Saying farewell to Streatham – after 133 years

St Michael’s Convent (formerly Park Hill)

By Sister Mary Kenefick SMG

In Spring 2021, one hundred and thirty three years of ministry in Streatham, South West London came to an end. Back in 1888, the newly formed Religious Congregation of the Poor Servants of the Mother of God, was just sixteen years in existence.  The Foundress, Venerable Mother Magdalen Taylor - whose ministry and mission to the poor, the destitute, the voiceless and those caught up in prostitution was gathering momentum -  sought a property outside the city centre.  As ever Divine Providence came to her rescue.  Through her contacts with Bishop Butt, Bishop of Southwark, she became aware of a vacant property, Russell House, Streatham. Here in May 1888, she opened a refuge for vulnerable women dedicated to St Mary Magdalen.

Russell House, the first convent of the Poor Servants of the Mother of God

The estate was the property of Mr R.H. Measures and the Poor Servants of the Mother of God, who with financial support from the Duchess of Buccleuch and others,  acquired the leasehold of the property.  Cardinal Manning also stepped in, in the most effective way he could, by preaching a homily to a crowded congregation on “Fallen Women” at the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Farm Street, on the feast of St Mary Magdalen 1888, thus giving Venerable Mother Magdalen Taylor moral and financial support for her new ministry.

Frontal of the original Convent Chapel Altar, now in the Church of  the English Martyrs.  The 1st Mass since the Reformation was celebrated on it in Russell House.

A letter in the P.S.M.G, archives shows  some outcomes from the ministry of the early Sisters.  By  1895 a new refectory was built and opened on 12 February.  That same year forty-seven young women were received into the home; seven were received into the Church and made their First Holy Communion. Later in the year forty-six were received into the home, and fifteen placed out in situations. Progress was being made. 

Thus the foundation of over a hundred years of social outreach ministry had begun.  In subsequent years this ministry changed and developed as the needs of the times demanded. 

“Pastoral work continued to be carried out, and from the beginning of the foundation, visitation of the poor, as well as catechism classes, some of which were taken in the large convent garden, were regularly carried out. As late as 1979, it was recorded that 2,000 meals had been served to the poor that year from the convent. The Sisters had also taken responsibility for sacristy work in the parish church.”

It was here at St Mary’s Convent that many of the early Sisters who contacted TB spent their last days.  Fr William Lloyd PP was  most supportive to the SMG community.  He encouraged them to be in charge of the sacristy and all that it entailed until they became too ill to do so. 

The work of St Mary’s Convent which had developed so rapidly until 1923 made room for another property to be purchased from Sir Henry Tate known as Park Hill (renamed St Michael’s Convent) to take over the refuge work for vulnerable women transferred from St. Mary’s Convent. In the 1970’s there was a fresh phase of improvements thus accommodating about 70 women. By 1980 a variety of services for adults of all denominations was provided as was full-time education by local establishments. Leisure activities, short-term accommodation and respite care were also provided.   In the fifties some of the land at Park Hill was donated to the diocese of Southwark for the building of Bishop Thomas Grant School.

St Michael’s closed in 1993 and the SMG Sisters provided its residents with more family-like residential accommodation in the community.   The grounds of St Michael’s hosted the Corpus Christi processions annually.  From 1888 there was a huge growth of Catholic population with both primary and secondary school along with the flourishing Church of English Martyrs.

From 1923 onwards various improvements were made to St Mary’s Convent and it became St. Mary’s Nursing Home. 

In recent times the Sisters were collaborating with St Leonard’s Anglican Church in the running of the Spires Centre offering hospitality to homeless people. Various other forms of Chaplaincy have been supported by our Sisters: Brixton Prison, Hospital Chaplaincy and Chaplaincy to people in Independent Living at Norbury, and the Nursing Home in Streatham, while one Sister volunteered with Refugees at the Brixton Centre.

SMG footprint in Streatham has been very large and many SMG Sisters made untold contributions to the whole picture. We can now close our story in the words of Venerable Mother Magdalen Taylor, “Let Deo Gratias be ever on our lips.”

Tireless campaigner against human trafficking, Sr Isabel Kelly FMSJ, has died

Sr Isabel addressing a CoR meeting on human trafficking in Manchester in 2019

Sr Isabel looking down from her room where she’d been shielding since March 2020

Sr Isabel Kelly FMSJ, who was well known to the Religious of England and Wales for her unstinting efforts to raise awareness of human trafficking, has died. Sr Isabel passed away on Friday (May 28th) at her convent in Blackburn where she’d been shielding since the start of the pandemic. She was 87.

Sr Nuala McGarvey FMSJ, who’s also based in Blackburn, said Sr Isabel passed away peacefully after her family from Scotland had been to visit: “Sister Isabel was always writing something or to someone. Many of the Sisters commentated on how quiet our phones had become in the past fortnight, as she began to deteriorate; she was forever sending something amusing from the Internet or some petition to sign. Things won't be so peaceful "up there" from now on! Yes, she was a remarkable character who kept at her mission to the end. May she rest in peace.”

Sr Isabel addressing a meeting in Formby

Sr Isabel had spoken passionately at several meetings held in 2019 and 2020, to highlight the curse of modern slavery. She also wrote some very thoughtful articles, reflecting on doing God’s will and also on the nature of friendship. In fact she’d also written a book about her long years overseas and used any proceeds to help victims of trafficking.

As a tribute, we reproduce some of her articles below:

I will pray, talk about trafficking and keep my eyes open:

http://bit.ly/2Uw4aF6

A tribute to life long friendship:

http://bit.ly/2U4c8Re

A reflection on doing God’s will:

https://bit.ly/3heOgp9

Prayer of St John Henry Newman:

May He support us all the day long, till the shades lengthen and the evening comes, and the busy world is hushed, and the fever of life is over, and our work is done. Then in His mercy may He give us a safe lodging, and a holy rest and peace at the last.

Requiescat in Pace

A call to action on Laudato Si’ from a Columban Sister

By Sister Kate Midgley

On the 24th May the Vatican is inviting the entire Catholic Church to embark on an audacious faith filled seven-year journey through the Laudato Si’ Action Platform. It is hoped that as many of us as possible will join this journey together and it is hoped that with every passing year the number of us on this journey will increase exponentially.

Sr Kate (centre) in a Christian Climate Action weekly vigil outside Parliament - “praying that our leaders will be inspired to do what is needed, given our climate and ecological emergency, to protect the earth.”

So why is the Vatican so concerned that we all take part in this journey?

As is well known the Pope, the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, David Attenborough to name but a very few household names as well countless scientists, religious leaders and ordinary citizens have all warned us that we need to take urgent action in order to protect our Earth from a 6th Mass Extinction and dangerous global overheating which could lead to weather patterns spiralling dangerously out of control making large parts of the earth uninhabitable and leading to hundreds of millions of climate refugees.

As Christians we believe that the whole earth is a miracle of God’s creation and that is being held in being in every moment by God.

This attitude of awe and wonder was evident in the title Pope Francis gave to his 2015 encyclical “Laudato Si” (Praised be) and when he recalled St Francis who: “Just as happens when we fall in love with someone, whenever he would gaze at the sun, the moon or the smallest of animals, he burst into song” (LS 11)

The Pope, quoting St Francis, spoke with great tenderness about our earth, “our common home is like a sister with whom we share our life and a beautiful mother who opens her arms to embrace us” (LS 1) What the Pope shows us in Laudato Si’ is that integral ecology is integral to our faith.

The Pope also wrote these heart-breaking words “This sister now cries out to us because of the harm we have inflicted on her by our irresponsible use and abuse of the goods with which God has endowed her. We have come to see ourselves as her lords and masters, entitled to plunder her at will. The violence present in our hearts, wounded by sin, is also reflected in the symptoms of sickness evident in the soil, in the water, in the air and in all forms of life. This is why the earth herself, burdened and laid waste, is among the most abandoned and maltreated of our poor, she “groans in travail”. We have forgotten that are ourselves are dust of the earth; our very bodies are made up of her elements, we breathe her air and we receive life and refreshment from her waters.”  (LS 2)

Laudato Si’ reflection day, Salford, February 2020

With these words ringing in our ears, six years on after Laudato Si’ was first published, the Pope, through the Vatican Dicastery of Human Development, is inviting us to act now and embark on this seven-year journey through the Laudato Si’ Action Platform.

