is something for every person, no
matter where they are on the journey
of Faith. And we hope that it will
inspire in our participants and in
ourselves a constant growth of the
Faith that we profess.
One of my favourite poems is John
Betjeman's Christmas 1954. He
speaks of an Incarnation that touches
the hearts and lives of the greatest
and the least – from the “oafish louts”
who “remember Mum” to the ‘shining
ones who dwell, safe in the
Dorchester Hotel’. He believed that no
one is so rich or so poor as to be
entirely immune to the Incarnation –
the presence of God in a particular
time and place. And we happen to
think he was right.
14 Jesuits & Friends Winter 2009 www.jesuitsandfriends.org.uk
Location! Location! Location!
The true story of an institution is
often more its geography that its
history, according to Dr Paul
O’Reilly SJ, the Director of the
Mount Street Jesuit Centre.
JM
Desperately seekingGod in central London
Photo credit: MSJC
Page 15
www.jesuitsandfriends.org.uk Winter 2009 Jesuits & Friends 15
The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic
Orchestra is helping to make major
social changes in one of the poorest
parts of the city, hoping that the
initiative will help residents feel a
greater pride in their community and
more importantly, increase
confidence and self-esteem among its
young children. In the five months that
it has been running, it is already
helping to nurture the aspirations,
self-esteem, creativity and teamwork
of the pupils of Faith School – the
primary school of St Francis Xavier’s
parish in West Everton. It has also
involved their families and the wider
community.
In Harmony was launched over the
summer and aims to make music an
integral part of the children’s everyday
lives. Almost 100 musical instruments
were provided for 81 pupils and 11
teachers, ranging from violins and
violas, to cellos and double basses. In
less than three months, they were
performing with world-renowned
cellist, Julian Lloyd Webber at
Liverpool’s Philharmonic Hall as the
West Everton Children’s Orchestra.
This was followed by an Open Day for
local residents at the West Everton
Community Centre. The day was
hugely successful, and included an
impromptu performance by some
children from Faith School, which is a
joint Anglican/RC primary school. The
In Harmony team also offered local
parents and children the chance to
have a concert in their own homes in
the school holidays, with each child
playing their own instrument for
family and friends. Over 20 homes
were visited in three days, and in some
of them, the audience was made up of
four generations!
The RLP have a long history of taking
their musicians into schools, but on
this project they are also working with
musicians from the Liverpool Music
Support Service and with staff and
students of Liverpool Hope University,
as well as the resident-led West
Everton Community Council, Faith
Primary School and the Jesuit parish
of St Francis Xavier.
“The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic
is absolutely committed to more
music making for children and young
people in Liverpool and Merseyside,
and this provides a massive
opportunity to get more children
learning instruments,” says Peter
Garden from the RLP.
Earlier this year, they opened a new
centre for the orchestra at what was
the Friary Church, which they have
transformed into a rehearsal room,
recording centre and community and
education venue. “We had been
talking to West Everton council and
local schools about what programmes
we could run, so In Harmony came
along at a perfect time,” says Peter.
“The rehearsal centre is right next
door to the schools where all of the
children are going to be drawn from,
so we’re literally side by side.”
Peter concedes that the plan is an
ambitious one, to get every one of the
93 children at Faith Primary playing
an instrument. “If this is going to work
we felt we had to have a really
intensive programme, with every child
in the school, linking to early years,
and a programme of
working with adults.
Then, we feel, we
could have a real
impact. We believe
In Harmony could
lead to real social
change. We hope to
see a shift and a
change in the
confidence of the
children and young
people, and the
way families are
viewing their whole
community.”
www.jesuitsandfriends.org.uk Winter 2009 Jesuits & Friends 15
JM
FAITH SCHOOL BRINGSHARMONY TO WEST EVERTONFrom Debbie Reynolds, Zoe Armfield and Ged Clapson
Photo credit: RLPO
Page 16
16 Jesuits & Friends Winter 2009 www.jesuitsandfriends.org.uk16 Jesuits & Friends Winter 2009 www.jesuitsandfriends.org.uk
I have been to several townships in
Southern Africa, but nothing prepared
me for Kibera. All my senses were
engaged on arrival! Tiny dusty
alleyways are the pathways not only for
human traffic, but they are the sewage
system and the rubbish dump.
