Welsh National Pilgrimage to Lourdes 2018 · Welsh National Pilgrimage to Lourdes 2018 Archbishop George led the 2018 Welsh Pilgrimage to Lourdes and is pictured here with happy pilgrims.

Issue 260 August 2018

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Official Newspaper of the Archdiocese of CardiffNewyddiadur Swyddogol Esgobaeth Caerdydd

Welsh National Pilgrimage to Lourdes 2018

Archbishop George led the 2018 Welsh Pilgrimage to Lourdes and is pictured here with happypilgrims. More photographs of the pilgrimage will be featured in the September edition of CatholicPeople.

Adoremus - a great celebration of the Eucharist!Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the Archbishop ofWestminster, is inviting Catholics to takepart in the National Eucharistic Pilgrimageand Congress taking place in Liverpool onSeptember 7-9.

“The days of the Eucharistic Congress,Adoremus, are going to be a time of specialgrace for the Catholic Church in England andWales,” the Cardinal writes. “I urge everyone tojoin in this great celebration of the Eucharist,God’s greatest gift to us, His family.”

On their website, the Catholic Bishops ofEngland and Wales describe EucharisticCongresses as “gatherings of clergy, religiousand laity which promote an awareness of thecentral place of the Eucharist in the life andmission of the Church.”

Cardinal Nichols’ invitation to the faithfulechoes that sentiment. “The Eucharist takes usto the heart of our faith. The celebrations andprocessions of Adoremus will enrich that faithand our love for the Lord. They will be powerfulmoments in which we can express the love wehave for Jesus who has chosen, in the powerof the Holy Spirit, to be with us always in theprecious Sacrament.”

The first day of the Congress will include aTheological Symposium, focusing on Scripture,Ecclesiology, Eucharistic Language andCatechesis, and Rites and Music forEucharistic Adoration.

On day two, as many as 10,000 pilgrims willbe able to take part in a six-hour stageprogram that will include a Congress Mass,keynote speakers, and “a drama highlightingthe beauty of reverence and devotion.” The

day will conclude with Adoration of the BlessedSacrament. As Cardinal Nichols writes, Jesus inthe Eucharist “is to be contemplatedconstantly. In Liverpool, we will strive tounderstand this great gift more deeply. We willgive heart and mind to prayer and praise. Wewill enter its deepest dynamic: that of sharingin the mission given by the Father to Hisbeloved Son to bring the fullness of life andlight into our needy world.” The day’s eventswill take place in Echo Arena in Liverpool.

On Sunday, the third and final day of thePilgrimage and Congress, the faithful will beable to participate in pilgrimage Masses, aswell as a Procession through the streets of thecity. Those events will be open to all.

“The events in Liverpool, on September 7-9,will be memorable and moving,” CardinalNichols writes. “Great numbers will gather oneach of these three days. I think there may stillbe a little space for the key events onSaturday. Do come if you can. And if you arestaying at home, then join in the pilgrimagetaking place in Liverpool in spirit and in prayer.”

You can find out more about the NationalEucharistic Pilgrimage and Congress on thewebsite of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference ofEngland and Wales.

Not so many Catholics have gathered in oneplace since Pope Benedict XVI visited the UK.

Cardiff Archdiocese will be represented byover 150 delegates at the Conference onSaturday 8 September, the feast of the

• Continued on Page 2

2 CATHOLIC PEOPLE

ARCHDIOCESANDIARY OF EVENTS

BEL – Belmont Abbey – The Retreats Secretary - email: [email protected] or tel: 07799 811 646. Allretreats begin with Vespers at 6.00 pm – check-in at Hedley Lodge from mid afternoonLL – Ty Croeso Centre, Llantarnam Abbey, Cwmbran tel: 01633 867317PRC – Pastoral Resources Centre, 910 Newport Road, Rumney, Cardiff tel: 029 20360044St.P – St Peter’s Church, St Peter’s Street, Cardiff CF24 3BA

AUGUSTWednesday 1 As part of the Three Choirs Festival an Organ Recital by Adam Mathias will take place in the

Abbey Church 2-3pm. Tickets £12 unreserved, from the Festival Office. Phone no. 01452 768 928 BEL

Tuesday 7 Dementia Friends Session Newport. St Patrick’s RC Church 6.30-7.30pmWednesday 8 Dementia Friends Session Abergavenny. Our Lady and St Michael RC Church 2.30-3.30pm.Friday 17 A Concert of Chant and Organ Music with the monks of Belmont Abbey and Stasio Sliwka.

