Tens of thousands of people have already venerated her relics as the casket has started to tour England and Wales. Its itinerary includes Cathedrals, Carmelite houses, York Minster, a hospice and Wormwood Scrubs Prison.

But in Southwark we look forward to its visit to The Friars, Aylesford, from 9th until 11th October. Archbishop Kevin and the Carmelite Friars warmly invite you to be there to celebrate the life and spirituality of this great saint.

Visit of the Latin Patriach of Jerusalem

Archbishop Fouad Twal, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, met with Archbishop Kevin on Tuesday, 8th September 2009, en route to celebrate Mass at Westminster Cathedral. The Patriarch’s visit has been co-ordinated by Aid to the Church in Need, and he spoke about the plight of Christians in the Holy Land.

During his meeting the Patriarch spoke about the need his community has for the support of our prayers. He also encouraged Christians throughout the world to come on pilgrimage to the Holy Land, following the recent example of Pope Benedict XVI.

Archbishop Kevin assured the Patriarch of his prayers for his people and especially for peace in the Holy Land.

Wonersh welcomes four new Southwark students

At the beginning of the new academic year, St John's Seminary, Wonersh, welcomed, among its first year intake, four students from the Southwark diocese. They are pictured above: Thomas Bakalumpagi,
Mark Higgins, Joseph Owusu Ansah and Dermott O'Gorman.

Additionally, we have two students starting at the Venerable English College in Rome (David Howell and Luke de Pulford) and one student (Leonard Tatt) starting at the Beda College in Rome.

Southwark currently has 22 students training for the priesthood in seminaries, including Deacon Godfrey Holdstock, who is due to be ordained during this Year for Priests, and Philip Smith, who should be ordained deacon during this academic year. Fourteen of these are at Wonersh, two of whom are at present gaining parish experience on  extended pastoral placements.

We keep in our prayers all students studying for the priesthood and diaconate from our diocese. We pray, too, for an increase of vocations.

Southwark students in front of the shrine of Our Lady in the
Ambulacrum at Wonersh wearing their new 'Southwark Vocations'
rugby shirts.
 

Diocesan Campaign of Prayer for our Priests

'Have you prayed for your priest today?'

On behalf of the diocese, Father Stephen Langridge, our Vocation Director, has organised a diocesan campaign of prayer for our priests which started on 11th September 2009. This is one of our diocesan initiatives to mark the Year for Priests which Pope Benedict XVI inaugurated on 19th June this year.

A prayer calendar has been produced that lists all the priests of the diocese (active and retired) and allocates each one a special day so that we can all join in prayer for them one by one during the year.

Please download our prayer calendar (.pdf format) by clicking on the picture on the right.

 
Father Stephen has also issued a prayer card with prayers for priests. Copies have been sent to parishes throughout the diocese.

It invites us to join St John Vianney, the 150th Anniversary of whose death we commemorate this year, and St Thérèse of Lisieux, whose relics arrive in our country on 16th September, in praying for our priests and priests throughout the world.

A copy of the prayer card  (A5 .pdf format) is available to view or print by clicking on the picture on the left.


The newly-updated 'Southwark Vocations' web site gives this news.
Please click the screenshot below or the logo on the sidebar to view this site.

Archbishop Kevin appoints a new Private Secretary

Archbishop Kevin has appointed Father Philip Glandfield as his new Private Secretary.

Father Philip was born and brought up in Dartford, Kent, and attended the local Catholic schools. He left school at sixteen and began a career in banking, based in the West End of London. He continued his education studying at evening classes for the professional exams of the Banking Institute. Eight years later, after several roles in the Bank, he completed his studies. The following year he entered St John's Seminary, Wonersh, and was ordained to the priesthood at St George's Cathedral in September 2003. His first appointment was as assistant priest at St Joseph's, New Malden, and in 2006 he was appointed as assistant priest at St Bartholomew's, Norbury. He is a member of the Ongoing Formation of Priests' Committee with special responsibility for Priests' Support Groups.