In order to get to the different parts of
the school I had to hop, skip and jump to
dodge puddles and get from rock to
rock in the narrow alleyways that wend
their way between the mass of shanty
dwellings that approximately one
million people call home.
What impressed me more than
anything is the hop, skip and leap of
faith the community at St Al’s (as it’s
affectionally known) has taken to
provide quality education for children
who have nothing and who come from
very difficult home environments:
children who have lost one or both
parents to HIV/AIDS; children adjusting
to living with their extended family
where, in many instances, they are very
aware of being an additional burden to
the family or are exposed to abusive
situations.
The classes have limited resources
and are dark and hot, with tin roofing,
and the only natural light coming from
the narrow corridors. Despite the
haphazard nature of the school
structure and surrounds, classes
happen in a quiet and orderly fashion.
From the labs, which are precariously
balanced on the roof of classrooms
below, the site for the new school
building can be seen. Most pupils don’t
believe that the promises that they’ve
heard of a “new school” will bear fruit,
but when I was there earlier this year
building contractors were submitting
their bids. Soon after, foundations were
being laid, and in August the external
walls were up to the level of the ceiling
of the ground floor. Seeing dreams
becoming reality is always inspiring and
even more so when the obstacles of
getting there have been seemingly
insurmountable. St Al’s is certainly a
testament to “faith in action”.
The pupils at St Al’s, with their smart
green and white uniforms, stand out in
the community as they move from class
to class in between people’s homes. In
true Jesuit fashion the school has an
active community service project which
involves most of the graduates from the
school. These pupils are positive role
models for a community struggling
from decades of government neglect.
St Aloysius Junior School in Glasgow
and Laini Saba Primary School in
Kibera have recently joined the
Companions' Programme. We wanted
to have pupils of a similar age in
communication and so Laini Saba
Primary, which is one of the feeder
schools to St Al’s in Kibera, was decided
upon.
Laini Saba Primary School is in the
heart of Kibera; to get there, three St
Al’s graduates accompanied me on our
50 minute walk. En route we passed
numerous hairdressers and butchers
all colourfully adorned to lure
passersby. We mainly walked along the
railway line that intersects Kibera.
“Laini Saba” means “line seven” and
this is the closest station stop to the
school.
Laini Saba is next door to Christ the
King parish where an enormous church
is being built to accommodate the
burgeoning number of parishioners.
Sister Margaret, the headmistress of
Laini Saba, told me about the dramatic
happenings early last year when they
found themselves in the epicentre of
the political conflict in Kibera. She
recounted how worried they were
because buildings around them were
being set ablaze and the school
building is made of wood. She spoke of
the groups that came in to counsel the
children after the conflict. A number of
children were very traumatised, but the
fact that they were able to receive some
kind of counselling certainly helped.
The heads at both schools are very
keen to see the partnership developing
and Mr Kiambi the headmaster of St
Al’s said, “We are excited about our
partnership. It is very mind-opening
and it is good for the students to explore
new possibilities. We hope that the
partnership goes from strength to
strength so that it will be of mutual
benefit to our students in Glasgow, and
here in Kibera.”
St Aloysius Gonzaga School: a testament to faith in actionAs part of the Companions’
Programme, St Aloysius’ College in
Glasgow is partnered with St Aloysius
Gonzaga Secondary School in Kibera,
Kenya. Earlier this year, Ashleigh
Callow of JM visited Kibera and the
programme’s two partner schools to
discuss the Companions’ programme,
which sees the exchange of culture
and ideas and the sharing of a
common Ignatian ethos.
The children of Laimi Saba school. Photo credit: Ashleigh Callow
Page 17
www.jesuitsandfriends.org.uk Winter 2009 Jesuits & Friends 17
Most of the youths we work with at
Zambuko House are drawn from the
streets, although many of them are
now coming via other child welfare
institutions. Services offered include
a ‘home’ environment which
accommodates an average of 16 to 20
homeless teenage boys and/or young
adults at any given time, and a ‘drop
in’ facility for a maximum 30 to 35 boys
per month for their personal and
hygiene needs. We have a ‘jewel box’
approach whose aim is to be practical
in a small but very effective way. The
driving force in the achievement of our
objectives is guided by our passion to
instill in the beneficiaries the sense of
family living and belonging, and the
dignity they lost as a result of their
harsh background (street life).
