Jesuit and Friends WInter 2010 Issue

Jesuits and FriendsA faith that does justice

Winter 2010 Issue 77

Jesuits and FriendsJesuits and FriendsA faith that A faith that does does justicejustice



Winter 2010 Issue 77Winter 2010 Issue 77



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BRITAIN – Fr Matthew Power SJLoyola Hall, Warrington Road,Prescot L35 6NZ Tel: + 44 (0)151 426 4137,[email protected]

GUYANA – Fr Edwin Thadheu SJJesuit Residence, PO Box 10720,Georgetown, GuyanaTel: + 592 22 67461,[email protected]

SOUTH AFRICA – Fr Russell Pollitt SJHoly Trinity, PO Box 31087,Johannesburg 2017, South Africa, Tel: + 27 (0)11 339 2826,[email protected]

Or visit www.jesuitvocations.org.uk

Have you or someone you know consideredlife as a Jesuit priest or brother? For more information, contact:

“May the Virgin Mary,who promptly answeredthe call of the Fathersaying, ‘Behold, I am thehandmaid of the Lord’(Luke 1: 38), intercede sothat the Christian peoplewill not lack servants ofdivine joy: priests who, incommunion with theirBishops, announce theGospel faithfully andcelebrate thesacraments, take care ofthe people of God, andare ready to evangelizeall humanity.”

Pope Benedict XVI

“I had some problems and you listened to me andhelped me. I like JRS because when I was sick yougave me a bus pass for my hospital appointmentand gave me some food”. An Ethiopian woman

JRS provides support for completely destitute asylum seekers leftin the UK with no status, no benefits and no permission to work.Many have not seen their families for years. Please help usshow that someone cares and help us provide hope along withthe grants we give for food, bus tickets, or other essential itemslike spectacles and medicine.

Please send your donation to JRS, 6 Melior Street, LondonSE1 3QP or or email [email protected] for more information about itswork.

Hope and sharing at Christmas

www.jesuitsandfriends.org.uk Winter 2010 Jesuits & Friends 3www.jesuitsandfriends.org.uk Winter 2010 Jesuits & Friends 3

ContentsWinter 2010 Issue 77

EditorialTim Curtis SJ 4

Fr Ted Moves onA new director at the Jesuit Aids Project in Harare 5

Stopping the TrafficSarah Broscombe writes about the work beingdone among vulnerable, powerless andilliterate people in Guyana 6

Zimbabwe Central Prison Revisited Response to prisoners’ needs by St George’spupils 7

Hope in War Torn KyrgyzstanBrother Damian Wojciechowski SJ on theJesuits’ work among the the Uzbeks 8

Deeper Spiritual ProximitySr Rosemary Howarth SSND reflects on JRS-UK’s new programme of spiritualaccompaniment among refugees 9

Friends and Angels in LiverpoolSupporters of St Francis Xavier’s celebratetheir church and their new garden 10

Blessings from the Papal VisitBritish Jesuits and associates recall PopeBenedict’s historic visit to Britain 12

Learning from Ignatius and his companionsJudith Callaghan explores what it means to liveand work in an Ignatian way 14

A Universal ThirstGed Clapson on the BBC TV series ‘The BigSilence’ and viewers’ responses 15

Evolution or Creation? No contradiction!Raymond Perrier explains the link between theJesuit Institute of South Africa and the WitsUniversity Origins Centre 16

A letter from the Zambian FrontierTeaching, debating and broadcasting: all partof Matthew Charlesworth’s regency 17

Bits and PiecesNews and events from around the province 18

Heaven here and hereafterThe Apostleship of Prayer intentions for thecoming months: Fr Michael Beattie SJ 20

Recent publicationsJust Faith: A Jesuit Striving for Social Justice(Fr Michael Campbell-Johnston SJ), Theologyin the Irish Public Square (Fr Gerry O’HanlonSJ), Faith Matters – Living the Catholic faith intoday’s world (various) 21

Obituaries and deceased benefactorsThe Apostleship of Prayer intentions for thecoming months: Fr Michael Beattie SJ 22

Getting involved and how to donateThe Apostleship of Prayer intentions for thecoming months: Fr Michael Beattie SJ 23

New members of the London Formation Centre include Jesuitsfrom Germany, Peru, Zimbabwe, Spain, Rwanda-Burundi, EastAfrica, Korea, Vietnam, Poland, Belgium and Sri Lanka. Nine arestarting the BD at Heythrop this year – believed to be the largeststarting group for more than a decade. Photo: Andrew Cameron-Mowat SJ.

Jesuits and Friends is published

three times a year by the British

Province of the Society of Jesus

(Jesuits), in association with JM.

Tim Curtis SJ

Executive Editor

Ged Clapson

Editor

Editorial group:

Denis Blackledge SJ

James Conway SJ

Alan Fernandes

James Potter

Siobhan Totman

Graphic Design:

Ian Curtis

www.firstsightgraphics.com

Printed in the UK by

The Magazine Printing Company

www.magprint.co.uk

To protect our environment papers

used in this publication are

produced by mills that promote

sustainably managed forests and

utilise Elementary Chlorine Free

process to produce fully recyclable

material in accordance with an

Environmental Management

System conforming with BS EN

ISO 14001:2004.

Editorial office: 11 Edge HillLondon SW19 4LRTel: 020 8946 0466 Email: [email protected]

Cover photo: Children from St Paul’s Primary

School, Musami wearing football kitsupplied free of charge by Kit Aid (a

registered charity in the UK). JMcollected the kit and forwarded it toZimbabwe. Over the last couple of

years we have been able to distributemany sets of kit in this way.

Back cover photo: A mother and herchild at KouKou, near Goz Amer, a

camp for Internally Displaced Peoplein Chad. JRS supports three schools

there and also provides teachertraining. Credit: Don Doll SJ

4 Jesuits & Friends Winter 2010 www.jesuitsandfriends.org.uk4 Jesuits & Friends Winter 2010 www.jesuitsandfriends.org.uk

Ihave recently returned from themeeting of European MissionOffice and NGO directors, which

this year took place in Vienna. Theprincipal item on the agenda was toreflect on the relationship betweenthe Jesuits of Europe and the Jesuitsof Africa. Certainly, the amount ofhelp we are able to send to Africa hasincreased over the years, both as anactual figure, but also as a proportionof the total help our combined officeshave been able to give.

In particular, the readers of Jesuitsand Friends have been incrediblygenerous to a multitude of projectsprincipally in Zimbabwe, but also inSouth Africa, Zambia and beyond.The provincial of Zimbabwe, FrStephan Buckland SJ, is always verythankful for the support we are ableto give him.

However, at our meeting in Vienna,we saw the need to move from arelationship of dependency to arelationship of reciprocity. Africastill has need of our material helpand is so grateful that we arepartners in her initiatives andprojects, but we have much to learnfrom her rich culture and deep faith.In more and more ways, Africa isbeginning to share her riches with aspiritually impoverished and de-

Christianised Europe.A few weeks ago I went to do the

mission appeal at Corpus Christi inBoscombe, a parish that is twinnedwith Our Lady of the Wayside inHarare. Of course, as usual, my firsttask was to thank the parishionersfor their generosity over so manyyears. It was wonderful that thealtar servers were able to wear a setof vestments supplied by theirpartner parish (photo below). Thesewere sent to say thank you for thewell that was dug to provide theparish with water, which makes agreat deal of difference to everydayparish life. Over the months ahead,

the two respective parishcouncils will see in whatother ways they can learnfrom each other. Maybethe respective choirs can exchange music,Eucharistic Ministers canlearn from each otherabout their ministry, the

two youth groups could come up witha common project. The possibilitiesare endless.

What both parishes are discoveringis that a Jesuit parish is not simply ameans whereby the sacraments aremade available to the parishioners.Jesuit parishes inculcate anatmosphere of generosity andprovide an opportunity forparishioners to grow into people whoare men and women for others.When one Jesuit parish sees howanother Jesuit parish does this undervery different circumstances, bothcan grow in their understanding ofthe faith.

