Archbishop Wilson has composed several letters concerning the formation of Caritas Southwark leading to the launch of the Commission which took place at an Inaugural Mass on 18th March 2023 at St George's Cathedral, Southwark.
The Most Rev. John Wilson, BA, STB, STL, PhD, KC*HS, GCGCO
ARCHBISHOP S HOUSE
150 ST GEORGE'S ROAD SOUTHWARK LONDON SB1 6HX
14 May 2021
Dear Reverend Father, Dear Reverend Deacon
Southwark Caritas
As always, I hope this letter finds you well. We are emerging from this second lockdown and, as such, we must proceed in our mission to proclaim the beauty of the Gospel of life to the people of our diocese, including those most vulnerable and marginalized within society.
Since arriving in the diocese, I have been very aware of and thankful for the social action and works of charity taking place. There are many individuals and groups who are working tirelessly to promote and actively put into practice Catholic Social Teaching. This has been particularly important over the last year in our response to theCovid pandemic.
To support this work further, I am exploring the development of 'Caritas Southwark.' This would act as an umbrella for charities, projects and groups involved in social action in our communities; those whose important work originates from and is inspired by the Gospel, operating in accordance with Catholic social teaching.
As part of the initial process for Caritas Southwark, I have commissioned an audit to capture a comprehensive picture of the work already being done across the diocese. We need to celebrate and learn from the excellent work currently taking place, identify any needs not being met yet, develop new initiatives and offer support to existing groups and future social action
I appreciate the increasing requests on your time, but ask that you do all you can to assist with this process by engaging with the groups in your parish who are carrying out social action e.g. SVP, lunch clubs, support for asylum seekers, foodbanks, etc.
With your support the audit process will form an essential building block for any future Caritas, ultimately helping the Church here in Southwark to reach out to those most in need.
I would be grateful you might complete and return the Southwark Caritas online survey by Friday 11" June
Be assured of my blessing and continued gratitude.
Yours sincerely in Christ
The Most Reverend John Wilson
Archbishop of Southwark and Metropolitan
The Most Rev. John Wilson, BA, STB, STL, PhD, KC*HS, GCGCO
ARCHBISHOP’S HOUSE
150 ST GEORGE’S ROAD SOUTHWARK LONDON SE1 6HX
18 October 2022
To the Clergy of the Archdiocese of Southwark
Dear Brothers in Christ
In his Encyclical Letter Evangelii Gaudium, on the Joy of the Gospel, our Holy Father, Pope Francis wrote:
‘We have to state, without mincing words, that there is an inseparable bond between our faith and the poor. May we never abandon them.’ (EG 48)
The link between what we believe and how we serve is expressed beautifully in the action of the Lord Jesus who washes the feet of his disciples in the context of the Last Supper. Pope Emeritus Benedict wrote,
‘Eucharistic communion includes the reality both of being loved and of loving others in turn … [therefore]… A Eucharist which does not pass over into the concrete practise of love is intrinsically fragmented” (Deus Caritas Est, 14).
The Eucharist, the source and summit of the action and life of the Church, sustains and transforms the whole of daily life. It draws us, and everyone we are called to serve, into the ‘overflow of charity,’ the real and concrete love for our brothers and sisters in need.
The Church has always been at the service of the poorest and the weakest. This is true today through our parishes, schools and social and charitable projects and organisations. In such challenging times, it is important that we strengthen and enhance our approach to charitable outreach rooted in our faith in Christ, one which builds on the excellent work already taking place and provides encouragement and support for new initiatives. This is about facilitation and collaboration, building up the ‘communion of charity’ through a more considered identity whereby our Archdiocese can both further and recognise putting faith into action.
With all this in mind, our Archdiocese will inaugurate CARITAS Southwark in Lent 2023. I have invited Canon Victor Darlington to oversee this as Episcopal Vicar. I am grateful to him and his team as they work together. This will involve supporting our parishes in discerning how they meet the needs of their local areas, especially by responding to the situations of the poorest in the specific and widest senses.
Many parishes already have projects in place. Others, as yet, do not have any specific or developed formal outreach. This is a time for all of us, clergy, religious, and lay faithful, to pray and reflect on the Scriptures, strengthened by the Eucharist, so as to discern how we live out the call to see and serve the Lord Jesus in our brothers and sisters in need. In this regard, I would like to offer a word of profound gratitude to all who already give their time and effort so generously in voluntary service to the Church’s social mission, without whom life in our parishes, and in the entire Archdiocese, would be hard to imagine.
There are, in our Archdiocese, numerous social and charitable projects through which the love of neighbour is shown by tangible social assistance. Such apostolates, and new ones which will hopefully come to fruition, require that our hearts be touched by the love of Christ and opened to the needs of our neighbour. It is through us, sometimes in simple and seemingly small ways, that the love of Christ becomes real and is freely offered to people in need.
Working with others in our Archdiocese, the CARITAS Southwark team will continue to reflect upon how we can serve local needs, building on existing works of charity in our parishes, so as to strengthen them to reach out further within their parish and local community.
Importantly, to enable this to develop to the next level, I would ask you to please encourage and support one or two members of your parish, already involved in any charitable group, or someone whom you think might represent your parish in taking this Caritas initiative forward, to attend a very significant initial formation day at Amigo Hall on Saturday 5 November. The day will commence at 10 am with refreshments and a time for introductions, which will be followed by a briefing on the vision and need for Caritas Southwark. The approach of the session will be: See, Act, Judge in order to gain constructive feedback from participants about what operates in our parishes, so as to create a roadmap upon which Caritas Southwark may build. The formation day itself will conclude about 1 pm.
If you have members of your parish who are able to assist in this vital work of developing Caritas Southwark, please email carmelurbanoviez@rcaos.org.uk to confirm attendance by Friday 28 October.
Pope Francis reminds us:
‘Each individual Christian and every community is called to be an instrument of God for the liberation and promotion of the poor, and for enabling them to be fully a part of society. This demands that we be docile and attentive to the cry of the poor and to come to their aid.’ (EG 187)
Thank you for your assistance in this important new step.
With an assurance of my gratitude, and my prayers and blessing
Yours sincerely in Christ
The Most Reverend John Wilson
Archbishop of Southwark and Metropolitan
