January 2020 FREE Remarkable 100th birthday is celebrated – page 5 Diocesan archives set to go digital – page 6 New Catholic primary school plan is backed – page 8 Newspaper of the Diocese of East Anglia Christmas word by Bishop Alan ■ In the Gospel which will be read across the world on Christmas Day, St John describes the coming of Jesus Christ in the Nativity as a struggle between light and darkness: a struggle in which there is only one victor: The Word (that is Jesus Christ), was the true light that enlightens all men and women… a light that shines in the darkness, a light that darkness could not overpower. As we journey through this winter month of December, the nights draw in and the days grow darker. It may seem to us, too, that the world around us is darkened and clouded by injustice in the form of poverty, hunger and homelessness, in the form of uncertainty and dissension. Deep divisions seem to shadow our society and our communities; divisions too about our nature and identity as a country and its place in the world, with no clear path visible where those who have disagreed might learn to walk forward together. By way of contrast, our television and computer screens are full of bright but garish and deceptive lights: the lights of celebrity culture, and of consumerism, that lead us up blind alleys and cul-de-sacs, where Christmas is valued only in terms of what we buy and spend and consume. How we need the clarity and the simplicity of St John’s vision! The light that the apostle John saw is not a glittering object that momentarily distracts us from the darkness. It is a Person – the Person of Jesus Christ, who steps into the darkness and difficulties of our world and of our lives to brighten them and lead them with God’s love. How we need the optimism of St John! Jesus Christ comes to us in vulnerability and frailty, as a helpless child. Yet the love he embodies and proclaims cannot be defeated, not even by death itself, and will, in the end, be the only answer to the ques- tions troubling our uncertain world. The path that He illumines will always lead to unity and peace, to love and mercy. A light shines in the darkness, a light that darkness could not overpower. May the Light who is Jesus Christ, guide and bless you and your family this Christ- mas and throughout the coming year. With my good wishes and blessing for a peaceful and joyful celebration. Bishop Alan Hopes EastAnglia Catholic www.rcdea.org.uk Caritas East Anglia team commissioned ■ Caritas East Anglia is the latest addition to the worldwide federation of Caritas Internationalis, which is the second biggest humanitarian organisa- tion in the world and was commissioned during the 11am Mass on the World Day of the Poor. In his homily, Bishop Alan said: “In all that we do for the poor, we must always remember that we are taking the Lord and his message to them – doing so often without words for it is the Lord Himself, work- ing through us, who is welcoming and listening, who loves them and brings them his message of hope and reassurance.” Caritas East Anglia will be focussed specifically on those within the Diocese of East Anglia who are in need of help. Bishop Alan went on to say: “The Alive in Faith campaign has raised a significant sum of money which is already being applied to projects across the Diocese which seek to assist those who are undergoing severe hardship. “The St Edmund’s Fund also seeks to assist indi- viduals who find themselves in a crisis or emergency situation.” After the homily, the 22 members of the Commis- sion, drawn from priests and laity within the diocese, were called up to the altar for a blessing of their work and a crystallisation of the preparatory work which has been going on for over a year. Fr John Warrington, chair of the Commission, said after the Mass: “This launch is the springboard to encourage people and priests from across the diocese to share their involvement with the work of Caritas and how we can move forward together as a diocese, and as Caritas East Anglia.” Mass was followed by a lunch in the Narthex for representatives of every parish in the diocese along with clients of St Martins Housing Trust who have benefitted from the remarkable work that the charity does. One of their members remarked, in a video presentation: “This place is my safe haven.” Caritas East Anglia is led by its development worker, Jacinta Goode, who is now busy organising ‘festivals’ in Norwich, Newmarket and Peterborough. ■ Story continued on page two Bishop Alan commissions the Caritas East Anglia team at St John the Baptist Cathedral in Norwich. Picture by Eldred Willey. The work of Catholic social action organisa- tion Caritas East Anglia was formally commissioned by Bishop Alan Hopes at the Cathedral of St John the Baptist in Norwich on Sunday Novem- ber 17, followed by a special celebration lunch. Hugh de Las Casas reports. We wish all our readers a truly blessed and joyful Christmas and a new year filled with God’s grace
Transcript
January2020FREE
Remarkable100th birthdayis celebrated– page 5
Diocesan archives set togo digital– page 6
New Catholic primary schoolplan is backed– page 8
Newspaper of the Diocese of East Anglia
Christmas wordby Bishop Alan� In the Gospel which will be read acrossthe world on Christmas Day, St Johndescribes the coming of Jesus Christ in theNativity as a struggle between light anddarkness: a struggle in which there is onlyone victor:The Word (that is Jesus Christ), was the
true light that enlightens all men andwomen… a light that shines in the darkness,a light that darkness could not overpower.As we journey through this winter month
of December, the nights draw in and thedays grow darker. It may seem to us, too,that the world around us is darkened andclouded by injustice in the form of poverty,hunger and homelessness, in the form ofuncertainty and dissension. Deep divisions seem to shadow our
society and our communities; divisions tooabout our nature and identity as a countryand its place in the world, with no clear pathvisible where those who have disagreedmight learn to walk forward together.By way of contrast, our television and
computer screens are full of bright butgarish and deceptive lights: the lights ofcelebrity culture, and of consumerism, thatlead us up blind alleys and cul-de-sacs,where Christmas is valued only in terms ofwhat we buy and spend and consume.How we need the clarity and the simplicity
of St John’s vision! The light that the apostleJohn saw is not a glittering object thatmomentarily distracts us from the darkness.It is a Person – the Person of Jesus Christ,who steps into the darkness and difficultiesof our world and of our lives to brightenthem and lead them with God’s love.How we need the optimism of St John!
Jesus Christ comes to us in vulnerabilityand frailty, as a helpless child. Yet the lovehe embodies and proclaims cannot bedefeated, not even by death itself, and will,in the end, be the only answer to the ques-tions troubling our uncertain world. The paththat He illumines will always lead to unityand peace, to love and mercy.A light shines in the darkness, a light that
darkness could not overpower.May the Light who is Jesus Christ, guide
and bless you and your family this Christ-mas and throughout the coming year.With my good wishes and blessing for a
peaceful and joyful celebration.Bishop Alan Hopes
EastAngliaCatholic
www.rcdea.org.uk
Caritas East Angliateam commissioned
� Caritas East Anglia is the latest addition to theworldwide federation of Caritas Internationalis,which is the second biggest humanitarian organisa-tion in the world and was commissioned during the11am Mass on the World Day of the Poor.In his homily, Bishop Alan said: “In all that we do
for the poor, we must always remember that we aretaking the Lord and his message to them – doing sooften without words for it is the Lord Himself, work-ing through us, who is welcoming and listening, wholoves them and brings them his message of hopeand reassurance.”Caritas East Anglia will be focussed specifically
on those within the Diocese of East Anglia who arein need of help. Bishop Alan went on to say: “TheAlive in Faith campaign has raised a significant sumof money which is already being applied to projectsacross the Diocese which seek to assist those whoare undergoing severe hardship.“The St Edmund’s Fund also seeks to assist indi-
viduals who find themselves in a crisis oremergency situation.”After the homily, the 22 members of the Commis-
sion, drawn from priests and laity within thediocese, were called up to the altar for a blessing oftheir work and a crystallisation of the preparatorywork which has been going on for over a year.
Fr John Warrington, chair of the Commission,said after the Mass: “This launch is the springboardto encourage people and priests from across thediocese to share their involvement with the work ofCaritas and how we can move forward together asa diocese, and as Caritas East Anglia.”Mass was followed by a lunch in the Narthex for
representatives of every parish in the diocese alongwith clients of St Martins Housing Trust who havebenefitted from the remarkable work that the charitydoes. One of their members remarked, in a videopresentation: “This place is my safe haven.”Caritas East Anglia is led by its development
worker, Jacinta Goode, who is now busy organising‘festivals’ in Norwich, Newmarket and Peterborough. � Story continued on page two
Bishop Alan commissions the Caritas EastAnglia team at St John the Baptist Cathedralin Norwich. Picture by Eldred Willey.