Father Philip took up his new appointment on 1st September 2009.

Monsignor William Saunders has been Private Secretary to Archbishop Michael and Archbishop Kevin for the past eight years. He leaves Archbishop's House for his new appointment as Parish Priest of Our Lady, Queen of Peace, East Sheen. He will take up this appointment at the end of September on the retirement of Father Michael Boland. Monsignor Bill will continue his work with the Catholic Association as Director of their annual pilgrimage to Lourdes.

We congratulate them both on their new appointments and will keep them in our prayers.

Our new Vicar General and Chancellor is appointed

Archbishop Kevin has appointed Father Matthew Dickens to succeed Bishop-elect Richard Moth as Vicar General and Chancellor of our diocese. Father Matthew is due to take up his appointment on 17th September 2009. We offer him our congratulations and the promise of our prayers.

Father Matthew writes:

"I am very honoured that Archbishop Kevin has appointed me Vicar General and Chancellor of the Diocese. I have a great deal to learn but with the prayers of the bishops, priests, deacons and lay people of Southwark I hope to adapt quickly to my new role. I am especially grateful to Monsignor Richard Moth and to the Chancery staff for introducing me to my responsibilities.

I was brought up in the Church of England, where both my parents were committed and practising members of our parish in Westbere, a village near Canterbury. My father (now deceased) was a lay reader and my mother a church warden. She is now a member of the Tertiary Franciscan order in the Church of England.

My secondary education was at Simon Langton Grammar School in Canterbury, from where I went to study History and History of Art at Downing College, Cambridge. After graduation, while still living in Cambridge, I was received into full communion with the Catholic Church in 1985. I remember my reception in the chapel of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary to be one of the most profound and joyful moments of my life.

I then moved to London, where I was working in the Department of Community Medicine at St Thomas’ Hospital. I was living in Gillingham when I first sensed the call to priesthood and was able to begin my studies at St John’s Seminary, Wonersh, in 1988.

After serving my diaconate at English Martyrs, Streatham, I was ordained to the priesthood in 1994 at Our Lady Star of the Sea, Broadstairs. My first appointment was as assistant priest at St Augustine’s, Tunbridge Wells; then in 2000 I moved to St Joseph’s, Bromley. I was appointed parish priest of St Gertrude’s, South Croydon, in 2001 and it was from there in 2007 that I moved to my present post as parish priest of Our Lady of the Assumption, Northfleet.

Throughout the last fifteen years I have been privileged to work with many wonderful people and have found great joy and fulfilment in my life as a priest. We live in challenging times, but we can find real hope and confidence in the knowledge that the risen Lord is with us always. I ask you all please to keep me in your prayers."

 

'Please join us in spirit and in prayer ...'

Deacon Michael Kennedy, Southwark's Lourdes Pilgrimage Director, invites visitors to our web site to join the Lourdes pilgrims from our diocese in spirit and in prayer.

Our pilgrimage with the Catholic Association takes place from Friday, 21st August until Friday, 28th August. Bishop Patrick is leading the pilgrimage and Bishop Paul, Mgr William Saunders and priests and deacons from Southwark will join the 130 pilgrims from our diocese.

Our pilgrims will be praying for a specific diocesan intention each day asking God to bless our diocese through the intercession of Our Lady of Lourdes and Saint Bernadette and they ask that you join your prayers with theirs. A list of these intentions can be found in the section of our web site devoted to the Lourdes Pilgrimage. This section has been expanded and contains information and prayer resources.

Our 'Lourdes Diary' has been added and contains news and photos from the pilgrimage. It will be regularly updated during the week
- so please return.

Direct link to the Southwark Lourdes Pilgrimage Photo Diary

Visit the Lourdes 2009 Section of our web site

Summertime 2009: Altar Servers' Summer Break