Through our comprehensive
Outreach programme, we manage to
visit most of the homes and
communities or social support
systems of all the boys on our
programme. Outreach is an ongoing
activity as well as the cornerstone and
an important aspect of our work. For
example, two brothers were referred
to us from a government institution
which had ‘expelled’ them because of
their ages. They were reported as
having no relatives but some relatives
were traced as a result of our
intensive Outreach efforts. They now
have a social support system to fall
back on, even after they finish their
individual intervention programmes.
Another achievement is that we no
longer have school-going youngsters
resident at Zambuko House. Those
who are academically gifted are being
assisted with fees, and they are
encouraged to stay with their
identified support systems so as to
avoid the boys making Zambuko
House their permanent home. After
observing that the majority of the boys
were always spending holidays at
Zambuko House, we began
encouraging them to spend weekends
and holidays with their families and
communities; this re-integration is
yielding positive results.
Challenges and Future Plans
Most of the activities within our
Skills Training Department are being
managed mainly by volunteer and
part-time staff. Funding in this regard
is important and has to be considered
by funding agencies, if the project is to
have a professional approach in its
activities and be able to retain
professional staff as well: most
donors are not keen to fund staff
salaries.
There is a need to upgrade our metal
workshop, which is not well equipped
and some major items need
replacing. We also need money to
help our Skills ‘Graduates’ start up
their own projects within their chosen
line of training. For example, we have
one young man named Shepherd who
was trained in metal work.
Unfortunately, we are not able to buy
him a welding machine because of
limited financial resources on our
part; hence the need to have funds
available as starter capital for any
projects the youngsters may wish to
embark upon.
The gardening project is being
affected by the erratic water supply
which is a major setback for us.
Though we have a small well, we
believe that it would be better for a
place like Zambuko House to have its
own borehole sunk so as to boost our
gardening project, which promises to
be our major income earner in our
endeavors to be self-reliant. Some of
our worn-out household items were
replaced with a grant we got from
Jesuit Missions, UK, but a lot still
needs to be done, including new beds
and linen for the boys’ dormitories
and some shelving for storing their
clothes.
We are very grateful to our friends
who help us financially through our
account at Jesuit Missions UK.
www.jesuitsandfriends.org.uk Winter 2009 Jesuits & Friends 17
Shepherd, the young man in desperate need for a welding machine and ‘starter’ capital sothat he can be more independent. Photo credit: Zambuko House
Skills and Shelter for
Zambuko House in Zimbabwe is a
Jesuit initiative which started
operating in 1994. The focus is on
providing rehabilitative services
and skills training to young people
within the Greater Harare urban
areas. Emilia James, Director of
Zamuko House, explains how the
provision of shelter and spiritual,
moral, personal and skills
development to the less fortunate
young males of Zimbabwean
society can lead to them
becoming self-reliant responsible
citizens with a “better
tomorrow”.
Young Zimbabweans
Page 18
DEATHS &OBITUARIES
Franz Gabriel was in his quiet, smiling way a man of
great charism and the perfect example of a brother
who lived his Jesuit vocation to the full.
Born on 7 October 1919 near the German/Polish
border, Franz was called up for service with the
German Navy in Norway, only to be dismissed from the
armed forces in October 1941, because, as a Jesuit he
was not “worthy to defend the fatherland”.
He was trained as a tailor, but he was also an
excellent cook. In the aftermath of the war, Br Franz
was indispensible in rebuilding many shattered Jesuit
communities. In 1951 he was sent to help build a
separate community for the East German province. He
worked in both noviciates for a while and many German
novices regarded him as their “second novice master”.
At the age of 52, Franz’s dream to be a missionary was
realised and he was sent to learn English in London so
that he could go out to what was then the Rhodesia
mission, serving mainly in the Chinhoyi diocese. In
1990, he was moved to Arrupe House as Minister of a
new community of young Jesuits, which became the
origin of Arrupe College. He found it very easy to
engage with the young Zimbabweans who were in
training to be Jesuits.
After two years, Franz returned to a very different
unified Germany where he served in the retreat house
in Biesfeld. However, he was recalled to Zimbabwe on
two further occasions to help at Arrupe and Canisius.
