I have five hopes for our current Year of the Eucharist. The Year will run until Christmas 2022. These are my prayers and aspirations:
1. Let us grow so much in our faith that we always acknowledge Jesus Christ to be really and truly present and active in the Holy Eucharist.
2. Let us see the Mass as the source of our life’s activity.
3. Let us practice regularly spending time with Jesus in Eucharistic Adoration
4. Let us beg the Eucharistic Lord to fill us with His Holy Spirit, sending us out to transform the world in loving mission and service
5. Let us reach out in welcome to others, those outside the church, the non-practicing and the needy, in order to draw them to Jesus in the Eucharist
“I urge you with all the strength of my soul to approach the Eucharistic Table as often as possible. Feed on this Bread of the Angels from which you will draw the strength to fight inner struggles, the struggles against passions and against all adversities, because Jesus Christ has promised to those who feed themselves with the most Holy Eucharist, eternal life and the necessary graces to obtain it” (from a speech at Pollone to youth by Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati)

We’ve sent to the printers the next edition of our new quarterly Diocesan Newsletter! It will be in our parishes for Sunday 4th July. (Again, many thanks in advance to all those who have offered to help with the delivery). This summer edition will be focusing on the Year of the Eucharist and on Vocations, as well as incorporating a selection of news from around the Diocese. There will be much to read, including a reflection by Canon Gerard Flynn on the work of being the Vocations Director, and the “unique opportunity” that Canon John Cooke speaks of in discussing his work of Vocations’ Promotion. Edward Hauschild, one of our seminarians in Rome, tells his story and Teresa Cripps, Assistant Head at Bishop Challoner, speaks of her faith in the Holy Eucharist. I also lay out my hopes for the Year of the Eucharist. When it comes - make sure you pick up a copy of the Viva Voce newsletter from church!

The month of June is traditionally dedicated to the Heart of Christ. In the attached YouTube (click on the picture) Dr. Scott Hahn explains the doctrine and devotion behind this. I have always from my childhood had a love for the Heart of Christ and in our parish church there was an altar dedicated to Him, with candles to light. When I was ordained bishop, I chose the motto In Corde Iesu in order to place Jesus Christ at the centre of everything in my episcopal ministry and also to draw the Diocese to the Person of Christ our Saviour. In my eighth Pastoral Letter, published on 29th June 2014 called “The Sacred Heart of Jesus and the New Evangelisation” I said this: “Over the last decades, the Church has been calling us to make an epic shift in attitude, to focus less on the Church of the Lord and more on the Lord of the Church. Instead of being inward looking, seeking to change or to conserve the status quo, or becoming a moaning minnie, we need to recall the joyful words of Paul VI that the Church exists to evangelise. As disciples, our primary task is to live like Jesus, to reach out to others in love, and to transform our culture with the Gospel.” 

Wednesday 16th June 2021 is the memorial of St. Richard of Chichester, “a likeable and humble man who remained as down-to-earth and accessible as a bishop as he had been on his father’s farm” (Wordsworth Dictionary of Saints). Richard was the son of a yeoman farmer, who as a boy was given more to study than the farming life. He studied at Oxford and became the lifelong friend of his tutor, St. Edmund of Abingdon. He went on to gain a doctorate in canon law at Bologna before returning in 1235 to Oxford where he was appointed Chancellor to the University. He later became Chancellor to St. Edmund when he became the Archbishop of Canterbury. Richard was a parish priest, but in 1244 was elected Bishop of Chichester. He lived a life of simplicity and was known for his accessibility to his flock, his orthodoxy and his unstinting charity to the needy. He supported the Crusades and while preaching at Dover for this cause, died on the 3rd April 1253 at the Maison Dieu, a house for poor priests. In 1276, his body was transferred to a shrine in Chichester cathedral, which then became a popular centre for pilgrimage until the Reformation. May he pray for us all today. Here is a famous prayer he wrote: Thanks be to thee, my Lord Jesus Christ, for all the benefits thou hast given me, for all the pains and insults thou hast borne for me. O most merciful Redeemer, Friend and Brother, may I know thee more clearly, love thee more dearly, and follow thee more nearly, day by day. Amen.