As we prepare to accept thegracious gift of salvation in theChristmas season, let us be aware ofhow so many others have in turnreceived this gift and responded inlove to the giver.

Have a fruitful Advent and a happyand holy Christmas.

From the Editor...

JM

The Mission Directors in Vienna

www.jesuitsandfriends.org.uk Winter 2010 Jesuits & Friends 5

JM

The project is unique in that it seeksto prevent the spread of Aids throughbehavioural change using peereducation. The aim is to let youngpeople educate and support eachother in “Youth Against Aids Clubs”,which have sprung up in parishes andschools all across the country.Through discussion in forums, youngpeople can take control over theirlives by deciding for themselves whatis appropriate behaviourif one wishes to remainHIV negative.

The new director willbe Mrs Susan Chibika,the mother of a youngfamily and a long timesupporter of the project.Mrs Chibika says: “I amvery proud to beassociated with theJesuit Aids Project,which as you know, wasfounded by Fr Rogers. Iam a psychologist byprofession and haveover eight yearsexperience in workingwith young people.”

“I would like to thankyou all for the greatsupport and help youhave given Fr Rogersand the Jesuit AidsProject over so manyyears. You have

certainly touched the lives ofthousands of young people.”

Mrs Chibika has plans to furtherexpand the project, so that it canreach even more young people. Shewants to use the well testedmethodology on youngsters who havefallen outside the usual catchmentarea, especially those in influentialleadership positions.

While thanking Fr Ted for hispioneering work, Fr Buckland alsoasked his supporters to continue to beas supportive to Mrs Chibika as shetakes up the mantle of director of theproject. He stressed that the projectremains part of the work of theJesuits in Zimbabwe.

Fr Ted will maintain close links withthe project and will serve as amember of the board. Fr Bucklandthanked Fr Ted for his “brilliant ideasand practical initiative which addressthe real needs of young people inZimbabwe”.

When Fr Ted was asked about hisretirement, he simply smiled and said“Oh, I will still be busy with manythings”.

He hopes that his supporters willcontinue to help Mrs Chibika realisethe dream of helping young peoplelive without fear of HIV and Aids.

Fr Ted moves onFr Stephan Buckland, the Provincial of the Zimbabwe Province, has written to announce a new directorof the Jesuit Aids Project in Harare. The project was founded by Fr Ted Rogers and, over the years, ithas enjoyed great acclaim.

6 Jesuits & Friends Winter 2010 www.jesuitsandfriends.org.uk

Human trafficking is widely agreedto be the modern-day form of slavery.Over the last few years, particularlysince the excellent “Stop the Traffik”campaign started up in 2006 tocoincide with the bicentenary of theabolition of the slave trade, publicawareness has been rising steadily.But trafficking is very hard to combat:first, because traffickers target themost vulnerable, powerless andilliterate populations, which are bytheir nature difficult to protect.Second, because traffickers moveacross borders, work as loose ‘teams’which are hard to trace, and operatein the shadows cast by each society’sinevitable underbelly. And third,because even excellent anti-trafficking legislation is extremely

difficult to realise: victims may bereluctant to testify, language barriersshield traffickers and isolate victims,and there is little incentive forlawyers to involve themselves in afield with so little clarity, so littleprofit and such slim chances ofsuccess.

For all of these reasons, therefore, itis vital for organisations to work atleast as hard at preventing traffickingfrom occurring as they do at findingand supporting victims. This is therationale for a new initiative that isfunded by Catholic Relief Servicesand is being run by the AishaltonJesuit team in the southernsavannahs of Guyana. The fundingarrived with few strings attachedexcept this: “Train young adults sothey don’t get trafficked”. The aim isthat over two years at least 90 youngadults from Guyana’s Deep South,mainly Wapishana Amerindians, willgain skills and awareness that willimprove their prospects so that they

are not trafficked, and are moreresilient in the face of the labourexploitation which is so rife in thisvulnerable area on the Brazilianborder.

In a sense it is a daunting task,because jobs are rarer than hens’teeth here. In Aishalton itself,amongst the population of 1200 thereare about 70 people who work in whatrecognizably constitutes a job, andthis includes mud-brick snackettesas well as the few teaching andgovernment posts available.Subsistence farming is the basis oflife here, but fewer and fewer of theyounger generation are content withthis traditional lifestyle. Most youngadults will get involved with small-scale mining, logging, ranching orfarming, or domestic work. You can’tchoose only reputable employers towork for. If these young adultsinsisted on clear terms andconditions or a written contract,refusing anything that smacks oflabour exploitation, they would beunlikely to find work at all. Most ofthe opportunities they will ever getteeter somewhere on the edge of thelabour exploitation spectrum.

So when we asked ourselves, “Howcan we prevent these young peoplefrom being trafficked?”, werecognized that what we needed to dowas inform them of the kinds oftrafficking that exist here, give themgreater confidence and new skills,and educate them about their humanand labour rights. Taking intoconsideration that there are so fewformal employment opportunities forthem, we must content ourselveswith what can be done: helping themnot to be tricked into sex work, or intovirtual imprisonment in remote

Stopping the TraffikNothing you can do can protect someone from trafficking, writes Sarah Broscombe in Guyana. Only theperson themselves can do that. So perhaps the greatest gift you can give them is the strength thatcomes from enhanced self-esteem, and a greater belief in their own skills and abilities.

JM

In the summer 2009 issue ofJesuits and Friends we reportedon the plight of the prisoners at

the Harare Central Prison, whowere on the brink of starvation, andhow their plight was taken on as aspecial project by the staff andpupils of St George’s College, ourJesuit High School in Harare. Wehave received this update fromHarare.

St George’s College has now beeninvolved in helping at Harare CentralPrison for almost 18 months. Theschool has formed a prisoncommittee, made up of six membersof staff. On a weekly basis FatherFreyer, the resident priest at theschool, and Mrs Theresa Wilson, ateacher at the school, visit the prisonwith the all important goods for the1300 inmates imprisoned there.There is no section which we havenot visited now and the conditions,although not as desperate as earlylast year, are still subhuman.

The prison was built to house 700,but now has a population nearlytwice that size.

A ‘single’ cell, of about a metre anda half wide, houses three men allsleeping on the floor. Oddly enough,those with the so called biggestindividual space are those in deathrow who have a cell to themselves.The condemned prisoners stay in thistiny space for 23 hours a day, withone hour to shower, exercise andreceive their food.

There has not been a hanging, themethod of execution in Zimbabwe,for three years now, but on each dooris the prisoner’s name, his weightand height, details to be used whenthe time comes. Many of them havelived like this for over ten years. It ispolite not to ask the prisoner’s crime.

The International Red Crosscontinues to provide soap, oil andbeans for the prisoners and thePrison Service provides mealie meal,their staple diet. St George’s hasbeen supplementing this with fruit,whatever is in season, usuallyapples, oranges or bananas. Boiledeggs are a popular alternative, givenin the holidays when the Collegekitchen can boil the 1300 required to

give them all one each. When we provide the food for the

prison, we make sure that we take itto each and every inmate, a processthat usually takes about two and ahalf hours. This is to ensure that allthe prisoners get their fair share andgoods are not stolen in the process.

An important area in which we havehelped is the Education Centre. Lastyear the local Zimbabwean O leveland A level fees were paid for by usfor 50 prisoners and this year, again,we have paid these fees for 60prisoners. One prisoner, who had histertiary education fees paid was ableto attend his graduation in a localhotel together with three of theprison guards in attendance.

Two wheelchairs have been sourcedby Father Freyer for two prisonerswho have back injuries. In theseways we try to make life for theprison population a little moretolerable. We would like to thank allof those who have helped us to carryon this important work.


areas, and giving them skills that willtransfer well if they migrate to thecoast. And one of our key hopes forsustainability is in employing a localwoman, Renata James, as TrainingCoordinator, supported by volunteers(both Jesuit and Peace Corps).