For an excellent 20 minute introduction by Fr Josh Kureethadam into what it is all about see this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIU7C7V81qg  (39 minutes in)

What follows is a simple explanation of what the writer of this article knows so far of the Laudato Si’ Action Platform, as religious congregations have already had some preliminary meetings.

Seven parts of the Church are named where we can embark on this journey to total sustainability, in the spirit of Laudato Si’ towards integral ecology.

 1. Families

2. Parishes & Dioceses 

3. Education – Schools, Universities etc.

4. Hospitals / Health Care Centres

5. Economy – businesses/cooperatives/farms

 6. Organisations – NGOs, movements, groups, foundations, communication centres etc.

 7. Religious Orders

 It is hoped that each part of the Church will make public commitments to the seven Laudato Si goals which are:

How to concretely put into practice these seven goals? Obviously, each group is best placed to decide that.  Below are a few very simple examples many of which are gleaned from LaudatoSi.org - Laudato Si' Goals

Response to the Cry of the Earth

Eg., Reducing our carbon footprint, changing to a renewable energy supplier …

Response to the Cry of the Poor

Eg., Responding to the poor in our society, refugees, people who are trafficked, indigenous peoples across the world

Ecological economics

Eg., Divestment from fossil fuels, Fair Trade, what are the economic activities that harm the environment?

Adoption of Simple Lifestyle

Eg., avoid single use plastic, adopt a more plant-based diet and reduce meat consumption, greater use of public transport

Ecological Education

Eg., Re-think and re-design educational curricula to create ecological awareness and action

Ecological Spirituality

Eg., Rediscover our ancient spiritual vision of God’s creation, that God is in all things and holding all in being, not just humans. Greater contact with the natural world, praying outside, ecological catechesis, retreats ….

Community Involvement and Participatory Action

Eg., Action to protect creation at local, national and international levels, advocacy campaigning

When planning how we will do this we are encouraged to use SMART goals, ie:

SPECIFIC, MEASURABLE, ACHIEVABLE, RELEVANT, TIME-BOUND

The goal of this mobilisation of the entire Catholic Church is to create the “critical mass” needed for radical societal transformation which is what is needed in order to protect our planet for future generations. Social scientists tell us that this critical mass is reached with just 3.5% of the population. For society to change 21% to 25% of the population is needed but that will happen once the critical mass is reached.

We know from history radical social change has started from below (we may think of Gandhi in India, Nelson Mandela in South Africa or the Suffragettes). It is the hope that in this issue of our climate and ecological emergency, that the Pope, the entire Catholic Church, and working together with others, that we may achieve the radical global societal transformation that is needed.

Everyone is needed for this journey, as Greta Thunberg has said “Somebody needs to do something and I am somebody”

“What kind of world do we want to leave to those who come after us, to children who are now growing up?  ….. “Leaving an inhabitable planet to future generations is first and foremost, up to us. The issue is one which dramatically affects us, for it has to do with the ultimate meaning of our earthly sojourn.”  (LS 160)

Response to IICSA Recommendations

The Catholic Council has submitted a document to IICSA in response to the recommendations made following the hearing into the Catholic Church. This document includes the response of the Conference of Religious.

The full document can be accessed here.

Service for victims and survivors of abuse: May 4th 2021

The Conference of Religious held a service to pray for survivors of abuse on May 4th. Those attending virtually were invited to share answers to some questions anonymously which were immediately incorporated into the live streaming of the service.

Here is a link to the service:

https://youtu.be/jahs8UmKOFI

“A church that does not listen...cannot be credible, especially for the young who will inevitably turn away rather than approach.”

(Pope Francis, October 2018 )

ORDER OF SERVICE:

Welcome & Introduction

Opening Hymn: Song For a Young Prophet Chorus: Oh the word of my Lord, deep within my being, Oh the word of my Lord, you have filled my mind. Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you through and through, I chose you to be mine. Before you left your mother’s side, I called to you, my child, to be my sign. Chorus I know that you are very young, but I will make you strong I’ll fill you with my word; and you will travel through the land, fulfilling my command which you have heard. Chorus And everywhere you are to go, my hand will follow you; you will not be alone. In all the danger that you fear you’ll find me very near, your words my own. Chorus

Opening Prayer God of endless love, you sent your Son as our Shepherd to lead us and safeguard us. We are sorry for what some of us did to your children; treated them cruelly, especially when they were in need. We have left them with lifelong hurt. This was not your plan for them. Show us the way to justice and wholeness enfolded in your mercy, through Christ our Lord. Amen

We ask the Risen Lord to walk with us; For those whose trust has been broken Walk with them Lord

For all who have lost hope Walk with them Lord

For all who suffer Walk with them Lord

For all who are sick and in pain Walk with them Lord

For all who are struggling Walk with them Lord

For all who have been hurt Walk with them Lord

For all who are grieving Walk with them Lord

For all who are depressed Walk with them Lord

For all who feel rejected Walk with them Lord

For all who feel isolated Walk with them Lord

For all who are anxious Walk with them Lord

For all who self-harm Walk with them Lord

For all who despair Walk with them Lord

Questions for reflection (Using your mobile phone or web browser, you can now go to www.menti.com and add the passcode 83181972 where you can share your answers to these questions anonymously where they will immediately be incorporated into the live streaming of the service this evening.)

• What hopes do you have for the future? • What help do you need?

• What would you like to say to your Priest, Bishop or Community Leaders?

Quiet Music

We pray together: Let us pray for the survivors of abuse; may they come to know the peace only you can give. Lord hear us, R/ Lord graciously hear our prayer

Let us pray for the families and friends of those abused; may they open their hearts to the truth and find ways of healing. Lord hear us, R/

Let us pray for all in the church, laity and clergy; may their shaken faith be restored by Christ, their strength and hope. Lord hear us R/

Let us pray for our community, may we have the courage to move forward in truth and see the help we need from each other. Lord hear us, R/

Litany of Hope and Trust:

When peace is fragile Stay with us Lord. When tempers are raised Stay with us Lord. When atrocities occur Stay with us Lord. When forgiveness is needed Stay with us Lord. When talks breakdown Stay with us Lord. When agreements are broken Stay with us Lord. When hope seems faint Stay with us Lord. When burdens feel too heavy Stay with us Lord. When we are weak Stay with us Lord. When faith seems difficult Stay with us Lord.

An Act of Humility and Penitence. For the little ones of our community who have been abused, sexually, emotionally or physically; Lord in your mercy; R/ Hear our prayer For the courage to accept with integrity and honesty what has happened in our community; Lord in your mercy; R/ For a spirit of compassion that puts an end to acts of abuse to our little ones; Lord in your mercy; R/ For the gifts of wisdom and compassion in those who minister to the hurting ones; Lord in your mercy; R/ For a renewal of the love that protects the most vulnerable people in our care; Lord in your mercy; R/ God of strength on whom we lean; help us to create an atmosphere which allows us to speak the reality we dare not face. To establish a safe place for those who, in their pain reach out to us, and a community not afraid of the past, nor of walking into the future with hope, through Christ our Lord. Amen

A Reading from the Holy Gospel According to John. (10:11-18) Jesus said; ‘I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd is the one who lays down his life for his sheep. The hired man, since he is not the shepherd and the sheep do not belong to him, abandons the sheep and runs away as soon as he sees a wolf coming, and then the wolf attacks and scatters the sheep. This is because he is only a hired man and has no concern for the sheep. I am the Good Shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father, and I lay down my life for my sheep.

The Gospel of the Lord R: Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ

A Sharing from a Survivor of Abuse

Meditation of Acknowledgement of Abuse :

The Good Shepherd carries all people in their pain, confusion and isolatio.