Sunday 20th June is the Twelfth Sunday of the Year and the Gospel is Mark 4:35-41. In the Gospel we hear how Jesus’ calming of the storm shows us His sovereign power over the natural world. But it also teaches us about the necessity of faith if we are to stay steadfast in a world of confusion and danger. Jesus would never let the storm overwhelm his beloved disciples. Do we have the faith to trust that Jesus will never let the storms of our lives overwhelm us? You can find the Sunday readings here and read Scott Hahn's reflection here. You can register to watch our Diocesan Wednesday Webinar here, or join via Facebook live. If you can’t join on Wednesday, you can subscribe to the podcast here.

Next Monday, 21st June 2021, we commemorate St. Aloysius Gonzaga, a patron saint of youth and Jesuit novices. Saint Aloysius came from a noble family in Lombardy and was born in 1568. As a young child, he developed a deep and precocious piety, with great devotion and self-discipline. At the age of 11, his father sent him to Florence to further his education. There he often had to appear at the Medici court, but was repulsed by the corruption and hedonism he found himself surrounded by. In 1581 on a visit to Spain, he determined to become a Jesuit missionary, much to the disappointment of his family and in 1584 enrolled in the Jesuit house in Rome. He was sent for studies to Milan, but there he had a vision of his approaching death and suffering from ill-health was transferred back to Rome. In 1587 he took his vows and spent much of his time and energy visiting the sick and caring for victims of the plague. In 1591, he caught the plague himself and died on the 21^st June, aged just 23. He received the last rites from his friend and director St. Robert Bellamine. Here is a prayer he wrote to the Blessed Virgin Mary: O holy Mary, my Mistress, into your blessed trust and special keeping, into the bosom of your tender mercy, this day, every day of my life and at the hour of my death, I commend my soul and my body; to you I entrust all my hopes and consolations, all my trials and miseries, my life and the end of my life, that through your most holy intercession and your merits, all my actions may be ordered and disposed according to your will and that of your Divine Son.

Next Tuesday, 22nd June, is the feast of the two great saints and Englishmen, St. John Fisher and St. Thomas More, both of whom were beheaded on Tower Hill, London, in 1535 for their Catholic faith. Having been a chaplain in Cambridge at Fisher House, I’ve always had a particular devotion to St. John Fisher (depicted here by Hans Holbein the Younger). He was born in 1469 in Beverley and educated at Cambridge University, where he became a top scholar and eventually the Chancellor of the University. He was ordained a priest in 1491 and appointed spiritual director to Lady Margaret Beaufort, the mother of King Henry VII. At that time, he became closely associated in her endowments to Cambridge; he created scholarships, introduced Greek and Hebrew into the curriculum, and brought in the world-famous Erasmus as professor of Divinity and Greek. In 1504, he was appointed Bishop of Rochester and dedicated himself wholeheartedly to the welfare of the Diocese. He strove to care for the clergy, whilst living an extremely ascetic life, wearing a hair shirt. From 1527, this humble servant of God actively opposed King Henry VIII’s divorce proceedings against Catherine of Aragon, and steadfastly resisted the king’s claim to be the Supreme Head of the Church of England. Unlike the other bishops, he refused to take the Oath of Succession, acknowledging the issue of Henry and Anne Boleyn as the legitimate heir to the throne, and for this he was imprisoned in the Tower of London. This was April 1534. The following year, Pope Paul III named him a cardinal. In retaliation, on 22nd June 1535, Henry had St. John Fisher beheaded, along with his friend Sir Thomas More. Fisher and More were canonised in 1935 by St. Paul VI.
 
Let us ask the prayers of SS. John Fisher and Thomas More that we will always have the courage to hold, defend and charitably proclaim our Catholic faith.

