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A Selection of Articles from Recent Issues of Menevia News Page 2 Most photographs can be enlarged by clicking on the thumbnail
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Fr Peter Kelly Celebrates 60 Years Shortly after dawn on 15th August 1947, the Feast of the Assumption of Our Lady, the Patriarch of Jerusalem ordained two young men in his private chapel. It was a time of great difficulty and tension in Palestine and the journey to Jerusalem from the seminary, a few miles away, had turned out to be extremely dangerous. The taxi in which the seminarians travelled was stopped by British troops patrolling a curfew. As the passengers got out, their driver drove off in fright. With guns to their ribs, they explained where they were going and, amazingly, were spared to continue on foot, with the grim warning that they were unlikely to reach their destination alive, as patrols had orders to shoot dead on sight. Somehow, in the dark and without encountering further trouble, they found their way, but arrived to find the Patriarch reluctant to ordain them as they were late for their 5am appointment. Providentially for the parishioners of St Joachim and St Anne’s, Dunvant, Swansea, whom he has served so faithfully for over 40 years of his ministry, and for the many thousands of sick patients at Singleton Hospital helped and supported by him over an equally long period, Fr Peter Kelly was ordained that morning along with his French Basque colleague Fr Sauveur Laindbergher. On 15th August this year, his family, his parishioners, his fellow priests, and many of those whose lives have been touched by this extraordinarily dedicated minister of God were able to celebrate, not just 60 years of priesthood, but also the miracle that his ordination ever took place. It was not just the dangers of life in Palestine that made the ordination a miracle. Before being sent to Palestine for his final studies, Father had been in a French seminary and was unfortunate to be there when the Germans invaded and subsequently occupied the country. Everyone was required to have papers of identification but the occupying authorities at his local police station turned down his application. The result was that he was in constant danger, as anyone discovered without papers was shot, without being allowed an explanation. He was close to being searched and shot on a few occasions, but his luckiest escape was in a train from Lourdes, where he and another seminarian had spent some hours praying at the Grotto. As the train was about to leave Lourdes Station, there was a commotion. The SS mounted and proceeded to go from carriage to carriage in search of a wanted person. To spare his companion and fellow travellers from danger, Father went further down the train to an empty compartment and waited his fate. His life was saved when the unfortunate man the soldiers sought was discovered in the next-door compartment. Once he had been hauled off the train, the military left and allowed the train to continue on its way.
During a special Mass of Celebration, Father Kelly, referring to these and other life-threatening incidents in France and Palestine, gave thanks for his many escapes and eventual ordination. In the front two rows were many members of his family, including his twin sister Maura and a brother Michael John. Another brother, Fr Thomas Kelly, PP at Droitwich, concelebrated with him, as did Fr Dan Williams and Fr Cenydd Marrison, a monk of Belmont Abbey and ex-parishioner. Canon Morrissey was present in the congregation. The family did the Readings, said the Bidding Prayers and took up the Gifts. * * * * * Father Peter Kelly Born December 1921, a twin with sister Mary, to parents Bernard and Elizabeth in Kilcastle, Ballydangan, Ballinasloe, Roscommon – the first of eight children. Arrived in France January 1940 to study for the priesthood and spent
the whole of the war in occupied France, the final year teaching English
in a college near Bordeaux. May 1948 returned home for the first time in nine years staying for one month before going to England where he ministered for eight years. Came to Wales in October 1956 and ministered at St Joseph’s, Swansea, Our Lady of Penrhys, Ferndale, St Mary’s Monmouth, St Joseph’s, Port Talbot, and St Francis of Assisi, Ely. September 1966 returned to Swansea to become the first parish priest (and the only one since) of St Joachim and St Anne, Dunvant. Ordination of Peter Hounslow and Tony Lawrence in the Cathedral On 30th June 2007, Peter Hounslow and Tony Lawrence were ordained by Bishop Mark to the Permanent Diaconate, as restored by the decree Lumen Gentium of Vatican II. In spite of heavy rain and traffic delays, the Cathedral was full of well-wishers from all over the Diocese, especially from their home areas of Swansea and Haverfordwest. Many members of their families were also present, and were able to take an active part in the service. Bishop Mark presided, in the company of most of the priests of the diocese, together with other permanent deacons from the dioceses of Southwark, Birmingham and Cardiff; with ironic reference to the weather, Bishop Mark called them a ‘deluge of deacons’! In his homily, Bishop Mark pointed out that the reading from Acts (6.1-7) gave us the names of the first deacons of the Church. They were chosen to assist the apostles in the early Christian community. In the same way, the Church today calls small groups of such men to do the same work - a call which is as important as that of the first seven. The role of the deacon is a role of service linked to that of Christ. This occasion was especially important, as it was the first such ordination in the present Diocese of Menevia; it was a re-affirmation of the teaching of Lumen Gentium, which restored the permanent diaconate to the universal Church. In accepting the call to this service, Peter and Tony had been encouraged by the prayers of their families, which was crucial for them to fulfil their role. The diaconate is a sign of service; Christ came to serve, not to be served, and service is one of His main legacies to His Church. Bishop Mark quoted Pope John Paul II, who said that the service of the deacon in the Church is service in the form of a sacrament. The Catechism of the Church gives us the dogmatic basis for such ordinations, which springs from the mission and authority given by Christ to the apostles; deacons have a share in Christ’s mission and grace, in a very special way. Bishop Mark went on to list the primary tasks of deacons; they are ordained to assist bishops and priests, above all in the distribution of Holy Communion at Mass, to assist in marriages, baptisms and funerals, and in preaching. Peter and Tony will derive their strength and power to go out to the people from the altar; this link is the seal and proof of their sacramental ministry. The service of deacons is a service of charity, to all those who are in need of Christ. Their status is not a substitute for the priesthood, not a second-best; their ordination is not because of the present shortage of priests; the office of the deacon is of value, is itself necessary in the Church. Addressing the candidates directly, Bishop Mark told them to think of their calling, not as an honour or a promotion, but as a call to the service of God. Ministers of this service must be endowed with holiness of life, and must exemplify the commands of Christ. As the first to be so ordained in Menevia, they also bear the responsibility of showing that it is right for the Diocese to go down this road. If they should think themselves unworthy, that is not a problem; all bishops and priests are unworthy. God does not call us because we are ‘worthy’, but because He chooses us to carry out a certain task.
