WE SHALL HAVE MUSIC

WEST CUMBRIA DEANERY MUSIC DAY
Monica Slavin

Over 50 people from parishes as far away as Penrith and Carlisle joined local singers and musicians at St Mary’s, Cleator, for a liturgical music day led by Fr Manny Gribben. Fr Manny introduced and taught a selection of music appropriate for November and Advent, using the opportunity to dispense words of wisdom on choosing music that enhances liturgical celebration. The breadth and depth of his scholarship and understanding presented with his characteristic and delightful lightness of touch made the day as enjoyable as it was informative.

LOOKING FOR VOCATIONS? READ THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES

“Many men and women in their twenties have made a choice to ‘swim against the tide’ as a result of their faith-commitment,” - Father Paul Embery of the National Office for Vocations

Each diocese in the country has its own Vocations Director, ours is Fr Manny Gribben at Cleator. Recently all these priests met together at Wonersh Seminary, Guildford. Fr Paul Embery, also from our diocese and currently National Director for Vocations, spoke on the subject of just where to look for vocations. Fr Paul urged everyone engaged in the Church’s pastoral efforts (and that would seem to include all of us), to read the changing signs of the times and be more confident in encouraging young people to actively consider priesthood and consecrated life amongst other vocations. The average age of those entering priesthood and the religious life has risen over the last few decades, but the level of interest amongst younger candidates is also increasing.

Fr Paul continued:
“Many men and women in their twenties have made a choice to ‘swim against the tide’ as a result of their faith-commitment, “They may have found their faith challenged and have made a conscious decision to want to understand it more fully and live it more explicitly. Many have come to a fuller appreciation of Christ and the Church through chaplaincies and new Church groups, or even having undergone a significant conversion experience. They give hope for the future, but need to be properly nourished in faith if they are to be the leaven in the dough. They need the support of the Church at every level.”

The increasing number of young who are currently looking on their lives as a vocation gave fresh heart to conference delegates Many of these young people are more than willing to consider the priesthood and religious life as options. The Vocations web site (www.ukpriest.org) gets over 2000 visitors each month.

Fr Embery again, “In our changing world, following Christ in a life of consecrated service will never be easy or predictable. It is a challenge that requires nothing short of a real step in faith. But once that step has been taken it can be a joy-filled vocation.”

KNIGHTS NEWS
Fr D.G. Duane

The Supreme Council meeting of the Knights of St. Columba took place in the Central hotel, Glasgow from Friday 6th October until Sunday.8th October 2006.The Diocese was represented by Brother John Doran, Whitehaven, Supreme Knight, who was subsequently re-elected for another year. Past Supreme Knight, Bro. Ken Hargreaves was present. The Provincial Grand Knights from Cumbria Province 6, Bro.Stephen Scott, and Lancashire, Province 7, Brother John Sargeant, were present, as also were Bro.Wif Gill, Cumbria and Bro Ernest Gilliot, (Lancashire .Province 7. Fr. D. Duane, Provincial Chaplain, Cumbria, also attended. The Council meeting councluded with a Concelebrated Mass the celebrants being the Ecclesiastical Advisor, Bishop Malcolm McMahon. O.P., Nottingham McMahon.and Fathers Leslie Knight, Brentwood, Francis Gerard, North Wales, and Fr. D.Duane, Cumbria.

CATENIAN NEWS

Preston south circle recently held a charity event at St. Walburge’s church, Preston in aid of of CAFOD'S latest campaign to help feed the starving in Africa. e entertainment was provided by a local folk band called "Trouble at T'Mill" and over one hundred members, their wives, families and friends attended to give support. The evening was most successful raising over £715. “Trouble at T’Mill” have now given concerts that have raised over £5,000 for charitable purposes.