One of the hymns and texts Pope Urban IV commissioned from St Thomas Aquinas in 1264 for the then new feast of Corpus Christi, was the hymn Verbum supernum prodiens. This text has many inspiring references to our Lord’s saving mission in reconciling us to the Father and thus, through his Passion, opening for us the gates of heaven. We are invited to ask fHis help in persevering in our spiritual journey towards Eternal Life with Him in our true native land, heaven. Verbum supernum was originally sung at Morning Prayer on Corpus Christi. But its last two verses, beginning O salutaris hostia, have come to be used at the beginning of a Holy Hour as the Blessed Sacrament is unveiled in the monstrance. Its common metre has meant that down the ages it has come to be sung to many different tunes: click on the picture for one of my favourite Gregorian melodies (Mode VIII). It has also had many musical settings by classical composers such as Palestrina, Beethoven, Gounod, and Liszt. A literal translation of the Latin text is: O saving Victim, Who opens wide the door of heaven, hostile armies are pressing: give (us) strength; bring (us) aid. To the One and Triune Lord may there be everlasting glory, Who life without end gives us in (our heavenly) homeland. Amen. It is a beautiful hymn that reminds us to keep our eyes fixed on the prize: heaven.

The G7 met last weekend. Here is a letter sent to the Prime Minister regarding this G7 meeting on behalf of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales...
 
Dear Prime Minister, as you prepare for the meeting of leaders of the G7, we write to you on behalf of the Catholic community of England, Wales and Scotland to offer our support in ensuring a sustainable future for our global community. The urgency of the global ecological crisis, and the teachings of our Catholic faith implore us to speak out, take action, and make decisions that benefit our planet and the most vulnerable in society. As Pope Francis writes in Laudato Si’ “We are faced not with two separate crises, one environmental and the other social, but rather with one complex crisis that is both social and environmental. Strategies for a solution demand an integrated approach to combating poverty, restoring dignity to the excluded and at the same time protecting nature.” The social, economic, and environmental crises we face are inextricably linked. The biodiversity of our planet is decreasing at a shocking rate, and we must all act to counter this. We wish to emphasise that the emergency of the ecological crisis has a human face, recently highlighted by the Vatican’s guidance on climate displaced people. In our race towards our own technological and economic advances, we have caused the exploitation of people and the degradation of our planet. Energy and infrastructure are vital in supporting the poorest in our societies out of the pandemic and out of the ecological crisis, but we must look towards a future whereby we radically reduce our use of fossil fuels – something which the countries which you represent have a shared responsibility for, in ensuring fair outcomes for the benefit of all.

Following the announcement of the closure of the Catholic Universe and Catholic Times this week, Cardinal Nichols has offered his thanks to the owner and staff for their service to the mission and witness of the Catholic Church in this country. Here is what he said...
 
This week sees the last edition of the Catholic Universe and the Catholic Times supplement. Universe Catholic Media Ltd has stopped trading with immediate effect. I receive this news with great sadness. It is an historic moment which comes as a ‘sign of the times’. The Universe has served the Catholic community devotedly since 1860. But now no more. The current publishing market is difficult and the board, management and staff of Universe Media Group have made strenuous efforts to continue their operations. I thank, with all of my heart, Clive Leach, the owner, Joe Kelly, the managing editor, and all the staff for their unstinting service and commitment to the Catholic community in this country and beyond. For many years they have strived with every sinew to keep reporting and commenting on the Catholic Church, in full support of our mission to spread the Gospel and bear witness to our faith. I know that they have explored every avenue in trying to steer this operation through these most difficult times and circumstances. Again, on behalf of so many, I thank them for this valiant effort and commend them for their work.
 
The role of communication and journalism in reporting and commenting on the life of the Catholic Church, from the perspective of our faith, is a great challenge. My hope and prayer is that professional and enthusiastic Catholics will continue in this task, exploring and developing new forms of communication and new ways of telling the story of our faith in action here in our lands. 

To mark the start of the Year of the Eucharist, Dr Christina Pal from the Academy of the Annunciation in Bournemouth invites readers to sign up for a free five part online course which begins on Tuesday 15th June...