The work ofCatholic socialaction organisa-tion CaritasEast Anglia wasformallycommissioned byBishop AlanHopes at theCathedral of StJohn the Baptistin Norwich onSunday Novem-ber 17, followedby a specialcelebrationlunch. Hugh deLas Casasreports.
We wish all our readers a truly blessed and joyful Christmas and a new year filled with God’s grace
Prayers havebeen said inPeterboroughin memoryof the 39Vietnamesevictims founddead in a lorrycontainer inEssex recently.
�After the Vigil of AllSaints, parishionersgathered together inthe church to prayespecially for therepose of the souls ofthe 39 Vietnamesepeople who died in thecontainer in Essexwhile making theirway to the UK.Parish priest, Fr
Arockiya Seelan,began the Holy Hourand Eucharistic Ado-ration by asking thecongregation toentrust the souls of the victims to theLord and to All Saints and to pray fortheir families. Then he sent his deepest sympathy and
condolences to Peter Ho who is alsoVietnamese and is doing a pastoral place-ment in the parish. He reminded thecongregation that there are also two
Vietnamese priests working in theDiocese of East Anglia, Canon JohnMinh and Fr Paul Chanh.The Holy Hour was also joined by a
group of young people from the parish ofSaint Peter and All Souls. They broughttheir instruments and sang the worshipsongs. During the adoration, the congregation
lit 39 candles in front of the altar torepresent the number of the victims.Then Peter Ho led the congregation inprayers and read out the names of thevictims in Vietnamese. Fr Seelan ended the Adoration by giv-
ing the blessing of the BlessedSacrament and thanked people forjoining in.
news in brief
Patronal Massis celebrated� The patronal Mass to commemoratethe feast of St Edmund took place onSunday November 17 at St Edmund’sChurch, Bury St Edmunds. Presentwere dignitaries from West SuffolkCouncil and Bury Town Council andMatthew Vernon, Canon Pastor fromSt Edmundsbury Cathedral. Displayed on the altar was a relic of
St Edmund which was kindly given tothe parish by previous parish priest,Canon Mark Hackeson. The occasionwas also marked by the use of a chaliceof 16th-century origin that was pre-sented last year to the church by thenephew of Fr Joe Collins who hadbeen chaplain to the American airforce during World War II. An extremely impactful sermon was
delivered by Canon David Bagstaff,highlighting the life and martyrdom ofEdmund and his enduring importanceto the local community. This will par-ticularly be remembered in 2020 whichmarks the 1000th anniversary since thefounding of St Edmund’s Abbey, oneof the largest and most powerful Bene-dictine monasteries in Europe. Mass included excellent singing by
the choir of an anthem to St Edmund,which had been composed by Fr JohnBarnes during his time in the parish.Following the service, members of thecongregation gathered in the Crypt forthe traditional St Edmund’s Day lunch.
Mission to Jamaica� A group of seven parishioners fromthe Diocese of East Anglia will be trav-elling with Fr Michael Johnstone toKingston in Jamaica in January towork with the Missionaries of thePoor, who care for about 600 impover-ished people, from new-born babes tothe very elderly. The volunteers leaveon January 15 for a stay of either twoor three weeks. There is still time forothers to join them. Ring Fr Michaelon 01603 664118 for further details.
Page 2 latest online news at: www.rcdea.org.uk Catholic East Anglia / January 2020
EastAngliaCatholic
� Story continued frompage oneThese festivals will bring
an opportunity to makecontact with individualparishioners around thediocese and encourageeveryone to be involved. Speaking on Radio
Suffolk, Jacinta said:“Today is World Day of thePoor which Pope Francishas designated as a spe-cial day for us to thinkabout what we can do forthe poor. Not just to prayfor them but to do some-thing for them.“In Caritas East Anglia
we are looking at wherethe Lord is working in ourchurches and our commu-nities and discerningwhere the Holy Spirit maybe leading us to shareGod’s love with othersthrough our actions andthrough prayer.“Social outreach is
already happening acrossthe diocese and there are many peopleworking with the poor, the homeless andthe marginalised – working in night shel-ters, visiting those who are isolated,working with ex-offenders, for example.We are looking at where that is already
happening, bringing people together andhighlighting where people might get
involved and serve. There is massive workwhich needs to be done with refugees andasylum-seekers for example,” said Jacinta.“In this role my faith has already been
strengthened by meeting people and see-ing them interacting with those they areserving. They are not just making lunch forpeople, they are talking to people, they
are walking with them and that is what weare called to do. Jesus walked with thepoor and the marginalised and we need tofollow his example and do what he did.”You can find out more on the Caritas
East Anglia website, where there is also aquestionnaire for each parish to fill in: www.rcdea.org.uk/caritas
Prayers said for 39Vietnamese victims
Caritas East Anglia commissioning
Newspaper of the Diocese of East Anglia
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Bishop Alan serves lunch to one of thelunch guests from St Martin’s Housing
Trust at the Caritas East Anglia commissioning. Picture by Eldred Willey
Fr Seelan in front of theBlessed Sacrament and PeterHo leading the prayers.
Teachers, priests andreligious from around thediocese met recently inNewmarket to study theChurch’s teaching onmarriage and family life.
� Fr Paul Grogan of Leeds Diocese andDr Bonnie Lander Johnson, the EastAnglia Marriage and Family Life Coordi-nator, led the day on October 2, whichlooked especially at Pope Paul VI’s 1968encyclical Humanae Vitae.Bonnie said: “It has now been over 50
years since the publication of PopePaul’s encyclical. In many ways theworld has changed considerably, butsome of the social and moral con-cerns that motivated the release ofthis encyclical are still very relevant,if not more relevant, for young peopletoday.”Yet, she points out, the teaching in
Humanae Vitae is rarely discussed.“The release of this document in 1968created such passionate disagreementamong Catholics, that many stillcarry very real wounds. Out of propersensitivity to that hurt, the Church inthis country has remained largelysilent on the document. But today’steenagers and young adults had nodirect experience of that trauma, andthe Church’s silence on this teachingin particular might no longer be ofservice to them. Young people todayhave troubles of their own to face, andit is possible that Humanae Vitaemight provide some of the answers theyneed.“We have all witnessed the reality of
increased divorce rates and sexuallicence, the rapidly changing culture ofidentity politics, and more significantlevels of loneliness, depression and anx-
iety. For those just embarking on theirromantic lives, much of this new culturehas created a deep uncertainty abouthow to configure significant relation-ships. “Humanae Vitae offers a vision of true
love as the total gift of the self in lovingunion between husband and wife.
Together with other marriage and familyencyclicals, such as John Paul II’s Famil-iaris Consortio, it describes the humanfamily as a school of holiness and socialvirtue, a place in which children,together with their parents, are called toa special kind of communion in whichthey can flourish to their full dignity anddiscover their deepest selves.”Bonnie noticed that the teachers at this
Newmarket event were particularly keento hear more about how the Church’steaching tradition could help them tosupport families in crisis. “Our teachers routinely witness the
pressures on young people throughsocial media and the internet’s highlysexualised, and widely available, con-tent,” she said. “They witness familieswho feel powerless to help and directtheir children. For teachers in particularthe diocese will be running subsequentevents focussed on key issues relating togender identity, the use of technology,and the dignity of the human person.”