The first course ran from July toSeptember, with a 100% pass rate,and the second course is goingextremely well. In fact, our first 12young adults were a committed,punctual, thoughtful, increasinglyskilful group of valuable people,future leaders that the village can beproud of. They are so modest, and forthe most part their burgeoning skillsare so undeveloped that they have noidea how vastly capable they are.Here (and I think this is partly due toglobalization), there is adisempowering culture ofunentitlement: Amerindians so oftenseem to accept and internalise thejudgment that they are ‘backward’.Changing this perception, increasingpeople’s belief in their own value and

potential, underlies all of thecourse’s content.

At the heart of the Aishaltontraining lies this understanding:nothing you can do can protectsomeone from trafficking. Only theperson themselves can do that. So

perhaps the greatest gift youcan give them is the strength thatcomes from enhanced self-esteem, agreater belief in their own skills andabilities, and a greater value placedon the culture and traditionallivelihoods that have nurtured them.

Zimbabwe Central Prison revisited

JM


When I go and visit the Uzbeks(whose homes were burned down andwho lost family members) I alwaysintroduce myself as follows: I’mBrother Damian, I work for theCatholic Church. We obtain ourfinancial help from Europe, frompeople who heard about your tragedy.

In one home the widow, whosehusband was shot, interrupted me andsaid “I’ve met you before; I work for theHome for the disabled”. Since theycover their heads with scarves, it tookme a while to recognise her. Walkingaround from one burned out home toanother and having had contact withpoverty for many years, you start towithdraw emotionally and only whenyou meet a familiar person who hasmet with tragedy, does your heartrecognise the scale of the sufferingthat people are living through.

The other thing that I noticed was

that there were thousands of SOSsigns written on the streets of Osh.The S was written in reverse, becausethe the Uzbeks don’t know the RomanAlphabet. They believed that if theywrote SOS some helicopters wouldcome and evacuate them.

The hatred and tragedy touchedeveryone across all social strata andwealth. The attackers did notdifferentiate between anyone; invalids,widows or children. In one village awoman with six children rushed out toprotect her small shop. The banditsshot her, then they raided the shop andtorched it to the ground. The kids wereleft with just the clothes they werewearing. Whilst I was visiting themsome representatives from the bankwere there informing them that theycould no longer have the loan they hadrequested because their house wasburned down. We gave them some aid

in terms of money, clothing, food andmattresses for the kids to sleep on.This type of raid by bandits was typicalof what was happening to everyone.They saw an opportunity for gains andso they took it.

Our possibilities of helping arelimited, but whatever we received wedonated. The most beautiful work wascarried out by the Sisters of Charity,together with Fr Krzsysztof, ourparish priest. They visited over 1100families during the week and gaveassistance to over 5500 people. Itwasn’t so much the aid that wasimportant, but the fact that someonehad time for the people. They felt thatsomeone remembers them and thatGod cares for them in this way.Surprisingly, I noticed that most of thepeople who were touched by tragedyare not filled with thoughts of

revenge. The Uzbeks, whowere often a proud people wholooked down on others, nowhave to realize they need help,that they are weak, that thehigh walls did not protect themand at the moment God is theironly hope.

What were the causes ofsuch a bloody conflict? Twonations living for years besideeach other, however alwaysharbouring some grudges; tothis was added the totalfailure of governmentstructures after the Aprilrevolution, including thepolice and army. Of course,you needed some agitators,who managed to createarguments between the twogroups and to start a sparkwhich created a fire.

Hope In War Torn KyrgyzstanIn the midst of a bloody conflict in Kyrgyzstan, two nations have lived for years beside each other,harbouring grudges and victims of government structures that failed after the April revolution.Brother Damian Wojciechowski SJ, whose work is supported by JM, says the most important thingthe Church can do there is to bring the good news about God’s love and forgiveness.

JM


Violence and immorality are the long-term aftermath of ethnic conflicts.

After the conflict, one of ourparishioners was mugged and died. Acouple of days later a neighbour hitanother parishioner with a rockbecause he was collecting nuts fromhis tree. And some children took ourcar to pieces.

What else can we do? I think that themost important thing we can do is tobring the Good news about God’s love

and forgiveness. The upbringing of young people is so

important. Despite the difficultsituation in our country, we managedto organise several camps for children:for disabled children and widows. Wewere able to do this work because ofthe newly built Spirituality andRehabilitation Centre on the shores ofLake Issy Kul. It is progress, but we stillhave some work to complete on thiscentre once we obtain more funds.

In an address to the 35thGeneral Congregation ofthe Society of Jesus in

2008, Pope Benedict XVIsaid “Taking up one of thelatest intuitions of FatherArrupe (right), your Societycontinues to engage in ameritorious way in theservice of refugees, whoare often the poorest amongthe poor and need not only materialhelp but also the deeper spiritual,human and psychological proximityespecially proper to your service.”As Sister Rosemary Howarth SSNDexplains, it is this deeper spiritualproximity that JRS-UK wishes toaddress.

At this time of tremendousmigration of people globally and theunpredictable, unstable politicaldecisions that affect the lives of thosecaught in the labyrinth of asylumseeking in the UK, JRS strives toaccompany, serve and advocate onbehalf of more than 1000 men,women and children in the greaterLondon area. Our clients reflect 31different nationalities and a variety offaith traditions (several Christian,Muslims of various traditions, a fewJews, animists and a few who professto have no religion at all).

Listening to refugees, their storiesand their needs, has always been avital dimension of JRS. While eachprogramme in JRS-UK seeks toenflesh specific objectives related toservice, accompaniment and advocacy,

a new programme ofspiritual accompaniment isbeing inaugurated thisautumn. Attention to thefaith dimension and thespiritual growth of a humanbeing is as essential asproviding nutritious food,appropriate clothing, safehousing and on-goingeducation, as well as just

political decisions that affect people’slives. Faith in God and an intimaterelationship with God are examples ofthe rich inner resources that refugeesbring with them from their country oforigin and frequently carry themthrough the times of chaos andconfusion. The programme aims tohelp them view life from a spiritualperspective that rarely is even referredto in the midst of interviews, filling outforms and adapting to the laws andcustoms of a new cultural reality.

SPIRITUAL GUIDESBeing able to do this in a safe

environment with a spiritual guideallows displaced persons not only to telltheir stories, but to share their pain andalso their guilt over leaving theirhomeland or family, or theirdisappointment that life did not turn outfor them as they had hoped. Only thencan they move on. (Mark Raper SJ)

Men and women who availthemselves of this service would bemet by a spiritual guide with whomthey can share the unfolding of theirlives and perhaps be more attentive to

the presence and voice of God in atime of exile. With this conviction inmind, this new project attempts toexpand the JRS service ofaccompaniment to includespecifically the opportunity forspiritual companioning. It will providean opportunity for refugees who cometo JRS to give expression to the richspirituality underlying the journey inexile. (God in Exile, toward a sharedspirituality with refugees, JRSPublication 2005)

While respecting the main-line faithtraditions, this ministry ofcompanioning, consoling andencouraging seeks to meet thedeeper spiritual needs of refugeeswho come to JRS ... facilitating God’sgrace of healing and reconciliationand frequently opening up new waysof understanding their lifeexperiences in a faith context. It canbring new energies to help them facethe on-going challenges of insertioninto a new culture and help to gatherthe courage and strength needed tofully engage in their new reality.

Jesus called disciples to extend hismission to contribute to the buildingof God’s Reign ... one loving gesture ata time, one word of encouragement ata time! Participants and companionsalike stand at the threshold of beingmutually enriched and transformed,one encounter at a time.

JRS celebrated its 30th anniversaryon 14 November. Migrants Day is on 3December 2010 – the Feast of StFrancis Xavier SJ.

