A message from Fr Wilfrid McGreal, Prior Provincial

On Thursday, I managed to get to the sea, and I found a high tide with water lapping gently on the shore. I felt a great sense of peace, and thanked God for the pure gift of creation. We must care for God’s creation and try and do what we can for the environment. At the National Shrine of Saint Jude, we are always recycling, and try and send emails, rather than letters.

Lent is now well underway in Faversham. Last Thursday, I spoke at the first of our Lent talks. Well over 50 people attended, and came from the parish and beyond (such as Cambridge and Bournemouth). It was good to gather and reflect with friends, especially as the church is a community of friends.

As spring comes to these Isles, let us pray for warmer weather sooner rather than later. My prayers remain with you all.

Thoughts from our Chaplain: The kingdom belongs to them!

In Missio (Spring 2014) its National Director, Mgr James Cronin, asks, “And what is your reaction when a baby cries in church?” This happened to me recently. Coming towards the end of the short reflection after my homily, a baby must have thought “this pause is long enough!” and opened up widely his/her lungs. I observed, “To the young mum, who is carrying out her crying baby, I say don’t worry, because Jesus said, “Let the little ones come to me, the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”

To me the more babies in church the better! Mgr Cronin opposed his Parish Council’s wish to build a crying room. He reminded us of a PP who advised his congregation on the very first Sunday of the year, “Children are like a New Year’s resolution: they have to be carried out!”

In Africa, when a baby starts crying, mother’s milk comes quite naturally to the rescue! Cultures differ and that has to be taken into account. James asks, “And now what about adults who talk in church?”

Fr Chris writes in the same issue of Missio about a woman who sued her husband for mental cruelty because he had not spoken to her for a year. When the judge questioned him about such reprehensible behaviour he simply replied, “Your Honour, I didn’t like to interrupt her!” Hopefully plenty of food for thought here for Lent.  

Piet Wijngaard, O.Carm.                

St Garmon - a little known saint

The National Shrine of Saint Jude is currently selling a number of saints’ prayer cards that were created and printed in the early years of this peaceful place. They are all beautifully prepared, in full colour and mostly A7 size or larger. Most of them include a prayer to the saint on the back. You can purchase these, here.

Most of the saints are well known, but one saint that intrigued us at the Shrine office was St Garmon.  Here is a saint that I suspect most of our readers have not heard about, so we thought we would take the opportunity in this news blog to tell you.

Who was St Garmon?
Well, St Garmon is also known as St Germanus of Auxerre.

Germanus of Auxerre (c. 378 – c. 448) was a bishop of Auxerre in Gaul. He is a saint in both the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches, commemorated on July 31. He visited Britain in around 429 and the records of this visit provide valuable information on the state of post-Roman British society. In Britain, he helped to fire up Christianity, and made sure that the British church did not break away from the correct teachings.

Saint Germanus's tomb continues to be venerated in the church of the Abbey of Saint-Germain d'Auxerre, which, although now part of municipal museum, remains open for worship at stated times.

The cult of Saint Germanus of Auxerre spread in northern France, hence the church Saint-Germain l'Auxerrois facing the Louvre in Paris.

In the 2004 edition of the Roman Martyrology, Germanus is listed under 31 July. He is described as 'passing at Ravenna, a bishop who defended Britain against the Pelagian heresy and travelled to make peace for Armorica'.

Germanus was even a character in the 2004 movie, King Arthur. He was portrayed by Italian actor Ivano Marescotti.

It seems to me that St Garmon is an excellent saint for us to pray with for the church and Christianity in these isles. Garmon's prayer card can be found here.

Matt Betts

Thoughts from our Chaplain - male & female, He created them.

On the 6, 12 and 20 March the Parish will have reflections on “The Role of Women within the Catholic Church”.

Quite accidentally – or providentially – this week I was emailed an article from Holland by Sr Joan Chittister, O.S.B. For over 30 years she has written about both Religious Life and the role of women in the Church and the world. 

In this article she is very pleased that Pope Francis wants to have a study about women. But she wonders who will be entrusted with this task, asking herself “The same clerical, patriarchal types, who have already done that for two thousand years? …The most important question will be on which anthropology, theology and science will this time the ideas about women be based? Pope Francis has won the hearts of people by acting humbly, simply and pastorally. Just as Jesus he is a man for the poor. However, no one can really speak for the poor, if he doesn’t also come up for the equality of women.” Joan is absolutely convinced that equality is still not there.

