News
Archive
August
2015
News Archive for August 2015
Archdiocese Pilgrimage
to Lourdes 2015
On Friday 21st August Bishop
Paul led the Southwark diocesan pilgrimage
to Lourdes.They travelled with The Catholic Association who has organised pilgrimages to Lourdes for over a hundred years. While preserving the diocesan identity, they will be part of a larger group and have the opportunity to meet people from other dioceses, schools, and organisations throughout the country
They go to Lourdes in response to an invitation of Our Blessed Lady to go there in Procession, to give praise to God Our Father, to meet him in the Eucharist, to make known his Kingdom here on earth. Mary invites us to go to Lourdes to pray, to contemplate the mysteries of the Rosary, the Rosary which Pope Paul VI called 'a synthesis of the whole Gospel'
The Pilgrims remember the whole diocese in their prayers and worship and ask the whole diocese of pray for them in return
On Saturday 22nd Canon Ed Perera, the Diocesan Director, and Bishop Paul host a meeting for Southwark Pilgrims. They were joined by Monsignor Bill Saunders who is Director of the whole Pilgrimage
On Sunday 23rd
the Pilgrimage joins over seven thousand others for the
Sunday International Mass, held in the Underground Pius X Basilica
The Catholic Association
lead the Sunday night Marian Torchlight
procession
On Monday 24th the prilgims processed to the Grotto
Mass at the Grotto
Penitential Service at St Pius X Basilica Monday afternoon
There are two particular groups:
The Glanfield Group, who bring children whose lives are made complicated by certain medical conditions to Lourdes.
The HCP - Helpers Children's Programme - who assist parents on the Pilgrimage who wish to help in Lourdes by taking care and engaging with their children while they work
The Mass organised by the children: this year a mime was carried out while the Gospel was read; the children read the bidding prayers, and some of the young adults sung the Psalm and sung a reflection piece after Communion.
Bishop Paul Hendricks presided and preached at the Mass, and Southwark provided the reader for the First Reading.
After a busy day of prayers at the Baths, Stations of the Cross, Mass organised by the Children, the Southwark Pilgrims gathered for some time together
On Thursday 27th the pilgrims joined the Anointing of the Sick in St Pius X Basilican
†
Please pray for the repose of the soul of
Reverend Deacon Philip Gummett
who died on 15th August 2015
His body will be received into St Peter's Catholic Church
Bargoed CF81 8RJ
on Tuesday 25th at 18:00 followed by Mass
His Funeral Mass will be held at
St Peter's Catholic Church, Bargoed, CF81 8RJ
at 11:30 on Wednesday 26th August 2015
followed by burial in Gwaelod yr Brithdir Cemetery, NP24 6JY
All are welcome
In lieu of flowers - donations to
The Alzheimer's Society or The Rocky Appeal (QA Hospital, Portsmouth)
c/o D J Thomas & Son, Bargoed, CF81 8NW
May he rest in peace
Blessed Oscar Romero Thanksgiving Mass
On Saturday 15th August 2015, the 98th anniversary of Blessed Oscar Romero's birth hundreds of people from across the UK gathered for the National Mass of Thanksgiving in Metropolitan Cathedral Church of St George to celebrate the life, martyrdom and beatification of the Archbishop of Oscar Romero.
Mass was celebrated by Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor, patron of the Archbishop Romero Trust, joined by fourteen other priests, including three other bishops. The Cardinal wore the chasuble brought back from the Beatification in San Salvador, which has been gifted to the Cathedral.
At the end of Mass, a candle made for the occasion was lit by the Romero Cross designed by Fernando Llort and which contains relics of Blessed Romero.
After Mass, the congregation gathered in Amigo Hall to hear from Bishop John, Clare Dixon and Julian Filochowski of the Romero Trust who were all privileged to attend the beatification, before a toast to Romero and Cardinal Cormac cut a birthday cake for Archbishop Romero's birthday.
Images from the event can be found on the Romero Trust's Facebook page and some images taken by Carols Reyes Manzo are on the Romero Trust's Flickr account
A round up of events around the world for Romero's birthday can be found on the Super Martyrio blog
Apostleship of the Sea
Following on from the recent blessing of the new Seafarers Centre Sheerness in May this year and Sea Sunday (second Sunday of July), the diocese is delighted to once again support the Apostleship of Sea by hosting the “Stella Maris Mass for Seafarers” in the Cathedral at 12.30pm on Thursday 24th September.
All are invited to this Mass, which will be celebrated by Bishop Tom Burns SM, to pray for seafarers and the work of the Apostleship of the Sea who continue to support seafarers’ faith and welfare needs.
Visit their website for more information on the work of the AoS: www.apostleshipofthesea.org.uk