Deeper Spiritual ProximitySr Rosemary Howarth, SSND

JM

Brother Damian Wojciechowski SJwill be visiting the UK in the NewYear. He will be speaking at allMasses at the Church of theImmaculate Conception, FarmStreet, London W1 on Sunday 16January and will be showing slidesof the work in the Parish of StKlara, near Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan.

++stop press++

In the 1970s, St Francis Xavier’sChurch in Liverpool - a Grade II*building - was threatened with

demolition in the wake of housingclearances which decimatedparishioner numbers. The church,which opened in 1848 withsponsorship from localbusinessmen, quickly expanded tobe one of the largest parishes in thecountry as a result of Irishimmigration. A band of activists –the original Friends of SFX - feltpassionately, therefore, that thebuilding should be saved and wageda nationwide campaign. Their hardwork and commitment paid off andtoday the parish is going fromstrength to strength in aregenerating area of the city.

The newly launched Friends of SFX,celebrated with a party on the Feastof St Francis Xavier (3 December), isa symbol of their new confidence andcommitment to the future. The newFriends will be operating within a

more positive environment than inthe 1970s. In 2008, when Liverpoolbuzzed as European City of Culture,SFX mounted a two month exhibition,‘Held in Trust’. Over 12,000 visitorsfrom all over the UK and abroadviewed an historic and eclecticcollection of artefacts cared for overcenturies at Stonyhurst College.Exhibits ranged from Mary Queen ofScots’ prayer book to the eye ofBlessed Edward Oldcorne SJ.

Apart from the excitement ofhosting a nationally importantexhibition, the team of parishionerswho acted as greeters wereoverwhelmed by visitors’ enthusiasmfor the building itself. Each of themseemed to have a story to tell of theirfamily connections - quite oftentearfully. And there were frequentexclamations of ‘Oh, it’s so beautiful!’

It became clear that this 160-year-oldchurch at the heart of a vibrant andrapidly changing city had a widespreadand affectionate group of fans. Althoughthe parish is now comparatively small,the wider family is huge. And so theidea of a new Friends group whichwould recognise and cater for thiswider family was born.

There are other positive factors. Thenumber of weddings and baptisms isrising steadily. More non-parishioners want to return tocelebrate their family roots. Thechurch is increasingly used forconcerts, conferences and coursesas the acoustics are excellent and thespace flexible. Parishioners have nowbecome famous for their warmwelcome and catering expertise!

With all that in mind a small groupbegan work earlier this year onsetting up the Friends of SFX. Theyhave mailed membership invitationsto hundreds of contacts and areadvertising more widely via themedia. Afterwards, work will beginon a 2011 programme. It’s alreadydecided that there will be amembers’ newsletter and a visit toStonyhurst College. It will be formembers to make suggestions andgive ideas for other events, some ofwhich will be fundraising in supportof a continuing programme of churchimprovements. Thus begins the nextchapter in the roller coaster historyof SFX!

Judith Callaghan

FRIENDS...



When a small group of Catholic businessmendecided to build a church in

Liverpool dedicated to St FrancisXavier and staffed by Jesuits theychose a piece of farmland on theside of Everton hill called the AngelField. Over the years this originaldesignation was all but forgottenand it took a professor of theologyfrom Liverpool’s Hope University tore-discover the name and to use itas the theme of a new garden whichhas recently been unveiled next tothe church.

Over 12 years ago Liverpool Hopewere looking for a city-centrecampus to house their Drama, FineArt and Music departments and theabandoned school surrounding SFXchurch was considered an ideallocation. The derelict buildings, longclosed because of the depopulationof the area in the 1970s, werebought for a peppercorn rent and inthe intervening years almost £20million has been spent to provide asuitable campus for the onlyecumenical university in Europe.The new Angel Field garden is thefinal piece of the jigsaw.

The three sections of the gardenprovide a link between the originalVictorian schools consisting of theformer SFX College and the parish’sprimary schools with a new concerthall and teaching block.

The entrance to the garden is fromShaw Street and opens out into theorchard section. Two banks of wildflowers are sheltered by sharplytrimmed walls of beech trees.Scattered amongst the flowers arestone letters spelling out quotationsfrom the Jesuit poet Gerard ManleyHopkins who spent two years at SFXas a curate. He was appalled at thepoverty and misery of the city andconsidered only Sheffield as a moredesolate place. His stay is nowremembered by these quotations andthe adjacent student accommodationblock, Hopkins Hall.

Moving past the quotations abubbling primal pool is surrounded

by a stone bench etchedwith a quotation from StThomas Aquinas: ‘Nihilest in intellectu quod nonprius in sensu (Nothingis in the intellect thatwas not first in thesenses). Further into thegarden are quotations by T.S.Eliot andShakespeare containedin the area designatedas the Theatre Garden,whose central feature isa long water tankcontaining a row offountain jets and a lineof lime trees.

Creamy limestone andPugin tiles provide awalkway to the finalsection of the garden,the heavens. A largeacrylic angel by LucyGlendinning hovers over this sectionfrom the top of a high pole providingthe climax to the garden’s narrative.The figure, which is illuminated atnight, is situated close to theentrance of the Cornerstone building(the former SFX College), with thegothic splendour of St Francis

Xavier’s church and its high steepleproviding a dramatic backdrop to thewhole ensemble.

The angels - with their field - havecertainly worked their charm inhelping to regenerate this deprivedpart of Liverpool


A recent article inCountry Life describedthe Angel Field as ‘one ofthe best examples ofconceptual landscapedesign in the country.’

The opening of the newgarden was marked by amusical concert day onMidsummer’s Day - thesame day on which SFXcelebrated the 150thanniversary of the laying of the foundation stone of the church’s SodalityChapel. To mark these joint festivities an outdoor procession of the BlessedSacrament was held in the gardens on the following Sunday. Suchprocessions used to be common place in the life of SFX, but the practice hadfallen into disuse; the last one was held decades ago. For many young peoplethis was the first time they had witnessed such an act of devotion and haveasked for this to become a regular event.

… AND ANGELSIN LIVERPOOL


“Coming together incommunity reminds us of theimportance of faith in ourlives, especially in a modernsociety which is constantlysubject to criticism”Pupil from St Aloysius Collegewho took part in the assemblyat Twickenham

“Communion time wasespecially memorable for me,when I was guided to theappointed spot. I feltextremely privileged to helpwith the distribution to sucha large congregation”Fr Paul Hackett, SJ at theMass in Bellahouston Park,Glasgow

“My day started early. I wasone of the 850 volunteerstewards at the beatificationMass who started work at 1am,welcoming people to the Massthat was to start at 10am”One of the novices fromBirmingham.

Blessings ofthe papal visit


“When the pope appeared heseemed just like an ordinaryman dressed in white. Assoon as he began to speakthough, the significance of hispresence began to sink in.”Philip Harrison, JesuitScholastic at Twickenham.

“It was a brilliant experienceto be with so many youngpeople who were singing andshouting and very excited tosee the Pope.”Kieran Riley, Head AltarServer at St Francis Xavier’sChurch in Liverpool.

”I remember giving thanks toGod for my own parents whohad me baptised Catholic. Iam happy to say I have madeBlessed John Newman one ofmy heavenly prayer-partners.”Kath Riley, a parishioner ofSaint Francis Xavier’s Churchand Eucharistic Minister.

“It was an unforgettable event and agrace-filled experience in my life time.We took part in the banner processionwith a large number of participantsfrom various UK parishes andCatholic/Christian organisations, fornearly three hours before the vigilMass. I felt nervous and excited as Itook my seat in the midst of themassive audience on the stage.”Alfredeen Diluckshun Joseph, part ofthe JRS contingent


Earlier this year, 13 peopleattended a course at LoyolaHall, Merseyside. Entitled

‘Living and Working in an IgnatianWay’, it was led by Frs MatthewPower SJ and Ian Tomlinson SJ. The‘trainees’ were involved in Jesuit lifein schools and universities,parishes, Jesuit Missions and theJesuit Refugee Service. The coursewas an introduction to - or areminder of - St Ignatius’ life,reflections and teachings, and theethos and activities of the Jesuits.Through reflections, prayer,information sessions, exercises, anda parish visit, individuals wereinvited to consider their lives andventures against the Ignatian model.

