Last Thursday, I had the joy of visiting St. George's Catholic College in Southampton to bless and officially open their new science and technology building. The magnificent new building is named Guadalupe in honour of Our Lady of Guadalupe. I was impressed to see the transformation of the site since my last visit, which was before the pandemic. Indeed, the new build had gone up during the pandemic, a remarkable achievement. After a tour, I said Mass in the school chapel with a few of the staff and students and local clergy. We had refreshments in the new Food Tech room, before a question and answer session with some of the spirituality team about life as a bishop. The opening was broadcast to the school on MS Teams as I cut the ribbon to declare the new building open. I finished the visit by blessing the building and the beautiful image of Our Lady of Guadalupe in the foyer. In this way, the building and the school community have been entrusted to the care of the Mother of God. Well done St. George’s and congratulations!

When I went to St. George’s Catholic College in Southampton to bless the new building dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe, I celebrated Mass in the school chapel. Here is the brief homily I preached. In it, I spoke about the story of Guadalupe and how this image is such a suitable ‘icon’ for the task of a Catholic school.
 
I always love the story about the Mexican peasant farmer who set off early one morning to walk to Mass, but as he went along, he was suddenly distracted by some lights and music, and by a voice calling his name: Juan Diego! Juan Diego! Juan Diego! He climbed the nearby hill, and met a young woman bathed in light, dressed like an Aztec princess, who told him to go and tell the bishop to build a church on that spot. So he hurried off to see him but the bishop, no doubt wondering what his Diocesan Property and Finance people might say, said he wanted proof. So Juan Diego went back - and again met the Woman from Heaven, who told him to take the bishop some flowers. He wrapped the flowers in his cloak, but when he arrived and let them fall out, the bishop fell to his knees. For there, impressed on his cloak, was the beautiful image we today call Our Lady of Guadalupe. Soon after, millions of Aztecs and native peoples converted to Christ. Guadalupe has since become the biggest shrine of Our Lady in the world, an international place of prayer.

The summer edition of our quarterly Diocesan Newsletter should be at the back of your church next Sunday, 4th July. We’re very grateful to all who have delivered the newsletters over these last few days. This summer edition has a special focus on the current Year of the Eucharist and also on Vocations. One of my most earnest prayers is for vocations to every state of life and ministry in the Church and especially to the priesthood. I hope you enjoy reading in the newsletter the inspiring stories and testimonies of some of those whom the Lord has called into his service. Canon Gerard Flynn offers a reflection on the work of being the Vocations Director, and Canon John Cooke speaks about the “unique opportunity” given in his work of Vocations’ Promotion. I also lay out my hopes for the Year of the Eucharist and offer some practical ideas as to how we might keep this Year special. Make sure you pick up a copy of the Viva Voce newsletter from church next week!

Tomorrow, Wednesday 30th June, is the memorial of the First Martyrs of Rome. There was already a large Jewish population in Rome but not long after the death and resurrection of Christ, there were also Christians in Rome. Interestingly, when he wrote his letter to the Romans c. 58 AD, Saint Paul had not yet visited them and his letter is addressed to a church formed from members of both Jewish and Gentile backgrounds. In July 64 AD, more than half of Rome was destroyed by great fire. Rumours blamed the tragedy on the Emperor Nero who wanted to enlarge his palace. It was said, he ‘fiddled while Rome burned.’ He shifted the blame by accusing the Christians. According to the historian Tacitus, a great multitude of Christians was put to death because of “their hatred of the human race.” It is quite possible that SS. Peter and Paul were among the victims. Later in the first century, Pope Clement wrote that around Saints Peter and Paul “there gathered a great throng of the elect, who though the victims of jealousy gave us the finest example of endurance in the midst of indignities and tortures. Through jealousy, women were tormented like Dirce or the daughters of Danaus, suffering terrible and unholy acts of violence. But they courageously finished the course of faith and despite their bodily weakness won a noble prize.”

