THE CATHOLIC HERALD MARCH 30 2012

BBeeccoommee aa ffaann ooff TThhee CCaatthhoolliicc HHeerraalldd At Facebook.com

3

HOME NEWS

BY MADELEINE TEAHAN

Thousands kneel in adoration at Wembley

PHOTOGRAPHS: MAZUR/CATHOLICNEWS.ORG.UK

COMPLETE silence filled Wembley Arena on Saturday afternoon as about 8,000 young Catholics adored the Blessed Sacrament.

The famous sports arena was host to the Flame Congress, which was a day of prayer and praise for young Catholics across Britain.

tor and band leader, it is also part of my intention that the young singers and musicians involved in making the music are also encouraged to grow in their relationship with Christ and his body, the Church through their involvement. So we prayed in the dressing rooms before and after going on stage. This also helped to calm nerves.

The day culminated in exposition and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament led by Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Westminster who said: “Consider the love of God which brought you into existence. Consider how total that love is, for it brought Jesus to give himself entirely for you and to you, on the Cross and here in the Blessed Sacrament. In this light you are truly extraordinary. Maybe you have never thought of that before.”

“I really enjoyed the day. It seemed that the young people out in the arena needed almost no convincing to step on board, to participate and to be open to the graces God wanted to give them through the day.”

Deacon James Bradley, who is due to be ordained next month said that the event proved that the young people of Britain would welcome World Youth Day in London.

Drawing on the theme of the Olympic Games which London will host this year, he continued: “We won’t all be Olympic or Paralympic athletes, but we definitely all have our races to run, our finishing lines to cross.

“Consider the people you have heard today – the athletes, the Mizen family, Fr Timothy Radcliffe, Fr Christopher Jamison and Sister Catherine Holum. Are there things in their words that have encouraged you? What are the gifts that the Lord has given you that he might fan into a flame, to share with the world? Name these gifts and ask God to help you to use them well, always for the glory of his name.”

The day also included a keynote speech by the Dominican Fr Timothy Radcliffe on the theme of respect, followed by dance and drama.

Testimonies were heard from the Mizen family, whose son Jimmy was murdered in a south London bakery, and there was a short talk on silence from Fr Jamison, made famous from the BBC documentaries The Monastery and The Big Silence.

Pope Benedict XVI sent a message of prayer and support for the people attending Flame Congress. It said: “Pope Benedict prays that ‘the flame of faith will continue to burn strongly in them and urges the pilgrims from every diocese in England and Wales to ‘hold up to their contemporaries the Gospel values of generous love, peace, forgiveness and service to others’.”

In his Eucharistic Adoration reflection Archbishop Nichols appealed to young Catholics to “be who you

From top right: Archbishop Nichols elevates the monstrance; compère Paschal Uche talks to Bridget Parker, an equestrian who won Olympic gold in 1972; Sister Catherine Holum, an Olympic speed skater at the age of 17; pilgrims pray inside the arena, and snack in the sunshine outside; one young man stands as thousands kneel in Adoration are”. He said: “Today there are many voices in the media and in advertising telling you what to wear, how to look, what size you should be, what clothes you should buy. And there is a risk that if we do not look like that, cannot afford to dress like that, somehow we are made to feel second-class. That can lead us to think very negatively about ourselves.”He continued: “So it is good for you to know what the Catholic Church thinks of you, what Christ thinks of you. Let me tell you what that is: you are God-given, precious, loved and loveable. You do not need to conform to someone else’s image of perfection; instead, look deeply within, pray, discover and recognise your gifts and talents, and then live them.

“A wonderful saint, Francis de Sales, said, ‘Be who you are. Be it well. And all for the Glory of God.’ Pope Benedict invites you - all of you to be ‘Saints of the Twenty First Century’, telling you that ‘your lives will bear abundant fruit for the growth of the civilisation of love.’

Edwin Fawcett, a young Catholic musician and composer who co-ordinated the music for the event, said that it manifested the power of the arts to evangelise.

He said: “The day at Flame was punctuated with music in a variety of styles and for a variety of purposes. Some of it accompanied dance performance, choreographed football skills, some was for congregational participation, for times of adoration and worship, to underscore spoken word or reflective prayer. It was a great pleasure for me as a Catholic composer and performer to be stretched in writing for these different applications. It also required me to dust off a few skills I had put on the shelf since graduating in composition in 2008.

“Pope John Paul II’s Letter to Artists has been an inspiration to me over the years. For me, Flame manifested a real example of this letter ’s description of the power of the arts to evangelise the recipient, the beholder, the listener.

“In my role as choir direc

He said: “There is always a danger that any event like this might fall into a sort-of Pelagian trap, simply encouraging young people to be themselves or to follow merely human aspirations – the truth is, not everyone will be a pop star or an Olympic athlete. It was particularly good, then, to hear 28-year-old Paralympian Stef Reid, Olympic rower Debbie Flood, and former Olympic speedskater turned nun Sister Catherine Holum CFM all pointing beyond their sporting achievements to the greater goal of knowing and loving Christ.

“The young people were clearly ready for this: spontaneously chanting the name of Jesus, and giving their loudest applause and cheers to those who spoke boldly of their faith and Catholic identity.

“It was impressive to see how the young people moved into a profound silence during the time of Adoration in the afternoon, and received the comments of Archbishop Nichols who stressed the need for conversion and redemption in Jesus Christ and the importance of becoming the person that God wants us to be.”