Catholic East Anglia / January 2020 follow us on Twitter at: twitter.com/RCEastAnglia Page 3
Teachers’ new lookat Humanae Vitae
Anthony receives the Ministry of Acolyte news in brief
Bishop Alan’sAdvent thoughts� Bishop Alan has contributed to a bookof reflections on Advent, which has justbeen published by the Catholic medianetwork EWTN.The 160-page illustrated book is entitled
Advent Reflections: Meditations for a HolyAdvent. It is available on Amazon andcosts $14.95 in paperback or $10.06 onKindle.In one of his contributions, Bishop Alan
writes:“Whilewe are ofcoursesaved asindividu-als, wemustbewareofmakingour-selvesthecentre ofthe story,becausewe arepart of a community… This communalaspect is a key part of the Catholic under-standing of salvation, and if we miss it, weend up placing ourselves at the center ofthe universe.”The compiler of the book, Brandon
McGinley, works for EWTN and lives inPittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He writes: “Amidst the hustle and bustle
of the secular pre-Christmas season,these Advent reflections invite you to slowdown and reflect on the season's spiritualand liturgical themes. Shared over theyears with grateful EWTN audiences bygood priests and bishops from the UnitedKingdom and Ireland, they will help youdo just that. “Let these holy bishops and priests take
you on a refreshing spiritual journeythrough Advent, bring you the deeperreality of the season, cut through the sec-ular distractions and anxieties, and deliveryou to the Christ child.”
Cathedral Christmas� There is something for everyone atSt John the Baptist Cathedral in Nor-wich this Christmas.The Christmas celebrations begin
with Solemn Sung Latin Vespers at3:15pm on Christmas Eve, which helpsus prepare for the coming of Christ ina unique way, by uniting ourselveswith the Prayer of the Church, fol-lowed by a 4pm Old Rite Latin Mass. At 6pm on Christmas Eve is the
Family Vigil Mass, where children areinvited to join in the nativity play, andduring this Mass the children will goto the crib, where Fr Paul will blessthe nativity figures, and place thebaby in the manger.At 11:30pm is the Carol Service, fea-
turing the Cathedral Choir singing ‘OHoly Night’, and readings and carols.Midnight Mass with the Bishop isalways a special occasion at the Cathe-dral. The Choir will be singingHaydn’s ’St Nicholas Mass’, and therewill be traditional carols for everyone.On Christmas Day, there will be a
7:30am Mass in Tamil and English, a9am Mass with Traditional Carols,and a Sung Solemn Mass at 11am. www.sjbcathedral.org.uk
� Seminarian AnthonyAsomugha received theMinistry of Acolyte on 26October at a service at AllenHall in Chelsea.Anthony, from St John’s
Cathedral in Norwich, is nowin his fifth year at seminary,and is due to be ordainedDeacon in June of next year.He and his family came to
the UK in 2006 from Lagos,Nigeria, and settled inLondon. In 2011 he went toNorwich to study Economicsat the University of EastAnglia. He attended Mass reg-ularly at the UEA chaplaincyand the Cathedral and cameto love the city. Towards theend of his degree he appliedfor priestly formation for theDiocese of East Anglia,was accepted and startedseminary in 2014.Pictured, right, is Anthony
Asomugha after receiving theMinistry of Acolyte. With himis Bishop Mark O’Toole ofPlymouth.
Dr Bonnie Lander Johnson andFr Paul Grogan in Newmarket.
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Continuing our series aboutthe year of The God WhoSpeaks, Rebecca Brethertonwrites about when Godstarted speaking directly toher through Scripture.
� “The older I get the more I learn fromScripture.” This passing remark by anelderly friend changed my life. As achurch-going Catholic, I had heard thereadings at Mass for years but I hadn’tgiven them much thought. If I’m honest, I had always considered
the Liturgy of the Word at Mass to be theboring bit we needed to get throughbefore we reached the Eucharistic Prayer.Being a bit dim-witted, I didn’t realisethat God was speaking to me directlythrough the Bible, especially at Mass. My friend’s comment intrigued me:
here was an old man finding fresh inspi-ration from the Bible. I started to listen toScripture. I realised that Scripture waswhere I would find the answers to myquestions about what God wanted for me.The listening became prayer and led tomore detailed study of the texts and the
Church’s interpretation of them. Once Istarted to hear God’s message during theLiturgy of the Word, I discovered thatHis Word is proclaimed throughout thewhole Mass.Two moments particularly remind me
that we worship with Scripture at Mass.We sing 'Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord GodAlmighty' with the angels and heavenlycreatures whom Isaiah and St John sawin visions (Isaiah 6:3 and Revelation 4:8).We join John the Baptist’s recognition ofJesus as the Lamb of God from St John’sGospel (John 1:29). The Bible texts arepart of our Catholic life outside Mass.Our traditional prayers are based onScripture. When we pray 'Hail Mary, fullof grace, the Lord is with you.’ we areusing words from Luke 1:28. God speaks to me through the Scrip-
tures when I am praying with otherpeople. The text comes alive when readaloud: I love listening to others reading atMass and have become a reader myself.Our parish prays with Scripture at ourGospel Sharing meetings. In those infor-mal gatherings, each of us can beinspired by other people’s thoughts andlove of the Gospel. On a global scale, I remember a power-
ful sharing of the Gospel at World YouthDay. We heard the Gospel proclaimed bypriests in the languages of all the differ-ent countries represented at that SundayMass. It was an inspiring witness for theyoung pilgrims of the message ofChrist's universal Church.I can now say, with my friend, that:
“The older I get the more I learn fromScripture.” I am still challenged by myfriend’s simple declaration of his love ofthe Bible and by the Gospel story. Howcan I proclaim God’s Good News in a waythat will help others? That’s why I’m delighted that 2019/20 is
The Year of The God Who Speaks. TheChurch invites us to learn more and toshare what we learn from the Bible’smessage with people in our everydaylives.Diocese of East Anglia contacts:Co-ordinator: Fr Bruno Clifton, [email protected] Champion: Jean Johnson, [email protected]: Rebecca Bretherton, [email protected]: Sr Tamsin Geach OP, [email protected]
Page 4 latest online news at: www.rcdea.org.uk Catholic East Anglia / January 2020
� Laurette Burton,from the SacredHeart parish inSouthwold, said shestudied for the Dioce-san CatecheticalCertificate becauseshe was “sometimesneeding to answer searching questionsfrom members of the family”.Having now completed the course, she
said: “I can highly recommend it, not leastbecause as a cradle Catholic I assumed myknowledge of the faith to be comprehen-sive, and yet I have learnt so much.”Laurette was also motivated to take the
course by a desire to equip herself with theknowledge necessary for evan-gelisation. “The course is divided into a
number of modules,” sheexplained, “covering a widespectrum of the faith includingstudy of the basic tenets, the
liturgy, the significance of Sacred art andthe place of the media in evangelisation.”Other participants commented:“Thank you so much for this wonderful
course. I have learnt so much and deep-ened my faith in ways I had not expected.” “The course has been an enriching jour-
ney for me and I am deeply blessed to havebeen one of the participants. This grace
has been a life-changing experience.” The course is based on distance learning
over 18 months, with attendance at 6 non-residential study days. There is a balance of teaching, liturgy,
social time and prayer at the weekends. Thecost can be met by the local parish.As a final word of encouragement, Lau-
rette added: “If you are already a catechist,a parent, or a grandparentwishing to pass on the faith,or if you want to delve moredeeply into its riches, thisis a wonderful way oflearning which is open toyou.”
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Carol Ann Harnett, the course tutor, with a group of studentsat a study day in May, including Laurette Burton (far right).