7.30pm. Entrance free. Donations for organ fund welcome. Refreshments. BEL

SeptemberSeptember 1 & 2 A Weekend of Discovery A Lifetime of Love @ 9:00 am. September 2 @ 5:00 pm. Pastoral

Resource Centre. Contact: Joanne White, M&FL Co-ordinator & Family Life Worker, Pastoral Resources Centre, 910 Newport Road, Rumney, Cardiff CF3 4LL. Tel: (029) 2036 5964

To list Archdiocesan and Deanery Events in this Diary contact: Dr James Campbell-Editor. Archbishop’s House,43 Cathedral Road, Cardiff, CF11 9HD. Tel: (029) 2022 0411 Fax: (029) 2037 9036 Email: [email protected] Articles to be received by the 20th of the month for inclusion in the following month.

On 14th June ArchbishopGeorge visited the LongworthChapel, Bartestree,Herefordshire, to bless andre-dedicate the splendidstained glass window in the14th century chapeldedicated to St. James theApostle.

The Archbishop offered Massof Thanksgiving with acongregation of sixty people, alldedicated to the preservation ofthis important part of ourCatholic heritage.

Situated four miles east ofHereford, and located next doorto St. Michael’s Hospice, thechapel was built in 1390 as partof Longworth hall but fell intodisuse after the Reformation,serving at times as a barn anda cider press. In 1870 it wasdismantled and relocated at thenewly reconstructed BartestreeConvent where it served as apublic chapel attached to theconvent. E.W. Pugin (1834-75)the son of the celebrated

Augustus Welby Pugin wasarchitect of the early stages ofthe convent and may havebeen involved in the relocationof the chapel. The chapel todayis thus a Victorian interpretationof a medieval buildingincorporating much medievalfabric brought from Longworth.

When the chapel closed inthe 1990’s, the chapel again

became derelict. It wasvandalised and lucky to survive.It was transferred to the HistoricChurches Trust in 2001 andunderwent major restorationwith the roof being replaced in2010 thanks to a grant fromEnglish Heritage. Now a GradeII* listed building, it hasbenefitted from the dedicatedand successful volunteercommittee headed byDesmond Keohane.

The magnificent windowdesigned by Hardman ofBirmingham has now beenbeautifully restored thanks tothe major fund-raising efforts ofthe committee and a generousgrant from Historic England.Much more work remains to bedone to ‘love’ this building backinto a place of prayer andworship. The attached photosshow how much has alreadybeen achieved.

Further information on thishistoric building is available byemailing the chapel.

Diocesan Evangelisation Group – WelcomeThe Diocesan Evangelisation Group exists to share the Good News ofJesus Christ with the people of South-East Wales and Herefordshire,and to invite them to become Disciples of Jesus Christ as members ofthe Catholic Church.

Every Catholic is called upon to do this in the circumstances of their ownlife, but by working together, we can do more. The Come & See project,launched by Archbishop George Stack on 8 March 2013, is the officialproject of the Archdiocese of Cardiff to make the Catholic Faith, and theperson of Jesus Christ, known to the wider community in Cardiff City, andthrough its indirect impact, to the whole of Wales.

During 2013 & 2014, the Diocesan Evangelisation Group ran the Come &See project, primarily through arranging events at the Archdiocese’s CardiffCity Centre venue, the Cornerstone at St David’s. Through live speakersand drop-in prayer experiences, we presented the Church’s message to allwho wished to come and listen. In 2015, we promoted Proclaim’15 – anational conference in Birmingham (July) and a Diocesan Conference inCardiff (October).

Following these major events, we now support a network of 120evangelisers working across the Archdiocese of Cardiff. On the SecondMonday of each month, we offer a monthly opportunity for evangelisers tocome together to share fellowship at the Pastoral Resources Centre. On theThird Monday of each month, the Cornerstone Planning Group meets toplan future events in the city centre.

The Evangelisation Group also arranges training activities for members oflocal parishes. If you would like to help make any of this happen pleasecontact us.