On 1 December 2006, he finally retired to Peter-
Faber-House in Berlin, which he had helped build as a
house of formation many years earlier. He would have
celebrated his 90th birthday (and 72 years in the
Society) in October 2009, but he died on 16 August
2009. Masses of thanksgiving were celebrated for him
in both Germany and Zimbabwe.
Brother Franz Gabriel SJ
John Francis Grumitt was born in
Penang in the Malai Straits and
spent much of his childhood in
Australia, attending Riverside Jesuit
College in Sydney, before his family
moved to the UK. He then completed
his secondary education at
Stonyhurst College. In September
1947, at the age of 17, John entered
the Jesuit novitiate at Roehampton,
studied philosophy and theology at
Heythrop College, Oxfordshire, and
qualified for his Teacher’s Certificate
in 1955.
As a scholastic, John taught for three years in St Mary’s Hall
preparatory school, Stonyhurst. He was ordained priest in 1961
and made his tertianship at St Beuno’s, north Wales. In 1963, he
was assigned to St George’s College in what was then Rhodesia.
He was based at Hartmann House and Prestage House in
Salisbury (Harare) and was awarded a BA by the University
College of Rhodesia in 1969. He taught at St George’s College for
a further two years until he returned to the UK.
Between 1972 and 1976, John taught at St Aloysius’ College,
Glasgow, before being appointed headmaster at Mount St
Mary’s College, Spinkhill, a post he held for 15 years. He then
moved to Enfield, Middlesex, and served as chaplain at St
Ignatius’ College, before assuming responsibility for the alumni
of the Society’s schools in Britain and establishing the YBJA
(Young British Jesuit Alumni). In the mid-1990s, John undertook
a series of trips overseas to coordinate GAP year assignments
for alumni.
On moving to Wimbledon in 2004, John was appointed chaplain
to Donhead, the preparatory school of Wimbledon College. He
moved to the Corpus Christi Jesuit Community in 2007 in
Boscombe, Bournemouth, where he died on 19 October 2009.
Stanley Thomas Maxwell was born on 1 April 1922 in Cumberland and was educated by the
Society of Jesus at Preston Catholic College. He entered the Society at St Beuno’s in 1942, and
studied for degrees in philosophy and theology at Heythrop College in Oxfordshire, where he
was also ordained in 1955.
During his formation, Stanley taught at Mount St Mary’s College near Sheffield, St Michael’s
College in Leeds, and St Francis Xavier’s preparatory school in Liverpool. After his ordination,
he was assigned to British Guiana (now Guyana), where he worked for the next 18 years. He
served four years at Sacred Heart parish in Georgetown, seven years at the cathedral – during
which he also taught at St Stanislaus College – and a further two years at the St Ignatius
Mission in Lethem, in the Rupununi.
Between 1969 and 1972, Stanley taught at St Paul’s Seminary at Better Hope, and then spent
a further two years serving at the Catholic church in Victoria, before returning to the UK in
1974 for medical reasons. He then spent 33 years at St John’s Beaumont in Old Windsor, as a
teacher from 1974 to 1987, and thereafter as Spiritual Father to the boys.
Stanley Maxwell moved to Boscombe, Dorset, in December 2007 and was a member of the
Corpus Christi Jesuit Community, until his death in Poole Hospital on 29 June 2009.
Fr Stanley Maxwell SJ
Fr John Grumitt SJ
18 Jesuits & Friends Winter 2009 www.jesuitsandfriends.org.uk
Page 19
DEATHS &OBITUARIES
Thomas Geoffrey Holt (known as Geoffrey) was a historian, a writer and a Jesuit
priest. He died at the Corpus Christi Jesuit Community in Boscombe, Dorset, on 28
September 2009, having recently marked 79 years as a member of the Society of
Jesus.
Born in Hereford in 1912, Geoffrey was a pupil at Stonyhurst College and entered
the Jesuit Juniorate at Roehampton at the age of 20. He studied philosophy at
Heythrop College in Oxfordshire and achieved his BA in history at Campion Hall in
Oxford. During the war years, he taught at Corby School in Sunderland and
Stonyhurst College, before being awarded a Licentiate in Theology at Heythrop.
After three years of teaching at Mount St Mary’s College, Spinkhill, Geoffrey did
his tertianship at St Beuno’s in North Wales in 1949 and then spent the next 16
years teaching at Stonyhurst College.