St Ignatius’ dramatic and varied lifewas reviewed using a set of picturesand captions. Three groups vied witheach other to match and order them.Potential embarrassment wasovercome by capitalising on theexpert knowledge of colleagues.

In another session the lives of threeJesuits, Ignatius himself, St FrancisXavier and Pierre Fabre werecontrasted. Three men dedicated tothe same spiritual vision, but wholived it in starkly different ways -visionary, missionary and carer. Thedifferences reinforced awarenessthat, as a Jesuit co-worker, one couldlive, act and contribute in 1001 ways.

The group visited SFX parish ininner city Liverpool, where BrotherKen Vance SJ, Parish Administrator,

and Debbie Reynolds, PastoralAssistant, explained how a smallparish - in numeric terms - wasviable, using vivid examples of locallife and the generosity of supporters.(See pages 10 and 11).

The days at Loyola Hall were full butunhurried, mixing action andreflection, plus evening networkingopportunities. Each day started andended with a short prayer session

designed to set and reflect on thedaily theme. And there was Mass withthe whole community each evening.During a final exercise traineeslooked in detail at a selection of StIgnatius’s letters, deciding key points,what they liked about them, andmodern applications. The generalconsensus was how much of theadvice was still relevant, with acomment that if Ignatius was alivetoday he could make good money as amanagement consultant!

At each stage there was time toreflect on how the Ignatian way couldinfluence and guide trainees - bothgenerally and within their Jesuitcommunity life. It was clear from theclosing comments that everyone wasleaving with an enhanced awarenessof their own potential, plans for futureventures, and their faith journey.

Judith Callaghan from St FrancisXavier’s Liverpool

LEARNING FROM IGNATIUSand his Companions

Front Row (L to R) Elaine Whalley (Stonyhurst), Judith Callaghan (SFX Parish), Declan Linnane (St. IgnatiusCollege, Enfield), David Hurst (Jesuit Missions). Middle Row: Anne Flanagan (Pastoral Sector), Jan Graffius(Stonyhurst), Dominique Dubois (Sacred Heart Parish, Wimbledon), Ken Vance SJ, Ian Tomlinson SJ. BackRow: Breeda Fitzpatrick (Sacred Heart Parish, Wimbledon), Kath Matchett (SFX Parish), Wessell DuRandt

(Mount St. Mary’s College), Alex Harrod (Oxford University Chaplaincy), Ed McKillop (St.Aloysius College,Glasgow), Jonathan Parr (Jesuit Refugee Service)


The conversation that launchedThe Big Silence did not takeplace, as you might expect, at a

place of stillness, a retreat centre ora tranquil garden, but at HeathrowAirport. “What Abbot Jamison and Ihoped these programmes wouldprovide was an introduction to a wayof being in the world that helps usremain true to what is most central inour lives; one that does not dependon the structures of a monastery, butcan be used by busy 21st Centurymen and women,” recalls Fr BrendanCallaghan SJ, one of the spiritualguides in the series.

Judging by the response toThe Big Silence, it certainlyachieved that. “The fiveparticipants discovered thatusing simple tools ofimaginative contemplationand reflection on how they hadresponded to the events of theday, they were able torecognise what they valued

most, and to reshape their lives in thelight of this,” says Fr Callaghan,adding that he hoped that viewers,too, would find encouragement to livetheir own lives with greater integrityand depth. Many have expressedprecisely those sentiments.

Loneliness and bereavement havebeen common experiences of manyof the viewers who have contactedthe team associated with The BigSilence. Others are seeking torediscover their faith – in God and inthe Church. And many want to go theextra step and explore what retreatopportunities there might be for

them personally.Enquiries have been

received from all overthe world – from theUnited States to NewZealand, from Japan toSouth Africa – which israther intriguing, sincethe series has onlybeen broadcast in theUK. BBC iPlayer cannotbe accessed overseas,and the BBC has noplans to show theprogrammes abroad orrelease them on DVD, which is adisappointment tomany who cannotwatch it live. But theresources produced by

the British Jesuits to accompany TheBig Silence are undoubtedly providinga valuable asset for many who areseeking stillness in the midst ofhectic lives.

The web site can, of course, beaccessed worldwide and has receivedthousands of hits. Not only does itaddress some of the issues raised inthe TV series, it also directs visitorsto a comprehensive selection ofretreat centres and contacts forpeople who have questions aboutfaith. The booklet written by PaulNicholson SJ – Growing into Silence –is also proving to be very popular,

with thousands of copies boughteither through The Way Books(www.theway.org.uk) or fromvarious church bookshopsthroughout Britain. With sectionswritten by the four spiritualdirectors who took part in The BigSilence, as well as a foreword byFr Jamison, the booklet offersreflections not only on silence, butalso on how to reflect on theactivities of the day, one’s lifejourney, listening, prayer, dealingwith pain and bereavement and more.

“The term ‘spiritual direction’ canbe misleading,” writes Ruth Holgatein Growing into Silence. “A spiritualdirector does not direct butaccompany – they listen to theperson, they may ask questions thathelp the person talk about theirreligious or spiritual experience, theymay suggest exercises if that ishelpful, but primarily they are lookingfor the ways in which the personthemselves experiences God or thespiritually significant and how theycan be encouraged.”

For more information, visitwww.growingintosilence.com whereyou can also order the Growing intoSilence booklet. It costs £6 and isavailable from The Way Books:Campion Hall, Oxford OX1 1QS

Tel. and Fax: 44/0 1865 286117.Email: [email protected]

A UNIVERSAL THIRSTGed Clapson

In South Africa, many people lookfor an answer to our origins inthe Bible, in the first chapters of

the book of Genesis. There theyread about Adam and Eve, the firsthuman beings from whom all peoplehave descended.

But South Africans can also visit theOrigins Centre at Wits University(www.origins.org.za), one of theworld’s leading centres for study intofossils. There they would learn aboutthe idea of Evolution: that allcreatures have developed from theearliest and simplest forms of life,changing over generations in order tobe better adapted to theirenvironments. Thus, for example,one strand of creatures has adaptedto live on land by developing lungs;another to live in the sea bydeveloping gills. One strand hasstayed in the trees in order to avoidattack and so moves with all fourlimbs; another has learnt to defenditself on the ground and so moves ontwo legs.

The Origins Centre is round thecorner from the Jesuit Institute andthey asked if we could help them.School children were coming tothe museum and werefascinated to hear aboutEvolution. But then theirteachers or their parentswere telling them thatEvolution was sinful.Creation andEvolution werebeing presented asrival alternatives thatthey had to choose between.

But that is not the Catholictradition. In fact, the book that first

introduced the idea of evolution bynatural selection, written by CharlesDarwin in 1859, was nevercondemned by the Church in an agewhen many other books were.Moreover, the history of evolutionaryscience includes priests who werefamous experts: the concept of the‘Big Bang’ was proposed by a Belgianpriest, Fr Georges Lemaitre; one ofthe most famous palaeontologists (orfossil hunters) was a French Jesuitcalled Pierre Teilhard de Chardin.And Darwin himself did not see hiswork as contradicting the value ofGenesis or undermining belief inGod.

Thus, in partnership with theOrigins Centre, the Jesuit

Institute hasbeen makingpresentationson Creation andEvolution overthe past few

months to almost1,000 school children.

It is hard to reconcilethese two versions if we think

of them as answers to the samequestion: “Where did we comefrom?” But we challenge the youngpeople instead to try thinking of two

different questions. Darwin isanswering the question: “How did weget here?” The writer of Genesis isanswering the question: “Why are wehere?” And what we read in answerto this is that we are here to be inrelationship with God (in whoseimage we are formed), to be inrelationship with other human beings(which is why Adam and Eve needeach other) and to be in relationshipwith the rest of creation (for whichhuman beings have a specialresponsibility as stewards).