Birthday of Our Lady. Amongst them will be two pupilsfrom each of our diocesan secondary schools. This willbe amongst the biggest delegation from all over Englandand Wales. The party will travel by coach from three pickup points in the diocese and will return late the sameevening. There are still some places available. The costwill be £55 per pilgrim and this will include the pilgrimpack and other souvenirs of this historic event – the firstEucharistic Congress in the United Kingdom since 1908.Christian Mahoney has been dedicated to organising ourdiocesan representation and has undertaken a herculeantask with great success. He is available for furtherbookings at: Christian Mahoney, telephone 07764515864, email [email protected]

Adoremus - a great celebration of the Eucharist! - Continued from Page 1

Historic chapel seen in a new light aswindow restored and rededicated

Events on SaturdayHere’s a detailed a timeline for ‘The AdoremusCongress Day – Reflecting on the centrality of theEucharist’ taking place on Saturday 8 September 2018at the ACC Liverpool Echo Arena.Time Item8:15 Morning Prayer and Mass at the Liverpool

Metropolitan Cathedral, for those wishing to attend

9:30 Arena opens10:30 Welcome & Opening Prayer: Bishop Robert

Byrne, Greeting by the Apostolic Nuncio and Welcome from Archbishop Malcolm McMahon OP

11:00 Keynote 1 - Bishop Robert Barron

12:30 Lunch - a range of food options will be available to purchase, or delegates can bring lunch

13:30 Keynote 2 – Bishop Robert Barron14:30 Exploring the themes of the congress with

Drama, Testimony and Presentations15:30 Break16:00 Exposition and Benediction with Evening

Prayer of Corpus Christi to include a reflection from Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England & Wales

17:00 Finish

The splendid window

Archbishop Georgewith those whowitnessed thededication

CATHOLIC PEOPLE 3

Editorial

Thanks!Well, when we are at Mass every week wegive thanks to God for the benefits wehave received.

In bidding prayers we join with our fellowparishioners in our hopes for the world, ourcommunity and those of our family andfriends who have passed on.

But in this edition of Catholic People, wehave lots to be thankful for as we lookthrough the pages.

On page 3, we see the years of serviceBrother Brian has given to the sick inhospital before retiring from his task. Wewish him well in his retirement and manyformer patients will remember him for hiswork, his visits to the sick bed and thewords of comfort and consolation hedelivered, welcome words at a time ofstress for the sick.

On page 1, we see the lovely picture fromthe Welsh National Pilgrimage to Lourdes2018. We give tribute to those helpers whoassisted with looking after the sick on thisgreat pilgrimage, one which hopefully givesgreat comfort to those in ill health. May theblessings of Lourdes comfort them!

On pages 4 and 5 we look at the blessingsof Catholic education and give ourcongratulations to the teachers whonurtured their young primary pupils to thatvital stage when they pass into secondaryeducation.

On page 8, we give thanks for theblessings of new priests coming into theArchdiocese of Cardiff.

We welcome them and assure them of ourlove as laity. We are so lucky that theyhave dedicated their lives to serving,advising and supporting us.

Thanks again!

Editorial Dr James Campbell-Editor.Archbishop’s House, 43 Cathedral Road,Cardiff, CF11 9HD

Tel: (029) 2022 0411 Fax: (029) 20379036 Email: [email protected] andArticles to be received by the 20th of themonth for inclusion in the following month

Advertising Tel: 0151 709 7567

Designed & Produced Mersey Mirror,Suites 3 & 4, Pacific Chambers, 11-13Victoria Street, Liverpool L2 5QQ. Tel: 0151 709 7567 Fax: 0151 707 1678Email: [email protected] of photographsPlease note photographs submitted forpublication must be in jpeg or pdf format.Those in Word format cannot be accepted

Your Catholic People…

Nearly a year ago, theArchdiocese established a smallbody of individuals to overseesome of the activities that wouldlink the Cathedral and the newly-opened Cornerstone building theCornerstone Planning Group.

Much of its work would focus onopportunities for evangelisation in avariety of forms. From the outset theGroup recognised the need for apresence in the Cathedral, a numberof people to act as welcomer andguide to those people who visit theCathedral but are not part of itsregular congregation.

These will include visitors to thecity centre, Catholics and non-Catholics, shoppers, office workersand students. Some will be local andothers will have travelled from othercontinents. For all of these people, itis important to have a presence inthe Cathedral, to welcome them andaddress their questions. Becausethe Cathedral is in the city centre, it

will attract others who are looking forhelp with day-to-day problems, for achance to be heard or someone tooffer advice on where further helpcan be sought.

A short training programme wasdeveloped and some 8-10 peoplehave started a Ministry of Presenceon the First Friday of each month.Working in pairs they are able toanswer questions for visitors whowant to know something of theCathedral’s history and architectureor act as a first point of contact forpeople looking for spiritual guidance.

After a short break in the middle ofwinter, normal service has resumed.What has become obvious is thatthere is a need for this ministry notjust on the First Friday but for all thedays of the month.