In 1966, he was appointed Assistant Archivist for the British Province, based in
Mount Street in London, a position he held for the next 20 years until he became
the Provincial Archivist in his own right. During this time, he wrote extensively
about the history of the British Jesuits and became a Fellow of the Society of
Antiquaries in London (1973) and a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society (1985). He
also lectured in Church History at St John’s Seminary, Wonersh, from 1974 to 1979.
Geoffrey Holt’s articles covered many aspects of English Catholic history – from
biographies of such celebrated figures at Cardinal Vaughan and St Thomas More,
to recusant history and the suppression of the Society of Jesus. He moved to the
Corpus Christi Jesuit Centre in Dorset when it opened in 2007, but his funeral was
celebrated at Farm Street Church in London, a church with which he had been
associated as a Jesuit for over 40 years.
Fr Geoffrey Holt SJ
Mr Victor Charan
Mr Alexander Carlton
Mr Derek Brookshaw
Sir Michael Quinlan OW
Sr Christina SSA
Mr John O’Brien
Mr John Scullion
Mrs M L Pearson
Mrs Geraldine MacFarlane
Mr Ambrose Remedios
Mr Peter Rennison
Dr E B Butler
Sr Mary Joseph OCD
Mrs M Mendonca
Mrs Annie Smith
Mrs Mary O’Connell
Sr Bryan D'Arbreu RSM
Mr Peter McCarthy
Mr Philip O’Brien
Mr L Porter
Sr Theresa La Rose RSM
Mr Richard Nute
Mr Francis Clark
Mr Roland MacIntosh
Mr Tadeusz Filochowski
Mr John O. Persaud Snr
Mrs Lucille Yip
Mr John Gillham
Brother-in-law of Fr Kevin Fox SJ
Mr Felix Britt-Compton
Brother of Fr Peter Britt-Compton SJ
Mrs Elizabeth Howard Madigan
Mother of Fr Patrick Madigan SJ
Mr Sylvester Kerketta
Brother-in-law of Gabriel Xess SJ
Mr Paul Smulders
Brother of the late Fr W Smulders SJ
Mr Nero Singh
Brother-in-law of Godfrey Veerasammy SJ
Mr Peter Anthony
Brother-in-law of Godfrey Veerasammy SJ
Mr Donald Knott
Brother of Fr Peter Knott SJ
Miss Nora Lavery
Aunt of Fr Andrew Cameron-Mowat SJ
Mr George Plowman
Cousin of Fr Tom Jackson SJ
Mrs May Burscough
Sister of Fr Ted Rogers SJ
Br Franz Gabriel SJ
Fr Stanley Maxwell SJ
Fr Fabian Sitolo Masina SJ
Fr Charles Edwards SJ
Fr Geoffrey Holt SJ
Fr John Grumitt SJ
Fr Jim Henderson SJ
Please pray for those who have died recently.May they rest in peace.
www.jesuitsandfriends.org.uk Winter 2009 Jesuits & Friends 19
Page 20
20 Jesuits & Friends Winter 2009 www.jesuitsandfriends.org.uk
Bits ‘n’ Pieces
20 Jesuits & Friends Winter 2009 www.jesuitsandfriends.org.uk
The celebrations in
Glasgow to mark the 150th
anniversary of St Aloysius’
College have continued
throughout the autumn.
The beginning of term was
marked by Masses for the
Junior and Senior Schools,
celebrated by the Most
Reverend Mario Conti,
Archbishop of Glasgow,
and His Eminence Keith
Patrick Cardinal O’Brien respectively. At both Masses Fr Michael Holman
SJ, the British Provincial, spoke of the College not merely as a good and a
fine school, but as an outstanding school. He acknowledged the energy,
enterprise and foresight of the Society of Jesus in establishing St Aloysius’
which has contributed to society in the West of Scotland.
As Guest of Honour at this year’s Prize Giving, the Right Honourable Lord
Gill, Lord Justice Clerk (a former student of St Aloysius) said that although
the College enjoys an outstanding academic reputation, there is more to St
Aloysius’ than academic success. He particularly commended the way that
pupils are urged to dedicate their talents to the welfare of others. In the
same week, a Civic Reception was held at Glasgow City Chambers.