You are invited!  To mark the start of the special Year of the Eucharist, Bishop Philip has asked the Academy of the Annunciation to present this new interactive short series online: Encountering Christ. The course will run from 7:00 – 9:00pm on Tuesday Evenings from 15th June – 13th July 2021 and you can sign up for free!

The five sessions are:

• Christ the Unique Mediator and Cornerstone of Our Faith (Tuesday 15th June)
• Encountering Christ in the Holy Eucharist (Tuesday 22nd June)
• Christ and Catholic Moral Teaching (Tuesday 29th June)
• Encountering Christ in Prayer and Discipleship (Tuesday 6th July)
• Contemplating Christ in The Annunciation through the Lens of Sacred Scripture (Tuesday 13th July)

You can read more about each session here. The Academy of the Annunciation invites you to join us as we consider together the many ways Jesus is calling us to encounter Him! For more information and to register, click here.  

The Centre for Applied Carmelite Spirituality in Oxford invite you join their two-year Spiritual Direction programme...

This two-year course is a unique combination of online and residential learning facilitated by seasoned practitioners at our Centre for Applied Carmelite Spirituality in Oxford.  It offers unparalleled formation in the spiritual life and training for those who wish to accompany others on their spiritual journey, while providing a forum for the mutual enrichment of Christians from different denominations. One does not need to be a Carmelite or even know much of Carmelite spirituality to be part of the Programme. All that is necessary is to have a heartfelt desire to draw from the rich tradition of Carmelite spirituality in deepening one’s own bond with God and to walk with others as they journey through life. Please contact ruth.preston@carmelite.org.uk or visit their website for further information.

The Director and Co-Directors of ECLAS (EQUIPPING CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP IN AN AGE OF SCIENCE) have written to me to share news of their conference ‘Building a Universe’ to be held in Durham from 14th - 16th September 2021 and to encourage you to 'save the date'. They write...
 
Dear Bishop Egan, Astronomy inspires us to come before God with awe and wonder. The ECLAS team warmly invites you to save the date for our Building a Universe conference this autumn - an opportunity to hear from world-leading cosmologists and theologians and to reflect with colleagues on the marvels of the universe. We will approach the theme of Building a Universe from the perspective of science-engaged theology. Over three days we will hear from experts in the beautiful setting of St John's College, Durham University and the world-renowned Ogden Centre for Fundamental Physics. We are honoured to have with us Prof Carlos Frenk, CBE, FRS. Founding Director of the Institute for Computational Cosmology (2001-2020), he is a world leader in the field and an inspiring speaker. Together with fellow leaders in the Church, we will apply what we learn to our own communities and contexts...

This week’s action is inspired by children at Notre Dame school, with thanks to Laudato Si Guernsey for sharing this with us...

Our experience of “Lockdown “has really brought to our attention the huge importance of the natural world and our need to protect it. We have also learned that we CAN live more simply, use food more thoughtfully, waste less, consume less. As parishioners of Our Lady and the Saints of Guernsey we have formed a group, "Laudato Si Guernsey" to pray, reflect and act on Pope Francis’ call to find ways of putting it into action in our community to inspire us all to ecological "Conversion". As individuals and families we can think and act more thoughtfully towards our God given and beautiful planet and we hope to bring some ideas of ways for us to do that each week.

What better people to start us off with a few tips than some of our youngest pupils from Notre Dame School. Over the next couple of months we will try to put into action different tips from the children each week. Here are some of them maybe they will inspire you too:
"Try walking some days instead of driving." Ella Rose Year 6
"Don’t flush baby wipes or other wipes down the toilet as they DO NOT break down." Shea Year 6.
"Turn off lights when you leave a room." from Aimee N Year 2.
"Turn off the charger when your device is fully charged." Hamish Year 5
Small actions done together can make a big difference.