Brenden Thompson, a 21year-old seminarian in the Diocese of Brentwood, said: “The atmosphere reminded me of the joy experienced at World Youth Day, and as a seminarian experiences of such quality and diversity of input, prayer and witness, are invaluable in my ongoing formation.

“To all the organisers, religious orders, youth leaders, chaplains, catechists, bishops and most importantly young people who made this event so memorable and enjoyable,” Editorial Comment: Page 13

Bishop to face mob of protesters at pro-life vigil

Sixth ex-Anglican bishop is ordained a Catholic priest

BY MADELEINE TEAHAN

AUXILIARY BISHOP Alan Hopes of Westminster will join a prolife vigil this evening where a counter-protest by the proabortion lobby is expected.

The 40 Days for Life group is to hold the Lenten prayer vigil outside the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) clinic in London on Friday evening where they will be joined by Bishop Hopes.

But, following escalating tensions between the abortion lobby and participants in the prayer vigils, a counter-protest has been organised via Facebook which claims that over 500 people are attending. The Facebook states: “Come along, let’s have a bit of a party! BPCA (Bloomsbury Pro-Choice Alliance) will be providing glowsticks – if you’d like to help us make some noise (bands, guitars etc), please comment below. Obviously it would be a terrible shame if we were to disrupt 40DFL’s vigil, however I think that’s a risk we’ll have to take.”

It later continues: “Bear in mind that this is a residential area; let’s not cause any damage. Neighbours have been incredibly supportive of BPAS so far; we don’t want to do anything to jeopardise this. So BEHAVE. Within reason. Also please don’t punch anyone.”

Bishop Hopes explained last week why he is attending the prayer vigil. He said: “Together with Catholics, priests and laymen, and with other Christians, I will be offering my prayers for those women who are considering an abortion and I will also be praying that our society will come to respect the sanctity of the life of the unborn child.

“Many priests and lay people have already spent time in prayer outside the BPAS clinic and I am glad to be able to join them for what is a principled and peaceful statement of opposition to our society’s ‘culture of death’.”

Pro-abortion campaigners have accused 40 Days For Life of “haranguing and intimidating” women seeking abortions and there was one report of a member filming women going into abortion clinics.

Robert Colquhoun, a spokesman for 40 Days for Life, rejected the claims, arguing that members only ever filmed themselves for protection against threats or profanities. He said that the clinic was “prayerful, peaceful and within the law”.

He continued: “Since our campaign started in September 2010, we estimate that more than 30 women have chosen life for their unborn children as a result of our campaign through prayer and also through an offer of love, help and support during a difficult time.”

BY STAFF REPORTER

A FORMER Anglican bishop has been ordained a priest for the ordinariate.

Robert Mercer, who was received into the Catholic Church in January, was ordained by Auxiliary Bishop Alan Hopes of Westminster at St John’s Cathedral in Portsmouth.

Mr Mercer, 77, was Bishop of Matabeleland, Zimbabwe, in the Anglican Province of Central Africa. He was bishop for 11 years before leaving the Anglican Communion to join the Anglican Catholic Church of Canada, part of the worldwide Traditional Anglican Communion. He served as metropolitan bishop from 1988 to 2005, when he retired to England.

He is one of three former Anglican clergy to be ordained priests for the ordinariate. More than 200 former Anglicans are also expecting to be received into the Catholic Church in Holy Week next week.

Fr Mercer will serve the Isle of Wight and Portsmouth Ordinariate group, ministering especially to those worshipping at the historic Portsmouth church of St Agatha’s, Landport, who hope to be received into the full communion of the Catholic Church at Easter.

Mgr Keith Newton, Ordinary of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham, said: “Fr Robert’s witness to the truth of the Catholic faith, and his commitment to the unity of all Christians, has led to this very happy day when we can welcome him as a brother priest in the Catholic Church. His ministry in Africa, in Canada and here in Portsmouth has been exemplary, and we look forward to his renewed ministry now – bringing many rich gifts from the Anglican tradition into the Catholic Church.”

Fr Jonathan Redvers Harris, who bears overall responsibility for the Isle of Wight and Portsmouth Ordinariate group, said: “As the ordinariate continues to grow in Portsmouth, it will be good to have Fr Robert’s expertise and great wealth of experience. I welcome him warmly as a colleague and a friend.”

Fr Mercer’s priestly ordination came days after he was ordained a deacon at Allen Hall seminary in west London.

Mgr Newton, speaking after the ordination, said: “It is a great joy to be here today to celebrate Robert’s ordination. We hope and pray that it will be an encouragement to members of the Traditional Anglican Communion – an assurance of the respect and warmth of welcome, which the ordinariate offers to them and to all Anglicans who are faithful to the vision of Christian unity.”

thisLent!

thisFastDayFriday2March

. 285776

no c harit y iste re d

Re g

By giving something up for Lent and donating the money you save to CAFOD, you can help provide clean water and sanitation for the world’s poorest families. We can fight water poverty together this Lent.

By giving something up for Lent and donating the money you save to CAFOD, you can help provide clean water and sanitation for the world’s poorest families. We can fight water poverty together this Lent.

R37

R8

cafod.org.uk/lent cafod.org.uk/lent

Matching your donations with

Matching your donations with

This Lent, the UK Government has pledged to match, pound for pound, whatever you give – doubling your donation and helping to change even more lives.

This Lent, the UK Government has pledged to match, pound for pound, whatever you give – doubling your donation and helping to change even more lives.