One of the highlights of the Sesquicentennial celebrations was a concert at
Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall, at which the College Orchestra and Choirs,
joined by an enlarged Junior School Choir, took part in spectacular programme
that include Carl Orff's Carmina Burana, and the first performance of a new
work by Howard Goodall, Classic FM's Composer of the Year.
GLASGOW CELEBRATIONS
INTERNATIONAL FORMATION
MARION'S COMMITMENT NEW OFFICERS FOR CLC BRITAIN
Una Buckley has been elected President of
Christian Life Community Britain and Eamonn
Hamilton has been elected Treasurer. Una
replaces Evelyne Maloret who now becomes
Convenor of the European Team of CLC. At the
National Assembly of CLC, gratitude was
expressed by Evelyne for all the support she
has been given during her term of office from
the Province and both she and Una looked
forward to increasing cooperation between the
Society and CLC.
The British Province in September welcomed 46 Jesuits in formation from
24 provinces of the Society of Jesus. The Jesuits come from as far afield as
Lithuania, Korea, Zambia and Chile. Most men will be pursuing courses in
the traditional subjects of philosophy and theology at Heythrop College in
London and at Campion Hall in Oxford, while others will be studying in
specialized programmes at the School of Oriental and African Studies, the
London College of Communication, Roehampton University, the Institute of
Education and the London School of Economics. The British Province was
recently named a formation centre for Jesuits in studies.
Marion Morgan, a
parishioner of the
former Jesuit parish of
St-Mary-on-the-Quay
in Bristol chose the
Feast of St Ignatius
Loyola for a very
special occasion.
During Mass, Marion
was consecrated to
celibate life by Bishop
Declan Lang of Clifton, and is now a member
of the Order of Consecrated Virgins (OCV).
There are currently about 200 Consecrated
Virgins (usually known as consecrated
women) in the UK. It is a way of leading a
dedicated and vowed life for those who do not
feel called to life in a specific religious
community or who are not free to join one -
perhaps because, like Marion, they are full-
time carers.
“The community of an OCV is her parish and
Diocese,” she says. “There is no common
spirituality, apart from the common
commitment. OCVs express their ministry in
many different lifestyles. For me, it will
always be Ignatian spirituality which attracts
me. I revel in the freedom to go out and about,
to meet different people and to engage in
conversation.”
At the final count, this year’s London
Marathon team of 21 runners raised a total of
£65,350 for JM and JRS (UK) projects. In
Africa, orphans are being supported in
Zimbabwe, parishes are being refurbished in
Zambia, funds are helping feeding
programmes in South Africa, and support is
also being given for a number of educational
developments across southern Africa. In
Guyana, a number of pastoral projects have
received vital support, while at JRS they have
been able to fund a number of their works in
the UK. All places have been taken for the
2010 Virgin London Marathon, but the list for
2011 is open already, so if you would like to
register your interest, please call JM.
BOOK EARLY
IF YOU WANT TO RUN!
Page 21
www.jesuitsandfriends.org.uk Winter 2009 Jesuits & Friends 21
Bits ‘n’ Pieces
www.jesuitsandfriends.org.uk Winter 2009 Jesuits & Friends 21
Wimbledon College has launched a ‘Pound for Pannur’
campaign, following serious flooding in the state of
Karnataka in India. Their aim is to raise a pound from
every pupil - and to expand the appeal to their parents
and friends outside the college. The Jesuit
comprehensive boys’ school in south west London has
been supporting Pannur Mission in this poor rural region
of Southern India since 2002. Meanwhile, JM has set up
a designated link for donations.
Jesuits working in the village of Pannur and
surrounding hamlets have sought to empower the people
of the downtrodden Dalit caste, the so called
‘untouchables’ of Indian society. Their work has
concentrated on raising the status of women through the
establishment of women’s groups and credit unions; and
the building of a school for bonded labourers and
children condemned to a life in the fields as goatherds
and cowherds. The Wimbledon College project
(www.projectmanvi.co.uk) centres around providing
education for Dalit children in Manvi. For the past five
years students and teachers from the college have
travelled to India to spend a month working on the
project and in particular building a primary school, for
which they have raised £125,000.
www.justgiving.com/Emergencyappealforfloodinginmanvi
Six novices who completed their two years’ novitiate this
summer pronounced their first vows as Jesuits on 5
September. The Mass at St Mary’s Church, Harborne,
Birmingham, was celebrated by dozens of Jesuits,
among them, the Provincials of Ireland, Britain,
Netherlands and North Belgium, the Novice Director
from Manresa House and others involved in the men’s
formation.