� If you are interested please talk initially with your parish priest.� Applications can be made via the website:www.theannunciation.org.uk/catechist-training� If you have further questions please contact the course co-ordinatorfor East Anglia, Fr Andrew Eburne ([email protected]).
news in brief
Christmas songsfor Samaritans� Songs at Christmas – a concert bythe Bury Community Choir – will beheld at St Edmund’s Church in BurySt Edmunds on December 19, in aidof the Bury branch of Samaritans.The choir will be directed by Mike
Berridge and accompanied byMatthew Foster and the concertstarts at 7.30pm at St Edmunds, 21Westgate Street, Bury St Edmunds,IP33 1QG. You can reserve your ticketby emailing Viv [email protected]
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John celebrates aremarkable centuryA Bury St Edmunds parishionerwith an intriguing life story hascelebrated his 100th birthday at aspecial Mass, two years earlier thanhe expected to. John Sandersreports.
� It is rare for someone to be able to celebratetheir 100th birthday at Mass, but the story ofMieczyslaw Frackiewicz, known as JohnFranklin, is rarer still.John has lived in Bury St Edmunds for 70
years, having been a restorer of fine antiquesand a maker of bespoke furniture. In 1939 his hopes of studying to become a doc-
tor were dashed because of the outbreak ofWorld War II. He was dispossessed and dis-placed, being rounded up with other young menby the Russians and sent to a Siberian labourcamp to work on building railways.Life in Siberia was harsh with extreme cold
and little food. Prisoners slept in railway car-riages with straw as blankets, resulting in manymen perishing.In 1941 Stalin granted an amnesty to these
Poles, allowing the formation of the Polisharmed forces. In 1942 John was sent via Uzbek-istan, Persia (Iran) and Africa in order to reachthe UK. His memory of this long journey hasfaded, but he recalls boarding the boat in SouthAfrica and arriving in April 1943 in Blackpool.The Polish recruits were processed and Johnelected to join the Royal Air Force.In August 1944 he was assigned to Squadron
304, initially as part of the crew flying Welling-ton bombers over Germany and laterundertaking reconnaissance missions focussedon anti-submarine warfare. He was decoratedfor his actions.At the end of the War it was clear that it would
be dangerous for Polish people to return toPoland due to the country being under Sovietinfluence. As a result of the Potsdam agreementthe boundaries of Poland were redrawn. The ter-ritories in the east became part of Belarus,Ukraine and Lithuania. The area of Grodno inEastern Poland where John was born becamepart of Belarus, and remains so to this day.The 1947 Polish Resettlement Act allowed peo-
ple connected to the armed forces to stay andwork in the UK. John was discharged from the
RAF, intending to undertake an apprenticeship.It was at that time that a discrepancy in his dateof birth was discovered. All of his documentsissued by the Polish Forces and the RAFrecorded his birth date as November 7, 1921. Facing an uncertain future, he was obliged to
adopt this incorrect date of birthand his new name of MichaelJohn Franklin in order to move onwith his life. He held on to thehope that his faith as a Catholicwould one day resolve matters. Hehad lost his family in Poland, hadno original documents, could notreturn to his homeland and had tomake a new life for himself in aforeign country. He was demobbed, gained
British Citizenship and settled inBury St Edmunds. He forgedstrong connections at St Edmund’sChurch and was responsible formaking a processional cross. Hismarriage to Pam led to them hav-ing two daughters, Linda andStephanie.It was not until May 2019 that he
received a visit from an attachéfrom the Polish Embassy in Lon-don who wanted to hear aboutJohn’s history and his experiencesin the Polish Forces and BritishRAF. He was advised to apply forhis service records which he hadnot previously seen – these showedthat his true birth date wasNovember 3, 1919.So it was that at Sunday Mass on
November 3, two years earlierthan John had even dreamed of,that Fr Mike Brookes brieflyrecounted John’s backgroundbefore the choir led the congrega-tion in the singing of HappyBirthday to celebrate a remarkablecentenary. Afterwards, a furthersurprise awaited John. Accompa-nied by his daughter Linda andson in law Tony, members of thePolish community gathered in theCrypt, sang ‘Sto lat!’ and presentedflowers and cake.
John Franklin, centre, with family and friendsin the crypt at St Edmunds in Bury St Edmunds. Poppy waterfall marks
Remembrance Sunday� Parishioners at St Mary’s, in Woodbridge Road, Ipswich markedRemembrance Sunday with a waterfall of poppies around the churchdoor.Jean McSorley
from St Mary’swrites: “Could wemake a Poppy Water-fall for St Mary’s?Would we have time?Would people helpwith the knitting andcrocheting of the pop-pies?“All these thoughts
were going throughthe mind of PatChamberlain, theflautist in our musicgroup. “Of course we will
help, we can knit, wecan crochet, howhard can it be? “So way back in
September a group ofladies and one mangathered togetherwith their knittingneedles and crochethooks to discuss thelogistics of this. For-tified by cake, teasand coffees, the team began work on the first batch of poppies. “Other people who couldn’t make the afternoon sessions brought
their contributions in to Pat, and before we knew it not only did wehave enough poppies for St Mary’s but also enough for the Holy Familyand St Michael church at Kesgrave as well.“On Remembrance Sunday both churches proudly sported their
waterfalls.“We had a great time making these poppies. We had red for remem-
brance, purple for the animals that were lost during the conflicts andwhite for peace.“With the help of Pat’s husband Bob, Sandra’s husband Bob, plus
Ralph, the waterfalls were put up outside both churches.”
In the former sacristy,down a spiralstaircase, deep underSt John’s Cathedral inNorwich, are hundredsof boxes comprisingthe Diocese of EastAnglia Archive. Therethe archivists, Michaeland Gillian Hill, areworking hard to main-tain the Archive and todevelop an accessibleonline archivecatalogue.
� “Bishop Alan appointed my wifeGillian and I to be the archivists inMarch last year. We are the latestin a long line of people to be passedthe Archive baton,” says Michael.They work as a team: Gillian
enjoys history and researching thebackgrounds of archival items andhelping people to find documentsand information; Michael's focus isthe new IT system for the publiccatalogue. The couple are happy toassist parishes develop their ownarchives – and Michael has writtena guide to help them do so.“Our role is to retain and organ-
ise the documents and artefactswhich form part of the history ofthe diocese. Indeed, we arerequired to do so by a Vaticandirective to all clergy to maintainproper records. The Archive tellsthe story of the journey from thepast to the present and helpsinform the future," said Michael. “We maintain the Archive for the
diocese as a whole and exist to sup-port its 51 parishes with their ownrecords/archives. Any material,document or artefact, presented tous will be assessed for its relevanceto the diocesan story before beingretained in the Archive. “Here, we have some 300 boxes
containing around 20,000 separatedocuments; we have clerical vest-ments used by bishops, canons andpriests; somewhere in the regionof 1500 photographs. We havedeeds, wills and the Papal Bullswhich set up the Diocese of EastAnglia and which introduced eachBishop. Also some artefacts includ-ing a sculptured head, portablealtars, relics, and recusant chalices,”said Michael.“Currently the written word is the
bedrock of the archive,” said Gillian,“but today's communication systems,such as email, text and messagingapps, present a significant challengeto all archivists trying to preservethe record for future researchers.”“We must assess the items we
receive critically to be satisfied theyprovide a relevant picture of the pastand are worth retaining for thefuture,” she said. “We can only dothis effectively if each item has someprovenance i.e. it is described andaccompanied with, at least, an out-line history. Once in the Archive,ownership transfers to the diocese.”