It will only be possible to extendthe ministry with more volunteers.There is a possibility of some ofthese coming from those whoregularly attend services at Cardiff

Cathedral. Parishioners from acrossthe city and beyond might wish tobecome involved – possibly offeringto support the ministry for just oneand a half hours per month. Trainingand support will be given and weanticipate people working with oneor two others.

• Perhaps you are coming into thecity centre and have some time tospare.

• Perhaps you are someone whoacts as part of the welcoming teamin your own parish and have skills tooffer.

• Perhaps you remember a timewhen someone offered you help andyou feel the need to offer the sameservice to others.

If you would like more informationabout the Ministry of Presence,please call: Madeleine Walters at02920 892011 or [email protected]

Volunteers wanted to help with visitors to St David’s Cathedral

There was a Massof Thanksgivingwhich took place atthe UniversityHospital of Wales(the Heath) inCardiff as BrotherBrian Butler, I.C.who has been the

Catholic LayChaplain at thehospital for 19 yearsprepared to enterinto retirement.

To quote a recentnews release from theCardiff and ValeUniversity Health

Farewell Brother Brian…. and thank you!

Board:Brother Brian “has

been an outstanding,talented andcompassionateindividual whose workwith patients inparticular but also tostaff has been so wellreceived”.

Brother Brian hasbeen of immensesupport to countlessnumbers of patientsand to the CatholicCommunity here inCardiff. A gentle manwith a very keensense of humour hewill be very greatlymissed. During theMass, ArchbishopGeorge Stackpresented BrotherBrian with a DiocesanService Medal(pictured here) ingrateful appreciationfor his many years ofservice

God bless youBrother Brian andDiolch yn fawr goodand faithful servant.

BISHOP PUBLISHESHodder Faith are pleased to announce thatthey have acquired the rights to publishthree of Bishop Curry’s books here in the UKfor the first time.

Bishop Michael B. Curry’s passionate andexuberant sermon at the wedding of PrinceHarry to Megan Markle in May 2018 madeheadline news around the world and created asocial media storm.

Andy Lyon, Publishing Director at HodderFaith, said that the company was thrilled to bepublishing Crazy Christians, Songs My GrandmaSang and Following the Way of Jesus over thenext nine months. These books were previouslypublished only in the US. ‘Bishop Curry madereligion front page news after his involvement inthe royal wedding - there can’t be manysermons recently that have prompted so muchdiscussion and debate,’ said Lyon. ‘We aredelighted that these three accessible andthought-provoking books will now be availablefor readers here in the UK.’

Crazy Christians: A radical way of life will bethe first of Curry’s books to be released in theUK by Hodder Faith.

4 CATHOLIC PEOPLE

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Two lovely Masses celebrate classes moving

Story and pictures by James Campbell

What a delightful occasion it was in St David’s Metropolitan Cathedral when pupils in thesenior classes of our Catholic Primary Schools gathered to celebrate a Mass to mark theirmovement into secondary education.

Indeed, there were so many pupils, a tribute to our Catholic education system in the diocese,that two Masses had to be held to accommodate the numbers, with the celebrant in the firstMass being Archbishop George, and the second, the Dean of the Cathedral, the Revd CanonPeter Collins.

The body of the cathedral was a mass of colours, each school class appearing in the lovelycolours of their school.

Archbishop George gave some wise words on the transition from being the senior pupils intheir individual primary schools tooth most junior in their new secondary schools. Canon Petercomforted them and encouraged them to seek out the new opportunities they would face in theirnew schools, and his inspiring words brought back memories of my own transition from primaryto secondary.

In primary I was no good at football, the main sport in my country, Scotland, unlike the rugbyculture in Wales. Yet I moved to a grammar school, the first of my family to ever do so, where allsports were encouraged. I found a new joy in rugby, encouraged by the physical training staff,and soon won a place in the first year team, playing against other schools on a weekly basis.

As the years went on I represented my school in rugby, athletics and cricket and went on toplay all three at university level.

Canon Peter’s wise words of encouragement to our Catholic primary classes moving on tosecondary, to seize the day and look for new opportunities in their new schools, brought backmemories to me.

His talk, I am sure, gave inspiration to all these youngsters making this great break in life. Theynow move from their dedicated teachers in primary to dedicated teachers in secondary.We wish them all well.