Lithuanian Mindaugas Dijokas is now continuing his
studies in Munich; and Kensy Joseph is studying in India.
The remaining four scholastics - Eddie Cosgrove from
the Irish Province, Ricardo DaSilva and Grant Tungay
from South Africa, and British novice, Philip Harrison -
are studying for their philosophy degrees at Heythrop
College, University of London.
Directors of the European Jesuit Mission Offices and Non-
Governmental Organisations gathered at Loyola Hall this autumn
to assess their work over the last year and identify areas for mutual
cooperation. They discussed several key issues, including the fact
that during the recession, though the numbers of donors has fallen,
income has remained steady; new links have been established with
China and other Asian countries; Irish Aid has funded a JRS project
in its own right for the first time; and many new superiors and
directors in African countries are taking over projects from ex-
patriots. The offices of Europe have spent approximately 73 million
euro over the past year, of which 35% went to Africa, 37% to South
America, and 20% to Asia. The Mission Offices have sponsored
projects submitted by Jesuit Refugee Service, Fe y Alegria, African
Jesuit AIDS Network, and individual Jesuit provinces.
POUNDS FOR PANNUR
FIRST VOWS
A WORLDWIDE MISSION
Leonard Michael SJ from the
Sri Lankan Province has been
ordained deacon at St
Anselm’s Church in Southall,
Middlesex. Throughout his
schooling at St Joseph’s
college in Colombo, he felt he
was being called to the
priesthood, and this was
confirmed when he
encountered a Jesuit Italian priest, whose missionary zeal and
passion to love and serve the Lord so touched Leonard that he
applied to join – and was accepted by – the Society of Jesus in
1997. As part of his formation, Leonard worked as a Chaplain in a
technical school run by Jesuits in Sri Lanka; and since 2005, he
has been studying at Heythrop College in London. He is now
continuing his studies – in Psychotherapy and Counselling – as
well as working in St Anselm’s parish, where he was ordained
deacon by Bishop Alan Hopes, Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster,
pictured above, being assisted by Leonard.
LEONARD ORDAINED DEACON
The second book of poems by Fr PatrickPurnell SJ is now available. The Book ofFurrows follows the pattern of the four weeksof the Spiritual Exercises with some verymoving expressions of Scripture and of thetext of the Exercises - with his own “empathy,intuition, insights and personal wisdom”, asthe late Fr Michael Ivens SJ would have said. This could be theperfect Christmas present for some of your friends. Copies may behad from Patrick himself or from Fr Michael Barrow SJ at 757Christchurch Toad, Bournemouth BH7 6AN Price £8.50 + £1 p & p).
The Book of Furrows by Patrick Purnell SJ
Page 22
We live in a world that can boast of a
whole range of instant methods of
communication. Just think how the
history books would have to be re-
written if information technology had
been available, for instance, in the 16th
century, when the Church had to cope
with the problems of the Reformation in
Europe. It is interesting to speculate
what would have happened if, for
example, the Pope in Rome, Martin
Luther in Germany and Henry VIII in
England had possessed laptops, email
facilities and the availability of fast
travel offered by modern aviation. The
world in which we live today could
indeed be very different.
It may come as a surprise to many but
thanks to the wonderful work of our
redemption wrought by Jesus Christ
and the Church that he founded we
have always had a most marvellous
means of communication available to
us, not electronic but powered by the
divine initiative of God made visible in
Jesus Christ. December is the month
most looked forward to by our children
with the feast of Christmas getting
closer and closer. We celebrate his
birth on December 25 and shortly
afterwards, the Feast of the Holy
Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph.
Jesus, as a child, and indeed all
children are so central to the
Christmas story. We are asked at this
time to unite our daily offering with the
prayers of the Holy Father that children
will be loved and respected
everywhere, and that Jesus will be
seen to be our true light and theirs,
shining in our darkened world. May
they all grow in wisdom and grace to be
good stewards of God’s creation!