“Buried in the archives are lots oflittle stories about people, aboutplaces and about items,” Michaelsaid. “It is our job to help researchersfind those stories.” The couple try tofind answers to people's questionsand have a lot of requests relating tofamily history, original documenta-tion and helping parish priests builda history of their parish. “Since last year we discovered a
priest missing from a parish’s his-tory; we helped parishes to startcreating their own histories; we evendiscovered two new relatives for afamily researching their predeces-sors,” said Michael,who used to workwith the Department for Culture,Media and Sport helping librariesdevelop digital resources. Following an appeal from an Ital-
ian researcher to help solve a 19thcentury paintings mystery con-
nected with the Cathedral's benefac-tor, the Duke of Norfolk, Michaelappeared on BBC Radio Norfolk totalk about the appeal and the work ofthe Archive. The couple are in the early stages
of producing the online catalogueand the 5 parishes completed repre-sent over 1300 records on thewidely-used AtoM (Access to Mem-ory) system. AtoM was originally developed for
the Canadian Government to imple-ment international archivalstandards. A visit is necessary to seethe actual documents.The archive is available online at:http://104.41.220.117/Michael and Gillian are happy to
hear from parishes with material tooffer, and people with an historicalquery or to visit. You can contactthem at [email protected]
Page 6 latest online news at: www.rcdea.org.uk Catholic East Anglia / January 2020
Archives set to
Michael and Gillian HIll in the diocesan archivesdeep inside St John’s Cathedral in Norwich.
reflection
Shout theGood Newsfrom rooftopThe good news that Jesus isrisen and with His people is nota secret to be hidden but atruth to be shouted from therooftops, says Deacon PeterCoates from Woodbridge, in hismonthly reflection.
� There is a tra-dition that thePope ordainsmen chosen tobe Bishopsduring the HolyMass of theEpiphany. Thefirst Bishop ofChisinau, AntonCosa, wasordained on January 6 2000 by Pope JohnPaul II. In turn, I was the first person Bishop
Anton ordained exactly a year later at theend of the Holy Year. I cannot help beingproud of my heritage. But both the Bishopand I are very aware of the responsibilitiesof these privileges. His diocese is very young and growing
rapidly. This is a cause for real joy but alsopresents the difficulties that enthusiasm canbring. We discovered that Paul’s letters tohis young churches provided us with veryuseful descriptions of our own situations. I was ordained to preach and could not
proceed to ordination until I could preach inRomanian and I was ordained to servethose in need and at the altar. I also had topreach in English for our foreign visitors andworkers. It was made very clear to me thatI was to preach the gospel and call peopleto follow Jesus.The Feast of the Epiphany is loaded with
symbolism which turns the world upsidedown. The Christ-child, born of a practisingJewish mother, is shown to some Gentileastrologers who not only recognise Him asKing and Martyr but realise the dangerousposition in which this immediately placesHim and themselves. Next to nothing is known about these visi-
tors but we must assume that they arrivedsometime after Jesus’ birth. The new familywere in a house and the baby boy had beencircumcised by the time they returned totheir eastern origins. The Church teaches that this is the “Mani-
festation of Christ to the Gentiles”, showingfrom the very beginning that Jesus came forthe whole world, for hoi polloi – the many. The gospel changes everything. There is
an excitement about Epiphany which shouldnot be lost. Paul exploits that excitement inhis letter to the Galatians, who have beenmisled into thinking that to be a Christianyou had first to become Jewish. He askswho has bewitched them, suggesting thatsuch teaching is thoroughly reprehensible. This is true today. The gospel is offered
to all. The good news that Jesus is risenand with His people is not a secret to behidden but a truth to be shouted from therooftops, by each of us in the way Godopens for us.
Catholic East Anglia / January 2020 like us on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/CatholicEastAnglia Page 7
go digital
Three young women havebeen accepted as Postulantswith the Daughters of DivineCharity at their convent inSwaffham. The Sisters – whobecame well-known throughthe Channel 5 reality TVseries ‘Bad Habits’ –welcomed the newcomersat a special service onSeptember 8.
� Jolanta Wasag, Niamh Rodda andJennifer Kamps had been staying withthe Sisters for a year as Candidates, anddiscerning their vocations. They willnow continue their formation as Postu-lants for a year before they enter theNovitiate. Jennie (Jennifer) shared: “I can
remember leaving the National YouthCongress ‘Flame’ in the summer of2012, with this phrase on my heart: ‘Inever even asked God what He wantedme to do with my life.’ These wordshave stayed with me ever since. “During sixth form, quiet, gentle
thoughts kept surfacing: ‘What if Ibecame a religious sister?’ However, Iwent to university and these thoughtsbecame lost to the noise of life. Until Iwas in the summer of my third year,when the gentle whispering became sofrequent and clear that I couldn't keepwalking my own path, the path Ithought I wanted. I couldn't ignore thisprompting. I began a journey of accept-ance and, in time, grew to desire thispath God was encouraging me to take. “Many friends, family, priests and
religious have supported me withencouragement, guidance and prayer,which gave me the courage to ask toenter the Congregation of the Daugh-
ters of Divine Charity. I have just beenreceived into Postulancy and I can saywith confidence, God is good. He is cer-tainly full of surprises, but He hasgiven me the grace to know that I amnot alone.”Sr Francis Ridler, of the Daughters of
Divine Charity, said: “We are thankfulfor these new vocations and ask foryour prayers for their perseverance,and for new vocations.” The Siters canbe contacted on [email protected] on Facebook @ Daughters of DivineCharity England.The Sisters in Swaffham are begin-
ning a new phase in their apostolate.After 105 years of teaching in Swaffhamat the Independent Sacred HeartSchool, they have leased for a pepper-corn rate a large proportion of theirland and buildings to the Diocese ofEast Anglia. The new VA PrimarySchool started at the beginning ofSeptember 2019. “This is a great achievement on
behalf of the Sisters, the Diocese andNorfolk County Council,” said SrFrancis. “One idea for the convent is that the
Diocesan Youth Team would runretreats for young people in the ConventBuilding,” said Sr Francis. “God always works in mysterious
ways and sometimes He tests our faith,”she added. “The Sisters, and many peo-ple in the area, would also like us to beable to keep the Barn with its theatre,art, pottery and music facilities for useby the people of the town. This buildingwould also require a sponsor and localsupport. God is never outdone in gen-erosity, so the Sisters wait inanticipation of a small miracle. If hecan provide three willing girls to givetheir lives wholeheartedly to Him hecan inspire more generosity.”
Trio of new vocations boostNorfolk convent
The three new Postulants, Jolanta Wasag, Niamh Rodda and Jennifer Kamps.
A consultation hasshown that there isstrong support for theestablishment of a newCatholic primary schoolin Hampton East,Peterborough, withsupporters now urged towrite to PeterboroughCity Council byDecember 19.
� Helen Bates, Assistant Direc-tor of the Schools’ Service forthe Roman Catholic Diocese ofEast Anglia, explains:“The Diocese is asking as
many people as possible to writeto Peterborough City Council toshow their support for the pro-posed new school. A detailedproposal has been submitted andthere now follows a consultationperiod when anyone can write tothe City Council about the pro-posal. Even if you have shownyour support before for this proposal, wewould urge you to do so again directly toPeterborough City Council by December19.”Expressions of support can be emailed
to [email protected] orby writing to Schools Admissions Team,People & Communities, PeterboroughCity Council, Sand Martin House, Bit-
tern Way, Fletton Quays, Peterborough,PE2 8TY. Correspondence should bemarked “Response to Proposed NewCatholic Primary School”.In the recent consultation by the Dio-
cese, 82% of respondents (941 people)said that they ‘strongly agreed’ with theproposal to establish the Catholic school,compared to just 8.4% (96 people) whosaid that they ‘strongly disagreed’ with
the proposal.Out of those responding, 27.4% identi-
fied themselves as a parent or guardian,48% came from the wider PeterboroughCommunity, and 9.6% came from theHampton community itself.In addition to the 1,146 responses
received, a petition in favour of openinga new Catholic primary school in Hamp-ton East was signed by 321 respondents.