Jo Lewry, Community Participation Co-ordinator for CAFOD Portsmouth, shares news of Eyes of the World which is CAFOD’s campaign focus for schools and young people this term…

The eyes of the world are on us this year as Britain hosts world leaders for the United Nations' climate change talks – COP26. They will make important decisions that will shape the future of our global family. Join our campaign to call on the Prime Minister to support the world's poorest communities affected by the climate crisis.  The world we live in is changing. The climate is in crisis and it affects us all. But it is the poorest communities who are suffering the most. Over the past year, we have seen how important it is to look after one another. The coronavirus crisis has shown that change is possible and that governments can make rapid decisions when they choose to do so. Now, let us come together to care for the world which is crying out for our help and tackle the climate emergency with even more urgency. As eyes of the world are on us this year, it is vital that we raise our voices and ensure the Government uses this historic moment to build a more sustainable world.

Watch our assemblies on CAFOD YouTube there is one for primary and one for secondary schools. There are lots of creative ways to take part in the campaign for primary schools here  secondary here. So, take part and share your “Eyes” by tagging @cafodportsmouth in your tweets! Watch our film Eyes of the World.

Roy Singh a parishioner from St Michael's Parish in Tadley reflects on the recently revised Litany of St Joseph, looking at how each litany of praise points towards a particular virtue of St Joseph...

God chose St Joseph to be the spouse of his most beautiful daughter Mary, whom he entrusted to be the mother of his Beloved Son. Joseph loved her with his whole heart and was filled with joy in her presence. He would have laid down his life to protect them. Joseph trusted Mary. Joseph, son of Jacob was a man who heard God in his dreams like Joseph in the Old Testament and responded without question to them.  Joseph was a righteous man as he obeyed God. He said Yes to marrying Mary and Yes to naming his son Jesus. Although he was also a sinner, he made mistakes but God entrusted him to be head and protector of the Holy Family. St Francis de Sales called the Holy Family the earthly Trinity. Although Joseph and Mary remained virgins, their marriage was the most fruitful marriage that ever existed raising the Son of God and Saviour of the World...

Jennifer Geach, a parishioner from Guernsey, offers us her latest reflection, this time thinking about repentance...

At Lourdes and Fatima, Our Blessed Mother had two very clear messages: repentance and prayer, prayer especially for sinners, and repentance demonstrated by penance.  In these words she is echoing the first message of her Divine Son who began his first preaching with the words ‘repent and believe the Gospel’.  Again, at Pentecost, when those who felt the earthquake came running, they demanded of the Apostles, who were declaring the marvellous works of God, ‘What must we do to be saved?’. They were told ‘Repent and be baptized’.  The constant witness of the church then is that repentance then is not an optional addition, but an essential part of the Christian life, for all have fallen short of the glory of God...  

On behalf of our Diocesan Marriage and Family Life team, Dr Amanda Buadi MBBS, MRCP(UK) who is a qualified Creighton Method Practitioner, brings us the latest instalment of her monthly series sharing information on the Theology of the Body; what the Catechism says about managing fertility, infertility, family planning; the health benefits of managing fertility naturally; the marital enrichment that can be achieved through using a natural method to plan a family as well as and other issues and talking points.  This month she looks at Pre-Menstrual Syndrome (PMS): Learn more about your body and how to avoid the worst effects of its monthly cycles!

Is PMS Real? Yes! PMS is a condition in which several emotional, behavioural and physical symptoms begin 4 or more days before the menstrual period. The table below lists some of these symptoms. It occurs cyclically, can be debilitating and a lot of women suffer greatly as a result. It is difficult to determine exactly how many women are affected by PMS as it tends to be under-reported, but it is thought to be somewhere between 12 - 95% of women of reproductive age.

Portsmouth Catenians' Marketing and Youth Officer, Vince Kelly bring us news of recent Portsmouth rivalry when the Portsmouth Catenian Circle challenged Portsmouth University CathSoc to an online quiz...