CATHOLIC PEOPLE 5

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…And also 50 glorious yearsfor St Helen’s schoolWhat a wonderful Golden Anniversary for St Helen’s Primary School, Lansbury Park, Caerphilly. Ahappy group of present pupils are pictured here with Archbishop George and, top right, the RevCanon John Kelly. parish priest.

50 glorious years for Sister Monica!Sr Monica recently celebrated her Golden Jubilee of ReligiousProfession as a Sister of St Joseph of Annecy.

50 years of commitment and dedication is truly something tocelebrate and it really was a golden occasion. Friends and family camefrom Ireland, Australia and Canada to Llantarnam Abbey, Cwmbran andSisters of St Joseph travelled from various parts of the UK, from Africa,France and India, pictured here, to share in the joy of the day.

The Mass was celebrated by Archbishop George Stack joined byCanon John Griffiths, Parish Priest of Cwmbran, and Fr Frank MorriseyOMI from Canada, a long- standing friend of Sr Monica. Familymembers proclaimed the Readings and the very young grand-nephews,with a little help from the grown-ups, brought the gifts of bread andwine to the Archbishop.

Sr. Monica, originally from Allihies in the far west of County Cork,entered with the Sisters of St Joseph at Llantarnam, over 50 years ago.After training as teacher, Sister taught in senior schools in the CardiffArchdiocese before being appointed as Novice Mistress.

Sister was then elected as Superior General of the Congregation,based in Annecy, France – a post she fulfilled with great vision andenergy for 12 years. This involved numerous visits to Sisters not only inEurope but also throughout India and West Africa.

Subsequently Sister has become deeply involved in the study andsharing of the spirituality and writings of Fr Jean-Pierre Medaille, theFrench Jesuit who founded the Sisters of St. Joseph. This latter work isspreading internationally and continues to grow.

In his homily Fr Frank referred to these many achievements, whilepointing out that, important as these undoubtedly are, the realcelebration is that of the life of commitment and deep prayer which hascharacterised these 50 years of Sr Monica’s life as a professed Sister ofSt Joseph.

It was in that spirit of faith that Sr Monica then renewed her Vows, re-committing herself to a life of dedication and service as a Sister of St.Joseph. After the Mass everyone gathered for a celebratory meal withtime for meeting one another and recalling events of that 50 yearjourney. It was a joyous and memorable day for everyone.

Congratulations, Sr Monica. Ad Multos Annos!

Mark joins the Catenians

On Monday 18th June, Cardiff Circle of the Catenian Association celebrated the enrolmentof Mark Leighfield, the Principal of St David’s Catholic Sixth Form College.

Mark, on the right, was welcomed to the Association by the Cardiff Circle PresidentBernard Hayward.

Criteria and benefits of Membership of the Catenian Association can be found oncardiffcatenians.org, together with the Membership Officer contact details.

CATHOLIC PEOPLE 7

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IT WILL ALWAYS BE PENTECOST IN THE CHURCH...Cardiff has been invited tohost the next NationalConference of ACTA (A Callto Action) on Saturday 20October 2018. It will be heldat St David’s RC Sixth FormCollege.

The theme for theConference, ‘It will always bePentecost in the Church’, refersto a sermon of Blessed OscarRomero in which he called fora process of continuousspiritual renewal.

The Church needs to beopen to the Spirit, to read thesigns of the times and respondto the new challenges of theage ACTA exists to promoterespectful dialogue betweenclergy, religious and laity. Thereare groups in all the diocesesof England and Wales.

For the last few years theACTA National Conferenceshas concentrated on aspectsof Church renewal. The writingsof Pope Francis have provideda rich seam of material forreviewing the way we perceiveChurch and how we areencouraged to contribute to itsdevelopment.

His support of a synodalprocess for exploring issues ofdoctrine and practicedemonstrates a confidence inthe People of God to grow theChurch as an expression of the

mind of Christ.These will be the main

issues facing delegates inCardiff. The two key speakershave been confirmed as DrAnna Abram and Dr GemmaSimmonds.

Anna Abram is Principal ofthe Margaret Beaufort Instituteof Theology in Cambridge. UntilApril 2017, Anna was for 25years at Heythrop College,University of London, in variousroles including Head ofPastoral and Social StudiesDepartment, Senior Lecturer inEthics and Convenor of the MAin Contemporary Ethics.

Most recently she co-editedThe Future of CatholicTheological Ethics and(together with Peter GallagherSJ and Michael Kirwan SJ) ‘TheEye of Love: Philosophy,Theology and the JesuitTradition’.