Page 8 like our schools at: www.facebook.com/RCDEANewSchools Catholic East Anglia / January 2020
SCHOOLS IN FOCUS
ST THOMAS MORECATHOLIC PRIMARY
SCHOOLPARK LANE, PETERBOROUGH
PE1 5JWHEADTEACHER
MRS MCELHINNEYTELEPHONE 01733 566005
Brothers win essay-writing competition� Altar-serving brothers Thomasand James Gigy have been pre-sented with certificates and prizesas winners in the Knights of StColumba essay-writing competition.The brothers each won personal
prizes of £82 as individual winnersof the KS4 (James) and KS3(Thomas) groups of the Provincialand National rounds of the 2019Essay Writing competitions withJames receiving a trophy andspecial certificate as overall winner.The awards were presented by
Provincial Grand Knight of EastAnglia Province, Bro Jason Wickardassisted by Past PPG Bro ChrisBrooks.At the end of Mass, the brothers
each presented a donation of £200from the Knights for the benefit ofthe Parish of St Peter and All SoulsPeterborough. Bro Brooks announced that
details of the KSC 2020 EasterScene, Prayer and Essay Writingcompetitions will be circulated toschools and parishes in theDiocese for the New Year.
The church needsreligious sistersURGENTLY to bringChrist to others by alife of prayer andservice lived in thecommunity of Ignationspirituality.Daily Mass is thecentre of community
Our Lady of FidelityOur Lady of Fidelity
life. By wearing the religious habit we arewitnesses to the consecrated way of life.If you are willing to risk a little love andwould like to find out how, contact SisterBernadette.Late vocations up to the age of 46welcomed.
New Catholic schoolplan is backed butsupport still needed
Pictured are James Gigy (left of centre) and Thomas Gigy (right of centre), with theirfamily, Parish Priest Rev Fr Adam Sowa MS and Bros Jason Wickard and Chris Brooks.
A candlelit Epiphany Mass atPoringland will launch a richseries of events which theDiocesan Youth Service isrunning for young peopleacross the Diocese in 2020.Eldred Willey reports.
� Young people and their families areinvited to the special Epiphany Mass atPoringland, which will be followed by abonfire with fireworks and hot dogs. Primary aged children as well as
teenagers are welcome at the event, andparishes which are running confirma-tion groups are encouraged to bringthem as part of their programme.The celebration will run from 5pm to
7pm on Sunday January 5 at The WhiteHouse, 21 Upgate, Poringland, NR147SH.As part of this Epiphany event the
Diocesan Youth Service is collectinggifts for children in Norwich who arerefugees; the gifts should be wrappedand labelled to say what age child thegift is for, and whether for a boy or agirl. This year Hamish McQueen, Director
of the Diocesan Youth Service, askedthe Red Cross if it was really useful tobe collecting toys for refugee children,or whether it would be more sensible tobring things like tins of soup. The RedCross replied that things like toyswhich were not a necessity were reallyappreciated, because they made refugeechildren feel significant.“Jesus was a refugee,” commented
Hamish, “so we felt that this way of col-lecting gifts was especially meaningful atEpiphany, when we remember the WiseMen bringing gifts to Him.”“We have now run this candlelit Mass
for several years,” he said, “and we findit is a really uplifting way to end the
Christmas season – it is the best antidoteto the sense of anti-climax which peoplesometimes feel after Christmas Dayitself.”This year the Diocese is putting on a
bus and providing subsidised travel fromPeterborough, King’s Lynn andSwaffham for those who would like tocome. The coach leaves St Luke’s Peter-borough at 1.30pm, St Oswalds,
Peterborough at 1.50pm, Our Lady of theAnnunciation in King’s Lynn at 3pm andOur Lady of Pity in Swaffham at 3.30pm.For tickets (£8 each) please contact pleasecontact Hamish MacQueen [email protected] the Friday before the event (Janu-
ary 3) the Ignite Lite team of youngvolunteers will gather at Walsingham fora weekend of formation before travelling
together to Poringland to help run theevent. Young adults who would like tohelp at Epiphany are welcome to get intouch with Hamish and have the optionof joining the retreat which precedes it.The Ignite Team is also putting on
three Glow days in early 2020. The aimof these is to bring something of theannual Ignite Festival to young people ata more local level.This year Glow events will be held at
St. Mary's Church, Woodbridge Road,Ipswich from 10am to 5pm on SaturdayJanuary 18; at St Peter and All SoulsChurch, Geneva Street, Peterborough onSaturday February 15, and in Cam-bridge on March 15. You can bookonline atwww.rcdea.org.uk/youth/events.A Glow day typically consists of wor-
ship, adoration, and a mixture ofworkshops, activities and talks. Mem-bers of local youth groups with musicalgifts or other skills are often invited tohelp lead the sessions. In Norwich theYouth for Christ group (which is linkedto Couples for Christ) has providedyoung people able to assist in providingmusic and talks for these events.Ciaran Losasso, Ignite Team Leader,
said: “These Glow days are an opportu-nity for young people to go deeper,whether that means theologically or intheir discipleship. The talks and theworship are designed to help them takethat next step in their commitment. Weare especially aiming at young peoplewho have recently been through confir-mation, as we find that there is oftenlittle laid on for them.” The Ignite Team appreciates prayer for
its work, and people of all ages are wel-come at Ignite Prayer Network Meetingto pray for young people in the Diocese. Itwill be held at the Diocesan ConferenceCentre, 21 Upgate, Poringland, Norwich,NR14 7SH at 10.30am on Saturday Febru-ary 2. RSVP to [email protected]
Catholic East Anglia / January 2020 follow youth news on Twitter at: twitter.com/igniteyea Page 9
YOUTH MATTERS
Diary dates 2020
� May 8-10,2020: IgniteY o u t hFestival – Sa-cred HeartSwaffham
� June 20-21,2020: Celebrate East Anglia – St Benedict’sHigh School, Bury St Edmunds
For more details of each event, please seewww.rcdea.org.uk/youth
Youth contacts
Tel: 01508 486236Email: Ignite Team [email protected] other enquiries: [email protected]: www.facebook.com/igniteyeaTwitter: @igniteyeaInstagram: @igniteyeaWeb: www.rcdea.org.uk/youth/
� The Norwich Circle of the Catenian Association followed their 56-year traditionof entertaining Catholic students at the University of East Anglia on the thirdSunday of October after the 6pm Mass on October 20.This year's Mass was celebrated by the University's Catholic Chaplain, Rev
Andrew Eburne aided by his Assistant Chaplain Joseph Beakhouse. Phil Hoy, theCircle's current President, led a contingent of Brother Catenians plus their wives.Pictured left to right are students Lara Dela Cruz and Marya George, Phil Hoy,
Rev Andrew Eburne, student Emike Nasamu and Joseph Beakhouse.
Exciting events for the new year
Page 10 latest online news at: www.rcdea.org.uk Catholic East Anglia / January 2020
news in brief
Bishop blessesnew classrooms� St Benedict’s Catholic High Schoolin Bury St Edmunds welcomedBishop Alan recently to bless the sixnew classrooms that have beenopened this academic year at theschool in Beetons Way.The school successfully transi-
tioned to a single site from StAndrew’s Street South during thesummer and Bishop Alan was pleasedto tour and bless the new facilities. Hewas able to meet students and staffafter celebrating Mass in the schoolhall. Sixth Form theology studentswere also able to enjoy a question andanswer session with the Bishop, ask-ing a range of questions regardingtheir faith.
Christmas street fair� Crowds flocked to St Edmund’schurch on Sunday December 1 duringthe Bungay Christmas Street Fair tolight a candle for a loved one or for aspecial intention and buy crafts andChristmas cards.The fair was organised by the
CAFOD team from the Bungay end ofthe parish (Sue Altarelli and JennyBeaugeard) and all proceeds from the20p candles went to CAFOD. The can-dles and a craft stall selling cards bySue Altarelli, and cot quilts by parish-ioner Felicity Todd, made £76.32. Over 180 people visited the beautiful
grade I church to pause a moment,reflect, look round and listen toGregorian chant playing.