Mass was followed by a celebratory buffet in the Cathedral Hall, where the new Deacons were congratulated again by their families and friends. We wish them well, now and in the future. May they be the first of many! Ordination at Ammanford of Phillip Harries Phillip, who is at present studying for the priesthood at Oscott College in Birmingham, is a native of Llandybie near Ammanford. He was ordained a deacon by Bishop Mark on Friday 22nd June at Our Lady of the Rosary Church, Ammanford. The church was packed with his many friends and acquaintances, his family, fellow parishioners, students from Oscott and priests of our diocese.
We all look forward to the completion of his studies and his ordination to the priesthood in a year’s time. Following the ordination mass all retired to an adjoining hall where refreshments were served and family and many friends were able to congratulate the new deacon. Day for Life England and Wales 2007 ‘Blessed is the fruit of your womb’ is the theme for this year’s Day for Life – the day dedicated to raising awareness about the meaning and value of human life at every stage and in every condition.
Day for Life 2007 will fall in England and Wales on 1st July 2007. It will mark the 40th anniversary of the Abortion Act in England, Scotland and Wales, the 10th anniversary of Cardinal Winning’s Pro-Life Initiative in Scotland, the 30th anniversary of Cura in Ireland and the 30th anniversary of the Life Care and Housing Trust in England and Wales. Day for Life was initiated by the late Pope John Paul II, to encourage the Catholic Church worldwide to celebrate the sanctity of life. In Ireland, Scotland and England & Wales, the Bishops' Conferences work closely together each year. For 2007, they have chosen 'Blessed is the fruit of your womb' as the theme. This year’s Day for Life focuses on why the Church opposes abortion and the practical, emotional and spiritual care which the Church offers to women and babies in need. The proceeds from the Day for Life collection taken in England and Wales on 1st July 2007 will principally go towards the work of Life - an organisation which provides a nationwide care service for pregnant women, unsupported mothers, women with problems relating to pregnancy, fertility or infertility, or suffering from the effects of abortion. Day for Life Prayer We thank you, Lord, for the Gift of Life. For more information, see the Day for Life leaflet which is downloadable here, its Welsh translation here or please visit: www.dayforlife.org Mass of thanksgiving on the closure of St Joseph’s Church, Brynamman A Short History of its Beginning and Existence The village of Brynamman is situated on the foothills of the Black Mountains. The district comprises some hundreds of acres of common land. The scenery from Ystradgynlais to Brynamman is typical of many Welsh mining villages, with shops, houses and winding roads. The nearest Catholic churches are in Ammanford, Clydach and Ystradgynlais, which in the 50’s made Mass attendance difficult for people living in Brynamman.
At this time Dr. Warner used to attend Mass in Ystradgynlais picking up parishioners on his way, Mrs. Maureen Rees, Mrs. Joe Doyle and Mr. Joe Walsh. Mr. Walsh had been walking from Cwmtwrch to Mass in Ystradgynlais every Sunday. After a time he noticed that there may be enough Catholics living in the vicinity of Brynamman to warrant a church. A meeting was arranged to which 80 Catholics attended where they agreed to approach Fr. Gregory Brightling SDS, the Parish Priest at Ystradgynlais at that time. He had only been there for a few months but he decided to come to the meeting to see what could be arranged about starting a church. He arranged for Mass to be celebrated every Sunday at 5pm in a hall at Brynamman. Dr. Warner paid for a hired car to call and collect Fr. Gregory every Sunday. Land to build a church could not be found in the area but after a great amount of fund raising, enough money was raised to purchase a hall, which had been used by the British Legion. Letters were sent to different parishes to get help raise the money because there was a lot of work needed to be done before it could be used as a church. It needed a new roof and the furniture had to be completely renewed. Quite a lot of money came in from the appeal and when the church was opened in April 1959 it was free of debt. The Altar Society collected for a statue of St. Joseph, to whom the church is dedicated, a carpet was bought and kneelers and Stations of the Cross were donated from various churches.
When Dr. Warner died the people of Brynamman were so fond of him that they wanted to collect money to demonstrate their appreciation of his services to the area. Mrs. Morgan the local chemist organised a collection. It was through this collection that we have the beautiful altar. The dedication of the new altar was performed by Bishop Langton Fox at a Mass to which the local Clergy were invited together with all those who had contributed to the presentation, which made it a truly ecumenical gathering. Fr. Gregory had purchased a mini-bus and would go around collecting parishioners for Mass as there was no public transport. The mini-bus was also used to transport children to the Convent school in Clydach as in those days the education authorities did not provide transport. Fr. Michael Morley had the job of driving the children to school - until he taught Fr. Gregory to drive.
