Newsletter: September 2009
St Thérèse - a time of grace
The relics of St Thérèse of Lisieux have arrived in England and Wales on an historic first visit to the two countries. We have photo galleries, videos, audio and more.
Also in this month's newsletter we take a look at an exciting post-graduate study programme in Leadership for Family Ministry and Faith Formation and get the very latest from the Catholic Education Service as teachers and pupils head back to school for the autumn term.
Don't forget it's Home Mission Sunday this weekend (20 Sept). We have a wide range of online resources and a special video message from Bishop Kieran Conry.
All this and more below.
News
Here are a few September news stories not covered in other areas of this newsletter. For all our latest news, visit our RSS feed.
18 Sept 09
Christians and Muslims urged to work together to combat poverty
18 Sept 09
First national gathering of evangelisation representatives
15 Sept 09
Archbishop Patrick Kelly's lecture to the Catholic Theological Association Conference
15 Sept 09
'Little Flower' arrives in Garden of England
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St Thérèse in England and Wales
A time of grace for England and Wales
The relics of St. Thérèse of Lisieux have arrived in England and Wales. Over the next month, St. Thérèse will visit Cathedrals, parishes, convents, York Minster, a hospice and a prison.
To date the relics have visited over 40 countries around the world, including Brazil, Russia, Kazakhstan, the United States, Ireland, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Burkina Faso, Lebanon and Iraq. Wherever they have gone, many people have experienced conversion, healing, a renewed sense of vocation, and answers to their prayers.
St. Thérèse has already been through Eurotunnel and visited Portsmouth, Plymouth and Taunton. Our comprehensive coverage is well underway and we have video clips on Vimeo, photo galleries on our Flickr stream and regular updates on our St. Thérèse relics blog.
Check the links above for updates, images, audio, video and more.
For resources and background information, visit catholicrelics.co.uk.
Catholic Agency to Support Evangelisation (CASE)
Home Mission Sunday
In service of evangelisation in England and Wales
It's Home Mission Sunday this weekend (20 September). Information and resources have already been sent to the parishes of England and Wales but a full resource bank of PDFs can be downloaded easily online by visiting homemissionsunday.co.uk.
Evangelisation Bishop's video message
The Rt Rev Kieran Conry, Bishop of Arundel and Brighton, is the Church's Evangelisation Bishop.
You can follow this link to listen to his message for Home Mission Sunday.
World Mission Sunday
18th October 2009
The prayers and donations offered on World Mission Sunday help to support churches, hospitals, schools and vocations in countries where the Church is new, young or poor. It is the Catholic Community's chance to show its love and solidarity with its brothers and sisters; to support them in our shared mission of showing the love of God for all. Thanks to World Mission Sunday everyone can join with the whole Church in bringing spiritual and material help to those who need it most.
For more information visit the Missio website.
Catholic Education Service (CES)
New Bishop for Education thanks all those involved in Catholic education in 'back to school' letter
To coincide with the start of the new academic year, the new Chairman of the Bishops' Conference Department of Catholic Education and Formation, the Right Reverend Malcolm McMahon, has written to all those involved in Catholic Education in England and Wales to thank them for their hard work, commitment and achievement.
In this, his first letter to all schools, the Bishop praises school staff, governors and diocesan officers saying that: "The Catholic community is rightly proud of its schools and colleges for their high standards, good results and the part which they play in the wider community."
Bishop Malcolm also circulated a recent letter from the Vatican's Congregation for Education which looks at the nature and role of religious education in schools.
Within the Vatican congregation's letter, the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI's recent address to Catholic religion teachers is quoted, in which he says that: "(the religious dimension) contributes to the overall formation of the person and makes it possible to transform knowledge into wisdom of life."
This fully rounded education means that: "The person is equipped to discover goodness and to grow in responsibility, to seek comparisons and to refine his or her critical sense, to draw from the gifts of the past to understand the present better and to be able to plan wisely for the future."
Download
Bishop Malcolm McMahon's pastoral letter to Catholic schools and colleges (pdf)
Letter from the Vatican's Congregation for Catholic Education (pdf)
Study programme in Leadership for Family Ministry and Faith Formation
Ten diocesan workers from around England and Wales are currently being sponsored through the Bishops' Conference Faith in the Future fundraising initiative to undertake post-graduate studies in Leadership for Family Ministry and Faith Formation.
This three year part-time programme, offered by Dominican University just outside Chicago, USA, is delivered through online learning, intensive residentials and private study, enabling individuals to participate wherever they live as well as to combine their studies with their work and home life.
"The pastoral care of marriage and family life is becoming increasingly complex, requiring that leaders have a breadth of knowledge and skills as well as a strategic and sensitive overview. We are delighted that some of the funds raised are being invested in the education of committed individuals who will go on to become a major long-term resource for the care of marriage and family life in England and Wales," said Bishop John Hine.
For more on the programme and an interview with Lisette Blanchet-Ball, a student on the MA course, click here.
Liturgy
Click here for the Autumn prayer card.
Cycle of Prayer
Home Mission Day
Sunday 20 September [3rd Sunday in September]
World Mission Day
Sunday 18 October [penultimate Sunday in October]
The Harvest
Sunday 27 September [Sunday between 22-28 September]
or whenever Harvest Festivals are held.
Harvest Fast Day
Friday 2 October [1st Friday in October]
Remembrance Day Sunday
8 November [2nd Sunday in November]
Prisoners' Week
15-21 November
Day of Prayer for Prisoners and their Dependants
Sunday 15 November [3rd Sunday in November]
Youth Day Sunday
22 November [Christ the King]
Click for more from the Liturgy Office of England and Wales.