Over 1000 pilgrimsbraved heavy rain totake part in a pilgrim-age to Walsingham ofreparation and prayerfor the Sanctity of Lifereports event organiserJanet Baker.
� Pilgrims joined the event onOctober 6 from several areasof the Diocese of East Anglia,despite flooded roads in thesurrounding area. Our Holy Mother did not let
us down. With vigorousencouragement from MgrArmitage, delivered in hisown inimitable style, we“offered it all up” in Repara-tion. The outcome was a veryblessed day, with pilgrims ingood spirits enjoying some-thing of an adventure. The team at the Shrine
worked tirelessly all day.There was not room in theChapel of Reconciliation foreveryone to attend Massthere, and sitting outside wasnot an option (except for a fewhardy souls who chose to doso). Fortunately, most otherswere able to squeeze into thetwo halls where they sharedin the Mass through a livestream.The Holy Mile was impassa-
ble in some places, causingthe procession into the villageto be cancelled; Bishop MarkO’Toole, who intended to take
part, was unwell and had tocancel at the last minute. Mgr Armitage read out the
Bishop’s homily, which beganby referring to a recent visitto Africa, where the comingof the Gospel had brought anew respect for humanity. At Mass the people sing a
Gospel anthem, reported theBishop: “Praise to the Gospelfor it… showed us that girlscould be educated… it taughtus to accept twins… it taughtus to recognise the dignity ofevery human being....” The homily recalled the far-
reaching effects of the 1967
Abortion Act which has led toover 8 million abortions in theUK. “In the face of such a relent-
less pursuit of death-dealing,we can sometimes feel over-whelmed,” wrote the Bishop.“This is where the parable oftoday’s Gospel and the exam-ple of the mustard seedshould give us courage. Ourfaith may seem small but theLord does not abandon us. Hecan bring an abundant fruit-fulness out of the smallestbeginnings.“In this holy place, we recall
the holy house of Nazareth,
where Mary showed she wasopen to the Gospel of Life, asshe gave a home for The Wordof God to become flesh and tobe born into our world.”This year coaches came
from Leeds, Kent, Central andEast London, Hertfordshire,Bedfordshire, Bucking-hamshire, Northamptonshireand Cambridgeshire. Nextyear the pilgrimage takesplace on Sunday September27, and will be led by BishopMarcus Stock of the Leedsdiocese. Full details will be available
Catholic Teaching and Practice Modules A learning space for Catholic Women Each module: £170 to apply please contact our administrator by email: [email protected] or by phone: 01223741039. Jesus’ Ancestresses in Word and Art Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba and Mary Thursday afternoons, 16th January–6th February 2020, Course leader: Dr Rosalie Moloney The genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1:1-17 names only five women: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba and Mary. For centuries people have been intrigued by the inclusion of these diverse and often unorthodox women. Exploring their individual stories through Scripture, commentary, literature and art offers an opportunity to understand their significance both in their own context and in the context of Matthew’s genealogy. The four-week course will include a visit to the Fitzwilliam Museum, which contains works of art in a variety of media depicting all five biblical characters. Reading Matthew’s Gospel may never be the same again. Living the Life of Christ Engaging the Imagination in Spiritual Practice Thursday afternoons, 13th February–5 March 2020 Course leader: Dr Louise Nelstrop CCRS Spirituality Study Day (open to all) 18th Jan 2020 10.30 - 3.30 at Margaret Beaufort Institute of Theology Come and join the CCRS students and Dr Louise Nelstrop. £15 pay on the day. Bring your own lunch. To book: email [email protected]
Margaret Beaufort Institute of Theology
Catholic House of Cambridge Theological Federation
M
A parishioner from St John’sCathedral is appealing forpeople with the skills and will-ingness to help repair vestmentsacross the Diocese of EastAnglia.
� Barbara Scrutton, from Norwich, hasbeen repairing vestments for an amaz-ing almost 70 years – from the age of15 to her present 84.She said: “Four years ago, when
approaching my 80th birthday, I retiredfrom work in the Cathedral to look aftermy disabled husband; he sadly diedlast year. “I had been sacristan for over 12
years and during that time, and before,made repairs to vestments. I also cre-ated a number of new vestment setswith some ladies who, with me, formedSt John’s Embroiderers. “We also extended this work to
include other churches in the area: GtYarmouth, Lowestoft, Poringland, Dere-ham, Sheringham and Walsingham. We even repaired vestments from
Church of England parishes in Hether-sett and Great Melton. These ladieshave mostly moved on and the skillsneeded are not widely taught thesedays.“I have been asked to take back the repair
of vestments. This is not a problem whilst Iam able, but I am thinking of the future. Vest-ments will always need repair so I would liketo form a group of people who will be avail-able and have the skills to do the work when
needed – or who are happy to learn them.”If you are interested and would like more
information, please contact Barbara [email protected] above is part of an embroidered
Centenary History of St John’s, created byBarbara Scrutton.
Pilgrims brave heavyrain at Walsingham.
Newman, a newEnglish saintJohn Henry Newman is one of thegreat figures in the story of theChristian faith in England. Here isthe third of a brief six-part biogra-phy of the new English saint.
� The teachings of John Henry Newman,who was canonised on October 13 inRome, are preserved in the severalbooks, sermons and lectures whichremain for posterity. Many of his Anglican sermons were
published as Parochial and Plain Ser-mons and Sermons on Subjects of theDay.His thoughts on university education
were published in book form as The Ideaof a University. His religious autobiography was pub-
lished in 1864 under the title Apologia provita sua.His theology is best known from his
book An Essay in Aid of a Grammar ofAssent.Newman was also a poet. His most
famous, rather long, poem was entitledThe Dream of Gerontius, which was setto music by Sir Edward Elgar, and contin-ues to be performed today. The veryfamous hymn Praise to the Holiest in theHeight comes from Gerontius.Two of Newman’s other hymns are
Lead Kindly Light and Firmly I believe andTruly, also from Gerontius.John Henry Newman was a great
scholar and a deeply learned man. Butfirst and foremost he was a devout Chris-tian. We may never be able to match hislearning, but we can learn from his exam-ple of wanting to be God’s faithful servant.One of his most loved meditations is use-ful for each one of us:God has created me to do Him some
definite service. He has committed somework to me which He has not committedto another. I have my mission. I may neverknow it in this life, but I shall be told it inthe next. I am a link in a chain, a bond of con-
nection between persons. He has notcreated me for naught. I shall do good; Ishall do His work. I shall be an angel ofpeace, a preacher of truth in my ownplace, while not intending it if I do butkeep His commandments. Therefore, I will trust Him, whatever I
am, I can never be thrown away. If I am insickness, my sickness may serve Him, inperplexity, my perplexity may serve Him.If I am in sorrow, my sorrow may serveHim. He does nothing in vain. He knowswhat He is about. He may take away myfriends. He may throw me amongstrangers. He may make me feel deso-late, make my spirits sink, hide my futurefrom me. Still, He knows what He isabout.www.newmancanonisation.com
Catholic East Anglia / January 2020 follow us on Twitter at: twitter.com/RCEastAnglia Page 11
Bernice Zieba, a mother of eight,has written a book about herfive-day pilgrimage on foot fromhome in Cambridgeshire toWalsingham. She describes thejourney in her own words.