Brynamman church has changed very little since the early days. Families have come and gone. Some of those who were there in the beginning are still there. Numbers never seem to vary and are pretty much the same as they were when it opened but St. Joseph’s, Brynaniman, has kept alive, and even spread, the faith centred on the Mass for which we thank all the Priests who have served it and all those who looked after it with so much devotion. CLOSING MASS AT ST. JOSEPH’S, BRYNAMMAN And so it was, on a warm, sunny evening on the 1st of May, the church of St. Joseph was filled by present and past members of the parish, together with visitors from other churches in Brynamman. Several people also came from Ystradgynlais, which has always had a close relationship with Brynamman; the parish priest of Ystradgynlais has always been responsible for Brynamman as well. The closing Mass was celebrated by Bishop Mark together with Fr, Peter Preston SDS, the Provincial of the Salvatorians; Fr, Alex McCaskill SDS, the Vicar Provincial, who is based in Thornbury, Gloucestershire; and the present parish priest, Fr. Thomas Kochalumchuvattil Msfs. Bishop Mark, introducing the Mass, told us that on reading the booklet produced for the service, he had realised that he had a special link with Brynamman. The parish of St. Joseph was set up in 1959, when Fr. Gregory Brightling SDS was parish priest; Fr. Gregory had a twin brother, Fr. Hilary, who a monk at Belmont Abbey, and who was Bishop Mark’s novice master. Very strict, as Bishop Mark remembered! The homily was preached by Fr, Peter Preston, who spoke of the great things that had been achieved in St. Joseph’s over the forty-eight years of its existence. He assured us that all the Salvatorians had been thinking of and praying for the Brynamman parish, just as the people of St. Joseph’s had prayed for them over the years. Fr. Peter acknowledged the sadness that is felt by so many over the closure, but said that we should also look back in thanksgiving for the witness given over forty-eight years in this area. Little acorns produce big oaks; the church owed its existence to the efforts and commitment of so many people. The building was purchased from the British Legion, maintained and blessed, through the work of the people of the district and the Salvatorians in Ystradgynlais. When it opened as a parish church in April 1959, it was debt-free from the start; people in the parish have cared for it over the years. Some have moved away; some have died; the altar was dedicated in memory of Dr. Warner, one of the founder members. The oak tree that has grown so well for forty-eight years now dies in order to give new life, though it may be hard for us to see how. The local church is not just the building; it is the community, the priests and people who have made this parish what it is. The lives of its people have given continual witness in the area, and for that we thank God. Speaking at the end of Mass, Bishop Mark said that on such an occasion it was always hard to know what to say. He thanked the parish for the letter, which had been sent to him when news of the closure was given out, agreeing that it was a natural reaction to ask 'why here?' The question of closing parishes had been discussed at the recent meeting of the Bishops’ Conference, and many had said how much it hurts a bishop to have to do something like this. As Bishop, he had to look at the whole diocese, not just one area; we are short of priests in the diocese, and he always fears that the religious orders will say they can no longer spare men to help him. Many parish priests are suffering from stress because of over-work, and it is likely that any future priest in Ystradgynlais will have to help to look after other parishes. We need to pray for vocations, to pray that there will always be priests to serve in this area. Finally he reminded the congregation that we are the building of the Church, and that this is more important than any parish building. We must trust in Almighty God’s goodness, and He will not let us down. Fr. Pester Preston then thanked Fr. Thomas for his work in the parish; although not a Salvatarian, Fr. Thomas had come in to help when the Salvatorians were themselves short-handed; he is a Salvatorian by adoption! We all know how much Fr. Thomas has done, and Fr. Peter’s words were greeted with loud applause. After Mass, the priests and the congregation went down to Brynamman Rugby Club, where a buffet had been laid on through the hard work of many people in the parish. Most people had honoured the request to ‘bring a plate of food’; by the look of the tables, some has brought two! The rest of the evening passed pleasantly enough, and the parishioners of Ystradgynlais look forward to welcoming the parishioners of St. Joseph’s into Sacred Heart, Ystradgynlais, where we hope they will soon feel at home. Silver Jubilee Celebrations at Narberth On 8th December 2006 the parish of Haverfordwest celebrated the 25th anniversary of the opening of the little church of ‘The Immaculate Conception’ in Narberth. This small church (really a ‘chapel of ease’ of the parish of Haverfordwest) became the ‘new’ Mass centre for the people of the area in 1981. There had been a Catholic presence in Narberth for many years, at one time served by the Travelling Mission of the (old) diocese of Menevia. They brought a vehicle equipped as a Chapel about once a month, parking it at a convenient spot in the area, when the local Catholics would gather around and mass would be celebrated and the sacraments administered. Then a local lady offered the use of a room in a private house, followed by the renting of the annex of the Queen’s Hall. The congregation at this time was very tiny and included the likes of Edward and Marie Augustiniaks – a Polish couple who had come to the area as refugees from slave labour in Germany; others who had holiday homes in the area, including two doctors, a mother and daughter, who had practices in London; Mrs Taylor (whose booklet ‘Yesterday Today and Tomorrow’ has supplied much of the information recorded here) and a Mrs Tylor, both of whom had moved into the area in 1975; followed by others such as Bill and Kath Finn and the Atherton family. Soon after the Queen’s hall increased their rental charges so a move was made to the billiard room of the Bridge Inn, and when this closed, to an upper room at the Angel Hotel; and lastly, the old W.I. hut, served as ‘Mass Centres” By the summer of 1980 the search for a more permanent home was on and the present building was purchased, and converted into the church in use today. It had originally been the school attached to St Andrew’s (Church in Wales) Parish but had more recently been used as a toy factory and storage for a local auctioneer, and needed quite a lot of work done on it. It was on 8th December 1981 –the Feast of 'The Immaculate Conception' - that the opening Mass was celebrated by Bishop Ward (the Bishop of Menevia and later Archbishop of Cardiff) with some 13 or more priests surrounding him on the Sanctuary and clergy for other churches in the congregation, together with a number of local dignitaries – it was ‘standing room only’ that night. Fr. Owen McGreal was the parish priest at that time and although he had moved to North Wales in 1982, he did return to Haverfordwest in 2001, very appropriately on December 8th. And so to the preparations to celebrate the 25th anniversary, which began some months before the date, when a small group of ‘young’ retired gentlemen from Haverfordwest volunteered to come and redecorate both inside and the outside of the church. Other preparations went on quietly and several parishioners donated gifts, anonymously, including a set of new vestments, a new chalice, etc.