LANCASTER DIOCESAN PILGRIMAGE TO FATIMA OCTOBER 2006
John Baldwin

Saturday 7th October saw around 50 Pilgrims from around the Diocese set off for Fatima. It turned out to be a very busy week.
Sunday: Mass at the Capelinha, a semi-open air Chapel where Our Lady appeared to the three children, Lucia, Francisco and Jacinta, in 1917. The Blessed Sacrament procession and the evening candlelight procession followed this.
Monday: A walking tour of the Sanctuary and in the afternoon went to Valinhos where Our Lady appeared to the children on the 19th August, the only time she appeared out of the Cova d Iria and not on the 13th day of the month. Then on to Cabeco where the Angel of Portugal appeared to the children, and on again to the homes of the three children and finally to Mass at the parish church of Fatima and the candle light procession.
Tuesday: A tour of Lisbon including the convent where Jacinta spent a few days before her death. Visits to the cathedral and the Church of St. Anthony built over the site of his birth place before Mass back in Fatima and the candle light procession.
Wednesday: We walked the Way of the Cross before Mass in the Chapel of St. Stephen of Hungary. At the holy hour in the Chapel of Our Lady of Sorrows we prayed for Bishop Patrick and all our Priests, Deacons, Religious and the Faithful of Our Diocese. Fr Peter also Consecrated those who wished to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The day concluded with the candle light procession.
Thursday: To the seaside town of Nazare on the Atlantic coast, stopping on the way at the ancient Abbey of Our Lady of Victories, the burial place of some of the Portuguese Kings and of some interest to us Lancastrians as Philipa Daughter of John of Gaunt, a Lancastrian is buried there. We called at the Walled Town of Obidos, before returning to Fatima for Dinner and the Vigil Mass prior to the celebrations of the 13th.
Friday the 13th: (the highlight of the week). This day commemorates the day of the last apparition and the Miracle of the Sun. The Celebrations consisted of Rosary at the Capelinha, the Procession of the Statue of Our Lady of Fatima, solemn High Mass and the blessing of the Sick. Finally we had the return of Our Lady's Statue to the Capelinha and the Adeus de Fatima (the Great Farewell). This was a truly moving experience for those who were privileged to witness the thousands of pilgrims who were there.

Our photograph shows, left to right: Graham Dixon band leader, Peter Grimshaw of Cafod, Denis Ware band member, Mike Neill, Circle Event Organiser, Brian Walton Circle President and Bernadette Dixon, Vocalist

HELP FOR YOUTH LEADERS AT ADVENT & CHRISTMAS

Are you preparing services, activities or celebrations for Advent and Christmas? It can sometimes be difficult to come up with something ‘new’, beyond nativities with a child in a tea towel head dress and a sheep falling asleep that are so basic to the ‘You’ve been framed’ type of TV programme.
The following websites might provide some extra oomph to your planning!
www.castleriggmanor.co.uk
The Diocesan Youth Centre site has loads of prayers, reflections and stories that could be used in a variety of ways.
www.activityvillage.co.uk/christmas_crafts.htm
Christmas crafts for all the family, including ways to create stocking ornaments, wreaths, stars and angels.
www.cptryon.org/prayer/child/adv-prep.html
A lovely little site by Father Hoagland helping children to learn how to pray. There are prayers for Advent and Christmas as well as a rhyming story of St Nicholas.
www.assemblies.org.uk/current/index.html
This site, sponsored by the religious publisher SPCK, is another school-based site but it contains plenty of ideas that can be adapted for all-age worship. In the present list of assemblies, 'No Room...', 'Christmas in Iceland' and 'The Best Gift' would be particularly appropriate.
www.culham.info/Christmas/index.html
By now, you will probably have been practising the carols for several weeks and will have printed out the service sheets for your carol service.… However, in case you really have left it to the last minute (or are eager to plan well in advance for next year), there are some ideas here for celebrating a traditional Christmas service of nine lessons and carols. This is also a good place to start looking for images if you are planning PowerPoint™ presentations – there are links to artwork websites.
www.canticanova.com/planning/year-c/plnmc_m.htm
Helpful suggestions for hymns, liturgical, choral and organ music are provided on this website. Subscribers to ROOTS Children and Young People and Worship resources also have access to www.rootsontheweb.com where there are a wide range of Advent and Christmas resources to use with children and young people. So, a little effort, some surfing and searching, might make your preparation this year that bit more rewarding.

