News
Archive
August
and
September
2008
News Archive for 2008 - August and September
Centenary of Saint Bartholomew's Church, Norbury
Archbishop Kevin presided over Mass at Saint Bartholomew's Church, Norbury,
on Monday, 29th September 2008, to commemorate the centenary of the opening of
the church in September 1908.
Father Tom Cooper, Parish Priest, Father Philip Glandfield and Deacon Paul
Milligan, along with the parishioners, have organised a celebration year (May
2008 - May 2009) to mark the centenary.
Their Centenary celebrations opened on 5th May, when Bishop Paul
offered Mass and a parish picnic followed in the afternoon.
Archbishop Kevin greets the people after Mass
Clapham Common celebrates on its patronal feast
Bishop Paul anoints the new altar with chrism
On the feast of Saint Vincent de Paul, 27th September 2008, Bishop Paul joined the priests and people of Saint Vincent de Paul Parish, Clapham Common, to dedicate their new altar.
The church was packed for the occasion and all the parish clergy were present: Father David Standley (Parish Priest), Father Paul Teece (Assistant Priest), Father Chris O'Brien and Deacon John Dal Din.
Canon Martin Lee is appointed a Prelate of Honour
The Holy Father has appointed Canon Martin Lee a Prelate of Honour with the title Monsignor. Archbishop Kevin presented him with the document from Rome at the Council of Priests meeting, which was held at the Little Sisters of the Poor, Meadow Road, Vauxhall on Wednesday, 24th September 2008.
Monsignor Martin has been the Financial Secretary for our diocese since
1998. He is also chaplain to the Little Sisters of the Poor.
Plymouth Cathedral celebrates 150 years
This year, which celebrates the 150th anniversary of the apparitions at Lourdes, also marks the 150th anniversary of the opening of the Cathedral Church of St Mary and St Boniface in the diocese of Plymouth.
Bishop Christopher Budd, Bishop of Plymouth, with Cardinal Cormac
and the
Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Faustino Sainz Muñoz,
surrounded by
concelebrant bishops and priests
The highlight of the celebrations was the Mass on Monday, 22nd September 2008. Archbishop Michael, Bishops John and Paul, Monsignor William Saunders and Canon James Cronin were among those from Southwark who were present.
Plymouth diocese belongs to the Southwark Province, as do the dioceses of Arundel and Brighton and Portsmouth.
West Norwood road named after Canon John Devane
Lambeth Council has named a road after Canon John Devane, Provost Emeritus and former Parish Priest of St Matthew's, West Norwood, in recognition of his many years of service to the local community. The road is opposite West Norwood Station.
The announcement was well received in the parish over the weekend,
20th/21st September 2008.
Aylesford to host the relics of St Thérèse of Lisieux
The relics of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, 'The Little
Flower', are to be brought to England and Wales for veneration from 16th
September until 16th October 2009.
The casket containing her relics has already visited forty countries and has attracted large crowds.
The itinerary of twenty-two venues has been published and in Southwark her relics will rest at Aylesford Priory from Friday, 9th October until Sunday, 11th October, where a spiritual weekend is being planned.
Congratulations to catholicchurch.org.uk
Congratulations to James Abbott (webmaster) and the team of the Catholic Church in England and Wales website for being recognised as the Best Christian Organisation Blog or Website in the Christian Blog and Web Awards 2008.
Please click here to visit the Catholic Church in England and Wales website
Congratulations, too, to the team of the Diocese of Northampton's youth site which was recognised as the Best Provision for Youth Website. The presentations were made on Friday, 19th September.
Please click here for the Diocese of Northampton's youth website
The Holy Father made his own personal pilgrimage to Lourdes from Saturday, 13th September until Monday, 15th September in celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the apparitions.
We have added a page of photos of his visit to our Lourdes section.
Please click on the banner above to see them.
Bishops join for prayer in the air
Bishop Paul attended the final day of a weekend ecumenical event
organised by Churches Together in Forest Hill and Sydenham. One of the
activities was a flight in a hot-air balloon. Bishop Paul joined Bishop
Christopher Chessun, Anglican Bishop of the Woolwich area of the Diocese of
Southwark for the flight - the idea was to pray for the local area spread
out below.