On the feast day itself, Bishop Mark concelebrated Mass with Fr Owen McGreal and six other priests from the deanery, or who had served here in the past. We were joined, too, by the Rector of St. Andrews, (Church in Wales) and by an old friend, the Rev. Elwyn John, now retired. Illness or the inclement weather kept a number of other invited guests away. After Mass all retired to St. Andrews Church Hall, across the road, (which had been kindly loaned by the Rector) for excellent refreshments served by Doug and Ann Harvey from Haverfordwest and a team of Narberth ladies. Parish thank God for the gift of their Parish Priest
Father Peter with some of
the young people On 10th April 2007, the Catholic Parish of St. Bride’s, Pontarddulais thanked God for the ministry of Father Peter Wareing CMF following the announcement of his retirement. With the Parish Church overflowing, the congregation joined with Father Peter in offering Holy Mass. Present at the Mass were Ministers and congregation members from the local Presbyterian, Anglican and Methodist Churches. After a Sung Mass, lay members of the Parish led tributes to their Parish Priest. The Parish Pastoral Committee stated that Father Peter had, through his ministry, "… exemplified the three theological virtues of the Church: faith, hope and charity. He has worked tirelessly, administering the Sacraments, supporting every parishioner, whatever their needs, and above all, performing a ministry of service in humility and holiness. Although we may have a new Parish Priest in the future, he will never fill the void which will be left by Father Peter." Church Reader, Bernard Stirrup said that Father Peter had, "… made visible God’s love for us all through his care, unceasing support and life of prayer." The Town Mayor of Pontarddulais, Cllr. David Beynon presented Father Peter with a commemorative plate on behalf of the Town Council and described him as “a good man, highly respected by local people and the community”. The Ministers of the Presbyterian, Anglican and Methodist Churches gave Father Peter a Divine Office prayer book, along with poetry, which included reflections on St. Bride and the Welsh Saints. On behalf of the Churches, the Vicar of Llandeilo Talybont, Rev. John Walters thanked Father Peter for his fellowship and friendship and reflected on the practice during Lent of Christians from different Churches in Pontarddulais visiting each other’s places of worship and praising God together, which Father Peter had helped to promote, was fruitful, unique and should always continue. The Sisters of the ‘Order of the Cross and Passion’ presented Father Peter with a gift in acknowledgment of his contribution to the spiritual life of the Parish, as did the members of the laity of St. Bride’s. The children and young people of the Parish sang songs for Father Peter and presented him with gifts. Messages for 'the best Parish Priest ever' were brought by the children to the Altar. After the Mass, refreshments were provided at St. Bride’s Convent. The Parish thanks God for Father Peter’s ministry, friendship, and leadership. All members of the Parish pray that his retirement will be peaceful and blessed. May he always remember the love and affection with which his congregation regard him, and never forget that there is a welcome for him in St. Bride’s Parish for all time. The Funeral Mass for the Most Reverend John Aloysius Ward OFMCap, Archbishop Emeritus of Cardiff was held in the Metropolitan Cathedral Church of St David in Cardiff, on Monday 2nd April. Archbishop Ward was relieved of the pastoral care of the Archdiocese of Cardiff during November 2000 following a deep vein thrombosis. After a meeting with Pope John Paul II, in Rome, during October 2001, his resignation, due to ill health, was accepted. He died suddenly on 27 March, aged 78. Archbishop Peter Smith of Cardiff was the principal celebrant at the Funeral Mass in the packed Cathedral, which included many priests an laity, not only from the archdiocese but also from the present Menevia diocese and areas of Wales covered by what was the old Menevia diocese at the time when Archbishop Ward served as a travelling missioner and later as the Bishop of the diocese. Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, Archbishop of Westminster, and the Apostolic Nuncio to Great Britain, Archbishop Sainz Munoz, were among more than 20 bishops who concelebrated the Mass, together with priests from the three Welsh dioceses and from further afield. 53 years of service were recalled by the Archbishop of Birmingham, the Most Revd Vincent Nichols who preached the homily at Archbishop Ward’s Funeral. He said: We are told that, in his last illness, St Francis of Assisi asked to be taken from his bed and placed on the bare floor. Then, as he lay dying, he said to those around him: "Let us begin, brothers, to serve the Lord our God, for up to now we have made little or no progress." These words come to my mind as we gather for this sad and unexpected Funeral Mass for your late Archbishop, John Aloysius Ward. They express what we should have in mind as we come to this moment and, indeed, as we leave at its end. May this Mass renew in us a deep desire to live our faith more fully. 'Let us begin, brothers, to serve the Lord our God.' This, I am sure, is what Archbishop Ward would want. His grasp of the faith was firm. His passion for it undiminished. He would want us to be robust, unflinching in our trust in the Lord and his Way. Death came to him suddenly. But it was not unprovided. He had the attention of the doctors and the company not only of Fr Gareth Jones, who administered the last Rites of the Church, but also of his loving sister, Margaret. She was there at the end, to provide the same tenacious care that she has given for so long. Our thoughts, our condolences, our prayers are with her today and with Kevin and the wider family. This morning we also think of the Franciscan family which John Aloysius served so faithfully - as a member of the Menevia travelling mission, as parish priest and guardian in Peckham, as member of the provincial council and vocations director, as provincial minister and then, for 10 years in the Generalate in Rome. The Order has lost a great servant and our prayers are with them. We think, too, of the Diocese of Menevia, of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales and, of course, of this Archdiocese of Cardiff. In each place Archbishop Ward made his impact, bringing his forthright leadership to bear, and encouraging steadfast practice of the faith. In my experience he was so often fun to be with. He was fond of saying that as a Catholic he knew both how to fast and to feast, and he was ashamed of neither. With a twinkle in his eye, and his dining table filled with good things, he would speak of the 'rugged simplicity of our lives'. He took such joy in his robust promotion of the Welsh Church, and, of course, of Welsh rugby. He once described his presence at Cardiff Arms Park as being like that of Moses: as long as his arms were held aloft, then his team prevailed. In recent times he was apparently growing tired, but he clearly revived for that last game against England! Now, is that a foretaste of heaven? But now, so sadly, we gather for his Funeral Mass, to commend his
