Welcome to our Diocesan newsletter for the month of October. As this month celebrates The Rosary, our overarching theme is prayer: its importance and the many ways in which we pray and find ways to connect with God and each other. It is also the month of the feast days of two doctors of the church, St Teresa of Avila, whose poetry is quoted above, and St Thérèse of Lisieux. St Teresa's words are particularly poignant at a time where we are being called as Christians to turn to God and put our trust in Him despite the horrors of war and suffering we are seeing in our world.
We'd like to begin by sharing an inspiring reflection from our Diocesan Administrator Canon Paul on the importance of prayer in helping us to keep the Lord and his message of love at the heart and centre of our lives.
“..But in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.'
FAITH IN ACTION
LAUDATE DEUM
by Deborah Fisher
Pope Francis released an Apostolic Exhortation Laudate Deum, ‘Praise God’, to ‘clarify and complete’ what he started in 2015 with his Encyclical Letter Laudato si’ on how we care for our common home. It was released on the Feast of St Francis of Assisi, 4th October 2023. The exhortation appeals to all people, communities, business, governments and international bodies to face and respond to the challenges of climate change. ‘Faith in God as creator and giver of all good gifts is foundational. The Pope’s final words are: “For when human beings claim to take God’s place they become their own worst enemies”.
Find out more here https://www.plymouth-diocese.org.uk/laudatedeum/
Safeguarding Conference Attended by Clergy
This month a safeguarding conference was held in our Diocese and attended by clergy. Antonia Sobocki, who is the project manager from LOUDfence spoke, as well as MOMentum, a group of male survivors of abuse. Please click on the link to read an article on the conference by Sophie Scagell from our Safeguarding Team :
https://www.plymouth-diocese.org.uk/clergy-safeguarding-conference-2023/
A Cookbook for CAFOD
On the 11th October CAFOD campaigners delivered ‘Salina’s letter’ to the World Bank’s UK offices. The letter was written by Salina, a small-holder farmer from Bangladesh who is fighting to keep control of her own seeds. As part of CAFOD’s Fix the Food System campaign, over 70,000 Catholics from across England and Wales, including parishioners from across our Diocese had signed the letter in solidarity with Salina to urge the World Bank to stop supporting policies that limit small farmers' choice over which seeds they can use.
There are multiple ways to get involved with supporting CAFOD's work! Please click to read about how volunteers in Weymouth and Portland created a zero food waste cookery book, which includes world food recipes! A Cookbook for CAFOD! - Diocese of Plymouth (plymouth-diocese.org.uk)
If you'd like to learn more about volunteering for CAFOD please contact Simon Giarchi, the inspirational community participation co-ordinator here in our Diocese, at sgiarchi@caford.org.uk.
FEASTS, SEASONS AND SPIRITUAL REFLECTIONS
PRAYING THE ROSARY
by Monsignor Robert Draper
October is traditionally known as the month of the Rosary, as the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary falls then (October 7th). The Rosary has been a deeply loved Catholic prayer for many centuries, and in its present form dates from the Middle Ages in Europe. Its use was greatly encouraged by the friars at that time – its origin is associated with St Dominic in the 13th century - so it has a long venerable tradition. If we remember, in the Middle Ages very few people could read, and books were very expensive to produce (all were hand-copied) so a simple way of helping people to pray was a really important help to developing people’s spirituality and knowledge of the faith. To pray the Rosary people only had to remember a few very familiar prayers and fifteen very significant events in the New Testament, all of which were known because of the Church’s holy days. So people had an easy guide to their prayer which gave it a structure, helped them appreciate the working of God and ponder the life of Jesus and Mary.
Read more of Monsignor's inspiring and interesting words here: Praying the Rosary, a reflection by Monsignor Robert Draper
A Reflection on St Therese by Deborah Van Kroonenburg
This month began with the feast day of St Thérèse of Lisieux, one of our young saints, whose birthday was 150 years ago this month and who was only in her twenties when she died. We think of her as holy, surrounded with flowers, saintly from her childhood.
Did you know though, that she did not think of herself in those ways at all? And did you know that entering the Carmel of Lisieux at the age of only fifteen, she did not just think about working on all the personal ‘imperfections’ that disturbed her. On the contrary, she trusted the Lord who she loved so much, to deal with her very human failings. She was in Carmel for another reason.
Thérèse was in Carmel to be Love at the Heart of the Church, to pray, with great confidence
and trust, for all of us in the Church - priests and laity, martyrs and missionaries. She was also there to pray for the other people she loved: sinners and atheists.
She is still praying for us. A few lines from her prayer Homage to the Most Blessed Trinity:
‘O My God! Most Blessed Trinity, I desire to Love you and make you Loved, to work for the
glory of Holy Church by saving souls on earth and liberating those suffering in purgatory… I
desire, in a word, to be a Saint, but I feel my helplessness, and I beg you, O my God! to be
yourself my Sanctity!’
Carmelite nuns, friars and seculars pray for others and live the Carmelite Rule according to their way of life. There is a Carmelite Convent at Lanherne and we have two secular communities in our Diocese. To find out more about Carmel or about the secular communities contact us on https://www.secularcarmel.org.uk
On the 15th October Pope Francis published an apostolic exhortation entitled 'C'est La Confiance' on St Therese's message of having confidence in God's love and mercy. Read it by clicking here.