Gemma Simmonds is asister of the Congregation ofJesus, founded by Mary Ward,and a senior lecturer in pastoraltheology at Heythrop College,University of London, whereshe is director of the ReligiousLife Institute (moving to theMargaret Beaufort Institute,Cambridge, in summer 2018).

A regular broadcaster onreligious subjects for the BBCshe contributed a chapter on

Ignatian discernment andvocations to ChristopherJamison ed., ‘The Disciples’Call: Theologies of Vocationfrom Scripture to the PresentDay, and has written The Wayof Ignatius: a Prayer Journeythrough Lent.

The Conference takes placeduring the Synod on The Faith,Young People and VocationalDiscernment in Rome andACTA are keen to hear aboutthe experience of youngpeople in the Catholic Church.

One part of the morning andafternoon sessions has beendevoted to this critical area withrepresentatives from severaldioceses invited to participate.

The cost of the Conferenceis £20 to includelunch/tea/coffee, discounted to£15 for payment by 31 July2018.

Further information andbooking form atwww.acalltoaction.org.ukNeedto discuss coming to theConference: Contact ACTACoordinator (Cardiff) Mob:07956 005459 [email protected].

If you would like moreinformation about this topic,please contact Frank Callus o07956005459 or email [email protected]

Networking to support socialaction across the ArchdioceseThe work to develop a series of meaningful activities tosupport the World Day of the Poor last November continuesto bear fruit.

As the Catholic People reported late last year, parishes acrossthe diocese undertook to respond to the call of Pope Francis togive some special attention to those on the margins of society. Anevent at The Cornerstone brought together representatives ofmany of the organisations that attempt to meet the needs of thepoor in society. There was a sense, at that time, that a morepermanent place needed to be found for the Church’s principalworks of charity and to develop a Network for those working toalleviate suffering.

Many dioceses in England have developed a Network of suchcharities drawing on models provided by Caritas Social ActionNetwork, an Agency of the Bishops’ Conference. In consultationwith Archbishop George Stack, it was agreed that such a Networkshould be developed in the Archdiocese of Cardiff. The mainbenefits of such a Network were the opportunities for differentorganisations and agencies to be able to collaborate moreefficiently, to improve understanding of the Church’s SocialTeaching and to help parishes to identify and address specificneeds.

A Steering Group has been established with the task ofdeveloping a model for how such a Network can deliverimprovements in the Church’s central mission of charity acrossour diocese. From the outset it was agreed that the nature of thediocese meant that much of this work would need to happen at aDeanery level and a start has been made to establish some ofthese groups.

The development of such a Network does not replace theexcellent work done by organisations such as the SVP and Justiceand Peace amongst many. It is designed to complement this workand to identify new opportunities for the Church to offer support tothose in need. At the most basic, such a Network hopes to collateinformation about what is available in each part of the diocese. Itcan also help parishes to “listen” to the wider community aboutneeds that are not currently met. To that end a survey of parishesis under way which will give a snapshot of what

Do you belong to an organisation or group thatundertakes work with those in need?

Do you have some time to offer in your parish orDeanery to help develop the Network or as arepresentative?

Do you have specific skills that the Church can use toanswer the call of Pope Francis to address the needs ofthe poor and marginalized more radically?

Speak to your parish priest about how you mighthelp. Speak to others in your parish about how youmight be able to work together Speak to us about whatyou can offer to support this work.

For further information contact Jim Barnaville,Chairperson Caritas Archdiocese of Cardiff Email:[email protected] Mob: 07870 879621

Archbishop gives go-ahead for aCaritas Archdiocese of Cardiff

Official opening of community hall a facility for Parish and CommunityOn Friday 6th April therefurbished St Peter’sCommunity Hall, BedfordStreet was officially openedby Cllr Daniel De’Ath, DeputyLord Mayor of Cardiff and aWard Councillor.

Plaques representing thegenerosity of major funderswere unveiled. Viridor, whosefunds donated in excess of£20,000 was represented byMr Derek Bateman, a memberof the Cardiff Steering Group.

Other major benefactorswere the Catenians andGarfield Weston Foundation. Amost generous legacy to theparish by a former parishionercompleted the funding stream.

In his remarks the DeputyLord Mayor paid tribute to thework that had been undertakenat this venue over the lastseven decades and, with therefurbishment, it would be ableto provide for the social needsof parishioners and local

residents alike in the yearsahead. He complimented allthose who had worked toachieve this development.

The official opening broughtto a successful close, twoyears of planning by a grouprepresenting parishioners, thelocal authority and the localresidents.