soul to the mercy of our loving heavenly Father and to console and
strengthen one another in faith. We do so, in God’s providence, on this
first day of Holy Week. As we prepare to celebrate the mysteries of our
redemption, catching their power in our lives through the Church’s
liturgy, he, we pray, is now entering into their full reality. This is
our prayer; this is our unfailing hope; this is our consolation. But in listening to this great proclamation we have to remember that the sermon given on the hill in Galilee is completed and fulfilled only on the hill of Golgotha, outside Jerusalem. The sublime dispositions of heart summed up in the Beatitudes find their full expression in the death of Jesus on the Cross. Only there do we see what it costs to be faithful to Love. Only there do we see the completion of the revelation of the Word made flesh and the Holy Spirit of the Beatitudes. This is what we try, in our failing ways, to embody in our own lives. And fail we do. All of us. |
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The Funeral Mass for the Most Reverend
John Aloysius Ward OFMCap, Archbishop Emeritus of Cardiff Archbishop Ward knew keenly what it was to bear the wounds of failure and sin. As a Franciscan it was a pattern familiar to him from his Founder. But the wounds we bear are no stigmata. They are the marks of our sin and failure, the consequences of weakness and fault, deepened, of course, only because we care, we love. The litany of the wounds that came in the last years of the life of our Archbishop has been well rehearsed in the obituaries. As with all of us, to some degree they were self-inflicted. To some degree they were undoubtedly the consequence of the wrong-doing of others. The ratio of these degrees is not ours to estimate, nor ours to worry over now. Today we pray for John Aloysius, asking mercy of God for his failings. And we pray for those whose wilful actions ended up bringing such distress upon him, that they too may put their trust in the Lord, in his justice and in his mercy. In this Holy Week, we all stand before our crucified Lord. We come to him with our troubles. And we do so in utter confidence knowing that his one desire, the eternal desire of the Godhead, expressed so long ago in the words of Isaiah, is to 'bind up hearts that are broken', to ‘comfort those who mourn’ replacing our ashes with garlands, our mourning robes with the oil of gladness and any despondence in our hearts with praise. So we praise and thank the Lord for all his gifts and for the gift of the life of Archbishop Ward, with all that he achieved. We thank God for the joy he brought to so many, for the unfailing personal kindness he showed not only during his public ministry but also throughout the years of his retirement. His attention to the sick and to those in need never faltered. We thank God for all the priestly work of the fifty-three years of his faithful ministry. In the next few days, every priest and bishop present here this morning will gather again to celebrate their diocesan Chrism Mass. During that celebration we will renew the bonds between bishop, priests and people. This is such an important moment and one for which this Mass today can prepare us. Archbishop Ward was present here last year. And he wanted to be here again this week. That is so right and proper, for a bishop never loses those ties or a priest either. The bonds we seek to renew are bonds of grace, bonds of unity in the Lord.They do not flow from agreement between priest and bishop about what is to be done. Nor is the exercise of episcopacy the seeking of popularity. The only thing that forms us as a Church, and as those sharing in the Sacrament of Holy Order, is a single-minded seeking of the Lord in which He alone can be our lasting Unity and Joy. It is so easy to lose sight of this, so easy to let other perspectives dominate our reactions. Today we seek a new purity of heart and a new readiness to serve. As St Francis said: "Let us begin to serve the Lord for up to now we have made little or no progress." Archbishop Ward, at one time, was very concerned for my spiritual well-being. While I was serving as General Secretary to the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales – and don’t dare forget the Wales – he would ring me up with stern instructions. In that gravely tone of voice he so favoured, he would tell me that, every morning on waking, I must repeat three times: God is not a Londoner! Archbishop Ward brought to his ministry great vision and breadth of experience. It was surely the open horizon that first attracted him to the Franciscan and the travelling mission that was his first joy. It was a joy that never left him entirely and, we pray, is now fully restored, even though he has had to endure the disappointment of discovering that neither is God Welsh! The Archbishop of Birmingham concluded: St Paul must surely provide us with our enduring word. It is God’s love that overcomes everything. It is this love, expressed so completely in the Passion of Christ, which 'does not come to an end'. This is the love for which we are made and for which we long: a love that delights in the truth, and is always ready to excuse, to trust, to hope and to endure whatever comes. While we reach out for this gift, with longing and humble hearts, we pray that John Aloysius will be fully possessed of it and possessed by it, too. As we move through Holy Week to the joy of the Resurrection, may he, in God’s great mercy, enter into the greatest joy of that Victory, the glory of his heavenly home. Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace. Amen. Obituary
The Most Reverend John Aloysius Ward was born to Owen and Hannah Josephine Ward in Leeds on 24th January 1929. He was educated at Prior Park College, Bath and later joined the Capuchin Franciscans at Pantasaph. He was ordained to the Sacred Priesthood in 1953, and for seven years he directed the travelling mission in North Wales. In 1969 he was elected Minister Provincial of the Capuchin Province
in the United Kingdom. In 1970 he was appointed as a Counsellor to the
Minister General in Rome. He was appointed by Pope John Paul II as
coadjutor Bishop of Menevia on October 1st 1980 and succeeded to the See