As a community let us take a moment to consider: ¨ Are we prepared like Christ, to carry those in pain, confusion and isolation? ¨ Are we the kind of people the abused can trust? ¨ Are we willing to let them talk and feel, so they can break their silence and uncover their secret? Aware that we have answered these questions before God and each other the Paschal Candle will be lit. Hymn: Eagle’s Wings You who dwell in the shelter of the Lord, who abide in His shadow for life, say to the Lord, "My Refuge, My Rock in whom I trust." And he will raise you up on eagle's wings, bear you on the breath of dawn, make you to shine like the sun, and hold you in the palm of his hand. The snare of the fowler will never capture you, and famine will bring you no fear; under his wings your refuge, his faithfulness your shield. And he will raise….. You need not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, though thousands fall about you, near you it shall not come. And he will raise …. For to his angels, he's given a command, to guard you in all of your ways, upon their hands they will bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone. And he will raise …

Let us pray as Jesus taught us: Our Father Closing Prayer Father of hope and consolation, be the guardian of all who suffer abuse, send healing for their wounds. Deepen our respect for the dignity of every human life. Heal the brokenness of all victims of abuse, and renew the spirt of all who lament this sin. Through Christ our Lord Amen.

Closing Song; Something Inside So Strong

Carmelite Sr Teresa Keswick on BBC R3 on Easter Day

Nearly forty years ago Teresa Keswick exchanged her career as a London lawyer for life as a nun in an enclosed and largely silent Carmelite monastery in Norfolk. She’s devoted her life to prayer and work and has become a highly skilled embroiderer. Since 2014 she’s written a regular column for The Oldie magazine.

In a special ‘Private Passions’ programme for Easter Day, Sister Teresa shared her fascinating life story and the music she loves with presenter Michael Berkeley.

Sr Teresa told Michael about her initial reluctance to accept her vocation and leave her busy social life in London for a remote monastery in the Norfolk countryside and the contentment she eventually found in the strict daily routine of prayer and work.

She chose pieces by Handel and by Beethoven that reflect her life before she became a nun and two pieces of plainchant that play a central role in the life of her community - and described her ongoing love of 1960s pop music and there’s a song by Simon and Garfunkel which she still plays when she has a day off from work, once a month. And she appreciates the importance of having fun – in life and in music – choosing the party scene from the opening of La Traviata, which recalls a wonderful evening at the opera when she lived in London.

Sr Teresa described how her community celebrates Easter Day and chooses music from Bach’s Mass in B Minor; she says this music is the only thing that comes close to describing Christ’s resurrection.

A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 3

To listen: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000tw5j

TRACKLIST:

• 1 : Plainchant:

  Salve Mater Misericordiae

• 2 : Ludwig van Beethoven

  Bagatelle in A minor - Fur Elise

• 3 : George Frideric Handel

  Dead March (Saul)

• 4: Clement Jacob

  Au milieu de silence (Psalm 18)

• 5: Simon & Garfunkel

  The Sound of Silence

• 6: Giuseppe Verdi

  Libiamo (Traviata, Act 1)

• 7: Johann Strauss II

  Blue Danube - Waltz

• 8: Johann Sebastian Bach

  Et Resurrexit (Mass in B minor)

NunsofTwitter and BruvsofTwitter unite

Sr Simone (right) at work

Sr Simone Herrmann MMS was recently interviewed by German radio about the growing number of Religious who are on social media, in particular Twitter. They’ve developed the ‘brand’ name, or ‘hashtag’   #NunsofTwitter & #BruvsofTwitter.  The transcript below is adapted from the interview, courtesy of @Deutschlandfunk:

 "Just now in lockdown there have been many questions to the religious communities, in particular the monastic communities, which have always lived in a form of “lockdown” the cloister. Questions such as : “So how do you actually live?”  

Simone Herrmann is an active NunofTwitter, but in fact, she is a religious sister, not a nun. She does not live in a cloistered convent, but in the city of London in the religious community of the Medical Mission Sisters. The 45-year-old comes from the Black Forest, in Germany, joined the order in Frankfurt and studied medicine. She works as a doctor in the emergency department of a hospital. Working shifts. Stranded homeless people, Corona patients, her hospital also cared for the victims after the terrorist attacks in central London. A religious sister who has both feet on the ground and sometimes goes to the pub with her colleagues after work.

Sr Simone says: "There are many people who have a certain idea what Religious are or what they are not. We are coming from various communities; we are also different, and we have the different charisms. Some wear a habit, some don’t - but at the end of the day we are all human beings like the other twitterers." The communities follow different charisms, so they are committed to different traditions.   But in all their differences, Catholic and Anglican Religious unite under the hashtag #NunsofTwitter. They are focusing here - and this is atypical for social networks - on their similarities rather than their differences.

Sr Simone adds: "From time to time we watch a movie. When, a few months ago, there was The Life of a Nun with Audrey Hepburn on television, we were amused to see how religious life is presented - but which has nothing to do with our life." The film's topic, she said, inspired some of the "NunsofTwitter" to make their own vocation stories public. Many tweeted their personal journey - what led them to join a religious order. And what they value about this life:

"Most live in some form of community and in relationship with others. And that is not different on Twitter. It is on a smaller scale and you can only say shorter sentences. Which is sometimes an advantage, because then you can really focus on the essential. And the essence of what's important." The question still remains: how does life as a devout religious sister fit in with this at all? With Twitter - the stage of the self-promoters?

"That also fits with a religious order. So, I do not think that everything we do in social media has something to do with self promotion. But it's just simply sharing about what moves us."

Memories of Mozambique in better times….. a missionary reflects:

Fr Hugh Seenan WF

For the first time since I was ordained in 1989, I am back living in Britain. Most of that time I was in Mozambique. Even when I was in Malawi for the last three years in our Philosophy House I was always in Mozambique during the holidays. When I was in Mozambique it was rare for somebody to get in touch with me about what was going on there, it would be just about how I was keeping. When I came back last August, I thought that it would continue like that. I had been closely following the atrocities taking place, but it is only in the last few weeks that this has changed. One Friday night I got a phone call asking if I had seen Sky News. I watched the next Bulletin and saw Pemba. Since then if I am not seeing, listening or reading about Cabo Delgado somebody is getting in touch to tell or ask me about it.

It all takes me back to December 2016. Konrad Millanzi, a Tanzanian Missionary of Africa, was going to be ordained in the very south of Tanzania. He had been with us in Nazaré Formation Centre in Beira for his pastoral training for two years. He invited me  to attend and I decided to go via Cabo Delgado. I went from Beira, two hours by plane to Pemba. I had the great pleasure to stay the weekend with Dom Luís Fernandez, the Brazilian Passionist Bishop of Pemba and great friend of Nazaré. Pemba, the capital of Cabo Delgado, was booming because of the gas finds off the coast of Cabo Delgado. It no longer depended on tourism along its white sandy beaches. On the Monday I set off for Moçimboa da Praia, a comfortable seven-hour bus journey along the coast on a brand-new road to supply the gas fields further north. Moçimboa da Praia, the last real town before the border like Pemba had many new buildings fuelled by the gas finds.

I was welcomed by four Benedictine Monks from the great Ndanda monastery in southern Tanzania. In the afternoon I went down to the beach and had a walk around the bay with its white sands, light blue waters, many fishing boats and a small place to sit and have a cold beer. The parish was on one side of a palm-lined square, the other sides being the Town Council building, the police headquarters and the Sport and Social Club, a typical Portuguese arrangement. I remember saying to myself “there are worse places you could be a missionary!”

Mocimbao da Praia Beach

The next morning, I set off to the border, the Rovuma River, going through Palma. Going across the river was another adventure. It was low tide and as the ferry could not move, we went by canoe among the hippos with a long stretch in the middle of walking on sandbanks before a final canoe journey. It was then a short journey, only four hours to Nyangau for the ordination. The journey back was more of the same except that I spent an hour in Palma waiting for local transport to Moçimboa da Praia. I enjoyed the whole experience and I never tired of telling people about it.

It came as a great shock therefore in early October 2017 to read that Islamist militants had attacked Moçimboa da Praia occupying the square and its buildings, destroying the police station. I was worried about the monks but thank God they had been able to escape. Not so lucky, all the others especially police who were killed. Last week I was shocked to see bodies lying in the streets in Palma where I had waited for transport on my return journey.