The Hall had originally beendeveloped in the 1930’s as aScout Hall, Age had taken itstoll and, despite workundertaken in the early 1980’s,it was due for a majorrefurbishment, In December2015 the local parish hadoffered the hall and its supportto the Cardiff Churches WinterHomeless Project, It providedon a weekly basis, an eveningmeal, a bed for the night andbreakfast for approximately 15rough sleepers from Decemberto March. It was realised at anearly stage that the toilet andkitchen facilities were not

adequate if the parish was tocontinue to offer this facility.

A local councillor hadenquired about the possibility ofestablishing a facility for people,and particularly the elderly ofthe area, to meet and socialise.No lunch club exists within theWard and it was felt that thiswas a facility that should besupported.

The vision of a communityhall serving a range of needs inthe Plasnewydd Ward was onething, Having a plan and fundsto bring it to life was another. Agroup met regularly and by theautumn of 2016 had made aseries of applications forfunding, submitted a Planningapplication and started toexecute designs.

Planning permission wasgranted in February 2017.

The development wasundertaken in two phases andthe opening recognizes thecompletion of Phase1. Thearchitect, Community DesignTeam’s Mike Greenwood, hadsuggested that the first phasewas likely

to cost around £105,000. Agenerous bequest to the parishof £60, 000 provided asignificant start to the processof generating the fundsrequired. The Catenians, aCatholic charity, offered £6000towards the enterprise

Applications for furtherfunding proved successful.Viridor Credits dispenses grantsfunded by the Landfill Tax. Anapplication for the funding tocover the costs of windows,doors and the central heatingsystem was approved and thenational body provided a grantof just under £20,000.The local

Viridor operator, in Splott,offered funding for equipmentin the sum of £3,000.

Garfield Weston Foundation1provided funding for thedevelopment of the toilet blocksand the shower facilities. Theirgenerous contribution of£10,000 allowed the committeeto move forward withconfidence in engagingcontractors.

Northrise were appointed ascontractors for Phase 1,following a competitivetendering process. From theoutset the committee wereconvinced of the need tocomplete this work in time forthe December 2017 start of theWinter Homeless Project. Workcommenced in early autumnand was completed onschedule and in budget on17th November 2017.

The parish have renewedtheir commitment to the WinterHomeless Project and offeredthe new facilities for the firsttime in December 2017. TheHall is open for local residentsand parishioners to meet overtea and coffee on a weeklybasis and the improvedfacilities are starting to appealto other groups looking for areasonably priced local venue.

Phase 2 of the developmentwill provide storage capacityand an office space. The parishis grateful to Cardiff City andCounty Council for funding ofnearly £46000 towards thedevelopment. The Jane HodgeFoundation have made agenerous grant of £10000 andthe generosity of benefactorshave ensured that the work canbe undertaken in the next fewmonths

8 CATHOLIC PEOPLE

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What a wonderfulgift of new priests!by Fr. Michael Doyle

Fr. Nicholas Williams, thenewest priest of the CardiffDiocese, offered his First Massat his home parish of BlessedSacrament, Rumney inthanksgiving for the gift of thepriesthood.

It strikes me that the readingswere very apt for a newly-ordainedpriest who journeys home to bewith the community that he hascalled "home" for so many years.Although Jesus warns in todaysGospel that “A prophet is onlydespised in his own country,among his own relations and inhis own house” (cf. Mk 6:1-6) thejoy and blessing of a ‘First Mass’is surely the exception to the rule.As the newly ordained makesChrist truly present to the peoplefor the first time, in his home town,there is often much celebration asthe ‘First Mass’ brings manygraces to the priest, his family andthe community that helped nurturethe newly ordained.

This is the fifth ‘First Mass’ totake place within the boundariesof our Diocese this year as threemen have presented themselvesfor service as Diocesan priestsand two men to the PersonalOrdinariate of Our Lady ofWalsingham. For each of the fivemen who have offered themselvesso generously to the Church Ihave no doubt that the words ofSt. Paul letter from today’s SecondReading “My grace is enough foryou: my power is at its best inweakness” (2 Cor 12:7-10) havecarried them forward to begin theirministry among us. The build upto the Ordination is always a timeof nervousness and last minutehuman questioning. Then theBishop asks the ultimate question“Do you judge him to be worthy?”.I remember vividly thinking at myOrdination ‘no’, but the Lordspeaks “My grace is enough for

you: my power is at its best inweakness” as the priestpresenting the candidateresponds that after a very rigorousformation process ‘we judge himworthy’.