on 5th He was appointed by Pope John Paul II to become the Fifth Archbishop of Cardiff on 29th March 1983 and was enthroned in Cardiff on 19th July 1983. He attended the 1994 Synod of Bishops in Rome on behalf of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales. He retired in October 2001. In retirement, Archbishop Ward undertook many engagements and was consulted widely. He established the Lewis Ward Trust, which sponsors charitable projects at home and in the developing world to alleviate the suffering of children and vulnerable adults, and promotes children’s education and development. He died on 27th March 2007. He is survived by his sister Mrs. Margaret Waugh and his brother Mr. Kevin Ward. Donations in his memory can still be made to the Lewis Ward Trust. ONE CHURCH, ONE PEOPLE A Diocesan Day on Race and Racial Justice It is planned to hold a Diocesan Day on Race and Racial Justice in Menevia later this year. It will provide an opportunity to learn, think, and pray about race and racial justice matters in the diocese and to consider appropriate ways of involving ethnic groups more fully in diocesan and parish life. The day is being organised by a laity group set up by the Diocese of Menevia Pastoral Council, in consultation with the Catholic Association for Racial Justice (CARJ). It has the full support of Bishop Mark. Our Catholic community in Menevia is an increasingly diverse one and has been changing rapidly in recent years. It includes a number of minority groups - ethnic minorities; asylum seekers; refugees; foreign students; seamen; the Filipino community; gypsies and other travellers; and economic migrants including Eastern Europeans and Portuguese. The day will celebrate the diversity that exists and examine ways in which it can be used to strengthen the Church in Menevia. It will look at what is happening in our parishes. How are they changing? Are there vulnerable groups? How are ‘ethnic minority groups’ being welcomed? What are their needs? How are they being helped? What should we as fellow Christians do to help? We need to hear the views and experiences of people from minority ethnic groups. Are they experiencing racism? Do they feel valued, welcomed, loved and able to offer themselves and their talents to the service of the Church? A great deal is undoubtedly being done within our parishes and by the various Catholic organisations and societies to assist minority ethnic groups. We need to find out what is being done, where, by whom and how. There must be many examples of good practice that can be drawn upon. Finally, we will be looking for ideas and suggestions as to how best
to move ahead. What policies and strategies should parishes and the
diocese have on race and racial justice matters; and what positive
actions can we take to encourage and enable the participation of
minority ethnic people in all aspects of Church life, work and decision
making processes in Menevia? Alan Randall who will co-ordinate all replies. May I thank you in anticipation of your support and co-operation. Gina Smith WELSH NATIONAL PILGRIMAGE LOSES A GOOD FRIEND
Miss Yvonne Halsey died in her ninetieth year at the end of January. She had been a great supporter of the Welsh National Pilgrimage to Lourdes ever since its inception in 1962. When Archbishop Murphy and a number of his priests took the first pilgrims to Lourdes that year, Yvonne, who happened to be there, took them under her wing, helping them get round the protocol and procedures and giving them good, wise advice. She could open any door in Lourdes on account of her extraordinary wartime history as a brave member of the French Resistance, so the raw Welsh pilgrims could not have been in better hands. It became Yvonne’s custom to spend a few weeks in Lourdes each summer, taking in the Welsh pilgrimage dates and she became a familiar figure at its celebrations. Her story is one of great courage and enterprise, well worth relating. Yvonne Freda Mary Halsey was born in 1917 in Boulogne, but later her English father and French mother settled in Abbey Wood, on the outskirts of London. There she received her first education, growing up to become bi-lingual. Later her parents sent her for six-month periods to schools in Europe so that her two languages grew to six. After school she used her linguistic skills to become an International Telephone Exchange Operator and by 1940 was working in Paris. With the German Army at the gates, she put through the last call to London on June 15th and then made her escape with other telephonists in an RAF lorry which finished up in a ditch after being machine-gunned by Stukas. Yvonne then walked 150 kms to St Malo and just managed to get on the last ship to leave the port. Within an hour she was floating on what was luckily a calm sea because the ship had been torpedoed. She was subsequently picked up and brought back to England by a British destroyer. Back in London, she was taken to meet General de Gaulle by Major General Spears, who asked her if she would be prepared to return to France to help gather undercover information about the strength of the French Resistance Movement So is was that Yvonne baled out of a British plane into the dark, close to a farm where she knew she would be sheltered by French friends prepared to risk their lives by helping her. She walked round for weeks, listening to conversations in the local cafés and bistros, until she was picked up in a remote field by a Lysander aeroplane which had only the light of torches to guide the pilot into a landing. Seven times she went back into France on similar missions, but on her last she was given away by collaborators. The Gestapo took her to Frennes prison in Paris and questioned her for many hours. She swore that she was French and although sudden questions were fired at her in English to take her off guard, she repeated over and over again ‘Je ne comprend pas.’ She did not break down even under torture. Somehow Resistance workers, who were operating within the prison, managed to spirit her away one night and then she was passed through their network back into Britain. She was sent to East Grinstead Hospital for skin grafts to her legs that had been badly scarred by the torture she underwent in prison, but before long she was back at work at the International Telephone Exchange in London, where she was the first operator to resume the service to Paris in 1945. Apart from a break of nine months, when she attended the 1946 Peace Conference in Paris as a translator, Yvonne worked at the Telephone Exchange until her retirement, by which time she had risen to be the Chief Supervisor of the International Section. Outside this career, she did much voluntary work. She was a Governor of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and was a weekly visitor to Moorfields Eye Hospital where she looked after patients’ comforts. But she helped out most of all at her local Catholic Church and at the Shrine of Our Lady at Lourdes that was to become her second home. She spent as much time there as she could, helping for as long as she was physically fit, giving forty-nine years of service to the Hospitalité. There it was that she met up with the first Welsh pilgrims and took them to her heart. In those early days it was very difficult to make phone calls from Lourdes back home and the late Archbishop Murphy was delighted that he had Yvonne at hand to get him connected without any of the usual delays. She helped the Welsh out in all sorts of ways. On one occasion she managed to get a sick patient back home without a passport. She had contacts all over France through her many French Resistance friends. They all had their undercover code-names by which they knew one another and Yvonne, using hers to former colleagues, could move mountains of bureaucracy. She had very close links too with the HCPT and was a central figure in the organisation of the Easter Pilgrimage from its inception and for many years. Many pilgrims will remember her as its first ‘Chief Marshall’, present at Lourdes Airport and Lourdes Station to ensure the safe arrival and departure of