It has been like that for over three years now, stories of Moçimboa da Praia being reoccupied by the government and then the Islamists coming back. They have been in control for months now. Stories of people having their heads cut off, the vast majority being other Muslims became normal news. All the parishes have been closed, some destroyed, with all the sisters, brothers and priests coming to Pemba. Pemba is no longer a tourist destination but a giant refugee camp. The latest official figure is 607,000 having to leave their land - settling everywhere from Pemba southwards.

Dom Luís in a peace meeting with the President Filipe Nyusi after Pope Francis’ phone call

Here it is only in the last few weeks that we have heard about all this. In Mozambique if you are depending on government media for news, you still would not know about it. One of the few to spread the news was Bishop Luís Fernandez. He was outspoken and was Person of the Year for some independent news outlets in Mozambique in 2020. He went in fear of his life often threatened by people close to the Frelimo Government. If he is still alive today Pope Francis is the reason. He phoned Dom Luís in the worst of those times and invited him to the Vatican to see him just before Christmas 2020.  

To understand more about the complex situation in Mozambique I recommend the newsletters of Joseph Hanlon, an expert on Mozambique, ex Professor in the Open University and SOAS. His latest one dated 30 March is excellent (http://www.open.ac.uk/technology/mozambique/sites/www.open.ac.uk.technology.mozambique/files/files/Mozambique_532_30Mar21_Palma_Total-out-again_Gas-gamble-lost.pdf.)

The people of Cabo Delgado have been carrying their crosses for over three years. May they not be forgotten after this short time in the news, especially in our prayers during Holy Week.
 

Fr Hugh Seenan, Missionary of Africa. Provincial Delegate since 2020.

Fr Hugh at his Silver Jubilee in 2014 in Beira, Mozambique

Talks on art, the media, ecology and sacred music during Lent

‘Bethany’ by Andrew White

In a new venture, the Conference of Religious held a series of online talks during Lent.

Faith and Art: Depicting the Image of Christ:

The Artist in Residence at Farm Street Church in London, Andrew White, reflected on his large depiction of The Last Supper, noting it took him fourteen months to paint, “in which time I learned a lot, including about myself.”

He added: "With Judas at the centre & not sneaking off at the side, he's confronting us, his gaze a challenge: what decisions will you make?"

Andrew White also described the process of creating other pieces, including sculptures.

The artist describing his art

A youthful Mary

……on show outside Farm Street church

The Bethany painting, featured at the top, above, was commissioned by the chapel of a school in Belgium. The project began in February 2020 and is near completion. Andrew White said: “The theme of the woman annointing Jesus with oil encompasses the three accounts in the Bible, Mary the sister of Martha, and also the un-named woman who Jesus refers to when He said, 'Truly I say to you, wherever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will be told in memory of her.”

Faith and the Media: Seeking the Truth - How religion is reported and the impact of social media :

The online Editor of The Tablet, Ruth Gledhill gave a wide ranging talk on the experience of ‘covering’ faith issues during decades as a Religious Affairs Journalist.

A response was given by Jen Copestake, a Technology Journalist with the BBC programme Click. Jen also contributes to meetings on the future of technology and humanity at the Pontifical Academy for Life at the Vatican, as well as being the Co-ordinator of the central London Catholic Churches' homeless service.

Faith and Creation : Laudato Si’ and Vowed Religious – developing a prophetic voice:

Back by popular demand after participating in our recent ‘Cry of the Earth’ webinar, Dr Carmody Grey (Assistant Professor of Catholic Theology at the Centre for Catholic Studies at Durham University) gave a profound talk on the theology of creation.

A response was given by theologian Fr Martin Poulsom SDB in which he outlined how Religious can lend their prophetic voice to environmental efforts.

Faith and Sacred Music : Music and some wider implications - a Catholic composer’s perspective:
Sir James MacMillan CBE reflected on his life as a composer, from his early inspiration to his most recent composition. The talk was preceded by an extract from his Stabat Mater, recorded in the Sistine Chapel in Holy Week, 2018.

One attendee wrote: “How inspired I am by James MacMillan. Wonderfully stimulating. Warm thanks for inviting me to your Lenten lectures, which have been superb.”

Religious wishing to see the recordings of these talks can email : admin@corew.org

Sir James Macmillan

Reflecting on art, the media, ecology and sacred music during Lent

‘Bethany’ by Andrew White

In a new venture, the Conference of Religious held a series of online talks during Lent.

Faith and Art: Depicting the Image of Christ:

The Artist in Residence at Farm Street Church in London, Andrew White, reflected on his large depiction of The Last Supper, noting it took him fourteen months to paint, in which time “I learned a lot, including about myself.” He also described the process of creating other pieces, including sculptures.

Artist Andrew White talking about his depiction of the Last Supper, on display in Farm Street Church

….and his depiction of a young Mary

Farm Street Church

The Bethany painting, featured at the top, above, was commissioned by the chapel of a school in Belgium. The project began in February 2020 and is near completion. Andrew White says: “The theme of the woman annointing Jesus with oil encompasses the three accounts in the Bible, Mary the sister of Martha, and also the un-named woman who Jesus refers to when He said, 'Truly I say to you, wherever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will be told in memory of her.”

Faith and the Media: Seeking the Truth - How religion is reported and the impact of social media :

The online Editor of The Tablet, Ruth Gledhill gave a wide ranging talk on the experience of ‘covering’ faith issues during decades as a Religious Affairs Journalist.

Ruth Gledhill

A response was given by Jen Copestake,a Technology Journalist with the BBC programme Click. Jen also contributes to meetings on the future of technology and humanity at the Pontifical Academy for Life at the Vatican, as well as being the Co-ordinator of the central London Catholic Churches' homeless service.

Faith and Creation : Laudato Si’ and Vowed Religious – developing a prophetic voice:

Back by popular demand after participating in our recent ‘Cry of the Earth’ webinar, Assistant Professor of Catholic Theology at the Centre for Catholic Studies at Durham University: Dr Carmody Grey gave a profound talk on the theology of creation.

A response was given by theologian Fr Martin Poulsom SDB in which he outlined how Religious can lend their prophetic voice to environmental efforts.

Faith and Sacred Music : Music and some wider implications - a Catholic composer’s perspective:
Sir James MacMillan CBE – preceded by an extract from his Stabat Mater, recorded in the Sistine Chapel in Holy Week, 2018. One attendee wrote: “How inspired I am by James MacMillan. Wonderfully stimulating. Warm thanks for inviting me to your Lenten lectures, which have been superb.”

Religious wishing to see the recordings of these talks can email : admin@corew.org

Sir James Macmillan

Reflecting on the extraordinary life of Fr Ignatius Spencer CP

What’s it like to have the responsibility for promoting one of your congregational predecessors as a potential saint?

By Fr Ben Lodge CP

Over the past several months, I do not think I have heard an excuse which did not include the word “pandemic”. This includes excuses, or explanations, from Rome. Let me explain: I am the postulator or “campaign manager” for the Cause of Beatification of Fr. Ignatius Spencer. For many years I have dealt with the Congregation of Saints in this role, and finally was told last year that the Cause of Ignatius would take a big step forward in February 2020. Recently I have been told this will not happen until September 2021, because during the pandemic the Congregation of Saints is focussing on canonisations.

Ignatius Spencer was born in 1799 into one of the wealthiest families in England; the family homes included Althorp House where Princess Diana is buried; Spencer House – across the lawn from Buckingham Palace; a house in Wimbledon – now home of the Lawn Tennis Association; a house on the Isle of Wight next to Osborne House; Oh and three London boroughs!

After Eton and Trinity College Cambridge, Ignatius, as the youngest son in the family, was ordained in the Church of England and became parish priest on the Althorp estate; it was assumed a Bishopric would soon follow. He was unusual in that he spent most of his time working with the poor, often denying himself even basic foodstuffs – the family thought he was eccentric! Increasingly in his reading and conversations with fellow clergymen, he began to question the basis of the 39 Articles; in this he shows a very similar pattern to that followed by John Henry Newman.