Read Bishop Paul's account of the event - and the flight
Saint Paul - a focus for our priests' in-service training
Father Gerald Ewing, the Director of On-Going Formation of Priests, and
his team have organised a series of ten study days between October 2008 and
July 2009 which will have a strong emphasis on the Word of God and
the Life and Teaching of Saint Paul in this Pauline Year.
In the brochure which launched this programme for priests and deacons, Archbishop Kevin wrote of the choice of topics 'This links our Diocese with the wider Church - and connects us especially with the Synod of Bishops this year, and its theme - the Word of God, as well as the celebrations for the Year of Saint Paul.'
A ten-day Course in Spiritual Direction will take place in May at Saint John's Seminary, Wonersh, led by the seminary's Spirituality Department.
Visit our section devoted to the Year of Saint Paul
Centenary celebrations at Whitstable
Archbishop Kevin with Deacon Jim Foley from Herne Bay
On Wednesday, 3rd September 2008, Father Kevin St Aubyn, Parish Priest, Deacon Dan Mulcahy and the parishioners of Our Lady Immaculate, Whitstable, welcomed Archbishop Kevin, who joined them to offer Mass in celebration of the centenary of the consecration of their church.
Also present were priests who had formerly served in Whitstable and the clergy of the Canterbury deanery. Three ministers from local Christian Churches who attended came to the Archbishop for a blessing during the Communion.
The church was consecrated by Bishop Peter Amigo on 3rd September 1908.
A brief history of Our Lady
Immaculate, Whitstable
Founder of the Little Way Association dies
Mary Doohan, the Founder and lifetime President of The Little Way Association died at the Little Sisters of the Poor, Meadow Road, Vauxhall, on Friday, 29th August 2008, aged 91.
Mary Doohan receives her Damehood of St Gregory
from Archbishop Michael on 5th October 1996
Mary's funeral will take place in her parish, Saint Mary's, Clapham, on Monday, 8th September, at 12:30 pm.
A Memorial Mass will be celebrated at a later date in St George's Cathedral.
May she rest in peace.
Three hundred and forty pilgrims from Southwark are among the 1,200-strong
Catholic Association pilgrimage to Lourdes which takes place form 22nd until
29th August. This annual pilgrimage has a special significance this year as
it is the 150th anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady to Saint
Bernadette at the grotto.
Visit our Lourdes Jubilee Year section either by clicking on the Lourdes 2008 banner above or the logo on the sidebar.
Please click on this photo to see an enlarged version
To view photographs of the Lourdes Pilgrimage and to read Bishop Paul's diary and listen to his audio diary please click on this link:
Summertime 2008: Altar Servers' Summer Break
Bishop Patrick with the team
Ecuadorian community celebrates feast of Our Lady
On Sunday, 17th August 2008, Bishop Patrick celebrated the annual Mass for the Feast of Nuestra Senora del Cisne at St Thomas the Apostle Church in Nunhead. This day is celebrated on the Feast of the Assumption by Ecuadorian people throughout the world. It commemorates the appearance of Our Lady in the town of Loja in southern Ecuador over three hundred years ago. Every August over five hundred Ecuadorian people gather for a procession, Mass and a celebration at St Thomas the Apostle Church.
More photos of the occasion in Our Ethnic
Communities section
Birchington centenary of first Mass since Reformation
On 15th August 2008, Abbot Paulinus Greenwood OSB, Abbot of Ramsgate, offered Mass at the church of Our Lady and Saint Benedict in Birchington to mark the centenary of the first public Mass in the village since the Reformation, which was offered on the Feast of the Assumption in 1908.
A new Prior at Aylesford Priory
Father Brendan Grady, OCarm takes up his appointment as Prior at The Friars,
Aylesford, on Monday, 4th August 2008. He has spent the past
three years as the Chaplain of the Shrine of Saint Jude at Faversham and has
been the provincial delegate to the Carmelite Third Order.
He is joined at Aylesford by Father Joseph Chalmers, OCarm who becomes Sub-Prior and Novice Director. Father Joseph has spent twelve years in Rome as the Prior General of the Carmelite Order worldwide.
Father Francis Kemsley, OCarm, the previous Prior of Aylesford, moves to his new appointment as Prior and Parish Priest at the English Martyrs, Walworth.