Portsmouth Catenians were narrowly beaten recently in a Quiz against the Catholic Society at the University of Portsmouth. The Quiz was held on Zoom. Each side was represented by a team of 4 who were able to consult each other, while other members were able to join in on an individual basis. Several Catenians from neighbouring circles also took part. The rounds of questions followed the familiar pattern, except that the first round was entitled  ‘Our Faith'. The  winning  student team consisted of Holly, Josh, Rebecca and Sam, while the Catenians were represented by Stuart and Maureen Thompson, Maria Miller and Youth Officer Vince Kelly. A smiling Fr Phil Carroll congratulated his team (including Holly, pictured) and thanked the Catenians for their excellent organisation of the occasion. Former Catenian President Nigel Miller added his congratulations stating that the Catenians intended to gain their revenge on a future occasion. Youth Officer Vince Kelly commenting stated, ‘ This enjoyable occasion will further strengthen the bonds between the Catenian Association and our Catholic University Students.’

I mentioned two major concerns in my recent Pastoral Letter. Fr Peter Codd has been reflecting on these concerns and feels that they seem to him poignantly reflected in this poem of St John of the Cross about Christ and his Bride: A Lone Young Shepherd...

 A lone young shepherd lived in pain
Withdrawn from pleasure and contentment,
His thoughts fixed on a shepherd-girl
His heart an open wound with love.
 
He weeps, but not from wound of love,
There is no pain in such affliction,
Even though the heart is pierced;
He weeps in knowing he’s been forgotten.
 
That one thought: His shining one
Has forgotten him, is such great pain
That he bows to brutal handling
In a foreign land,
His heart an open wound with love.
 
The shepherd says: I pity the one
who draws herself back from my love
and does not seek the joy of my presence,
though my heart is an open wound for love for her.
 
After a long time, he climbed a tree
And spread his shining arms
And hung by them and died,
His heart an open wound with love.
 
St John of the Cross, translated by Kieran Kavanaugh, O.C.D.

This summer, we bid farewell to Canon Michael Hore, who has reached the canonical age for retirement. Canon Michael, who was born in Co. Wexford, was ordained in June 1973 in Kiltegan, Co. Wicklow, for the St. Patrick’s Missionary Society. He joined our Diocese in 1990 and served in Hedge End and Guernsey, before becoming for almost ten years the parish priest of St. Joseph’s, Bracknell. He was incardinated into the Diocese of Portsmouth in 1995 and became a member of our Cathedral Chapter in 2001. After five years as parish priest of English Martyrs, Reading, Bishop Crispian in 2006 appointed him to Guernsey as its Dean. As I found myself whenever visiting, he was well-known and much loved on the island. These last two years since 2019, he has been at St. Ann’s and St. Mary Magdalene on the island of Alderney. In recent times, Canon Michael has not always had good health: please pray for him. Grateful for his service of the Lord and His Church, we wish him every grace and blessing in the years ahead, with better health and much joy.

This autumn, Fr. Andrew Moore, another of our priests, is retiring. Fr. Andrew comes from Hayes in Middlesex and joined Downside as a Benedictine in 1976. He was ordained a priest in 1982, after theological studies in Cambridge. He taught in Downside School and was the choirmaster, and later a housemaster and the monastery’s bursar. He also studied at San Anselmo in Rome and, as those who know him will testify, he has a passion for liturgical music. He began working in our Diocese in 1996, first at St. Peter and the Winchester Martyrs, and then as parish priest of Lambourne and Hungerford, and of Ascot. After a sabbatical in 2005, he returned to Winchester where he spent the next eleven years, whilst also being priest in residence part-time at the prestigious St. Mary’s School, Shaftsbury. In 2019, he became the priest in charge of Our Lady Immaculate, Westbourne. I particularly remember the joyful Pastoral Visitation there, just before the COVID-lockdown, when we sang at Mass a setting that Fr. Andrew had composed. Grateful for his service of the Lord and His Church, we wish him every grace and blessing in the years ahead, with good health and much joy. Fr. Andrew is retiring within the Diocese and will continue to assist in various ways, so we look forward to seeing him often in the years ahead.