all the groups. As well as receiving the Médaille de la Resistance and the 1939-1945 Star, Yvonne was honoured with the Imperial Service Medal for services to the GPO, the Gold Medal (England) for accompanying schools to Lourdes, the silver Medal of the Hospitalité, the Silver Medal of the HCPT, and a Bene Merenti. One honour was very rare and unusual. She was given the ‘Freedom of Lourdes’ by its Mayor – a tribute in recognition of her help to wartime France as well as her loyal devotion to the Shrine. At her Requiem Mass at the Church of St Benet’s, Abbey Wood, Yvonne’s heroic life. was celebrated. The French Ambassador sent his Air Attaché to represent him and three delegates came over from France to read tributes. They thanked Yvonne for helping France to achieve the liberty it enjoys today. As a final fitting tribute, her coffin, draped in the Union Jack, was borne out to the notes of the Marseillaise. Brother Michael Stroud, founder of the HCPT, came from Caldey Island to join Mr Tony Mills, its Executive Secretary and other officials representing their pilgrimage at the Requiem. Dr Denis Daley and his wife Mary were there on behalf of the Welsh National Pilgrimage. SWANSEA UNIVERSITY
His Eminence Cardinal James Francis Stafford will shortly be making a visit to our diocese, during which he will be giving a lecture, on Monday 4th June, at the University. The title of his lecture will be . . . 'THE TWO RIVERS OF FORGIVENESS' and it will commence at 7.00 p.m. Everyone is very welcome to attend the lecture and admission will be free. Those who will be travelling by car are most welcome, as always, to park on the University Campus - there is no charge for the parking of cars or buses for those attending the lecture. Cardinal Stafford is one of the senior figures in the Vatican. He is the Major Penitentiary of the Apostolic Penitentiary, Roman Curia and is a former Bishop of Memphis in Tennessee and Archbishop of Denver in the United States of America. He was elevated to the Dignity of Cardinal in 1998. Cylch Catholig Retreat – Caldey Island Bu cynrychiolaeth o’r tair esgobaeth yn encil y Cylch
Catholig ddiwedd Ebrill – y tro cyntaf i’r Cylch gynnal encil ar Ynys
Bŷr. Mae ein diolchiadau ni’n ddyledus i Esgob Edwin a’r
arweinwyr i gyd, i Steve a Sue am ofalu amdanom yn y gwesty, i Abad
Daniel, Brawd Teilo a phawb yn y Gymuned ar Ynys Bŷr. Cylch Catholig Retreat – Caldey Island All three dioceses of Wales were represented in Y
Cylch Catholig retreat at the end of April - the first retreat to be
held on Caldey Island by Y Cylch Catholig.
Our thanks go to Bishop Edwin and all of the retreat
leaders, to Steve and Sue who looked after us so well in the guesthouse,
to Abbot Daniel, Brother Teilo and all of the Community on Caldey. Departure of Marist Community from Carmarthen "It is almost an impossible task to give proper tribute and to express adequate gratitude to the Marist Community for the care and devotion they have shown to us in the parish during the last 6 plus years. It is however a privilege to try and do so. You have brought to us and taught us the Marist Way of spirituality in tranquillity, peace, pastoral care and love. You have left us with an incredible memory for time immemorial. We shall remember that it was in your time our church was restored, almost to its former glory, and we can only wish that in your future work, you experience the great joy and happiness you have given us during the years you have been with us. You have been an integral part of our lives for so long, that we shall miss you enormously." Taken from Adrian Murphy’s tribute to the Marist Community at the Farewell Mass on December 28th 2006. The Mass was a very prayerful and joyful celebration with the Folk Choir and the 11 o’clock choir joining together to give of their very best in song and music. Fr. Des was the chief celebrant, assisted by Fr Henry and Fr. Jack Padua. The readings were done by Srs Carmel, Lily and Maz. Sr. Maz spent some time in Carmarthen and is now the Regional leader of the Marist Sisters. The church was filled with young, middle aged and elderly. Members of other churches and chapels were also there. After the Mass, all went to the Parish Centre for refreshments, beautifully prepared by the parishioners. There was chatter, stories were told, photographs were taken and people said goodbye to their beloved Marists.
Pontyberem The 20th of December found the Marist community all together celebrating in Holy Cross Church, Pontyberem, in a Mass of thanksgiving said by Fathers Henry and Des. For the last time there, they walked into a packed church where the ‘singing community’ raised the roof. After Mass the celebrations continued at the New Inn. They were happy to have time once again at this ‘happy haunt’ to renew acquaintances, enjoy fine fare, hear stories and say fond farewells. They thanked the Pontyberem community for their friendship, support and generosity. Llanmiloe, Pendine December 31st 2006 saw the Marist Community in Llanmiloe for the last time. Here the church was filled as all came to say goodbye. Mass was at the usual Sunday morning time 9.00am and was celebrated by Fr. Henry assisted by Fr. Des. This was a doubly sad occasion as it was the last time Mass would be celebrated there during the winter months. The people will miss the Marists but the Marists will miss the people and the lovely scenic drive through St. Clears and Laugharne to Pendine on Sunday mornings. St. Mary’s School On December 22nd, Mr. Martin O’Toole invited The Community to a special assembly. There they joined the pupils, staff, parents and friends of the school in an end of term assembly of thanksgiving. At the end of the assembly they were feted like celebrities and festooned with cards, gifts and memorabilia, all beautifully packed and presented by pupils, staff and parents. While they remained choked for words, Sr. Lily, who was the longest serving member of the community, was the only one who regained the power of speech. She thanked everyone in St. Mary’s for giving the community such happy memories. They all went off carrying a big bag of Welsh gifts, plus a huge photo of all the pupils – framed in gold! In their own words "we carry away fond memories with blessings to treasure". POOR CLARES (Collettines) Before they left in January, from their beloved Convent in Neath to join their sisters at their Scottish Convent, the Sisters went for the very first time to a special Mass held on 6th January in our Cathedral Church of St Joseph in Swansea. It was a sad but still a very joyous celebration at which Bishop Emeritus Daniel J Mullins, who had of course known the sisters for very many years, preached the following sermon. First of all, I want to thank you all for coming to the Cathedral today. That you have come in such numbers is a clear indication that you realise the importance of our celebration. We have come together to mark the end of a period. Very soon now, the Poor Clare Sisters will be leaving Neath. For over fifty years, they have lived out faithfully their rule of life. It has been a life of prayers and of total commitment to Almighty God. It has been, in a very special and fully Catholic way, lives lived in our service.