KESWICK PARISHIONERS VISIT CASTLERIGG MANOR
John Hodgson

During their staff training week at the end of October, the young, enthusiastic, dynamic leaders who run the diocesan youth training centre invited parishioners of the church of Our Lady and St Charles to spend an evening with them. Some forty parishioners gladly accepted and were most royally entertained.
We were welcomed most warmly and were discreetly divided into groups and shown around this impressive and attractive manor house. We visited the games area and went on to inspect the dormitories, the kitchen and the dining areas. We then went to the chapel and were most captivated with the reverential simplicity of this stone-clad place of worship. We were escorted back to the great hall to be greeted by a sumptuous array of various cheeses, biscuits and drinks. We intermingled with the young leaders and learnt much about them and their lives and philosophies.
After a while we returned to the chapel and our hosts led us in a service of prayers and hymns. A delightful evening came to a charming and humbling end as we prayed the Lord’s Prayer together. Michael, Caroline, Adam, John, Theresa, Jack, Sarah and Alissia had done themselves and us really proud.

FOOTPRINTS IN ZAMBIA
Fr.Kenan Chibawe

Fr Chibawe is a Zambian priest currently on Study Leave in this country. Here he pays a glowing tribute to the work done in Zambia by priests of this diocese and the inspiration it was to him.

Here I am in England, a priest of the Monze Diocese. After just a few days I’m already in problems: your hot season seems to have gone. Added to that, there are festivities in the north-west of England which directly involve me, and here I am in the south-east! I am determined to play a part, because the footprints of your people are implanted on my heart and soul.

As a young schoolboy in 1990, I recall Fr.John Walsh visiting my home village, Ntambo, a new ‘stranger-priest’ from abroad. His example of getting on with his pastoral duties touched me. A year later I finished high school and entered the seminary. Others there spoke better English than me. I was impressed. They turned out to be boys who had passed through the junior seminary and had their English polished by Fr.Tony Gaskin and Deacon Peter Williams. Can footprints be left in someone’s speech? I believe so.

Five years on, I was assigned to my home parish for pastoral year, falling under the care of Fr.Paul Swarbrick. To be honest, he used to go missing from the Mission for days. Surprisingly, he wasn’t always on holiday; Often he was in the outstations, for days on end, and soon he taught me to value this ‘going out’ to the very people I had come from and was in danger of losing contact with. His footprints are all over the remotest villages in his parish, where no vehicle could ever reach.

Fr.John Baron, priest, teacher, dramatist, showed me how to celebrate young people, and showed me how to stay young at heart. Impressions left on young people go deep and last long.

Following ordination I was appointed to Choma, where many have been because many paths cross there. I found those prints left by Fr.Gerry Muir, builder of the church, Fr.Tim Sullivan, catechiser and language man, Norman Johnston, dancer and scout leader.

Two years later I was moved to a remote parish in the Zambezi Valley, Maamba. Fr.Tim’s footprints are found there too.

So many footprints, and these are only a few, and only those I’ve found so far. Others can point to more footprints, remember whose they are, recall names and recount stories that are well-worth the telling. And the young and those who never met you wonder where these prints come from, and where they lead.

Recently, I returned to Chivuna, to say good-bye to family and friends before this trip to England. In the Mission there is an outstanding water project, miraculous to find it there in the bush. Harry Whiteside is an outstanding engineer, but before that he is an outstanding Catholic layman. I remember that Jesus walked on water: In Zambia, thanks to the generosity of Lancaster people, Jesus’ footprints are even found on the water.

SISTERS OF MERCY CELEBRATE

The Sisters of Mercy from England, Scotland and Wales celebrate their 175th anniversary on 12th December 2006. Catherine McAuley who was appalled at the exploitation of workers and the terrible conditions in which they and their families lived founded the order on 12th December 1831 in Dublin. Today, in their 175th Jubilee year, Sisters of Mercy minister from 160 Convents or Mercy establishments throughout England, Scotland and Wales. Some of their houses have outreaches abroad in Kenya, Lebanon, Peru, Romania, South Africa and Ethiopia. On December 11th, the birthday of Catherine McAuley, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor will celebrate a Mass of Thanksgiving in Westminster Cathedral. The Homily will be given by Archbishop Vincent Nichols.