In 1830 he was received into the Church and went to Rome to study at the English College under Nicholas Wiseman. While there he met some Passionists including Blessed Dominic Barberi, who would become a good friend and colleague. Returning to England he worked as parish priest in the Black Country, commenting that his time hunting rabbits on the Althorp estate was not wasted as he now had to hunt out so many of the Irish living in caves dug into the side of slag heaps. He succumbed to TB and so was moved as Spiritual Director to Oscott College, where among other things he taught the students the finer aspects of playing cricket – his “mania”. In the summer vacation he went to Ireland for six weeks – begging for prayers for the conversion of England; this was to mark the beginning of his lifelong “Crusade of Prayer” for the conversion of England.

By 1847 he had decided to enter the Passionists; during his novitiate he had to minister in the workhouse and so contracted fever which left him on the point of death, but he survived. He made his vows at the feet of Blessed Dominic. Two years later Dominic died and Ignatius was appointed Provincial. He was the only Englishman in the community and so had to divide his time between translating, teaching, and formation work – in addition to preaching missions, and because of his celebrity status he was frequently asked to preach at the opening of new churches, including Mount St. Bernard Abbey. Sermons frequently lasted more than an hour.

He made several tours of Europe begging for prayers, be it from Emperors and Dukes, or beggars in asylums, but his main, and favourite, place to work was in Ireland. There he argued that the Irish should pray for their enemy – the English – and then God would listen to their prayers and convert the English! Interestingly, in one letter to a nephew who was Lord Lieutenant in Ireland he complains about how the Irish are being starved to death during the potato famine; the nephew agrees it is a pity but says it is the only way to subdue Ireland – it clearly suggests a policy of what today is called “ethnic cleansing.”

Several times in his Diary Ignatius refers to outbreaks of typhus, cholera and “fever”, and he comments that when he journeyed to Rome he had to go into a state-imposed quarantine at Civitavecchia. However, he equally went into towns where death was a reality among the clergy, often reporting alarming death rates. But the sense of service was so great that well-founded fear of contagion was simply set aside.

On one occasion Ignatius was to preach at the opening of a church, but instead remained through the night by the bedside of a woman who was dying in Birmingham.

Ignatius lived in the middle of the Industrial Revolution at a time when society was moving from a rural to an urban setting. Typhus and cholera were common, and people lived in real fear of contagion. When Dominic Barberi  (the Passionist priest who received Blessed John Henry Newman into the Catholic Church in 1845) was taken ill on a train from London where there was an outbreak of cholera, people in Reading would not allow him to be taken into their home, convinced that he had the disease; in fact, he was suffering a massive heart attack.

The killer diseases of the 19th century had no cure, but many people instinctively tried to isolate themselves from others. One cannot help but see parallels with Covid 19 today; maybe the “new normal” is not so “new” after all.

Footnote:

St John Henry Newman:

In January 1840, Fr Spencer visited  John Henry Newman at Oriel College, Oxford, to ask Newman to join him in prayer for "unity in truth". Newman sent Spencer away and refused even to see him, but later apologised for this in his Apologia;

"This feeling led me into the excess of being very rude to that zealous and most charitable man, Mr. Spencer, when he came to Oxford in January, 1840, to get Anglicans to set about praying for Unity. I myself then, or soon after, drew up such prayers; it was one of the first thoughts which came upon me after my shock, but I was too much annoyed with the political action of the members of the Roman Church in England to wish to have anything to do with them personally. So glad in my heart was I to see him when he came to my rooms, whither Mr. Palmer of Magdalen brought him, that I could have laughed for joy; I think I did; but I was very rude to him, I would not meet him at dinner, and that, (though I did not say so,) because I considered him " in loco apostatx " from the Anglican Church, and I hereby beg his pardon for it."

Fr Spencer’s body is entombed in the Church of St Anne and Blessed Dominic Barberi in Sutton in St Helens, Merseyside.

He lies beside Blessed Dominic Barberi and Mother Elizabeth Prout, the founder of the Passionist Sisters.

Prayer in response to the Cry of the Earth

By Sister Maureen Murphy, FMSJ:

Lord, make each one of us an instrument of change to respond to the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor.

Where there is arrogance, apathy and avarice let us be more generous in our service of others and our care of all creation.

Where there is disregard for those who are suffering in any way, let us do all we can to alleviate their pain.

Where people are hungry or thirsty, sick or in prison, let us remember the words of the Gospel and become your hands and feet, your ears, and eyes to provide food, water, medicine, and human contact.

Where global economic greed destroys rain forests and poisons rivers let us plant saplings and promote new green technologies.

Where mines and fossil fuels destroy the natural beauty of our created world, let us find and promote new clean and natural energy resources.

Where we have misused and abused the many plants and creatures on the earth so that they are now nearing extinction, let us listen to experts who can show us how to preserve your gifts of life instead of continuing on the path of destruction.

Where there is land erosion caused by over farming, logging and unsafe construction works, let us seek to educate those responsible and look after and provide for those who are vulnerable from the loss of their livelihoods or homes.

For we can no longer profess to be your followers, Lord, when we ignore what is happening around us, when we turn a blind eye to profiteering, greed and pollution, when we fail to speak out in the cause of truth, justice and right.

It is in promoting what is good, just, and wholesome that we can change mindsets and make the world a better place.

It is in thinking more of others and less of self gratification, that the world’s resources can be protected and more evenly shared.

It is in preserving, protecting, and restoring all of your creation that we can enable new life to continue to be born and a new creation to flourish.

Lead us, Father, towards a new normal, rich in Gospel values with Jesus as our constant companion and with the wisdom of your Spirit as our guide.  

Hundreds attend Cry of the Earth Webinar

Laudato Si’ reflection day in Salford in 2020

Religious and lay associates from across England and Wales and also a number from Ireland joined the first ever webinar put on by the Conference of Religious.   Ten months on from our cancelled Laudato Si’ reflection days, it was a chance to draw Religious together and to flag up ways of mobilising around the issue of climate change, and environmental damage, ahead of the UK hosting a major summit, COP26 in November.

Sr Sheila Kinsey

The keynote speakers were Rome based Sr Sheila Kinsey FCJM, the international Co-ordinator of the UISG Campaign: Sowing Hope for the Planet, Bishop John Arnold, the Lead on the environment for CBCEW and the Chair of Trustees of Cafod and Dr Carmody Grey, Assistant Professor of Catholic Theology at Durham University, working mainly in the areas of philosophical theology and theological ethics, with a focus on science, nature and environment.

Sr Maureen Murphy FMSJ of Salford diocese gave the opening prayer, which is reproduced separately on our homepage.

Three very detailed and illuminating presentations followed, with Sr Sheila outlining the international campaign and collaboration that is underway as part of www.sowinghopefortheplanet.org. Sr Sheila’s slides will be uploaded to the members section of this website shortly.

Bishop Arnold outlined the work of the Bishops and dioceses in raising ecology up the Church’s agenda and the extensive and ongoing work in schools around Laudato Si’ as well as the innovative Laudato Si’ Centre that is being developed in Salford diocese. He recalled a visit to a primary school where a very knowledgeable seven year old gave an account “with some authority” of planting and growing - and that teachers remark how interest in this subject has the added benefit of assisting in literacy and numeracy.

Both Bishop Arnold and Dr Carmody Grey also featured in short films which were played during the webinar, Global Healing and Global Caring  - available to view at:

https://www.ourcommonhome.co.uk/

Sr Margaret Atkins at Boarbank Hall, Cumbria

A video interview, filmed in the grounds of Boarbank Hall in Cumbria, with Sr Margaret Atkins OSA, was used to illustrate what one congregation is actively doing to ‘live’ Laudato Si.’  It’s available on CoR’s youtube channel (click on the red button in the social media symbols on the CoR homepage).

Building on her observations in the two aforementioned films, Dr Grey gave a profound reflection on the Christian imperative to protect planet earth and all its creatures, arguing theologically that non human life has intrinsic value and also drawing attention to the appalling standards of animal welfare through industrial farming: “70 billion animals are raised and slaughtered in factory farm conditions each year.”

A follow on meeting from this webinar will be announced soon, to assist congregations to develop their thoughts and plans around environmental issues.

After the three presentations, the speakers came together in a panel for a lively question and answer session: below is a flavour of the points raised:

In the light of COP26, what if every Catholic were to contact their MP to ask them to put ecology high on their agenda eg., with the development of renewable energy?