Thursday 1st July is the (optional) memorial of St. Oliver Plunkett. To quote the excellent new book on the Martyrs by Dr. Dudley Plunkett that will be published shortly, “Oliver was a scholarly Irishman who spent his early years as a priest and professor in Rome, until, at the age of 40, he was appointed Archbishop of Armagh and sent back to Ireland to lead the pastoral work of the Church. He responded heroically to the challenge, since Ireland was woefully short of priests and the people were deprived of the sacraments. Hunted by the authorities, he travelled in disguise around the country building up the work of the Church through confirmations, establishing a school, and seeking to correct the behaviour of lax priests. The effectiveness of his work won him further enemies, and eventually false witness was brought against him, accusing him of fomenting rebellion against the English Crown and even of planning to organise a military invasion of Ireland by French soldiers. He was brought to trial in London on a series of totally unfounded charges of treasonous activity in Ireland, in the atmosphere of suspicion prompted by the fake Titus Oates plot. He was deprived of the opportunity to bring witnesses to his defence and was condemned to death for high treason. His execution, by being hanged, drawn, and quartered on 1st July 1681, was almost universally recognised to have been completely unjustifiable, including by King Charles II himself, and this led to the suspension of capital punishment for priests from that time.”

This Saturday 3rd July is the Feast of St. Thomas the Apostle. Surnamed Didymus, the twin, he was probably born in Galilee where he lived until he became a disciple of Jesus. He was genuinely committed to the Lord, declaring himself ready to go and die with him at the raising of Lazarus (John 11: 16). But today he is remembered best for his scepticism. When told by the other disciples that Jesus had appeared to them while he was absent, he said that unless “I put my hands in his side .. I will not believe.” When later he saw Christ and was invited to touch His wounds, Thomas fell before him and cried out “My Lord and my God.” This was the first great confession of Christ’s Divinity after his resurrection. His slowness to believe has earned him reproach from some, but also the empathy and love of the common Christian. The ancient historian Eusebius says that Thomas went on to found the church in Parthia. Another ancient and more prevalent tradition holds that he reached India and preached the Gospel to the Syrian Christians of Malabar. It is said that he was martyred near Madras. His mission to India is held strongly an in 1972, Pope Paul VI declared him to the “Apostle of India.”

Next Sunday 4th July is the Fourteenth Sunday of the Year and the Gospel is Mark 6:1-6. Everyone in his home town knows Jesus. They know exactly who he is - he is the ordinary son of an ordinary carpenter. Isn’t he? When Jesus preaches, they cannot believe what they are hearing. What they see and hear does not match what they ‘know’ about Jesus. Instead of opening themselves to this new reality, which challenges their presuppositions about Jesus, they hold on to their notions and so shut themselves off from faith. Do we too miss opportunities to see, hear, acknowledge and accept God in our midst because we think we already know everything he is and does? 

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 Tuesday, 6th July, is the (optional) Memorial of St. Maria Goretti. She came from Nettuno, Italy, where she was born in 1890, one of six children. Her father died when she was 10 years old, but one of the men who had worked with him, Alexander Serenelli by name, had made several attempts to seduce Maria. Her refusal so angered him that he threatened to kill her, which eventually he did, stabbing her fourteen times. Maria, then twelve years old, died in the hospital at Nettuno, after forgiving her assassin. In 1910, during his eighth year in prison, Alexander was converted after a dream in which the young martyr presented him with a bouquet of flowers. He was released from prison in 1928 and after asking pardon of Maria’s mother he received holy communion with her at the Christmas Mass. Alexander was present for the canonisation of Maria Goretti in 1950 by Pope Pius XII. It was also the first time in history that the mother of a saint was present at a canonisation. Maria’s defence of her virginity was very bold: this adolescent had the courage and purity of heart to say to her assailant “Don’t do it; it is a sin; you will go to hell.” On her deathbed she not only pardoned Alexander, but said: ”I hope that he too will join me in Paradise.”