The Order of Poor Clares was founded soon after 1212. Their foundress was St. Clare, whose life was changed by the inspiring example of St. Francis of Assisi. The Sisters at Neath describe themselves as the Poor Clare Colettines. The Order of Poor Clares was thoroughly reformed in the early fifteenth century by St. Colette of Picardy. She restored to the Order the principle that was so dear to St. Clare herself, that of strict poverty in the personal lives of the Sisters, and in their convents. They observe the rule of strictest enclosure and devote themselves to a life of contemplative prayer and of penance. It is a life based on total trust in God, of consciously living in His presence. In all the years that the Poor Clares have been at Neath, they have risen from their beds for the night office and have observed the most austere form of religious life for women known in the Catholic Church. In the fullest sense, their way of life has been a living out in our own time the tradition established here in Wales by St. David and his contemporaries who pioneered and led the great revival of Catholic life among these hills in the sixth century. The participation of women in this great movement gets little mention in Welsh sources, but their role is well testified in the life of the Irish Church which was so much a part of the inspiration and the support of the early Saints of Wales. St. Patrick himself speaks with humble thanksgiving of the many virgins among his converts who consecrated their lives to God. The contemplative life is an extraordinary act of Faith. It is nothing less than the commitment to make present and visible the Christian hope that our Faith guarantees, to make visible what the Letter to the Hebrews calls ‘the realities that at present remain unseen’ (cf Heb, 11, 1). To arrive at the presence of God is to be enwrapped forever in the contemplation of the Beauty ever ancient, ever new. It is to see everything and everyone else reflected in the glory of the Trinity. In their life of contemplation, the Poor Clare Sisters, and all contemplative Orders, remind us that the destiny of us all is to see God even as He sees us, to know Him even as we are known. Most of us, living in the world, are so enamoured of the things of this world that we live and act as if God did not matter. During my years as bishop of Menevia, it was always a special grace to celebrate the Mass of Dawn on Christmas morning with the Poor Clares, to experience with them the whole reality of that wonderful feast - the reality of God transforming the world. Our celebration today is one of thanksgiving mingled with sadness. We thank Almighty God for the Sisters and for their years among us. They have been years in which they continually prayed for us all; years too in which they have offered their own lives in reparation for the sins of the rest of us in the diocese. Their departure from us is a real sorrow and a real loss. But, please God, they are leaving something permanent here in the Diocese of Menevia. The history of the Church is a history of great works begun for Christ. The early development of the Western Church was pioneered especially in North Africa, and Rome itself was always happy to accept and to adopt what had had its beginnings in that great stretch from Alexandria to Carthage. The great work of theological renewal and of liturgical development in that area has left its lasting mark on the whole of the Western Church and beyond. The Poor Clares came to Neath to consolidate by their prayers and by their lives the revitalisation of Catholic life that had begun here in the late eighteenth and throughout the nineteenth centuries. On the Feast of St. Clare each year, on August 11th, we pray that the inspiration of St Clare’s love of poverty may enable us all to follow Christ in poverty of spirit and so come to the joyful vision of God’s glory. That is the lasting edifice that the daughters of St. Clare are leaving to us. Their memory, and their continuing prayer for us is that we too will have our treasure in heaven, whatever may be the worldly blandishments that surround our daily lives. As we say Good-bye to the Poor Clare Sisters, we pray that their example may help to remove selfishness and self-seekmg from our hearts. We pray too that the Catholic People of Menevia will keep before all the people of this part of Wales that we have here no lasting city, that our hope is the Christian hope of being with Jesus where He is. As we tearfully say Good-bye to the Sisters, we know that though they may be far away, they will always keep Menevia in their hearts. Our prayer today is that of St. Thomas More that we may all meet merrily in heaven, to rejoice together in the Kingdom of our heavenly Father. Bishop Daniel Caring for the Catholic Patient Two publications have recently been produced to support and clarify Catholic understanding of healthcare chaplaincy, together with an explanation of the specific pastoral needs of Catholic patients. These publications: Caring for the Catholic Patient - A Guide to Catholic Chaplaincy for NHS Managers & Trusts, and Meeting the Pastoral Needs of Catholic Patients are available from the CTS. They are the first in a series entitled Keeping Faith. Future materials will include a guide to the Mental Capacity Act and a collection of essays and articles illustrating a Catholic theology and spirituality of healthcare. In the Preface to "Caring for the Catholic Patient", Bishop Thomas Williams states that ‘This document is invaluable because of the significant legal and policy changes which have occurred within the NHS over the past years. In 1992 the Department of Health issued Guidance Document HSG (92)2 on Chaplaincy. This was replaced in 1993 by NHS Chaplaincy. Also in 1993 representatives from Catholic chaplaincies collaborated with other chaplaincy colleagues, including the Hospital Chaplaincies Council, to develop a guidance document entitled Health Care Chaplaincy Standards. This described the primary purpose of chaplains as 'enabling individuals and groups in a healthcare setting to respond to spiritual and emotional needs, and to the experiences of life and death, illness and injury, in the context of a faith or belief system'.’ He continues ‘The Catholic Church aims to achieve this through its
training, support, supervision and appraisal of those engaged in
healthcare chaplaincy to make them more effective. This statement seeks
to clarify some key aspects of the legislation, policy context and
theological background for current Catholic chaplaincy by outlining its
management and development and the ways in which it seeks to work
effectively within the NHS.' By bringing together examples of good and not-so-good practice from different dioceses and hospitals, the document aims to produce a statement of best practice which can be used by NHS managers and chaplains to ensure effective provision of religious and spiritual care. The writers of the document acknowledge the comments of a number of
bishops and their advisors, including canon lawyers, serving chaplains
and NHS lead chaplains for Caring for the Spirit. Every effort
has been made to incorporate these comments in the development of a
specifically Catholic understanding of chaplaincy.’ |
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Registered Charity No 234168