A season of ordinations!This latest ordination brought whatcan only be termed as a ‘season’of Ordinations within our Dioceseto a close. Fr. Nicholas Williamswas ordained by ArchbishopGeorge Stack at Cardiff Cathedral.Representatives from Fr. Nick’sfamily were present including hisparents and his brother. Alongwith family there representativesfrom across the diocese, and fromOscott College in Birminghamwhere the newly ordained hasspent the past six years information. All joined together for amoving celebration and conferralof the gift of the priesthood on Fr.Nick.

During his homily theArchbishop spoke of the service towhich the priest is called. Theservice of drawing out theCommon Priesthood of all theBaptised by ‘forming’ the peoplehe meets in the Good News ofJesus Christ to be active disciplesand co-workers with the priest inbuilding up the Kingdom of Godhere on earth. It struck me that itwas two years ago at the Mass ofChrism the Archbishop spoke ofthe ‘perceived’ shortage of priestsand countermanded that we don’tlack priests, we lack people.

International disciplesThe phrase that seems toencapsulate this is ‘intentionaldisciples’, that is disciples who notonly listen and perceive but alsofollow and lead. Each and everybaptised person has a ‘role’ a‘mandate’ given by the Lord to befulfilled for the building up of theKingdom.

For the priest he is to be the

As the Catholic Church in England andWales continues what seems to be a‘season’ of Ordinations, the Archdiocese ofCardiff gave witness to the Ordination of asecond priest this summer as ArchbishopGeorge ordained Fr. Peter Davies to theSacred Order of the Priesthood. The Masswith Ordination took place at the church ofSt. Brigid, Crystal Glen in Cardiff on Friday29th June 2018.

Fr. Peter spent a number yearsministering in the Church in Wales beforebecoming Catholic a few years ago. Duringhis ministry he worked as a hospitalchaplain at the university Hospital of Wales(the Heath), and upon his reception into theCatholic Church, continued to work at thehospital in a lay role. In this period hediscerned with Archbishop George a callingto the priesthood within the Catholic Churchwith the support of his wife and family, andoffered himself for service within theDiocese.

As a priest Fr. Peter will continue to serveat the University Hospital as the full timeCatholic Chaplain, bringing the Sacramentsto the patients and witnessing to Christ’sabiding presence among them as he actsin persona Christi. Often when we get sick,we feel dejected and sometimes alone.The work Fr. Peter will continue toundertake and expand upon as a priest willno doubt be a source of comfort, healingand strength to those whom he meets.

God bless you Fr. Peter. Ad multosannos.

Parishioners visit Harvington Hall

On a recent visit to Harvington Hall inWorcestershire parishioners of StJoseph’s and St Mary’s, Penarth andDinas Powys, were taken back to thedifficult and dangerous days ofElizabethan England, a time when theCatholic Faith was outlawed.

Harvington Hall is a furnished TudorManor House dating from the 1580s. It is ahouse of secrets with the largest survivingcollection of priest hides in the country.What is the secret behind Dr Dodd’s library?Who was Dr Dodd? All was revealed byguides who gave a fascinating insight intolife during that period. Such was the cunningnature of the hiding places and escape

routes no priest was discovered during anyof the searches sometimes with dogs.

Among the treasures on display are aFranciscan breviary dated 1651 whichprobably belonged to St John Wall martyr, arosary of 1600 and the ladder used by thepriests.

Parishioners had the choice of enjoyingrefreshment in the medieval moat sidetearoom or of picnicking in the tranquilgrounds. Harvington Hall, owned by theArchdiocese of Birmingham, is of specialinterest to everyone with its 600 year history,beautiful moat and gardens and made alovely parish outing. More details can befound on www.harvingtonhall.com

Joyful celebration as Fr Peter Daviesis ordained

‘Pontifex’ (the bridge builder) who bridges thegap between the human and the Divine andenables those he walks with and accompanieson the journey to draw others to the wellspringof salvation found within the Church and theSacraments. In doing this he enables the‘common priesthood of all the faithful’ to findits fullest expression in the ‘drawing in’ andsacrificing of (our) hearts and (our) lives toAlmighty God each and every time we ‘lift upour hearts’ in the Mass.

As a Diocese we thank Fr. Nicholas Williams,Fr. Robert James, Fr. Peter Davies (Diocesanpriests); and Fr. David Hathaway and Fr. DavidPritchard (Ordinariate) for their sacrifice andservice among us. And we offer them ourprayers for every blessing over the yearsahead.

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