(a response to this point): There is a specific thing we can talk with our MPs about: ask them to support the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill (CEE Bill - https://www.ceebill.uk/ ) - it is a private members bill.

Environmental activists in the secular world have much to teach us.... eg. London Mining Network supports indigenous groups throughout the world in their struggles with mining companies registered on the London stock exchange. Columbans work closely with the London Mining Network.

One of my big concerns is about single use plastic. any suggestions for what we can do for this?  

Could Bishop Arnold encourage Bishops and parish priests to do more concerning Laudato Si’ and care of the universe?

To Carmody: How do we see the worship of creation as it happens in some religions, from that of Christian faith on God who incarnates himself in small things as you have said?

For Sr Sheila - you  mentioned training for advocacy. Obviously conversion is integral and personal and communal change is important, but we are all embedded in the system, and we have very little time and urgent system change is needed - so what can we do to motivate and organise Religious and others to get involved in advocacy - that is, to take the political action needed? (political in a broad sense, not party political necessarily)

Bishop John, you mentioned the benefit of ecological activities on the curricular performance in primary schools. Could that be brought into secondary level education?

Lock-down and less travel has proved that we can make a big difference to the quality of the air we breath and also to biodiversity. Should we not be placing more emphasis on reducing our carbon footprint?

Thanks,  Carmody! Excellent! Very inspiring. It reminds me of 'Dream together'. I wonder if you can give any idea how non Christians can be motivated for example?

Think of how one tiny virus has changed our world in the past year  - just a comment.

The Church abandoned Friday fasting from meat just about the time when the rest of the world was starting to embrace veganism! Can we use our liturgical seasons more powerfully by linking them to the way we eat (or don't eat)?

Behaviour change is a lengthy process - and we are restricted with time. What would you say  are the practical priority areas for action that we, as a faith community, can immediately engage with?

Carmody,: Is it possible living in this world without eating animals... ?

I was grateful to Carmody for emphasising the incarnational aspect of our faith. I was also impressed by the educational involvement of children in ecological learning. May I ask Bishop John what is being done in the seminaries to form priests in this regard?

Bishop John, if you had the Prime Minister in front of you today, as ecological lead for the bishops of England and Wales, what is the most important ecological ‘ask’ you would make of the UK government?

How could we as Religious support the bishops of England and Wales in creating the ‘political will’ to make this ‘ask’ a reality? Especially in the light of the UK government’s decision to cut the overseas aid budget?

Carmody - would you urge CAFOD to challenge industrial farming and agriculture?

I wonder how the Church felt about the suffragettes? We women wouldn't have had the vote??

London Mining Network is a great organization involved in the atrocities of mining in poor communities throughout the world.

All invited to NJPN's annual conference in July on issues raised today. https://www.justice-and-peace.org.uk/conference/

A call to ecological conversion: Cry of the Earth webinar

Bishop John Arnold leading prayer at CoR’s Laudato Si’ reflection day in February 2020

Cry of the Earth Ecology Webinar

Thursday 28th January 2021 from 2pm

With a growing sense of urgency about the need to care for our common home and following on from last year's cancelled Laudato Si' reflection days, we've organised a Webinar on January 28th, to which all Religious & lay associates are invited.

Guest speakers are Sr Sheila Kinsey FCJM, Bishop John Arnold and Dr Carmody Grey 

Five years ago Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’: On the Care for Our Common Home, was published. The document called on the entire global community to recognize how every person is connected and dependent on one another, as well as on the world in which we all live.  Recently, during an audience with a group of ecological experts, Pope Francis welcomed the fact that “the issue of ecology is increasingly permeating the ways of thinking at all levels and is beginning to influence political and economic choices, even if much remains to be done and even if we are still witnessing too slow and even backward steps.”

We're aiming to make the environment a key theme in 2021 so that the Religious of England and Wales can lend their voice to this most pressing issue, especially as the UK is hosting the 2021 UN Climate Change Conference.

Speaker Information

Sr Sheila Kinsey is the international Co-ordinator of the UISG Campaign,  Sowing Hope for the Planet. 

Bishop John Arnold is the Lead on the Environment for CBCEW, and Chair of Trustees for Cafod

Dr Carmody Grey is Assistant Professor of Catholic Theology at Durham University, working mainly in the areas of philosophical theology and theological ethics, with a focus on science, nature and environment. 

TO REGISTER, PLEASE SEND AN EMAIL TO:   

communications@corew.org

Keeping the rich heritage of religious orders alive in schools

An update on the work of ROE, the national association of founders or trustees of religious order schools in England and Wales:

By Sr Brenda Wallace FCJ 

              “When you say you would like to work in a school in trusteeship………you are saying that there is a group of people with a history and a community that you want to be part of.  You want to work for those people, you want to work alongside those people, you want to understand the history of the Order and of the schools and you want to be part of the future of those schools born out of that history. That is something very powerful and very strong. ……. You have the order of sisters, brothers or priests always behind you, supporting you in that role. This is absolutely invaluable and extraordinarily precious”.

Religious & lay people in collaboration: ROE Charism working group

              There are a number of striking aspects to these words – the fact that they were spoken by a lay head some twenty years after the last religious head of her school had retired is sufficient grounds for hope that the rich heritage of religious orders can continue to make a difference in our schools. Even more encouraging is that they were heard at the end of a wet November afternoon by 93 new senior leaders who had opted to take part in ROE’s inaugural webinar on charism. We were amazed and delighted by the number of senior leaders who wanted to participate; this in spite of all the additional stresses and strains on them caused by the pandemic. They came from schools and colleges in the trusteeship of twenty different religious orders. Focusing on charism and community, the symposium was the first of three webinars designed to help new senior leaders to reflect on the distinctive spirit of their founding order and to think about how it might shape their approach to their new role.  Their feedback was overwhelmingly positive. The next webinar on 16th March will explore charism and spirituality. ROE members attending the on-line plenary this month were delighted to hear of the success of this initiative. This work is at the heart of the mission of ROE and our vision  “to see 21st century Catholic education strengthened and enhanced by the distinctive charisms of religious orders continuing to animate and enrich the schools and colleges of which they are the trustees or founders.”

              ROE is also making progress on its other key project – looking into the possibility of setting up a collaborative trust for those religious orders who no longer feel able to carry alone the responsibility of trusteeship of their schools and colleges.  At our July plenary we had shared with members the guiding principles of such a trust and our vision of education.  In the breakout groups members spoke then of the vision as “powerful and aspirational” and resonated with the phrase “co-creators of a better world” and the desire for our young people to achieve excellence in both learning and in living. In the second year of this three year project, we have turned our attention to legal and financial issues.  In our plenary this month, we were able to share with members our preliminary thoughts on what the governance of the trust might look like and hear their views on some of the legal and financial aspects we have been researching.  Members were pleased to hear of the help and advice given to us by Paul Barber of the CES and by Paul Meany from Le Cheile.  There is much more work to do and we hope to have a business plan ready for the plenary in July 2021.

Sr Brenda Wallace at the launch of ROE

              “I enjoyed seeing and sharing with like-minded friends, once again feeling part of a larger whole and the support that comes from that.” This was a constant theme of the feedback after the recent plenary.  We were pleased to receive this and other similar comments.  They reflect our mission and purpose which is to “seek to work together collaboratively, responding creatively to the unfolding needs of our members.”

              At the end of the plenary we were reminded again of the inspiring words of Pope St. John Paul: “You have not only a glorious history to remember and to recount, but also a great history still to be accomplished! Look to the future where the Spirit is sending you in order to do even greater things.”

              If you would like to be involved in either of these two projects or if you would just like  further information on the work of ROE please contact either brendawallacefcj.roe@gmail.com or (for information about the charism group)     patriciagoodstadt.roe@gmail.com

How one congregation harnessed the power of technology to combat pandemic challenges

 By Sr Maureen Tinkler DC

“ZOOM and our meeting went boom! High as a rainbow we went flying by! “

(….to paraphrase the famous song by Fat Larry’s Band ) 

Plan A:  Originally our Provincial Assembly (to bring Sisters in Great Britain and Australia together) was to have taken place in a hotel in Bradford last July, but we had to cancel because of COVID-19 restrictions.    