The Holy Father has designated 25th July as the first World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly. The Vatican Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life have produced a selection of resources for the Day, so as to ensure that “its joyous message reaches every grandparent and elderly person effectively, even the most isolated.” You can access the message of Pope Francis here and also some pastoral guidelines and ideas for the day here. The Vatican suggests that it “would be especially meaningful if, as the Day approaches, the message could be delivered by every grandchild to their own grandparents, and by young people to the lonely elderly members of their communities.” It would also be appropriate for every parish to dedicate one of their Sunday Masses to grandparents and the elderly on Sunday 25th July, as the memorial of Sts. Joachim and Ann, grandparents of Jesus approaches.” To mark the day and to encourage acts of charity, the Holy Father has established a special Plenary Indulgence for those who on that day devote adequate time to actually or virtually visiting their elderly brothers and sisters in need or in difficulty (such as the sick, the abandoned, the disabled and other similar cases).

Francesca Merlo from Vatican News reports on yesterday's meeting between Pope Francis and a delegation of the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew and spoke of the importance of Christian communion as an example as we seek global communion after the pandemic...

Addressing the delegation of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople in the Vatican on Monday, Pope Francis noted that “this annual exchange of delegations between the Church of Rome and that of Constantinople” for the feasts of Saints Peter and Paul, “is a sign of the communion – real, albeit not yet full – which we already share”. 

This year, the Pope notes, the celebration of our respective saints comes “in a world still struggling to emerge from the dramatic crisis caused by the pandemic”.  The Pope noted that there is only one thing more serious than this crisis, “and that is the risk that we will squander it, and not learn the lesson it teaches”.  This is a lesson in humility, continued the Pope, which shows us that “it is not possible to live healthy lives in an unhealthy world, or to go on as we were, without recognizing what went wrong”. 

Tonight, Tuesday 29th June Dr Christina Pal from the Academy of the Annunciation in Bournemouth invites you to take part in a free five part online course which is running on Tuesday evenings until 13th July...

To mark the start of the special Year of the Eucharist, the Academy of the Annunciation is presenting a new interactive short series online: Encountering Christ. The course will run from 7:00 – 9:00pm on Tuesday Evenings until 13th July 2021 and you can sign up for free! The sessions still to come are:

• 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)

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, including more about each session and how to register, click here.  

Eileen Finch from our diocesan Christian Unity group draws our attention to the national Thank You Day on Sunday 4th July which Churches Together in England, supporting the lead of Churches Together in Britain & Ireland, commend to all churches as an opportunity to give thanks with the whole United Kingdom...

The Together Coalition (with a steering committee chaired by CTE President the Archbishop of Canterbury) is working across the country with communities and organisations to build the first ever National Thank You Day on Sunday 4th July. We want to celebrate all that has got us through the past 18 months - inviting communities throughout the UK to get together to say "Thank You" to everyone who has helped us - from shopkeepers and teachers to the friends, families, next door neighbours and people from our places of worship and community groups. Through this incredibly difficult year, we know that churches throughout the UK have particularly stepped up and gone above and beyond, reaching out to their communities from all backgrounds to run food banks, hold online prayers and worship, connect with those who are lonely, provide much-needed to support to those who have lost loved ones, and so much more. Starting from just 13 individuals proposing a Thank You Day, the idea is now supported by hundreds of organisations across the country, ranging from the Scouts and Guides to Rotary and the Royal Voluntary Service, the Church of England, the NHS, The Mirror and The Sun and the Football Association. 

Julie-Ann Gylaitis, Membership Secretary and Trustee of the Society of Saint Gregory invites our readers to their annual Summer School of liturgy and music which, this year, is to be held from 4th-6th August, via Zoom. She writes...        

This year’s theme is ‘The God Who Speaks: Celebrating, living and sharing God’s Word’ and we have invited speakers and leaders - Sr Margaret Atkins, Fleur Dorrell, Bob Hurd, Nicholas King SJ, David McLoughlin, Dan Schutte and Dr Gemma Simmonds CJ - who will explore all the different ways that God speaks to us. Bishop Peter Brignall, the initiator of ‘The God Who Speaks’, will introduce our two days of prayer, contemplation, discussion and debate – and there will be liturgies with music. Further details, and online booking, are available on our website here or by emailing bookings@ssg.org.uk.