Some might fear that if we do notregard Genesis as a literal story aboutthe first days of the planet we weakenits value. We think the opposite istrue. If Creation is something thatwas done to us 6,000 years ago we canjust treat it as history, like the SecondWorld War or the Pyramids. If insteadwe recognise that God’s act ofcreation is something which tookplace 6,000 years ago and 13.7 billionyears ago and indeed today, thatrequires a much deeper responsefrom us: a response to God’s three-fold invitation – to be in relationshipwith the planet, with each other andwith God.

Raymond Perrier, Director of theJesuit Institute – South Africa

16 Jesuits & Friends Winter 2010 www.jesuitsandfriends.org.uk16 Jesuits & Friends Winter 2010 www.jesuitsandfriends.org.uk

Pupils examine a juvenile hominidskeleton at Wits University.

JM

Evolution or Creation? No contradiction!


A letter from the Zambian frontier

I see this work as creating a more justsociety because without Mathematics notertiary level education is possible (read:no escape from poverty). Whilst Icertainly do not succeed in every case, Ido try to give the children a sense thatMathematics is not impossible, and infact is rather useful and can on occasionbe rather fun; and my work withcomputers helps bridge the digital divideas even a basic introduction to MicrosoftWord enables the children to seek somesort of office work as a typist after school.(Due to our frequent power-cuts we oftenspend the first few weeks practising howto type on a piece of paper which has thekeyboard drawn onto it). The children allstudy with a passion and literally ‘soak’up any input. But they are not selfish!Some of them learn skills at the RadioStation by anchoring a radio show forchildren every Saturday morning; othersdemonstrate a great commitment tocommunity service by spending theirafternoons teaching younger children inneighbouring Basic Schools subjectssuch as English and Mathematics.

One exciting highlight of my time here inZambia has been my work with theDebating Society where last holidays wewere invited to participate in the AfricanSchools Debating Championships inJohannesburg. We were unable to affordto fly so we opted to take a 27-hour busjourney. This was a notable trip becauseit was the first time that many of the boyshad been outside Zambia.The trip was ahuge success – we came fourth overalland one of our speakers was ranked inthe top 10. Chibwe Mbanga, the Deputy

Head-boy and Chair ofthe Debating Societycommented that he“would like toacknowledge theexperience at theApartheid Museum andthe South AfricanConstitutional Courtwhich has taught mehow important freedomis in one's life and howall humans should betreated equally.”

One of the amazingworks in the Mission,apart from the schools, is the RadioStation which – in addition to theencouragement and broadcast of localtalk shows, news and music – alsobroadcasts lessons to children and adultswho are unable to attend normalschooling due either to the familysituation, remoteness of their location,lack of funding or needs at home.Mentors in the outstations assist thechildren in the ‘class’ as they listen to thedaily lesson on the radio. Such is thethirst for knowledge in Africa by childrenthat despite the very difficult conditions

these children have out-performed theircounter-parts in other “proper” schoolsin the Grade 7 exams which precedeentrance into the Secondary School.Some classes are simply a circle ofchildren gathered under a tree listeningto the radio; other communities havemanaged to work together to build abuilding for the school and wheretextbooks can be safely stored. This workof the Society and the enthusiasm anddedication of the children to doingeverything they can to receive aneducation is awe-inspiring.

In addition to the initiatives mentioned by Matthew, mention should also be made ofthe incredible work done by the staff at the hospital (where they have had to copewith 4,370 malaria cases in the last quarter and 1,800 people living with HIV, ofwhich 1,200 currently receive anti-retrovirals) – and of their joint programmes withthe Radio and Home-Based Care to offer holistic health-care; the volunteers at theHome-Based Care for people living with AIDS who help more than 1,725 clients in180 of the villages in the three major surrounding districts; the 1,500 orphans whoare sponsored and supported in surrounding schools; the work of the MukanzuboKalinda Institute and Museum who pass on the culture and protect the Tongalinguistic heritage through their research and publication of dictionaries andliterature; and the work of the 180 small Christian communities scattered throughoutthe parish that meet, pray and serve together.

Matthew Charlesworth with the Debating Team in Johannesburg

JM

Matthew Charlesworth SJ is serving his Regency in Canisius Secondary School in Chikuni, Zambia.Regency is a two to three year period between a Jesuit’s studies in Philosophy and Theology in whichhe is engaged in apostolic work. Matthew has been a House Master for the junior boarders and a Grade8 Teacher, teaching Mathematics and Computer Science from Grade 8 to Grade 12. He writes:


Provincial appointed Heythrop Principal

BITS’n’PIECES

Wimbledon Head to step down

The Governors of HeythropCollege, University of London,have appointed Fr Michael

Holman SJ as Principal of HeythropCollege to succeed Dr John McDadeSJ on his retirement after 13 years of

distinguished service. In making theappointment the Governorsconsulted the Superior General ofthe Society of Jesus who has givenhis support for Fr Holman'sappointment.

Fr Holman, who was Headmaster ofWimbledon Collegefrom 1995 to 2004, is atpresent the ProvincialSuperior of the BritishJesuits. He will take uphis appointment atHeythrop after the endof his six-year term ofoffice as Provincial inJuly next year.

In making theannouncement, MichaelMalone-Lee, Chairmanof the Governing Body,said:

“The Governors of

the College are delighted to appoint FrHolman as Principal. He will bringwith him wide experience and hisappointment demonstrates thecommitment of the Society of Jesus toHeythrop College. Fr Holman will leadthe College, which begins this yearwith 1000 students, towards the 400thanniversary of its foundation in 2014.”

Fr Holman said he was “pleased andproud” to be able to serve HeythropCollege in this way. “Heythrop has along and distinguished record ofservice to the Church and widersociety in this country and around theworld, providing as it does excellentresources for the study of philosophy,theology and psychology and for theformation of future priests andministers. Together with allassociated with the College, it is thatJesuit tradition of excellence which Iplan to maintain and develop in theyears ahead.”

Father Adrian Porter SJ hasannounced that he will bestepping down as Head Master

of Wimbledon College at the end ofthis school year. He has been asked bythe Jesuit Provincial to make himselfavailable for another job in theprovince after seven years as HeadMaster of Wimbledon College and nineyears as Head Master of St Aloysius'College in Glasgow before that.

Writing to parents, the Chair ofGovernors, Dr Patrick Stone, said thatFr Porter will be greatly missed. “Hehas been an outstanding servant ofWimbledon College. Under FrPorter's stewardship the school hasgone from strength to strength. Hehas provided dynamic leadership andvision. The governors wish to expresstheir thanks for his hard work andcommitment to the school and the

local community over the lastseven years.”

In his letter to parents, FrPorter described his headshipof Wimbledon College as 'agreat privilege ... Working inschools can be verydemanding but it is alsoimmensely rewarding to seethe young people entrusted toour care growing in maturityand wisdom (well, most of thetime!). I have been fortunateto work with outstanding and generous colleagues,supported by parentscommitted to the Jesuit styleof education. This has beenespecially so at WimbledonCollege.' The Governors havebegun the process of findinga new Head for the College.

Fr Holman during arecent visit to Guyana

www.jesuitsandfriends.org.uk Winter 2010 Jesuits & Friends 19www.jesuitsandfriends.org.uk Winter 2010 Jesuits & Friends 19

BITS’n’PIECESBrothers celebrate feast day

New Priests

Jesuit brothers from Britain andoverseas gathered at CorpusChristi Jesuit Community in

Boscombe on 30 October tocelebrate the feast of St AlphonsusRodriguez (1533 – 1617).

After the death of his wife and son,Alphonsus applied to join the Societyof Jesus and in 1571, the Jesuitprovincial accepted him as a laybrother. He was sent to MontesionCollege on Majorca, where he servedas doorkeeper for 45 years. His postallowed him to minister to manyvisitors. And he became the spiritual

adviser to many students,exerting wide-reaching influence,most notably in guiding St PeterClaver into his mission to theslaves.