The papal intention for January
brings us right into our modern world
of electronic communication. The Holy
Father ask us to pray that all these
electronic means that are at the finger
tips of the young will be mastered and
used wisely and, indeed, will be used as
powerful means for communicating the
Good News of Jesus Christ to the world.
St Paul, I am sure, would have revelled
in the world of electronic
communication if it had existed in his
era. Remember his words in the tenth
chapter of the letter to the Romans and
immortalised for many by Handel in
The Messiah: “Is it possible they did not
hear? Indeed they did; in the words of
the psalm, their voice has gone out
through all the earth, and their
message to the ends of the world”.
“Fides quaerens intellectum, Faith
seeking understanding” is a hallowed
phrase in academic theological circles.
Looking ahead to February, the Holy
Father asks us to pray for all who are
engaged in the intellectual apostolate.
And finally for this quarter, it is
appropriate that our daily prayer in
March is directed towards a just and
honest management of the economy,
especially at this time of worldwide
financial crisis. The Holy Father also
asks that we focus our prayers on
poorer nations and pray that they may
be truly helped.
Michael Beattie SJ
Their voice has gone outApostleship of Prayer Papal Intentions
For respect for children everywhere.That people may come to realisethat Jesus is the Light of the World.
That young people may grow ingrace as they use wisely the modern means of electronic communication.That Christian men and women maybe truly united and more effectivelyproclaim the Good News of JesusChrist.
For academics: that their researchmay bring them to know, love andserve Almighty God. That every Christian may have a senseof responsibility for the spreading ofthe Gospel of Jesus Christ.
For just and honest management ofthe world economy, especiallywith regards to poor nations.That the Church in Africa be aninstrument of justice andreconciliation.
December
January
February
March
22 Jesuits & Friends Winter 2009 www.jesuitsandfriends.org.uk
Page 23
The Youth Choir of St Martinde Porres Church inSoweto sing their gratitude,but they still need oursupport – see page 6
The children ofLaini Saba PrimarySchool, in theheart of Kibera,Kenya,desperately needbetter resourcesand classrooms –see page 16
You can send your donations to the address below, or log on to our websitewhere you can increase your donation by 28% through the Just Givingscheme. Thank you!
Your donations enablethe work begun 100years ago by FrCuthbert Cary-Elwes SJin the Guyanese Interiorto continue and grow –see page 12
Your generoussupport for peoplelike Shepherd atZambuko Houseensures youngZimbabweans learna trade and becomemore self-sufficient.See page 17
The JESUIT DEVELOPMENT
FUND helps to establish and
maintain churches, schools,
retreat centres and apostolic
works of all kinds at home and
overseas. At present the
trustees are assisting the
development of our work in
South Africa, and providing
nursing care and attention for
the elderly Jesuits of
the Province.
YOUR GIFTS in response to any appeals, or
for any of our Missions overseas, should be
sent to JM, which is the central mission
office. Please make all cheques and postal
orders payable to JM.
GIFT AID
For every pound you donate we can reclaim
28p, thanks to the government scheme. If
you need further details contact the JM
office.
www.gbjm.orgJM · 11 Edge Hill · London · SW19 4LRT: + 44 (0) 20 8946 0466 F: + 44 (0) 20 8946 2292 E: [email protected]
Why not senda donation tosupport us?
All Benefactors are remembered in the Masses and prayers of every Jesuit in our Province.Thank you for your generosity
A BEQUEST
We would be delighted if you remember JM
or the appeals mentioned here in your Will.
We shall be happy to send you details of the
official wording.
How Can I ? HelpThe JESUIT SEMINARY ASSOCIATION
helps to defray the expensive cost of
training Jesuit priests and brothers.
www.jesuitsandfriends.org.uk Winter 2009 Jesuits & Friends 23
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24 Jesuits & Friends Winter 2009 www.jesuitsandfriends.org.uk
A reflection on the birth of ChristBased on Isaiah 11, 1
A shoot sproutsA bud opensA scarlet roseEnchanting scents
A shoot sproutsA tree growsIts foliage changing From green to red
Leaves fallLike drops of bloodInto rivers of pain
Bare branchesBearing death
The wind blowsThe spirit moves
Oceans of blood, pain and deathWash seeds into rock-dark graves
A shoot sproutsBuds open, trees growPain and death are no moreLove reigns
JESUS is born at last
Photo: © Aniszewski