Sr Veronica OP shares news of this year's Fanning the Flame summer camp which will be at Kintbury from 16th-20th August...

In the Bible there are many stories of God's heroes. Some we know well, others are less familiar (but just as incredible!) This year at Summer Camp we will be learning about some of  their stories, what they reveal to us of God, how He cares for us all, how the Old and New Testaments connect together, and why we, in faith, have such a sure foundation for hope! This Catholic camp is a gathering of about 60 young people, who come together to re-connect with old friends and make new ones, to learn more about our loving God and deepen their relationship with Him. It doesn't matter where you are in your relationship with Christ, you are welcome to come and be drawn deeper! Ask questions, spend time with our Lord, receive the Sacraments, have a lot of silly fun, and you may leave excited and on fire - a hero for God!

This year's camp will be held in Kintbury, at the wonderful St Cassian's Centre (details on booking form). This enables us to make use of the additional facilities they have to offer, but it does mean we have fewer spaces, so please BOOK ASAP to avoid disappointment. Please note, this is still a camp, you'll be sleeping outdoors! The camp is run by The Dominican Sisters of St. Joseph and an experienced team of volunteers who have been running FTF events for over 20 years. Further details can be found on the special website here where you will find booking forms and all you need to know about what is involved.

Jo Lewry, Community Participation Co-ordinator for CAFOD Portsmouth, would like to thank all the CAFOD volunteers in the Portsmouth Diocese…

As we come to the end of June, a month where we have been celebrating our wonderful volunteers, I would like to say a personal thank you to every CAFOD volunteer in the Portsmouth Diocese. Your support, love, and concern for those communities that CAFOD works with has been truly amazing despite the difficulties you have faced in the last year. Thank you all so much!

Over the past 18 months volunteers throughout England and Wales have come together online to hear from our friends and partners around the world, and have joined in prayer at online Mass. When churches were unable to open their doors to congregations, volunteers did contactless collections, organised plant sales and walked, and ran to raise money. Education volunteers zoomed into school assemblies and lessons because they were unable to visit in person. A record-breaking year:

• 59,423 registrations to watch CAFOD online talks. 
• 13,510 supporters watched CAFOD online talks live.
• 4,229 supporters watched recordings of online talks. 
• Children's Liturgy Live webinars brought 797 families to pray and worship online with CAFOD.

The celebration of volunteer month culminates on Thursday 1st July with the Volunteer Forum with Christine Allen and Neil Thorns from 6:30pm to7:30pm followed by Mass with CAFOD trustee Fr Mark Odion. Everyone is welcome so please join us online. Please register here.

Sheila Wade Interim Head of Charity, shares news this Special News item prompted by the item in a recent Bishops' Conference Newsletter and produced by Caritas Archdiocese of Cardiff...

It contains news items and links to remind people of the UK Government’s deadline for EU, EEA and Swiss citizens living in the UK to apply for Settled Status by this Wednesday and a reminder that British citizens living in the EU need to apply for residence status in the country they are residing in. In both the EU and the UK there are people who need assistance in securing Settled / Residency rights. You can read the full newsletter here.

The diocesan Laudato Si' Group would like to encourage all parishes to consider getting involved in the Live Simply Award to support more people to put the Pope’s call to care for our common home into action. A chance to try to live simply, sustainably and in solidarity with the poor in new creative ways. Thanks to Nadine, here is a short report from the worshipping communities of Holy Trinity and Our Lady, Fleet and Church Crookham about how they are progressing with the Award...