Alphonsus died on 30 October1617 and was canonised in 1887.He is celebrated as the patronsaint of Jesuit brothers. Picturedhere – back row, left to right - areAndrew Omondi, Geoffrey TeBraake, Michael O’Connor, AlanHarrison, Ken Vance, Bill Jordanand Jack Parsons, (front row),Bernard Elliott, Godfrey Masereka,

Norman Smith, James Hodkinsonand James Harkess. Photo: ChrisDyckhoff SJ.

Congratulations to two menwho have been ordained tothe priesthood recently:

Leonard Michael SJ was ordainedby Bishop Alan Hopes on 9 Octoberat St Anselm’s Church, Southall.

In the photo here, the Provincial,Fr Michael Holman SJ, places hishands on Leonard’s head as part ofthe ordination ceremony. Leonardwill continue to work in the parishuntil he is missioned to Pakistan.

Justin Prabhu SJ from Madurai

was ordained in Chennai, India, on 9October. Justin studied at Heythropand worked in Guyana during hisformation. He will return to theRegion when he has completed hisstudies in Colombia. He is picturedleft with with the Regional Superiorof Guyana, Fr Dermot Preston SJ.

Eco Awardsfor Edinburgh

Sacred Heart parish and theLauriston Jesuit Centre inEdinburgh have been presented

with two 'Eco Congregation' awards. Theparish was the first Catholic parish inthe Edinburgh Archdiocese to receive aneco congregation award, and only thesecond Catholic church in Scotland to doso, while the Lauriston Jesuit Centre isthe first church centre of anydenomination to be given an award in itsown right, separate from the church ofwhich it is a part. The parish has beenregistered as an eco-congregationchurch for two years. The award wasmade by Eco Congregations Scotland inrecognition of Sacred Heart's work inconservation and the environment.

Father General has appointedFr Michael Lewis SJ as thenew President of the

Conference of the Jesuit MajorSuperiors of Africa andMadagascar (JESAM). He isexpected to take up the officesometime in January 2011,

depending on the availability of aMinister/Administrator for HekimaCollege. David Smolira, RegionalSuperior in South Africa says: 'I amsure we all wish Mike well in thisnew and difficult assignment.Please keep him in your prayers.'

Mike Lewis appointed to JESAM

Fr James Crampsey SJ, parish priest of SacredHeart, Edinburgh, with Angela Campbell fromthe Lauriston Jesuit Centre.

If Jesus is with us, here and now,there is a real sense in which we haveheaven here on earth. The Kingdomof heaven is authentically here, inembryo, as it were, and it willwonderfully come to birth and fullrealisation at the Second Coming ofChrist, at the end of time.

This should show us how importantour Apostleship of Prayer really is.The Holy Father proposes month bymonth that we should offer each dayfor the pressing needs of our world,of the Kingdom here on earth andthat all peoples will come to realisethat, here and now, “in him we liveand move and have our being”.(Acts17.28)

Jesus tells us that each day wemust take up our crosses and followin his footsteps.(cf Mt 16.24). We havethe example of Mary the Mother ofthe Lord who had such a measure ofcompassion that she stood at the footof his cross on that Good Fridayafternoon. Human nature is such thatwe know for sure

that at any moment there are alwaysthose who suffer one way or another.Suffering and compassion are verymuch in the mind of the Holy Fatherin the prayer intention for December.

Global warming, carbon footprints,ecological crises, respecting andusing wisely the natural resources ofour planet are phrases that are verymuch in vogue. In January the HolyFather asks us to commit our dailyprayer to these issues. PopeBenedict speaks very clearly: “If youwant to cultivate peace, protectcreation……Christians have their owncontribution to make. Theycontemplate the cosmos and itsmarvels in the light of the creativework of the Father and theredemptive work of Christ, who by hisdeath and resurrection hasreconciled with God all things,whether on earth or in heaven”(Col1.20) (Benedict XVI World Day ofPeace 2009)

We plan for the hereafter here andnow! In February we turn ourprayerful thoughts and intentionstowards the cell of society, thehuman family. The Holy Fatheraddressed this issue directly when hespoke about family life in Mexico City.The family is “a true school ofhumanity and perennial values. Noone has given life to himself. Fromothers we received life, whichdevelops and matures with the

truths and values that we learn inour relationship and communionwith others”. (January 2009) Allfamilies need our prayers. Let

us remember especiallythose families that are

dysfunctional orbroken and thechildren that suffer as

a consequence. It is just over 500 years

since the first conquerorsand missionaries from Spain and

Portugal arrived on the Americancontinent. The gospel message waspreached and the Faith was given toLatin America. The Faith still

flourishes but as in so many modernday societies the principles of gospelpeace and justice are very muchneeded . We pray that all the peopleson this great continent will findheaven on earth as they wait in joyfulhope for the coming of our SaviourJesus Christ.

Michael Beattie SJ

Heaven here and hereafter

That the experience of personalsuffering may help us to be caring,generous and sympathetic to somany people who have heavycrosses to bear.That all peoples of the earth “mayhear the word of God and keep it”

That the riches of the created worldmay be preserved, valued and madeavailable as God’s precious gift to all.For the unity of Christendomacknowledging God as Father of all.

Respect for family life and its vitalrole for the good of human society.For the sick especially in missionterritories. May Christians offer theloving and healing care of Christ.

For Gospel values, for justice andpeace for Latin America.May The Holy Spirit give strength tothose who suffer because theybelieve in the Gospel.

December

January’11

February

March


“And know that I am with youalways: yes, to the end of time(Mt28.20)


For historical reasons theChurch battles with its publicfunction in secular liberal

democracies. In the age ofChristendom, the Church exercisedconsiderable political influence. InIreland this extended well into the20th Century. This is no more,however, and, particularly giventhe recent scandals (in Irelandamong other countries), if anythingchurch-state relations are likely tobe tense. How then does onerespond as church in such acomplex situation?

Jesuit theologian Gerry O’Hanlonhas over the years writtenextensively on the problem. Thisbook is a collection of some of hisessays on how one does theology inthe new public square. It is dividedinto four areas: public theology inIreland; dealing with Islam;Catholic ethical foundations forpublic theology; and the role ofpopular piety.

He starts with what he calls ‘therecession of God’ from the publicrealm: secularisation anddemocratisation. Perhaps this was

inevitable, it certainlyseems irreversible. Thequestion is how to engageconstructively with reality.The Church must becomeone voice among many –but it must still speak. Itneeds to address issues ofcrime, punishment, healthcare, and even theintricacies of anintegrated Europe.

Nor can the Church ignore thereality and challenge of Islam inEurope, including Ireland. Here onehas to distinguish between anaccommodation of the legitimatedemands of mainstream Islam andthe risks posed by the hard-lineIslamist minority.

In all these cases one can nolonger presume that all dialoguepartners in Ireland are Christians,even ‘believers’. The how of publictheology needs to dig deep into thedeeply rational tradition of CatholicSocial Teaching but also to focus ona method that presumes dialoguerather than fiat from on high.Despite the secular atmosphere,

O’Hanlon also noticesmany signs of public piety– a suggestion that faith isstill a part of the publicimagination.

It is difficult tosummarise the themes ofthis book adequately in ashort review. O’Hanlon isa highly perceptiveobserver of the Irish (and

European) political-cultural scene,as well as a skilled interpreter ofCatholic social ethics. To this onemust add his delightful use of literature,particularly poetry, which adds atouch of lyricism to this collection. Itis also well-written and accessibleto the average reader, a major ‘plus’in an area – political theology – thancan be a minefield of highlytechnical (and some philistinesmight even say pretentious)language.

Theology in the Irish PublicSquare, by Gerry O’Hanlon SJ;Blackrock: The Columba Press,2010; paperback, 231pp; ISBN 978-1-85607-685-2; €14.99 / £12.99.

