You are invited to a Newman Talk in the meeting room of St Bernadette’s, Nunthorpe, Middlesbrough, on Thursday 23rd February 2012

7.30 pm    Coffee for all
7.45 pm    Dr George Herring will talk on The Oxford Movement: its historical and contemporary significance.
This talk will discuss, among other things, the Oxford Movement’s connection with Newman’s conversion to Catholicism.

Opportunity for prayer, input and discussion

Dates:      10th-12th February

Where:    Katherine House, Salford

Cost:        donation only

More information and a booking form available from:

Sister MaryAnne fcJ – maryannefcj@gmail.com

Sister Rachel fcJ – rduffyfcj@yahoo.co.uk

FCJ House, St Hugh’s, 53A Cranborne Road, Liverpool, L15 2HY

Tel 0151 733 5475

www.fcjsisters.org

The annual Retreat Day, in preparation for the Rite of Election, will be on Saturday 11th February 2012 at All Saints Lower School, Nunnery Lane, York. All those who are to be received or baptised into the Catholic Church at Easter, together with their sponsors, godparents and catechists, are invited to attend. Paddy Rylands, formerly Adult Formation and RCIA Co-ordinator in the Shrewsbury Diocese, will lead the Retreat, which begins with coffee and registration at 10.30 am, and will start promptly at 11.00 am, finishing by 3.00 pm. Tea and coffee will be provided, but those attending should bring a packed lunch. The Retreat Day is an important part of the faith journey for the catechumens and candidates, and is a preparation for the Rite of Election at St Mary’s Cathedral on the First Sunday of Lent, Sunday 26th February 2012 at 3.00 pm.

Father Michael Keogh

For the last nine years, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference has organised Parliamentary and Public Policy Internships for recently graduated Catholics. This year, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference is looking to offer eight internships: five interns will be placed with Christian MPs at Westminster; two in Public Policy with CAFOD and CARITAS Social Action Network; and one in a media internship at Archbishop’s House, Westminster. All internships will run from September 2012 – July 2013 and include accommodation and subsistence allowances. Full details and an application form can be found on the website http://www.catholicnews.org.uk/interns  Completed application forms must either be e-mailed to interns@cbcew.org.uk or posted to Michaela Kelly, Head of HR, 39 Eccleston Square, London, SW1V 1BX. The closing date is 5.00 pm on 29th February 2012 and Assessment days will be 28th and 29th March 2012.

Women’s World Day of Prayer is an annual opportunity to gather together as Christians, to witness to our shared Gospel values, to praise God with words and music, and to intercede for deep human needs across the globe. Always the first Friday in March, this year the service is on the 2nd, and is prepared by the Christian women of Malaysia, a country renowned for its tolerance of different faiths which coexist with mutual respect. Their subject is ‘Let Justice Prevail’, a theme truly relevant in these times of violent strife. It is increasingly important that Catholics are seen to be involved in ecumenical partnerships: look out for services advertised in your area and attend if you can. York Central Service will be at 2.00 pm at St Olaves C of E Church in Marygate. The Lord Mayor and Sheriff will be present. Our speaker will be Nan Saeki, renowned for many years for her work towards Justice and Peace in Middlesbrough Diocese and nationally.

Angela Breffit

Nominations are invited for the 2012 Catholic Women of the Year. The idea is to honour the “unsung heroines” who take on responsibilities and carry out service to others in steadfast and perhaps unobtrusive ways. The nomination can simply be a letter from a friend, colleague, parish priest or even a family member setting out the facts in a brief way. The idea is to honour women who in their homes and families, in public office or in their business or professional lives, are seeking to live and uphold the Church’s teachings with love and dedication. Letters can be typed or handwritten, no more than two pages in length, and should be sent to Mrs Janette Woodford, 22 Milton Road, WARE, Herts, SG12 0PZ or e-mailed to mijamajoje@ntlworld.com by 30th April 2012. The Catholic Women of the Year Luncheon will be held on Monday 8th October at the Thistle Hotel, Marble Arch, London and the funds raised this year will go to the Maryvale Institute to develop its work of training catechists in teaching the Faith to the next generation.

The Reverend Sharon Whittington will be speaking about her work as Chaplain for St Leonard’s Hospice to the Women’s Commission at St Bede’s Pastoral Centre in York on 3rd March from 10.30 am to 1.00 pm. The meeting is open to all (including men) and is ecumenical. The topic is close to many people’s hearts.

Chris Clarke (Chair)

The Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales has a small team concerned with rural issues. It represents Catholics on various national and international bodies, offers training opportunities, and has an official rural contact in most dioceses. Most Catholic churches and their congregations are in towns, but parish boundaries often include large rural areas. The commuters, retirees and the diminishing number of farmers living there are easy to overlook. High petrol prices, shop closures, and reduced bus services, for example, encourage isolation. The suicide rate among farmers is high. Read More »

In the January edition of the Voice, we included information on a significant event at York Minster on Saturday 21st April. We now enclose the questionnaire which we would like you to encourage everyone to complete and give to your Parish Priest or York Event Representative by the end of March. Results will be collated and announced at the York Minster event.

Archbishop John Sentamu and Bishop Terry Drainey will preside over the Minster event on the morning of 21st April and then on the afternoon, a series of workshops will be held at York St John College. In addition, a Government representative and senior representatives from national charities (Christian Aid, CAFOD, etc) will also be present. For more information, please contact Emma Casson, Administrator for the Christian Census on Climate Change, tel 0787 937 2999 or e-mail CConclimatechange@gmail.com

Please support this vital initiative. This is an opportunity for Christians from all denominations to take action and raise concerns about a major challenge facing our planet. As custodians of God’s Creation, we can make a difference for the Common Good.

John Hinman
Chair of Ecumenical Working Party

Click here to download a questionnaire
Click here to download extra information on the questions

Carol Cross, Diocesan CAFOD Manager talks about CAFOD’s 50th Anniversary

2012 is CAFOD’s 50th Anniversary year during which we would like to celebrate our past successes and build on them.

As CAFOD’s Diocesan Manager, I would like to personally acknowledge and express our thanks to all in the Middlesbrough Diocese who have contributed in any way to the achievements CAFOD has realised during its lifetime, for your faith and dedication, as well as the support and generosity given over the past 50 years, reaching out in love and concern to millions of people around the world. I also want to reach out to younger generations to ask for their help to build on the successes of the past throughout this year and into the future. Read More »