Plan B: The British side then arranged to meet in two different venues in the north and south of England and connect via technology with each other and with Australia – but both venues then also cancelled!  

Plan C:   We had to go back to the drawing board and think of another way around the huge logistical difficulties. The result was a technological experiment from our Provincial House in North London.  We decided to run the Assembly by Zoom with Screen Share Presentations and Break Out Groups for small group work - using the White Board feature in our meeting room for group feedback purposes. The financial outlay for the technology was appreciable but when balanced against the costs that we would have incurred for hiring venues and technicians, we easily broke even and had the added investment value of having this equipment available for the future. It was a good strategic decision, with future planning in mind.  

This required a lot of preparation and training. At our Provincial House in Mill Hill we created a HUB - a Social Comms Room. Here we installed a PTZ (PAN, Tilt, Zoom) video camera which filmed proceedings via Zoom using a 98” LCD Screen which we installed on the wall.  

We had 66 delegates attending the Assembly - from both Great Britain and Australia (For the DCs - these Geographic areas now form the Province of ‘Rosalie Rendu’). The average age of our Sisters is 72, and very few of them had used Zoom before, so we had to put on a focussed Zoom Training Programme. 

Sr Ellen Flynn DC

Before the training began, we had to make sure that every house had superfast broadband  installed and that each delegate had access to an up-to-date laptop or PC. Also, when using Zoom, each delegate had to be in her own room on her own machine otherwise there would be terrible feedback problems!! 

Zoom Training took place on 5 working days before the Assembly began. A Zoom link was sent to each delegate and the training session lasted for one hour. Sisters who felt confident just came to a single session. Other, less-confident delegates attended all the training sessions. We also conducted about 30 individual sessions for the very diffident Sisters. 

During the Assembly we voted on various proposals and propositions. For voting purposes each delegate had been sent 3 large squares - RED (no), GREEN (yes) and YELLOW (abstain). Our delegates filled 3 Zoom screens (25+ per page) When each delegate voted by holding up her card screen shots were taken of the three Participants’ Gallery pages, so it was easy to count and get accurate results. 

Sisters in Australia

We also elected two delegates to attend the General Assembly next year with our Provincial, Sr Ellen Flynn. For this voting, (which needed to be private), we used survey monkey.  

In conclusion, nothing can ever replace being together for a Provincial Meeting, but we asked our Sisters to evaluate their experience afterwards and they overwhelmingly fed back that they had really enjoyed it. The Assembly on Zoom had achieved its purpose and the Sisters were pleased with their newly acquired IT skills; in fact the Zooming still continues on a regular basis across the Province : we link up to “Meet and Greet”, share prayer & participate in webinars……. 

To misquote Vera Lynn,  the following refrain has become our very own: 

“We’ll meet again, don’t know where, don’t know when, but I know we’ll meet again - using Zoom-ing skills!” 

Service to commemorate the women martyrs of El Salvador

On December 2nd 1980, four Catholic missionaries from the United States working in El Salvador were raped and murdered by five members of the El Salvador National Guard. They were Maryknoll Sisters Maura Clarke and Ita Ford, Cleveland Ursuline Sister Dorothy Kazel, and lay missionary Jean Donovan. This was nine months after the assassination of Archbishop Romero and the Salvadoran civil war was underway. 

CoR working with Archbishop Romero Trust, Cafod and Pax Christi invite members to share the zoom invitation :

Live Streamed Service at 7pm on 2nd December 2020.

You can join by clicking on the following links

www.botwell.org.uk And

https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCNvHNooijkNJ3CedpME2NSQ

An invitation to congregations to reflect on IICSA - with renowned theologian, Fr Nick King SJ

Join us for a one off talk by the renowned theologian, Fr Nick King SJ:  On Being A Religious today – Responding to the IICSA report:

Nov 26: 4-5.30pm (to receive a zoom link, email admin@corew.org)

A chance to come together as members of religious congregations to reflect on the painful findings of IICSA – a biblical and spiritual reflection.  Also to turn our thoughts into making the Church a safer place for  those entrusted to us:

The Awfulness

Signs of Hope?

A Possible Way Ahead

Have Religious Got It Wrong?

What Do the Scriptures Tell Us?

·         Beatitudes

·         Lucan Summaries

·         Petrine Failures

·         A Concluding Vision 

To register, email admin@corew.org

Five UK religious orders join new wave of fossil fuel divestment

Five Catholic religious orders in the UK were among those announcing their divestment from fossil fuel companies, in the recent  largest-ever divestment announcement by faith organisations. In total, 47 faith institutions from 21 countries contributed to the announcement.  

The UK congregations were:  the Mill Hill Missionaries (British Region), the Sisters of the Holy Cross (English Province), the Society of the Sacred Heart (England and Wales Province), the Sisters of St Andrew in England and the Congregation of Our Lady, Canonesses of St Augustine. The full list of participating institutions is here.

The new announcement brings the total number of UK religious orders that have divested to 12, along with three out of 22 Catholic dioceses in England and Wales. Around the world, more than 400 religious institutions have now committed to divest.

In June this year, the Vatican recommended in its first-ever operational guidelines on ecology that all Catholic organisations divest from fossil fuels. During the same week as the announcement, Pope Francis convened the Economy of Francesco, an online conference involving more than 1000 young adults, which explored innovative ways of shaping a sustainable economy.

The announcement coincided with the fifth anniversary of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. The UK government faces increasing pressure to demonstrate global leadership on the climate crisis ahead of the UN climate talks (COP26) taking place in Glasgow in November 2021. Faith organisations participating in the announcement strengthened calls for the UK government to end support for fossil fuels overseas and support countries to leapfrog to renewable and efficient energy.

Fr Dermot F Byrne MHM, Regional Representative of Mill Hill Missionaries (British Region), said: ‘Our members have always worked among the poorest and most disadvantaged in Africa, Asia and South America, and the pursuit of social equality and justice has always been a serious priority for us. Concern for what Pope Francis reminds us is ‘our common home’ has to be part of that pursuit. As our numbers decrease worldwide, there can seem to be little that we can do to make an impact, but divestment from fossil fuels is a practical choice that is open to us all and may have far-reaching results. Consequently, we feel that such divestment is in line with Catholic social teaching and the spirit of the present age, and we are happy that we, as a Region, are able to make this small contribution.’

Sr Catherine Lloyd RSCJ, Provincial of the Society of the Sacred Heart (England and Wales Province), said: ‘The Province has actively engaged in reducing its carbon footprint for a number of years as the impact of the climate crisis became more apparent and urgent. After reflecting on our own values and the charism which underpins them, we have actively engaged with our fund managers to divest our investment portfolio of fossil fuels. Hopefully, we are making a contribution to working towards a future which is more sustainable and carbon neutral.’

The Leadership Team of the Sisters of the Holy Cross in England said: ‘As Sisters of the Holy Cross in England, Pope Francis' encyclical, Laudato Si’, has encouraged us to focus on care of creation. For some time, we have been urging our investors to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels... We have realised that engagement with these companies only has limited success. We have now informed our investors that we have decided to completely disinvest from fossil fuels, and thus work towards a zero carbon future.’

Lord Deben, Chair of the UK Committee on Climate Change, recently urged Catholic leaders to play a more active role on the climate crisis when he addressed hundreds of people in a webinar on Catholic investment for an integral ecology. He said: ‘It is hugely important for the Catholic community to be very visible…it must be very determined, and it must be clear that we all ought to be in this together.’

In September, it was revealed that Shell plans to resume oil and gas exploration in the Arctic for the first time since 2015, despite pressure from faith investors and others that has exposed the inherent weakness of the fossil fuel industry.

James Buchanan, Bright Now Campaign Manager at Operation Noah, said: ‘It is hugely encouraging that so many religious orders have divested from fossil fuel companies as part of this announcement. We encourage more religious orders to divest from fossil fuels as a practical response to the climate emergency, especially in this crucial year for climate action ahead of COP26 [the UN climate talks in Glasgow] in 2021.’

