On Going Formation of Priests - Aylesford

On Tuesday 19th July until Thursday 21st the On Going Formation of Priests' team organised a over night stay at Aylesford for the newly arrived and newly ordained priests and also for the newly appointed Parish Priests



This course, presented by the Chancery, was part of four throughout the year that the On Going Formation of Priests' team provide



There is also a course presented by the Finance Office, the Education Commission and the Safeguarding Office to help priest comprehend the Diocese as an organisation



It provided a fortuitous opportunity to celebrate Fr Bartlomiej Dudek’s birthday

Southwark Catholic Youth Service
Pilgrimage to World Youth Day

The pilgrims say goodbye to Krakow and give thanks for an amazing week with a wonderful group of clergy, leaders and young people.





Campus Misericordiae - Holy Mass on the occasion of the World Youth Day Krakow 2016 (arrow to the area where the Altar was set up):


Looking out from the Sanctuary some hours before Mass began... the empty benches were later filled with concelebrating clergy.









Vigil with Pope Francis in Campus Misericordiae 30 July 2016








The Holy Father arrives for World Youth Day. He greeted the President and his wife, children gave him flowers and a traditional Cracovian hat before he drove off to Wawel Castle

The Reverend Jacques Hamel

''It was with great sadness that I heard the terrible news of the death of Fr. Jacques Hamel in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, France.
I am with hundreds of thousands young Catholics in Krakow, Poland, and together we offer a positive witness of faith.
It was the great witness of Fr Jacques to stand by the Gospel that Jesus Christ gave to us against the terror of a grossly distorted understanding of God's will.
We pray for the Diocese of Rouen and its people, but let us also pray for peace among all peoples and security for all in their daily life.''

Muslim leaders join Cardinal Nichols in prayer

''Together as faith leaders our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and all those affected by the murderous assault that took place at the Church of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray in France. We are deeply saddened and shocked by the brutal murder of Fr Jacques Hamel. To commit murder at a place where people gather in peace to worship adds another layer of depravity to the violence that we have witnessed over the past weeks. We pray for the courage to respond to all evil with truth, justice, and reconciliation''

Southwark Catholic Youth Service
Pilgrimage to World Youth Day

On Saturday 23rd July 2016 The Southwark Catholic Youth Service set off from St George's Cathedral, Southwark, via Aylesford Priory to join up with more young people, to lead a group of pilgrims to the World Youth Day in Poland




After Mass at Aylesford Priory the pilgrims set off by coach to Dover



Beautiful night prayer on the coach this evening



Archbishop Peter along with Bishops Paul Hendricks and Paul Mason celebrated mass for pilgrims from the diocese and were joined by Bishop Ralph and pilgrims from Hallam diocese 



A trip to Auschwitz to pay respects. A very moving experience



Błonia Park - the official World Youth Day Opening Mass




Speaker for Catechesis is Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop of New York
"Show you are Catholic by joy, by peace and by faith" - Cardinal Dolan



Cardinal Dolan with  Bishop Paul Paul Mason ‪‬ 

Open Air Mass in Canterbury

Sunday 3rd July was a special day for St Thomas’s Parish, Canterbury. For the first time since the 1950s the parish family came together to bear witness to our faith in public in the central park, Dane John Gardens.
In 1953 the sanctuary was installed on the bandstand.





In 1953 the sanctuary was installed on the bandstand.




Parish priest Canon Anthony Charlton presided at the concelebrated Mass with Fathers Valentine Erhahon, Binoy Thomas and Father George Marsden in attendance. Deacons Alfred Ngalim Wirbir and Casimir Kwabla Agbenuawor from Rome assisted.



Canon Anthony has announced that next year’s Open Air Mass will take place on Sunday 2nd of July 2017

Diamond Jubilee Mass 
St Catherine's School - Crayford

On 2nd July 2016 Archbishop Peter was joined by Father Philip Glandfield and Father Ignatius Edet to concelebrate Mass on the 60th anniversary of St Catherine's School, Crayford



There were many former teachers, students, governors and
sisters of La Sainte Union present





The history of St Catherine’s, going back to even before 1956, has been written by Alex Tomlinson and Lois Fitzgerald. If you would like a copy please go onto the website www.stccg.co.uk

11 New Extra Ordinary Ministers of Holy Communion

Retirement Mass for Canon Jim Pannett - Purley

On Sunday 17th July Canon James Pannett KCHS was joined at his retirement Mass from St John the Baptist parish Purley by Archbishop Peter, who was the main celebrant and Bishop Howard Tripp



Canon Jim has been in Purley for the past 20 years and has been a priest of the Diocese for 55 years









Among the many clergy that were present at the Mass to wish Canon a happy retirement was Deacon Jim Sheehan, who returned from Eire for the occasion, Deacon Vincent Morrison and Matthew O'Gorman, assistant priest at Purley

†

who died on Saturday 16th July 2016

Aged 88

He was Parish Priest in Faversham in the 1970’s
and he also served in Hartley, Aylesford and Walworth

Priesthood Ordinations for Archdiocese of Southwark

“One of the greatest joys a bishop has, is to ordain priests for his diocese”, these were words that Archbishop Peter said during the ordination Mass of three new priests for the Archdiocese of Southwark on Saturday 16th July 2016.