� Every time we went on a pilgrimage toWalsingham, we travelled by coach or bycar. But I felt a pilgrimage should besomething that challenges you physically.I wanted to feel the hardship of the roadunder my feet, and get the sense of howpeople did pilgrimages hundreds ofyears ago.I had important prayer intentions for
one of my children and for the conver-sion of England. I also thought of therededication of England as the Dowry ofMary which is to take place in March2020.Sixteen years ago, I converted to the
Catholic Church (I was a Protestantbefore). I believe that when you take theCatholic faith seriously, you cannot dowithout devotion to Mary. As a convert Ilearnt a lot about the Catholic faith andgradually got rid of prejudices, such asthose about the Catholic approachtowards Mary.The Marian apparitions in Medjugorje
helped me to not only intellectually graspthe Catholic faith, but also to embrace itwith my whole heart. Before we movedback from Switzerland to the UK in 2016,we implored the help of Our Lady ofWalsingham to find a new home.After our first visit to Walsingham,
when we were living temporarily in acaravan, we soon found a family who waswilling to rent us their house. From then
on we were able to get established in theUK. We have visited Walsingham a fewtimes with our parish and privately sincethen.During the pilgrimage I felt free and I
was motivated to walk on and on. Walk-ing for hours in the glaring sun (it wasthe hottest part of the summer then),enduring hurting muscles and some-times heavy road traffic, made thejourney on foot at times challenging.I thought about Jesus and Mary and
life in general. That’s because on such apilgrimage you have almost all day to
think and pray; there are hardly any dis-tractions, no household chores andhardly anyone talking to you.Bernice was born in Gloucester and
lived for over 30 years in Switzerlandbefore returning to the UK. She now livesin Caxton, Cambridgeshire, and usuallyattends Mass at Our Lady and the Eng-lish Martyrs in Cambridge and St JohnFisher in Cambourne.� From Home to Walsingham. AMother’s Five-Day Pilgrimage on Footand is available for £6.47 from Amazon athttps://amzn.to/2KrILpv
Bernice writes about herfive-day pilgrimage on foot
Diocese of EastAnglia priest FrMichael Rear haswritten a Pilgrim’sGuide to Rome,reviewed here by FrTony Rogers.
� I devour travel literature, butfind guide books rather hardgoing. So often they are laidout with lists of buildings andsites to visit in a disjointedway. But Michael Rear, aretired priest of our diocesehas given us a book which isa joy to read from beginningto end – which I did in almostone sitting – so enthralledwas I by every aspect. At the beginning and end of
the book there are some won-derfully helpful tips on gettingaround – and Michael’sknowledge of the Romanbuses and Metro systemleaves no stone unturned. He divides Rome largely
into time zones, advising thepilgrim to try and cover partic-ular eras in a single day – the
book is designed for a week’spilgrimage, and among hishelpful advice is a caution totry to cover as much as possi-ble within a single area, ratherthan hopping from one placeto another and wasting time. The British dimension is
very thoroughly referred tothroughout the book, withgreat background on the Stu-arts connection with the city.It’s clearly a book for pilgrims– peppered throughout withappropriate and simpleprayers – and texts connectedwith particular places andpeople. One of the most endearing
features of the book is what Icall the italic paragraphs – thelinks between getting from Ato B with little asides aboutparticularly good coffee stops,restaurants and ice-creamparlours, with the wonderfulpiece of advice ‘Beware ofbeing tempted into SorelloAdamoli, the marvelloushouse and kitchen shopacross the road.’ His observa-tion on St Peter’s is that whenit is busy it can feel like ‘King’s
Cross in the rush hour.’ People and places come to
life in a way that the readerwill find snippets to treasure.He tells us about Napoleon’sannexation of the PapalStates and of the imprison-ment of the sick Pius VII forsix years in Savona, near theFrench border. But it was theforgiving Pius VII whopleaded with the British Gov-ernment to alleviate the harshconditions under whichNapoleon lived in exile on StHelena, sent a priest to be his
chaplain and offered a refugein Rome for members of theBonaparte family. This is what makes Michael
Rear’s book so special and soendearing. He clearly caresfor the welfare of the pilgrim inRome, with handy hints aboutwhere bags can be left, secu-rity issues, accessible placesand difficulties for people withmobility problems, travelpasses and charges for entry.This is a book which I hopewill find its way to the suit-cases of all future pilgrims tothe Eternal City. If you don’tcover all the places he invitesus to visit, there is always an-other occasion to do more. The price is reasonable, the
text inspiring, uplifting andvery humorous, and the beau-tiful illustrations by Hilary Grif-fiths, who are found in abun-dance throughout, evocative.Michael is clearly a man whoknows his Rome inside out,and loves it. A thoroughlygood read!� Rome: A Pilgrim’s Guide byMichael Rear (Gracewing,2019, £14.99)
A pilgrim’s guide to Rome
BOOKS
REVIEW
News picture gallery from parishes around the Diocese
Page 12 latest online news at: www.rcdea.org.uk Catholic East Anglia / January 2020
� Pictured above, Bishop Alan celebrated Mass with diocesan priests at theBelsey Bridge Conference Centre in Ditchingham during a Study Day forClergy on November 7.
� Fr Paul Maddison, former Parish Priest of March, hastaken a further step in his vocation as a Benedictinemonk at Douai Abbey, near Reading. Under his new monastic name of Fr Gregory, he tookhis simple vows during a Mass on 15 October. These vows are offered after a year’s Novitiate and area commitment to three more years continued formationas a Benedictine monk. The three vows which Fr Gregory took are obedienceto the Abbot, Conversatio Morum (conversion of lifeaccording to the Rule of St Benedict), and stability, thatis, being part of the Benedictine community in themonastery of St Edmund at Douai. Fr Paul was well known in the Diocese of East Angliaas the CEO of the charity Pilgrimage People, whichorganised trips to the Holy Land and ran practical proj-ects for the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.Pictured right, is Fr Gregory (third right) with hisfamily and Abbot Geoffrey Scott.
� The Diocese of East Anglia provided an opportunity to learn more aboutfinance at a special seminar in the Narthex at St John’s Cathedral on Sat-urday November 16. Matthew Fernandez-Graham, Diocesan Director ofFinance and Resources, reports.More than 70 Parish Treasurers, Clergy and other members of ParishFinance Committees attended from across the Diocese. The day started with Mass and then Matthew Fernandez-Graham pre-sented an overview of the Diocese’s governance and finances. He consultedthose attending on proposed changes to finance procedures and there waslots of useful discussion and feedback. There were also presentations from the Diocese’s auditors, Price Bailey,on “How to Survive an Audit” and from NatWest bank on the plethora offinancial scams that are sadly prevalent in today’s society. Canon DavidBagstaff, the Vicar General for the Diocese, chaired a Question and Answersession. Anne Emblem, Parish Treasurer for St Joseph’s Church, St Neots, com-mented: “It was an excellent opportunity for both new and ‘old’ ParishFinance Committee members to learn/re-learn what we should be doingand why. We found it very useful.”Further finance events and training are being arranged for 2020.
� Bishop Alan travelled to Peterborough to join parishioners ofThe Sacred Heart and St Oswald in celebrating a special Mass ofThanksgiving for the 60th anniversary of St Oswald’s Church onFriday October 25, reports Frances Swanson. Bishop Alan concelebrated the Mass with Fr Seelan (ParishPriest) and Fr Jude (Assistant Priest of St Luke’s, Orton). It wasa very prayerful, reflective and memorable celebration. Following the Mass, Bishop Alan spoke to many of the parish-ioners before joining them in the parish hall for a cheese andwine reception. Bishop Alan was then invited by Fr Seelan tocut the 60th anniversary cake. It was an evening enjoyed by alland the start of a year of many anniversary events.
� A photograph ofsunshine and incenseafter the Solemn SungMass on the first Sun-day of GMT (30thSunday in OrdinaryTime). St Mary’s,Thetford. which is theoldest free standingCatholic Church inEast Anglia. Openedin 1820 – beforeCatholic Emancipa-tion, the older Chapelis the Sunken Chapelat St Edmunds, BurySt Edmunds (1685 &1791). Both churcheswere founded andserved by the Societyof Jesus (Jesuits)from 1685 until 1837.