How your religious order can get involved:

Could your religious order make a commitment to divest from fossil fuels and participate in a future joint divestment announcement? Please get in touch with Bokani Tshidzu on bokani.tshidzu@operationnoah.org for further information or to register your interest.

From refugees to worldwide congregations: a celebration of 150 years

The Sisters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary at Chigwell Convent recently celebrated the 150th anniversary of the arrival of the Order in the UK. Bishop Alan Williams presided at a Thanksgiving Mass zoomed to their 29 communities worldwide.

On the altar was a book of remembrance, detailing the many sisters who have served since 1870 – to be included in the prayers during Mass. Sr Mary Mangan, leader of the congregation said, “There are at least 600 names in the book – and we must always remember that we are standing on the shoulders of those who went before us.”

She referred to the story of the nuns’ arrival in England as refugees during the Franco-Prussian War. “Just think for a moment about their situation then: not knowing what was going to happen when they left Germany or France, simply having to trust in the Holy Spirit.”

Sr Lorna Walsh went on to tell that story in more detail: In 1865 Fr Victor Braun, working in Paris, recognised that young German women arriving in Paris looking for work were in danger of being picked up and trafficked for sexual exploitation or slave labour. He gathered a few young women to help him to establish safe houses for them and on the 17 October 1866, the feast of the Blessed Margaret-Mary, he consecrated those helpers to the Heart of Jesus. “This day is seen as the Founding Day of our Congregation which was then known as ‘Servants of the Sacred Heart’.”

Just four years later, in 1870, the Franco-Prussian war broke out. All German nationals were ordered to leave France – this included many of the sisters and Fr. Braun himself, who returned to Metz before joining the army as a chaplain.

A Red Cross worker from Ireland called Josephine Gibson met the remaining sisters while working in the army hospital in Versailles and joined them as a postulant. Despite the danger, Josephine decided to take three German-born sisters to safety in England under the protection of the British Red Cross. But even with Red Cross passports they were looked on as spies by the French soldiers, badly treated and one sister was even imprisoned for a short while.

Josephine made three more journeys eventually bringing ten sisters to safety in England. Fr. Braun came with her on her last journey – going the long way around through Germany, Luxembourg and Belgium in order to avoid war-torn France.

On their arrival in England the sisters had been welcomed into the Diocese of Westminster by Cardinal Manning and different congregations gave them accommodation – the Sisters of Charity, the Sisters of Mercy and the Nazareth Sisters. When Fr Braun arrived, a meeting with Cardinal Manning led to the congregation’s first foundation in England at 2 Eden Villas, Stratford, London.

“Josephine became a novice known as Sister Marie of Jesus, but after this she disappears from our history. We have no record of what happened to her. She was the instrument chosen by God to establish our congregation in England. We owe her a deep debt of gratitude and pray that her life was blessed as she moved on,” said Sr Lorna.

Stratford at that time was overcrowded, she added. People were very poor, and many were sick because they could not afford decent housing or food. The sisters were soon fully occupied nursing the sick in their homes, offering working girls an education and a future and providing spiritual and practical support. Young women from England and Ireland were soon inspired to join this small group. In 1871 alone, nine young women joined as postulants.

The Franco-Prussian war ended in May 1871 and on 29 January,1872 in the Parish of Stratford, East London for the first time since the founding of the congregation in 1866, thirteen sisters made their first profession. The superiors of the four houses in France also came over to make their first professions. On the same day two more postulants joined the congregation.

“This year is the 150th anniversary of the sisters’ arrival in England: the seed that grew into our congregation of the Sisters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. From a few German refugees, our Charism has spread throughout the UK and Ireland, to the Americas, Africa and The Philippines. Today, refugees get a bad press; as we remember with gratitude our own refugee beginning, let us pray that all refugees will be welcomed in their new countries.”

Given the Covid-19 restrictions, she said, it had been agreed that the congregation would celebrate the 150th anniversary of the first professions in 2022, “but we wanted to mark this anniversary of our arrival in England and give thanks to God for all the blessings we have received”.

Sr Lorna concluded: “Let us echo the voices of our first sisters and join together in the prayer that has been said from the beginning of our foundation – ‘May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be everywhere loved. Immaculate Heart of Mary pray for us. Amen’.”

In his homily, Bishop Alan referred to the “wonderful gospel of the visitation” that had been read during Mass. “It marks the beginning of the adventure of Mary, the Mother of God. It is a very personal moment when Mary looks towards God, questions, and then says a grace-filled ‘yes’ to him. As Elizabeth will say when she visits her, ‘blessed is she who believes’.”

While the gospels narrate the work of Jesus, there are precious moments about Mary, he said. “Remarkably, in the really important, critical times, we hear about her. At the wedding in Cana, for example, and at the cross of Jesus, when the apostles have fled, it is Mary and the faithful disciple who remain.”

He added: “Most of Mary’s witness, her work, was hidden, but 2000 years later that wonderful work of mercy is still continuing in this congregation. The book of remembrance contains the names of all the sisters. Many lives have been changed by the witness, faith and goodness of these sisters. We give thanks for that.”

He read a prayer that he felt was very apposite, derived from the Order’s own mission statement:

Faithful to our call to an everlasting faithful God,

We devote ourselves to our share in the mission of Jesus.  

Empowered by the Holy Spirit, we deepen our relationship with God and each other.

Attentive to the needs of the world, trusting in God’s goodness and inspired by the fidelity and Faithfulness of Mary, we open ourselves to Spirit-filled newness of life.  

We live in this blessed moment and move forward in hope to serve the living, all powerful, Triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Amen, Amen, Amen  

The Bishop concluded: “The Sisters have the heart of Mary as they respond to the gospel and they take it all on trust – yesterday, today and tomorrow.”

After the Mass, Sr Mary Mangan, leader of the congregation, said: “It was a wonderful memorial service of thanksgiving for our early sisters who were refugees. We celebrated their bravery – and that of Josephine, the young woman who brought them here. It was wonderful to be able to link with our 29 other communities worldwide for the Mass.”

She says the congregation today shares the spirit of those early sisters. “They wanted to work with the poor and marginalised, in areas where no one else would be working, and we haven’t moved from that.”

She sees young women joining the order in Africa and Asia for that very reason. “I ask them what attracted them to the Order, and they say that when they were children, they would see sisters going into compounds and would say to one another, there is someone very sick in there.

“They respond to our work with the poor. And that goes back to the very beginning, when Fr Braun gathered a group of women at the railway station in Paris to meet and help women coming in from Alsace-Lorraine, often falsely promised employment by those wishing to traffic them into prostitution.” That focus on trafficked people has not changed either.

Once those early sisters arrived in England, they opened several places in northern England and set about helping the poor, concentrating on areas of need. “Many sisters became nurses and teachers. We were pioneers in bringing in education for children with special needs and we are still involved with that in our different countries.”

She herself made the decision to become a sister in 1962. “I remember very clearly saying that I wanted to help others. Although I enjoyed the social life of my teenage years, still there was an inner stirring and a desire to offer myself to the Lord, but I felt that I couldn’t do it on my own. I needed the support of others to do this wholeheartedly.” Sr. Mary left her home in the west of Ireland and joined the Sisters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary in Chigwell.

Since then she has taught special needs children, worked over many years supporting women trafficked into prostitution, and developed a community service in Ireland for adults with special needs.

“As we have got older as a congregation we tend to support campaigns rather than do work on the ground, but we have someone who sleeps in a sheltered house once a week for women who have been trafficked, while others collect clothing for trafficked people,” she says. “Sisters help in local areas in whatever way they can to relieve poverty, homelessness, and help the families of prisoners at Christmas and Easter. We are supported by the prayers and fundraising of our many Sacred Heart Companions in various parishes where our sisters served.”

In Zambia, Uganda and The Philippines the Order still has professions every year but there are far fewer enquirers here in the UK. Looking back, Sr Mary says she was completely certain of the call to offer her life to God: “There are many more opportunities for people to help others as volunteers nowadays,” she says, “but the call to religious life is still there but perhaps that inner stirring, that still small voice is not always listened to. We thank God for the witness of our Sisters since 1870 and we pray for all who are discerning their way of life be it religious life, priesthood, married or single.”