In a busy Cathedral, family, friends, and parishioners gathered to pray for Philip Andrews, David Howell, and Daniel Weatherley as they completed their journey to the priesthood. 



Archbishop Peter was the principal celebrant and ordaining bishop; he was joined by Bishop Paul Hendricks, Bishop Nicholas Hudson (former Southwark Priest, former Rector at the Venerable English College, and an Auxiliary in Westminster), over ninety other priests from Southwark Diocese and beyond, together with Deacons and laity for an uplifting and prayerful celebration of Mass.





At the end of the Mass Archbishop Peter announced the parishes he had appointed the Ordinands as their first role as assistant priests:
Father Philip Andrews to St. Anselm’s Tooting Bec, Father David Howell to Corpus Christi, Brixton Hill, and Father Daniel Weatherley to St. Thomas of Canterbury, Canterbury.



After Mass the three new priests gave first blessings to Archbishop Peter, and to many others who had joined them for their ordination. Please pray for them as they begin to exercise their new ministry and as they prepare to take up their appointments at the end of the summer.

Two deacons celebrate 25 years as
Permanent Deacons in the Diocese

Two deacon's from Thanet Deanery celebrated their 25 years as Permanent Deacons in the Diocese. James Burleigh and Neville Gascoigne were ordained – together with eight other men – on Saturday 27th July, 1991 at St. George's Cathedral, Southwark by Archbishop Michael Bowen.


On Saturday, 16th July 2016 there was a joint celebration Mass at St. Anne's Church, Cliftonville presided by Bishop Paul Mason, area bishop for Kent.



James Burleigh, although retired, still exercises his ministry in the Parish of The Holy Family – Thanet (Birchington & Westgate-on-Sea). Neville Gascoigne is the senior Deacon at Sts. Austin & Gregory with St. Anne, Margate.



Both deacons were accompanied by their wives, Pauline Burleigh and Anne Gascoigne, together with members of their immediate families and the wider parish family across the deanery.

Priestly Ordination for Augustinian Recollects
at Vauxhall

On Saturday 9th July 2016 Archbishop Peter join the community of St Anne - Vauxhall to confer the sacred order of priesthood on Friar Douglas Beard



Friar Douglas was born in Enfield and went to school in Epping and Debden.  He studied philosophy Allen Hall Seminary and at the Theological Centre San Agustin, near Madrid, which is affiliated to the Pontifical University of Salamanca



He made his simple profession on 7th August 2010 in the Novitiate Convent of Monteagudo and he received the lay minister of lector on 1st October 2011 in the Casa de Formacion San Agustin Las Rozas and lay ministry of acolyte in the Centro Teologico San Agustin, affiliated to the Pontifical University of Salamanca in June 2014



He made his solemn profession in the parish of St Monica, Zaragoza on the 17th October 2015 and he was ordained deacon by Bishop Eusebio Ignacio Hernandez Sola, Bishop of Taragoza, in St Rita's parish Madrid on the 19th December 2016



Friar Douglas was joined by his parents, Stephen and Denise along with the many priests, friends, community and parishes members



The celebration continued in the school hall

Mass for retirement of Mr Louis Desa
Headteacher - Bishop Thomas Grant School

On Thursday July 7th the community of Bishop Thomas Grant School in Streatham gathered in the Metropolitan Cathedral Church of St George - Southwark to give thanks and celebrate the Headship of Mr Louis Desa

Mr Desa is retiring after sixteen years of Headship & thirty six years of service to Catholic education in the Southwark Diocese. He has led the school to be Outstanding in all categories.


Mass was con celebrated by Archbishop Peter Smith, along with Bishop Ralph Hesketh C.Ss.R, a former Chair of the school's governing body



Also joining Mr Desa was Fathers Brian Coyle, Thomas Bakulumpagi, Gerry Mulvihill  Anthony Cassidy cssr, Liam Gallagher, Christopher Basden, Peter Morris, Canon Jim Pannett KCHS and Deacon Tony Flavin



Mr Desa had been Headteacher at Bishop Thomas Grant School since 2001 and Head of Maths from 1992 to 1997.  He was also a former student of the school from  1967 to 1972



On entering the Cathedral the congregation were met with a symbolic tree , the leaves bearing messages from from every pupil and member of staff in the school for Mr Desa