Fr Michael Campbell-Johnston’s 60 years in theSociety of Jesus span a time

of great change in the Church andin the World. In the wake of theSecond Vatican Council, the Societyhas completely rethought itsmission - the way in which it iscalled to respond to the needs ofthose who surround us. Nowherehas the change been more markedthan in the sphere of the socialapostolate of the Society. FrMichael, or C-J to his friends, wasin key positions to shape this newthinking and this book is important,not just as the story of one Jesuit,but as a story which reflects thehistory of the whole Society.

The book is based on 24 annualletters that C-J sent to a wide circleof friends, so that they could catch

up with his activities eachChristmas. However, hehas supplemented theseextracts with a narrativethat tells a larger story.C-J’s journey fromBarbados and Guyana,where he set up a centrefor social reflection, to ElSalvador, where he wasgiven the opportunity to see lifefrom the perspective of the poor, toRome, where he was a key adviserto Fr General Arrupe in the sphereof social ministries, to Mount Street,where he became the Provincial ofthe British Province, set him on acourse which was to radicallychallenge our way of thinking andproceeding.

C-J is able to draw on his manyrich life experiences to transform

the book from being adull litany of placesand meetings into anexciting reliving of thetransformation thathas brought us towhere we are now.He seems to beequally at home in theslums of El Salvadorlearning from the

poor, as he was in our sumptuousparish in Barbados where he had topreach to Tony Blair.

I not only enjoyed the book, but ithas inspired me to reflect on myown small part in the mission of theSociety.

Just Faith: A Jesuit Striving forSocial Justice, by MichaelCampbell-Johnston SJ Publishedby the Way Books price £10.00

Theology in the Public Square: Fr Gerry O’Hanlon SJ,reviewed by Anthony Egan SJ, the Jesuit Institute South Africa, Johannesburg

Just Faith: A Jesuit Striving for Social Justice,by Michael Campbell-Johnston SJ, reviewed Tim Curtis SJ

DEATHS &OBITUARIES

Fr Joe Raybould SJ12 December 1923 – 14 July 2010

Mr T GroganMrs Winifred CoveyMrs Mary WaszakDr Leslie RichardsMr Brian DiversMr John GillhamMrs Kathleen MillerMr L BattamsMrs Mary SmethurstMr and Mrs D W BarkerMr Desmond MathewsMrs Gladys HarrisonMr Geoffrey Elleray RaboneMrs Anne Teresa SloperMrs Barbara AdnittMrs Eileen Moore

Mr A R SmithMr George HunterMrs Dolly Clare BywaterMrs Marie Celine HarrissonMr Stan YatesMrs Elizabeth BarryMrs Eileen MooreMs Roberta RoutledgeMiss Vera AinsworthMs Monica Palmer-SmithSr Pia Buxton CJMrs Enid PetelaMr Hugh Anthony MurrayRev Fr Terence J Makings MBEBishop Mervyn AlexanderFr Paul Leo Locatelli SJ

Fr Joseph Raybould SJFr L van der Drift SJFr William Wizeman SJFr Reihard Zinkann SJFr Bill Johnston SJMr Stefan Markl – Brother of Dominik Markl SJMr John Hamill – Uncle of Fr Paul Hamill SJMr John Rodrigues - Brother of Francis Rodrigues SJMrs Margaret Phiri – Mother of Fr Ugenio Phiri SJMr Thomas O’Neill – Brother of the late Frs Charles andJames O’Neill SJ

Please pray for those who have died recently.May they rest in peace.

Joseph Leo RaybouldSJ was born on 12December 1923 inHanley, Staffordshire,the only son in a family ofsix children. He wasawarded an Inter BSc inPhysics, Maths andRadio from ManchesterUniversity in 1943, andwhen the course wascurtailed, he wasdirected by the Ministryof Labour to work as an ExperimentalAssistant at the Signals Research andDevelopment Establishment of theMinistry of Supply. In October 1946,Joe was called up for Service with theRAF and stayed there until he wasaccepted into the Society of Jesus inMarch 1948.

Joe’s noviceship was spent atRoehampton. His first two years’philosophy studies were at HeythropCollege, Oxfordshire; he completedthem at Roehampton in 1953. Hetaught for a time at Stonyhurst andMount St Mary’s College, beforereturning to Heythrop in 1956 to studyfor his theology degree. He wasordained in 1959. Further studiesincluded a teaching course atRoehampton in 1952/53, and a BSc

degree in 1959/60.Having made his

tertianship at St Beuno’s,Joe spent three yearsteaching at Mount StMary’s and a further threeat Craighead RetreatHouse where he directedthe Spiritual Exercisesand was Acting Superiorbetween 1967 and 1968.He then moved toHeythrop College, where

he was the Co-ordinator of theprovince’s Social Survey. He continuedthis work when he moved to Osterleyin 1970, where he also taught for ayear.

From 1972 till 1989, Joe was theeditor of ‘Crusade Messenger’ andwas based at Edge Hill in Wimbledon.When he moved to Roselands inEnfield in 1996, he undertook a coursein Business Administration at RedhillCollege, Surrey.

The early 1990s were characterisedfor Joe by ill health, which continuedafter he moved to Mount Street in1997. He joined the Jesuit Communityat St Wilfrid’s, Preston, in June 2009,and died at the Royal Preston Hospitalon 14 July 2010.

May he rest in peace.

A Memorial Mass has been held atMount St Mary's College to rememberFr John Grumitt SJ, who washeadmaster at the Jesuit boarding andday school from 1976-1990. Membersof his family attended the Mass, and theunveiling of a commemorative plaqueoutside the school's Memorial Chapel.His sister-in-law Marie, and herchildren, John Grumitt, Anne Hoskinsand Jane Feasey, who all rememberedvisiting their uncle in Derbyshire duringhis time as Headmaster, representedthe Grumitt family.

Fr Kevin Fox SJ celebrated the Massand dedicated the commemorativeplaque. Fr Grumitt was a popularheadmaster at Mount St Mary's, and hismemory was toasted at the MountAssociation reunion the following day.Fr Grumitt died in October 2009.

Fr GrumittMemorial


1. After 30 years, the needs of refugees and the work of JRS are as vital as ever.

2. The young adults of the Guyanese Interior are developing greater self-esteem and belief in their own skills and abilities – thanks to you.

3. Your donations continue to provide hope among the people of war-ravaged Kyrgyzstan.

4. With conditions at Harare Central Prison described as ‘subhuman’, the visits by staff from St George’s College, Harare, are critical.

You can send your donations to the address below, or log on to our website whereyou can increase your donation by 28% through the Just Giving scheme. Thank you!

The JESUIT DEVELOPMENTFUND helps to establish andmaintain churches, schools,retreat centres and apostolicworks of all kinds at home andoverseas. At present thetrustees are assisting thedevelopment of our work inSouth Africa, and providingnursing care and attention forthe elderly Jesuits of the Province.

YOUR GIFTS in response to any appeals, orfor any of our Missions overseas, should besent to JM, which is the central missionoffice. Please make all cheques and postalorders payable to JM.

GIFT AIDFor every pound you donate we can reclaim28p, thanks to the government scheme. Ifyou need further details contact the JMoffice.

www.gbjm.orgJM · 11 Edge Hill · London · SW19 4LRT: + 44 (0) 20 8946 0466 F: + 44 (0) 20 8946 2292 E: [email protected]

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All Benefactors are remembered in the Masses and prayers of every Jesuit in our Province.Thank you for your generosity

A BEQUESTWe would be delighted if you remember JMor the appeals mentioned here in your Will.We shall be happy to send you details of theofficial wording.

How Can I ? HelpThe JESUIT SEMINARY ASSOCIATIONhelps to defray the expensive cost oftraining Jesuit priests and brothers.


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And you little child, you shallbe called a prophet of themost high. (Luke 1,76)

Documents

Jesuit and Friends WInter 2010 Issue