Poetry for Peace: A beautiful poem from Fr Mark Skelton in response to the war and conflict in our world and inspired by Christ's message of love and healing. Read it here.
HERITAGE AND ARCHIVES
NEWS AND EVENTS
4-29 October 2023
Synod of Bishops. Catholic bishops, priests, and lay women and men from all over the world gather in Rome for the Synod of Bishops to discuss “synodality” — the way in which all members of the church participate in the church and its mission. It is part of an extraordinary three-year renewal process initiated by Pope Francis, with all 1.3 billion Catholics invited to contribute, culminating in two synod meetings of bishops in Rome in October 2023 and a year later in 2024. Please keep in your prayers this time of discernment and listening in the church as she continues to be guided by the Holy Spirit and click on this link to learn more.
Month of November
A Remembrance of the Holy Souls and praying for the dead. Please remember to pray for our recently deceased priests Fr Barry Hallett, Monsignor Harry Doyle and Monsignor David Silk. May they and all the souls of the faithful departed rest in peace.
19th November
Safeguarding Sunday. Each November, churches across the UK come together to reflect on their own safeguarding journey, to highlight and celebrate all the good work that is being done by so many behind the scenes to protect children, young adults and adults at risk. For example, the dedication and hard work of our volunteer Parish Safeguarding Representatives. Contact our safeguarding team to learn more: sophie.scagell@prcdtr.org.uk
21st November
Online Event : Engaging the Disengaged: Accompanying 'Non Religious' persons. The Catholic Diocese of Portsmouth in collaboration with the Bishops' Conference Department for Evangelisation invites you to an online seminar explaining how best to accompany 'Non-Religious' persons. When: 6pm, Tuesday, 21 November 2023Tickets: £10 Booking: Eventbrite
22nd November
Aid to The Church In Need. A Mass will be celebrated for all persecuted Christians at St George's Cathedral Southwark.
October 25th and December 2nd
PACT The national Catholic charity for prisoners and their families are holding free online workshops for those interested in this kind of ministry. Click on this link to learn more.
Holding a Cribfest: The Catholic Children's Society Plymouth
are encouraging parishes to hold 'cribfests' this Christmas in aid of raising funds for their life changing work, which helps vulnerable children and families here in our diocese. The Catholic Children's society Plymouth are also looking for new trustees and volunteers. Please contact vicki.dunstone@ccsplymouth.org.uk for more information.
CAFOD
has joined with 12 other aid agencies and faith leaders across the world including Pope Francis in calling for a cessation of violence in the middle east and the upholding of international humanitarian law. They invite us to email the Foreign Secretary to urge the UK to play its part in upholding international law, ensuring humanitarian aid can reach people in need. Please follow this link to learn more.
January 24th
All are invited to Holy Mass at Westminster Cathedral to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the charity Lepra, a charity dedicated to those suffering with leprosy on Friday 26th January 2024 at 2.30pm, by Bishop Declan Lang, Bishop of Clifton Diocese and Chair of the Bishops Conference Department for International Affairs.
March 2nd
Inspire, a unique, exciting and faith-filled festival for our youth to know and grow in the Love of God. Open to all age 12-25. Taking place at Buckfast Abbey. Please contact Saskia at saskia.hogbin@prcdtr.org.uk for further details.
Feast Days to celebrate this November!
1st November
Feast of All Saints
2nd November
Feast of All Souls
10th November
Pope St Leo the Great, Doctor
15th November
St Albert the Great, Bishop & Doctor
17th November
St Elizabeth of Hungary, Religious
November 21
Christ the King/ Presentation of the Virgin Mary
November 22
Saint Cecilia, Virgin & Martyr
November 23
St Columban, Abbot
November 25
St Catherine of Alexandria, Virgin & Martyr
November 30
St Andrew, Apostle.
A prayer for persons suffering from war shared by Plymouth Cathedral
Peace, I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. John 14:27
Gracious God, we pray for all persons suffering from war. May they be held in your loving care and protection and given the strength to endure great suffering and hardship. Transform the hearts and minds of all those who perpetuate violence and oppression. Grant wisdom to world leaders in advancing efforts toward world peace; may they not be compromised by self-interest and blind indifference. We ask all this through the intercession of Our Lady of Lourdes and in the name of your Son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.
This prayer was originally published by the American Bishops.
COME AND WORK WITH US
There are regular opportunities to come and work for the Diocese in a variety of roles and you can find all our vacancies on the careers page of our website.
Warmest thanks to all of the talented and inspirational contributors to this months newsletter: Canon Paul Cummins, Deborah Fisher, Fr Jonathan Stewart, Deborah Van Kroonenberg, Josephine Collins Attar, Canon Mark O'Keefe, Sophie Scagell and the safeguarding team, Monsignor Robert Draper, Sister Benignus, Fr Mark Skelton, Simon Giarchi, Anne and Nicholas Toomey and Our Lady Star of the Sea parish in Weymouth.
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