We formed our Live Simply Group to support the aims of CAFOD's Live Simply Campaign in December 2019 we had two public meetings with members of both churches in January 2020, then agreed a plan together.  We publish weekly eco-tip campaigns or charity updates in a dedicated slot in the newsletter, which is a good way to share information with the parish and ensure that parishioners feel involved. To celebrate the 6th anniversary of Laudato Si, Father Paul mentioned our Live simply journey in his homily and Deacon James talked about the Laudato Si anniversary and asked people to reflect on their actions at the end of the same live streamed Mass.

We had to postpone some of the actions due to the COVID situation, but I am pleased to report that we have now started to get back into action for example taking our candles to Yateley to be melted down and rebuilt. Hopefully we will also very shortly be speaking with our MP on climate as part of CAFOD’s Parliament in Your Parish.  Hopefully we will complete our plan soon.  This is our logo created for us by one of the young member of the parish.

Don’t forget this coming Sunday 4th July is not only USA Independence Day but the liturgical memorial of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati! 4th July was the day he died in 1925. Wanda Gawronska, his niece, emailed me recently to ask everyone to say the Rosary on that day in union with Bl. Pier Giorgio, praying for all our youth, for the poor and needy, for our schools and all who work in them, for our Diocese and for our own intentions. A priest who knew Blessed PGF well was Fr. Cesario Borla. Speaking of Pier Giorgio’s own love for the Rosary, he once said: “I can still see his devout behavior, which I saw so many times.  He would be kneeling by his bed, his face buried in his hands with his Rosary entwined in his fingers, murmuring his prayers to the Blessed Virgin with a son’s respect.  Sleep would often overtake him, and his head would drop to his chest; then, he would suddenly wake up, confused, and he would resume his praying of the Rosary, sorry that he had interrupted his prayers.” Meanwhile, in the picture, is the holy father meeting members of the Associazione s. Pietro e Paolo, whose youth section take Bl. PGF as their patron.

Here are some ideas to help you keep special this Year of the Eucharist. For the family: Encourage a family member to return to Mass and invite a neighbour to Mass. Visit the Blessed Sacrament as a family, to make a Holy Hour. Celebrate a house-Mass or host an hour of Eucharistic Adoration in the home. Watch together as a family an online Eucharistic resource and discuss it. For individuals: Say every day the Morning Offering prayer in union with the Sacrifice of the Mass. Spend an hour with the Lord in the Holy Eucharist once per week. Always genuflect to the Blessed Sacrament when entering church and to make the Sign of the Cross when passing by a church. Re-read the Bishop’s Pastoral Letter. Here is a prayer to say: Lord Jesus Christ, fill us with the fire of divine charity, and through the intercession of Mary Immaculate, St. Edmund of Abingdon and Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, renew our Diocese, its clergy, religious and faithful. Give us all a deeper love for your Word and for the Holy Eucharist and make us totally dependent on your Holy Spirit. Fill us with the desire to go out on mission to everyone as servants of all. Restore the lapsed; bless our youth and help us to put our time, talent and treasure at your service. Above all, make us holy that we may bring many more souls closer to You through your Church. Bless us all, dear Lord, and bring us one day to heaven, where you live and reign for ever and ever. Amen.

You may have heard priests or devout Catholics say something like, “If only people knew what was happening at Mass, they’d be more willing to go.” That may be true, but in this video, Fr. Mike Schmitz also gets to the more practical—and painfully direct—heart of the matter. He points out that the heart of worship is sacrifice, and ultimately it’s not about how engaged or entertained we are. Mass isn’t about us; it’s about God and what he asks of us.

Jennifer Geach, a parishioner form Guernsey, offers one of her occasional series of reflections, this time reflecting on giving thanks to the Lord...

One of the ways in which we can go astray in our approach to God is to be importunate in our requests, and casual in our thanksgiving.  For example, when we have lost something valuable, our petitions through St. Antony may be most fervent, perhaps even impatient; but when we have recovered our loss, a cheery thank you! Is deemed sufficient.  God’s generosity is so great that he allows us to act like demanding children, petulantly asking but sometimes being insufficiently grateful for his mercies.