I’m sure the three speakers will highlight different aspect of this topic and thus come along to hear more about it and most likely have a very lively discussion on it.

However, let us just keep in mind that right from the beginning equality was there, God creating both Adam and Eve in his own image and likeness.

Piet Wijngaard, O.Carm.

New Prior Provincial

Congratulations to Fr Antony Lester who has been elected new Prior Provincial of the Carmelites.

From Carmelite News:

British Province Friars elect new Provincial and Council

The Friars of the British Province of Carmelites have elected Fr. Antony (Tony) Lester as their new Prior Provincial, and four brothers to serve as his Council. They will take up their new positions from the second stage of the Provincial Chapter in May.

The four friars elected to serve as the Provincial's Council are: Fr. Kevin Melody; Fr. Damian Cassidy; Fr. Francis Kemsley; and Brother Paul Jenkins, who joins the Council for the first time.

The elections took place on 26th and 27th February 2014 at Aylesford Priory, the Carmelite Order's historic community in Kent, as part of a special assembly of the Whitefriars held every three years. The assembly was presided over by the Prior General of the whole Carmelite Order, Fr. Fernando Millán Romeral.

The Prior Provincial is the senior brother of the Carmelite Order in Britain. Father Tony has previously served two terms in the post, between 2002 and 2008. He will succeed Fr. Wilfrid McGreal who hands over the role after the Carmelite Provincial Chapter in May.

Fr. Tony is currently Catholic Chaplain to the University of York.

Spring newsletter

Later this week many of our supporters will be receiving their copy of The Carmelite News through the front door. However, as a member of our Facebook group, you can read it a week earlier!

Carmelite News is available to view via a system called Page Tiger. You do not need special software for the online magazine and you will be able to print all, or part of it, if you wish to do so.

Our spring issue can be accessed, via this link: http://view.pagetiger.com/CarmeliteNews-Spring2014/issue1/?ptit=037049426BB86674F27F

The spring issue has all relevant web links enabled so you can click to go directly to any site mentioned. You will also see additional content for our online edition that will not be found in the printed copy. Each newsletter can be read either as a two-page spread or as a single spread. It is also possible to zoom into each page.

Thank you for your generous response to the last newsletter, your kindness in these difficult days is wonderful and greatly appreciated by us all.

Please do consider joining the Guild of Saint Jude, the Giving Machine and buying gifts from the Shrine via our online shop. Your support means that we can help many more people, so that we can keep serving the Church in Britain and world-wide. Thank you for your support.

Remember if you decide you prefer the online version and you would like to give up the printed copy, you can do this by simply emailing us, or letting us know by phoning the Shrine office on 01795 539 214 to make your request.

Thoughts from our Chaplain - A friend is more than a brother!

I read an interesting article in KarmelImpuls, a three monthly magazine issued by the Belgian Discalced Carmelites. The article is written by Iny Driessen and goes under the title of “Judas, friend”, explaining that we usually describe him as the traitor, but that the last name that Jesus gave to Judas was friend. She goes on to explain what friend means in the bible.

God calls Abraham and Moses friends, because “they walk with the Lord”, i.e. to live with him and dedicate oneself to him.  Proverbs tells us in 18:24 “There are friends who lead one to ruin, others are closer than a brother.” Especially Ecclesiasticus has plenty to say about friendship. Read in particular 6: 5-17, e.g. “A faithful friend is a sure shelter, whoever finds one has found a rare treasure. A faithful friend is something beyond price, there is no measuring his worth”.

I like especially the words of Blessed Titus Brandsma, who wrote in his prison cell before a picture of Jesus: “Dear Lord, when looking up to Thee, I see Thy loving eyes on me; Love overflows my humble heart, Knowing what faithful friend Thou art.” In John 15:15 Jesus himself tells his disciples “I shall not call you servants anymore, because a servant does not know his master’s business. I call you friends, because I have made know to you everything I have learnt from my Father. He says that to each one of us too!

Fr Piet Wijngaard, O.Carm.